I Became A Hidden Powerhouse Of The British Empire [EN]: Chapter 293

< Farewell to the Old Order >

An ambitious night in Hanseong [present-day Seoul].

The residence, named Unhyeon after its location in front of Seoun-gwan [an astronomical observatory], was no different from the upper-class houses where other high-ranking officials lived.

However, tonight, it seemed as if all the officials in Hanseong had gathered, each trying their best to impress the owner of this residence.

Rumors swirled, from whispers that this place, destined to be the future foundation of Joseon [the last dynastic kingdom of Korea], would soon be directly connected to the palace, to eager suggestions to secure land in advance as Unhyeon Palace would inevitably expand.

Heungseon Gun [title for an unmarried son of the royal family] witnessed people flattering him and bringing gifts to please him for the first time in his life.

This is the power of authority.

A normal person might have been elated by such a sudden change in status, but Lee Ha-eung [Heungseon Gun’s given name] showed no signs of excitement, even late into the night.

So much so that his wife, Lady Min, asked if he was ill, as Heungseon Gun seemed uncharacteristically subdued.

In the past, even passing the civil service exam would cause the whole family to celebrate as if it were a momentous occasion, but today was far more significant than that.

It involved the Crown Prince, the foundation of Joseon who would become the next king.

Despite occupying such an important position, Heungseon Gun remained steadfast, unfazed by the banquets and flattering guests.

Others admired Heungseon Gun, exclaiming:

“His Majesty adopted someone older as his heir, and now I see there was a good reason for it.”

“To maintain such composure even after becoming the Crown Prince…”

“That means he has transcended the desire for power.”

A person who does not covet power can be seen as possessing the qualities of a true ruler.

People praised Heungseon Gun’s virtue for not being arrogant even after being confirmed for such a high position, and they lauded His Majesty’s wisdom in recognizing his qualities.

Of course, Heungseon Gun himself did not spend the day solemnly contemplating such thoughts.

In fact, he was far from maintaining composure.

I could wager that Heungseon Gun’s mind was racing more than anyone else who visited Unhyeon Palace that day.

The only reason he didn’t react outwardly was because he was too preoccupied to even listen to what others were saying.

“How could that be possible?”

Ever since hearing the truth from Killian in the throne room, Killian had been constantly on his mind.

Of course, in a profoundly unsettling way.

“Damn it. So, you’ve been toying with me all this time for your amusement?”

He wondered if Killian might not have recognized him, but recalling their meeting in Shanghai, he could confidently dismiss that possibility.

Even back then, Killian had made so many subtle remarks with ambiguous undertones.

Killian had been certain since then that Heungseon Gun was the boy he had met in the past and had decided to tease him.

But even this explanation felt inadequate.

“No, to remember the name of someone you only saw briefly a long time ago and recognize them immediately? Is that even possible?”

Of course, if Lee Ha-eung himself had known that the slave named Yoo Seok would become Killian, he would have remembered him by any means.

He would have listened attentively to whatever he said, without dismissing it as nonsense.

Not only would he have listened, but he would have delivered righteous rebukes to those ignorant people who dared not heed the words of the great Yoo Seok.

But the reason he didn’t was very simple.

Because he didn’t know!

If he had known, would he have acted that way?

“I don’t understand. How did you recognize me so quickly? Was my impression that bad?”

It would be understandable if they had met several times or seen each other after becoming adults, but it defies logic to recognize someone instantly after a single encounter at the age of 10, with 20 years having passed.

There are only two possibilities in such cases.

Either they left a truly deep impression, or it was such an unpleasant experience that it makes your teeth grind just thinking about it.

But if it was such a deep impression, shouldn’t the person on this side also remember it clearly?

Seeing that he didn’t, the latter is more likely… To be honest, he was so young and it was so long ago that he doesn’t remember every single word they exchanged.

But he doesn’t think he treated him that badly… Or is this just his delusion?

“No. If you really felt that bad, you would have tried to prevent me from becoming the Crown Prince. The fact that you quietly watched me become the foundation of the country means you recognized me as a collaborator, so there’s no problem… right?”

It seemed like too optimistic a deduction, but it wasn’t just baseless wishful thinking.

“Minister Kim Hak-seo was also fawning over you, wasn’t he? Objectively speaking, even if you harbored ill feelings, you would have more towards him than me.”

If he were Killian, he would have dealt with Kim Hak-seo first upon returning to Joseon.

Wasn’t he the one who not only enslaved him when he was young but also cowardly erased the records for fear of getting caught?

However, seeing that he is still holding the position of Left State Councilor with all his limbs intact, Killian must have forgiven Kim Hak-seo in some way.

Of course, it was obvious that the man was rubbing his hands together next to Killian as if he had gone senile… But anyway, Killian is not the type of person to seek revenge on someone for something that happened 20 years ago.

That’s why he was even more curious.

“Why do you remember me?”

Since the question remained unresolved, it soon became frustrating, and the frustration sublimated into anxiety again.

“Are you still not asleep?”

“Huh? Uh…”

Perhaps he seemed strange because he was just indulging in self-pity on such an auspicious day.

It’s okay for his wife, but it would be a problem if he seemed strange to other people, so should he stop here?

“You have taken on the great responsibility of leading this country, so it is only natural that you are suffering from the pressure. I’m sorry that I seemed to be the only one excited. I should have been more considerate of the pressure you are feeling.”

“…Um?”

“It’s okay. I understand, even if others don’t.”

It seems like she’s misunderstanding something, but let’s just be quiet for now.

Lee Ha-eung, who was briefly embraced by his wife, momentarily thought that she might not be mistaken.

Why wouldn’t there be pressure to lead the country?

The reason he is continuing to worry like this is ultimately because of the confusion of not knowing how to face Killian as a king.

He doesn’t think Killian harbors resentment towards Joseon.

However, after all, he is a member of the Joseon royal family, but it is undeniable that he is also the Prince Consort of the British Empire.

The way for Joseon… no, Lee Ha-eung’s Joseon to leap forward is for Joseon’s growth to align with the interests of the British Empire.

Then, after all, he needs to know what Killian really wants…

His worries continued to deepen until dawn.

* * *

About three days after the Gyeongyeon [royal lecture], which brought great shock to the entire Joseon, was completed.

The Sedo [powerful in-law families], who felt that the power structure of Joseon was undergoing a major change, were put on alert.

“Look at this! Grand Scholar Kim Jwa-geun told us not to act rashly and stay still for a reason!”

“……”

“At least Gyeongwon Gun is young, so he can aim for the next Gyeongyeon. But what is this? We brought Deokwan Gun, believing only in his close blood ties to His Majesty, but he couldn’t do anything!”

“That’s why I said I was worried. We should have joined hands with Heungseon Gun!”

The ambitious plan of the Andong Kim clan to nominate a candidate was completely destroyed with the elimination of Deokwan Gun.

At least Gyeongwon Gun was originally young, and with the confirmation that the subsequent selection of the Crown Prince would also be done through Gyeongyeon, they could plan for the future, but not Deokwan Gun.

In the end, Kim Eung-geun, who ignored Kim Jwa-geun’s advice and pushed forward alone, lost his influence completely, receiving extreme criticism from members of the same family.

And if there is anyone who can stand out in his place, that is also not the case.

The fact that Kim Jwa-geun and Kim Heung-geun, the influential figures of the Andong Kim clan, are all in London is too big.

The Pungyang Jo clan was not as much as the Andong Kim clan, but Gyeongwon Gun vaguely said that he would study hard and become independent, and their position became ambiguous.

In the end, Heungseon Gun became the Crown Prince, and Heungseon Gun is not close to either the Andong Kim clan or the Pungyang Jo clan.

Even if they try to get closer through marriage, Lee Ha-eung already has a wife and three sons.

If one of his sons becomes king, they can aim for the next queen and try to get close, but Lee Ha-eung is a one-generation king who cannot pass on the throne to his children.

Of course, it would be different if his sons had outstanding qualities and won the Gyeongyeon, but how likely is that?

In conclusion, there is no way to get in line.

It was as if someone had deliberately designed it so that the Sedo families had no room to dig into Heungseon Gun’s side.

“…Could this also be what His Majesty was aiming for?”

“Well. Deokwan Gun was influenced by our family, and Gyeongwon Gun was influenced by the other side, so did he deliberately choose Heungseon Gun’s side?”

“But Heungseon Gun is different from His Majesty. His Majesty was a king with legitimacy, but Heungseon Gun did not become king through the usual channels, so the royal authority will inevitably be restricted, right? Then, he will inevitably need a force to join hands with…”

“That’s generally the case, but Heungseon Gun is scheduled to become the first Crown Prince to be formally recognized by His Highness Killian. In addition, His Majesty is trying to break away from the Qing [Manchu-led dynasty of China] order and stick to the British side. If the structure that His Majesty desires is completed, the royal authority when Heungseon Gun becomes king may be much stronger than we expected.”

The reason why the Andong Kim clan has not been pushed out of the center of power until now is because they understand well that power is like a living creature.

Power is never stagnant in one place but constantly moves and circulates, and sometimes changes its appearance.

The power of the current court was concentrated on the king, but given the king’s personality, he will clearly lay the foundation for the next king to rule smoothly and step down from the situation.

Here, what can become the foundation is ultimately the newly emerging British and Killian at the center.

The meaning of Kim Jwa-geun’s repeated emphasis on the prohibition of rash actions was now slowly being understood.

“First, I will create a position with Heungseon Gun and reach out. If I say that I am willing to fully cooperate with whatever he does when he ascends the throne later, he will not see it badly.”

“And His Highness Killian will soon be leaving Joseon, so we must serve him at least once before that. Since Grand Scholar Kim Jwa-geun has a relationship with His Highness, we can actively promote that point and say that we want to treat him on a family level, right?”

“Good. Let’s push forward on both sides.”

Neither Go [a strategic board game] nor politics is over until the board is completely overturned.

It is impossible to do politics in this Joseon without completely excluding them.

The most powerful Sedo family in Joseon, which has been in power for decades, had their own confidence and conviction.

* * *

The Crown Prince investiture ceremony of the Daewongun [another title for Heungseon Gun] was held faster than expected.

“Lee Ha-eung, Heungseon Gun, is made the Crown Prince of Joseon.”

In accordance with tradition, the Jeonchaek official handed over the bamboo book, the royal decree, and the Crown Prince’s seal, and Lee Ha-eung was formally adopted as the adopted son of Heonjong.

After the Crown Prince investiture, he was originally supposed to receive a mandate from the Chinese emperor, but Qing had no time for that, and Heonjong himself had no intention of following such procedures.

Instead, I wrote a congratulatory document on behalf of Queen Victoria of the British Empire to the Crown Prince of Joseon, stamped it, and Heonjong officially declared that it had the same effect as the emperor’s mandate.

“Congratulations, Your Highness the Crown Prince. Now you have truly become the foundation of this country.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty. It’s all thanks to Your Majesty.”

“There’s nothing to thank me for. It was all possible because Your Highness had the qualities.”

“…Your Majesty. That promise you mentioned before. Could you tell me specifically what direction it will take?”

He had been secluded for several days, lost in thought, and had finally made up his mind.

“Can I understand that telling you what direction it will take means you will cooperate?”

“If it’s not a direction that harms Joseon, there’s no reason not to cooperate.”

“What is harmful is a bit subtle because it varies depending on how you interpret it. But I promise you this. If you do as I say, Joseon will never have to tremble in fear of Qing or Russia.”

“…The price is the collapse of the Neo-Confucian order?”

He must have been thinking about it while locked up at home.

In fact, Lee Ha-eung was in an environment where he could notice what direction I had been guiding the flow.

I would have been a little disappointed if he hadn’t been able to deduce this much.

“His Majesty will have already taken care of it to some extent before Your Highness ascends the throne anyway. So, please prepare from now on.”

“I want to do that too, but I’m worried that if I, who have just become the Crown Prince in a groundbreaking way, take too conspicuous actions, I may incur the backlash of those around me.”

“There’s no need to move directly. Grand Scholar, hasn’t Kim Eung-geun been trying to contact you?”

As if to make up for the loss of influence due to the Crown Prince investiture, Kim Eung-geun was desperately requesting that the family be able to serve me.

As I expected, he probably sent similar words to Lee Ha-eung, and as expected, he immediately nodded with a surprised expression.

“How did you know?”

“Because it’s obvious. Next time you get a similar offer, meet him once. And then form a cooperative relationship.”

“Are you telling me to join hands with the Andong Kim clan? Why specifically…?”

“Isn’t the fastest way to suppress poison with poison?”

Since Heungseon Gun has promised to be my faithful collaborator, this is the last gift I will give before leaving Joseon.

Shall I show you the magic of removing obstacles without lifting a finger?

Watch and learn well. It’s a method you can use profitably for the rest of your life.