Chapter 26: Last hit

Kurovpatkin and the Far Eastern Army

Kurovpatkin, who was favored by the Tsar, allowed me to visit him.

‘But what if he didn’t?’

“Did you say Count Ok? What’s going on?”

“Yes, Your Excellency. If Japan requests a ceasefire, please do not accept it.”

“What do you mean? We’ve already decided on an offensive.”

“Right. I know. But right now, it’s not really yielding any results. I understand that the Russian and Japanese armies have clashed several times.”

“But neither side has dealt any meaningful blows.”

“Kurovpatkin is also struggling with unexpected resistance and can’t seem to move forward or backward.”

“But what if the artillery units stepped in?”

“Well, that’s a relief, but please also give the Empire of Korea a chance.”

“Hm. Tell me more.”

Kurovpatkin’s eyes glinted with interest.

“Perhaps the enemy will reject the ceasefire, and if Your Excellency moves the army, Oyama Iwao might surrender. If we want Japan never to challenge the Russian Empire again, we cannot leave a single one alive.”

“Well, Japan has already shown its true strength, and even if we don’t capture those, we’ve won. Isn’t that good for your Korea?”

“That’s not entirely wrong. But wouldn’t it also be good for Russia to defend the Far East?”

“Anyway, the presence or absence of a knife in the back makes a difference. If the Japanese army is crushed, Russia can rest easy. Of course, the benefits we gain are greater.”

“I’ve heard that the Japanese are considering a temporary ceasefire and exploring the possibility of peace negotiations with their homeland.”

“I see. With the situation worse than before, Oyama Iwao might be desperate.”

“The strategy of wearing down the Korean army has failed, so he may opt to surrender to Russia and plan for the future.”

“What if Oyama Iwao asks for surrender?”

“Well, we’ll have to spare them. If they continue resisting in a war we’ve already won, it will just be a nuisance for us.”

Anyway, we just need to win.

The Russian side only needs the title of victory.

Japan is already nearing its limit in terms of national power.

Even after the Battle of Tsushima, Japan had already reached the limits of war, and if Russia holds out longer, Japan will lose.

Although two more years have passed, Japan hasn’t changed much. They failed in the Battle of the Liaoyang Campaign and the naval battle.

Moreover, Japan has failed in Korea as well.

“Is everything alright in the Russian Empire?”

“What do you mean?”

“They say the army violently suppressed the protesters.”

“Like the Bloody Sunday incident.”

“Kurovpatkin is hesitating with his offensive because of this. If he fails, the Russian army will just become a hassle.”

“Perhaps the railroad supplies are also in trouble right now. But that’s when we come in.”

“Do you know about this?”

“And the supplies are also not going well.”

The situation is not as good as in history, but that’s the same for Japan, so the historical situation has come to pass.

At least Russia was prepared for a surprise attack and managed to maintain some strength in the naval battle.

Anyway, if Kurovpatkin or the Russian homeland responds slowly, that would be great.

“Please delay the response. We will clean up.”

“Are you?”

The important thing here is that just not answering is enough.

“Russia is far from mainland Europe. They can make excuses, and the sudden revenge from the Empire of Korea for the loss of their Emperor is a perfect justification.”

“What could the world say about us avenging the Emperor who was killed by the Japanese?”

“This is all thanks to King Gojong sacrificing himself to the Japanese forces.”

“Surprise attacks aren’t just Japan’s specialty. Our Emperor is dead, and our homeland is being attacked, so even if we beat Oyama Iwao, we won’t face condemnation from the international community.”

“This is the revenge only the Empire of Korea can carry out. Before a peace agreement is decided in the homeland, we must act.”

“I will report to St. Petersburg about the General’s contribution. I will say that the General saved the Empire of Korea as the commander of the Far East, and since the Emperor who signed the Korean-Japanese-British Alliance is dead, it will return to square one, right?”

Kurovpatkin closed his eyes as if deep in thought at my words.

It seemed like his staff had something to say, but in the end, Kurovpatkin’s opinion is what matters.

“Japan has already proposed a peace treaty to our homeland. Can we handle it within the given time?”

“We must. It’s possible. The entire Empire of Korea is boiling with a thirst for revenge against Japan, and battles are breaking out all over the country. It’s not impossible.”

This is the unique strategy of Korea.

“The entire nation is starting to go wild for the King’s revenge. Now, we will finish this revenge by destroying the main Japanese army in Manchuria.”

“Well then. I’ll buy some time.”

This is our last chance.

‘If we wipe out the Japanese army here, we can buy time for our recovery.’

***

BOOM—KA-BOOM

The battleship Mikasa of the Japanese Combined Fleet sank, signaling the end of the Battle of Tsushima.

The commander of the Combined Fleet, Togo Heihachiro, could only laugh weakly as his flagship Mikasa sank.

“This is how the Japanese Combined Fleet ends. How do they know all our movements?”

“Minister, Sir… Sob…”

“Don’t cry, everyone. We’ve done all we could, and we’ve fought with everything we had. Even if we die, there’s no regret.”

‘The problem is the future of the Empire after his death.’

‘The situation in Manchuria isn’t good either, and they’ve been completely destroyed in a battle they must win. It’s going to be a difficult time ahead.’

‘But still, the Empire will rise again.’

With that thought, Togo Heihachiro shared the same fate as the Combined Fleet.

Meanwhile, the Russian Baltic Fleet was in a festive mood.

“Waaaaa! Long live the Tsar! Long live the Russian Empire!”

“God, protect the Tsar!”

“Japanese, don’t come near us!”

The sailors on deck were cheering loudly as they watched the sinking Japanese fleet, their voices echoing into the sky.

“God is still protecting Russia!”

Admiral Rozhestvensky of the Baltic Fleet made the sign of the cross and shed tears.

The combined Baltic Fleet and the Russian Pacific Fleet succeeded in destroying the Japanese Combined Fleet in the Tsushima Strait.

Of course, the Russian fleet also suffered significant damage, but the Russian Empire gained naval superiority, and now even the Japanese home islands, which Japan had so proudly defended, were within Russia’s reach.

This news came as a shock to Japan.

“The Japanese Combined Fleet has been annihilated in the Battle of Tsushima.”

“Commander Oyama Iwao is continuing to request a ceasefire.”

The Battle of Tsushima’s Defeat.

They lost the battle that practically determined the future of the Empire, and while Oyama Iwao’s army is still intact, it’s uncertain how long they can last.

“Since the army on Hill 203 has been annihilated, we must consider a ceasefire. Iglas is attempting to mediate, Iglas’ mediation. It sounds like mediation, but it will actually be a negotiation that decides the fate of the Empire.”

Since they failed to meet Iglas’ expectations, it is now time for the hunting dogs to be cooked.

“We’re finished. The Empire is finished.”

With Japan’s national power now at its limit, even America has started to back off from bond purchases, and Iglas now looks at the Empire with a different gaze.

As if to prove it, Iglas’ ambassador openly shows contempt.

Everything the Empire has built up until now is collapsing.

So much so that the recently encountered McDonald has boldly stepped forward, claiming to mediate regardless.

“Well, the fact that they are still fighting fiercely against the Russian army is why they are trying to mediate. You should accept it soon.”

“Then, what about Joseon, which the Empire should occupy?”

“Hahaha! Are you really thinking about Joseon while you are tied up with Korean rebels right now? During the negotiations, we will handle Korea ourselves, so Japan should just prepare for the end of the war.”

In other words, “You’ve done enough. Now just retreat to the corner. From now on, we will handle Joseon.”

Katsura Taro was furious, but now, it was time to commit seppuku.

Otherwise, it would be time to truly rampage and take action.

“Katsura Taro, you bastard! Is this how you fight a war!?”

“Where is the invincible imperial army!? Why did we even start this war?”

“That bastard must be colluding with Russia, right?”

“Please return my son, who went to Joseon!”

The first task was to calm the angry crowd.

For that, they needed to save Oyama Iwao’s main force and bring it back.

However, by this time, Oyama Iwao’s army was trapped by both Russian and Korean forces, so their future didn’t look bright.

“What is the situation with the Joseon army?”

“They are retreating and heading this way.”

They must have found out that the Emperor is dead.

They are probably preparing for a ceasefire in the homeland as well, so it might be a good idea to propose surrender here.

“Does the imperial army propose surrender?”

“Are you really talking about surrender to a bunch of Joseon bastards?”

The 2nd Army’s Oku Yasukata, and the 4th Army’s Nozu Michizura gritted their teeth, shouting to prepare for battle with the Joseon army at any moment. However, Oyama Iwao shook his head.

It seems that the homeland has already decided to accept Iglas’ mediation proposal.

There was no choice from the beginning.

If they were going to experience humiliation anyway, they had to preserve their forces.

“Joseon is nothing. But if we attack Joseon, the Russian army is behind them. Do you think they’ll just let us attack after we’ve struck first? If it was just Joseon, maybe. But if it’s Joseon aligned with Russia, it’s a different story.”

“But surrender…”

“I know what everyone is thinking. First, if we bravely perish while fighting against Russia, that would be a source of pride for the Empire, but if we’re defeated by the Joseon army, there’s no greater shame. It looks like Joseon is now aligned with Russia, so let’s send someone to inform them not to act rashly. We’ll say they are negotiating with Russia.”

With this, they could prevent Joseon from acting under Iglas’ influence.

Even though the main force was missing the 1st and 3rd Armies, they still had a much larger army than Joseon’s.

Even if the Joseon army arrived, they wouldn’t be able to do much.

“Yes, sir.”

But unfortunately, Iwao didn’t know that the incoming forces weren’t ordinary troops from the Korean Empire.

“Surrender proposal. I hear Britain is also involved in this. What will happen to us? What about the damage to our forces?”

“The 1st Siberian Corps, 71st Infantry Division, 17th Corps, Orenburg Cossack Cavalry Division, and Baikal Cavalry Division have suffered damage, but it seems they have also taken significant losses.”

Kuroki’s army wasn’t without casualties either.

After all, the Japanese soldiers were fighting for their lives.

Even though the 1st Army under Kuroki was stuck in the Korean Empire and Nogi’s army had been annihilated, they fought even more desperately to survive.

Perhaps using Korea could be useful.

“Let’s at least pretend to consider the surrender proposal. As long as we’re receiving the proposal, there should be no fighting.”

That should be enough for now.

Of course, the homeland was already in talks with Britain for a ceasefire, so the Korean Empire would have to act fast.

As expected, the ceasefire talks were progressing.

It was supposed to be a ceasefire that started without us.

Jordan came to see them.

With the situation on the Korean Peninsula becoming urgent, it seemed that the ambassador was sent to resolve this issue.

***

“Your Imperial Highness, the Crown Prince of your country has been taken hostage by the Japanese army. Please cease fighting for now. Once the negotiations are completed, the independence of the Korean Empire will be guaranteed, and the Crown Prince will be safe.”

The British were now threatening them.

Of course, it was the Japanese army that took the hostage, but no one was unaware that Britain was behind Japan now.

So, it was clear that these bastards were the problem.

“Do you think they’re just going to run away?” Then, The Japanese forces stationed here under Oyama Iwao will disarm and withdraw according to the surrender procedure, and return to their homeland.”

“They were going to send 250,000 Japanese troops back to their homeland just like that?”

“Not a chance. They’d rather die than let them go.”

“The moment Japan’s fighting forces remained intact, they wouldn’t be able to take revenge on the Emperor, and Japan would try to advance into Korea again.”

“Then, what about Kuroki’s 1st Army?”

“1st Army will also withdraw after Oyama Iwao’s army safely completes its withdrawal from the Korean Empire.”

“Does that make sense? After assassinating the Emperor, they’re just going to leave safely?”

“There was some conflict between the two countries, but we need to end this war, don’t we? If something happens to the Japanese Manchurian Expeditionary Force, the Korean Empire’s homeland could be in danger as well.”

In other words, they were telling them to safely let them go.

If they did, the homeland would be safe.

Is Britain still not ready to give up on Japan?

They seemed to be trying to make some sort of trade, just using numbers.

Does Britain really think I’m that much of an idiot?

They could care less if the Crown Prince died, and if Japan kills Crown Prince Yi Cheok, it’s over.

“Are they really threatening us?” Now

“Threatening? Our great British Empire is trying to protect your Korean Empire from the Japanese Empire. Right now, aren’t your civilians dying all over Korea?”

Regardless of the circumstances, it was still a threat.