I Became A Hidden Powerhouse Of The British Empire [EN]: Chapter 385

< Heir Apparent (3) >

There is no place in this British Empire that my eyes and ears do not reach.

Except for some remote rural backwater, my intelligence network, built up over decades, extends everywhere in London.

From official intelligence organizations to private detectives scattered here and there.

“The movements of the Joseon [ancient Korean kingdom] and Japanese embassies are unusual, sir.”

“Didn’t they say they were quietly lying low until recently?”

“Yes. But since meeting His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, their range of activities has increased noticeably.”

“Surely they’re not openly using informants or anything like that, are they?”

Of course, every move of the Joseon and Japanese embassies is coming to my ears.

Not just them, but other countries as well.

It’s not just me doing this; the British Empire’s embassies in other countries are also being monitored, so it’s not strange.

Everyone is monitoring and being monitored like this, engaging in a war of nerves to obtain even a little more information.

However, the truth is that if they get caught red-handed, they have to take responsibility without exception, so there are no people who openly engage in espionage activities like that.

“They are not poking around everywhere. It’s just that they are spending more and more time with Edward, and they seem to be collecting information more boldly.”

“Well, well. Did they gain some confidence?”

“What should we do?”

“What do you mean, what should we do? Just leave them alone.”

“Now that France and Prussia also know that Joseon and Japan are uniting and that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is going to Asia, shouldn’t we pay attention to them as well?”

In fact, from the perspective of a third country, it can only be seen that the British Empire is openly trying to control Asia by even sending the Crown Prince.

Even if they don’t show outright displeasure, it wouldn’t be strange for them to voice concerns.

“Isn’t that why they are offering to sell the Philippines at a bargain price? If they give up the Philippines, they won’t care what Joseon or Japan does.”

What I’m more curious about is Edward’s current actions.

In front of Victoria, he spoke confidently, saying he trusted and entrusted it to them, but trusting and being curious are clearly separate things, aren’t they?

I called Edward to my office, pretending to give him information to satisfy my pure curiosity.

“I heard that you have been meeting with the Joseon and Japanese ambassadors frequently these days. I hope you know that they are collecting information about you?”

“Of course. But that’s something you can find out just by asking people around you, isn’t it? Or have they been caught doing more than just background checks?”

“That’s not it. If they had done something that crazy, I wouldn’t have let them get away with it.”

“Then there’s no problem. Thanks to you, Father, I am confident that I can continue like this without any problems.”

“Seeing the embassies moving busily, it seems they gave you quite hopeful words.”

Seeing those guys, who were trembling like scared rats, running around busily, it’s obvious who injected that happiness gas [euphoria/false hope].

Edward chuckled and sat down, accepting the teacup I handed him.

“You know everything. Have you been fully briefed on what I discussed with them?”

“No. The embassy didn’t tell me the details. That’s why I was even more convinced. You must be planning an interesting show.”

“Ah, so if we had just exchanged ordinary words, it would have all reached your ears, Father, but since that’s not the case, you became suspicious instead.”

“And seeing that you didn’t bother to tell me, I thought it might be something related to me?”

“You really know everything. That’s right. I’m selling your name quite grandly.”

I had felt it before, but the atmosphere is definitely different from before.

I should say that the anxiety coming from the desire for recognition has been greatly reduced.

He is much more stable than before, and his inner thoughts are not revealed on the outside.

It reminds me of myself when I first started in this business a long time ago.

“They seemed to believe it?”

“Yes. Showing them what they wanted to see was very effective. Didn’t you say, Father, that telling people the truth doesn’t have much of an effect when dealing with them? What’s important is…”

“Showing them what they want to see. You’ve learned very well.”

The human brain is convenient, so once information that a person can accept comes in, it automatically rearranges and re-establishes it.

The most important thing when committing fraud is this point.

It’s not about showing the truth, but about making the other person believe that this is the truth.

And if you make the happiness circuit run to the extreme, the victims who are already addicted to dopamine will not allow other information to enter their brains.

Seeing my excellent disciple using what he has learned so diligently makes me smile.

“Still, that was a bit annoying. Since I was being pampered, they were casually telling me stories that scratched my nerves.”

“Really? For example?”

“I’m acting as a crown prince who has an inferiority complex and a sense of inadequacy, wanting to overcome his father, but this is not as easy as I thought. Still, the Japanese ambassador is ambitious and I like him. If I push him a little further, he seems like he’s going to cause a big accident.”

“Really? What about Joseon?”

“The Joseon ambassador seemed to be a more cautious person. But I heard that they are being heavily pressured by their home country, so they will eventually have no choice but to follow the intentions of their home country, right?”

Originally, if things went well, it was a tradition in 20th century Asia to go on a rampage, so Edward’s insight was by no means wrong.

Besides, the current Japanese ambassador is Yoshida Shoin? If my memory is correct, in the original history, he was the one who accepted the logic of imperialism as it was and advocated for national wealth and military strength and the conquest of Korea.

It is inevitable that powerful countries conquer weak countries, so Japan must become wealthy and militarily strong to be on equal footing with the West.

Therefore, what was taken from the West can be regained by conquering Asian countries weaker than Japan, and the conquest of Korea was also considered an extension of that.

Since he has such ideas, it is only natural that his thoughts have turned to attacking the Qing Dynasty [China’s last dynasty, 1644-1912].

However, the evaluation that he is considered a pioneer of Japanese enlightenment is also viewed as an excessive embellishment by the Choshu side, who were rivals of Satsuma.

And looking at the current situation, it seems that such work is still in full swing.

The Satsuma side is promoting Saigo Takamori as their symbol, so Choshu also needs someone to promote.

Isn’t Yoshida Shoin, who actively fostered enlightenment thinkers and preached the necessity of national wealth and military strength, the person who was selected due to this need?

So, he came all the way to England with the title of ambassador at the young age of 30.

“The Japanese military is probably hoping that Yoshida Shoin will make a significant contribution to your upcoming tour. Then the Choshu side, which is in control of the Japanese military, will be able to have a powerful symbol like Saigo. If that happens, they might push Yoshida as the next prime minister.”

“I didn’t even know that background… I see. A factional competition within the Japanese government. That’s very useful information. Thank you.”

“Why are you thanking me? Feel free to ask me anything you’re curious about. I’ve decided to entrust it to you, so I won’t give you any guidelines, but I’ll give you any information you need.”

No matter how well Edward applies what he has learned from me, he cannot know the complex situation in Asia as well as I do.

No, to be honest, the inside of Joseon and Japan is such a mess right now that I don’t even have a perfect grasp of everything.

So, I subtly leaked the information that Okubo and Kim Jwa-geun had organized regarding the current situation to Edward.

Edward sucked up that information like a thirsty hippo.

Still, after talking to him, the very slight worry I had about whether he would be able to do it well has now completely disappeared.

The rough sketch seems to be all drawn, so shall we now take a look at our son’s coloring skills?

* * *

Around the time when the marriage talks between the Joseon and Japanese royal families spread not only to the British Empire but also throughout Europe.

The leaders of the Qing Dynasty, one of the parties involved in the war, were constantly debating how to deal with this absurd situation.

“Empress Dowager, Joseon is declaring itself an empire and calling themselves an empire.”

“No matter what they do, it’s just empty nonsense. We can just ignore it.”

“The marriage between the Joseon and Japanese royal families must be interpreted as a clear intention to join forces in the future to check our country [contain/limit its power]. We must take measures against this.”

“You should come up with measures. Surely you don’t expect me to worry about such trivial matters?”

Manchu Front, which is in conflict with Joseon.

Southern Front, which is in a bloody battle with Japan.

And the Western Front, which is subjugating Xinjiang.

Even a two-front war is difficult, but surprisingly, the Qing Dynasty is currently fighting on three fronts.

Considering the Qing Dynasty’s ridiculously large landmass, it was virtually an outrage that denied the common sense of the military.

Strictly speaking, Joseon and Japan invaded when Qing launched a war to subjugate Xinjiang, but the fact that a three-front war was formed cannot be denied.

If he were a proper leader, he would be running around and working hard to resolve this situation diplomatically.

No matter how powerful an empire is, it cannot operate armies simultaneously in the west, east, and south while possessing territory the size of the Qing Dynasty.

However, Empress Dowager Cixi, as if it was none of her business, delegated all authority to the local commanders to do as they pleased.

So, of course, the local generals tried to gather troops and fight as much as they could, but since the central government, which was supposed to coordinate this, had given up, how could anything work properly?

Li Hongzhang, who had become desperate, said that it was impossible to simultaneously crush the three countries with force, but Empress Dowager Cixi did not listen to him.

“Empress Dowager, now is the time to take a break and preserve our strength. Zuo Zongtang is currently making achievements in Xinjiang, so we can counterattack after Zuo Zongtang returns. We must abandon Manchuria for now and concentrate all our forces in the south to prevent Japan from landing. Then, we can request a truce and plan for the future…”

“No, Minister of Trade. Are you saying that our great Qing should bow its head to those like Joseon or Japan and beg for reconciliation?”

“It’s not begging for reconciliation, but…”

“In the long history of the Central Plains dynasties [Chinese dynasties], there has never been a country that succumbed to the invasions of the Korean Peninsula or the Japanese pirates. Is the Minister of Trade arguing that the Qing Dynasty should be the first dynasty to suffer such humiliation?”

It was understandable that the Empress Dowager was so overreacting.

As she said, the Central Plains dynasties had experienced defeats several times to the nomadic peoples of the north.

However, it was virtually no exaggeration to say that they had never lost territory to Japan or the dynasties of the Korean Peninsula.

But to give Manchuria, which is the Qing Dynasty’s spiritual home, to Joseon?

Even if they promise to find it again later, the Qing imperial family will inevitably suffer irreparable damage just by giving it up.

Besides, if we lost to the English or French in Europe, we could make some excuses, but the opponent is Joseon?

From the time the country was founded, it had been subservient to the Central Plains dynasty.

To be defeated by a country that was virtually considered a vassal state in the past and have its homeland taken away was the most humiliating thing the Qing could never accept.

It was not easy for Li Hongzhang to endure this.

Rather, if he made such unreasonable demands, he might be branded as a traitor and have all his achievements so far denied.

“If that is what the Empress Dowager wants… I still believe that solving it through diplomacy is the best option.”

“Diplomacy, you say?”

“Joseon and Japan seem to have asked the English royal family to celebrate their marriage. So, the English side is also sending the Crown Prince, and since he is coming to Asia, shouldn’t the Crown Prince stop by Hong Kong at least once? How about contacting him at that time and talking to him?”

“That doesn’t sound bad. Then have the Minister of Trade go in person. You must, you must bring back results.”

So that’s how it’s going to be.

Originally, the person who brought up the idea had to take responsibility, so Li Hongzhang knew from the beginning that this would happen.

But what can he do?

Whether the Empress Dowager has an answer or not, the country must be saved.

Li Hongzhang nodded heavily, feeling like a death row inmate being dragged to the execution ground.