I Became A Hidden Powerhouse Of The British Empire [EN]: Chapter 456

< Remnants of the Old Era (3) >

Even as the recovery of Manchuria filled Joseon with a festive mood,

Even as Edward’s visit, as the future Emperor, made Joseon feel like the center of the world,

Kim Jwa-geun always felt a thick sense of unease casting a shadow in a corner of his mind.

The higher one climbs, the greater the fall feels when one tumbles.

Kim Jwa-geun had extensively studied the histories of various countries since his time in London.

And his conclusion was that as a country becomes more advanced, if the military influences politics or administration, the country inevitably declines.

Wasn’t it clear just by looking at the British Empire?

In that respect, the current situation in Joseon and Japan was clearly close to abnormal.

And Killian, as he knew him, didn’t seem to like Joseon or Japan very much.

Frankly speaking, he wouldn’t think any differently even if he were Killian.

The control of the military is bound to flow to the extreme.

Even now, the military has become even more reckless by colluding with the imperial family.

If they continue to act like thunderbolts out of the blue like this, they are bound to face a backlash someday.

This was an absolute fact proven by the long history of mankind, leaving no room for doubt.

Others considered the visit of the British Empire’s Crown Prince as an auspicious sign for the newly formed Joseon Empire, but well…

To Kim Jwa-geun, it seemed like a grim reaper coming down to gauge whether Joseon had crossed the line or not.

It would be welcome if these crazy military guys were to collapse, but what are the chances that they’ll be the only ones to go down?

Of course, they would grab onto the country of Joseon itself like water ghosts and drag it down with them.

Nongae [a famous gisaeng who lured a general to his death] caught the enemy general, and Shimcheong [a filial daughter who sacrificed herself] received 300 bags of rice, but these guys are going to sink with their country without any compensation.

That’s why Kim Jwa-geun, while hating the military, directly stepped forward to satisfy the Crown Prince of the British Empire.

Official events and protocols didn’t matter; his role was to stick close to the Crown Prince and manage him so that he wouldn’t feel displeased.

Still, it was fortunate in a way.

The staff at the embassy in London were mobilized to analyze detailed data on Crown Prince Edward, almost to the point of dismantling it, and sent it to Hanseong [the capital of Joseon] in advance.

His tendencies, social relationships, family relationships, and even the types of food he liked.

Kim Jwa-geun memorized every detail without missing a single word, to the point where he could rewrite the report with his eyes closed.

-Crown Prince Edward

Conclusion: A typical imperial aristocrat who likes to be the center of attention and enjoys being treated well. He seems to have a slight inferiority complex towards his father, and because of this, he has a desire to be recognized by those around him.

It is generally agreed that his aptitude and abilities are inferior to his father’s, but his influence is expected to be no less due to his solid position.

In fact, the report was very long, but to summarize the key points, that was it.

However, the problem was that this was leaked to the *Chojeong* [High-ranking officials of the Joseon court], and strange things started to come out.

“The Crown Prince is not as good as *Gukseo* [a term implying the Crown Prince is less capable]? Then does that mean we can win over the Crown Prince?”

“That’s right! If we can seduce the Crown Prince and make him our ally, there will be no stronger ally than him.”

How could he stay comfortably in the corner when they were openly saying things like this?

Kim Jwa-geun has been spending nerve-wracking time sticking to the Crown Prince like a leech to prevent those crazy people from making him uncomfortable.

However, he felt an overwhelming pressure that he had never felt before.

Kim Jwa-geun had to feel an unprecedented sense of embarrassment as he faced Edward, who seemed to have suddenly changed.

“You… want to help me?”

“Yes. It is for the sake of both our Great British Empire and Joseon. I have judged that you, Prime Minister, are a true loyalist who thinks about the future of this Joseon, so I am telling you this.”

“Hahaha… I don’t understand what Your Highness is saying at all… First of all, I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that.”

In a situation where he couldn’t grasp the situation, he shouldn’t say another word.

Just as he was about to get up from his seat and leave the room, a voice mixed with a slight cynicism called out to him from behind.

“Prime Minister, if you go out that door now, you will be recorded as the worst Prime Minister in Joseon history.”

“…Me? Why?”

“Because you have chosen to ignore the only opportunity to normalize this country, even though it is right in front of you. Go ahead and leave if you want. Then I will just play, eat, and enjoy myself to my heart’s content while I stay in this land, and then I will go back. And when I go back, I will tell my father and mother exactly what I saw and heard here.”

“What you saw and heard, could it be that…”

“Did you call it the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere? How good it sounds to say that it is an area where Asians prosper together. The home country should know that Joseon and Japan have such grand dreams.”

Kim Jwa-geun, who wanted to go outside right away, couldn’t move a single step as if his feet were rooted to the ground.

Even though the words sounded good, it was a clear warning to put a brake on the runaway of Joseon and Japan.

“Your Highness, that’s just a few crazy people who are close to the military…”

“That’s the problem with the military. Joseon and Japan both have too much military influence. If things continue like this, as I said before, a very hopeful situation will not unfold. I think we need to carry out a *Sukgun* [military purge] operation to weed out the military before that happens, and I think you, Prime Minister, also feel this need. But if you run away and pretend you don’t know, then everything that happens in the future will be your responsibility.”

“If you are going to *Sukgun* [military purge]… does that mean the Great British Empire will directly intervene?”

“Surely not. That would be a clear intervention in internal affairs. And if that were the case, there would be no reason for me to have such a secret conversation with you, Prime Minister, would there? I want this country, my father’s hometown, to be normalized. That way, friendship with the Great British Empire can continue. I think it would be a good opportunity for you as Prime Minister to get rid of the stigma of being a failed Prime Minister in the end…”

Edward, who was lightly tilting his glass, smiled at Kim Jwa-geun, who was standing awkwardly.

“Are you going to keep standing there? Come and sit down.”

“Ah… yes, yes.”

What on earth is this situation?

Kim Jwa-geun, who closed the door again as he was told and returned to his seat, felt dizzy.

Is the person in front of him really the same Crown Prince he has seen so far?

“First of all, I have grasped the general internal situation while staying here, but there may still be things I don’t know, so I’ll ask you a few questions. In your opinion, Prime Minister, is there any hope for the current Joseon military?”

“…If you’re talking about normalization, to be honest, we need to get rid of all the top dogs. However, there are still many people in the working-level positions, excluding the ministers, who are still sane.”

“What about the cabinet ministers?”

“They are similar, but right now, if they resist the military, they don’t know when or where they will be assassinated by crazy extremists, so they can’t properly express their opinions.”

“So, in the end, that madness has become a justification that no one can refuse. But when I was here, I saw that there was a reason why the military could act so recklessly. Doesn’t the military and the imperial family have the same interests? I don’t know why you’re not talking about this part.”

Kim Jwa-geun’s hand, which was about to pick up the glass, trembled slightly at the sharp point.

Those crazy *Jeongbo-bu* [Intelligence Agency] bastards.

Is that a typical European imperial aristocrat? A lump of inferiority complex inferior to his father?

How the hell did these morons collect information?

Or did the Crown Prince deliberately act when meeting the ambassadors to give false information to this side?

If so… the young man sitting in front of him might be much more sinister and scary than he thought.

“That, well… the imperial family is…”

“The imperial family wants to raise the authority of the imperial family for the sake of *Bujasangsong* [hereditary succession], and there is nothing better than expanding the territory to do so, so they are leaving the military’s rampage as it is, and the military is running even more rampant because the imperial family is condoning it. Japan is a little different, but the essence is not much different when you see the military packaging themselves with the slogan that it is for the Emperor of Japan. Ah, but don’t worry too much. I’m not going to hold the Joseon imperial family responsible for anything.”

“Ah, yes. Thank you.”

“However, if we want to weed out the military, we have to break this link between the imperial family and the military, but it might be a bit too much for you, Prime Minister, to take on this role alone. So, I would appreciate it if you, Prime Minister, could make a place for the people I want to meet.”

He had to say something, but he was completely overwhelmed from the beginning, so he couldn’t follow the flow at all.

There was no way he could do anything because the amount of information and positions each other had were overwhelmingly different.

But anyway, Kim Jwa-geun had no choice but to choose.

If he refuses Edward’s offer here, all that’s left is a catastrophe as he said, so what freedom does he have?

“Who do you want to contact?”

“The Emperor’s second son, *Ikseong-gun* [a royal title]… no, he’s now called *Seongchinwang* [another royal title], right? I would like to see him, his wife, and you, Prime Minister, the four of us.”

“I understand.”

If you’ve decided to join hands, there’s no need to ask why.

Seeing that he’s using such a cumbersome method, it’s clear that Edward has no intention of pushing Joseon away, and if that’s the case, any result would be better than a future where the military is in power.

“The sooner, the better. When will it be possible?”

“I can arrange it right away, even tomorrow. All I have to do is come up with a reason. Then I’ll go to *Seongchinwang* [another royal title] right away.”

As he politely bowed his head and tried to step back, Edward’s words flew and pierced his back.

“You can rest assured. Thanks to your choice, Prime Minister, the future of Joseon will be even brighter.”

Once I regain power, I’m going to replace all the *Jeongbo-bu* [Intelligence Agency] bastards.

Kim Jwa-geun, still feeling like he was possessed by a ghost, staggered out of the palace where the Crown Prince was staying.

* * *

“Hmm, this should be enough.”

Edward, who deliberately set the mood a little more exaggerated than usual, smiled with satisfaction as he recalled Kim Jwa-geun’s horrified expression.

One of the things he learned from following Killian was that if you make a strong impression in the beginning, the halo effect will shine for a long time.

This strategy works very well in the early stages when the other person doesn’t know you well.

If you create such a strong image, the other person will inevitably continue to be influenced by that image, and then you can control their behavior as you wish.

He had definitely put a leash on Kim Jwa-geun, so he would be a useful dog from now on.

In fact, all of this was for Joseon, so he didn’t tell a single lie.

However, that was only for Joseon, a faithful ally of the Great British Empire, and never for Kim Jwa-geun or Joseon itself.

He didn’t know how far his father’s plan extended, but he said he could do whatever he wanted here for now, so he wouldn’t think much differently from him.

The same goes for using the second son of the Joseon Emperor and his wife.

He didn’t know about the man, but the woman seemed to have an excessively large desire for power, so if he gave her the right stimulus, she would become a good clown as he wanted.

Unlike Kim Jwa-geun, she’s not a card worth keeping until the end, so he can just use her appropriately and then throw her away.

He didn’t know why, but his father didn’t seem to like them very much, so he didn’t feel much affection for them either.

“Come to think of it, why does Father hate those two so much? He hasn’t even seen them.”

He was a terribly rational father, but sometimes there were corners like this that he couldn’t understand, but is that a one- or two-day thing?

It’s good for your mental health to think that people are all like that and move on.

This was also one of the mental training methods that Edward had learned while spending time with Killian.