I Became A Genius Of The French Royal Family [EN]: Chapter 312

“Take a look at this, Lord Chief State Councilor. Isn’t it truly a wondrous object?”

“Ah, is this your first time seeing one? This is the famous electric light bulb.”

“Heo… The marvel of technology is truly astonishing. It’s incomparably brighter than candlelight.”

“If we were to install these in every home, wouldn’t the concept of night become meaningless?”

For those from Joseon [historical Korean kingdom], the World’s Fair was like a magical land they couldn’t take their eyes off of.

Jeong Yak-yong, the chief of this delegation, was carefully assessing the technological capabilities of each country by touring their exhibition halls.

“There are many things here that are new to us, so it’s easy to be mesmerized, but don’t let your guard down. From now on, we will also be receiving an exhibition hall. We must not forget that we need to be in that position in four or five years.”

“…This is… I was originally quite confident, but coming here and seeing it in person, I feel a sense of despair. How should we prepare…?”

Kim Jae-chang, the Minister of Public Works, who was walking alongside Jeong Yak-yong, had an increasingly dark expression as time went on.

After the last Great War, a consensus had formed in Joseon that Western technology should be accepted unconditionally and quickly.

Originally, they had been cautiously testing the waters with a lukewarm attitude, but after seeing Qing [historical Chinese dynasty] being torn to shreds in real-time, everyone was terrified.

Not missing the opportunity, Seo Yong-bo and Jeong Yak-yong gathered like-minded progressives.

They branded those who opposed them as traitors trying to turn Joseon into another Qing and forced them to retire to their hometowns, taking an extremely hardline stance.

The King also sided with the progressives, judging that now was the best time to strengthen his royal authority.

This was because many of those who had been the real power brokers in Joseon until now were lukewarm about modernization.

Until now, modernization and resistance to foreign influence had been almost evenly matched, but the fall of Qing was fortunate in that it provided a clear justification.

However, reorganizing the forces in the court like this was not the end of the story.

Since the progressives had branded the opposition as they called for modernization, visible results were essential.

If they remained sluggish here, they would not be able to avoid criticism that the progressives had only used this to gain power.

There was a reason why the newly emerging Chief State Councilor Jeong Yak-yong and the Minister of Public Works, one of the six ministers, had come all the way to a distant foreign land.

“Still, getting a spot in the next expo is a gain, wouldn’t you say?”

“You could argue that, but participation itself isn’t difficult. The United States, the next host country, needs to promote itself, so they’ll want as many participating countries as possible. The important thing is what kind of results we produce there.”

“First, we need to tour the exhibition halls of other countries in Asia and do some spying.”

It wasn’t exactly a fair method, but there were no rules against it, so there was no need to be self-conscious.

Among the participating countries, there were only two from Asia.

Newly independent India and Manchuria, which was torn apart from Qing and maintained an alliance with France, were the only ones.

“In my opinion, the level difference is too great to compete purely with technology. However, culture is not determined solely by technology, so let’s look at India and Manchuria and decide on our strategy.”

First, the initial target was India.

As one of the most recognized Asian countries in Europe, India occupied a fairly large space.

They mainly decorated their exhibition hall with handicrafts, luxury clothing, and ivory, which reflected their unique characteristics.

In particular, they played Indian music and danced whenever they had the chance, which attracted the attention of many visitors.

“When it comes to excitement, we’re not lacking either. It seems like we have something to learn from this. What do you think?”

“I think so too. And after looking around, handicrafts made by artisans are still of higher quality than those made by crude machines. Our handicrafts can also attract enough attention.”

It was quite encouraging to confirm that dance and song are accepted everywhere in the world.

‘Come to think of it, the strange talents that the Japanese showed in the past were so explosive that Westerners were blown away. We should do something similar. I need to scout out a famous Namsadang troupe [traveling troupe of performers].’

Looking around at Manchuria, the direction itself was not much different from India.

They were focusing on introducing luxury jewelry and tea brought from the Qing imperial family, as well as their traditional culture.

Jeong Yak-yong focused on observing the reactions of Westerners to the exhibitions of the two countries, and especially the parts that received good responses, and recorded them one by one.

“…I think it’s most important to establish a clear strategy.”

“Strategy?”

“Yes. Just looking at India and Manchuria, it seemed that trying to do everything was actually less effective. We should focus on the fields that people seem interested in and imprint the image of Joseon on them.”

“I’m not sure what areas people are interested in.”

“I’ve heard that Westerners tend to think of Eastern culture as mysterious, and this time it was definitely noticeable. So, we should maximize this…”

“Oh, who is this! Aren’t you the esteemed guests from Joseon?”

Jeong Yak-yong’s words, who was suggesting a strategy, were cut short by someone’s sudden interruption.

Just by looking at him, you could tell that he was a yellow-skinned man from Asia. Also, from his appearance, he was from the shogunate, but his clothes were not.

The sight of a Japanese man wearing a suit that French gentlemen usually wore evoked strange emotions in the people of Joseon.

“But how do you know us?”

“Of course, I know you. Didn’t we meet in Paris before? I was in charge of the shogunate’s delegation when I entered Paris in the past. I am currently working hard with the honorable title of Japanese Ambassador to France.”

“Ah, that person from that time.”

I didn’t expect to see the person who planned the ninja performance that received rave reviews from Westerners here.

Just by looking at his clothes, he seemed to be quite knowledgeable about the Western world, so maybe this could be a golden opportunity to extract information.

Jeong Yak-yong smiled amiably and approached him as if he was very happy to see him.

“It’s so nice to meet people from neighboring countries in such a distant land. But why didn’t you participate in this expo?”

“There’s no need to rush to participate from the beginning. We’re going to prepare more thoroughly and aim for the next opportunity. Isn’t that the same for Joseon?”

“…Of course. As expected, your country’s insight into the situation is excellent.”

In fact, there was a power struggle going on, so there was no room to spare, but there was no need to say such a thing.

“Only India and Manchuria participated in Asia this time, but from next time, more countries will participate. I heard that about six countries from the Central Plains have expressed their intention to participate, and Vietnam is also coming. Above all, most of the attention will be focused on Guangdong, France, which will have its own exhibition hall from next time.”

“We’re thinking the same way. So, we canceled our participation this time to thoroughly analyze people’s tendencies and devise our strategy.”

“Hoo…”

Kondo scanned Jeong Yak-yong and Kim Jae-chang with a subtle gaze.

The probing gaze was not very pleasant, but Jeong Yak-yong did not care and asked one more question.

“So, what did your country think of the exhibitions in India and Manchuria?”

“…Well…”

Kondo just shrugged his shoulders instead of answering.

As expected, he didn’t want to show his cards first.

Jeong Yak-yong decided that it would be right to release information first here.

He thought that Kondo had been staying in France and working as an ambassador, so there must be a lot of information to extract.

“In my opinion, they don’t seem to have gained as much as they invested.”

“Oh, what a coincidence. We came to a similar conclusion. If it’s not rude, can we compare reasons?”

“Sure. First of all, both India and Manchuria were too greedy. Even if they bring their culture as it is, there is no guarantee that other countries will respond to it as it is. Wouldn’t it have been better to narrow down the field and specialize in that area to clearly reveal the theme?”

“Excellent insight. Indeed…”

Kondo nodded as if he was truly impressed and muttered in a small voice that Jeong Yak-yong could not hear.

“As expected, even if it rots, it’s still a crucian carp [a common saying referring to someone who still has some talent despite being old or past their prime]. Joseon is just right.”

“Hmm? What did you just say?”

“No, it’s nothing. As expected, people from Joseon have excellent insights. In fact, the reason I came to find you is because there is one thing I want to discuss… Can you spare some time?”

“Hmm… I have a lot of schedules lined up, but I can’t ignore your sincerity. Okay. Shall we talk for a while? Minister Kim, please take care of the next schedule.”

“Yes? Ah… Yes! Trust me.”

In fact, there were no schedules at all, but if you show a reaction as if you were waiting here, you will be looked down upon immediately.

Fortunately, Kim Jae-chang, who understood Jeong Yak-yong’s intentions, chimed in appropriately and led the group away.

Kondo guided Jeong Yak-yong to the Japanese Embassy, sent the interpreter out, and prepared a place where only the two of them could have a private conversation.

“I can speak Joseon, so I would like to talk to you two as it is. It’s not a good conversation if it leaks out.”

“…What on earth is going on…”

Seeing that the seat was prepared in advance, Kondo must have been looking for the Joseon delegation from the beginning.

Jeong Yak-yong watched Kondo’s stiff expression and waited for his next words.

Soon, Kondo took a deep breath and opened his mouth resolutely.

“How does Joseon view the future of Asia?”

“The future of Asia?”

“That’s right. The future of Asia! It is an undeniable fact that Europa is the master of the world now. Qing, which failed to accept this, suffered the humiliation of being torn into 16 countries.

On the other hand, India succeeded in gaining independence just because it was a colony of England, France’s enemy. Just looking at this, Asian countries are not in a position to freely choose their future.”

“It’s a terrible reality, but it’s hard to deny. So, what do you want to say?”

After all, only fundamental sounds will come out, such as accelerating modernization and building an alliance system together.

However, Jeong Yak-yong, who was roughly expecting the other party’s next words, was stunned by Kondo’s following words.

“The Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere!”

“…What co-prosperity?”

“Joseon may not know it yet, but Europa is increasingly uniting into one huge federation. England is maintaining its existing Commonwealth, France is creating a federal empire, and Rome is following that path. In addition, Northern Europa is now showing signs of forming a federation centered on Sweden.”

“So, Asia should do that too?”

Kondo nodded with a face as solemn as a general going to the battlefield.

“China has fallen to the ground, and Manchuria is virtually a vassal state of France. Vietnam is just a group of people who are desperate to become like that. Then, the only countries in Asia that can do something independently are your country and ours.”

“No, I don’t think we can be so sure…”

“Japan-Joseon cooperation brings peace to the world! From now on, Joseon and Japan must work together to move forward. To do so, the goals of both countries must be common, and above all, they must be clear!”

Jeong Yak-yong’s eyes, which were scanning the pile of documents that had been slammed on the desk, were increasingly filled with astonishment.

“…Joseon and Japan, which have completed modernization the fastest in Asia and are actively developing overseas markets. These two righteous and polite countries of the East join forces! Primarily, we will protect the countries in Southeast Asia and the Central Plains, and ultimately achieve a peaceful and prosperous age that encompasses the entire Asia, the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere…”

Is this some kind of joke that’s been going around lately?

Is it possible that I’m the only one who’s behind the times and can’t take a joke properly?

Jeong Yak-yong glanced up and looked into Kondo’s eyes, met his burning gaze, and sweated coldly.

You crazy bastards… are you really going to do this?