Prelude #7: Whispers of Chinese Mutiny
"Your Excellency, the Chinese bastards' mutiny plot is getting serious."
"Reliable sources?"
"Word from multiple sources."
"Hmm..."
Maybe? Could be. I'd reined in Sun Yat-sen and his leadership tight, but the Chinese—especially the military, particularly those mid-level generals itching for a coup—might think differently. See Sun as a Korean collaborator and march on us in a righteous uprising? Or "protect" Sun and attack Korea on his orders? Not entirely impossible.
Above all, the motive checks out. China was currently a semi-colony after Britain and France, right behind Korea. To end that colonial status, you needed either an external shock or a payback like ours in Joseon. And Korea? We were big enough to deliver that payback.
Mutual possibility aside, reclaiming North China to restore legitimacy and kickstart industrialization with its industrial zones? One of the few real ways out of their colonial mess. Plenty of reason for an uprising.
As I knew from history, Joseon's liberation from Japan during colonial days wasn't thanks to independence fighters' anti-Japanese struggles—sadly, Japan just got crushed. Those movements helped reclaim sovereignty after Japan's defeat, but if Japan had settled for gobbling up North China, we'd have stayed colonies forever.
I'd tried it myself and knew. Colonies don't break free through internal strife alone; it takes luck and hurdles you wouldn't believe. Without outside help like the Comintern or America, forget it.
If there were thick-headed Chinese desperate to escape colonial status, they'd try to curb Korea's influence by any means. Bluntly put, from their view, China could afford to lose a war—as long as it weakened our hold. Other powers would block us from swallowing their land whole, so even defeat was a win.
That's why I'd worked to reduce Britain's influence in China. No need to make them realize they were milk cows. But after the Hong Kong issue, where I couldn't side against Britain, they'd woken up to it.
'Trouble...'
If those Chinese bastards really committed to war, we had no easy counter. Japan crushed Joseon people's anti-Japanese will? We'd win the war, but fighting it at all was defeat. Imagine Britain warring with India—that's Britain already lost. Real history: Britain vs. America. America got devastated, D.C. burned by Canada, but it shook off British influence. Britain knew and tapped out.
So with the world reeling from CDO fallout, this was China's golden chance. Win or lose, they gained! Normally, I'd keep them dazed with distractions like real estate booms or Japan-style bubbles.
Problem: The global panic, sparked by Southeast Asia crisis, exploding from real estate, mortgages, and CDO bundles, shattered the gold standard order. Japan could buoy property amid worldwide depression, but China was too big. If Korea pumped funds and others followed, sure—but not now.
'Can't let China drag us down...'
War with China? Don't want it, but could do it. Qing, Zhonghua, Japan charging together? I'd snap their spines. But timing sucked. World War right around the corner. Chance to rip a big chunk from those Western bastards, but shaky feet meant no go.
"Imposing martial law might be a stretch, right?"
"That'd be tough, sir."
"Yeah, figured..."
The Supreme Leader of Korea had no choice but to deflate the balloon a bit.
"Brother Tian Chimai!"
Zhang Zhongzheng returned from Germany laden with gifts. Tian Chimai's home was a house of mourning.
Assassin and thug, politician and revolutionary who'd backed Sun Yat-sen from all angles—Tian Chimai, right-wing Shanghai leader, slain by Nanjing faction rivals.
Zhang roused from funeral rites, everything a dream until the true culprit surfaced.
"Wang Jingwei of the Nanjing faction?"
Wang Jingwei. Sun's trusted aide, known to Zhang. He'd killed fellow Shanghai loyalist Tian Chimai.
"Didn't seem the type..."
But evidence piled against Wang.
"Killed Brother Tian for being right-wing, huh."
Wang was hardcore left, Tian staunch right. As Sun seemed to lean toward Tian and the right, Wang struck.
Nanjing claimed legitimacy, Shanghai had the money—close yet rivals. Shanghai elites here, convinced Wang did it, seethed.
"Zhang Zhongzheng, just sit idle?"
"And?"
"Sun's coming to Shanghai to see Brother Tian one last time."
"..."
"'Protect' Sun, purge those misleading him. Who else but you to lead us? No you, no future for China."
Slain Tian left power adrift. Zhang brought German arms caches. Nanjing-Shanghai bad blood. Zhang Kai-shek downed his cup.
The Nanjing-Shanghai Incident began.
I'd always wanted capitalism. But reality smashed it: ragtag crowds trashing hydroelectric washers, desperate moms pawning sewing machines, peasants stealing pump water thinking it theirs.
At first, I blamed ignorance. Wrong. They were vested interests, resenting my royal mandate to build industry invading their turf. Treating the king's order like dog shit.
Didn't get it then. Suicidal? Now I do. That scrap of privilege was precious to them.
The king, hearing of wrecked factories, asked why not pay higher wages. Yeah. I saw myself as entrepreneurial monarch building industry in barren Joseon. Wrong.
No industry, but vested interests aplenty. As latecomer, I had to compensate them fully. Problem: Couldn't outprice British/Japanese imports.
Sadly, the king acted like alternate-history protag, issuing impossible orders then dodging blame. Commoners mouthed "Yes, sire" to illegitimate royals/nobles, then guarded their scraps.
Honestly, from that moment, I wanted out—back to Japan as homeland. Not anti-Korean hate or hopelessness; effort-reward ratio sucked. National trust bankrupt.
Yeah. My princeling days in Japan, tweaking Joseon's fate from afar, didn't fix core issues. Just dodged worst paths.
What stopped me? Not past-life Korean roots or royal command—Japanese citizen, what power had the king? Just human duty to hand off what I'd started.
Ironic: Success started then. Aligning with thugs, Daewongun behind them—not royals or nobles.
"Your Excellency, you there? Bulgaria's surrendered. Ottomans take Dobruja. Took longer than expected."
"Come in."
"Greece and Serbia, once allies, both hit Bulgaria—how could they hold?"
Bulgaria had dreams too. I get it. Me too.
Sadly, capitalism impossible in Joseon then. Still, regional/racial/literacy/gender/class divides everywhere—"anyone can get rich" wouldn't fly.
That's when I truly got capitalism. Not build it to succeed; successful nations accumulate capital, then look capitalist.
Failed states like Joseon faking it failed. Need open markets, low inequality/discrimination, high literacy/participation, legitimate government to mediate, accumulated capital.
But communism? Possible. Even vested-interest holders knew pooling scraps made bigger ones; they'd buy in if only path open. Revolutionary ideology or not, they'd floor it.
"Throw it open."
"Pardon?"
"Britain, France, even America. Open their monopolized markets wide."
World War I. Some call it Anglo-German hegemony fight, Balkan spark, German vs. Slavic clash—not wrong. But for Korea, different goals.
Colonial liberation war, market-opening war. Trend would eventually capitalistize us, but winning this accelerates capital accumulation. Might see capitalist Korea in my lifetime.
"Devise ways for the world-policy-obsessed Germanic empire to bite Britain and France even harder."
I had plans ready. But more options always better.