Chapter 618. The Missing Letter (5)
Jeong Ho, the sub-branch leader, came rushing over after receiving the message.
"I heard you found the thief who stole that box."
"That's right."
Jeong Ho glanced at the still-unconscious male guest and asked,
"Is this the guy?"
"Yes. And they say this was his hideout, so let's take a look inside."
"Understood."
We stepped into the manor.
The dangerous traps and mechanisms had already been neutralized by the black path martial artists who'd gone in first.
Myeongjong Warrior marveled at the sight.
"This is what they mean by turning the tables on your enemies."
Changun Warrior nodded eagerly, eyes sparkling.
"Using those utterly useless black path thugs like that—it's a stroke of genius!"
Why did that comment carry such a strange hint of madness?
Once inside the manor, we searched every corner with the help of the soldiers.
There was a surprising amount of amassed wealth.
It couldn't have been his originally, of course. Most of it was probably stolen.
"Over here!"
Jeong Ho called out then, his voice brimming with joy.
"Look at this pattern carved on the lid! It's the royal crest of the Mara Western Kingdom."
Sure enough, a star-like emblem was engraved on top.
"Check the contents."
At Lord Ak's words, Jeong Ho opened the lid and inspected inside.
Thanks to that, I got a good look too.
The jewelry made of various gems and gold looked exorbitantly expensive at a glance.
Come to think of it, I'd heard that in the Mara Western Kingdom, when a daughter marries, her family from her birth home presents her with lavish gifts.
Was this that gift?
"Whew! Nothing's missing. What a relief."
"Indeed, that's fortunate."
Well, he wouldn't have had time to use anything inside anyway.
"But... there's no letter."
"Ah, that? Here it is."
Lord Ak handed the Mara Western Kingdom's royal letter to Jeong Ho.
"What a relief. Did you find this separately?"
Lord Ak nodded.
"Thank you so much for recovering both the gift and the letter. I won't forget this favor."
"Hahaha! What did I do? It was Sub-branch Leader Eun Seo-ho who found the letter and the box, not me."
Jeong Ho's gaze turned to me, and I scratched my cheek awkwardly.
"I just couldn't bear the thought of your cousin's family grieving if we didn't find them. Anyway, I'm truly glad we recovered them safely."
After that, things proceeded smoothly.
First, they spread the rumor that the treasure map detailing the legendary thief's warehouse locations had been burned in a fit of rage as the male guest fled.
"But why post the notice in the name of Ilseok Dosin?"
I quickly made an excuse for Lord Ak's question.
"Isn't that name the most famous right now? He stole from the Murim Alliance Leader himself, after all."
"Hmm, true enough. Still, I'm worried that this Ilseok Dosin fellow might come after you for it."
"It's fine. If he did, it'd only tarnish his own reputation. Why would he?"
"You calculated that far ahead?"
"Of course."
"Hoo...."
Lord Ak looked at me with admiring eyes, and I could only avert my gaze in embarrassment.
I couldn't exactly reveal Ilseok Dosin's true identity.
Soon, the Gold Guard dispatched from the imperial palace arrived, and they began loading the provisions onto carts and setting off.
Now it was time for me to head to Beijing too.
I made my way to the inn.
Upon arrival, Captain Yong was chatting with his brother, Yongmin Warrior.
I'd come to Nanking with him this time.
They were speaking in the Dai Viet tongue rather than imperial language, but thanks to my diligent studies of Dai Viet lately, I could understand most of it.
I didn't let on, though, and spoke in imperial language.
"You're here."
"Ah! Sub-branch Leader."
"When do you plan the next trading voyage?"
Captain Yong answered my question.
"Probably around next spring."
"That leaves some time, then."
"True, but is something up?"
"My father will explain when you return to headquarters, but it doesn't hurt to know in advance."
I continued,
"You'll likely head out on a business trip right after arriving at headquarters."
"Pardon? Where to?"
"Jin-ho hyung will explain on the way back."
"Ah, right—Second Sub-branch Leader is coming with us to headquarters this time."
"Yes. So I appreciate your help."
"We'll serve him to the best of our ability. Haha."
He smiled.
"And congratulations. You're getting married, right?"
"It's a bit embarrassing, but yes."
We wrapped up our greetings like that, and the next day, the Eunhae Merchant Group's ship sailed up the Yangtze.
I traveled to Beijing alongside Jeong Ho's group.
Given the valuable cargo, the imperial palace had sent additional Gold Guard upon hearing the news.
Moving with them would ease the burden on my escorts.
"Let's move out!"
"Yes, sir!"
The carriage I rode in began rolling slowly, and thus we headed for Beijing.
At that moment.
In Guiyang, the castle town of Guizhou Province.
A group arrived there.
The moon emblem floating above the sea of flags on their carriages marked the Eunhae Merchant Group.
A man stepped down from the Eunhae carriage that had arrived at the Guizhou branch.
It was none other than Eun Gil-sang, the head of the Eunhae Merchant Group.
He had come in person to handle a matter of utmost importance.
His third son's wedding, to be precise.
Officially, of course, it was to express gratitude to the Guizhou Governor for approving the branch expansion.
No sooner had he arrived in Guizhou than he instructed his second deputy, Im Man.
"Set up a meeting with the Governor."
"Understood."
The appointment was made swiftly.
For the next day, no less.
Eun Gil-sang took great care in selecting his attire before heading to the Governor's office.
"Merchant Eun Gil-sang requests an audience with Your Excellency the Governor."
"Come in. I've been expecting you."
Eun Gil-sang was led to the reception room, where a maid served tea.
Once the refreshments were laid out, Governor Dong Hwi told his guards,
"Clear the area."
"Yes, sir."
Eun Gil-sang did the same with his escorts.
"Clear the area."
"Yes, sir."
Soon, only Eun Gil-sang and Governor Dong Hwi remained in the reception room.
Eun Gil-sang was the first to present the gift he'd brought.
"I've brought a modest gift to express my thanks for approving our Guizhou branch expansion."
"Haha, no need for that...."
"After all the trouble Your Excellency went through, it would be shameless not to offer at least this much."
Dong Hwi accepted the box with feigned reluctance and opened it.
"...!"
But he couldn't help being startled.
A mirror lay inside, adorned with red silk tassels.
A gift signifying marriage.
Dong Hwi fetched brush, inkstone, and paper from nearby and wrote,
Dong Hwi: What is the meaning of this gift to me?
Eun Gil-sang: Exactly as Your Excellency suspects. My son has proposed to Deputy Gwak, and she has accepted.
Dong Hwi: Even with circumstances as they are, how can we proceed with the wedding without the parents facing each other?
Eun Gil-sang: Worry not. Only I and my wife know of your daughter's identity among the family. How could I be so reckless with a matter tied to my son's well-being?
Eun Gil-sang (cont.): Aside from us, only Gwak Pyodu—Seo-ho's master—knows, as Deputy Gwak lives as his relative. He too will guard the secret for my son's sake.
Dong Hwi: Truly?
Eun Gil-sang: Yes.
Eun Gil-sang (cont.): Given the setup that Sojeo Seo-hyang has no parents and Pyodu Gwak is her only kin, it seems Pyodu Gwak and his wife should stand in as birth parents at the wedding. I seek your understanding on this.
Dong Hwi: Is this Pyodu Gwak a good man?
Eun Gil-sang: As my son's master, he is both good and highly capable. I vouch for him.
Dong Hwi: If a merchant like you deems him trustworthy, I'll trust as well.
Eun Gil-sang: Yes. My son chose his master well.
They continued their written exchange, even discussing the wedding details.
Before long, papers piled up. Once finished, Dong Hwi burned them one by one in a candle flame.
"Shall we proceed this way, then?"
"Yes, Your Excellency."
Dong Hwi thought to himself as he watched him.
'Someday, I may hear you call me father-in-law.'
That meant his daughter could reveal her true identity.
And Eun Seo-ho had promised as much.
"While you're in Guiyang, take time to see the sights. There's plenty worth viewing."
"My thanks for your consideration."
We arrived in Beijing quite comfortably.
Traveling with the Gold Guard slowed us down, but there were no other issues.
"Will you head straight to the palace, Sub-branch Leader Jeong?"
"Yes. I must report on my meeting with His Majesty the King of Mara Western Kingdom."
"Then we part here. Safe travels."
"Thank you once more. Until next time."
They headed to the palace, and I returned to the Beijing branch with my group.
"You're back!"
"Yes. Everything alright?"
"All quiet."
The Beijing branch manager greeted me with a smile.
"And do you know?"
"Know what?"
"The whole of Beijing is buzzing about how you proposed to Deputy Gwak at that tavern the other day."
"......"
"It was so moving, apparently people are proposing with that same song now."
Was I that famous?
It was burdensome news, leaving me with nothing but a sigh. What could I do about it?
That evening.
A servant arrived from Elder Brother Seon-il's house.
The message was to join them for dinner, and I had a pretty good idea why.
The servant also brought a letter from Aunt.
Bring Deputy Gwak, who will be your wife. With all of Beijing talking about it, you weren't planning to hide her from this aunt of yours, were you?
No helping it.
I called out to Sojeo Seo-hyang, who was diligently reviewing documents nearby.
"Deputy Gwak."
"Yes?"
"Aunt has invited us for dinner tonight. Would you mind coming along? She specifically asked for you. Feel free to decline if it's too much."
"No."
She shook her head.
"I think it's a good chance to pay my respects."
I nodded and called for Palgap.
"Palgap!"
"Yes! You called, sir?"
"What about those clothes I asked for earlier?"
"The seamstress is working hard on them—says she has about three done."
"Bring one that matches the color of what I'll wear tonight."
"Got it!"
Palgap dashed off with a grin, and Sojeo Seo-hyang nodded as if understanding.
Moments later, Palgap returned with the requested garment.
"Wear this tonight."
"It's even more beautiful up close."
The jade-green dress was embroidered with silver thread. With so many outings ahead together, it was good I'd commissioned several in advance.
"Thank you."
"I'll be the grateful one if you wear it."
Evening came.
Sojeo Seo-hyang and I finished preparing and stepped out.
She wore the jade-green dress draped with a fur outer robe—a Eunhae product.
It wasn't that cold, but we had to mind others' eyes.
People showered us with congratulations as we passed.
"Just as I thought! What a perfect pair!"
"Hahaha! You think so?"
We soon arrived at the Yeonjun Merchant Group, where Aunt welcomed me.
"Come in."
"Aunt."
"Deputy Gwak, it's been a while! My goodness! Marrying our Seo-ho—I knew it from the first time I saw you!"
"Thank you for the kind words."
"Where are Uncle and Elder Brother Seon-il?"
"Your uncle will be back soon, and Seon-il should be leaving the office now."
"Then we'll wait a bit."
And there stood Princess Sinaa as well. She looked even more beautiful than before after all this time.
Somehow more stunning than now.
"Welcome, both of you."
"It's been a while."
"Yes."
We moved to the reception room, where Princess Sinaa said to me,
"Someone came from the palace today and delivered a gift from my father. They also told me about what happened."
She bowed her head to me.
"Thank you so much for finding the letter."
Seeing the rims of her eyes redden as she thanked me, I could guess the letter's contents.
"Thanks to you, I could feel my father and mother's warmth again after so long."
"I'm glad I could help."
"I want to repay this favor. So... are you interested in trade with Mara Western Kingdom?"
"...!"
She continued,
"If you wish, I can speak to my father and bridge the connection."
I hadn't considered that when recovering the letter.
But I couldn't pass up such an offer.
Just then, a servant announced that Uncle and Elder Brother Seon-il had returned home.
I said to Princess Sinaa,
"After dinner, I'd like to discuss details."