The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Merchant Group - Chapter 397

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Trading Company Chapter 397

Chapter 397. There Was a Reason (4)

Hong Seon-il’s mind had settled on a single possibility: the guest served by that palace maid might be a spy.
He could think of no other explanation.
Unless someone had been watching and investigating him, how else could they have known this belonged to him?
If that were the case, then exposing such treachery was precisely what he, as a loyal servant of the Empire, ought to do.
“Would it be possible for me to visit at your convenience? I wish to express my gratitude in person.”
“I shall inquire with my mistress.”

That afternoon, the palace maid returned with her mistress’s permission.
Hong Seon-il found this puzzling.
‘I expected her to delay the meeting or refuse outright… She possesses considerable confidence.’
With that thought, he immediately followed the maid to Hwanhwagak, where foreign envoys lodged.
And there, he received a shock.
The one served by that maid was no ordinary envoy—she was the Princess of Marae Seo Kingdom.
“….”
An awkward silence lingered for a moment, but he composed himself and offered his greeting.
“First, I must thank you sincerely for returning that document.”
“It was hardly a difficult matter.”
Her Imperial tongue flowed with considerable fluency.
“But… how did you know it was mine that I had lost?”
“First, matters of publication fall under the purview of Hanlin Academy. And to carry about the Emperor’s sacred writings while wrestling with such concerns suggests you are the one responsible for this task.”
“Yet I am not the only one holding the position of Su-chan at Hanlin Academy.”
There were several others in that rank at the Academy besides Hong Seon-il.
“The paper itself was heavily worn—evidence of much deliberation and reconsideration. But the portion bearing the written characters showed no such wear. That, I believe, stems from your reverence for the Emperor’s sacred words.”
“…!”
Hong Seon-il was astonished.
She had spoken truly. Though he had merely transcribed the Emperor’s sacred writings, he still regarded them as the Emperor’s sacred words.
Thus, he could never bring himself to touch those characters carelessly.
“This also suggests your loyalty to the Emperor has not yet faded.”
She continued.
“No matter how sincerely one begins a task, the reality is that loyalty inevitably dims with time. After all, it is the Emperor who commands the work, and no one truly enjoys laboring under another’s orders.”
“Yet it is only natural to serve with utmost sincerity when the Emperor himself has decreed it.”
“Consider this: do your seniors at the Academy truly devote themselves with such sincerity?”
“….”
At her words, Hong Seon-il found himself speechless.
‘Now that I think about it….’
He recalled his seniors.

“There’s no need to work so hard. The Emperor won’t be pleased anyway, and there’s more work to come regardless.”
“Sigh, more work has arrived. I was hoping to leave early today, but I was mistaken.”
“Why are there still five days of leave remaining?”

Watching Hong Seon-il grow increasingly gloomy, she spoke.
“If you still possess such burning devotion, I thought you must be someone who recently passed the imperial examination and, as a Hanlin Academy official, someone who achieved top honors in the examination.”
Those who achieved top honors typically received the position of official when assigned to Hanlin Academy.
“It seems there’s only me.”
“Yes.”
“Of course, it’s not that they lack devotion. Their devotion would be warm rather than burning.”
“….”
He lifted his head to look at her. His heart began to race for some reason.
He felt that a woman this wise might be able to provide answers to his troubles.
“May I seek your counsel on this matter?”
He explained the entire situation from beginning to end.
“…and so I’m uncertain what to do.”
“From my perspective, if the Emperor had wanted to record the Imperial Court’s achievements regarding the famine, he would have explicitly instructed you to record the Imperial Court’s response to the famine, not merely to record the famine itself.”
“Then… what does this mean?”
“Did he perhaps not assign many people to this task?”
“Yes, that’s correct. He allowed me to use twice the usual number of personnel.”
“In my opinion, it simply means to record everything.”
“Everything?”
“Imperial matters, common folk matters—all of it. And since the famine hasn’t ended yet, there’s still plenty of time.”
“….”
Even he could see that her words made sense.
The only problem was the sheer volume of work involved.
“Doesn’t that suggest the Emperor has great faith in your abilities?”
He scratched the back of his neck.
“W-well, if that’s the case, I’m grateful. In any case, thank you for taking such precious time today. I apologize for taking up so much of your time on our first meeting.”
“It’s not our first meeting.”
“What?”
“We met yesterday in the Imperial Palace Garden. When I approached, you hurried away.”
“Ah!”
He laughed awkwardly.
“So that was you yesterday. I thought you were a palace maid. I left quickly because I was worried that if someone saw me alone with a palace maid in the garden, it might cause gossip. As you know, palace maids who become the subject of such rumors tend to disappear without a trace….”
“You were being considerate of me.”

After that, Hong Seon-il met with her frequently and came to know her name.
“My name is Sina-a. In my homeland’s language, it means light.”

When had it started?
Perhaps from the moment I first met her.
Like her name, which meant light, she had become the light of my life.
When I imagined my life without her, nothing but pitch darkness came to mind.
‘But she’s leaving?’
Now that I thought about it, there was nothing more for her to gain by staying here.
So when the winds changed, she would return to her homeland.
In truth, I had known it in my mind all along.
That in some form or another, we would part ways.
I simply hadn’t felt it in my heart.

* * *

A few days passed after that.
I received word that Seon-il Elder Brother was calling for me and immediately headed to the nearby tea house.
But the moment I saw Seon-il Elder Brother’s face, I couldn’t help but be startled.
“Goodness! Elder Brother! What’s happened?”
And for good reason—in those few days, Elder Brother’s face had deteriorated considerably.
He was gaunt, his complexion pallid, and dark circles shadowed his eyes.
This meant Elder Brother had made his decision.
“I’m fine, so don’t make a fuss.”
“Aunt and Uncle must be quite worried.”
“I’ve tried to eat something, but nothing will go down.”
“Elder Brother…”
Seon-il Elder Brother gazed at me with eyes full of firm resolve.
“Help me. I don’t think I can live without her anymore.”
“I understand.”
.
.
.
The most crucial element in uniting the Princess of Marae Seo and Seon-il Elder Brother was the Emperor’s approval.
After all, she had come to the Empire seeking marriage with the Imperial Court.
But if she married Seon-il Elder Brother instead, there was a high likelihood she would be punished for deceiving the Imperial Palace.
At minimum, the Princess would be banished, and Seon-il Elder Brother would be stripped of his position.
To prevent that…
I had to meet the Emperor.
“Ugh…”
The thought of meeting the Emperor sent an unexpected chill through my body.
He truly is a remarkable man.
That someone could make me, who feels no cold, experience such a chill!
But to obtain a tiger’s whisker, one must first meet the tiger.
Fortunately, I have my own reasons for meeting the Emperor.
I need to deal with this man Son Se-gil who extorted silver from me.
Timing-wise, since the recruitment of merchant guilds for foreign trade has concluded, there’s no risk of scandal.
Upon returning to the Beijing Branch, I immediately sent a letter to Jin-yeong Great Swordmaster.

That evening.
Jin-yeong Great Swordmaster visited the Beijing Branch.
“Great Hero, did your business trip go well?”
“It went smoothly. I apologize though—I haven’t been able to teach you the Imperial Palace martial arts in a timely manner. This was a direct order from His Majesty the Emperor….”
“Is it not because of the Great Hero’s duties? That’s perfectly fine. Besides, merely learning isn’t enough, is it? I must internalize the teachings to make them my own before I can digest the next lesson, wouldn’t you agree?”
I spoke while cupping my fist in respect.
“So please, do not worry yourself.”
“I appreciate your understanding. Then I’ll take my leave. His Majesty is calling for me.”
I proceeded to the Imperial Palace with Jin-yeong Great Swordmaster and found myself face to face with the Emperor in his office.
“Your Majesty, I, Eun Seo-ho, humbly present myself before the Emperor, master of the Empire.”
“Yes, I thought it was about time you came. You’ll need to report on the duties I’ve entrusted to you as well.”
“….”
Cold sweat trickled down my back at those words.
If I had gone to Hubei without meeting His Majesty the Emperor, I would have nearly become a palace stake for neglecting my duties.
I wiped my chest inwardly and continued speaking.
“How could I ever neglect the duties Your Majesty has personally entrusted to me? If such a thing were to happen, I would sooner carry a boulder and leap into the river.”
Of course, I wouldn’t die even if I carried a boulder and leaped into the river.
“You certainly have a way with words, don’t you?”
An unexpectedly casual tone, the kind you’d hear from a storyteller.
At this, the Eunuch hastily offered his counsel.
“Your Majesty. Such conduct and speech should be refrained from.”
“What, there’s no one else watching, is there?”
“However….”
“And whether it’s you or that fellow, you’re both my people, aren’t you?”
“Your Majesty….”
The Eunuch responded with a voice tinged with emotion.
I could sense the Emperor’s trust in both the Eunuch and myself from his words. Though I’m not sure about the Eunuch, I hardly seem like someone deserving of such trust….
“I am overwhelmed by Your Majesty’s grace and know not how to repay it.”
“See, I told you he has a way with words.”
The Emperor chuckled softly, then his voice turned serious.
“Raise your head.”
“Your Imperial Majesty’s grace is boundless.”
At last, the Emperor commanded me to raise my head. I exhaled with relief—maintaining that prostrate position had been exhausting.
“Yes, I heard the general outline through Jin Young. You have something to report?”
“Indeed, Your Majesty. During the selection process for the merchant company to handle foreign trade, I wish to report on someone who accepted a bribe.”
The Emperor tilted his head at my words.
“As you know, since there weren’t many applicants, we would have simply selected any company without documentary issues. Why the complication?”
“Of course, Your Majesty. However, there was someone who demanded a bribe in exchange for providing me information.”
“Now that’s an amusing fellow.”
That word “amusing” wasn’t meant literally—there was something far more ominous in his tone.
“Explain in detail.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
I reported comprehensively on everything that had transpired with Son Se-gil.
“Of course, I did provide fourteen silver taels during that process, but this was for investigative purposes.”
I spoke with confidence.
“It was to determine whether there was someone behind him, and where the information had leaked from.”
According to the imperial decree the Emperor had granted me, I had been given investigative authority as well.
In other words, my payment to that man constituted legitimate investigative action.
Since there was no grounds for punishment, I had given him the money.
“Fourteen taels of silver? If you’re going to pay, at least pay properly. How stingy.”
“I merely sought to achieve maximum results with minimum expenditure.”
“Understood. I shall instruct the Censorate to handle that man.”
That was certainly the cleanest approach.
With the Emperor issuing the order directly, the investigation would not proceed gently for Son Se-gil.
Son Se-gil was now dealt with, and what remained was my brother Seon-il’s marriage matter.
I took a deep breath to calm my nerves and broached the subject.
“Your Imperial Majesty, this humble merchant dares to ask one question.”
“Speak. What is it?”
“The last time I walked through the Imperial Palace, I encountered the Princess of Marae Seo Kingdom. And from what I gather, she shall soon return to her homeland.”
“Your assessment is correct.”
The Emperor nodded.
“To be honest, I did mention to the King of Marae Seo about a marriage alliance with the Imperial Court. But I expected him to send a prince, not a princess.”
That made sense.
Marae Seo Kingdom wouldn’t have sent their princess on a whim.
There had to be a reason for sending her.
Which meant the Emperor’s position was even more complicated.
“My elder brother happened to meet her by chance, I’m told.”
“Yes, I’m aware. Hong Su-chan lost something, and the princess found it for him.”
“….”
I found myself at a loss for words.
How… how terrifying. Is there anything Your Majesty doesn’t know?
“And thanks to her counsel, Hong Su-chan has been proceeding in the correct direction with the orders I’ve given.”
“That’s right. At the time, Elder Brother said he’d never encountered someone so wise before.”
I continued.
“And I believe Your Majesty could not possibly be unaware of such a person’s value.”
“Hmm, that’s true enough.”
“However, there has been no news yet of the Princess’s wedding. From what I can see, Your Majesty has given the Imperial Prince the choice.”
At my words, the Emperor furrowed his brow and clicked his tongue.
“Your guess is correct. Foolish lot! Looking only at appearances, they fail to recognize the Princess’s true worth. Tsk, tsk.”
“Soon, when the winds change, the Princess will return home. Yet if we were to keep her in the Empire, there would be no proper means to do so.”
“Get to the point. Do you have a way to keep her here?”
“Yes. I do.”
I spoke with absolute certainty.
“Your Majesty need only play the role of the Old Matchmaker.”

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————