Chapter 113 · 8 min

Chapter 113

Selling Ice Water to a Burning House (5)

The Gatling machine guns cheaply handed over to the South fulfilled their role.

As expected the matter of the South capturing Washington D.C. and driving a stake into Lincoln’s heart just obtaining a few Gatling did not occur.

Right after the Civil War outbreak Gatling played enormous roles in a few battles, but like cotton too good country bumpkins short on bullets could not continue seeing fun afterwards.

Rather the one hit knows better than the one who hit so the Northern army that got beaten by Gatling and stamped hamburger hill was startled and put order forms to me, and dear Dr. Gatling suing me etc. minor glitches but what problem is that? Anyway earned money.

- Arthur, today too shitting with the mouth!

Never uttered outside the mouth so never shitted with the mouth?

- I am hearing all! Hearing your vicious inner heart for a few tens of years my scales will all become black!

No... if defaming with inner heart like that what. If calculating like that people commuting on Line 9 express or Gimpo Gold Line all would be raising one mustache art student in the chest.

And as repeatedly saying, I am not particularly well knowing history. If examining the source of my knowledge shorts and humor memes. Not eating the world raw with future person’s power but must navigate this rugged world solely with my excellent intellect and appearance so must live a bit fiercely.

- Yes... right.

But occasionally sitting in London’s club sipping a glass and watching the work the British foreign ministry does, the thought arises whether the world rolled so precariously.

Between 1862 and 1863, in Europe a full three diplomatic issues burst.

“Schleswig is German land where Germans live.”

“Became Danish land hundreds of years ago what bullshit?”

The territorial dispute between Prussia and Denmark called the Schleswig-Holstein problem.

But Queen Victoria’s eldest daughter Victoria (same name) married the Prussian crown prince and became crown princess, and Queen Victoria’s eldest son Edward married a Danish princess. Literally jumping into the fire pit oneself.

The second was the king being chased in Greece due to revolution.

Diplomats of various countries ran hard and saw mutual understanding ‘don’t seat too strong house kids as Greek king’, and as a result of searching for a moderately small country royal family a Danish prince was decided as Greece’s new king.

The last was the large-scale rebellion that occurred in the virtual country Poland.

As always France’s Napoleon III proposed ‘must beat Russia now! Eat Britain and our side!’, and Victoria was astonished. Why on earth must prepare for war with Russia for uncivilized Poles?

In this large board entangled with Prussia, Austria, Russia, France, even in the situation British domestic public sentiment sympathizing with Poles the Palmerston cabinet desperately struggled so unnecessary collisions do not occur in Europe.

Like this do these people have room to allocate brain cells to the Japan problem?

“The newly inaugurated Prussian prime minister this time is impressive.”

“Just parachute?”

“Is that so? In my view looked like a very excellent person.”

I brushed teeth like that and subtly advertised my insight.

Prussia’s new prime minister.

Otto von Bismarck.

Now famous people were appearing one by one.

History is vigorously advancing in the direction I know.

***

The British Empire propagating free trade and justice to all directions of the world.

The tip of the Far East tentacle merely an extremely small part of the British Empire ruling the five oceans six continents began preparing for war.

“Call the Chosen army out in Indochina?”

“No. If removing them the French frog bastards will definitely make a mess.”

“The army input to Vietnam is only half. The remaining half can operate anytime!”

“Exactly good.”

The East India Company Chosen army was already fighting for France in Vietnam. Receiving money.

If just input into others’ war to earn money that is mere mercenary. Not company army.

The Chosen army’s input was also a diplomatic signal that Britain and France not blood alliance level like the Crimean War, but not completely turned to hostile relations either. Right now not Joseon mainland burning and Britain’s major interests being infringed no value to remove them.

Action was swift.

Now as mobs that arose in various places began raising the keywords anti-shogunate, anti-foreign, the shogunate stamped without any hesitation will compensate for this incident. At least Britain was not the mind to collapse the shogunate.

The British minister and British army who received the stamp from the shogunate immediately headed to Kagoshima the center of Satsuma domain.

“The British Empire’s demands are as follows. Compensate 25,000 pounds to the dead victim. The Satsuma domain daimyo apologize. Extradite the two Satsuma domain samurai who directly participated in the murder so can refer them to trial. Immediately suppress the anti-foreign riots.”

“The act of blocking and invading the daimyo’s procession is a serious crime never tolerated in Japan. This insulted Japanese, cannot leave alone.”

“Why keep putting forward your laws or whatever? Extraterritoriality is specified in the treaty you concluded! You have no authority to punish British citizens with Japanese law!”

The Satsuma domain seized by the expel barbarians faction consistently did thorough sabotage.

The two samurai designated as criminals disappeared without a trace. The Satsuma domain claimed wanting to secure their custody like a chimney but cannot find.

They claimed the domain’s finances dried up so no compensation money either, and said the shogunate the head of domains must loan to be able to pay compensation. Anti-foreign riots consistently ‘suppressing but not working well’.

Anyone seeing Satsuma had no thought of normal negotiation, and British people finally patience was exhausted.

“These monkey bastards daring to look down on us?!”

“Choshu bastards also participated in the anti-foreign riots. European merchant ships passing near Shimonoseki are receiving shelling from batteries!”

“Once discipline Satsuma first then punish Choshu.”

The British navy that urgently dispatched was not prepared enough to assume battle.

Nevertheless they tried to raid Kagoshima Port and seize the three steamships owned by Satsuma domain there.

“Until suppressing the anti-foreign riots these ships the British Empire confiscates!”

“These daylight robbers! Adding the price of those 3 ships exceeds 200,000 pounds!”

Originally ship ownership transfer has long been the specialty of the British Empire Royal Navy.

However Satsuma resisted. Knife fights occurred between British navy sailors who boarded to seize the ships and the Satsuma army, and nevertheless as the ships were ultimately seized Kagoshima’s coastal batteries began shooting cannons toward the British fleet.

No matter the British navy could not fight coastal batteries in a state not even prepared. They once withdrew from Kagoshima.

“Manse!! Manse!!”

“Defeated Britain!! The divine land is immortal!!”

“Western barbarian bastards are nothing! Our Japan, Satsuma’s sturdy sons subjugated the arrogant barbarians!”

“Waaaa!!!”

British people were dumbfounded, but once had to withdraw.

They immediately headed to Busan.

“Engagement?”

“Those insulted our national flag and resisted legitimate confiscation attempt and shelled. This is clear declaration of war.”

“The home country shows clear signs of reluctance to war.”

“No thought of going to war, but at least to protect our citizens’ property the necessity to firmly suppress Satsuma is big. Satsuma rampaging so Choshu also fussing?”

Finally decided.

The fleet supplied enormous amounts of shells and drinking water, food etc. supplies, and chartered merchant ships full of Chosen army from Incheon also came out to the sea in front of Busan.

And departed to Kagoshima again.

August 1863.

“Said repelled us? Said repelled barbarians? Good! Taste barbarian shells once!”

“Open fire!!”

Kwaang!!

A dozen ships simultaneously opened fire from the Kagoshima coast.

The city instantly became a sea of fire, and the British fleet poured offense shelling fiercely without distinguishing batteries or civilian houses or whatever.

“Disembark! Disembark!!”

“All troops down!”

“Dear officers and soldiers! This place is Satsuma! The land ruled by the Shimazu who killed Admiral Yi and the land that has raised Japanese pirates from old! Let’s kill these Japanese enemy bastards who massacred pure Joseon merchants and even slaughtered British people and loyalty to the company and repay the country!!”

“Loyalty!! Loyalty!!”

“Attack commence!!”

As the Chosen army armed with Japanese swords bought from Japan initiated landing the curtain of the Kagoshima landing battle rose.

This time too the Satsuma army led by Satsuma’s samurai ran out to block the landing, but the British navy dropped iron lumps on the heads of even one ant trying to obstruct the landing without leaving.

“Tenno heika banzai!!”

“His Majesty the King manse!! East India Company manse!!”

“Repay Admiral Yi’s grudge! 1st Regiment 1st Battalion, draw swords!!”

Fierce close combat and sword fights unbelievable enough to wonder if became the 9th century not the 19th century occurred.

The Chosen army secured the bridgehead and landed, and finally a proper infantry unit landed and formed ranks and files-

“Fire!”

“Fire!!”

Tatatang! Tang!!

As the unit swinging Japanese swords naturally fell to the side rear, the Satsuma army confirmed the line infantry group aiming at them.

And that was precisely the death sentence.

Hundreds of bullets flew like rain and stabbed the Satsuma sturdy sons’ bodies deeply, and samurai who polished knife work all life instantly fell over like firewood and ended life as is.

“Keu, keuaak!”

“Run! Run!!”

“The castle is burning! Barbarians are burning all Kagoshima!!”

Once beginning to collapse the battle situation began to tilt uncontrollably to one side.

Before the sun set that day, Kagoshima was captured.

Now it was the turn for British people to show what real plunder is.

***

Around the time the East India Company Chosen army successfully occupied Kagoshima and punished Satsuma.

The Joseon Kingdom’s court was enveloped in a somber atmosphere.

“These damn bastards...”

“Calm. Didn’t think those guys would stay still?”

“Right, Your Majesty.”

Foreign Minister Lee Ha-eung suppressed anger at the king’s words.

“Explain the situation.”

“The Qing army is moving.”

Has the time come?

Truly Manchu barbarians trying to oppress Joseon?

Yi Hwan believed not so.

“If Qing sincerely intended to destroy us would not have initiated diplomacy.”

“But-”

“Ministers do not worry too much. Those definitely just wanted to make a fuss once to us.”

But with one fuss of the too huge and powerful great country Qing Joseon was to the point breath was blocked.

Joseon that tried to intervene in the civil war on Japanese land and protect the shogunate and make the rear peaceful.

But Prince Gong immediately reinforced the Qing army in the Liaodong direction and greatly raised the army and pressured so Joseon cannot turn many troops toward Japan.

“Your Majesty. Sorry to report, if sending many troops to Japan hard to exclude the possibility Qing invades.”

Had to choose.

How many to send.

At the thought the ancestral shrine and state might be divided by this one judgment, even the world’s Yi Hwan the front became pitch black.