Ch.55The South Manchuria Railway and China

Renya Mutaguchi, who was thriving in the Empire of Japan, was assigned to the Japanese Southern Manchuria Army to protect the South Manchuria Railway Company, commonly known as Mantetsu.

He had essentially become the commander of what was effectively called the Mantetsu Army.

To be precise, the army had pushed for Renya Mutaguchi, who had separately built connections with Russia for Japan’s expansion into China.

However, there was one problem.

“These troublesome Koreans. Hmm.”

Koreans who had fled to Southern Manchuria were carrying out various terrorist acts against the Japanese forces there.

What exactly were these troublesome Koreans dissatisfied with? Why couldn’t they just live as loyal subjects of the Empire?

Actually, Renya Mutaguchi honestly didn’t care whether Koreans were dissatisfied with the Japanese government or sincerely reformed to live faithfully as imperial subjects.

He wouldn’t care if the Koreans who had just pledged loyalty to the Emperor died of plague right before his eyes, as long as it wasn’t the red plague.

He just wished these Koreans would stop causing trouble where he was stationed.

“Hmm, what should I do with these Koreans?”

While he wouldn’t mind suppressing these Koreans, Renya Mutaguchi firmly believed himself to be the most outstanding elite officer, soldier, and samurai in Japan.

Such a distinguished person couldn’t be bothered with suppressing Koreans who occasionally carried out railway terrorism.

Besides, even suppression would cause problems.

It would mean he was suppressing Koreans who had committed acts of terrorism.

As the person responsible for security in Southern Manchuria, suppressing these Koreans would indicate security problems had already emerged, which would become known in the homeland.

That would create major issues for his elite career path.

Even now, Koreans who had moved from the homeland to Southern Manchuria were secretly sympathizing with the troublemakers because they couldn’t earn as much as they did in the homeland.

While he was grumbling and lamenting his situation with his lips protruding…

!!

Renya Mutaguchi’s mind began working rapidly.

The mind of Renya Mutaguchi—the predestined hero of Japan recognized by Anastasia, the Saint of All Russia, the Great Khan of Mongolia, the Tsarina of All Russia, and the Emperor of Eastern Rome—worked brilliantly.

“Aren’t there some Koreans in the Asiatic Cavalry Division?”

He was certain there were quite a few Koreans in the Asiatic Cavalry Division.

These peasants had improved their combat skills fighting bandits in Manchuria and had apparently joined Russia’s Asiatic Division.

What if he handed all of them over to that division?

He could help fill the understaffed Russian Far Eastern Army, which was an allied nation, while secretly getting rid of all the troublesome Koreans without informing the homeland.

Wasn’t that perfect?

Of course, if the homeland found out, they would slap him and demand he capture all the troublesome Koreans immediately, but under the judgment that Russia was an allied nation, Renya Mutaguchi made his decision.

So Renya Mutaguchi contacted the Asiatic Cavalry Division stationed in Northern Manchuria.

But as luck would have it, the Korean he had seen before appeared.

“Haven’t we met somewhere before?”

Right. That Hong something-or-other Korean.

Renya Mutaguchi inwardly screamed at the fact that neither Ungern nor Semyonov, generals of the same great nation, were present.

It absolutely wasn’t because he was intimidated by or afraid of Hong Beom-do.

Renya Mutaguchi, being an elite, decided to deceive Hong Beom-do with perfect acting.

“What nonsense. How would I, Colonel Renya Mutaguchi of the Imperial Japanese Mantetsu Army, know a Korean?”

“If you say so. Why are you angry? And what’s this about wanting to hand over Koreans?”

From Hong Beom-do’s perspective, there was nothing bad about this.

After all, his purpose for being in the Asiatic Cavalry Division was to build strength and grow his forces here.

Of course, it would be beneficial if Koreans were transferred to them in the process.

But from the Japanese army?

Could this be a ploy to infiltrate Japanese soldiers pretending to be Koreans?

Perhaps to spy on Russia from within the Asiatic Cavalry Division.

“I mean exactly what I said. There are many Koreans causing disturbances in Southern Manchuria, so I want to hand them over to Russia, an ally of the Empire.”

That explanation didn’t make sense to him.

Even for an allied nation, would they just hand over colonial subjects?

“No, no. Do you normally just hand people over like that?”

“Why can’t you understand the first time? Just understand when I’m being nice. This is why Koreans are so… tsk tsk.”

Renya Mutaguchi clicked his tongue in frustration when things didn’t go his way.

He couldn’t understand why Koreans were so suspicious.

Then, Hong Beom-do finally understood.

‘I see. This guy is doing this because if the homeland discovers Koreans are causing trouble in Southern Manchuria, he’ll be criticized for poor management.’

In other words, he was doing this to avoid disciplinary action.

Certainly, it would be good if he voluntarily sent Koreans over like this, but they should try something after his superior, Ungern, returned.

Originally, Hong Beom-do had joined the Asiatic Cavalry Division to earn money and build power for future resistance against Japan when material shortages made direct resistance impossible. He hadn’t expected things to work out so well.

‘Wait. If I play this right…’

Perhaps he could extract something from this seemingly foolish Japanese officer.

“That sounds good. But may I ask for one favor? Then I’ll keep my mouth shut and take the Koreans causing disturbances in Southern Manchuria.”

“Oh?”

“Actually, the Russian Far Eastern Army only has outdated weapons. The Russian homeland is focusing on their European forces, so support for us will come later. Until then, we’ll suffer heavy casualties fighting Chinese bandits.”

That wasn’t entirely wrong.

In Hong Beom-do’s view, the Asiatic Cavalry Division was the strongest.

Hadn’t their army of thousands crushed tens of thousands of Chinese warlord Zhang Zuolin’s troops and immediately claimed Northern Manchuria for Russia?

However, the main forces of the Asiatic Cavalry Division had been deployed to Europe to fight the Bolsheviks.

Naturally, European cavalry division troops were few in number, and mainly poorly armed Asians remained.

So his request wasn’t unreasonable.

“Oh! So you want new Imperial Japanese firearms. Well, that’s fine. You don’t seem to be one of those troublesome Koreans but rather someone who’s joined Russia. That much is no problem.”

Was he really this foolish?

Hong Beom-do had tested the waters, and he couldn’t believe the response.

If so, this was excellent.

With few weapons being supplied to the Far Eastern Army, obtaining Japanese weapons this way would make arming themselves much easier.

And so, Hong Beom-do acquired a great many Japanese weapons from Renya Mutaguchi.

* * *

The Constitutional Protection Government of the Republic of China.

The Republic of China became caught in the same snowball that Anastasia had thrown, which led to the Soviet Union ceasing to exist.

Yes, the Constitutional Protection Government opposing Duan Qirui’s dictatorial Beiyang Government found itself in an awkward situation.

In actual history, they would have contacted the Soviet Union, actively reformed the Chinese Nationalist Party with Soviet support, and proceeded with the Northern Expedition. But in this altered history where that support disappeared, it became much harder to build power.

The Chinese Communist Party was established, but naturally, without the Soviet Union and Comintern, the Communist Party’s influence within the Nationalist Party was minimal.

Of course, events were merely delayed slightly.

Apart from the weakened Soviet support and Communist Party, history flowed similarly to the actual timeline.

During this period, Sun Yat-sen fought fiercely against warlords like Chen Jiongming who advocated federalism while championing democracy.

Although Japan and Russia’s occupation of Manchuria and expulsion of Zhang Zuolin had temporarily united them, Sun Yat-sen’s promotion of the Northern Expedition and Three Principles of the People was unwelcome to the warlords.

Sun Yat-sen’s forces consisted only of the Nationalist Party—which had barely achieved cooperation with warlords after numerous life-and-death struggles in a much more difficult situation than in actual history—the weak Communist forces supporting Sun Yat-sen, and a ragtag army beneath them.

Above all, unlike actual history, the enemy of the Northern Expedition mentioned here could potentially be not just the Beiyang Government but also Japan and Russia.

The warlords didn’t want to participate in Sun Yat-sen’s far-fetched Three Principles of the People and lose everything.

However.

Sun Yat-sen was still the President of the Constitutional Protection Government of the Republic of China.

China’s future had to be discussed under his leadership.

“Japan and Russia have both stationed forces in Manchuria. What should our Nationalist Party do now?”

“That fool Zhang Zuolin has finally given up Manchuria. We should have captured him earlier. And that Duan Qirui must be conspiring with Japan, as he’s been silent about it.”

“Are you certain Japan and Russia are allies?”

“Even if not formal allies, the atmosphere in Manchuria suggests they’re at least cooperating regarding Manchuria.”

As always, the meeting was chaotic.

This had become routine.

The Constitutional Protection Government was struggling to find its path.

They had recently provoked Japan by sending Wang Jingwei to demand an apology and compensation, taking a more aggressive stance.

They needed to make at least one ally.

That’s when Chiang Kai-shek, who had protected Sun Yat-sen through even more difficult times than in the original history, stepped forward.

“I will go to the United States of Russia.”

“You?”

“Yes. I will go and secure support from the Russian Tsarina.”

If they could get Russian support, they could accomplish the Northern Expedition.

Of course, they would need to offer some incentives, but with relations with Japan already strained, they needed Russia, a military power, as an ally.

Although Russia was reportedly friendly with Japan, their relationship couldn’t be that good due to events like the Russo-Japanese War.

“Even so, we won’t be able to reclaim Manchuria. Moreover, despite the packaging as a ‘Saint’ or ‘United States,’ the Russian Empress is just another imperialist. She might enjoy our weakness but isn’t likely to support us.”

Sun Yat-sen shook his head, revealing his discomfort.

“If we ask for support on the condition that we recognize Northern Manchuria, wouldn’t they support us rather than Duan Qirui?”

“Even if we call it ‘reclaiming lost territory,’ such a compromise would contradict our principles. What would be the point of overthrowing the current Beiyang Government through such a compromise?”

The conclusion was to recognize nothing.

Only to complete the Northern Expedition and overthrow Duan Qirui with the current strength of the Nationalist Party.

That was Sun Yat-sen’s thinking.

It was nothing short of the act of a delusional dreamer.

Unable to see reality at all, even Chiang Kai-shek felt frustrated.

And Chen Jiongming, noticing this suspicious atmosphere, harbored different thoughts.

‘If I play this right?’

Could he prevent the Northern Expedition?

Actually, he could strike down Sun Yat-sen anytime with like-minded allies, but what if he achieved friendship with Russia, which Sun Yat-sen had rejected?

What if he then advocated federalism with Russian support?

He had heard that Duan Qirui was already improving relations with Japan.

If Russia also backed him, Chen Jiongming would truly have nowhere to stand.

Chen Jiongming decided to go to Yekaterinburg before his relationship with Sun Yat-sen deteriorated further.

But first, he needed to persuade this man who was occupying the position of Provisional President.

In a different sense, he needed to persuade him.

“Mr. President, I will go.”

“You? Are you also going to—”

Not at all.

He had no intention of going with the same approach as Chiang Kai-shek.

“No, I mean to request support without bringing up the Manchuria issue immediately. The Russian Empress is a hero who overthrew the Bolsheviks, who were steeped in dictatorship and authoritarianism. Wouldn’t she help when China is suffering under Duan Qirui right below her? Moreover, this might be a good opportunity for Russia, as a great power that has been somewhat diminished, to exert influence in China again.”

Words that a dreamer would like to hear.

Sun Yat-sen, upon hearing this, found it reasonable.

The arbitrary occupation of Manchuria was absolutely unacceptable.

But what if they could get what they needed from Russia without acknowledging it?

It was mere wordplay, but to Sun Yat-sen, it was an extremely important issue.

A way to extract benefits without selling Chinese territory.

An excellent opportunity to receive weapons support rather than borrowing Russian troops to defeat enemies.

“Indeed. That makes sense. You’ll go personally?”

“Yes, this way we’ll shed less blood in the Northern Expedition.”

“Good. I’ll entrust this to you.”

Although there had been some friction over federalism, look how agreeable he became after some recent flattery.

This was enough.

This man, Sun Yat-sen, was off guard.

Imagining that he might actually achieve federalism if he played his cards right, Chen Jiongming’s trip to Russia was decided.