Chapter 121

Chapter 121

First Joseon-Qing Crisis (6)

The meeting in Beijing flowed without an inch of difference from what those sitting in London on the opposite side of the Earth expected.

“Now these vicious bastards are refusing to be a vassal!!”

“Immediately order Zeng Guofan to cross the Yalu River and catch the Joseon king!!”

“Must punish that guy called Park Gyusu who is in Beijing now starting from the dismemberment punishment!”

In Qing they suspected Joseon people are trying to quit the vassal yoke borrowing the power of the two foreign powers Britain and France.

The atmosphere rapidly became cold, and the Joseon special envoy group practically became under house arrest.

And around the time this chilly atmosphere ripened.

The conservative faction’s counterattack began.

“According to the Joseon envoys who came and complained, they have no intention of claiming they are not a vassal at all.”

“Let’s immediately reflect. Didn’t Joseon send tribute envoys? Sent the winter solstice envoy every year without fail but wasn’t it sent back from Liaodong?”

“What is the reason for distorting the vassal’s intention and constantly inciting war? What vicious intention is hidden that while rebellions are rampant all over the country trying to hit Joseon pulling out troops that should suppress the rebellion!”

From the conservative faction’s position Prince Gong Yixin was a guy who even pickling the limbs and making salted seafood would not be refreshing.

A shameless guy who not only signed the surrender document during the Second Opium War but caused a coup receiving the support of Western barbarians who invaded that China.

A world’s immoral person who confined the older brother and imprisoned the nephew and acted as a powerful subject.

A madman comparable to Dong Zhuo who threw Confucian principles into the trash can and associated with Westerners pursuing hegemony.

A preliminary usurper who formed a faction with those participating in his hegemony and monopolized state affairs, and seized the regent seat as an uncle with no authority instead of the two empress dowagers the legitimate regents.

But had to endure.

Proper armies one to ten all held by the Prince Gong faction. The reality that Eight Banners and Green Standard are all crippled even a three-year-old knows.

So if Yixin pretends to be crazy and says will kill all you guys and turns the wheel of blood the conservative faction had no countermeasure. Of course Great Qing would also collapse together that day.

“Then do you have a way to block Britain’s coercion?”

“If Joseon first clearly expresses its intention to submit as a vassal no matter how Britain how ignore Joseon’s claim?”

“Yes. Long ago Lee Aseul called a great scholar of Britain wrote the Introduction to the Law of Nations and widely spread it in the East, and examining the argument of that document can know there are cases similar to the relationship between China and vassals even in the West. If strictly clarifying this principle those also will not be able to arbitrarily make excuses.”

As the three characters Lee Aseul popped out Prince Gong’s eyes distorted, but not long after quickly returned to original.

All this is ultimately one piece of Beijing opera.

The conservative faction wanted the script of making Prince Gong Yixin who holds the military power kneel, and Yixin hoped to make Joseon submit and establish Great Qing’s prestige and display his dignity to subordinates despite the conservative faction’s bullying and trolling.

Joseon also cannot not know this power relationship. Therefore they are persistently shouting ‘we are Qing’s vassal correct’. The moment claiming not a vassal Prince Gong must initiate invasion even if cannot eat, and the conservative faction also loses the justification to block Yixin anymore.

In that point the timing of local provocation Yixin chose was truly perfect.

Now when both Joseon’s elite army and the East India Company Chosen army are tied on Japanese land is the perfect opportunity to make Joseon acknowledge itself as a vassal no matter what humiliation it endures.

The core issues Yixin wants to force on Joseon were as follows.

====

1. Joseon is an independent country but receives Qing’s enfeoffment.

2. Joseon has the right to freely rule its own country, but receives Qing’s ‘advice’ in diplomacy.

3. The Joseon king is of the same rank as Qing’s Grand Council minister.

====

Even if only a few of these are accomplished big gain. Compared to when humiliatingly acknowledged Joseon as an independent country during the last Opium War recovering many of Qing’s rights.

Yixin who finished the tiresome verbal fight and came out of the hall, grabbed his younger brother whose shoulders are rapidly opening and neck becoming stiff recently.

“Younger brother.”

“Yes, older brother... heum. Regent Your Highness. What matter.”

This bastard just.

Yixin who succeeded in suppressing the desire to kick the arrogant face with Aisin Gioro said.

“Just to undermine me one distorting the country’s major affairs now a bit insides refreshed?”

“Did you hear Waein’s words with the back of the ear. Not saying not to conquer Joseon. Once securing the leisure to advance to the Yalu River after crushing all those guys called Taiping Heavenly Kingdom or Nian Army or Shidalgai then comfort them.”

Words very fluent.

But Yixin did not think this incompetent younger brother suddenly polished learning and eyes seeing the world opened.

“Said Joseon bastards saying so fine?”

“...No matter how regarding me unfavorably, treating as a puppet manipulated by those guys. If called to mock will go now.”

“Just answer this.”

“Understood.”

“We now took advantage of Joseon’s difficult gap and forced them to acknowledge to the whole world that they are our vassal.”

“...Will go.”

“Then when that difficult period ends? If those regard themselves prepared what will happen!”

Prince Gong issued admonition toward this foolish and incompetent younger brother.

“War! Those will cause war taking advantage of the gap favorable to them and we are in difficulty!”

As speaking anger rises whoosh.

In this fierce situation like navigating a mountain of swords and forest of spears, distorting the country’s major affairs to do that faction fight?

Yixin’s strong hand tightly held Prince Chun’s shoulder.

“But now what to do? You guys ruined the grand plan so now Joseon bastards will definitely raise the flag. But-”

“That is a problem the regent who alone tightly holds the whole country’s military power must think! Why telling me who almost died and barely saved life to solve such a problem!!! Why on earth!! Not other person but older brother!! Why!!”

Prince Chun unable to overcome his anger shouted barak barak.

The moment Prince Gong was about to slap one cheek at that ugly appearance unbelievable as a royal.

“Perhaps want to stick me in an opium den like the late emperor older brother too? Want to make me a cripple and stick in a corner then neatly kill?!”

Suddenly.

Strength drained from the body.

Prince Chun shook off the hand with strength and walked swaying, and Prince Gong who blankly stared only at the gradually disappearing back slowly lowered the outstretched arm.

“Now bone-deeply understand the sage’s words that cultivating oneself and regulating the family first! How shall I pick up the water spilled on the Yellow River? Since the first nose was wrongly pierced no way will work no matter how much effort!”

Yixin lamented.

***

Same time.

Joseon Kingdom, Hanyang.

“Queue Jurchen bastards with no use in the world.”

Even at one plate of King Yi Hwan’s spicy fact the historians did not react. Their ears were still bright but hands extremely dull.

In the old old days even recorded the king’s shame without hesitation in the historical records, but such strong historians all went extinct unable to become the owner of 45.6 billion in the process of the fun crab game and sedo politics. Historians who could not adapt to changes in the surrounding environment were eliminated like mammoths or saber-toothed tigers.

The Joseon Kingdom was stacking a tower with debt very much.

But surprisingly the national finances... were okay than thought. Than thought.

“Customs revenue is renewing the upper limit day by day.”

“Military expenses too big. Your Majesty, now fine reducing military expenses-”

“Well. If just taking Shenyang all solved!”

Yi Hwan shouted receive and more without hesitation, and the enlightenment faction ministers who opened eyes to imperialism picked up the king’s words in chorus amicably.

“Are the queue barbarian bastards satisfied with the wording of the treaty text newly decided to change?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Fine.”

Joseon knew a bit better about the West.

And Joseon stuck one solid sucker into the heart of the British Empire.

About the so-called <​international law> Joseon people were a bit more proficient than Qing, and these connected the relationship between Qing and Joseon to the Ottoman Turk and Wallachia, Serbia etc. for Westerners to understand the Joseon-Qing relationship easily.

Those principalities that were Ottoman’s vassals are all becoming independent.

Feudal rights were acknowledged, but every time the Ottoman that fell to Europe’s punching bag got hit one or two the principalities’ autonomy gradually grew and before knowing gradually rising as new independent countries.

If serving Qing is similar to Serbia kneeling to the Ottoman.

Similarly escaping Qing’s oppression is extremely ‘natural civilization development’ process?

“Still regrettable. Does Britain not interpret Qing’s that movement as violation of the previous treaty?”

“So Qing also specifies we are an independent country, but claims only that the traditional right to enfeoff exists and skillfully riding the line. With this degree Britain will not endure even war.”

“Yixin is a big shot is a big shot.”

That he did not become emperor is precisely Joseon’s heaven’s luck. Yi Hwan muttered alone.

While importing all sorts of Western items and the trade deficit piercing the sky, absurdly the national finances money was pouring in with lightning customs.

So pour all this money into industrialization and military buildup.

Fine if just taking Manchuria.

Manchuria only.

“If the commercial treaty with Qing is concluded will the financial situation improve a bit?”

“Yes.”

“Must hope so.”

Joseon is growing steadily.

Now even in this palace the factory chimney’s smoke is visible. Look at that smoke symbolizing Joseon also became a civilized country. How beautiful!

The people know the time seeing the large clock of the clock tower, send telegrams to parents in the hometown, cook rice with rice from Japan and eat with kimchi pickled at the factory then drink alcohol made with Annam rice.

The Joseon army became stronger than ever tens of thousands of elite standing army go on expeditions to the north of course even to Waeguk across the sea with one word of the king’s order, and Western merchants who coveted Joseon’s products come from the opposite side of the Earth.

Nevertheless the start was too slow.

If Joseon achieved 100% growth and national power increased from 1 to 2, Britain or France grow 10% and become 110 from 100. A bit severe?

“Want to see Aseul.”

“Your Majesty. He is to the end a mere merchant-”

“Isn’t a great scholar, a great scholar. How is the king cherishing a sage a wicked thing? Will you say Zigong is a merchant even if he comes alive?”

“How compare Lee Aseul to Zigong?”

“Are your eyeballs decorations? If eyes bad must bestow one pair of glasses.”

“Those not recognizing talent is because the head is bad so Your Majesty anyway bestow a good quality hat.”

The Lee family members’ harsh mouths were definitely hereditary. Yi Hwan and Ha-eung’s tiki-taka was scratching the person’s clothes very much.

Must catch unconditionally.

That guy is a talent who will someday become the chancellor of the powers, so must buy at the low point now to explode big.

Not long after giving such a scolding.

Yi Hwan received the newly agreed treaty text, and nodded.

“Joseon-Qing commercial treaty. Joseon is an independent country but acknowledges Qing’s traditional feudal enfeoffment right...”

“With this obtained all that can be obtained. Secured the right to dispatch envoys, the right to use Western-style calendar too.”

“In my eyes this is also insufficient.”

The king clicked the tongue.

“This treaty is mere a 10-year armistice treaty at most.”

Aisin Gioro Yixin.

The day to meet him was awaited.

The meeting place will be the Forbidden City or Samjeondo.

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