Chapter 111 · 9 min

Chapter 111

Selling Ice Water to a Burning House (3)

1861.

Even before Abraham Lincoln was inaugurated, no even before elected the Southern military groups were already performing intentional operations to destroy the federation.

Mint raid.

Arsenal seizure.

Fort occupation.

Customs confiscation.

They could do whatever for the right to use slaves.

They were astonished that Northern Yankees do not catch slaves who fled to the North.

They got angry seeing Northern people pitying slaves saying ‘so our house slaves also develop rebellious hearts’.

They seeing Lincoln rose to the president seat without securing even one elector in the South, confirmed happy days for them will not come from now on.

They did not hope for much.

Just hoped Northern bastards forever not even open mouths about slavery, not sympathize, permanently acknowledge Southern slavery, and not make any attempt to shake slavery! Why can’t those crazy Northern bastards even do one such easy thing!

They just want to protect the natural right of using black slaves forever, handed down from father’s father.

If for this precious right.

What big deal people dying a bit?

[Our position became perfect one body with slavery the world’s most important material interest.

Slave labor supplies cotton the largest and most important in commerce on this Earth. Cotton is a crop native to the tropics, and due to nature’s merciless laws none but blacks can endure exposure to the tropical sun. Cotton is a necessity of the whole world, and attacking slavery is soon an attack on commerce and civilization.

The choice left to us is only submit to the order to abolish slavery, or secede from the federation that abandoned even principles to destroy us! No other choice.]

[Lincoln’s election cannot help but be regarded as the majority of Northerners declaring will destroy the South’s property and system. They are driving Southern women and children to rape and violence to satisfy the desires of anti-civilization Africans.]

April 12 dawn 4:30.

As the Southern army that was confiscating federal-owned assets and military facilities including forts step by step attacked Fort Sumter the Civil War began.

However the North still had a slightly blurry sense about the war.

The South had long resolved to do whatever to protect their interests and rights, but Lincoln of course almost all politicians, bureaucrats, soldiers of the North thought this war would end in a few months.

“What does the South have besides cotton?”

“Population also small, industrial capacity also much lacking. Is there a way for the South to win?”

“More big problem buying the Southerners’ resentment and hatred too immersed in the war. Anyway minimize civilian damage-”

They could not even if trying to overestimate the South, and the South’s movements looked like a cat standing the whole body upright and growling.

“How many troops can we mobilize?”

“According to the militia law the president can call up a maximum of 75,000 militia, and the service period cannot exceed 3 months out of 1 year.”

“That much enough to trample the Southern rebellion bastards.”

Not one bit enough.

The war exceeded not 3 months but 4 years, and the Northern federal army expanded to a maximum of 700,000.

Lincoln’s firm dream of trampling the South with mere 75,000 militia.

Tatatatata!!

“Let’s protect our hometown!!”

“If we lose wives and daughters fall to black slaves! Become the status of impregnating black brats!”

“Kill Yankees! Show those guys ignoring us a lesson!!”

Not long after firmly torn.

Human civilization could now kill people much more efficiently.

70,000 was far insufficient.

***

Contact with the West fundamentally shook East Asia.

China got beaten in two Opium Wars and entered the Self-Strengthening Movement.

Joseon with Britain’s invasion sedo politics ended and a pro-British absolute monarchy was established.

Japan after black ship opening with America’s gunboat diplomacy a fierce tug-of-war occurred between the shogunate and powerful domains.

The three Eastern countries each experiences differed, but after realizing the West’s overwhelming power the reality that if not catching up this gap only destruction awaits was definitely recognized.

In the middle, a great invention that would change Eastern society occurred.

Precisely the birth of <Moore rice polishing machine>.

“Uoeoeoe!!”

“My goodness! Rice this white!”

“Ghosts will cry! How automatically moving even without people moving?!”

Changes due to the rice polishing machine were truly many, but let’s quickly point out just a few.

Large-scale rice polishing mills were established around open ports.

To operate the rice polishing machine European technicians crossed to the East, and those who learned over the shoulder from them became the first generation Eastern steam engine technicians.

Even in the mess the rich and upper class of each country willingly opened wallets to eat pure white rice.

Rice trade became much more active to import Western items.

Infectious diseases like cholera or bad harvests ran rampant.

Industrialization, urbanization was promoted.

Traditional status order was challenged.

Rice prices gradually began to rise to the upper right.

All these matters the three countries of Korea China Japan could not avoid, but Eastern three countries with extremely rare experience playing together from the beginning so of course the progress process also differed greatly.

Joseon with absolute monarch Yi Hwan suppressing all opposition, and favoring new classes like soldiers - merchants - royal relatives took the first step toward capitalism.

Qing risked lives to fight the huge rebellion force called Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, and Prince Gong confronted internal slander and external rebels and held power to the end with Self-Strengthening one tool.

Finally Japan.

“Like this all die!”

“Will starve to death, these bastards!”

Japan’s economy was excellently performing bungee jump. That there is a basement below the floor was precisely an expression for the Japanese economy.

Looking at Eastern history books the pattern when a country collapses is always fixed.

Japan too exemplarily followed this procedure.

However there was a part different from the original history here.

“Here is precisely the land of opportunity Waeguk!”

“Shh. Be quiet. Japanese also all understand the words Waeguk, Waenom.”

“Guys who didn’t civilize the same as monkeys what.”

“Be quiet! In Japan don’t know when the neck will fly!”

“Stop nonsense and quick load the goods!”

Precisely the coming and going of Joseon merchants.

With the reverse Ganghwa Treaty, Joseon-Japan Treaty of Amity and Commerce trade between Joseon and Japan opened, and Joseon merchants excitedly did relay trade of Western items to Japan and earned enormously. Even there was a money copy event called exchange profit so anyone not an idiot could do a big one shot.

“I will definitely become a great merchant in Japan and change fate.”

“Fuck. Live life once not twice? No one can block me!”

As the Japanese shogunate gradually concluded commercial treaties with Britain, America, France the days of eating free money with mere relay trade ended, and similarly the shogunate bleeding blood with enormous exchange loss implemented currency reform and the money copy event also ended.

But just then a flow of favoring Japanese rice appeared in Joseon, and around a similar period the Moore rice polishing machine appeared.

“Buying raw silk from Japan and turning factories in Joseon, then selling cotton cloth to Japan again won’t money be made?”

“Won’t Japanese also soon gather money and build factories?”

“Now Japan if having money to build cotton cloth factories will build firearm factories.”

“Then rather just sell weapons coming out from the Hanyang arsenal.”

Merchants had no nationality either.

Whether Japanese or Joseon anyway merchants did their best for their profits.

As a result an enormous amount of Japanese rice was sold to Joseon and China.

“Fucking Joseon bastards.”

“Stealing all the rice we eat!”

“Joseon evil ghosts scraping all the country’s gold silver treasures and rice so the country shape became this state!”

“What sounds! This is precisely free trade!”

The shogunate had to care about diplomatic relations with Joseon, but the powerful domains had nothing particular to lose.

These skillfully shifted economic problems and livelihood hardships to the shogunate and Joseon, and the masses responded to easy-to-understand answers. Actually since really the incompetent shogunate and Joseon drunk on free trade mulberry was correct pro-Joseon faction’s agitation and fabrication never beat facts.

Right at this point.

The Civil War occurred.

“Said civil war occurred in America?”

“Wait! The ships we ordered? How do the shogunate fleet’s glorious warships become?!”

“Th, this really sorry. Said the rebel bastards are smashing all ports and shipyards...”

“Kyaaaak!!”

The country the shogunate put the most diplomatic effort into was precisely America.

But that America fell to a total paralysis patient unable to do anything let alone help due to civil strife.

Around the time fear and trembling that guys not looking favorably on the shogunate might commit some ‘action’ was enveloping all Edo and Kyoto.

Finally the incident occurred.

***

September 14, 1862.

When the daimyo of Satsuma domain a powerful domain among powerful domains was processing near Yokohama.

The Namamugi incident occurred.

“Mannerless bastards!”

“Daring to commit such acts on the daimyo’s procession. Western barbarian bastards’ rudeness piercing the sky!”

When the daimyo processes if Japanese must do dogeza, that is kneel and bow with head stuck. Daring to cross in front of the daimyo? Even killing not a crime.

But British merchants appeared.

These ignored even the advice ‘better not hang around near the daimyo procession’, and even did not accompany one local interpreter or guide.

The result was miserable.

“These damn bastards! Get down! Said get down!”

“What?”

“Don’t come more! Don’t approach the daimyo more!! Immediately get off the horse on the spot!”

“Seems saying go back!”

“Those bastards are fleeing!”

“Cannot endure more!!”

“Kill!!”

Mutual communication failure.

British people swept in the crowd and approached right in front of the daimyo’s nose riding horses like Moses crossing the Red Sea.

Japanese samurai fully flustered and angry.

The result was precisely knife work.

In the hands of angry samurai 1 died and 2 were seriously injured.

Edo was overturned, and of course Satsuma was also overturned.

“Look at the outrage these barbarian bastards committed!”

“We are acknowledged legitimate extraterritoriality based on the treaty. No reason anywhere for British people to be judged by their uncivilized law!”

“Must immediately catch that Shimazu and execute!”

“War! Only war! Since killed our civilians must retaliate against those bastards with guns and cannons!”

Around the time diplomats of various countries and local residents gathered and held heated discussions.

The incident developed strangely again.

[British people’s daimyo assassination plot!!]

[Approached right in front of the palanquin then failed!!]

[British people mercilessly trampling Japan’s tradition!]

[Wake up, Japan! Let’s repel foreign plunderers!]

Japan also had newspapers. Contacting the West and Joseon the press also grew rapidly.

And saying the press grows in one word means reporters who can chatter whatever to sell newspapers proliferated in large numbers.

In politically chaotic times like now not reporter level but all sorts of bullshit equivalent to leaflets and propaganda are scattered wearing the mask of press.

And if combining with the dissatisfaction of the masses who were fully angry.

“Beat all foreigners to death!”

“Kill Joseonjing stealing our rice!”

“Joseon people put poison in the well!”

“British’s running dogs Joseon bastards trying to make Japan a colony like India too! Kill all!!”

Evolves into riots.

The moment good Joseon merchants who just tried to earn money buying rice buying raw silk buying slaves selling Western items selling weapons doing a bit usury were massacred in a row.