The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Merchant Group - Chapter 188

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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 188

Chapter 188. The Imperial Silk Supply Competition (1)

Autumn had fully arrived before I knew it.
Which meant my birthday was drawing near.
And this birthday held special significance—I would be turning twenty.

I sat down to breakfast with my family gathered around.
“Speaking of which, the Imperial Silk Supply Competition is coming up soon.”
At Father’s words, Eun Jung-ho nodded.
“Yes, Father.”
The merchant guild that had originally supplied silk to the Imperial Palace had caused quite a significant problem, prompting the selection of a new supplier. This time, the Eunhae Trading Company had also submitted our candidacy.
The Imperial Palace was the largest single buyer in terms of transaction volume.
Silk itself was an expensive commodity, making it difficult to transact large quantities at once, but with the Imperial Palace, that changed entirely.
The imperial family and court officials alike wore silk garments almost exclusively, so demand was inevitably high.
We would wash silk using ash from burned straw and grass mixed with crushed seashells, but only once or twice.
Silk itself was fragile in water, after all.
Moreover, there was no need to worry about delayed payment.
The Imperial Palace was among the wealthiest institutions in the realm.
If we secured the Imperial silk supply contract, the profits would be substantial, and the stability unquestionable.
That was why every merchant guild dealing in silk coveted the Imperial supply contract.
“I hear quite a few merchant guilds are participating in this competition.”
“Yes. From what I can assess, the most formidable competitors are the Deuk Haeng Trading Company from Shaanxi Province, the Man Il Trading Company from Sichuan Province, the Yu Family Trading Company from Zhejiang Province, and the Baekcheon Trading Company from Henan Province.”
I nodded at Eun Jung-ho’s assessment.
Yes, the Baekcheon Trading Company.
In my previous life, the Baekcheon Trading Company ultimately became the Imperial silk supplier.
That was why I had urged Father to participate in this competition.
Because securing this contract in my past life had enabled the Baekcheon Trading Company to expand rapidly.
This time, the Eunhae Trading Company would reap those benefits.
“The formal competition begins in early November, correct?”
Until now, Eun Jung-ho had been working tirelessly to meet the requirements for participating in the Imperial silk supply competition.
Thanks to his efforts, we had successfully fulfilled those conditions and formally submitted documentation expressing our intent to participate.
And we had received official confirmation that we had passed the document review.
“Yes. So we must depart for Beijing within five days to prepare for the competition.”
“I see. It will be busy, but push through just a bit longer.”
“Yes.”
“Just don’t overexert yourself in the process.”
After a few more exchanges, before finishing the meal, Father looked at me and asked.
“Your birthday is coming up soon. Is there anything you need?”
“Nothing comes to mind at the moment.”
“Very well then. I’ll make sure to prepare a birthday gift for you.”
“Yes.”
After finishing breakfast, I returned to my separate residence.
“Did everyone have breakfast?”
“Yes.”
The Guard Warriors who had been training in the courtyard of my residence greeted me with fists clasped in salute.
Jin Yu Warrior had recently returned, so the four of them were now paired off and sparring with each other.
He had come back with us when we returned with beast hides from the hunting tribe in the Northern Sea Region. Since a proper branch office had now been established, there was no need for him to remain there.
I glanced at them and returned to my chamber to contemplate what lay ahead.
What had happened around this time?
There was something I should have warned Eun Jung-ho about, wasn’t there?
.
.
.
Four days later.
I heard unexpected news from Palgap.
“What? Eun Jung-ho collapsed?”
“Yes. It’s not serious… they say it’s exhaustion.”
“….”
“I need to go see him myself.”
I headed to Eun Jung-ho’s separate residence and found his wife with a worried expression.
“Welcome, Young Master.”
“Yes, Elder Brother’s Wife. I hurried over when I heard my brother had fallen ill.”
She sighed deeply.
“My husband has been pushing himself far too hard. It’s fortunate that it’s not a serious illness, but… he must leave for Beijing soon… and he seems quite disheartened about it.”
Of course he would be. I knew well how much Eun Jung-ho had suffered for this endeavor.
“Please go in and see him.”
“Yes.”
I entered Eun Jung-ho’s chamber.
Creak.
At the sound of the door, Eun Jung-ho lifted himself up.
“Seo-ho, you came.”
“How are you feeling?”
“I’m fine. And I need to be fine.”
He tried to rise from the bed, but couldn’t take a single step and stumbled.
I quickly caught Eun Jung-ho and steadied him, saying.
“Brother, you’re clearly not fine at all.”
“I’m fine, I’m telling you.”
“Just sit down and be quiet, will you?”
“…Yes.”
At my words, Eun Jung-ho quickly sat down on the bed. He hadn’t been in great shape a few days ago, but today he looked like he was genuinely ill.
He should have been training martial arts under Go Chief Manager, so why….
“Brother, have you been doing any training lately?”
“I haven’t had the time….”
“And I have time?”
“….”
At my question, Eun Jung-ho turned his head slightly and let out a hollow cough.
Well, martial arts for him were for health, not something to set aside work for, so it couldn’t be helped.
Still, with at least some inner energy, his stamina shouldn’t be weak, but if he collapsed from overwork, just how much work had he been doing….
“Anyway, I don’t have time to lie around like this. I need to participate in the Imperial Court silk fabric supply competition.”
But looking at Eun Jung-ho’s condition, he really seemed quite unwell.
Truth be told, he’d been looking precarious lately, but to actually fall ill like this.
I could understand how Eun Jung-ho felt, facing such an important occasion while bedridden.
Before I consumed the Blue Ice Snow Plum Chamber and became healthy, there were many things I wanted to do but couldn’t because of my weak stamina.
“Brother, admit it now. You’ve collapsed from overwork, and going all the way to Beijing in this condition is truly impossible. You could die.”
“But….”
“You don’t intend to let Geon-hyuk and Bo-yeon grow up without a father, do you?”
“….”
At my words, Eun Jung-ho let out a sigh.
Thinking of the two children, he seemed to finally realize this wasn’t the time to show his mettle.
“Let’s entrust the rest to the company’s Haeng-su and the others. Everyone already knows of your contributions anyway, so don’t feel too disappointed.”
Eun Jung-ho pondered for a moment before speaking.
“Seo-ho.”
“What?”
“You know that someone representing the company needs to attend that gathering, right?”
And he continued with a serious expression.
“No matter how I think about it, there’s no one but you.”
“Huh? Me?”
At my question, Eun Jung-ho nodded.
“Yes, you.”
“Do I really need to step forward? The preparations for this competition should already be complete, and the Chief Merchant could represent you instead. It seems too much for me to….”
“Do you know what I’ve realized while preparing for this competition?”
“…?”
“This competition won’t be easy at all. And a competition isn’t something you can unconditionally win just by working hard. Sometimes you need luck to be on your side, and sometimes you need to display resourcefulness.”
Eun Jung-ho sighed as he spoke.
“Our Eun Hae Trading Company lacks that. But there’s one person who can do it.”
“You mean me?”
Eun Jung-ho nodded at my question.
“Yes, so you attend in my place as the representative.”
“Hmm….”
I’m in a position where I’ve received the Emperor’s command to inspect and regulate illicit commercial practices.
To win the competition, I might have to commit some rather illegal acts.
“If you don’t go, I’ll escape and attend regardless.”
Eun Jung-ho may appear soft-hearted, but once he decides to do something, he does it.
Even if I tried to stop him, he would break through and participate in the competition without question.
“Hmm, but if I go, won’t there be public opinion that I’m overshadowing Eun Jung-ho’s achievements?”
“Is this the time to worry about such things? The Eun Hae Trading Company has been given a chance to leap forward in one bound. And you don’t care about such things anyway, do you?”
Eun Jung-ho chuckled and continued.
“I don’t care either. So you go. To Beijing.”
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.
.
That afternoon.
Father officially instructed me to lead this Imperial Palace silk delivery competition.
“And so I ended up going to Beijing.”
Palgap let out a hollow laugh.
“Most people find it difficult to visit Beijing even once in their lifetime, yet you go there as casually as eating.”
“Tell me about it.”
I stopped by while traveling to and from the Northern Sea, and not long ago I went there on business related to the Daegun Trading Company, and now I’m going again.
Will the Emperor summon me this time as well?
The Emperor isn’t without perception, so he probably won’t summon me unnecessarily.
“So when will we depart?”
“We should leave within two days at the latest.”
“Understood.”
I spoke to my guards.
“Well then, I’m counting on you again this time.”
“Don’t worry.”
“We will escort you safely this time as well.”
“Yes. I trust you.”

Once my trip to Beijing was decided, I was faced with an enormous amount of work.
While I was away, my responsibilities could not fall into disarray.
At the same time, I had to thoroughly master the preparations that Eun Jung-ho had arranged.
With the help of the Chief Merchant and Haeng-su who oversaw the silk operations, I came to understand as I prepared.
Why Eun Jung-ho had collapsed from overwork.
Sigh, this brother was quite the perfectionist.
After hastily completing the preparations, on the day Eun Jung-ho was scheduled to depart for Beijing, I set out for Beijing in his stead.
.
.
.
The road to Beijing had become familiar enough by now.
But we did not let our guard down.
People’s thoughts are all the same.
In a competition of such massive stakes, there are always those who will resort to any means necessary.
And soon we encountered our first obstruction.
“Small Guild Master.”
The Head of Changin Escort Agency approached my carriage.
“Yes.”
“There’s an obstacle ahead, and it will take time to clear it.”
“Let’s go take a look together.”
I descended from the carriage and went forward, only to find a massive boulder blocking the road.
“Please wait a moment.”
“We’ll clear it shortly.”
We were traveling with the silk for the silk delivery competition, so we were moving with the assistance of Changin Escort Agency.
The Cart Laborers of Changin Escort Agency rushed forward and exerted themselves to move the boulder, but it budged only slightly.
It was remarkable effort, considering how someone had managed to place such a thing in the middle of the road.
But we had no time to waste.
“Would you assist us in clearing that boulder?”
I asked my guards for help.
“Understood.”
“Hmm, it would be faster to just cut through it.”
Jin Yu Warrior said this and pulled the Cart Laborers back.
“Ha!”
Sword energy crystallized on his blade, and the boulder split cleanly in two.
After a few more swings, the massive boulder became small fragments, and everyone rushed forward to clear the rocks away.
“Now let’s depart.”
Inside the carriage, I reflected on the skill Jin Yu Warrior had just displayed.
It seemed his martial prowess had advanced somewhat during our time apart.
Well, that’s good news for me.
It means I’m that much safer.
.
.
.
Before I knew it, our journey had reached its midpoint.
“We’ll lodge at the Inn in the Ahead Village tonight.”
“Understood.”
It was an Inn we frequently visited when traveling to Beijing, a place where safety was reasonably assured.
With Palgap’s assistance, I washed and descended to the first floor, where I shared dinner with the other merchants.
Currently, there were three merchants traveling with me.
One Chief Merchant and two merchants—all of them possessed deep expertise in silk trading.
They were the very people who had aided me when I first took charge of the Eunhae Fabric Shop in my previous life.
“That dish seems like it might be too spicy for you, Chief Merchant Seok.”
“Oh, is that so?”
At my words that had slipped out unbidden, Seok Chief Merchant tilted his head and asked.
“How did you know that I dislike spicy food?”
“Ah….”
Of course I would know. I had spent enough time with them to understand not only their personalities but even their tastes, receiving their counsel and learning from their teachings.
But I couldn’t say that, so I deflected vaguely.
“It’s only natural. You’re one of the pillars of our Eun Hae Trading Company, after all.”
“Haha.”
The atmosphere quickly became warm and convivial.
.
.
.
After finishing the meal, I stepped outside the Inn for a moment and wandered the surroundings, lost in thought.
We had faced various obstructions on our journey thus far.
Logs had been placed in the middle of the road, and angry hornets’ nests had been set in our path.
What can I say?
As a means of delaying us, it was quite effective. The only problem was that we were the ones being targeted.
The methods weren’t excessive, but they were so petty that they were actually irritating.
At this point, I found myself curious about who was so intent on obstructing us.
It certainly wasn’t the Baekcheon Trading Company.
They would rather detonate explosives and kill everyone than bother setting up such trivial obstacles.
I chuckled softly at that.
Though I didn’t yet know who the culprit was, I had a way to find out.
The fact that they were using such methods meant they were traveling just slightly ahead of us on the road.
Now, it was time to turn the tables and give them some trouble in return.

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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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