During this period, the Imperial Secret Service was facing its own headache.
The Deputy Commander who oversaw the Secret Service in place of the Commander of the Imperial Guard placed his hand on his forehead while reviewing reports.
“Those guys who went to the Northern Territory… did they go there to work or to do business? We’re already desperately short on manpower, and now they’re requesting reinforcements…”
The Deputy Commander was lost in thought as he stared at the reinforcement request sent by agents dispatched to Liaodong Castle in the Northern Territory.
***
Starting with Liaodong Castle, pleasure houses disguised as Secret Service branch offices began establishing themselves one by one throughout the various capitals of the Northern Territory.
These establishments quickly became nests for the wealthy of their respective regions.
While Chinese-style pleasure houses already existed in the better-known capitals, they primarily served as venues for prostitution and gambling.
However, the performances by courtesans skilled in song and dance, along with the Empire’s soju that offered a different flavor from baiju, turned the wealthy into regular patrons. While the unique flavor of soju played a part, its status as the Empire’s signature liquor was also a major factor.
“So they say the Empire’s elite drink this soju?”
“Since we’re no less important, let’s try it!”
“Indeed, what do we lack?”
“That’s right! We certainly have the means to enjoy performances while drinking soju at pleasure houses!”
The Northern Territory’s wealthy had to become regulars at these establishments if only to maintain their pride.
This kept the Secret Service – or more accurately, Seoul Entertainment Company which had officially started the pleasure houses in the Northern Territory – busy.
While imperial capital funded the pleasure houses in the North and the Secret Service carried out operations, this was classified information. Therefore, they established a company by installing relatively clean senior Secret Service members who wouldn’t raise suspicions during tax investigations as founders. To further avoid suspicion, they even received investment from investment banks.
Of course, since most of the funding came from the imperial family, Emperor Hyang had meticulously prepared a detailed secret contract targeting the Secret Service.
“While it’s true that I provided the money, this is still officially imperial property.”
Though Hyang used this excuse to draw up the contract, his true intentions were different.
The entertainment industry can generate enormous profits if managed properly. Why let such a golden goose go free? Better to grab it! Yes! I’ve secured my emergency funds!
However, problems arose when Seoul Entertainment started generating larger revenues than expected.
The first issue was securing courtesans to work at the newly established pleasure houses.
While many retired courtesans contracted by the company were training young apprentice courtesans, it would still take considerable time before they could enter service.
Furthermore, the standards of the Northern Territory’s wealthy were rising faster than anticipated. This meant that operating primarily with second-tier courtesans as initially planned would clearly be problematic. It would become difficult to achieve Hyang and the Secret Service’s goal of monitoring the movements of the Northern Territory’s wealthy and influential figures.
Thus, Secret Service agents affiliated with the entertainment company had to move quickly. They frequently visited existing pleasure houses to recruit second-tier courtesans who were slightly below first-tier status but possessed outstanding talent and beauty. While earnestly persuading head courtesans and their patrons, they also pursued first-tier courtesans who were close to retirement.
“My goodness! You want me to go to that Northern Territory? Are you mad? Who do you think I am!”
Though first-tier courtesans strongly refused such offers initially, the recruitment officers persisted relentlessly.
“Think about it! You’ll have to retire soon anyway! But if you endure just 2-3 years in the North, you can earn a fortune! You need to think about your future! Plus, when you retire there, we guarantee you a position training apprentices!”
After such earnest persuasion, several first-tier courtesans boarded the iron horse bound for the North.
The recruitment officers didn’t stop there.
They visited noble houses known to have talented private courtesans, negotiated contracts diligently, and sent those courtesans north.
These recruitment efforts brought unexpected butterfly effects.
“So there’s money to be made in the North?”
-They say Seoul Entertainment is raking in money hand over fist in the Northern Territory!
Such rumors began spreading widely throughout the home territory, leading pleasure house patrons, head courtesans, and noble houses with talented private courtesans to seriously consider expanding into the new market.
The “comprehensive entertainment venues” added fuel to this fire.
Several capitals in the Northern Territory met the establishment criteria for comprehensive entertainment venues, which were soon built. These venues in the North quickly gained immense popularity and gathered wealth. While pleasure houses collected money from the wealthy, comprehensive entertainment venues became places that gathered money from both the wealthy and common people.
This led noble houses with private courtesans to consider their options even more seriously.
-Carelessly establishing pleasure houses or lending out private courtesans could potentially tarnish the family name.
-However, gaining renown at comprehensive entertainment venues could elevate the family name.
-The problem is that competition in the home territory is fierce. Meanwhile, competition in the North isn’t yet severe.
-Perhaps it would be better to actively build reputation in the North first, then attempt to expand back to the home territory.
Noble houses that reached such conclusions began actively seeking and educating young girls who showed promise in both beauty and talent.
The difference from the past was that slavery had almost disappeared, and courtesans had gained commoner status. Therefore, noble houses had to draw up contracts with the parents of girls they wished to recruit. Of course, Ministry of War personnel had to be present at such contract signings due to tax and legal issues.
In any case, the entertainment industry that Hyang had dismissed with a smirk as mere fantasy began establishing itself at an even faster pace.
Apart from these butterfly effects, more and more pleasure houses began establishing themselves in the Northern Territory.
And this brought new problems to the Secret Service.
***
After keeping his hand on his forehead while examining reports for quite some time, the Deputy Commander soon looked up at the ceiling and let out a long sigh.
“Haah~. We’re severely understaffed!”
While the courtesan supply issue was serious, it was a minor problem in the grand scheme of things. This was because pleasure houses needed protection regardless of whether they were affiliated with the Secret Service, and most of those protectors were Secret Service members.
However, this aspect had become the Secret Service’s biggest problem.
Since its establishment, the Secret Service had been composed of members from the sword schools. And most sword school members were illegitimate sons whose advancement was blocked by the prohibition against illegitimate sons serving in government. Thanks to this, being a “secret organization directly under the king” both satisfied their suppressed pride and served as the strongest tool for ensuring loyalty.
Of course, while some caused problems due to their long lives as vagrants, most could become excellent agents through “personality education accompanied by appropriate physical means.” Those who couldn’t pass this process were immediately expelled and became subjects of surveillance.
If any tried to reveal the Secret Service’s existence, they were quickly dealt with by their former colleagues.
However, the passing of time and the Reform had caught up with the Secret Service.
As time passed, many of the founding members either retired due to age or moved to administrative positions. Additionally, there was a steady stream of those who lost their lives in armed conflicts with those targeting research institutes and Area 51.
While they needed to continue filling those vacant positions with talented individuals, recruitment became problematic when the Reform allowed illegitimate sons to serve in government.
Finding talent became difficult as most illegitimate sons, who had been optimal recruits in terms of both knowledge and martial ability, left to become officials or soldiers.
Of course, vagrants still roamed the streets. However, the vast majority of them showed no possibility of improvement through “personality education.”
As a result, Secret Service agents had to keep their eyes peeled for those with “even a thread of potential” despite their busy schedules.
“Looking at it that way… those guys in the North can be quite lovely despite being annoying.”
The Deputy Commander’s complaints to the ceiling were true. Park Gyu-seop and his comrades sent from the North, who kept asking for support despite their already tight circumstances, were extremely promising recruits.
-They endured the hell of the battlefield.
-They learned basic martial arts in the military, so they just need a bit more refinement.
-They’re familiar with firearms and explosives.
-Most importantly, they’re accustomed to killing.
The Secret Service was initially excited about finding a new breakthrough with Park Gyu-seop and his comrades, but soon found themselves in an awkward position.
-Most military veterans of appropriate age, especially those who participated in the recent war, have mental or physical issues.
-Most veterans with superior education and martial arts skills are from noble families. They cannot join the Secret Service due to family honor.
The second condition was problematic. No family would approve of their son, who entered military service to elevate the family name, suddenly becoming a vagrant who idles away at pleasure houses. Even making them Seoul Entertainment employees would be problematic.
“After all that effort to become a general, entertainment business? Go die!”
It was crystal clear that family elders would react this way.
***
“Dammit… this is frustrating…”
As the Deputy Commander was cursing at the unsolvable knot, a subordinate carefully extended a report.
“What is it!”
“Um… the Ming people have been acting suspicious lately.”
“Ah, damn!!!! Give it here!”
The Deputy Commander snatched the document with a curse and examined it with irritated eyes. However, his expression grew increasingly serious as he read through the contents.
After reviewing the document several times, he ordered his subordinate.
“Send word to the Commander. Say I need to see him immediately.”
“Yes, sir.”
***
Before long, the problematic report was delivered to Emperor Hyang through the Commander of the Imperial Guard.
“Hmm…. This looks quite serious.”
“Indeed, Your Majesty.”
“The Secret Service… ah… manpower shortage is the issue.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. Therefore, the Secret Service desperately hopes Your Majesty will provide a solution.”
“Hmm…”
After contemplating for a while, Hyang ordered the Commander of the Imperial Guard.
“First, tell them to classify matters by urgency. Have the Secret Service handle the most urgent matters requiring immediate attention and cases requiring basic surveillance due to suspicion. For dangerous matters with some time flexibility and cases needing constant monitoring, have them report to the Police Bureau through appropriate means.”
“You intend to use the Police Bureau, Your Majesty?”
Hyang nodded at the Commander’s question.
“Yes. If such cases are made public a few times, we can properly establish a counterintelligence department within the Police Bureau. We should have done this long ago – I made the Secret Service work too hard. As for the talent recruitment issue…”
After pausing briefly to think, Hyang soon found an answer.
“We’ll use the military.”
“The military, Your Majesty?”
“Yes, people usually speak of ‘soldiers and generals fierce as tigers,’ but I think wolves are more fitting. A single wolf is frightening, but wolves are most fearsome when they hunt in packs, aren’t they?”
The Commander nodded at Hyang’s words, and the emperor continued.
“However, there are always those who are more like tigers than wolves. Those who have outstanding abilities but don’t work well in groups. Let’s use such individuals.”
“But many such individuals come from powerful families, Your Majesty. It won’t be easy for them to resolve to be disowned by their families. Even those not from powerful families would find it difficult to agree.”
To the Commander’s point, Hyang added:
“Tell them this: Though their families may forget them, the Emperor will remember.”