An Easy Man to Manipulate
Choi Jae-hyung was the kind of man the Koreans in Primorsky Krai trusted enough to call him Pechka. The road that brought him here had been anything but smooth—there had been plenty of desperate, life-or-death moments along the way—but still. He was the most reliable Korean in the region, a natural leader. Lately he had even been considering a venture into military industry ahead of the inevitable war.
But then came an uncomfortable order.
“How the hell am I supposed to build something like this?”
It was the airplane the Countess of Southern Manchuria had handed him. She had sketched it right in front of him, copying the design with fierce concentration, which was all well and good. The written specifications were one thing, but the drawings were a crooked mess. He could more or less understand the concept, and the sketches could be corrected, yet the real question remained: how was he actually supposed to manufacture it?
Choi Jae-hyung had not yet accumulated the kind of capital required for such a project. More than that, setting up a factory in the first place was a nightmare, and Russia’s current situation made producing something like this virtually impossible.
“Even if it kills me, it’s out of the question for the coming war.”
Later, if the great powers began another round of fierce competition, it might be feasible. But for now, it was impossible without securing collaborators.
Wait. Collaborators?
Russia might be technologically backward compared to other nations, but it was hardly a poor country. It was industrializing at a rapid pace these days, and it had its own powerful business families. If not them, he could always reach out to one of Russia’s allied states. In any case, having traded under the guidance of his godmother and godfather for years, Choi Jae-hyung at least had wide connections. It was worth a try. Of course, even if he succeeded, everything would end the moment the countess’s domain collapsed.
Choi Jae-hyung shook out his legs and stood.
“She told me to head for Hanseong first, so that’s where I’ll go.”
To keep that domain from collapsing, he would have to cooperate with the countess as actively as possible.
The journey to Hanseong in the Korean Empire was not particularly difficult. Japanese soldiers were visible here and there, but since they were “allies for the time being,” it was different from the postwar situation with Russia. At least for now, the Japanese army was not controlling Korea.
“Surprisingly few Japanese troops in Hanseong.”
Probably because Emperor Gojong was cooperating so earnestly, the Japanese had decided against seizing the city outright and were instead concentrating their forces on the fight against Russia. That did not mean there were none at all. There were still enough to defend against a Qing invasion, and enough to attempt taking control of the Korean Empire if the chance presented itself.
These bastards. They’re definitely scheming something, aren’t they?
“Still, they say Kuroki Tamemoto’s First Army is nearby. The Japanese garrison in Hanseong itself is relatively small, at least.”
“I suppose so.”
To the Japanese, the country of Joseon was nothing more than a weak, bat-like little nation that would cling to whichever side offered the easiest meal. Of course, from the Korean Empire’s perspective, it was a matter of survival and their own disastrous diplomacy, but that was beside the point.
Taking the emperor was going to be more difficult than expected.
“But how exactly do you plan to take the emperor?”
“Simple. We disguise him.”
From what I had seen last time, Yi Beom-yun would probably throw a fit if I killed the man, so I could not dispose of him openly. Instead, I would disguise him as a businessman and take him to Manchuria together with Choi Jae-hyung.
“You believe that is possible?”
“It is possible. And if it is not, I will make it possible.”
I intended to exploit Gojong’s inherently servile nature. The pathetic survival instinct he had honed between the not-quite-majestic Empress Myeongseong and his father, the Grand Prince Heungseon, along with his nine-dan skill at reading the room. Add to that his desperate need to protect his own power, and he would likely choose to follow me. If not, I could always threaten him with a gun. If an emergency arose during the journey, he could take a bullet in my place. And if even that failed and I could not control him, the worst-case scenario was assassinating Gojong en route and framing the Japanese for it.
Of course, that was the last resort. I would prefer not to kill him. I had no particular desire to stain my hands with Gojong’s blood.
On the way here I had already considered several methods. If none of them worked, I would simply have to make the decision myself.
Choi Jae-hyung served as our means of meeting the emperor, and with his permission we were granted an audience at the palace.
“Hoo. A Korean businessman who made his fortune in Russia. So you have come to do something for the empire?”
As expected, Gojong—who desperately needed every additional source of funds—welcomed Choi Jae-hyung’s visit with open arms. Even I, seeing the emperor in person for the first time, was taken aback. He truly looked as wretched as he did in the photographs. His entire face was plastered with sticky, greedy ambition for power, yet he had the sort of features that would have made him a perfect bread shuttle back in a modern classroom.
“War is war and business is business, Your Majesty. However, given the current situation… before we discuss that, there is someone I would like to present to you.”
“And who might that be?”
His expectant expression was almost endearing. Even now the emperor’s face was flushed with excitement at the thought of seizing Manchuria. Striking the Japanese from behind was certainly more advantageous than siding with Russia, and it must have been unpleasant to imagine the Korean Empire falling under Russian influence, but that was irrelevant.
I had to drag this man out of here.
“Your Imperial Majesty. This servant, Ok Jin-seo, Prince of Shenyang, greets you.”
I gave a proper military salute to the emperor, who held the rank of marshal over the Korean Empire’s forces. My clothing was closer to a suit than a uniform, but that could not be helped.
“The Ok Jin-seo who received a Russian title, delivered the remains of the imperial ancestors, and was appointed by me?”
Yes, that Ok Jin-seo. Stop staring already. The problem was that this was not a private audience; the emperor’s closest aides were present.
“I never imagined she would be such a young woman. What kind of strength could possibly come from that slender body?”
“Even so, is this not excessively rude to Your Majesty?”
Yi Yong-ik, Min Yeong-hwan, Park Je-sun, and the rest.
The reason I had rushed here so brazenly was that such rudeness could be interpreted as urgency. The presence of Choi Jae-hyung served as proof of that.
Recalling the brief time I had spent at an acting academy in my previous life, I dropped to my knees before the emperor with an audible thud and wailed.
“Your Majesty! Please forgive this servant’s disloyalty and rudeness in having no choice but to appear before you in this manner! But the very survival of Daehan’s ancestral shrines is at stake, which is why I committed such an offense!”
“What exactly is going on?”
“At the Yalu River I overheard a conversation between Japanese Army Commander-in-Chief Oyama Iwao and his staff! The things they said posed a direct threat to our empire!”
A direct threat to Daehan. Gojong’s eyes darted back and forth at my words. Even after his wife was murdered, all he had done was flee to the Russian legation and declare himself emperor. This was a man who had never properly taken revenge on Japan. Even though they were allies, there were surely parts of the arrangement he found suspicious.
“What exactly did they say? Tell me in full!”
“They said that if the war against Russia becomes difficult, they will use the Japanese troops remaining in Hanseong to seize both the city and the imperial palace and forcibly establish a pro-Japanese cabinet!”
“What?!”
“It makes no sense! No matter how weak our empire is compared to Japan, the Japanese forces left in Hanseong could surely be stopped with our remaining troops!”
That was true. A great deal of blood would likely be spilled, but the demonstration forces had been properly armed as allied troops.
“Your Majesty, you have already shown them benevolence by forming an alliance. Why, then, would they insist on establishing a pro-Japanese cabinet? Their plan is that the moment Hanseong falls, they will move their main forces to seize control of the entire Korean Empire, then reinforce their position at the Yalu River and prepare for a decisive defense.”
“That is absurd. How could they—”
Look at those bloodshot eyes, yet how quickly his ears perked up. Yes. This was the moment. I would plant every seed of doubt I could in that head of his.
In any case, if it truly was an “alliance,” there would be no problem with Gojong traveling to Shenyang under the pretext of comforting the troops.
“Your Majesty! It is not impossible. I have heard the Japanese fleet already failed at Port Arthur and fled in disgrace. The Japanese forces at the Yalu River have only just crossed the border and appear to be hesitating. There is a chance.”
“This servant hurried here in secret so they would not notice and has committed an offense before Your Imperial Majesty. Please forgive me!”
I slammed my forehead against the floor several times, tears streaming down my face. I had to appear at least somewhat sincere.
“Since you have come all this way, you must have a plan. Correct?”
Yes. There are more than enough ways to keep you alive. So stop talking and just follow me. Since this country is still an absolute monarchy, securing the emperor was a necessary step.
“Yes, Your Majesty. There is a way.”
“Good. The Prince of Shenyang shall tell me at once how I may survive!”
He had thrown all dignity aside. How pathetic. At the brink of national ruin, this was what the emperor had become. Well, it was a five-hundred-year-old tree, but also a five-hundred-year history of pathetic submission and survival. Serving the Ming, despised and beaten by the Japanese and Jurchens they once looked down on, using every three-kowtow-nine-prostration trick to somehow prolong the life of a country that should have died long ago. And now it stood on the verge of being taken by Japan once more.
“I will personally escort Your Majesty all the way to Shenyang!”
“But there will be Japanese troops there as well. Is it truly necessary? Would it not be more dangerous with their main forces present?”
I straightened my posture and spoke with even greater urgency.
“Our main forces have already advanced into Manchuria, and Kuroki’s First Army is watching Hanseong with hungry eyes. The Japanese in Manchuria are occupied fighting the Russians, so our only option is to rely on the Sapodae. Your Majesty! If you take refuge in Shenyang first, the Sapodae will protect you!”
The Sapodae was strong. The Sapodae was the army that would save this country. A mere handful of demonstrators could not possibly drive out the Japanese, and heading south would only bring us closer to Japan.
“The Prince of Shenyang speaks sense, Your Majesty. There is no reason for an allied nation to station so many troops in another country’s capital. We have only a handful of soldiers left to guard the palace. If they surround it, we will wither like land in a drought.”
“How do you propose we escape?”
Good. Everything was proceeding according to plan. Bringing Choi Jae-hyung had not been a waste. It also increased credibility.
“Though it pains me to say it, you must travel in disguise.”
“Disguise?”
“Lord Choi Do-heon will prepare everything.”
I deliberately used the official title Choi Jae-hyung held among the Korean community. The familiar address here would prevent them from growing suspicious of his assistance. Perhaps because his safety had been guaranteed, Gojong’s expression softened noticeably. He nodded.
“Truly loyal subjects. Very well. Since our ancestor, the previous emperor, also preserved the dignity of the state by hiding from Japanese invaders, I shall do the same!”
So far, so good. Just up to this point. Now I had to whisper the devil’s temptation into his ear so he could not back out.
“The humiliation will be brief. Crisis is opportunity, Your Majesty. Please lead the army from horseback like Emperor Taejo. Become the Emperor on Horseback.”
For any king of Joseon, the figure they respected most and longed to surpass was Taejo Yi Seong-gye. The Sapodae had already stirred up Gando and Manchuria with overwhelming bravado. Recovering the old territories would be no different from surpassing Yi Seong-gye, whose greatest achievements had been repelling the Red Turbans and Japanese pirates.
“Like Emperor Taejo?”
Gojong’s eyes sparkled. Emperor Taejo. Yi Seong-gye. The chance to surpass his achievements. If he could do that, he might truly revive this decaying empire.
Leading the Sapodae to expel the Japanese from Manchuria. If that were really possible.
Regrettably, it was doubtful whether Gojong even understood military strategy, and a man who cared only for his own survival hardly possessed the charisma to command an army. Moreover, the men I commanded in Shenyang were filled with venom. Would those who had watched me stab Qing soldiers with my own blade and pull the trigger follow an emperor who hesitated in the rear with a pathetic, loser-like face?
Absolutely not.
Having seen him bite the bait, I decided to push Gojong even further.
“No. You will be able to achieve even greater feats than Emperor Taejo.”
“Greater feats than Emperor Taejo?”
The devil’s voice. I poured every ounce of confidence and certainty into my words, whispering temptation like the devil himself.
“I guarantee that the Sapodae is the strongest army in East Asia. Japan has staked its national fortune on this war with Russia and poured everything into Manchuria. If we destroy them there, they will lose all capacity to control the Korean Peninsula. They may have a navy, but without an army to attack us, what can they possibly do?”
“Indeed!”
Gojong immediately fell for my devil’s whisper and shot up from his seat. He truly was an easy man to manipulate.