Chapter 41: Instead of the outside, Ok Jinseo Part 2

Of course, if you ask if I’m really going to do it, the answer was no.

Because I am just a foreign agent.

In a situation where I’m in conflict with the Hoonang faction, I can’t rely solely on Lee Beomyun.

So, for now, I need to work my magic with my eloquent tongue.

“Are you talking about something like the Katsura-Taro Agreement between countries?”

“Are you saying that the manager of Shenyang knows about this agreement?”

Allen opened his eyes wide, seemingly surprised.

“Do you think I’m a fool? There’s no one who doesn’t know that.”

In fact, they even made the agreement just like in the original history.

Before and after the Russo-Japanese War, the United States allowed Japan to consume the Korean Empire while quietly tolerating Japan’s annexation of the Philippines.

They did it quietly, excluding the Korean Empire from the decision.

***

[Daebung 02: After the Russo-Japanese War, the Katsura-Taro Agreement became irrelevant. Instead, the U.S. started showing interest in Korea.]

Of course, I checked just to be sure.

The history here is different from the original history, after all.

I was simply checking to see if those damn bastards had something different from the Katsura-Taro Agreement.

Surprisingly, it seems that the Russo-Japanese War simply started late.

In fact, the Katsura-Taro Agreement definitely existed here.

Allen here must have known about it.

Unlike his home country’s stance, this person didn’t have a good view of Japan, but he was still in a position to follow his country’s orders.

Later, when Japan’s annexation of Korea became clear, he handed over a list of pro-American figures.

He was told to actively cooperate with Japan.

“You’re really underestimating the intelligence agency of the Korean Empire. Since this is a small country, we are sensitive to information and focus on gathering it.”

In truth, I’m just pretending, but there’s no need to be too honest.

The intelligence agency of this country exists.

That agency might be watching you, and you don’t know where or how.

This is the impression I need to leave.

The important thing here is that, at least in Allen’s view, the person gathering information isn’t just East Asian.

I’m getting the information as a foreign agent, and he thinks that a white American devoted to Korea is the one delivering the information to Korea.

If that’s the case, it implies that he is closely connected with the American political scene.

Allen has no choice but to listen closely.

***

“But wouldn’t it be better to resolve things in a good way? Let’s bury any resentment or misunderstandings we have for now.”

“I know you enjoyed selling our Koreans in Hawaii.”

Allen sent Koreans to work in the sugarcane fields in Hawaii.

He said they would be obedient, but in reality, he sold them almost as slaves.

In other words, this guy saw Gojong as a fool and treated Koreans as disposable items.

“Well, that’s because…”

“Korea is submissive, unlike China or Japan, so it’s easier to deal with them,” he said.

I stared at Allen with my chin resting in both hands.

Allen hesitated for a long time, not knowing what to do, before letting out a deep sigh.

Yeah, now it’s starting to feel like something might happen.

“Sigh… Fine, I’ll speak plainly. The sugarcane farm issue was to help recruit Korean immigrants. And when I mentioned their submissiveness, I only meant that they follow that tyrant emperor. It’s not something to misinterpret.”

He said this while showing signs of irritation, almost as if he was offended.

I thought it was all just fake, but I don’t expect any loyalty from people in this era anyway.

After all, national interests are the priority in diplomatic relations.

A diplomat only works hard for his own country.

“Alright, fine. No matter how much Ambassador Allen might have other intentions, you can’t say he hasn’t worked for Korea. But here’s the thing. We’re just taking over what American companies left behind after withdrawing from the war.”

“The gold mine had a lot of investment from the United States. What do you want? Don’t stop me from speaking and make it clear.”

“The U.S. supported Japan, hoping Japan would help check Russia while also safeguarding American interests.”

“However, neither side benefited, and instead, Korea ended up as a buffer state in the Far East.”

“In that case, it would be beneficial for the U.S. to strengthen Korea’s standing.”

“Most importantly, despite various issues, the Korean Empire proved it could perform in warfare. It also officially opened up to the Western powers, raising its legations to embassy level. Now, we must seize the opportunity.”

“With this war, Japan will be in debt and may even declare bankruptcy. Among the Eastern nations, the Korean Empire will seize the opportunity. So, here’s the thing…”

“Go ahead.”

Allen’s eyes sparkled.

He probably already has a rough idea of what I’m going to say.

He knows I’m asking for help.

While I am currently in charge of diplomacy in the position of the Shenyang manager, I can’t ignore the existing cabinet forever.

***

“Korea doesn’t yet have a proper bank. I’ve heard that the U.S. is specialized in this field. Please help us establish a bank. Even though the U.S. is pro-Japan right now, now that Japan is on the decline, we have an opportunity, don’t you think?”

I reached out with a hand of reconciliation, smiling slightly.

“Understood. Since I’ve received grace from the late emperor, I’ll try to help in any way I can.”

‘Try to help?’ More like try to get something out of this.

“At this point, I’m thinking of taking back the Unsan gold mine and using it as a bargaining chip. Also, since we can’t be friendly with Japan anymore, I can use Korea as a way to counter Russia.”

“The more the U.S. is interested in Korea, the more leverage Allen will have.”

“However, I can’t promise you the same share of the gold mine as before.”

There’s nothing better than gold during the Great Depression.

‘I’m not about to give away a bunch of gold to America. If they want to take it, they’ll have to help us in return.’

“No, that’s a bit…”

“So, did you expect to sell out Korea and still get everything?”

“Of course, it’s an agreement to avoid interference, but still, ignoring the parties involved is too much.”

“On the contrary, the more the U.S. shows interest in Korea, the more influence the ambassador will have, right?”

At my words, Allen wet his dry lips with his tongue and sighed deeply.

Enough with the sighing.

The ground will collapse.

“Hmph, I can’t stand this.”

“Still, when it comes to interests in Manchuria, I have no intention of touching them. Neither Russia nor Korea will be affected by the U.S. interests in Manchuria.”

“This was enough.”

Allen grumbled but didn’t object.

In reality, if Korea succeeds, it will be beneficial for him as well.

Next, it’s the French ambassador.

The French ambassador, Flancy, had advised us on expanding into Manchuria.

Last time, he was flustered when I dropped the bomb on them, but in the end, we won the war, so I’m grateful.

***

“Who would have expected such a great figure from Korea, like Joan of Arc? You speak French fluently, and there’s no one more pro-French in Korea than you.”

“Isn’t all of this thanks to the ambassador helping us advance into the Gando region? If it weren’t for your advice, could I have become a saint today?”

“Ahem. You flatter me, I don’t know what to say.”

“Is that all? Thanks to the ambassador assisting His Majesty with the escape, the war ended early. To be blunt, if those Japanese bastards had captured the Emperor, it would have been difficult for us.”

“You’re giving me too much credit.”

“Wouldn’t that be the case?”

“The Qing Dynasty was essentially a colony now. In the Far East, the only country that was relatively better among the uncivilized nations was Korea, not Japan.”

“Hmm. Are you suggesting that we help Korea’s modernization?”

“Yes. Korea is now heading towards modernization. To ensure that it becomes a buffer zone in the Far East, please assist us.”

“As you can see, Korea must serve as a neutral zone, unaffected by any other nation’s influence. Though I am technically a Russian noble, this is just a title. The international situation could change at any time. Therefore, Korea is looking for investments from all nations to play its role as a neutral zone.”

“You intend to remain a neutral country, don’t you?”

“That neutrality is just a pretext for the British to intervene. For France, having an ally in the Far East wouldn’t be a bad idea.”

“Let’s wait for the orders from the home country.”

Perhaps because of the victory buff, the French ambassador also received the idea positively.

After this war, all nations began paying attention to Korea.

It was clear that Korea had the capability to fight in a war.

It was also evident that the Japanese army, which was utterly destroyed by the Korean army, was no longer a threat.

And the fact that the person who led this war wasn’t Russia, Japan, or even the Korean Empire, but a single woman, Ok Jinseo, was well known.

Because of this, Korea was now being watched closely.

A country like Korea, which produced such a woman, was no longer just an insignificant country in the East, a nation on the brink of collapse, but a potential civilized country.

This all happened because of me.

So, while we have the chance, we must push forward as much as possible.

Now that Japan’s influence has been eradicated and their people removed, we must reform the country to the fullest.

We should also release the reform-minded figures who are in prison, especially since it’s known that the Hanseong alliance caused the controversy in this world.

“By the way, I wonder how Choi Jaehyung is doing.”

“Do you think he can make airplanes?”

That would be necessary if we want to attack Japan whenever the great powers are distracted, like an annual event.

***

Meanwhile, the mood in the palace was not good.

The fire at the palace had made things tense, but the presence of Ok Jinseo was also troubling.

In particular, General Park Seo Sangmu, the Commander-in-Chief of the Korean Expeditionary Force to Manchuria and an army marshal, had personally dealt with Ok Jinseo.

No matter how much he looked, he couldn’t find any loyalty in her towards the imperial family.

“Ok Jinseo, the governor of Shenyang, is meeting with European diplomats to discuss foreign affairs privately.”

“A woman discussing the country’s foreign relations? She may have done that when she was in Manchuria, but this is ridiculous.”

‘How could she handle foreign affairs personally?’ Even though she’s an external minister, the diplomats don’t even try to meet the Emperor.

They just go to see Ok Jinseo, which is quite absurd.

“That woman wiped out the Japanese army. In Europe, no country is unaware of the name Ok Jinseo. Do you think we can just take her power away? Most importantly, the newly appointed Prime Minister, Lee Beomyun, has popular support. This is not good.”

Everyone in the room sympathized with Park Seo Sangmu’s concerns.

That’s what made it even more problematic.

‘How did Emperor Taizu establish Joseon?’ He was able to do it because he had tremendous popular support and military strength.

Even the Sapo (Special Force) has gained attention among the great powers. Its presence is even more significant than Emperor Taizu’s Gabyeolcho.

“The Japanese deserve to die a thousand times, but they’ve lost all sense of righteousness, and Korea has become a barbaric nation.”

“From what we saw in the recent war, that person has no loyalty to His Majesty the Emperor.”

Meanwhile, at the high seat, Emperor Sunjong Yi Cheok frowned.

These people definitely want to see the Emperor dead.

“Remove that woman?”

They wanted to get rid of a woman who set fire to the palace and laughed devilishly over the corpses of the Japanese.

‘If they dared, Yi Cheok knew he would lose their heads.’

He didn’t know what power Ok Jinseo had, but she had torn the neck of a brave Japanese soldier with ease.

That meant that if things went wrong, Yi Cheok’s life would end just as easily.

Although it was incredibly humiliating to be afraid of a single woman, ‘what could he do?’

Lee Yongik and Min Yeonghwan, who had returned from Europe, had seen her military strength and were also keeping quiet.

Honestly, they had similar thoughts to Park Seo Sangmu.

‘If we trust her immense power and she has no loyalty to the Emperor, how could she truly be loyal to the Korean Empire?’

So, they were worried that too much power might be given to the woman.

Empress Mother, Sunjong’s mother, also seemed to sympathize with their concerns.

“So, what should we do?”

“Her power is like that of Xiang Yu. It might be better to assign her to the central army and monitor her.”

“You cannot underestimate her just because she’s a woman. Korea may have won the war, but it’s still a fragile nation. If we remove her, how will we protect the future of the Korean Empire?”

“Korea isn’t only Ok Jinseo. Why are we giving so much importance to a mere woman?”

Empress Mother, for the sake of the imperial family’s safety, felt she had to maintain imperial authority.

She had to remove Ok Jinseo, regardless of her capabilities.

“But Ok Jinseo has traveled around Europe since her childhood and understands their situation well. She’s receiving favor from European diplomats. If we get rid of her at such a critical time, it’s no different from wasting the opportunity that Korea has.”

“Can we really remove them now? The Sapo, who fought alongside Ok Jinseo, believes and follows her. They are the ones who defeated the Japanese army and seized Seoul.”

Right now, the Sapo was defending Seoul.

Officers from the Sapo were even placed in the security and military units, almost as if they had intended to take full control of the military.

If anyone resisted, it was clear they would be accused of being Japanese puppets.