Chapter 355: Feudal Lords of the Empire (2)
Read it only at Nineheavens.org
“W-What do you think you are doing!”
Unlike his usual self, Yeo Bul-jin let out a flustered voice. But from what I could see, that too had a high probability of being the result of calculation.
If he did not show signs of being flustered here, he could be lumped together under the crime of insulting feudal lords.
Of course, Yeo Bul-jin did it to survive, but unintentionally, it was an action that aroused tension among the feudal lords.
Because it gave the impression that even Yeo Bul-jin, who was alongside me, could not control me.
“To commit such an outrage knowing who we are. Unlike other people, it seems you have three or four necks on your shoulders.”
One of the feudal lords spoke. I, too, remembered the faces of the major feudal lords.
The one who had just flared up was Prince Han, who ruled the region of Hanzhong.
The ones trailing behind him in a row were Prince Ye, Prince Wen, and Prince Xuan. At any rate, they were people who reigned as emperors in their respective regions. The only person to whom they would bow their heads was the Emperor in Beijing. That was why they could make such brazen threats even upon coming to the Heaven’s Gift Merchant Company.
Since the Heaven’s Gift Merchant Company was by no means an easy place, they would have anticipated some resistance or negotiation attempts, but they could never have imagined receiving such a direct and ruthless threat.
“Prince Han, as well as the other esteemed lords, must have heard the news.”
“What news?”
“The news that the Wudang Sect was burned down.”
At my words, Prince Ye behind him scoffed.
“What is so great about a mere Daoist temple burning down?”
The moment those words ended, a gust of fierce wind blew through the Company Lord’s room.
Then, a situation that made everyone’s eyes widen occurred. Prince Ye’s ear plopped onto the floor.
Even though his own ear had fallen to the floor, Prince Ye stared blankly at it, seemingly unable to comprehend that it was his. The unorthodox masters guarding them failed to react to my movement, so Prince Ye, who was not even a martial artist, could not possibly perceive my actions.
“A-Aaaagh!”
Belatedly feeling the burning heat and pain from his ear, Prince Ye wailed and rolled across the floor. Blood gushing from his ear stained the floor of the Company Lord’s room.
“To me, a Daoist temple of the Wudang Sect is far more valuable than your luxurious palaces.”
I looked down at Prince Ye rolling on the floor and spoke.
“……Insane.”
Prince Han muttered. Perhaps because Prince Ye’s ear had been severed, the venom and overbearing quality in Prince Han’s voice had diminished considerably.
“You have finally realized. After the Wudang Sect burned down, I decided to become a madman. Because the only one who can deal with a madman is another madman.”
I smiled and gestured with my chin once more.
“Please sit.”
“Should we not treat Prince Ye’s ear?”
“My words will not be long. First, take your seats.”
Prince Han spoke in a pleading tone, but I shook my head.
The unorthodox masters who failed to see my single sword strike were also paralyzed. They were martial artists as well. They knew that no matter how many of them were present, they could not match me.
“Help him up.”
Prince Ye’s bodyguards fumbled about, not knowing what to do. They could not determine whether to seat Prince Ye as I instructed or ignore me and provide medical treatment.
“Seat him.”
Prince Han let out a sigh and said. Once Prince Han’s order was given, the bodyguards supported Prince Ye and seated him.
Having lost a large amount of blood in a short time, Prince Ye’s complexion was pale. As if the pain persisted, his expression remained contorted.
“Please endure a little. I will not make this long.”
I looked at Prince Ye and said. Prince Ye avoided my gaze and could not even respond.
After all, as a feudal lord, he could never have anticipated having his ear cut off. Once he realized I was someone capable of doing anything, he could no longer provoke me.
“Right, since there is someone who needs treatment, let us get to the main point. What do you intend to do? What is your relationship with the Heaven’s Gift Merchant Company? Do you think you can continue to set foot in the Central Plains after intimidating feudal lords like this?”
“Ask your questions one at a time. I only have one mouth.”
If I had not cut him off, Prince Han would have asked more questions. Prince Han glared at me.
“To cut off the words of a feudal lord. To think there is a person who disregards propriety to this degree.”
“Isn’t having your words cut off better than having your ear cut off?”
At my words, Prince Han shut his mouth. Indeed, it was so. Having already severed a feudal lord’s ear, what was cutting off speech? I was already someone moving far beyond the laws and propriety of the Empire.
“I will answer one by one. You have no need to know my relationship with the Heaven’s Gift Merchant Company. And having already turned my back on the Emperor, what difference does intimidating mere feudal lords make?”
“……Ha.”
Prince Han let out a short breath in disbelief.
“What is important is what I intend to do. And that depends on you esteemed gentlemen.”
“It depends on us, you say.”
“I wish to hear the reason why the feudal lords are trying to tear apart and consume the Heaven’s Gift Merchant Company. Were you perhaps instigated by the imperial palace?”
I locked eyes with the feudal lords one by one. Every single feudal lord avoided my gaze. The only one barely holding out was Prince Han, who had stepped forward as their representative.
“……We are also seeking a way to survive on our own.”
“To survive on your own. Please elaborate further.”
“The torrential rain is unusual. Normally, when such a national crisis strikes, the imperial palace is bound to be shaken. And especially at times like this, the imperial palace creates external enemies to divert the common people’s attention.”
“What does that have to do with the feudal lords?”
“Because feudal lords are the most convenient imaginary enemies.”
“Is that so?”
“To shift the blame for a national disaster, one must be of a certain weight class. The ones fitting that weight class are precisely the feudal lords. Executing high-ranking officials in Beijing does not resonate with the common people anyway.”
At Prince Han’s words, I nodded. It was a sufficiently rational explanation.
“For feudal lords to keep their heads from flying, they must manage public sentiment well. No matter how powerful the imperial palace is, replacing a feudal lord whom the people praise unreservedly is burdensome. They aim for feudal lords with the lowest public sentiment. That is why we had to quickly enrich the fiefs we govern to raise public sentiment, and the fastest method was to carve up the Heaven’s Gift Merchant Company, which currently sweeps up the wealth of the Central Plains.”
As expected of a feudal lord, it was a political choice. Of course, because the Heaven’s Gift Merchant Company had secured public sentiment well, it was dangerous, but from their perspective, it was a gamble well worth attempting. Because staying still like this could result in their heads suddenly flying off at the hands of the imperial palace.
Prince Han belatedly laid out words that sounded like excuses.
“We did not merely intend to threaten and extort the Heaven’s Gift Merchant Company. It is self-evident that the Heaven’s Gift Merchant Company is currently the greatest merchant company in the Central Plains; no matter how we are feudal lords, we would not do something as foolish as turning our backs on them. Naturally, we also planned to provide privileges, such as partially exempting taxes on profits earned in our fiefdoms.”
I scoffed. There was a limit to giving a disease and then offering the cure. Extorting what was functioning perfectly fine and then acting as though they were granting privileges was laughable.
Even more amusing was that even that was a lie when viewed through the Heavenly Eye. The Heavenly Eye was truly an ability that transcended humanity.
The wavelengths visible from a person differed when speaking the truth versus speaking a lie. While speaking the truth, it was calm, whereas when lying, it fluctuated wildly up and down.
Prince Han’s words were clearly a lie, but I decided to simply laugh and move past it. Even if I interrogated such a lie as falsehood, without evidence, he could easily deny it.
“Aha. I see.”
“Since things have come to this, I will speak everything. We are actually people who harbor great discontent with the current imperial family. That is why we are preparing to survive on our own like this.”
“Oho, that is quite interesting.”
“Is not the New Justice Association currently opposing the imperial palace? That means we feudal lords can secretly sponsor you. Then, without any need for us to threaten the Heaven’s Gift Merchant Company, the Heaven’s Gift Merchant Company and we will become cooperative partners. How about it?”
The conversation gained rapid momentum. It was an interesting moment. I stroked my chin with my fingers.
“If those words are true, then the New Justice Association certainly has no reason to oppose the esteemed feudal lords.”
“Naturally, of course. If the Heaven’s Gift Merchant Company shifts its trade routes slightly to establish bases in our fiefdoms, and we grant privileges to the Heaven’s Gift Merchant Company, would not everyone be able to end this smiling happily?”
“I suppose so.”
“What do you think? Though it differs somewhat from what we anticipated, does this not seem like a far more splendid proposal?”
Prince Han looked around at the feudal lords beside him. Prince Ye, whose ear had been severed, nodded rapidly while maintaining his pale complexion, and the same was true for Prince Wen and Prince Xuan.
“Good. Then we will outline the general framework as such, and organize the detailed plan in a letter to deliver to you.”
“Shall we do so?”
Yeo Bul-jin blinked. It was a bizarre situation where, without the Heaven’s Gift Company Lord uttering a single word, the treatment of the company was being decided.
“The Company Lord agrees as well, I presume?”
Prince Han asked. Yeo Bul-jin immediately bowed his head.
“How could I possibly object to the words of the esteemed feudal lords? I humbly accept.”
“Haha. Excellent. In truth, we also felt apologetic about snatching away what was yours. To have things turn out this way is truly fortunate.”
Prince Han and Yeo Bul-jin laughed together. I followed suit and laughed as well.
“Then, since Prince Ye must also receive treatment, may we disperse this gathering here?”
“Please do so.”
Except for Prince Ye whose expression was contorted in agony, the other feudal lords left the Company Lord’s room with satisfied expressions. Once the sound of footsteps in the hallway disappeared, Yeo Bul-jin spoke in a grave voice.
“Do you believe the words of those feudal lords?”
“Pardon?”
“Of course, if the discussion changes like that, it is good for us. Since the feudal lords won’t be seizing what is ours as before. But feudal lords are people who treat changing their words as easily as flipping their palms. We cannot fully trust their words. Even if they leave like that right now, feudal lords are people who might turn around at any moment.”
I understood Yeo Bul-jin’s concern. After all, Yeo Bul-jin was not someone who had dealt with feudal lords only once or twice.
Yeo Bul-jin surely thought that due to my young age, I had at most dealt with Prince Xian once, but in my previous life, I was someone who had converse extensively with feudal lords.
Moreover, I had improved far beyond that time. Back then, I only held ambiguous suspicions regarding the lies feudal lords spewed as naturally as breathing, but now, I could make definitive judgments with the Heavenly Eye.
“And there is no breed that holds a grudge as nastily as feudal lords. Prince Ye will certainly harbor resentment toward you.”
“I know.”
“Is that so? Then that is a relief.”
“And I also know that Prince Han was lying about everything.”
“What?”
This was something even Yeo Bul-jin had not expected. No matter how experienced Yeo Bul-jin was, how could he accurately distinguish between truth and lie?
“With what proof do you say such a thing?”
“Prince Han merely spoke a lie to save face, thinking that I was someone whose eyes had rolled back and might kill all the feudal lords on the spot. Internally, he must be grinding his teeth.”
“Putting aside how you knew that, if you knew, why did you let them go?”
“Because they will return. They will certainly return to kill me.”
“Then letting them go makes even less sense.”
“Not so. Unlike this time, will not the feudal lords bring their elite forces and trusted aides?”
“They probably will.”
Yeo Bul-jin widened his eyes as he answered. Only then did he seem to realize my hidden scheme.
“If we only killed the feudal lords here, they would have annoyed us from behind the scenes. But if we can gather all their elite forces and wipe them out in one fell swoop, wouldn’t that be an opportunity in itself?”
“The feudal lords were bait?”
I smiled. Yeo Bul-jin shook his head vigorously.
In this Great Empire, I was likely the only person who would use feudal lords as bait.