I Became A Hidden Powerhouse Of The British Empire [EN]: Chapter 85

The Aftermath of the Storm

A place once believed to be the center of the world.

Beijing, the capital of the Great Qing Dynasty.

“Haa…”

Kim Jwa-geun, witnessing a situation he could never have imagined when he first came here, sighed repeatedly, lost in worry.

How should he organize everything he saw and felt here to effectively convey the shock to the court?

At first, he thought he should return as soon as possible to spread the word of this major event throughout the eight provinces.

But upon returning to Beijing, he realized that this was not an easy task.

The people who made him realize this were, absurdly, members of the delegation who had come with him.

“Hehe, it seems you were greatly shocked. But this too shall pass with time, so there’s no need to worry too much.”

“No, Excellency. Isn’t this too fierce a storm to simply pass? Nanjing was swept away, and Beijing almost fell into the hands of the Westerners.”

“But didn’t we manage to stop it well through negotiation?”

No… can it be seen from that perspective?

It wasn’t stopped through negotiation, but rather they were thoroughly fleeced in the negotiation, handing over enormous concessions. What is he even talking about?

At first, Kim Jwa-geun suspected that Jo In-young had gone senile, but then he remembered a crucial fact.

Only he had accompanied the negotiation; the other members of the delegation to Qing, including Grand Scholar Jo In-young, had not moved an inch from this place.

He was the only one who saw how alien Gillian Quai was and how he led the negotiation with his silver tongue.

They still mistakenly believed that the English were merely strong barbarians.

“Excellency, the damage Qing suffered this time is not something that will simply pass with time. The English do not intend to kill or save Qing, but to extract concessions for a long time, establishing their influence in this land. And they have perfectly achieved that goal with this negotiation.”

“They are still just barbarians. It’s not like there haven’t been barbarians like the English before. In the past, there were the Liao, Jin, and Yuan dynasties. All of them started as barbarian countries, but eventually, they were absorbed into China and civilized. The English may seem like particularly strong barbarians, but in the long history, they are not that unusual.”

“That’s why it’s different. If the Grand Scholar had seen this negotiation himself, he would have felt the same way I did. They are not just strong, but also cunning and wise.”

“I’ve heard that too. But isn’t that because the person in charge of the negotiation was born in our Joseon [ancient Korean kingdom]? He grew up and learned in Joseon as a child, so he must have known the ways of Confucianism and would naturally be different from other Westerners.”

Are they just going to dismiss it by saying that the English are not exceptional, but Gillian Quai is a unique individual?

In fact, what the Grand Scholar was saying was not entirely groundless.

As he said, the history of the Central Plains dynasties kneeling to barbarians was more frequent than one might think.

Immediately, the Song Dynasty was beaten by the Liao, Jin, and Yuan in turn, and the Ming Dynasty was eventually destroyed by the Later Jin, leading to the establishment of the current Qing Dynasty.

However, as the Grand Scholar said, all of them were eventually absorbed into the order of the Central Plains.

No matter how much the English stir things up, in the long flow of history, they will eventually not be able to resist the order of the world.

That was roughly the logic, but in fact, most Joseon officials were likely to think like the Grand Scholar.

“But until now, barbarians have not conquered the Central Plains dynasties by being ahead in technology. They only relied on barbaric and violent power, specializing in horsemanship and combat. But the English are different. What barbarians in the world can manufacture such incredible ironclad ships and cannons?”

“Think simply. If the Mongol barbarians roamed the world on horseback, the current Western barbarians are burning the world by ship. Only the horse has been replaced by a ship. Shouldn’t we just think of them as Mongols who travel by ship?”

“…Haa. I understand. Even so, shouldn’t we prepare thoroughly? There’s no guarantee in the world that the English’s next target isn’t us.”

“You said you talked to that Gillian Quai this time, didn’t you? What was he like? Was he such a heinous person that he would antagonize the country he was born in? Even if he holds a position in a Western country, if he knows the ways of Confucianism, he couldn’t do that.”

Kim Jwa-geun complied with Qing’s absurd demands because he couldn’t refuse in the first place, but also because he wanted to learn more about Gillian Quai.

If he was really from Joseon, he needed to know his position on Joseon so that they could prepare accordingly.

He expected that he would be certain of something if he saw and talked to him directly.

But what should he say about this?

Frankly speaking, instead of clearing his head, it felt like it had only become foggier.

“First of all, it’s certain that he’s not entirely on our side. He answered negatively when I asked if he considered himself Joseon.”

“Heo…. Is it inevitable because he has Western blood? Even so, if it’s the country of his birth, he would naturally favor it.”

“But that’s a bit subtle. It seems that someone persecuted Gillian Quai when he was in Joseon, saying he wasn’t Joseon. Maybe it was because he was of mixed Western blood. Isn’t that why he has negative feelings towards Joseon?”

“…He was persecuted in Joseon? Wait, then beyond simply not thinking of himself as Joseon, isn’t it possible that he hates Joseon?”

That’s exactly the problem. It would be better if he was just indifferent, but if he has negative memories of his time in Joseon, might he hate the country of Joseon itself?

Instead of siding with the country he was born in, what if he brought an army as revenge?

How could Joseon fight against a country that sent an expeditionary force from a distance that takes half a year by ship and crushed Qing?

Even if they managed to stop it, the damage would be unimaginable.

“In my opinion, Gillian Quai was very young. I heard he wasn’t even twenty yet, so he must be around twenty. In other words, there’s a possibility that he might do things emotionally.”

“Was it true that he was young? If so, that means he rose to a position equivalent to a minister before he was even twenty. He must wield tremendous power in England.”

“Therefore, we need to prepare. Even if the English are absorbed into the order of the Central Plains like other barbarians in the past, if they come at us with guns and swords, it will be our share to bleed. What exactly did Gillian Quai experience when he was in Joseon? And if it was really something to be resentful about, we need to take a conciliatory stance to some extent.”

“Hmm…. If we can avoid conflict by doing that, it would be good to do that much for now.”

Originally, his purpose was to argue that while maintaining the spirit and soul of Joseon, they should study Western military technology to some extent.

But looking at how things were going, if he brought that up, he would be branded a heretic and ruined.

Even those who went to Beijing with him and saw Qing make humiliating concessions didn’t seem to have grasped the reality yet. What would the high-ranking officials of Joseon be like?

There was no need to see it directly.

“Then I will write down and organize the facts we experienced this time, excluding any subjectivity and focusing only on the most objective facts.”

“Yes, please do that.”

Gillian Quai not only knew Joseon well, but he was also so familiar with Joseon’s affairs that he asked if he was from the Andong Kim clan just by hearing his name.

It was obvious that making such a person an enemy would not end well.

But the current Joseon was not in a state where it could move properly no matter what he said.

Then, after all, the only option was for him to become the one who could direct the country’s future.

Just like his father Kim Jo-soon did in the past, Joseon, after all, had to be led by the Andong Kim clan, especially himself.

Kim Jwa-geun felt such a destiny and decided to thoroughly investigate the guy who persecuted Gillian Quai as soon as he returned.

* * *

After the Joseon delegation returned to their country and time passed.

Tokyo, the center of the Edo Shogunate [Japanese feudal government].

“So, you’re saying that Qing no longer has the power to lead the world order.”

“That is correct.”

The current Shogun Tokugawa Ieyoshi carefully read the report that his close aide Toyama had written himself.

No matter how many times he read it, it was a shocking content that he couldn’t help but be amazed by.

Compared to the letter sent by Oranda [Dutch trading post] before, the content was no different, but he never imagined that the end of the war would be like that.

“If the English try to forcibly open us up, can we resist?”

“…The great Qing Dynasty was defeated so helplessly. Even if we resist, we will have to be prepared for enormous damage.”

“Heo. Why do these difficulties have to happen at this time?”

Toyama said that they would suffer enormous damage, but he had no guarantee that they could stop it while suffering damage, so his head ached even more.

They went back and forth from Guangzhou to the Zhoushan Islands to Tianjin like their own front yard and devastated the coast.

In other words, if they wanted to, they could just roam around the entire archipelago and paralyze all the coastal cities.

“I heard that the person in charge of the English is from Joseon. If that person is friendly to Joseon, wouldn’t it be possible to mediate through Joseon?”

“That would be difficult. I observed the atmosphere of the Joseon delegation before they left, and they seemed just as confused. If the representative of the English, who completely brought Qing to its knees, was friendly to Joseon, would they have shown such a reaction?”

“Indeed. It’s unlikely that mixed-blood would have been treated well in Joseon. Then we should assume that Gillian Quai has ill feelings towards Joseon.”

For a moment, as he nodded and pondered, a brilliant plan flashed through his mind.

Gillian Quai was born in Joseon.

But he was ostracized in Joseon and has negative feelings towards Joseon.

Then, couldn’t we use this in reverse?

“Toyama, is there a way to find out what Gillian Quai’s status was in Joseon?”

“I don’t know that well. Shall we have those who trade with Joseon investigate?”

“Yes. And if possible, let’s also find out what Gillian Quai’s position is on our side. Seeing that he is also fluent in our language, it wouldn’t be impossible to establish a good relationship.”

“Are you planning to establish diplomatic relations with England?”

Although they received various information or purchased goods from Oranda, the basic position of the shogunate was isolationism.

But if they could reliably back the strongest Western power, which was definitely stronger than Qing, wouldn’t it be possible to consider officially establishing diplomatic relations?

“Only if we are convinced that we can establish a friendly relationship with them.”

To put it coldly, the current situation of the shogunate was not very good.

The reforms attempted since the previous generation had not been very effective, and the success of the large-scale reforms currently being prepared was uncertain.

The authority of the shogun continued to decline, and conversely, the power of local regions such as Satsuma and Choshu was becoming increasingly strong.

If he didn’t rebuild the foundation in his generation, the Edo Shogunate might never regain its prosperity.

That shouldn’t happen.

If the emperor represents the Yamato people, then it should always be the bloodline of Tokugawa that leads them.

So here…

“Wait. The bloodline of Tokugawa?”

The shogun, who had been racking his brains, clapped his knees at his suddenly brilliant idea.

That’s right. Why hadn’t he thought of this until now?

There was a win-win solution that could improve relations with England through Gillian Quai and even strengthen the authority of the shogun.

In Gillian Quai’s body.

If it was said that the blood of Tokugawa was mixed in, all the worries would be solved.

It was an amazing idea that even the shogun himself felt thrilled about.

* * *

Even though the war was over, I, as the chief officer, couldn’t return immediately.

I had to settle the issues related to the implementation of the treaty, the appointment of responsible persons, and the complicated procedures related to the preparation of reparations before returning.

So I might have to stay here for another three months to half a year.

In fact, that was a very tight schedule.

“There are as many as 10 ports to open, and since the ceded areas are far apart, we need to build an administrative structure and basic infrastructure. I have informed the home country that Charles Elliot will be appointed as the Governor of Hong Kong, and Admiral George as the Governor of Shanghai and Tainan. There’s no reason for them to object, so they’ll approve it.”

“Thank you, Minister!”

“Minister, once you return to your home country, you will only have success left. I’m really looking forward to your future moves.”

“Well. I wish it would be smooth sailing, but unfortunately, I was born in a way that it can’t be. The number of people who don’t like me will increase with this, not decrease.”

At first, he would be praised as a capable person who broke through the blocked blood vessels of England in Asia, but that expiration date would be at most one to two years.

As the saying goes, the heart is different when entering the bathroom and when leaving [a Korean proverb meaning one’s attitude changes easily after achieving their goal].

After some time, the ones who would be eager to eat me up as if nothing had happened were the members of the British Parliament.

Moreover, the problem was that I had too many loopholes to be bitten into compared to others.

Irish, even of mixed Asian descent. And even young?

With all these three strikes, it was more like a thief’s mentality to hope not to be checked.

Until now, it was okay because I was under the shadow of Wellesley, who was becoming a powerful figure in the Conservative Party.

But even if I tried to hide in the shade any longer, the achievements I had made wouldn’t allow it.

Inevitably, there would be parts that Wellesley couldn’t cover.

It could be said that the Conservative Party was the majority party and the current minister of the current Prime Minister’s cabinet, so what was there to worry about, but the enemy was not only the Whig Party.

Originally, the most threatening thing to successful young politicians was not the opposing party but the veteran politicians of their own party.

-The young man is too arrogant.

For this reason alone, it was more than enough to step on young politicians, regardless of whether they were from their own party or another party.

Of course, I wouldn’t just stand by and let it happen, but it made me a little sad to think that the little remaining humanity in me would inevitably fall again.

“But Minister. No matter what, will the citizens just stand by and watch the foolish choice of antagonizing the minister who has spread the prestige of the British Empire around the world?”

“Checking or stepping on doesn’t mean really trying to expel me. Of course, if that’s possible, they might try it, but they’ll try other methods first.”

As long as it was proven that there was no expert in Asia to follow me right now, they couldn’t easily fire me.

However, precisely because of that, the fact was that they had a very good way to check me.

-Since there is no one to follow Killian Gore in Asia, he must be left as the chief officer in the field. The only person who can prevent France or Russia from stirring in Asia is Killian Gore.

If they talked like this, they could get both justification and practicality at the same time, so the citizens would respond.

If I were in the other party’s position, I would definitely drive me out of the center in this way.

Admiral George, who was mostly on the battlefield fighting the enemy with guns and swords, was appalled by these words and showed a reaction that he couldn’t believe at all.

No matter what, would they really do that?

Surprisingly, they actually do it. That was what politics in this era was like.

“Then, will you be returning to Asia soon, Minister? If so, we should also prepare…”

“No. That won’t happen for a while. I may come back someday, but not now.”

There was no law that said I had to be defeated if they came out like that.

Why did I shake down the opium merchants to get information and send James to America in advance to find the necessary items?

The area where Killian Gore is needed is not only Asia.

If I made this fact clear, no one would dare to tell me to go to the frontier.

The preparations for filming the sequel were already finished.

All that was left was to triumphantly return and enjoy the fruits of this war’s victory to the fullest.

As I was exuding an atmosphere that everything was in my hands and posing to the fullest, a messenger came in with several thick letters.

“Minister. A letter has arrived from the Edo Shogunate that they urgently want to convey to you.”

“What, how long has it been since the war ended?”

They were really quick-witted.

They must have seen the British Empire lightly crush Qing and thought of trying to get in line with this side.

“Let’s see. Congratulating on the great victory this time, and the victory of the general with Asian blood flowing through him is no different from the victory of Asia…”

It was as expected, but I couldn’t help but laugh at the intention to subtly portray me as a symbol of Asia.

Anyway, Qing was also in Asia, so if I was the representative of Asia, it was natural that Asia would win since Asia and Asia fought.

But as I continued to read the letter with a sneer, I was momentarily stunned when I read an unimaginable phrase at the end.

-As a result of the investigation, it has been suggested that General Gillian Quai may be a descendant of Ieyasu, the first Tokugawa leader who opened the Edo Shogunate era in the past. If this is true, it cannot but be a great blessing for both countries. We will conduct a more detailed investigation in the future and send you a letter…

What is this all about? Who is the descendant of whom?

Are you talking about me, not someone else?

I never imagined that they would try to water it down in this way as soon as they found out that I was of Joseon mixed blood.

Were these guys really crazy in both good and bad ways?

I was momentarily dumbfounded, but then I burst into laughter.

At the same time, a brilliant idea flashed through my mind.

If I slipped this to Joseon, wouldn’t a once-in-a-lifetime 막장 (makjang) [Korean slang for ” 막가자는 인생 (makgajaneun insaeng)”, which means a life that goes to the extreme] war unfold that would make me regret not having popcorn?

I never imagined that I would get such an unexpected treat in my hands before leaving Asia.

Humans are interesting after all.