I Became A Hidden Powerhouse Of The British Empire [EN]: Chapter 433

< The Age of Storms (5) >

Around the time Joseon began plotting to invade Japan and the Central Plains.

In fact, the Joseon royal family had already started preparing for hereditary succession.

Crown Prince competition? Who cares about that.

Just as one’s mindset changes when entering and leaving the privy [a euphemism for holding power], Yi Ha-eung had no intention of passing this position to anyone other than his own son.

The late king had no suitable eldest son, so he went through a selection process, but why bother doing that now?

The key is to ensure that the son who will inherit the throne has all the necessary qualifications.

Therefore, Yi Ha-eung devoted great effort to the education of his eldest and second sons.

Frankly, he initially had considerable expectations for his sons.

If they could perform as well as or better than him, there would be no problem in passing on the throne.

However, unfortunately, as both the eldest and second sons grew older, they were often evaluated as not being that outstanding.

It was a stark realization that child-rearing is something that cannot be controlled, no matter how much power and wealth one possesses.

Even so, Yi Ha-eung had no intention of giving up on hereditary succession.

This position must never be passed on to another member of the royal family.

He never told anyone, but this is also why he subtly went along with Japan’s insane plan to attack Qing [Manchu-led dynasty of China].

Not even Kim Jwa-geun knew Yi Ha-eung’s true intentions, so no one in Joseon could have guessed.

As expected, Qing, a tiger with its teeth pulled out, could not handle Joseon and Japan, and the people were eager to praise and worship the royal family’s great achievement day after day.

Now, if Joseon is reborn as an empire and officially elevates the Crown Prince, the legitimacy of the Joseon royal family will be firmly established.

Fortunately, both the eldest and second sons found suitable brides, and the worry about the royal family’s lineage being cut off was completely alleviated.

However, even he never dreamed that his young second daughter-in-law harbored a fiery ambition in her heart.

A woman from the same clan as Queen Sunmok, Yi Ha-eung’s wife and the nation’s mother.

Her name was Min Ja-young.

Having become the wife of the second son, who was not appointed as Crown Prince, she never revealed her ambition to anyone from the moment she became the princess consort. Not even to her husband.

After all, even if she made a fuss right now, there was no chance that her husband, Grand Prince Ikseong, would become the Crown Prince.

The King is trying to re-establish the existing tradition of succeeding the throne to the eldest son, so if the second son interferes, it will only incur unnecessary anger.

But how long will that last?

If you wait patiently, the time will come someday. And if you seize that opportunity and dig in, the chance to approach the center of power will surely come.

Min Ja-young endured.

She endured and endured for three years.

A figure with the power to shake the Joseon political world to its roots finally set foot on the Korean Peninsula.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I am honored to meet His Royal Highness the Crown Prince of the great British Empire.”

“The pleasure is mine. Everyone is so kind in welcoming me, so every day I spend in Joseon is enjoyable.”

Even though Joseon has modernized, it could still be considered scandalous by traditional Joseon standards for a woman to actively participate in external events like this.

However, Min Ja-young cleverly avoided this as well.

Since Killian is also a member of the Joseon royal family, his son, the Crown Prince, is also a member of the Joseon royal family in a broad sense.

So, this is also a family gathering in a broad sense.

What’s wrong with family members exchanging greetings and strengthening their friendship?

Moreover, this was also a subtle effort to emphasize the friendship between the British imperial family and the Joseon royal family, so the King was very pleased and actively supported her plan.

You can know ten fathoms of water, but you can’t know an inch of a person’s heart [a Korean proverb meaning it’s hard to know what someone is really thinking].

Her husband, Grand Prince Ikseong, was working hard to win the favor of Crown Prince Edward, but she still couldn’t trust him to handle it alone.

“I will do my best to ensure that your time in Joseon will be peaceful and enjoyable,” Min Ja-young said, slowly steering the conversation to the main topic, elevating Edward without appearing overly subservient.

“Your Highness, you must have heard a lot about our humble nation, but I don’t know how honored we are that someone like you has come all the way to this distant Asia.”

“Hahaha, everyone I meet tells me that. Is my visit really such a big deal?”

“Of course. Aren’t you the next emperor of the great empire that has the whole world under its eyes? Moreover, Your Highness has ties to the royal family of this country. The eight provinces of Joseon have been eagerly awaiting Your Highness’s visit.”

“Was it to that extent? Well, well. Hahaha.”

According to the rumors so far, Crown Prince Edward is susceptible to flattery and especially enjoys showing off his authority.

It’s not just about simply praising him, but constantly emphasizing that he is the next emperor of the great empire.

And one more thing.

“I heard that when His Majesty Killian came to Joseon before, the reaction was enormous. I was young at the time, so I didn’t know, but according to other royal elders, it was a day when a new chapter opened in the history of Joseon.”

“My father is amazing. There would have been no royalty like my father in the history of the British Empire. No, I don’t think there would be any even if you searched all of Europe.”

“But in my opinion, Your Highness the Crown Prince seems to be no less than His Majesty.”

“In what ways do you feel that way?”

Having such a great father, he must have been compared to his father countless times since he was young, and most of those people tend to have similar tendencies.

A longing for his father, and a sense of inferiority.

Min Ja-young understood this psychology very well because her husband also had such aspects.

Of course, that doesn’t mean that the King of Joseon is as good as the royal consort of the British Empire.

“First of all, I can cite the boldness and courage to come all the way to this distant Asian land without hesitation, right? I think it would not have been easy for the Crown Prince of a country to come to the other side of the world.”

“Well, that’s…”

“And I heard that even though Your Highness came to such a distant place, you have shown the utmost kindness even to the common people of this land without a single complaint. Isn’t such kindness and consideration the most necessary virtue for a monarch?”

When praising these people, you must keep in mind that you should not unconditionally say that you are better than your father.

In the first place, such words can be misunderstood as belittling the royal consort of the British Empire if taken the wrong way.

If that really happens, it can turn into an international diplomatic issue, so you need to be careful with every word.

The important thing is to emphasize that the Crown Prince is no less than Killian while praising Killian to the fullest. And the key is to give specific examples rather than vague expressions.

As expected, the Crown Prince smiled contentedly, pretending not to be, and tilted his glass.

“You speak so well of me that I don’t know what to do.”

“No. I was worried that I might have been talking nonsense without knowing properly, but thank you for accepting it generously. In fact, not only me but also our Grand Prince deeply admire Your Highness the Crown Prince and the British Empire, so I feel like I’ve been talking too much.”

At Min Ja-young’s words, Grand Prince Ikseong, who was sharing a glass next to her, smiled shyly and bowed his head slightly.

“If it’s okay with you, I would like to listen to Your Highness the Crown Prince’s broad insights in the future.”

“There’s no reason not to. I’ll be staying in Joseon for the foreseeable future, so let’s make time from time to time.”

Good, naturally, this side gave the perfect implication that they were pro-British, and Ikseong-gun [Grand Prince Ikseong’s title] also created an opportunity to hang out with the Crown Prince in the future.

He’s not a bad person, but the indecisive and irresolute current Crown Prince is still not showing any noticeable movements.

After all, isn’t it worth trying to this extent?

I was worried that the Crown Prince might be a formidable person, but this person is just a hothouse flower aristocrat with a poor political sense.

Or maybe he doesn’t even care because he doesn’t see them as equal opponents in the first place.

He is knowledgeable and smart, but she was confident in handling such a person.

‘Yes, the times have changed, so what’s the point of primogeniture succession [the right of the eldest son to inherit]?’

The road to becoming empress began to appear more and more clearly in Min Ja-young’s eyes.

* * *

Edward, diligently, had been sending me a steady record of his schedule from the moment he arrived in Asia.

It was sent in cipher, which took time to interpret because it was data that needed to be kept secure, but thanks to that, I was able to know in considerable detail how things were going in Joseon.

At first, I was dubious, but it seems that Joseon and Japan are really eyeing Edward.

Sending their royalty as the Crown Princess of the British Empire… Dreams are supposed to be big, but I’m a little embarrassed that they’re actually trying to carry it out.

Besides, it’s good to send them to get married, but can they speak English?

Let’s concede a hundred times and say that Edward really finds a woman he likes.

In fact, I wouldn’t bother stopping him if that were the case.

There would be a lot of talk if the target was a member of the Joseon or Japanese royal family, but what can I do if my son likes her?

But even if I allow it, how can I bring a woman who doesn’t even speak the language to the British Empire?

It’s not like Joseon or Japan has already designated English as a second foreign language and is studying hard… Or maybe even women of royal blood are required to learn English as a matter of course.

If so, I might be able to acknowledge that sincerity.

After reading the report, I called Robert, who had recently returned from the home country.

“I know you’re busy, but thank you for coming right away. Robert, or should I call you the Marquess of Salisbury now?”

“If Your Majesty calls me whatever you are comfortable with, that is my happiness. I am happy to be called Marquess, but being called by my name makes me feel closer to Your Majesty.”

“I should say, ‘How can I call you, the Marquess of the British Empire, so casually?’ but since it’s you and me, I can’t help but call you by your name if you want. I will.”

I looked at Robert’s face, which looked like he was about to shed tears of emotion right away.

I feel like your tear glands are too weak, no matter how many times I see you.

I wonder how someone who is so easily moved is doing politics.

Of course, I know the reason best.

“Your Majesty. First of all, as Your Majesty knows, the parliament of the home country is now considering whether there is a way to use the rapidly changing political situation in the South to our advantage. I talked to the Prime Minister, and the opinion that we should use the situation in the South to eradicate communism in Europe is dominant in the party.”

“Of course the parliament and the cabinet would want that.”

“And by any chance… Have you talked to Her Majesty recently?”

“I was in California until recently and came back in a hurry, so I haven’t been able to contact her. Was there anything wrong?”

“I heard that Her Majesty was quite angry. I heard that she didn’t like something that happened in Asia, but I didn’t look into the details because I was worried that I would get caught in unnecessary trouble. In fact, since there was time to return here, I thought that Her Majesty had already received a call, but if that’s not the case, this may be a kind of signal.”

That’s because he is quick-witted and resourceful enough to tell me the news I’m curious about before I even ask.

By the way, did the news that Edward sent get to Victoria’s ears?

Well, I read it, so there’s no way she, the emperor and the mother of the Crown Prince, wouldn’t know this fact.

Rather, she was more interested in Edward’s affairs than I was, so she must be reviewing the work much more carefully. Exactly what is she angry about?

Could it be that she is angry at the fact that she might have a 100% Asian daughter-in-law?

It may be a little unpleasant, but she is already married to me, an Asian mixed-race, so I don’t think she would have flipped her lid just because of that.

If it was a mediocre matter, a telegram should have come to me by now, as Robert said, but the fact that it’s quiet means that something is really bothering her.

If someone as hot-tempered as Victoria is definitely angry but doesn’t get angry, there’s nothing more terrifying than that. My heart is shrinking.

“I guess this means… it’s better to turn myself in?”

“Yes. I think so too. In this case, the best way is to just go home quietly.”

“It sounds like an experience. Is Nightingale scary when she’s angry too? No, I asked something unnecessary.”

She’s the kind of person who breaks locks with a hammer and blows away iron doors because they interfere with treating patients, so how can she not be scary?

However, the problem is that my lovely madam can become much scarier if she is really angry.

I guess I should bring flowers with me this time when I go back.

Well, what could happen?

It’s just that she’ll bring out not only what she’s angry about this time, but also the accumulated complaints so far and poke my heart.

Still, I’m confident.

Did I start running around foreign countries as soon as we got married, did I leave my pregnant wife and go to war, or did I go abroad again after the war and get a curfew?

Or did I just pretend to let my children live as they wanted and then drag them into political machinations more loudly than anyone else?

…Yes. If that’s the case, let’s bring not only flowers but also gifts with us.”