I Became A Hidden Powerhouse Of The British Empire [EN]: Chapter 431

< The Age of Upheaval (3) >

[The Imperial Nation, Victory After Victory!]

[The Majesty of the Imperial Nation Dominating the Seas of Asia!]

[The Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere is Not a Dream!]

[Away with the Old Order! A New Era Dawns!]

Flyers were scattered throughout the streets, and slogans of victory, rise, and invincibility could now be seen everywhere in Tokyo.

Everyone in the world was intoxicated by this atmosphere, and even those who had been hesitant until now began to accept this was the new reality.

However, humans are truly cunning creatures, always wanting two when they have one, and three when they have two.

The current cabinet officials were a living example of that.

“Faster, faster! Is the preparation not ready yet? Why is there no progress?”

“W-Well, we are doing our best to prepare…”

“What’s the point of doing your best! It’s not about working hard, it’s about doing well!”

“We are working day and night to do well. But how can we create something out of nothing, logically speaking!”

“Ahem, this is a matter concerning the future of the Imperial Nation, so how can you make excuses just because reality is a bit difficult? This person has no grit, no grit!”

Okubo Toshimichi watched the spectacle, which seemed less orderly than a student class meeting, and simply clicked his tongue without saying a word.

To be honest, he wasn’t even listening to what they were saying, so he didn’t know what they were talking about.

‘Cherry blossoms, cherry blossoms, are the fields, mountains, and villages all mist or clouds? The fragrance of the morning sun~’

He would rather close his eyes and hum a children’s folk song than watch the mess unfolding before him.

“Joseon [ancient Korean kingdom] is making such a fuss about making their princess the Crown Princess of the British Empire, are you just going to sit and watch?”

“Who said we’re just watching? That’s why we’re saying we need to respond immediately! Let’s respond! We can also select a suitable person and recommend them as the Crown Princess of the British Empire!”

“There are no princesses under His Majesty the Emperor, so where are you going to get someone to make a Crown Princess!”

“Well, His Majesty can adopt a collateral relative with royal blood as his daughter!”

“This is for the consort of the Crown Prince of the British Empire, not just anyone, so how can we handle things so carelessly! Please be realistic!”

Wow, what a great state the country is in.

The Prime Minister was like a bump on a log, while they were raising their voices and arguing with each other. This chaotic scene perfectly showed the current state of the Japanese Empire’s cabinet.

In fact, they weren’t always like this.

How did those who used to suck up to the Prime Minister so much become so brave?

It was all because of the endless greed for the continent, fueled by repeated victories.

In the current cabinet and military, those who spoke weakly could not survive.

In reality, it wasn’t uncommon for some moderates to be assassinated in broad daylight for saying something reasonable.

And those who committed such crazy acts were 오히려 [rather] cheered by the public, so who could maintain their convictions?

The Great Japanese Empire is invincible and is still winning and will continue to do so.

At first, they said what the radicals wanted to hear in order to survive, but after more than a year, the mask stuck to their faces and wouldn’t come off.

They are wary of the truly strong, and if they think someone is even slightly weaker than them, they 달려들어 [rush at] and beat them up.

In fact, broadly speaking, Okubo himself had been doing politics in that way, so he couldn’t just laugh at them.

At first, he lamented how there could be such foolish people in the world.

But strictly speaking, wasn’t he being pushed aside by those foolish people, and his voice was shrinking?

To 욕하는 [curse] them is just spitting in his own face.

Okubo listened to them again for just 10 seconds and immediately grasped what topic was being discussed.

They seemed to have been talking for dozens of minutes, but is it fortunate or a curse that he can concentrate for only 10 seconds and not miss the flow?

Whatever else, it seems certain that it is very sad.

“Shouldn’t we first try to understand Joseon’s intentions?”

“Prime Minister, isn’t that too obvious? The King of Joseon has only three daughters. One of them is engaged to our Crown Prince, but there are two more, and they are trying to connect one of them with His Highness Edo here.”

“No, I mean, there are plenty of people who want to marry the Crown Prince of the British Empire, but the choice is his, and we can’t just push someone on him and expect him to like it, can we?”

“We have to make it happen!”

So how, you 새끼야 [you bastard]. The words were 올라왔지 [coming up] to his throat, but he had to 참아야겠지 [hold back].

The current cabinet’s keynote is to believe in the power of positivity.

If you say something negative, they’ll 벌떼같이 일어나 [rise up like a swarm of bees] with some strange words about 부정탄다 [bad luck] and 까댈 [criticize] this side.

In this case, the answer he had 얻어 낸 [obtained] after a long observation was to just say 네네 그러시겠죠 [yes, yes, I suppose so] and let them do what they want.

“Of course, if we work hard, we will have results, but Joseon and our imperial family are already 정신이 없지 않다 [not out of their minds] ahead of their 결합 [union]. And the war hasn’t even ended yet, so would the British Empire even consider 추진하다 [pursuing] the marriage of their Crown Prince? We should definitely 검토하다 [review] that part. Ah, of course, I believe that if all the proud ministers of our Imperial Nation unite as one, there is nothing we cannot achieve.”

“That’s right, Prime Minister. We must all unite as one and 설득하다 [persuade] the British Empire.”

“In fact, the British Empire already 지배하다 [dominates] 구라파 [Europe] and America. All that’s left is Asia, and they will want to establish a closer relationship with our imperial family for the sake of Asian hegemony.”

“That’s probably true.”

There is no doubt that the British Empire is trying to use Joseon and Japan to manipulate Asia as they please.

Europe is the British Empire’s 본진 [headquarters], and America has Canada, and they are even 파고 있지 않다 [not digging] a canal in Panama.

However, even though the British Empire has a large colony in India in Asia, it was impossible to dominate Asia through India.

Even though there are Hong Kong and Shanghai, they are too small to 아우르는 [encompass] all of Asia.

So, as a 차선책 [second best option], they may be trying to 키워 [nurture] 친영파 [pro-British faction] countries like Joseon and Japan to 재편하다 [reorganize] Asia to their liking.

The problem is that Joseon and Japan seem to be 점점 더 과대평가하고 있다 [increasingly overestimating] themselves.

Of course, there could be no greater 경사 [auspicious event] than to 배출하다 [produce] the Crown Princess of the British Empire.

He 인정하다 [acknowledged] that a hundred or a thousand times.

Even if the Crown Princess comes from Joseon instead of Japan, he could 진심으로 축하해줄 [sincerely congratulate] it as Asia’s 홍복 [great fortune].

It’s just that the possibility seems so low that he’s 불안할 뿐이지 [just anxious].

“Then let’s 넘어가기로 하고 [move on from] that issue and 논의해봐야 하지 않다 [shouldn’t we discuss] the plans for the future?”

“What 논의 [discussion] are you talking about?”

Nothing has been 해결된 [resolved], but he doesn’t know why they’re suddenly 의논하자는 [proposing to discuss] about the future, but anyway, the topic naturally 돌아갔다 [returned] to another direction.

“If Joseon 선포하다 [declares] itself as an empire, the engagement will be officially announced, and wouldn’t that greatly boost the morale of our troops on the front lines? It’s a 절호의 호기 [golden opportunity] to 투입하다 [deploy] more troops to the 고착화 되어 있는 [stalemated] front lines and 밀어붙일 [push] the enemy.”

“Oh… that’s a 놀라운 전략이 [amazing strategy].”

“The Army and Navy Ministers have agreed for the first time in a long time. The morale of the military is 드높습니다 [high], Prime Minister!”

“… 일단 [first of all] the Crown Prince of the British Empire will be 오실 [coming] soon, so let’s 온 신경을 집중하다 [concentrate all our attention] on 잘 넘기는데 [getting through] this 중대한 일 [important matter]. Let’s think about the next thing then. You know that if you’re 정신 팔렸다가 [distracted] by other things and make even a 조그만하다 [small] 실수 [mistake] in this matter, the 뒷감당 [aftermath] itself will be impossible, right?”

“Of course! I’ve 단단히 일러두었다 [firmly instructed] that those who 그르치다 [spoil] this matter will not even be able to 할복 [commit seppuku/ritual suicide]!”

No, how many times do I have to say that there is no more 야만적 관습 [barbaric custom] like 할복 [seppuku].

He worked so hard to make the country 나아가게 [move forward], but he feels like all his achievements have been 부정당하는 [denied] by these 머저리 [idiots], and he feels like he’s going to cry.

Now, he can only hope that the Crown Prince is a 종자이길 [seed] who is 연락 받은 대로 [as contacted] from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and is not as good as his father.

But if that’s not the case… he’s scared to imagine how much these 바보들 [fools] will be 뜯어 먹힐 [taken advantage of].

‘I wish the Crown Prince would suddenly have something 급한 [urgent] and 취소하다 [cancel] his visit?’

But of course, such 편의주의적인 전개 [opportunistic development] did not 일어나지 않다 [happen].

도리어 [rather], Okubo was 졸지에 [suddenly] in a 처지 [situation] to 서야 하는 [stand] the Crown Prince’s 중매 [matchmaker] due to the 대신들’s [ministers’] 강력한 요구 [strong demand] that the Prime Minister should 당연히 인사하다 [naturally greet] the Crown Prince.

He was so 암담했으나 [dismayed] that his eyes turned 샛노랗게 [bright yellow], but this might be an 기회 [opportunity].

He has to go and 부탁하다 [ask] the Crown Prince to 꼭 전해달라고 [please convey] this 말 [message] to Killian.

That he is 발버둥치고 [struggling] to 살 아남으려 [survive] so 힘들게 [hard].

* * *

Joseon, Hanseong [Seoul].

The Yeongbingwan [State Guest House].

“Your Highness, what are your 감상 [impressions] after spending your first day in Joseon?”

“Thanks to the 성대한 환영 [grand welcome] you gave me, I feel 편안합니다 [comfortable] in both body and mind. It’s my first time seeing such a 풍경 [scenery], so my eyes are 즐겁고요 [delighted].”

“This Yeongbingwan is a 새롭게 지은 [newly built] building to 맞이하기 [welcome] 귀빈들 [distinguished guests] from various countries in the future. We are 영광입니다 [honored] to 모실 [serve] Your Highness as the first visitor.”

“I feel 으쓱한 [proud] to be the first 손님 [guest] of such a 기념비적인 [monumental] building. If it’s 괜찮다면 [okay], may I 해도 되겠습니까 [may I] a 기념서명 [commemorative signature] here?”

“Of course. We would be 영광이지요 [honored].”

Somehow, it felt like it hadn’t been 지은 지 얼마 되지 않다 [built long ago], but was it really a 새건물 [new building]?

The 모습 [appearance] of Crown Prince Edward, who came to Joseon for the first time, was 영락없이 취한 [completely taken] by the 환영 [welcome] of the people who 반기는 [welcomed] him, like a 철없는 귀공자 [naive young nobleman].

How much 신경을 써서 [attention] did he have to 허영심 가득한 도련님 행세를 [play the role of a vain young master] from yesterday’s 환영 행사 [welcoming event] until now to show this 모습 [appearance].

In fact, he had 왕래하면서 [traveled between] Hong Kong and Shanghai to 모아 [gather] various 정보를 [information] and had 상세하게 파악해둔 [detailedly grasped] the 사정 [circumstances] of 현 [current] Joseon and Japan.

분명 [clearly], it was 알려져 [known] that the 최고권력자 [highest authority] of Joseon and Japan were the Prime Ministers in the 예전 [past], but recently, that 흐름 [trend] has 크게 바뀌었다 [greatly changed].

양쪽 다 [both sides] 군부가 [military] 사실상 정권을 잡고 [effectively seized power] 권력을 틀어쥔 상태였으며 [held power], as 증거로 [evidence], they are 보여주는 [showing] the 패기 [spirit] of 계속 진행하는 [continuing] the 청과의 전쟁 [war with Qing] even while 양국가의 혼담 [marriage talks between the two countries] is 오가는 [going back and forth].

Since these 머리가 반쯤 맛이 간 자들은 [half-crazed people] don’t know what 일을 벌일지 [trouble they might cause], he had to 다시 짜고 [re-plan] the 호위 계획 [escort plan] from the beginning, and it was 늦어졌다 [delayed] to 착수하는 [embark] in 행동 [action] because he had to 다시 고려하다 [reconsider] various 변수를 [variables] from the beginning.

결과적으로 [as a result], the 일정 [schedule] was 지연된 [delayed], and he 내심 자책도 [secretly blamed himself] that it was because of his 미숙한 경험 [inexperienced experience], but 지나고 보니 [looking back], he thought that 이게 더 잘 풀린 게 아닌가 [this might have worked out better].

“What was it called again? 제천 행사 [Jechun ceremony]? Is that going to be 거행되는 [held] as 예정대로 [scheduled] in a week?”

“Yes. The 일본측 인원들 [Japanese personnel] will be 도착할 [arrive] in Hanseong in four days, so it will be 진행될 [proceed] without 차질 [hitch]. Did you 지나쳐 오지 않다 [pass by] a building with a 황금으로 지붕이 덮친 [gold-covered roof] on your way here? You may have 들으셨을 [heard], but the 의식 [ceremony] will be 치러질 [held] there. We are 그저 감사하는 마음뿐입니다 [simply grateful] that Your Highness, of all people, is 함께하신다 [participating in] 조선’s [Joseon’s] 역사적 순간 [historical moment].”

“Don’t mention it. As the Crown Prince of the British Empire, it’s 당연한 일 [natural thing] to 세워 주는 [uphold] the 기 [spirit] of the 동맹 [alliance]. And it’s my first time 참가하는 [participating] in an Asian 의식 [ceremony], so I’m 굉장히 기대가 됩니다 [very much looking forward to it]. 하하하!”

겉으로는 [on the surface], 훈훈한 대화가 오가고 있었지만 [a warm conversation was going on], Edward did not 놓치지 않다 [miss] that the Prime Minister, 김좌근 [Kim Jwa-geun], in front of him had been 계속 살피고 [constantly watching] 이쪽’s [this side’s] 눈치를 [mood] 아까부터 [since earlier].

정확히 말하면 [to be precise], he had been 쭉 이런 모습 [like this all along] from the first time he came here.

Edward knew the name 김좌근 [Kim Jwa-geun] well because he had heard it several times.

분명 [clearly], he was a 조선 정계’s 거물 [bigwig in Joseon’s political world] who had 쌓았다는 인연 [built a relationship] with his father while 머물며 [staying] in London as an 대사 [ambassador] in the 예전 [past].

But since he is said to be 발언권이 강하지는 못하다 [not having a strong voice] as before, he can 대강 짐작이 간다 [roughly guess] what he wants.

He may be 환멸을 느껴서 [disillusioned] in politics and 물러날 [retiring], but he was 기본적으로 [basically] an 애국자 [patriot].

As an 애국자 [patriot], he would not just 두고만 보다 [stand by and watch] the 심상치 않게 돌아가는 나라’s 꼴 [country’s unusual state].

Whether it’s Europe or Asia, people 결국 다 비슷한 생각을 하기 마련이다 [people eventually tend to think similarly].

“…Your Highness. I’m 노파심에 [out of concern], but may I 여쭙고 싶다 [ask] one thing?”

“Of course, you may. What is it?”

“In 조선 [Joseon], there is a 풍습 [custom] of asking 친척들 [relatives] ‘Have you 구했니 [found] a 직장 [job]?’ or ‘When are you going to 결혼 [marry]?’ on 명절이나 기념일 [holidays or anniversaries]. If similar 화제 [topics] might 나올 수도 [come up], I would 감사하겠습니다 [grateful] if Your Highness would just 생각하시고 [think of] it as this 나라’s 이상한 전통 [country’s strange tradition] and 웃어 넘겨주시면 [laugh it off]. Of course, if such 화제 [topic] is 불쾌하시다면 [unpleasant], I will 바로 조치를 취하겠습니다 [take immediate action] even now.”

Is he trying to 둘러대서 [make excuses] even 무리수를 [unreasonable things] as a 전통 [tradition] to 넘어가보려 [try to get over] because such words will 나올 수밖에 [inevitably come out] anyway?

Edward, who was 아무것도 모르는 척 [pretending to know nothing], 웃으며 [smiling], 고개를 끄덕였다 [nodded] at 김좌근’s [Kim Jwa-geun’s] 눈물겨운 노력 [tearful effort] to 줄여보려는 [reduce] the 피해 [damage] of the 예상되는 사고 [expected accident] in 사전 [advance].

“Of course, I 이해합니다 [understand] that 각 나라마다 [each country] have different 문화와 전통 [culture and traditions]. I’m not 속 좁은 사람도 [narrow-minded person] to 바로 정색할 [immediately change my expression] at 악의 없는 말 [harmless words].”

Of course, 주변’s 반응 [surroundings’ reactions] will 알려주겠지만 [tell me] whether that 말 [word] is 악의인지 선의인지 [malicious or well-intentioned], or 단순한 무례인지 [simple rudeness].

‘Father, you were 태어나셨네요 [born] in a really 재미있는 곳 [interesting place].’

Edward was 하루 빨리 싶어졌다 [wanted to quickly] to 만나고 [meet] 조선’s 군부 [Joseon’s military] and 일본측 대신들 [Japanese ministers].

This 동네 [neighborhood], which is 즐비한 with 돌은 자들 [full of crazy people], was like a 유원지 [amusement park] that the 황태자 [Crown Prince] would not 질릴 틈이 없는 [have no time to get bored].