Chapter 122

Chapter 122

Old Country but Its Name is New (1)

The man the god gave everything but confiscated all luck of life as the price, Prince Gong Yixin.

No way the genius Yixin abandoned by the god could not read the fierce water fight occurring over the Far East.

Western barbarians moving to plunder the Far East are four. Britain, France, America, Russia.

Britain the strongest island country on European land specialty opium and pirates.

Annexed India and made that land a hell painting growing only opium, made Joseon submit and using as mercenaries, and paying a bit of attention to Waeguk too.

France a second-rate country with much resentment toward Britain. Said the army is powerful but no navy to send that army to Britain so no talent to beat Britain at all.

These are taking the strategy of following Britain’s tail in the Far East and receiving tip crumbs, and as a result causing a big war in Annam and subordinating while also securing interests in Joseon and Japan.

America... incompetent guys. Was Britain’s vassal but liquidated the subordinate relationship, and since swept in a huge civil strife just 100 years after founding the country fine to regard as none for a while.

Russia a monster born from Mongol barbarians and bears interbreeding can be called white-furred Mongols, had a bad habit of invading Manchuria or Xinjiang land wanting to escape the cold place.

Yixin concluded early.

Just block Russia and give gold and silver in the mouth to the remaining three.

Firmly give honey chestnut to the head of barbarians coveting land, but if wanting only products say take as much as want and instead receive their powerful weapons and beat the rebels with that! Perfect!

In Yixin’s self-evaluation this strategy matched very well until now.

Western barbarians who rampaged viciously and burned Beijing now hoped for Qing’s continuation as if when was that. They not only competed to sell weapons but even reached sending their military officers. Because recognized if Qing collapses there is no one to take care of the interests they secured even waging war.

Successfully blocked the West, especially Britain and France’s black hands.

Up to here the first stage.

And new challengers began wriggling here and there.

First the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom rebellion bastards. At first seemed receiving Westerners’ help, but as the unique exclusionist ideology exploded rather bought the West’s hatred. Other rebels too insignificant no need to even mention.

Only Joseon was the only match he must guard against.

Joseon King Yi Hwan early as the Western lobbyist Lee Aseul came and said, continuously unfolded terrifying and radical policies Yixin could never do.

That is not reform or whatever.

Restoration.

Like a caterpillar changing into a butterfly, radical and permanent change hard to even find traces of the past appearance.

Joseon drew in Britain and France and attempted use barbarians to control barbarians that weak countries usually dream of, while plotting horizontal alliance with Japan with the words <​Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity> as came out in the bizarre book <​Japan Strategy>.

“Waeguk is the problem.”

If Yixin did not ponder intervening in Japan not a politician.

If sternly admonishing... the arrogant shogunate bastards sticking with Joseon could give a serious blow to Joseon, but Yixin pondered briefly then cleanly erased that idea from the head.

How to intervene in Japan in what way?

How much have those Waenom properly knelt to the Chinese order?

If Waeguk originally was China’s lackey intervene with the justification ‘don’t touch my lackey’, but those are crazy guys seriously believing their country is an empire. Even helping the probability of receiving reward none and the moment intervening Western powers will definitely foam at the mouth. Give up.

But could not obediently give up. If cannot snatch the enemy’s dining table at least must sprinkle gravel?

So the wise leader of the Chinese people Yixin conducted local provocations in Joseon’s north and held the gaze, and secretly tried to support anti-shogunate, anti-Joseon forces on Waeguk land.

However.

“None?”

“Said already late.”

All died.

Said the shogunate-Joseon allied forces suppressed the rebels in an instant and pressed all.

“But cannot press only with force. We will provide activity funds so support so at least hold the ankle as much as possible.”

“Understood.”

If cannot provide weapons fine supporting pro-emperor anti-shogunate intellectuals and scholars instead.

But this also not going well.

“Your Highness! Your Highness!!”

“What matter.”

“Said the shogunate decided to close the ancestral shrine themselves!”

“...What?”

“So the shogunate, will no longer continue the shogunate-”

“What on earth is that sound!! Someone come more! What is the foreign ministry doing where!”

Cannot understand.

Yixin tasted the horror of falling into a one-eyed world.

How on earth is this world rolling.

***

“Today’s world is precarious beyond compare, if not innovating the country bound by old customs neither the divine land’s fate nor the country’s continuation will be easily achieved.”

Satsuma domain the East India Company Chosen army flocked and made a mess. Those beaten like dogs ultimately had to shout ‘just save’.

Choshu also not much different.

The Choshu army that occupied Kyoto and was in good momentum was miserably ground by the shogunate-Joseon allied forces. Those who fled alive to Choshu were extremely rare and most died or became prisoners.

And as always, if showing a weak appearance hyenas in the name of the West immediately run.

“Daring to shoot cannons at our ships?”

“Die once today.”

Not even an army but armed merchant ships or whatever coming and committing violence, the Choshu domain that already consumed most of the military power had no particular way. What to do besides obediently getting beaten?

Even seeing the two powerful domains Satsuma and Choshu rolling the emperor dragged to Edo could not keep the head stiff. The emperor issued an edict ‘opening the country and enlightenment is my true intention and the rest all fabrication of treacherous subjects and traitors’ and put the crown prince on a ship and sent to Britain.

As the rumor spread that the emperor the son of god is making the son enter the court in the Western land the sign of rebellion flashed by once more.

But now who will raise a rebellion?

All died or got robbed?

Like Dong Zhuo who burned Luoyang and fled to Chang’an not restrained by anyone no matter what he did inside, whether the shogunate kidnaps the emperor or sends the crown prince abroad the anti-shogunate forces that already failed one rebellion had no ability to do anything. They were castrated.

And Japanese have an amazing talent.

That is precisely - the ability to enjoy if cannot avoid.

“What sound were the guys saying resisting the shogunate doing? Revere the emperor expel the barbarians revere the emperor expel the barbarians. What nutritional value is catching and killing barbarians.”

“We must learn. Learn and practice and catch up with the West!”

“How did Joseon become a strong country? Can we roar again?!”

The obsolete who shouted reject the West reject heresy all fell to a handful of lonely souls in front of the Gatling.

The survivors quickly switched posture to ‘shameful that an old-era system like the shogunate exists Japan must also civilize and enlighten and the shogunate must also enter the trash can’. The front sentence changed 180 degrees from must expel all barbarians and the shogunate that accepted those barbarians must also enter the trash can but the conclusion was consistent.

Then the shogunate answered.

“Fine.”

“?!”

“The old-era shogunate rule is over. The authority to rule the divine land is only with the emperor, and our shogunate only received that authority delegated from His Majesty as the head of samurai!

However if the era no longer needs the shogunate, we will willingly return all great power to His Majesty.”

Abolish the shogunate.

And the emperor’s court also the same in not civilizing and enlightening, so abolish this too and found a new government!

“Enact a new constitution to rule the divine land forever from now on. Until the constitution is enacted the old shogunate and old court cooperate and operate a provisional government.”

“The judiciary also until an independent judiciary operates in Western style the provisional government unavoidably has jurisdiction.”

“The daimyo of each domain and renowned scholar families gather and form the Japanese parliament. The parliament is divided into upper house and lower house. The constituent assembly upper house speaker concurrently serves as the provisional government head.”

Words not wrong, but this is in one word the declaration that the shogunate will eat the emperor’s court.

But that last one of introducing the parliamentary system stopped those who were pondering whether to draw swords and slice the shogunate bastards immediately.

Ultimately the root of this mess is power struggle.

If the shogunate that only ate among themselves disappears and the parliament is established, as a result even domains that were neglected like Choshu or Satsuma can elect lawmakers and have room to intervene in state affairs?

“Eum. No choice but to agree!”

“As expected only Tokugawa thinks of patriotism.”

“Now when the world is twisting this way and fluctuating that way, is there need to collapse Tokugawa’s rule and invite chaos?”

To the majority of daimyo and samurai, the shogunate’s this declaration was interpreted as a kind of agreement.

We can smear you all if we set mind.

Saw our backing? The West and Joseon all support Tokugawa. Even if acting up you will all be slaughtered in front of the Gatling.

But the shogunate is generous!

Will share the honey pot we only ate among ourselves with you too!

If rejecting the shogunate’s proposal, no answer besides waging a great war that will dye all Japanese land with blood. Even the emperor is captured in Edo so they will also get the tag of traitors.

1864.

All daimyo of Japanese land without leaving even one gathered in Edo.

All of them witnessed the scene of the shogun returning the great power to the emperor, and watched the scene of the emperor who received the great power back appointing the shogun as the overall responsible person of the new government once more.

The shogun first appointed the daimyo who attended this seat as upper house members.

With this the Edo shogunate that ruled Japan for hundreds of years ended its long history with the 14th shogun Tokugawa Iemochi.

“But what is the name of the new ruler?”

“Prime minister?”

“Qing’s Prince Gong is also prime minister and the top among Joseon subjects is also prime minister. Will be prime minister.”

“From when did our Japan copy other countries’ official positions? Japan the emperor protects must be differentiated from other countries!!”

“Just grand minister or kanpaku-”

“Discard such old-era official positions! The new Japan is reborn as a Western power!”

Anyway everyone knew.

Unlike other countries’ prime ministers the head of the Japanese new government the Tokugawa family heads will eat generation after generation, and even that head seat will become a nominal president at some moment and the real power will be seized by other black curtains. Japanese people’s black curtain love is a tradition aged thousands of years.

“How about president?”

“Translated the highest ruler of the United States and past French republic as president.”

“Those are guys elected through voting? A bit awkward for the Tokugawa head who will rule Japanese land to use.”

“Must make something plausible new?”

As a result of long heated discussion.

The name of the new official position the Tokugawa family will inherit generation after generation the head of the executive that the Japanese emperor appoints and newly leads the government was selected.

“How about generalissimo?”

“Just generalissimo is plain.”

“Let’s put the character great.”

“Good!”

Tokugawa Iemochi.

Inauguration as the first great generalissimo of the Japanese new government.

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