Chapter 46

Chapter 46

Beans Planted Where Beans Grow (1)

Joseon people who set foot in Europe felt their world collapsing, the stones that formed the well all becoming gravel and weathering.

Endlessly wide sea.

Huge ships advancing 24 hours with the power of coal.

Factories that automatically move and produce objects even without people touching.

Iron horse, train that makes precious iron and wood into roads and races at tremendous speed on them.

Communication means that can send letters to places far away, telegram.

It was not that Westerners threatened other countries with the power of powerful weapons.

Just these people were far ahead of Joseon and the East in all aspects, and weapons were only an extremely small part among those countless objects.

The shock did not stop here.

The first Joseon people to arrive on European land were not them, but priest aspirants including Kim Daegeon.

Even if the Ganghwa brothers are only still chirping children so be it, to the plenipotentiary to Britain Jo Byeonghyeon and his subordinates who have the duty to learn knowledge about Europe and the world and convey to Joseon this was truly a shocking story.

“These guys are traitors! These bastards requested the invasion of foreign armies to destroy Joseon!”

“What if these bastards went around badmouthing Joseon?”

“When Taejo founded Joseon vicious traitors fled to Ming and went around chattering the heaven-and-man-outraging nonsense ‘Taejo is the son of the treacherous official Lee Inim’ and hundreds of years had to be spent to correct this. If the same thing happens again in this West it is truly a great upheaval.”

For the safety of the royal family one must communicate with Westerners as soon as possible and widely publicize Joseon.

Since it is obvious how endless malice the vicious ones who escaped overseas saying they will inform of Jesus and came even to Europe harbor toward Joseon, one must quickly castrate their influence and inform proper knowledge about Joseon!

In addition one must research how the West became strong, and what knowledge and objects to send to Joseon.

One way or another they had no choice but to become busy.

While tenaciously learning English, collect as much information as possible and establish merits worth returning to Joseon.

But these officials and the Ganghwa brothers had a very slight difference in position.

“Are we practically hostages?”

“Hyungnim, where in the bright world is there such a hostage?”

“What sound. Now we are bound to become Britain’s vanguard... At least the one thing that we can work for the ancestral temples and altars is better.”

The Ganghwa brothers who were in the position of fly life not knowing when they would die.

Did not even receive proper education for long, and according to Joseon’s tradition royal relatives just breed and live and cannot even dream of doing state affairs.

But now a counterexample arose.

After hundreds of years Heungseon-gun seized a proper minister position and entered the core of power, and these brothers also might be used heavily.

So they diligently learned and mastered.

What Eton school taught was nothing special in their eyes so they avidly read all sorts of books and whipped themselves more.

“Why did Westerners develop and become rich and strong like this?”

“What is different from us?”

The answer that pops out first to their question is stories that can never be accepted like ‘Europeans are great’ or ‘Christianity is excellent’.

The conclusion the Ganghwa brothers reached was plain.

“These people repeatedly fought wars for thousands of years and endlessly nurtured a strong army, and with that army conquered that huge American new continent and grasped vast gold silver treasures and slaves and filled their own bellies.”

“Isn’t it hegemony no different from Qin Shi Huang.”

“But how was the result of that hegemony? Why are we here now this words.”

Yes.

From the beginning not particularly great in learning and greenhorns who came to Britain not even 1 year what would they know?

Although some eye-catching points like commerce and industry prospered or state affairs are managed in a place called parliament were seen, at least in these brothers’ eyes ‘these guys just grew power with war and became like this?’ was still the limit.

But it is not that they are completely thinking wrong either.

“If we also do not quickly nurture national power and secure colonies, ultimately we will end up becoming the appearance of climbing onto the dining table of those powers.”

“A country without colonies is not even properly treated. Truly a crazy world. Well, just as we call them Western barbarians they also call us barbarians?”

Even the Middle Kingdom order they are familiar with barbarians are only appeased and soothed or conquered and crushed.

Since Westerners are a race that increases colonies for their own glory whenever there is a gap, for Joseon to be recognized there must be one decent colony.

“Must drive out the Jurchens and recover the old territory of Goguryeo-”

“Must subjugate the Japanese and open the sea route to become a strong great country like them-”

“How can we do what even Toyotomi Hideyoshi could not. Northern expedition has been our long-cherished wish since the barbarian invasion so northern expedition must be prioritized.”

“Didn’t study? Ultimately must trade by sea route to nurture strong army with that margin. If we do not strike Wa first someday the Japanese bastards will block our sea route!”

Affectionate brothers already boiling kimchi soup from now.

This is why amateur shamans kill people.

***

Before returning to Joseon, let’s organize all the cards I have.

Ganghwa brothers quickly learning Eton spirit.

At first hearing the sound ‘national power is in invasion’ and startled whether started growing mustache instead of beard, but listening well it was just typical enrich the country strengthen the army logic.

Isn’t this era precisely the era where <​if taking and repaying it’s fine> runs rampant. Since learned the crazy 19th century of course immersed in strange theories like win the war - earn reparations - establish colonies - exchange corn and diamonds.

But if studying a few more years will reach the conclusion ‘so by what means sweat?’. Still these must be thoroughly aged. Let’s hang them on Eton until they become well-ripened meju.

Next missionaries belonging to the Paris Foreign Missions Society.

Since France and America are pounding Joseon’s door recklessly soon they will also conclude friendly trade treaties with Joseon, and America maybe not but France will definitely threaten to guarantee freedom of faith and missionary work.

France’s pattern is too obvious.

Definitely will write on the treaty that missionary work is possible only near open ports but missionaries crazy for proselytizing will crawl into Joseon’s inland, and if dying suddenly will make a fuss saying our citizens were killed so pay reparations. Clear without looking.

- So is there some countermeasure?

Countermeasure?

What countermeasure?

If France does gangster acts like that it’s thank you for us. Evil France and Britain with the appearance of a gentleman. Too perfect control group.

But too regrettable to just martyr the Kim Daegeon gang. Must review methods to save them while still using them.

Next northwest merchants.

No matter how tearfully poor and small a country Joseon is it is strictly a country. I alone cannot eat everything.

Nurture those merchants as Joseon’s gentry and bourgeoisie, and raise them as liberals to oppose the traditional yangban class.

- Then what do you get?

What get. Obtain the logistics distribution network for all of Joseon’s eight provinces.

Will railways spring up overnight? Even if laying railways due to Joseon’s poor road conditions will ultimately have to rely on peddlers?

Unless Joseon does Prussian style or Russian style modernization, if doing British style modernization the merchants’ influence will of course strengthen. Just making them thoroughly Whig Party-like builds the free trade land I earnestly desire.

In addition there are also some Joseon people I diverted during the last war.

On the surface orphans or whatever, but if not Catholics then about remnants entangled in Hong Gyeongrae’s rebellion. High possibility of hating Joseon so if raising these friends well might be usable as medicine.

Checking there are not as many cards as thought.

Lee Ha-eung is closer to a cooperating business partner rather than moving receiving my orders, and speaking of Heonjong nothing to say. If I go too far or look easy it is not completely impossible to cast me out.

Joseon must become rich and strong.

Only then the bean powder I eat multiplies several times.

So for now.

Shall we start from development.

***

Autumn 1852.

East Asia was still burning.

The Second Opium War raised by Western powers including Britain surprisingly entered a new chapter.

“Kill all the Manchu bastards!”

“A new world will arrive!!”

Precisely that famous <​Taiping Heavenly Kingdom> started and the two vicious groups exerted synergy effects on each other.

At first British people thought they were ‘Christians’ and approached favorably, but soon knew that the cult leader of these Taiping Heavenly Kingdom guys was a psycho claiming himself the son of Yahweh and Jesus’s younger brother and cleanly gave up.

No matter how Britain is a mix of Catholic, Anglican, Puritan etc. all lay the Trinity to some extent but these guys did not even have that.

But if not using rebels not British.

“We do not recognize you, but if guaranteeing the personal safety and commerce of our citizens in your occupied areas we will not be hostile to you either.”

“Fine. Perhaps can purchase some weapons?”

“Didn’t I say we do not recognize you? But will not block free trade between individuals.”

Even psycho pseudo-religion rebels were customers to capitalist hyenas searching for money.

Taiping Heavenly Kingdom that buys all sorts of weapons at expensive prices from Europeans was just a generous customer, and since rebellion broke out opium crackdown also weakened and put heat on business like fish meeting water.

Japan’s situation was also similar.

The matter of Americans making Edo a sea of fire did not happen.

Japanese people who heard the news that Joseon was trampled by Britain as soon as the American fleet showed signs of blockading the waterway immediately stuck their heads and quietly signed the treaty they held out.

The miracle year when the three Eastern countries all become tattered!

The heavy responsibility of listening to the East’s tears and saving them is pressing on my shoulders.

As I returned to Joseon.

The whole world was waiting for me.

“Why came so late?”

Look.

Even Heungseon-gun Lee Ha-eung who is Minister of Rites came out to the sea in front of Incheon and is waiting for me.

“Because the things I have to do are not one or two. Now thinking of being in Joseon for a while.”

“His Majesty drew the sword. Will pull out all the boils that were eating this country by the roots.”

The Border Defense Council that was the means for the powerful families to practically rule Joseon was abolished.

The guys who were playing around all had their heads broken, and most of the guys who seized magistrate positions with bribes were dismissed from office.

“A government office called <​Military State Affairs Correction Office> was newly installed. Directing all reforms from the front here.”

“Joseon normalizing day by day seems truly proud. What shall I help with?”

“Receive an official post a bit. Not something special but the role of advising His Majesty.”

Official post?

I am a foreigner?

“Hehe. If I can be of even slight help to His Majesty what can’t I do. But is it okay for me a foreigner to eat Joseon’s salary?”

“What does it matter. Practically Britain is now the suzerain.”

Ahta. Look at the blade grown on the tongue a bit. But if the teacher who is pro-British number 1 says like that it’s a bit disappointing?

Like that exchanging words and heading to Hanyang.

“What is that...?”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“That hanging in lines all around there-”

“Traitors.”

The number is not one or two?

What on earth is happening in this country in the short time I was away?

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Author's note

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