I Became A Hidden Powerhouse Of The British Empire [EN]: Chapter 386

Governor Parker of British Hong Kong was busy preparing to receive a distinguished guest.

“His Royal Highness the Crown Prince will be arriving soon, so there must not be even the slightest oversight!”

“Yes, sir!”

“Ensure the security is perfect. And you’ve informed the surrounding countries to cease hostilities while His Highness is in Hong Kong, correct?”

“Of course!”

“Good. Then I’ll do one last check myself.”

Despite the sudden nature of the Asian tour, Governor Parker managed to complete the preparations as quickly as possible.

This was all thanks to the resilience he had built up from suffering through Killian’s surprise visits in the past.

Still, he never dreamed that the Crown Prince himself would come to Asia, but the problem wasn’t just that.

“Honestly, these Qing Dynasty guys are no help at all. If they had any sense, they’d quietly disappear, but why are they begging to meet at a time like this? It’s annoying.”

“Perhaps they want His Royal Highness to urge Joseon [Korea] and Japan to exercise restraint?”

“So why are they telling that to His Royal Highness! It’s not like His Royal Highness has that kind of authority.”

“That’s true.”

That just shows how desperate the Qing Dynasty is, but from Governor Parker’s perspective, who had to host the distinguished guest without a single mistake, the Qing Dynasty’s request was nothing more than annoying nonsense.

So, he secretly hoped that the home country would cut off the Qing Dynasty’s proposal, but unfortunately, the Crown Prince expressed his intention to meet with the Qing Dynasty’s minister.

Thanks to that, the amount of work Governor Parker had to prepare doubled.

Since it was the first official meeting between the Qing Dynasty’s minister and the Crown Prince of the home country [Great Britain], he had to listen to the opinions of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and refer to the official guidelines of the royal family.

In addition to this, the Qing Dynasty’s wishes were obvious, so he had to prepare for a response to this and deal with any possible mishaps.

It was a continuous series of endless hard work, but the Hong Kong Governor’s Office, which had a wealth of experience, miraculously completed all the preparations.

Parker told Li Hongzhang, who had come from Beijing, to rest in the guest accommodation, and greeted the Crown Prince, who had arrived aboard one of the British Empire’s latest warships.

“Thank you for coming such a long way.”

“It didn’t take as long as I thought. Thanks to the Suez Canal, it was a much more pleasant journey.”

“I’m so glad to hear that. From my perspective, having seen His Majesty when he was young, it’s truly moving that Your Highness came to Asia through the canal that he opened.”

“Ah, that’s right. I heard that you’ve known my father since he was a minister.”

Governor Parker, who was nearing the end of his term, looked at the Crown Prince’s polite but confident face and realized how much time had passed.

When was that?

It was a distant memory that he couldn’t even remember, but the situation suddenly brought it back to his mind clearly.

When he first arrived in the Qing Dynasty, he was so dumbfounded to see a young man so confidently predicting the future situation.

From the fact that a young man, who was too young to be subtle, became a minister, he couldn’t possibly have faith.

He didn’t show it, but to be honest, he couldn’t understand what the Prime Minister was thinking when he appointed someone like that.

“…That perception was instantly reversed. By the time the war with the Qing Dynasty ended, I was convinced that His Majesty was an extraordinary person. And seeing you like this today reminds me of His Majesty when he was young.”

“Is that so? I don’t mind hearing that.”

“But I heard that Your Highness has decided to meet with the Qing Dynasty’s Minister of Trade. Is that alright?”

The governor was momentarily stunned by the Crown Prince’s innocent reaction.

If it was Killian’s successor, who was rumored to be from the home country, he couldn’t possibly not know this simple fact. Could he be doing that on purpose?

“Well… you’ll have to go to Joseon and Japan, and if you talk to the Qing Dynasty’s minister, there may be various restrictions and uncomfortable situations may arise.”

“Ah, are you talking about that? It’s okay. Since they’re the ones who have to beg, it’s not like I have to be mindful of them, right? I’ll just say a few nice things that are good to hear.”

What’s going on in Asia right now, and you’re going to get away with those words?

“The Qing Dynasty will want the British Empire to mediate between Joseon and Japan. So, they’ll probably ask Your Highness for that.”

“Then I’ll just make something up.”

“If that’s the case, shouldn’t you have not met them in the first place?”

“Hey, isn’t it admirable that the Crown Prince of the British Empire came all the way to Asia?”

He wondered if he was joking, but since he couldn’t see it as a fabricated appearance, his expression hardened for a moment.

As soon as he thought of Killian from the old days, he gave him a nice blow to the head like this [referring to a metaphorical blow, outsmarting someone].

He had heard rumors from his home country that he was a bright Crown Prince, but what was so bright about him? He seemed to have a good personality, but wasn’t he just a fool with a lot of wind in his lungs?

Edward, who had been watching him for a while, chuckled and got up from his seat.

“I’m kidding, I’m kidding. I guess it didn’t look like acting to the governor. That’s a relief.”

“…Yes?”

“If the governor sees it that way, the Qing Dynasty’s minister will see it similarly.”

As if the smiling face from before was a lie, Edward’s expression disappeared in an instant.

The governor was about to get goosebumps for a moment when he saw his face, which had become perfectly dry [serious and devoid of emotion].

It was not only because of his acting skills that even he had been deceived, but also because the memories of the past came back to his mind clearly.

‘That’s how it was back then. Wasn’t that what Killian did when he first came to the Qing Dynasty?’

In fact, the governor didn’t even know at that time.

He just thought that a young minister who was born in Asia and knew Asia well was doing his best to resolve the conflict between the Qing Dynasty and the British Empire.

Perhaps most people still know that, and it will be recorded in history books.

But is that really the case?

The governor had spent more than a decade in Hong Kong dealing with affairs related to the Qing Dynasty.

In addition, he was able to handle all the data related to the incident at the time, so he had the opportunity to look back at the incident from various angles.

Clearly, on the surface, Killian had exhausted all possible methods to avoid conflict with the Qing Dynasty and was listening to their demands.

However, due to a combination of various coincidences and accidents, the Qing Dynasty provided the pretext for the war, and the British Empire waged war as if it had been waiting.

Was all of that really a coincidence?

After reviewing all the information from both sides, it seemed like a well-organized play.

Of course, that’s ridiculous. No matter how much Killian was born in Asia, how could he have induced their actions with what talent when he left Asia when he was very young?

It’s impossible unless you know that’s going to happen in the first place.

However, apart from that, the governor clearly remembered Killian’s attitude when he had talks with the Qing Dynasty’s governor or ministers.

An attitude that was extremely innocent, polite, and reassuring to the other person, befitting his age.

There must have been more than one or two people who believed that and were caught off guard… After all, blood can’t be fooled.

“Then… when will you receive the Qing Dynasty’s minister?”

“The sooner the better. I don’t mind tomorrow either.”

“Then enjoy the dinner I’ve prepared today and relieve your fatigue. I’ll make an appointment for tomorrow.”

“I understand. Today, I’ll have a drink while listening to old stories from the governor.”

As he got older, he felt like the tension in his mind was relieved just by taking out the stories he had buried in one corner of his memory.

* * *

The second day of the Crown Prince’s historic Asian tour.

Edward, who was greeted with a grand welcome as soon as he arrived, immediately received Li Hongzhang, the Qing Dynasty’s Minister of Trade.

Before coming to Hong Kong, he thoroughly investigated the Qing Dynasty and obtained a lot of information from his father.

Li Hongzhang, Zuo Zongtang, and Empress Dowager Cixi.

He heard without filtering who the current powerhouses of the Qing Dynasty were and how rotten and festering the Qing Dynasty was from within.

What was unique was that his father saw the reality of the Qing Dynasty as hopeless even more than the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Of course, the government also knew that the Qing Dynasty was currently in serious trouble, but that was an interpretation based on objective data.

However, his father asserted that the Qing Dynasty was in an even more difficult situation than it appeared.

This was because there were countless signs of a dying country that could not be seen with simple indicators.

Although the two had slightly different opinions, Edward decided to trust his father’s intuition without hesitation.

“I’m glad to meet the famous Qing Dynasty’s Minister of Trade. It’s not a short distance from Beijing to Hong Kong, so you must have had a hard time.”

“No. Rather, Your Highness, who came from London to Hong Kong, must have had a much harder time than I did. I’m just grateful that you allowed me to meet you so quickly.”

He greeted him in a slightly arrogant manner, but Li Hongzhang bowed politely without any movement.

He said that he was one of the few capable loyalists in the Qing Dynasty, who was working hard to save the declining country.

Suddenly, he remembered the story he heard from the governor yesterday.

The name of the Qing Dynasty’s governor he first met when his father came to the Qing Dynasty was Lin Zexu.

He said that he was also quite capable and strong, but the Qing Dynasty ignored his words and ran towards the path of self-destruction.

That’s how dying countries usually come.

What will change even if one or two loyalists struggle when the top of the country is rotten?

So, I’m sorry to Li Hongzhang, but I hope you blame the incompetent people around you, not us, for what will happen in the future.

“I didn’t know that the Minister of Trade would come all the way from Beijing to Hong Kong. Can I see that as the Qing Dynasty acknowledging the status of the home country?”

“…Yes, of course. However, regarding the wedding ceremony of the Joseon and Japanese royal families that Your Highness is scheduled to attend…”

“Wedding ceremony? Ah, that’s what you mean. Why is that? Does your country want to participate?”

“Yes?”

“Ah, I’m just kidding. Of course, the Qing Dynasty would want to overturn the wedding.”

Logically, two countries that joined hands and invaded them are getting married, so would they want to send a congratulatory envoy there?

If the other party wasn’t the Crown Prince of the British Empire, even Li Hongzhang of the world might not have been able to control his expression.

It’s not easy to play the role of an arrogant person who doesn’t care about other people’s feelings.

“…Our country hopes that the British Empire will mediate this war. After all, Joseon and Japan are at war with us, and they don’t even seem to be willing to listen to us…”

“Fighting is not good. We should all get along well. What’s left to fight for? Tsk, tsk. It’s been quite a while since European countries have fought each other since the Russian war, but I don’t know why Asia is still fighting among themselves.”

The United States and Spain had just fought a war, and before that, Europe had participated in the Civil War, causing enormous casualties, but that was a fight between America and Europe, so it doesn’t count.

Of course, it was a bonus that Li Hongzhang, who didn’t even buy these words [didn’t believe what was being said], was looking at him with a dumbfounded look this time.

“That, that’s… because Joseon and Japan are arrogant…”

“Ah, I see. So, what the Qing Dynasty wants is to stop the war now, so please stop them?”

“Yes? Yes. That’s right.”

“Then I’ll talk to my father once. If my father gives Joseon or Japan a stern order, wouldn’t they understand right away? By the way, if I do that for you, what can the Qing Dynasty give me?”

“Yes? Well, we’ll review the price that the British Empire wants…”

“No, not that. What can you do for me?”

Li Hongzhang’s gaze, which was full of absurdity, was so blatant that he almost burst out laughing.

What kind of crazy person is this?

I agree. I’m thinking that way right now too.