Joseon Needs a Coup - Chapter 373



Only Noblemtl

#2-29. Goodbye to all plans (1)

Meanwhile, a Japanese government ship had arrived in Jemulpo. And there, there was someone boarding the Gyeongin Line express train under the escort of police officers, and that was Komura Jutaro.

He entered the country to meet with the Emperor and Prime Minister of Korea and find a diplomatic solution to this incident, but the Japanese Empire that represented him had other plans.

After receiving a courtesy call from the Incheon-bu governor, they immediately boarded the express train to Hansung at Jemulpo Station. As the train slowly departed, those who had been silent until then began to speak one by one.

“According to the Chinese newspaper, the border dispute seems to be turning out unfavorably for Korea.”

“At this point, I guess we won’t be able to say anything even if our fleet and ground forces enter.”

“Well, I guess so. We suffered severe damage, but Korea suffered severe damage as well. It would not have been possible to withstand all the damage caused by the war in a short period of time.”

He looked optimistic as he looked at the materials brought by the Japanese consul stationed in Jemulpo along with the delegation.

Information was coming in that could prove that the Korean government had no ability to resolve the South Manchurian problem.

By framing the Korean Empire as being unable to secure or defend its settlements, an environment was being created in which the Japanese Empire, which had lost the war but still held the title of the strongest nation in Asia, could naturally step in under the pretext of temporarily putting aside its grudge from the previous war and supporting them on a grander scale.

If they had done so, the great powers would not have had anything to complain about, and in the end, they could have blamed everything on the Korean government for failing to properly manage South Manchuria despite the Treaty of Portsmouth.

“But I think Koreans don’t know what the border situation is like.”

“These guys also have a newspaper law like us, so they must have used that to block the reporting of the situation.”

“Hmm, is that so… … . Everyone is too excited for that to be the case.”

Although they heard someone’s comment, the Foreign Ministry staff looked outside the moving train as if it was nothing to worry about.

Now that I think about it, I was a little concerned that the Jemulpo Consul, who had left earlier saying he had some urgent business to attend to, had asked me to board the train a little later, saying he needed to give me some information urgently, but I declined.

Of course, there is no way to know how urgent the information was, but it would not have been worth delaying the train of the Minister Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary and even causing disruption to the courtesy call on the Korean Emperor.

“By the way, Joseon is also developing tremendously. Look at those factories and buildings.”

Looking outside, I could see factories belching out black smoke and running for a long time. When I asked the Korean interpreter nearby, he said it was the newly built Gyeongin Artillery Depot.

It is a site more than twice the size of the artillery depots in Tokyo and Osaka, and they are continuously building facilities to produce an average of 30,000 75mm shells and dozens of field guns per month, and the ultimate goal is to increase production to 100,000 shells per month in the future.

“Waging war with those with such power? The military must have gone completely mad. Japan and Korea should have continued to move forward together as before… …!”

“If that were the case, Roske would have won already.”

Everyone had their own opinions. The Foreign Ministry staff dispatched here were veterans who had been in charge of diplomatic affairs between Korea and Japan since at least the late 1890s and at most the 1880s.

Gomura was also a little surprised to see that there were more tall buildings than expected and that the railways were operating quite well.

Even Jemulpo had developed to the point where it was evaluated as a second- or third-class city in Europe by the standards of the 1890s, and now it had grown to a level that was more splendid than most cities.

“Would you like to sit as Minister of State?”

As the train slowly came to a stop, a young Korean official, stylishly dressed in a bicorne, a tuxedo, and a short sword hung from his belt, approached them and bowed to greet them from outside.

“That’s right.”

“I am Ahn Eung-chil, sent from outside to invite you. All of you, please board the prepared vehicle.”

The Korean official, who came out to welcome them with a smile, guided the plenipotentiary and his delegation from Yongsan Station to their vehicle, accompanied by an escort of police officers.

This time, they purchased a vehicle from Ford for official and military use, and it seemed to be in good condition. The license plates on the front and back of the vehicle had the letter ‘外’ written on them, indicating that it was for external use, and around it, plainclothes police officers who seemed to have been dispatched by the National Police Agency could be seen getting into the escort vehicle while carrying pistol holsters inside their coats.

“Did you say your name was Ahn Eung-chil?”

“Yes, Your Excellency, Your Majesty.”

“Gyeongseong has developed quite a bit.”

Gomura spoke while looking out the window. The outside official sitting right in front of him responded with a sly smile.

“Hansungbu has developed greatly since the last war. Wastelands are becoming farmland, and farmland is being transformed into industrial complexes.”

“By the way, what are those people gathered on every street?”

“Oh, that one? It’s a demonstration by the people demanding active military action in response to the recent incident. We were supposed to head here, but traffic is congested, so we’ll take a detour.”

“… Even though your country is being pushed back now, the fighting spirit of your people is amazing. Well, that’s why they must have fought the war against us like that too.”

“What are you talking about, Sir Gomura?”

The external official, who revealed himself as Ahn Eung-chil, looked back and said with a puzzled look.

“Our army has already occupied Yeongju. This morning’s Independence Newspaper reported it clearly, so the people cannot help but be excited.”

“what……?”

Gomura looked a little bewildered, wondering what on earth the news of the occupation of Yeonggu was.

“Isn’t Jangjakrim’s army still in Andong?”

“Haha, Gomura-kun. You are late with the information. It has already been two days since the punitive force led by General Kim Si-hyeok advanced to Yeonggu. The 30,000 enemy soldiers who came down to Andong were completely defeated, and our army is heading north to save the settlement while eliminating Jang Jag-rim and his remaining troops.”

This was not planned. Clearly, the General Staff, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Cabinet all believed that there was ample room for their intervention as the Korean military was struggling.

“Have you seen the fake victory newspaper of Yuan Shikai and the Republic of China?”

Clearly, both the Chinese ambassador to Japan and the Japanese ambassador to China had said that Zhang Zuolin’s army had cornered the Korean army. They had not changed a single word in their regular report the day before.

“Well, I guess we can discuss this with our special envoy.”

“What? The main office is definitely visiting His Majesty the Emperor and the Prime Minister today-”

“They are attending a ceremony to commemorate the victory, so it will be difficult to meet with you today. Instead, you should meet with the new Minister Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary who has been appointed to respond to this incident.”

“No, what is this-”

“You have received full authority from His Majesty the Emperor and the Cabinet, so I think it would be good to meet and talk. Oh, you have arrived just in time.”

And then I realized that the car had slowly stopped at the Uijeongbu building near Gyeongbokgung Palace, not at the familiar Daehanmun Gate in front of Gyeongungung Palace.

When Gomura, who was dumbfounded, got out of the vehicle, officials from the Korean Empire who had been waiting in front in formal attire greeted him and then guided him into the building to where Minister Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Lee Yong-ik was.

And finally, there, I was able to make eye contact with him as he was signing among a pile of papers.

“Ah, Your Excellency, Lord Gomura. Thank you for coming. It has been a long time since I have seen you here in Hanseongbu.”

***

He spoke with a friendly smile and a long beard, but behind the brief glance he showed, there was a mixture of wariness toward the Japanese and a mysterious, incomprehensible sneer.

Still, he tried to ignore it and opened his mouth while keeping his posture as low as possible in order to carry out his duties as a diplomat.

“No, I would like to first meet His Majesty the Emperor of Korea-”

“Well, I’m sure that An Eung-chil must have made a good statement to Lord Gomura on his way here, but His Majesty and the Prime Minister are attending a ceremony to celebrate victory, so it will be difficult to meet them. So, it would be better for you to talk to me.”

He called the secretaries who were working inside his office with a broad smile on their faces. They listened to his story in silence without any particular expression on their faces, and then went outside.

“And since His Majesty the Emperor and the Cabinet have entrusted me with full authority over the Manchurian question, it is in order that you should speak to me.”

As he said, Gomura had come to propose that if the Korean military failed to properly resolve the Manchurian issue under the orders of the cabinet, Japan would directly dispatch ground forces and a fleet to assist them.

As far as he knew, Zhang Zuolin and his warlords had launched a large-scale invasion of southern Manchuria with the tacit approval of the Japanese government and Yuan Shikai’s Beiyang government, which even silenced the Russian Far East Governor-General.

Even as I boarded the ship bound for Jemulpo, Gomura was thinking to myself that the military really had put in a lot of effort to somehow undermine Korea and advance into South Manchuria.

At least the timing of Jang Jag-rim’s attack was quite exquisite, and it also hit a weak point in the defense line in southern Manchuria that the Korean government and military were attempting to establish.

“Let’s have a cup of tea and talk more.”

Just when his mind was starting to get complicated because he thought that this atmosphere was very uncomfortable, Lee Yong-ik personally brewed two cups of black tea and offered him a seat.

“My office is a bit messy, but it’s also a place where I can enjoy a cup of tea and the view outside.”

“Go, thank you.”

He drank a cup of tea that Lee Yong-ik had brought out. It was the black tea that Russians enjoyed. Lee Yong-ik put down some English strawberry jam in front of Gomura, mixed a couple of spoonfuls into his own teacup, and drank a cup, opening his mouth.

The teacups were more luxurious than I had thought, and at first glance they looked like luxury items purchased in France. The Imperial Family of the Korean Empire also purchased and used French-made teacups, and it seemed that the ministers below them did the same.

“Russian tea culture is also good. Mixing jam into black tea brings out a bit more flavor than mixing milk into it, hehe.”

“I, Lee Yong-ik. I don’t have much time right now, so please listen to what I have to say first. The reason why the head office came here in such a hurry is-”

“First, let’s all enjoy the tea in front of us and chat. There are also snacks and rice cakes, so enjoy to your heart’s content.”

Gomura couldn’t resist his strong will, so she looked around while putting tea and a cookie in her mouth. For some reason, her mouth felt rough and she couldn’t swallow it, but she endured it.

A portrait of the emperor and the Taegeukgi were hung in the center of the room, and in one corner of the office, his military uniform from the last war was hung along with a sharp sword.

“Even though the two countries fought a war a dozen years ago, I can’t stop you from enjoying tea ceremonies like this. No matter how short your time is, I believe you won’t ignore my kindness.”

“Umm… … .”

He hummed along as if he was enjoying himself, adding a few more spoonfuls of jam to his tea. It seemed to be a tune from a Korean military song that they enjoyed singing during the last war.

After enjoying tea in silence for about ten minutes, or just observing each other, Lee Yong-ik was the first to speak.

“I know… the reason why Lord Gomura came here is somewhat known. It must be because our Korean army and navy are worried because they are unable to suppress the bandits of Jangjakrim, or the bandits commonly known as the Northeast Army.”

“Pfft-”

Gomura spit out the black tea that was stuck in his throat and wouldn’t go down, wetting the floor.

“It’s okay. People who sometimes drink tea with me all say the same thing.”

Lee Yong-ik casually handed him the towel that was next to him and said, “The Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs had prepared a list of ‘bureaucrats’ that they had to be most wary of when negotiating with the Korean government, and Lee Yong-ik and Eo Yoon-joong were at the top of the list, and it was indeed a good thing.

Originally, the one at the top was Jo Byeong-sik, also known as Mr. Banggokryung, but fortunately, he died just before the end of the war.

In any case, these people were people who ignored etiquette and only acted like machines when it came to their own interests.

However, it is not as if they were completely ignorant like thugs. Rather, they acted like gentlemen and did all kinds of dirty work that could be done in diplomatic negotiations without any hesitation.

Although it was a long time ago, this Lee Yong-ik would have been the number one target for elimination if things had gone according to plan in the 1903 war, so it goes without saying.

There were several assassination attempts, but he avoided them all and ended up where he is now.

“This means that if you offer to support your country’s military forces and fleet, we politely decline. It would be beneficial for us and for all of Asia if you were not deceived by misinformation and made a tragic choice.”

“Your Majesty, I have come to know that your country’s forces are currently unable to push back Jang Jag-rim’s forces. His Majesty the Emperor and the Cabinet are very concerned about this, and intend to dispatch a fleet and troops to support your country before the damage to both countries becomes too great.”

While hurriedly wiping the black tea he had spewed out with a towel, Gomu pretended not to know and threw a topic at him. It was necessary to determine whether the information leaked from the Republic of China was wrong or whether the information they had put out was wrong.

“Oh, that’s right. It must have been quite noisy in Hanseongbu on the way here. This is really, the Independence Newspaper caused an accident that wasn’t even requested… … .”

“Are you talking about the article that occupied Yeonggu?”

“Oh, that’s right. That’s because it’s not a true article.”

Then, that’s right, a look appeared on Gomura’s face. After all, there was no way the Korean army could advance from Andong to Yeonggu that quickly.

According to the information he received, it would take three days just to redeploy the South Korean troops from the mainland to Sinuiju.

As I was thinking about how to dispatch my own troops and fleet, I heard Lee Yong-ik say the following.

And his words were enough to make Gomura doubt his ears.

“We haven’t occupied Yeonggu yet, but Seo Jae-pil caused an accident by occupying it… There will probably be a correction article about this sometime today.”

“What, what did you say?”

“Permanent occupation is likely to take place within a few days, but it has not yet happened. The forces commanded by General Kim Si-hyeok are currently destroying the defense lines south of Yeongdeungpo.”

“Ah, no, this can’t be happening.”

He blurted out words in a vain manner, in response to surprising sounds, knowing that he should not utter them according to diplomatic custom, and yet not even thinking of taking them back.