Chapter 112 · 8 min
Chapter 112
Chapter 112
Selling Ice Water to a Burning House (4)
“Follow! Jugoen gojitsen!! Papipupepo!”
“I, I am not Joseonjing!”
“Then try somewhere!”
“That bastard is Joseonjing! Sold our older brother to Hawaii!”
“Fuck, got caught. Should have sold that bastard too.”
“Die!!”
Violence and murder targeting Joseon people that occurred in Edo and Kyoto were quickly suppressed. All ringleaders had necks cut, and the shogunate immediately apologized to Joseon.
“Sorry for committing too big nuisance this time. All the doing of foolish rioters so anyway-”
“No. We are also too shocked. Even though merchant parasites regarded as guys who know loyalty filial piety benevolence righteousness, going abroad across the sea and committing such vicious outrages!”
Unlike Westerners who once their own people die have seizures first and see, the East has emotions only the East can share separately.
The Joseon minister in Edo heard the report of the incident and simply judged.
“What? Lowly merchant bastards manipulated rice prices and did usury and later sold as slaves?”
“Even by Joseon’s law this is a death crime.”
“The procedure has problems but ultimately guys who will die? Then natural death?”
“Don’t scratch the already precarious shogunate more and stop around here.”
Right.
The important thing is the maintenance of the shogunate not a few vicious merchant necks flying.
Now even Joseon people noticed the Japanese ruling group, Edo shogunate is the end.
Traitors trying to resist the shogunate of course hate Joseon too. Because they basically shout anti-foreign anti-West.
Joseon’s diplomatic strategy consists of one goal from 1 to 9 all <blocking Qing’s invasion attempt>, and getting along well with Britain or France and establishing friendly relations with the shogunate all to protect the ancestral shrine and state from Qing’s invasion.
But if in the one in ten thousand the shogunate collapses and a new Japanese court led by those ignorant mobs is established, no matter how thinking those didn’t seem would help Joseon. Crazy guys chattering mad sounds like <conquer Korea theory> and setting fire to the British legation?
But the British merchant murder case was a bit different story.
“The superior country’s people died fine us staying still?”
“Must stay still. Superior country people not our people?”
“But-”
“If the superior country will move must report to Hanyang, not something we can decide.”
That Western diplomats in Japan have wide discretion is because realistically without discretion can do nothing.
But from Edo to Hanyang is close. Soon if the Joseon-Japan submarine telegraph cable is even laid receiving orders from the home country will become easy as eating cold porridge.
Therefore King Yi Hwan and Foreign Minister Lee Ha-eung could issue instructions to intervene in this mess almost immediately. Up to here good.
But the problem was after that.
“Minister. The Joseon Kingdom expresses deep regret for this tragedy, and decided to maintain the same line as much as possible no matter how the British Empire deals with this unfortunate incident.”
“Right. Thank you.”
“...”
“Perhaps, need our help?”
“...Right. Please much help.”
“Yes, yep!”
British minister to Japan.
His name Rutherford Alcock.
Precisely that person who fell to the abyss colliding head-on with Arthur Lee chattering <Joseon threat theory>.
Because the demoted he came as minister to Japan the atmosphere became extremely subtle.
‘Fuck. Bastard more mannerless than Qing envoy.’
‘Those guys secretly pickling me?’
A combination mutual trust impossible, but Alcock minister who received Joseon’s help carefully organized options.
“Please issue dispatch orders to the East India Company Chosen army stationed in Hanyang.”
“Perhaps need Joseon army dispatch too?”
“No. No need for that. Just a matter of crushing one Japanese local domain.”
British people’s specialty.
Initiated gunboat diplomacy.
The target was Satsuma.
***
The British Empire has its tentacles extended all over the world.
Therefore incidents burst without rest, and must decide how to clean them up.
But among these matters that can be decided in London are much fewer than 21st century people imagine. During this time until the home country grasps the situation and issues instructions, on the spot already each acting with ‘improvisation’.
So the London foreign ministry also respects the on-site actions, and the focus is somehow on how to do subsequent large follow-up measures later.
“...”
“...”
“...What how must do?”
But 1862.
Around this time the Palmerston cabinet was suffering from severe lethargy.
The consort, Prince Albert died.
An annoying German guy who stuck tight next to Her Majesty and chattered opinions in detail even though no right whatsoever to discuss state affairs, the age just over forty was too early to die.
The queen who lost mother and husband in the same year half went crazy.
The queen believed the eldest son, crown prince who terribly doesn’t listen killed the father. Sent the dullard who doesn’t study at all and doesn’t listen far and stuck with some Irish trash and burned dad’s insides black so convinced Albert died.
The problem is the point Victoria is stubborn enough to far exceed others’ imagination, and if one more problem she is the queen of the British Empire.
If Palmerston or other politicians of this period hear the words ‘even 40 years later Victoria wears black mourning clothes and does not forgive her eldest son and resents’ probably would click tongues saying crazy. Surprisingly the queen does it. Truly extraordinary stubbornness.
The dead Prince Albert if classifying belonged to pacifists.
The time he personally used was only seeing the children, and dragging the sick body out and driving the automobile very briefly. He devoted his life to cleaning up the <Trent Affair> until right before dying.
Even though a shock and horror full incident of the American navy raiding the British civilian mail ship Trent and kidnapping the Confederate envoys on board occurred the mad dog Palmerston could not cause war. Because Albert and Victoria blocked as much as possible.
But now Albert died.
The widowed queen was stuck in Windsor Castle hard to even see the face. No, if in Windsor rather fortunate and 2/3 of the year stuck in distant villas like Osborne House.
She did not show her face even at important state events, refused to stay even one day in ‘terrible and desolate places’ like Buckingham Palace, and usually just stared at the air with empty pupils keeping the mouth tightly shut all day.
If there is a fact comforting old Palmerston, the fact the queen also reacts convulsively regarding regime change attempts.
Recently Conservative Party leader Lord Derby who was gradually preparing political fraud again was called to the queen’s face and ate a scolding ‘now trying to make me crazy doing this right? Right? If harassing me will really let go of the mental string and go crazy’. Since the queen’s grandfather had real madness history this absolutely did not sound like just saying.
So.
Around the time the news that own people were slaughtered hit by Japanese swords in Japan was urgently conveyed to London, already the Palmerston cabinet’s HP was reaching 0.
“Call Representative Lee and Joseon minister.”
“If Representative Lee-”
“Call Arthur Lee and Joseon plenipotentiary minister immediately!”
He decided to just entrust to people he knows.
The two people who ran hurriedly immediately simply briefed in front of the foreign minister and prime minister.
“Waenom are cunning and have never kept faith. A proverb handed down from Joseon.”
“Heum.”
“Once lift the club. If lifting the club will become quiet.”
This explanation perfectly matched the British imperialist’s taste.
The British parliament despite the queen’s opposition sent instructions that ‘if negotiations break force exercise possible according to on-site discretion’.
***
Detailed explanation about Japan’s complex political conspiracies and countless schemes is omitted.
“Shogunate everyone.”
“Yep.”
“Japanese have attacked me a full two times until now, and also tried to burn the legation. Direct attempts only this much so hard to even count how many Japanese hate British people.”
“...”
“And finally, our country’s person died again.”
“S, sorry.”
“The shogunate’s apology seems received enough, but we think Satsuma domain’s apology and criminal extradition more urgent than the shogunate.”
“Th, that. Satsuma are originally guys who don’t listen.”
“Is the shogunate defending Satsuma now?”
“No!!”
The shogunate seemed would go crazy unfair.
Just because the representative of domains was being squeezed jjal jjal jjal by Britain grabbing the collar and these Satsuma bastards whether became mutes who ate honey keeping mouths tightly shut.
The furious shogunate pressured to obey immediately, but absurdly the Satsuma guys not even splitting the daimyo’s stomach quickly began gathering troops. Anyone seeing the meaning of really trying one round.
Actually was so.
“Where daring in front of the sacred daimyo!”
“If want to confront try confronting! Revere the emperor expel the barbarians!! Destroy the shogunate punish Joseon!!”
“Completely show what real fight taste is so cannot even pick bones, this true warrior land Satsuma will clearly show!!”
Knife work and terror that only occurred in Edo and Kyoto also occurred inside Satsuma domain, and as a result the majority of enlightenment faction were pushed out and the expel barbarians faction seized Satsuma’s initiative.
And a sudden thing occurred.
“The emperor declares. Expel all barbarians trampling the divine land! Even if the whole country is scorched will not acknowledge opening or trade!”
The emperor who was treated as a screen or a kind of air until now suddenly popped out.
“What? What is that?”
“Fabrication!! Fabricated the imperial order!!”
“Crazy expel barbarians theory guys now even fabricating the emperor’s will!”
“What sound! The emperor’s will so clear what face do you chatter fabrication! The shogunate busy distorting the emperor’s will and serving barbarians is now a traitor!! Tenno heika banzai!!”
Japanese who were feeling the limit of patience with previous exploitation and misrule finally obtained the pretext of the emperor’s imperial order.
Uprisings continued everywhere in Japan led by Satsuma and Choshu, Tosa, Hizen raising the banner of overthrow barbarians, expel foreign powers.
“First beat Joseonjing.”
“Must secure military rice! Must seize Joseon bastards’ rice warehouses!”
“These dirty guys fattening bellies sucking Japanese blood! Now this warehouse is all the people’s!”
“Manse!! Manse!!!”
Beggars and beggars, tenant farmers and ronin, unemployed and lumpen.
The huge wave of the people to collapse the shogunate and establish the emperor’s country and correct the rotten Japan.
The shogunate was astonished at this unprecedented situation.
Right now British people are growling will split Japan’s stomach, but America that Japan put the most effort into is busy warring among themselves.
“Minister! Minister!!”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Based on the Joseon-Japan Treaty of Amity and Commerce will request reinforcements from Joseon. Immediately, immediately give an army to suppress the rebellion!”
“Already dispatch orders fell to the Chosen army so-”
“That is not the Joseon army but the British East India Company’s army. They if British people’s orders fall might burn this Edo you minister also know well! We need the Joseon army!”
Joseon King Yi Hwan immediately accepted.
Incheon Port beginning to fill with countless ships and armies was in an instant.
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