Chapter 155
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 155
Chapter Title: The Asian Pandemonium (2)
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Living in the 19th century, the most inconvenient thing of all was, without a doubt, the speed of information.
I wasn't even asking for a smartphone.
How many times had I thought that I would have nothing more to wish for if only a telephone… no, not even a telephone, just a telegraph were available?
Still, I had already given Samuel Morse a hefty sum of money, and he was starting telegraph businesses in both Canada and the United States, so I expected to see results by next year at the latest.
As soon as it proved successful, it would be introduced in Britain, so I hoped that in a few years, this maddeningly frustrating situation would finally be resolved.
But it would still be a long time before a communication network spanning continents could be established, and inevitably, news of events in Asia would reach my ears late.
This was something I couldn't do anything about, no matter how hard I tried, so improvement was impossible.
With the technology of this era, overcoming such physical distances was nothing short of fantasy.
Thanks to this, I was completely unaware of the discussions happening in Asia and was busy plotting to take down the East India Company in India.
If I could oust the East India Company as naturally as possible and make the local Indian populace support the British Crown, I could make Victoria the Empress of India more smoothly than in the original history.
Then, my status as her husband would rise quite naturally as well.
At the same time, the Rothschilds and I would divide the India-related businesses currently held by the Baring family, lining our pockets with hefty profits.
Fortunately, the Rothschilds were even more cooperative than I had expected.
Something about me smelling of money like no one else.
Honestly, it was true, so I had to admit that their noses for anything related to money were astonishingly well-developed.
With the inherent weakness of being Jewish, they were unable to step into the forefront of power and had no choice but to ride on the coattails of someone like me.
I, too, was in a position where stepping forward was not easy, which, for some reason, made us connect on many levels.
My track record of not discriminating against Jews must have also looked good to them.
“As Your Highness instructed, I have looked into how the East India Company's operations are proceeding in India. As expected of the Company, a significant number of their businesses are linked to the British government, and among them, I found a few risky ventures that don't seem very stable.”
“Perfect. If we dig into that, we can easily make the East India Company's reputation plummet to rock bottom.”
I was already finding it hard to tolerate their disgraceful focus on opium production to make up for their ever-dwindling profits. Wiping them out completely with this opportunity would be incredibly satisfying.
“Ah, and there is one more thing I need you to do. Your family has considerable influence not only in the British Empire but also in France, correct?”
“Yes. Our family has amassed great wealth in France as well.”
“As you know, Egypt has long wanted to build a canal connecting the Mediterranean and the Red Sea. This movement has accelerated in the few years since Egypt gained de facto independence from the Ottomans. However, if they were to actually build the canal, wouldn't they be more likely to negotiate with France rather than us, with whom their relations are not so good?”
“That is true.”
Indeed, in the original history, Egypt had collaborated with France to open the canal, but after France was utterly thrashed by Prussia in the Franco-Prussian War, Britain was able to purchase a large number of the canal's shares.
However, it would be foolish to hope for such a stroke of luck in this timeline, so it was necessary to move more swiftly before Egypt made its move.
“Use every means at your disposal to make France react negatively to the canal construction. Or, you could bribe Egypt to negotiate with us first. The point is, while France is distracted with Vietnam, we must secure a favorable position for the canal construction first.”
“I understand. I will discuss it with my relatives in France.”
In the future, there will be many more occasions to send merchant ships and warships to Asia, so the Suez Canal must be firmly in the hands of the British Empire, no matter what.
And if Egypt doesn't listen?
I could simply use the Rothschilds to orchestrate a massive financial fraud and bankrupt the Suez Canal Company altogether.
In the original history, when France set the passage tolls like a thug, didn't Britain, in protest, openly obstruct the construction?
Of course, if I were to do it, I wouldn't be so crude and obvious about it.
For a project requiring such enormous funds as canal construction, if one deliberately messes with things from the inside, driving a company to bankruptcy is no difficult task.
While Russia and France are fixated on peripheral issues like the Primorsky Krai or Vietnam, I will finish laying the groundwork for the British Empire's century of hegemony.
As I was gleefully concocting various schemes, feeling like I had returned to my true calling after a long time, an infuriated Disraeli came to me with a report from Asia.
“Those yellow mon… ah, my apologies. It seems the fools in Asia have finally lost their minds.”
“Lost their minds? Did Joseon cause trouble again?”
It was a sad state of affairs that Joseon was the first to pop into my head when I thought of troublemakers, but what could I do?
After all, my homeland was still teeming with our stubborn Confucian elders.
However, Disraeli pulled out two letters from his coat and began a story that I had not anticipated at all.
“It is not Joseon. The draft of the treaty to mediate between Joseon and Russia has been completed smoothly. The problem is Japan.”
“So Japan has requested to be included as well. I knew this would happen from the start.”
“The problem is… those bastards, I don't know what's gotten into them, but they've sent an invitation for the Prince Consort.”
“…Excuse me? Are you telling me they want me to go to Japan right now?”
“The Governor-General of Shanghai said he was so dumbfounded he didn't know whether to be angry or not. He was originally going to just ignore it, but since their highest authority, the Shogun Tokugawa, wrote a personal letter to be delivered urgently to Your Highness, he brought it to show you. He earnestly requested that only Your Highness should open it, so no one has read it yet.”
How dare a mere Asian nation in the far, far East summon the Prince Consort of the British Empire? Have they truly gone mad?
It was no wonder Disraeli was furious upon hearing this news.
“What does Parliament say, by any chance?”
“The prevailing opinion is to reject it outright and send warships to those insolent fools who don't know their place, telling them to stop their nonsense and open their ports.”
This was a matter of British pride, so both parties would have no choice but to unite in condemning Japan.
Most of the MPs were probably genuinely angry, just like Disraeli.
“Well, I suppose I should see what nonsense my distant cousin has written before making a decision.”
With a mix of half bewilderment and half anticipation, I tore open the letter from the very person who had fabricated my family tree.
Perhaps thinking I could speak Japanese but not read it, the letter also included an English translation prepared with the help of a Dutch merchant.
-To the esteemed Prince Consort of the British Empire. First, I offer my sincerest apologies for unsettling Your Highness with this untimely request for a visit. This has arisen from a web of complex domestic affairs, and I wish to emphasize that this proposal was by no means made to slight Your Highness or the British Empire.
I, Tokugawa Ieyoshi, Shogun of the Bakufu, have long admired the Prince Consort's reputation and have wished for this nation to develop like the great British Empire. The reason for this regrettable proposal is the fervent desire of all my subjects to have the honor of seeing with their own eyes the hero of the Tokugawa clan who has achieved such great success in Europe.
I am aware of the immense trouble this will cause and can only feel apologetic and sorry, but if Your Highness would grace us with your presence, it would be of tremendous help to the friendly relations between our two countries. The thirty million subjects of these islands will praise Your Highness’s generous decision and will come to trust and follow the British Empire as a brother nation.
The letter was so long-winded that I could immediately tell this was not Tokugawa Ieyoshi’s own initiative.
It seemed that while he was fumbling about, public opinion in favor of inviting me had emerged, and he had been swept away by the current.
But that was their problem, and there was no reason for me to be considerate.
Normally, I would have simply brushed it off, but the content Ieyoshi added at the end caught my interest.
-Of course, I am well aware that it is shameless to seek Your Highness’s understanding with words alone. Therefore, if Your Highness would personally grace us with a visit, we will naturally and actively promote trade between the British Empire and the Bakufu, and we will also accept all of the conditions Your Highness desires.
The entire archipelago is currently trembling with excitement and cheering for the success Your Highness, a descendant of the Tokugawa, has achieved in Europe. I, too, will spare no effort to work with Your Highness towards the unification of all of Asia. I humbly ask for a positive response. We will do our utmost to ensure that your journey here is not in vain.
Not only would they sign a trade treaty, but they would also accommodate any conditions I wanted in the process. Frankly, that wasn't a bad offer.
Logically, he couldn't be unaware of how great a risk this would be for the Shogunate, so his doing this must mean they were in a desperate situation.
Depending on how I handled this, couldn't I not just open Japan, but turn it into a semi-vassal state?
I would have to approach it cautiously, as being too overt could provoke their resentment, but what was the one thing the British Empire did best in the world?
Divide and rule. The so-called strategy of 'divide and conquer.'
Since the Shogun had explicitly referred to me as a Tokugawa in his personal letter, I had a solid justification to intervene if a contingency arose.
And since this would be an internal matter, I could draw a clear line to prevent countries like France or Russia from interfering.
Having finished all my calculations, I accompanied Disraeli to the House of Commons and announced my intention to accept the invitation to Japan.
“My word, Prince Consort! You have only just returned from Canada, and now you are going all the way to Asia!”
“Even if their king invited you, such an impertinent proposal should simply be ignored!”
“Indeed. For the Prince Consort of the British Empire to visit the fringes of Asia would make us a laughingstock in other nations.”
“Gentlemen, gentlemen, I understand all of your sentiments. However, my dear distant cousin, the Tokugawa Shogun, has sent me a personal letter. He says he wants to establish diplomatic relations with the British Empire and open the country, and he has asked for my help in persuading the local public opinion.”
“But that is something they should handle themselves, why drag the Prince Consort into it…”
“Asian nations currently feel a considerable sense of fear towards Europe. Furthermore, didn't Russia just attack the Qing Dynasty? So such a reaction is understandable. And strictly speaking, this is an opportunity for us.”
After giving the MPs a suitably edited version of Ieyoshi’s letter, I unfolded a large world map centered on Asia before them.
“Japan is in a geopolitically very important location. If we bring both Joseon and Japan under our influence, we can completely bottle up Russia and prevent them from daring to venture into the Pacific. Moreover, we will have more occasions to approach Asia via the Pacific in the future, and for that, we need a location where we can reliably supply coal.”
From mainland Europe, a voyage to Asia at this time, before the canal is completed, takes nearly three months one way.
However, crossing the Pacific from California, a round trip can be completed in just two months, the distance is that much shorter.
But unlike the various coaling stations we had established at the Cape of Good Hope, in India, and Singapore, there were few suitable places to resupply with coal when crossing the Pacific.
Although we had recently acquired Shanghai and Tainan, resupplying in Japan would be overwhelmingly more efficient.
“But still, for Your Highness to go in person…”
“If someone else goes, it will be a treaty between two nations: the British Empire and Japan. But since they are calling me a Tokugawa, if I go, it can be framed not as two separate nations, but as brother nations engaging in exchange. This means we can completely exclude France, which is always sniffing around trying to get a piece of the action.”
By defining the relationship this clearly, only we could intervene unilaterally if an unforeseen situation were to arise later.
And though I saw no need to mention it here, this was also an opportunity to attract the immigrants I so desperately wanted.
He did say he would actively accommodate the conditions I desire, didn't he?
“Though it may be an arduous journey, if it can further solidify the hegemony of the British Empire, I, Killian Gore Hanover, will gladly visit Asia as a relative of the Tokugawa! Everything for the British Empire!”
In what was, to any observer, a tear-jerking spectacle of patriotism, the MPs paid their respects to my patriotic devotion with unstinting applause.
I was no sailor, and I was sick to death of the tedious life at sea, but when an opportunity presents itself, one must seize it.
They've left their mid lane wide open; did they really think I wouldn't push?