Chapter 163
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 163
Chapter Title: A Story Only You Don't Know
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The world is truly a mysterious place.
Heungseon-gun, a royal relative of Joseon, had never imagined he would be traveling overseas by ship like this.
He knew the maritime prohibition enforced during the Ming and Qing periods was now meaningless, yet sailing across the West Sea to Shanghai was a bizarre experience he could never have dreamed of before.
“Minister of War, this isn't your first time traveling abroad, so you must be accustomed to it.”
“Last time I traveled by land, but this time it's by sea, so it feels different for me as well.”
“Ah, that's right. By the way, Minister, I understand why you're leading this delegation, as you've met Killian Gore before... but why was I included? No one has given me a clear reason.”
Kim Jwa-geun, who had remained silent despite being asked several times, finally spoke after the delegation landed in Shanghai.
He glanced around furtively and, in a voice too low for anyone else to hear, revealed the real reason for Heungseon-gun's inclusion.
“Do you recall the story you told me before, My Lord? About seeing a slave of mixed Westerner blood in your childhood.”
“Ah, yes, I did. But according to my investigation, the child named Yuseok died of a strange disease...”
“Of course, he did. The other slaves who lived with him all said the same thing. So we had concluded that Yuseok was not Killian Gore. However, no matter how much more we investigated, no other potential candidate for Killian Gore emerged.”
“Then perhaps he never actually lived in Joseon?”
They say Westerners are prone to lying. Isn't it possible he intentionally spread false information to confuse us?
But Kim Jwa-geun frowned and immediately shook his head.
“People say that because they've never seen him in person. Once you meet him, My Lord, you will understand what I mean. The problem is, after investigating this thoroughly, someone should have been identified, but that hasn't happened. So, the conclusion I've reached is that someone tampered with the records.”
“Tampered with the records? Why?”
“It must have been done by someone who would be in trouble if this came to light. Working backward from there, the most suspicious person is indeed the child named Yuseok, who supposedly died of a strange disease.”
“So you're saying that the slave I met back then is Killian Gore? But that's...”
It was a distant memory, hard to recall, but a vague image came to mind.
He remembered the boy being unusually bold for a slave and suspiciously knowledgeable.
If he had met him a few more times, he might remember clearly, but unfortunately, the details were hazy, as if shrouded in mist.
But it wasn't his fault.
No matter how impressive someone was, how could he possibly remember the details of a person he met only once around the age of ten?
And no matter how clever the child was, did it make any sense for that slave to now hold a high position in the most powerful nation that had brought the Qing Dynasty to its knees?
He didn't know how to put it exactly, but he just couldn't accept it in his heart.
Of course, this was just Heungseon-gun's personal thought; Kim Jwa-geun seemed to see it completely differently.
“First of all, their age ranges are similar. And how common could a mixed-blood person with Westerner heritage be in all of Joseon? There might be one or two, if any. It's unlikely for two such people of a similar age to exist. If Yuseok is Killian Gore, and the people of that household are all lying in concert, then all the pieces fit together perfectly.”
“But why would they have any reason to lie?”
“Killian said he doesn't have very fond memories of Joseon. He was likely persecuted by his household for being of mixed Westerner blood. If that were the case, could that family handle the fallout if this truth were revealed?”
“That does sound plausible.”
Honestly, he wondered if it was necessary to go to such lengths, but if Yuseok truly was Killian Gore, he could understand why the head of the household would hide the truth.
This could escalate into an international diplomatic incident, not to mention the absurd fact that tracing Killian Gore's lineage would lead back to the royal family of this country.
If they had abused and tormented such a figure, what kind of condemnation would they face?
This was a disaster of a scale that even the Andong Kim or Pungyang Jo clans would struggle to handle.
“I think I understand why you brought me. You want me to confirm whether Killian Gore is Yuseok, don't you?”
“Yes. That's exactly it. It's possible, but it might not be... and I can't just ask him directly.”
“I understand. Asking the British Queen's consort, 'Were you a slave when you were in Joseon?' would be unthinkable.”
If they were completely wrong, such a question would become a diplomatic catastrophe of historic proportions, one that the word 'rude' couldn't even begin to describe.
No, even if they were correct, it could still be an incredibly offensive question depending on the circumstances.
He understood Kim Jwa-geun's intention. And he could fully sympathize with the King's decision to approve it.
The problem was... he had no confidence that he could tell whether Killian Gore was Yuseok just by looking at his face.
If he had seen him after he finished growing, maybe, but how could he possibly recognize the grown-up face of a ten-year-old boy he had seen well over a decade ago?
Still, what could he do?
“...I will do my best.”
He couldn't back out now, so he had no choice but to widen his eyes and try his utmost to revive his past memories.
Fortunately or unfortunately, Killian Gore did not return for some time after they arrived in Shanghai.
During that time, Heungseon-gun Yi Ha-eung passed the time with Kim Jwa-geun, touring the Shanghai Governor-General's office and the British Empire's naval base.
“These British bastards... I don't know about anything else, but their ships are incredible.”
“You can feel it now that you've seen it yourself, can't you? Making enemies of those who command fleets of such ships is something that must never happen. There's a reason the Qing Dynasty was crushed without putting up a fight.”
“Hmph... But if the ships are this large, won't they be heavy and slow?”
“Not at all. They say they move much faster than our ships, and can almost ignore the wind's currents, making their maneuverability incomparable. What's more, the range of their cannons is said to be more than double ours. At this rate, not even Admiral Yi Sun-sin could prevail if he were to return from the dead.”
He wondered if Admiral Yi Sun-sin might still be able to work a miracle, but seeing the majesty of the warship before him, which was incomparable to the vessel they had arrived on, he thought Kim Jwa-geun might be right.
In any case, the notion that they must not fight the barbarians who commanded such warships now resonated not just in his head, but in his heart.
Experiencing firsthand the feeling that the Qing Dynasty wasn't crushed for no reason was on a completely different level from simply reading written reports about it back home.
Feeling the gravity of the situation in his very bones, Heungseon-gun suppressed his nervousness and waited for Killian Gore's return to Shanghai.
And finally.
“It has been a while. I heard you have risen to a much higher position than when we last met. Seeing Your Highness succeed like this makes my heart feel as warm and full as if it were my own success.”
“Hahaha, thank you. I hear you were appointed as the Minister of War, My Lord? At that rate, aren't you on a path of promotion unparalleled in Joseon today?”
“To hear you say that, I don't know where to put myself. Ah, this is Lord Heungseon-gun Yi Ha-eung, a royal relative of Joseon who has accompanied me.”
“It is an honor to meet you for the first time, Your Highness!”
The British Queen's consort, who made even the ministers of the powerful clans that held sway over all of Joseon and could make birds fall from the sky tremble with nervousness.
Facing Killian for the first time, Heungseon-gun pretended to lower his gaze slightly while desperately studying his face.
Ah, looking at him like this, he does seem to resemble the face I saw in my childhood.
Or does he?
Maybe I'm just seeing a resemblance because I'm looking for one.
Unaware of his burning curiosity, Killian nonchalantly shifted his gaze, offering a good-natured smile and a nod.
“A pleasure to meet you. If you are a royal relative of Joseon, does that make us distant relatives on paper? Hahaha.”
“One could see it that way. Lord Heungseon-gun, too, admires Your Highness's reputation, which has sent shivers not just across Joseon but the entire world, and insisted on accompanying me. I was so moved by his earnest desire to meet you.”
“Oh, is that so?”
He tried to read the emotions in Killian's gaze as he looked at him with interest, but unfortunately, he couldn't discern any of his inner thoughts.
For Heungseon-gun, who had prided himself on being second to none in Joseon when it came to diplomacy and reading the room since childhood, this was a rather shocking experience.
As he remained silent, a slightly anxious Kim Jwa-geun turned his head to send him a look.
‘What is it? What's going on? Is it him or not!’
He could guess what he was trying to say just from his eyes.
But what was he supposed to do?
Heungseon-gun, too, looked back at Kim Jwa-geun with an expression of frustration and shook his head.
‘All these Western bastards look the same! How am I supposed to tell this one apart!’
In the end, he couldn't tell just by looking. Perhaps thinking he needed to dig for information through conversation, Kim Jwa-geun paused for a moment before taking a deep breath and speaking.
***
The real power of the Andong Kim clan and the man who might one day become Joseon's Daewongun, purging the powerful families and wielding authority.
And on top of that, both of them were desperately trying to gauge my reaction, their intentions to dig up something so obvious it was amusing.
I watched to see what this seemingly mismatched pair would say, deliberately beating around the bush.
“Perhaps because Your Highness and Lord Heungseon-gun are distant relatives, there seems to be a slight resemblance if you look closely. Which makes me wonder if you don't feel like you've met somewhere before...”
“Is that so? Do we look alike? I don't see it at all.”
“Ah... hahaha, y-yes. Looking closely, I don't think you do look alike. Ahem.”
“Lord Heungseon-gun, was it? Do you feel as though you've seen me somewhere before?”
When I threw a direct question at him, Yi Ha-eung couldn't hide his bewilderment and lowered his head.
“Uh... well, that is...”
“Since we are... re-la-tives... I suppose one might get that feeling. Blood ties are truly a mysterious thing, aren't they?”
“Haha... indeed.”
I know full well we don't share a single drop of blood, you know?
Of course, they couldn't possibly say such a thing, so Kim Jwa-geun and Yi Ha-eung remained frozen like plaster statues, forcing one awkward laugh after another.
Still, I recognized him the moment I saw him. Did this Yi Ha-eung fellow not recognize me?
That's a little disappointing. I thought I had a rather memorable face, one that's not easily forgotten.
“Your Highness, uh... I heard you visited the capital of Japan. Did you achieve anything from your visit?”
“Yes. The results were quite satisfactory. Perhaps more so because it was an unexpected invitation. And the same goes for this meeting right now. I didn't expect the two of you to come all the way to Shanghai while I was here.”
“How could we not come in person when Your Highness, a royal relative of Joseon, was so nearby? Besides, Your Highness promised to help facilitate a non-aggression pact between Russia and Joseon, so we came to offer our thanks as well.”
“As expected of a country that values propriety, Joseon knows its etiquette. However, true sincerity must be shown through actions, don't you think? We went to the trouble of bridging the gap for a non-aggression treaty with Russia, so I believe we are entitled to some compensation.”
“Those are very wise words.”
The sight of Kim Jwa-geun bowing his head in a fluster was nothing new, but watching Yi Ha-eung at a complete loss was a rather strange feeling.
I once thought about using this guy as a stepping stone to get ahead, but that's just a distant memory now.
I thought it might be more amusing if he recognized me and acknowledged it, but seeing him so uncertain just makes me want to tease him more, doesn't it?
“Then shall we hear Lord Heungseon-gun's opinion? What do you think would happen if Joseon established diplomatic relations with the British Empire? Personally, I believe it would result in an outcome where both nations could smile.”
The icon of *Wijeongcheoksa* and isolationism.
What will our future Daewongun—who will one day cry out that making peace with Westerners is selling out the country, and that trade will only drain the nation of its silver—say?
Bathed in the gazes of myself, who was openly dying of curiosity, and Kim Jwa-geun, who was rigid with tension, Heungseon-gun was caught in a bind, his eyes darting back and forth.
“Ah, please don't be so nervous. Just give me your honest opinion.”
Who's going to eat you? Just speak confidently like you did when you were a kid.
As if emboldened by my kind encouragement, Heungseon-gun Yi Ha-eung took a deep breath and finally spoke.
“In my personal opinion... I believe... it is too early to sign a commercial treaty... but.”
“N-n-no! Lord Heungseon-gun! What on earth are you saying right now! There are things one can and cannot say! Do you know where you are?! Have you lost your mind!”
Yi Ha-eung, who spoke his mind despite his nervousness, and Kim Jwa-geun, who exploded, shouting and pointing his finger regardless of the fact that he was addressing a royal relative.
What a spectacular collaboration.
Yes, yes, this is the Joseon I remember.
I knew I could count on you.