Beijing Branch (4)
I followed him into the imperial palace.
But looking at his official robes, he didn't seem like a lowly clerk.
"You seem quite familiar with the palace layout. You've been working here for a while, I take it."
"Ah, I'm currently serving as a jus a."
Jus a?
A jus a was a sixth-rank official handling practical affairs in a department.
A bit high up to be sent to fetch a merchant.
In my memories of my previous life, it was usually the low-level clerks who came.
What was going on? His speech earlier had struck me as odd too...
Hiding my puzzlement, we arrived at the Ho-bu offices.
"Young Master Eun Seo-ho has arrived."
"Ah! Yes! This way, please!"
"There's dust on the table! Look at this!"
The official escorting me to the reception room wiped the dust from the table with his sleeve and even poured me tea himself.
"Please, make yourself comfortable."
"Thank you."
Gurgle...
Just then, my stomach rumbled noisily, and I gave an awkward smile.
"Ah... my apologies. I haven't eaten since lunch yesterday..."
His face drained of color in an instant.
"I'll fetch some food right away."
"No need. I can eat when I get back to my lodgings. Please don't trouble yourself."
"Well..."
The official cleared his throat.
"We're truly sorry. Things got so busy that we overlooked the message you sent."
Overlooked? Yeah, right. They ignored it while busy taming merchants.
But since when did Ho-bu officials apologize like this?
In my previous life, they made you wait three days outside before summoning you with a curt "Why are you here? We're busy—get to the point."
"So please, don't be angry."
"Angry? What do you mean? I'm grateful you called me sooner than expected. I figured I'd have to wait until tomorrow."
"Haha! Summoned after just two days! We're not that heartless."
Then why were you in my previous life?
"Anyway, we're truly sorry."
As he kept apologizing, I sensed footsteps approaching.
A man in high-official attire pushed open the door, smiling as he greeted me.
"Welcome. I'm Ga Seon-jae, Minister of the Ho-bu."
"This humble merchant is Eun Seo-ho of the Eunhae Merchant Group. Greetings to the Ho-bu Minister."
I bowed deeply in surprise.
The Ho-bu Minister was the head of the department—a second-rank high official.
And he came to meet me personally?
"Haha, sit comfortably."
"Thank you."
Even the Ho-bu Minister was being kind to me.
What the hell was going on?
Had they all eaten something bad as a group?
As I sat at the table, the minister spoke with a regretful expression.
"So, I heard our Ho-bu officials made a grave mistake."
"It happens when work piles up. I understand. I pull all-nighters for ten days straight sometimes myself, and my mind gets foggy."
"..."
His expression stiffened slightly at my words.
"Is something wrong?"
"No, not at all. Anyway, what business brought you to request a meeting at the Ho-bu?"
"Yes, well... We'd like to purchase a plot of land owned by the palace."
"You want to buy palace land?"
"Yes."
I explained the whole story, and the minister listened attentively.
In my previous life, even when we'd risen to one of the three great merchant groups, Ho-bu officials never gave me their full attention...
"Hmm..."
He ordered an official to fetch documents on the land I'd mentioned.
We chatted idly in the meantime, and once the documents arrived, the real discussion began.
"Let me see... Ah, this plot."
Now the real haggling would start. I mentally reviewed the key points I needed to emphasize.
"No particular plans for this one, so we can sell it. So, how much did you have in mind for it?"
"Two thousand nyang in gold taels."
A huge sum, but this was Beijing.
And not far from the palace or bustling districts—a fifty-thousand pyeong plot. Not expensive at all.
Slightly below market rate, even.
Now we'd negotiate back and forth.
I'd called two thousand, but I was prepared to go up to twenty-five hundred.
Palace land meant paying a premium, after all.
If I used it well, it could multiply in value several times over.
But the response was unexpected.
"Sounds good."
"Pardon?"
"We'll sell at two thousand gold taels. It's a headache for us anyway—better to offload it now."
"..."
This easily?
I felt oddly deflated.
Should've started at fifteen hundred?
Too late now, but it was still a solid profit.
"Then let's draw up the sales contract right away."
And just like that, we completed the contract and settled the deposit via voucher in a flash.
.
.
.
As I emerged from the palace, Palgap hurried over.
"Young master, you're out?"
"Yeah."
"But why the long face? You were so fired up earlier... Where'd you sell that energy?"
"Nah, just... kinda let down. Anyway, food?"
"We already ate."
"Good. Guess I'll grab something."
At that moment.
Ga Seon-jae, the Ho-bu Minister who had just finalized the contract with Eun Seo-ho, gazed at the document with complicated eyes.
The night before, a Gold Guard warrior had visited his home and handed him a ledger.
"Our lord sent this."
He opened it and his eyes widened.
It listed every petty bribe he'd taken during his tenure.
Honestly, nothing major enough for severe punishment.
Paradoxically, taking so little was why he'd risen to minister.
But bribes were bribes.
If they used this against him, he'd have to resign at minimum.
Yet showing it to him meant they wanted something.
"What... does this mean?"
"It's our lord's warning to manage your underlings better."
"Did our Ho-bu officials cause some incident?"
"An incident? They fucked up big time."
"What the..."
"You pick your targets when taming merchants. I'll be going now."
He left without details.
The next morning.
He summoned his officials upon arriving and quickly learned what had happened.
"What? Young Master Eun Seo-ho? Of the Eunhae Merchant Group?"
"Yes."
"The one personally handling the poetry contest on His Majesty's orders?"
"Gasp!"
Only then did they realize the blunder.
The name had rung a bell.
They'd left a man favored by the Emperor and trusted by the Gold Guard waiting outside the palace.
"You rotten fucks! What the goddamn hell is this bullshit! You motherfuckers!"
The longer you worked at the Ho-bu, the better you got at cursing—that fact hit home again.
"What are you waiting for? Fetch him now!"
"Y-yes, sir!"
"Not you—send someone else! Don't waste a low-level clerk on this!"
And the eunuch had tipped off the minister.
Never negotiate with Eun Seo-ho.
They'd skin you alive—better wrap it up quick for your sanity.
That was why Eun Seo-ho thought the Ho-bu officials had all eaten something bad.
I grabbed a simple porridge at a nearby inn and headed to the Yeon Jun Merchant Group.
I needed to tell my uncle about buying the land.
"Seo-ho, you're here? I heard from Seon-il yesterday. Must've been rough waiting outside the palace."
My aunt looked worried.
"I'm fine. I was prepared for it."
"Those damn Ho-bu... officials—why are they so desperate to screw over merchants?!"
She almost said "dog bastards," didn't she?
Clearly, she despised them after watching her husband and fellow merchants suffer.
"So, how'd it go?"
"Ah, I bought the land."
"Yeah, not easy... What?"
Her eyes went wide.
"You bought that land?"
"Yes."
I nodded.
"Just signed the contract and paid the deposit on my way here. That's why I came to tell you and Uncle."
"..."
She stared at me.
"Why?"
"Just... impressed by your talent."
"Luck."
"With you, what can't you do? Go on in. Your uncle will be thrilled."
I smiled at my grinning aunt, bowed, and headed to my uncle's office.
"You're here."
"Yes."
"Bright face means it went well?"
I nodded.
"Yes. Bought the land."
"For real?"
"Yes."
"How'd you sweet-talk those stingy pricks?"
"Well..."
"...?"
"They just accepted my offer outright."
"Not their style..."
I thought so too. But it worked.
.
.
.
Back at my temporary lodgings working, Jin Yeong Daehyeop visited suddenly.
"Young merchant Eun Seo-ho greets the daehyeop."
"Heard you had a rough night."
Word travels fast.
In Beijing, the Gold Guard knew everything.
"I'm fine. Merchants are used to it, and they called me sooner than expected."
"Won't happen again. Don't worry."
"Pardon?"
"Dong-chang and I shook down the Ho-bu."
"..."
Now I understood.
The officials' weird behavior was thanks to Dong-chang and the Gold Guard.
Whoa!
So grateful!
I stood and clasped my hands in a po-gwon.
"Thank you for your efforts on this humble merchant's behalf."
"No need. Just repaying your favor."
"It helped immensely."
I continued cautiously.
"I'd like to thank Dong-chang too, but..."
He seemed to dislike them.
"No need. They did it for themselves."
"Still..."
As I hesitated, he cleared his throat and nodded.
"Ahem, fine. I'll pass it on."
"Thank you."
I bowed again with a po-gwon.
"And please convey my thanks to His Majesty too."
"Hm?"
"The Gold Guard are His Majesty's hands and feet; Dong-chang, his eyes and ears. Without his will, how could you have acted?"
He nodded with a pleased smile.
"Got it. I'll make sure."
"Thank you."
"Actually, I came for another reason. Heard your cousin's wedding is this seventh month."
"Yes."
"Need your cooperation on that."
"Of course."
I grew a bit worried inwardly.
What would require the Gold Guard's help?
"Can you let our Gold Guard members attend the banquet naturally?"
"Not hard, but is there some issue?"
"Suspicious movements detected."
"Pardon?"
"Big wedding, right? Risk of unsavory factions using it to meet."
Unsavoury factions?
Who?
I racked my brain for previous-life events.
Ah... plenty.
No big deal, so I nodded readily.
They were asking permission upfront—instead of sneaking in—which was consideration for me.
"Understood. I'll make it happen. Just... please ensure it doesn't disrupt my cousin's wedding."
.
.
.
Soon after, I paid the balance on the land contracted with the Ho-bu Minister.
Now fully owned by the Eunhae Merchant Group.
Time to clean it up properly.
I went with Palgap to a carpenter and ordered several ip-ban stands—two planks joined at the top to hold signs.
Once ready, I attached pre-written paper and placed them around the purchased land.
This is property owned by the Eunhae Merchant Group.
We will use force to protect ownership against illegal occupation and unauthorized entry.
The reason for such a hardline notice? Most who entered were thugs or street riffraff.
Harmful to people, no benefit.
"But young master, what if they come in anyway?"
"Beat the crap out of 'em and chase 'em off. For homes or such, we'd compensate—but these are just here to play."
"True. Heard they do all sorts of nasty shit here."
Then I overheard a group.
"Yo, says it's Eunhae Merchant Group property."
"Bullshit. We played here fine under palace ownership—think we're scared of some merchant group?"
"Heh heh!"
No way Seo-u Warrior and Jin Yu Warrior missed that.
They looked at me; I gave a wry smile.
"Looks like some won't listen to words."