I Became A Hidden Powerhouse Of The British Empire [EN]: Chapter 362

< Joseon-Japan Alliance (3) >

Hanseong, the capital of Joseon.

Kim Jwa-geun was seriously questioning the mental state of the person sitting in front of him.

Saigo Takamori.

A close friend of Okubo Toshimichi, who effectively dominated the political scene in Japan, and also a political opponent of Okubo.

He had been well aware of the recent unsettling atmosphere within Japan.

Inwardly, he had hoped a civil war would break out, but he never expected it to be resolved in this way.

In fact, looking back at history, Japan had always been like this.

Even the Japanese invasion of Korea in the Imjin year [1592-1598] was, when you think about it, an attempt by those guys to resolve their internal unrest by attacking us.

This time, the target is just the Qing Dynasty.

In that respect, he had been short-sighted.

He should have judged that those guys were serious from the start, given their past record, but it was a mistake to see them as too rational.

In that regard, Kim Jwa-geun had to feel a sense of self-disgust, wondering if his intuition had deteriorated too much.

International politics moves with madness and greed, but wasn’t he perceiving the world too rationally?

“So, you’re saying that Lord Saigo will be the Japanese representative for this cooperative body.”

“Yes. I will be in charge of all future communication.”

“…Is it decided? Are you really going to do it?”

“Joseon has agreed to firmly support us from behind. It’s truly reassuring. Hahaha!”

Look at this brazen face.

It goes without saying that Joseon did not particularly like Japan.

It’s not just because of the two large-scale Japanese invasions in the past.

Joseon and Japan are now in a situation where they can be seen as indirectly competing countries.

How can we look favorably on them when they interfere in everything we try to do and try to get involved?

Of course, he expected that the Japanese side would not be much different.

In that respect, it could be said that both countries have the same strengths and share the same weaknesses.

Kim Jwa-geun instinctively grasped that the Japanese side was also trying to proceed with the war, using Joseon as an excuse.

“Lord Saigo, but war is not something that can be started as soon as you decide to do it. It inevitably requires a lot of preparation, but are you prepared now?”

“It is sufficient. In fact, what is truly needed for war is not time but the support of all walks of life. There are so many warriors in our country who want to fight as soon as possible that it is difficult to suppress them. Of course, we have to cross the sea and launch an amphibious landing, but that’s okay too.”

Japan had already experienced a civil war several years ago and had experience in operating and fighting with a considerable number of troops.

So, it wouldn’t be too difficult to organize an army, and above all, as Saigo said, there were too many people who wanted war, which was a problem.

Then, is Joseon any different?

In fact, Joseon was not much different either.

When rumors spread that they could strike the Qing Dynasty and reclaim Manchuria, the outside was literally a cauldron of frenzy.

Not only the common people but also the intellectuals were in an uproar, saying that they could finally completely recover the ancient territories of Goguryeo and ancient Joseon.

And judging by it, Saigo also seemed to be well aware of this fact and was subtly mentioning it.

“The public sentiment is the will of heaven. The public sentiment of both Joseon and Japan wants the continent, so wouldn’t it be right to say that this is the will of heaven?”

“Is that so?”

Saigo smiled and pointed to a newspaper written in Korean.

“I was curious, so I bought a newspaper and asked an interpreter to translate it for me, and there was a very interesting article.”

Kim Jwa-geun didn’t see it directly, but he guessed what it was about.

The newspapers these days all publish editorials with the same tone, so he couldn’t not know.

As expected, when he turned his gaze slightly, he saw the expected title.

It was an editorial that made his mind dizzy just by looking at it, but surprisingly, this was the main public opinion in Joseon.

It is a well-known fact that not only politicians but also everyone with a certain level of intelligence needs justification for war.

Whether intentional or accidental, the intellectuals of Joseon were diligently building up justification for the war, full of excitement.

Saigo had prepared thoroughly and slowly read out the contents of the Joseon editorial, which had been translated into Japanese.

“…Manchuria is the land of Balhae and Goguryeo in ancient times. Even if we take the point in time before that, it is the land where ancient Joseon was founded, which is the foundation of the Korean people. Like the Korean Peninsula, or perhaps even more so, it is connected to the roots of our people. When was the Qing Dynasty founded? Even if we go back to the old Jin Dynasty, it will never reach the history of our people. Isn’t that absolutely right?”

“…Do you see it that way?”

If you really get down to it, there are plenty of loopholes to refute, but that’s not the point.

It’s not invading Manchuria, but recovering it.

The legitimacy of that land lies with Joseon, not the Qing Dynasty.

As they stoked the flames like this, public opinion in Joseon rapidly leaned towards the conquest of the Qing Dynasty.

Now, if you shout a reversal here, you will become a traitor to the nation, so how can you object?

“Since Joseon’s will is so firm, we are more than reassured. Hahahaha!”

“Haha… First of all, that’s right. As I said, we will participate as an allied country if your country declares war on the Qing Dynasty. Do you have any objections?”

“Of course. We will open the gates of war, and Joseon will decorate the next.”

Looking at Saigo’s confident smile, Kim Jwa-geun suddenly felt a question.

That’s strange.

Why don’t they ask Joseon to declare war first?

Inevitably, if Japan is to fight the Qing Dynasty, the navy must first set sail.

Since they are fighting to occupy territory, they may have to land.

However, the fact that it is much easier for the army to push in first than to approach by sea is a fact that heaven knows and earth knows.

Kim Jwa-geun expected that Joseon would insist that Japan respond after Joseon attacked Manchuria first.

But he didn’t expect them to come forward so willingly to start the war first.

What on earth is so great about the justification that they are doing this?

No, in the first place, if Japan’s situation is not much different from Joseon, then they shouldn’t be in a situation where they can sincerely fight the Qing Dynasty, right?

No matter how bad the Qing Dynasty is, the reality is that neither Japan nor Joseon can support the national level yet.

He was curious to the point of madness as to what kind of sure-win strategy they had that they were so confident.

Still, there’s nothing wrong with them fighting first.

Kim Jwa-geun took a sip of tea and glanced at the contents of the agreement he had made this time.

Strengthen the alliance and cooperate economically, and increase exchanges to promote friendly relations between the two countries.

There were such contents written in a row, but the most important thing was hidden in the middle.

A clause stating that if one side enters a state of war, the other side will automatically participate.

With this, if Japan enters a war with the Qing Dynasty, Joseon will immediately advance its troops to the north.

Although it is uneasy, considering the messy situation of the Qing Dynasty, they will not lose the war.

The only concern was whether the European powers would intervene, but Japan must have been confident, so they came forward like this.

Kim Jwa-geun believed so and shook hands with Saigo.

* * *

As all preparations were completed, Joseon moved busily.

The army must be gathered in the north and prepared to advance towards Manchuria at any time.

“How is the morale of the soldiers?”

“Very good.”

“But even if the Qing Dynasty is in chaos, wouldn’t they notice if we and Japan are making such a fuss?”

“Surprisingly, they don’t seem to know at all.”

“…They’re really pathetic guys.”

“Even the lukewarm figures are all reacting in favor of the war because the Qing Dynasty looks so easy.”

If the other party looks like a pushover who can’t resist even if they are ripped off, even people who didn’t have such thoughts are bound to waver.

Considering the objective situation, Joseon is just trying to play a human role, so it is right not to go to war with other countries.

Japan was no different, but it was becoming more and more clear that the affairs of the country do not necessarily flow only with reason.

“First of all, it seems that we should wait for Japan to declare war and then Joseon should also declare war on the Qing Dynasty.”

“Hmm…”

At first, he hesitated, but once he made a decision, everything went smoothly.

It was unknown what kind of repercussions it would bring to draw a sword towards the continent for the first time in Joseon’s history, but once it became a reality, the previous worries were nothing more than worries.

When you think about it, how long has it been since a country on the Korean Peninsula invaded the Central Plains [historical region of China]?

The great achievement that no one in Joseon could achieve is being achieved.

Right in this Kim Jwa-geun’s hand…

“Joseon, no, even if we go back to Goryeo, the fact that the achievements that no one has achieved are being achieved in my generation is also a great blessing for the royal family.”

Kim Jwa-geun smiled bitterly and bowed his head at Lee Ha-eung’s words, which came out as if he had read his mind.

He doesn’t want to give credit to this side even if he dies.

He can roughly see what he’s thinking.

If Manchuria is really recovered, this will be a great achievement that no one in the Joseon Dynasty can dare to approach.

If this becomes entirely the credit of the royal family, Lee Ha-eung may be praised as a great monarch comparable to King Sejong, with some exaggeration.

On the other hand, if this becomes the credit of the cabinet, the fact that the cabinet made such a feat as soon as it took the lead in state affairs will be highlighted, and the royal family will rapidly lose power.

Whether it will remain a mere puppet royal family like the neighboring country of Japan, or whether it will remain a powerful royal family that wields legally guaranteed power even under a constitutional monarchy.

It was no exaggeration to say that everything depended on the outcome of this war.

Both sides were drinking kimchi soup [counting their chickens before they hatch] to a near-fatal level, but it meant that they had no choice but to subtly raise their voices, saying that it was their credit.

While exchanging such fierce psychological warfare, Kim Jwa-geun was reminded of the story he had heard from Saigo and changed the subject.

“Your Majesty, haven’t you heard anything from the British Embassy?”

“I haven’t. I was going to ask you about that, but it seems like you haven’t received it either?”

“Yes. I heard that the Japanese side even sent diplomats to explain, but I’m wondering why this side is so quiet.”

“Does that mean they don’t care what we do?”

They said that they had inquired about the situation through ambassadors and conveyed various words to the Japanese side, but this side showed no sign of caring at all.

Kim Jwa-geun, as well as Lee Ha-eung, could not guess whether this would be a path or a misfortune.

“…First of all, we are taking the position of being carried away by Japan this time, so if any problems arise, we can turn everything to that side.”

“I guess so. They said they would start the war first. By the way, Japan will declare war, and we will have to respond, but is the declaration of war prepared?”

“Yes. It’s perfectly prepared.”

“Then, we just have to wait for the conflict between Japan and the Qing Dynasty.”

He hadn’t heard exactly when and when the declaration of war would be made, but Japan had hinted that the war would break out soon.

Whether that was a lie or not, information that the relationship between the Qing Dynasty and Japan had recently become increasingly strained was coming in in real time.

The cause was the fishing rights around the island called Jiao Yu Island [Diaoyu Islands in Chinese, Senkaku Islands in Japanese].

You might say that fishing rights are not a big deal, but in fact, most fishing rights are not just about catching fish, but about competing for jurisdiction over the territorial waters.

Japan calls this place Senkaku and claims that the Qing Dynasty is doing obvious illegal fishing on their land.

Of course, the Qing Dynasty dismissed it as nonsense, saying that the Japanese guys had taken the wrong medicine, since it was an island that had been in their records since the Ming Dynasty.

It seems that they intend to make this an international dispute area and gradually develop it into a war, so the war may break out around next year at the earliest.

Kim Jwa-geun was inwardly estimating the timing of the outbreak of the war.

However, as if to prove that his objective perspective was invariably off when it came to Japan.

Knock knock knock.

“Your Majesty! Your Majesty! B, big deal!”

With frivolous footsteps that lightly ignored the court manners and panting breaths, an intelligence agent from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs shouted from outside the door.

“Hey! No matter how urgent it is, what is this commotion in front of His Majesty?”

“War, war has broken out! Japan has declared war on the Qing Dynasty…”

“What! War? So suddenly?”

No, does the fact that they will be at war soon really mean ‘soon’ literally? Not a diplomatic rhetoric?

“What about the declaration of war? I haven’t heard that Japan has declared war on the Qing Dynasty, so what are you guys doing!”

Kim Jwa-geun suppressed the profanity that was about to come out with superhuman patience and raised his voice.

If this wasn’t before the king, he would have poured out swear words to those useless Ministry of Foreign Affairs guys.

However, the official in front of him shook his head desperately as if he was really wronged and shouted.

“That’s not it! Japan attacked the Qing Dynasty’s ships without a declaration of war!”

“…What?”

At that moment, a record of the past flashed through his mind like lightning.

When fighting Russia, Japan started the war by attacking the island first without even declaring war.

Could it be that this time too…

“Please quickly decide on a policy on how to respond!”

What should I do with this? The declaration of war has been prepared.

But the Japanese guys attacked without even declaring war, so should Joseon declare war on the Qing Dynasty here?

No, before that, is it right to respond to Japan here and advance to Manchuria?

“W, why do these sons of bitches always handle things like this!”

In the end, Kim Jwa-geun forgot that he was in front of the king and cursed and rubbed his forehead.

However, no one, not even King Lee Ha-eung, pointed out Kim Jwa-geun’s rudeness.

Instead, Lee Ha-eung took a sip of tea and sighed.

I thought we were talking about the great achievements that no one in Joseon’s history could achieve just a moment ago, but how did it come to this?

A moment of silence swept through the room.

No one opened their mouth.