I Became A Genius Of The French Royal Family [EN]: Chapter 326

It’s extremely difficult to mend clothes that are already in tatters.

Sometimes, it’s much more efficient to just cut everything away and start anew.

The justification for overthrowing a doomed dynasty and establishing a new one was mostly along these lines.

Gradual change is always met with resistance from the existing ruling powers.

It’s better to just cut off all their heads, overturn the board, and redraw the picture from scratch.

In that respect, Joseon [ancient Korean kingdom] was quite lucky.

First of all, the timing of the attempted reforms was crucial, as it was before the country was hopelessly ruined.

Perhaps if only half a century had passed, the state would have deteriorated to the point where it would be impossible to know where to start with reforms or improvements.

Japan’s situation was similar.

They tried to reform while maintaining the existing shogunate system [feudal military dictatorship], but the problem was that there were too many things to fix.

The attempt to create a federation with Joseon was also intended to start anew within a new framework.

Of course, Joseon maintained an ambiguous attitude until the end, so it didn’t make much progress.

However, that doesn’t mean Japan was completely idle.

First, as soon as Emperor Ninko ascended the throne after Emperor Kokaku, Shogun Ienari declared a major reform.

This reform, named the Ninko Restoration, with the Emperor at the forefront, was an ambitious attempt to modernize Japan’s economy, culture, and even politics.

The country they referred to was, of course, the Federal Empire of Greater France.

Not simply because it was the most advanced country in the world.

It was also because they thought that a constitutional monarchy with an emperor would best suit the sentiments of the Japanese people.

A constitution was enacted, and a bicameral system [two-chamber legislature] was introduced.

Of course, they didn’t just copy and paste the French system.

They made some adjustments in a direction that was ‘suitable for Japan’.

A prime example is that they made the authority of the upper house of the bicameral system incredibly strong.

This was unavoidable because they gave the daimyo [powerful feudal lords] who ruled each region a seat in the upper house.

The Shogun himself rose to the position of Prime Minister, becoming the head of the government, and set the Emperor as the commander-in-chief of the army and navy.

Since the Prime Minister also held the title of representative of the Emperor, there wasn’t much of a problem.

There were many other amendments, but the Shogun explained them as minor modifications tailored to their situation and moved on.

Joseon was also reforming in a similar way, so there was nothing to hesitate about.

“Your Majesty the Emperor! Now is the time!”

The Shogun, or rather, Tokugawa Ienari, who had newly changed his title to Prime Minister, knelt respectfully before the still young Emperor.

“What do you mean by ‘time’?”

“As you know, the Qing Dynasty [last imperial dynasty of China] is currently divided into more than ten small countries. And among them, some countries are starting wars to return to a unified dynasty.”

“But isn’t France in Guangdong? I don’t think France would just sit back and watch the revival of the Qing.”

“France has stated that they will not directly mobilize troops because they are currently hosting the Olympics. So, we secretly sent diplomats to sound out France’s intentions.

We were told that France is having difficulty keeping track of what other countries are doing in Asia because they are busy running the Olympics.”

If you’re not an idiot, you can immediately understand what this means.

Emperor Ninko listened to Ienari’s words with an interested expression.

“Joseon also received the same answer, so they will soon take action as well. We must not fall behind.”

“I understand that much, but what do you mean by ‘time’? Do you mean it’s an opportunity to test our current strength?”

“Of course, it also has that meaning. But more importantly, it’s an opportunity for us to increase our influence in Asia.”

“But didn’t you say that Joseon will also move? Then we might have to compete with Joseon…”

“They probably have similar thoughts to us. In that case, wouldn’t it be better to confirm each other’s strength? Once it’s clear that we have no rivals in Asia, we can form a federation this time.”

Europe is now increasingly consolidating into larger blocs.

In the end, the parliament judged that Japan would inevitably fall behind if it relied on its own strength to become a global power.

So, they need to bring in another country with a similar size.

If they have any sense, Joseon will be thinking similarly, so it’s necessary to make the most of this Northeast Asian conflict.

“I see. But will Joseon try to form a federation with us? They will never acknowledge you as their superior.”

“There are different types of federations. We can go for a loose federation with an independent government. The important thing is to find a partner who can be a military and economic ally. Joseon is the closest country to us, so it’s a suitable target.”

It sounds plausible when you hear it.

In fact, if the Prime Minister comes out this strongly, the Emperor can’t really refuse, so there was no choice from the beginning.

“If that’s everyone’s opinion, then do as you wish. I do not doubt everyone’s loyalty to the Empire and to me.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty!”

“But how do you plan to intervene? They’re fighting among themselves, so we don’t really have a justification to intervene, do we?”

“Yes. There’s no problem.”

Originally, there’s no easier situation to jump into than a group fight where they’re divided and beating each other up.

In particular, Japan, which has a long history of tearing themselves apart and fighting, understood this better than anyone else.

There’s a reason why experienced people are popular.

※※※

As Japan predicted, Joseon’s court was furiously racking its brains to figure out how to legally cause chaos in this fight.

Originally, the matter that should be discussed now was not the war but the change of the country’s name, but it was pushed back because of the timing.

Of course, there were some officials who pointed this out.

“Your Majesty! The northern campaign is important, but shouldn’t we finish consolidating our internal affairs perfectly first? It’s been a while since the Qing Dynasty collapsed and the Sino-centric order [China-centered international relations] was dismantled, so how long will we be trapped in old customs?”

“Yes. That’s also true.”

Currently, Joseon is undergoing rapid modernization and is changing everything anew.

Of course, the country’s name and the king’s posthumous title were no exception.

“Now that the Sino-centric order has been dismantled and has become nothing more than a legacy of the old era, I don’t think we need to be bound by that order. Your Majesty, please ascend to the throne as Emperor and set a new era name.”

Only a very small number of officials who were still steeped in old ideas showed discomfort, but their influence had long since disappeared.

Only one person, Seo Yong-bo, protested, saying that Joseon’s king could not be called Emperor when there was the Greater French Empire, but he was staying at home due to deteriorating health.

“Still, we should prepare for war first. We can consolidate our internal affairs later.”

“The era name doesn’t fill gunpowder into cannons, so wouldn’t it be better to take care of urgent matters first and do it slowly?”

As opinions poured out haphazardly from here and there, Jeong Yak-yong, feeling the need to organize the situation, stepped forward.

“There is some truth to the opinion that we should engage in external activities after finalizing all the reform plans. However, it is also true that the situation in the north is unusual right now. So, let’s just handle them at the same time. Isn’t this also an opportunity to reveal the newly established era name and country name to the outside world?”

“That’s also true.”

“The most important thing is to intervene in the northern campaign and secure funds to continue our reforms. We must not miss this opportunity, especially now that the proportion of foreign capital is too high.”

To summarize Joseon’s current reforms in one word, it was like mending rags and turning them into silk.

It would have been absolutely impossible alone, but fortunately, thanks to successfully attracting foreign capital, they have managed to put out the urgent fires so far.

In the future, they plan to implement the short hair decree nationwide, modernize clothing, and further expand railways to promote commerce and industry.

In fact, French dishes such as ratatouille [vegetable stew] and confit [preserved food] are currently served on the king’s table, and after the meal, he also eats petit fours [small confectionery] with coffee.

They also purchased weapons from France that were about to be retired and armed themselves, and established a military academy to train officers to command the soldiers.

However, the accumulation of still scarce capital and the underdeveloped financial system are holding them back.

Attracting foreign capital is good, but if they rely too much on it, their independence will be weakened due to frequent interventions, and it will be difficult to maintain the momentum of reform.

In that respect, the war that broke out this time was a huge opportunity.

“If we succeed, we will be able to pass on a significant portion of the debt we have been bearing to them. Then we can bring in more loans from abroad as much as we have borrowed so far.”

“The more I hear, the more attractive it becomes. But the fact that we are not the only ones aiming for this opportunity is bothering me.”

“Yes. The diplomat who went to Paris also said that Japan is definitely thinking the same thing as us.”

“Then we might be preempted… what should we do?”

Currently, Joseon is periodically receiving reports on the trends of neighboring countries.

And if you exclude Guangdong France, the most dynamic country in Asia was none other than Japan.

At first, the prevailing opinion was to laugh at the Japanese for not knowing their place, but the more you looked at them, the more their momentum was not to be underestimated.

Isn’t their speed one step faster than Joseon, which has not yet set an era name or completed the transition to parliament?

Of course, this may be because Japan has always claimed to be an empire.

“Haa… my head hurts. But haven’t we forgotten something important until now? Do we currently have the military power to intervene in the northern campaign and definitely crush the enemies?”

To achieve the goals they are planning now, it is not enough to simply fight and win against the enemy.

They must overwhelmingly crush the enemy with almost no damage on their side to achieve their goals.

However, Joseon had never sent troops across the Yellow Sea to the continent in its history, let alone Manchuria.

If they ambitiously send troops but are defeated, it will not end with just being disgraced.

It is obvious that they will be attacked tremendously, saying that this is the result of pushing out tradition against opposition.

Those who have been suppressing their dissatisfaction until now may suddenly start a rebellion.

This means that it is not a matter that can be easily resolved with the words “The attempt was good.”

“There is no problem. Most of our army’s equipment is weaponry that France used in the previous generation, but we have brought in a secret weapon.”

“A secret weapon?”

“Yes. It cost a lot to get even a very small amount, but it’s a weapon worth it. As long as we have this, there is no possibility of losing to the northern countries that use old-generation weapons.”

The king, who had never seen Jeong Yak-yong so confident, slowly nodded.

“Good. Then I will trust you. This expedition will be a great achievement that no one in Joseon’s history has ever accomplished. Make sure to be fully prepared so that there is no failure.”

“Yes! Your Majesty.”

“This meeting will be the last time I am called Your Majesty. This northern expedition will be a signal that Joseon has been reborn, so everyone should know that and do their best in their respective positions!”

The time has come.

The continent, which had been blocking them like a mountain until now, was calling them.