I Became A Hidden Powerhouse Of The British Empire [EN]: Chapter 381

< The End of the Old Era (5) >

Traditionally, Northeast Asian countries engaged in far fewer royal marriages compared to Europe.

European countries maintained a relatively equal footing and were interconnected by blood ties dating back to ancient times. Asia, however, was different.

The Qing Dynasty held a clear superior-subordinate relationship with Joseon [Korea], and Joseon, in turn, regarded Japan as barbarians, considering them distinctly inferior.

Japan, on the other hand, revered their Emperor and sought to build their own self-contained world, seeing little reason to accept the blood of foreign royalty.

Moreover, unlike European countries, they didn’t share borders in multiple directions, and their perceptions of kingship also differed subtly, which further influenced this trend.

But times change, and situations evolve.

The fact that serious discussions about a union with Joseon began to surface within Japan was a clear indication of shifting times.

Of course, this wasn’t driven by a sudden surge in societal openness or tolerance towards other cultures.

Joseon wasn’t much different in that regard either.

To acknowledge those once despised and scorned as ‘waenom’ [a derogatory term for Japanese people] as equals?

This shift wasn’t born of newfound open-mindedness, but rather a conclusion reached through a purely pragmatic assessment of realistic factors.

Of course, Joseon’s adoption of a realist stance could be seen as a sign of progress.

If this wasn’t just their own brand of realism but a trend that genuinely considered reality.

“…So, are you saying that Joseon responded positively?”

“Yes, Your Majesty! The details will be ironed out by the staff remaining in Joseon, and they will continue to provide updates.”

“Why did the Prime Minister return so quickly? It would have been most efficient for you to stay and oversee the marriage arrangements.”

“I considered that, but I feared that my presence might be interpreted as an attempt to exert undue influence.”

The Komei Emperor gazed down at Okubo, who was bowing deeply, his forehead nearly touching the floor, and nodded impassively.

“Perhaps. So, how does Joseon propose to proceed with the marriage?”

“First, Joseon intends to declare itself an empire, adopting the title of empire. They propose elevating their royal family to an imperial family and forging an equal union between the two empires.”

“And what is the Diet’s assessment?”

“Both the House of Peers and the House of Representatives seem likely to approve it without significant opposition.”

If one side is the imperial family and the other remains the royal family, it’s inevitable that the former will feel a sense of superiority.

In practice, this might not have any tangible impact, but such hierarchical considerations are crucial in managing relations between countries.

Especially since Asian countries were no less, if not more, meticulous than their European counterparts, each of these subtle elements had to be carefully examined and addressed.

“Unexpected. I didn’t anticipate Joseon expressing their approval so swiftly.”

“Isn’t it a great honor for them to unite with the unbroken imperial lineage? Naturally, they had no choice but to accept it with joy.”

He spoke those words casually, despite not truly believing them.

The Komei Emperor was by no means naive.

He was well aware of Joseon’s historical perception of Japan and the pride-driven conflicts that had existed between the two nations.

Therefore, when the marriage proposal first emerged, he had anticipated a possible rejection from Joseon.

Had that occurred, the position of those who advocated for the marriage would have become precarious, and the alliance between the two countries could have been jeopardized. However, Joseon often prioritized their pride in most situations.

But they accepted this willingly?

It seems that occupying Manchuria and the prospect of becoming an empire had become an irresistible temptation for them as well.

“Seeing as they’re even using grand terms like ‘blood alliance,’ it seems impossible to send a distant relative to make a mere show of it… The problem is, I only have one child.”

“Yes. It appears the Crown Prince will marry a Joseon princess. Fortunately, the current King of Joseon has three daughters, so we can select the most intelligent and beautiful one as the Crown Prince’s consort.”

“The Empress of this country will be from Joseon… I’m witnessing all sorts of things in my lifetime.”

“Everything is for the glory of the Emperor…”

“No, that’s enough. Explain the discussed process to me.”

The Komei Emperor had two sons and four daughters, but all the children except the second son died young.

As a result, the second son, who wasn’t even born of the legal wife, was adopted by the Empress and formally appointed as Crown Prince, receiving the name Mutsuhito.

As the only direct descendant of this country and the child destined to become the next Emperor, one can easily imagine the immense attention this wedding would garner.

In particular, if a Joseon princess arrives as the Crown Princess, even ordinary citizens will feel the growing closeness between the two countries.

“First, we have agreed to proceed with the marriage as soon as Joseon declares themselves an empire. As for the subsequent schedule… It would be more accurate for the new Foreign Minister Saigo Takamori to explain it, not me.”

As Okubo subtly stepped back, Saigo, who had been waiting in the rear with a sullen expression, stepped forward and bowed politely.

The Komei Emperor had also heard that Saigo’s popularity in the country now surpassed Okubo’s.

A peerless hero who championed the Seikanron [Conquer Korea Theory] and made the prestige of the Great Japanese Empire known to all.

A great symbol that awakened the pride that Japan was close to the Caucasians, unlike other Asian countries.

A master who embodied the samurai spirit of Japan.

He had countless such embarrassing modifiers attached to him, and Okubo, who had opposed the Seikanron, was even being criticized as a prime minister with poor foresight.

The military had formed a tremendous force centered on Saigo, and the Diet had virtually become dependent on the will of the military.

In some ways, wasn’t the current supreme ruler of the empire Saigo Takamori, who was receiving the full support of the military, rather than the Prime Minister?

However, the fact that the person in question was making a shit-eating face was a bit unexpected.

“Your Majesty! Now that Joseon and Japan are bound by a blood alliance, there is no enemy to fear in Asia. Qing [China] is nothing more than a declining commoner. Our Japan and Joseon, which have risen as new stars of Asia, will drive them even harder and accept their surrender… that is what will happen!”

“Is our military that strong?”

“…Of course! The fact that they cannot be rivals to our glorious Imperial Army is an objective fact proven by the achievements so far. Two of Qing’s main fleets have already been annihilated by the army of His Great Majesty. Now that their defense line is as good as non-existent, all that remains is to extend to the continent and cover the entire Central Plains with His Majesty’s prestige.”

“I see. You have all worked very hard. Do as you please.”

After appropriately praising Saigo and the military’s efforts, the Komei Emperor rose from his seat without removing the benevolent smile from his face.

After leaving the audience room and returning to his private room, the Emperor sat on a comfortable chair and shook his head with a hollow laugh.

What? Cover the entire continent with the imperial family’s prestige?

Who are you trying to fool? Even a passing dog wouldn’t believe such nonsense.

Strictly speaking, it’s not like he was calmly spouting nonsense.

Even Saigo himself, the person speaking, was stuttering little by little, as if he knew it wasn’t right.

The reason why Okubo hurriedly returned from Joseon and put Saigo at the forefront could now be clearly seen through.

It’s a desperate struggle to avoid taking all the responsibility if things go wrong.

So, is Okubo afraid of losing the war with Qing?

Judging from the atmosphere, that doesn’t seem to be the case.

‘Maybe I need to create a few escape routes as well.’

I don’t know what it is, but seeing Okubo being so careful, I had a strong feeling that it wouldn’t hurt to prepare.

* * *

“From now on, you will be responsible for handling the war and diplomacy with Qing.”

“…Aren’t you the Prime Minister?”

“If I speak to the military, will they listen? I have done things to weaken them so far, but if I come forward, it will only result in dividing public opinion.”

Saigo could see through Okubo’s plan to pass on all the responsibility, but he couldn’t refute it.

In the first place, he was the one who had strongly advocated for the Seikanron from beginning to end, and Saigo was the one who currently had the absolute support of the military, so there was nothing wrong with Okubo’s words.

However, Saigo didn’t want this kind of picture from the beginning.

His advocacy for the Seikanron was solely for political purposes from beginning to end.

His aim was to divert the escalating domestic conflict to the outside, release this heat, and then calmly adjust the pace of reform.

He swore he had never imagined that things would get this big.

“Hey, Okubo. You know that I can’t perfectly control the military right now, right? The navy listens to my opinion well, but I’m careful about how I handle the army.”

“But aren’t you better than me?”

Currently, the high-ranking officers of the navy were almost exclusively from Satsuma, like Okubo and Saigo.

Conversely, the army seems to be monopolized by the Choshu side, who were Satsuma’s long-time rivals.

Okubo had worked so hard to break this structure, but everything had been in vain due to the continuous wars.

“No, strictly speaking, even the navy will kick me out if I tell them to stop the war. All they want is Saigo Takamori, the symbol of the Seikanron. Saigo Takamori, who opposes the war, is just a hindrance, so they will naturally get rid of him.”

“…That might be the case.”

In the world, Saigo is known as a symbolic figure of the military, encompassing the army and navy, but the reality is completely different.

Saigo is merely a symbolic buffer that prevents the conflicting army and navy from clashing.

The military’s role for Saigo, who pushed for the Seikanron, was to continue to advocate for the justification of the war, and if he deviates from this, some unfortunate accident may occur.

It wouldn’t be surprising if a tragic accident occurred in which Saigo Takamori, the hero of the Seikanron, was assassinated by Qing assassins.

If that happens, the situation will be even worse than it is now.

“Saigo, this is a seed you sowed, so you have to reap it, or keep it from growing further. Unfortunately, I can’t help you.”

“…Don’t do that, ask the British Empire for something. Even if this country is crazy right now, if the British Empire tells us to end the war around this point, wouldn’t we at least pretend to think about it?”

“If that happened and the military said they wouldn’t listen, could you handle the aftermath?”

“…Then what are we supposed to do?”

“Didn’t I already say? The train has already started running, so we have no choice but to go to the final station. Now that the marriage with the Joseon imperial family is as good as done, I will prepare for that…”

Just as Okubo was about to make an excuse and escape.

“Prime Minister! A telegram has arrived from the capital of Joseon. They say that the Joseon side has additional proposals to make.”

“It’s like they were waiting for me to say that. Well, Saigo, let’s do our best in our respective areas.”

Leave the crazy things like war to those guys, and he only has to manage the external events that have little aftermath.

No matter how grand the imperial wedding is, this side won’t bleed, so he can approach it with relatively little burden.

“Let’s see what kind of crazy proposal Joseon has made this time… No… Are these guys crazy?”

Okubo, who reflexively crumpled the telegram he was holding, bit his lip and slowly unfolded the paper.

-In celebration of the union of the two imperial families, we would like to receive a congratulatory message from His Majesty Killian, a symbol of friendship between Joseon and Japan.

They’re really doing all sorts of things.

No. This is not the time to be calmly expressing my feelings.

“Take this to the House of Peers as it is and ask them to handle it.”

Okubo handed the paper to his secretary as it was and returned to the Prime Minister’s residence as if fleeing.

He saw nothing and heard nothing. He has to do that.