Chapter 35

Chapter 35

Open Joseon (2)

Lee Ha-eung and Kim Heunggeun, the Kim Byeonghak and Byeongguk brothers who confirmed that Kim Jwageun’s breath was cut immediately caught the soldiers outside the house and advanced to the palace.

Those who were pacing preparing the moving of the royal carriage in the middle of the night stared at them blankly, but there was not that much time to spare to explain the situation.

The king who was staying up all night with open eyes felt his chest pounding at the sound that Supreme Commissioner Kim Heunggeun and Heungseon-gun suddenly entered.

“For what matter did the two people come in this late night?”

“Supreme Commander Kim Jwageun committed suicide.”

Fabrication.

But Kim Heunggeun had no choice. If one says Kim Jwageun is a traitor here won’t the Andong Kim clan also all be tied in lines like dried yellow corvina and dragged to the execution ground?

“The Supreme Commander without discussing with anyone requested surrender to Britain, and if the British army enters Hanyang he tried to immediately burn the entire capital all.

We knew this plan and were greatly surprised and strictly questioned how one tries to commit such a miserable thing alone dictatorially, and the Supreme Commander who knew that even if one sets fire it will not go as intended since the secret already leaked cut his own life.”

“A crazy one. Truly a great treasonous act!”

“Only at the end did he finally acknowledge his fault and took responsibility with death, so for him it would be truly excessive but if Your Majesty bestows holy virtue and forgives all the people will praise Your Majesty.”

Heonjong fell into thought looking at the backs of the two people prostrated flat.

Why suddenly Heungseon-gun Lee Ha-eung who has no real power at all, came to the royal presence together with Kim Heunggeun the powerful next to Kim Jwageun.

No matter how one looks it doesn’t seem Kim Jwageun just obediently died.

His death was murder, or forced to suicide.

But for Heonjong right now such a thing was not an immediately important matter.

“What does the Supreme Commissioner think we should do from now on?”

“This subject only upholds the holy heart.”

“The Supreme Commander who should take responsibility for the war fled with death how does the Supreme Commissioner say only upholding the holy heart? Are you truly planning to only uphold the holy heart?”

- I don’t want to be pickled in history for a long long time by saying surrender with my own mouth

- If Kim Jwageun took responsibility with death shouldn’t you the superior also die? If you want to live you have to do what you have to do?

Although it was just one tikitaka it was sufficient for Kim Heunggeun to bow his head even more.

When a serious crisis comes to the country usually the regime changes. 21st century democracy grants justification and legitimacy in this process and is very effective in efficiently changing the regime and removing the bloody smell.

But even without democracy this law is applied.

The Andong Kim clan that even forcibly put the king in the back room and tried to grip power somehow now had to take much greater responsibility and lose power.

“They claimed they came to punish Kim Jwageun and help Joseon, so if one appropriately hands over his head and requests friendship they will listen. If the people suffer hardship more than this it is certain the harvest time will be ruined, so truly lamentable but one must request reconciliation with Britain.”

“Does the Supreme Commissioner’s intention match the intention of the civil and military officials?”

“Yes.”

“Ah! I am lacking in virtue and disturbed the people’s livelihood and could not kindly look after the people so very sad. Quickly send a summons and have the officials enter and take measures so this disturbance ends even a moment faster.”

Finally the king heard the words he wanted to hear.

Since Kim Jwageun deleted the king’s presence for his own power, Heonjong almost had nothing to take responsibility for in this war. There has to be something done according to the king’s will to take responsibility, right?

“Heungseon-gun listen.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“I know you had close friendship with the British envoy Lee Aseul from early. Can you go forward to the British army camp and communicate with them?”

“How can this subject who is the lowest of royal relatives stay still facing the national crisis? If Your Majesty orders I will willingly take on even the work of horses and cows.”

Kim Heunggeun takes the lead and ties the surrender procedure and takes responsibility on his own.

Lee Ha-eung who definitely did something big is entrusted with diplomatic work, and later subtly put the name on practical work and appoint to the court.

Now just finish the negotiation with Britain well.

The young king obtained everything to obtain after enduring and being patient.

Truly a long time of endurance.

***

With thousands of British army right in front of the Hanyang capital, Heungseon-gun headed to Ganghwa Island as an envoy discussing surrender conditions.

The British army proposed to send to Ganghwa Island with their warship, and Lee Ha-eung responded without a single hesitation.

Anyway he fully bought Britain coin.

“The cannons flashing is truly curious. If using so many cannons how is the supply of gunpowder?”

“The ship advances truly fast. What are that smoke and chimney?”

“Coal! Then to widely spread this powerful fleet all over the world one must gather that coal truly a lot.”

British people tried to show the essence of the British navy to this barbarian envoy and kill the spirit and make them realize the gap, but the person called Heungseon-gun showed no such signs at all and rather went around various places of the ship like his own house’s inner room and asked this and that holding the Chinese interpreter.

After arriving at Ganghwa Island, standing in front of Arthur he could finally release the tension and worry tightly wrapped for a long time with a snap.

“K, khahaha! Khahahahaha!!! Uahahahaha!!!”

“Is it that good?”

“Of course good! Finally, finally! What is it that a scholar yearns for day and night! Establishing oneself and making a name and participating in state affairs is the dream of all scholars, right!”

The shackles of the cursed royal relative.

If a sprout shows one dies entangled in treason, if no sprout one lives as a libertine and gives birth to children and grows old and dies life.

Raised as livestock of the powerful, finally tore that pen and jumped outside.

Now just straighten Joseon.

Hang all the slaves who usurped the master’s authority upside down, and the era where the king is impartial like Yeongjo and Jeongjo did in the past will come again.

Arthur smiled together seeing that endless joy.

It was quite a long time later that Heungseon-gun calmed down.

“Now one has to negotiate. What do we have to give?”

“Truly no hesitation.”

“If negotiation is delayed the country maybe not but Hanyang will be ruined. Please at least first release the current Han River blockade? Anyway smashing Hanyang is as easy as eating cold porridge with the British army’s power.”

“If today’s conversation is sufficiently valuable I will do so.”

Even at Arthur’s words to accept most things Heungseon-gun nodded refreshingly.

“I am seriously contemplating Joseon’s future.”

“You?”

“Of course. Isn’t Joseon my benefactor. Ahem. Why that expression. It’s serious.”

Arthur brought one bottle of high-grade wine and tableware and glass cups that looked full of class just by looking. With high-grade dessert considering Joseon people’s taste added it became a table setting of quality one can confidently present anywhere.

While Lee Ha-eung savored the taste of the sweet yet flavorful wine for a moment, Arthur brought a world map and held it out in front of him.

“This is the world. The Middle Kingdom’s world is only 10% of the entire world.”

“...Truly amazing no matter when one looks.”

“This time please pay attention to the coloring of this map.”

Various places in the world are being dyed with the colors of Britain and France, and various European powers.

Lee Ha-eung immediately understood what Arthur was trying to say.

“Will paint Joseon with the same color as this Britain soon too?”

“I do not want that.”

“Why?”

“Well... because I have to tear and eat Joseon alone.”

“Honest so good disciple!”

Lee Ha-eung trembled his cheeks and laughed heartily, but Arthur did not laugh.

“If Joseon becomes a colony all sorts of bugs of Britain, dogs or cows will all rush saying they will suck Joseon’s blood and fix their fate once. Moreover my brilliant great name as a Joseon expert also seriously fades.”

“...Take care a bit?”

“Yes. If you pay sufficient compensation to me personally, I will pour passionate speech in Britain how much it is Britain’s interest for Joseon to protect sovereignty as an independent country.”

He pondered.

Then moistened his throat with wine again and opened his mouth.

“You still do not have the power to say this and that about Britain’s serious military state affairs. Right?”

“Correct. So you must raise me even more.”

“From old times among countries whose national fortune prospered and displayed power there was no country that disliked war and conquest. Just looking at this map and that powerful army one can clearly know that you are also a country crazy for conquest, by what means will you persuade your country’s court why one must not conquer Joseon and leave it alive?”

Judgment power hard to believe for a person who lived in a well.

Arthur brightened. It was clear evidence that the person he picked was a proper pick.

He pointed to the upper part of the map.

“Do you see this huge country?”

“Yes. The land mass is truly big.”

“It is a country called Russia, or Arasa. The northern polar bear commanding millions of great army. The Naseon conquest in the Hyojong period was precisely fighting the Russian scouting unit.”

“I see.”

Joseon lived too much in their own world to the extent of not even knowing what country they fought.

If they knew this map would the ministers of the Hyojong period have responded to Qing’s dispatch request?

“One of the serious policies of the current British Empire government is blocking Russia’s expansion. Today’s world can seize wealth and prosper national fortune by trading through the sea, but Russia is in frozen soil so all the sea freezes when winter comes and cannot freely trade.

Therefore, they are trying to secure an ice-free port staking their lives and Britain is trying to block this.”

Baltic Sea.

Black Sea.

And... East Sea.

“Even if one conquers Joseon and makes it a colony and exploits one won’t earn a few pennies, and will only consume vast military expenses to suppress Joseon people with guns and swords.”

“But?”

“But how about raising Joseon and using it as mercenaries blocking Russia’s eastern advance? If Joseon that received the British Empire’s support trains hundreds of thousands of great army and blocks Russia this is a thing that matches the empire’s interest.”

Arthur’s finger this time headed to Manchuria.

“No matter how strong the British Empire is mobilizing hundreds of thousands of great army and swallowing Manchuria is impossible. Since the fact that Qing is a paper tiger became clear, Russia will definitely threaten Qing and try to plant its flag in Manchuria and the Far East.”

“······.”

“Putting this vast Manchurian plain and Liaodong in hand. Isn’t it the long-cherished wish of all Joseon people?”

“While turning Russia and Qing into enemies.”

“If Joseon thinks it’s difficult one has to join hands with Japan. From Britain’s position the barbarians who will realize using barbarians to control barbarians with Russia do not have to be Joseon.”

Arthur subtly hinted the intention to adjust his portfolio to Japan.

Lee Ha-eung who pondered in limited information.

Anyway he had no choices.

“Do you truly believe that if Joseon trains hundreds of thousands of great army and advances one can defeat Qing and Russia?”

“If Joseon loses I also go bankrupt. I will make it happen.”

“Fine. I will take it on with the resolve to sell this entire country. What do you want?”

Arthur immediately took out one notebook from inside.

“First I will take part of the ginseng monopoly right.”

“Are you joking?”

“What else is there to suck in this country besides ginseng?”

“‘First’. Again.”

“I will also take the mine development right.”

“Again.”

“I will also bite a mouthful of the right to grain transport.”

“Have you seen this world’s unparalleled daylight robber! The stomach will burst!”

“Don’t worry. I will take care as much as I received.”

“By what means you!”

The 21st century pro salesman was confident.

“I will set up a factory for you.”

“...Factory?”

Industrial revolution.

Arthur intended to sell modernization to Joseon.

Something that originally could not even have the opportunity to buy.

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