The Gathering Storm of the Chinese Revolution
At this time, the Qing Dynasty was in absolute chaos. First of all, the fact that they had fully recognized Southern Manchuria as Korean territory had spread far and wide among the Qing subjects.
“That monster Empress Dowager Cixi handed Manchuria over to Joseon!”
“Land? Of all the things they could do, to those Joseon bastards?”
“They say they gave them Manchuria?”
“Manchuria’s always been a distant story for us Han people anyway.”
“Hah, are you even listening to yourself? It’s land of the Middle Kingdom we’re talking about!”
“Ah, that’s right. Filthy bastards. Why are they selling our land however they please?”
“Even worse, they say the taxes we paid are being handed over as tribute to the Joseon bastards!”
The Han people of the Qing were seething with rage. Though the principles of the Middle Kingdom had fallen to the ground and they suffered discrimination at the hands of the Manchus, they had comforted themselves for hundreds of years by acknowledging the Manchus as the legitimate rulers of the Middle Kingdom—at least it was still the Celestial Empire! But now even that Celestial Empire was having its land torn away and money given to Joseon, which for five hundred years had been the foremost subordinate state of the Middle Kingdom, practically a vassal. How could anyone swallow this?
“And what the hell is this railway nationalization?”
“I can’t endure it any longer! To think they’d kneel even to Joseon, a mere vassal! And now they’re nationalizing the railways on top of it!?”
In truth, Yi Wan-yong’s scheme hadn’t played that large a role. After all, in the original history the Qing had already been hurtling toward destruction around this time. However, separate from that, unlike the original timeline where Empress Dowager Cixi died early, in this world she had lived several years longer. Because of that, the Qing had lingered in a zombie-like state far longer than it should have.
Yet with the railway nationalization, the precarious balance that had been barely maintained thanks to Cixi finally collapsed. Yi Wan-yong’s final blow gave the Han people the perfect justification they needed. The uprising began in Sichuan Province.
“Your Majesty the Empress Dowager, this is a grave matter. Your Majesty?”
Prince Chun urgently searched for Empress Dowager Cixi as signs of rebellion flared up like signal fires in every direction, but for some reason she gave no response that day. He heard she had not been able to rise from her bedchamber.
“Father. Her Majesty the Empress Dowager has been unable to rise since this morning.”
The last emperor of the Qing, Puyi the Xuantong Emperor, clutched at Cixi with an anxious expression. Only then did Prince Chun press his lips tightly shut.
Surprisingly, this damned Empress Dowager Cixi had died. The fact that she could not rise meant death was all but certain. No matter how one looked at it, the wicked woman showed no signs of waking.
“Damn it. She picks a time like this to kick the bucket!”
Having enjoyed everything there was to enjoy, the wicked woman had died as she pleased. After ruining the Great Qing so thoroughly, was she simply going to vanish alone?
“Father. What should we do now?”
What to do? There was no hope left for the Qing. They had to suppress the rebellion rising in Sichuan. No—was that all? There was no way to stamp out the sparks of revolt flaring up everywhere.
Of all things, in a cabinet packed with imperial clansmen, they had nationalized the railways that were finally returning to private management and tried to use them as collateral to secure loans from the great powers. Following the loss of land to Joseon came nationalization. Protests erupted centered on those who had once called the railways the nation’s strength, demanding they stop this dogshit behavior. The situation had reached the point where they had no choice but to suppress the demonstrations by force.
Just what the hell is the Qing trying to become? Damn it. At this point we have no choice but to use Yuan Shikai’s Beiyang New Army.
Yuan Shikai. The rising powerhouse in the current Qing court, commander of the Beiyang New Army. In actual history, when ordered to suppress the rebels, he had negotiated with Sun Yat-sen, stabbed the Qing in the back, seized the Forbidden City, and brought about its destruction.
“Hmm, the Beiyang New Army? Well, I am nominally the Prime Minister of the Cabinet. Very well, I understand.”
Yuan Shikai—known in Korean as Won Se-gae—who had essentially seized real power, personally led the Beiyang Army southward. However, Prince Chun felt uneasy.
“No. Can we really trust Yuan Shikai?”
From the beginning, if Yuan Shikai simply changed his mind, the Qing would be finished. In that case, they needed a new safety measure. Tampering with Russia might just get them more land ripped away. That left… yes, Joseon. Since the Qing was doomed anyway, what did it matter if they borrowed another country’s army at this point?
“If you have no teeth, your gums will ache. That woman, Countess Ok, also cannot afford to let Manchuria be threatened if we disappear.”
Above all, from the position of receiving annual tribute from the Qing, they could not simply watch the goose that laid golden eggs have its belly split open.
Prince Chun Zaifeng thus sent a messenger to Ok Jin-seo. At this point they had no choice but to grasp anyone’s hand.
The modernization project currently underway in the Korean Empire was called the Yeongnak Reforms.
They reorganized the military, expanded cities in every region centered on the capital using war reparations, and—especially given the insane topography of the Korean Peninsula—poured enormous effort into road maintenance. They invited technicians from Western countries for consultation and, conversely, sent students abroad to secure cheap labor.
“Hmm. Not bad at all.”
“Now that I think about it, when I consulted the Americans, they said Manchuria remains underdeveloped and they have their own interests there, so they asked what we might have available for export.”
Yi Beom-yun spoke with a sigh. It seemed there had been discussions with American economists regarding economic development. If they were asking what we had to export, the honest answer was that nothing was in particularly good shape. Even if domestic production of manufactured goods was now possible, exporting them would be difficult. But the Korean people did have one unique export product, didn’t they?
Porcelain had no competitive edge against Japanese wares.
“Don’t we have something we’ve been using for a very long time?”
“A very long time?”
It wasn’t as if there were no options. There was one thing the current Korea could put forward—the single best item among the three East Asian countries that could be milked for maximum nationalistic pride.
“Red ginseng. We should use red ginseng.”
Ginseng itself had an incredibly long history. On the Korean Peninsula there had been Goryeo ginseng, Baekje ginseng, and Silla ginseng even during the Three Kingdoms period. In any case, Joseon had filled its treasury with this ginseng. They sold it to Japan and extracted enormous amounts of Japanese silver—so much that Japan had even minted special silver coins specifically for trading Joseon ginseng. Where all that silver went, no one knew, but it had been the equivalent of Korea’s semiconductor industry. Later, with the development of red ginseng, it continued to be used effectively until the Japanese Government-General took control.
This was the perfect time to push it hard. It wasn’t as if the weak nation of Korea had suddenly acquired a red ginseng corporation. There was something to use in moments like this—our friend Ambassador Allen.
I summoned Ambassador Allen, who was tightly bound to me over the gold mine issue.
“Red ginseng, you say? I have indeed heard that it sells well in Qing.”
“Help me out with this one too.”
Shut up and listen. Help with the red ginseng business. In any case, this isn’t a bad offer for you either. Globalizing red ginseng and beginning proper exports wouldn’t be bad at all, and we could use the money earned from that globalization for development.
“Really now, it’s not as if you entrusted this to me beforehand. This is rather sudden…”
If you’re busy devouring the Unsan gold mine, this much should be fine to ask, no? It’s not like I’m requesting something impossible, and if nothing else, you know about red ginseng because of Qing, don’t you?
“Shouldn’t we establish an appropriate company on our side as well? I’ll handle the funding somehow. Just invest a little capital for us.”
“I have looked into it, but what exactly are the effects of this red ginseng?”
Red ginseng? Hell if I know. All I know is that it’s damn good stuff. As far as I remember, it’s good for stamina. They say it’s beneficial in all sorts of ways, don’t they? In any case, since it has proven effects, that’s why it’s been exported overseas for so long. If my memory serves, it’s supposed to be good for stamina and even helps with opium addiction. There were many cases where the Qing bought it claiming it helped them recover from opium.
“It is exceptionally good for male virility and not bad for various illnesses. For example, it is a special remedy for those addicted to opium.”
Exceptionally good for male virility. That alone would probably be enough for men to love it. That’s the kind of thing red ginseng is.
“Good grief, this is ridiculous.”
“It’s all thanks to you, Ambassador Allen.”
I pressed him aggressively. With one hand resting on the axe, as if to say I could crack his skull open anytime. Boldly, as if declaring I would stand against anyone. Majestically, as if no one could match me.
“I haven’t agreed to help yet, but… ha. Very well. I shall lend what strength I can.”
“You’re accepting rather easily for once.”
All I had done was idly toy with the handaxe lying beside me. If anything went wrong, the United States would protect me anyway—what was there to worry about?
“I do value my own life, after all.”
“Ah, you needn’t pay any mind to this axe.”
I have no intention of bringing it down on you. It’s simply too heavy to keep at my waist, so I placed it here. Of course, how many people in this era would keep an axe on their desk?
“My head will not be split open before the matter reaches my government. My country is far across the sea, while the savage—no, the handaxe is right in front of me.”
Savage is a bit harsh. Seeing him break into a cold sweat, it seems he genuinely believes I might swing the handaxe.
“Savage? Uncivilized as I may appear, there is no woman in Asia more civilized than I. And thanks to me, aren’t you making quite the profit, Ambassador Allen?”
As proof, the man had somehow managed to cling to his ambassadorial post for a long time. It meant he was eating well in this country.
“Whew… yes, let’s say that’s true. In any case, you wish to receive investment assistance from American companies for the red ginseng enterprise. Is that it?”
“That would be good, but it wouldn’t be bad if Ambassador Allen helped personally either. After all, you’ve held the post for quite a long time. Shouldn’t you at least secure a proper conclusion? Honestly it’s hard to trust the American homeland, but aren’t you and I close friends?”
It feels a bit dirty giving this kind of opportunity to a man who sold out Koreans, but right now he is my personal pushover. The fact that I have to threaten him to extract profit says everything. Allen had properly played the role of our sucker in proportion to what he had devoured. With this, it looked like we would receive support for the red ginseng business as well.
After wrapping up the red ginseng matters and heading back to the government office, Yi Wan-yong came looking for me.
“Have you heard? They say Empress Dowager Cixi has died.”
Empress Dowager Cixi is dead. I had expected it, but still.
“Empress Dowager Cixi? Well, it was about time she died, wasn’t it?”
It really was about time. In fact, it was rather late. She should have died much earlier. Living a few extra years made a big difference. Of course I don’t know if it matches the original world, but seeing that the Xinhai Revolution is breaking out similarly, it seems that right before her death the late Qing period had become almost identical to the original timeline.
Yes. Even if Yi Wan-yong hadn’t touched Manchuria, it would have collapsed anyway.
“Yes. It does not appear to have been an assassination—simply natural causes.”
So she even lived out her full lifespan. After ruining the country so thoroughly, too.
“A shame. If that bitch had stayed alive longer, the brain-rotted state might have lasted. Hmm.”
If only she had lived just a little longer. No, in the end this ending probably couldn’t have been avoided anyway. Since the same kind of mess occurred in the Xinhai year as in the original history, and with Yi Wan-yong’s extra blow added on top, something was bound to explode.
“They declared railway nationalization, and the atmosphere seems quite ominous.”
“Railway nationalization?”
“Yes. They nationalized the railways and appear to be attempting to borrow loans from European nations using them as collateral.”
They really know how to commit insane acts. Is self-destructing a passive skill for politicians right before the fall of a nation? Both in the late Korean Empire and in China, it’s utterly ridiculous.
“The Qing is bringing about its own collapse. Well, for a Manchu country it did last quite a long time.”
For a nomadic people’s dynasty, hadn’t it lasted fairly long? Longer than the Khitan, Jin, or Yuan, it seems. Well, that also means it had been relatively stable, but if the Qing completely collapses now, it will become troublesome for us as well.
“There are rumors they intend to suppress the rebellion with Yuan Shikai’s New Army.”
“Hmm. What is the current situation?”
Depending on how things develop, our military may need to intervene. It would be problematic if the Qing were to perish. The best scenario would be if the Qing bastards request support from us, but even if they don’t want it, we will have to push our way in.
“They say the revolutionary army that rose in Wuchang has temporarily established a military government. In the Qing, the man who disturbed our court—Yuan Shikai—has become Prime Minister.”
Yuan Shikai rising to Prime Minister. This meant the complete fall of the Qing was now imminent. That man always stabs the Qing in the back.
“Well, we expected Yuan Shikai. Soon enough the Qing will come begging to us.”
“To us? They say ‘when the lips are gone the teeth grow cold,’ and since they are bound to us by tribute, it makes sense.”
Correct. The Qing is now in a position where it must receive military support from anywhere it can. The great powers have grudges against them and are difficult to call upon, and Japan is still in ruins. That leaves only us as a trustworthy option. I won’t even need to send a messenger myself. However, this time the difficulty will be high.
Yes. The country that mobilizes hundreds of thousands of troops is none other than China. On the other hand, the forces we can mobilize—excluding domestic defense troops—amount to only tens of thousands. Shall we play a little dirty this time?