Lips and Teeth
Seokjojeon, Korean Empire
"It is a matter of lips and teeth," the envoy from the Qing Dynasty pleaded with surprising desperation for someone addressing a former vassal state. Prince Qing, Hyuk Gwang, stood before us. Given our strained relations, his personal appearance spoke volumes about how dire the situation must be for them. Yuan Shikai could turn on them at any moment, and the Great Powers might intervene at any time. There was no helping it.
"With Russia right on our doorstep, what is there to fear? Our Korean-administered Manchuria will not be threatened."
I answered Prince Qing in my capacity as Foreign Minister. We had nothing to fear.
"Your Excellency knows better than anyone the resilience of the Han Chinese, having shared a border with them for millennia. Our survival would benefit you as well. Britain is already looking to involve itself in this affair. Even Russia would find the situation different with Britain in the mix."
Prince Qing bowed his head slightly. He had a point. It reminded me of the Jin Dynasty before its fall to the Mongols. The Song had allied with the Mongols to exact revenge on the Jin that had destroyed Northern Song. Of course, the difference now was that the Han Chinese were the ones being beaten.
"So you are asking for military assistance? Hasn't your own Yuan Shikai already mobilized the Beiyang Army?"
The Beiyang Army was practically the Qing's last hope. Though Yuan Shikai would eventually use it to destroy the Qing instead, at least for now there was no betrayal. Of course, if Yuan revealed his plans, he would naturally come to us, but that time had not yet arrived.
"He is not a man to be trusted. More importantly, as Prime Minister he has accomplished nothing, and his own suppression forces are defecting to the revolutionaries. How can we place our faith in him? The troops under his command are the elite."
"I see."
So what did they want from us? Military aid? It was obvious at a glance, but since the Qing were the ones desperate, we could afford to watch from afar. The more they needed us, the more we stood to gain.
"Please, help us. You know what kind of man Yuan Shikai is. If he joins forces with the revolutionaries and topples our Qing Dynasty, it will become your problem as well."
He was right. It would become our problem too. Even with Russia acting as a buffer zone, that arrangement could not last forever. Eventually we would find ourselves facing a Han Chinese-led China. Though it would likely be a coalition of warlords, they would undoubtedly contest us for Manchuria. Still, this was the moment to raise our price.
"If we were to send troops, how many would you expect? Your country can mobilize hundreds of thousands even during civil war, given its enormous population."
"Was it not the Administrator of Manchuria himself who claimed ten thousand Korean troops could defeat a hundred thousand Chinese?"
Well, he had me there. But how were we supposed to help them with our handful of soldiers? If we intervened now, it would essentially be a gamble. Suppose we aided the Qing and preserved their statehood. Our expeditionary force, excluding defensive units, would number around fifty thousand at most. Meanwhile, they fielded hundreds of thousands as a matter of course.
What I was really saying was simple: if we were to gamble our lives, what were they prepared to offer in return?
"It is only natural that those who seek aid should provide commensurate compensation."
"Have you not already received a great deal?"
That was then. This was now. Did they think dispatching tens of thousands of troops was a trivial matter? If we were going to do this, we would extract everything we could.
"Let us double the annual tribute."
We would start by securing that much at least.
"Double the tribute? That would be impossible unless victory is certain!"
Prince Qing's eyes widened as he shook his head. We would be risking our lives as well, so we deserved at least that much. Of course, it amounted to war reparations, and a fractured Qing would struggle to pay, but that would only sap their momentum for modernization. The wealth would flow straight to us. It was hardly a bad outcome.
"Furthermore, the title of Son of Heaven must be returned to its true successor—our Korea—while the Qing retain only the title of Great Khan."
"What nonsense is this about you being the true successor!"
My words were not wrong. Ironically, it was Joseon that had preserved the customs of the Ming, the very heart of Chinese civilization. When the Qing entered the Central Plains and imposed their own customs and hairstyle, Joseon alone had maintained the Ming traditions. When the Ming fell, many of its scholars had fled to us, and we had been the Ming's foremost vassal. Unlike China, which had become Manchu, we had absorbed Chinese culture and considered ourselves its legitimate continuation—the Little China. Centuries later, having restored our strength and declared ourselves an empire, it made no sense for non-Han Manchus to continue holding the imperial title.
"When the Ming fell, many of its scholars came to us, and during the Joseon period we were the Ming's foremost vassal state. Unlike China, which fell to the Manchus, we preserved Chinese culture and regarded ourselves as its heirs. Now that our nation has regained its strength and proclaimed an empire, it is absurd for Manchus—who are not even Han—to retain the title of Emperor. Is there not only one Son of Heaven under heaven, and is that not His Majesty our Emperor?"
In truth, when the Ming collapsed, Joseon had accepted Ming refugees and partially replenished its population lost to war.
"That is..."
"Has the Han Chinese populace not already abandoned you? If things continue this way, whether constitutionalists or revolutionaries prevail, the Great Khan's throne will be lost regardless. Are you truly content with that?"
If they fell, they would lose even their position as head of the Manchus. That was the reality. Of course, the sacred land of Manchuria had already been carved up by Russia and ourselves. All they had left was the imperial house and the title of Son of Heaven over the Central Plains. Their position was understandable, but the thirsty must drink on their own terms.
"Even so, to demand we relinquish the title of Son of Heaven... This is a matter that must be discussed another time."
"We find it difficult to yield on this point as well. Should we suffer heavy losses while providing support, we too will be in trouble. It would be better to simply trust Russia and stay put."
We had Russia as a buffer. There was no need to help them. At least not yet. If this was how they responded, what would they do?
After all, even if we stayed out, China would eventually fragment. They would have to offer something worth our while.
"...Understood. We will retain only the title of Great Khan. Please, help us."
His voice had grown small and resigned by the end. That much was acceptable to us. It was only natural for the true Son of Heaven of China to intervene in the chaos of the Central Plains.
"Your Majesty, with these terms, our Korea now becomes the true Son of Heaven of China. With the tribute doubled as well, we will have the means to modernize. What a fortunate turn of events."
"So be it. You must have endured much hardship, Prince Qing. Rest until our forces are ready."
"Your Majesty's grace is boundless."
Only after receiving confirmation did Prince Qing withdraw.
For us, there was no downside. This affair would make the Qing dependent on us for survival. To preserve their state, they would need our help. Yet after the negotiations concluded, Yi Cheok seemed deeply worried.
"Can we truly win?"
I nodded at his question.
"Your Majesty, there is no need for concern. We will not be deploying the Korean Imperial Army this time, so in the unlikely event of failure, I alone will bear responsibility."
"What do you mean? Did they not request aid from us?"
Min Yeong-hwan asked in surprise. If not the Imperial Army, then what? The answer was obvious. We had the Countess's forces. The Southern Manchuria Army belonged to both the Korean Imperial Army and the Countess's army. I intended to advance separately from the Imperial Army to crush the Xinhai revolutionaries.
"Why would our Imperial Army involve itself in a conflict between barbarians? We will fight using only the Countess's forces."
"Only with the Manchurian army? What exactly is your plan?"
That was highly classified. I could not say.
"There may be ears even in the palace, so I cannot speak of it. Your Majesty need only receive boundless glory in the end."
It would be troublesome if I revealed too much in advance. This was a gamble for us as well. If things grew dangerous, I could always consult the alternative history gallery to see the rebels' strategies. In any case, a confrontation with Yuan Shikai seemed inevitable, so thorough preparations were essential.
"Very well."
Yi Cheok seemed to accept that he would not hear my answer and simply nodded. We needed to demonstrate our capabilities at this juncture anyway. After reforming the army, we had worked hard to expand our military strength. I would use the Countess's forces first to achieve what we could, then withdraw the rest.
"Administrator of Manchuria, is this truly possible?"
"Yes. It is possible."
Lady Eom was unusually meek as she questioned me.
"Where does such confidence come from? War is no child's game."
A woman who had never seen battle was lecturing me, who had once wielded an axe in combat. Had she gone mad?
"I know war well, having participated in it myself."
"This country still has a long way to go, does it not?"
She was right. The road ahead was long. Honestly, this was overreaching on my part. Going into China with only tens of thousands of troops—how could that possibly work? But this opportunity would not come again. I had not even told the Emperor how I planned to win. In the worst case, I could simply charge in alone and crush the heads of Yuan Shikai or Sun Yat-sen.
"Indeed. To be honest, this will be somewhat reckless."
"Then war should be avoided altogether, should it not?"
Lady Eom was not as openly hostile toward me lately, perhaps because Prince Yi had been undermining her, but her reaction remained unfavorable.
"Unfortunately, if not now, we may never know when we can divide China. Your Highness, the Central Plains have more than ten times our population. Historically, states on this peninsula submitted to China because its vast population and territory made resistance impossible. Now, while we still can, we must divide them so that we may develop."
Preparations be damned—this was the moment. Facing them one-on-one after gathering more strength would only be harder. We had to fight while we could still use the Qing as a shield.
"What if we fail?"
"I will resign."
My declaration sent murmurs through both the modernization and Manchuria factions. They had not expected me to go this far. Even Lady Eom fell silent. She clearly had not anticipated such a strong stance.
"What will you do if you lose? Are you truly all right with this?"
Even Yi Beom-yun asked cautiously as we left Seokjojeon, clearly worried. Did he think I would act so recklessly without a plan? I already knew how to win, so there was no need for concern. If even Yi Beom-yun was this uneasy, the modernization faction must be quite pleased.
"Yes. If things go wrong, I will simply behead the enemy commanders myself. After all, rebel forces tend to collapse once their center of gravity disappears."
Kill the leaders and push through. Southern Chinese troops would be inferior anyway. How could they stop our battle-hardened elite forces? We could use the Qing army as meat shields. It was perfect.
"What exactly are you thinking? Do you have a way to win?"
"Indeed. Leading only the Countess's forces—surely that is not merely a contingency plan to cut ties if things go badly?"
Nam Sang-deok and Kim In-soo pressed me, clearly surprised. Had they gone mad? I had no intention of sacrificing myself. I had no plans to sacrifice anything, nor did I intend to lose. I was simply calling it the "Countess's forces" to avoid international criticism. To put it plainly, deploying the Korean Imperial Army for such actions would be risky in Asia right now.
"I have no intention of cutting ties."
"Hah, you are keeping us in suspense. At least give us a hint."
They were that curious? Fine, I would tell them.
"If you are so curious, I will give you one hint."
"Please, what is it?"
This hint alone would be enough for anyone with sense to understand immediately.
"The Manchurian Countessdom recognized by Russia—that is, the Goryeo Countship—is, in form, a countship not belonging to Russia."
Nicholas II had been very considerate. Though I was a Russian countess, he had explicitly stated that the Manchurian Countessdom was independent, taking into account my position as Korea's Foreign Minister and Administrator of Southern Manchuria. Do you understand what that meant?
The Countship was not bound by any international treaties. For example, the Hague Conventions.
"That is correct."
"This Goryeo Countship, as a new state, has never participated in the Hague Conventions."
Even this much of a hint would be enough for the educated to understand. What was I planning to use? We were already producing it in Manchuria with help from the Viceroy of the Far East.
By now, they should understand exactly what I meant.