The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Merchant Group - Chapter 193

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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 193

Chapter 193. The Imperial Silk Procurement Competition (6)

I blinked my eyes in disbelief.
How could this be happening?
If the first through third trials were identical to before, shouldn’t the fourth trial also be the same?
Yet the fourth trial I had just received was “selecting silk,” not “procuring silk.”
It was not the “obtaining silk” that I remembered from my previous life.
In my past existence, I had been required to procure the silk specified by the Imperial Palace in the shortest time possible, and the Baekcheon Trading Company had been the fastest to deliver.
Ah, could it be…?
There was one difference between that competition and this one.
The presence or absence of a man named Go Seong-il.
Did that mean he had influenced the competition’s theme in my previous life?
And this time, because he was absent, the theme had changed?
I couldn’t know the reason, but it didn’t matter.
Either way, it wasn’t advantageous for the Baekcheon Trading Company.

* * *

At that very moment.
The Baekcheon Trading Company also received notification of the test subject through an Eunuch Official.
The representative who came for the Baekcheon Trading Company this time was named Namgung Bo.
He was the nephew of Namgung Kang, the Merchant Guild Leader.
The Baekcheon Trading Company still had no Small Guild Master. Since it was a merchant guild under the Murim Alliance, the senior members of the Murim Alliance selected the Baekcheon Trading Company’s successor.
And Namgung Bo was one of the candidates for the next Merchant Guild Leader.
For him, this Imperial Silk Procurement Competition was an enormous opportunity to make an impression on the senior members of the Murim Alliance.
Therefore, he felt compelled to lead this matter to success.
‘I must succeed by any means necessary!’
That’s why he had bribed people within the Imperial Palace to pass safely through the third stage of the test.
The fourth test subject he discovered this way was ‘Procuring Silk’.
Moreover, since he also knew what kind of silk they would ask for, he had made thorough preparations accordingly.
But when he received the scroll from the Eunuch Official and unrolled it, he couldn’t help but be flustered.
The subject written there was completely different from what he had known.
‘Damn it! Does that mean all that effort was wasted?’
The painful realization that the people he had connected with were not high-ranking officials struck him hard.
Indeed, he had tried to establish connections with high-ranking officials, but they had angrily rebuffed him, saying, ‘Are you trying to get my head cut off?’
‘How dare they! I, a member of the Namgung Family! I lowered my head for them!’
Then a sudden thought occurred to him.
‘Could it be that the Empress discovered that I bribed people in the Imperial Palace?’
He recalled words his father, one of the senior members of the Murim Alliance, had spoken when he departed for Beijing.

“Bo, the person you must be most careful of in this matter is the Empress.”

Even as he thought about it, it seemed the Empress was the one who had orchestrated this entire affair. The Emperor would have no reason to involve himself in such matters.
In any case, the situation had already begun.
.
.
.
Imperial Palace.
The Emperor, attending to his duties, asked the Eunuch Official.
“By now, the topic should have been delivered to all seven merchant guilds, yes?”
“Indeed, Your Majesty.”
He let out a quiet chuckle.
‘How dare they attempt to cast dust upon a competition in which my favored one participates as a representative?’
Under normal circumstances, he would have assumed the Empress would handle the Imperial Silk Procurement Competition competently and given it little thought.
But because Eun Seo-ho was among those participating in the competition, his interest had naturally been piqued.
As a result, he had discovered something.
There were those who reeked of throwing money around recklessly.
Naturally, the Emperor was not one to overlook such a thing.

* * *

At last, the day of the fourth stage competition had arrived.
Young Manager and I proceeded to the front of the Imperial Palace as we had been notified beforehand.
“Now that everyone has assembled, we shall enter the Imperial Palace.”
Following the Eunuch Official who had been waiting there, we passed through the Imperial Palace gates and arrived at the very location where the second and third stages of the competition had been held.
As we waited there, the Empress, the Concubines, the Princesses, and the Ministers soon arrived.
We paid our respects to the Empress.
“You may all rise.”
At her words, everyone stood from their positions.
But I sensed something strange.
Why had the way the Princesses looked at me changed from before?
Last time, they would blush upon seeing me, but today they gazed at me with pitying eyes.
What was this?
But as the Empress began to speak, I could not help but dispel those thoughts.
“This stage of the competition, as we informed you beforehand, involves selecting silk.”
At the same time, silks began to pile up thickly in the rear.
“The two containers visible before you each contain tokens numbered from one to twenty-one. Excluding myself, we are twenty-one people, and there are seven merchant guilds.”
The Empress continued.
“We shall each draw one token, and each merchant guild shall draw three tokens respectively. For example, if the tokens drawn by the merchant guild called ‘A’ are five, twelve, and twenty, then the three people from the Imperial Palace side who drew five, twelve, and twenty shall each state the silk they desire. The merchant guild need only select the silk each person requests—a very simple rule.”
The Empress spoke.
“Then, let us first draw our tokens from our side.”
Those from the Imperial Palace side each drew one token. In the meantime, she continued her explanation.
“The criteria for this evaluation are speed and suitability. Not only must you select the silk quickly, but your choice must also satisfy the examiner’s preferences.”
So this time, the Princesses will be judges rather than mere observers.
The Empress explained a few more details before concluding her remarks.
“Then let the Merchant Guilds draw their numbered tokens.”
Each Merchant Guild drew three numbered tokens. Drawing three tokens meant three opportunities.
The numbers we drew were two, ten, and twenty-one.
The one who drew number one was none other than the Baekcheon Trading Company.
All of us, including myself, watched the Baekcheon Trading Company with keen interest.
And the Imperial official who drew number one was one of the Concubines.
“What sort of silk does the Fragrant Concubine desire?”
“I need silk to make a gown for the Emperor’s birthday celebration.”
At her words, the Baekcheon Trading Company representatives immediately began selecting appropriate silk from the abundant bolts stacked behind them.
Before long, they presented a single bolt of silk before her.
“The silk we have chosen is this one.”
It was a deep crimson silk.
“What is your reasoning for selecting that silk?”
At the Empress’s question, the representative of the Baekcheon Trading Company stepped forward.
I recognized this person from my memories.
Namgung Bo.
Namgung Kang’s nephew.
In my previous life, he had successfully led the Imperial silk procurement competition and was considered a promising successor to the Merchant Guild Master, but he vanished at some point.
Officially, it was said he was recovering from qi deviation during cultivation, but that made no sense.
Qi deviation only occurs when one harbors ambition in martial arts, yet this man preferred to swagger on his family’s reputation rather than pursue martial cultivation. It was impossible.
He must have been secretly eliminated. I don’t know by whom.
Namgung Bo, who had stepped forward, spoke.
“The Emperor’s birthday is a day filled with auspicious fortune. On such a day, it is only fitting to wear a gown made from crimson silk that wishes for blessings. Furthermore, is not Shu brocade the finest of all silks? Thus, I selected this silk.”
At his words, the Empress asked the Concubine who had drawn number one.
“Does the Fragrant Concubine find that silk to her liking?”
The silk chosen by the Baekcheon Trading Company was so exquisite and beautiful that it captivated everyone’s eyes at once.
“To think they selected such fine quality silk in such a short time!”
“As expected of the Baekcheon Trading Company! Their reputation is well-deserved.”
I heard whispers from other Merchant Guild representatives nearby.
Our own people seemed to share similar thoughts.
“Surely the Fragrant Concubine will be pleased, my lord.”
At Gold Manager’s words, I made no response.
Everyone expected the Fragrant Concubine to be delighted with that silk.
But would she truly be?
Unlike the Empress, whose expression was unreadable, the Fragrant Concubine looked troubled.
Just as I expected.
“I… I must refuse this silk.”
At the Fragrant Concubine’s words, everyone from the Baekcheon Trading Company and the other merchant houses alike wore expressions of shock and astonishment.
Some even seemed to think, ‘Is she deliberately making a fool of us?’
However, the Fragrant Concubine’s rejection of that silk was entirely justified.
“I see.”
The Empress nodded calmly and spoke.
“Baekcheon Trading Company, you may withdraw. The next merchant house that drew a number token, come forward.”
The people from Baekcheon Trading Company carefully composed their expressions as they left, and I stepped forward along with the other managers.
The one who had drawn the number token this time was also one of the concubines.
“What kind of silk does Young Bi desire?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. I too wish for silk to make a robe for the Emperor’s birthday celebration.”
The same theme as Baekcheon Trading Company—so this is how things were unfolding.
“Eun Hae Trading Company, select your silk.”
“Yes.”
We immediately began selecting our silk.
Gold Manager spoke with concern.
“Which silk should we possibly choose?”
“Exactly. She rejected that fine Shu brocade… Aren’t we simply being made a mockery of?”
Young Manager agreed with that sentiment.
But I smiled with ease.
“The Fragrant Concubine’s rejection of that silk was entirely natural. Think carefully about it. She didn’t say she disliked it—she rejected it.”
“Pardon?”
“The reason she rejected that silk was because of its crimson color.”
Unlike the two managers, Seok Chief Merchant seemed to understand my meaning, breaking into a knowing smile.
“Indeed… I see now.”
“You understand?”
“Had it not been for the Small Guild Master, we would have made a grave error.”
Seok Chief Merchant nodded toward the two managers as if to explain later, then selected one of the silks.
“This should suffice.”
“I agree.”
The silks we selected were jade-colored silk and purple-hued silk.
We presented these silks before Young Bi.
“You chose two bolts of silk?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. We heard no restriction that only one bolt must be selected.”
I could see the surprise on the faces of the other merchant house representatives.
Particularly, I noticed the people from Baekcheon Trading Company slightly biting their lips—they seemed quite regretful.
“True. There was no restriction that only one bolt of silk must be chosen. How wise.”
“You are too kind.”
“Then, what is your reason for selecting those silks?”
“Of course, because they are the colors that suit Young Consort best. Young Consort has such a fair complexion that I believe these blue-toned silks would suit you wonderfully.”
At my words, Young Consort asked a question.
“The color is pleasing to the eye. However, won’t it appear cold for the Emperor’s birthday celebration, which falls in winter?”
“If you wrap white fox fur around your neck, that drawback will disappear entirely. And consider this—jade silk adorned with violet hues falling gently through snow. Wouldn’t it appear mysterious and enchanting?”
At my words, she smiled with satisfaction and nodded her head.
“Of course, we could have selected something from a different color palette entirely, but I’ve heard that pink is a color the Princesses favor. And red….”
I continued with a subtle smile.
“That is the Empress’s color.”
My words cast an immediate silence over the room.
Though the moment was brief, the expressions displayed by those present were remarkably varied.
Indeed.
The vibrant crimson silk that Baekcheon Trading Company had selected was so exquisitely beautiful it could captivate every heart, yet it was the very color the Empress wore to grand Imperial ceremonies.
For a Concubine to appear in a crimson gown matching Baekcheon Trading Company’s selection at a grand event like the Emperor’s birthday celebration was nothing short of a ‘challenge’ to the ‘authority of the Empress.’
This was precisely why the Fragrant Concubine had rejected that silk.
She had no desire to fall from the Empress’s favor.
Of course, such knowledge was not easily accessible to ordinary merchants.
It was an ‘unspoken rule’ that existed only within the Imperial Palace.
Because careless gossip about Imperial matters could result in the extermination of one’s entire family line, everyone kept silent, and those outside the Palace could not possibly know of such things.
Everyone favored red, so naturally they would assume one should wear red to grand Imperial banquets.
Indeed, many wore red garments in their daily lives.
I myself had always been fond of red.
Even the great merchant houses that dealt with high officials found such knowledge difficult to obtain.
The noble ladies, who engaged in surprisingly fierce displays of status, ordered silks in various colors to prevent others from wearing the same shade to Imperial events.
Moreover, when asked what color gown they would wear, they gave vague answers like ‘a red dress.’
Their maidservants and the family’s personal seamstresses kept their lips sealed as well.
The husbands of these noble ladies showed little interest in what their wives wore.
Thus, even the merchants of great silk-trading houses were largely ignorant of such matters.
I myself would have known nothing without the experience of my previous life.
When the Eunhae Trading Company became one of the Three Greatest Merchant Houses of the Realm, I had formed a connection by assisting Jin Seung Wang.
He loved his wife dearly and had personally commissioned me to procure the finest silk for her gowns.
Thanks to that, I came to understand such intricacies.
I clasped my hands respectfully and continued.
“How could we presume to select such a color so irreverently?”
At my words, Young Consort also nodded in agreement, while the faces of Namgung Bo and the managers of Baekcheon Trading Company contorted without mercy.
Ah, how delicious this is.

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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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