Joseon Needs a Coup - Chapter 130



Only Noblemtl

#130. Last days in Beijing (2)

“Huh? You want me to scratch the bullet heads of all these bullets?”

I called all the officers above the rank of platoon leader together, showed them the bullets, and said:

The reactions were mixed, but it was clear that there was a difference in experience here.

The junior officers who had just graduated from the military academy and were commissioned could not hide their puzzled expressions, but those with some experience understood what he was talking about.

“The method of using a crosshair to scratch the bullet of a double-barreled pistol is effective for taking down large animals. Are you sure you want to use it against your enemies?”

“I fully sympathize with the issues you have raised, and this is the result of my own reflection.”

The result was a dumb bomb.

Although it was an unethical and immoral ammunition that was banned in the Hague Convention of 1899, it was capable of demonstrating certain killing power against enemies.

“If you nick the bullet’s bullet head, it can lodge itself in a person’s body and cause a larger internal wound. Unlike a clean penetration, it creates a messy explosion inside the body.”

I said as I showed them the bullets. Everyone was focused. It seemed like they were all thinking about the most effective way to subdue or kill the enemy.

“During the recent Battle of Yangchon, we had to engage in unexpected close combat as the Boxers attacked after drinking opium, and suffered considerable casualties.”

At that time, there was greater damage than expected. The 1st Company of the Demonstration Infantry Battalion, which had been in the vanguard, was caught up in an unexpected close combat and suffered about 40 casualties.

If it weren’t for the assault infantry battalions and cavalry that were in reserve, the damage would have been even greater. As we investigate what went wrong with the casualties, we come across some pretty gruesome truths.

“When I examined the corpses of the enemies killed at that time, I could see that the enemies approached our lines even though they had been shot at least 4 or 5 times.”

You could see enemies rushing in almost half-crazy, unless they had suffered fatal wounds to the head or heart.

Their bodies had at least four bullets lodged in them, and despite being caught in the crossfire, they charged forward with the power of opium.

According to the testimonies of the surviving enemies immediately after the battle, it was so.

As a result, the 1st Platoon of the Demonstration Infantry Battalion, which lacked combat experience against such enemies, was bound to suffer great losses.

I regretted that it would have been better to deploy the assault infantry battalion that had combat experience in Langfang, but they were also exhausted from the many battles they had fought.

“That’s why we use these bullets to fight our enemies. Of course, this isn’t a recommended bullet for regular warfare. If you use these, the accuracy and range will definitely drop.”

“However, the enemy is lightly armed and does not have the proper military training we have. In a melee situation, the bullets we will use will be incredibly powerful.”

Moreover, it would be more effective to deal with the Boxer Rebellion, which was mainly comprised of peasants, rather than with the regular army that had received professional military training.

“Commander, then how should we make this?”

“Sergeant Hong Beom-do next to you will teach you how to do that, so learn carefully.”

With the recent creation of a new light infantry company in the Guards Brigade, a unit comprised of former gunners joined the ranks of the expeditionary force.

I had heard that French advisers had experimentally created a light infantry unit similar to their own Chasseurs-Alpinis, and I thought it might be them.

They specialized in missions such as skirmishes, long-range firefights, and reconnaissance, but their most valuable feature was their strong mobility. And the famous Hong Beom-do was commissioned as a junior officer in this unit, so I picked him up right away because I thought he was cool.

In the first place, the idea for Dumdumtan was also something this gentleman suggested to me.

Since they hunted large animals like tigers in the first place, they had some know-how on how to make bullets to catch large animals.

He calmly demonstrated how to make a cross groove in the bullet head of a 7.62mm cartridge with a saw, and explained the principle in detail so that he could teach it to his subordinates.

“I have a question.”

Lieutenant Lee Ki-pyo, who was standing quietly behind me and watching this scene, asked me a question.

“Try it.”

“Can this be applied to other ammunition as well?”

“Of course. The same applies to the bullets from the muskets that you and the entire assault battalion carry. They may not penetrate cleanly, but at least they will be able to effectively deal with the enemies that are rushing at you like crazy. The battle will continue at dawn tomorrow, so as soon as I finish the explanation, return and modify the ammunition you carry as much as possible.”

As soon as he finished saying this, the whole regiment became noisy all afternoon. As expected, they seemed to be busy making dumb bombs.

With a squeaking sound, they were busy using all sorts of things to scratch the tip of the bullet as they ran out of saws.

Dawn will come soon, so I should get ready too.

I also controlled my nervousness by handling the bullets.

The beautiful Beijing, also known as the City of Flowers, which you see right in front of you, will soon be turned into hell by our hands.

I offered a moment of silence in my heart for them.

The dawn of the 20th century will be filled with indelible pain and shame for them.

***

“Inspiration, something is fishy about this.”

“anything?”

Eo Yoon-joong adjusted his glasses and looked at the investigation report brought by another employee of the Finance Department.

Recently, a new investigation office was established in the Ministry of Finance to collect overdue or unpaid taxes from local county governors, but it seems they have smelled something again.

They were the most powerful central department that the central government could wield after the military and police, and they were even more feared than the secret royal inspectors because they had the right to immediately execute county magistrates who deliberately defaulted on taxes, if necessary, together with mounted policemen dispatched from the Jinwi Corps or the capital’s police headquarters.

Thanks to this, as of 1897, most of the 60% of unpaid taxes nationwide could be withheld at source over a three-year period, so its power was bound to grow enormously.

This system did not exist from the beginning. Originally, taxes were to be collected through the peddlers and the local police organization, the Martyrs’ Office, but when these showed corruption such as collusion with local county magistrates, the investigation office was established after a cabinet meeting.

As it was a group that could exercise physical force when necessary together with the Central Police Agency, its power was bound to grow stronger, and its work gradually expanded to become a department that even resolved corruption cases related to tax collection and smuggling.

The customs office that had been in charge of customs affairs had also been effectively absorbed by them.

“This is a document containing the captured supplies sent by the expeditionary force.”

Yun Zhong’s expression had already brightened. The goods they had seized, especially the large quantity of silver they had secured by raiding the warehouse of the General Affairs Office in Tianjin, were a tremendous achievement.

There was not a single employee of the Ministry of Finance who did not feel excited when he heard that. It was a huge sum of money, equivalent to three years’ worth of budget.

“Oh, there was something like that.”

“It clearly states that it is 3 million nyang, and the signatures of the expeditionary force commander and the recipient are neatly recorded, but the transport ship that arrived yesterday only had 2 million nyang.”

“what···?”

Eo Yun-joong urgently looked at the document written in the investigation room. It was checked three times, but it was true that only 2 million nyang had entered the port, not the 3 million nyang originally recorded.

In addition, there was information that one of the two ships that had initially set out suddenly changed course to Shanghai.

“What is this-”

“I don’t know what’s going on in Shanghai, but if it’s a scheme to steal the loot, shouldn’t we stop it?”

“That’s true. But isn’t it possible that the ship had a problem and had to change course suddenly?”

“That may be possible, but based on what we know so far, we suspect that the route was different from the beginning. We’ll have to send the investigation team to investigate the situation further, but…”

It was currently unknown who had the nerve to give such an order for 1 million nyang of silver to be embezzled in this manner, but there was only one person who could surpass him, the Minister of Finance, and do such a thing.

“Could it be that Your Majesty···?”

“yes?”

“Oh, no. Let’s go and conduct a thorough investigation, and keep quiet about what’s happening now. If it leaks to the outside, things will get worse.”

“I understand what you mean by inspiration.”

The employee quietly walked out of the Minister of Finance’s office.

Eo Yun-joong’s mind became complicated. If this was the Emperor’s will, it would become a big problem.

Unless the expeditionary force command and the treasurer of the treasury had conspired, the only person who could have embezzled the captured silver was the emperor, who was at the top of the country.

Even in the Ministry of Finance’s investigation room, discontent toward the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Emperor had been creeping up recently.

In order to collect unpaid or overdue taxes from each regional governor, local guards and police departments were mobilized to enforce them, but there was a separate area that was inviolable: the areas where Naejangwon was located and where property or land was located.

“I guess I should take this opportunity to tame my inner self.”

In addition, it was necessary to gradually control Lee Yong-ik, who was the Emperor’s favorite, the Minister of the Interior, the Director of the Mint, and the President of the Army Clothing Factory.

Although I don’t have any strong opposition to the Ministry of Finance’s policies, they have often shown some suspicious aspects due to the issue of royal funds.

Moreover, as the finances gradually expanded, the imperial family’s assets became one of the burdens that the Ministry of Finance had to deal with at some point.

The assets of the National Treasury, which account for 20% of the entire national budget, served as a strong source of funds in the early days of the founding of the dynasty, but they were now becoming a threatening factor.

It was no different from a national budget that could be monopolized by the emperor without any control.

Who said in advance that there are only two things that people cannot avoid in life: death and taxes.

Just as no one can escape death, he also had an iron rule.

Taxes are something that cannot be avoided regardless of social status.

That is why Eo Yun-jung made up his mind and firmly decided to continue the investigation even if the opponent was the emperor and the royal secretariat.

***

“The deposit has been confirmed to Your Majesty’s account at the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation.”

“That’s great.”

Along with the report from Naejangwon-gyeong Lee Yong-ik, King Gojong looked at the numbers stamped on his account with a happy expression.

But unlike the emperor’s happy expression, Lee Yong-ik looked somewhat uncomfortable.

“You’re doing a great job. I can see why the Japanese went to war. You sent me such a huge bundle of gifts.”

“However, Your Majesty, if the Ministry of Finance’s investigation office raises an objection to this, wouldn’t it be a problem?”

He knew that the Ministry of Finance’s investigation office was not a simple matter.

While the most capable military officers went to the central guard and the guard corps, the most capable civil officials and students who had studied abroad hoped to work in the Ministry of Finance.

That’s why I couldn’t look down on them.

It was a department where all the country’s elites were concentrated.

“The Department of Internal Affairs was promised independence from the time of the founding of the empire, so how dare they conduct an investigation?”

“But for them, budget is more important than anything else. So Your Majesty, you must also prepare.”

“Well, if they were young people, they would probably do that. They’ve learned the bad habits of sheep.”

In recent years, Emperor Gojong’s suspicions about overseas students have been growing day by day.

Although Lee Yong-ik was concerned about the emperor’s appearance, he couldn’t really touch him. He was the kind of person who would do something like that.

If it weren’t for those idiots from the year of Gapshin, I wouldn’t have reacted so neurotically.

So, that’s why, in order to keep in check those studying abroad in Europe and the United States, they recently received support from the Japanese embassy and used the funds of the Imperial Household Agency to send a large number of students to Japan?

Lee Yong-ik was momentarily astonished by the emperor’s movements.

“Anyway, you must keep quiet about this matter. It is something that should be kept between you and Naejangwonkyung only.”

“Okay. What should I do if the Ministry of Finance’s investigation room comes in?”

“Don’t worry, I will give orders to the royal guards and the palace inspectors. They will not be able to touch even a single hair of the palace’s land or funds.”

I wonder if they have any intention of creating a public security situation if necessary.

Lee Yong-ik hid his anxious feelings as he bowed to Gongsun and went outside.

In the distance, those wishing victory in Beijing were chanting slogans in front of the Great Han Gate, and various patriotic groups were forming a long line to collect donations.

Lee Yong-ik asked himself, “Is this truly the path to civilization?”

Somehow, it seemed to be much more vibrant than Joseon in the past, but it seemed to be heading towards chaos.