Apricot Blossom Academy (5)
I called over Yeo Chang's deputy.
"Deputy Yeo, as I mentioned yesterday, please teach Clerk Bowook his duties."
"Understood."
The deputy guided Clerk Bowook to his seat and began explaining the work.
Before long, Clerk Bowook's true talents began to shine through.
"I just need to organize this and copy it over?"
"Yes."
"Got it."
Clerk Bowook sat at the desk and started the task as instructed by Yeo Chang's deputy.
Scribble, scribble, scribble.
Everyone's eyes widened at the sight of him writing in neat script, filling the page in an instant.
Once finished, Clerk Bowook said to the deputy,
"All done."
"Then move on to the next one."
"Where's the next task?"
"Everything on the shelves in the back—those are all for you."
"……."
Clerk Bowook turned around, his eyes trembling, then looked back at me.
I averted my gaze.
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The meeting dragged on for several days.
This new academy wouldn't be filled solely with poor students.
Of course, the main goal was to scout talent from the impoverished, but there were plenty of promising youths from other backgrounds too.
What I wanted was to get them into the imperial palace and maintain those connections.
We'd charge tuition from the students, but offer financial aid to encourage the poor to study.
Yeon Branch Leader asked about my plan,
"But what if poor kids get hurt by snobs who discriminate against them for being broke?"
She gave an awkward smile.
"That happened to me. That's why I dropped out and jumped into the merchant world."
I had an answer for that too.
"That's why all students will live in dorms, and we'll supply their necessities from the academy."
"But differences will still show somehow……."
"That's an education issue."
No one should discriminate against the poor—or be discriminated against—for their poverty.
Being poor is just the hand life dealt you.
Kids don't even notice that stuff naturally. Being together is fun; playing together is great.
Discriminating against the poor is entirely the adults' fault.
In other words, it's an education problem.
You never know what the future holds.
A kid mocked for poverty might rise to become a merchant lord dominating the markets or a high official earning the emperor's trust.
Conversely, a rich brat living lavishly could fall into ruin overnight.
"I never imagined our Yeon Branch Leader had such a backstory," Father said.
She chuckled.
"That's why I'm grateful to those girls. They made me claw my way up like a demon."
She continued,
"After I became head of the Shangyu Pavilion, I got a little revenge on them."
"Revenge?"
"I just nudged things a bit, and their marital and natal families both crumbled. Seeing them cling to my skirts, begging for mercy—it was so satisfying. Hohoho!"
"……."
"So I pulled them out of it. I didn't want to become like those girls. Now they just tiptoe around me."
People really should live kindly.
A few days later, I headed to Beijing.
I secured land for the academy and started construction.
It was exhausting going back and forth to Beijing multiple times, but this was all an investment in the future.
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.
.
What's the most important thing in building an academy?
Money, of course.
Without it, you can't even secure the land.
But building it isn't the end. Good management is key to longevity.
For that, you need competent administrators and wise teachers.
We can source the academy's chief administrator from the Eunhae Merchant Group—we have plenty of talent for that.
The real issue is finding wise teachers.
Without great ones, it won't appeal to parents or kids.
As I said before, an academy is a business too.
So I invited capable scholars, but ran into a snag.
"What? They refused?"
"That's right."
I'd sent letters and envoys to five scholars, asking them to teach at the academy.
"All but one turned it down."
"Why? Some kind of ego clash?"
"To put it bluntly, scholarly pride."
Wanting top teachers, I'd approached well-regarded scholars—not quite grand scholars, but solid ones—without drawing too much attention, since I had my own goals for the academy.
But they refused out of scholarly pride?
My eyes fell on a document peeking out from Father's desk. He'd probably hidden the letters from me, but one had slipped.
[... a merchant who only knows money ...]
Seeing that line, I blinked in confusion.
Had Father deliberately hidden it so I wouldn't see?
I pointed at the letter and said to Father,
"Is that from the scholars?"
Ahem, ahem.
Father cleared his throat awkwardly—my guess was spot on.
"Some expressed distaste at a merchant founding an academy."
"Let me read it."
"……."
Unable to withstand my stare, Father handed over the letters.
I read them one by one.
Arrogant nonsense about how it was beneath their dignity to teach at an academy founded by lowly merchants.
Damn, it's been a while since I got this pissed.
I'd planned to keep a low profile, but now I changed my mind.
"Father, should merchants putting up an academy be mocked like this?"
"No, it shouldn't."
"Even Brother Seon-il supported my idea."
"But public perception is what it is……."
Ridiculous.
People can't live without money, yet they scorn merchants for loving it.
Does anyone hate money?
"Father."
"Why call me so ominously?"
"Let's scale up our Apricot Blossom Academy."
"What are you talking about all of a sudden?"
"Let's staff it with grand scholars."
"If regular scholars react like that, grand scholars will be worse."
Father voiced his concerns.
"Even if His Majesty supports such an academy, if they claim it's beneath them, we'll have to accept it."
"You think so?"
"I'll get His Majesty's edict."
"But meeting the emperor over scholars insulting merchants selling paper fans? That's not grounds for an audience."
"It's possible. I know someone who can help."
"Even if that person gets you an audience, if His Majesty learns our true intent, he might get angry."
"Don't worry. The justification is on our side."
The scholars had just handed us the perfect pretext.
I planned to use it to drag grand scholars into our Apricot Blossom Academy.
"Oh, one scholar did accept. He was grateful to be called for educating the nation's talents."
"We should give him the best treatment."
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That afternoon,
I headed to the market district with Palgap, Yeo Eung-am Warrior, and Seo-u Warrior.
Our destination was the sundries shop with bookshelves.
The masked old man sat in front of his shop, sipping tea despite the freezing winter.
"Aren't you cold?"
He smiled at my question.
"Make friends with the cold, and it won't bite."
"Wise words worthy of a profound text."
"Most say the opposite."
"Cold is cold."
He chuckled at my retort.
"A guy immune to cold complaining about it……."
He knew. That my martial art was an ice technique.
"So, why'd you come?"
I sat before him and said,
"What do you think of merchants founding academies?"
"Academies?"
"If we asked you to teach kids at one founded by merchants, would you refuse as beneath your station?"
The masked old man—Hwangbo Hwi—chuckled.
"Who spouted that nonsense?"
I didn't answer.
He could find out easily if he wanted, without me saying.
"It pissed me off. Made me want to prove a merchant's academy can be top-tier. So, what if we recruited grand scholars?"
He clicked his tongue.
"Poor fools who said that. They poked the wrong bear."
"Pardon?"
"Never mind. Anyway, an academy…… What's the real goal?"
"Naturally, to properly nurture future pillars of the nation."
He snickered.
"I know you never do anything at a loss. Even if it looks like one, it pays off."
He knows me too well.
"Coming to me in this situation means you want me to put in a good word with His Majesty, right?"
"Like they say, you can't fool a ghost."
"Hey! Watch your mouth."
"Hahaha."
His tone soon turned serious.
"Saplings raised with Eunhae funds will lean toward you, no matter how 'properly' nurtured. His Majesty won't miss that."
"But with His Majesty's grace, they'll grow straight."
"Your words flow like a clear stream."
"And if our Eunhae gives up on those scholars' drivel, will other merchants step up for public education?"
He eyed me a moment, then clicked his tongue.
"Foolish idiots, handing over justification……."
I smirked inwardly.
"So, please help out, sir."
A few days later,
I headed to Beijing again.
Since we were scaling up, I planned to expand the academy too.
After bustling around Beijing and returning to Yeonjun Merchant Group, my aunt delivered news.
"Seo-ho, a messenger from the palace came today."
"From the palace?"
"They want you at the palace tomorrow morning."
The elder had moved faster than expected.
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The next morning,
I went to the palace with Brother Seon-il.
He had business there anyway, so we traveled together.
"How's the academy setup going?"
"Well enough, brother."
"No troubles?"
I grinned broadly.
"Of course there are hurdles, but solving them is the fun part."
"You're one of a kind."
We soon reached the palace. Brother Seon-il headed to the Hanlin Academy,
while I sent in a sound transmission. An eunuch soon emerged to greet me.
"Follow me."
"Yes."
During the salt distribution law's rollout, the emperor and officials had clashed fiercely.
But the emperor won decisively.
Inevitably so—the pretext of stabilizing salt prices, an essential good, was ironclad, and it boosted real tax revenue.
That revenue went straight into the emperor's coffers.
Plus, he purged greedy eunuchs using the lack of kickbacks to salt retailers as an excuse.
Thus, the current emperor wielded immense power.
That's why I sought his edict.
I was led to a garden—not the one I'd visited with Brother Seon-il before.
This was new.
A stunning winter garden, steeped in seasonal charm.
Yet subtle presences lurked everywhere.
Superb skills, too.
I realized what this place was.
The emperor's private garden.
That realization hit as an overwhelming presence approached from behind.
"Do you like this garden?"
"Ah!"
I dropped to the snow-covered ground at once.
"This lowly merchant bows before His Majesty, lord of the realm. Long live, long live, long long live!"
The emperor replied to my kowtow,
"Rise."
"Your grace is boundless."
I stood, and the emperor told the eunuch,
"Brush the snow from the young lord's clothes."
The eunuch dusted the snow off me. How gracious.
"So, I heard from my friend. Some fools gave you the perfect excuse?"
"This fool heard such words due to my shortcomings."
"Spare me the false humility."
"My apologies."
"Eunhae's plan to found an academy is commendable. But the motive is suspect. And you wouldn't do this just to plant your people in the palace."
The emperor eyed me.
"Is it because of the Murim Alliance?"