The Ruler Of Darkness - Chapter 548



Only Noblemtl

Episode 548

Part 22: Little Lies

A family that produced an empress.

The head of that family.

And the empress’s father.

“They seem like stuffy people… .”

Those three sentences were enough to express the power and influence of Min In-ik, the head of the Min clan.

“Don’t worry too much, I told you.”

That’s why he.

After sending Empress Min to the palace, he turned to his aides who were in a state of confusion.

He said it like this, leisurely.

“Yeon So-Hyeon, that guy will definitely need a force to support him in the imperial palace.”

“But, my lord… .”

One of the aides spoke with a worried expression.

“Why did that bastard Yeon So-hyeon not return to the main family of the Luoyang Swordsmanship, but instead came to the Imperial City? His intentions are unclear.”

Other aides also cautiously chimed in.

“In this situation-.”

“Tsk-!”

Min In-ik, the head of the Min clan, clicked his tongue and sighed, cutting off the concerns of his close associates.

“Haa… It’s so frustrating, really. It’s so frustrating.”

He shook his head.

“These people, they lack courage… This is why our Min clan can’t advance… .”

“… … .”

“… … .”

When his aides lowered their heads as if they were ashamed, he put a long bamboo stick in his mouth and spoke.

“Hey, you annoying people.”

He lit the fire and leaned back leisurely as he spoke.

“I’m sure he has his own plans and goals. But it doesn’t matter to our Min family what his intentions were when he first came to the Imperial City.”

“…yes?”

“…What is that?”

His entourage looked at him.

Min In-ik, the head of the Min clan, said with a sly smile.

“What matters is how tempting an offer our Min family can make to that guy.”

“ah…!”

As his entourage exclaimed, he added with a smile and a long puff of smoke.

“We have to offer him a price he can’t refuse. Do you understand?”

There was conviction in his voice.

Because he was confident.

“They seem like stuffy people… .”

The Min family.

Gaju Min In-ik had that much power and influence.

But of course.

That confidence.

The moment you meet Yeon So-hyeon in person.

Everything was broken.

“hmm…?”

Yeon Soo-hyeon.

A figure with an overwhelming presence, even more so than the young emperor sitting at the head of the table.

“You don’t like it?”

He looked around at the silent crowd and made a gesture of bewilderment as he spoke.

“I have offered you, the Min family, a price that you simply cannot refuse.”

* * *

“That, that’s why…”

Min In-ik, the head of the Min clan, wiped the sweat dripping down his forehead.

He, now.

I couldn’t get over the shock of my mind, which had been full of confidence and assurance, becoming as blank as a blank sheet of paper.

“So, Prince Yeon-.”

“Grand Master.”

Yeon So-hyeon cut him off and corrected his title.

“Although the formal procedures have not yet been completed, His Majesty has appointed me as Grand Master.”

“That’s right.”

The emperor nodded from the side.

“Ah, yes. Taesa…, that is. Yeon Taesa.”

Min In-ik, the head of the Min clan, stretched his neck forward and asked again.

“What is the price you mentioned…?”

Yeon So-hyeon laughed haha.

“This gentleman, this is frustrating.”

He threw a joke at the Min family elders who filled the room.

“Everyone, it must be quite frustrating to talk to Gaju.”

of course.

“… … .”

“… … .”

There was no answer in return.

But, of course.

Yeon So-hyeon hadn’t been expecting an answer from the beginning, so she looked away from them and opened her mouth while looking at Min In-ik.

“Min Ga-ju. Let me tell you one more time. I’ll tell you the price I’m offering, so listen carefully this time.”

“… … .”

When was the last time you were treated like this?

But that didn’t matter to Min In-ik right now, and Yeon So-hyeon smiled mockingly at him as she continued to speak.

“You guys, I said I would pay you the price if you did not destroy the Min family.”

It was such a provocative statement that it wouldn’t have been strange if he had pulled out a knife at that very moment.

However, Min In-ik was not stupid enough to just throw in an opponent who was so confident.

Besides, wasn’t the opponent that Yeon So-hyeon?

“…the Grand Master.”

He asked through gritted teeth.

“…Do you think our Min clan will give up both hands and feet and be wiped out so easily?”

“of course.”

Yeon So-hyeon nodded immediately, as if it were so obvious.

“I think so.”

“… … .”

At the bewildering threat, anger began to rise in Gaju Min In-ik’s empty mind.

“… No matter how much the Luoyang Sword Family is the best in the world. Even if everyone in the Central Plains fears your name. Our Min family will not be treated so easily-!”

“As expected, you don’t understand what I’m saying.”

Yeon So-hyeon cut off Min In-ik’s words and clicked her tongue.

“I and the Luoyang Sword Family. Why should we waste our energy on dealing with you Min clans?”

“… What, what is that?”

Yeon So-hyeon leaned back comfortably and smiled crookedly.

“Even if I don’t move a finger, your Min family will perish on its own.”

In that regard.

The first thing Min In-ik looked at was his own daughter, Empress Min.

“… … .”

She couldn’t even raise her face, and just kept her head bowed down.

It was a well-known fact to everyone present that his face was a sight to behold.

“… I have heard that Your Highness the Empress, my daughter, has made many mistakes. But that does not mean that it will lead to the annihilation of our Min clan-.”

“I’m not talking about that woman, Mrs. Min.”

Yeon So-hyeon is cloudy.

He snatched the long pipe that the Min family head was holding and tapped it on the table as he spoke.

“You know that I’m promoting the ‘Northern Territories Redevelopment Project,’ right?”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

Knock, knock.

The sound of Yeon So-hyeon tapping her pipe on the table echoed throughout the room, like a beat.

“You also know that trade between Haedongguk and our Central Plains will be active in the newly developed region, right?”

“exactly.”

How could you not know?

In the first place.

From the beginning, wasn’t that why I wanted to meet Yeon So-hyeon?

Knock, knock.

“So, you also understand that tariffs will be minimal in those newly developed areas?”

“Yeah-.”

As he had been doing until now, the head of the Min clan, Min In-ik, who was about to nod reflexively, suddenly stopped.

“…What did you say, Yeon-gong-?”

“Tae-sa.”

“Your Majesty. What did you just say?”

Knock, knock.

The smile on Yeon So-hyeon’s lips grew deeper as she knocked on the table.

“It was said to be a minimum tariff. And depending on the outcome of the agreement with the Haedong country, it could be tariff-free.”

Groan, groan.

“Not even the minimum tariff is enough, so you’re saying it’s duty-free…?”

“Only in that area…?”

“Then, our Min family-!”

Taang-!

“Quiet.”

When Yeon So-hyeon hit the table hard, a loud noise rang out that was hard to believe was made by a mere pipe.

“… … .”

“… … .”

When everyone in the audience became silent, Yeon So-hyeon glanced at the emperor.

“… … .”

The young emperor had nothing to do with this conversation, if anything.

nevertheless.

He was drawing all his concentration.

It seems as if he is concentrating on Yeon So-hyeon’s every move to control the situation.

‘Huh huh… .’

Yeon So-hyeon nodded inwardly and smiled with satisfaction.

The young emperor was a worthy disciple to teach.

“Hey, wait a minute…!”

Min In-ik, the head of the Min clan, raised his hand and spoke urgently to Yeon So-hyeon.

“Since His Majesty the Emperor is here, it may be possible for him to personally abolish the tariffs of the Central Plains. However, it is unlikely that the Haedong Kingdom would do the same-.”

widely!

“Didn’t you hear that earlier?”

The sound of Yeon So-hyeon tapping her pipe sounded like she was clicking her tongue in displeasure.

“I told you, we are already in discussions with Haedongguk?”

“That, that… . That… .”

Duty free?

Min In-ik too.

No one from the Min family.

No one in this zodiac right now.

It was something I could never have imagined.

In the first place, it is surprising that Haedong-guk participated in the Northern Territory Redevelopment Project.

And on top of that, it’s duty-free trade.

“It seems that even the royal family of Haedongguk has become quite fed up.”

Knock, knock.

Yeon So-hyeon continued speaking, happily tapping her pipe.

“The royal family realized that even within Haedong-guk, only the bastards were becoming more and more powerful through smuggling.”

The occasion was.

It was at this critical moment that the royal family personally confirmed that there were too many and too strong forces opposing the dispatch of troops to support the Gaema Iron Cavalry, which had crossed the border.

“Min Gaju.”

Yeon So-hyeon asked.

“Who do you think was the first to contact the head of our swordsmanship support team who was visiting Haedong-guk at that time? Even though the head of the support team didn’t try to persuade him first?”

Knock, knock.

“… … .”

The answer was already out there.

Min In-ik, the head of the Min clan, lowered his head.

“… These are the families of the Haedong Kingdom who grew in power through smuggling trade with us.”

If the Min family joined forces with the Hwangbo family to send goods, wouldn’t there naturally be people in Haedong-guk who would receive them and sell them?

They, first.

I approached Yeon So-hyeon through the business support team leader.

“They… .”

Min In-ik raised his head and asked Yeon So-hyeon with cloudy eyes.

“They asked that in exchange for blocking the troops supporting the Gaema Iron Age, they participate in the Northern Territory Redevelopment Project and enjoy tariff-free benefits…”

widely!

This time the sound was refreshing.

“Now, you understand what I am saying.”

Yes, that’s right.

It is impossible for them to give up the power and authority they have gained through smuggling.

Yeon So-hyeon is like that thanks to their greed.

There was no need to separately look into or investigate the Min family’s smuggling activities.

“… … .”

“… … .”

While the room was filled with people standing there dumbfounded and unable to say anything.

Min In-ik, the head of the Min clan, opened his mouth.

“… So that’s what the Yeon Taesa said.”

It means that the clan will be destroyed without even having to take action.

“If a duty-free window is created in the North, smuggling will become meaningless. If smuggling disappears, the current Min family will naturally lose its power and be pushed out…”

The Min clan will also come to an end.

Knock, knock.

“Okay, now.”

Yeon So-hyeon spoke to the head of the Min family, who was unable to continue speaking.

“Do you realize how generous and wonderful the price I offered was to prevent the Min clan from being destroyed?”

“… Are you saying that you will allow our Min clan to trade in the duty-free zone as well?”

widely!

Yeon So-hyeon nodded instead of answering.

“… Then, Yeon Taesa. What do you want?”

Min In-ik watched with trembling eyes as a smile slowly appeared on Yeon So-hyeon’s lips.

“Unconditional loyalty and support of the Min family towards His Majesty the Emperor.”

“… … .”

Min In-ik lowered his head.

widely!

“Oh, and…!”

Yeon So-hyeon said to him as if she had just remembered it.

“First, make sure the heads of the sixteen families who should be arriving outside by now are prevented from entering.”

There was no veto.

* * *

“… That’s amazing.”

All members of the Min clan left to give Yeon So-hyeon a final review of his proposal.

In that large conference hall, only the young emperor and Yeon So-hyeon were left.

In the first place.

It was not that the young emperor and Yeon So-hyeon had moved, but that they had vacated the meeting room of the family head.

The result was more or less a given.

“… That’s amazing, Master Yeon.”

“It’s nothing.”

Although Yeon So-hyeon shook her head calmly, the emperor could not stop exclaiming in admiration.

“You finished all this work in advance with the smuggling forces of Haedongguk, and then you are pressuring the Min family through them…!”

The emperor stuck out his tongue.

“They are also very clever…! Who would have thought they would make such an offer to Taesa Yeon first…!”

Yeon So-hyeon laughed.

“That is not it, Your Majesty.”

“hmm…?”

As the emperor blinked as if to ask what was going on, Yeon So-hyeon added.

“Actually, they didn’t make the offer to me, I made it to them first.”

“What do you mean…?”

Yeon So-hyeon at that time.

Through the business support team leader, I repeated what I had said to the smuggling forces.

“‘The Min clan has already negotiated with this Yeonseonhyeon behind the scenes to participate in tariff-free trade, so are you going to just sit back and let it go?’”

“… … ?!”

The emperor’s eyes grew wide as if they were going to tear apart.

“Th, that means… ?!”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Yeon So-hyeon’s meaningful laughter echoed throughout the conference room.

“I told the smuggling forces on the Haedong side that the Min family struck first, which created an advantageous result, and on the other hand, I told the Min family that the Haedong side struck first.”

“Th, then… ?!”

The emperor asked with a shocked face.

“How on earth did you find out about this smuggling business in the first place…?!”

Yeon So-hyeon answered as if it was nothing.

“Everyone already had a hunch, Your Majesty.”

It was true.

Didn’t the Sixteen Clans already have similar suspicions?

And in Haedongguk too.

It wasn’t difficult to find and contact a family that had grown rapidly in a similar way to the Min family.

“So, instead of finding evidence of smuggling that both sides desperately tried to hide and deny, they lied that they had first preempted each other into participating in tariff-free trade.”

“… … !”

They have become each other’s inescapable evidence, and now.

The fact that it had become clear was that they were holding each other’s lifelines.

“Because the war had temporarily cut off communication between the two countries, it was important to push ahead with the Northern Territories Reunification Project before it was restored.”

“indeed…!”

The emperor nodded in admiration.

“Remember, Your Majesty.”

Yeon So-hyeon approached the emperor and placed the Min family’s pipe in his hand, saying:

“Sometimes, one little lie at the right time can move a mountain that no army of a million or even a master can move.”