Chapter 30

Chapter 30

Joseon Invasion (1)

Politics is like a living creature. No, much more changeable than that. It’s liquid monster level.

Kim Jwageun and the Andong Kim clan had definitely been advantageous.

They had firmly made the connection link and private connection with Lee Aseul, and while associating with him for several years acquired fragmentary but much knowledge about the West.

But in a moment of ah ah they got hit.

‘Join hands with the Andong Kim clan and block the expansion of the king’s power, or join hands with the king and drive out the Andong Kim clan?’

The Pungyang Jo clan kneeling was precisely to gain momentum.

If other people of Joseon heard they would all curse ‘fuck you are also powerful people’, but originally isn’t 2nd place the most pitiful. They couldn’t just stay still even seeing Kim Jwageun bunkering in the front yard again.

The decision was swift.

“Even for the people war must not happen.”

“Westerners’ objects are truly strong so it is difficult to easily oppose with our weapons so even if one fights and wins what we gain will be only ruins and corpses the same as the Imjin year.”

“If one forms friendship with them and endures hardship and also acquires their weapons... is the great undertaking of the northern expedition truly a vain dream?”

This was the story of the Pungyang Jo clan that used to cut Western learning guys’ necks in the past suddenly switching posture and transforming into radical enlightenment northern expedition advocates.

Like this Kim Jwageun fully operated the brain.

‘Those guys suddenly that crap?’

‘Of course the king’s intention intervened, right?’

Heonjong was keeping silence. Because the eyes and ears of the Andong Kim clan are all over the palace.

But is it really correct that Heonjong is keeping silence?

The king’s birth mother, Queen Jo is a Pungyang Jo clan person as one can know just from the surname.

If the king subtly conveys the intention to the mother and Queen Jo again sends a secret letter to her natal family it is not an impossible thing for the Pungyang Jo clan to uphold the king’s secret letter.

In darkness where one can’t see even an inch ahead Kim Jwageun had to make a decision.

“One must show them our firm determination.”

Not the words of a Japanese Empire imperial army ambassador.

It was the sound the highest powerful minister of Joseon, Haok Kim Jwageun chattered in the royal presence.

The young king, Heonjong only blinked his eyes a few times.

“Does it mean one must take Qing’s side and jump into the war?”

“No. After informing Yanjing of the situation we are in, one must equip a perfect defense posture so their invasion will is broken.”

‘Telling me to go to Britain?’

Go and just stick there, go to a Westerner neighborhood that one doesn’t know how many years by ship, and live forever? If one dies there who holds the ancestral rite?

Fuck off.

One cannot honestly say ‘I don’t want to step back and don’t want to be expelled and want to continue living doing the real power role instead of the king’.

In the end from Kim Jwageun’s mouth that damned rejecting the West rejecting heresy repeated like a music app with repeat on.

However correct theory is scary like this.

Even if the filthy intention of not wanting to die alone so Joseon dies together is too clearly visible one could not refute.

To refute there one has to outright say ‘Qing will perish and Britain’s world will open. We also quickly send an envoy to Britain and pay tribute?’ or so, but there was no beast’s heart that can all-in one’s life of course and even the family’s future on Britain coin.

Finally Kim Jwageun who consistently cried out the powerful correct theory of <​rejecting the West rejecting heresy> carried through his opinion.

The reply written in the name of the Joseon Ministry of Rites was roughly like this.

[1. Joseon is a vassal serving Qing and does not communicate with other countries without Qing’s permission.

2. War is a bad thing. If the two countries want not to fight there is intention to mediate reconciliation.

3. Even if one wants to suppress Joseon with force we will never yield.]

Rejection of all demand conditions.

Arthur immediately left after receiving the reply.

As soon as the steamship Arthur boarded left.

Joseon entered wartime posture.

“Gather the royal guard army from all eight provinces across the country! Open the house storehouses and gather soldiers and mobilize all cannons, all warships!”

Kim Jwageun absolutely did not yield the tightly gripped military authority. King or whatever was no longer visible in his eyes.

If one wins it’s fine.

Anyway if one wins everything is resolved.

The way to live for him is now only victory.

***

September 1851.

I who returned to Hong Kong immediately headed to Earl of Clarendon.

“In the end they did not accept even one of our demands. Was this the best?”

“I think it is the best result.”

The Count quietly only twitched the tobacco pipe in his mouth.

- Somewhere telling me to chatter once?

I took out two letters from my bosom and politely offered them to him.

One is the original Chinese character letter.

The other is the English version I translated.

He who briefly looked at the original that is nothing more than crooked brush writing immediately picked up the translation.

“[Prime Minister Kim-Jwa-geun who seized all power of the Joseon government resolved war to maintain his power. Kim privatized military authority under the pretext of war and semi-forcibly confined the king. The intention of the King of Joseon is opening and reform and war is never the king’s intention]. Is it all fact?”

“The Joseon government will never declare this letter as an official position.”

“Right. It would be writing by Kim’s political opponent.”

“Similar.”

The owner of this letter comes to bear the risk of being framed as a traitor who sells the country and having limbs torn anytime. Heonjong and the Pungyang Jo clan are not people clumsy enough to write such a letter and fuck themselves.

“This letter is a secret letter sent by Prince Lee Ha-eung who is royalty.”

Just as the heart of loving freedom and justice, and long cons is embedded in the bloodline of British people, from old times the bloodline of Joseon people has the dual strategy of peace and war embedded in red blood cells at the DNA unit. Joseon people have the mindset ‘one can deceive barbarians a bit’ basically equipped even without reading Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Silla Goryeo Joseon North Joseon all did it.

Since Kim Jwageun who didn’t want to board the one-way passenger ship to London putting down power devoted his whole body to rejecting the West rejecting heresy, to do the dual strategy of peace and war someone has to become Kim Jwageun’s opposite pole - a fervent pro-British enlightenment faction.

Heungseon-gun paid attention to precisely that point.

Return rather than risk.

The writer of this letter becomes the historical figure who turns the first Britain coin mining machine in Joseon. If Britain loses limbs will be torn and transform into salted fish but if Britain wins one gets Britain on one’s back.

Lee Ha-eung willingly borrowed private loans and boarded the dangerous short selling.

Risk? The beast’s heart doesn’t care about that.

Because if one dies that’s the end.

‘Anyway the life of a royal relative is only two kinds of sticking in the house and breathing and dying, or getting life fucked by being entangled in treason even while just breathing. Is there something to lose by staking my life a bit as gambling money?’

Really crazy bastard.

Since Heonjong got a son he can’t even dream a neat dream like establishing the son as king.

I don’t know well whether because of the age full of vigor or because life is really a dog no answer but Lee Ha-eung stepped on no-back full accelerator much more than the original history. Anyway in a normal situation he is a fate that can’t even establish oneself and make a name let alone power so he stepped forward to the beast’s betting.

“Most of Joseon’s prestigious families and nobles, officials are neutral bystanders. If we show the power of our British Empire once they will willingly collapse the Kim regime and turn to us.”

“Certain?”

“Yes. During the decades the Kim clan seized power Joseon rapidly became desolate. He receives no support at all from the people or the king.”

The Count nodded.

“Then there is no reason to hesitate. One will have to discuss with the soldiers, but considering the story heard before one will be able to input about 5,000 to the Joseon side.”

“I will prepare.”

“It must not take long. How much time is needed?”

“It will be decided within three months.”

September.

In other words autumn.

There is no need for the Redcoats to directly step forward and burn Hanyang.

“Occupy this island, Ganghwa Island and blockade the Han River connected to Hanyang the capital of Joseon.”

“If they don’t yield?”

“Then unavoidably the warships of the British Empire will have to go upstream this Han River.”

“Putting warships into a river one sees for the first time?”

“I prepared a guide in advance.”

West Sea, Ganghwa Strait, Han River.

A hellish natural environment that even powerful Western powers got water in.

But I have precious friendship with free souls like Wang Ba who went in and out of the Han River like their own house. Sufficiently overcomable.

“Quickly conclude the military action on the Joseon side and establish friendly relations with them.”

“I will follow the order.”

I bowed my head and greeted then tried to leave his office.

“Ah. I almost forgot. A welcome guest came to you. Time is tight but quickly go and meet.”

What.

I don’t have friends.

***

Hong Kong was busy.

“Move quickly quickly!!”

“Unit, attention!!”

The black arm of the British Empire stretching to the five oceans and six continents of the whole world began to move.

First of all the East India Company army commanding hundreds of thousands of great army, those famous sepoys headed to China across the sea.

Many Indians were reluctant to cross the sea strangely because of their unique customs, but there are ones whose eyes turn at the vast compensation the British Empire and East India Company promised anywhere.

Sepoys who willingly agreed to overseas dispatch are mostly assigned to special ‘volunteer’ units, and they become the main force projected overseas for the Union Jack.

The land of opportunity India.

Not only those native sepoys, but for British people too India is a place full of opportunity.

In other European countries among those whose status is somewhat humble but confident in their ability and luck a considerable number head to the army. Where else is there a more certain means of self-made success than establishing military merit and rising.

However this extraordinary country the British Empire was always different.

In the British Empire army officer insignia is bought with money.

Not only enlisting needs money. Starting from buying the second lieutenant insignia, one has to buy with money even when promoting.

For example if the battalion commander lieutenant colonel retires and goes home, usually the major with the highest seniority in the unit gets the right to <​buy with money> this luscious lieutenant colonel insignia. This money is precisely the retirement pay of the retiring lieutenant colonel.

If the major cash-shops and promotes to lieutenant colonel, this major insignia is again bought by some captain and the major fills the pierced wallet. Now the captain insignia whose owner disappeared is again bought by a first lieutenant...

Surprisingly a considerable number of British people regarded this miraculous selling official posts process as a means of killing two birds with one stone that maintains the organization’s dignity and runs the army at low cost.

“What on earth does one verify command ability and courage, military talent with? There is no method, right?”

“If one buys with money at least financial power is verified. Having financial power while young means the family also supports.”

“Sitting kids who have only talent as officers? Puhahaha. Are you an idiot? Listen well. That’s why the continent’s army embezzlement explodes every day, receives back money and takes, commits plunder. A young master of a family that has must not skim and plunder less.”

“So? We won Napoleon with this army and you have complaints?”

Because of that unlike young people of other countries who have only two fists knocking on the door of the military academy, the majority of British young people heading to the military academy were already children supported by the family.

But the East India Company army is different.

Precious house children don’t overflow with the desire to roll with native soldiers in the Indian jungle, and this bizarre selling official posts system is also less.

Arthur Lee’s older brother, Daniel Lee is precisely the case of graduating from <​Addiscombe Military Seminary> that raises East India Company army officers and throwing himself into the company army.

Parents who suddenly passed away.

The aspiration to raise the collapsed family again himself.

The connections of father Henry Lee that are gradually fading but still intact.

All conditions were perfect.

If there is one point not expected.

“Arty!”

“My goodness! Hyung! How did you come here?!”

“Of course I came on dispatch! Don’t worry! I’ll smash all whether Tatar or Joseon!”

The younger brother became too successful.

If it was going to be like this.

Why the fucking seniority in India...

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