The Mad Dog Inspector of the Martial Alliance

Chapter 93 : A Change of Heart (1)

Emperor Yongle, Zhu Di. He wanted to be remembered in history as a wise king.

Even an emperor dies when time passes. But, although born finite, it is the habit of the powerful to dream of the infinite.

The body is finite, but achievements are infinite. That is why the matter of the Western Great Mountain had to be handled very carefully.

Seen simply, it was a simple matter. Because punishing those who had committed tax evasion by implicating their three clans for the crime of treason was something the Embroidered Uniform Guard was always doing.

But it was also a matter that could not be summarized so crudely. It was not simply the punishment of a crime committed by one or two people, but the breaking of a privilege that had become a custom throughout the Western Great Mountain.

Moreover, the martial world was entangled in this matter. It was unknown how the Huashan Sect, which was highly revered by the ten thousand people of the Western Great Mountain, would intervene.

This matter was something that could greatly stir public sentiment depending on how it was handled.

No matter how much it was suppressed, the resentment of the common people would remain in history. The emperor knew that his actions were oppressive, but he hated for it to be seen as oppression.

The main job of the Embroidered Uniform Guard was to realize the emperor's will. Guarding the emperor, dealing with the emperor's enemies, collecting taxes, and suppressing the local powerful families were all for this purpose.

To oppress, but to make it so that it was not felt as oppression. This was the emperor's demand. So it was also their job to manage the resentment of the common people.

Unfortunately, the Embroidered Uniform Guard had not been able to meet the emperor's demands. Rebellions due to tax collection had occurred twice, and in one of them, they had even lost the ringleader.

Incompetent and incompetent again. The predecessor of Zhang Ji had lost his head in that way. It was a self-evident truth that if he could not catch Tang Saier, Zhang Ji's head would also fly.

It was in the midst of such a situation, so the actions of the Martial Alliance inspector, Jang So-gil, could not help but catch the emperor's eye.

First, he had broken the bad customs of the Western Great Mountain and increased the tax revenue. Thanks to that, the imperial finances had stabilized, and he had been able to cancel the additional tax collection and even grant a slight tax reduction to the common people. So the common people of the Western Great Mountain had cursed the dead traitors and praised the mercy of the imperial family.

Next, he had coordinated the boundary of non-interference between the government and the martial world and had blocked the intervention of the Huashan Sect at its source. On top of that, he had put forward the value of loyalty and righteousness and had made them recall the respect for the imperial family that they had long forgotten.

If he had accomplished this much on his own, he was a talent that could not be easily seen. Among the civil and military officials, there was no one whose achievements could even follow the tip of Jang So-gil's toes.

Why was such a person in the Martial Alliance? It was right that I should have him. It was only natural that the emperor thought so.

Even in Zhang Ji's eyes, Jang So-gil's talent and skill were special. How could such a monster be born in that rural village? He even wanted to question the gods of heaven and earth.

The emperor's secret letter in his hand stated that he should prepare a secret plan to hire the Martial Alliance inspector as an inspector of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

"Kkeueueueueum."

Zhang Ji felt something warm flowing from the back of his neck to the top of his head. It was a fit of anger. Naturally, only a groaning sound came out.

Since it was the emperor's secret letter, he could not put his head together with others and squeeze out wisdom. He had to devise a countermeasure entirely with his own wisdom.

"He could have just given me an imperial edict..."

In the world of the central plains, the words of the Son of Heaven were the law, and the command of heaven. Non-interference between the government and the martial world, my ass. If the emperor himself just said one word to the inspector to come to work in Beijing instead of the Martial Alliance from tomorrow, Jang So-gil's affiliation would change.

But the emperor had no intention of doing so. Why? Because it was an act that lacked dignity.

The Son of Heaven was the great ruler of all things in the world and heaven itself. For such an emperor to personally issue an order because he wanted to have one talent was an act that would greatly lower his own dignity.

Besides, the possibility of a dispute with the Martial Alliance was also a problem if it was a problem. Because no one knew how the Martial Alliance Leader, who had had his best card taken away, would react.

Anyway, the emperor could solve this matter very easily and simply, but he was not going to do so. Then the aftermath had to be handled entirely by the Embroidered Uniform Guard, which served the emperor.

The warm and stinging energy that had risen to the top of his head came down to his chest. Zhang Ji pounded his chest.

"I've done all sorts of things in my life. To think this body would suffer so much because of one wild man!"

Zhang Ji continued to ponder the method of hiring talent. Time passed futilely, the moon rose and set, and even when the sun rose again, no clear answer came out.

"Shall I see his face first?"

Let's start by going to the Western Great Mountain and meeting Jang So-gil. The timing was good since the Embroidered Uniform Guard was in the process of pacifying the Western Great Mountain.

Zhang Ji knew well. Although the Embroidered Uniform Guard was armed with loyalty and righteousness, even if it was the Embroidered Uniform Guard, a human bastard was a human bastard. It meant that they could do all sorts of foolish things in a place where eyes did not reach.

There was a need for him, the head, to go and manage it himself.

"Alright. I should go."

The next day, Zhang Ji headed for the Western Great Mountain.

And Jang So-gil returned to Luoyang the next day.

The two, like the different poles of a compass, passed each other, and a meeting could not be achieved.

"Damn it!"

Zhang Ji, who had arrived at the Western Great Mountain, smashed five stools in anger.

* * *

After finishing the work in the Western Great Mountain and returning to Luoyang, autumn had gone and winter had come.

Jang So-gil had brought a large amount of cotton. It was cheap and high-quality cotton that he had luckily found while handling matters in the Western Great Mountain.

He added the Sichuan brocade that Jin Sanghwa had handled to it and made a quilt.

Warm cotton quilts sold well in winter. If it was a silk quilt made from the cotton of the Western Great Mountain and the brocade of Sichuan, its value would be even higher.

Jang So-gil took a step closer to the Martial Alliance Leader. When he gestured to Ye-er, who was following him with a large bundle, Ye-er handed the bundle to the Alliance Leader's attendant.

"The weather is getting chilly, so I thought you would need a cotton quilt and have prepared one. It is a first-class item made by a master with the cotton of the Western Great Mountain and the silk of Sichuan."

"No, what's all this..."

"Have I ever returned empty-handed? If you've traveled, you should have something to show for it. Since I've been away from home for a long time, I thought I should bring something more."

"Aigo, that fellow. Look at how prettily he talks."

No matter how expensive the brocade was, if it was the Martial Alliance Leader, he could of course buy this much. But even so, there was no one in the world who disliked free luxury goods.

Especially since a quilt was a household item, it was a gift that the person in charge of the household would like. A silk quilt made of brocade. Thinking that his wife would be quite happy, Gumen Long rested his chin on his hand.

"I heard you handled the matter of the Western Great Mountain well."

"Yes. I have perfectly carried out the task entrusted to me."

"But didn't you take too much time? I heard that the act of exposing and collecting itself didn't even take ten days."

"To handle a matter perfectly, there must not be a single flaw. It naturally takes time."

"Well, good. Then I would like to hear the report directly from the mouth of the inspector, not the Fengya Unit."

"Then I will speak as briefly as possible. There is no need to pay attention to the Western Great Mountain in the future. Huashan has decided to cull the wicked groups that impersonate Daoist sects, and has promised to self-regulate in the future."

"What? That Huashan?"

"Isn't it the pillar of the orthodox sect? They have pledged to play their role as a pillar."

Jang So-gil shrugged his shoulders.

The Huashan Sect, the best in the world in terms of swords. Since there was a super-peak master called the 'Sword Saint' there, in fact, what he had been most worried about was his interference. If the Huashan Sword Saint were to come down the mountain himself, it would be difficult to resolve unless it was someone of the level of the number one in the world, the Martial Alliance Leader Gumen Long.

"Fortunately, it seems the Sword Dragon Song Baek has spoken well."

"To think that hard-headed Huashan Sword Saint has made such a judgment. That fellow would have drawn his sword to protect his own people without a second thought... He's not a bastard who would listen to what others say. Has he gotten old?"

"That's something I wouldn't know. Anyway, from now on, the Huashan Sect will manage the secular sects, so such an unfortunate incident will not happen again. And since the Embroidered Uniform Guard has taken charge of the collection, there will be no monetary problems."

Gumen Long looked with a suspicious eye, and then twisted his beard with his fingers.

"Well. Even if it's the Embroidered Uniform Guard, you can't just trust them unconditionally..."

It wasn't that there was no corruption just because it was the Embroidered Uniform Guard. On the contrary, since it was a matter of censoring oneself, how easy would it be if one were determined to commit corruption?

"The central plains are wide. That's why even if they belong to the Embroidered Uniform Guard, someone is bound to be rotten."

"It seems the Alliance Leader's distrust of humans has also reached its peak."

"I'm an Alliance Leader who almost went bankrupt because I trusted people. Do I look like I would trust just anyone?"

"You can trust them this time. Because they say that the head of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Grand Secretary Zhang Ji, has stepped up himself."

"Zhang Ji, Zhang Ji. If that fellow has gone himself, then it's okay to trust him."

"I haven't met him, but. The rumor is that he is a loyal and enthusiastic person."

"Good. Very good. You've handled it well."

The Alliance Leader nodded his head with satisfaction. A vassal who produced the best results no matter what task was given was more precious than any gold and silver treasure.

Then the Alliance Leader suddenly cleared his throat and licked his lips.

"But Inspector, may I ask one last thing?"

"Anything."

"That, the panda next to you, ah, no, the Dharma protector. I mean... Daesan's daughter."

"Ah, you mean Ye-er."

The gazes of the two turned to Ye-er.

Gumen Long asked carefully.

"How did that child become like that?"

Ye-er bit her lower lip in shame.

Jang So-gil looked at such a Ye-er and then let out a low sigh.

"The noodle dishes of the Western Great Mountain are the best in the world, so it couldn't be helped."

"..."

Ye-er's appearance was completely different from before her departure. Her weight had doubled, and she was round and soft like a fat giant panda.

Ye-er muttered lowly.

"But. Knife-cut noodles. So delicious."

"No matter how much I told you to eat as much as you want without limit, fifty bowls a day was too much."

"Even if I eat. I don't get tired of it. Tanghulu. Was good. Bird's nest soup. Not as good as I thought."

"Hmm. The bird's nest soup was certainly not that great."

"Wonton noodle soup. Good."

Since Jang So-gil had said she could eat as much as he had earned, Ye-er had truly eaten to her heart's content. Not the monotonous diet of Nan Yue, but the diverse and rich food of the central plains, she had eaten until she was tired and collapsed. There were also days when she ate something from the moment she opened her eyes until she fell asleep.

"So how could she not gain weight?"

"I see. Lose some. I have nothing to say to that fellow Daesan."

"Understood."

The dejected Ye-er lowered her head. When she lowered her head, her belly stuck out and she couldn't see her toes.

Ye-er was as surprised as if she had met a tiger while taking a walk.

She had thought she had gained weight, but to this extent! Had she become a complete pig?!

As Ye-er was stiffening her body in shock, Gumen Long smiled.

"I've heard a lot that the noodles of the Western Great Mountain are delicious, but were the knife-cut noodles that delicious? It makes me want to try them too. This is, as the Alliance Leader, I can't just go to the Western Great Mountain to eat some food. Should I make up some excuse?"

"If you're okay with it, I'll lend you a cook for a few days."

"Lend me a cook? Can your house's cook also make knife-cut noodles?"

"I have hired a few cooks from the Western Great Mountain."

"Heo?"

"There is also an expert in knife-cut noodles, so you can enjoy the noodles of the Western Great Mountain here too."

He knew after eating it. This was a taste that was bound to sell.

Then he had to sell it.

Jang So-gil's merchant soul was always burning brightly, so if he smelled something that would make money, he would not miss it.

"A specialty shop for the noodle dishes of the Western Great Mountain will soon open in Luoyang. It would be great if the Alliance Leader could give an evaluation. It would be even better if you could leave it in a document or a poem."

A taste recognized by the Martial Alliance Leader.

Just one word would increase the number of customers tenfold.

"You are truly amazing."

"You praise me too much."

"No, I'm serious. I've never seen a person as crazy about money as you. And I've never seen a person who makes money as well as you, and I've never seen a person who trades as well as you."

He naturally aroused Gumen Long's interest and induced him to want to try the knife-cut noodles, and then connected it to his business. Gumen Long was happy because he could eat the knife-cut noodles, Jang So-gil was happy because he could make money, and the common people of Luoyang were happy because they could eat a new noodle dish. It was a win-win situation for everyone.

Gumen Long's eyes sparkled.

"There's one thing I'd like to entrust to such a person."

"It's about time."

"Do you know what it is?"

"Of course."

Jang So-gil's finger made a character in the air.

Food.

"Is it a crackdown on the restaurant industry?"

"That's right."

The next target was food.

(End of Chapter)