This Was the Real Reason (4)
We arrived at the Eulim Inn.
This place was usually the second or third inn travelers stayed at after disembarking from the ship.
But for us, it was the first.
That meant we'd raced here at an astonishing speed.
We were minimizing our stays at inns to keep information about us to a bare minimum.
And this Eulim Inn was my recommendation.
"Welcome! Ah! Isn't that Young Branch Leader Eun Seo-ho?"
"It's been a while."
The innkeeper recognized my face right away.
It had been five years since my last visit, but I'd come searching for my missing brother Jin-ho back then.
The events of that time must have left quite an impression.
"What brings you all the way out here?"
He glanced over my group and tilted his head.
"You don't look like you're here on merchant business..."
"Ah, I have some business at the local branch, so I stopped by."
"I see."
"I can't go into details due to the company's circumstances. My apologies."
"No, no! I got too curious for my own good."
"Then, could we get some duck porridge?"
"Aigoo, you must be starving! Right away. And will you be staying just one night?"
"Yes. We're leaving first thing tomorrow."
We handed our horses to the stableboys and entered the inn.
The place was fairly large.
Probably the biggest in the area.
And its specialty was duck porridge.
As we sat at the table, Hanseok Daehyeop asked quietly.
"Is this place trustworthy?"
He must have been worried because the innkeeper seemed a bit too loose-lipped earlier.
I smiled softly and replied.
"No need to worry."
Really, there was no cause for concern. The innkeeper might seem flighty, but he wasn't the type.
He was just curious since we didn't look like merchants—nothing more. He had no intention of spreading rumors.
How did I know?
The innkeeper himself had opened this place to escape rumors from his past.
Soon the duck porridge arrived, and we dug in.
"Oh! This is delicious!"
"Ooh!"
The Gold Guard daehyeops were soon hooked on the flavor, wolfing it down.
Understandable—they'd been living on hardtack for days.
The next day.
We left the Eulim Inn at dawn.
As we traveled, the forest where Jin-ho had gone missing came into view.
The site where the fog of no-exit, no-mountain had formed due to the Silver Mist Sword's rejection reaction.
Passing through here again stirred fresh emotions.
But there was no time for sentiment.
We pressed on, arriving at the provincial capital soon after.
Yunnan's weather was notoriously unpredictable.
Even so, Kunming, the capital, maintained a mild spring climate year-round.
That's why people flocked here, making it the capital.
The one drawback was the high elevation.
"By the way, young master."
"Yes?"
"You do know where the branch is, right? You're not just wandering?"
"Of course."
"As far as I know, you've never been here before. How do you know the way?"
Ah... come to think of it, in this life, I hadn't visited the Yunnan branch.
It was natural I wouldn't know, but...
"Seong the provincial manager explained it to me before. In detail."
"Finding your way from a description alone is tough, isn't it?"
"I'm smart."
"..."
Palgap fell silent, just staring at me.
What was with that look?
Even I felt embarrassed now.
In any case, we reached the Eunhae Merchant Group's Yunnan branch.
"Eh? Isn't that the young branch leader?"
The gate guard exclaimed in surprise. He was from the Silver Wind Squad, too.
And the Silver Wind Squad rotated duties as a rule.
That's how he recognized me.
Truth be told, the Yunnan branch wasn't that big.
It had functioned as a small shop where the manager and a few staff handled Pu'er tea shipments.
But as our group grew rapidly, so did Pu'er demand, leading to a formal branch a few years ago.
Much faster than in my previous life.
Still, it was only half the size of the Sichuan branch, but a branch was a branch.
The guard rang the bell to alert those inside, then approached and cupped his fists.
"Ki Suk of the Silver Wind Squad greets the young branch leader."
"Happy to receive your warm welcome, Guard Ki."
He glanced up at my escorts behind me and smiled faintly—they must have history with the Silver Wind Squad guards.
Then a familiar man rushed out from inside.
"What brings you all the way here?"
"Sorry for the sudden visit."
Seong Jun-baek, the provincial manager—no, branch manager now.
He'd been a manager when Jin-ho vanished, but the upgrade to branch came with a promotion.
"No, please, come in."
We entered the Eunhae Merchant Group's Yunnan branch amid warm greetings.
"We weren't prepared for guests, so it might take a bit to ready rooms. My apologies."
I waved it off.
"Don't say that—you'll make me feel bad. It's my fault for showing up unannounced."
I continued.
"If you're not too busy, could we chat for a bit?"
"Of course."
We headed to the reception room and were served tea.
Yunnan Province produced high-quality Pu'er tea.
Pu'er was a fermented tea, and the region's year-round warmth, lack of harsh cold or heat, and high humidity made it ideal.
Mm, delicious.
"Is the group leader well?"
I set down my cup and replied.
"Yes, Father is in excellent health. The main branch is peaceful as well."
"Good to hear."
"And we always appreciate Branch Manager Seong's hard work."
I went on.
"We haven't forgotten your efforts here on the frontier, supplying us with top-quality tea."
"Your kind words leave me at a loss."
Now, to the main point.
"I came so suddenly because I need to head to Chunggyeong Castle urgently."
Seong Jun-baek frowned at that.
"That's... not easy these days. Chunggyeong Castle has been strictly controlling outsiders."
"Suddenly?"
"Yes. About a month ago, the atmosphere there shifted dramatically, and they issued the order. I looked into it—assassins were targeting imperial envoys. They say it's to protect the envoys."
What?
I glanced at the Gold Guard daehyeops; they looked just as baffled.
No reason for the branch manager to lie, so there was only one explanation.
That's the official story they put out.
Obviously a blatant lie, even considering my previous life.
But Seong Jun-baek wasn't done.
"I have my doubts about that, though. It doesn't seem like it's really about protecting envoys."
"Why do you think that?"
"Chunggyeong Castle's lord would hire assassins to kill imperial envoys, not protect them from assassins."
He continued.
"Every envoy who comes here runs rampant, hauling off massive 'gifts' of wealth."
"What?"
An unexpected reason.
"The envoys are running rampant? And taking gifts?"
"Their behavior was so outrageous, even I wondered if it was acceptable."
I couldn't help but chuckle wryly at his explanation.
Whenever imperial envoys arrived, Chunggyeong Castle had bent over backward to appease them—gourmet feasts every meal, even turning a blind eye to rapes of local women who caught their fancy.
One even cut off a commoner's wrist for 'blocking the road.'
Wow... beasts in human skin.
"And recently, one envoy raped the castle lord's daughter by force."
"What?"
"They begged him to take her as a wife, but he refused. She ended up killing herself, and they didn't even apologize."
"Wow..."
"Makes you want to curse, right?"
"Yeah. Some serious cursing."
"That's not all. They leave loaded with cartfuls of tribute every time—imagine the strain."
"..."
I thought for a moment, then asked.
"Why no protest to the court? His Majesty wouldn't have let that slide."
"Probably threats. 'Complain, and we'll brand you rebels. Your castle vanishes.' Something like that."
Plenty possible.
But there was a prerequisite.
I turned to Gwon-jik Daehyeop.
"Are the envoys to Chunggyeong Castle always the same people?"
He nodded.
"It's so remote, they petitioned to send familiar faces for efficiency. Or so I understand, young branch leader."
As my temporary escort, he used formal speech with me.
Seong Jun-baek asked quietly then.
"Those gentlemen...?"
"My escorts."
"Ah?"
"That's all you need to know."
He nodded immediately—sharp as expected of someone I'd acknowledge.
"Understood."
"Is Chunggyeong the only place with such atrocities?"
"No, other tribes too. But Kunming's crowded with outsiders, so it's milder here."
Makes sense... isolated, low external contact—perfect for such abuses.
Huangbo clan's appointees bullied by palace envoys, no less!
Seong continued.
"Anyway, that's why I don't buy their 'protection' excuse for banning outsiders."
.
.
.
While we talked, rooms were prepared.
I unpacked in mine, then stepped out to the garden.
Spring eternal—flowers bloomed everywhere.
Gwon-jik Daehyeop approached, face heavy with thought.
No wonder. Seong's story shocked even me.
"You look troubled."
"Ah, you're here too."
"Yes. Needed some air."
"Same."
He went on.
"Hard to believe what Branch Manager Seong said, but... no one would lie about something so easily verified."
"He's trustworthy."
"That's why it's... disturbing."
He continued.
"No pacification commissioners here in nearly fifty years."
"A long time."
"Yes. But the empire hasn't abandoned Yunnan—Gold Guards and Embroidered Uniforms monitor it."
He added.
"Yet no such reports reached His Majesty. If they were doing their jobs, His Majesty's men—not Chunggyeong's messengers—would have alerted us first."
"They're fixed in place too?"
"Yes. Only way to avoid suspicion."
"..."
"The mystery unravels."
Now I understood why the Emperor sent me here.
He'd sensed it.
His eyes and hands in Yunnan served another master.
And his son had gotten caught up in it.
So he sent me along as cover for their identities.
Why not warn me or them beforehand?
He trusted me. Feared leaks, sent Gold Guards secretly—no time for hints.
Either way, we couldn't trust the local Gold Guards or Embroidered Uniforms anymore.
My escorts had assumed otherwise...
Chunggyeong's plight was tragic, but we had to rescue the prince.
"Is this the crown prince's first time in Yunnan?"
"Yes. On His Majesty's orders."
Perfect chance—they seized the envoys.
From the castle lord's view, damned if you do, damned if you don't.
But the Gold Guard deaths a month ago still puzzled.
Daoist Mo San-pa led them; wounds suggested betrayal by someone trusted.
Suspects narrowed: local Embroidered Uniforms/Gold Guards, or the detained envoys.
Maybe collusion—to hide their own abuses.
I had the Emperor's command: save the prince.
The prince, innocent, following orders... wait.
A crown prince—heir to the throne.
This wasn't simple.