I Became A Hidden Powerhouse Of The British Empire [EN]: Chapter 277

< Happiness Evangelist >

Just as the moon wanes after it is full and a nation declines after it prospers, an empire cannot last forever.

Some people struggled, unable to accept this fact and desperately trying to reverse the inevitable.

However, with the fundamental structure of the country already collapsing, even the most capable individuals couldn’t alter the course of the decline.

For the Qing Dynasty to revive, the very foundation of the country needed a complete overhaul. But with the Emperor still firmly in power, such a transformation was impossible.

“Why! Why can’t we just sweep away those rioters!”

“That… well, traitors harboring resentment towards the Imperial Family continue to swell the rebel army.”

“Then crush them all! I’ve given the Eight Banners [Qing Dynasty’s elite military units] and the Green Standard Army [regular Qing army] everything, so why aren’t they producing results? Why are they letting the rebels grow stronger!”

Initially, they believed the rioters, mostly composed of civilians, would eventually lose momentum and fade away.

But to their shock,

The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom even seized Nanjing, the heart of the Yangtze River’s south, and established their own country, declaring Nanjing as their capital.

Ominous reports flooded in, stating that the rebel army numbered at least tens of thousands and was still growing.

Emperor Xianfeng found the situation hard to believe, even as the evidence mounted before his eyes.

What happened to wiping out the Russians last time?

Even if it was a surprise attack… no, was that victory only possible because it was a surprise attack?

Moreover, the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom was able to run rampant because thousands of troops had been diverted north to fight the Russians.

But frankly, this wasn’t entirely Emperor Xianfeng’s fault.

No matter how much the Great Qing had declined,

Was it reasonable for the south to be completely exposed just because about 5,000 troops were sent north?

Emperor Xianfeng, along with his younger brother Prince Gong, struggled to accept the dire situation.

To make matters worse, news that made their heads spin arrived.

“Your Majesty! England has sent an official letter requesting the capture of Hong Xiuquan [leader of the Taiping Rebellion] and his extradition to England.”

“…Hong Xiuquan? The leader of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom? Why would England…”

Could they be trying to interfere under some ridiculous pretext?

Prince Gong worried that England might seize this opportunity to offer help as a pretext to encroach on their territory.

Therefore, Emperor Xianfeng had rejected all subtle offers of weapons from Shanghai or Hong Kong.

He didn’t know what concessions they would demand in exchange for lending weapons.

Could it be that they were now making such an absurd demand openly because he had consistently refused their veiled offers?

The fact that his younger brother, Prince Gong, was scoffing in disbelief confirmed his suspicions.

“What right does England have to demand the capture of Hong Xiuquan? Your Majesty, this is nonsense and not worth listening to.”

“…It is said that Hong Xiuquan has been boasting about being on intimate terms with the Royal Consort of England. This is clearly an act of insulting the royal family, so Qing should immediately execute him before Hong Xiuquan’s power grows further, or arrest him and send him to England for trial…”

“What? What are you talking about?”

He knew who the Royal Consort of England was.

A person of mixed Korean and English blood who had inflicted indelible humiliation on this country in the past.

Later, he discovered that he wasn’t just of mixed blood, but a hybrid of the Yi royal family [Korean royal family] and the Tokugawa clan [Japanese Shogunate].

He wondered how such a lineage could exist, but he had to believe it since both Joseon [Korea] and the Shogunate confirmed it.

But Hong Xiuquan had provoked such a person?

“No, unless Hong Xiuquan is the biggest idiot in the world, he wouldn’t involve the English royal family, would he? Or… do you have to be that crazy to start a rebellion?”

“Hong Xiuquan used to be acquainted with Kirian and, as a result of a conversation with him, Hong Xiuquan also gave a speech saying that he was a person who could overthrow the corrupt Qing dynasty like England. Of course, he has never said such a thing since he formed a full-fledged organization, but he certainly gave such speeches quite often in the early days…”

“He was just a madman after all.”

Emperor Xianfeng sighed involuntarily.

He turned his head slightly and saw that his brother’s face mirrored his own.

It was as if things could become this twisted when things were already going poorly.

Now, they couldn’t even criticize England for interfering in their internal affairs with a flimsy excuse.

Insulting the royal family was a serious crime in Qing, and it was by no means a light offense.

But the problem was that with Qing’s current power, it was virtually impossible to capture Hong Xiuquan and offer him to them.

“At the current rate, how long will it take for us to annihilate the rebels and recapture Nanjing?”

“I am sorry, but…”

“Is it possible within a year?”

“…”

“That means it’s impossible.”

England was telling them to quickly punish the heinous criminal who had insulted the royal family, but they lacked the power to do so.

Moreover, they were starting to call themselves a country, making it even harder to say anything.

It was something everyone knew, but the Emperor had no choice but to voice the words that no one dared to utter.

“As things stand, it seems we have no choice but to accept England’s request for support… If anyone has an alternative, speak freely.”

“…”

“Yes, there won’t be any.”

No matter how hard they racked their brains, there was no way to avoid accepting England’s proposal.

The best course of action was to accept their scheme while protecting their interests as much as possible without getting completely ensnared.

“According to Guo Chongdao, who has returned this time, Joseon and Ryukyu [Okinawa] are plotting to stop paying tribute to the home country. It seems they are trying to pay tribute to England instead of us…”

“They’re doing all sorts of things. And they’re going to intervene using Hong Xiuquan as an excuse at that time?”

“Yes. Their intentions are obvious.”

Prince Gong was able to discern their intentions by reviewing Guo Chongdao’s report and considering England’s intervention simultaneously.

Qing was struggling to cope with the rebellion caused by the heinous criminal who insulted the British Imperial Family.

If England intervened and helped Qing suppress the rebellion,

England’s strength, which had easily dealt with the rebellion that Qing couldn’t handle, would be further highlighted.

In addition, Qing’s incompetence could be emphasized, and they could demand various concessions in return for suppressing the rebellion.

Perhaps they would demand that Joseon and Ryukyu acknowledge them as the power to whom they would pay tribute.

Emperor Xianfeng, having grasped England’s intentions, closed his eyes and began to formulate a plan to overcome this situation.

“Brother, I’m sorry, but you’ll have to do the hard work. The representative of England will probably come to Shanghai, so go there and negotiate.”

“Yes.”

Although the intervention itself couldn’t be prevented, they couldn’t allow the authority of the Qing Emperor, which had lasted for over 200 years, to collapse.

No matter what method they used.

They would protect the throne of the Son of Heaven.

* * *

While Emperor Xianfeng and Prince Gong were clutching their dizzy heads and staggering, the Joseon court was not enjoying a smooth atmosphere either.

In fact, it was not uncommon for the throne to be handed over even when the king had not passed away.

In Joseon alone, Taejo, who founded Joseon, Jeongjong, and Taejong all handed over the throne while they were still alive.

Becoming a retired king and handing over the throne to future generations was not unprecedented, but in the late Joseon period, it was virtually considered impossible.

This was because loyalty and filial piety were constantly emphasized in the virtues of Confucianism, so the kings used this abdication as a kind of loyalty test.

‘Ah~ I’m running out of energy, so I’m going to abdicate to the Crown Prince. Now, the Crown Prince and the ministers should take care of the rest.’

‘Jeeeonhaaa! [Your Majesty!] How can you do that when Your Majesty is still healthy!’

‘Jueeeonha! [Your Majesty!] Please continue to lead us! The only king of this country is Your Majesty!’

After receiving such a one-sided request, the king’s authority would be restored, and he would declare that he would continue to sit on the throne because the ministers wanted it so much.

However, in the unlikely event that the king sincerely wanted to step down, the ministers had to desperately figure out the king’s true intentions.

Typically, Seonjo and Yeongjo made the ministers feel cold every time they did this.

But now it was different.

“I don’t think my body can withstand the long hours of hard work, so I don’t think I can fulfill my responsibilities as king. They keep telling me to take care of my health, but if I take care of my health, I can’t work, and if I work, I can’t take care of my health, so I’m in a dilemma. Of course, it doesn’t matter if I abandon my responsibilities as king and just rest, but Joseon must continue to change if it doesn’t want to be swept away by the rapidly changing situation. How can I abandon my responsibilities and only take care of my own well-being at a time like this?”

“Your Majesty…”

“Therefore, I intend to abdicate and step down to the position of retired king.”

“Your Majesty…”

Originally, it was time to kneel down and beg him to withdraw his abdication, but the ministers only bowed their heads, hesitating.

He said he was going to step down because he felt like he was going to die if he kept working, but wouldn’t telling him to stay here be the same as telling him to just work until he died?

This was a statement that could be interpreted as treason if it went wrong.

But even so, they had to point out what needed to be pointed out.

“Your Majesty. However, there is no crown prince in Joseon for Your Majesty to abdicate to.”

When Chief State Councilor Kwon Don-in carefully came forward and spoke, the other ministers nodded their heads in unison and agreed.

In fact, Hwan also knew that, so he had been managing state affairs while enduring as much as possible until now.

However, he didn’t think he could see any more successors in his current state, so there was no need to delay any longer.

Rather than dragging on and dying, it would be better to find a new successor here and give him strength.

“All of this is due to my immorality in not being able to continue the direct line of the royal family. Therefore, I will take responsibility and step down after clearly defining a successor who can make this country stronger.”

“That means…”

“I will adopt a member of the royal family who is closest to the vessel of the king and abdicate to him. This is by no means a task that can be taken lightly, so I will set up a dedicated organization and lead it myself, so know that.”

This is the last task he will do as the King of Joseon.

But before that.

Wouldn’t it be the duty of the king to finish what he started and step down?

The Byunghosa [Military Affairs Office] officials close to Kim Jwa-geun had already been informed, so there would not be strong opposition, but other officials and Confucian scholars might react sensitively.

But even so, he had no intention of backing down.

Hwan took a breath for a moment and dropped a bombshell declaration that would shock the court.

“And Kirian, His Highness, the consort of the new Emperor of England and a member of the Joseon royal family, will attend the Crown Prince selection process. The details will be discussed when the English fleet arrives in Shanghai, so be aware of that.”

Those who knew in advance closed their eyes as if what was coming had come.

Those who heard it for the first time blinked their eyes, gaping, and doubted their ears.

There would be big and small chaos, but they would ignore all the trivial noises.

This was the only way for Joseon to move forward.

* * *

Boom!

“Welcome back to Shanghai! Your Highness Killian!”

“Congratulations on your return!”

After appeasing and coaxing Victoria and barely getting a few months of vacation, I arrived in Asia and was greeted by a large crowd.

A person who goes on a business trip while on vacation – that’s my current situation.

“Thank you. I feel like I’m truly in Asia with such an enthusiastic welcome.”

If video recording was possible in this era, I would love to capture this scene and show it to Victoria.