Volume 5 Chapter 20 – Investment Delegation
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Translated by Rain
Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net
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“For the final verification, if we review it one last time…”
The Fourth Young Master, Yeon Bi, spoke.
“My subordinates and I are in charge of the investment delegation coming from Sichuan. But the core that will decide victory or defeat in this plan is ‘Tea Fan Maiden,’ who does not belong to that investment delegation.”
Yeon Bi looked at Yeon So-hyeon.
“Namely, the ones Eldest Brother must take charge of.”
Yeon So-hyeon quietly nodded.
“Tea Fan Maiden is a business name, but it is also used to refer to them as individuals.”
Turning the report over, Yeon Bi continued speaking.
“It is known that decision-making is made by the agreement of all five members of Tea Fan Maiden, but if there is the most important person among them, it is Sangwan Nan-hwa.”
* * *
In the spring breeze blowing through the carriage window, Sangwan Nan-hwa’s silk-like hair gently rippled.
As she raised her delicate hands to tuck her flowing hair behind her ears, her white, slender neck sparkled dazzlingly in the sunlight.
“I’m envious…”
One of the Tea Fan Maidens muttered.
“As expected of the Number One Beauty of Sichuan.”
Another Tea Fan Maiden picked up the words.
“I wish I had talent in internal energy like Nan-hwa too…”
“Hohoho, even if you learned youth-retaining arts at the academy, wouldn’t it be like drawing lines on a pumpkin?”
“That is your story.”
The two straightaway began bickering.
“Ah… I just wish my family wouldn’t put pressure on me to marry like they do to Sister Nan-hwa.”
As the one who looked like the youngest among them wore a sullen expression, the tall one stroked her hair.
“It is alright. Unlike you, I cannot do it even if I want to.”
“Ah… Sister. I am sorry.”
The woman, whose height was taller than an average man, wore a confident smile for no reason.
“It is fine. Because in a huge and splendid city like Luoyang, a fateful love must surely be waiting for me.”
The youngest clutched her fists tightly in both hands.
“You will definitely be able to meet him!”
“Yes, yes. Thank you.”
Concealing a sigh inwardly, she looked at Sangwan Nan-hwa.
‘It would have been nice if my face were at least that pretty, but…’
Beside Sangwan Nan-hwa, who sat by the carriage window, the commander of the government troops escorting them was in the middle of sending endless courtship.
Riding on horseback and sticking to the side of the carriage, his grit in babbling for several shichen already was surprising.
‘Still, it must be extremely tiring for people to cling persistently like that wherever she goes…’
She gave a bitter smile.
As she scanned for some room to intervene to help Sangwan Nan-hwa as usual, an amazing scenery unfolded outside the window.
“Ah, over there!”
Everyone’s gaze directed outside the window.
“Wow!”
Without exception, they clung to the window to look outside.
As they clung to the window all at once, it was to the extent that the carriage, its center of gravity disrupted, tilted momentarily.
“It’s a lake!”
Far away, a giant lake was gently revealing its shape.
How immense the scale of that lake was, to the point it filled their field of vision despite being at a considerable distance from the carriage.
And that lake was filled with giant Western-style sailing ships, which could not be seen in the land of Sichuan.
Sangwan Nan-hwa’s plump lips parted as she gazed blankly at the wondrous sight.
“That lake is indeed…”
The commander, who had been riding his horse slightly back to avoid blocking the view of the Tea Fan Maiden ladies, quickly picked up her words.
“Yes, that lake is indeed Hwangho (Yellow Lake), the largest artificial lake in the land of the Central Plains!”
As the gazes of the Tea Fan Maiden ladies gathered, he shrugged his shoulders and began to bring out the knowledge he knew.
“Hwangho is a lake, and at the same time, it is also the starting point of the East-West Grand Canal. It is also the destination where foreign trade ships arrive through the East-West Grand Canal after passing through the North-South Grand Canal.”
“Ah, I see…”
“Ah, yes…”
Since it was knowledge the Tea Fan Maiden ladies already knew well, their reactions were lukewarm, and he searched his mind in fluster.
Then, Sangwan Nan-hwa asked him.
“By any chance, do you know why a lake of that scale was created artificially?”
The result of the construction, which made one wonder if it was truly possible by human power, was the end of the previous dynasty.
“Ah! That is a very excellent question! As expected, a sharp question worthy of Miss Sangwan Nan-hwa!”
At that question, he clapped his palms together.
“I also heard this story from my mother…”
Skillfully maneuvering his horse, he drew close to the carriage window.
Although he blocked the scenery, the Tea Fan Maiden ladies, who were curious about his story, did not express dissatisfaction.
“It is said that near this giant city of Luoyang, there is a spot where ‘fortune’ wells up.”
“…Fortune wells up?”
As the Tea Fan Maiden ladies wore absurd expressions, he waved his hand.
Yet despite that, clear curiosity was reflected on their faces.
As their age was what it was, the young ladies of the renowned Tea Fan Maiden also liked fortune-telling or interest-oriented superstitions.
“Of course, it is a superstition. Naturally, it is a superstition. It is just a story that such a saying exists.”
He quickly continued speaking.
“A certain king of the previous dynasty heard a prophecy from an outstanding Daoist master. What that means is…”
He paused for a moment.
“If only this fortune could be gathered, the dynasty that monopolized that fortune would last for a thousand years, and it was a prophecy that they would enjoy only prosperity.”
“So, to make the fortune gather, they dug that lake?”
“But the previous dynasty collapsed even after making that lake, did it not?”
“Then, is the prophecy not wrong?”
“Fufu.”
He wore a meaningful smile.
“In truth, that Hwangho was completed after the fall of the previous dynasty. Almost right after it.”
“Such…?!”
“Oh!”
The young ladies turned to look at each other and chattered at the interesting and mysterious story.
Satisfied with the ladies’ reaction, the commander nodded to himself.
It was when he was inwardly thanking his mother who had told him this story.
“If so…”
Just then, Sangwan Nan-hwa, who had been lost in thought, asked him.
“The dynasty fell, so who completed that lake then?”
The commander smiled.
“It is indeed that famous ‘Luoyang Sword Family.'”
* * *
“Eldest Brother…”
The Fourth Young Master spoke, looking up at Yeon So-hyeon carefully.
“By any chance, do you still intend to take charge of Tea Fan Maiden yourself, Eldest Brother? Even now, it would be better to leave it to me…”
Yeon So-hyeon smiled brightly.
“For what reason do you say so?”
The Fourth Young Master scratched his soft cheek with his finger.
“As you know, Tea Fan Maiden strictly holds the status of students. They belong to the Emei Academy operated by the Emei Sect in Chengdu.”
The Emei Sect joined the investment delegation, citing the reason that Tea Fan Maiden belongs to the Emei Academy, and for the purpose of accompanying them for their protection.
“The Emei Sect is…”
He read the Eldest Brother’s expression.
“They are fellows who openly clash even with the Tang Family that rules Sichuan. Not the Sichuan Tang Sect, but the direct family, the Tang Family.”
Yeon So-hyeon laughed and stroked his cute younger brother’s hair.
“Are you worried that they might ignore me because I am a swordless one? Of all places, in this land of Luoyang?”
Thereupon, Yeon Bi shook his head.
“No. I am worried about them incurring Eldest Brother’s wrath. If their heads are hung in the central square, the people of the investment delegation from the peaceful land of Sichuan will flee in terror, you know?”
Yeon So-hyeon burst into a loud laugh.
* * *
“Who behaves so frivolously?!”
A thunderous scolding fell upon the Tea Fan Maiden ladies who were shrieking in excitement.
The one who had caught up with the carriage riding a horse familiarly was a Buddhist nun wearing splendid monastic robes.
She was a young nun of fastidious impression, with her long-grown hair pinned up and fixed with a jade hairpin engraved with Buddhist patterns.
“You must never forget anywhere that you are students of our Emei Academy!”
Looking inside through the carriage window, she rebuked the Tea Fan Maiden ladies in a sharp voice.
“It is good that you make your name known with that business you conduct like a joke, but even so, you must not forget your duty, understood?!”
Tea Fan Maiden was not a joke, nor was it a lax business to be disparaged by the word trade.
“…I wonder who it was that joined just to make some money by jumping on the bandwagon of such a joke-like trade.”
At the nun’s abusive words, one Tea Fan Maiden lady pouted.
Although it was a small murmur to herself, it was not to the extent that the Emei Sect nun, who was filled with internal energy, could not hear it.
“What did you say just now?!”
“…”
As they sat with their mouths shut looking elsewhere, the young nun was just about to explode in anger once more.
“You all…!”
“We said nothing, Proctor.”
The one who spoke was Sangwan Nan-hwa.
Her pupils, worthy of being called phoenix eyes, directed toward the young nun called the proctor.
Highest quality silk monastic robes embroidered with gold thread.
Accessories that could only be called trinkets in the end, although they smelled of Buddhist fragrance.
Makeup more skillful than that of young ladies of noble families.
“…Sangwan Nan-hwa. What did you just say to this proctor?”
Looking straight at the nun of unusual momentum, Sangwan Nan-hwa spoke in a clear, precise tone.
“I told you we said nothing, Proctor.”
“Sangwan Nan-hwa…!”
Had Sangwan Nan-hwa not been the only daughter of the Sichuan Governor who ruled the land of Sichuan for generations, the proctor would have slapped her cheek immediately.
“…All of you. When we return, I will not let it slide easily this time.”
Twitching slightly around her eyes, the proctor, who glared at Sangwan Nan-hwa, looked away first.
“Commander.”
The commander of the government troops, riding awkwardly on horseback beside them, replied.
“Yes, Buddhist master.”
“It is natural for young men and women in their prime to have interest in each other, but since they are ladies of high status in the land of Sichuan, please pay sufficient attention.”
The commander roughly nodded his head.
“Yes, yes. I understand, Master.”
At the commander’s extremely unfaithful attitude, the young nun’s face twitched.
‘How dare a mere dog of the government wearing a shabby cloak…!’
If it were Sichuan, a mere commander leading a few government soldiers would never dare act so rudely to a member of the Emei Sect.
But she was not such a fool as to forget that this was not Sichuan.
“…In the first place, for what on earth is the government army of Xi’an escorting travelers?”
“As I have told you from the beginning, we are merely obeying a command that came down from a high place.”
“I mean, is that not why I am asking whose command it was?”
Right now, around the investment delegation, government soldiers wrapped in cloaks were moving together.
“I do not know well. I am merely faithful to the command that came down like a soldier.”
Originally, the Emei Sect had been in charge of the route and escort of this investment delegation procession.
But suddenly, from the moment they passed Xi’an, this military force joined, and now they were even deciding the route as they pleased.
“For just what reason…!”
Just then, a hawk cried in the sky, circled once, and landed on the commander’s arm.
It was not because of a mere beast that the nun proctor shut her mouth.
“Yes, yes. Good bird.”
For unlike his worn-out cloak, the armor wrapping the commander’s exposed arm was no ordinary item.
Stroking the hawk’s chin as he talked to it, the commander pointed over there with a chin gesture.
“Master. If you are so curious, why don’t you ask them.”
“Them…?”
Where the nun’s gaze directed following the commander’s gesture, a thick cloud of dust was billowingly rising.