Potential Traitor
I made one hell of a contribution to Russia’s victory. Even without me, the Russo-Japanese War would have ended better for them than in the original timeline, but judging by how things played out, a draw would have been the best they could have hoped for. And if that had happened, Bloody Sunday would still have been a shitshow. Even now, it feels like the revolution is inevitable someday. At least I’ve managed to delay it. As far as I’m concerned, that alone means I’ve done my part.
“Didn’t I play a pretty big role in that gentleman’s business success?”
Without me, he’d be running from creditors right about now. Yeah, I helped that bastard hit the jackpot.
“If Russia had lost the war they would have gone completely bankrupt, so in a sense you’re right.”
Exactly. In other words, they should be thanking me. Be grateful, you bastards.
“That man is securing Manchurian resources as well, I hear?”
“That’s right. He’s probably developing the region with great enthusiasm even as we speak.”
We absolutely have to secure Manchuria. We need it no matter what—at the very least to claim the Daqing oil fields. Thirty-era technology might make it tough, but with enough brute-force effort, we should be able to make something work.
“Do you think we could bring that man over to our side?”
“It will probably be difficult. Still, Countess Ok, it is true he succeeded thanks to you, so he may show limited interest.”
“It would be perfect if the Korean Empire itself could assist. What a shame.”
Still, it wasn’t a bad situation. The Tsar himself was my patron. We didn’t necessarily need Bezobrazov. The only thing was that he was the one currently feasting in the Far East, and I wanted a bite of that pie. With things as they were, though, maybe it was better to let it go.
“On the other hand, I could arrange a meeting for you.”
“You mean introduce me to him?”
He’d set me up with the man? Hmm. Not a bad offer. If Bezobrazov personally watched my back… well. Simply having connections outside the Korean Empire would make my position inside it far more solid. If the great powers—who currently looked upon me with favor—ever decided to toss me aside, they would immediately start trying to manipulate the Korean Empire again. Nicholas II would probably be the first to mobilize the Far East forces under the pretext of punishing us. Unfortunately, at the current level of this country, stopping the Far East Army would be nearly impossible. But for the moment, anyone with half a brain wouldn’t dare touch me. That was exactly why I needed to forge external connections now more than ever.
“That’s right. This time I’m thinking of developing the military industry together with him. The sort of airplanes you’ve been wanting, for example.”
“Then I’ll leave it in your hands.”
Let’s meet the man once. I was genuinely curious whether I could get one step ahead of him.
“Ah, but have you heard the latest news?”
“Yes?”
“An imperial prince from Deutschland is coming to travel in Daehan.”
Deutsch? The German Empire was sending a prince to Korea? Hadn’t one of Wilhelm II’s brothers already visited the Korean Empire once before?
“The German Empire is sending royalty?”
“Since you are the Foreign Minister, word will likely reach you soon as well.”
Just as he said, before long the German envoy Saldern came to see me.
With the recent conclusion of the Russo-Japanese-Korean War, neither Japan nor Russia could project influence onto Korea any longer. Russia seemed to intend to exert its influence through me instead, but I planned to use that influence for Korea’s development.
“The reason I have come to see the Foreign Minister today is that Prince Joachim, the sixth son of our German Empire’s Kaiser, has expressed his desire to visit Korea.”
“Is that so?”
Prince Joachim? I had no idea what that guy even did, but the sixth son… Hmm. Wasn’t he basically a kid? Did that mean I’d have to deal with some whining little brat? He’d probably cause all sorts of trouble just because it was the Orient, and since I already hated children, if he pulled anything in front of me I’d probably start by smacking him upside the head.
“Yes. As you know, are not our German Empire and the Korean Empire in a position to grow quite close? His Majesty the Kaiser holds great interest in the Foreign Minister, and Prince Joachim, who will be visiting, is also looking forward to the day he meets you.”
Huh? What did he just say? This Prince Joachim character was looking forward to meeting me?
“Me?”
No, why the hell did he want to see me? In this era, a proper German imperial prince was coming all the way to Korea just because of one person? Should I let myself feel a little nationalistic pride here? Exactly how famous had I become in Europe?
“Are you not called the Joan of Arc of Korea? Our German Empire’s Foreign Ministry also greatly wishes to advance its relationship with the Foreign Minister.”
Ah, so they wanted to keep a good relationship with us.
“Is that so? Then while the visit has its own purpose, the true intent could be seen as strengthening ties with our Korea.”
“Yes. Now that it is a fully sovereign and independent nation, His Majesty the Kaiser wishes to assist in strengthening Korea’s military power so that it may protect that independence.”
Military strengthening. That was exactly what Korea needed most right now. Wait—hold on. The Korean army had already been heavily influenced by France. During the Battle of Hanseong the French had even praised it, calling it “the France of Asia fighting against Britain.” They’d hyped it up because it was the army they had trained, of course.
“But we have already trained our army with a French advisory group. Are Germany and France not sworn enemies?”
They could barely stand the sight of each other. In that case, accepting a German advisory group would be difficult, no?
“Oh? To have studied in Europe from such a young age, you are quite knowledgeable about history as well.”
So that was how the story had gotten twisted. No wonder foreigners were so unreasonably favorable toward me. Well, even I would feel some goodwill toward someone I could speak with directly without an interpreter.
“Yes, that is correct. Therefore our German Empire would like to assist with warships instead. France would have little grounds to complain if it concerns the navy.”
“Warships?”
So they would support our navy. That was the meaning.
“The Russian Empire’s fleet appears to have stationed itself at the Tsushima concession, but it will not be a match for Britain. In that case, Russia alone would find it difficult to protect Korea’s seas. Thus, just as Britain helped Japan build its fleet, our Kaiser wishes to help build Korea’s navy.”
I see. So it ultimately came down to maintaining the balance in the Far East. Germany’s goal would ideally be to make us an ally, but their practical objective was to make Korea strong enough to defend itself and thereby maintain equilibrium among the great powers. Just like how Goryeo had once acted as the balancer between Liao-Goryeo-Song and Jin-Goryeo-Song. Only this time the scale was a little larger.
“It is for the sake of Far Eastern balance.”
“Yes. It is His Majesty the Kaiser’s will that Korea grow strong and serve as the balancer of the Far East, maintaining equilibrium among the great powers.”
Right. They would support us for the sake of Far Eastern balance. The real question was exactly how far that support would go. If they were going to balance things for us, they might as well do it properly.
“How far are you willing to help?”
With the recent establishment of the bank, both Russian and German companies had arrived. The key was how far they were willing to go. The more support the better. The current Korea needed to grab everything it could get. Even if Russia became somewhat displeased by the scale of German assistance, so what? We weren’t in any position to be picky. Besides, Russian naval technology was inferior. Britain wouldn’t share its knowledge even if asked, so simply accepting what Germany offered was also an option.
“Warship sales, naval training, and so on. We will assist with whatever is needed.”
“We have received some warships from Japan.”
I doubted the ones we received from Japan were in good condition.
“Hahaha! The warships of our German Empire cannot possibly be compared to mere Japanese vessels. Moreover, does not the Foreign Minister know well how Japan cheated your country with those ships? You cannot be certain they are all in proper condition.”
He was right. I knew that much. Honestly, proper ships would be good, but even if they were all wrecks it wouldn’t matter. That was the plain truth. My goal was to weaken Japan’s fleet and navy as much as possible. They had already lost their Combined Fleet, and even the vessels scheduled for commissioning would be handed over to us. It was as good as finished. Korea would remain army-focused, but we still needed to build a fleet capable of defending at least the Korean Peninsula. Receiving Germany’s help at this opportunity wasn’t a bad idea. Russian influence had been pushed out, Britain could do nothing with the peninsula, and we had this small window to act.
“I understand. I will report this separately to His Majesty the Emperor and obtain a favorable reply.”
Saldern smiled at my words and withdrew.
So the victory in the Russo-Japanese-Korean War had brought about this result.
“Whew. One less thing to worry about for now.”
I still wasn’t sure whether pulling Germany in was the right move. They said even our military brat had met with the admirals of the German East Asia Squadron before he died. It seemed they had exchanged certain things in preparation for the unknown. Perhaps Germany had already been trying to balance the Far East from that time.
“Lady Eom will have to be dealt with if the worst comes to pass.”
If possible I wanted to reach a reasonable compromise, but if things continued like this, maybe we really would have to establish a republic. Or should I just turn it into an open theocratic state? Or an anarchist one? The options were plentiful. Anarchism might be stateless in name only—government would still have to exist—but it might not be bad as a tool for integrating multiple ethnic groups. If that felt too communist and therefore unacceptable, the alternative would be a republic.
“These people who still haven’t come to their senses need to be brought under control somehow.”
For now, I would prepare to welcome the German prince.
Education Minister Yi Wan-yong had always been an exceedingly cunning man, both in the original world and here. He was the one who had meticulously calculated exactly how to sell the country for maximum profit while still giving the Yi imperial family as much face as possible, ultimately handing over twenty million subjects and three thousand li of territory to Japan through the Eulsa Treaty.
But in this changed history, Japan had failed to win. Russia and the Korean Empire had achieved a decisive victory and now enjoyed the status of victors, while Japan had collapsed in plain sight. Yi Wan-yong therefore regarded Japan as nothing more than a rotten rope.
I knew from the moment they assassinated the predecessor (Gojong).
No matter how one looked at it, lunatics who would assassinate the emperor of an allied nation could not be said to possess any sense. As expected, the Sino-Japanese War had proven that Qing was inferior to those low-intelligence Japanese, and the Sapodae had even recaptured Hanseong.
“Minister of Education. You are someone the late Emperor cherished greatly. Is that not so?”
“Indeed, Your Highness the Noble Consort. How could this servant possibly doubt His Majesty’s favor? When those Japanese devils assassinated His Majesty, I immediately retired to the countryside and gathered a righteous army.”
In truth he had only pretended to retire to the countryside while gauging which side to join between the barbaric Japanese and the great power Russia, but this much lip service was necessary.
“How could I doubt that? I am simply so furious that I have something I wish to say to you.”
“Please speak, Your Highness.”
It was obviously going to be useless talk about strengthening imperial authority. The world had already changed, yet they were trying to swim against the current. It was truly pathetic.
“Just where did that woman Ok Jin-seo even come from? Those European diplomats only ever seek out that Ok Jin-seo, that girl who appeared from who knows where. And is that Ok Jin-seo not the one who raised Yi Beom-yun to the position of Prime Minister and is now treating our Emperor like a mere figurehead?”
Well, did you really think that half-wit crown prince could handle politics properly? Honestly, even Yi Wan-yong had not known the person called Ok Jin-seo before. To speak plainly, she had accomplished feats so enormous that even the founder Emperor Taejo could not compare. But since Yi Wan-yong had not yet aligned himself with the Manchurian army, he could not act rashly. For now, he would humor the Noble Consort.
“She is truly an impudent woman, but there is no helping it, is there?”
“Why do you say that?”
Why? With this level of incompetence, the imperial family of this country truly had no future. A nation ruled by an incompetent imperial house. At least the absolute monarchies of Europe carried some weight. This country’s imperial family had been doomed since the previous emperor’s time—no, since the corruption of the three administrations, since the days when powerful subjects controlled everything.
“From what I hear, Ok Jin-seo is fluent in every European language—English, Russian, Japanese, French, German, and more. They say she is just over twenty years old. That would mean she has lived in Europe almost since birth. She must be well-versed in European affairs. In this country of Daehan, there is no one as outstanding as the Foreign Minister.”
She understood the European situation better than anyone else in this country. By saving the Russian heir she had gained Russia’s backing. If they removed her, it would be like the time Emperor Taiji’s northern forces were depleted by Yi Gwal’s rebellion, leading to the Jeongmyo Horan. The Russian Emperor might become furious and march south.
“But is she not a woman who has received a Russian title? Pro-Japanese sentiment is a problem, but would Ok Jin-seo not be pro-Russian? Who can say whether she might sell this country to Russia?”
That was a different matter. They said that the Sapodae under Yi Beom-yun and Ok Jin-seo alone, if they brought all their forces currently in Manchuria, would number nearly thirty thousand. If they had intended to overthrow the country they would have sold it long ago. Of course, seeing how they were filling the Imperial Guard and Escort Guard with Sapodae officers under the pretext of reinforcement, it was clear they were trying to seize military authority as well. But was that any of Yi Wan-yong’s concern?