To Break Tokyo, Part 4

"This is mad... utterly insane...!"

Winston Churchill could not hide his sheer astonishment upon hearing the news from Japan. In the blink of an eye, the regime had changed. Up to this point, it wasn't necessarily a bad thing for Great Britain. After all, it was highly likely that figures from the Japanese Navy, over whom Britain held immense influence, would emerge as the dominant force in the new cabinet. But that wasn't the real problem.

"Bloody hell...! Now they're reaching their hands all the way to Japan?!"

The problem was that Austria had played a monumental role in suppressing the coup and orchestrating the regime change in Japan. Great Britain hastily dispatched a formal letter of protest, demanding they cease their interference in Japan's internal affairs, but Shtal didn't give a damn. If anything, he and the Emperor openly mocked the official diplomatic dispatch once it arrived in Austria.

"What on earth was Britain doing while things escalated to this point? A hair's breadth more, and we would have seen another genocidal regime run by madmen."

"Did they not tacitly support France when it was coddling those national revolutionaries? They used to back Serbia in the old days too—it seems they still haven't learned their lesson."

The moment Austria laid its hands on the Far East—a region Great Britain held in a tight grip through Japan—the cold war between the two empires was effectively over. No matter how icy the diplomatic winds blew, Britain had always 'tolerated' Austria when global cooperation was absolutely necessary. Even when the Prague Treaty Organization was first established, Britain had swallowed its pride and held back.

"That bastard Shtal is trying to stretch his reach across the entirety of Eastern Europe! We must stop him immediately!"

"Leave them be. They are the victors of the war, after all. Frankly, they've extorted less than they could have."

Indeed, in the five years since the Treaty Organization's inception, Austria had barely touched Britain's sphere of influence. They had left France alone—a nation so chaotic no one knew where to even begin fixing it—and they had ignored Russia, which was currently engulfed in the turbulent throes of revolution. No matter how much Britain despised Austria, they had neither the justification nor the means to take proper action. But with this coup in Japan, Great Britain and Austria had crossed a rubicon from which there was no return.

"Japan is... on the verge of ruin."

"We don't even have enough rice to feed our people today. The coup has barely ended, and we are already on the brink of widespread riots!"

The Kanto Great Earthquake alone had wiped out nearly thirty percent of Japan's gross domestic product. But the situation had taken an incredibly bizarre turn; with Tokyo reduced to absolute rubble, it was safe to assume the Japanese economy was thoroughly finished for the next decade. And that was not all.

"The price of rice... it's skyrocketing again!"

"Dammit! Round up the wholesalers first! Beat them with clubs if you have to, but make them cough up every single grain!"

Just as it had in 1918, the price of rice began to climb to dizzying heights, far beyond what the urban poor could ever hope to afford. Yet, the situation was fundamentally different from 1918. Back then, the spike in prices had been driven by a cartel of wholesalers anticipating an increase in military rations. But now... due to the great earthquake and the domestic chaos, there was simply no rice left in the country!

"What about Jo, Joseon? Isn't it harvest season? The newly harvested rice should be coming out of Joseon right about now."

"We c-can't... Joseon is in a terrible state as well!"

While Japan's domestic politics were in upheaval, Joseon had erupted in massive riots comparable to those of 1919. Once again, Saito Makoto had barely managed to pacify the situation by promising conciliatory reforms. If a massive amount of rice were to be drained into Japan under these circumstances, Joseon would slip from Japan's grasp forever. Furthermore, even if Joseon was a colony, they couldn't just seize the rice for free. They still had to purchase it from Joseon's grain merchants... but Japan lacked the funds to buy it, and this time, the Joseon wholesalers had formed a cartel of their own.

"The mainland is on the verge of starvation! And you expect us to sell our rice at such a pathetic price?"

"Well, take it or leave it. If we sell it to you at that price, what then? By the time the shipment travels ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠from Busan to Osaka, the market price will have doubled. Why should we line your pockets at our own expense?"

Under normal circumstances, the Empire of Japan would have simply landed its army in Joseon and plundered the rice by force. Naturally, such a measure was completely out of the question now. Even the Governor-General of Joseon, Saito Makoto, was acting like a Joseon king himself, refusing to cooperate.

"Governor-General! We beg of you... can you not persuade the Joseon people and gather some rice for us?"

"Hmm... an issue of such gravity must be resolved through a resolution of ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the colonial assembly."

"Are you not a man of the Japanese Navy as well?! We have finally driven out those Army bastards crawling with Choshu scum, and now our Satsuma faction and the Navy have seized power. How can you throw cold water on us like this?!"

"Enough with these petty factional squabbles. I am performing my duties as Governor-General under the direct command of His Majesty the Emperor. I serve him, not the Navy."

Thanks to this crisis, Saito Makoto was enjoying immense popularity in Joseon. A Japanese Governor-General earning the respect of the Joseon people—it was unheard of! During the recent rebellion in Joseon, Saito had defused the situation through conciliatory measures and compromise. The locals praised him, saying, "At least that bastard is decent for a Jap," and he had even earned the nickname "Honorary Korean." Who could possibly stop him now?

"Even if Joseon is a colony, let us set aside the matter of plundering 'our' land for a moment. Tell me, can you even afford to maintain this colony? As we speak, the salaries of the Japanese troops stationed in Joseon are being paid out of our tax revenues, are they not?"

"..."

"If this is how things are going to be, keep Taiwan and abandon Joseon. I am well aware that there will be virtually no budget coming from the home government starting next year. Since we don't even have enough to pay our bureaucrats' salaries, I am planning to contact His Highness of Joseon in Yanbyan. They have plenty of money over there. Or perhaps we should just pay tribute to the Qing Dynasty and beg for some scraps?"

Every single word was undeniably true! The official dispatched from the home government could not muster a single coherent reply to Saito Makoto's remarks. He could only swallow his rage and return to Japan's new capital, Osaka. Rumors quickly spread that Saito Makoto was planning to abscond with Joseon entirely. Terrified, the home government immediately stripped Saito of his position as Governor-General and ordered him to return home, but...

"Tear it up."

"W-What?! But this is an imperial decree from the Emperor..."

"Who gives a damn? Haven't you heard of 'democracy'? The people of Joseon support me, so what does that piece of paper matter?"

"B-But..."

"Oh, just tell them the telegraph lines are down."

Even if the Navy faction he belonged to had seized power, what was the point of returning to a homeland that had nothing left but ruins and rioters? If the price of rice didn't drop soon, it was only a matter of time before a second Kita Ikki emerged. Since Austria was actively involving itself in Joseon's affairs, Joseon was a venture well worth a long-term investment. Ultimately, it was Austria that stepped in to mediate the conflict. Having heard the details of Japan's predicament, Shtal nodded slowly.

"...It seems the majority of the Japanese population is truly on the verge of starvation. Fortunately, do we not have Vietnam?"

"We do."

"Purchase rice from Vietnam."

"But... Vietnam alone might not be enough."

"It doesn't matter. Even if they are starving to death, the Japanese will never eat Vietnamese rice anyway."

In the end, Japan managed to catch its breath with the relief rice provided by the Prague Treaty Organization. Not only Vietnam, but Great Britain also moved swiftly to supply massive quantities of grain from India. However, once the immediate threat of starvation was averted, the Vietnamese and Indian rice were treated as little more than garbage. To East Asians, the dry, fluffy grains of the Indica variety were practically inedible. For Britain, it might have been wiser to send wheat flour instead. No matter how hungry people were, they wouldn't willingly fill their bellies with dirt. In other words, they still had to secure rice from Joseon.

"The rice sent by Britain has likely already been relegated to animal feed. Now... contact President Kim Kyu-sik. Tell him under no circumstances is he to export grain to Japan until they come crawling on their hands and knees."

Any attempt to introduce alternative grains like barley, soybeans, or millet to curb the soaring rice prices was completely blocked by a coordinated cartel in Yanbyan. Naturally, the price of rice within Joseon itself began to skyrocket as well. In the end... Japan was left with only one option: to kneel before Joseon and beg for mercy.

"...From now on, Joseon will no longer be a mere colony. It will be designated as the Joseon Special Administrative Region, and a 'Chief Executive of Joseon' will govern the territory."

"Is that not just a change of names? From colony to special administrative region, and from Governor-General to Chief Executive?"

"The Chief Executive will be elected! An electoral college of approximately three hundred thousand citizens will choose the executive through an indirect election, so make no mistake about it!"

Naturally, Japan lacked the capacity to maintain its grip on Joseon. Historically, if Japan lacked the means to govern Joseon, they would have resorted to slaughtering the locals, perhaps starting a war in Manchuria as a side show. But such massacres and oppressive governance required money. Far from starting a war, Japan was so utterly broke they couldn't even afford a massacre! The absolute last resort left to them was to grant Joseon extensive autonomy. Only by trading autonomy for rice could Japan hope to survive.

"The Japanese Diet will enact the Joseon Basic Law. Of course, we will draft it in consultation with the members of the colonial assembly and the current Governor-General, so do not worry."

"But... what if the colonial assembly and the Chief Executive resolve to declare independence under this Joseon Basic Law?"

"Thirty years! Just wait thirty years. We will enshrine it directly in the Basic Law. No matter what happens in the world, thirty years from now, the assembly and the Special Administrative Region will have the right to vote on and declare complete independence!"

"Then what of the Joseon Kingdom in Yanbyan...?"

"The warrants and bounties on them as a terrorist organization are declared null and void as of today. They may run for legislative office, and they may hold bureaucratic positions in the Joseon government. So please, we beg of you, return to the country."

The newly ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠appointed Prime Minister of Japan, former Navy Minister Takarabe Takeshi, furrowed his brow deeply and let out a heavy sigh. He couldn't help but wonder if maintaining Joseon in this manner was even worth it. On the verge of tears, Takarabe dispatched a telegram to Austria.

Shtal skimmed through the proposal for 'extensive autonomy' presented by Takarabe. 'Granting them complete independence like Canada or Australia... is still premature. After all, the colonial empires are still watching with hawk eyes.' Even if it didn't quite reach the level of Canada or Australia, it had at least reached a state akin to Hong Kong's "one country, two systems." It was only 1923. Achieving this much was already a monumental leap forward for Joseon. No matter how the history of the Far East unfolded from here... it was clear that Joseon would soon secure a degree of autonomy that made it virtually an independent nation.

Japan was utterly ruined and would suffer through an endless economic depression for the next six years. Yet, Japan was still Japan. In his past life, they had survived their entire nation being reduced to a sea of fire during World War II, only to claw their way back to becoming the world's second-largest economy. This time, they would likely receive full support amidst the cold war between Austria and Great Britain, eventually overcoming the depression once more. But their trials were far from over. Just as Japan managed to catch its breath, the Great Depression triggered in New York would strike. When that moment arrived, the power dynamic between Japan and Joseon would be completely inverted. Joseon would become Japan's breadbasket, and ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the sole gateway to China—the largest market in the world. With Shtal planning to pour endless investments into the Korean Peninsula, it would also serve as a conduit to Austria. Having granted such extensive autonomy, Japan's only future was one of begging Joseon for rice and investment.

Shtal leaned back in his office chair, lost in thought. 'Is this... enough for Joseon?' Would it be alright? This might permanently bind the Korean Peninsula to shared sovereignty with Japan. After a moment of lingering worry and hesitation, Shtal quickly brushed the anxiety aside. Joseon was far too large for Japan to swallow, just as Japan was too large for Joseon to absorb. Even the Qing Dynasty, which had historically committed ethnic genocide against the Dzungars to the north, had abandoned plans to annex Joseon outright, fearing it would cause severe indigestion. How could Japan possibly manage it?

'If the Gapsin Coup had succeeded, I suppose their relationship would have looked exactly like this.' At the very least, at this point in time, neither nation could survive without the other. This was especially true now that those madmen in the Japanese Navy had ground Tokyo to dust with their own hands. It had only been thirteen years since the start of Japanese colonial rule. It was too short a time for deep-seated grudges to solidify for centuries. Even after the Imjin War, the two nations had somehow mended their ties, exchanging diplomatic envoys for hundreds of years.

'They might as well get along and carve up China together from now on. I hear Mutaguchi Renya and Governor-General Saito are incredibly popular among the Joseon people anyway. They'll manage just fine on their own.' In any case, as a former Korean in his past life, Shtal felt he had paid his debts in full. Furthermore, as the Austrian Shtal, this was undoubtedly the best possible outcome! A fellow Asian nation, and the latest colonial empire to join the fray, taking such an unprecedented step toward granting autonomy! Following the independence of Vietnam, this news would surely turn India completely upside down.