I Became A Genius Of The French Royal Family [EN]: Chapter 346

Becoming the Genius of the French Royal Family < There is No Nation for the Emperor >

Wars usually end with a winner and a loser.

Of course, losers don’t necessarily fall into a miserable abyss.

That’s because there are different kinds of defeats.

Sometimes, even after suffering losses, they reach a smooth negotiation with the other party, or they use defeat as a stepping stone to rise up even more fiercely.

However, a country full of people who don’t want to take responsibility and only care about their own safety is bound to fall into a quagmire.

The Kyoto Imperial Palace was exactly like that.

The living god, the Emperor, had no intention of controlling the situation from the beginning, assuming that the Emperor system would not be abolished.

In his heart, there was an optimism that he could surrender if things really got out of hand.

The Emperor, receiving the report from Prime Minister Ienari, who had negotiated with Napoleon, had to try hard not to let the corners of his mouth rise without him knowing.

“So, are you saying that the French Marshal clearly stated his intention to maintain the Emperor system?”

“First of all, he promised that His Majesty’s safety would be absolutely guaranteed.”

“Is there a possibility of wordplay, guaranteeing only my safety and abolishing the Emperor system?”

“France seemed to know very well what the Emperor means to the Japanese people. He clearly stated that there would be no abdication, so it is clear that he intends to preserve the Imperial Family.”

Ienari read out the full text of the agreement with Napoleon, word for word, in front of all the ministers.

-The Japanese Empire shall immediately disarm all weapons and cease all combat activities. The authority to govern the Japanese Empire for post-war settlement shall be temporarily transferred to the Governor-General and Marshal of Kwangtung France [Guangdong, a province in Southern China], and shall be returned to the Japanese government as soon as the post-war chaos is resolved.

-The Japanese Empire shall return all colonies unjustly acquired to their original owners and pay reparations to France.

-The Japanese Empire shall spare no effort to rebuild its government by the will of its citizens and establish democratic procedures so that such tragedies never happen again.

-France shall not inflict any disadvantages or economic retaliation on the Japanese government after all of this is completed.

There were other minor declarations, but these were the major ones.

Kondo, who had listened to Ienari’s words and actually read the full text, showed doubt as if he didn’t understand.

“Did Marshal Napoleon really agree to all of these terms?”

“Would I have brought this if he hadn’t?”

“These are conditions that we would be more than happy to accept, but… Prime Minister, you are going to accept all of this.”

“Of course. Napoleon’s intention was clear. He said that if we didn’t surrender, he would continue the blockade with the intention of starving the entire Japanese archipelago.”

“Wasn’t the general opinion that the number of civilian deaths would be enormous, so he wouldn’t be able to continue that method? I understood that he was trying to have a battle of nerves to see who would back down first.”

Kondo glared at Ienari, suppressing the words ‘using the lives of the people as pawns’.

It was an impudent gaze, but Ienari didn’t feel bad.

His life was already guaranteed through behind-the-scenes negotiations, so he could just pleasantly ignore such barking.

“Of course, France wouldn’t want to cause hundreds of thousands of starvation deaths either. But they seemed to be trying to subtly incite the citizens’ anger towards the Imperial Family. In fact, the Korean Empire fell for this scheme and is now plagued by riots everywhere.”

“Ah, so the scheme is to make our citizens, not them, overthrow the government. I understand.”

Japan’s situation was better than the Korean Empire’s, but they couldn’t guarantee anything once winter came.

With the severe cold of winter and a shortage of food, a government that can solve all of this will not surrender until the end to save face?

They might see rulers being dragged down by the citizens, something that has never happened in history.

“Unfortunately, as they are devising and implementing such a devilish plan, I had to make a decision. We must protect this Imperial Family to the end, even if our personal safety is at stake, right? With that resolve, I knelt before Napoleon and received this agreement.”

“Ooh! You are indeed the Prime Minister.”

“Your loyalty will be remembered forever in the history of the Empire.”

As the situation seemed to be that the Prime Minister was taking all the blame and stepping down, the ministers rushed to flatter him.

On the other hand, the Emperor suppressed his rising contempt and carefully examined the Prime Minister’s expression.

More than anything else, he couldn’t believe that Ienari was willing to give up his life to maintain the Emperor system.

If he was really that loyal, would he have made the Emperor such a decorative scarecrow?

It was suspicious that a man who would never let go of the power in his hands was showing such an attitude.

‘Could he have other intentions?’

However.

Even if that were the case, the current Emperor could do nothing.

As always, he had no choice but to find a suitable balance.

“The Prime Minister’s heart to protect the Imperial Family is so admirable that I cannot help but shed tears. I will take his high intentions into consideration and quickly make a decision so that the people suffer as little as possible. Tell France that the Imperial Family will disarm as they demand.”

As soon as the Emperor finished speaking, the ministers knelt on the ground, shed tears, and wailed.

The Emperor, looking down at their fake tears, felt the need to slightly revise the optimistic thoughts he had been harboring.

Perhaps surrender is not the end, but the beginning of a true battle.

※※※

Unlike the Japanese Empire, which surrendered willingly to maintain the Emperor system, the internal affairs of the Korean Empire were proceeding more dynamically.

“What’s going on, General Ryu? I heard a rumor today that citizens are rioting in various places, but didn’t you say that wasn’t happening?”

“It’s just a minor disturbance, Your Majesty.”

Ryu Hyo-won, who barely escaped from Fujian Province and returned to his home country, was currently busy suppressing the rioters who were growing day by day.

The moment this reached the Emperor’s ears, that weak human would surely bring up surrender, so he didn’t even give him proper information.

But he must have picked up on the current situation from somewhere and become frightened.

“Your Majesty. Didn’t Prime Minister Jeong, who went to Kwangtung, also say that they are also struggling with our desperate resistance? If we hold out a little longer, they will surely offer us negotiations.”

Jeong Yak-yong, who had met with Napoleon, clearly stated that Napoleon had no intention of helping them.

He would put everyone who led this war on the gallows, even if it meant the Imperial Family.

At this moment, Ryu Hyo-won’s retreat was blocked.

In order for him to not die, he had to enter the negotiation table in a form where they were calling the shots, not where he was begging.

Even if hundreds of thousands, or even millions, of citizens died, it couldn’t be helped.

Isn’t it true that a nation must exist for its people to exist?

The military, who agreed with this, decided to focus all their efforts on suppressing the rioters in the provinces.

Now, the military’s enemy was not the enemy army, but the citizens who came out into the streets demanding rice.

He wondered how things had come to this, but fortunately, not only the key figures in the military, but even the picky Jeong Yak-yong acknowledged it.

‘Even though he was acting all high and mighty, he was just as afraid for his life.’

In any case, the Emperor should know that the citizens are willing to throw away their lives like straw and burn with the will to resist France.

‘If I have a little more time, I’ll reverse the situation by falsely claiming that France massacred innocent citizens and manipulate public opinion…’

He thought this was a good idea, but then he heard a loud noise in the distance.

“Who in their right mind is making a fuss right in front of the palace…!”

He was about to burst out in anger and shout for someone to find out the cause of the commotion, but there was no need.

The door burst open and soldiers with guns rushed in.

“How dare you bring weapons into this place! Who is in charge!”

Ryu Hyo-won, the head of the military, let out a fierce roar, but the soldiers’ faces didn’t flinch.

Soon after, a familiar face came forward from behind them and clicked his tongue.

“I’m in charge, so don’t blame the soldiers too much.”

“Prime Minister Jeong? Are you crazy? What is this outrage in front of His Majesty!”

“You’re the one who’s crazy, not me. Compared to you, who has been blocking His Majesty’s eyes and ears and telling lies, my actions are not even close to being rude, are they?”

“Lies?”

The Emperor, who had not yet grasped the situation, asked in bewilderment, and Jeong Yak-yong sighed softly and replied.

“Currently, people are rioting all over the Korean Empire. Of course, only a few have led to large-scale riots, but Ryu Hyo-won has ordered the military to suppress them by force. He even issued permission to fire.”

“Prime Minister Jeong! You also agreed to that…”

“The military personnel have already coordinated with me, so they did not actually carry out such foolish orders. But I can no longer allow such a person to cloud His Majesty’s judgment. That is why I have no choice but to commit this rudeness. Please forgive me.”

Jeong Yak-yong gave a signal to his subordinates without waiting for the Emperor’s words.

“From now on, I will arrest the traitor who has driven the country into crisis.”

“These crazy bastards are finally trying to take the country and hand it over to France! Your Majesty, don’t be fooled! These guys are traitors who are trying to hand over the country to France and save only themselves! I…”

Ryu Hyo-won was unable to finish his words and was tied up and dragged out.

Jeong Yak-yong, who received his murderous gaze, shook his head.

“You should have done politics more broadly. Well, it’s not my place to say that, since I’m the one who let things get this far.”

The military, which was already working with Jeong Yak-yong, released soldiers and secured most of the pro-war faction who still couldn’t come to their senses.

Now that they had seized Gyeongbokgung Palace [The main royal palace of the Joseon dynasty], there was really nothing to stop them.

Jeong Yak-yong closed his eyes tightly and declared to the Emperor, who had been the symbol of the Korean Empire until now.

“Your Majesty. The whole country is in despair and too much blood has been shed by innocent people. We cannot deny that Your Majesty is also responsible for this situation, not just the traitors!”

“…What?”

The Emperor, who had been watching the situation with half an eye, opened his mouth wide.

“Are you guys raising soldiers under the pretext of staging a coup! I, who raised Joseon [The last dynastic kingdom of Korea], which was only a vassal state of Qing [The last imperial dynasty of China], to an empire, am I not qualified to be a monarch? How dare you say that!”

“Your Majesty. The moment the soldiers fired their guns at the citizens, it was already impossible to do anything. Even if the war ends, the angry mob will not leave the Imperial Family alone.”

“I am the Korean Empire, how dare anyone criticize me!”

“The war was declared by the Korean Empire against France. If it becomes the Republic of Korea… no, the Republic of Korea, we will have grounds to negotiate with France.”

Since the Joseon Dynasty, they had considered it a virtue to serve the king and devote their body and mind to him.

Jeong Yak-yong’s heart could not have been comfortable giving such a sentence to the son of the late king, whom he had respected and admired, and whom he still worshiped in his heart.

But it was something that someone had to do in order for the country to survive.

Jeong Yak-yong bid farewell to the old era with a bleeding heart.

“Please step down now for the sake of all the people and the future of the country. This country no longer needs an emperor.”

To a nation of the people, not a nation of the emperor.

The system of Northeast Asia, which had been rooted for thousands of years, was finally swept away by a huge wave.