The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Merchant Group - Chapter 224

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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 224

Chapter 224. Care for a Job? (3)

The next morning at dawn.
I woke early. Today I had to go work with the Geumui Guard.
“Squeak!”
Through the slightly open window, Geumryeong crawled in with tiny movements.
“Ah! You’re back already?”
I opened the window and caught Geumryeong with both hands.
“You did well.”
I placed him on the table and handed him a silver coin, which he swallowed eagerly.
In the meantime, I untied the letter attached to Geumryeong’s tail.
Last night I had sent Father a letter saying I would be working with the Geumui Guard and wouldn’t be returning to the main headquarters for a while, and this was his reply.
Reading Father’s response, a natural smile spread across my face.
He expressed confidence that I would do well, and simply urged me to take care of myself in this cold weather—a heartwarming message.
“Young Master! Did you cough?”
Palgap’s voice came from outside the door.
“Yes. I’m awake.”
.
.
.
We ate breakfast and departed the Yeonjun Trading Company with farewells from my aunt’s family.
However, the Eun Pung-dae Fourth Squad who had accompanied us this time would return to the main headquarters first.
As the trading company’s scale had grown, the Eun Pung-dae had much more work to do. I understood they were planning to expand their personnel soon, but that time hadn’t come yet.
From what I heard, they were supposed to begin recruiting not just for the Eun Pung-dae but also general staff starting this summer.
I wondered if the Hyun Pung Bureau would also receive reinforcements?
“If I may speak, sir.”
That’s when Palgap broached the subject.
“It seems the Sefung Director saw through your true nature, Young Master.”
“Hmm? What do you mean?”
“He said it before. That your master is like the wind, so serving you would be difficult.”
Jeok Byeong-cheol Officer said that to Palgap?
“So what do you think? Is it difficult serving me?”
“Well, it’s manageable, sir.”
“Is that so?”
I looked at Palgap and asked.
“But why bring that up all of a sudden?”
“It’s just that… traveling from Hangzhou to Beijing and then off somewhere else again feels like chasing the wind, you know?”
“I can’t deny that. But don’t misunderstand—this time it’s not by my choice.”
I turned my head to look at the Guard Warriors behind me as I spoke.
“So, I’m sorry to ask, but could you all bear with me one more time?”
Seo-woo Warrior answered firmly.
“There’s no need to concern yourself. We are always here to serve our lord with unwavering loyalty.”
“That’s reassuring.”
Soon we arrived before the Imperial Palace.
A considerable number of people were bustling about making departure preparations, and one of them approached us.
“Stop!”
As we halted to speak with him, Jin-yeong Great Swordmaster waved to us from a distance.
“Ah! You’ve arrived?”
At this, the man who had stopped us asked the Jinying Warrior. From the identical uniforms they wore, he appeared to be a member of the Geumui Guard as well.
“Do you know these people?”
“Yes, this is Eun Seo-ho, the Small Guild Master.”
“Ah! Is that so?”
He quickly clasped his fist in salute to me.
“Forgive my rudeness. I am So-un of the Geumui Guard.”
“I am Eun Seo-ho of the Eunhae Trading Company. Those behind me are my attendant and guard warriors.”
At my introduction, my guard warriors and Palgap each introduced themselves.
Jin-yeong Great Swordmaster wore a satisfied smile.
“You’ve arrived right on time.”
“Punctuality is an essential virtue for any merchant.”
“Ha ha ha. Indeed it is.”
“I would like to hear about the itinerary.”
In response to my question, Jin-yeong Great Swordmaster explained the schedule.
“We’ve decided to split our party into two groups. One will head to the Yellow River, and the other to the Yangtze River. And you will go with me to the Yangtze River.”
The Yangtze River, then…
“There we’ll break up ice, load it onto carts, and transport it to the reservoirs of each prefecture.”
“So you’ve decided to transport the ice to the reservoirs?”
“Yes. His Majesty expressed concern that spring might bring severe drought, so he thought it best to stockpile water.”
“However, I fear it would be difficult for just us to transport all that ice…”
“Don’t worry. We’ve arranged for assistance from the Pyoguk offices in each province.”
In other words, a mobilization order had been issued to the Pyoguk offices.
Indeed, the Pyoguk are perfectly suited for such work.
They’re all trained in martial arts, in good physical condition, and primarily engage in transport operations anyway.
And for the Pyoguk themselves, it’s not a loss.
They too had suffered damage from the floods.
And the Emperor will surely provide them with some compensation.
“Then, let me introduce those who will be traveling with us.”
My traveling companions heading to the Yangtze River with me are Jin-yeong Great Swordmaster and So-un Dae-hyup, along with ten other Geumui Guard Warriors.
Since twelve are heading toward the Yellow River as well, a total of twenty-four have been dispatched.
Considering the volume of work the Geumui Guard handles, this must be the maximum they could spare.
Beyond that, including laborers and other personnel, a total of roughly two hundred people were organized into a single unit.
Seeing the tools being loaded, it appeared that those who harvest ice were also accompanying us.
The great families would extract ice during winter, store it in ice warehouses, and use it during the hot summers.
Naturally, the Imperial Palace also had those responsible for such work, and those who handled ice professionally were called ice workers.
Indeed, it was only natural that ice workers would be mobilized for breaking ice.
No matter how skilled the Geumui Guard Warriors were with their martial arts, they couldn’t sustain continuous use.
But handling ice in such cold conditions was hardly easy. It was truly grueling work.
I would need to prepare warm spirits and tea for them.

Once everyone finished their preparations, we departed immediately.
We had to travel by land to reach the Yangtze River, which flowed along the border between Sichuan and Guizhou, our destination.
The river was already frozen solid.
.
.
.
On the night of the second day after departure, we camped outdoors for the first time.
The people tried to start a fire, but because it had snowed lightly that day, the trees were wet and the fire wouldn’t catch properly.
“This is quite a problem.”
Jin-yeong Great Swordmaster approached me and spoke, and I pretended not to understand while knowing exactly what he meant.
“Pardon? A problem, you say?”
“We need to start a fire, but it won’t catch properly. With the weather so cold, we might end up with people freezing to death if we’re not careful.”
The way his eyes gleamed as he looked at me suggested he believed I could resolve this situation.
If he thought I could solve the current predicament… he was right.
Starting a fire with wet wood was difficult for those who rarely traveled long distances, but it was routine for those from the Pyoguk or merchants.
Naturally, I knew the method and had done it many times.
But I found it somewhat curious.
“It’s surprising.”
“What is?”
“Wouldn’t the Geumui Guard, given the nature of your duties, rarely need to camp outdoors? And yet…”
“You’re asking why we don’t know how to start a fire in situations like this?”
“Yes. You must travel extensively…”
“The reason is simple. Due to the nature of our work, we almost never light fires.”
“Ah…”
I understood what he meant.
When gathering intelligence from outside or tracking targets, there would be almost no occasion to light a fire. The enemy could discover us.
“I see. Thank you for answering my foolish question.”
“No matter—you grasped the meaning immediately. You’re truly sharp. There’s a reason His Imperial Majesty favors you so.”
Haha.
That favor isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it does feel a bit burdensome.
“Still, we should get a fire going soon so they don’t suffer too much.”
Most of those traveling with us haven’t trained in martial arts, after all.
But there’s no need for me to move, because.
“Young Master, it would be best if you sat by the fire and warmed yourself.”
Palgap had already started the fire.
Palgap is my seasoned attendant from the Eunhae Trading Company. There’s no way he wouldn’t know what I know.
And despite appearances, he has keen eyes and quick reflexes.
Look, he’s already boiling water for tea.
“Thank you.”
I sat before the campfire and spoke to Jin-yeong Great Swordmaster, whose expression had grown distant.
“My attendant happens to be quite capable.”

In any case, thanks to the fire Palgap had started, the others were able to build their own campfires quickly.
Until now, those unfamiliar with the details had looked at us with questioning expressions—”Why are they here?”
And some had even regarded us with the eyes of those viewing mere baggage.
But today, that perception changed entirely.
.
.
.
After roughly half a month’s journey, we arrived at our destination.
“This is it.”
At Jin-yeong Great Swordmaster’s words, I nodded. Before us stood an enormous Ice Mountain.
I had known the reason for the flood, but I never imagined the ice would be this massive and abundant.
No wonder such a catastrophic flood occurred.
“If this hadn’t been dealt with beforehand, it would have been a disaster.”
At Jin-yeong Great Swordmaster’s words, I smiled wryly and replied.
“Indeed it would have been.”
He commanded his subordinates to set up the barracks.
This work wouldn’t be completed in a day or two, so we needed to establish a base where everyone could rest properly.
In the meantime, my companions and I started a fire.
And we gathered snow into a large kettle and boiled it.
For those suffering in the cold weather.
But this only warmed bodies for a brief moment.
“Great Swordmaster, since the weather is so cold, what if we had everyone drink a cup of warmed spirits?”
“Spirits, you say….”
Jin-yeong Great Swordmaster nodded.
“Quite right. Nothing beats warm spirits against the cold. In fact, when I was stationed in that distant Northern Region, I’d sneak a sip now and then. Haha. When the cold bites fiercely, a single sip of spirits becomes precious beyond measure.”
The Geumui Guard was typically composed of military veterans, so they seemed well acquainted with such circumstances.
“Do as you see fit. Using public funds to procure alcohol might invite rebuke from the Great Hero, but I cannot in good conscience ask you to endure this bitter cold with nothing to warm your spirits.”
By Great Hero, he meant the commander of the Geumui Guard.
Of course, the Geumui Guard had various titles according to rank, but given the specialized nature of their duties, we simply called them the Great Hero.
I did the same.
“Please do not concern yourself. I shall provide it from my own purse.”
“From your own purse?”
“Yes.”
“That sum would be considerable, would it not?”
He was right—the cost of quality alcohol was substantial.
But since these men were suffering on my account, it was only proper that I bear this expense.
Besides, I was not simply throwing away coin.
There was method to it all.

The next day, the work began.
The Geumui Guard Warriors took the lead, wielding swords infused with inner force.
“Haaah!”
Crash—!
“Hah!”
Crash—!
The energy emanating from their blades battered the ice without mercy.
Shattered ice cascaded downward in torrents.
Among the twelve Geumui Guard Warriors, Jin-yeong Great Swordmaster stood out most prominently.
With merely a few strokes, he carved perfectly rectangular blocks of ice.
I focused my keen sight upon his blade.
Sensing heat radiating from the sword, it appeared he was employing the profound principles of flame technique to cut through the ice.
No wonder the Emperor held him in such high regard.
The man certainly knew how to break ice.
At that moment, So-un Great Swordmaster of the Geumui Guard approached and spoke.
“The representatives from the Pyoguk have arrived.”
“Is that so? Have two representatives from each bureau brought forward.”
“Yes.”
Soon So-un Great Swordmaster returned with men wearing the distinctive outer robes that marked them as members of the various Pyoguk bureaus.
And among them, I spotted a familiar face.
“Ah?”
“It has been a long time since we last met.”
It was my Master.

Jin-yeong Great Swordmaster explained the situation to the representatives from each Pyoguk.
Once his explanation concluded, I approached my Master.
“I never expected to meet you here.”
“So you were indeed here.”
“You don’t seem particularly surprised.”
My Master nodded at my words.
“I sensed your presence. However, when I first detected it, I was quite taken aback.”
My Master continued.
“I heard from Eun Jin-ho, the Small Guild Master, that you would be staying in foreign lands for an extended period… but why are you here with the Geumui Guard Warriors?”
I scratched my cheek.
“Well, you see….”
I recounted the entire story to my Master, and he smiled at my explanation.
Huh?
But that smile vanished in an instant.
“Your wisdom is truly admirable. If that ice melts all at once as you say, it will cause a catastrophic flood.”
“In any case, I ask for your assistance. And….”
“I shall convey my regards to your family as well.”
My Master truly knows me well.

* * *

Winter is an unbearably harsh season for the Green Forest Bandits, who proclaim themselves the mountain’s sovereigns.
Those stationed along frequently traveled merchant routes fared somewhat better.
Thanks to their connections with the Pyoguk, they could “manage their territory” and collect substantial tolls.
But the other Green Forest Bandits spent more days with empty bellies than full ones.
A mountain stronghold situated at one of the passes between Sichuan and Shaanxi Province.
This place too was in dire straits.
Then thrilling news reached them.
“Brothers! An enormous merchant caravan carrying valuable goods is approaching!”
At this news, everyone in the stronghold sprang to their feet.
The prospect of finally filling their bellies surged through them with renewed vigor.
“Let’s go strip them clean!”
“Yes!”

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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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