Black and White Martial Emperor

The next day.

“Clan Lord.”

“Come in.”

Chief Steward Tae Gyeong entered the Clan Lord’s chamber and handed over documents.

“These are the papers I organized last night. The budget should be fine if set at this level.”

Yeon Wi skimmed the sheets quickly.

“Mm. Good work.”

“Not at all.”

“Go on, then.”

Tae Gyeong hesitated a moment.

“Lord...?”

“Do you have something to say?”

Yeon Wi’s gaze was as cold and indifferent as always. Tae Gyeong cleared his throat.

“About the Mo Yong Clan business exchange.”

“I’m still considering that.”

“Ah, yes. Of course you must judge it carefully.”

Yeon Wi’s brow twitched. For some reason the man was more loquacious than usual today. He bowed quickly.

“It’s nothing, really—”

“Speak.”

Tae Gyeong chose his words cautiously.

“How about changing the bride-to-be?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well... instead of Mo Yong Yeonhwa, perhaps you could consider someone else.”

Yeon Wi’s face openly darkened.

“Why do you suggest that?”

“It’s just—no matter how I think on it, Mo Yong Yeonhwa is by far too exceptional a prodigy. I don’t mean to belittle the First Young Master, but if that lady develops other designs, what then?”

“Other designs?”

“Yes.” Tae Gyeong sounded resolved.

“Mo Yong Yeonhwa is a talent recognized by Clan Lord Mo Yong. She was praised from childhood—there’s a risk of an arrogant disposition. If she already handles clan affairs at that age, imagine how she’ll behave.”

“Hmm.”

“The First Young Master is no less capable. I only think a gentle wife who brings peace of mind would suit him better than a wife vastly more talented than he.”

Yeon Wi stared at Tae Gyeong with a cold glare.

“You were the one who first mentioned Mo Yong Yeonhwa. Why change your stance now?”

Tae Gyeong looked awkward.

That natural flicker of expression made Yeon Wi’s look even sterner.

“There was one thing I did not consider.”

“What is that?”

“What if—unlikely as it is—Clan Lord Mo Yong refuses the marriage?”

“...?”

“Before matters of face are dealt with, Clan Lord Mo Yong might take offense. It’s a public matter; he may understand, but asking for his cherished daughter could still anger him.”

“If Clan Lord Mo Yong’s capacity is so small, we shouldn’t even begin a business exchange.”

“Of course. Yet when expanding one’s influence, the fewer disturbances the better.”

“Mm.”

“It benefits the main house and the First Young Master to avoid fuss. I apologize for having spoken hastily a few days ago.”

Tae Gyeong offered a humble look to Yeon Wi.

Yeon Wi’s face remained barren, but he noticed a subtle change in Tae Gyeong’s eyes.

Even if you invoke law and propriety, it’s hard to stay cold when it concerns your son.

After a moment’s thought, Yeon Wi spoke.

“Chief Steward Tae.”

“Yes, Lord.”

“I have a question for you.”

Tae Gyeong straightened, nerves showing. He was the kind of man who knew when to ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) conceal his thoughts and when to show them.

“Do you truly think it wise to go forward with the Mo Yong business exchange?”

Tae Gyeong’s eyes gleamed. He could not read Yeon Wi’s expression—today the lord was unnervingly distant. Yet now Yeon Wi seemed troubled.

“As I said before, I support it. Money is power. How you use power can bring peace or stir unrest.”

“...”

“If the Lord increased funds for the people’s welfare, others would help shoulder the work.”

Yeon Wi exhaled softly.

Tae Gyeong’s eyes shone with the private thrill of success.

So it was that big a worry. He had seen Yeon Wi sigh only once before—when the Yeon brothers’ rift widened five years ago.

This might be the greatest event of his generation.

A fleeting image of Yeon Hojeong crossed Tae Gyeong’s mind.

That boy was arrogant and ambitious when he visited last night. Perhaps it was all a calculated pose for the future.

Tae Gyeong recalled how power-blooded the Mo Yong line was—born into a struggle for authority from the womb. Only one among them had avoided that trait.

Mo Yongwu. He seemed gentler. More like the Yeon house, especially like Yeon Jipyeong.

“Very well.” Yeon Wi leaned back and nodded.

“Do it that way.”

Tae Gyeong’s eyes shifted.

“You mean we will join hands with the Mo Yong Clan?”

“Joining hands won’t necessarily harm us. If we can complement each other’s weaknesses, that is worth pursuing.”

“Indeed. They are an influential family of the martial world, yet they are still of the orthodox Path. They will keep minimum standards.”

“I do not trust the Mo Yong Clan. I trust only myself.”

“Even if they play tricks, the Lord’s insight will see through them.”

Yeon Wi inclined his head.

“Send a letter to the Mo Yong Clan. Propose a date.”

Tae Gyeong’s eyes widened.

“Shall I deliver it personally?”

“I have deliberated long on this. I thought it through carefully, but they may see it otherwise.”

“Ah—yes.”

Yeon Wi watched him.

“You were right. No need to make noise. But I will not say things I do not mean. Write it such that it benefits both sides; have it reflect sincerity.”

Tae Gyeong smiled.

“I’ll draft the letter and bring it to you for review.”

“No need.”

Yeon Wi turned away, clearly impatient with ceremonious phrasing. Tae Gyeong’s eyes flashed bright.

“Understood. I will word it as gently as possible. Ah—about the First Young Master’s bride?”

“Mo Yong Yeonhwa need not be the one.”

“Understood.”

Tae Gyeong bowed and moved toward the door.

Then Yeon Wi spoke again.

“Chief Steward Tae.”

Tae Gyeong turned. He saw Yeon Wi’s back facing the window; a strange unease flickered across the lord’s features.

“You’ve worked well.”

“Ha—hah! Not at all.”

“No. This time your contribution was considerable. Keep offering your counsel.”

“Of course.”

“Now go.”

“Yes, my lord.”

Tae Gyeong left the chamber. He could not see what Yeon Wi could—how an arctic wind roared in the lord’s eyes.

“Send this to the Tongcheon Corps. Mark it urgent.”

“Yes!”

The Tongcheon Corps was an information network that did business with the Yeon Clan. Marked urgent, the letter would fly straight to the Mo Yong Clan.

After handing the letter to a Tongcheon agent, Tae Gyeong stretched luxuriously. The fatigue of the past days seemed to vanish; the sky felt especially clear today.

He looked up, eyes rounded.

It’s finally over.

In any case, the Yeon Clan will fall. The important thing was how useful the clan could be to this side. Fortunately, the Clan Lord approved the business exchange—easier now to absorb their sphere.

Tae Gyeong admired Mo Yong Yeonhwa anew.

A marriage proposal... risky with gossip. Yet she advanced it herself? She’s a formidable woman.

Apparently the marriage talk had been Mo Yong Yeonhwa’s initiative. She did not truly intend to wed Yeon Hojeong; she only proposed to unsettle the Yeon Clan Lord.

A pity. If only she had been born male, she might already be a branch head.

Perhaps. The Clan Lord might yet entrust the house to her. He dreamed of greater things—he would not let his ambition end with the family.

天下—if born a man, one must dream that large.

While daydreaming, Tae Gyeong called for the gatekeeper.

“Where is the First Young Master?”

“He went out with the Second Young Master. They went to eat.”

“Very well. See to it.”

Tae Gyeong’s lips curled. Quick. That’s even more so than Yeonhwa.

****

That night.

After midnight, Yeon Hojeong arrived at Tae Gyeong’s residence.

“You’re here.”

“Hm.”

“You look like you’ve sweated a lot.”

“What kind of cultivation is this? One must train whenever one can.”

Even if nothing else, that ferocity deserved respect.

Tae Gyeong had seen Hojeong train before. The style was unlike anything he had practiced; obvious from sight that such training required a toughness most could not endure.

Only yesterday did his behavior fully make sense.

He’s desperate to become Clan Lord. No wonder—driven by a brother’s rise and ruined life, he has to stake everything when opportunity comes.

“Dragon Well tea. Smells good, doesn’t it?”

“What—Dragon Well? Where did you get such a rare thing?”

“Haha! I bought it with money I’d saved. I intended to present it to the Clan Lord.”

Giving the clan’s tea to another person was an expression of trust. Hojeong smiled with evident pride.

“I’ve long thought you were not an ordinary person.”

“Hahaha—too kind. I’m only a scholar.”

“You’d call a man who sways a family ‘only a scholar’?”

It cut deep, but Tae Gyeong failed to read the hidden meaning in Hojeong’s voice.

“Not now, but in the future I’ll handle important affairs—by the First Young Master’s side.”

“Finally you’ve decided?”

“Haha. Please watch over me.”

“I will.”

A small change crossed Tae Gyeong’s eyes.

Hojeong held his teacup and spilled the Dragon Well tea onto the floor.

“My heart pounds already to think of smashing that coterie of petty jackals. I hope you take a big part in it.”