I Became A Hidden Powerhouse Of The British Empire [EN]: Chapter 334

< The Aftermath of the Tempest >

The North-South War, a conflict that had dragged on for years, profoundly impacted various corners of the globe.

With major European powers like France and Prussia directly embroiled, the European economy was inevitably shaken.

Moreover, the simultaneous disruption of food and cotton production in the United States, a dominant force in the global export market, triggered immediate distress in several countries.

Consequently, Egypt, which swiftly ramped up its cotton production, reaped enormous profits from the sudden supply shortage, secretly wishing for the war to continue indefinitely.

Nevertheless, the war concluded abruptly with the British Empire’s intervention, leading many to anticipate a truly peaceful era, a chance to finally catch their breath after the exhausting conflict.

However, a large-scale war fought over a prolonged period often leaves an even more significant impact in its aftermath.

Asia, geographically distant from Europe and the Americas, largely avoided direct war damage, making this post-war impact even more pronounced.

Although the Taiping Rebellion had been suppressed, the Qing Dynasty, severely weakened by the conflict, had long since lost its grip on dominance.

Recognizing that modernization was the only path to survival, Asian countries embarked on ambitious modernization programs.

Of course, this was easier said than done.

Asia was already perceived as a giant honeypot by European powers, each vying to exploit its resources and influence. [This is a metaphor for the economic and political exploitation of Asia by European powers.]

Many countries, including India, the Indochina Peninsula, the Philippines, and Malaysia, were already under European control. Only Joseon (Korea) and Japan found themselves in a slightly more favorable position.

In absolute terms, Japan was better positioned for modernization than Joseon, but it was hampered by unstable domestic politics.

The civil war that had occurred years prior was over, but pockets of discontent continued to rise in various regions, requiring ongoing suppression.

On the other hand, Joseon’s fundamental situation was dire, but it was steadily laying the groundwork for reform. The Kim Jwa-geun faction, backed by Britain, began returning in large numbers, accelerating the pace of change.

It remained uncertain which nation would take the lead, but the two countries became increasingly aware of each other’s progress.

As neighboring countries under the shadow of the British Empire, both heavily influenced by British policies, it would have been strange if they hadn’t been keenly aware of each other’s actions.

Nevertheless, the leaders of both countries were astute politicians and skillfully leveraged these factors to their advantage.

‘Japan is advancing so rapidly; what will become of us if we fall behind? Do you want to be branded as uncivilized barbarians by the *Wae* [a derogatory term for the Japanese]?’

‘Even Joseon, known for its closed-mindedness, is so focused on modernization. What are the intentions of those who are creating trouble at this critical juncture!’

Kim Jwa-geun, already actively dismantling Joseon’s old systems, intentionally fueled this rivalry.

If reforms are necessary for modernization, but some object? Label them as lackeys of the *Wae*, and everyone will fall in line.

According to Kim Jwa-geun’s plan, Joseon’s modernization would be a gradual process.

It would take at least several decades to get on track by the late 19th century.

—

1. Fundamentally overhaul the tax policy to secure national wealth for modernization.

2. Secure control over the provinces and clarify the duties of each government office to ensure expertise.

3. Abolish outdated customs, laws, and malpractices, and introduce new systems suitable for a modern nation.

—

Kim Jwa-geun had dedicated the most effort to points 1 and 2 over the past several years.

If simply changing one’s attire could transform one’s constitution, no reforms would ever fail.

Still, with the unwavering support of the new king and the backing of the British Empire, he had nearly completed steps 1 and 2.

With the development of resources concentrated in the north gaining momentum, the time had come to truly embark on comprehensive reforms.

King Yi Ha-eung, adopted as the son of the *Sangwang* [the previous king] and thus heir to the throne, frowned as he reviewed the reform plan before him.

“You intend to push this forward immediately? Is it feasible?”

“Yes, it is.”

“The land survey and currency reform have been underway for some time, so let’s consider those settled… I anticipate no objections to the Hanyang [modern-day Seoul] city renovation project, so let’s proceed. However, reorganizing nearly all organizations, including the *Uijeongbu* [State Council of Joseon], will undoubtedly provoke significant backlash, won’t it?”

“As the saying goes, strike while the iron is hot. In such large-scale reforms, hesitation is fatal.”

It’s akin to saying that if you draw your sword, you must strike something. Having declared a large-scale reform, we must see it through.

The Confucian scholars who championed *Seongrihak* [Neo-Confucianism] as the ultimate truth had already discredited themselves and faded away along with the Andong Kim clan.

Furthermore, labeling those who oppose the reform as lackeys of the *Wae* will silence them, potentially easing the process more than anticipated.

“But the national defense reform seems somewhat sluggish. Is there a specific reason for this?”

“National defense is like the muscles of a person. Muscles require bones and flesh to form properly. I believe it’s a priority to establish a proper human form first.”

Does that imply Joseon isn’t even a person at present?

Yi Ha-eung smiled wryly, but Kim Jwa-geun’s stance remained firm.

Not only him, but most of those who had returned from the British Empire with him shared a similar conviction.

It’s impossible to rectify this country by leaving the fundamental framework intact. It must be completely dismantled and rebuilt.

As a king, it wasn’t a particularly comforting argument, but considering the news emanating from Europe, he had to concede that Kim Jwa-geun was correct.

“Your Majesty, I understand that the large-scale war that spanned the Pacific Ocean has concluded. I trust you are aware of it?”

“Of course. It became a major topic of discussion due to the involvement of France and Prussia.”

“Despite the combined might of France and Prussia, two great powers, they failed to effectively subdue the divided northern part of the United States. The British Empire intervened and swiftly brought the war to an end, but that’s not the crucial point. This war holds two significant lessons.”

“Two? What’s the first?”

“Great powers don’t simply materialize out of thin air. The United States was once considered far behind Europe, but it has demonstrated the potential to rival France and Prussia. There’s no reason why our Joseon can’t achieve similar heights.”

It won’t be easy, but it’s beneficial to foster hope.

When implementing reforms, we can cite the example of the United States and encourage the people by emphasizing that Asian countries can also evolve into great powers like those in Europe.

“Then what’s the second?”

“It signals the imminent end of the relative peace that Asia has enjoyed for some time.”

The attention of the great powers, previously focused on the American continent, will now shift back to Asia, and a tempest will sweep through our tranquil region.

Before that time arrives, this country must become significantly stronger.

Yi Ha-eung was acutely aware of this reality, but he couldn’t help but feel a sense of unease when he looked at Kim Jwa-geun.

Joseon is currently beyond salvation, so he intends to dismantle everything and rebuild it.

Is there any guarantee that the Joseon royal family won’t be classified as one of those outdated customs that he seeks to eradicate?

Initially, he was certain that it would never happen, but lately, he had begun to feel apprehensive.

Who knows? He might genuinely attempt to reduce the royal family to a mere figurehead and seize power for himself.

There’s no assurance that individuals who once shared the same goals will remain aligned until the very end.

In Yi Ha-eung’s eyes, as he watched Kim Jwa-geun politely retreat, a clear sense of vigilance was evident.

* * *

“…Therefore, according to the words of His Highness the Crown Prince of Edo, of the great Tokugawa lineage, the great powers of Europe and the United States, who had been fighting until now, all lowered their tails and decided to end the war.”

“The power of the British Empire is indeed formidable. Above all, the successor to that great empire has inherited the blood of our Tokugawa, so this is also a great blessing for the country.”

“Speaker, you are right.”

The newly reorganized political system of the Japanese Empire was quite complex, but upon closer examination, it became relatively clear.

While promoting modernization, the positions of *daimyo* [feudal lords] and *shogun* [military dictator] were abolished, and a cabinet and parliament were introduced, outwardly mirroring the Western world.

However, the head of the Tokugawa clan, formerly the *shogun*, held the position of Speaker of the House of Peers for life, and the authority of this Japanese House of Peers was unparalleled among countries that adopted a bicameral system.

Naturally, the head of the Tokugawa clan always held the position of Speaker of the House of Peers for life, so even though he stepped down from the position of *shogun*, his power did not diminish significantly.

Of course, the order of precedence in the country was second only to the Emperor.

In other words, an absurd situation arose in which he was regarded as a higher rank than the Prime Minister.

The fact that Okubo Toshimichi, who became Prime Minister at the young age of 30 with an exceptional speed of promotion, bowed his head in front of Tokugawa, was a telling example of Japan’s current situation.

But that was just the picture shown on the outside.

No one was unaware of the fact that the incompetent and weak-willed head of the Tokugawa was just a screen, and the Prime Minister was leading the current politics.

After explaining the domestic and foreign situation for a while, Okubo received the Speaker’s approval for his future plans, politely greeted him, and left the room.

“Hoo… it’s hard to match the tune of fools.”

It was good to be on a roll by smoothly fulfilling the contract with Killian, but when he came up to the top, running the country was no ordinary task.

According to his original plan, Japan should now be past the period of a new founding and going through a period of consolidating its internal affairs.

However, the problem was that there were too many people holding him back, so progress was not as fast as originally planned.

“Okubo, did you have a good conversation with the Speaker?”

“…Saigo, what brings you here without notice?”

When he returned to his room, his old friend greeted him happily, but Okubo was a little sad about the reality that he could not sincerely welcome his friend.

One of the reasons why he had been lamenting the slow pace of reform until just now was the existence of his old friends, including Saigo.

“I came to hear the answer to the discussion we had some time ago.”

“Is it that story again? I clearly said that Choshu and Satsuma should stay away from military power for the time being.”

“You know that there are people who are dissatisfied because of that, don’t you?”

“Are you included among those people? If so, I will give you sincere advice, so keep your distance from them. There will never be excessive authority given to the military in the early stages of modernization.”

There are several reasons why Okubo was able to rise to the position of Prime Minister at a young age with Killian’s support, but the most important thing is just one.

It was thanks to his faithful fulfillment of his promise to unconditionally suppress the military.

For some reason, Killian did not trust the military personnel of Choshu and Satsuma.

There were those who showed considerable dissatisfaction with this point, and Saigo always worried about this point and tried to persuade Okubo, but the end was always an eviction order.

“Okubo, don’t do that and think seriously about it. If you’re wrong, there may be a disturbance in which the country is split in two again.”

“There won’t be such a thing, so don’t worry. If they want to start a rebellion, let them. Rather, if that happens, the obstacles in this country will disappear, so I’ll be grateful.”

“Hoo… I can’t do it. Anyway, I know very well that I can’t change your mind. Then, changing my mind, how about doing this? Many people have been arguing recently, and you’ve heard of it, right?”

“Are you talking about that ridiculous theory of conquering Qing (征淸論) [an aggressive expansionist theory advocating for the conquest of the Qing Dynasty]?”

A crude argument that only changed one letter from the theory of conquering Korea (征韓論) [an aggressive expansionist theory advocating for the conquest of Korea], which people used to bring up whenever they had a chance.

It was an absurd story that was not even worth responding to, but it was a shock and horror to Okubo that there were many people who seriously discussed it recently.

“It’s not ridiculous. The internal dissatisfaction is rampant now, and if we can turn it outward, it’s not a bad thing, is it?”

“Is that method to attack Qing? What did you eat wrong?”

“No, you should seriously consider it. Qing has already exhausted most of its national power, which was already weak due to the Taiping Rebellion. In particular, the southern region is now close to being unowned, so if you invade, you can quickly seize the land.”

“It’s such an absurd story that I don’t know what to say. Then, assuming you occupy it, how do you plan to maintain it? Armistice? Will Qing really try to end the war with the land handed over to us?”

No matter how bad Qing was, it had a large land area and a large population, so Japan could not handle it alone.

But.

“I have a perfect plan.”

When his friend shouted so confidently, Okubo nodded with the intention of listening.

“In my opinion, there are only two countries in Asia that can succeed in modernization. Us and Joseon.”

“I don’t know if both can succeed, but if you pick the two countries with the most likely possibilities, that’s how it will be.”

“That’s right. Then, if we bring that Joseon to our side, wouldn’t it be easier to pressure Qing?”

“…What?”

The theory of conquering Korea has been a story that has come out from time to time since the end of the shogunate, but now he is talking about attacking the continent by bringing in the Korean Peninsula.

“Let Joseon have Manchuria.”

“Are you out of your mind?”

“Listen to the end. I heard that there is a ridiculous story circulating in Joseon that His Highness Killian promised them Manchuria when he came. That means they are eager to have Manchuria.”

“……..”

“So, at the right time, we can raise an army with us to attack Qing, and we will occupy the southern region, and Joseon will occupy Manchuria. Qing will have no choice but to give up the land if we turn Joseon into an enemy, even if it’s just us alone.”

Silence that didn’t even bring out a sigh continued, and Okubo shook his head from side to side.

“Are you telling me to convey such a ridiculous proposal to the Joseon side now?”

“Can’t you try it once! If it goes well, all the domestic complaints will disappear at once?”

What is he listening to now?

Okubo didn’t say anything more and just poured the alcohol he could get his hands on into his glass and drank it.

Although he didn’t say it out loud.

He was just ashamed of himself for being slightly tempted by that crazy proposal, even for a moment.