I set my questions aside and approached him.
“This humble merchant, Eun Seo-ho, has come to attend His Highness the Crown Prince.”
“I will inform him that you have arrived.”
He announced my arrival inside, and the Crown Prince’s voice soon came from beyond the door.
“Wait just a moment. I’ll be out shortly.”
While waiting for the Crown Prince, I spoke to the man.
“I didn’t realize it when we last met, but you’re a eunuch.”
“That is correct. Eunuch A-jeong suffered an unfortunate accident, leaving His Highness the Crown Prince one eunuch short, did it not?”
“Ah, so you came to fill that vacancy.”
“Precisely. I came to Nanjing under His Majesty’s command to take his place.”
I thought for a moment before asking.
– Are you with the Eastern Depot?
For a eunuch to possess this level of skill, the Eastern Depot was the only answer that made sense.
But rather than answering my question, he said,
“My apologies for the late introduction. My name is Jo-saeng.”
I returned his greeting while thinking to myself.
His Majesty certainly knows how to handle things.
Sending someone this skilled could only mean he intended to strengthen the Crown Prince’s protection.
After what happened to Eunuch A-jeong, His Majesty must have realized that their reach had already extended toward the Crown Prince as well.
“I am Eun Seo-ho, Deputy Merchant Lord.”
As we exchanged greetings, I examined his Qi.
I couldn’t sense any trace of the Asura Blood Cult from him, nor any other sinister or unsettling Qi.
Just the pure Qi of an Imperial Palace Martial Art…
Huh?
But didn’t eunuchs have martial arts specifically meant for them?
So why was I sensing an Imperial Palace Martial Art from him…?
Of course, there was no rule forbidding eunuchs from learning Imperial Palace Martial Arts, but it was still an extremely unusual case.
Ordinary people couldn’t practice the eunuchs’ martial arts, but eunuchs could still learn Imperial Palace Martial Arts.
That was one of the advantages of Imperial Palace Martial Arts.
Was there a reason he hadn’t clearly answered when I asked whether he belonged to the Eastern Depot?
After all, only eunuchs could become members of the Eastern Depot.
Just then, the door opened and the Crown Prince stepped outside.
“This humble merchant greets His Highness the Crown Prince. Long live Your Highness! Long live! Long, long live!”
The Crown Prince had told me there was no need to stand on ceremony with him, but I couldn’t exactly do that in front of everyone.
“Rise.”
“Your grace is boundless.”
“Ah, I assume this is your first time meeting Eunuch Jo-saeng?”
“We just introduced ourselves.”
“I see. Then let us be on our way.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
In the meantime, the others had finished their preparations and were waiting for the Crown Prince in front of Chaotian Palace.
The moment they saw him, they respectfully bowed in greeting.
The Crown Prince ordered them to rise, then addressed those who would be boarding the ships.
“Today, by command of my Imperial Father, the great ruler of this empire, you will depart for the Great Yue Kingdom and the Maraeseo Kingdom, respectively. The road ahead will be long and difficult. But I trust that each of you will fulfill the duty entrusted to you.”
The Crown Prince paused for a breath before continuing.
“For the empire’s sake, I ask that you endure the hardships ahead.”
“We shall carry out His Majesty’s command even at the cost of our lives.”
“Try not to get hurt, and don’t die on me. Take care of yourselves as well. Now, let us depart.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
With that, the Crown Prince took the lead, and everyone followed behind him.
Unless there were special circumstances, walking ahead of the Crown Prince would violate proper etiquette.
“Deputy Merchant Lord Eun, lead the way.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
And guiding the route happened to be one of those special circumstances.
Even then, I had to walk beside him. I certainly couldn’t put myself directly in front of the Crown Prince.
A short while later.
We arrived at the harbor.
The only people waiting at the docks were the captains of each ship.
The sailors were already at their respective posts, preparing to set sail.
Last time, an official from the Ministry of Rites had read the ceremonial prayer and conducted the departure rite, but today, the Crown Prince himself was present.
Naturally, the Crown Prince conducted the rite.
He read the ceremonial prayer, then burned it and sent it toward the heavens.
The burning prayer rose high into the air.
Everyone cheered at the sight, taking it as an auspicious omen.
Once the ceremony was over, people began boarding their respective ships.
I approached Cousin Seon-il and Princess Shina.
“Thanks to you, I finally have a chance to meet my father-in-law. Thank you.”
“There’s nothing to thank me for. I only acted because there was something in it for me as well.”
“I knew that was what you’d say.”
“It will be a long journey. Take care of your health and return safely.”
“I will. I’ll see you when I return.”
After saying my farewells to Cousin Seon-il, I turned toward Princess Shina.
“And, uh… Cousin-in-law, please have a safe journey as well.”
“Thank you.”
Once I stepped back, the temporary gangplank was pulled aboard the ship.
Bwooooooo–!
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
The blaring horns and pounding drums thundered across the harbor.
It was the signal announcing their departure.
I waved as I saw them off, and one by one, every ship began making its way toward the open sea.
After watching until the ships had disappeared into the distance, I approached the Crown Prince.
“Your Highness, this humble merchant intends to return to Beijing now.”
“So soon?”
“Yes, Your Highness. A great deal of work has piled up in Beijing.”
“Well, I suppose you have started quite a few things there.”
The Crown Prince nodded.
“Have a safe journey back. And thank you for everything you’ve done.”
“This humble merchant has merely carried out the duties entrusted to me.”
“You’ll likely meet Imperial Father once you return. Give him my regards.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
After bidding farewell to the Crown Prince, I returned to the inn.
Those who had traveled with me from Beijing to Nanjing had already finished preparing for our departure.
With all the supervisors and sailors gone, the inn suddenly felt strangely empty.
As for Deputy Merchant Lord Seong and the others from the Myeongmyeong Merchant Group, they had already left for Sichuan yesterday.
The matter was urgent enough that they simply didn’t have the time to detour through Beijing.
Instead, they contracted a highly reputable escort bureau in Nanjing and headed directly for Sichuan.
Just to be safe, I also sent several warriors from the Eunpoong Division with them.
“Thank you for choosing our inn.”
“We were very comfortable during our stay.”
“Then I look forward to the day we may serve you again.”
And with that, we left the inn.
Come to think of it, the innkeeper here really was quite capable.
Despite how long we had stayed at this inn, not a single rumor about us had spread through the marketplace.
That meant he knew how to keep his mouth shut and how to keep his subordinates under control.
He was excellent at running an inn as well…
Someone like that was exactly the sort of person the Eunhae Merchant Group needed to recruit.
The Eunhae Merchant Group still didn’t have a branch in Nanjing.
That was mainly because Nanjing wasn’t particularly far from our Headquarters in Hubei, and we hadn’t had any real business interests here.
But Nanjing was still important enough to warrant its own branch.
It was one of the empire’s most important cities, important enough to be called the second capital, and now the Crown Prince would be residing here permanently.
It was also destined to become one of the major centers of foreign trade.
And on a personal level, I had another reason to consider Nanjing important.
It was close to Anhui, where the Namgoong Clan was located.
Not only was the Baekcheon Merchant Group’s Merchant Lord a member of the Namgoong Clan, but the Murim Alliance Leader was also from the Namgoong Clan.
I should suggest establishing a Nanjing branch to Father.
And while I was at it, I should look into recruiting the innkeeper from the place we stayed.
He had spent years running an inn here, so maybe he would be well suited for the Intelligence Unit?
Of course, none of that mattered unless the innkeeper himself agreed.
We continued north from Nanjing and eventually arrived in Gaebong.
Gaebong was another ancient capital and an exceptionally prosperous city.
It was also one of the major centers of the Yellow River basin.
“Young Master, shouldn’t we start looking for an inn to stay at tonight?”
“We should.”
I nodded at Palgap’s suggestion and was just about to choose a suitable inn when…
“Hmm?”
I spotted a familiar face up ahead.
“Huh?”
He seemed to recognize me as well and immediately came over.
“Well, look who it is. Aren’t you Deputy Merchant Lord Eun Seo-ho of the Eunhae Merchant Group?”
“Innkeeper Mun, what brings you here?”
“Innkeeper? Please, just call me Young Lord. Elder Yeon is still the innkeeper.”
The man I had run into was Young Lord Mun Ju-seong.
He was the seventeenth son of the Deukhaeng Merchant Group, and I had first become acquainted with him when he was trying to obtain the Fruit of Renewal. (TL Note: Way back in Chapter 153)
The Five-Colored Ice Crystal Flower he had been searching for was still sitting in my Hidden Vault.
Watching him turn the Springtime Inn I had introduced him to into a thriving business had made me realize that simple luck wasn’t what allowed him to become successful.
“What brings you to Gaebong?”
“Ah… I came to inspect our inn’s Gaebong branch.”
“Gaebong branch?”
“Yes. We established a branch of the Springtime Inn here in Gaebong.”
So the Springtime Inn had already grown that much.
“Congratulations.”
“Thank you.”
“How is your mother doing?”
“She’s doing well.”
– Are Elder Willow Saber Emperor and Granny Skullbreaker doing well too?
At my Voice Transmission, he naturally nodded.
“They are both in good health.”
“I’m glad to hear it.”
Then Young Lord Mun Ju-seong looked at me and said,
“It seems you’re currently looking for an inn. Am I right?”
“Yes, you are.”
“In that case, may I ask you for a favor?”
“What kind of favor?”
“I’ll pay for your rooms, so please stay at the Springtime Inn’s Gaebong branch tonight. Afterward, I’d like you to tell me anything you found lacking.”
“You want me to act as a mystery guest.”
“Exactly.”
A mystery guest was essentially an inspector disguised as an ordinary customer.
A merchant group as large as the Eunhae Merchant Group couldn’t possibly have one person handle everything, so there was no choice but to delegate responsibilities to trusted subordinates.
But once that happened, there would inevitably be a few people who did their jobs carelessly.
That was why inspectors would sometimes disguise themselves as ordinary customers and secretly evaluate a business.
And that was exactly what Young Lord Mun was asking me to do.
“I trust Deputy Merchant Lord Eun’s judgment.”
“Thank you for thinking so highly of me.”
There was no reason to turn down a chance to stay at an inn using someone else’s money.
Besides, I was genuinely curious about a branch Young Lord Mun had established himself.
“Very well. I’ll be your mystery guest.”
“Thank you.”
“Although, there are quite a few people in my party.”
“That’s even better. It will give me a better idea of how well the staff handles a large group.”
.
.
.
An hour later.
I stood in front of an inn.
[Springtime Inn – Gaebong Branch]
The moment I saw the signboard, I couldn’t help chuckling.
I wondered how those two elders had reacted when Young Lord Mun Ju-seong suggested opening a branch of the Springtime Inn in Gaebong.
They probably grumbled about how troublesome it all sounded while quietly giving him all the support he needed behind the scenes.
That was simply the kind of people they were.
Maybe I should visit them next time. I miss them.
While I was thinking that, an attendant hurriedly ran out from inside.
“Welcome! Will you be staying the night?”
“Yes, we will.”
“Then please come this way.”
He then shouted toward one side of the building.
“Stablehands! We have horses here!”
“Coming!”
Several stablehands came sprinting over and immediately took our horses toward the stable.
The moment we entered the inn, we couldn’t help being impressed.
The interior was so spotless that it almost felt as though we had walked into the Springtime Inn’s main establishment.
“Would you like to eat first?”
I answered,
“I’d like to wash up first.”
“Of course. Then please come this way. The Lodging Department will show you to your rooms.”
Lodging Department?
I looked at him curiously.
“You have a separate Lodging Department?”
“Yes. At the Springtime Inn, the Lodging Department and Guest Services Department are operated separately.”
So they were assigning the attendants specialized responsibilities.
An attendant from the Lodging Department asked me,
“How many guests are in your party?”
“Twelve altogether.”
“What kind of rooms would you prefer? We have four types available, accommodating two, three, four, or six guests.”
“How much are they?”
At my question, the attendant listed the prices for each type of room.
I quietly chuckled to myself.
Young Lord Mun Ju-seong had given me enough money for all twelve of us to stay two to a room.
“We’ll take six rooms for two.”
“Here are your keys.”
The attendant handed us keys tagged with our room numbers, and another attendant standing beside us said,
“I’ll show you to your rooms.”
A short while later,
After the guards had inspected the room, I stepped inside.
I checked the bedding and nodded in satisfaction.
“Wow! This room is really clean, Young Master.”
“I was thinking the same thing.”
At most inns, dust tended to remain in corners and other places that were difficult to reach.
But there wasn’t a single spot like that here.
Even the bedding was spotless, without so much as a stain. As far as the room’s cleanliness and upkeep went, this place easily passed.
Now, how about the baths?
There were no bathing tubs inside the guest rooms.
Instead, there were private bathing rooms beside the communal bath, so I washed there.
That area was every bit as clean as the rooms, which pleased me.
While I was bathing, I also discovered something unusual.
There was a cake of scented soap beside the bath, and not only did it smell wonderful, it cleaned remarkably well.
I was already accustomed to the finest fragrances, so if even I found myself impressed, then the soap had to be of genuinely high quality.
After washing, I went down to the first-floor dining hall and asked an attendant about the scented soap.
“Ah, that scented soap is exclusive to the Springtime Inn.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. We commissioned an exceptional perfumer and a master soapmaker to create it for us. Our guests have all been very pleased with it.”
“It smells excellent, and it cleans remarkably well.”
“Thank you for saying so. Would you like to order your meal now?”
“Yes. Does this inn have any specialties?”
“If you’ve come all the way to Gaebong, you absolutely must try the soup dumplings. We also have a carp dish and our golden chicken.”
“That’s quite a selection.”
“Gaebong attracts gourmands from all across the empire, so our inn makes sure to prepare a wide variety of dishes.”
“Then we’ll have the soup dumplings, the carp, the chicken, and…”
After placing our order, I carefully observed the attendants.
Just what kind of training had they received to make every single one of them work so diligently?
If only I could adapt that kind of training for the Eunhae Merchant Group.
That was when it happened.
Crash!
Along with the sharp sound of a dish shattering came someone’s furious shout.
–TL Notes–
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