A Gift of Filth for a Gift of Filth

I gave you a nice fat fuck you, you bastard.

This disgusting symbiotic relationship is something I’d really like to sort out. But before that, I need to ship Hong Taiji’s remains off to Hanseong.

“No, wait.”

What if I used this to summon Gojong instead? Call him over and arrange an “unfortunate accident.” That didn’t sound half bad. Maybe I should run it by the time-travel gallery first? The future’s already changed, so if I twist the question just right…

No. I have to use the time-travel gallery carefully. I’m already infamous as a question villain there. If I keep spamming them, I might get banned later. Better to wait until people have mostly forgotten me before asking anything.

“In that case, sending it to Gojong is still the better move.”

I’d dump Hong Taiji’s corpse on that son of a bitch and preemptively cut off any possible suspicion. Yi Beom-yun had told me to handle all diplomatic matters, but this was tied to the humiliation of Samjeondo. It felt a bit too heavy for me to manage alone.

“So, how do you plan to handle it?”

“For now, how about sending the remains of Hong Taiji from Cheongju to the Hanseong Magistracy? Between the two options, I think the Hong Taiji route is cleaner.”

“Not a bad idea. His Majesty will be pleased.”

It would probably go down in Gojong’s book as one of the greatest achievements of his reign.

“However, conducting unilateral negotiations with Hyuk-gwang could become an issue.”

This wasn’t something done by the Hanseong government. It was handled right here, and essentially amounted to a private chat I had with him on the spot.

“I suppose you’re right. It’s clear that Qing is currently treating us as an independent entity. His Majesty must be aware of that. The fact that he’s staying silent… what does it mean?”

“It means His Imperial Majesty harbors deeper intentions.”

In other words, the Korean Empire was still willing to abandon Gando if necessary. If Hyuk-gwang had issued a threat of war, they would draw a clear line to avoid escalation. At least on the surface.

That meant Gojong could discard us whenever he felt like it.

But here’s the thing. Once Gojong receives Hong Taiji’s remains, will he really be able to cut us off? We’re the ones who dealt with Joseon’s mortal enemy. No matter what happens, Gojong will be tied to Gando’s fate from now on.

And if he doesn’t move the way I want…

‘Then I’ll just have to kill him.’

Yi Beom-yun was connected to this body’s father, so even if he belonged to the conservative faction, I couldn’t touch him easily. For now, I needed to reassure Gojong and at least wash away the humiliation of Samjeondo.

With that decided, I carefully packaged Hong Taiji’s remains and sent them to Hanseong.

It was an exceptionally joyful day for Gojong in Hanseong, capital of the Korean Empire. So joyful, in fact, that he literally jumped up and down in front of the gathered foreign envoys.

Until recently, he had been extremely displeased because of that strange woman named Ok Jin-seo who had settled down in Fengtian. But the very same Ok Jin-seo, whose identity he had been so curious about that he wanted to bite her, had now sent him the remains of Hong Taiji of Cheongju.

No. Since Qing had already become a massive colony of the Great Powers, there was no need to treat it like a real country anymore. So this wasn’t just any corpse. It was the body of the leader of the Manchu tribe!

A perfect justification had arrived in Hanseong to wash away the long-standing humiliation suffered under Qing since the days of King Injo.

Gojong stood before the pavilion in Deoksugung Palace, staring at the coffin bearing the inscription ‘Great Traitor Hong Taiji, Lord of Qing’, and burst into loud laughter.

“At last the shame of Samjeondo has been washed clean! Our loyal subject Ok Jin-seo has delivered the remains of Hong Taiji of Cheongju. We are truly delighted. Ah, at last we can comfort the spirit of Emperor Injo in the afterlife! Subjects of Great Korea, listen well! The remains of Hong Taiji, who forced Emperor Injo to perform the three kneelings and nine prostrations, now stand before Us in Hanseong. What a glorious thing this is! We hereby appoint the Russian Countess and Sapodae Staff Officer Ok Jin-seo as Administrator of Shenyang in Southern Manchuria under the Fengtian Garrison. Let all officials take note!”

He was extremely excited. It had only been a short while since he had achieved the feat of advancing into Manchuria under the encroachment of the Great Powers, and now they had brought him the remains of Hong Taiji, the enemy of the nation, as tribute. It was proof that they had firmly stationed troops ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠in Shenyang.

“All of this is thanks to Your Majesty’s great blessings! Long live the Emperor!”

“““Long live the Emperor! Long live the Korean Empire!”””

The ministers, officials from various departments, and royal relatives all shouted three cheers in praise of the Emperor. After all, since Ok Jin-seo was a subject of the Korean Empire, the delivery of Hong Taiji’s remains was essentially the Emperor’s own achievement.

“Today’s events shall be reported to the royal ancestral shrine so that the shame may be fully washed away. Hong Taiji’s remains will be buried according to proper procedure in front of Jangneung, Emperor Injo’s tomb. Let all officials take note! Furthermore, we shall invite the foreign envoys today and hold a grand banquet!”

Why not invite the Qing envoy as well and celebrate together? After all, this was the day they rose above those worthless Manchu remnants. A little extravagance was perfectly acceptable.

“His Majesty the Emperor of Japan sends his congratulations on Your Majesty’s restoration of the honor lost at Samjeondo.”

Ito Hirobumi, whom no one was particularly happy to see, had shown up at the gathering of foreign envoys. But today, even that face didn’t look so repulsive. Of course, the man clearly had his own schemes. He had probably come to reconfirm Russia’s relationship with Korea.

“His Majesty the King of Great Britain congratulates Your Majesty on washing away the national disgrace.”

“Thank you. Thank you.”

“His Majesty the Tsar has sent a letter of congratulations regarding your revenge against Qing, but he expressed concern over your refusal of the mutual defense treaty.”

The mutual defense treaty. Right. That had been a thing. Gojong had rejected Russia’s offer of a mutual defense treaty and chosen Britain and Japan instead. Because of that, it had become difficult to even look Weber in the eye lately. The man seemed to be steeped in a sense of betrayal.

“Things simply turned out that way.”

“I sincerely hope it is a choice you will not come to regret.”

Even Weber seemed quite displeased this time. He rose from his seat first. The British and Japanese envoys watched his retreating back with satisfied smiles. With this, Russia and Korea had officially fallen out. They were now destined to fight a war against Russia together whether they liked it or not.

However, after the banquet, Min Yeong-hwan, Yi Yong-ik, and Yi Wan-yong expressed their concerns about Gojong’s decision.

“Your Majesty. Even so, appointing a woman as Administrator of Shenyang is far too radical a move.”

“Indeed. Even taking into account that she is a woman, to grant a position equivalent to that of Gando Administrator to a mere girl who was only appointed as a staff officer under Yi Beom-yun in the Sapodae… it is excessively unprecedented.”

In the five hundred years of Joseon history, there had never been a precedent like Ok Jin-seo.

“My, my. The Emperor of Russia has granted the title of Countess to that girl whom everyone has been ignoring. And there are already thousands of Korean troops stationed in Fengtian where Ok Jin-seo resides. If they ever become displeased, they could use that army to attack Hanseong. Moreover, look at this. Didn’t Qing’s Hyuk-gwang go to Fengtian alone to negotiate?”

This was a kind of wordplay. On one hand, the individual known as Ok Jin-seo was a separate entity from the Korean Empire, a Korean warlord. At the same time, by appointing her as Administrator, they were publicly declaring that the Korean Empire stood behind Manchuria. If Qing recognized that the Korean Empire was behind Manchuria and was willing to negotiate, they would have no choice but to come to Hanseong.

“In that case…”

“The point is that Qing is currently unable to do anything about this situation. This is our chance to clearly claim Manchuria as our own. Since Britain and the Japanese bastards are trying to use us, we should use them right back. And besides…”

Above all, Gojong had thought very hard this time. Both Yi Beom-yun and Ok Jin-seo, who were currently in Manchuria, had achieved considerable merit. But when one considered the vast territory from Gando to Manchuria, it was possible to imagine Yi Beom-yun turning against the Korean Empire. After all, he commanded elite troops that had crossed over from the northern regions of Korea.

In that case, a balance of power had to be maintained. More precisely, he needed to make sure neither of them would dare challenge him, the Emperor. He intended to tear them apart and set them against each other.

“We await Your Majesty’s command.”

“Gando Administrator Yi Beom-yun is essentially treated as an independent warlord. In the midst of that, a Sapodae staff officer, and a woman at that, has been appointed to the position of Administrator. What do you think will happen to the balance of power in Manchuria?”

Only at times like this, when he was pulling such petty tricks, did Gojong’s mind work with frightening speed.

“So you intend to deliberately make the two of them keep each other in check?”

If that was the case, what would happen? Yi Yong-ik narrowed his eyes. They should be focusing on assimilating Manchuria into Korea, yet here they were, making them fight each other. With the future of Korea so uncertain, what was the point of splitting Manchuria and Gando apart again?

“Exactly. We can’t just ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠let Manchuria establish its own independent government, can we?”

Gojong smiled slyly in front of Min Yeong-hwan and Yi Yong-ik. Yes. Gojong was a filthy, petty emperor who even kept his own subjects in check.

I sent Hong Taiji’s remains to Hanseong specifically so I wouldn’t have to be summoned by Gojong. And our dear Emperor Gojong truly had a special talent for fucking people over.

In return for the gift I sent, he gave me a nice fat fuck you right back. He had appointed me, who had settled down in Fengtian, as Administrator.

“Gojong really thinks with a brain like that he can drive out the Japanese? Give me a break.”

Was he trying to put me on the same level as Yi Beom-yun? I knew exactly why he was doing this. He wanted the two of us to keep each other in check.

Think about it logically. Does it make any sense to suddenly grant a woman an entire fief and the authority to command an army? Of course not.

But then again, the Administrator position wasn’t even an official post of the Korean Empire. And I, Ok Jin-seo, also held the title of Russian Countess. So perhaps he figured he could afford to hand out such a special position.

“His Majesty appointed you as Administrator?”

Yi Beom-yun wasn’t the type to compete with a girl young enough to be his daughter over something like this. In that case, I should lay all my cards on the table from the start and cooperate with him.

“This doesn’t make sense. If I’ve earned merit, they should have promoted me to general. Instead they’ve given me this vague title of Administrator. I understand they might be making allowances because I’m a woman, but still…”

It wasn’t like I had even served as a brigade commander. They had simply thrown the Administrator position at me out of nowhere. It was like a beggar suddenly waking up as a prince.

If you looked through Joseon history, were there any women who had ever received official posts? Even if there were, the fact that I couldn’t recall any meant they were extremely rare.

So while some might say the Emperor had shown great generosity by granting me such a special position, that was all just an excuse. The Administrator title meant I would oversee the military in the region, but it was not an official government post of the Korean Empire.

“Tell me what you think.”

“It may be called a government post, but it isn’t even an official position of the Korean Empire. This definitely has some ulterior motive behind it.”

No matter how I looked at it, this reeked of scheming.

“Ulterior motive?”

It was blatantly suspicious. An emperor never leaves his subjects alone. Although, since there were already Manchurian administrative facilities in Fengtian… well, that ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠was one thing.

“Look at Gando and Southern Manchuria. Recently, Britain has been helping us develop Southern Manchuria in order to support our control over Gando. Meanwhile, we’ve been working to assimilate the Manchus and Han Chinese here by turning them into Koreans. We’re also receiving attention from Britain and the Japanese. And if you, General, were to gather your forces here and march on Hanseong?”

That chestnut-selling bastard was trying to make me and Yi Beom-yun monitor each other. That was it.

“Are you saying His Imperial Majesty doubts my loyalty?”

Yi Beom-yun’s eyes widened as he glared at me. Loyalty? That man would suspect anyone who achieved enough merit to threaten him. The Japanese were already eyeing Korea. He was a man obsessed with building up his own authority and power.

Never trust Gojong. Right now, he was trying to keep us in check. He was the one who started all this. He had tacitly allowed us to act as Gando Administrator, yet in the end he was still trying to restrain us.

“It may not be outright suspicion, but he wants to prevent us from growing too powerful by making you and me keep each other in check. Just like how political factions fight among themselves. If we’re busy watching each other, we won’t be able to build real strength and will have no choice but to remain dependent on the Korean Empire.”

In the end, we would naturally be absorbed into the Korean Empire. From the Empire’s perspective that was the correct move, and since we were Koreans ourselves, it was only natural. But think about it the other way around. Could we really entrust the fate of Manchuria and Gando to that petty bastard who only knows how to pull cheap tricks and couldn’t even bark back at the Japanese in the original history?

No matter how you looked at it, it would end up as nothing more or less than the Japan-Korea Annexation from the original timeline, only with Manchuria and Gando added on top.

“But I have no such intentions.”

Even if he had no such intentions, the situation around him was different. Throughout both East and West, power struggles had a way of flowing on their own whether one wanted them to or not. Even after the world ended, that fact never changed. The soldiers who had once protected the survivors gradually became corrupted by power and ended up oppressing the very people they were supposed to protect.

And with the pressure from Japan added on top, Gojong would be even worse.

“Even if we don’t want that to happen, he’s trying to create exactly that kind of situation. The Emperor is keeping us in check right now.”

By making Yi Beom-yun and me keep each other in check. Logically speaking, it was questionable whether someone like me could even serve as a proper counterweight to Yi Beom-yun. Did Gojong really see me as that significant a figure?