The Missing Letter (3)
I casually slipped into the Baekpa Merchant Group's drinking party.
And naturally continued the conversation.
"Congratulations. I heard the Baekpa Merchant Group made a tremendous profit this time."
"Haha, thank you."
"It's not on the level of the Eunhae Merchant Group, but we still made a pretty good haul."
At that moment, someone grumbled and butted in.
"So what? It's all going to the country anyway. We'll just get a labor fee out of it."
"That's the problem."
"Damn it! We do all the work, and the empire takes all the gains."
With those words as the signal, complaints began pouring from the merchants' mouths.
I listened, trying to keep my expression neutral.
Phew, hey.
Do you guys not remember at all what the empire did for this trading voyage?
I'm the same as anyone when it comes to not backing down for profit.
But I stayed silent about the empire-led voyage this time because I had to.
First off, the empire agreed to pay for the goods we sell abroad.
And they promised labor fees for procuring food with those sales.
Since it was an empire-sponsored voyage, countries like Daeweol Kingdom and Mara-seo Kingdom readily issued official permits for large-scale trade.
On top of that, we got special privileges to trade alcohol despite the alcohol ban, leading to huge profits.
The Baekpa Merchant Group loaded their ships with liquor too.
In a few years, we'll have a solid foothold in maritime trade.
It's not a loss right now, and considering the future, it's pure gain.
Tsk. But they're too shortsighted, blinded by immediate profits...
But I didn't show any of that on my face.
"That must have been frustrating."
"Heh heh heh, it's fine. A capable merchant knows how to turn even that into profit."
"Are you saying there's another way?"
The Baekpa Merchant Group's chief clerk nodded at my question.
"Please, teach me."
As I bowed deeply, he seemed pleased and readily answered.
"Just give a small gift to the Daeweol Kingdom merchants. And... figure out the rest yourself. You can't just pry trade secrets out of others so easily. Heh heh heh."
"......"
I swallowed a sigh.
I already knew what method they used. I just needed solid proof.
And seeing them all snickering at me confirmed it.
It was a common trick among maritime traders, not just from my past life.
The current voyage involved taking empire goods sold for ten taels of silver abroad, selling them for more, and buying grain with the profit.
But empire merchants were pulling a fast one.
Selling goods to Daeweol or Mara-seo merchants for twenty taels was fine.
But recording eighteen taels on official documents was the issue.
Daeweol merchants weren't under their country's strict control, making it possible.
But they wouldn't go along without incentive, so a small gift smoothed things over.
Even after the gift, enough profit remained.
With the massive volume of goods, that leftover was no small sum.
They'd load tax-exempt grain—bought with unrecorded funds—onto the ships and return to the empire.
Personal trade goods weren't tax-exempt.
The problem? Distinguishing personal identical goods from state-needed ones was impossible.
They exploited this loophole to smuggle personal goods tax-free.
In such a large voyage, the emperor surely had plants among them who'd noticed something suspicious.
Phew...
It's clear they've done something illegal, so as per the emperor's orders, time for a warning.
If they still don't get it, that's on them.
But why did the emperor entrust this to me specifically? And so secretly?
A brief doubt arose, but I brushed it aside.
.
.
.
.
Dawn broke.
I immediately sought an audience with Ak Dae-in.
"Regarding the letter you gave me before, I'd like to request assistance."
"Understood. How can I help?"
Ak Dae-in smiled and nodded readily after hearing my explanation.
"Of course I should help with something like that."
He agreed without hesitation.
I moved elsewhere, changed clothes, donned a mask covering my lower face, and altered my eye shape with the Divine Transformation Technique.
To hide my identity.
Reporting them openly would make me a target later.
Ak Dae-in admired my disguise.
"Oh! You look like a completely different person."
"Just a minor skill."
"You're full of tricks. Seems you're all set, so let's go."
Ak Dae-in personally led soldiers to the harbor, with me following like an aide.
"Halt everything!"
"What's the matter?"
A chief clerk approached, face sour—likely still queasy from last night's heavy drinking.
"We're searching for non-tax-exempt goods. Everything not listed in your declared ledger will be taxed. Clear?"
"Y-yes. But a search? That's never happened before."
"What are you talking about? The law taxes all overseas trade goods, doesn't it?"
"T-true, but this is so sudden..."
"We skipped searches before due to urgency in distributing to the people, but with harvest just ended, we have leeway to follow procedure."
Ak Dae-in stated firmly.
"Search for discrepancies with the reports!"
"Yes, sir!"
Investigation began on his order.
I inspected the unloaded goods from the Baekpa ship but soon grew puzzled.
Huh? Where is it?
The goods matched the ledger exactly.
This can't be.
Then I saw the chief clerk nod to someone.
To whom...?
I quickly scanned that direction.
The one nodding back was a mid-ranking soldier under the Nankyeong Provincial Commander.
Aha...
So that's why the emperor sent the letter secretly via Ak Dae-in.
We raided the harbor swiftly after preparing, but their inside man tipped them off.
A bit more time, and they'd have erased all evidence perfectly.
But not quite yet.
I scanned the ship, spotted ropes dangling from the gunwale, and smirked.
Hiding evidence like this, huh.
"What's with these ropes?"
"Those secure the anchor."
"Too thin for an anchor line."
I pulled one, and the Baekpa crew's faces changed.
At the end dangled... sacks of grain.
There was a method called saltwater selection.
Before planting rice, soak seeds in dense saltwater—only eggs float, dead seeds sink—to cull them.
Prolonged soaking hurts germination, but for eating rice, it didn't matter.
So they'd sunk it in the sea to hide evidence.
"Retrieve all the rice immediately!"
"Yes, sir!"
While soldiers moved on Ak Dae-in's order, I circled the ship.
Grain was bulky, hidden forest-style en route, but surely contraband lurked aboard.
Daeweol specialties like water buffalo horns or pepper fetched high prices in the empire.
Give up that greed and come empty-handed?
Ridiculous.
Small quantities, hidden somewhere aboard.
And the likely spot...
Thump thump.
I approached one side and tapped the wall.
Hollow inside, as expected.
I drew my sword, pried up a wooden panel—revealing a compartment.
Bingo.
Water buffalo horns filled it.
I told the accompanying soldier,
"Clear all this out."
"Yes, sir!"
Every spot I touched yielded more.
Buffalo horns in another wall, pepper sacks under the floor.
Piles from the ship.
As I hauled them out, the already pale Baekpa crew turned ashen.
Ak Dae-in grilled them sharply.
"What's all this?"
"W-well, that is..."
"No rice in the sea, nor these, on your report."
"......"
"As I said, unlisted personal goods are taxed. Rice aside, buffalo horns and pepper... how much tax?"
I answered promptly.
"Luxury goods like these are twenty percent of market price. Caught at inspection? Tenfold penalty."
"I see."
Ak Dae-in addressed the gathered merchants.
"If you've smuggled anything illegally, confess now. I'll reduce the tenfold to fivefold penalty this once, by my authority."
He turned to Baekpa.
"Not that it applies to you."
"......"
His warning worked wonders.
Other groups surrendered their hidden bits.
Tenfold penalties scared them.
Fortunately, Eunhae had none.
Id drilled warnings into them.
Thus, Baekpa and other emperor-deceivers got a harsh financial lesson.
Wasted effort on this voyage.
But paying now and learning not to fool the emperor is better.
He's truly terrifying.
Hope this sinks in deep.
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.
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The situation wrapped up, merchant ships preparing to depart.
But Ak Dae-in returned from the Provincial Command.
"What's going on?"
"Ah! The Baekbuik Merchant Group made an urgent request. Potential diplomatic issue."
Baekbuik traded with Mara-seo Kingdom.
"May I join?"
"Of course."
I went with him to their ship.
Chaos aboard.
Hearing of Ak Dae-in, Ji Seok-mun—the sub-leader—hurried down.
"This lowly one greets you, sir."
"What happened? You mentioned a diplomatic problem."
"The box the Mara-seo King sent to Princess Sinaa... it's gone."
"What?"
Not just Ak Dae-in—even I was stunned.
Id thought the emperor's task done, but this unrelated bombshell.
"Maybe stashed elsewhere? Or not loaded?"
Ak Dae-in asked gravely, grasping the severity. Ji Seok-mun shook his head.
"No. It was definitely in my office on the ship."
I stepped forward.
"Sorry to interject."
"No need. Speak."
Ak Dae-in's gaze was kind.
"We should retrace from the start. Sub-leader Ji Seok-mun, please explain."
He nodded and began.
Before returning post-voyage, the Mara-seo King requested a visit and gave him a box for his daughter.
"It contained gold, jewels, and a letter."
"A gift and letter for Princess Sinaa, then?"
"Yes."
Ji Seok-mun continued.
"I kept it in my office, guards never leaving post. But... it was there yesterday, gone this morning."
"Someone stole it."
"That's what I think. Hence requesting your help."
He looked pained.
"Honestly, the gold and jewels I can replace from my pocket. My negligence, my loss. But the king's letter... please, just find that."
I asked,
"Do you know the letter's contents?"
"No. Couldn't open a letter to the princess."
Fair enough.
"Who else knew the box's contents?"
"Well..."
He sighed.
"Most aboard the ship knew."
Tricky.
Everyone on board was a suspect.
Vanished this morning meant crime window: deep night to dawn.
When all attended Ak Dae-in's banquet?
"We'll need interrogations. Anyone from the ship gone missing?"
"No."
Interrogations began.
Meanwhile, I boarded the Baekbuik ship, heading to Ji Seok-mun's office.
Luckily, not much time passed—faint black道 energy lingered.
Black道 martial artist's doing?
Hm?
Then something caught my eye.