I Became A Hidden Powerhouse Of The British Empire [EN]: Chapter 125

Became a Hidden Power in the British Empire 125

Joyful Wedding

Saint Petersburg, the capital of the Russian Empire.

The worries of Karl Nesselrode, who seized control of Russian diplomacy after Nicholas I, the 11th Emperor of the Romanov dynasty, took power, were only deepening.

Russia, known as the gendarme [police force] of Europe and actively involved in European affairs, had been progressing smoothly so far.

The unstable power structure showed no signs of wavering now that Nicholas I’s reign was solidifying as a perfect autocracy [a system of government in which one person possesses unlimited power].

However, Russia’s attempts to dismantle the declining Ottoman Empire were repeatedly failing due to the checks and balances imposed by the British Empire.

It seemed that with just a little more expansion, they could completely push out the Ottomans and take their place, but with the British Empire and France obstructing them, there was no opportunity.

If things went well, they could control the entire Black Sea and reap huge profits not only from land trade but also from maritime trade.

He wondered if that time would come with a little more patience, but looking at how things were turning out, he couldn’t say for sure.

Those islanders, having eaten something wrong, were constantly clamoring for a warm-water port, foaming at the mouth and interfering every time Russia made a move. (A warm-water port is a port that doesn’t freeze in the winter.)

Of course, securing a warm-water port would be ideal, but from Russia’s perspective, which didn’t yet see it as the primary goal, it seemed absurd that the British were so obsessed with preventing it.

However, it was natural for the British Empire to believe that if Russia obtained a warm-water port and began to increase its naval power, it would become a tremendous threat.

As Foreign Minister, Nesselrode tried to move forward, judging that clashing with the British Empire was an unavoidable fate as long as the Russian Empire did not abandon its expansionist policies.

But frankly, he had recently been disgusted by the hypocrisy of those islanders.

They threw a fit whenever Russia tried to expand even a little, yet they themselves were poking around everywhere, expanding their territory.

It wasn’t enough that they had devoured that vast India all by themselves; they even flirted with Qing China and succeeded in planting their flags in several key locations.

Even if their motto was, “What I do is romance; what someone else does is an affair,” was their territorial expansion good while Russia’s was a bad war of conquest?

Continuing to watch, he couldn’t help but feel it was a truly petty and mean-spirited act.

Still, if Qing China had been the end of it, Russia would have just spat and said, “Ugh, unlucky bastards.”

But now, these guys were shoving large numbers of Irish people into their colony of Canada and constantly expanding westward, increasing their territory.

Okay, fine. After all, Canada was a colony, and the area they were occupying was unclaimed land, so let’s just say that’s how it is.

“But this is not it. What? A nobleman and a queen with the blood of ‘Корея’ (Korea) and ‘Япония’ (Japan) are getting married? These bastards are just thugs, aren’t they? The purpose is too obvious!”

The news that Queen Victoria was marrying a man named Killian Gore naturally reached Saint Petersburg through the ambassador.

When Nesselrode first saw this news, he couldn’t help but let out a burst of ridicule.

He had heard of Killian Gore’s name and was familiar with it.

A capable thug from the island nation who played a major role in beating up Qing China and taking away key territories.

He heard that he was a talented individual who even served as the youngest minister, so the fact that such a person was becoming the Queen’s husband was acceptable.

The problem was that they were holding a grand wedding, making ridiculous claims that he inherited the blood of the Korean or Japanese royal families.

Killian Gore was said to be an Irish nobleman, but how could an Irish nobleman have mixed blood with those distant Eastern countries?

In Europe, they had been happily intermarrying here and there, so it would be strange if their blood wasn’t mixed, but the story was different in Asia.

As soon as Nesselrode heard the news, he was sure.

“Those islanders who don’t know anything about Asia are doing clumsy manipulations according to their own common sense.”

In Europe, it was common for royal families to mix blood, but they must be overlooking the fact that this was not the case in Asia.

It was their business to fabricate, but what Russia had to pay attention to was why those guys were holding a wedding even with such fabrications.

This could only be seen as implying their intention to actively intervene in other Northeast Asian countries following Qing China, right?

If Korea or Japan fell into the hands of the British Empire, Russia might not be able to take a single step towards the sea, no matter how it expanded its territory.

That must not happen.

No! It must not.

“The French can’t possibly be unaware of the intentions of the British Empire… They will definitely send someone to watch this wedding. I need to see the situation for myself.”

Originally, it was common to send congratulations through the ambassador for a royal wedding, but this time, the situation was different.

Karl Nesselrode, who was in charge of Russian diplomacy, decided to directly confirm the British Empire’s diplomatic course under the guise of congratulating the Queen’s wedding.

And surprisingly.

Nesselrode was not the only diplomatic chief to come to this conclusion.

French Foreign Minister François Guizot also expressed his intention to attend Queen Victoria’s wedding with the exact same intention.

The wedding held in the British Empire became a meeting place for the ministers in charge of each country’s diplomacy in an instant.

* * *

-French Foreign Minister François Guizot to visit to congratulate Her Majesty Victoria’s wedding

-Russian Foreign Minister Karl Nesselrode expresses his desire to attend Her Majesty the Queen’s wedding

-Austrian Empire Foreign Minister and State Chancellor Klemens von Metternich to attend Her Majesty the Queen’s wedding…

What is this? Since when did a wedding become a venue for diplomatic summits?

Of course, it is not strange for high-ranking officials from other countries to attend the wedding of a queen of a country, but not just anyone.

However, the fact that the chief diplomats are flocking together as if they had made an appointment can only be thought of as having another reason.

And if you think about it carefully, there is only one reason that can be guessed.

“Is it because of my background?”

The ambassadors of other countries are not just playing around, so they must have collected all my personal information and reported it to their home countries, and to them, my identity must have seemed suspicious enough to break through the ceiling.

It is inevitable that they will suspect that the British Empire is trying to pursue a more blatant expansion policy in Asia, starting with this marriage.

It’s not like there’s no such intention at all, so it’s right to read it well.

Even so, I didn’t know that the ministers would flock together like this, but I wonder if that’s proof that the current British Empire has a great presence for European countries.

“No, but why are these materials 계속 [continuously] being sent to me, the groom-to-be who is about to get married?”

The Foreign Minister should take care of this. Who is the current Foreign Minister?

I wanted to get angry and say that, but who else could it be but me.

I should have resigned from my position as soon as the wedding announcement was made.

I said I would stay in office until the wedding, but now I have to work all the time even before the wedding.

No, the problem is not working, but I have to meet those ministers who are coming with a lot of resentment.

I could send the Vice Minister and tell them to play with the Vice Minister because the groom-to-be is out of his mind, but I can’t do that when I think about the national interest.

At times like this, it is necessary to properly talk to them, ease their vigilance, and inject gas [provide reassurance].

And if I appeal to the image that I am working hard for the benefit of the British Empire even before the wedding, I can gain national favor, right?

With these realistic calculations in mind, I moved to meet the minister who came from France even though the wedding was just around the corner.

“Hello. Welcome to the British Empire. I am Killian Gore, the Foreign Minister of the British Empire.”

“No… I didn’t expect the future Prince Consort of the British Empire to come and visit me in person.”

“France is a neighboring country, but a minister from another country has come, so of course I have to come in person. And in a way, you came to celebrate my wedding, didn’t you? So it makes even more sense for me to come. Hahaha.”

“Haha, it sounds plausible. Actually, I really wanted to talk to you. I may be a little careful to say this, but it’s definitely not a bad intention. So, um… you have a very impressive background.”

I thought we would exchange more ceremonial words, but are you already getting to the point?

I have to meet several people in the future, so I’m grateful that you’re telling me right away like this.

“Actually, I was surprised too. To be honest, I didn’t know anything about my Eastern ancestry.”

“You didn’t know anything about your background?”

“Of course. I came to the British Empire almost as soon as I came to my senses. No one told me, so there’s no way I could know which family’s blood I inherited.”

“Well, it’s impossible for someone to know what happened before they were born. But then how did you find out you were royalty? Did the British Empire conduct its own investigation?”

It was a question mixed with suspicion that you guys fabricated it, but at least on this issue, I am endlessly confident.

Because I didn’t interfere even a speck of dust in the Joseon [historical Korean kingdom] and Japan’s Jagangducheon Cheonhajaeil Fabrication Competition [self-proclaimed ‘best in the world’ competition].

They did all this on their own without being told to do so.

“No. I was really surprised, but it seems that Japan and Joseon conducted their own investigations. In fact, the home country really didn’t do anything. How else would I have heard about this fact when I was in Canada? I was so embarrassed at first. I still laugh when I think about it.”

“The two countries did their own investigation and announced it themselves?”

“Yes.”

There are more than one or two guys who are trying to find out if we are fabricating, so why would we touch this bloodline issue?

If Joseon or Japan immediately said, ‘They fabricated it? We never did that?’

How excited would France or Russia be to issue a statement condemning us?

Maybe François Guizot here or Karl Nesselrode, who is coming soon, have that purpose to some extent.

If they see even a slightly suspicious part, they will not hesitate to bite and embarrass us.

But I’m really dumbfounded, but I, the British Empire, have nothing to do with this, so no matter how much you investigate, you’ll only be wasting your time.

But I won’t stop you if you want to try.

“Then… the British Empire and those two countries in Asia will be able to establish friendly relations in the future. Is that the stage where such stories are already being discussed?”

Anyone with a brain wouldn’t answer right away here, but I deliberately shook my head.

“No. Maybe Joseon or Japan don’t even know that I’m marrying Her Majesty the Queen. And I don’t have any intention of actively intervening in Asia right now. If we approach them with our bloodline, wouldn’t our intentions be too obvious? Her Majesty the Queen doesn’t want this wedding to be seen as such an intention.”

“Ah, I see. I must have misinterpreted the fruits of your true love too politically. I apologize.”

“No. The reason I’m saying this is because I know very well that this wedding can’t help but be seen that way. So I want to reveal my and Her Majesty’s true feelings and dispel the misunderstanding.”

“I see. I understand. I will sincerely congratulate you and Her Majesty the Queen’s wedding. I hope you will be happy for a long time.”

“Thank you. Then I’ll see you again at the dinner later.”

After shaking hands amicably, I called one of the secretaries as soon as I left the French Embassy.

“Did you call me, Minister?”

“Yes. I want you to contact the Governor-General of Shanghai right away. Is that possible?”

“Of course. What should I tell them?”

Seeing François Guizot trying to confirm so much, I can guess what they want to do.

It is a well-known fact that Japan succumbed to American pressure and opened its ports in the original history, but in fact, Joseon almost experienced the same thing with France decades ago.

France, which intervened in Vietnam, wanted to extend its influence to Joseon, but I remember hearing that they only showed more than imaginable disgrace and were rescued by the British army.

That was probably a few years later, but now that we can influence Joseon and Japan at any time, France will want to drive a stake in it as soon as possible.

“Send a message to Joseon, Japan, and Vietnam. Tell them to prepare because the Elan… no, the French guys might dispatch a fleet. And tell them to tell me anytime if they need help.”

They didn’t even bring congratulatory money to someone else’s wedding. Where are they trying to have fun on their own?

But I, with a generous heart, don’t care about such trivial things.

I can just get the congratulatory money myself.

I didn’t say a single lie.

Then let’s wait with a happy heart to see how fun our Elans [French people] will have in Asia and what answers Joseon or Japan will give us.