The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Merchant Group - Chapter 196

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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 196

Chapter 196. The Imperial Silk Procurement Competition (9)

While Namgung Bo seethed inwardly, the chiefs huddled together to discuss an appropriate price.
“…If we factor in transportation costs like this, I believe we should charge at least fifteen silver taels for this silk.”
“I agree we should ask for that much.”
They noted down the price they had discussed and moved on to the next silk.
Swish—
That was when Namgung Bo picked up his brush and began writing a different price beneath it.
But that price was absurdly cheap.
Where they had written fifteen taels, he wrote seven; where they had written twenty taels, he wrote ten.
The other chiefs gasped as they watched Namgung Bo write prices at nearly half the amount.
“Namgung Bo, what are you doing?”
“These prices are completely unreasonable!”
In response to their protests, Namgung Bo spoke earnestly.
“I must win this competition. Please, help me.”
“When have we ever refused to help you?”
“Of course I’m grateful. But this one time, please trust me.”
“But it seems far too cheap….”
“It’s fine. The Imperial Palace won’t dislike a lower price.”
Namgung Bo lowered his voice and continued.
“And among the other trading companies, some have already written prices lower than what you’ve noted.”
Because Namgung Bo had trained in martial arts, he could hear the discussions from other places.
He wanted to eavesdrop on the Eunhae Trading Company’s conversation as well, but for some reason, he couldn’t hear it clearly.
Namgung Bo spoke to the chiefs.
“So I believe we must submit prices lower than theirs.”
“….”
“Isn’t a procurement competition ultimately won by submitting the lowest price?”
“Well, that’s true, but….”
“I will take full responsibility.”
With Namgung Bo speaking so firmly, the chiefs had no choice. No matter what they said, he was the Merchant Guild Leader’s blood relative and the representative for this competition.
And even if they failed this competition, since Namgung Bo had spoken thus, the responsibility would fall on him.
“Very well.”

* * *

The time had come.
“Now, submit your proposals.”
At her words, we handed our price sheets to Yu Eunuch.
The Empress had them posted on the wall.
Thanks to that, everyone could see how much each trading company had offered.
Hmm, the lowest price was submitted by… Baekcheon Trading Company.
I glanced at Namgung Bo. His face wore a triumphant expression, as if he already sensed victory.
Would it really be that simple?
The Empress wasn’t such a straightforward person.
Did she not understand what “appropriate pricing” meant?
The second-lowest price came from a trading company in Sichuan Province.
Our Eunhae Trading Company submitted the fourth-lowest price. But I had no intention of delivering below that price.
I am a merchant, after all.

“Hmm…”
The Empress examined the submitted prices and summoned Yu Eunuch.
“Yu Eunuch.”
“Yes, Empress.”
“What was the price we calculated beforehand?”
When the eunuch stated the amount, the Empress nodded and declared:
“Any total below that threshold receives the lowest score.”
“Yes.”
At her words, the eunuch drew red lines through three of the price proposals.
But since the price our Eunhae Trading Company submitted was above that threshold, we avoided the lowest score.
Namgung Bo raised his hand and spoke.
“I object.”
“Go ahead, speak.”
“If a trading company submits a low price, doesn’t the Imperial Palace benefit? Then why do you give the lowest score to those who submitted low prices?”
At his question, the Empress smiled enigmatically.
“Aren’t you a merchant?”
“A merchant… yes.”
“Merchants are beings who pursue profit. Would such people submit prices this low? It makes no sense! The more you deliver, the greater your losses.”
That’s right.
No matter how significant the Imperial silk procurement contract is, if delivering only results in losses, there’s no reason to accept it.
“…”
“Then a trading company can only think of two methods. One is to lower the quality of the silk. The other is to compensate for losses through other means.”
The Empress smiled coldly.
“For example, by selling information about the Imperial Palace. Don’t you think they might? For merchants, there’s nothing harder to endure than taking a loss, is there?”
“…”
“Either way, both are forms of deception against the Imperial Court.”
I was genuinely taken aback.
Wow, the Empress is truly exceptional.
To see through things with such precision!
Now I understood why the Empress had been poisoned in my previous life. Someone of her caliber would have been a threat to the Murim Alliance.
The Empress tapped the paper that the Eun Hae Trading Company had submitted with her finger as she spoke.
“The Eun Hae Trading Company truly takes only the bare minimum profit. This is ambiguous, you see.”
Her words set off alarm bells in my mind.
One wrong move and we’d be eliminated.
I quickly stepped forward and spoke.
“Your Majesty, might I say a word?”
“You have my permission.”
“As Your Majesty has said, I too am a merchant who pursues profit. And I must respectfully clarify that the price our company has presented is not the bare minimum profit that Your Majesty is concerned about.”
“Not the bare minimum profit?”
“That is correct, Your Majesty. You calculated the transportation costs for purchasing silk in addition to the delivery costs, but our Eun Hae Trading Company did not.”
“Explain in detail.”
I explained to the Empress the method by which I had greatly expanded the Eunhae Fabric Shop in my previous life.
“…By simply purchasing high-quality silk at good prices, those who possess silk will naturally flock to our company. Then there is no need for our company to bear the transportation costs of purchasing silk. We need only a large warehouse.”
“I see.”
“Then we need only transport the silk to the Imperial Palace along well-established roads, and we will retain profits exceeding that amount.”
With the experience of my previous life, I could speak with certainty.
The Empress nodded.
“Then you will profit considerably. But is it wise to reveal such a method? Others will hear and simply copy what you do.”
“That may be true, but I am not particularly concerned.”
“You are not concerned?”
“Because immediate profit is far too sweet a candy to resist.”
The Empress paused in thought, then burst into laughter.
“Hahahaha! How true that is.”
It was the first time I had seen the Empress laugh so heartily.
She had grasped the meaning behind my words—that I was not concerned.
Why was I not concerned?
Because through my previous life, I had learned that there were scarcely any merchants capable of such an approach.
Purchasing high-quality goods at good prices is far more difficult than it appears.
The price a merchant considers good differs from the price a supplier considers good.
Of course, the price customers consider good is also different.
When I speak of a good price, I mean one that is good for the supplier.
To purchase goods at their true value rather than haggling down the supplier’s price, and to sell them to consumers without incurring their scorn, a merchant’s profit must inevitably shrink.
Though this is plain to see, how many would actually implement it?
Even if they did attempt it, few merchants could endure the meager profits while waiting for results to manifest.
In my case, it was possible because the Eun Hae Trading Company’s fundamental philosophy was such. And I was certain it would lead to long-term profit for the company.
Having witnessed many trading companies attempt to follow my methods after seeing the success of the Eunhae Fabric Shop, only to abandon them shortly thereafter, I could speak with such confidence from the experience of my past life.
“But the Eunhae Trading Company can do it?”
“It is a place where rather unique teachings have been passed down through generations.”
“I see. We shall have an opportunity to discuss that matter further at another time.”
The Empress nodded and addressed everyone present.
“The scores obtained by each trading company thus far are as follows.”
At the Empress’s words, the Eunuch Official hung a long scroll on the wall.
Seven scrolls displayed the scores of each trading company, with the total points written below.
As expected, our trading company’s score was the highest.
“And in this final stage of competition, the highest score belongs to the Eunhae Trading Company. Therefore, the ultimate victor of this Imperial Silk Procurement Competition is the Eunhae Trading Company!”
We did it!
We succeeded!
I did it! Eun Jung-ho!
In this moment, I felt an overwhelming surge of joy and happiness.

The Empress and the other Concubines, Princesses, and Ministers withdrew, leaving only the Eunuch Officials and members of the trading companies.
“Congratulations.”
“Thank you.”
“That was quite an impressive competition.”
“I agree entirely.”
Our group exchanged greetings with the representatives of the other trading companies.
In the merchant world, there are no eternal enemies and no eternal allies.
Thus, despite the bitterness within, one must maintain cordial relations on the surface.
Except for the Baekcheon Trading Company.
“Hmph!”
Namgung Bo left without bothering to conceal his displeasure.
The other Chiefs approached me with awkward expressions and offered their apologies.
With such a disagreeable leader, those beneath him must endure considerable hardship.
I glanced briefly at the door through which Namgung Bo had departed.
Now that the competition was over, it was time to make him pay the price.

However, in the end, I found I had no need to lift a finger.

* * *

Namgung Bo returned to the inn.
“How did this happen?! Bring me the man who was watching Eun Seo-ho immediately!”

Soon a man was brought to that place.
His name was Gong Sip.
A servant of the Yeonjun Trading Company who had been watching Eun Seo-ho.
Namgung Bo questioned Gong Sip about what had happened yesterday and learned that Eun Seo-ho had not stepped foot outside the Yeonjun Trading Company.
“What? Geum-suk Chief was never kidnapped?”
“No, she returned in perfect condition.”
….
Namgung Bo ground his teeth.
The men he had entrusted with the task had clearly taken the advance payment and fled.
‘I should never have trusted such filthy dogs.’
He forcibly suppressed his rage and waved his hand dismissively.
“Get out.”
“Yes.”
Then he gave a meaningful glance to his trusted subordinate, Chui.
A signal to eliminate him.
He then violently swept the table aside.
Crash!
The newly placed table shattered into pieces.
This Imperial silk procurement competition was a complete defeat for the Baekcheon Trading Company.
“Damn it!”
And the responsibility for this defeat would fall entirely upon him.
His plan to become the next Merchant Guild Leader would suffer a significant setback.
As he pondered how to resolve this, a loud voice suddenly rang out.
“The criminal shall come forth and receive the imperial decree!”
“…?”
A criminal? An imperial decree?
Startled by the sudden commotion, he opened the door and stepped outside.
In the courtyard stood a Golden Robe Guard Warrior leading Imperial Guards.
“Are you Namgung Bo?”
“Y-yes, but….”
“You are under arrest! Seize him!”
“Yes!”
“Me, a criminal? What nonsense is this?”
“Do you deny your crime of bribing palace officials for this Imperial silk procurement competition?”
Damn it!
Namgung Bo cursed inwardly.
Not only had he suffered a crushing defeat in this competition, but if he were dragged to the Imperial Palace for investigation, his future would be as good as finished.
Unable to contain his rage, he drew his sword and swung it at the Imperial Guards.
Drawing a weapon against the Imperial Guards and Golden Robe Guard Warriors acting under the Emperor’s command was tantamount to treason.
Overcome by emotion, he had committed the gravest of mistakes.
“So you finally reveal your true colors!”
The Geumui Guard are indeed the Emperor’s personal warriors, trained in the martial arts of the Imperial Palace.
And they train fiercely every single day.
Even if the Namgung Family’s martial techniques were peerless, Namgung Bo—who had grown complacent relying on his family name and neglected his training—could not defeat them with his skills.
Clang!
Clang-clang!
Dozens of exchanges followed, and finally, the outcome was decided.
Screech!
Thud!
“Aaaahhhhh!”
Namgung Bo clutched his severed right arm and let out a agonized scream.
“Take him away.”
“Yes, sir!”

* * *

I blinked in shock.
“What? Namgung Bo of the Baekcheon Trading Company… him?”
That evening, I heard an unexpected story from Seon-il Elder Brother.
Namgung Bo had been arrested by a Geumui Guard Warrior for the crime of bribing palace officials, and during the arrest, he had drawn his sword to resist, resulting in the loss of his arm.
Well, neither the Emperor nor the Empress were the type to overlook such things.
Though I hadn’t exacted vengeance with my own hands, I felt no regret.
This would be far more unbearable for him anyway.
Is this what they call reaping what you sow?
Suddenly, I thought of the other chiefs.
“What about the other chiefs?”
“They’ve also been arrested as related parties and are under investigation. But it seems they have no charges against them, so they’ll likely be released soon.”
“I see.”
Indeed, he is an official of Hanlin Academy.
He knows things that other officials wouldn’t….
Wait.
Officials have a duty not to divulge matters of the Imperial Palace to outsiders.
Even if it’s a nominal duty, Seon-il Elder Brother before me adheres to it meticulously.
Could it be?
A bitter smile escaped my lips unbidden.
There could only be one reason why he would tell me such things.
Seon-il Elder Brother wore an embarrassed expression and soon cleared his throat before speaking.
“The Empress takes quite an interest in you.”
Yes, she’s rather obsessed with me.
But I couldn’t say that aloud, so I simply smiled.
“Ah! And there are some people who wish to meet you. Do you have time before returning to Hubei?”
“Really? There are people who want to meet me?”
Multiple people, not just one—what could this mean?
“Yes. There are two people who wish to meet you.”
Two people? Who could they be?

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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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