I Became The Crown Prince Of The Mexican Empire - Chapter 102



Only Noblemtl

Pacific Fleet (3)

After the ‘Iron Wire Incident’, tremendous changes began to occur in Japan.

Five ports specified in the clause.

Mexican Empire ships began arriving in large numbers in Hakodate, Niigata, Yokohama, Hyogo, and Nagasaki.

[Unlimited gold purchase! Buy at 20% higher than market price!]

Mexican merchants bought up gold indiscriminately.

For the first three months after the opening of the port, ships belonging to a company called ‘Mora Resources’ arrived first and purchased gold at a price slightly higher than the existing market price, so there were no major price fluctuations, but as time passed, ships from other companies also began to arrive.

The price of gold soared as merchants competed to buy it.

“Even though it has risen that much, it is still 8 to 1. Isn’t it extremely low compared to the international market price?”

“That’s right. The international standard is 15 to 1. It’s amazing to see it rising so slowly even though I bought it like that.”

The two Mexican merchants made an unexpectedly huge profit.

If you could bring a ship full of the abundant silver in Mexico and buy gold at half the price in Mexico, it would be foolish not to do so.

“I heard that although the land area is not large, the population is twice that of our Mexican Empire.”

“What? Is that true? I thought that for an underdeveloped country, the economy was quite large. It really is a large country.”

“It’s good for us. It means we have more people to sell our stuff to, more gold to hold, and more goods to buy.”

“Right. …But what about the products to buy? Are you saying there are products worth buying here?”

The Japanese surprisingly readily accepted new civilizations. Various goods brought from Mexico sold well, and even if the price of gold rose further, it was possible to continue trading. But what about goods to buy?

There were grains like rice and basic raw silk products, but I didn’t think they were competitive enough to sell in Mexico.

“Hey, I’m late with the news about this guy. I feel a bit bad about telling you this in person, ahem.”

“Oh, what’s wrong with you, my friend? We’ve been helping each other for so long. If it’s valuable information, I won’t be disappointed, so just tell me.”

“Did you know that Britain is at war with the Qing Dynasty next door?”

“then.”

“They say that even during this war, trade can be done in Macau, which is owned by Portugal. They say that gold purchased in Japan can be exchanged for silver without having to return to the home country.”

“The gold price there would be the international standard, but why is that… Oh, so you’re saying that you can take that silver back to Japan, buy rice and raw silk, and then sell them in Macau. Prices in mainland China must have risen considerably because of the war.”

“As expected, you’re a real pushover. I haven’t been there yet, but I’ve heard that if you sell the products you buy in Japan in Macau, you’ll get at least double the price, so you should get moving right away.”

“Ha, hahaha! This is awesome.”

“Hahaha, isn’t this all thanks to His Highness the Crown Prince’s grace?”

Just by buying gold, you have already made more than double the profit. And then another double? That means you can make almost five times your investment in just five months from your departure from Mexico.

They weren’t deals that would last a long time, but they were so successful that I was grateful that I succeeded at least once.

Mexican merchants bought gold in Japan, exchanged it for silver in Macau, then returned to Japan to buy rice and raw silk to sell in Macau.

The opening of the ports was a jackpot for those who trusted the crown prince and boldly embarked on Pacific trade, but it was a disaster for the Japanese.

As prices fluctuated wildly due to the indiscriminate purchase of gold and the influx of silver, the prices of rice and raw silk also rose significantly, and the prices of daily necessities soared through the roof.

“Ha, hahahaha!”

The Japanese looked at the Mexicans trading with a bright smile.

“I guess it’s good.”

“You sons of bitches, you’re just acting like you know everything.”

A phrase that appears in the meantime.

[Immigration Welcome! Let’s consult comfortably!]

It was a tent with a sign written in broken Japanese. It was a tent, but it was quite large, and there were several of them.

“···Immigration? Are you telling me to immigrate to the Mexican Empire?”

“Hey. What are you going to do in the country where those punks live? It’ll be nonsense.”

“···It doesn’t seem like a country where only white people live.”

Soon, word of the extraordinary benefits of Mexican immigration began to spread in Japan.

***

“Joseon is a more closed country than Japan. I heard that there were many instances of persecution of Catholic believers.”

“Yes, I did some research and it seems that way. But I heard that the population of that small land is not much different from that of Mexico, so there is potential.”

“There is no reason to use force to open the ports right now, so let’s just wait and see.”

shipbuilding.

I don’t really plan on giving anything away, but in any case, it is my past life’s homeland.

‘It’s not like waking up Joseon would necessarily be detrimental to our Mexico.’

What happened to the United States, which woke up Japan in the beginning of history?

Japan, accustomed to accepting foreign culture, grew rapidly. Just 23 years after opening its ports, Japan, which forced Joseon to open its ports just as the United States had done to them, eventually swallowed up Joseon. As if that wasn’t enough, Japan’s ambitions, which aimed for Manchuria and mainland China, were endless, and eventually it even waged war with the United States.

Many people think only of the conclusion that Japan was hit by a nuclear bomb, but the Pacific War was a much more horrific war than they thought. In the United States, there were more than 200,000 deaths, and the cost of the war was astronomical.

Although the Mexican Empire is currently making a lot of money by opening Japan to foreign trade, if a second Pacific War breaks out, it will absolutely not be beneficial. Rather, it will suffer enormous losses that are several times greater than the profits it has made so far.

“But if it is as Your Majesty says, Japan will grow rapidly, and if Joseon opens its ports too late, won’t it be unable to keep Japan in check? It seems like the fastest way would be to use force to open its ports immediately.”

Diego’s words were the general idea.

“You’re not wrong. That’s the fastest way. But it won’t be easy. First of all, Joseon can’t be easily defeated by pressuring them with their navy.”

Joseon would also suffer a major blow to its grain transport by sea, but it would take a really long-term blockade to make it go away.

“So you’re saying we have to fight on the ground?”

“That’s right. But even if our military has overwhelming power, Joseon will not surrender easily.”

“That means we have to mobilize a lot of troops. And you decided that there was no reason to risk that and open the country.”

“That’s right. Even without using force, it won’t take long to open Joseon. The key to opening Joseon is held by the Qing, and the Opium War will soon end.”

One of the reasons why Japan was able to open Joseon to the United States only 23 years after it opened its ports in the history of the Yuan Dynasty was diplomatic pressure from the Qing Dynasty. If it had not been for the Qing Dynasty, Joseon would have resisted Japan as fiercely as it resisted many Western countries.

When Japan demanded that Joseon open its ports, Joseon, as it always did, refused Japan’s demand to open its ports, saying that it was a vassal state of the Qing and had no decision-making power, so it should tell the Qing. However, Li Hongzhang of the Qing betrayed Joseon’s expectations and confirmed to Japan that Joseon’s internal affairs and foreign affairs were left to its own discretion, and even sent a letter to Joseon urging it to sign a treaty of amity with Japan.

This was because the Qing Dynasty, which was already in conflict with the world’s three major powers, Britain, France, and Russia, found it burdensome to deal with a conflict with Japan as well.

“They can take advantage of the fact that the Qing Dynasty, which they have so firmly believed in, will be defeated miserably by the British.”

“That’s it.”

Japan’s excessive growth must be prevented. As it grows, its ambitions will also inflate, and the possibility of a Pacific War will increase.

‘There are three ways.’

The first way is to not open Japan. But this is impossible. Even if we don’t do it, Britain will try to use Japan to check Russia.

The second way is to make Japan a colony or exploit it to the level of a colony so that it cannot grow.

This is not a very realistic method either. Japan may have surrendered to the demand to open its ports more readily than expected, but it is unlikely that they will give up their lifeline as well. In fact, it is crazy because it is no different from saying that we should conquer Japan.

‘An unavoidable war with the United States is approaching, and if we attack Japan recklessly, we could really be ruined.’

The most realistic solution is to contain North Korea through Joseon.

‘What if Joseon, Japan’s first target, was awake, unlike in the original history? What if Joseon was not swallowed up, but its growth was blocked, and it remained a moderately developed regional power?’

Joseon and Japan will check each other, and they will not be able to easily escape the influence of our Mexico. The money earned from trade with the two countries will be invested in the development of the Mexican Empire, and immigration will be accepted from two countries whose populations are larger than our Mexico.

The strategy for the Pacific Fleet’s next destination, the Philippines, is similar.

“Oh, right. Diego, is there any news from the Philippines yet?”

“No contact. Reports from the Pacific Fleet appear to be a bit delayed.”

“Really? That’s strange. Spain is completely crippled, so there should already be one or more independent states. What could be the stumbling block? Anyway, I understand.”

The Philippines has a smaller population than Korea and Japan, but has a large Spanish-speaking population. The Philippines became a Spanish colony earlier than Mexico, and over time, the Spanish language spread widely.

The Philippines is also opening up to trade and accepting immigrants.

‘Huh, just imagining it makes me feel sweet.’

***

We met again with the British Ambassador to Mexico, Richard Pakenham.

“Ambassador Pakenham, it’s been a while. You’ve been harassing our diplomats.”

“It is an honor to meet you again, Your Majesty. I did not harass you!”

That’s true. He just made inquiries through diplomatic channels.

“Hahaha, I’m joking. By the way, you’re really quick with your news. As expected from the British Empire.”

“Even if you don’t try to find out, the Mexican Empire is incredibly powerful. I’ve heard that they’ve recently begun trading with Japan.”

Mexico’s rapid expansion of influence in Asia may have been somewhat irritating to Britain.

“If that were the only thing, you wouldn’t have come to me. You seem to know a lot about the Philippines, so let’s have a frank conversation this time.”

“We in Britain also understand that Mexico is expanding its influence overseas. You have become the world’s second largest maritime power. But we ask that you respect the territories of our British Empire.”

“I don’t think Mexico ever ventured into any area under British influence.”

“Oh, of course. What I’m saying is not that Mexico did that, but that I hope the two countries will cooperate in the future.”

Cooperation. It sounds good, but it’s a warning not to touch the places Britain has marked. It must be a nice way of putting it.

“Very well. Our Mexican Empire has always cooperated with the British Empire. In that sense, why don’t we make an agreement?”

“Are you talking about an agreement?”

As I took a proactive stance, Ambassador Pakenham looked as if he had not expected it and asked me in a trembling voice.

“Yes. Let’s talk about it clearly so that there are no misunderstandings between the two countries and make it official.”

“Hmm… That’s not a bad idea. When I hear you say that, I think Your Majesty has a proposal in mind. Would you mind if I listen to it?”

“great.”

I made him a radical offer.