Apricot Blossom Academy (3)
“Huh? Brother Seon-il?”
“Oh? Isn't that Seo-ho? What brings you to the palace at this hour... Ah! It must be about that wind-powered machine you mentioned before.”
“Yes, exactly. I'm just coming back from an audience with His Majesty the Emperor.”
“What a nice surprise running into you here!”
“Same to you.”
Brother Seon-il spoke to the eunuch who had been escorting me.
“This is my cousin. To commemorate our meeting in the palace, I'd like to show him around the gardens. I'll see him off outside myself, so you can go ahead.”
“Very well, then.”
The eunuch bowed and withdrew.
Brother Seon-il grinned and said,
“Come with me. I'll show you the palace gardens.”
At his words, I asked cautiously,
“Can I really go there too?”
“You didn't tie that access token to your waist just for show, did you?”
True enough—with an access token, you could go anywhere in the palace except places specially guarded by the Gold Guard.
“Besides, that's the most worthwhile spot in the entire palace.”
The palace garden we visited with Brother Seon-il was artfully arranged with all sorts of rare flowers, exotic plants, and strangely shaped rocks, making it a feast for the eyes.
“What do you think? Impressive, right?”
“It's truly magnificent.”
“You know, working in the palace like this, I've always envied families strolling through here together.”
I could guess what Brother Seon-il meant.
No one could enter the palace freely.
You needed an access token, of course.
Officials had permanent ones, while occasional visitors got temporary passes for their allotted time.
In other words, he was saying he envied father-son pairs or siblings who had earned palace access and could wander the gardens side by side.
“If you were jealous, Brother, why didn't you say so earlier?”
“Ahem, ahem. I wasn't jealous.”
Anyway, since he'd shown me such a great sight, I planned to hang out with him diligently for the rest of the day.
As we chatted back and forth, the conversation turned to the boy I'd rescued from the river the day before.
“So that's what happened.”
“Yes, Brother.”
“Playing in the river at that hour... Those kids didn't seem like they came from well-off families.”
“Pardon?”
“Children from wealthy homes would be studying at academies or training in martial arts halls at that time.”
“Ah! Now that you mention it, you're right.”
He was spot on.
“That's why those of us in government have to work even harder, but honestly, we're short-staffed.”
“...”
“There must be talents among the poor who can't afford education—exactly the kind the court needs.”
As we toured the garden, a sudden thought struck me.
Thwarting the Murim Alliance's attempt to infiltrate the palace had been the right call.
Not just because it stopped their ambitions, but because Brother Seon-il's face brimmed with vitality.
Like a fish back in water, you might say.
But would the Murim Alliance really give up trying to plant their people in the palace?
No.
To them, the palace was the ultimate threat.
They'd never stop trying to build influence there.
Which meant I needed my own people in the palace too. That way, I could counter whatever schemes they hatched.
And that wasn't all.
Palace intelligence was priceless to someone like me, dreaming of the world's greatest merchant group.
The reason I even had palace access was because I'd gotten advance word on the salt distribution law.
In other words, I'd capitalized on information.
But I didn't know much about palace inner workings.
The Emperor trusted me, sure—but only as far as a reliable merchant from the Eunhae Merchant Group.
How reassuring would it be to have a high official feeding me palace secrets and leveraging their power for me and the merchant group?
Making palace insiders my people, though, was incredibly tough.
The higher-ups were stuffed with greed; no ordinary bribe would budge them.
Plus, they had to watch the Emperor's mood, so they wouldn't bite recklessly.
Lower officials? Their intel wasn't worth much.
That's when Brother Seon-il's words from earlier echoed in my mind.
“There must be talents among the poor who can't afford education—exactly the kind the court needs.”
A brilliant idea hit me.
Why not start from scratch—use Eunhae Merchant Group funds to bestow favors from the outset?
Build an academy, nurture talents, and send them straight into the palace fair and square.
Sponsor the poor but bright ones, or those with real gifts.
And there was perfect justification for it.
Not just filling our own bellies with profits, but contributing to the nation.
Brother Seon-il tilted his head at me.
“What was that all about suddenly?”
“Nothing. The scenery was so beautiful, I lost myself for a moment.”
“You're no fun.”
After the garden tour, Brother Seon-il escorted me all the way to the palace gate.
“See you at dinner, then.”
“Yes, Brother.”
Palgap and the guards waiting ahead approached me, and I headed back to the Yeonjun Merchant House with them.
Back in my room, I immediately wrote a letter to Father.
Then I called out to the golden spirit mouse hidden in my sleeve.
“Golden Spirit.”
“Squeak?”
“Want to run an errand for me?”
“Squeak?”
“Deliver this letter to Father? Here, as a reward.”
I pulled a silver tael from my pouch and dangled it. Spotting it, the golden spirit mouse leaped up, snatched it from my hand, and gulped it down.
Money eaten—now time to work.
I tied the letter to its tail, and it shot out the window like an arrow.
The next day,
The golden spirit mouse returned with Father's reply tied to its tail.
I untied and unrolled the letter.
The meeting's outcome was quite positive. We should discuss details and finalize them.
Your Father
As expected.
By the way, the deadline I'd given that Bowook youth was tomorrow.
But I wasn't worried.
He'd come for sure.
Bowook looked up.
Dawn was breaking.
He hadn't slept a wink the night before.
All because of that mysterious youth who'd helped him rescue the drowning boy from the river.
The youth's name was Eun Seo-ho.
He'd offered a generous monthly salary to come work for the merchant group.
But Bowook couldn't trust it.
What had he seen in him to offer such pay and insist on hiring him?
At first, he'd been angry.
He thought the guy was mocking him after five straight years of failing the preliminary exams.
A kind of inferiority complex.
Even though the man who'd saved the boy with him wouldn't do that, five years of grueling prep had worn him down.
Seeing Eun Seo-ho's earnest expression, he realized it wasn't mockery—but still couldn't believe it.
Embarrassing as it was, he'd fallen for scams before.
A former high official who'd set exam themes was supposedly lecturing? He paid a fortune for classes that turned out fake.
Pills promising sharper wits? Another huge sum wasted on fraud.
After a few like that, no way he could trust Eun Seo-ho.
To him, Eun Seo-ho held out a silver tael and said,
“I'll give you this upfront for our fateful meeting with the great hero. Look into me, and if you decide I'm trustworthy, come to the Yeonjun Merchant House. I'm busy and leaving in three days, so come before then.”
He even boldly suggested investigating him directly.
Confidence oozed from Eun Seo-ho—like he sparkled brighter than sunlight on river waves.
From that day, Bowook started asking around about him.
“Oh, that branch leader? The one who made the wooden puppets.”
“Know the wind-powered machine? That's from Hyunpung Branch Leader.”
“Eunhae Merchant Group skyrocketed after he took over the branch.”
“What's that got to do with Yeonjun Merchant House? The mother of Hong Seon-il, who topped this exam, is his aunt.”
“Young merchant who meets the Emperor regularly. Bright future ahead.”
Putting it together was astonishing.
The youngest son and branch leader of Hubei's Eunhae Merchant Group, salt retailers. Hyunpung Branch Leader.
In just a few years, he'd developed and sold wooden puppets, wind machines, and self-playing zithers.
Those three were still hot sellers.
And cousin to Hong Seon-il, who'd earned the Emperor's praise as top scholar.
Trustworthy, no doubt.
Which made it even harder to figure what he saw in Bowook worth hiring.
He'd agonized all night over it.
Grrrrumble.
His stomach roared. He patted it sheepishly.
“Even after that big meal the day before last, hunger strikes right on time.”
Muttering, he rummaged for the money pouch in his luggage for breakfast.
But it was light.
He shook it into his palm: just the one silver tael from Eun Seo-ho.
Ah, the daily wage got spent on inn and food.
But he couldn't bring himself to touch Eun Seo-ho's silver.
Hunger made it gleam mockingly.
His plight felt pathetic.
He was already questioning if he should keep prepping for exams, with his mother and brother back home supporting him from the countryside.
He made up his mind.
Whatever else, he was tired of being hungry.
That was his biggest reason.
Bowook stood and headed to the Yeonjun Merchant House.
I packed to return to the Eunhae main headquarters.
Wonder when that Bowook youth will show.
I'd given him the silver tael confident in my reputation.
Once he confirmed I was legit, the agonizing would start.
What did I see in him to offer such a solid salary?
But honestly, pointless worry.
The more he pondered, the harsher reality would hit: no money, empty stomach, no future in sight.
And in the end,
“Young master, Bowook the giant you met before is here.”
Choosing to set off for new possibilities.
I smiled inwardly.
“Bring him to the reception room.”
“Yes, sir.”
A short while later, in the reception room, Bowook trembled slightly, anxious.
“You've finally come.”
“Ah!”
He shot to his feet at the sight of me.
“No need for such excessive courtesy.”
“N-no, it's just... you're even more impressive than I thought.”
“Hahaha.”
I laughed and said,
“As I mentioned before, I want to hire you at eight silver taels a month. Do you accept?”
He nodded.
“I accept.”
“Then let's hash out the details.”
I glanced at Palgap, who spread a large ledger on the table and placed two sheets of paper atop it.
“What's this?”
“The contract. As you know, I'm a merchant—we move by contracts.”
“But I won't betray any trust.”
“I know. This binds me too. How else will I pay your salary on time?”
I'd skirted it, but contracts bound both sides.
Bowook pondered briefly, then read the contract.
It was the standard Eunhae employment form—no issues.
“Looks good. I'll sign.”
“No regrets?”
“None.”
At his firm answer, I grinned.
“Welcome to the Eunhae Merchant Group. As per the contract, looking forward to the next ten years.”
Eunhae contracts were ten-year terms.
No one ever declined renewal.
Nowhere beat our benefits.
“We leave for headquarters tomorrow. Pack up and be here by morning.”
“Understood.”
The next day, we left Beijing for Hubei and Eunhae headquarters.
One more in our party than when we arrived.
Upon reaching headquarters, I said to Bowook the giant—no, Bowook the scribe,
“This is the Eunhae Merchant Group.”
“Incredible. I made the right choice coming.”
To the awestruck man, I said,
“I'll show you to your quarters. Rest well today—report to Hyunpung Branch in the morning.”