How far are you willing to go? (5)
Thus, the disciples of Hwasan went to the home of Ga Eonseong, Director of the Ministry of Revenue, guided by the children Yu Hanbin had accepted as his subordinates(?).
“Hey! Are you sure you got the information right?”
At Chung Myung’s irritated rebuke, Yu Hanbin sharply turned his head around.
“Just a moment. Hey! You sure you got the right information?”
“Y-Yes, Sir. I’m sure. One of our kids’ mothers works as a maid in the Ministry of Revenue Director’s household, you see.”
“He says he got the information for sure.”
“…You’re sure?”
“You’re sure, right?”
“I-I told you, I am.”
The child answered, sweating profusely. If they were going to ask the same thing twice, they could have just asked him directly. Why did two guys with equally nasty-looking faces have to make him answer the same question twice?
“The Director of the Ministry of Revenue is an official, right?”
“Yes. That’s right.”
“Aren’t government officials forbidden from engaging in commerce?”
“That’s… probably right?”
“Then what’s that?”
“Uh… Well, you see…”
With expressions of utter bewilderment the disciples of Hwasan stared at the enormous estate before them.
The walls stretched endlessly from left to right, while the massive gate looked large enough for five carriages to enter at once. And, hanging in the center of that gate, was a signboard bearing the words Gahwa Merchant Guild [가화상단(家和商團)*].
“It’s a merchant guild.”
“It’s obviously a merchant guild.”
“Anyone can see that this is a trading house.”
Everyone looked at the child with expressions demanding an explanation. The child answered, sweating profusely.
“N-No, I’m telling you, it’s true. His Lordship, the Director of the Ministry of Revenue, lives there.”
“…..You little punk, do you think you can look down on us because we’re country bumpkins? Even if we’re Taoists with nothing to do with the government, we at least know that it’s illegal for an official to run a merchant guild!”
“Th-That’s right. But there’s no law saying that an official’s younger brother can’t run a merchant guild, is there?”
“…Huh?”
“The registered owner of that merchant guild is Lord Ga Eonseong’s younger brother, you see. Lord Ga Eonseong is merely living off the merchant guild his younger brother runs.”
Hwasan’s disciples’ mouths dropped open in unison.
“C-Can that really work?”
“…Strictly speaking, it isn’t illegal.”
“Is this really the time to argue over whether it’s illegal or not? That’s just covering your eyes and pretending not to see!”
“He’s right. But either way, it isn’t illegal.”
“Ah.”
The disciples of Hwasan stared at the estate, that looked more like a palace, their shock showing no sign of fading.
“My goodness… They say people in Beijing will cut off your nose the moment you blink. What a bunch of thieving bastards…”
“And there’s also……”
“What else is there?”
“I said he lives off his younger brother, but strictly speaking, the Director of the Ministry of Revenue has a separate residence.”
“What? Then you should have said that first! Where is it?”
Everyone questioned the child with expressions that said, ‘That makes more sense.’
“At the far end over there.”
“The end? Which end?”
“The house over there at the corner.”
Baek Cheon tilted his head.
“What house is there at the corner?”
“It’s right there, the house!”
“There’s no house no matter how I look. There’s only one dilapidated building… D-Don’t tell me.”
Baek Cheon’s jaw dropped all the way to his chest.
“Th-That is a house? That?”
A dilapidated house that looked as though it would collapse if lightly touched. Even that was so cramped that it seemed impossible for a single person to even enter comfortably, and it stood pressed against the wall of the enormous estate.
“Yes. That’s why that… Director of the Ministry of Revenue is renowned for his frugality.”
“F-Frugality?”
“Because he lives in a house like that.”
Hwasan disciples’ felt their minds reel.
“So this man, whatever he is – a Director of the Ministry of Revenue or a Ministry of Revenue’s Mutt**… not only runs a merchant guild under his younger brother’s name, but also builds a house like that right beside it as a blatant showpiece, then covers it up by pretending he’s an upright official?”
“…”
Isn’t this bastard completely insane?
“…..It’s common in Beijing.”
“Hiiiiiiek.”
Hwasan’s party trembled as though they had just glimpsed hell itself. The shock seemed to have been too much even for Hye Yeon, who had finally resorted to reciting the Heart Sutra.
They told him not to chant Buddhist invocations, and now he’s gone and started reciting the Heart Sutra… No, that wasn’t the issue here.
“Hey, Chung Myung. This is going way too f… What’s with your eyes?”
“Sasuk.”
“Hm?”
“Could it be that, when you really think about it, I’ve actually lived a very honest and virtuous life?”
“…”
“Such a thought suddenly occurred to me.”
“No, no. That can’t possibly be true. So don’t entertain such wicked thoughts.”
“Really?”
“……Probably. Probably.”
But Baek Cheon himself wasn’t exactly confident in what he had just said.
“Hey, are all officials in Beijing normally like this?”
“Uh? Eh? Oh? Hmm…?”
“…He’s broken. What do we do?”
Jwa Gohak was twisting his neck from side to side, creaking like a rusted hinge, apparently too shocked to function.
“There shouldn’t be any problem getting inside. They’re desperately short-handed at the moment and are hiring new people. I heard they’re planning to hire about thirty more.”
“…Seeing people coming and going nonstop, it does look like they need more workers. But how on earth did you find all this out?”
“I just know.”
“Huh?”
“I just know. Everyone knows.”
When Baek Cheon stared blankly, unable to understand the answer, Yu Hanbin shrugged and explained it.
“Things adults find awkward to talk about are usually nothing special to children. So it’s easier to get information than you’d expect.”
“…I suppose that’s true. Anyway, so. Since they’re hiring laborers right now, you’re saying we can infiltrate the place easily?”
“Yes. But I’ve heard that the verification process is extremely strict. We’ll have to be careful.”
“What problem could that be? Where in the world are they going to find laborers as capable as us?”
Baek Cheon beamed, his face adorned with thick beard lighting up.
⠀
“These are the people who applied for positions this time.”
“Hmm, is that so?”
The Chief Administrator of the Gahwa Merchant Guild slowly surveyed those standing in line with sharp eyes.
“…Every last one of them looks rather rough. They haven’t been off somewhere playing at being bandits, have they?”
“Who are you calling rough… Agh!”
Chung Myung, whose foot had been stepped on, pouted with his lips sticking out like a bird’s beak.
‘Keep quiet.’
‘Shut your mouth!’
‘We promised to keep our mouths shut.’
“I don’t believe so. They spoke with a Shaanxi accent, and as you know, there are hardly any bandits in Shaanxi.”
“So they’re country bumpkins from Shaanxi.”
As Chung Myung began to flare up again at the words ‘country bumpkins,’ Tang Soso kindly stepped on his foot once more.
“Are they any good?”
“The men all seem strong, at least. As for the women, they should be able to manage in the kitchen, shouldn’t they?”
“Hmm, that’s right. Then… we should put them through a test now.”
The Chief Administrator glared sharply at them all.
“If any of you entered this place with ulterior motives, leave. I’ll forgive anyone who leaves right now. But if you don’t, and your intentions are discovered… You won’t leave this place alive. You understand? The older brother of this merchant guild’s Master is the Director of the Ministry of Revenue, after all.”
“Of-Of course.”
“Ulterior motives? This humble one knows nothing of the sort.”
“Good. We’ll know once we check. Wait here for a moment.”
The Chief Administrator took one of his men and headed towards the back. And no sooner had he moved out of sight than everyone’s eyes swiftly fixed on a single spot.
“What did I just hear?”
“‘ This humble one knows nothing of the sort’? Wow, you’d think he’d spent ten years working as a servant.”
“Who knew Jo Geol would actually come in handy?”
“…Please be quiet, everyone. You useless bastards.”
When the disciples of Hwasan broke into applause as if on cue, Jo Geol’s face turned bright red.
“But what exactly is this ‘verification’?”
“Who knows? I’ve never heard of this one. What… is there some kind of information organization?”
“That’s possible. This is the house of a Ministry of Revenue Director with ties to the Eastern Depot, after all. We should stay alert.”
“….If things go bad, we run. Everyone be careful.”
“Yes.”
Just as everyone was growing increasingly tense, the Chief Administrator, who had gone behind the pavilion, returned with someone in tow.
“Hoho. I don’t know what you’re thinking, but it’s meaningless anyway. Once this gentleman looks at you, he sees everything, if you know what I mean.”
‘This gentleman?’
At those words, everyone’s eyes turned to the man with the rat-like mustache who had followed the Chief Administrator.
“This gentleman is a famous Master of Appearances [상사(相師)] in Beijing.”
“…A Master of Appearances? What is that? Sahye.. No, Hyeong.”
“I think he means someone who reads faces [관상***].”
“Face reader? Why do we suddenly need our faces read?”
“Be quiet, all of you. Can’t you keep your mouths shut and wait quietly?”
The Chief Administrator shouted at them, then gave the face reader a slight nod.
“If you please.”
“Hmm.”
The rat-mustached man grasped his mustache between his thumb and forefinger and pulled it straight, then waddled over to Jo Geol, who was standing at the very end.
“Hmmm.”
After carefully scrutinizing his face, the face reader tilted his head.
“No, what is this? This face…”
“What do you think? Is he someone with ulterior motives?”
“…Ulterior motives aren’t the issue. This man has the face of someone destined to ruin his own destiny.”
“Hm? What does that mean?”
“It’s a rare physiognomy, even for me. He was born into wealth and destined to live his entire life without a worry, but he can’t rein in his own temper, so he’ll twist his own fate and end up suffering like a dog.”
“Ah……”
“Tsk, tsk, tsk. What a dog’s fate. If he’d just kept that temper of his in check, he could have spent his whole life living in luxury without a care in the world. Good grief.”
Hwasan’s party party applauded as though mesmerized.
“He is good.”
“He is really good.”
“Jo Geol. Give him some money.”
“….P-‘lease take thith****.”
Whether they did or not, the face reader merely shrugged once and continued.
“Well, there shouldn’t be a problem. He’ll have a hard life, but he’s not the kind of person who would betray anyone or look after his own interests.”
“I see. You pass.”
“Thank… you…”
Jo Geol had passed, but he had lost a great deal in the process. His face slightly pale, he trudged off to the side.
“…What’s this one?”
The face reader moved on to the next person and blinked.
“The one I just saw had a rare physiognomy as well. But this one is even more extraordinary. You… no, Sir. Did you perhaps run away from some… immensely powerful family?”
“A… Ami…”
Seeing Hye Yeon squeeze his eyes shut, the disciples of Hwasan desperately clamped their mouths shut.
“This is no ordinary fate. If you had simply stayed still and endured, you were destined to possess almost the entire world. What on earth happened to make you throw all that away?”
“A lot.”
“Actually, when you think about it, isn’t it nothing all that special?”
“Yeah. Looking back, he might actually have the worst temper out of all of us.”
Hye Yeon closed his eyes and silently repeated the Buddha’s name over and over. Otherwise, he felt he might cough up blood.
“Well, this is strange… In any case, this one… no, this person isn’t someone who would harm anyone. He is a diligent and upright fellow.”
“Oh. You pass too. This way.”
The face reader then furrowed his brow, his expression confused.
“In all my years, I’ve never seen a day like this. What kind of porters are you people… Damn it, what is this face?”
The disciples of Hwasan could no longer hold back and covered their mouths with both hands.
Standing before the face reader was Baek Cheon, his eyes squeezed shut as though he had already sensed his fate.
“What, are you possessed or something? If you were going to leave the nest, you could’ve just left it at that. Why’d you have to set fire to it on your way out?”
“Khk!”
“I-I’m going to lose my mind.”
“Oh, Mother. I’m dying.”
Clear tears welled in the corners of Baek Cheon’s eyes.
‘If I ever set foot in Beijing again, I’m no human.’
“Um, Chief Administrator.”
“Yes?”
“There’s no problem with this man in any other respect… but he’s on terrible terms with the older generation of his family. Is that all right?”
“What does that mean?”
“That… well. I mean he has a bit of that unfilial nature.”
Unable to hold back any longer, Chung Myung clutched his stomach and rolled across the ground.
Baek Cheon, meanwhile, silently gazed at the distant sky.
The sky was particularly clear and high today.
Special Spinoff Chapter 61 >>>
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*Gahwa [家和(가화)] – direct translation being ‘household harmony’ – is a part of a phrase 家和萬事成 that means ‘When the family is harmonious, all affairs prosper.’ Funny choice for a seemingly corrupt official.
**In the title the speaker deliberately changes 호부랑중 to 호부견자, where 견자 directly means dog’s son. So leave this insult to your imagination.
***관상 is also a more modern Korean term for a physiognomist. While 상사 is archaic.
****Purposely garbled speech, missing some syllables.
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