614. The Vanished Missive (1)
The Emperor tilted his head at my words but soon nodded.
"Everyone, clear the room."
At his command, Jin Yeong Daehyeop and all the others around us filed out.
"So, what was so important that you asked me to empty the area?"
"This."
I placed the precious box I'd brought on the table before him.
"Bring it here."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Even though I'd asked to clear the room, the eunuch on duty and the hidden guards in the ceiling rafters were exceptions.
The eunuch opened the box and handed it to the Emperor.
"Hm?"
The Emperor's eyebrow twitched.
"What is this?"
"An item belonging to the imperial household."
The Emperor's eyes sparkled with excitement as he turned to the eunuch.
"Fetch the Imperial Registry."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
The eunuch's face lit up with joy as he practically dashed off.
Soon, he returned with a single volume, and the Emperor flipped through its pages.
That must be the record of the imperial treasures, I thought.
His hand paused after turning several pages.
"Isn't this the Thousand-Li Mirror that vanished about eighty years ago?"
"Is it?"
"And this one tells the whereabouts of a target—it disappeared fifty years ago!"
"I see."
Hm, now that I look closer, these are pretty valuable artifacts.
Did I make a mistake deciding to return them?
A twinge of regret flickered through me, but I pushed it aside.
Carrying around imperial items would only invite headaches. Better to return them now and claim a fitting reward.
Once his excitement subsided, the Emperor looked at me.
"I have to ask: where and how did you acquire these?"
"Your Majesty, when I first found them, I confess I considered keeping silent out of selfish concern. Revealing their origin might put me in a difficult position."
I continued.
"If Your Majesty wishes to know the source, I ask for your assurance that this won't lead to hardship for me."
"Insolent! How dare you demand anything of His Majesty...!"
"Enough!"
The Emperor raised a hand to silence the eunuch.
"I assure you."
"Your boundless grace humbles me."
I bowed deeply and went on.
"I retrieved these imperial treasures myself—from the ocean depths."
"The ocean depths?"
"Yes. While investigating the Haenam Island scandal, I dove in personally to confirm if those ships had truly sunk."
"You dove in yourself? You're more capable than I thought."
"It was dangerous, but necessary. If the ships had sunk, their wrecks would be at the bottom."
I caught my breath and continued.
"Down there, I found several sunken vessels. While examining them, I discovered these."
The Emperor listened silently as I detailed the events—embellishing where needed, of course.
I couldn't very well say Gold Spirit swept them into my subspace.
"I couldn't bear to see imperial treasures rotting away, so I brought them up."
At that moment, the eunuch beamed and spoke up.
"Your Majesty, we should search the site further. There may be more imperial items—or other gold and jewels."
Excuse me, eunuch, but I've already cleaned it out.
That treasure's mine—I earned it.
Hmph, keep your mouth shut.
"Cough! Cough!"
I coughed deliberately.
"My apologies. I was down there too long..."
"Good heavens! Are you all right?"
"If I don't overdo it... cough! Cough! I'll manage."
I pressed on.
"Do you recall my earlier request for assurance?"
"Yes. I promised no harm would come to you."
"I anticipated someone like the eunuch might suggest that. I risked my life diving into those depths to resolve this case. Demanding more would mean risking it again."
The eunuch looked abashed, but I didn't stop.
"If Your Majesty wishes, I'll do it—but I'm not sure it's possible now. As I escaped, the precarious wreckage collapsed, burying everything in silt."
Have to block any chance of them sending others.
"Besides, the preparations and costs for another dive wouldn't be trivial... but if you insist?"
The Emperor glanced at the expense list from my report and shook his head in dismay.
"Foolish notion. Isn't it, eunuch?"
At the Emperor's pointed remark, the eunuch dropped to his knees.
"Punish my foolishness, Your Majesty."
"Enough. Rise."
"Your grace overwhelms me."
The Emperor turned back to the artifacts with a satisfied smile.
"You've returned these treasures—how could I ask for more?"
Then he looked at me.
"So, what do you want?"
"Pardon?"
"You think I'd believe you returned them out of the goodness of your heart? I know you better than that."
As expected of His Majesty.
I continued.
"How could I name a price when I don't know their true value?"
"Clever brat."
He grumbled, but a smile tugged at his lips.
After a moment's thought, he spoke.
"Your biggest worry right now must be the eyes watching you."
"..."
"Not everyone approves of my favor toward you."
He tapped the report I'd submitted.
"Your prestige in Haenam Island rivals mine, it says. The Gold Guards or Eastern Depot might voice concerns. Their loyalty is commendable, but it can overreach."
His Majesty sees all.
"Of course, some might harbor ill intentions."
Uh... what do I say to that? But he didn't wait.
"I grant you immunity."
"Pardon?"
"Exactly as it sounds. No one may harm you without my explicit command, no matter their worries. Is this reward sufficient?"
Immunity!
A reward I'd never imagined.
"To bestow such grace upon this humble merchant—your benevolence brings tears to my eyes."
I'm grateful, but why immunity specifically?
He knows me, and I know him. He's not one for uncalculated favors.
Give one, take one and a half in return.
Just like me.
"I trust your loyalty henceforth."
And that's it?
Are the artifacts worth that much?
No, I can't let my guard down.
"Speaking of your report, your merchant ships should reach Nanjing soon."
"Yes. I'll head there myself to receive the Eunhae Merchant Group's fleet."
"While you're there, handle a task for me."
"Block information like last time?"
"Foreign trade is established now—no need."
As he said, latecomers couldn't compete anymore.
"I'll inform you of the details later."
"Understood."
"By the way, who do you suspect is behind this incident?"
The Blood Cult.
But I couldn't say it yet.
No need to complicate things.
"My apologies, Your Majesty. I have no leads."
"Is that so..."
With that look in his eyes, their identities wouldn't stay hidden long.
They'd evaded detection before, but not now—not after provoking him so thoroughly.
Back at the Beijing branch, I sought out Jeong Ho hyung right away.
"Huh? I'm going to Nanjing with you?"
"I told Father we'd put you on one of the Eunhae ships from there."
"Makes sense—easier that way."
"Did you read the letter from your wife?"
Jeong Ho's face flushed at my question. What on earth did it say?
"Ahem, of course. How's Hong-ryeo growing?"
"Thriving."
"Good."
"Anyway, we leave the morning after tomorrow—get ready."
The road from Beijing to Nanjing was well-paved, making the journey smooth and swift. That's why we could afford the delay.
"Got it. I'll be ready. And you're finally getting married, huh?"
"Yeah."
I nodded.
"Smart move. Shaking up Deputy Gwak like that and not following through? You'd be scum."
Cough!
His blunt words hit like a punch to the gut.
- Squeak!
Gold Spirit, why are you agreeing?
The next morning, I summoned Palgap.
"You called, young master?"
"What I'm about to assign you is extremely important. You'll need to give it your all."
Palgap nodded gravely.
I gave him detailed instructions, and he slipped out of my quarters with a resolute expression.
Then, as if nothing had happened, I headed to my office.
Seo-hyang Sojeo, already at work, gave a light bow before returning to her papers.
As I passed, I glanced at her.
That incident showed me her inner strength runs deeper than I thought.
That's why she suggested walking the path of vengeance with me.
Forged in trials.
Though her foresight ability must have toughened her unwillingly too.
Makes me truly grateful.
"Do you have something to say to me?"
"No."
I shook my head, pulled a document from my desk pile, and opened it. A summary sheet inside outlined everything clearly.
She really is excellent.
Wait a second?
If Seo-hyang becomes my wife, I'll need a new deputy.
Where do I find someone as capable?
A sudden realization made me sigh. Seo-hyang tilted her head.
"Is there an error in the document?"
"No, it's just..."
It's about her, so it's fine to mention.
"If Deputy Gwak becomes my wife, I'll need to appoint a new deputy—that's what I was pondering. Honestly, I've never seen anyone as skilled as her."
"Is that praise?"
"Yes. Absolutely."
"Don't worry. I'll serve as deputy until you find a good replacement."
"It'll be tough."
"If my husband grinds his bones to dust working, how can I do less?"
"..."
Why am I suddenly filled with regret?
"I've reserved the tavern for tonight. Before leaving for Nanjing tomorrow, I want to host a feast for the Beijing branch staff to thank them for their hard work. Please join us, Deputy Gwak."
"Of course."
Perfect—nice and natural.
That evening, I headed to the reserved tavern with my entourage.
Most of the branch staff were already gathered. Jeong Ho had arrived early and secured seats.
"Third Young Branch Head, this way."
"Please, sit here."
We settled in.
I'd rented out the entire place for the occasion.
The nominal reason was to thank everyone for their efforts, but there was a more important motive.
I recalled my conversation with Father before returning to Beijing.
"So, did you properly propose to Deputy Gwak?"
"The pearl jewelry..."
"No, I mean did you formally ask her to marry you."
"Well, sort of."
"You fool!"
Thwack! Thwack-thwack!
Father smacked my back repeatedly with his palm.
"Ouch! That hurts!"
"It's supposed to!"
"Why?"
"Son, you don't grasp how well women remember slights from the men they love."
"Pardon?"
"Good or bad memory, when it comes to the one they adore, they recall every syllable perfectly. Ahem—listen well."
Father continued gravely.
"Early in our marriage, I ate snacks your mother made without knowing they were hers and said they tasted bad. She brought it up for five years."
"..."
"I forgot her birthday once, left on a trip that morning, and came back the next day. She mentioned it for ten years."
"..."
"When I sided against her in a spat with another merchant's wife—saying 'You were wrong'—that lingered for twenty years."
"..."
"And you're sliding into marriage without a proper proposal? In my view, that's a fifty-year offense. She'll bring it up every time she's upset for the next half-century, son."
Father asked seriously.
"Are you ready to handle that?"