The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Merchant Group - Chapter 212

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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 212

Chapter 212. Karma (1)

The name written on the envelope was Han Jae-ik.
It was the name of someone I had met when I traveled to the Northern Sea before.
He had come to enter my younger sister into the Northern Sea Ice Palace, and he had saved me when I was being chased by Seol Pyo.
At that time, my younger sister was about to be taken as the ninth wife of a nearby Manor Lord, so I had gone to the Northern Sea to avoid that fate.
Since that Manor Lord seemed likely to cause trouble, I had told him to come find me if anything happened. Yet here he was, sending me a letter…
What could have happened?
I quickly tore open the envelope and pulled out the letter inside to read it.
“….”
All I could do was sigh at its contents.
“Father.”
“What is it?”
“I need to make a trip to Henan.”
“Is this because of that letter? You’ve only just returned from Hangzhou—are you sure you’re well enough? Even though Henan isn’t that far, you’ll have to cross Bok Ryong Mountain in this bitter cold.”
“I understand. But I feel I must go.”
I explained to my worried father about my connection with Han Jae-ik.
“…So I told him to come find me if his circumstances became difficult, but from the letter, it seems he couldn’t even do that.”
Then I handed the letter to Father.
There was nothing particularly secret about it, and once Father read it, he would surely understand.
As I expected, Father’s hands trembled as he read the letter.
“How can such a despicable wretch exist!”
“That’s why I must go, Father. You taught me that a man’s word is worth its weight in gold. I promised to help him—I cannot simply ignore that, can I?”
“You’re right. Go then. While you’re at it, handle this properly.”
“Thank you.”
Father then brought up the matter of Hangzhou.
“So, did things go well in Hangzhou?”
“Yes. But it seems I’ll need to return to Hangzhou again soon. I discovered something delicious there.”
“It looks like you’ll be traveling busily this year as well. But if you speak of it that way, it must truly be delicious. I look forward to it.”
Thus I finished my report to Father.
“Then, I shall take my leave now.”
“Go ahead.”
At that moment, Father called out to me.
“Ah! Wait a moment.”
“Yes?”
“You probably didn’t hear while you were in Hangzhou, but the Imperial Palace recently announced the rankings of the Hundred Greatest Merchants of the Land.”
Ah, it’s already that time again.
“Have we climbed much higher this time?”
“Yes, we’ve reached the fortieth rank.”
Since we were at the forty-ninth rank last time, that means we’ve climbed nine steps.
The successful delivery of silk to the Imperial Court was likely the biggest contributing factor.
Now only thirty-nine steps remain between us and the Greatest Merchant Guild Under Heaven.

I headed toward my quarters.
I needed to inform Palgap and the guard warriors that I would be traveling to Henan.
I also needed to bathe.
After that… I’ll need to go to Hyun Pung Country and work.
.
.
.
The next morning.
Today as well, Master appeared the moment I finished my breathing meditation.
“Good morning.”
“Master, you’ve arrived?”
“First of all…”
Master cupped his fists and bowed his head to me.
“I heard the story from Ha Pyo-doo. Thank you.”
I quickly waved my hand.
“Master, you’re showing me too much courtesy. As a disciple of Snowwind Palace, I was merely doing what was naturally expected of me.”
“I understand. And I will enjoy the Bing Lian liquor as well.”
“Yes. Please enjoy it.”
When I parted with Ha Pyo-doo yesterday, I sent him off with two bottles of Bing Lian liquor.
One bottle was for him, and one was a gift for Master.
“To be honest, I thought I would never taste Bing Lian liquor brewed at Snowwind Palace until the day I died.”
Master smiled bitterly.
“After Snowwind Palace was destroyed, I visited it later, but the palace had been thoroughly demolished. Even… the warehouse where the Bing Lian liquor was stored… everything had been destroyed.”
As Master recalled those times, his expression appeared pained.
“I’m afraid I’ve made you recall difficult memories.”
“No. I am deeply grateful. And I’m also thankful that you allowed me to write letters to the children.”
“That’s a relief. Did the warriors who received the letters enjoy them?”
“Yes, they were very pleased.”
Master gazed at me with a smile.
His eyes were filled with gratitude.
“Therefore, with a grateful heart, I will guide your martial arts training with even greater dedication.”
No, you don’t need to do that, but…
If you train any harder than this, your disciple will die.
.
.
.
But I didn’t die.
Looking at it that way, I was truly remarkable. How did I endure that again?
Seeing the pleased glint in my Master’s eyes, it was clear he intended to increase the intensity beyond today’s session.
Sigh, I’ll need to hold out well tomorrow too.
With that resolve, I spent the entire day handling accumulated work and distributing tasks that needed to be done.
So that even in my absence, my capable employees could manage operations smoothly.
But strangely, it seemed the staff were delighted to hear that I’d be away.
But there was nothing I could do about it.
I had to move about this busily to ensure Jin-ho’s wedding proceeded without incident.
That was when it happened.
“Young Master, Young Master! Are you here?”
“I’m here.”
At my response, the door opened and Palgap came rushing toward me.
“You should hurry to the Guest Reception Room right away, sir.”
“Hmm?”
“A guest has arrived from the Imperial Palace.”

Shortly after,
I found myself seated across from a familiar man in the Guest Reception Room.
Jin Young, a Golden Robe Guard Warrior I’d met several times before.
“Eun Seo-ho pays his respects to the Great Hero.”
“Good to see you. You’ve brought the Emperor’s seal.”
As I prepared to bow properly, he waved his hand.
“I know your loyalty well, but there’s no need for that.”
“Ah… yes.”
What was this? His tone seemed oddly sharp.
I accepted the seal he offered while wondering inwardly what was wrong.
I unwrapped the seal from its crimson silk and withdrew the letter to read it.
Ah, so that’s why.
It appeared that Jihyeon of Hangzhou had sent grain to the Capital City along with a letter stating that I had instructed him to do so.
The letter’s contents asked me to explain the matter to Jin Young.
Which meant Jin Young already knew about this. That’s why his demeanor was so sharp.
“The Emperor already knows that those grains were purchased with money obtained through bribery.”
“Truly, the Emperor is as wise as ever.”
“Why did you instruct that prefect to do this? Punishing officials is the Emperor’s prerogative. For a subject to dare infringe upon that authority is a grave crime.”
But I had something to say as well.
“I merely offered counsel. Is offering counsel also a crime?”
“Advice?”
“Even if I discovered Jihyeon’s misconduct, I’m well aware that I lack the authority to punish him. I can only leave such matters to the wise judgment of Your Majesty.”
“Indeed.”
“So I merely offered a word of counsel. If he wishes to preserve even that meager life of his, he should strip himself of his wealth and donate grain to the state.”
“Hmm….”
“My words carried no compulsion. They were merely advice, nothing more. Whether he chose to act upon them or not was entirely his decision.”
I continued.
“And since the authority to punish officials rests solely with Your Majesty, I acted accordingly. Can one not save even one’s own life without earning Your Majesty’s favor?”
“….”
A brief silence fell between us.
“Ahem.”
The Jinying Warrior cleared his throat and spoke.
“Your words aren’t without merit, but still, this was a matter that should have been reported to His Majesty.”
“He returned yesterday, sir.”
Jihyeon had moved with remarkable speed.
Before I had even departed Hangzhou, Chun-il had informed me of the situation, and the moment I offered my counsel, Jihyeon acted immediately.
It spoke volumes about how dearly he valued his life.
Which meant he would keep that “true contract” secret as well.
After all, I had deliberately intimidated him into compliance.
“I was planning to complete the task entrusted to me by His Majesty and depart for Beijing tomorrow. But since you’ve graced me with your presence, I’m spared the trouble of making that journey.”
I pressed on.
“To be frank, I suspect His Majesty is not unaware of the bribes other officials have been accepting.”
“Indeed, that’s true.”
“But the reason he cannot punish all of them is that doing so would paralyze the entire administration, would it not?”
“Quite right.”
“In truth, my counsel to Jihyeon stemmed from my loyalty to His Majesty.”
The Jinying Warrior nodded.
“Continue.”
“Publicize this matter widely, Your Majesty.”
“What? Publicize it?”
“Yes, precisely. Those who have accepted bribes will immediately grasp the significance of this affair. They will understand that they may receive forgiveness if they contribute grain proportional to their crimes.”
“Ah….”
“In doing so, the Imperial Palace’s burden in purchasing grain will diminish, and official corruption will decrease as well.”
The Jinying Warrior, who had been listening in a daze, suddenly regained his composure and posed a question.
“Not a bad approach. But wouldn’t grain prices become exorbitantly expensive?”
“You’re absolutely correct. Truly, you are wise indeed.”
“Haha. I do pride myself on such matters.”
I suppressed an inward chuckle and continued my explanation.
“This year’s grain prices are far lower than normal. We’ve had an exceptionally bountiful harvest. So even if prices rise, they should remain comparable to ordinary years.”
“I see. But even if they seek forgiveness in this manner temporarily, they might ultimately attempt to recoup their losses by accepting even more bribes.”
“That’s why the role of the Geumui Guard is so important.”
“You mean us?”
“With the Geumui Guard’s capabilities, I believe you could uncover just how much those officials have been embezzling. Am I wrong?”
“Of course it’s possible.”
“Then send separate letters to those who sent the grain and are now seeking forgiveness for accepting bribes. Include records of the bribes they accepted. Once they see it, their courage will fail them, and they’ll never dare accept bribes again.”
“Oho… that’s an excellent idea.”
Jinying Warrior nodded in agreement.
The sharp edge that had been in his demeanor moments ago had vanished, replaced now by a warmth as gentle as cotton.
“I’ll relay your words to His Majesty the Emperor.”
“Thank you. I’m grateful for your consideration.”
“Heh heh, it’s a shame, really. Someone like you should be working at His Majesty’s side.”
“…!”
At those words, cold sweat broke across my back.
Danger.
I forced myself to speak with utmost humility.
“I lack the capacity for such grand undertakings. A small man like me could never endure long in the presence of a magnanimous figure like Jinying Warrior.”
“That can’t be true. His Majesty holds you in high regard.”
I had to change the subject somehow….
Ah, Jinying Warrior is with the Geumui Guard.
“Haha. Ah, forgive me, but might this humble merchant seek your wise counsel on a matter?”
“Speak freely. I’ll answer whatever I can.”
“Thank you. The truth is….”

* * *

After leaving the Eunhae Trading Company, Jinying Warrior chuckled to himself.
‘Just as His Majesty said.’

Upon learning the circumstances behind the enormous grain tribute, the Emperor let out a hearty laugh.
He then summoned the official and spoke.
“I’ll write you a letter. Take it to that scoundrel Eun Seo-ho and listen to what he has to say.”
“Do you wish me to press charges against him, Your Majesty?”
“Pressing charges against that fellow would be a waste of effort. He would never commit a crime that could ensnare him. The man is truly skilled at navigating the world.”
…
“The reason I’m sending you to him is different. That fellow surely has given this matter considerable thought. I want you to hear what he has to say.”
“I shall obey your command.”
The official bowed his head and spoke carefully.
“It seems Your Majesty holds Lord Eun Seo-ho in great esteem.”
“Because he’s entertaining. Who else can make me laugh so?”
“Then would it not be better to keep him at your side as someone of importance?”
“That has its merits, but that fellow is like a fresh fish flopping about with vitality.”
“Your Majesty?”
“If I kept him by my side, he would surely lose his luster like a rotting fish’s eye, and that would be no fun at all. Besides, through him, I hear all manner of tales that never reach my ears otherwise.”
Jin Young, understanding the Emperor’s intent, prostrated himself before him.
“Please forgive the incompetence of your servants, Your Majesty.”
“No, no. You all have other duties, which is why I have not commanded you in this matter. Rise.”
“Your grace is boundless, Your Majesty.”
As the official rose from his place, the Emperor spoke.
“But whenever I mention him working in the Imperial Palace, his reaction is so amusing I cannot help myself.”
“Your Majesty?”
“Try mentioning it to him yourself sometime. Then you’ll understand what I mean.”
“Should the opportunity arise, I shall do so.”
“But you must know when to retreat. Otherwise, you might get bitten.”

Jin Young thought he understood why the Emperor found this so amusing.
Still, he had to exercise restraint.
The Eun Seo-ho he had observed was a man who more than lived up to the title of sleeping dragon.
The Emperor could afford to get bitten because he was the Emperor.
But someone like himself…
Would be swallowed whole.
‘Hmm, should I make a better impression now? I haven’t done anything wrong… have I?’

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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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