The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Merchant Group - Chapter 626

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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 Eun Hae Trading Company Chapter 626

Chapter 626. The Geom Chong of Chungyeongseong (5)

Kwon Jik continued speaking.
“When they return as you suggest, let’s increase the weight of the carts they’re pulling a bit more.”
At those words, I stifled a laugh internally.
They should have adapted by now, but what can we do… The return journey will be hell for them.
The banquet did not last particularly late.
Since we had to depart early the next morning, everyone wanted to retire early and rest.

* * *

Jang Gal and Song Cheong opened their eyes at the sound of someone waking them.
“It’s time to get up now.”
“Just a bit more… just a bit more…”
“Please…”
But the voice reaching their ears was as sharp as frost.
“Get up this instant! And you call yourselves Geumui Guards, yet you’re slacking! Do you need a roll call to come to your senses?”
“Gasp!”
“N-no, sir!”
They bolted upright at the senior Golden Robed Guard’s command.
Soon he spoke in a gentler tone.
“Wasn’t this task born from your desire to demonstrate your loyalty? Yet if you show such laxity, then it would be better not to do it at all.”
“…”
“It will be difficult, but once you see it through, you’ll feel a sense of pride in yourselves.”
“Yes, sir…”
Even as they answered thus, Jang Gal and Song Cheong screamed inwardly.
‘This wasn’t our choice!’
‘We didn’t volunteer for this!’
They recalled the moment that had started all of this.
They knew well enough that Eun Seo-ho had accomplished much and possessed exceptional skill.
The Emperor himself, and even the Commander of the Geumui Guard, held Eun Seo-ho in high regard.
But it was utterly infuriating to watch.
‘A lowborn merchant meddling in state affairs! He should know his place!’
There had been an incident that ignited the flames of their resentment.
It was the Emperor granting Eun Seo-ho limited immunity.
The Geumui Guard possessed the authority to arrest and interrogate anyone suspected of treason at any time, without exception.
That’s why they had been waiting for an opportunity to bring down Eun Seo-ho, but that chance had slipped through their fingers.
I was barely suppressing the irritation that arose from it when I ended up working alongside Eun Seo-ho.
On the morning of departure.
Kwon Jik happened to be in audience with the Emperor, and the others were busy with personal preparations, too distracted to pay attention to anything else.
So they crept up to Eun Seo-ho.
And though they weren’t even assigned to inspect the supplies, they used that as a pretext to provoke him in voices low enough that others couldn’t hear.
No matter how much immunity they possessed, it was limited immunity.
If they laid hands on a Geumui Guard, they couldn’t escape responsibility.
That immunity could be revoked or they could face punishment from the Emperor.
So they insulted him and even harassed his betrothed.
‘Go ahead! Throw a punch at me already!’
‘Isn’t it about time you drew your sword?’
‘You want to fight? You want to, don’t you?’
‘Still not enough? Should I scratch a bit more?’
But then….
When they came to their senses, they found themselves pulling a cart instead of riding.
While Eun Seo-ho rode comfortably in a carriage.
The problem was that Eun Seo-ho had such a loose tongue that they had become deeply loyal Geumui Guard members.
Once that happened, they couldn’t stop this work.
To explain that it wasn’t their intention, they would have to explain what they had done.
That would make them those who defied the Emperor’s orders, which was even worse.
For the first two days, they denied that they had to pull the cart.
But by the fourth day, they finally realized they truly had to pull this cart all the way to Chungyeongseong.
Naturally, their arrows of rage turned toward Eun Seo-ho, who had created this situation.
‘Eun Seo-ho! You bastard!’
‘Just you wait!’
But there was simply no way to vent that rage.
Eun Seo-ho was always with Kwon Jik, and whenever they had a chance to rest, they collapsed from exhaustion.
After traveling like this for several days, they began to harbor another hope.
The hope that someone might suggest they had suffered enough and could stop now.
But no one told them to stop.
They gradually began to feel depressed.
‘This isn’t what I became a Geumui Guard for!’
‘I miss Mother.’
‘What is life anyway? Oh well.’
As they pulled the cart and walked and walked some more, they even began to sympathize with the horses’ hardships, and amid feeling melancholy and sorrowful, they arrived at the Hubei Province Eunhae Trading Company Headquarters.

They dragged their weary bodies and prepared for departure.
First, they all gathered to hear an explanation about the route ahead, and with that, hope was born within them.

“After traveling two shi-jins, we’ll board a boat and head to Yunnan….”

Taking a boat meant we could travel by water.
That meant we wouldn’t have to struggle pulling carts anymore.
Once we boarded the boat, time would open up, and I’d have the leisure to take revenge on Eun Seo-ho.
‘Just you wait!’
‘I will surely have my vengeance!’
They failed to recognize that their own foolish actions had brought this upon themselves.
And two shi-jins later.
“Hmm, the river’s water volume is less than I expected. A boat won’t work, it seems.”
“Yes. It would be fine for thirty people or so, but with the current size of the Exploration Team, we’d need a large boat. However, it appears difficult to navigate with such a large vessel.”
“Then we’ll change our plan. We travel overland.”
That meant, in other words, that Jang Gal and Song Cheong would have to continue pulling the carts as they moved.
Thump.
Their legs gave out and they simply collapsed where they stood.

* * *

I let out a quiet laugh.
The expressions on Jang Gal and Song Cheong’s faces as they suddenly collapsed looked as though they’d lived through the entire world.
They must have been hoping to travel by boat.
But unfortunately for them, it had barely rained since the harvest this year, so the river’s water volume was low.
That’s why we couldn’t travel by boat.
I had known about this, but I hadn’t mentioned it beforehand because circumstances could have changed.
“Oh dear! Are you alright?”
“Waaaahhh!”
“Waaahhh!”
They suddenly burst into sorrowful wails.
I quietly approached the gathering crowd and spoke to them.
“I was worried that if we traveled by boat and couldn’t pull the carts, we wouldn’t be able to demonstrate our loyalty to the Emperor. It seems they’re delighted to continue this arduous trial that allows them to show such devotion.”
“Ah… I see.”
“If that’s the case, then what can we do.”
The people nodded their heads in understanding and dispersed again. I spoke to those still wailing.
“No matter how important it is to demonstrate loyalty, you must still take care of your bodies.”
“….”
“Why don’t you stop now and travel comfortably.”
At my words, they glared at me.
“No! We’ll see this through to the end!”
Seeing them reject my suggestion with eyes blazing with anger, it was clear they hadn’t come to their senses yet, as expected.
Then they’d have to suffer more.
If you don’t want my help, then I have no reason to offer it.
“I understand. Then I look forward to your continued cooperation.”
“….”
They’ll come to regret rejecting the hand I extended.
The further south we travel, the more the real hardships begin.
As I returned to the carriage, I asked Palgap a question.
“Palgap, do you think I was too harsh?”
“Those men struck at you first, young master. And they needed to learn something through this. That our young master turns people into beasts of burden when they dare to touch him.”
The guards around us nodded at my words.
When those two Great Heroes confronted me, I had already seen through their intentions.
They wanted me to use force against them, making me a criminal caught in the act.
It would take a thousand years more before anyone could trap me like that.
Why else would His Imperial Majesty send me to assist the Geumui Guard?
Wasn’t it because I possess what the Geumui Guard lacks?
Most of the Geumui Guard understand this, which is why they show me goodwill.
They never know when they might need my help.
Only those who dislike me either don’t understand this or refuse to.
And this incident was also a warning to such people.
It’s fine if they hate me, but if they dare touch me, they’ll suffer just as those men did—a silent warning.
We continued moving downward.
Our route took us through Honam, then Guizhou, and finally to Yunnan.
Northern Hunan, which we would pass through, was relatively flat, but Guizhou had many mountainous regions.
In other words, we would have to pull the carriage up and down hills constantly.
“We’ve reached Guizhou now.”
At Seo Hyang’s words, I nodded.
“Yes.”
I read the light in Seo Hyang’s eyes.
It was longing for her hometown and family.
I wished I could let her visit her parents, but we were on a mission now, so it wasn’t possible.
Seo Hyang seemed to read my expression and shook her head slightly.
“I’m fine. I don’t want the mission to suffer because of me.”
“On the way back to Beijing, we should have some flexibility.”
“Yes. Still, please don’t overexert yourself. I’m satisfied just to be alive like this.”
I had no words to respond to her.

Before long, we arrived at Chungyeongseong in Yunnan Province.
“Welcome, sir. We have been expecting you.”
The Fortress Lord of Chungyeongseong came out personally to greet us.
One of the Fortress Lord’s sleeves fluttered in the breeze.
A remnant of what had transpired before.
“Thank you for welcoming us so warmly.”
At Kwon Jik’s words, the Fortress Lord bowed his head.
“I am merely grateful to the heavens and earth for the opportunity to receive you all once more.”
“I too am grateful to be able to return to this place.”
Then a man standing behind stepped forward.
“I am Yeon Yu-mun, the eldest son. Please follow me. I shall escort you to your quarters.”
The others followed him, while I approached the Fortress Lord.
“Fortress Lord, it is a pleasure to see you again.”
“Indeed. How have you been?”
“Well, thank you.”
“But I never expected you to come with the Geumui Guard. What is the purpose of this visit?”
In response to his question, I revealed the surface reason.
“Though my abilities are limited, I serve as the Small Guild Master of the Merchant Guild, and I have been tasked with procuring supplies for this Exploration Team.”
“I see. But the Geom Chong! I cannot fathom what this is all about.”
“Haha. Indeed, quite mysterious.”
As I spoke, I glanced at the onlookers watching us.
In truth, though we were said to be moving in secrecy, we were not being entirely discreet.
This was to find the original owner of the scroll I had discovered in the haunted estate in Luoyang.
A form of bait, so to speak.
And seeing those onlookers, it appeared my intention was working.
.
.
.
I bathed at the quarters I had been shown to and changed into fresh clothes.
As I strolled about admiring the scenery, I noticed Kwon Great Master and Seo-im Grand Coordinator heading toward the Fortress Lord’s office.
“Ah, here you are.”
At that moment, I heard the voice of Yeon Yu-mun from behind.
I turned and greeted him.
“You appear to be in good health.”
“Yes. It has been nearly a year since we last met. But is it true that there is a Geom Chong here in our fortress?”
“So I have heard.”
“Could it be… that the previous incidents were preparatory work targeting our fortress’s Geom Chong?”
To deduce that much—he is certainly not lacking in intellect.
“I cannot say with certainty, but I too have been suspecting as much.”
“Hmm…”
He let out a sigh.
“Even now, thinking back on it makes me dizzy. Still, I’m grateful that the fortress was able to remain safe because of it.”
I smiled silently.
“By the way, these days, are Chungyeongseong and Yunnan at peace?”
At my question, he nodded.
“Yes. There’s nothing unusual so far. But there’s no guarantee that such an incident won’t happen again….”
Well, it’s only been a year since then.
In Yeon Yu-mun’s words, I sensed frustration and anxiety about Chungyeongseong’s future.
That was when it happened.
“Young Master! Young Master!”
A man who appeared to be the Castle Lord’s Attendant had found Yeon Yu-mun.
“What is it?”
“The Castle Lord is calling for you.”
He followed the attendant toward the Castle Lord’s Office, and I returned to my quarters.

The next day.
We rose early in the morning.
Today we had to begin the formal exploration in earnest.
After completing my morning cultivation, I immediately opened the door and stepped outside.
I could sense the presence of someone waiting for me outside.
“My lord.”
The Myeong-jong Warrior standing guard at the door cupped his fist toward me.
“Young Master Yeon is waiting for you now.”
“I see.”
I turned my head and approached Yeon Yu-mun.
His expression showed considerable concern.
“You were waiting for me.”
“Yes. There’s something I wanted to discuss, so I came looking for you this morning.”
The slight darkness under his eyes was a sign he hadn’t slept all night, lost in thought.
“Please speak freely.”
“Not here. I’d prefer to move to another location.”
The fact that he had come to fetch me personally told me this was a highly confidential matter.
“Let’s go.”
I followed him somewhere.
He took me to a forest clearing behind the castle.
“This is where I practice swordplay, a place where no one else comes.”
“I see. So what matter is so important that you’ve gone to such lengths to discuss it?”
“It’s about my marriage.”
“What?”
“His Imperial Majesty has granted me a marriage decree, and he wishes for me to marry one of the Imperial Princesses.”
Ah….
Only then did I understand why Seo-im Grand Coordinator had disguised herself as a man and come all this way.
The Imperial Princess’s marriage entailed far more political interests than I had anticipated, so she had been sent in secret.
And once the Ministers were notified that the Princess had been married, that would be the end of it.
Still, the Imperial Court truly had its ways.
No Imperial Envoy would come to the place where the Princess had married in to cause trouble and plunder.
“Then isn’t this a good thing? What’s the problem?”
“Tell me the truth. Is this marriage… a trap?”
“…What?”

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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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