I Became A Hidden Powerhouse Of The British Empire [EN]: Chapter 229

Although bolstered by the support of numerous allies, the Ottoman Empire had not truly recovered its former glory.

About a month after both sides entered a state of war.

The first naval battle took place off the coast of Sinop in the northern part of the Anatolian Peninsula, where both sides had made thorough preparations.

Contrary to expectations, the Ottomans suffered a one-sided defeat so crushing it could hardly be called a mere rout by the Russian navy.

The main reason was that the Ottoman wooden warships were nothing more than floating firewood to the Russian forces, who had introduced modern incendiary shells in actual combat.

A kill ratio of 90 to 1. Ten out of eleven warships were severely damaged.

After suffering a defeat that would go down in history, the Ottomans continued to lose in subsequent local battles, and their morale naturally plummeted.

Conversely, with Admiral Nakhimov of Russia repeatedly sending reports of victory, Russia’s pride soared higher and higher with each passing day.

“Hahaha! Take a look at this. The Ottoman bastards are no match for our elite Russian forces.”

“From the start, the Ottomans were no match for our army. With this, the Black Sea has effectively been secured by our nation, and once we push the Ottomans out of the Caucasus, they will have no strength left to resist.”

“We can say that we have achieved our initial goals before the reinforcements from Britain and France arrive. If it weren’t for those fellows, we could have completely crushed that senile Ottoman Empire.”

The more he thought about it, the more regrettable it was that he had no choice but to allow Britain and France to intervene.

If only he had kept them neutral… Too much had gone wrong because of Nesselrode’s disastrous judgment.

Britain avoiding war was nonsense. What exactly were they avoiding?

“Is it definitely true that Britain is forming a large-scale navy?”

“Yes. And France is already planning to send well over 100,000 troops on its own. If Austria joins as well, there is a concern that the front lines will become too long.”

“Isn’t it ridiculous? Those so-called Christian nations are taking the side of Islam to oppress us Orthodox Christians. Now that I see it, aren’t those fellows the real Antichrist?”

Catholic, Anglican, and even Prussia, which is now toying with the idea of joining the war, including even the Protestants.

The sight of all denominations of Christianity joining hands to side with Islam and attack the Orthodox Church was absurd to behold.

What made Nikolai anxious was the possibility, as the ministers said, of Austria and Prussia advancing north.

He could maintain the Black Sea and Caucasus regions on his own, but could present-day Russia cope if the front lines expanded to the point where he had to worry about Prussia and Austria as well?

Moreover, the problem was that if he received cooperation from Prussia, the British navy could easily cross the Baltic Sea and bombard northern Russia.

He didn’t expect a landing, but with Prussia’s help, the worst could happen.

Considering all of this, the conclusion was ultimately one thing.

“We have no choice but to eliminate as many Ottoman troops as possible before the reinforcements from Britain and France arrive. Tell the admiral to intensify the offensive.”

“Understood!”

Although Britain and France had confidently declared war, it would inevitably take a lot of time to send troops from distant Western Europe to this place.

They wouldn’t arrive until after the new year at the earliest.

The Russian army, not intoxicated by victory, began to pressure the Ottomans even more fiercely, and Greece, watching this process, became extremely envious.

“As expected, Russia is crushing the senile Ottoman army and monopolizing the glory, but why is our proud army still unable to achieve any significant results!”

“That is… we still need time to reorganize our army. Once winter passes, we will be able to restore all the glory of ancient Greece.”

“Nonsense! The armies of Britain and France will come pouring in after winter; are you telling me to fight against them!”

Othon’s plan was to raise an army and incorporate the Thessaly region into Greek territory at the same time as declaring war.

Then, when the Anglo-French allied forces came pouring in after the new year, he could subtly withdraw, claiming he could no longer fight the war, and pass all responsibility onto Russia.

He had devised such a perfect, clean, and logical strategy, but were these vermin unable to carry even this out?

“Your Majesty. As you know, preparing an army takes time…”

“No! The Ottomans are toothless, weak lions—no, not even lions, but mere hyenas now. We can win just by charging in!”

“…”

“A general offensive! We will restore the glory of ancient Greece before Britain and France arrive!”

Othon, a brilliant strategist who would make even Alexander [Alexander the Great, a renowned king of Macedon] weep, raised his army majestically and marched towards the Thessaly region.

The working-level staff were shocked by this reckless and hopeless charge.

Surprisingly, they continued to win battle after battle, enjoying unbroken success.

“My God… how can we keep winning?”

“The Ottomans don’t seem to have even anticipated that we would attack this year.”

“They seem to have suffered a major defeat at Sinop and have deployed almost all their troops to the Russian front.”

“Hahahaha! Look at this. Didn’t I tell you they were just morons who weren’t even hyenas? Before the new year, let’s aim to take Thessaly—no, even Macedonia—and not delay the attack!”

It was practically robbing an empty house, but the Greek army bravely beat up the evil oppressor Ottoman and gradually acquired territory.

However, as they continued to occupy land more easily than expected, the brakes failed.

Initially, they only intended to take the Thessaly region and withdraw.

But their greed gradually grew, and now they began to wonder if they could take even Macedonia.

Just a little more. Let’s eat a little more and pull out.

Like being cursed by CS [Computer Science] to eat just one more line and return.

As winter came and the year drew to a close, Greece not only failed to withdraw but continued to expand its front lines further and further north.

* * *

In a time of political turmoil over whether or not to declare war on Russia.

The atmosphere in Joseon [ancient Korean kingdom], which had been leaning towards deciding on a policy after observing the situation, fortunately began to calm down a bit after Kim Jwa-geun’s detailed report arrived.

However, this did not make the ministers feel entirely at ease.

Kim Jwa-geun relentlessly emphasized the fact that the fate of Asian countries was as precarious as a lamp in the wind, presenting a cruel truth.

“Is the difference between England and our Joseon really this great?”

“It is hard to believe, but it is said to be the common perception of everyone dispatched to the consulate, not just the personal opinion of Ambassador Kim Jwa-geun.”

“Hmm…”

In the King’s view, Kim Jwa-geun’s report was almost like a novel.

Giant iron horses travel the distance from Hanseong [old name for Seoul] to Dongnae, carrying hundreds and thousands of people at once, and large buildings made of iron are lined up in rows?

The part about being able to live like daytime even at night with lights hundreds of times brighter than candles made him suspect that they had seen something wrong.

Not only military technology but also social systems and education, as well as medical care and all other conceivable systems, were said to be at an incomparable level.

It would have been fortunate if it had stopped there, but the fact that the countries of Europe were openly planning to invade Asia was troubling.

“Ambassador Kim Jwa-geun predicts that most Asian countries will be reduced to colonies of European powers in less than 30 years. He insists that if our Joseon is to avoid this disaster, we must actively side with England and remain its ally. What do you all think?”

“Your Majesty. Even if it is as Ambassador Kim Jwa-geun says, wouldn’t Joseon end up becoming a colony of England?”

“It seems to be a similar situation to when there was talk of accepting the developed civilization of Qing [the last imperial dynasty of China] in the past. Shouldn’t we take what we can and discard what we can, while Joseon finds its own balance?”

“Your Majesty! Ambassador Kim Jwa-geun is a person who has encountered more new civilizations and possesses broader insights than anyone else in Joseon. His advice should not be taken lightly.”

“Even if England is a heinous barbarian, it will not suddenly turn an allied country into a colony. If we maintain a good alliance from now on, Joseon can hide behind England and be free from the greed of European powers, as the ambassador says.”

The officials of the Bibyeonsa [Joseon’s defense council] and the ministers were all divided in their opinions, and there was a commotion over what was right and what was wrong.

In times like these, it is ultimately the role of the King to make a decision.

Lee Hwan, who had been closing his eyes and pondering, soon opened his mouth.

“I cannot find any contradictory content in Ambassador Kim Jwa-geun’s report. It seems right to follow his advice now, declare war on Russia, and prepare for war, so proceed accordingly.”

“Your Majesty! However…”

“And to verify whether all of this is true, we will form an additional group of people and send them to England to determine whether the consulate’s words are true. That way, even if Joseon is going down the wrong path, we can turn back.”

For now, they would follow Kim Jwa-geun’s advice and, after verifying it, decide whether to continue to maintain that policy or overturn it.

The ministers, who had been opposing the compromise, did not raise any objections and bowed.

“How should we write the declaration of war to be sent to Russia?”

“We will draft it within two days and receive Your Majesty’s approval.”

“Good. And send someone to Shanghai to ask for a detailed schedule of when the English navy will arrive. Concentrate the necessary supplies in Hamgyeong-do [northeastern province of Korea] and order them to thoroughly defend against the Russian army from crossing the border.”

“I will follow your orders!”

After the eventful Pyeonjeon [royal council] meeting, Lee Hwan returned to his chambers and read Kim Jwa-geun’s report once again alone.

He had sent someone to verify all of this, but… frankly, how likely was it that this was wrong?

Kim Jwa-geun is a smart man.

Moreover, he was the most influential figure in Joseon, the apex of vested interests with too much to lose.

How likely was it, logically, that such a person would push Joseon into war with a lie that would soon be exposed?

He had to accept this as fact and think about the subsequent policies.

But if all of this was true, did Joseon really have a future? In what direction should Joseon move forward?

Ah, his head hurt.

Perhaps because he was too nervous, he suddenly felt his intestines twisting again, and a stomachache began.

“Ugh…”

Lately, he felt like nothing he ate was digesting properly, and swelling symptoms were appearing on his face, making him increasingly anxious.

He had to worry about his own body before worrying about Joseon.

He was even more troubled because he couldn’t tell whether he was just feeling this way because he had been too busy lately or whether his health had really deteriorated.

The royal physician kept prescribing medicine, but it didn’t seem to have much effect.

However, now that Joseon’s fate was at a critical crossroads, he, as the center of the nation, could not show weakness.

In times like these, he had to strengthen his mind and overcome the pain of the body with his spirit.

Lee Hwan struggled to relieve the pain and read the declaration of war that the Bibyeonsa had drafted the next day.

Whether it fully reflected his instructions to write it as solemnly and solemnly as possible, the declaration of war was very powerful.

-Our Joseon recognizes that the declaration of war by England and France against Russia is an effective means of safeguarding world peace, congratulates it, and declares as follows.

1. Joseon condemns all acts of aggression by Russia and, as an ally of England, declares war on the invading nation.

2. Joseon, in cooperation with its allies, will completely drive out the Russian forces from the vicinity of Joseon and will engage in battle with the spirit of unflinching until the final victory is achieved.

3. Hereafter, no interference from Russia will be permitted, and we wish in advance for the victory of the alliance that safeguards peace.

After this, a torrent of scathing criticisms of Russia, reminiscent of the Eulogy to Hwangso [a historical text known for its harsh criticism], followed.

“Bring the royal seal, Seungji [royal secretary].”

The king’s seal, which grants official effect to diplomatic documents, was stamped.

The future of Joseon was decided.