I Will Start Doing Business In Jungwon From Today [EN]: Chapter 133

Even a beautiful flower is considered a weed if it blooms in a field. Pulling out weeds is perfectly acceptable. But the moment you transplant that weed into a pot, it becomes a flowering plant, and you can’t simply pull it out anymore.

If Yang Ryeo-cheong were killed after entering the palace, it would constitute high treason, punishable by the extermination of nine generations of her family. Eliminating her now, however, would simply be the murder of a commoner.

Do Yeong-jeon’s mind raced with complex calculations.

“Go back out and keep an eye on Jo Gwang-yun. If any other individuals show up, report it immediately.”

Do Yeong-jeon glared at the man and snapped, “Are you interfering with my work now? How dare you be so presumptuous!”

The man flinched and lowered his head.

“I apologize. I overstepped my bounds.”

Knowing that a harsh scolding was likely if he lingered, the man left the Seoyik [a secret imperial agency] faster than an arrow.

Left alone, Do Yeong-jeon seemed to reach a decision, pulling on a fur-lined leather coat.

After passing through the city gate, he looked around once and then leaped, using his martial skills to move with great speed.

The guard stationed at the west gate remained nonchalant, even after seeing Do Yeong-jeon’s figure disappear in an instant, as if he were accustomed to such displays.

The place where Do Yeong-jeon reappeared was the residence of Wi Chung-hyeon, the head of Pyeongsangseosa [an official in charge of supplies].

After a quick survey of his surroundings, he jumped over the wall.

Having visited this house dozens of times, both officially and unofficially, he knew every nook and cranny of the large mansion. Do Yeong-jeon headed straight for Wi Chung-hyeon’s personal quarters.

The servant, who was dozing off in front of the door, was startled awake. Do Yeong-jeon said,

“Tell the master that I have come to see him with something urgent to say.”

The servant, also familiar with Do Yeong-jeon, bowed his head and immediately announced, “Sir, Do Yeong-jeon, the head of Seoyik, has come to see you with an urgent report.”

“Bring him in quickly,” a raspy voice responded from the bedroom.

Do Yeong-jeon didn’t wait for the servant to offer assistance with his shoes. He kicked them off and quickly entered the room.

Wi Chung-hyeon was not yet in bed. He was flipping through a book at his desk when he saw Do Yeong-jeon enter and said, “Sit down. Judging by your visit at this late hour, something urgent must have occurred.”

Do Yeong-jeon plopped down on a chair next to Wi Chung-hyeon without offering a greeting.

“You’re the one who created this urgent matter. Stop creating unnecessary conflicts and put an end to it.”

Wi Chung-hyeon glanced at Do Yeong-jeon and asked, “If Seoyik is involved, then His Majesty must have ordered it directly. It seems he cares about that merchant.”

“It’s not the merchant, but the safety of the woman that he cares about. Or perhaps he has other intentions.”

“Other intentions… So? Are you going to disrupt those intentions? Have you already reported it?”

“If I had reported it to His Majesty, I wouldn’t have come at this late hour.”

“Why didn’t you report it? Are you looking out for me?”

“I have to prevent unnecessary conflicts. If you take the person, I will bury it.”

“Hehehe. Am I in your debt again?”

“I don’t consider this a debt.”

Wi Chung-hyeon studied Do Yeong-jeon’s expression.

Seoyik is an organization that operates only on the Emperor’s secret orders. Do Yeong-jeon is one of the few people who can have a private audience with the Emperor at any time, and the Emperor trusts him implicitly.

There is another organization that moves only on the Emperor’s secret orders, much like Seoyik.

That is Donglim [another secret imperial agency, focused on military matters].

While Seoyik monitors the movements of the royal family and court officials, Donglim monitors the military. A single report from either organization could cost an ordinary person their head, such is the level of trust they receive from the Emperor.

To owe a debt to the head of such an organization is a serious matter, one that must be repaid.

“Since Seoyik has taken charge of him, I should naturally step back. As you already know, that man is no ordinary person. He’s a wealthy merchant who roams the Central Plains [historical region of China] like his own backyard. What do you think will happen if such a person becomes a relative of the royal family?”

It was the kind of statement a court official concerned about corruption due to the rise of in-laws might make. But Do Yeong-jeon smiled and said,

“The thing you’re worried about isn’t that the wealthy merchant will gain the status of a royal relative. You’re more concerned that the merchant’s sister is a woman of heavenly beauty, and it’s obvious she will win the Emperor’s favor.”

Do Yeong-jeon stood up from his chair as if he had finished speaking.

“His Majesty is not someone who will be blinded by beauty and lose his judgment. He is wise enough to clearly distinguish between the inner and outer courts. Don’t unnecessarily provoke his favor, and accept it.”

Do Yeong-jeon bowed to Wi Chung-hyeon and turned to leave.

With this level of warning, even that old fox would understand well enough.

* * *

“I’m freezing to death, but that bastard is drinking with beautiful courtesans. Damn… I’m jealous.”

While the Seoyik man was grumbling and shivering outside the clubhouse, Jo Gwang-yun called the Hanahoe warriors [a group of martial artists] and gave them secret instructions.

“When I go out, there will be someone chasing me. I don’t know if it’s one or several, but you guys follow them.”

“Yes, Lord.”

“Don’t make trouble unnecessarily, just follow quietly. Your job is only to find out where those guys came from.”

“We will keep that in mind.”

Having finished his preparations, Jo Gwang-yun left the clubhouse. To appear as a carefree man who had enjoyed a drink, he made sure to stagger slightly.

He moved slowly, and the Seoyik man followed Jo Gwang-yun from a distance.

But the Seoyik man was not a warrior who had only learned how to hold a sword, like Wi Chung-hyeon’s subordinates. He was well-trained in stealth and observation.

He felt a chilling sensation pricking the back of his head, and he realized that the sensation had started right from the clubhouse.

‘This… Is he involved in the martial arts world? He’s no ordinary person. I’m the one who got caught…’

It wasn’t just the cold winter air making his face flush. He was ashamed that he had let his guard down, thinking of Jo Gwang-yun as merely a merchant.

If he returned to the palace as he was, Jo Gwang-yun would realize that the royal family was monitoring him.

If he made a quick escape at this point, it was questionable whether he could shake off the guys who were following him.

The question was the persistence of the men tailing him. It was difficult to make an accurate judgment because he didn’t know how far and for how long they would pursue him.

In the end, only options that should not be done and options that were difficult to judge remained.

Returning to the palace was something that should not be done, so shaking off the guys who were following him was the only viable option.

The man took a deep breath and leaped, employing his martial skills to increase his speed.

The Hanahoe warriors did not hesitate.

Jo Gwang-yun’s order was to follow, and faithfully carrying out that order was their sole purpose.

The chase in the middle of the night was brief.

It was difficult for a government official, even one with some martial training, to evade the pursuit of Jianghu [the martial arts world] individuals who dedicated their lives to martial arts.

The man, now surrounded by the Hanahoe warriors, wore a troubled expression.

“What’s going on? If you’re robbers, just back off. I don’t have any money.”

“Is that supposed to be funny? Are you doing this because we’re following a good person around?”

“Come on, I didn’t do anything that could cause a misunderstanding… Following around? I wasn’t doing that.”

“Stop it. If it’s a misunderstanding, we can clear it up.”

Jo Gwang-yun arrived a step late, and the Hanahoe warriors stepped back.

Jo Gwang-yun clasped his hands together towards the man, showing courtesy.

“There are many eyes watching me these days, so please understand that I sought self-preservation.”

Seeing Jo Gwang-yun appear so quickly, the Seoyik man knew that Jo Gwang-yun’s martial arts skills were also considerable.

“If you just tell me who you are, I will go back as I am. How about it?”

“Come on, how many times do I have to say it…”

Jo Gwang-yun smiled and stopped him from speaking.

“Think carefully before you speak. These warriors here will follow you relentlessly until they uncover your identity. Even if that’s not the case, you can’t avoid getting into trouble. Ten royal guards are guarding my house. I can hand you over to them.”

Royal guards.

It was a fact he had overlooked. If he was handed over to them, he wouldn’t be able to conceal his identity, and it would be revealed that Seoyik was monitoring Jo Gwang-yun.

If that happened, the fact that he was chasing Jo Gwang-yun and was caught would come to light, and he could not avoid severe reprimand.

Jo Gwang-yun gave a final warning to the hesitating man, who was unsure of what to do.

“You know well since you have learned martial arts. If we set our minds to it, we can block your blood points [vital points in acupuncture] and render you unable to move. Then we will search your pockets and find anything that could be a clue. Do you want to suffer such humiliation?”

The man thought of the spirit tablet in his pocket. He couldn’t bear the thought of the spirit tablet that the Emperor had personally bestowed falling into the hands of a merchant or Jianghu figure.

“Just think of it as a ceremonial event performed by the royal family.”

The suddenly changed man spoke in a thick voice, like a government official.

Royal family!

Jo Gwang-yun turned around and said,

“Everyone, go back. We can’t oppress a royal official.”

“Understood!”

As the Hanahoe warriors disappeared in an instant, the Seoyik man frowned.

He understood the implications of sending back the warriors who had accompanied him.

It meant that Jo Gwang-yun alone was confident enough to handle him. He realized that Jo Gwang-yun’s level of martial arts, which he had been curious about, was at least superior to his own.

“I will ask for forgiveness for the discourtesy after confirming that you are a royal official. You can show me proof that you are a royal official, or you can demonstrate that you can enter the royal palace even at this late hour. How about it? Will you show me proof? Or will you go to the royal palace with me?”

It was a demand to accurately reveal his identity.

Going to the royal palace at this late hour would only spread rumors to the Seomun guards.

Jo Gwang-yun said to the hesitating man,

“My lips are sealed. Merchants know the secrets of many people. Especially as I run a war room [a place for strategic planning], I must keep the identity of my customers and the amount of money they entrust to me a secret until I die. I sent all my subordinates back so that I would not reveal your identity to anyone. Believe me.”

The man bit his lip at Jo Gwang-yun’s calm voice. To quietly resolve this matter, it was best to comply with his wishes. However, he did not forget to warn him to keep his promise.

“If you don’t want today’s events to remain a humiliation etched in my memory, then Jo Jang-ju [title for Jo Gwang-yun] must keep the words you just spoke. I will have to return the humiliation I have suffered.”

“Today’s events will not be a humiliation, but an opportunity to build friendship. It may sound like bragging, but no one has ever regretted being friends with me.”

He thought that Jo Gwang-yun was no ordinary person. He had heard that the foundation of a merchant’s success was the ability to make others their own, but he hadn’t realized that even he, with his rigorous training, could be swayed.

The man took out the spirit tablet from his pocket and held it out in front of Jo Gwang-yun’s eyes.

“If you don’t recognize this, then I have no other way to prove my identity.”

Jo Gwang-yun had never seen the Seoyik’s spirit tablet before, but he didn’t betray his ignorance.

He only made a calculated guess based on the character Seo (西), meaning West, engraved in the middle.

“I have heard that there are two organizations that the Emperor uses like his own limbs: Seoyik and Donglim. You are an official in Seoyik.”

Jo Gwang-yun adopted a respectful posture towards the spirit tablet.

“Please forgive my discourtesy. I am always in a position to be threatened, so I had no choice. The merchant world is as dangerous as walking on thin ice.”

The man quickly returned the spirit tablet to his pocket.

“I will trust Jo Jang-ju and tell you one thing.”

“I am listening attentively.”

Jo Gwang-yun maintained his respectful attitude towards the man.

Giving advice is the first step in building friendship.

End