An Uninvited Guest

More than half of the Joseon equivalent of a black card my wife had given me was empty? The tax grain from the Samnam region represented an astronomical amount, accounting for nearly half of Joseon's annual national budget. It wasn't as if a ship or two had run into a storm and sunk; the fact that the vessels had arrived safely but with empty holds meant this was no simple accident. I furrowed my brow and asked,

"Could the merchant group's sailors have siphoned it off on their way up to Hanyang?"

Lady Lee shook her head firmly at my question. "I thought so too at first, so I immediately had the sailors detained for questioning and searched the ships thoroughly. As you know, government vessels are in terribly short supply, so our merchant group was hired to transport the grain using chartered ships. If we were to hand over the rice to the government offices as is, and the quantity fell short, our merchant group would have to take the fall for that massive embezzlement."

Pointing to a specific page in the ledger, Lady Lee continued, "However, there were absolutely no signs of the ships stopping to unload grain in large quantities, nor any indication that the logs were hastily fabricated. In other words, from the very moment the local magistrates of each province loaded the grain onto the ships... half of it was already filled with dirt and sand, or they were simply empty sacks to begin with."

"..."

"The clerks of the local government offices and the officials of the Jochang managing the Jounseon—they are all in league with one another, embezzling the tax grain. Husband, this is not a matter I can resolve as a mere leader of a merchant group."

"You are right. This is not something a single merchant group can handle, nor is it something we can sweep under the rug by sending in thugs. I must step in myself."

I dipped my brush deep into the inkwell and wrote across a clean sheet of Hanji paper without hesitation. It was a concise memorial, stripping away all tedious formalities.

Setting the brush down, I folded the letter tightly, sealed it, and handed it to Lady Lee. "My lady. Dispatch the fastest messenger in the merchant group to deliver this secret letter to the palace immediately. It is an urgent report to His Majesty. Time is of the essence, so make haste."

"I will keep that in mind, husband," Lady Lee said, tucking the letter into her robes. "But do you intend to set out right away?"

At my wife's question, I sprang up from my seat. I looked back and forth between Jincheol, who stood waiting with his heavy sword slung over his shoulder, and Gaetdong-i, who was just blinking in confusion, and smiled. "Yes. In cases like this, time is of the essence. Gaetdong-i, Jincheol. Pack your bags immediately. We are heading down to the Samnam region."

Just as I stood up and turned toward the door, Lady Lee called out, "Husband, please wait a moment." She gestured toward the merchant group's laborers waiting outside. Soon, they came in, groaning under the weight of two large silk bundles and a heavy sack.

"I have prepared these in advance. The road to the Samnam region will be treacherous, and your current attire would prove inconvenient in many ways." When Lady Lee untied the bundles, high-quality cotton, silk, and leather garments with a lustrous sheen spilled out.

"For Brother Jincheol, I have prepared lightweight, durable animal-hide guards and sturdy leather boots to make it easier to swing his sword even on rough mountain paths. It will be far better for mobility than heavy iron armor. And for the accountant..." Lady Lee's gaze fell upon Gaetdong-i, who was wearing threadbare clothes.

"I have prepared new clothes and a heungnip so that you may carry yourself with the dignity of a proper jungin official. Please, change into them quickly."

"What?! M-Madam Leader! How could a lowly wretch like me dare to wear a gat and such precious clothes...!" Gaetdong-i recoiled in sheer shock, but Lady Lee remained unmoved and added firmly:

"You will be accompanying my husband and dealing with the yangban. If his attendants look shabby, those corrupt officials will look down on him as well. For the sake of my husband's prestige, dress yourself immediately."

"M-Madam... This humble servant will serve the master even if my bones are ground to dust...!" While Gaetdong-i, his eyes brimming with tears, and Jincheol, who was grinning brightly, changed their clothes, Lady Lee handed me a heavy coin pouch and a palm-sized black wooden plaque. The word Daedong was deeply engraved on the plaque in gold leaf.

"I have put plenty of silver in the pouch for your immediate expenses. And this plaque... is the token of the Daedong Merchant Group's leader, representing me."

"The leader's token?"

"Yes. Wherever you go in the eight provinces of Joseon, if you enter any tavern or inn flying the Daedong Merchant Group's banner and show this plaque, you will receive the highest level of hospitality as our most honored guest."

Unwavering confidence shone in Lady Lee's cool eyes. "In any town, they will provide you with the swiftest horses, the safest safehouses, and even the most confidential local intelligence that not even the government clerks know about. Use them as you wish, husband."

"..." I stroked the smooth texture of the wooden plaque with my thumb and looked at my wife. "It has barely been any time since you took over the merchant group... and yet you have already seized control of the taverns nationwide and established such a perfect intelligence network across the eight provinces? Your capability is truly terrifying, my lady."

At my sincere admiration and praise, Lady Lee maintained her perfect posture and offered a faint smile. "This is the grand stage you risked your life to set for me, husband. Since you entrusted it to me, shouldn't I at least earn my keep as the mistress of the house?"

Perfect. She wasn't just a supportive, wise wife. She was the ultimate investor and a dependable business partner, wielding a massive logistics network and immense capital to provide me with absolute sponsorship. I flashed her a grin and tucked the token deep into my robes. "Thank you, my lady."

Leaving the gates of the Daedong Merchant Group, we mounted the top-tier horses my wife had provided and quickly prepared to head south. We had just traversed the bustling streets of Unjong-ga and reached Sungnyemun, the southern gateway of Hanyang.

"Assistant Minister! Please stop! Assistant Minister!" Along with the clatter of hooves, someone came rushing up behind us in a flurry of dust. It was a military officer of the Naegeumwi clad in a red cheollik. Panting heavily, he blocked my path, pulled a smooth ebony box from his robes, and knelt, presenting it with both hands.

"A reply from His Majesty! Upon reading the memorial brought by the merchant group's messenger, His Majesty ordered that this be delivered to you immediately!" At the guard's words, I grinned and opened the ebony box. Inside lay a gleaming, round mapae and a sheet of paper containing a brief, concise royal decree.

As expected, Sejong's approval speed and scale were unmatched. It was the permission I had anticipated. "Tell His Majesty that I shall carry out his command even if my bones are ground to dust." I tucked the mapae deep into my robes. "Let's go. To the Samnam region."

If I were to thoroughly ransack the hidden slush funds of those who had embezzled that astronomical amount of tax grain and return it to the state treasury... just how much would my commission be, as promised by His Majesty? I barely managed to suppress the grin that threatened to split my face as I gripped the reins.

On either side of me, Jincheol, wearing his animal-hide guards and carrying his heavy sword, and Gaetdong-i, dressed in his fine new clothes and a narrow-brimmed heungnip, began to spur their horses forward. I glanced at Gaetdong-i, who actually looked like a proper jungin in his smart new attire, and spoke up.

"By the way, Gaetdong-i."

"Yes, Master!"

"You are technically a jungin official drawing a salary from the Ministry of Taxation, so why is your name Gaetdong-i? Did your parents not give you a proper name?"

At my casual question, Gaetdong-i's shoulders stiffened. "Ah... well." He scratched his head, forcing a smile.

"This servant was originally a government slave belonging to the Ministry of Taxation. I had a knack for quick ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠calculations, which caught the eye of the former Minister a few years ago. I was fortunate enough to be freed and made a clerk. So, how could a common slave like me have a proper name? A simple, easy-to-call name like Gaetdong-i is just right."

"A former government slave," I muttered, stroking my chin. While it wasn't entirely impossible for a lowborn to be freed and become a government clerk based on talent alone, it was harder than plucking a star from the sky in Joseon. It was proof of his extraordinary mathematical genius, but something still felt slightly off.

"Even a government slave would have a surname. Once you were freed, surely you would have chosen a proper name."

"..."

At my probing, Gaetdong-i's eyes darted around anxiously. "Well... I do have one, but... it is an unlucky name that I would rather not utter. Haha." He laughed awkwardly and averted his gaze.

He's hiding something. But I didn't pry any further. Everyone has their secrets. I had no desire to dig up a past he clearly wanted to keep buried.

"Master! By the way, about the tax grain ships you mentioned earlier at the inn," Gaetdong-i said, quickly changing the subject and raising his voice. "If the amount of rice loaded at the Jochang differs from the amount that arrived in Hanyang, couldn't we calculate the discrepancy by isolating and cross-referencing the transport costs and the sailors' labor ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠fees that vanished in between?"

I chuckled, holding the reins loosely. "Exactly. Even if they swapped the rice at the bottom of the holds with sand and perfectly forged the documents, they still had to spend real money to launch dozens of ships and buy people's silence."

"Ooh! My heart is already pounding, Master!"

Watching Gaetdong-i excitedly mimic flicking abacus beads in the air, Jincheol, who had been silently scanning our surroundings, let out a chuckle and chimed in. "When you're hunting wild boars in the mountains, you eventually find them by tracking the paths they took to drink water or the droppings they left behind. Looking at it now, this job seems quite similar to hunting."

"Brother Jincheol, you hunt wild boars too?"

"Of course. I've caught and roasted dozens of them."

Letting the friendly chatter of the two drift past my ears, I subtly shifted my gaze to scan the bustling marketplace behind us.

We've got a tail.

It had been there ever since we left the merchant group. An unpleasant presence following the three of us, cleverly maintaining its distance amidst the crowd. But it was strange. There was absolutely no bloodlust to suggest an assassin, and the attempt at stealth was laughably clumsy.

"Jincheol."

"...Yes, Brother. I've already spotted him." Jincheol replied briefly, his eyes flashing. He snorted, clearly finding the amateurish tail absurd. "Doesn't seem like an assassin... Should I go take his head?"

"Just capture him alive and find out who he is."

The moment my command left my lips, Jincheol leaped off his saddle and soared into the air.

"Master! Where is Brother Jincheol going now—"

Before the humming Gaetdong-i could even finish his sentence, a dull thud echoed from behind a wall, followed by a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠shrill scream.

"Argh! Spare me! Help!"

A moment later, Jincheol returned, dragging a man by the scruff of his neck like a sack of grain. The man was a pathetic sight. Despite his large build, his scholar's robe was crumpled, and his gat was askew.

"Who do you think you're tailing!" Jincheol barked, throwing the man to the ground. The man tumbled across the dirt and slid right up to my horse's hooves.

"Aigo, Assistant Minister! It is I, this humble scholar!" The man adjusted his crooked gat and looked up at me. His face was familiar. No, it was a face I could never forget.

"...Han Myeong-hoe?"

At my dumbfounded call, the large man rolling on the ground looked up at me and offered an embarrassed, awkward smile.