I Became A Hidden Powerhouse Of The British Empire [EN]: Chapter 454

< The Remnants of the Old Era >

A flag is more than just a simple symbol.

In the military, a flag is like the heart, embodying the pride and self-esteem of the army and its units.

A military flag must be defended under any circumstances; losing it is tantamount to the collapse of the unit.

This was a strict rule not only in ancient times but also in modern times, and it wasn’t limited to the military.

If anything was treated as important as a military flag, or even more so, it would be the national flag or the imperial standard.

These flags naturally required special care in handling, and if they were damaged in any way, it would not be an exaggeration to say that all hell would break loose that day.

It was truly far-fetched, but in the original history, there was the Arrow War [Second Opium War], in which Qing China declared war because their national flag was damaged.

If the proud imperial standard were to burn, it would not be an issue that could be easily overlooked.

As expected, as soon as this news arrived, not only the parliament but also all government ministries were in an uproar.

“Your Majesty, have you heard the news?”

A man who smelled conflict better than anyone else, Disraeli, entered with heavy steps.

Still, seeing the corners of his mouth twitch, it seemed that no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t help but reveal his true feelings.

“What news are you talking about?”

“The outrageous, reckless, and terrible news that our imperial flag has been damaged in Asia. Parliament and the Foreign Office are in shock.”

“Of course, I’ve heard it. But seeing that it’s the Minister and not the Prime Minister who came, it seems like a real mess.”

“The Prime Minister will not be able to move from his seat until this evening. There is no place from the House of Lords to the House of Commons that the ministers of each department are not looking for…”

“That’s understandable.”

The British Empire’s imperial flag burned in Asia?

It was such an absurd and unprecedented situation that everyone was deeply troubled about how to deal with it.

Moreover, Joseon [ancient Korean kingdom] and Japan were allies.

“Minister, do you have time to spare? To come all the way here.”

“The parliament and the government cannot solidify their positions without knowing the will of the imperial family, can they? That’s why I came as a representative.”

“What do you think, Minister? Do you feel like an opportunity has come?”

Recently, he hasn’t been so blatant, but Disraeli was clearly inclined to be an imperialist.

I can’t really criticize him for that, because where else in this era would there be a great power politician who wasn’t an imperialist?

There was only a slight difference between being more or less extreme, but in fact, politicians all over the world were basically imperialistic.

Disraeli was not extremely radical, but a little more intense than average.

Anyway, he did not hesitate to reveal his desire to project the power and influence of this country outward if given the opportunity.

“Your Majesty, the imperial flag wasn’t simply stepped on or dropped on the ground. Of course, that alone is a big deal, but it was burned to the ground, so we must hold them accountable.”

“Of course, we must. I have no intention of taking it lightly. But frankly, isn’t it a little hard to understand? Why did this happen?”

“That’s why we are summoning the Joseon and Japanese ambassadors to hear what they have to say. But the fact that the proud imperial flag has been burned and disappeared will not disappear, so it will be difficult to avoid responsibility.”

“Joseon and Japan must have gone crazy. Don’t you think so?”

At my question, Disraeli chuckled and shrugged his shoulders.

“That’s what I’m saying. I can’t even imagine how they could have lost their minds to do such a thing.”

Judging by the way he speaks, he has already come to a conclusion in his head!

He’s so excited about holding Joseon and Japan accountable that I can see the corners of his mouth rising.

Of course, I had no intention of just letting this go.

In the first place, now that the incident has already happened, it is beyond the level of a problem that can be overlooked.

However, we need to look into the reasons why this happened, and neither Disraeli nor I really thought that Joseon or Japan had committed the act.

No, to be precise, they must have committed the act, but I was sure that it was not 100 percent their own will.

Seeing that Disraeli also thinks so, it seems that I have raised a son very well.

“Let’s decide on our response after hearing what they have to say. Be careful not to disrupt the cooperation by getting ahead of ourselves.”

“I understand. But… Your Majesty, you know the whole story, don’t you?”

“The whole story? Isn’t it all because some extremists in Joseon and Japan went crazy and damaged the imperial flag?”

“Ah, yes… That’s right. I understand. Of course.”

Disraeli smiled and bowed his head, seeing the smile on my lips.

This incident was a major accident caused by half-crazy, stupid people, and the case will be closed like that.

I know who’s behind it, and Disraeli seems to know it too, but there’s no mastermind. Yes, of course.

* * *

London was in an uproar, but at this point, the place where the biggest commotion occurred was naturally the Joseon and Japanese embassies in London.

“What is all this about?”

Despite the near-scream of Park Gyu-su, the ambassador of the Joseon Empire in London, no one gave a satisfactory answer.

It was only natural, since none of the people here knew the full story.

It was absurd, ridiculous, and infuriating, but what could the people at the embassy do?

Rather, these people, isolated in a foreign land, were the ones who were most troubled by the current situation.

It was certain that a huge accident had occurred, but they themselves did not know the details of what had happened.

But the people of this country were already so angry that their heads were boiling, and this country happened to be the British Empire, which is considered the strongest country in the world.

What should we do about this?

“Information. We need more information. First of all, we have decided to enter Buckingham Palace this evening and kneel down and apologize to Their Majesties, so until then, find out the full details at all costs!”

“Ambassador, what did you talk about with the Prime Minister earlier?”

“What do you mean talk? I just got scolded unilaterally. First of all, they don’t know anything about it either, so I begged them to quickly gather information and let me know. Do you understand what I’m saying? Get information as quickly as possible, no matter what it takes! Use all possible methods, whether it’s sending telegrams or making phone calls, to find out what happened!”

“Then, should we contact the Japanese embassy?”

“Of course!”

The books on the table shook with a thud.

I heard that not only Joseon people but also a group of Japanese people were involved in this incident.

Park Gyu-su felt like he was going crazy when he heard that even Japanese people were involved, even though he didn’t know why this happened.

What kind of accident is this that he can’t even guess the development process, let alone the substance, so how can he explain or apologize?

Even if he bows his head to apologize, he can’t open his mouth if he’s asked, “So what are you sorry for?”

“First of all, I need to meet the Japanese ambassador.”

Just as Park Gyu-su was preparing to go out, an embassy employee who received a phone call hurriedly stopped him.

“Ambassador! The Japanese ambassador says he will come here urgently! Don’t go out and wait here!”

“Really? Then I’ll do that.”

Yoshida Shoin, that man must be in the same situation.

He was a man who used to brainwash the Crown Prince and spout delusions about the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere [Japanese imperialist concept], but even in this situation, they have to cooperate with each other.

After waiting anxiously for dozens of minutes.

A sound of rushing up from the lower floor was heard, and the door burst open, revealing a familiar Japanese youth.

“Ambassador Park! What on earth is going on?”

“Ambassador Yoshida, that’s what I want to ask you. Have you heard anything separately about this incident?”

“That’s why I came here!”

“First of all, calm down and sit here. Still, what we have been told may be different, so why don’t we compare the data we have first?”

If this incident goes wrong, the momentum of Joseon or Japan, which are currently growing rapidly, could be꺾 [curtailed] at once.

It would be fortunate if the momentum only 꺾 [slowed], but if something goes wrong, a situation may occur where even the bones cannot be recovered.

“Seriously, how does Joseon manage its people? I mean, how can rioters pull out the flag from a ship anchored in the Han River and burn it?”

“If you say that, we have something to say too. I heard that there were Japanese people mixed in with the rioters, but how can you manage your own people so that they can do such arrogant things in other countries!”

“Huh…”

“Tsk.”

Fortunately, unfortunately, or both, Park Gyu-su and Yoshida Shoin were not completely 쭈그리 [defeated] because this incident was not just one country’s mistake.

If they somehow put the blame on the other side, their fault would be reduced, and wouldn’t there be a way out?

However, even if they try to shift the blame, they must first understand the whole story.

The two men hid the daggers they were sharpening behind their backs and told each other what they had been told.

“First of all, this is what the home country said. Rioters attacked a ship carrying the British Empire’s imperial flag, and in the process, the imperial flag was burned down. These criminals are made up of Joseon and Japanese people, and the Joseon government is severely reprimanding them. Is that correct?”

“What I heard is similar.”

“Then, Joseon should have given additional remarks by now, shouldn’t they? The situation is urgent, so we need to exchange information as quickly as possible. What is this…”

“The distance between Joseon and here is not that close. If we wait a little longer, we will hear from them.”

“But could there be something wrong with His Highness the Crown Prince in Hanseong [capital of Joseon]?”

Park Gyu-su’s eyes fluttered at Yoshida’s question.

This was also what he had been most afraid of.

The burning of the imperial flag is a really big problem, but what if something happens to the Crown Prince?

The burning of the imperial flag would be a small matter compared to the massive aftermath that would follow.

When that time comes, it would not be strange if Joseon or Japan were swept away as a country.

“N, no way. If such an accident had happened, we would have already heard from them. You don’t have to worry too much.”

“R, really? Hahaha…”

He said that, but Park Gyu-su was worried because the amount of reports coming up was not very good.

Isn’t the reason why there is confusion in communication like this because they can’t figure out what to say on the other side?

Usually, this is divided into two cases: either they are making too big of an accident and are scrambling to cover it up, or they are really incompetent and cannot grasp the whole story of the incident.

Park Gyu-su was feeling an uneasy premonition that the former was more likely.

And as the saying goes, uneasy premonitions always come true.

Two hours later, the Joseon Embassy.

“I, is this making any sense? Is this making any sense!”

“Ahem, Ambassador Park. Then I’ll be going…”

“Where are you going! Come here right now and come up with a plan!”

-British Empire Imperial Flag Burning Incident.

The masterminds from the mouths of the criminals are military personnel from both Joseon and Japan. The names currently identified are…

The ambassadors read the contents again and again at the feast of letters that made them doubt their eyes, and checked five times to see if the telegram had been sent incorrectly.

However, contrary to their wishes, no matter how many times they checked, the contents did not change by a single letter.

Has heaven really abandoned Joseon? Park Gyu-su sighed several times.