An Advertising Genius Falls into the Joseon Era - Chapter 40

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 40
“Careful! Careful!”
The boat lurched violently from side to side.
The Yalu River was narrower than the Han River, but its current was incomparably fierce.
A moment’s inattention and you’d be swept away in an instant.
And since the ferryboat itself was small, they had to make the crossing in several trips.
The ferryboat crossed the Yalu River again and again.
There were perilous moments, but thanks to the seasoned boatman’s skilled piloting, they managed to cross without losing a single person.
“Is everyone safe?”
“Yes! We’re all safe!”
Ha Yun, having crossed the river, lifted her head and gazed ahead.
‘So that’s the Qing Empire.’
Now that they’d crossed the river, the reality of it struck her.
The densely planted wooden palisades stretching into the distance, the barracks where soldiers were stationed, the flags rippling in the wind—every detail of the landscape proclaimed that this was not Joseon.
Then it happened.
Neigh—!
The shrill cry of a horse rang out, and soldiers came pouring in from all directions.
“Ah!”
There was no way to tell where they’d come from.
In the blink of an eye, they surrounded the trade party and advanced with spears and blades, making their threats clear.
“Who are you people!”
(Who are these fools!)
“Kneel at once and put down your weapons!”
(Get down on your knees now and lay down your arms!)
Incomprehensible words rained down from every side. Several frightened porters stumbled backward in alarm.
“What on earth are they saying……?”
“How are we supposed to understand what they’re saying…….”
Though they’d crossed into the Qing Empire several times before, never had anything like this happened.
Caught off guard, everyone exchanged nervous glances.
“Kneel now, you fools!”
(Hurry up and get on your knees!)
As the porters hesitated, the Qing soldiers renewed their threats. Spear tips crept steadily closer.
“What? Why is this happening?”
“They’re actually going to stab us?”
“Someone! Come forward and say something, for heaven’s sake!”
If this dragged on much longer, it really would come to bloodshed.
“Sigh.”
Song Do-hyeon stepped forward with a short breath.
“We are merchants from Joseon.”
(We are merchants from Joseon.)
At his fluent Qing speech, the soldiers’ spear tips faltered briefly.
“What? There’s actually someone who speaks the language of the Qing?”
(What? One of them speaks Qing language?)
“(We never heard anything about this before.)”
(We weren’t briefed on anything like this…….)
“What should we do?”
(What do we do?)
“Well…… shouldn’t we report this to our superiors?”
(Well…… shouldn’t we report this up the chain?)
The soldiers hesitated, as though their orders had been disrupted.
Then came another sound.
Clop!
The heavy hoofbeats of a horse echoed suddenly.
With it came a man in dark, weighty armor.
“Interesting—so Joseon has someone who speaks the Qing tongue.”
(Ho, so Joseon has men who can speak the Great Qing language.)
He appeared to be the commanding officer.
He pointed his spear at the carts and bundles.
“What’s inside there?”
(What’s loaded in those?)
“Ginseng.”
“Ginseng it is.”
“Ah.”
“Indeed.”
His eyes changed.
Moments before, he’d worn the air of a man intent on apprehending those who’d crossed into Qing territory illegally. Now his gaze had hardened into naked avarice.
“Ginseng—if I recall correctly, only trading merchant consortiums with trade rights are permitted to deal in it.”
“I believe that’s right—only those with trade rights can trade in ginseng.”
“We possess trade rights. We are Man Sang.”
“We have trade rights. We’re Man Sang.”
Song Do-hyeon produced the documents he’d prepared in advance.
But the man didn’t so much as glance at them.
“Papers like that? They’re simplicity itself to forge.”
“Papers? Child’s play to forge.”
He flicked the documents dismissively with the tip of his spear.
Tap.
His gaze remained fixed on the ginseng crates piled upon the carts.
“A quantity this substantial would fetch a fair price, wouldn’t it.”
“At this volume, you’re looking at considerable profit.”
He leaned forward in his saddle.
“What do you say—shall we strike a bargain?”
“How about it? A transaction between us.”
“A bargain? What sort of bargain?”
“A transaction? What transaction are you speaking of?”
“Leave half your cargo here and proceed on your way.”
“Leave half the carts here when you go.”
“……!”
Song Do-hyeon’s eyes widened with alarm.
“If you comply, I, Yeo Hyeong, guarantee your safe passage until you’ve returned to Joseon.”
“Do as I say, and I swear to you—your safety all the way back to Joseon is assured by my hand.”
The man who’d just identified himself as Yeo Hyeong stared down at Song Do-hyeon, his words a demand masquerading as an offer.
“What are you saying?”
Ha Yun asked quietly, unease creeping into her voice.
“He’s demanding extortion.”
“How much?”
Song Do-hyeon fell silent for a moment before answering.
“Half of everything we’ve brought.”
“Half? You can’t be serious.”
The faces of those standing nearby had gone ashen at the news.
“That’s madness.”
“We risked everything to transport this here!”
“If we surrender half the ginseng, what becomes of us?”
“These men are nothing but brigands!”
Everyone understood that Man Sang’s survival hinged on this trade. Surrender half, and the remaining stock would be too meager for any profitable transaction to proceed.
Yet they couldn’t simply turn back to Joseon empty-handed either.
Ha Yun spoke with absolute certainty.
“Tell him we won’t surrender a single item.”
“……!”
Song Do-hyeon’s eyes widened.
“Are you serious?”
“Absolutely.”
Seeing the unwavering resolve in Ha Yun’s gaze, Song Do-hyeon nodded.
“We won’t relinquish a single item.”
“We will not surrender anything.”
The moment those words left his mouth, Yeo Hyeong’s eyes turned to ice.
Clop.
His horse stepped forward a pace.
Startled by the sudden advance, several porters flinched and stumbled backward.
“…….”
Yeo Hyeong sat motionless atop his horse, gazing down at them in silence.
“Even if I killed every last one of you here and took the ginseng…….”
(Even if I killed all of you here and took the ginseng……)
The corners of his mouth rose slowly.
“Who would ever know?”
(No one would know anyway, would they?)
She couldn’t understand the words, but the meaning behind them came through with crystalline clarity.
The air froze in an instant, and no one dared speak.
Song Do-hyeon relayed his words with a darkened expression.
“He’s saying he’d kill us all if it meant taking the ginseng.”
“What did he just say……!”
A tremor of panic rippled through the trade expedition.
“Is this really about to become a disaster?”
“Good heavens, what in the world is this situation……!”
“Look at their eyes. They’re ready to do something terrible!”
Few people could maintain composure when their lives hung in the balance.
Then several voices turned toward Ha Yun, crying out:
“Ha Yun! Just give it to them!”
“That’s right! What good is ginseng when our lives are at stake?”
“Even if we gave up half, we’d still have half left — we could still conduct the trade, couldn’t we?”
“We’ll convince Im Sang-ok. Just hand over the ginseng quickly!”
Despite the flood of pleas, Ha Yun showed no sign of wavering.
She simply sat in thought, her mind working.
‘How did they know we were coming? How were they here waiting for us…….’
The truth was, Ha Yun was frightened too.
Though she showed no outward sign of it, her heart thundered against her ribs.
Even so, she held her head high and met Yeo Hyeong’s gaze directly. His face was marked with the scars of old battles.
‘Don’t flinch. If ginseng was all they wanted, they would’ve killed us already.’
She couldn’t afford to show fear.
If she showed fear now, everything would be lost. She repeated this to herself endlessly, steadying her resolve.
After a moment, Ha Yun seemed to reach a decision and spoke.
“Tell him again. We cannot surrender a single item.”
“This is……!”
At that decision, the atmosphere grew solemn, as though they were attending a funeral.
Then Ha Yun added one more thing.
“And tell him — if he means to kill us, he should be prepared for the consequences.”
“……!”
Song Do-hyeon looked at Ha Yun with wide eyes.
It was only a brief moment, but his gaze held many emotions.
After a pause, Song Do-hyeon conveyed her meaning exactly.
“If you want to kill us, then kill us.”
(If you’re going to kill us, then kill us.)
“What?”
(What did you say?)
“But you must be prepared for what comes after.”
(But you must be prepared for the consequences.)
While the two men spoke, Ha Yun tilted her head as if giving a signal.
“Yun Jeop-jang.”
“Uh, yes?”
“When I give the signal, dump all the ginseng into the river.”
“What, what did you say?”
Yun Jeop-jang’s eyes widened.
Murmurs of alarm spread among the porters.
“She really wants us to throw the ginseng in the water?”
“Yes. Trust me. If they meant to kill us, they would have done it already.”
Ha Yun tilted her head slightly, glancing away.
The conversation between Yeo Hyeong and Song Do-hyeon was dragging on.
It seemed the discussion wasn’t going smoothly.
‘In other words, they’re hesitant to kill us either.’
Having assessed the situation coolly, Ha Yun persuaded Yun Jeop-jang once more.
“Their only goal is the ginseng. They won’t want it to disappear like this either.”
“Even so, this is…….”
Yun Jeop-jang stared at the cart with a troubled expression.
Im Sang-ok, the proprietor, had burned the ginseng; now the hand he’d appointed was trying to dump it into the water.
A disaster that repeated itself across decades of time.
The moment that realization struck him, it was as though a hammer had crashed through his skull.
‘Ah! That’s why the proprietor chose Ha Yun……!’
It was certain.
Among all the people at Man Sang, Ha Yun was the only one capable of such a choice.
Han Seong-deok, with his fiery temperament, would have lost his nerve and ended up a corpse on a blade long ago.
Song Do-hyeon, quick-witted as he was, would have surrendered the ginseng at minimal loss—not half, but the bare minimum.
But Ha Yun was different.
Ha Yun had forced the other side’s hand with bold resolution.
Either lose everything, or withdraw now.
Yun Jeop-jang, understanding Im Sang-ok’s design, nodded slowly.
“……I see. I’ll do as you say.”
Yun Jeop-jang gestured to the porters.
“All of you understand?”
“Yes!”
“When Ha Yun gives the signal, throw all the ginseng into the river.”
“Understood, sir.”
At this point, there was no turning back.
The porters who had allied with Ha Yun seized hold of the cart.
They took positions as if ready to shove it into the current at any moment.
Yeo Hyeong cried out in alarm at the sight.
“What are you doing!”

Song Do-hyeon answered calmly.
“If necessary, they’ll throw all the ginseng into the river.”

“What?”

“If it goes into the river, you get nothing.”

Song Do-hyeon smiled coldly.
In that instant, anger flashed across Yeo Hyeong’s face.
“These bastards……!”

Cling—!
Yeo Hyeong finally drew his blade.
Those who saw it cried out in fear.
“Ahhh!”
“Must blood be spilled before you come to your senses?”

Yeo Hyeong leveled his sword point at Ha Yun.
“……Ha Yun!”
Faced with the threat aimed at her, Ha Yun’s eyes clenched shut.
‘I can’t weaken! Not after we’ve come this far!’
She was afraid.
Pretending to be strong, but terrified beyond endurance—all she wanted was to flee this instant.
Yet if she retreated now, everything would be lost.
The efforts of all those who had come with her.
Man Sang, their lives, everything would crumble.
The price of failed negotiation was that steep.
In truth, her choice was driving them toward death.
‘Hold on! Ha Yun! He cannot harm you!’
Ha Yun muttered the words like a prayer.
Her mind knew it.
They would never abandon the ginseng.
But the threat of death dissolved reason far too easily.
Ha Yun screamed with her eyes still shut.
“If anything happens to me, do as I said—dump the ginseng in the water without fail!”
“Understood!”
“Everyone hear that? If things go wrong, we throw the ginseng overboard—all of it!”
“If Ha Yun comes to harm, we won’t just stand by!”
“Damn those treacherous Qing dogs! Just wait and see what happens!”
Everyone seized the cart with grim determination, rallying behind Ha Yun’s desperate gamble.
Song Do-hyeon, too, was watching her with eyes full of profound admiration.
‘Is that truly what it means to have a woman’s courage……?’
An indescribable emotion swept through his chest.
Until now, Song Do-hyeon had never truly respected anyone.
Not even Im Sang-ok.
He had shown deference, but never genuine respect.
Yet now, for the first time, Song Do-hyeon was encountering that feeling—respect.
For a woman.
‘A person I can look up to…….’
In Ha Yun, who would surrender even her own life for her beliefs, he glimpsed something almost sublime.
Song Do-hyeon gazed at her in stunned silence for a long moment.
The standoff stretched on.
“Tsk, these fools…….”

One careless move and all the ginseng would be lost to the water.
Yeo Hyeong, too, could do nothing but hold his blade steady, frozen in place.
Gulp.
The sound of Ha Yun swallowing hard rang out clearly through the tension.
As time crept forward, her hands and feet began to tremble violently, cold sweat trickling down her spine.
Her head grew lighter by degrees—a sensation much like the anemia she’d felt not long before.
‘I can’t—not like this…….’
She felt her body tipping gradually to one side.
Vertigo rushed in.
It was clear she would collapse within moments at this rate.
If that happened, everything would be lost.
Then it came.
Smooth and sudden.
She felt someone step in front of her, intercepting the blade.
Her trembling body began, at last, to steady.
‘Who on earth……?’
Ha Yun opened her eyes carefully.
There stood Song Do-hyeon.
“Why……?”
Ha Yun asked, bewildered.
Song Do-hyeon answered calmly.
“How could I turn away when the Acting Head has resolved to die? That would be unfit for an attendant.”
Song Do-hyeon smiled faintly, then spoke.
“I am honored to die at your side, Acting Head.”
“……!”
At those words, Ha Yun’s eyes widened in shock.
Standing now between the blade and Ha Yun, Song Do-hyeon turned to address Yeo Hyeong.
“Take my life if you wish. You’ll gain nothing else.”

“What?”

“We are a Joseon merchant company with official permission.”

His voice remained measured.
There was not the slightest tremor in Song Do-hyeon’s tone.
“Know this—to kill us is to declare war on Joseon.”

“You wretch, you truly……!”

Yeo Hyeong’s face flushed with rage.
At last, unable to contain his rage any longer, he drew his blade.
“Since you wish for it, I shall grant your desire!”

In that moment,
“Stop.”

A low, resolute voice cut through the air.
“……!”
Every eye turned toward the source of the voice.
There stood a man with long bangs hanging down to conceal half his face.
“Hmph!”
The soldiers froze in unison at the sight of him.
Even Yeo Hyeong seemed to regard him with wariness.
The mysterious man opened his mouth slowly.
“These people are our guests.”

He approached Ha Yun and her companions with an amiable smile, and no one dared to stop him.
“Who are you?”
Song Do-hyeon, who recognized him, went pale.
“It has been a long time, Song.

“Wei Xiaohang……!”
The mysterious man was Wei Xiaohang, the leader of the Hei Sa Bang and the Qing Empire’s chief representative for this trade negotiation.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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