It Hurts Quite a Bit (2)
The Emperor, upon hearing the report, wore an expression as if he'd momentarily lost his words, then soon chuckled softly.
"That kid's got a filthy sharp intuition, just like I said. No wonder I can't help but use him."
"What do you mean by that, Father?"
"It seems he's figured out that I was testing him."
The Crown Prince tilted his head.
"Pardon? You mean it wasn't real pain, but just playing sick?"
"How sturdy is that guy? No way he'd actually fall ill."
"Maybe he did it because he failed to carry out Your Majesty's orders properly."
"He might think that. But he's not the type to pull something like that just because he didn't fulfill my command perfectly. He'd come straight to me, bold as brass, and tell me what he found out."
A smile lingered on the Emperor's lips.
"So, that means he's protesting to me right now."
"How insolent..."
"But on the surface, he'll look thoroughly ill, won't he?"
Jin Yeong Daehyeop answered the Emperor's gaze.
"Yes. His fever was raging, and his face was deathly pale—it looked quite serious."
"What would the other ministers or the people think if I dragged a man like that to the palace by force and grilled him about his crimes?"
He'd probably earn a reputation as a petty, despicable ruler.
It wouldn't be fatal to his image, but he'd never shake the label of a small-minded villain.
Watching the Crown Prince's face change, the Emperor chuckled again.
"Damn, that bastard's smart as hell."
The eunuch standing nearby quickly interjected.
"Please mind your words, Your Majesty."
"No one's around to hear."
"Crown Prince and Jin Yeong Daehyeop are present."
"Do I have to watch my tongue even in front of them?"
"Well, that's true, but..."
The Emperor paused in thought, then turned to the Crown Prince.
"You go yourself."
"Pardon?"
"I tested him without a word, so it's no wonder he's sulking. We should soothe him a bit."
"You're the Son of Heaven, Father. Why should I have to go and placate him too?"
Seeing the Crown Prince's puzzled look, the Emperor gave a faint smile.
"Do you really think that?"
"Yes."
"You're still lacking. People are more swayed by emotions than you think. No matter how superior I am, if I don't ease someone's hurt feelings, it could come back as a dagger later."
The Emperor continued.
"As the saying goes, it takes two hands to clap. If I want loyal retainers, I must be loyal to them in return. History shows that a lord's behavior determines whether his subjects become faithful servants, scheming traitors, or betrayers."
"..."
"That's why I'm assigning Eun Seo-ho to you. That kid's got an uncanny knack for handling people! Haha! He can even manage me."
The Emperor laughed heartily and went on.
"But you think I'd just take it lying down? That's why I'm sending you, the Crown Prince. He'll be shocked when you show up. Just imagining his flustered face makes me laugh."
"...Father, you have a mischievous side too."
"Heh heh. It's because he's the kind of guy who makes it fun."
Then the Emperor's expression turned serious.
"Anyway, go visit him, hear his report, soothe him well, and come back. Grant whatever reasonable reward he asks for."
"Understood."
I was lying in bed right now.
And on my forehead was a towel soaked in cold water.
A Super First-rate expert like me, with no internal injuries—there was no way I'd actually fall sick like this.
That's right.
I was faking it.
Before entering Beijing, I'd explained my plan to the group.
Pretending to be ill.
How was this hitting the Emperor where it hurt?
Actually, this was a form of protest.
I was supposed to enter the palace immediately upon arriving in Beijing, but I used illness as an excuse not to.
He must be curious if I'd carried out the orders properly and what the results were.
Worried about my health?
He already knew my realm—he'd know it was fake.
Actually, I'd considered pretending to have been ambushed and gravely wounded.
But I scrapped that plan right away.
My guards couldn't escape blame, and the Emperor would hunt down and slaughter whoever he thought did it.
I couldn't let an innocent get framed.
So, I settled on faking illness.
Jin Yeong Daehyeop, who came to fetch me today, had insisted I come to the palace no matter what, but he was stunned when I pretended to faint.
Rationally, he knew I wouldn't collapse from mere overwork, but emotions can override reason sometimes.
Honestly, since Jin Yeong Daehyeop had taken part in testing me, I wanted to mess with him too.
Lying in bed, I recalled the bundled artifact I'd acquired this time, and a smile crept onto my lips.
Strangely, upon reaching the destination, the map drawn on the cloth had vanished completely.
And thinking about how we hadn't faced a single trouble during the journey, it was far more remarkable than I'd imagined.
No mishaps en route meant it bordered on precognition.
So, I had to make it mine no matter what.
Then, looking at the documents in my hand, I sighed.
Even lying in bed, I couldn't rest properly—I was diligently working.
Piles of papers surrounded me.
Faking illness was one thing; business was another. Damn it.
Just then, Seo-hyang Clerk's voice came from outside the door.
"Um, it's Seo-hyang. May I come in for a moment?"
"C-come... in."
I deliberately answered in a voice like I was on my deathbed, and soon the door opened as Seo-hyang Clerk entered.
"How are you feeling now?"
At her question, I chuckled.
"These are the documents I've approved."
But she didn't pick them up and leave right away.
What? Did she have something to say?
After hesitating a moment, she spoke.
"Today, His Highness the Crown Prince is coming."
"Cough!"
The unexpected words caught in my throat, and the coughing wouldn't stop.
"Cough! Cough cough!"
"Oh dear! Are you alright?"
"I-I'm fine. No, more importantly, what do you mean? His Highness is coming?"
"Just as I said. I saw you seemed completely unprepared for His Highness's visit, so I came to warn you ahead of time."
That was the real reason she'd come to see me.
Whoa...
I would've been totally caught off guard if I hadn't known.
Thanks to Seo-hyang Clerk, I had time to prepare.
"Thank you so much for telling me."
Seo-hyang Clerk gathered the approved documents and left the room. I took a moment to organize my thoughts.
The Crown Prince.
In my previous life, he'd remained Crown Prince until I died.
I didn't know the details, but according to Jin Seung-wang, he was quite meticulous and shrewd.
He resembled the Emperor more than the Empress, which made him a bit intimidating.
Especially those eyes, apparently.
"Brother—no, the Crown Prince has been distrustful of people since childhood due to constant threats of poisoning and assassination. It's a shame. If he could overcome that distrust of humanity, he'd make a fine ruler."
Intimidating eyes like the Emperor's, and distrust of people...
Suddenly, I felt a pang of sympathy.
After decades of poison and assassination attempts, distrust might be natural.
Anyway, the reason for his visit was obvious.
He wouldn't visit a first-time acquaintance like me out of goodwill; the Emperor must have sent him.
Sending the Crown Prince meant I'd passed the Emperor's test.
And now, the Emperor wanted to introduce me to his heir.
It reminded me of fathers telling their kids, "Play with this one; be friends."
No, the Crown Prince wasn't a child.
But the palace was full of wolves and snakes.
Usually, they'd assign someone from an allied family as support.
But this ancient serpent of an Emperor wanted to pair me with his son.
Hence the test.
Barring accidents, he'd sit on the throne someday.
The current Emperor ruled well, but there were no guarantees for the next reign.
Especially since power wasn't fully centralized yet.
If something happened to the Emperor, the era of peace could crumble in an instant.
Merchants would suffer first.
So, the Crown Prince I was about to meet was very important to me.
To make Eunhae Merchant Group the world's greatest, the empire needed peace.
Still, it left a bitter taste.
Distrust of people...
The higher you rise, the more inevitable it becomes.
In my previous life, as Eunhae rose, my own distrust grew.
Constant ambushes would do that.
If it didn't, that'd be weird.
But now? No such issue.
Many reasons, but the biggest was myself.
I was strong enough.
Confidence that no ambush would kill me.
Ah, of course, the gods who allowed Master Josa's arrangements to bring me back from death wouldn't let me die pointlessly either.
That afternoon.
The Eunhae Merchant Group's Beijing branch was in chaos.
Due to the Crown Prince's sudden visit.
Seo-hyang Clerk and I knew, but we hadn't told anyone else.
If we acted like we knew in advance when they hadn't announced it, it'd raise suspicions.
So, we just watched the branch bustle about.
And I...
Put on a perfectly sickly pallor.
Pressing a few acupoints made me look on the verge of death—easy.
Supported by Palgap, as I stepped into the courtyard, the Crown Prince was just entering.
"Merchant Eun Seo-ho greets Your Highness the Crown Prince. Long live the Emperor! Long, long live!"
I moved my body laboriously to bow.
"Are you Eun Seo-ho, the junior head?"
"Yes, Your Highness."
"I heard you were ill. Why are you out here?"
"How could I dare greet Your Highness from my sickbed disrespectfully when you've come in person?"
"Go lie down at once."
"I'm fine, cough! Cough! Fine."
"You don't look fine at all. That's an order. Go lie down. We can talk with you reclining."
"As you command."
Thus, supported by Palgap, I headed to my bedroom and lay on the bed.
The Crown Prince, following behind, was startled by the stacks of documents around my bed.
"What are all these papers?"
"Things I must handle."
"Aren't you supposed to be sick?"
His face was full of confusion.
No wonder.
He must have heard from the Emperor that I was faking, but seeing me now, I looked ready to drop dead.
If you're faking, do it perfectly.
Suppressing a laugh, I continued.
"If I don't handle the merchant group's business just because I'm sick, what would happen to it?"
"But you'll make it worse."
"If I don't work, it's not just me who suffers. So, for their sake, I can't rest."
I went on.
"They're the ones who trust and follow only me. I can't betray that faith."
"..."
The Crown Prince seemed lost in thought for a moment, then nodded.
"I see..."
In the meantime, Palgap brought a chair, and the Crown Prince sat.
"Father sent me because you couldn't come to the palace due to illness."
"Your grace humbles me."
"So, what did you find out?"
I'd expected him to ask about the mission.
That was probably the main purpose.
"Yes, Your Highness. What I discovered is that His Majesty suspects me."
"...What do you mean?"
"He ordered me to uncover a rebellion that never even happened. If that's not testing me out of suspicion, what is?"
"Why do you think that?"
I pointed out the flaws I'd noticed.
Like how Kwon Daehyeop's eyes showed no greed, or his 'muttered' words being too loud...
Once I knew the Emperor's intent, the holes were glaring.
The Crown Prince countered.
"No greed in Kwon Daehyeop's eyes? Isn't that just your feeling?"
"Of course it's just my sense. But Your Highness, a skilled merchant must read others' desires."
"..."
"When I realized His Majesty suspected and tested me, the shock... cough... this overworked body couldn't take it."
At my words, the Crown Prince sighed.
"You're right. Father did test you. But not out of suspicion. Quite the opposite—he holds your abilities in high regard."
He sighed again and slightly bowed his head.
"I'm sorry."
"...Pardon?"
I couldn't help blurting out.
No, he wasn't the type to apologize so readily.
Why... why?