Joseon Needs a Coup - Chapter 162



Only Noblemtl

#162. Dipping your feet in the angry waves (7)

“That… is this a ship…?”

Lieutenant Lee Dong-hwi, who was dispatched to the Yokosuka Naval Arsenal to personally inspect the cruiser that Japan had agreed to provide, could not contain his shock.

The condition of the ship was so bad that even the veteran captain of the Daehan Wooshin Company, who had come along as an advisor, was terrified, regardless of whether the Mitsui & Co. employee laughing on the side saw it or not.

“The Kachidate Maru has a very large hull, and as such, it has a considerable amount of space for installing gun and other ship equipment.”

“No, that’s not the problem. This thing has structural flaws from the start. You’re going to give it to us?!”

As soon as Lee Dong-hwi saw the ship’s engine, he shouted.

The ship, which had a light displacement of approximately 3,400 tons and a full load displacement of 4,000 tons, was equipped with a steam engine that could handle a displacement of only 600 tons, and the ship was in a serious state of fatigue, as there were many traces of repairs here and there.

“It may look old now, but with a little care, it will be on par with the first-class cruisers used by our Japanese Navy. It is still on par with the third-class cruisers used by our Navy.”

“A cruiser is a piece of crap…”

Only then did Lee Dong-hwi understand why Japan had offered to give him the cruiser.

The ship owned by Mitsui & Co. had a hull value of 200,000 yen, and the Japanese government said it would deduct this amount. But the problem started after that.

The contract for the armament and ammunition storage, deck mounting and transportation costs, and repair and parts supply were all issues that had to be resolved here.

In addition, the armament of the destroyers was not unified, so it was enough to cause headaches in maintenance, repairs, and supply. The army was so large that it could handle it efficiently by taking advantage of the economy of scale even if it had some rifles mixed in, but the navy was small in size, so the situation was different.

Japan only said that it would donate a cruiser, but did not promise any details. And the cost was 350,000 yen, which had to be paid immediately.

“I refuse to accept this. This is a useless ship.”

“No, my lord. Is it okay to do that when His Majesty the Emperor has approved it?”

“General Nari, does that ship look like a cruiser to you now? If you call that a cruiser and drag it to Jemulpo, it won’t be able to be used properly and will be moored for no reason, or in severe cases, it might even be scrapped without being used.”

Lee Geun-taek, the chief of the Imperial Guard who accompanied him, also tried to stop Lieutenant Lee Dong-hwi, but it was no use.

“Well, the ship is so large that it can be armed with plenty of weapons. With four 120mm single-barreled guns and four 47mm rapid-fire guns, it’s a considerable amount of armament for a cruiser. Plus, if you want, you can add 15-inch torpedo launchers.”

Mitsui Bussan employees desperately tried to persuade the person in charge of acquisition, Lieutenant Lee Dong-hwi.

“Furthermore, it has a full-load displacement of approximately 4,000 tons, which makes it a huge ship, twice the size of the protected cruisers operated by the Beiyang Fleet. Don’t you know that larger ships are more advantageous for ocean operations?”

“Are you saying this with any knowledge of how many tons of coal this ship uses per day?”

The ships introduced by Japan were pigs that ate an average of 40 tons of coal per day. Of course, it is a well-known fact that the Korean Empire was a producer of high-quality anthracite coal, but even so, when considering operations at sea, it was burdensome to consume that amount of coal.

Considering that the price of a ton of coal was $8 to $9, this meant that a whopping $320 to $360 had to be burned per day. This was the extent of domestic coal, but if it was imported from overseas, it would have to be burned for at least $400.

In any case, the massive consumption of coal could, on the other hand, mean that when going on an overseas operation, there could be a situation where the coal needed for the ship’s maneuvers had to be loaded instead of space to load other military supplies.

That was also a problem that reduced fighting power. And in Lee Dong-hwi’s view, there was something else that was even more problematic.

“Besides, this is too slow. At 13 knots, it’s hard to keep up with fleet operations, let alone support them. The Japanese themselves would know better than anyone what happened to those slow ships.”

It was a very disappointing speed compared to the destroyers purchased from France, which could operate at high speeds of 26 to 28 knots on average and up to 30 knots at maximum. The most important thing in the naval strategy they established was speed and maneuverability.

It was an essential element for them, who were weak in terms of power, while also ensuring the life of the fleet.

It was only 6-7 years ago that during a naval battle with the Beiyang Fleet in the Yalu River area, the slow-moving gunboats such as Akagi fell behind the fleet ranks and suffered concentrated damage.

But the ship that the Japanese had just shown us was not at all compatible with that strategy, and on the contrary, it was slow enough to be caught off guard and beaten up.

“In conclusion, this is a ship that is not worth introducing. It wasn’t even a ship to begin with, and it was remodeled in the year of Gap-o last year and used as a cruiser, but its hull is so badly damaged that why should we take it?”

“It is His Majesty the Emperor’s order…”

“This is something that even His Majesty the Emperor would be disappointed with. Absolutely not, absolutely not!”

“His Majesty has already given the ship the name ‘Yangmu.’ There is nothing we can do.”

“General Nari, if you report in detail to His Majesty, he will change his mind!”

“I’ll leave it at that.”

Lee Geun-taek used his position to stop him, but even the employees of Daehan Woo Shipping Company closely observed the condition of the ship and said the same thing.

“But what the liberation bureau chief said is true. When we looked at it, the ship was in bad shape. There were marks that seemed to have been filled in the cracks, and there were temporary finishes, but that ship was no different from a bomb that could explode at any moment. Even if we didn’t charge for the hull, if we added up the other costs, it would be a considerable expense, so I don’t know if it’s worth it.”

“Then, are you going to disobey His Majesty’s orders?!”

“You should ask for another ship. This is truly useless.”

“Your Majesty, our mission is to identify the ships to be acquired, not to evaluate them!”

Lee Geun-taek lost his temper and shouted.

Lieutenant Lee Dong-hwi wondered why such a person had followed him here as the head of the Imperial Guard. That ship was clearly something that would be thrown away and useless during wartime.

No, from the beginning, it was something completely different from the navy that the Korean Empire was building, and it was also full of Japan’s malicious aspects.

I spent 350,000 yen just for the renovation, and 370,000 yen including the shipping cost, and ended up with something I couldn’t use when I really needed it.

Lee Dong-hwi lamented that even though the country had changed, those who should have changed along with it had remained stagnant. There was still a very long way to go.

***

“···So the torpedo boat contract has fallen through, now?”

“There was nothing we could do about Your Majesty’s will.”

“Heh heh···.”

I met with Naejangwonkyung Lee Yongik and told him about my current situation. He listened to me quietly and stroked his beard.

“If this happens, France will be offended···.”

“Don’t worry too much.”

“Aren’t you worried? It must have been a big business for them too.”

“Haha, compared to what we’re doing now, this is just a minor task, Chief of Military Affairs.”

What are you talking about? I don’t know what plot he’s plotting… but at least his expression was filled with confidence.

“Currently, the head office is negotiating a loan with a French baron through an introduction by the French ambassador, Plancy.”

“yes?”

“We had originally planned to secure a loan of 25 million dollars through the Yunnan Syndicate, but unfortunately, the Frenchman Khazali, who was in charge of the negotiations, died suddenly, and the plan was abandoned. His Majesty the Emperor was disheartened by this, but Heaven gave him another chance.”

“Hmm? If there’s a chance···.”

“Baron Belcise is responding positively to the loan with Belgian capital.”

He said with a hearty laugh. After all, since 1898, as relations with France had been improving, there had been considerable discussion about the loan.

Of course, there were repeated failures because Britain and Japan were keeping their eyes wide open, but since the 1901 agreement there has been more room to maneuver.

France, led by Belgian capital, was showing a move to invest in us through loans and other means, including the construction of the Gyeongui Line, improvement of port infrastructure in Wonsan and Hamheung, and development of mines. Through these loans, we were trying to focus on not only the construction of social infrastructure, but also economic development and military investment.

“How much will the vice minister lend?”

“They said they would provide a loan of 250 million francs in exchange for securing interests in the Gyeongui Line railroad construction and coal mine development.”

“Two hundred and fifty million francs···.”

“If we convert it into our currency, it’s roughly about 120 million won. It’s like five or six years’ worth of taxes for our Korean Empire coming in all at once.”

I wondered why he had such a relaxed expression the whole time.

“Then, of course, we will be able to invest heavily in purchasing torpedo boats, as well as in military equipment, which is currently in short supply.”

“Has Your Majesty given permission?”

“Of course. But the money will come in a bit complicated way.”

In fact, discussions on the loan were almost over. He explained that the French government was also deeply involved in this loan, but they had to pay attention to the opinions of the UK and Japan, so they chose a somewhat complicated route.

First, they attracted Belgian capital and then put them first to pay the loan amount to the Russo-Chinese Bank in Shanghai in the form of investment.

After that, the Russo-Qing Bank sent the amount back to the Central Bank of North Korea under the name of ‘interest on the lent gold bullion.’

“The Japanese have already figured it out. The Japanese government recently contacted me and offered me a loan of 3 million won.”

“Have you accepted it?”

“Are you crazy? Take that. We’re already swinging our clubs at First Bank, and now you’re offering us a loan of 3 million won? Isn’t that an obvious act? That loan, you know, they said they’d pay it with useless yen bills they had at First Bank’s Jemulpo or Busan branches.”

“They’re not thieves.”

At times like this, the Japanese government was truly amazing. I couldn’t understand how they could so confidently propose such obvious intentions.

Oh, by the way, Jeil Bank has been in a tough spot since the McLeavey Brown incident, when it was heavily sanctioned.

This was also because their aggressive stance changed significantly as the circulation of First Bank notes was completely banned and the Japanese government summoned those involved to Japan.

“Anyway, the vice minister will be coming in early next year, so we’ll have to check the military budget with that money. The torpedo boat issue can be resolved with that money, and I’ll do my best to help you focus on the rest of the army maintenance.”

“Thank you. I didn’t know that the King of the Interior would consider us this much.”

“Well, I also receive help from Hongik in many ways. The president there really cares about you. So I also try to trust his insight.”

There was a story that Hongik was handling most of Naejangwon’s business, and it seemed to be that story.

“Oh, and don’t say anything to His Majesty. He can be fickle, but he secretly cares for you.”

“···Isn’t that because you don’t listen to me and go out on your own?”

“Well, that’s true. But think about the experiences he’s had. Values ​​are projected from one’s own life. His Majesty has had experiences that made it inevitable for him to distrust those who take up arms, from the year of Im-o and Gap-sin to the year of Gap-o and Eul-mi. He’s been kind to you at least. To be honest, he even said that he wouldn’t let young friends get close to him anymore since the year of Gap-sin.”

Well, it seems that a lot of the formation of such values ​​is a problem that we brought upon ourselves.

Anyway, Lee Yong-ik seemed to have sensed something cold flowing between the Emperor and me recently.

“So, even if Your Majesty says strange things sometimes, just ignore it. After all, we are the ones doing the actual work, and if I explain it to you in detail later, you will understand.”

“Yes, yes. Just keep that in mind.”

Of course, I had no intention of listening to it. In the first place, the role of restraining the emperor from acting as he pleased was mainly the responsibility of the Minister of Finance, Eo Yun-jung, and myself.

The most powerful spear and shield that the Emperor of the Korean Empire could use to exercise his strong imperial authority were his funds and his army, so the one who held them was the one who had to lead him on the right path.