I Became A Genius Of The French Royal Family [EN]: Chapter 256

The Future of Asia

It might sound like boasting, but I’ve truly done my best.

After all, the world is still in an age where the logic of power dominates, merely wearing the mask of civilization.

If left alone, the world would descend into utter chaos, as history has shown.

My top priority was the national interest of France, but within those boundaries, I tried my best to contribute to a better world.

You could say I aimed for a convergence of public and private interests.

But eventually, the moment comes when this balance must tip to one side.

At that time, I would inevitably have to prioritize France as much as possible.

But what if I have to grind myself to the bone for the benefit of France?

I’ve been enduring it with the mindset that it can’t be helped, but now my stomach is starting to hurt too much.

So, this is when a change of perspective is needed.

I approached my work with the self-hypnosis that if I can’t avoid it, I might as well enjoy it, which greatly reduced the mental burden.

“Prime Minister, the envoys from Ryukyu [present-day Okinawa] and the Shogunate [the military government of Japan] keep secretly requesting to see you. What should we do?”

“You can’t handle it on your own… can you?”

“No. Last time I heard, it was a matter of the country’s survival, and even if I am the Governor-General, I don’t think I can judge such matters…”

Robespierre trailed off, as if he lacked confidence.

Right. It can’t be helped.

Even if I gave him diplomatic authority, no one could have imagined that such a problem would arise.

“What is Napoleon doing right now?”

“He is reorganizing the army with Marshal Davout. It seems he thinks a big problem might erupt soon.”

“Yes, that friend is very thorough in his preparations.”

France was also well aware that the voices of those resembling pseudo-Boxers [referring to anti-foreign sentiments similar to the Boxer Rebellion in China] were growing louder.

And there were many who wanted to seize this as an opportunity.

Robespierre and Napoleon right in front of me are the leading figures among those people.

They must have found what they’ve been gaining quite sweet, as these two have been showing a pretty good rapport lately.

“But Robespierre, have you thought about this? If those who oppose Europe become the main force and cause a large-scale riot here, our civilians will suffer considerable damage, right?”

“So, we must start ordering evacuation operations from now on. We have already started operations in areas where the atmosphere is not good.”

“Good response. But the real problem is what comes after that. If there is civilian damage, we will naturally intervene and suppress the rioters, and the Qing imperial court [the ruling dynasty of China at the time] will inevitably get involved again… Do you think the Qing Dynasty can survive if that happens?”

“That is…”

Robespierre paused for a moment, lost in thought, before shaking his head.

“It would be impossible. We should assume that the collapse of the Qing is almost certain.”

“Yes. Then the country that has nominally been the owner of this land will disappear. How will we handle the chaos that follows?”

“…As expected, the Prime Minister must take the lead and establish a new order in this land…”

Yes. I knew it would come to this.

I remember Napoleon being overjoyed when I said we should actively adjust the balance of Asia last time.

He probably misunderstood my words in his own way again, but the work he does will be similar in the end, so I’m too tired to argue.

No matter how much I say I’m not interested in such a position, I’ll just be treated as a hypocrite in the current situation.

If I had given Napoleon a stern warning and returned to France as planned, it would have been convincing… but I’m still here playing the emperor, so who would believe me?

Anyway, looking at the current situation, the option of returning to Europe has already disappeared.

Just at the last banquet, I could glimpse the suffocating power dynamics surrounding Asia, and I’m going to leave all this to Robespierre and Napoleon?

Isn’t there a 99% chance that they’ll just create a second Nouvelle France [New France, a former French colony in North America] and wipe everything out?

Seeing them push the Qing Dynasty out of the way this time, the combination of the France I created and Napoleon is much stronger than expected.

They might actually do it if they set their minds to it.

The thought alone is terrifying.

“For now, the problems we need to focus on are threefold: the anti-Western demonstrations taking place in various regions, the British and Russians dragging their feet in Uyghur [a region in Northwest China], and the various Asian countries that seem ready to fight among themselves.”

“These are quite difficult problems to handle at the same time.”

“For now, we can wait and see how the British react, and if we leave the rioters to Napoleon, at least we won’t suffer any damage.”

“So, by process of elimination, we only need to worry about the Asian countries.”

In the end, are we back to square one?

Getting involved in other countries’ diplomatic disputes doesn’t sit well with me, but I can’t avoid it because I’m the only one who can do it.

“Ryukyu and the Shogunate… I’ll have to meet them separately and listen to their stories.”

“Understood. Then I’ll make an appointment. Oh, and who was it… that country that became more docile than when they came to Paris? The one that particularly emphasized that they were a vassal state of the Qing.”

“Are you talking about Joseon [ancient Korean kingdom]?”

“Yes. Someone from there is earnestly requesting to meet with the Prime Minister.”

Do they also want to break away from the Qing and rely on France?

Seriously, the Qing Dynasty has become everyone’s punching bag. Tsk tsk tsk.

“There’s nothing particularly problematic about them, so tell them to come whenever I have time.”

“Understood.”

Well, then, let’s listen to what kind of wind is blowing in the hearts of those Confucian old men.

※※※

“Hmm? Was it you who came to see me?”

“Prime Minister, thank you for accepting my request.”

I thought Seo Yong-bo, the representative, would be the one to come from Joseon, but surprisingly, it was Jeong Yak-yong who came to see me.

Unlike when he was in Paris, he was dressed in neat official robes and paid his respects as if he were paying homage to the emperor.

“Judging by your attire, it seems you’ve been reinstated. Congratulations. You were originally a Senior Rank Official, I believe.”

“Your Excellency truly knows everything about us. I can only admire your mysterious wisdom.”

“I was also surprised. The attitude of your country towards us seems to have changed considerably compared to when I saw you in Paris. Did you use your influence?”

“Not only me, but Minister Ugeu also worked hard.”

That Confucian old man?

That’s unexpected.

Well, he did show a considerably different side at the last banquet.

I don’t know what kind of change of heart he had, but it’s amazing.

“So, has Joseon decided to open up?”

“Not yet… For now, we plan to trade and slowly observe the international situation.”

I thought they had come to their senses, but as expected.

This endlessly soft judgment and slow decision-making.

This is the Joseon of the late century that I know.

“Do you also think that direction is right?”

“…I thought so until I came here. Eastern ways, Western technology. I don’t know what the Prime Minister thinks, but we wanted to learn Western technology while maintaining our spirit.”

Of course, of course. Of course, you would think so.

You wouldn’t be able to give up the superior Confucian ideology, so that would be the best way.

From my perspective, knowing all the circumstances, it’s a story that can only bring a sneer, but in fact, having this mindset now is a big decision for Joseon.

The problem is that they are not the only ones moving faster than in history.

“If you think that’s enough, shouldn’t you just go that way?”

“I would like to hear Your Excellency’s wise opinion on how you think.”

“You want to refer to the opinion of a foreigner in deciding the important affairs of the country… That’s interesting. Can I hear the reason?”

“After seeing the information Your Excellency gave us before, I thought that you might be looking at us more objectively than we are. Please, even a little bit of wisdom…”

If the man I saw as a great figure since I was young asks me this much, I can’t help but feel a little weak.

In fact, if we assume that we will dismantle the Qing Dynasty piece by piece in the long term as planned, the geographical value of Joseon becomes a bit ambiguous.

Even if we assume that Nouvelle France will cross the Pacific and project its influence into Asia, it doesn’t look that attractive.

Things would be different if a presence like the Soviet Union or China of the original history emerged, but I wouldn’t allow that.

“I don’t intend to give you special treatment, but I value the fact that you have changed your mind in such a short period of time, so I will give you some advice. Keep in mind that the development of technology can never be separated from ideology. If you try to ignore this, you will end up spinning your wheels.”

“…As expected…”

“Well, if you want to bang your head against the ground and see if it hurts, that’s your freedom. But keep in mind that something new is born only when you doubt the existing system from the structure and intend to break it all down.”

I’ve done my minimum duty by telling them this much.

This is partly due to the influence of my past life, but it is also for my personal safety, as I don’t want Asia to become more chaotic.

If Asia in the 19th century becomes a mess like in the original history, France and I will most likely have to clean it up.

“But Your Excellency, Joseon is similar to the Qing. We have an ideology that we have long revered, and based on this, the vested interests have already solidified, and we believe that this method is the absolute truth.”

“And the people are being trampled like bugs, oppressed by a society that has long been mired in that inertia, right? And it’s only going to get worse, not better.”

Other Confucian scholars would have foamed at the mouth and gone crazy here, but Jeong Yak-yong is someone who has clearly experienced the naked face of Joseon society during his long exile.

In addition, he went directly to Paris to see the developed new civilization, and now he is seeing in real time how the Qing is collapsing in Beijing.

If you deny reality after seeing all this, you are not a human being but a beast… no, worse than a beast.

“Just for your information, our France chopped off the heads of all the rotten nobles to get to this point. I led the way and wiped out hundreds of corrupt nobles with the guillotine.”

“T, that can’t be…”

“But don’t misunderstand. If I hadn’t done that, the contradictions of society would have festered and eventually devoured the lives of far more people.”

Originally, the society created by humans does not change without a corresponding shock.

The sprouting of human rights was also due to the backlash that erupted from the brutal trampling of human rights.

The fact that workers were able to win rights was also guaranteed by the lives of countless people who were ground like machines.

The desire for peace and the liberation of colonies that sprouted after the 20th century were also due to the fact that the world had gone through not one but two wars that covered the world.

Looking at it this way, humans may seem like hopeless beings, but that’s not the case.

It’s true that humans only come to their senses after being hit a few times, but in other words, it means that they eventually come to their senses after being hit a few times.

In the sense that they somehow go through trial and error to find the right answer, they are definitely positive creatures.

“Well, I’ve said this much, so I’ve really made up my mind, so let’s get up now. I have a lot of appointments lined up after this.”

“O, one last thing… Does the Prime Minister think we have enough time?”

“That’s quite an interesting question.”

Until now, I thought that countries like Joseon had about 50 years left.

That’s enough time to make up for it if you keep your mind right, even if you go through a few trials and errors.

But looking at the way things are going now, the current situation in Asia is not necessarily so.

Japan entered the era of enlightenment much faster than in history, but unlike the Meiji Restoration [a period of modernization in Japan], this was a reform led by the Shogunate.

It may end in failure, or it may achieve even greater success.

In addition to Japan, Southeast Asian countries are also seeking their own way to survive.

With all countries moving so urgently, can we really afford to discuss 50 years of leisure?

That’s nonsense.

No matter how long you take, the golden time will soon be over.

“I can’t give you a specific answer, but I’m going to meet with the Shogunate’s envoy after you leave. And they will probably be thinking something similar to you. So, think carefully about what the best way is for you.”

What if they do something stupid even after I’ve told them this much?

Then they should just perish. What else can I do?

In fact, it will be impossible to maintain the dynasty even if things go well, but there’s no need to add such words, right?

The Future of Asia End