The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Merchant Group - Chapter 167

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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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The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Trading Company Chapter 167

Chapter 167. A Visitor in the Dead of Night (4)

The carriage we rode in arrived swiftly at Beijing.
Originally, I had no intention of meeting the Emperor this time, so I had asked my elder to handle the arrangements properly—
But skipping procedures and meeting so hastily is difficult.
Yet as the saying goes, one never knows what fate will bring, and that was precisely the situation I found myself in.
“Welcome.”
Jung Tae-gam, the eunuch who served the Emperor at his closest, came to greet me personally.
“I am grateful that you’ve come to meet me in person, Eunuch.”
At my greeting, Jung Tae-gam offered a faint smile and spoke.
“Please come this way. His Majesty awaits you.”
I followed the eunuch through the Imperial Palace.
“Ah?”
“Ah, ah?”
At that moment, I encountered an unexpected figure.
My aunt’s son—Seon-il Elder Brother.
“Seon-il Elder Brother, are you leaving the palace now?”
“It’s been a while. But what brings you to the palace without any prior notice?”
Seon-il Elder Brother greeted me with an expression mixing both joy and bewilderment.
Jung Tae-gam answered on my behalf.
“He has been summoned by His Majesty.”
“Ah! Is that so?”
“Therefore, I sent word urgently to your residence. We shall meet again shortly.”
“Yes, let’s meet later.”
After parting ways with Seon-il Elder Brother and continuing down the corridor, Jung Tae-gam spoke to me.
“I heard that you two are cousins on your paternal line.”
“Yes, that is correct.”
“Hong Su-chan is also a talented man who passed the highest examination. Your family is truly blessed with fortune.”
“Haha.”
I simply laughed at his words.
It wasn’t embarrassment at calling myself talented, but rather the need to guard my words carefully.
Jung Tae-gam was among the Emperor’s most trusted inner circle.
One misstep could have me conscripted as the Emperor’s personal servant.
Soon we arrived at the Emperor’s office.
I quickly straightened my appearance, and Jung Tae-gam announced my arrival within.
“Your Majesty. Eun Seo-ho, the Small Guild Master, has arrived.”
“Let him enter.”
The door opened and I stepped into the Emperor’s Office.
“Small Merchant Eun Seo-ho pays respects to Your Majesty. Long live the Emperor, ten thousand years, ten thousand years!”
I prostrated myself before him, and the Emperor’s voice reached my ears.
“You may rise.”
“I am overwhelmed by Your Majesty’s grace.”
As I carefully stood, the Emperor fixed his gaze upon me intently.
Had I done something wrong? Why was he staring at me so fixedly?
After observing me for a long while, the Emperor finally spoke.
“Those whom you reported were members of the Hwan Cheon Dan—rebels plotting to usurp my throne.”
“I am grateful we were able to suppress them promptly.”
“Indeed. And as you said, they were attempting to exploit corpses. How did you come to know of this?”
“I learned of it quite by chance. During my travels, I encountered a Taoist from the Moshan Sect….”
I explained the circumstances of what had transpired.
There was no reason to conceal it.
“Yes, I have heard of them. How admirable—they ensure that the bodies of those who die in foreign lands may at least rest in their homeland.”
The Emperor continued.
“So you pursued the traces of those who attacked the Taoist, and in doing so, discovered them.”
“That is correct, Your Majesty.”
“Indeed, this matter is quite characteristic of you. The fact that you reported it to me rather than handling it yourself speaks volumes.”
When I tilted my head in confusion, the Emperor let out a hearty laugh.
“You do not undertake matters that bring you no benefit. Refusing the Taoist’s request would have been difficult, yet rushing headlong against them seemed beyond your capacity. Caught between two impossible choices, you found another path. Am I not correct?”
How did he know?
Truly, one does not become Emperor by mere chance.
“In any case, I am grateful. Had they continued to grow their power, it would have become quite troublesome.”
“As a Small Merchant who lives by Your Majesty’s benevolence, it was only my duty.”
“I hear you are bound for the Northern Sea?”
“Yes, that is so.”
“It does not appear to be a merchant venture, however?”
He was correct—this journey was not for trade, but rather at my Master’s behest.
Yet I could not reveal this truth to the Emperor.
To do so would inevitably lead to questions about the Seolpung Palace, which had been exterminated.
“One cannot become a great merchant by remaining content with the present.”
“Hmm, is that so?”
Fortunately, the Emperor seemed satisfied with my vague explanation.
“By the way, I understand you will soon turn twenty.”
“That is correct, Your Majesty.”
I lowered my head and felt myself tense considerably.
I had realized this was the true purpose of his summons.
“What say you? Once you reach twenty, would you not assist me and serve here in the Imperial Palace?”
Without realizing it, cold sweat dripped down my face.
Though spoken as a gentle suggestion, it was nothing short of a command.
I carefully lifted my head and asked.
“Your Majesty. It is the honor of three lifetimes for this humble merchant to serve you. Therefore, I dare to ask—how do you intend to employ me?”
“I admire your boldness, your drive, and that cautious nature of yours that avoids loss. Thus, I intend to place you in the Inner Cabinet.”
The Inner Cabinet served as the Emperor’s secretariat, coordinating disputes between departments and conveying the Emperor’s commands to each ministry.
In truth, I had anticipated this.
There was nowhere else to place someone who had not even taken the civil service examination.
Ah, the Inner Cabinet… the Inner Cabinet, you say?
That means being ground between the Emperor’s will and the conflicts of each department—a place where one’s teeth are worn away.
Of course, I would gain power.
But caught between grinding forces, my revenge against Baekcheon Trading Company and the Murim Alliance would grow distant.
Moreover, my true goal is to build the Greatest Merchant Guild Under Heaven, not to enter the Court and seize power.
And more importantly than that—there would be no freedom.
Being bound to any place does not suit my nature. I wish to move freely and pursue my ambitions unshackled.
That is why I refused to become a Merchant Guild Leader.
I took a shallow breath and spoke to the Emperor.
“Your Majesty, I humbly confess—I am not suited for the Inner Cabinet.”
“Hmm?”
“I would prefer if you entrusted me with other duties.”
I could not simply say, “I am insufficient and cannot bear such heavy responsibility.”
The Emperor would respond, “You are not insufficient—stop your excuses and work.”
“The abilities Your Majesty has so graciously recognized would indeed shine in the Inner Cabinet. However, I already possess another occupation that others regard as most respectable and distinguished.”
“Hmm, continue.”
“I am the Small Guild Master of the Eunhae Trading Company, the Lord of Hyun Pung Country, and though I boast, I am known in the world as Seon Hyeop Mi-rang.”
It was embarrassing to proclaim my own epithet, but there was no help for it.
“If I were to serve according to Your Majesty’s will, I would have no choice but to abandon these precious things.”
“True. That is indeed so. An epithet is not something easily obtained, regardless of other matters.”
“Therefore, I wish to remain faithful to these and still serve as Your Majesty’s strength.”
“….”
A silence fell that drained the blood from my face.
The Emperor would surely understand that accepting my proposal was to his advantage….
“What is this bastard scheming about now?”
At the Emperor’s sudden, crude words that suited him strangely well, I lifted my head to look at him.
“So what you’re saying is—you don’t want to work yourself to the bone beside me, but you want to keep riding on my prestige, is that it?”
Ah, I was caught.
“But since your words are not wrong, that’s what irritates me.”
“….”
“Very well. I shall grant you the position of Inspector-Censor of the Seventh Rank. From now on, you must faithfully serve as my eyes and ears. Should you fail to do so….”
The Emperor pointed to the ground with his finger as he spoke.
“I’ll have you buried in the Imperial Palace.”
The Emperor knew how to threaten properly. That remark about working so hard I’d be buried in the Imperial Palace was precisely what I feared most.
“But the problem is, if you slip away like a loach, there won’t be anyone left in this palace to do the work.”
I quickly responded to the Emperor.
“Your Majesty need not be overly hasty in your thinking. Talented individuals will soon be graduating from the Apricot Flower Academy.”
“Ah! That’s right, that place exists. So how are the students at the Apricot Flower Academy? How many do you think will pass the civil service examination this time?”
“More than half of the graduating class should pass, Your Majesty.”
“More than half?”
“Of course, Your Majesty. Most of the instructors there are Great Scholars whom Your Majesty personally summoned.”
“Ah, that’s right! I dragged those lazy fellows who didn’t want to work to the Apricot Flower Academy.”
The Emperor wore a satisfied expression.
“This is promising. Since it’s an academy established by the Eunhae Trading Company where you serve as Small Guild Master, it won’t produce fools.”
“Of… course, Your Majesty.”
“If possible, I’d like them to be good at arithmetic too. Why are there so many who can’t even get basic calculations right?”
“I… shall keep that in mind.”
I need to strengthen the arithmetic instructors at the Apricot Flower Academy immediately.
In a sense, it might look as though I’m handing over the Apricot Flower Academy students in my place, but ultimately, their goal is to pass the civil service examination and enter service at the Royal Court.
The Emperor will simply take a bit more interest because of me.
I’m sorry. But I have much to do as well.

* * *

Jung Tae-gam, who had escorted Eun Seo-ho outside the Imperial Palace, returned and reported to the Emperor.
“I have seen off Small Guild Master Eun Seo-ho.”
“So, he’s staying at a relative’s residence, you say?”
“Indeed, Your Majesty.”
At Jung Tae-gam’s reply, the Emperor chuckled and spoke.
“That fellow grows more audacious the more I think about him.”
At those words, Jung Tae-gam ventured carefully to speak.
“It appears Small Guild Master Eun Seo-ho has taken Your Majesty’s fancy.”
“Is he not remarkably bold?”
The Emperor did not answer, but Jung Tae-gam perceived that His Majesty held Eun Seo-ho in considerable favor.
“If he pleases you so greatly, would it not be fitting to make him a royal son-in-law?”
At Jung Tae-gam’s words, the Emperor’s expression shifted entirely.
“Have I lost my mind? Why would I make that fellow a royal son-in-law?”
“….”
“If I made him a son-in-law, I could not employ him as an imperial inspector, and would have to keep him here in the palace. Then he would rarely return home, and the princess would come seeking me out, whimpering that she fears the line will end without heirs. Then I would have no choice but to send him home early, and what would be the point of making him a son-in-law in the first place?”
“Ah, yes, Your Majesty. This humble servant’s thinking was indeed shallow.”
“I know your words came from a loyal heart, Jung Tae-gam.”
“Your Majesty’s grace is boundless.”
The Emperor turned his gaze from Jung Tae-gam and fell into contemplation.
‘The Northern Sea… I should visit the storehouse to see if there is something suitable.’

* * *

As I stepped through the Imperial Palace gates, Palgap and the guards approached with relieved expressions.
“Thank heavens you’ve emerged safely.”
At Palgap’s words, I chuckled in response.
“What could possibly go wrong with me?”
“Well, reporting treason is rather like tightrope walking—one misstep and you’re the one who falls, isn’t it?”
Palgap had a point; informing on a rebellion was indeed a precarious affair.
“True enough, but I happen to walk the rope with remarkable grace.”
At my words, Palgap regarded me with an expression suggesting he had much to say.
Seo-woo Warrior smiled and spoke.
“Then, shall we proceed to the Yeonjun Trading Company?”
“Yes.”

When we arrived at the Yeonjun Trading Company, my Aunt came out to greet us warmly.
“Welcome. How have you been?”
“Well, thank you. And you, Aunt?”
“I’m always doing well. Seon-il mentioned earlier that you met at the Imperial Palace.”
“Yes, there was a matter. I’ll explain the details once we’re inside.”
“Very well.”
Shortly after, I explained everything to my Aunt from beginning to end.
“So you received a summons from the Emperor himself?”
“Yes.”
“He said nothing else of concern?”
“He expressed his gratitude.”
At my response, my Aunt’s expression brightened. With those words, there would be no further complications.
My Aunt lived in Beijing and had placed her son in the Royal Court, so she had every reason to worry about such matters.
I was grateful for her concern.
.
.
.
The next day, Palgap summoned me.
“Young Master, there is a visitor here to see you.”
“A visitor?”
Who could possibly be visiting me?
I rose from my seat and made my way to the Guest Reception Room where the visitor awaited.
“Ah!”
The visitor was familiar yet unwelcome.
It was Jin-yeong Great Swordmaster of the Geumui Guard, who had come to deal with the Hwan Cheon Dan.
“I bow before you, Great Swordmaster.”
“I bring an imperial edict from the Emperor.”
At those words, I quickly prostrated myself. I could guess the nature of the edict.
He quietly withdrew a scroll and an identification tablet from his robes and presented them to me.
Normally such edicts are delivered with great ceremony, but given the nature of the position I had received, it was best that others remained unaware.
“I am overwhelmed by the Emperor’s grace.”
I paid my respects to the edict, accepted it, placed it in my robes, and spoke to him.
“I shall have tea prepared for you.”
“Indeed. Since I’ve come this far, I’ll have a cup before I leave.”
It would seem suspicious if a visitor left without even sharing tea.
Thus we passed the time with casual conversation of little importance.
After conversing for roughly an hour, Jin-yeong Great Swordmaster withdrew a small box from his sleeve and presented it to me.
“Accept this. It is a gift from him.”
“Pardon?”
“He wished me to convey these words: ‘This shall prove useful to you. Each time you use it, remember that you are my faithful servant.'”
“….”
Sigh, you certainly are persistent.

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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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