The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Merchant Group - Chapter 671

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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 671

Chapter 671. The Hwangbo Clan (1)

After parting ways with Moon Ju-sung Scholar at the Kaifeng ferry terminal, my companions and I set our course back toward Beijing.
If it were just me and my Guard Warriors riding the Ju Gang Ma, we could have made the journey swiftly, but with the rest of our party in tow, I couldn’t push for speed.
Haeng-su and the Eun Pung-dae Warriors had accompanied us to handle matters in Nanking, after all.
Several days later, we arrived at the Beijing Branch.

“I’m back, Elder Brother!”
“Welcome home!”
Eun Jung-ho greeted me warmly.
“You must be exhausted. Did Seon-il and Sister-in-law depart safely?”
“Yes. The Ship Captain seems quite capable, and with such a fine vessel, they should make the journey without issue.”
“I see. It will take several months at sea, so I was worried they might grow bored.”
“I don’t think that will be a problem. His attendant brought along a bundle of books.”
“Ha, that’s just like Seon-il.”
“And Elder Brother’s Wife said she would study the Marae Seo Kingdom language during the voyage, so there’s hardly time for boredom, is there?”
“True enough. But then….”
Eun Jung-ho glanced behind me and tilted his head curiously.
“Where is Seong Sub-leader?”
“Ah… that’s a rather long story. And Young Master Yu Jin?”
“He’s playing with Geon-hyuk.”
He spoke as if deliberately avoiding the subject.
My Elder Brother likely had his own suspicions about what happened.
“Let me wash up first, then I’ll explain everything.”
“Very well.”

After washing up in my quarters, I stopped by my office for a moment.
“You’re back?”
“Yes. I’ve returned safely.”
Seo Hyang was handling work in my stead, and beside her was….
“Master! You’ve arrived?”
Yeon Ju-hyuk was diligently working.
His expression was bright, as if he had just returned from Hunan Province.
“Did you receive formal permission?”
“Haha. Yes.”
“It seems to have gone more smoothly than expected.”
“It was thanks to the letter you gave me, Master. And….”
He withdrew a letter from his bosom and offered it to me.
“This is a letter from my father.”
I accepted it and placed it in my bosom.
I’ll read this later.
“Is the transition going well?”
“Yes. In a few months, I believe I’ll be able to handle things competently on my own.”
It was already the fifth month.
That meant in just a few months, Seo Hyang would marry me, and the position of my first deputy officer would become vacant.
To fill that position without any complications when the time came, I needed to ensure he became thoroughly proficient in his duties from now on.
“Then, I’ll go check on Eun Jung-ho’s office.”

I sat across from Eun Jung-ho in his office.
Eun Jung-ho took a sip of tea before broaching the main topic.
“So, what happened?”
“Well, you see….”
I explained the process of uncovering the misconduct of the Mingming Trading Company’s managers.
“That’s why I went straight to Sichuan.”
“I suppose there was no time to stop in Beijing for such urgent business.”
“That’s why Young Master Yu Jin asked to be sent separately to Sichuan.”
“Given those circumstances, it can’t be helped. The Changin Escort Agency people who came with us are still here, so they should return together with him.”
“That should work out fine.”
Fortunately, the Changin Escort Agency people who had come with Seong Sub-leader from Hubei to Beijing were still remaining.
They were people I could trust and entrust Young Master Yu Jin to.
Seong Sub-leader likely made this request with them in mind.
I assumed they were already prepared to escort Young Master Sung Yu-jin all the way to Sichuan.
“Is Beijing quiet?”
“Well, if it’s quiet, it’s quiet, and if it’s noisy, it’s noisy—that’s Beijing for you.”
“You’ve become quite the Beijing native yourself, brother.”
At my words, my brother let out a sigh.
“I still have a long way to go.”
Just then, Palgap’s voice came from outside.
“Young Master. Jin-yeong Great Swordmaster has arrived.”
“I’ll be right out.”
I rose from my seat and spoke to Eun Jung-ho.
“You don’t have anything urgent right now, do you?”
“Even if I did, what could I do? The Emperor comes first.”
.
.
.
I immediately went to meet Jin-yeong Great Swordmaster.
“I greet you, Great Swordmaster.”
“You’ve worked hard. The Emperor is quite pleased with how you handled this matter.”
He was referring to the matter of dealing with Ajeong Eunuch.
“I merely followed the Emperor’s command.”
“Then go to the Imperial Palace. His Majesty is calling for you.”
“Understood.”
I had already sent a letter to Jin-yeong Great Swordmaster through Lee Pil Warrior, so everything was prepared.
“May I ask the Great Swordmaster one thing?”
“What is it?”
“An eunuch named Jo Saeng was dispatched to serve the Crown Prince.”
“Jo Saeng? Ah… that fellow.”
“You mentioned an Eunuch Official who has mastered Imperial Palace Martial Arts. Is this truly Jung Eunuch?”
Jin-yeong Great Swordmaster chuckled softly, then posed a counter-question instead of answering.
“Does he seem like someone trustworthy?”
“They say one can know the depths of ten fathoms of water but not the heart of a single person. How could I possibly discern such a thing?”
“I speak of your intuition.”
“…At the very least, he did not seem the type to betray.”
“Then you can set your mind at ease.”
So is he truly Jung Eunuch or not?
“As for his true identity, why don’t you try to guess it yourself?”
“Pardon?”
“I intend to keep whether you can discern his identity as my own amusement.”
“….”
So that’s how you’re going to be about this?
I must admit, this does stir a competitive spirit in me.

I arrived at the Emperor’s Office following Jin-yeong Great Swordmaster.
After I prostrated myself before the Emperor with utmost respect, he bade me rise.
“Your Imperial Majesty’s grace is boundless.”
“Good, did the departure proceed smoothly?”
“Yes. Thanks to Your Imperial Majesty’s benevolence, all departed safely.”
“That is fortunate.”
“Furthermore, the Crown Prince asked me to convey his regards.”
The Emperor nodded at my words.
“Indeed. You have handled matters quite well. To fall from a cliff with him, survive by the skin of your teeth alone, and even recover his corpse—no one could fault you for that.”
“….”
“You used your head quite cleverly. So tell me, who is he?”
“Pardon? I’m not certain what you mean, Your Majesty.”
“You wretch, playing innocent? When you disposed of him, did you merely take his life? I’ll wager you interrogated him.”
Truly, he is the Emperor.
I prostrated myself and spoke.
“I was uncertain whether it was appropriate to speak of this matter here, so I dared not report it. Please rebuke me for my presumption.”
“There exists something in martial arts called sound transmission, does there not?”
“…?”
“I permit you to speak via sound transmission.”
When you put it that way, I have no choice.
Come to think of it, the reason the Emperor summoned me so urgently must have been for this.
– Then I shall report via sound transmission.
I transmitted to the Emperor the information I had obtained from interrogating Ajeong Eunuch through sound transmission.
The Emperor listened to my transmission and personally wrote its contents on paper.
– That concludes my report.
Tap.
The Emperor set down his brush.
“I see.”
Honestly, if what I reported were true, it would be justified to explode in fury.
Yet the Emperor’s expression remained utterly unchanged.
That was what sent a chill down my spine.
It wasn’t merely because he was skilled at concealing emotion. It meant his anger ran that much deeper.
A man like the Emperor grows colder and more composed the greater his wrath.
“You’ve done well. This is precisely why I cannot help but entrust you with tasks. A single word, and you move with such precision to produce the finest results, all without grasping for unnecessary ambition.”
“You honor me too greatly, Your Majesty. I am merely a man of considerable appetite.”
“For money, you mean?”
“….”
“I speak of the hunger for power. If I were to command you here to become an Imperial Official, what would you say?”
I lifted my gaze to meet the Emperor’s.
His face brimmed with jest, yet his words carried unmistakable sincerity.
“I beseech you, withdraw that command. I wish only to remain a merchant….”
“Hahaha.”
The Emperor laughed heartily.
“Now then, how proceeds the construction of the Martial Hall?”
The conversation shifted naturally.
That meant the Emperor would handle those rats I’d mentioned on his own.
A relief.
With so much work ahead, if the Emperor piled that task onto me as well, I’d be utterly exhausted.
I answered the Emperor promptly.
“The construction itself proceeds smoothly. However, given its purpose, we are exercising great caution in the work.”
A Martial Hall is where warriors learn and train.
Moreover, martial arts carry destructive power beyond ordinary strength.
Thus it must be built far more sturdily than a common structure.
There is good reason why the Martial Arts Arenas of tournaments like the Yongbong Martial Arts Tournament are constructed at great expense from resilient, durable heartwood.
“Yes, you’ll manage it well enough, I’m sure. Very good.”
Now he seemed about to dismiss me—but that wouldn’t do!
I’d labored so hard dealing with Ajeong Eunuch this time; I deserved compensation.
And I should be reimbursed for my silk robe that became soaked in blood.
“Your Imperial Majesty. In truth, while I dealt with that man, I sustained some injuries. And wrapping his corpse in my silk robe, then climbing the cliff with it strapped to my back—my fingers still ache from it.”
“….”
“So, is there perhaps some reward?”
At my words, the Emperor paused in surprise.
He hadn’t expected me to mention compensation so directly.
As I waited silently for his response, the Emperor clicked his tongue and grumbled.
“A ruthless one, you are.”
“I’ve always been this way, Your Majesty. How else would I have clawed my way up to where I am now?”
“I was hoping we could move past this smoothly, but alas.”
So that was his intention when he changed the subject to the Martial Hall earlier.
This cunning Emperor.
Did he really think I’d just let it slide?
A merchant must never retreat before profit—that’s the fundamental rule.
“Fine then. What do you want?”
What do I want?
Of course I want something.
“Your Majesty. What I desire is….”
“Anything except relieving you from your duties.”
Sigh, I wasn’t going to ask for that anyway.
The Emperor never had any intention of letting me go in the first place.
This is why being too capable is exhausting.
“I understand. What I want is for my name not to be mentioned when you deal with those individuals I informed you about.”
“What is your reason?”
“If the Murim Alliance learns of my involvement in this matter, they will certainly become wary of me.”
“Hmm… that would indeed be the case.”
The Emperor nodded.
“But that is something I must naturally do. Protecting one’s subjects is a virtue of a sovereign. So speak—what is it you truly desire?”
“Then, please answer my question.”
“What question?”
“When is Hwangbo Hui’s real birthday?”
“Hmm?”
The Emperor seemed taken aback by my sudden question.
“Why do you ask about that fellow’s birthday?”
“There is a reason.”
I made a wager with Gwimyeon-po Elder.
He promised me a gift if I could discover his real birthday.
And somehow, I felt I needed to obtain that gift to understand something.
At my question, the Emperor’s expression grew slightly troubled.
Could it be….
“Is there nothing else you desire?”
“Your Majesty?”
“It is embarrassing to admit, but truthfully, I do not know that fellow’s real birthday either.”
“….”
How am I supposed to discover a birthday even Your Majesty doesn’t know? Elder….
The Emperor continued.
“I know he has a real birthday separate from the one recorded. But he never revealed it to me. He claims he has even forgotten it himself.”
Truly, Gwimyeon-po Elder lives up to his reputation.
It’s not something one can easily discover, so placing a wager makes sense.
But asking such a question to the Emperor himself is extraordinarily difficult.
If even the Emperor doesn’t know, then the Imperial Palace has no answers.
Then the only way to find this out is to visit the Hwangbo Family.
Of course, visiting the Hwangbo Family doesn’t guarantee I’ll find the answer, but it’s the only place with any possibility.
“Then, Your Majesty, I would like to make a request instead of asking a question.”
“Speak.”
“Please issue a decree so that I may visit the Hwangbo Family naturally. The purpose is to recruit an Instructor for the Martial Hall.”
“That’s not difficult. I understand.”
The Emperor readily accepted my request.
“However, that alone would be insufficient, so accept this.”
An Eunuch approached me and handed me an envelope.
I received the envelope and opened it.
Huh? This is a promissory note?
And it’s for one hundred silver taels.
“It’s payment for the robe.”
“I am deeply grateful for Your Majesty’s generosity.”
Wait… hold on.
Your Majesty?
Did you prepare this in advance and then use a scheme to avoid giving it to me directly?
.
.
.
The next day.
Young Master Yu Jin departed the Beijing Branch, heading toward Sichuan.
I was concerned about the long journey, but there was no reason to doubt the capabilities of the Changin Escort Agency personnel.
And I continued handling the accumulated work in my office.
“Small Guild Master. It’s Jegal Cheon-du.”
“Come in.”
Soon Young Master Jegal Cheon-du—or rather, Chief Manager Jegal Cheon-du—entered.
“How much progress has been made on the Martial Hall construction?”
“About seventy percent is complete.”
“I see. Then it might be possible to finish it this year.”
“Yes. And here is a list of Instructors worth recruiting.”
The document he handed me contained the composition of Instructors needed for each class and the names of those being recommended.
I examined the names and nodded.
“Excellent.”
Now it’s time to seriously begin recruiting Instructors.
First is the Hwangbo Family.
Since I received a decree from the Emperor this time, I can use that as justification for my visit.

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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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