Joseon Needs a Coup - Chapter 131



Only Noblemtl

#131. Last days in Beijing (3)

“No, isn’t this not the scheduled time?”

“These fucking Roske bastards!”

“What is going on···?”

While the camp was preparing for battle, the sound of cannon fire and the flash of artillery fire were seen striking the eastern gate.

Soon the gates were breached, and the Russian army was seen rushing into Beijing first, without anyone notifying them.

***

Standing between the Japanese and Russian troops, I could hear the roar of the Japanese commander, Lieutenant General Motomi Yamaguchi, from the side.

Although they had promised to attack at 3 a.m., the Russians launched a surprise attack at 1 a.m., perhaps intending to deter the Japanese.

Or maybe he didn’t want to lose his honor to the American soldiers who were in charge of the Dongbian Gate in the northeastern part of the outer city of Beijing, closest to the embassy area.

Anyway, the Russian army’s troll, not the troll, was carried out secretly even by us who were friendly with it, and the current situation has developed.

But things started to go in an unexpected direction.

“They are counterattacking as if they were waiting for this!”

“The Boxer bastards are pouring out!!”

The Russian army, which had initially broken through the eastern gate, was isolated in the midst of waves of Boxer rebels, as if they had entered a tiger’s jaws.

The two Russian companies that had already entered were completely isolated at the eastern gate, and although the remaining units tried to reinforce them, they were quickly exposed to the murderous fire and could not even approach.

It seemed that Admiral Alekseev had overdone it this time.

“The Roske are trapped at the East Gate! We are also advancing towards the Jeongyang Gate!”

“Advance!”

Taking advantage of the Russian army’s isolation, the Japanese army also began to launch an offensive, accompanied by artillery fire, toward the Jeongyangmun Gate assigned to them.

They too, like the Russians, concentrated their artillery fire on the gates to destroy them and concentrated their infantry.

The result is the same.

The price for forcibly sending in infantry in conditions where visibility was poor at night was dire.

Should we say that there was no lesson learned at Nanmen during the Battle of Tianjin? If things had continued as they were, it was clear that an even greater catastrophe would have occurred.

“You idiots. You crawled into the tiger’s mouth on your own.”

Colonel Puchata clicked his tongue and looked at the Japanese soldiers who were trolling just as much as his own soldiers, as if he felt sorry for them.

Having served as the Russian military attaché in Beijing for nearly ten years, he knew the geography of the place better than anyone else, and so he continuously warned the Russian military command, but it seems they did not listen.

“What about us, Commander? Those Russian bastards have foolishly stirred up a beehive!”

“I have to find a way….”

When the operation plan went awry, I too abandoned the original plan and started looking for a new method.

The initial plan was for our troops to take control of the gates and walls, led by the assault infantry battalions which had proven themselves capable of easily breaking fortified areas and deadlocks in Langfang and Tianjin, while the Russians expanded their breakthrough and entered the legation area.

However, for some unknown reason, this was all in vain as Alexeyev and the Russian forces under his command broke off all operations and advanced first.

“There’s no choice. We have no choice but to cooperate with the left-wing’s anti-government forces.”

“You mean the United States of America?”

“I don’t think they have any particularly good feelings towards us.”

It’s not that I didn’t think about that either.

Besides, there was no particular reason for them to cooperate with us.

It was their plan to attack the outer wall of the Dongpyeonmun Gate anyway, and they were even more reluctant to do it because they had been in trouble with us due to the Southern Alliance Incident in Tianjin. Nevertheless, I emphasized cooperation with the US military.

“I know there was an incident, but now all the operational plans have gone awry. We are now in a situation where we cannot enter the castle gate, and we have no choice but to attack the wall between Jeongyangmun and Dongpyeonmun.”

“Surely not even the US military···.”

“The US military will also try to cross the same area. If we make a mistake, a friendly fire may occur, so we need to prevent this.”

Then he quickly called in Deputy Commander Kim Seok-joong, who could speak English.

“Tell the commander of the United States that this is the only thing that can solve this problem right now. I request immediate operational cooperation between the commanders.”

“All right.”

He rode his horse hurriedly and headed towards the American troops on the left wing.

After some time had passed, I could see the horse ridden by Vice Minister Kim Seok-joong hurriedly returning here.

Meanwhile, fierce, bloody battles were taking place at each gate.

From the beginning, it seemed that the Qing army had assumed that the Allied forces would break through the gate, and they had properly positioned their positions and set up a fire net.

Well, no matter how rotten it may be, it was the heart of a great empire, so you have to be prepared for this.

On the one hand, it was fortunate. If we had made a mistake, we had no idea how much damage the assault infantry battalion would have suffered.

The other staff officers and advisors were having a long discussion about how to proceed.

“Well, it looks like you’re back.”

“But… it seems like there are quite a few guests who have come.”

I could see a group of people approaching here, along with the words of Deputy Commander Kim Seok-joong.

As I hurriedly left the command post with my baton in hand, I saw some men with very American faces looking down at me from their horses.

After they got off their horses, they walked briskly towards me.

When I saw him, who was clearly a general with three stars, I quietly saluted him, and he accepted it and extended his hand to me.

“Nice to meet you, my name is Lieutenant General Adna Chaffee, Commander-in-Chief of the United States Army.”

Chappie, Chappie. He was the father of the man who gave the name to the famous M24 Chaffee light tank.

Tanks were said to be the main force of future warfare, and he was the father of the famous figure who could be called the father of the US armored forces.

“Ah, Commander. My name is Kim Si-hyeok, the commander of the Korean Empire’s Mixed Expeditionary Regiment. I have heard of his great reputation even in the far reaches of the East.”

“Let’s leave the formalities aside, why did you ask to cooperate with us?”

Because the situation was urgent, he wanted to make his statement brief and get to the point.

I nodded and called them into the command barracks where the map was.

It got a little stuffy as more and more people came in, but I had no choice but to endure it.

I said, wiping the sweat from the back of my neck.

“At present, the Russian and Japanese forces are suffering significant losses while trying to break through the Dongpyeonmun and Jeongyangmun gates, respectively, and their battle lines are in a state of disarray.”

“I already know about it. Those damn Russians just crossed our path.”

“Now the only route left for you and us is the wall between Jeongyangmun and Dongpyeonmun. Aren’t you planning to go over here?”

“It’s a huge wall that’s over 30 feet tall, but there are volunteers. So why are you asking?”

“We also plan to send assault troops here to overcome this. There is also the problem of mistaken identity with your side, and it is difficult to identify friend or foe at night, so we would like to cooperate.”

I offered Chappie my cooperation.

“We don’t need your help.”

But his reaction was cold.

Well, that makes sense. They thought that since they could do it themselves, there was no need to involve us in it.

“The most active force in the conquest of the Dongmen of Tianjin was our assault infantry corps. If we work together to overcome the wall, it will not be difficult to deploy follow-up units.”

“But there is no benefit to us at all. Besides, you have already enjoyed great success in Tianjin, and you are also greedy. Are you too greedy to be the first to plant your flag in the heart of Beijing?”

Oh, is it because of my major? After all, since the US military had made a disgrace by having the 9th Regiment commander killed in the Battle of Nanmen, Tianjin, this time around, they needed to achieve something concrete.

That’s why I made a deal with Chappie.

As generals who know the romance of the 19th century, they make a deal that they absolutely cannot give up.

“Very well. After the wall is breached, I will allow you to enter the embassy first. In other words, after the wall is breached, your side will have the honor of being the first to save the embassy. How about this?”

“Huh? You’re going to give in to us?”

“As a general who knows honor, I hope you realize that we are being very considerate. In addition, that wall is 9 meters… no, over 30 feet high, and it is very strong. If we attack them separately, it is impossible to predict what will happen.”

In fact, there was no answer for the US military either.

“We don’t have much time. The British troops who entered the waterway to attack may enter the embassy area first.”

“What a cunning Oriental.”

Lieutenant General Chappie made a sour face. But what he said next was different.

“But since it is a proposal from your side that I can trust and rely on, I will accept it. I thought that only the Japanese were brave in the East, but I was wrong. Now, shall we discuss what we should do?”

“Very good, General.”

I smiled and reached out to him. It was also a meeting with friends beyond imagination.

***

“Congratulations on your victory, Brigadier General!”

“What have I done? My subordinates did it all.”

Lee Gyu-tae, who crossed the river like lightning and subdued the Qing army, rose to stardom among reporters with his awkward smile and other poses.

It was a perfect battle. While the 1st Field Artillery Company under the direct command of the Artillery Command poured out a barrage of harassing fire, they were able to surprise the Qing army by deploying the pontoon bridges and rafts they had been preparing for the past few weeks and deal a fatal blow to them.

Although the Guards Brigade was weakened by having dispatched one battalion to the North China region, it was able to fill the gap quite cleanly by actively utilizing the garrison and local artillery.

Provisional battalions were created, with one elite company of the Imperial Guard operating alongside two companies of the cavalry and artillery, and the results were quite good.

Even in the fall of 1894, when he had led an army of 26,000 men to defend, he had been unable to stop the Japanese assault. Now, with an army that was only one-tenth of his size, he had no choice but to take charge of a 16km-long defensive line.

As soon as the border was breached, they immediately withdrew deep into Manchuria, occupying the empty Qing forts and fortresses one by one until dusk.

“What are you going to do next? Will you advance north as everyone expects?”

A reporter asked Lee Kyu-tae. Lee Kyu-tae looked at the land beyond the north for a moment.

“Well, first of all, I think stabilizing this area is the most important thing. An army is not a flying arrow, but a spear wielded by a warrior, so we can only guarantee victory if we have solid support from the rear.”

It was something the military chief had repeatedly said. The military should be used like a spear held tightly with the arm, not like an arrow. At first glance, that statement seemed reasonable.

“What do you think about the great feat of the army led by Lieutenant General Lee Geun-taek in Hamgyeong Province taking over Hunchun?”

“Did you know that the army led by General Kim Si-hyeok in Beijing has won a great victory and is preparing for the final battle?”

Subtly, the reporters began to stimulate a strange sense of competition among the promising commanders.

That way, provocative articles and titles will come out, and people will search for them.

At some point, they began writing articles that focused on ‘Who killed more?’ and ‘Who had more brilliant achievements?’ rather than the reality or tragedy of war.

Lee Gyu-tae did not like that reality, but he could not treat them carelessly either.

Ultimately, it was thanks to their attention that they were able to help with nationwide fundraising and recruitment.

“They are all heroes of Korea. I wish I could see them proudly in Hansung and have a drink with them.”

“There are concerns about unnecessary expenditure of military funds and casualties during war. Could you say a word about this?”

“Well, that question is a little-”

“Leave it alone.”

An officer next to Lee Gyu-tae tried to stop the reporter from asking a sensitive question, but he raised his hand to stop him.

“This is not war, sir.”

“Not a war? They invaded across the border, and both sides fought-”

“The Marshal’s Office of Military Affairs called this a special military operation, not a war. We did not cross over to fight the Qing.”

In the end, it was just a play on words, but the clever Kim Si-hyuk spirit emphasized the power that comes from words and strongly urged that we absolutely must not admit that this is a war.

The words war and special military operations may seem like a pun at first glance, but they are clearly different concepts when viewed by the great powers and the public.

Anyway, even though they were stories I couldn’t understand, I was able to understand the general outline of them.

Lee Gyu-tae himself tried to dilute the meaning of the declaration of war against the Qing Dynasty by the emperor and the cabinet, and the result of this compromise was a change in terminology.

“No, this looks like a war-”

“The concept is completely different. We had no choice but to mobilize the army to eliminate the bandits who were disturbing the Qing Dynasty, and in the process, we simply suppressed those who frequently invaded the border.”

“Is that why you crossed the border?”

“Of course. The enemy’s den is not within our territory. Above all, there are many of our compatriots living across the river, and they are also the Emperor’s children. Who else but us, our fellow compatriots, would protect them from their suffering?”

Lee Kyu-tae also knew very well that this was nonsense and not much different from what those hateful Japanese bastards were talking about.

But the reality then was different from now. In order to prevent Japanese invasion, it was even more important to secure the border and consolidate power.

“But that doesn’t mean you can cover the sky with the palm of your hand, right?”

“The soldiers of the Republic of Korea must serve the national interests of the Korean Empire as their top priority.”

“And?”

“And to the descendants of the Great Korean Empire and its people for generations to come.”

To the reporter’s question, Lee Gyu-tae answered simply and clearly. If you don’t like such a flashy answer, you should make him face reality.

“In order for this country to continue the history of the ten thousand years of the lineage, today’s actions are essential. The stability of the border is the peace of the country, and the peace of the country is the path to a wealthy and strong country.”

The reporter seemed to have something more to say, but was buried under the barrage of questions from other reporters that followed.

Lee Gyu-tae looked at the young and provocative reporter from earlier.

Looking at the armbands worn by the reporters, it was none other than Syngman Rhee, the editor-in-chief of the Imperial Newspaper.

Thinking that young people these days… Lee Gyu-tae took questions from other reporters.

I can’t understand how Westerners fight while carrying around such cumbersome things.