While Heading to Beijing (2)
I stepped out of the secret vault first.
There were just too many treasures in there, in terms of both quantity and variety, so I needed to jot them all down on paper.
But Seo-hyang was waiting inside the cabin.
Ah, you must have gone into the secret vault, she said.
Hahaha, yeah.
I scratched under my ear and nodded.
I've got a bunch of things to sort out and organize.
She possessed the Ice Crystal Eye, which allowed her to see hidden things—and that included the door to the secret vault.
It's really amazing, though.
With that, she tapped the door to the vault.
Eh?
My eyes widened as I watched.
She could touch the door to the secret vault?
Even if I told others about the door here, they couldn't see it, and if they reached out toward it, their hands would pass right through like smoke.
Deputy Gwak, can you open the vault door too?
Let me try.
She reached out and pulled the handle.
Slide.
Yes, it opens just fine.
……!
Opening the door meant she could enter the secret vault as well.
At that moment, I spotted a glimmer of hope.
I'd thought I was stuck sorting through all that alone.
Deputy Gwak, help me out here.
Pardon?
Grab some paper, brush, and ink, and come into the vault.
With that, Seo-hyang and I re-entered the secret vault together.
Oh my! So this is what it looks like inside.
She looked around everywhere with wide-eyed curiosity.
It's a real warehouse. A pretty big one, too.
That's right.
She eyed the mountain of treasures piled in the center of the warehouse.
Are these the things that need sorting?
Yes.
……So that's why you asked for my help.
She rolled up her sleeves and said,
Since we're doing it, let's knock it out quick!
I smiled quietly as I watched her brimming with enthusiasm.
I trusted her to keep the secret of this vault.
I held her life in my hands, so she couldn't betray me.
Besides, the Ice Crystal Eye she possessed would guide her to live righteously.
But setting all that aside, the biggest reason was that I simply wanted to trust her.
Looking back on my past life, trust had been a source of endless anguish.
No matter how sincerely I offered my trust, there were plenty of times when the other person betrayed it.
That left scars on my heart, and I used to blame myself for it.
But now I knew better.
It wasn't my problem—it was theirs.
No matter how hard I tried or how much care I put in, those who would betray me still did.
It hurt so much that I fixated only on the betrayers, overlooking those who stayed loyal to the end.
This life would be different.
Young branch leader, what are you doing?
Ah! Just pondering how to organize everything. I've figured it out now—let's get to it.
And so we began sorting.
We started with the utensils and artifacts: I'd name each one, and she'd write it down along with the shelf number where it was stored.
After the utensils, we moved on to the valuable items, and finally the gold bars and cash.
We weighed each gold bar individually.
It would be nice if they all weighed the same, but that wasn't often the case.
Shady tricks like shaving off a bit were all too common.
The goe in gold bar means lump or chunk.
That's because they're usually round.
So people generally call them gold ingots instead.
Standard gold ingots are made in ten-nyang units, since even that much holds immense value.
But here, there were piles of fifty-nyang ingots.
That meant they weren't really for circulation—they were for hoarding wealth.
In other words, I could pocket these without any issues.
You look pleased.
I nodded at Seo-hyang's words.
Of course. Who in the world hates gold?
I picked up three gold ingots and stacked them in a 品 shape, then asked,
What character does this look like to you?
Three golds stacked together…… It's the heum (鑫) character, meaning joy and prosperity.
I looked into her eyes.
She surely knew the value of the treasure mountain here, yet there was no greed in her gaze.
These things don't tempt you at all, do they, Deputy Gwak?
Why covet what isn't mine?
Ha! What a wise answer to a foolish question.
Pop.
At that moment, Geum-ryeong poked its head out from the pile of gold and silver coins.
It looked utterly blissful.
Swimming among all these treasures must feel great.
Seo-hyang commented on the sight.
You know, you and Geum-ryeong have something in common.
Huh?
You both love money.
I glanced at Geum-ryeong, and it stared back at me.
…….
Kkwi?
Thanks to Seo-hyang, we finished organizing the secret vault faster than expected.
By the time we stepped out, it was already the third watch of the night.
You worked hard today.
No trouble at all.
Then let's turn in. We're meeting Lord Pojeongsa tomorrow—if your face looks worn out, he'll chew me out.
Geum-ryeong, who had slipped back into my sleeve, sent a sound transmission.
- Kkwi? Kkw?
You knew and still made her do the work?
Ahem, don't hit where it hurts.
- Only you, Seo-hyang, and I can enter the vault. So you should've done the sorting?
- Kkwi?
- Would you really be okay just sorting without munching on the tasty coins……?
I could feel Geum-ryeong's tail trembling.
Suddenly, it poked out from my sleeve and politely offered a silver coin it had been holding in its mouth to Seo-hyang with both paws.
Kku, kkwi…….
Hm? What does this mean?
She tilted her head, puzzled, and I chuckled as I explained.
It says, please take good care of me from now on.
Pardon?
Was my explanation that shocking?
Geum-ryeong giving a coin to Seo-hyang!
It had never given me so much as a single one.
.
.
.
Dawn broke.
I went through my routine of circulation exercises, training, and handling business, and before I knew it, evening had arrived.
Tonight, I was set to meet Lord Pojeongsa and his wife at Willow Flower Pavilion, so it was time to head out.
I couldn't keep the two waiting.
Ready?
Yes.
Her eyes were already red-rimmed. She must have foreseen herself reuniting with her parents.
Let's go.
My group and I made our way to Willow Flower Pavilion.
Willow Flower Pavilion was one of the more famous taverns in Guiyang, the castle town of Guizhou Province.
Guizhou was humid with many rivers, and one particularly beautiful river flowed through Guiyang.
In spring, spring blossoms reflected on it; in autumn, the fiery maples did the same, making it look like flowers were flowing along—so the locals called it the Flowing Flower River.
The inn we were heading to sat right beside this Flowing Flower River, hence its name, Flowing Flower Inn.
Right next to it, the river plunged down like a waterfall, making it hard for anyone to eavesdrop on conversations inside the inn.
That made it the perfect spot for secretive talks.
Welcome.
The inn's errand boy greeted us.
We reserved the sixth floor.
Palgap handed over the reservation token as he spoke, and the boy checked it before leading us.
This way, please.
We climbed to the sixth floor.
It was quite a hike up the stairs, but worth every step.
Here we are.
The view of the river and waterfall from the sixth floor was truly spectacular.
That was part of why I'd chosen this place.
The scenery from my past life was still etched in my memory.
It was the twelfth month now.
Most places had lost their autumn leaves, but Guizhou still had some maples clinging on.
A breathtaking vista that could steal your breath away.
But my guards ignored it, methodically scanning the surroundings.
Well-trained as always.
Shall we serve the meal as ordered previously?
I nodded at the errand boy's question.
Yes. And……
I slipped him some extra coin with a request.
Please keep everything that happens here today confidential.
But he refused the money.
No need. Strict confidentiality is our inn's pride.
Impressive.
Still, if anyone asks, it'd help if you could say……
If someone inquires about you, we'll say it seems like a meeting to discuss business in Guizhou—something about expanding the local branch, from what we overheard.
Perfect.
I pressed the coin into his hand.
And use this to treat the staff to some tea.
He didn't refuse when I insisted.
Thank you.
What I'd said about expanding the Guizhou branch wasn't a lie.
The Eunhae Merchant Group did have a branch here.
The fief was rich in medicinal herbs, and the locally famous Mi-dam Tea was a draw.
Plus, the Eunhae Group sponsored several distilleries producing Guizhou's specialty, Mother Fetal Liquor.
So the Guizhou branch manager had requested expansion.
I needed to discuss that with Lord Pojeongsa too.
Coordinating any conflicts was part of his role.
Serve all the food at once, ahead of time.
It'll get cold—is that alright?
Doesn't matter.
Understood. We'll bring it all out at once.
He went downstairs, and soon several errand boys returned with trays.
Our table was laden with Guizhou specialties like fried fish, and many more dishes besides.
The food spoiled quickly here, so fried items were common.
Meanwhile, Seo-hyang gazed out at the view from the pavilion.
To think there's a place like this in Guizhou.
She looked deeply moved.
It's my first time somewhere like this.
Seeing her so happy filled me with a quiet pride.
Glad you like it.
Willow Flower Inn was rather pricey.
The top floor especially—talking about it just hurt your mouth.
Before she'd come of age, even if her brothers pooled their pocket money, bringing her here would've been tough.
Afterward, they rose in officialdom and started earning, but she'd been too ill to go out much.
Thinking about it tugged at my heart.
Then I sensed a familiar presence approaching.
Deputy Gwak.
Yes?
They're here.
She turned her head at once, though I hadn't specified who.
Tears welled up in her eyes.
Lord Pojeongsa's wife teared up at the sight of her too.
Ah!
She rushed over and embraced Seo-hyang.
Hic…….
The two clung to each other, sobbing.
Even Lord Pojeongsa's eyes reddened watching them.
Ahem!
Palgap kept sniffing, nose running.
He turned to me.
Young master, doesn't that move you even a little?
Well……
Your heart's gone dry.
I gave a wry smile at Palgap's words.
What I felt wasn't感動—it was anger.
Anger that this family had to endure such separation.
And if I hadn't intervened, they'd never have reunited.
My guards had shrewdly moved to block the stairs, preventing others from ascending.
That's why I'd asked for the food upfront.
I'd also set up a qi barrier around us, so no sound would leak out.
For a good while, the mother and daughter touched each other's faces, catching up on lost time.
You've gotten so healthy.
Yes, Mother. How have you been? Are you well?
Don't worry about me.
I spoke to them.
Please, take your seats. The food won't taste as good once it's cold.
Yes.
Alright.
We gathered around the table and began eating.
As expected from an expensive place—even a bit cold, it was delicious.
As the mother and daughter smiled at each other over their meal, Lord Pojeongsa said to me,
I heard there was big trouble in Guangdong and Hainan recently. They say you made quite the contribution there?
As expected of Guizhou's Lord Pojeongsa.
He was already in the know.
With the Crown Prince visiting personally, how could he not?
He had imperial blood, however diluted, and held a high post.
Yes, that's true. But it was just a minor accomplishment.
I couldn't casually mention being an imperial censor.
The Hainan branch lord and Mu Clan Merchant Group's leader…… well, they were doomed anyway, and their words would ring hollow.
In Guangdong, I was just there to trade fine rice; in Hainan, for pearls. Helping resolve the incidents was a bonus—I'm proud of that much.
Lord Pojeongsa nodded.
The rumors from there were vicious—I was worried. Glad it's settled.
I agree.
But I hear you were traveling with a hidden beauty of a wife all this time……
Cough!
His gaze demanded an explanation, sending an involuntary shiver through me.
I, uh, that is……
I was about to stammer some excuse when suddenly Lord Pojeongsa's eyes curved into crescents.
Huh? What's this all of a sudden?