I Will Start Doing Business In Jungwon From Today [EN]: Chapter 97

< Let's Live Together. 2 >

Moyong Hui, having arrived in the capital, paced back and forth, gazing at the city gates.

He had rushed here without a plan, and now that he was in the capital, he felt lost, unsure of where to go.

“That rascal… He should be rushing out barefoot to greet me, but he’s nowhere to be seen?”

As he grumbled, a splendid palanquin emerged from the city gates and soon stopped in front of Moyong Hui.

“I apologize for the wait, Great Hero Moyong Hui.”

The man who had accompanied the palanquin bowed respectfully.

“You know me?”

“How could I not recognize a leading figure of the orthodox martial world? Just leave the talking to me and get in the carriage.”

“Did Jo Gwangyun send you?”

“Yes. Our Master has been waiting for you. He has sent a palanquin to wait for you at the city gates every day for the past few days.”

Moyong Hui felt the fatigue from his long journey vanish instantly.

“Alright. Let’s go then. I’m more comfortable on horseback.”

“As a martial artist, that’s understandable. But as you know, the imperial law strictly prohibits carrying swords in the capital. You cannot enter with a sword at your waist, so please board the palanquin.”

“So, the palanquin is okay?”

“Of course. They inspect even the inside of the palanquin, but we’ve already taken care of it. Don’t worry.”

“Heh, that guy. He’s already gone this far…”

Moyong Hui grew curious about how much Jo Gwangyun had accomplished here.

“Then, please take care of my horse.”

Moyong Hui got into the palanquin and looked out at the capital streets through a small window, but his mind was elsewhere.

The palanquin bearers moved swiftly, their steps light, and the palanquin remained perfectly still. They were no ordinary men.

From the first glance, he sensed some martial arts prowess, but as the palanquin moved, he realized they were men who had undergone considerable training. However, he also knew at a glance that they were not members of the Azure Dragon Gate.

‘Who could they be?’

With this question in mind, Moyong Hui arrived at a massive manor.

“We have arrived. Please dismount, Great Hero.”

As he opened the door of the palanquin and stepped out, Jo Gwangyun greeted him with a bright smile.

“You must be tired from your long journey.”

However, Moyong Hui’s gaze was not on the bowing Jo Gwangyun but on the vast interior of the manor.

He gaped at the wide manor, the well-manicured trees, and the high walls that seemed to block out the sky.

Jo Gwangyun smiled, waiting for him to come to his senses.

“This place… It’s no different from the imperial palace!”

“Since you haven’t seen the imperial palace, you say that. This place is probably only at the level of the imperial palace’s rear garden. Haha.”

Moyong Hui blinked, looking at Jo Gwangyun’s smiling face.

“D, don’t tell me this is your manor?”

“Yes, it is, but it’s not exactly my house. It’s more of a club… Think of it as a pleasure house.”

“A club? For seeking pleasure?”

“That’s the idea.”

“You might as well call it a palace! I thought you were just a big merchant, but you’re even trying to squeeze money from drunkards?”

“Money doesn’t get drunk, you see. Anyway, let’s talk in detail inside. I’ve prepared a table with drinks in a nice pavilion.”

Moyong Hui looked around the manor and followed Jo Gwangyun.

As soon as they were seated in the pavilion, Moyong Hui said,

“What’s the real reason for summoning me here, even going so far as to use the word ‘friend’?”

“It’s as I said in the letter. Isn’t it time you trusted even a younger friend like me?”

Jo Gwangyun picked up a bottle of liquor from the table.

“Try this. It’s quite decent.”

Jo Gwangyun poured liquor into Moyong Hui’s glass.

“What is this? The color of the liquor is brown?”

Moyong Hui’s eyes widened as he saw the slightly reddish-brown liquor, having only ever encountered clear rice wine.

“I had the artisans at the brewery make it, but it’s still not quite right. It’s supposed to be blood-red, but it turned brown. It’s not poisoned, so try it first.”

Moyong Hui eyed the glass suspiciously, then lifted it and poured it down his throat, immediately frowning.

“Wh, what kind of taste is this?”

He kept moving his tongue, perhaps because of the bitter taste left in his mouth.

“Oh, I was going to tell you, but you drank it all at once… Master. Until you get used to it, just wet your tongue and drink it little by little.”

Moyong Hui smacked his lips and said,

“Could this be… made from grapes?”

“That’s right. We used grapes instead of rice, and if you keep drinking it, you’ll discover its true taste.”

“True taste or whatever, you’re really out of your mind. You don’t dry those precious grapes, and now you’re even making liquor? Something like this that’s all bitter taste?”

“If you appreciate the true taste of that bitterness, you’ll discover the sweetness underneath, and after that, you’ll always keep it by your side. This has been aged for two years, so it’s still lacking, but if a better batch comes out in the future, I’ll send you a few bottles.”

“Forget it. This dull stuff doesn’t suit my taste at all. Just bring me something that suits my palate.”

If it doesn’t suit the taste of the martial alliance lord who likes liquor, the grape wine is likely to fail. But isn’t grape wine more about elegance and class than taste?

Jo Gwangyun said regretfully,

“I can’t force you then. To refuse liquor that’s hundreds of times more expensive than other liquors…”

“What? Hundreds of times?”

Originally, rice wine was also a luxury item. Especially soju [a clear, distilled Korean liquor made from rice], a distilled liquor made from polished rice, was a symbol of luxury. It was even called ‘the tears of the farmer.’

Therefore, the country strictly prohibited making soju from rice unless it was an exceptionally good harvest year. But there were plenty of wealthy people who sought soju, so illegal brewing was rampant everywhere.

To say that this was worth hundreds of times that expensive liquor made Moyong Hui change his mind.

“Then leave it for now. I’ll taste it occasionally.”

Keeping something expensive and precious by one’s side is a good way to satisfy desire.

Jo Gwangyun gestured to a servant girl waiting below the pavilion, and she quickly prepared liquor familiar to Moyong Hui.

Moyong Hui rinsed his mouth with rice wine and finally had a satisfied expression.

“Now, tell me. What’s really going on?”

“I’m telling you to trust me. All I want is to treat the martial alliance lord to precious wine in this luxurious place. Enjoy yourself at your leisure.”

“Wine? What’s that again?”

“Didn’t you just drink it? The brown liquor made from grapes. I named it Wine (婐人).”

“A virtuous and beautiful person… Hmph, a liquor that doesn’t live up to its name.”

“You’ll get used to it. Haha.”

As Jo Gwangyun burst into laughter, a middle-aged woman in splendid palace attire rushed over and prostrated herself before Moyong Hui.

“I heard a noble guest had arrived, so I rushed here at once. I am Bang Young-young.”

Bang Young-young clung to Moyong Hui’s side, offering him liquor, but Moyong Hui neither lifted his glass nor made eye contact with Bang Young-young.

“If the beauty that could topple a kingdom is this woman… I’m not just saying it. I’ll set this place on fire and throw you into the blaze.”

Seeing Moyong Hui so stern that it didn’t sound like a joke, Bang Young-young moved even closer.

“Oh, Martial Alliance Lord. Although I’m a woman who sells fake smiles, I’m not so shameless as to claim the title of beauty that could topple a kingdom. If you wait, you’ll see the real beauty that could topple a kingdom.”

Bang Young-young immediately shouted to a servant girl,

“Our Martial Alliance Lord seems bored. Tell the girls to come quickly.”

At her command, several young and beautiful women rushed up to the pavilion.

Moyong Hui gaped at the sight of them.

They were showing off their beauty with heavy makeup, but what surprised Moyong Hui was not the women’s beauty.

“Th, this is outrageous! Who came up with these bizarre and lewd outfits?”

He asked the question, but Moyong Hui already knew the answer. He glared at Jo Gwangyun with a dumbfounded expression.

Courtesans usually wear elaborate headdresses, heavy makeup, and silk robes layered to hide their figures.

But the courtesans who came up to the pavilion had the same elaborate headdresses and heavy makeup, but their outfits were completely different.

They wore only a single layer of clinging silk that completely revealed their figures, and the length of their skirts was so short that they exposed their white thighs.

Some courtesans had long skirts, but they were slit all the way up to just below the buttocks, revealing their legs all the same.

“How is it? Doesn’t it exude a more captivating charm of a woman? I find that dress with the long slit skirt more beautiful.”

Jo Gwangyun pointed to the cheongsam [a close-fitting, one-piece Chinese dress], which was still unfamiliar because the culture of the Manchus had not yet fully spread.

The cheongsam originated from the changpao (長袍) [a long, traditional Chinese robe], a robe worn by the Manchus who founded the Qing Dynasty.

Since the Manchus often rode horses, the dress naturally had side slits to make it easier for women to ride. In the early days, it was worn by both men and women and was not worn alone but with pants.

Over time, women began to take off their pants to enhance their charm.

But to Moyong Hui, who still lived in an era where the teachings of Confucius were vivid, it was a cultural shock.

“The most beautiful thing in the world is a woman’s body. Is there any need to hide it? If you don’t harbor lewd thoughts, you’re simply appreciating perfect beauty. Does the Martial Alliance Lord perhaps harbor lewd thoughts?”

“Enough. Anyway, your silver tongue… Hmph.”

After a moment, Moyong Hui, seemingly getting used to it, clicked his tongue once and said nothing more.

But he didn’t know where to look, so he just kept staring at his glass.

“Take your time to appreciate it. The beauty that could topple a kingdom hasn’t come out yet. Martial Alliance Lord, release your inner energy and indulge in the liquor. Once you’re a little drunk, she’ll appear before you.”

The liquor gradually loosens the firm and strict morals and principles.

As several bottles of liquor were emptied, Moyong Hui’s gaze naturally turned to the women’s bodies, and he soon exchanged jokes and continued to burst into joyful laughter.

The drinking session that started in the afternoon ended as the sun slowly set in the west.

“Shall we see the beauty that could topple a kingdom now?”

As soon as Jo Gwangyun finished speaking, the courtesans who had been serving liquor all left their seats, and Bang Young-young also bowed her head.

“Please wait a moment, Martial Alliance Lord.”

As Bang Young-young disappeared, Jo Gwangyun opened his mouth.

“This woman is not a courtesan but a work of art.”

“A work of art?”

“Yes. You can only appreciate her, but you can never possess her.”

“Not a courtesan but a work of art, so a man cannot possess her?”

“That’s right. And there are only a few men in the Central Plains who can truly appreciate this woman. The Martial Alliance Lord is the first of those few men to appreciate her. Think of it as a gift from a young friend.”

As Jo Gwangyun finished his explanation, Bang Young-young and the work of art slowly came up to the pavilion.

The work of art had her face covered with a white veil and wore traditional attire, unlike the other courtesans. The curves of her body were not revealed, nor were her white legs.

But just the sight of her eyes above the veil was enough to startle Moyong Hui, who was over seventy years old, to the point of clutching his chest.

“Pay your respects. This is the Martial Alliance Lord.”

Yang Ryeo-cheong simply bowed without saying a word.

But Moyong Hui was surprised once more by her elegant gesture. She had only slightly bowed, but he felt his heart skip a beat.

Yang Ryeo-cheong slowly lifted the veil.

Unlike the courtesans, she wore only light makeup, but as she looked at Moyong Hui with a noble expression, Moyong Hui could not close his mouth.

Seeing that, Jo Gwangyun clenched his fist.

‘It’s even more successful than expected.’

Even a master like Moyong Hui, with his deep inner energy, cannot control his agitated mind. How much more so would ordinary men be?

< Let's Live Together. 2 > End