Chapter 303 Business Trip

Chapter 303: Business Trip

The reunion with the master began with a report.

Mun-sang stood before his master and reported on everything that had happened over the past six months, what he had done, and what he needed to do going forward. I waited awkwardly for the report to end.

“Well, well, Mun-sang probably did a fine job anyway. Just let it slide. If I hadn’t entrusted it to you, that’s one thing, but once I did, don’t you know I meant to trust you completely?”

“……”

Well, with a bit more grumbling, that is.

During the report, which lasted over half an hour, the master changed his expression several times.

He let out a low groan at the news that the city wall had collapsed, killing five and injuring over thirty.

Upon hearing that the delay in the government’s response was the cause, he frowned as if angry.

He scoffed at the suggestion that I had drafted the reform plan to address this very issue.

But when Mun Sang explained the details and outcomes of the reform plan, he looked utterly shocked and pointed his finger at me.

“Wait, are you giving credit to that guy?”

“No.”

Give credit where credit is due.

“How could that be? It was the current head who drafted the reform plan and persuaded the other heads. I merely chimed in from the sidelines.”

“……Surprising.”

The master nodded and looked at me.

“Well done.”

His gaze was intense, his voice short yet resonant.

Feeling acknowledged by my master, I felt a lump rise in my throat without realizing it.

“No, if you’ve been exploiting someone for six months, you should pay them. How can you just dismiss it with a single word? Don’t you know that labor deserves wages?”

Paying fair wages for work done is the way of the martial world.

“……”

I fired back immediately, and the two stared at me with dumbfounded expressions.

My words must have struck a chord with them.

“……I know you have plenty of money, right?”

“It’s a lot. I worked my ass off to earn it. Since I did the work, shouldn’t I get paid for it separately?”

“How much?”

“Well, thirty nyang should be enough.”

“Less than I expected.”

“It’s gold, you know?”

“……”

Just as the master was about to nod slightly, Mun Sang spoke up.

“Ahem, that seems a bit excessive.”

“Oh, come on. For what we did, that’s the least we should get.”

“Even if there were results, don’t you think the reward is too large for just half a year’s work?”

“Does the number of hours worked matter? What matters is what was done and how it was done.”

“But that doesn’t mean we can squander the taxes paid by the people like this.”

“Good heavens, squandered? From a macroeconomic perspective, if I receive and spend the money… it creates a virtuous cycle… domestic demand is stimulated, incomes rise… taxes…”

“I know that much. Money is like a flowing river—it must circulate… But with the current head of the Jin clan, who knows if he’ll spend it at all… or where it will go…”

A moment later.

“Gasp. Gasp.”

Mun Sang looked at me, gasping for breath.

His gaze conveyed a determination not to let things go as you wished.

“……No, why do you keep opposing it when the master says to do it?”

“It’s for the sake of the province’s finances. It’s certainly not because the late Lord Jin exposed my private affairs to the world.”

“……”

To inject personal feelings into public affairs… He must be narrower-minded than the crickets raised in the cleaning shed.

As neither would yield, the master stepped in.

“Then how about assigning more work?”

“……?”

“That fellow wants thirty taels of gold, but Mun-sang thinks it’s too much. If we assign him more work, wouldn’t that balance things out?”

Mun-sang nodded at the simple solution.

“That’s an excellent idea. Then, as per the Lord’s wishes, I’ll assign a new task to the head of the Jeonryong Clan soon.”

“Do so.”

“No.”

Why are you deciding my extra work?

* * *

The next day.

In the end, I ended up receiving a hundred gold coins—far more than I had originally wanted.

The problem was.

“…So you want me to look over the entire Seocheon region? To see if this reform was successful or not.”

“That’s right. Just scan through it thoroughly. If any shortcomings catch your eye, simply report them to the castle. It shouldn’t be too difficult.”

The difficulty level of the extra work we have to do is quite high.

“That’s not the issue. I meant, when exactly are we supposed to inspect all of Xichuan?”

It’s called a region, but Xichuan encompasses an area equivalent to the combined territories of Sichuan, Yunnan, Gansu, and Qinghai—roughly one-third the size of the Central Plains.

Being told to go see such a vast territory alone was tantamount to being told to return in ten years.

“Who said I had to go alone?”

“Well?”

“Isn’t there Hao Wen, your close friend?”

Mun Sang continued, sipping his tea.

“Why else would I have given you a hundred liang? It was meant for you to use.”

A clear answer.

As Mun Sang said, if I go through Hao Mun, I won’t need to move directly myself.

I could simply commission them to survey the entire Western Region and focus only on problematic areas.

Moreover, since Hao Wen wasn’t even part of Kowloon City, he would examine it even more objectively.

“Why didn’t you say so earlier… I almost misunderstood.”

“Oh, come on. Who was the one jumping to conclusions in the first place?”

“Ahem, I’ll go ahead then. I wonder if the Lord of Hao Gate is even there…”

“Yes, please get out of Kuryongseong as soon as possible. Only then will I be able to sleep peacefully.”

“……”

With that, he left the mourning hall’s office and headed straight for the second floor.

“Wouldn’t it be fine to just write ‘Hao Gate’ now?”

As he looked up at the signboard, a familiar face appeared.

“If you lay it out honestly, they won’t believe it.”

“Yang Dan-ju!”

It was Yang Ok-seon, who had risked her life to help during the recent Mount Myosan rescue operation.

“Wow, it’s been ages!”

“It’s been about a year, I think.”

“Time really flies. Where have you been all this time? I was planning to buy you a proper drink.”

“I was promoted for my service to the Lord and have been traveling around to various places.”

“You’ve made it big! Wait a minute. Doesn’t that mean I should be the one getting a free meal?!”

“The first round is on the master. This round is on me.”

“Heh heh heh, fair enough.”

“Are you here to see the head of the household?”

“Yes, is he inside?”

“Yes, he’s waiting for you right now.”

“……Ah.”

Yang Ok-sun hadn’t just happened to run into me; she had come out to meet me.

She must have guessed my destination by the direction I was walking.

“Hao Moon, as expected.”

“You flatter me.”

Following Yang Ok-seon into the main hall, Yongmasan was pouring tea.

“Please come in.”

After we sat down, Yang Ok-seon withdrew.

“Well then, I’ll take my leave now. Please continue your conversation.”

Yongmasan nodded and met his gaze.

“Well, what brings you here today?”

“I’m here to make a request.”

“A request from the Jin family head… It’s been a while.”

“Well? Isn’t it nice to have some work coming in?”

“If you’re going to haggle for an 80% discount like last time, or say you’ll pay in twenty years, you might as well just leave.”

“What do you take me for? I’ve brought plenty of bullets, so don’t worry.”

“I don’t know what you mean by ‘bullets’… but I’ll hear you out.”

A moment later.

After hearing the entire request, Yongmasan’s gaze deepened.

“So you need information on the current situation in the cities and villages of Seocheon.”

“And that’s hot off the press, the latest news.”

“Understood. But the fee might be a bit steep—is that alright?”

“Oh, that’s not the case. After all, I just need to relay messages from the agents I’ve scattered around. Why would it be expensive?”

“But manpower is required to deliver that message. Many contact points lack a postal system, you see.”

“How much?”

“Hmm…”

Yongmasan wore a troubled expression.

Indirect proof the estimate wouldn’t be cheap.

Before he could speak, I beat him to it.

“Ten taels of gold. How about it?”

“Three hundred men will need at least two months to move, yet ten taels of gold won’t even cover the expenses.”

“Then… eleven taels?”

“……”

Yongmasan looked at me with an expression that seemed to say, Why is this fool acting like this? Then he opened his mouth.

“Seventy taels.”

“Even if three hundred men worked for two months, their wages would only cost eighteen taels of gold… Aren’t you overcharging?”

“Even Jin, the head of the clan, who knows this, didn’t ask for ten nyang, did he?”

“…….”

“And it’s not just wages. We must cover transportation costs, various hazard pay, and even prepare a rescue team in case of trouble. Seventy nyang won’t yield much profit.”

“Are you saying that to hurt my feelings? Are we really haggling over profit between us? After risking our lives fighting for Hao Wen’s revenge?”

“……Just cover my expenses.”

“Hmph, you should have said so sooner. How much?”

“Fifty nyang…”

“Tsk! No cost-cutting? Don’t you care about customer satisfaction?”

“……I’ll match forty nyang. But it’s cash up front.”

The magic word is cost reduction, as always.

Clink.

He pulled gold coins from his money pouch and spread them out before him. Yongmasan picked up one coin and held it up to the sunlight.

“Could it be gold leaf applied to coins…?”

“I’m Jin Mujeon of the Dragon Dragon Clan. You don’t think I’d scam you over money, do you?”

“I’ve been cheated so many times before…”

“……”

He’s really giving me a hard time just because I was a few times late with the money.

“So, I’ll take that as you accepting the job? No pulling any stunts later, like demanding more money because things got tough?”

“Do not worry. The loyalty of Hao Wen is never taken lightly.”

He chuckled.

Every time I see him, I can’t help but think he’s a rather trustworthy bald man.

“Wait, what about the two coins?”

Couldn’t you just let that slide?

* * *

A moment later.

Only after handing over the last two coins could I finally draw up the contract.

The operation failed, but… well, it’s fine.

I got an extra seventy nyang budget and pocketed twenty nyang myself.

“Heh heh.”

It was practically like picking up a decade’s worth of salary for a decent expert.

And there was another good thing.

Legal leave.

The lord’s order is to survey the entire Seocheon region.

In other words.

‘You can use the order as an excuse to play for half a year.’

It meant he could take half a year off, regardless of the clan head meeting or anything else.

Anyway, the matters of the Jeonwang Gate are being handled by the two slaves (Yoo So-pyeong and Myo-san), so there’s no need to worry.

“Heh heh heh.”

Pure bliss, that’s what it was.

“I should take my wife on a trip.”

He shared this joyful news with Myohyang, but…

“I’m sorry, but I don’t think I can come along this time.”

“Huh? Why?”

“The Seocheon Trading Company has been incredibly busy lately. As you know, it’s peak season now, right?”

“But you had a nice honeymoon, didn’t you?”

“We forced ourselves to go then too. And even that wouldn’t have been possible without Yang Yeon-ju. If I leave this time, it’ll be completely unbearable.”

“…….”

But it’s okay.

Because I have a wife and a lover who accepts me.

“Heh heh heh, Hwaran has entered seclusion.”

“……Suddenly?”

“Recently, after taking some elixir—was it Feng Muhuan or Feng Yuhuan?—her vital energy hasn’t been stable.”

“……”

“Don’t worry too much. Once she finishes her seclusion, she’ll be reborn as an even more formidable Hwaran.”

I don’t know what’s so great about it, but what can you do if it’s closed?

I’ll have to try to get someone else to come along.

Going alone is no fun, after all.

And just like that, in a single day.

“I, I can’t believe this…!”

I suddenly realized everyone in Kuryongseong except me was living busy lives.

“What are you looking at? Never seen a guy get dumped by a girl before?”

“You’re going wandering, right? I’m coming too!”

Gwi-tul-gwi-tul.

Ah, except for Dangyanggang and Cheongso, that is.