Ch.308Side Story (7)
by fnovelpia
# The National Assembly of the Goryeo-Liaodong Federation was ironically located in Gangdong District.
In original history, the National Assembly building in Yeouido was located in Gangdong District in the east rather than in Yongsan District, the center of Seoul, for specific reasons.
“The Goryeo-Liaodong Federation split from the Ulus. That’s why they don’t like building important structures on islands.”
I was currently heading to the National Assembly building.
I was in a car with a Kheshig guard sitting beside me.
“Then why Gangdong District?”
“It was farmland that was both protected from Han River flooding and had convenient transportation.”
The Han River was truly massive.
Even in my parents’ generation, floods frequently occurred, causing significant damage to nearby areas.
This hadn’t changed in this altered world either. Until the 19th century, “Seoul” referred only to the area north of the Han River.
After liberation from the socialist regime, as many people flocked to Seoul for labor-intensive industrial development, the Gangnam area was developed.
In line with this, proposals to relocate the National Assembly were submitted, with Gangdong District, which was part of Gwangju County at that time, included among the candidates.
Under these circumstances, as the conditions mentioned earlier aligned, Gangdong District, which was part of Gwangju County, was incorporated into Seoul, and the National Assembly building was constructed there.
History changing certainly altered these small details as well.
“I see.”
I turned my head to look outside.
Seoul, now larger and more magnificent than the original, passed by quickly.
Soon we arrived at the National Assembly building.
As soon as I got out, a red carpet was rolled out, and soldiers in modern military uniforms lined up beside me.
“To His Highness the Crown Prince of the Goryeo-Liaodong Federation! Salute!”
“Salute!”
The soldiers holding rifles shouted loudly.
In response to their salute, I bowed slightly to express my gratitude and slowly walked forward.
After walking for a while, I saw a middle-aged man and woman in formal attire standing before me.
It seemed that even in this changed world, formal suits remained the standard formal attire.
“It’s an honor to meet you, Your Highness. I am Prime Minister Kim Jung-ho, leading the government on behalf of the people. This is my wife.”
The Prime Minister introduced his wife after saying this.
The middle-aged woman bowed her head slightly in greeting, and I returned the gesture.
Then I turned to greet the Prime Minister.
“Pleased to meet you. I am Yesuhei Batur Hoyor Park Ijegiltuk Belligotae, Crown Prince of the Goryeo-Liaodong Federation. Please call me Yesuhei or Park Soo-hyun for short.”
Yesuhei Batur Hoyor Park Ijegiltuk Belligotae was my official name.
So I created a shorter name for everyday use.
I chose “Soo-hyun” as a modern equivalent that sounded similar to Yesugei’s phonetic rendering “Yasokhe” or “Yesuhei.”
For the surname, I used “Park” from the beginning of “Park Ijegiltuk Belligotae,” as it’s a common Korean surname.
Of course, I had to use my full name in official settings like meetings or press conferences.
For daily life and meeting people, I planned to use my newly created name.
After all, I couldn’t keep using such a long name while active in this country.
“Park Soo-hyun… Park Soo-hyun… I think it’s a wonderful name.”
“Thank you, Prime Minister.”
“Then, shall we go inside?”
With that, I headed toward the National Assembly building with the Prime Minister, escorted by the Kheshig guards.
“How do you feel returning to your homeland after living abroad for so long?”
“It feels both nostalgic and fascinating.”
“Has it been difficult to adapt with so many changes?”
“It’s been fine. With the help of the Kheshig, I haven’t had any major difficulties.”
The Prime Minister said this while studying my expression.
It seemed like some kind of identity verification.
To determine whether I was suitable to be the Federation’s Emperor or not.
“You’re examining me. To see if I’m suitable for the imperial throne.”
I spoke directly to the Prime Minister.
He stopped walking and looked at me.
“Did that make you uncomfortable?”
His words were polite, but his expression wasn’t.
It meant my words were somewhat correct.
“Not at all. It’s understandable to be surprised when someone from a poor country like America suddenly arrives claiming to be the Crown Prince.”
The sentence structure felt strange by modern standards.
I felt the irony of calling America poor, but that wasn’t important right now.
What mattered now was convincing the Prime Minister.
“Currently, our country is divided by two public opinions.”
“What are they?”
“Maintaining the imperial family or abolishing it.”
“Why are you telling me this?”
“What would Your Highness prefer?”
I felt incredulous at the Prime Minister’s words.
It was absurd that they had invited my mother, whom I’d never even met, as a representative to fill their lack of legitimacy, and now they were suggesting she was no longer needed.
“Are you suggesting I shouldn’t ascend to the imperial throne?”
The Prime Minister said nothing.
He just looked at me.
“Who does this country belong to?”
“To the people.”
“Do the people respect the Emperor?”
“…”
“Is my grandfather, who stayed until the end to protect the country when foreign powers invaded and deprived us of sovereignty, respected by all?”
“Of course. Without him, the people would have continued to suffer.”
“Is my mother, who led the government and calmed the chaos after liberation from the socialist regime, respected by all?”
“She is respected as the mother of the nation.”
I nodded at the Prime Minister’s answer.
Then I continued.
“Should the imperial family exist?”
“It must exist.”
“Then why are you weighing me up while talking about public opinion?”
There could be opinions supporting the maintenance of the imperial family.
And opinions favoring abolition might be mainstream.
Regardless of these opinions, the Prime Minister was weighing me up.
As if determining whether I could be used as a political card.
I had no reason to be such a card.
“I am not your card. If you intend to use me to politically exploit my grandfather’s and mother’s achievements…”
I glared at the Prime Minister.
And calmly continued.
“It would be better not to.”
At my words, the Prime Minister and his wife showed considerable surprise.
The Kheshig guards around us had similar expressions.
And silence followed.
After a long silence, the Prime Minister smiled brightly, bowed his head, and apologized.
“You resemble the Empress.”
“…What do you mean?”
“You seem to be someone with a strong center—firm and unwavering, who won’t be manipulated by the snakes in the National Assembly.”
“…”
“I apologize if I offended you. I don’t enjoy testing people like this, but it was necessary since the future representative of our country is coming from another country.”
As mentioned earlier, I was essentially American, born in the United States.
The Park Ijegiltuk Belligotae imperial family had fled to America, and I was born there.
Unlike my grandfather and mother who were born in the Goryeo-Liaodong Federation, I was truly a foreigner.
So in a way, it was natural for the Prime Minister to speak like this.
“Of course, I know such an apology won’t make you feel better.”
The Prime Minister said this as he walked forward.
I followed him.
We arrived at the Prime Minister’s office.
When I arrived, the civil servants working there stood up.
They bowed to me.
“It is an honor to meet Your Highness, who will lead the Federation.”
“It is a sincere honor to meet the one who will soon become Emperor.”
I nodded in response to their greetings.
Then I looked at the Prime Minister with an expression that seemed to ask if this was his intention.
“The imperial coronation ceremony is scheduled for a month from now.”
“A coronation ceremony? Without a decision from the National Assembly…?”
“It’s currently in progress, but it will be approved immediately.”
The Prime Minister is elected by the ruling party.
And generally, the Prime Minister’s influence in the ruling party was quite high.
When the Prime Minister said it would be approved immediately, it was essentially confirmed.
This meant that the party members who followed him in the ruling party were waiting for his decision.
It seemed I had passed the Prime Minister’s test.
That’s why he was giving me this definitive answer.
* * *
“Phew…”
Today was another busy day.
After meeting the Prime Minister, I met with the leaders of both the ruling and opposition parties and had dinner with them.
We discussed what I would do after becoming Emperor.
What ceremonies and affairs I would handle as head of the imperial family.
“They call it Emperor, but I’m essentially an international diplomat.”
Many modern constitutional monarchies were similar.
The imperial or royal family often traveled to various countries on diplomatic missions on behalf of the busy Prime Minister.
Even without real power, diplomatic positions required appropriate formality, and there was no institution more convenient to use than the imperial family.
“From a monarch who led the country to a chess piece. I wonder if modern royal families felt the same way.”
Royal families portrayed in the media seemed to live glamorous lives.
But in reality, they were continuously overworked, being mobilized for international diplomacy.
“Though calling it overwork is probably an exaggeration compared to people who work hard for a living.”
While I said “overwork,” I was provided with a private jet, a nice house, and good food.
With personal secretaries and a private security team, what I called “overwork” was essentially just complaining.
After these thoughts, I got up.
And looked outside.
“Should I see this as a reward for my hard work living as Yesugei?”
People always wanted to find reasons.
This was the only reason that fit my current situation.
But something felt strange.
In fact, while living as Yesugei, I had never thought about what would happen in the future.
The ongoing wars were simply a struggle to escape the harsh Mongolian land.
That’s not to say I wanted to claim my actions were morally right.
What I meant was that as Yesugei, I hadn’t acted with the intention of dying and being reborn as a descendant to enjoy wealth and glory.
I picked up the sword for personal honor.
I went hunting for my family.
I forgot fear so my children could live better lives.
I fought enemies for those who trusted and followed me.
As the head of state, I led the government hoping for the people’s lives to improve.
I simply lived in the present.
In other words, what I had done wasn’t for my personal benefit.
That’s why this comfortable life that had come to me now felt surreal.
“At times like this, it’s better to clear my mind by looking at my phone.”
With this thought, I turned on my phone.
The wiki page I had been reading before appeared.
It was the story after the conquest of Western Xia.
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