Ch.196Age of Turbulence (3)

* * *

Meanwhile, the Manchu people in Northern and Southern Manchuria nearly fainted when they heard about Puyi’s surrender and his installation as the King of Qing.

Although the Manchu people in both regions lived under Japanese and Russian rule, they had secretly taken pride in the fact that the Qing Dynasty still remained in the Central Plains.

Even though the country’s name had changed, whether they liked it or not, the Han Chinese had recognized the Manchus as the ruling class and revered the Aisin Gioro as the imperial family.

The reason these people hadn’t migrated to the mainland in the first place was because they were nationalists who considered Manchuria the sacred homeland of the Manchu people.

Being such people, they couldn’t help but feel their hearts pound at the fact that the emperor on the mainland was still from the Manchu imperial family, the Aisin Gioro.

But the greater the expectation, the greater the disappointment.

Although unavoidable, Puyi’s surrender had completely stripped away the Manchu people’s pride.

“The Qing Dynasty is finished.”

“How could a dynasty that ruled the mainland surrender to island pirates?”

“Now the Manchu people can no longer revere the Aisin Gioro as our imperial family!”

These were people who believed that Manchuria, at least, should continue to be inhabited by Manchu people, even if the imperial family resided in the Central Plains. However, with the Sino-Japanese War and Puyi’s surrender, anti-Japanese sentiment grew among the Manchus in Southern Manchuria. Feeling deeply that the mandate of the Aisin Gioro imperial family had completely ended, some even migrated to Northern Manchuria.

The Manchus in Northern Manchuria also believed that the mandate of the Qing had fully ended.

At this point, the Southern Manchus turned their eyes toward Russia.

Northern Manchuria under Russian rule was developing more prosperously than during the Qing era, and the Manchu people were treated as equals to the Russians.

And these people needed a new leader to restore the collapsed Manchu pride—a Great Khan of Manchuria.

“Isn’t Russian rule better?”

“Thanks to Russia, we have oil fields and have become wealthy!”

“The Russian Emperor cherishes the Manchu people too!”

The Manchu people had long known that the Russian Empress Anastasia also held the title of Great Khan of Mongolia. Since they believed that Russia was the successor to the Mongol Empire, which had once expanded into Europe, there was no reason for the Manchu people not to serve a white Great Khan.

For the Manchus in Northern Manchuria who had adapted to Russian rule or been annexed by Russia for a generation, it no longer mattered whether the Great Khan was white or Asian.

To elect a new Khagan (Great Khan), the influential Manchu leaders in Manchuria had to select candidates.

The candidates that emerged were Prince Yi Kang of the Korean Imperial Family from the Balhae Republic’s autonomous government, which included Manchu officials, and Moscow’s Empress Anastasia, who was already the Great Khan of Mongolia.

“What about Yi Kang from the Balhae Republic established in Manchuria? Historically, there were relationships between Goryeo and the Malgal, Goryeo and the Jurchen, and Joseon and Qing.”

“The founder of Joseon was once a brother to the Jurchen, hmm.”

“Unlike Goryeo, the Yi dynasty of Joseon would not easily accept this because of the humiliation at Samjeondo.”

“The Balhae Republic government isn’t even a monarchy. Moreover, although they have an army, they’re dependent on Russia. We only have the Empress of Moscow, who is also the Great Khan of Mongolia.”

“Well, even the Aisin Gioro once held the title of Mongol Great Khan.”

For a very brief moment, Yi Kang, the head of the Balhae Republic government which included Manchu participation, was considered for Great Khan due to the historical friendship between the Jurchen (ancestors of the Manchu) and the founder of Joseon, as well as the current multi-ethnic government. However, Yi Kang did not desire a monarchy, and Manchu public sentiment overwhelmingly favored Anastasia.

“We have heard that the Emperor of the Forbidden City has surrendered to the island pirates and handed over his imperial regalia, which means the mandate of the Aisin Gioro dynasty of the Qing has ended. Therefore, we Manchu people wish to establish a new Great Khan. We wish to install the Nikolai family of the Russian Empress, who has led Manchuria to prosperity, as the new imperial family, and the Russian Empress as the Great Khan of Manchuria. We humbly request that the Governor-General of Northern Manchuria accept the consensus of the Manchu people and present this to the Russian Empress.”

The Manchu people, who had begun to prosper after oil was discovered in Northern Manchuria, even created a new imperial seal and sent it to Moscow through the Governor-General of Northern Manchuria.

The State Duma saw no reason to reject this, as it would help stabilize control over the Manchu people with the influx of Southern Manchus into Northern Manchuria, and the Manchus themselves had voluntarily expressed their acceptance of Russian rule.

And as for everyone’s idol, Renya Mutaguchi…

“Now that His Majesty the Emperor will personally lead the Imperial Army, the Commander of the Manchurian Railway Army should return to Shenyang and take responsibility for supplies.”

Mutaguchi Renya, who had already achieved great merit, was assigned to supply duty due to concerns from the army that he might overshadow the Emperor’s authority.

In reality, it was simply the army generals not wanting to let the Governor of the Manchurian Railway Army take all the credit in that foreign land.

“Ha! How dare they relegate me, the greatest general of the Imperial Army, an elite officer who has achieved unprecedented feats in East Asian history, to the rear!”

This feeling intensified especially after the Imperial Headquarters was moved to the Forbidden City of the puppet state of Qing to conquer China.

To waste the greatest general of the Imperial Army like this was truly infuriating.

While thinking this, a congratulatory letter from the Governor-General of Northern Manchuria arrived, along with a personal letter from the Tsar.

[Your ghostly strategies have comprehended the principles of heaven, and your mysterious calculations have exhausted the conditions of earth. Having won battles and achieved high merit, know satisfaction and withdraw now. You have been victorious, but internally there are many who envy you like children. If you seek more merit, you may meet with misfortune.]

The letter sent directly by the Tsar was warning that going further would be dangerous.

The Tsar had worried about this from the beginning.

As a heaven-sent general, it would certainly be possible to annihilate the Chinese United Army, but in exchange, internal threats had emerged.

Yes. Anyway, the Japanese Expeditionary Force that had just arrived couldn’t possibly achieve more merit than himself, who had annihilated 2 million with just one-tenth the forces.

If they later regretted being pushed back by China’s human wave tactics and came begging on their knees, he might consider helping them.

‘Yes. If I’ve done this much, it might be good to just handle the rear as the Russian Empress suggested.’

After considering his intuition and the Tsar’s letter comprehensively, Mutaguchi Renya decided to take charge of supplies from the rear for the time being.

* * *

Information about China was updated daily.

Recently, fortunately, while Japan had pacified Shanxi and Shandong and temporarily halted its southward advance to establish the puppet state of Qing, Chiang Kai-shek in Nanjing, China, established a National Government.

Secret intelligence revealed that Chiang Kai-shek had requested weapons sales from us through Xinjiang, which had not yet fallen, and secretly invited a military advisory group from Communist Germany.

It was quite vexing that they had invited a German military advisory group, but well, to him, Russia was still an invader occupying Mongolia and Manchuria, and his logic was that he would pay separately for weapons.

Moreover, the White Army advisors we sent taught absurd tactics like the “Hurrah Charge.”

I would have accepted German military advisors too in his position.

What’s absurd is that Chiang Kai-shek, an anti-communist, has joined hands with Communist Germany, but with no Soviet Union and the Chinese Communist Party being more naive than in the original history, perhaps Chiang sees communists as forces worth cooperating with for now.

But then something incredible came up from the Governor-General of Northern Manchuria.

“What is this? Me, the Great Khan of Manchuria?”

I was so dumbfounded that I blurted out in Korean, which I hadn’t used much lately.

I attended the State Duma because of an urgent matter, only to find some strange document had been submitted.

A document written in Manchu and its Russian translation.

Glancing through it, I questioned whether I was reading it correctly.

“The Manchu people want Your Majesty to become their white Great Khan.”

Grigory Semyonov declared proudly with those unfocused eyes I had seen before.

This man is high on my glory again.

Yes, apparently the Manchu people want to serve me as the Great Khan of Manchuria.

Damn, is this for real?

I had to doubt my own eyes for a moment. How long has it been since I became the Great Khan of Mongolia?

Not to mention that the Don Cossacks had also wanted to make me their Ataman, though I never mentioned it.

“Congratulations, Your Majesty! You have now completely secured your position as the master of the Mongolian steppes and Manchuria in East Asia!”

Wait, is that what’s important right now?

I suppose it should be? Hmm. My head is a bit confused.

Hmm, what would be the best way to handle this?

“Indeed. The Mongolian steppes are the birthplace of the Mongol Empire, and the Manchus were the ruling ethnicity of the Qing that governed China for 300 years. Their recognition of Your Majesty as the Great Khan of Manchuria means that the legitimacy of rule over the Far East belongs to none other than Your Majesty!”

Semyonov raised his voice, clenching his fist. Let’s put that aside for now.

I’m feeling extremely embarrassed right now.

“Um, what has the Duma decided to do about this?”

The Duma’s judgment is important in such matters.

Honestly, it seems like they’ve already made the decision and just came to inform me, which makes me feel a bit strange.

Actually, that’s normal, so it’s rather surprising.

Finally, the Duma has made a judgment without involving me!

—Though ultimately, since it concerns me, they came for my permission, but still.

“We judged that it would be better to accept it for the stability of Manchuria and for stable governance over the Manchu people.”

Yes, that makes sense.

If we don’t accept, the Manchu people would probably feel disappointed, and it would create problems for governance.

After all, they still need the existence of a Great Khan.

If we reject it, Russia would truly be just an invader.

“Then, I accept. What happens to Northern Manchuria now? We can’t simply leave it as Russian Northern Manchuria, can we?”

“Wouldn’t it be better to establish it as the Manchu Monarchy, with Your Majesty holding the throne concurrently?”

Manchu Monarchy—what a strange name.

Among all the countries, for me, a white person, to be the king of the Manchu people.

Well, the King of Italy also held the title of Emperor of Ethiopia, so I suppose it’s not unprecedented.

“Though we are a United States, we’re becoming like the Habsburg family of the Dual Monarchy.”

The Habsburg Emperor also held the thrones of the constituent countries of the Dual Monarchy, so… Ah, this is giving me a headache.

“Still, since it’s mostly formal for them, Your Majesty won’t need to learn the Manchu language.”

I wasn’t planning to learn it anyway.

But since they’ve installed me as Great Khan, should I indulge their Manchu pride a bit?

“Then, it would be good to use them more effectively and develop them into a Far Eastern Army. Just as Russia has the Cossacks, the Manchus had the Eight Banners, so let’s organize a new army exclusively for Manchu people, just named the Eight Banners. If we make the Manchu people feel truly Manchu, they will be more compliant with our rule.”

Naisen Ittai, Harmony of the Five Races. This is saying we’re different from the Japanese bastards who spouted nonsense to manipulate various ethnicities.

“Then, the position of the Republic of China’s National Government becomes rather delicate. Manchuria has accepted Russian rule, and the puppet state of Qing has been established.”

“Since you brought it up, let me say this. Let’s sell weapons to China but not help them too much. Chiang Kai-shek sees us as nothing more than a weapons supplier, as evidenced by his desire for a military advisory group from Communist Germany rather than from the Anti-Comintern Pact nations.”

Of course, China in the original history also received Soviet advisors, but this is a different case.

We have no reason to be considerate of Chiang Kai-shek’s circumstances, but if he decides to drive out Japan and then push back Russia, it would become troublesome.

Can’t you see why Communist Germany is helping China?

“And I hear that Mutaguchi Renya has returned to the Manchurian Railway to handle supplies for the main force led by the Emperor.”

“That’s unexpected.”

How is he moving exactly as I direct?

Even I find this a bit strange. I was worried that Mutaguchi Renya would cause more trouble immediately after achieving military success.

Or perhaps there are other circumstances.

Given Mutaguchi Renya’s personality, after annihilating so many troops, I would have expected him to somehow push forward to conquer China.

“There seems to be an internal issue. They can’t let Mutaguchi Renya take all the credit.”

Ah, I see. There are glory-obsessed individuals everywhere.

While there’s a widespread tendency in Japan to underestimate China, separately, the number 2 million would have been formidable if properly armed.

“Indeed. He annihilated an army of 2 million prepared under Mao Zedong’s leadership. And with a foreign army at that.”

Well, yes. That could be the case.

He defeated 2 million troops that the Chinese warlords had ambitiously prepared, with just one-tenth the forces in the field.

Of course, the quality of the troops would naturally differ.

All they knew was the “Hurrah Charge,” and they didn’t have German military advisors.

Having annihilated the main force from the start, given the characteristics of the Japanese army, they would somehow try to push Mutaguchi Renya to the back and step forward themselves.

There’s no Battle of Shanghai either—how is this going to play out?

Can Chiang Kai-shek defend Nanjing?

It might be difficult to defend Nanjing, but China has an enormous population.

Although they may like the puppet state of Qing, the citizens of Qing are unlikely to cooperate with the invaders, and considering those who have fled, Qing won’t be able to field enough troops for human wave tactics.

“Hmm.”

The German military advisors will train elite forces, but that will take quite some time. For a while, they’ll hold out with sheer numbers.

“If the war becomes prolonged, wouldn’t the damage increase accordingly?”

“Yes, it would. Hmm.”

Some brilliantly devious idea is coming to mind.

Since Japan has already committed to this, we should think of ways to exploit it for our future benefit.

“Why do you look like that?”

“No, I just had a slightly wicked thought.”

Just a slightly unusual thought.

Suddenly, I want to use this newly established Qing for our purposes—something like that?