Chapter 162
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 162
Chapter Title: The Finishing Touch
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“Mwahahahaha!”
My predictions were spot on.
Once the friendship treaty was passed and its contents became known, endless requests came pouring in from all sides.
Although Japan had been isolationist, it wasn't a nation that lived with its eyes and ears completely shut.
They were well aware of how unequal the treaties were that nations like the Qing Dynasty, India, and other Southeast Asian countries had been forced to sign with the powerful European nations.
That was why they knew just how moderate this friendship treaty was.
What piqued people's interest most of all was the Eastern Advancement and Development Fund, established at the direct request of none other than the Emperor himself.
While intellectuals and laborers were to be sent to Canada, I had also slyly inserted a clause stating that the children of high-ranking officials, like daimyos and hatamoto, would be sent to London.
Wasn't it obvious what would happen next?
At first, it was just those who simply fawned and flattered, but soon even the powerful domains that had viewed me with suspicion, thinking, *‘He’s just a Westerner at the end of the day,’* came flocking to me in droves.
“Your Highness! Is it true that the children of daimyos and hatamoto can study in London instead of Canada?”
“Actually, my third son is particularly bright…”
“Are there any specific standards or qualifications for selection?”
Of course. This wasn't just any country; it was the strongest nation of the current era, the one that had thrashed the Qing Dynasty and was planting its flags in every corner of the world.
If it were a nation with no connection to them, it might be a different story. But now that they had signed a friendship treaty and were set to become trading partners, they were bound to be influenced by us, one way or another.
Those who had long focused on commerce and wealth accumulation were especially quick to grasp the changing tides.
From now on, whether they liked it or not, the only way for an Asian nation to survive was to modernize quickly and build its national strength.
But development wasn't something that could be achieved just by wanting it. Ultimately, it required talented individuals who could set the right course and lead the people in that direction.
In other words, anyone who could become such a talent would be highly valued in the future of Japan.
After going to London to see and learn about advanced civilization, they could return and, for a time at least, be treated as enlightened intellectuals, walking with their shoulders held high.
The hearts of parents with children have always been the same, now and in the distant future.
Even for the upper class—no.
This tendency was even more pronounced among the upper class, who had more wealth and possessions to pass down.
It was a universal human instinct to want one’s children to receive the best education, to achieve greater success, and to bring honor to the family name.
“The qualifications won't be overly strict. If I had to name one, I'd say anyone who can contribute to the friendly relations between our two nations in the future would be more than welcome.”
“Ohhh! In that case, could you perhaps consider my nephew… The boy is truly brilliant and has a keen interest in the advanced technologies of the West.”
“It’s not to brag, but my son is the most intelligent child in our domain. He would be a perfect bridge of friendship between our two nations, so I humbly ask for your consideration.”
In truth, for the truly wealthy families, sending their children to study abroad at their own expense wouldn't be too difficult now that the two countries had established diplomatic relations.
The reason they were so desperate was that this was a study abroad program personally requested by the Emperor and arranged by the Prince Consort of the British Empire.
Though they didn't show it, the Japanese daimyos sensed the vast gap between the British Empire and Japan.
Thanks to William Parker, who had brought a fleet of his country's latest steamships under the pretext of escorting me, they were forced to recognize it.
‘Even if we threw in our entire navy, we probably couldn't defeat the escort fleet that the British Empire brought to protect His Highness Killian.’
With such a massive difference in national power, how well would the scion of a daimyo, a significant power here, be treated in the capital of the British Empire?
His status would ensure formal courtesy on the surface, but there was no telling what people would think privately.
However, if they went as part of a group personally overseen by the Prince Consort of the British Empire, they would likely be treated with the utmost sincerity, if only to avoid tarnishing the Prince Consort's name.
On top of that, upon returning to Japan, they would bear the Emperor's seal of approval for having learned superior knowledge abroad.
No one was ignorant of the value this held. Even the lords of the Choshu and Satsuma domains were asking to send their sons, cousins, or younger brothers to study abroad.
And this was no loss for me, or for the British Empire.
The daimyos, ignorant of the future, might expect their well-educated children to return as vanguards of their nation's modernization, but would things really go as they planned?
What would young children, who had only ever received a Japanese education, feel when they went to London, the fastest-developing city in the world?
Unlike in Canada, where the goal was to cultivate intellectuals, the children of the high-ranking officials coming to London would receive a tailored education.
It would be designed to make them pro-British to the bone.
They would be the first to experience all sorts of civilized comforts, and I would make sure they came to feel that Japan's future lay in siding with the British Empire.
And when the time came, after the civil war between the Shogun and the powerful domains ended and a government that bent to my will was established, they would return to their home country.
I could see with a clarity that rivaled 8K UHD how they, entrusted with the momentous task of rebuilding a new Japan, would go about shaping their nation.
“Everyone, please rest assured. The Eastern Advancement and Development Fund is a study abroad program guaranteed by myself, Killian Gore, His Majesty the Emperor of Japan, and the Shogun. We won't be petty and select only five or ten people. Everyone present here today can be assured of at least one spot, so all you need to think about is whom you will send.”
“Ohhh! Thank you, thank you!”
“I will be sure to tell my son to become a great man, just like Your Highness Killian.”
I smiled along with the beaming daimyos and offered many more words of blessing.
The intellectuals and commoners would be absorbed in Canada, while the children of the ruling class would receive an early education to instill pro-British ideology from a young age.
It would be a massive undertaking spanning almost all classes, but it was safe to say the first button had been fastened correctly.
A large-scale immigration of commoners was still unfeasible, but that would change once the civil war broke out.
After all, I would only be providing a safe haven for the people of an allied nation trembling in fear.
If anyone wanted to return later, I would let them. What grounds would there be for complaint?
With this, I had finished everything I needed to do in Japan.
Except for one thing.
* * *
Mori Takachika, his meeting with Killian having gone better than expected, left in a state of satisfaction.
He didn't have any children old enough to send to London yet, but he had arranged for his brilliant cousins to go instead.
When those children returned, they would be of even greater help to the prosperity of the Choshu domain.
“Satsuma and Tosa will also be sending students. I hope our boys won't fall behind them.”
“Do not worry. They will study with all their might, filled with the pride of representing the Choshu domain.”
“They must. The Shogun may think this treaty will enhance his prestige, but that is a grave miscalculation. The influx of advanced civilization means this country will soon realize just how far behind it is.”
As time went on, society would inevitably become more unstable, and they could pin all the blame on the Shogun.
The cause of "Revere the Emperor, Expel the Barbarians" wouldn't change much just because they had established relations with the British Empire. In the grand scheme of things, what they had to do remained the same.
Amass power, build up military strength, weaken the shogunate's influence, and seize real power for themselves.
Satsuma and Tosa had also agreed to join this great cause.
The variable was how much power the British Empire would lend the Shogun as a result of this treaty.
But the Killian Gore he had met in person didn't seem to be a belligerent man.
Judging by his actions so far, he was a gentle soul for someone with Western blood. So, it was unlikely any major problems would arise.
Ultimately, after considering various factors, the most important thing was to absorb the British Empire's new civilization as quickly as possible after the ports opened and to build up their own strength.
And as luck would have it, a golden opportunity had just presented itself.
“Excuse me, but are you Lord Mori Takachika of the Choshu domain?”
“I am. And you are?”
“I am Lieutenant Peter of the British Royal Navy. A relative of mine is in the business of supplying goods to the military, and he is looking for a good business partner in Japan. I heard that the Choshu domain is one of the wealthiest and most substantial regions in Japan, so I came to see if you might be interested in working with us.”
“A partnership? What kind of partnership are you suggesting?”
“Once the ports open, many goods will come through. For your information, the British Navy in Asia is currently in the process of replacing its old weapons with new models. In other words, it's possible to discreetly acquire the old weapons. Of course, even if they are old models, their performance will be incomparable to the weapons currently used in Asia.”
“Hoh…”
So, he was offering to smuggle out weapons if they were willing to buy them at a reasonable price. If this was true, it was as good as hitting the jackpot.
But Mori was not so naive as to accept this unexpected stroke of luck at face value.
“Why did you specifically choose us, Choshu?”
“As I said, you are currently the most prosperous domain. And prosperity means you have money. Besides, I heard from my admiral that the Prince Consort holds the Choshu domain in high regard. He said you have that… Semurai? Spirit.”
“Samurai spirit.”
“Ah, yes. That’s it. So, from our perspective, wouldn't we want to deal with a region that has the means to buy our goods and is also interested in military matters? This isn't a one-or-two-day affair; we want to secure a client who will buy from us for the long term.”
“But isn't that illegal? If you get caught, it'll be your head, won't it?”
“Ah, I won't get caught. I'm not the only one doing this sort of thing. Why would I be the only one to get caught when everyone else is doing it?”
At that moment, Mori felt a strange sense of kinship.
No matter how powerful it was, was the world's strongest nation at its core just another island country?
To so casually speak of an act that harmed the state for personal gain.
But for the Choshu domain, it was an opportunity to acquire a large supply of superior weapons, so there was nothing bad about it.
Even if it was discovered later, they could just claim they were told the goods were distributed through legitimate channels.
“In that case, we have no objection. However, trust must be built first, so there will be no advance payment. We will inspect the quality of the goods at the place of delivery and then pay in silver or gold.”
“Of course. We will bring our finest selection, so please trust us and don't worry about the quality. I will visit you once more before we depart.”
As the man named Peter walked away with a grin, Mori, who had been watching his back, took deep breaths to keep his excitement from bubbling over and turned away.
Even if they were, as the man said, obsolete weapons discarded by the British Empire, they were still state-of-the-art compared to anything currently in Japan.
If they could secure a steady supply and build their strength over several years, the military power of the Choshu domain might not only surpass that of Satsuma and Tosa but could even become strong enough to challenge the Shogun alone.
When that time came, they could find any reason to drag the Shogun down.
‘No. It's not too late to judge after I see how many proper weapons that man actually brings.’
He didn't want to get his hopes up only to be betrayed and disappointed.
Everything depended on getting those proper weapons into his hands.
Mori resolved not to let his guard down until the very last moment.
* * *
After concluding all my business in Japan, I left an Edo I hadn't quite grown fond of, receiving an even grander farewell than my welcome.
The treaty had been successfully concluded, and I had finished all preparations to latch on like a leech and suck them dry.
I had also used James's people to create a connection to supply weapons to Choshu. Now, all I had to do was wait for the time to be ripe.
“Welcome back, Your Highness! You must have worked so hard during your time in Japan!”
“It was fine. They treated me with the utmost courtesy.”
“Still, it couldn't have been very comfortable staying for so long in a strange foreign land.”
“That's true. Was there any word from the homeland while I was away?”
“Nothing from the homeland, Your Highness. However, we have guests from another place, and they wish to see you.”
“Guests? Did the Qing Dynasty send someone to whine and ask me to teach the Russians a lesson?”
I couldn't think of anyone else who would come looking for me now, but surprisingly, the governor immediately shook his head.
“They are from Joseon. They say they have something urgent to discuss regarding the mediation agreement with Russia. Would you like to see them?”
“Joseon? That's unexpected. I'm a bit tired from the long voyage, so let's arrange a meeting for tomorrow or the day after.”
“Then I will let them know you will see them.”
Of course, of course. I must certainly see them.
It seemed they had heard I went to Japan first and rushed over. I had to hear what they had to say.
I wonder how much of their sanity has returned, or if they're still spouting nonsense, unable to grasp reality.
Shall I listen with an amused heart?