Tales Of The Nine Dragons [EN]: Chapter 95

구룡전기 (95)

“Your Highness, please grant me a month’s grace.”

Hwa Jeong-soo visited Prince Yeongchin’s residence and prostrated himself before Prince Yeongchin, Joo Young-woon.

“A month?”

“An unfortunate incident occurred where the grain was seized during transport. Therefore, I beg you for just one month, only one month.”

“A month? Are you saying our soldiers should starve to death in the meantime? If you had brought even a little grain and said that, I might understand. But you come empty-handed, saying it was stolen? What are we supposed to do with our soldiers?”

At Joo Young-woon’s rebuke, Hwa Jeong-soo kept his forehead pressed to the floor, pleading for an extension.

“That cannot be. Grain is a crucial resource directly tied to the morale of our soldiers. If you come without the grain and ask for a month’s grace, do you think I would trust you and grant such an opportunity?”

“Your Highness.”

“I have traded with you for a long time. There has never been such an incident, so I could trust you and give you time. But that is only possible when there is grain left in the warehouse.”

“I am deeply sorry.”

“You were supposed to deliver the grain before the rainy season, but you said it was stolen then as well.”

“That is correct.”

“You asked for time, saying you would bring the grain after the rainy season, and I gave you that time.”

Hwa Jeong-soo did not even dare to talk back to Joo Young-woon.

“We used the grain we had stockpiled while waiting for you to bring it, and now there is not much left, so we can no longer wait.”

“Your Highness!”

“Just as you have your circumstances, we have ours. We cannot starve the soldiers who protect the country.”

“Just one month… in one month…”

“The state cannot suffer for your convenience, so we will start looking for other grain vendors from tomorrow. You can bid next time.”

“Your Highness, haven’t we been trading without any mistakes until now? Please consider the efforts of our merchant group.”

“Would you have made such efforts if there was no profit for you? It displeases me that you speak as if it was all for our military.”

“I am sorry. Considering our past relationship…”

“Wasn’t it considering that relationship that I waited for you until all the stockpiled grain was used up?”

“Your Highness.”

“Isn’t it ridiculous for a merchant to talk about relationships? You may leave now.”

“Your Highness, please give me one more chance!”

Hwa Jeong-soo pleaded while prostrating himself, but Joo Young-woon was unmoved. One might call Joo Young-woon ruthless, but as the leader of the army, it was an inevitable decision for the safety of the nation, the lives of the soldiers, and their morale.

As Joo Young-woon turned away, a general approached Hwa Jeong-soo, grabbed his arm, and helped him up.

“If I were you, instead of just pleading like this, I would secure the grain and bring it to His Highness to ask for his favor.”

Hwa Jeong-soo looked at the general.

“You cannot accomplish anything with just words. So, instead of making excuses or promises here, it would be faster to find the grain.”

Hwa Jeong-soo nodded at the general’s words. He thought it would be helpful to bring the grain and talk about the next transaction, as he said.

“Then I will come back to see you with the grain next time. Until then, may you be well.”

Hwa Jeong-soo bowed and turned to leave Prince Yeongchin’s residence.

“You, contact the Nine Dragons Guild now and tell them to bring the grain.”

“Yes!”

* * *

Upon receiving a call from Prince Yeongchin’s residence, Hwa-rin went to Haiyan County in Zhejiang Province, where the supply depot was located, and delivered the grain, receiving bills of the Continental War [a form of currency or promissory note] in payment.

Then, he visited his uncle, Joo Young-woon, at Prince Yeongchin’s residence in Jiangsu Province to pay his respects.

“Fortunately, I have completed all the deliveries safely.”

“Really? I’ve heard that there have been many grain theft incidents recently. Have you heard any rumors about it?”

“Yes. I have heard that some martial artists are plundering grain, though it is unknown whether the Murim [the martial arts world] is involved.”

“It’s fortunate that you were able to move so much grain without any trouble.”

“I apologize for causing you concern.”

“Why should you be sorry? I should be thanking you. The head of the Hwamyeong Merchant Group told me that his grain was stolen and asked for a month’s grace.”

“But it will be impossible to obtain that much grain within a month. It is the season when grain is being collected from all over the Central Plains, so it will not be easy to secure grain as the contracted grains are already moving.”

“Is that so?”

“The Travil Kingdom would be able to secure enough grain, but there is the Great Prairie between the Travil Kingdom and the Central Plains. Even if you don’t encounter bandits in the middle, it will take a month and a half to go back and forth.”

“I understand. How are you doing?”

“I am doing well without any particular difficulties. I think I will be a little busier soon when the Nine Dragons Inn starts its business.”

“A gambling den… Hehehe.”

Joo Young-woon chuckled and asked.

“It is truly astonishing that His Majesty’s son is opening and running a gambling den that could drive the people to ruin. How did you come up with such an idea?”

“I believe that if you abandon greed, operating a gambling den can greatly help the development of the local community.”

“Abandon greed?”

“Yes. I have agreed with the Lord of Shanxi Province to use 30% of the money earned from the Nine Dragons Inn for Sanyang County, and I have promised to pay 30% as taxes for the development of Shanxi Province every month. Also, I have decided to raise 20% as a relief fund, so if you divide it up like this, there is no money left for me to take.”

“So you don’t benefit from it?”

“No. I have other businesses besides the Nine Dragons Inn, so if people gather in Sanyang County because of the Nine Dragons Inn, I will make profits in other businesses.”

“Hmm… The Nine Dragons Inn is just bait to attract people?”

“That is correct. If there are few floating populations, you can make them increase, and you can create the surrounding area to form a commercial district.”

“Create a commercial district?”

“That is correct. I plan to use the Nine Dragons Inn as bait to greatly expand the commercial district of a small, unremarkable town and greatly increase the floating population to the nearby Sangnam and Sangju counties.”

“Hmm…”

“If things go according to my plan, I think merchants will see this and think that they can also expand commercial districts and turn them into downtown areas in this way.”

“Impressive.”

“I think that a gambling den, which could ruin people’s lives, can conversely be a good weapon to save them.”

Joo Young-woon nodded greatly at Hwa-rin’s words.

“If Mina resembled even half of you, I would be relieved of my worries.”

“You flatter me, Uncle.”

“Did you say hello to your brother?”

“I have not contacted him since leaving the palace.”

“You heartless fellow, you may not want to remember your life in the palace, but he is still your father. He has many worries because of the princes these days, so you should visit him and say hello from time to time.”

“I will.”

“Okay. I will ask you for grain next time as well.”

“I will try to deliver the grain safely without any mistakes.”

Joo Young-woon nodded.

He wondered if this child in front of him was really the foolish prince who was pointed at.

“Since you’ve come this far, meet Mina and give her some advice before you go back.”

* * *

“Two masters died, and all the grain was stolen?”

“Yes. It is said that the same thing has happened before.”

Jegeal Tak of the Jeongcheon Alliance reported to Mi-hyang, the head of the intelligence department, about the recent events in Murim and the events in Sangrim.

“The grain brought from the Travil Kingdom was stolen in Gansu Province.”

“Does stealing grain mean stockpiling supplies for war?”

“It is not certain. The grain was stolen, but the thief is unknown. Also, even though thousands of bags of grain were stolen, not even a trace was left behind.”

“Trace?”

“Wagons, horses, etc.”

“Is there a way to take it without leaving a trace?”

“No. Except for one case…!”

Jegeal Tak nodded, looking as if he knew what that one case was.

“We still haven’t found the remnants of the Baegyo [White Lotus Sect, a historical rebel group] who ran away thirty years ago, have we?”

“I am sorry. We, as well as the Saheul Alliance and the Demonic Cult, are chasing after them separately, but the whereabouts of the Baegyo’s priestess are still unknown. The Demonic Cult or the Saheul Alliance may have found her whereabouts, but there have been no reports yet.”

“If she is alive and has been hiding until now, it seems like it is time for those remnants to become active.”

Thirty years is by no means a short time. It was enough time to gain enough results, whether learning martial arts or learning sorcery.

“We need to encourage the activities of the intelligence department a little more.”

“We are always doing our best.”

“Tell them to look into the Demonic Cult and the Saheul Alliance in more detail. And get help from the Hao Gate and the Beggars’ Union to search for the remnants of the Baegyo.”

“Do you think the Hwamyeong Merchant Group’s grain theft case was the work of the Baegyo remnants?”

“There are not many ways to steal and run away with that much grain without leaving a trace. The first is to deceive the opponent’s eyes using sorcery.”

After making them believe that the grain has disappeared, it is virtually difficult to deceive the eyes of many people by using horses and wagons to carry the grain.

The second method is to use a sorcery called a space pocket to put the grain in the space pocket and run away, but this was a method mainly used by gods and was also a sorcery.

I had heard that some of the Baegyo’s high-ranking sorcerers used this space pocket to carry supplies and take them out whenever they needed them.

“But aren’t both of those lost sorceries?”

“Since the priestess’s whereabouts are vague, could it be that she is alive and teaching those sorceries to others?”

Mi-hyang could not refute Jegeal Tak’s words.

“Even if there is a one in a million chance, it is good to point it out and move on.”

“I will look into it again from the beginning.”

“Do so. Ah. And you are a classmate of Commander Hyuk Ji-seok, aren’t you?”

“Yes, I am.”

“Then I want you to meet Commander Hyuk Ji-seok.”

He tilted his head at the sudden request to meet him.

“Commander Hyuk Ji-seok says he is quitting.”

“Yes? What do you mean? Commander Hyuk Ji-seok is quitting?”

“He said he wanted to leave the Alliance and find his own work. He seems to be very heartbroken because of the failure of this operation.”

“Ah, if it’s that, won’t he come back after he recovers?”

“I thought so too, so I told him how about taking a vacation, but he said he would quit.”

“He wouldn’t be the type to do that.”

“It seems that there was some kind of change of heart in this operation. So I want you to meet him and change his mind. If a warrior like Commander Hyuk Ji-seok leaves the Alliance at such an important time as now, there will be too many things we have to bear.”

“I understand. I will meet him and talk to him.”

“Please do so. I will meet the Alliance Leader and talk to him separately.”