The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Merchant Group - Chapter 92

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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 Eunhae Trading Company – Chapter 92

Chapter 92. For My Aunt (4)

The Examination Hall stirred at the Emperor’s words.
“Silence!”
“….”
“Until now, the examination has proceeded with candidates submitting their written opinions on paper. However, the affairs of this Court are not conducted through writing alone. Moreover, I believe it is necessary for each ministry to directly select the talent they desire. Therefore, I have decided that you shall present and debate your opinions directly before myself and the ministers.”
“….”
“Furthermore, since consistency in those opinions is equally important, I shall also reference the examination answer sheets you have submitted thus far and question you regarding them as well.”
At the Emperor’s words, the faces of those who had come to take the examination drained of color.
Writing answers before the Emperor and officials was already nerve-wracking, but to present and debate directly before them?
Among the hundred or so who had come to take the examination, there were those whose faces had turned a particularly sickly shade of blue for different reasons.
They were Song Chi and Go Seong-il.
‘Damn it!’
‘We’re finished.’
In truth, they had studied for the examination. However, they lacked the ability to pass it.
The reason they had passed the examination thus far was because someone else had taken the test in their stead.
They had entered the Examination Hall themselves.
But it was another who had taken the examination for them, writing their names on the papers.
For such men as they were, the Emperor’s words struck like a thunderbolt from a clear sky.
Honestly, they had no idea what was even written on the examination papers submitted under their names.
“Let the examination begin.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Present the topic.”
At those words, officials from the Ministry of Rites unfurled a large silk banner with the topic written upon it.
“The order shall be random. Jung Eunuch.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
The one called Jung Eunuch brought forth a box. The Emperor reached into it and drew out a small wooden tablet.
“Woo Min from Guizhou, step forward.”
At the Emperor’s command, a man trembling visibly stepped forward and bowed.
The Emperor waved his hand.
“Rise. For those who come before me for the examination, one bow upon entering shall suffice as courtesy. This is to conserve time.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Then proceed to admit them into the Great Hall in random order.”
“As you command.”
The Emperor entered the Great Hall, and Woo Min followed in his wake.
The examination proceeded more smoothly than anticipated.
Even if they trembled before the Emperor, these were individuals who had passed the examination through fierce competition and genuine trials against formidable opponents.
An Eunuch Official called out from the front.
“Song Chi from Shandong Province! Song Chi from Shandong Province, come forward.”
“…!”
Song Chi’s face drained of all color.
It was his turn.
There was no escape.
Like an ox being dragged to the slaughterhouse, Song Chi advanced into the Great Hall.

“Are you Song Chi?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Then discourse upon this examination topic.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
He began to discuss the topic in a trembling voice.
But the Emperor and his ministers wore expressions of clear displeasure.
“And thus the….”
“Enough. In this provincial examination, what you wrote….”
The Emperor’s expression hardened. He lifted his gaze and looked directly at Song Chi.
The Emperor quickly shuffled through the examination paper in his hand, then released a heavy sigh.
“Do you take the civil service examination as a jest?”
“Your Majesty?”
At those words, the Chief Secretary beside him asked.
“What troubles you, Your Majesty?”
“This is supposedly the answer written by that candidate. Look at it.”
The Chief Secretary took the examination paper and began to read. All the answers were excellent.
‘I must find what the problem is. If I cannot, my position is forfeit.’
As he anxiously searched, he sensed something amiss.
‘Wait?’
Since he had not obtained his position through mere drinking and connections, he quickly detected the irregularity.
“The handwriting differs, Your Majesty.”
At those words, the ministers stared at Song Chi in shock.
How could answers written by one person have different handwriting?
“What audacity! You dare obscure my eyes with such cheating?”
At his words, the ministers rushed to speak.
“I suspected something was amiss.”
“This wretch has insulted Your Majesty. He deserves punishment for treason.”
“Let him be punished for treason to restore proper order.”
At their words, Song Chi quickly prostrated himself and begged.
“Please, spare my life, Your Majesty!”
“Arrest that candidate at once!”
“Yes!”
Song Chi was then dragged away by the Imperial Guards. He pointed to the answer sheets stacked beside him and spoke.
“Eunuch Officials, examine these answer sheets and identify any with different handwriting.”
“Yes!”
The Eunuch Officials soon sifted through the answer sheets and found one with distinctly different penmanship.
“Here is another suspicious answer.”
“Whose is it?”
“It belongs to a man named Go Seong-il from Jiangsu Province.”
“Imprison him as well.”
“Yes!”

After the commotion subsided, the examination candidates proceeded with their tests as if walking on thin ice.
“Next is Hong Seon-il from Beijing.”
“Yes!”
Hong Seon-il entered Taihua Hall with trembling heart.
The name he had written on his answer sheet was Song Chi.
And that Song Chi had just been dragged away by the Imperial Guards and imprisoned. Moreover, Go Seong-il had also been imprisoned.
In this situation, I had no idea what to do.
I bowed respectfully and rose from my seat.
“Then, regarding this topic….”
“Wait.”
“…?”
“I found your answer from this provincial examination quite intriguing, and regarding this….”
The Emperor, before discussing the topic itself, asked about the answer Hong Seon-il had submitted in the provincial examination.
To that question, Hong Seon-il answered with trembling clarity.
“That is….”
The answer was remarkably lucid.
It could not have been otherwise.
It was an answer I had written myself.
“Then in this answer, you….”
As the dialogue between the Emperor and Hong Seon-il continued, the eyes of the officials gazing upon Hong Seon-il grew increasingly covetous.
‘At this rate, he is undoubtedly the top scholar.’
‘A true talent! A genuine talent!’
‘Exactly the talent our ministry needs.’
‘The Six Ministries are already poaching our talent from the Hanlin Academy; we cannot lose this one.’
Meanwhile, the Emperor recalled the audacious man who had requested a private audience and caused him to travel incognito.
Eun Seo-ho.
At first, he was the man who had saved the life of Jin Woo-rim, the Merchant Guild Leader whose favor had enabled the Emperor to ascend to the throne.
But the more I encountered him, the more I perceived his true nature.
Hong Seon-il before me was indeed talented, but in the Emperor’s eyes, the true talent was Eun Seo-ho.
‘Thanks to that, I was able to catch someone attempting to gain an official position through fraud.’
He recalled what Eun Seo-ho had said.

“If you examine the answer sheets that this examination’s candidates have submitted thus far, it will prove helpful in recruiting talented individuals.”

At this point, there was no way to think he hadn’t known what he was saying.
‘I’ll have to call him in sometime and get the truth out of him.’

* * *

Hong Seon-il returned home.
My aunt and the family members encouraged him, saying he had worked hard.
Hong Seon-il smiled brightly as he looked at me.
“Just as you said.”
“…?”
“Just as you said, something good happened today. Perhaps it was because the weather was fine.”
Looking at Hong Seon-il’s face, it seemed my plan had unfolded perfectly.
“I’m relieved.”

And two days later.
A messenger came from the Imperial Palace and read the Emperor’s proclamation.
It was a proclamation congratulating the estate.
Excellent.
I don’t know what challenges Hong Seon-il will face as he works in the Imperial Palace going forward.
But if he remembers this incident, he won’t become the cynical, unmotivated sort of person I was in my previous life.
In truth, the greatest gain from this incident was that I thwarted the Murim Alliance’s plan.
Of course, they won’t abandon their plan to place someone in the Imperial Palace and will continue attempting it.
But because of this incident, the Emperor has strengthened his vigilance in all matters.
So it won’t be easy for them.

* * *

A man in martial attire, sword at his side, hurried through the corridors with urgent steps.
Upon reaching an elegant yet unobtrusive pavilion, he addressed the Guard standing before it.
“I have a matter to report to the League Master.”
The Guard relayed the message inside, and a response came swiftly.
“Let him enter.”
“Yes, sir.”
He pushed open the door and stepped inside.
Immediately, he prostrated himself.
“I greet the League Master. This is a report from Beijing.”
At those words, the League Master, who had been arranging flowers in a vase, nodded slightly.
“Yes, matters in Beijing have been progressing as planned.”
It was the matter of placing Murim Alliance operatives within the Imperial Palace.
Since the objective was to prevent the Imperial Palace from interfering in future Murim Alliance affairs, the League Master himself had been monitoring this operation with keen interest.
“How has it proceeded?”
“It has failed, sir.”
“…What? Failed?”
“Yes, sir.”
In that instant, the League Master’s aura swept through the office, and the Subordinate broke into a cold sweat.
“Explain in detail.”
“Yes, yes, sir!”
The Subordinate provided a thorough account of the situation.
“Thus, we are currently investigating those involved. Song Chi and Go Seong-il, the men we had positioned to infiltrate the Imperial Palace, appear destined for execution. Additionally, several of our other operations will need to be abandoned.”
“I see.”
The League Master gazed at the flower petals in the vase, then wielded the dagger in his hand with a swift motion.
The petals were severed, scattering to the floor in a cascade.
“It cannot be helped. Before any trace leads back to us, ensure they are eliminated.”
“Understood, sir.”
The Subordinate departed, and the League Master fixed his gaze upon the vase.
Had the Emperor not altered his approach, this operation would have proceeded exactly as planned.
‘But why did he suddenly change his methods?’
It seemed he would need to investigate this matter further.

* * *

Now that my business was concluded, we decided to return to the Main Headquarters.
“Why not stay a bit longer?”
At my Aunt’s words, I shook my head.
“I wish I could, but I have many responsibilities awaiting me.”
“True, you’re quite active as the Director of Hyun Pung Bureau.”
I turned to observe those exchanging farewells tinged with reluctance.
Seon-il Elder Brother, Gwak Hyung-jin, and Seok Il-song.
“Dedicate yourselves further to your studies. I assure you, with your abilities, you can certainly achieve top honors in the examinations.”
“I shall take your words to heart, Elder Brother.”
“I will remember them well, sir.”
It seems bringing those two along was a good decision.
“Let us depart now.”
“Yes!”
Grandfather and the two of them boarded the carriage. As I was about to climb aboard, Seon-il Elder Brother called out to me.
“Seo-ho.”
“Yes, Elder Brother.”
“Thank you for helping our trading company this time.”
Yeonjun Trading Company had faced difficulties when a trading partner suddenly severed their relationship.
So I connected them with alternative trading partners.
With Jin Woo-rim’s support and the connections I’d cultivated in Beijing, it was merely a matter of leveraging them.
Seon-il Elder Brother handed me a pouch.
It felt rather substantial.
“…?”
“Buy yourself something delicious on the way.”
“Ah! Thank you very much.”
I’ve never refused pocket money.
“Please look after those two as well.”
“Of course.”
It seems this is also meant for buying them something delicious?
“I hope we can meet again at the Imperial Palace next time.”
“Yes, I understand.”
I boarded the carriage and headed toward the Eun Hae Trading Company Headquarters.
Now I truly must return.
.
.
.
On the road back to Hubei Province.
I was reviewing documents.
With work piling up, I had to handle matters even while traveling.
Soon, I planned to launch the automated carriage that Gong Mil had developed.
In my previous life, self-propelled toy carriages had gained considerable popularity not only among boys but also among adults.
I intended to apply the same method used for Jamu Dolls to self-propelled carriages—encouraging collectors to gather different varieties.
After all, self-propelled carriages were far too valuable a product to be a one-time offering.
Thus, the carriage headed toward Hubei Province.
.
.
.
At last, we arrived at the Eunhae Trading Company.
I was home.
Since I was traveling with my Grandfather, I had sent a messenger ahead to inform them of our arrival time.
When we entered the company grounds and arrived at the Cha-jang, disembarking from the carriage, my Father and Mother, along with my Elder Brother Eun Jung-ho and his wife, came to greet us.
“Was your journey comfortable?”
“We traveled well. Ah, I should mention this first—Seon-il passed the Provincial Examination this time.”
“What wonderful news.”
Yet I noticed something dark in my family’s expressions.
“Elder Brother Eun Jung-ho, is something wrong?”
“Hm?”
“The atmosphere feels strange. Something is definitely amiss, isn’t it?”
At my question, Elder Brother Eun Jung-ho exhaled heavily.
“The thing is… Jin-ho still hasn’t returned.”
“What do you mean Jin-ho hasn’t returned yet?”
When I returned from Shaanxi Province, my Elder Brother Jin-ho was not at the Eunhae Trading Company.
He had gone to Yunnan to fetch pu-erh tea.
By now, he should have already returned.
“So we sent people to investigate what had happened, and they brought news just moments ago.”
At Elder Brother Eun Jung-ho’s words, my Grandfather urged him on.
“Well then, what is the situation?”
My Father sighed and spoke.
“It appears that Jin-ho has gone missing.”
I had resolved the matter at my Aunt’s Residence and returned, only to find trouble had erupted in our own household.

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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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