The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Merchant Group - Chapter 233

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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 233

Chapter 233. My Elder Brother Jin-ho’s In-laws (3)

Though the Emperor showed me favor, I had already received two rewards, and it would be unwise to demand anything excessive.
If I gave him reason to manipulate me, that would be troublesome.
So I decided to request something quite modest.
“The Small Merchant has a cousin sister living in Beijing.”
“Ah yes, the younger sister of Hong Su-chan from Hanlin Academy?”
I inwardly clicked my tongue.
It wasn’t that I was surprised he knew this—I was astonished that he remembered it and spoke of it immediately.
There are countless people working in the Imperial Palace, yet he remembers such details!
“That is correct, Your Majesty.”
The Emperor nodded, gesturing for me to continue.
“Would you grant my cousin sister the honor of sharing tea with the Empress?”
“Hmm, now that I think of it, your sister is marrying Won Si-gang around summer, is she not?”
Your Majesty, is there anything you don’t know?
“That family does carry themselves with considerable pride.”
The Emperor’s expression was filled with amusement.
From the Emperor’s perspective, it must seem rather laughable.
“Yet they are accepting a daughter from a merchant family… hahaha.”
The Emperor burst into laughter.
“I understand what you’re thinking. But don’t you find it wasteful to use this opportunity for your cousin sister?”
“No, Your Majesty. Not at all.”
I answered without hesitation.
“If my cousin sister were to face contempt from her husband’s family and my Aunt suffered heartache because of it, then I too would suffer from it.”
“Tsk, you’re quite sentimental yet cunning at the same time.”
“….”
“Still, I don’t dislike it.”
The Emperor continued.
“Very well. I shall ask the Empress to arrange it.”
“Your benevolence is immeasurable, Your Majesty.”
I bowed deeply to express my gratitude.
“By the way, you’re heading to the Northern Sea again?”
“Yes. Circumstances have arisen that require me to make another journey.”
“You truly are like the wind itself. Even among merchants, there’s none who travels as much as you do.”
“It has simply turned out this way.”
Honestly, I don’t wish to wander outside my home either.
After all, the world beyond the blankets is fraught with danger.
“Very well. Travel safely and return without incident.”

As I emerged from the Emperor’s presence, Jin-yeong Great Swordmaster was waiting for me.
Where once his gaze held wariness and curiosity, now it gleamed with goodwill and gratitude.
The impact of that previous matter was clearly profound.
“Did you have a favorable audience with His Majesty?”
“Yes, Great Swordmaster. I believe I may depart now.”
“Then let us go.”
With that, Jin-yeong Great Swordmaster led me out of the Imperial Palace, his pace notably brisk.
It was as though he hurried to prevent someone from claiming me first.
Suddenly, the Eunuch Official’s earlier words echoed in my mind—that the eunuchs held considerable interest in me.
Ah, so that was it.
Yet I questioned whether such haste truly mattered.
If they wished to meet with me, they could arrange it whenever they pleased.
Of course, whether I would aid them remained entirely my decision.

* * *

A night cloaked in absolute darkness.
A private residence in Beijing.
Several men gathered there, all sharing a singular characteristic—the absence of beards.
They were eunuchs of the Dongchang.
“So then, what of their movements?”
“What more can those who have retired to their estates accomplish? They merely read books and play Go all day.”
“Men who rose to the rank of Minister. They surely know we watch them. Do not grow complacent.”
“Understood.”
“And do not neglect surveillance of the princes.”
Recently, the Imperial Palace had witnessed a significant event—the dismissal of the Minister of Treasury and the Minister of Works.
Within the Imperial Palace existed an institution called the Palace Sage Hall, composed of high-ranking officials of rank three and above.
Its original purpose was to provide wise counsel to those seeking guidance on various matters of state.
Yet gradually, its function had begun to distort, until it became a tool of pressure against the Emperor himself.
Until recently, the Minister of Treasury and Minister of Works had served as the heads of the Palace Sage Hall.
They had expressed opposition to measures preventing the great flood.
But when the Emperor’s actions prevented the flood from occurring, their influence waned dramatically.
Moreover, the Emperor had taken another measure—purchasing and storing grain.
The Minister of Treasury had actively opposed this as well.
He had argued that after the previous year’s abundant harvest, a sudden catastrophic failure was impossible.
Yet already, reports of barley crop failure were arriving.
Furthermore, when the Emperor commanded those who had accepted bribes to voluntarily return grain equivalent to their ill-gotten gains, they feigned ignorance.
As these various justifications accumulated, the Emperor, now sufficiently armed with pretexts, dismissed them from their posts.
Given the circumstances, even those who had supported them dared not intervene.
Moreover, seizing this opportunity to dismantle the Palace Sage Hall entirely, the Emperor must have felt as though a nagging tooth had finally been extracted.
“However, this matter is not entirely favorable for us.”
“Indeed. The Emperor’s attention, which had been turning toward us, is now shifting back to the Geumui Guard.”
“For now it remains manageable, but we must devise countermeasures. If we are not careful, we may be overshadowed by the Geumui Guard, and our standing could weaken.”
“Countermeasures, you say…”
The Leader of Dongchang continued.
“From what I observe, there is a common thread running through all the accomplishments they have achieved recently.”
“What might that be?”
“It is that a man named Eun Seo-ho is connected to all of them. Too much of a coincidence to be mere chance. I believe Eun Seo-ho is the catalyst behind all these recent events.”
“Then what should we do?”
Someone offered an opinion.
“What if we kidnapped him and coerced him into joining our side?”
“He is favored by the Emperor. If we did such a thing, our heads would not remain on our shoulders.”
“….”
“For now, endeavor to win his favor. And above all, remain faithful to our duties. Should we fail in our duties, we too shall meet the fate of the Palace Sage Hall.”
“Understood.”
The Leader of Dongchang exhaled a weary sigh.
Suddenly, words he had heard from the Eunuch earlier came to mind.

“You speak of Young Master Eun Seo-ho?”
“Yes. How might we draw him to our side? I have observed Young Master Eun Seo-ho often at the Emperor’s side, so I thought you might have some insight, and thus I ask.”
“Hmm, what method have you considered?”
“Kidnapping him….”
*Crack!*
“…!”
“Do you wish to die?”
“Sir?”
“Why do you think those barbarous Geumui Guards fawn and grovel so?”
The Eunuch spoke with a grave expression.
“Win his favor unconditionally. That is the best method, and the only method available to you.”
“Must it truly be so? What does the Marketplace….”
“He is favored by the Emperor. Far more than you could possibly imagine!”
“….”
“If the Emperor were to learn that you had committed barbarous acts, what do you think would become of you? Have you not considered that you would meet the same fate as the Palace Sage Hall?”
“….”

The Eunuch, head of all the eunuchs in the palace.
His wisdom, experience, and worldly acumen—accumulated through his rise to such a position—were not to be dismissed lightly.
So I decided to accept his counsel.

* * *

The next day, we set out for the Northern Sea.
Given that so many eyes were now upon us, it seemed prudent to depart Beijing with haste.
Traveling by horseback, we reached Liaoning territory swiftly.
“The weather grows colder by the day.”
I nodded at Jin-ho’s observation.
“That’s because we’re drawing closer to the Northern Sea. But compared to the cold there, this is hardly cold at all.”
Bing Haerin, Young Palace Master, agreed with my words.
“The Small Merchant Guild Master is right. Snow accumulates there year-round, after all.”
“Living in such a place… doesn’t it become burdensome?”
At Elder Brother’s Wife’s question, Bing Haerin, Young Palace Master, shook her head.
“I cannot speak for others, but I find no such hardship. Perhaps it is because I was born and raised in such a place.”
She continued.
“And since everyone has already adapted to such conditions, there seems to be no complaint among us.”
“Then that is fortunate.”
Elder Brother’s Wife was relieved, and Bing Haerin, Young Palace Master, spoke.
“The Northern Sea Ice Palace is still a place where people dwell. So there is no need for concern.”
“Yes.”
Before we departed, I had revealed Bing Haerin, Young Palace Master’s true identity. After that, Jin-ho and his wife treated her with considerable care.
Well, she was the future leader of the place my mother-in-law belonged to, so it was only natural, wasn’t it?
Just then, I spotted an inn ahead.
“We should rest there tonight and resume our journey tomorrow morning.”
We headed toward the inn.
And then,
“Hm?”
“Hm?”
I encountered a most welcome face there.
“Is this not Eun Seo-ho, the Small Guild Master?”
“Bok Yun, Sub-leader!”
We exchanged greetings with warm smiles.
“But what brings you all the way here? You were here last year as well.”
It was August, so it hadn’t even been a full year.
“Well, circumstances have led me northward toward the Northern Sea. Ah! Forgive me for the late introduction.”
I quickly introduced Jin-ho and Elder Brother’s Wife.
“An old friend of Eun Seo-ho, the Small Guild Master—Bok Yun, Sub-leader of the Gwangjun Merchant Group.”
“I heard about you from Seo-ho. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
After exchanging those pleasantries, I moved to introduce Bing Haerin, Young Palace Master.
“This young lady here is….”
“Oh!”
But Bok Yun Sub-leader’s reaction caught me off guard.
“I bow before the Young Palace Master!”
What? How did he know?
“You know of Young Palace Master Bing Haerin?”
“Of course. In Liaoning, there isn’t a single merchant involved in the guild who doesn’t know of the Young Palace Master.”
Bing Haerin, Young Palace Master, offered further explanation.
“Given the geographical circumstances of our Northern Sea Ice Palace, we rely heavily on merchants for various necessities. We receive considerable assistance from them.”
Ah….
Now the situation made sense.
Though the Northern Sea Ice Palace is isolated, the number of its disciples is far from small.
If that were the case, the quantity of supplies needed would be substantial.
The merchants of Liaoning must be purchasing these supplies on their behalf.
“So the Northern Sea Ice Palace comes all the way to Liaoning to conduct trade.”
Then a question arose in my mind.
“But what does the Northern Sea Ice Palace provide in return?”
“Why, we pay them money, of course.”
“That is to say….”
“You’re asking how we generate our income, aren’t you?”
At Bing Haerin’s question, I nodded.
“The Northern Sea Ice Palace produces exclusive specialty goods that we sell, and we also earn revenue through commissioned work.”
“I see.”
Then Bok Yun Sub-leader spoke.
“The weather is turning cold. Why don’t we step inside and have some tea?”
We entered the inn.
Bok Yun Sub-leader explained he had come out on merchant business and was returning to the Gwangjun Trading Company.
“In fact, my father entrusted me with a letter to deliver to the Merchant Lord, so I was planning to stop by the Gwangjun Trading Company on my way north to the Northern Sea.”
At my words, Bok Yun Sub-leader’s face brightened.
“How fortunate. Let us travel together then. No matter how quickly we journey, we’ll need to lodge near the Gwangjun Trading Company anyway, so please stay at our trading company before continuing on.”
I nodded readily.
“Then I’ll gratefully accept your kindness.”

The next morning.
I set out toward the Gwangjun Merchant Group with Bok Yun Sub-leader.
The journey with him was pleasant.
Suddenly sensing someone’s gaze upon me, I turned to find Jin-ho watching me with a satisfied expression.
What was that about? Why was he looking at me like that?
I understood the reason when we stopped for lunch.
“I’ve never seen you converse so cheerfully before. So you do have a true friend.”
“Why do you say it as if it’s something surprising?”
“Because it is surprising.”
Jin-ho smiled as he spoke.
“Since childhood, you never truly belonged among your peers.”
“….”
Well, even if I had wanted to genuinely fit in, those weren’t the sort of people worth fitting in with.
“But I’m glad to see you’ve found a true friend you can genuinely connect with.”
The expression on Jin-ho’s face was one of joy at seeing me get along so well with my friend.
Was this what my brother truly felt?
.
.
.
We arrived at the Gwangjun Merchant Group as the sun began to set.
“A face I haven’t seen in ages. Welcome.”
I offered a respectful greeting to the Gwangjun Merchant Lord.
“Thank you for your warm welcome.”
I introduced Jin-ho and Elder Brother’s Wife to the Gwangjun Merchant Lord. As for Bing Haerin, Young Palace Master….
“Who might this be? Isn’t this the Young Palace Master?”
There was no need for introductions.

After dinner, I arranged a separate space where Bok Yun Sub-leader and I could share tea.
Though I hadn’t intended it, as our conversation grew longer, everyone else returned to their quarters.
Ah, there was one important matter I nearly forgot to mention.
“Bok Yun Sub-leader, I apologize for this request, but I was hoping to borrow the horn whistle you lent me before, just one more time.”
It was a request made so that crossing the grasslands would be more convenient and safer.
But his expression seemed odd.
“It seems you still don’t fully understand what the Young Palace Master means in this place.”
“What do you mean by that….”

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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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