I couldn't help tilting my head at the Provincial Administration Commissioner's sudden change in expression.
But he didn't say anything more about it.
“Then, let's eat.”
“Ah, yes.”
I picked up my chopsticks again.
“Um, Lord Commissioner.”
“Go ahead.”
“I'm thinking of expanding the Eunhae Merchant Group's Guizhou Branch.”
“How large an expansion are you planning that you felt the need to tell me personally?”
“I'm thinking of expanding it to around thirty-three thousand to fifty thousand square meters.”
“That's quite a substantial expansion.”
“Yes. The Eunhae Merchant Group has been doing more and more business in Guizhou Province lately, so…”
I added another reason.
“It'll also make things more comfortable for Deputy Gwak whenever she stays in Guizhou Province. I'm planning to build separate quarters for her at the Guizhou Branch.”
“Hmm… You.”
“Yes.”
“Do you really think that if you use her name to try and negotiate this with me, that I'll simply agree and tell you to go ahead?”
Gulp.
I swallowed and waited for what would come next.
“If so, then you're absolutely right.”
“Pardon?”
“Heh heh heh. Something like this hardly even counts as an abuse of power.”
I gave him an awkward smile.
And here I'd gotten all nervous for nothing.
“For this much, it's worth putting up with a few bothersome negotiations with the other merchant groups.”
“Thank you for saying so.”
Time passed as we talked, and before long, it was time for us to head back.
“Then take care of yourself.”
“Yes. Please stay healthy as well.”
Young Lady Seohyang's mother then approached me and took my hand.
“Thank you.”
The sincerity in those words made me lightly bow my head.
And with that, our long-awaited reunion came to an end, and we headed back to the inn.
* * *
Dong Hwi, Guizhou Province's Provincial Administration Commissioner, watched Eun Seo-ho and his companions leave with a satisfied expression.
‘Just as I thought.’
He had investigated Eun Seo-ho from every possible angle, so he knew the young man quite well.
He knew just how meticulous and thorough Eun Seo-ho could be.
But bonds between people weren't something that could be stopped by caution and calculation alone.
And Dong Hwi knew that better than anyone.
“What are you thinking about so seriously?”
“Don't they look good together?”
At his question, his wife smiled and nodded as well.
“Yes. They do.”
His wife had already accepted the relationship between the two of them.
After all, she also knew that the safest place for their daughter was beside Eun Seo-ho.
The reason Dong Hwi's sharp gaze had softened while questioning Eun Seo-ho earlier was none other than his daughter.
There had been a pearl hairpin in her hair.
It was an expensive item, far beyond anything she could currently afford to obtain on her own.
Eun Seo-ho had undoubtedly given it to her. He had, after all, gone to Hainan Island for the pearl trade.
Pearls carried the meaning of protection for the wearer, along with a wish that good fortune would accompany them.
And in Dong Hwi's clan, there was a much deeper meaning when a man gave pearls to a woman.
It meant, “You are my woman.”
Dong Hwi stroked his chin.
‘There's no way that girl doesn't know what it means. If she still chose to wear it here, then she must have feelings for Deputy Merchant Lord Eun as well.’
* * *
The next morning.
My companions and I left the inn.
Our next destination was the Eunhae Merchant Group's Headquarters in Hubei Province.
There were quite a few matters I needed to discuss there.
Once again, thanks to the River-Crossing Horses, we were able to reach our destination quickly.
“Whoa! Deputy Merchant Lord!”
“Third Deputy Merchant Lord, you're back?”
The moment we entered the Eunhae Merchant Group's Carriage Yard, everyone was startled, but they quickly came over to welcome us.
“It's been a long time, everyone.”
“We heard about the incredible things you did at the Murim Grand Assembly.”
I scratched my head at the supervisor's words.
“I got lucky.”
“Come now! You can't chalk something like that up to luck!”
“Exactly. You're the only one who could have pulled that off, Third Deputy Merchant Lord.”
I gave them an embarrassed smile and changed the subject.
“Brother Jin-ho accomplished quite a lot too.”
Everyone nodded at that.
“Well, of course he did. He trained in the practice yard every chance he got.”
Ah…
I think I finally understood what had been bothering me.
Everyone had watched Brother Jin-ho put in that effort day after day, so they'd gradually started treating his accomplishments as something inevitable. Meanwhile, what I'd accomplished had gone far beyond anyone's expectations, so they reacted like this.
I grew serious.
“Um, could I ask everyone for a favor?”
“Of course. Please tell us.”
“When Brother Jin-ho comes back, tell him he did well. Tell him you know how hard he worked, that you're proud of him, and that he's a credit to the Eunhae Merchant Group.”
“Pardon?”
“No effort should ever be taken for granted. And neither should the results earned through that effort.”
“You're right.”
That voice belonged to Father.
Father approached us with a smile on his face.
“Just as you said, no one's effort should be taken for granted. Neither should the results that effort brings.”
“Father!”
“Yes, you've had a long journey. Go wash up first. As if my schedule knew you were coming, I happen to have no dinner engagements tonight.”
“Yes. I'll wash up and come see you right away.”
I headed toward my quarters.
Wow…
It really had been a long time since I'd been back at Mungok Hall.
The servants and maidservants of Mungok Hall welcomed me warmly after so long.
Even though I'd returned without warning, the place was spotless. It seemed they'd continued cleaning and maintaining my quarters regularly even while I was away.
I washed, changed into proper clothes, and headed to the dining room, where I had dinner with Father.
“It seems your trip to Hainan Island went well too.”
“Yes. The results were even better than I'd expected.”
I'd already sent Father a letter through Geumryeong explaining what had happened on Hainan Island.
After all, the matter was connected to establishing a docking site for the Eunhae Merchant Group's ships on Hainan Island, and Father was the Eunhae Merchant Group's Merchant Lord.
“So His Highness the Crown Prince is personally handling the aftermath on Hainan Island right now.”
“You certainly picked the right moment to slip away.”
“Yes.”
I nodded.
“I stopped by because there are quite a few matters I need to report to you personally, not to mention several issues that need to be discussed by the Eunwol Council.”
Then I pulled out the documents I'd prepared and handed them over.
It was a rather thick scroll.
Father unrolled it, read through the contents, and nodded.
“Yes, I'd been giving these matters some thought myself. But… what worries me is that every one of them will require you to shoulder most of the burden.”
That was understandable.
These were matters I'd personally started, and most were directly connected to me.
If I simply took my hands off them now and delegated everything to someone else, there was a good chance the work wouldn't proceed properly.
“Don't worry. You know I've got stamina to spare.”
“That you do.”
“I even make an effort to sleep at least six hours a day.”
Otherwise, Master would undoubtedly pay me another visit and resort to the rather extreme method of knocking me unconscious.
While Father and I were having dinner, Mother and the rest of the family returned home.
It was already late, so I only visited Grandfather and Mother to pay my respects before retiring for the night.
.
.
.
The next day.
As always, I got up and began my Breathing Meditation.
It felt strangely nostalgic to perform Breathing Meditation at Mungok Hall again after so long.
I had barely finished that thought and completed my meditation when someone I was very glad to see entered the annex.
“Master!”
“It has been quite a while.”
“Yes, it certainly has. But how did you know I'd returned?”
“You'll find out eventually.”
After saying that, Master asked me a question.
“Have you gained any insight into the Snow Soul Sword Art?”
I shook my head.
“I've kept thinking about it, but I still don't understand what it means for a sword not to be confined by forms and techniques.”
I recalled the arrangement the Patriarch had left behind, which I'd encountered when I visited Zhurong Palace before.
“The truth is, the Snow Soul Sword Art is not a sword art.”
“What?”
“Because it is not a sword confined by forms and techniques. It will probably be a long time before you truly understand what that means. Hmm, I have also prepared something that should guide you toward that realization, so one day you will encounter it.”
“…”
“And if you master the Extreme Ice Sword I am about to teach you, you will take another step closer to understanding it.”
I'd learned and trained in the Extreme Ice Sword under the Patriarch as well, but I still couldn't grasp the deeper meaning behind those words.
“Do you understand what he meant, Master?”
“A little… I think I do.”
“You do?”
As expected of Master.
At some point, our relationship had stopped being one where I simply learned martial arts from Master. Instead, we'd begun researching Snow Wind Palace's martial arts together.
But I didn't think that was a bad thing.
If anything, it meant I'd grown enough to be of some help to Master.
“Then draw your sword.”
“Yes.”
And just as always, we raised our swords against each other and began to spar.
.
.
.
A little while later, I was sprawled out across the annex courtyard, gasping for breath.
“Haa, haa, haa.”
Master, meanwhile, stood there without so much as a disturbance in that steady breathing.
Seriously, just how strong was Master?
Still, I liked the fact that I could go all out against Master without having to hold anything back.
“We will stop here for today.”
At Master's words, I rose to my feet and gave a cupped-fist salute.
“Thank you for the instruction.”
Master returned my salute before speaking.
“I leave on another escort mission this afternoon. I am glad I had the opportunity to teach you before departing.”
“I'm glad as well.”
I continued.
“I didn't think I'd have another chance to see you before the end of this year.”
A faint smile appeared on Master's lips.
Huh?
It was incredibly rare to see an actual expression on Master's face.
“Take this.”
Something flew toward me the moment Master said those words, and I reflexively caught it.
When I opened my hand, I found a small turtle carved from stone.
“What is this?”
“Your birthday was not long ago, was it? It is a birthday gift. I carved it from stone myself.”
“Uh…”
For a moment, I couldn't think of anything to say.
It wasn't an Artifact.
It wasn't gold.
It was nothing more than a turtle carved from an ordinary piece of stone.
But Master had carved it personally.
A turtle symbolized wealth, honor, and longevity.
When I thought about the feelings Master had put into this little turtle, something warm tightened in my chest.
“I admit, it is a little embarrassing to give you stone instead of gold.”
“Not at all.”
I shook my head.
“How could anything you give me not be precious, Master?”
“Thank you for thinking of it that way.”
“I'm the one who should be thanking you for such a precious gift.”
I gave Master another cupped-fist salute and bowed my head.
But by the time I raised it again, Master was already gone.
I stared at the little turtle in my hand with admiration.
How in the world did Master carve something this intricate?
A meeting of the Eunwol Council was convened later that day.
“It's been a long time.”
“Yes, it really has.”
Aside from Outer Chief Administrator Go Il-pyeong, whom I'd seen during the recent Murim Grand Assembly, it had truly been a long time since I'd seen Inner Chief Administrator Yu So-ak, who also served as Pavilion Lord of Jaegyeong Pavilion, Pavilion Lord Jeok Byeong-cheol of the Operations Pavilion, and Pavilion Lord Yeon Da-mi of Sangyu Pavilion.
“Your twenty-fourth birthday was recently, wasn't it? Congratulations.”
“Happy birthday.”
“Hahaha. Thank you.”
I smiled and exchanged greetings with them in good spirits.
“Ah, come to think of it, you probably haven't heard yet.”
Pavilion Lord Yeon Da-mi spoke to me.
“Inner Chief Administrator Yu So-ak is getting married next spring.”
“Oh, so you finally set a date?”
At my question, she smiled and nodded.
“Congratulations.”
Inner Chief Administrator Yu So-ak looked slightly embarrassed by my congratulations.
“Ahem. Thank you.”
“When is the wedding?”
“Early in the Third Month next year. Right when the plum blossoms are in bloom.”
“I see.”
Plum blossoms blooming in the Third Month…
That really was perfect.
The Prohibition Decree should be lifted by then as well, which meant they would be able to hold a grand wedding feast.
Father and Brother Jeong-ho entered shortly afterward, and the meeting began.
The meeting lasted quite a while.
Which was only natural, considering how many things we had to discuss.
“Then we'll proceed that way.”
“Yes.”
The most important subject at this meeting was the docking site we planned to establish on Hainan Island.
It was best to move while Hainan Island's goodwill toward both me and the Eunhae Merchant Group was at its peak.
To make sure the work proceeded quickly and efficiently, we decided to dispatch specialists from Headquarters.
Next came the large-scale expansion of the Luoyang Branch.
Construction would begin as soon as we secured the necessary land.
Construction of the Martial Arts Academy was also proceeding smoothly…
And everyone on the Eunwol Council agreed with turning Beijing into a secondary headquarters.
Brother Jeong-ho agreed as well.
“I was already wondering what to do about this. Every time we have a silk delivery to Beijing, having to travel all the way there myself is rather inconvenient.”
So we decided to make the Beijing Branch a secondary headquarters, with Brother Jeong-ho permanently stationed there.
It was based on roughly the same logic as the Crown Prince going to Nanjing.
It was absolutely not because I wanted someone convenient to work to the bone whenever I happened to be away.
Well, if Brother Jeong-ho happened to help me while he was there, what could I possibly do about that?
The expansion of the Guizhou Province Branch was also given final approval at this meeting.
“Ah, come to think of it, it should be about time for the merchant ship to arrive in Nanjing.”
“That's right.”
I nodded.
“Seo-ho, I'll have to trouble you again this time.”
“Of course. I'll go to Nanjing with Brother Jin-ho after meeting him in Beijing. Then I'll have Brother Jin-ho take the ship back to Headquarters.”
“That's a good idea.”
By the time the meeting ended and we stepped outside, it was already lunchtime.
Hmm. I wonder what's for lunch today?
I found myself looking forward to it a little as I headed back to Mungok Hall.
“Waaaaaah!”
Huh? That's a baby crying.
When I entered the annex, I found Palgap pacing around in a complete panic.
“What's going on?”
“There you are.”
“Ah! Sister-in-law.”
My second sister-in-law was in my annex. She was holding a baby in her arms, and the poor child was crying as though her little heart had been broken.
It was Hong-ryeo, Brother Jin-ho's daughter.
She would be a year old before much longer.
“But why is Hong-ryeo crying?”
I asked Palgap, and he answered with a thoroughly dejected expression.
He looked like a bear whose ears had drooped flat against its head.
“I only said hello to Young Lady Hong-ryeo, that's all. But the moment she saw my face, she started crying like that.”
“Really? Why?”
I tilted my head and walked over to Hong-ryeo to greet her.
“Hello, Hong-ryeo. Why are you crying?”
“…”
The moment Hong-ryeo saw my face, she stopped crying.
Then, as though she'd never shed a single tear, she broke into a bright smile and reached both hands toward me.
“Gaa! Gaa!”
Palgap watched the whole thing before muttering in a wounded voice.
“What a rotten world… Even babies judge people by their looks…”
Hmm…
Why does this feel like I've been through this exact situation before?
–TL Notes–
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