The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Merchant Group - Chapter 633

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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 633

Chapter 633. A Will Passed Down (5)

I decided to deflect first.
“Of course, this matter belongs to Your Majesty. But how could I possibly reveal my name in such an affair?”
“You talk a good game, don’t you? Yet you’ve painted me with an evil reputation.”
“On that point, I wished to convey that it was unavoidable.”
I quickly moistened my lips with saliva. Prostrated as I was, he wouldn’t see it.
“Your Majesty commanded me to seize any precious and valuable treasures before they fell into others’ hands. How could I dare disobey your orders? Yet upon investigation, those treasures were left by an ancestor who once dwelt in Chungyeongseong to his descendants.”
“I’m aware of that.”
I recalled the blood-stained scroll that had been left at the place where the treasures lay before the Emperor.
“Thus I inquired of the Fortress Lord’s wishes, and he stated those treasures were unnecessary. He said he wished to avoid further sorrow and sacrifice.”
I continued my explanation.
“Would others readily believe that treasures were abandoned for such reasons?”
“They wouldn’t.”
“Therefore, I had no choice. Chungyeongseong is now the in-laws’ residence of the Imperial Princess. Should unwanted conflict over Geom Chong and treasures reduce it to ruins, Your Majesty’s heart would not be at ease.”
“In other words, you took on an evil reputation for my sake?”
“I beg your pardon, but yes. Since the search for Geom Chong began with Your Majesty’s command, others will believe the treasures were taken by Your Majesty’s order.”
“That much is true.”
“Therefore, I humbly beseech your magnanimous forgiveness.”
After a moment, the Emperor spoke.
“Rise.”
“Your grace is boundless.”
I bowed respectfully and stood, lifting my head.
A smile played at the Emperor’s lips.
“I already know why you made that decision. Kwon Jik told me everything.”
“….”
If you knew all along, why did you frighten me so?
“Honestly, your name—Seon Hyeop Mi-rang—is quite famous, yet it didn’t appear at all in this affair. That’s what vexes me.”
Ah….
So he was being petulant because only he bore the evil reputation?
“Your Majesty, that evil reputation is not entirely bad. While infamy inspires fear, is not a measure of fear necessary to govern the Empire?”
“That’s true enough. There are those who won’t listen to kind words.”
“Therefore, if my actions have displeased Your Majesty, cast me out and perfect that reputation. Then none would dare defy Your Majesty’s commands.”
The Emperor let out a scoff at my words.
“Ha, you fool. Why would I cast you out for anyone’s benefit?”
“…Your Majesty?”
“If I cast you out, you’d surely be celebrating in secret. You’re always thinking of ways to escape me, after all.”
“….”
Truly, this is no easy opponent. Tsk.
It would have been a good opportunity.
“Well, as you say, a notorious reputation isn’t entirely a bad thing, so let’s set that aside….”
The Emperor continued.
“If you remember the first command I gave you, then you must also remember the second one, yes?”
“Of course. You said that while searching Geom Chong, uninvited guests would likely appear, and among them there would probably be those orchestrating schemes to seize Chungyeongseong. You ordered me to investigate who was behind them.”
“You remember well.”
“So following Your Majesty’s command, I investigated the forces behind them.”
“Who are they?”
“They call themselves the Sura Blood Sect.”
“The Sura Blood Sect?”
“Yes. Are you familiar with the Blood Sect, Your Majesty?”
“To some extent. They were said to be a rather brutal organization. But I recall they were destroyed in a war against the Orthodox Martial Arts World some two hundred years ago.”
The Emperor’s words were correct.
That war from two hundred years ago was the very conflict where Geuk Cheon Sword Gwak Hoon, who wielded the Heavenly Stream Ice Sword that I had learned, was active.
“Officially they were declared destroyed, but it seems they’ve barely maintained their lineage. Now they appear to be actively undertaking a series of operations to resurrect the Blood Sect in earnest.”
“If what you say is true, this is not merely a matter to observe from a distance.”
“I share that assessment, Your Majesty.”
“I understand.”
The Emperor tapped the armrest with a grave expression.
Having planted this concern in his mind, the Emperor would now delve deeper into the Sura Blood Sect.
An unwelcome situation for the Sura Blood Sect.
But for me, it was exactly what I desired.
Hyung-su, who annihilated Seolpung Palace, is certainly a member of the Sura Blood Sect. If they discover that I am the Lesser Palace Mistress of Seolpung Palace or that there are survivors from Seolpung Palace, it would become extremely dangerous.
So for my own safety and for Master’s vengeance, the Sura Blood Sect must disappear as quickly as possible.
“Is there anything else you wish to ask of So-sang, Your Majesty?”
“There is not.”
“Then might So-sang ask you something?”
“You have my permission.”
“The treasures brought back from Chungyeongseong this time—they surely belonged to the Lord of Chungyeong Castle, yet he relinquished them. But as Your Majesty well knows, is there anyone in this world who dislikes money?”
“….”
“He made that choice simply to prevent such tragedy from befalling Chungyeongseong again. He deemed Chungyeongseong and his family more important than wealth.”
I took a breath and continued with a smile.
“So then… Your Majesty the Emperor. Won’t you grant the Lord of Chungyeong Castle the territory of Gaebyeong?”
A moment of silence passed.
“Hahahaha!”
The Emperor burst into hearty laughter.
“Hahahaha!”
No, but you’re laughing so much that I’m getting embarrassed.
“Gaebyeong, you say! Despite such circumstances, you never abandoned your loyalty to me and even sent my daughter as your daughter-in-law—did I seem like such a petty man that I wouldn’t give you Gaebyeong?”
I hastily bowed my head.
“That’s not it at all, Your Majesty. I merely sought your imperial mercy.”
“I enjoy money too. But that’s not enough reason to seize what my ancestors left behind. Even if you’ve given me a bad reputation, I’m not that kind of man.”
Your Majesty the Emperor… you hold grudges just as long as I do.
The Emperor gazed at the bloodstained scroll resting on the wooden table, his expression hardening as he spoke.
“That gold and silver shall be used for Chungyeongseong. It is I who must ask for Gaebyeong.”
As expected of Your Majesty the Emperor.
This is why I favor the Emperor.
Except for the way he pushes me around and how meeting Your Majesty the Emperor feels like my lifespan is being shaved away bit by bit.
And the look in the Emperor’s eyes as he regards me now.
He’s deliberating whether to throw me into the Imperial Palace or not.
I need to break this momentum quickly.
“And I beg your pardon, Your Majesty the Emperor.”
“What now?”
“Regarding the invoice for supplies used during this expedition to explore Chungyeongseong, to whom should I present it?”
“Ah… now that you mention it, there was that.”
“I mention this out of an abundance of caution, but I trust it won’t be deducted from the Lord of Chungyeong Castle’s share.”
“…Get out.”
“Then, I shall take my leave, Your Majesty.”
When the Emperor tells you to go, you leave immediately. Otherwise, you’ll find yourself in another predicament.

As I exited the Emperor’s Office, Jin-yeong Great Swordmaster was waiting for me.
“You’re out?”
“Yes.”
“I’ll escort you to the front of the Imperial Palace.”
“Thank you.”
Unlike usual, the fact that he was offering to escort me personally meant he had something he wanted to say.
After walking together for a moment, Jin-yeong Great Swordmaster spoke first.
“I heard from Kwon Jik. So you had Jang and Song pull carts on their trips back and forth to Yunnan?”
I didn’t bother hiding either the fact or the reason behind it.
After all, it was the same reason I’d told Kwon Jik.
“Yes, that’s correct. They approached me and mocked me, disparaging me as a base merchant blinded by greed. That alone wouldn’t have driven me to it. But they also harassed Gwak Vice-Manager, who will become my wife. So I couldn’t restrain myself any longer and had the Gold-Clad Guard Masters do this to them. Please punish me for my transgression.”
I cupped my fists and bowed respectfully.
“No.”
Jin-yeong Great Swordmaster raised his hand to stop me.
“Those men should be grateful their necks are still attached to their shoulders.”
Truly, Jin-yeong Great Swordmaster.
He understood me well.
“Of course, pulling such a heavy cart back and forth to Yunnan must have been incredibly arduous…
And throughout those round trips, they served as my entertainment.
“But that alone isn’t enough. I’ll apologize on their behalf.”
Kwon Jik had said something similar, but I didn’t understand why he was apologizing on their behalf.
“But it wasn’t the Great Hero’s fault. Why apologize on their behalf? My heart and my betrothed’s heart have been satisfied.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes.”
“Then that’s fortunate.”
Jang Gal and Song Cheong still hadn’t apologized to me, but I didn’t particularly mind.
Meaningless apologies devoid of sincerity weren’t necessary.
I wasn’t magnanimous enough to accept an apology and forgive graciously.
“The reason I brought this up is that I’m planning to formally add this to the Gold-Clad Guard training regimen.”
“Pardon?”
“Kwon Jik told me that when he asked you about this, you said you did it because if you left those men alone to idle during personal training time, it would bring shame to the Gold-Clad Guards.”
“…”
“Moreover, he reported that it has sufficient merit as individual training. According to your assessment, the results have been quite significant—those men’s attitudes have changed, and their skills have improved.”
“So they have.”
Yet they still haven’t apologized to me. Is it that they won’t come, or that they can’t?
“For guards whose loyalty has grown lax, I’m thinking of having them pull carts loaded with iron blocks—lightly around eight hundred thirty catties, or up to sixteen hundred catties—and travel lightly to Kaifeng, or perhaps further to Guangxi.”
“Great Hero, please tell me the truth. Is this really training? Or is it punishment disguised as training?”
“Hahaha. You saw through it! Is it because you’re the originator of this method?”
That wasn’t my intention at all…
I smiled bitterly and spoke.
“I have a request.”
“What is it?”
“Please keep it secret that this training arose because of me.”
If people learned that I was the catalyst for this training, there would be no shortage of those seeking my death.
Of course, the true origin of this matter lies not with me, but with Jang Gal and Song Cheong.
Had they not provoked me, none of this would have happened.
Very well.
If such a situation arises, I shall place the blame squarely upon those two masters.
.
.
.
The next day.
I received an unexpected visitor.
“So-sang greets the son-in-law.”
At my respectful greeting, Yeon Yu-mun appeared flustered and waved his hand.
“We have not yet held a formal wedding ceremony.”
“Since we have already consummated the marriage, would it not be reasonable to consider the ceremony complete?”
“Well, that is true, but….”
“What brings you to this place?”
At my words, Yeon Yu-mun—or rather, Yeon Yu-mun the son-in-law—rose from his seat, clasped his fists in salute, and bowed his head deeply.
“Thank you.”
“Ah, no! Why do you do this? I fear others might see!”
“I heard that you offered counsel to His Imperial Majesty on behalf of our Chungyeongseong. How could I call myself a man if I failed to express my gratitude to one who has done such a thing?”
Ah….
So he had heard of yesterday’s events.
“I understand your sentiment, so please be seated.”
At my words, he bowed once more in gratitude and took his seat.
“His Imperial Majesty has said he will return the treasures brought from Chungyeongseong.”
“Is that so?”
“However, if they were returned as is, surely some ruthless person would covet them. So His Majesty said he would keep them in the Imperial Palace and return them gradually under appropriate pretexts.”
“That is well done.”
I had thought the Emperor would keep his word as he had spoken to me yesterday, but I had not expected him to summon Yeon Yu-mun and settle the matter so swiftly.
But was that the only reason he came to offer his thanks?
From his position, it was certainly something to be grateful for, but….
“And His Imperial Majesty instructed me to deliver this to you.”
He withdrew an envelope from his robes and offered it to me.
“What is this?”
“Please open it.”
I opened the envelope and saw the promissory note inside.
“A promissory note?”
“He said it was payment for the supplies needed during this journey.”
Ah, so you’ve already settled the accounts.
I compared the receipt with the amount I had submitted in my invoice.
Very precise.
“Thank you for your generosity.”
“And would it be permissible for me to visit this place frequently in the future?”
“Why do you ask?”
“I feel I’ll need a place to confide in. His Majesty the Emperor has granted me a month’s time. He told me to enjoy myself and do whatever I wish during that period.”
I think I understand what that means.
“In half a month, I’m to hold a formal wedding ceremony and spend about two weeks with the Imperial Princess… and then I’m to begin formal practical training.”
And he gazed into the empty air with moist eyes.
I reached out and placed my hand on his shoulder. If anyone saw this, they’d make a fuss about me daring to touch the shoulder of a son-in-law, but what could I do?
We share the same misfortune, so I had to offer him comfort.
“Just endure for three years. And people don’t die so easily.”
“….”
“Come whenever you wish.”
There’s a reason I speak so casually.
Not only will I not be spending the entire year at the Beijing Branch, but Yeon Yu-mun, the son-in-law, will hardly have the time to visit this place.

After he left, a letter arrived from the Hubei Headquarters.
Upon reading that letter, I smiled broadly.
Soon, Eun Jung-ho will arrive.

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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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