Joseon Needs a Coup - Chapter 340



Only Noblemtl

#340. Portsmouth and the End of the War (4)

“That’s the conclusion. We will withdraw from Lushun and Dalian, and you will give us some of the railroad construction rights that the Russian Empire has?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“And in the name of neutralizing Korea, you are also breaking the defense treaty between the two countries?”

“So, in conclusion, yes.”

“Should we hand over part of the railway line that we built with our money, time and precious resources to the Japonskis who were virtually defeated in the war?!”

The Tsar did not hide his discomfort when he received the report from Witte who had gone to Portsmouth.

No, rather, he might have done so on purpose so that the other ministers could see his feelings.

“All this is a conspiracy, a conspiracy by the British to keep our Russian Empire within ourselves!”

They could take care of this and that for Korea, which fought hard for them, but they did not like the idea of ​​giving up some of what they had gained in the name of consideration for Japan, which was basically a defeated country.

Rather, this was a conspiracy by Britain and her allies, and was enough to stimulate the Russian Empire’s deep-rooted delusions of persecution.

“Your Majesty, our empire cannot have everything.”

“Why don’t we just give the order to Kuropatkin and Rozhestvensky to attack right away? They’re not in their right minds right now—”

“The front-line troops are in a state of extreme disarray due to the bloody repression that took place in St. Petersburg. If we were to order an attack in the current situation and suffer defeat, irreversible consequences would occur.”

“······.”

Contrary to the Tsar’s wishes, the Russian Empire, which had experienced Bloody Sunday, was in internal turmoil.

From the discontented masses, to the subversive elements who dared to aspire for independence from the Great Russian Empire, to the Japanese spies and anarchists, unrest could set off a giant’s nerves from the heart to the very edges.

“So what are you saying? We should just hand everything over to those Japonskis?”

“They have taken a step back, so we must also take a step back now, showing mercy. If we continue the war like this, even the favorable situation and external support we had could collapse.”

Minister of the Interior Plebe carefully read through the information that Witte and Ramsdorf had conveyed.

The neo-liberals started getting angry and asking what on earth that meant.

“They are traitors! They are traitors who were blinded by bribes from the Japanese!”

“Do not tarnish the Tsar’s grace with absurd speculations, Count! This is not a market place, but a council of ministers presided over by the Tsar himself!”

For the first time in a long while, Minister of the Interior Plebe spoke with a show of temper.

Even during the Bloody Sunday incident, these were the people who insisted on only a harsh suppression and ended up causing trouble.

After all, those who were the first to respond were the ones who were left behind when angry masses staged massive strikes throughout major cities.

In the end, it was the moderate ministers whom they had denounced as traitors who had to pick it up.

And yet, you came out again and made a fuss.

“···Please forgive my rudeness.”

“No, continue talking. Tell me why our empire should make concessions.”

“Your Majesty, England and France are enjoying a honeymoon relationship over the German question.”

The ‘proxy war’ between Britain and France, which could be considered a proxy war, had been holding several meetings on the German issue.

Such powers saw the need for greater preparedness against Germany, and thus did not want to expend more force than necessary in a war that was already decided by their respective allies, Russia and Japan.

“Besides, the Kaiser of Germany also asked us to stop the war.”

Of course, the German Empire also had its own ulterior motives.

If the war continued, it would have been difficult for the Governor-General of Gyoju to openly expand.

Although the Kaiser was an unpredictable man, it seemed clear that he wanted something from Russia and Japan in mediating this war.

“If the war drags on longer, we will have more to give. The whole world is watching our movements. Your Majesty, we must ask our plenipotentiaries at Portsmouth to bring us a proposal for a proper end to the war at this point. Anything more is dangerous.”

Even without this, diplomats from Germany, Britain, and France were visiting the Foreign Ministry and palace in St. Petersburg every day, inquiring about the situation on the Russian side or demanding a speedy end to the war.

Russia’s interests in Manchuria would certainly be guaranteed, so if Japan made only a few concessions, any further expansion of its power could be prevented.

The Tsar was furious at the fact that the victor could not take all and at the pressure from the great powers, but he calmed down for a while.

Because there was nothing wrong with Plebe’s words.

“Besides, the Korean government is a small country that has been relying heavily on our Russian Empire since before this war. Even if they break the defense treaty, they will not be able to completely break off their honeymoon relationship with us. We need them, and they need us.”

“Hmm, that’s true. The management of Siberia comes from them.”

The Tsar remembered a report on the economy of the Far East he had seen some time ago.

The economic network on the verge of collapse is barely holding on thanks to the trade network with the Korean Empire.

“This could also lead to a good direction for us. The current powers are expressing great concern about our Russian Empire’s victory, but taking control of all of Manchuria. They recognize our interests in the areas including Harbin and Changchun, but they do not want to extend to the southern part of Manchuria.”

The fucking cowboys and the island British bastards were the ones who opposed it the most.

If we had risked that and swallowed up all of South Manchuria, it was obvious that they would have used any means necessary to obstruct or retaliate.

“It wouldn’t be a bad idea to hand over the influence over the southern Manchuria region to the Korean Empire. After all, their logic is that the issue of military conflict between our Russian Empire and Japan over the Manchuria and Korean Peninsula is at the level of a neutral and buffer state, and if we can attach South Manchuria to it, all the problems our empire is currently facing will be resolved.”

“Even so, isn’t the piece of pie given to them too big? It’s a piece of pie they can’t handle.”

“So I give it to them, Your Majesty.”

Plebe said, remembering what Beate and Ramsdorf had said.

Russia could not take this land, but it could not be handed over to Japan, so if they wanted to maintain it as their sphere of influence, the better option would be to hand it over to the Korean Empire.

If the Korean Empire, which was established as a neutral country under the concept of a ‘buffer zone for peace in the Far East’, were to control the southern Manchuria area, Russia would no longer be threatened by northern Manchuria, the Maritime Province, Port Arthur, and Dalian.

Japan also had little reason or justification to oppose it, as it would be an excuse to obtain a huge buffer zone.

No, Japan wasn’t going to oppose it in the first place.

Surprisingly, this proposal itself came directly from the mouth of Ito, the Japanese plenipotentiary.

Maybe they had the same idea in pushing this agenda.

“The Qing can no longer control that land, and the Korean Empire has never governed more territory than its own. If the chaos continues like this, the land will gradually become a no man’s land… Our Russian Empire, which has regained its strength after the war, can take it back one by one. There is a pretext for peace in South Manchuria, where bandits and disorder run rampant. In addition….”

“furthermore?”

“American and French capital are also showing a willingness to invest heavily in Manchuria. If we utilize this properly, Manchuria’s insufficient infrastructure and facilities will be prepared, so we will be able to achieve what we want very easily.”

“Ohhh···.”

The Tsar now seemed interested and listened to Plebe’s words.

If you and I can’t eat it, we can just give it to someone else.

But it would be even better if it was someone who had previously worked at our house and owed us his life, and who was incapable of managing it.

At that time, I also heard that American businessmen were showing considerable interest in the South Manchurian branch railroad.

For this reason, the Japanese side was suggesting that instead of introducing the broad gauge, which was the Russian railway standard, in northern Manchuria, they should install the standard gauge, which was the American railway standard, in southern Manchuria.

Well… it wasn’t a bad deal for the Russian Empire, as long as they invested their money properly on their behalf.

“Our empire has endured for generations to conquer the Far East. Now, in just a dozen years or so, all the lands on the map will be entirely Russian. Your Majesty, show a little more patience. Whatever the Japanese may think, they will not be able to overcome us.”

“Confusion is a good excuse for intervention…”

After thinking about it for a moment, he jumped up from his seat and shouted, “Very good!”

After hearing Plebe’s explanation, everything seemed like a good deal.

If only he could show just a little more strategic patience, the Russian Empire would be able to leave its mark on history as the greatest empire of its time.

Vanity and pride aroused the Tsar, and he quickly made a decision.

“Send a telegram to our plenipotentiaries at Portsmouth, asking them to conclude negotiations on the best possible terms at the present level.”

“Understood, Your Majesty.”

Plebe could only smack his lips as he watched the meeting end in a rush without even being able to object.

Plebe immediately sent telegrams to the ambassadors of each country informing them that the Tsar had accepted this amendment, and he also sent the same telegram to Portsmouth.

All that remained was to see how beautifully Portsmouth could hammer out a deal.

***

“No, Count Ito! You’re accepting the revision of the treaty with the Joseon bastards right in front of our faces. This will never be accepted in our home country. If we continue like this, we’ll really die.”

Ito refuted Gomura’s words while carrying a backpack on his back.

“Look, we are facing defeat. The Empire may also return to the previous century, and do we care about our lives? If they were to show dissatisfaction with our actions and attack with their fleet and ground forces, the entire headquarters and the Imperial Council would be turned upside down. If that happens, the balance of the talks that were still tense would collapse.”