The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Merchant Group - Chapter 207

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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 207

Chapter 207. Yangyang Martial School (6)

The Sung Family Estate, located near West Lake.
It had grown rapidly in the previous generation and become prosperous enough to earn a modest reputation in the surrounding region.
Yet his son, Sung Jun, was not satisfied with that and desired to become even wealthier.
Though he owned considerable land, among the wealthy of this region he ranked only in the middle tier.
The richest people near West Lake were mostly those who operated taverns and tea houses.
So Sung Jun, the Manor Lord, decided to build a tavern himself.
He wanted to become the wealthiest magnate near West Lake by establishing a tavern.
Fortunately, there was suitable land available near West Lake.
Though the land lay somewhat distant from West Lake, a tall building would eliminate that disadvantage.
The reason the Sung Family Estate had not engaged in tavern operations until now was due to the previous Manor Lord’s philosophy.
He had left such instructions to Sung Jun as well.

“Jun, if you wish our Sung Family Estate to endure for generations, do not involve yourself in entertainment businesses like taverns, no matter what.”
“Father, why is that?”
“Our family clan does not possess the capability to manage such enterprises.”

Yet he wished to tell his departed father something.
That his father was wrong.
The Sung Family Estate certainly possessed the capability to manage such businesses, and should have begun operations long ago.
It was not too late even now.
He wanted to succeed in the tavern business and become a son his father could be proud of.
Of course, he would also accumulate wealth and become the richest man in Hangzhou.
So five years after inheriting the Sung Family Estate, he resolved to begin the tavern business.

On the tavern site stood a Martial School that his father had permitted to remain, and which had occupied the land for over a decade.
It did not matter.
When the original landowner ordered someone to leave, they simply had to leave, did they not?
The weather was too cold for moving, but that was not his concern.
‘Besides, giving three months’ notice is rather merciful of me. Hmph!’
Then the Chief Manager came to him and reported.

“Manor Lord, I have discussed the matter with the construction workers, and they say it will cost approximately thirty silver taels just to demolish the building on that plot of land.”
“Is that so?”

Upon reflection, there was no reason for me to pay that sum.
Wasn’t it a matter of finishing what one started? The one who built the structure should bear the cost of its demolition.
Besides, the contract contained nothing else—only the stipulation that five taels of silver would be paid annually in exchange for leasing the land.
And since he claimed he wanted to purchase the land, it didn’t seem as though he lacked funds.
The Yangyang Martial School Master protested, but I ignored his objections.
What could he do about it? I was the owner of that land.
For a moment, my father’s words came to mind.

“Always treat the Yangyang Martial School with proper respect. They are the benefactors who saved my life and preserved our family….”

I quickly shook my head and dismissed the thought.

‘They saved my father, who is already deceased, and it has nothing to do with me. Anyway, didn’t they say guests had arrived there?’
I had them investigated just in case, but the reports were unremarkable.
They were simply playing with the children.
‘Well, I suppose they came to help with the move.’
I decided to pay no further attention to those guests.

* * *

After several days passed, I no longer felt the watchful gaze upon me.
Now it was time to begin my plans.
I departed the Martial School with my Guard Warriors.
Consulting the map and cross-referencing it with my recollections, I headed toward the location I estimated the seal’s marking indicated.
In my previous life, I had wandered these surroundings for months and even created a map, so I knew the geography of this place intimately.
But since this version of me was experiencing this place for the first time, I deliberately brought a map along.
“My lord, you seem quite familiar with the geography of this region.”
“I’ve studied this map so extensively that finding the way is simple.”
“Still, it’s remarkable how you navigate better than we do.”
I chuckled at Seo-woo Warrior’s comment.
It was good that I brought the map along.
Even if my sense of direction and memory were exceptional, it would appear suspicious if I found the way without consulting the map at all.
“Come to Baek Mi-ru!”
“You handsome brothers over there~. We’ll treat you well.”
Watching the courtesans eagerly soliciting customers, Palgap quickly moved closer to me.
“Why?”
“I thought I should protect you, young master.”
“Don’t worry. Do I seem like the type to be seduced and fleeced?”
“Well, I suppose not.”
From all around came the laughter of courtesans and patrons, mixed with the cacophonous sounds of drunken revelry and music.
The fragrance of the courtesans mingled with perfume, alcohol, and food aromas, drifting out into the streets.
As we passed through the red light district, West Lake came into view, surrounded by over a hundred crimson lanterns illuminating the area.
These were lanterns lit by street vendors selling various snacks, and with the cold weather already setting in, the vendors appeared to be struggling.
Boats with lit lanterns moved back and forth across the unfrozen West Lake.
Among the people, there was an unofficial name for West Lake.
A place without night.
It was because people always crowded the area, whether day or night.
In other words, it was a place where people eagerly spent their money.
The Manor Lord of Yangyang likely built his tavern with the hope of capturing that wealth.
Even though the Yangyang Martial School’s grounds were somewhat removed from West Lake, by constructing tall buildings and offering slightly lower prices, profits wouldn’t be impossible to achieve.
However, it would take considerable time to recover the investment, and the returns wouldn’t be as substantial as one might hope.
Moreover, the fact that a prohibition on alcohol was issued shortly after the tavern was built posed a significant problem.
I had no intention of acquiring this area’s famous taverns or establishments for myself right now.
Even if I were to demand, “Hand this over to me!” they would respond with “What are you talking about?” and dismiss my proposal entirely.
The timing I envisioned was roughly two years from now.
Even with extensive preparations and advice given to the Emperor, we couldn’t prevent the famine itself.
If civil unrest did occur, it would likely be small-scale, and while there wouldn’t be massive casualties, the alcohol prohibition would probably still be enacted.
The famine would be that severe.
Thinking such thoughts, I discreetly observed the Guard Warriors.
Though their cheeks flushed slightly from the courtesans’ overt advances, they paid them no attention.
I had chosen my Guard Warriors well.

After walking for about two hours, I arrived in front of an old pavilion.
“Is this the place?”
“Yes, this should be it.”
I answered thus while examining the pavilion carefully.
The structure was relatively modest in scale—a pavilion dedicated to Jade Dragon and Golden Phoenix, the two immortal sages from the legends of West Lake.
Long ago, these two immortal sages discovered white jade near the Milky Way where the immortals dwelled, and after decades of refinement, they created Myung Ju.
This mystical pearl possessed wondrous power; wherever its light shone, vegetation flourished abundantly. When the Queen Mother of the West beheld this radiance, she seized the Myung Ju for herself.
Jade Dragon and Golden Phoenix then quarreled with the Queen Mother of the West, and during the conflict, the Myung Ju fell into the mortal realm and became West Lake.
And this pavilion was the location indicated by the seal mark in the Manor Lord’s document.
Something was hidden here, it seemed.
I couldn’t be certain yet, but I had a strong intuition that the real contract was concealed in this place.
Just as I was about to begin my search, I hesitated for a moment.
Though merely legend, these were the beings who gave birth to West Lake itself—surely I owed them proper respect.
I needn’t bow, but I should at least offer incense.
I instructed Palgap to purchase incense, and he returned with it shortly.
I lit the incense and placed it in the censer.
The smoke rising from the incense drifted upward…
Hmm?
The direction of the rising smoke seemed peculiar. Normally it would escape upward, but it bent slightly in a suspicious direction.
The smoke was drawn toward the wall on the left side of the pavilion.
As I turned my head toward that wall, I suddenly sprang to my feet without thinking.
“Master?”
“Wait a moment.”
I approached the wall and discovered a thread protruding through a gap in the brickwork.
Could it be?
Unlike structures typically built from wood, this wall was constructed from precisely stacked bricks.
Then…
I carefully pushed the brick upward.
Creak, creak.
The brick slid upward, and I could see traces of earth packed inside.
The thread I had spotted was buried within that earth.
This is it!
Thud! Thud!
As I excavated the earth with my dagger, a thin, elongated black box came into view. The thread was connected to that box.
“Hah…”
I took a measured breath and carefully removed the box.
Inside lay rolled scrolls, which I withdrew and unrolled to examine.

This is the real contract regarding the lease of five hundred pyeong of land located at ×× between Sung Ji-myung of the Sung Family in Hangzhou and Baek Eul-ji of the Yangyang Martial School.
I, Sung Ji-myung, promise to permanently lease that land to the Yangyang Martial School for five silver taels annually as repayment for the life-saving grace I received.
Should this promise be broken and my descendants order eviction, at that moment all rights to the land shall transfer to the Yangyang Martial School, and the obligation to pay the lease fee shall also cease.

There were several more provisions written below.
The back page contained a letter addressed to his son, the current Manor Lord.
.
.
.
As I examined its contents, I found myself laughing without meaning to.
“Haha.”
“Why are you laughing, sir?”
“The Previous Estate Lord seems to be quite an extraordinary man.”
The Previous Chief Manager of the Yangyang Martial School must have known about this as well.
But I suspect he couldn’t convey it before dying so suddenly.
Then why was this hidden here?
It was likely because the Previous Estate Lord knew his son’s character all too well.
The contract’s terms were overwhelmingly disadvantageous to the Manor Lord.
Had he known of this contract’s existence, he would surely have tried to destroy it by any means.
Just as the Yeonhwa House Master had committed arson to eliminate the contract existing in the Eunhae Trading Company.
Of course, in this life I prevented it and it remained unsuccessful.
And this was also a test of his son. The letter on the back page proved that.
Moreover, the Manor Lord had left a mark with his seal, worried that should his son order eviction, the Yangyang Martial School might suffer in the future without knowing of the contract.
Now, should I call this losing the greater for the lesser?
But the Yangyang Martial School was the life-saving benefactor of the Previous Estate Lord? Does the current Manor Lord not know of this?
If he knew and still acted so heartlessly, he’d be truly wicked.
If the current Manor Lord knew that the Yangyang Martial School was his father’s and family’s benefactor yet still treated them so coldly, then even if I acted harshly, the Previous Estate Lord would understand.
Had I not discovered this, the Yangyang Martial School would have been driven out from here.
Just as in my previous life.
Of course, now that I’ve come here, I wouldn’t have allowed them to fall into such dire circumstances as in my previous life.
Looking at the real contract in my hands, I pondered how to handle this, when a good idea suddenly came to mind.
I possess a very favorable status granted to me by the Emperor.
Surely he would understand even if I made use of it.
Before that, I needed to confirm whether the Manor Lord knew that the Yangyang Martial School was his father’s and family’s benefactor.
I should ask Chun-il to look into this.
.
.
.
Two days later.
I stood at the lake shore where West Lake was clearly visible.
A beautiful Gisaeng approached me. Palgap flinched at the sight of her and tried to block her path, but I stopped him.
“She’s my guest.”
“Pardon?”
“Chun-il.”
“…!”
At my words, Palgap’s eyes widened in shock, and my guards around me reacted the same way.
Chun-il’s disguise techniques had reached the pinnacle of mastery.
“As expected, you saw through it. Hehehehe.”
“Last time you were a Shop Attendant, and now you’re a Gisaeng?”
“It’s for the sake of fulfilling a demanding client’s request.”
“So you’ve already investigated the matter?”
Chun-il nodded at my question.
“Yes, it’s not difficult for me. Regarding your request, I already knew—that Yangyang Martial School was the life-saving benefactor of the previous Estate Lord Sung and a great benefactor to the family.”
“….”
This bastard is truly cunning.

The next day, I headed to the County Office.
It was to obtain official verification that the seal stamped on my genuine contract was indeed that of the previous Estate Lord Sung.
Without such verification that it was a genuine contract, the matter would not proceed smoothly.
However, Jihyeon refused to verify the seal.
Rather, he tried to accuse me of being a criminal.
“Isn’t this a forgery?”
“Pardon?”
“It’s a fake. Where did you get this counterfeit document to deceive the eyes of the County Office?”
I sighed inwardly.
Indeed, people never change.
Considering the timing and circumstances, this Jihyeon was likely one of those officials who, in my previous life, accepted bribes and turned a blind eye to illegal alcohol sales, only to face capital punishment.
I had heard that several officials faced capital punishment at that time.
Such a man would be receiving substantial sums from Estate Lord Sung, and would continue to do so in the future.
“Guards! Seize that insolent wretch at once!”
“Yes, sir!”
Just as the Constables rushed toward me.
I drew out the Imperial Inspector’s credential badge from my robe and spoke.
“Are you now oppressing an Imperial Inspector of the Emperor?”
“Wh-what? An Inspector?”
Jihyeon approached me with a flustered expression, examined the credential badge, and was so startled he stumbled backward.
“Ugh!”
“So, how much have you been receiving?”

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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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