Chapter 126
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 126
Chapter Title: A Joyful Wedding (2)
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The meeting with François Guizot went well, but his visit was only the beginning.
Following France, a stream of high-ranking officials from Spain, Austria, and numerous other countries poured in, and I found myself in the position of having to resolve their doubts.
Fortunately, things were fine up until Austria.
And who was the visitor from Austria?
Klemens von Metternich.
One of the Austrian Empire's foremost diplomatic titans, who had contributed to creating the new European order after the Napoleonic era.
I had expected him to grill me with exhausting questions, but our meeting was over in a flash.
“The British Empire has no intention of spreading the embers of war across the globe like Napoleon, I trust?”
“No. Of course, there is no such intention.”
“I see. Then let us work hard for world peace moving forward.”
The meeting ended in the blink of an eye, basically amounting to, ‘You're not involved in this, right? Good. Let's work hard.’ Afterward, Klemens didn't seek me out again.
I wondered why he had bothered to come in person, but he seemed more concerned with the reactions of the many other countries involved than with the British Empire alone.
Strictly speaking, while it might have been different in the past, there was currently no scenario in which the British Empire would clash with the Austrian Empire, so perhaps it was only natural.
From Austria's perspective, they had no choice but to closely watch how France or Russia would move following this event.
Thanks to that light sparring match, I could catch my breath and face the person I truly needed to be wary of with a relatively clear mind.
Pretending to be a pack of alpha males but in reality a collection of lesser men, our Mother Russia... no, the foreign minister of the Russian Empire.
Karl Nesselrode was one of those who subtly exuded an air of disapproval toward this marriage from the very beginning.
Of course, a seasoned diplomat would never be foolish enough to show it so openly, so the atmosphere was outwardly amicable.
“Congratulations. With this marriage, the British Empire's diplomacy will surely spread its wings and soar even higher. I can only say I am envious of such British prowess.”
Even making such a slightly barbed remark was likely a calculated move.
His intention was surely to observe my every minor reaction to grasp our intentions.
“Prowess is too strong a word. Before being the Foreign Secretary, I am simply a man who wishes to return Her Majesty's love. Everything else is a secondary matter.”
“I understand you are the youngest Foreign Secretary in the history of the British Empire. And you have continued to build a brilliant career since. Yet you are willing to leave all that behind to become Prince Consort. Your love for Her Majesty must be profound indeed.”
“It is a little embarrassing, but in essence, yes, that is correct.”
“Hearing that is reassuring. To be honest, while my country rejoices and celebrates this auspicious marriage more than anyone, there were some who expressed concern.”
It seems this man holds the exact same position as François Guizot.
It wouldn't be very amusing if Russia and France were thinking the same thing and trying to keep us in check.
“I have indeed received many similar concerns. It seems I'll be spending all my time giving explanations until the wedding. Hahaha.”
“Explanations, you say... Do you mean other nations have also directly conveyed their concerns to you, Minister?”
“They have. And each time, I have stressed that it is a misunderstanding, that the British Empire has absolutely no such intention. We are currently stretched thin just stabilizing our newly acquired territories. To suggest we would try to swallow up other Asian nations in this situation? Frankly, from our perspective, that is a preposterous notion.”
“So you are saying that your status, Minister, as the one marrying Her Majesty the Queen, is merely a product of coincidence.”
“Rather than coincidence, it would be more accurate to understand that this marriage was possible because I possess such a background. As I just mentioned, the territories the British Empire has gained in recent years are all geographically important, and our primary goal is to maintain stability there. We simply don't have the time to look elsewhere.”
The idea is that advancing into other Asian countries is so preposterous we haven't even considered it.
Nesselrode paused to gauge the truth of my words, taking a sip of his tea.
The territories the British Empire had won and ceded from the Qing Dynasty were spread across the seas at considerable distances.
In the New World, Canada's population was constantly growing, and its territory was continually expanding westward.
Anyone aware of this background would have to find my words highly persuasive.
Even if they didn't believe we lacked the intention, they could certainly believe we lacked the capacity.
“Indeed, that seems plausible, for the time being.”
“Governing regions separated by the sea is a more delicate and difficult task than one might think. Russia also possesses a vast territory, but it is mostly connected by land. It seems there has been a misunderstanding due to our different circumstances.”
“Haha, well then, perhaps if we were to venture out to sea a bit, such misunderstandings could be dispelled, wouldn't they? If we understand each other better, there will be less room for discord.”
“That may be, but it could just as easily become a source of greater conflict. If Russia were to fully possess the Black Sea, it would inevitably have to seize territory from other nations. Wouldn't that alone make the world tremble in fear?”
Trying to sneak his way south with such ridiculous nonsense.
Even if the British Empire didn't act, there were plenty of European nations that would fly into a panic at Russia's southern expansion.
France, for one, would lose its mind and immediately appeal to neighboring countries to block Russia's advance.
And would Russia have many allies to side with it? Of course not.
Russia's diplomacy was so abysmal that there was a saying that its only two allies were its army and its navy.
Who would want to be friendly with a nation that went around bullying its neighbors while playing the self-appointed gendarme of Europe?
Of course, the situation had also come to this because the British Empire had been relentlessly gaslighting European nations about the Russian threat.
“Ah, it seems there has been a misunderstanding. When I speak of taking to the sea, I do not mean the Black Sea. I admit it is tempting, but I am well aware that now is not the time. I am speaking of a place further east.”
“Further east... are you referring to Primorye?”
“Yes. Precisely. It is a land in the distant Far East, completely unrelated to Europe. Surely there would be no risk of creating tension?”
“But that land is currently occupied by the Qing Dynasty.”
“Weren't Hong Kong and Shanghai also originally Qing land?”
So he's saying, ‘You took Qing land, so we're going to take some too. Don't interfere.’ Is that it?
In truth, while Primorye wasn't a particularly important region to other European nations, it was crucial territory for Russia and the Qing Dynasty.
If the Qing lost Primorye, they would lose all territory with direct access to the East Sea. Conversely, by acquiring such a geopolitically strategic location, Russia would gain easy access to the sea.
It was no coincidence that in the original history, Russia hastily intervened as soon as the Second Opium War broke out, pressuring the Qing to cede Primorye in exchange for mediation.
Most experts predicted that if the Qing had not complied, Russia would have mobilized its military to take Primorye by force.
And now, Nesselrode was proving that prediction correct with his entire being.
I don't know if he came here to negotiate for this purpose from the start, or if he changed direction after confirming that Britain had no immediate intention of intervening in Asia, but his objective seemed clear.
“To my ears, that sounds like you intend to go to war with the Qing Dynasty. Is my understanding correct?”
“Discussing such grim matters on this auspicious occasion seems inappropriate, so I will arrange another time for us to speak of this. However, I am telling you in advance to avoid any unnecessary misunderstandings, as this will cause your country no harm whatsoever.”
“I appreciate your consideration, Minister. I also believe that blind confrontation is not beneficial for either of our nations. I hope we can continue to have such conversations to clear up unnecessary misunderstandings and move forward for the future benefit of both our countries.”
Russia taking Primorye was not good for the British Empire, but viewed dispassionately, it was nearly impossible for us to stop it alone.
Even if we did manage to block them, we couldn't just settle in and build a defensive line there, so it would inevitably be taken back by Russia someday.
That must be why in the original history, Britain and France tacitly approved of Russia taking Primorye through the Treaty of Beijing.
Nesselrode knew this all too well, which is why he drew a line, saying he would only take Primorye and that we should not interfere.
But the situation now is completely different from back then.
From the way he's talking, it seems Russia is looking for any excuse to have a go at the Qing Dynasty. The important thing is that France is also trying to dip its toes into Asia right now.
If both Russia and France start running rampant, I'm quite curious to see how the already anxious nations of Northeast Asia will react.
Looks like I have one more piece of information to share over there. I'll tell them everything. I'm gonna be a tattletale.
To think I'd be so good at warning my relatives of an impending crisis. Looking at it now, I suppose I really am a kinsman of the Joseon royal family and a relative of the Shogun.
In that case, expecting to be treated accordingly isn't greed, but the pursuit of a rightful claim, wouldn't you say?
***
After completing all my duties as Foreign Secretary, the fateful day finally arrived.
I woke in the early dawn and tried to go back to sleep, but I simply couldn't close my eyes.
My body wasn't trembling, nor did my heart feel like it was burning with tension, but my mind grew sharper and sharper, as if I had drunk ten cups of coffee.
There was still plenty of time, but with nothing else to do, I took a clean shower and sat on the sofa, blankly waiting for the sun to rise.
So, a day like this has finally come.
I had momentarily forgotten while being constantly called upon for official duties as Secretary, but others were already treating me as the de facto Prince Consort of the British Empire.
And after today, it would no longer be de facto, but reality.
A little more time passed, and attendants arrived to help me into the uniform of an Admiral of the Fleet and pin on the star of the Order of the Garter, the highest honor in the British Empire.
Wellesley, who had come with them, saw me and let out a whistle, giving me a thumbs-up.
“Damn! You were already a handsome man, but dressed up like that, you're dazzling enough to catch the eye of every woman in London. I wonder if Her Majesty will be too anxious to let you out of her sight?”
“It's just a uniform. Aren't you overreacting?”
“You don't get it. Women have a thing for uniforms like that. Anyway, you'll be heading to the ceremony soon. How are you feeling?”
“I feel good, but also conflicted and nervous. It's hard to describe in one word.”
“That's how it always is. Hehehe, today's the best it gets, so enjoy it. Welcome to the world of married men.”
His words seemed to carry several complex meanings, but I was in no state to pay attention to such jokes.
My first wedding... it feels good. Incredibly exciting, like my feet aren't on the ground but floating in the air.
But doesn't a new beginning also mean a farewell to the past?
From now on, my life is bound to proceed in a direction 180 degrees different from the life of Killian Gore thus far.
At least, on the surface.
I can do this, right? Yes, of course I can.
If I wasn't confident I could do it, I wouldn't have come this far in the first place.
As I was taking deep breaths to compose myself, a voice announced that the carriage had arrived to pick me up.
“Looks like it's here. Shall we go?”
“Yes. Let's. Today is the funeral for Killian Gore, the Foreign Secretary.”
“And the birth of the Prince Consort of the British Empire.”
As of today, my time acting on the front lines as the core of this nation's power is over, for now.
From now on, I will be this nation's hidden power.
I shall slowly permeate every sphere of the British Empire—its politics, economy, and society.