The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Merchant Group - Chapter 639

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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 639

Chapter 639. Upheaval in Sichuan Province (2)

Before my eyes stood roughly two hundred people.
At their head, a familiar figure waved his hand.
“I’ve arrived.”
“This humble merchant bows before the Crown Prince!”
“Eun Seo-ho! I’ve come as well!”
“This humble merchant bows before King Seongbo!”
The Crown Prince and King Seongbo both here….
No, the Emperor himself. What in the world is happening?
I’d honestly expected them to send a single official.
Amused by my bewildered expression, the Crown Prince spoke with a laugh.
“My, you seem quite surprised. I don’t believe I’ve ever seen such a look on your face before.”
“Yes, I am surprised.”
Following the Crown Prince, King Seongbo dismounted and approached, speaking as he came.
“Small Merchant Leader Eun. I’ve come as well….”
King Seongbo muttered this with a hint of complaint.
We had worked together when rescuing Prince Ju-hyeon, who had been detained in Chungyeongseong previously.
He had been an Imperial Prince then, but I’d heard he was formally enfeoffed as King Seongbo not long ago.
He had served alongside me as a Golden Robed Guard named So-un, and due to his hasty temperament, I’d kept him on a tight leash lest he ruin our plans….
I’d even made him bark like a dog to deceive our enemies and pose as my loyal subordinate.
So why does he now look like a puppy wagging its tail eagerly before me?
“Yes, Your Majesty King Seongbo. It is an honor to meet you again.”
I bowed to him once more, then turned to the Crown Prince with a question.
“But what brings you both here?”
“What brings us? Isn’t it because of the matter you reported to the Emperor through the Jin-yeong Alliance? We too are heading to Sichuan Province for relief efforts.”
“You both come in person?”
“Indeed. Take this. The Emperor wished me to deliver it to you.”
He handed me a scroll, and I quickly knelt on the spot, accepting it respectfully with both hands.

[You’ve been saddling me with infamy while monopolizing the glory for yourself—how audacious! No reports have yet arrived from Sichuan, but if you’re moving as you say, it must be certain. This time, I too shall seek glory instead of infamy. Hear the details from the Crown Prince.]

I quietly sighed to myself and rolled up the scroll.
Your Majesty, did you truly dislike your reputation so much?
I knew you held grudges for a long time, but this was far longer than I’d anticipated.
And Your Majesty, providing relief to those damaged by the earthquake is originally the nation’s responsibility.
I tucked the scroll into my robe and spoke to the Crown Prince.
“The Emperor instructed me to have you explain the details, Your Highness.”
The Crown Prince nodded and explained the circumstances that had brought him here.
The Emperor was dispatching approximately ten thousand personnel for relief operations, he said.
Since they couldn’t all be brought here, they were being prepared separately.
With this many people, the chaos in Sichuan Province would quickly subside.
The supplies being sent from the Imperial Palace would be substantial as well, and I was planning considerable preparations of my own.

Soon we departed for Sichuan Province.
As we traveled, I observed the Crown Prince and Seongbo Wang carefully.
Sending the Crown Prince to conduct relief operations was surely preliminary work for his future reign.
It was meant to allow him to observe the people’s welfare and gain experience in relief efforts, so that later he might recognize if corrupt officials embezzled supplies the nation had provided for such operations.
With the Crown Prince moving directly, few would dare attempt such audacious theft.
Moreover, from the perspective of Sichuan’s officials and the Empire’s people, the Crown Prince’s personal arrival would deepen their loyalty.
In other words, this was a decision layered with multiple calculations, not merely a response to complaints about me.
But why was Seongbo Wang accompanying us?
That question was soon answered by the Crown Prince’s own inquiry.
“What sort of place is Sichuan Province?”
“I apologize, but I’m uncertain of your intent in asking such a question.”
“Intent? There’s no need to think of it so seriously.”
The Crown Prince continued.
“Since my younger brother is becoming Seongbo Wang and will be going to Sichuan, I simply wish to learn about that place.”
Ah… now I remembered.
That’s right—Seongbo Wang had established his princely residence in Sichuan.
I recalled hearing that in my previous life, Jin Seung Wang, with whom I had been acquainted, had traveled to Sichuan to meet his elder brother Seongbo Wang.
“Then there should be little cause for concern. Few places possess the unity that Sichuan does.”
Geographically isolated from other regions with limited transportation, Sichuan’s people naturally tended to band together.
“Though this solidarity might appear exclusionary to outsiders, it cannot be helped. Historically, wasn’t it called a natural fortress? Recently there has been relatively more exchange, but compared to other regions, interaction remains limited.”
“I see.”
“If you wish to forge strong bonds with them, there are several methods. The most prominent is marriage.”
“The most common approach, then.”
“Indeed. So if you have not yet married, taking a woman from Sichuan as your consort would be an excellent method.”
Much like my Uncle did.
“What is the other method?”
“It requires diligent effort on Your Highness’s part, but frequently summoning Sichuan’s influential families to deepen relations is also an effective approach.”
“Such matters should naturally be done anyway.”
“That’s correct. Since you’re undertaking relief efforts on this scale, if you devote your utmost care to them this time, there will be no need for such concerns. They too will recognize Your Highness’s sincerity and open their hearts to you.”
“I’m grateful. Hearing that makes me feel I must work even harder.”

And so we advanced toward Sichuan Province.
Given the massive scale of our procession, our pace was necessarily slow.
Thus we had set out with haste.
We chose a route that passed through Uichang, skirted the foothills of Wudang Mountain, and traversed Shaanxi Province.
It wasn’t the fastest path, but it was the widest and safest.
With vast supplies and tens of thousands of people on the move, we had to select a route that was both spacious and secure.
I had sent word ahead to Father through Geumryeong.
Originally, I’d planned to stop at the Main Headquarters on the way to Sichuan to pay my respects to Father before proceeding, but the schedule had changed.
The Emperor had dispatched a relief contingent far larger than anticipated.
We would pass by Wudang Mountain on our route.
There was the Sword-Disarming Zone in the middle, and Wudang Sect disciples were patrolling the surrounding area.
Soon a Wudang Sect disciple appeared before us.
“Where have you come from?”
A courteous greeting, though his wariness at our massive numbers was unmistakable.
“Show proper respect. These are the Crown Prince and Prince Seongbo Wang.”
“Oh!”
He quickly bowed respectfully.
“A disciple of Wudang greets Your Highnesses. Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Ten thousand years!”
No matter how much the principle of non-interference between government and martial arts was upheld, they too were people living within the Empire and could not help but be absolutely loyal to the Imperial Court.
What the Orthodox Sects of the martial world feared most was neither the Black Path nor the Demonic Cult—it was the Imperial Palace itself.
Should they be accused of treason, tens of thousands of imperial soldiers would descend upon them.
I stepped forward to ease their burden.
“I am Eun Seo-ho, Small Merchant Leader of the Eun Hae Trading Company.”
“We greet Eun Master!”
“We currently travel to Sichuan Province having heard of an earthquake there, to provide relief. Might you be able to guide us along the fastest route?”
The disciple nodded readily.
“Of course. I shall guide you personally.”
The Wudang Sect disciples traversed Wudang Mountain constantly, so they would be intimately familiar with the geography of this region.
That was why I had sought their assistance.
“There is a shorter path that is somewhat treacherous, and another that takes longer but is correspondingly level. Which would you prefer I guide you along?”
“As you can see, we have a great many people and supplies to transport, so we would appreciate the latter route.”
“Very well.”
And so we set out once more.
Needless to say, we did not undergo the Sword-Disarming ritual.
The rules regarding the Sword-Disarming Zone did not apply to those from the Imperial Palace.
And honestly, who would dare demand that the Crown Prince undergo such a ritual?
As we traveled under the guidance of the Wudang Sect disciple, I spoke with concern.
“I’m grateful for your assistance, but I’m concerned we’re passing without explaining the situation to the Sect Leader.”
At my words, he waved his hand dismissively.
“What are you saying? This is a matter of the Imperial Palace, and you mentioned it was for relief efforts. If we hadn’t acted immediately, we would have faced criticism instead.”
“Your words put my mind at ease considerably.”
Indeed, considering the Wudang Sect’s nature and the Sect Leader’s character, his words rang true.
The disciple guiding us encountered another Wudang Sect Disciple on patrol, quickly explained the situation to him, and handed us over.
“I shall guide you from here on.”
He guided us well, and we crossed Wudang Mountain without incident.
“Convey my gratitude to the Sect Leader of the Wudang Sect.”
“Your grace is boundless. We are deeply honored that our Wudang Sect could be of service.”

Thus we arrived safely at the Provincial Capital of Sichuan Province.
Then, taking only the Crown Prince, Seongbo Wang, and a select few, we headed first to the Provincial Administrator’s Office.
The officials there were startled and rushed out to offer their respects.
“Rise.”
“Your grace is boundless.”
“Where is the Provincial Inspector?”
At that question, one of the officials at the Provincial Administrator’s Office answered, cold sweat beading on his brow.
“The Provincial Inspector is currently away. Upon receiving reports of an earthquake in the northwest of the Provincial Capital, he departed to investigate and manage the aftermath.”
“I see.”
The Crown Prince continued smoothly.
“Do not be overly concerned. I have come because Father sent me to minimize the damage from the earthquake in Sichuan Province.”
“The earthquake occurred only recently, Your Highness….”
“I see.”
The Crown Prince nodded and spoke.
“Truly, Father’s foresight is beyond measure.”
That shameless demeanor seemed all too familiar….
Palgap spoke quietly from beside me.
“It seems the Crown Prince has indeed been greatly influenced by you, Young Master.”
…It was me, then.
I understood why the Crown Prince spoke that way—relying solely on my premonitory dream to act would be somewhat ambiguous.
“I have not come to be honored, but to serve the people of Sichuan Province. Therefore, excessive ceremony should be dispensed with.”
“We accept your command.”
“Then, guide us to where the Provincial Inspector is.”
We followed an official’s guidance toward the location of the Provincial Inspector.
As we traveled there, we witnessed the devastation wrought by the earthquake.
Homes with roofs split asunder and collapsed.
Before them, people sat in a daze, while others desperately tried to salvage what few possessions they could.
The injured and the dead, with those mourning them in anguish…
“The situation is indeed dire. It is truly a scene of chaos and suffering.”
I nodded in agreement, my expression equally grim.
“You speak truly. Still, I’m grateful we weren’t too late in arriving.”
“That’s thanks to you. My gratitude knows no bounds.”
“I’m simply relieved I could be of service.”
Though I said as much, my heart overflowed with gratitude toward Seo Hyang for her timely warning.
Had she not informed me beforehand, I would have slapped my own forehead in regret far too late.
Soon enough, we were able to meet with Pojeongsa.
“Ah! I greet the Crown Prince and Prince Seongbo Wang! Long live the throne! Long live the throne! Ten thousand years!”
Pojeongsa immediately bowed with proper courtesy upon seeing the Crown Prince.
“Rise.”
“Your grace is boundless.”
“You’ve labored greatly.”
“Not at all. I merely fulfill the duties His Imperial Majesty has entrusted to me.”
“What is the current situation?”
Pojeongsa reported the circumstances in brief, concise terms.
“An earthquake has struck the northwest region of the provincial capital. As this area is mountainous terrain, rockslides have occurred throughout, and roads and bridges have been severed. Consequently, we have not yet fully assessed the extent of the damage.”
“I see.”
“The one mercy amid this calamity is that the provincial capital itself has sustained relatively minor damage.”
Had the earthquake struck the provincial capital directly, the crisis would have been far more severe.
“The situation is graver than anticipated. I’ve brought relief supplies and military forces. You shall take command and oversee their distribution.”
“Your grace is boundless.”
“I shall now visit the Military Commander and the Inspector.”
In such chaos, there were always those who might attempt treachery.
I approached the Crown Prince.
“Your Highness, I shall operate independently.”
“Very well.”
At this, Prince Seongbo Wang spoke to the Crown Prince.
“Elder Brother. After you meet with the Military Commander and Inspector, I shall move alongside Eun Seo-ho.”
“…?”
Prince Seongbo Wang answered the questioning look in the Crown Prince’s eyes.
“Somehow, it seems it would be more fulfilling that way.”
At those words, the Crown Prince let out a soft chuckle and nodded.
“Very well. Do as you see fit.”
Thus the Crown Prince departed with Prince Seongbo Wang to meet the Military Commander.
Pojeongsa watched their departing figures, bowing deeply before straightening.
His eyes were reddened.
He was weeping.
“Sob! I never imagined reinforcements would arrive so swiftly… How could I ever repay such imperial benevolence?”
Watching him, I scratched my cheek awkwardly.
Well, I’d be moved too, in his position.
I approached him carefully and offered a respectful greeting.
“I am Eun Seo-ho of the Eun Hae Trading Company. It is an honor to meet you, Provincial Inspector.”
“Ah! So you are the renowned Seon Hyeop Mi-rang!”
His response was remarkably cordial.
As expected, he knew of my reputation.
“But tell me, why do you move alongside the Crown Prince?”
“I have come with the Crown Prince under the Emperor’s direct command.”
“I see.”
“Our Eun Hae Trading Company intends to devote all our resources to relief efforts as well. Please entrust us with whatever is needed.”
“Much appreciated. Then I would ask you to handle clearing routes and transporting supplies.”
“That is precisely our specialty. Where should we begin?”
“The Ami Sect, if you would.”
I tilted my head at this unexpected request.
“Is that not somewhat distant from here?”
“Quite right. Which is why the damage there should be less severe. And we are already conducting operations in this immediate area.”
He continued.
“Therefore, I intend to seek their assistance. In circumstances like these, such martial arts sects prove invaluable not only for relief efforts but also for maintaining order.”
From the Provincial Inspector’s words, I could form an assessment of him.
A composed and wise man.
I should cultivate a good relationship with him going forward.

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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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