Chapter 58: Traitor’s negotiation

At this time, a delegation from the Korean Empire had arrived at the Forbidden City of the Qing Dynasty.

Leading the delegation was Minister of Education, Yi Wanyong.

In another timeline, he was the man who sold out his country.

But in this one, he had come to deliver a blow to the Qing as a puppet of the Manchu faction.

“Hah. For what reason has Joseon sent a delegation?”

Yi Wanyong was shocked.

An old woman was standing before him.

He knew at a glance who she was.

The person who had brought what was once called the center of the world—the great Qing Empire—to this pitiful state.

The infamous Empress Dowager Cixi.

‘So the old hag who ruined her country is still alive.’

Yi sneered inwardly.

Unfortunately, as of the end of 1909, Empress Dowager Cixi was still alive.

In the original timeline, she died in November of 1908.

Cixi had suffered from numerous illnesses but had continued to indulge in luxury and pleasure, eventually dying from dysentery.

Her death came the day after the death of Emperor Guangxu.

But in this world, Cixi had not died—yet.

It was, ironically, thanks to Ok Jinseo, who had threatened to desecrate the tombs of Nurhaci and Hong Taiji.

The Qing had ended up paying Korea a massive sum for the preservation of the remains—funds originally meant for Cixi’s pleasures.

Thanks to Ok Jinseo, Cixi was living a bit longer, with no time to enjoy herself.

Yi Wanyong was quite pleased about this turn of events.

As long as this decrepit woman stayed in power, the Qing would continue to decline, while the Korean Empire—thanks to that woman, Ok Jinseo—would continue to rise.

Of course, just fourteen years ago, Korea had its own Empress Dowager—Myeongseong.

But she had become the first target of Japanese assassins and had been eliminated.

Now, standing before Empress Dowager Cixi, Yi Wanyong said, “Though there have been tensions between our nations, we are neighbors. Surely we can’t remain on bad terms forever?”

“You said something worth hearing. Then return South Manchuria to us—Russia gave it to you, but it rightfully belongs to us.”

So she wanted South Manchuria back.

As expected.

It was understandable that the Manchus would demand the return of their sacred homeland.

“We’ve already developed the region. The Manchu and Han residents there have accepted Korean governance. Is it truly possible to return it? Rather, I hope Your Majesty will formally acknowledge South Manchuria as our sovereign territory.”

“How dare you! Manchuria is the sacred land of our Manchu people!”

“And before that, it was the sacred land of the Samhan people. The Manchus have claimed it for only a few centuries, but from ancient Joseon through Buyeo, Goguryeo, and Balhae, our people have regarded it as a sacred land for thousands of years. We are merely reclaiming what is ours. As the greater nation, should you not acknowledge this?”

He was telling her to acknowledge that the rightful owners, who had ruled for thousands of years, were simply taking back what was theirs.

“You insolent wretch! You Koreans may act arrogant because of your ties with Russia, but do you really think Russia will last a hundred or a thousand years?”

He remembered what Ok Jinseo had told him.

—”After observing the emperor and nobility in Russia, I can tell—they won’t last.”

—”Then why rely on them?”

—”Because before they fall, we’ll secure North Manchuria and Vladivostok. The Qing will collapse even earlier.”

—”Why are you so sure?”

—”Because at least the Russian Tsar is better than Empress Dowager Cixi.”

At the very least, he would get to witness the fall of the Qing before Russia’s turn came.

Until then, they had to make the most of Russian influence.

“The Manchus ruled China for centuries. Why should a long-standing European power like Russia be any different?”

“You insolent brat! We may leave that land in your hands for now, but don’t think we’ll recognize it as yours!”

At that moment, a rather entertaining idea came to Yi Wanyong.

He began scheming, much like he did in the original world when he led the charge to sell out the nation.

This time, however, it was to take land rather than give it away.

Rumors were circulating in Beijing.

People whispered that this wretched old woman had poisoned the late Qing Emperor.

The current emperor was still a child—said to be the son of Prince Cheok.

And in the meantime, this old hag had installed herself as regent in his place.

Yi Wanyong began to see a way to take South Manchuria without too much trouble.

No matter how much control the empress had, dissatisfaction was rising throughout the empire.

And among foreigners, there were already whispers—”why was the Empress Dowager meeting with foreign envoys instead of the emperor?”

‘What if I go after the emperor?’

Yi Wanyong’s cunning was unmatched.

He turned his gaze to the young emperor seated on the throne.

‘What’s the point of propping up a snot-nosed kid like that?’

Rumors about Cixi were everywhere.

It was time to strike.

“But tell me, why is it that the Empress Dowager herself is receiving this diplomatic mission?”

‘Why was Cixi, not the emperor, the one meeting with them?’

“What are you saying?”

It was only proper to answer a question when asked.

“This envoy is here to meet the Emperor of the Great Qing, to conclude matters regarding Manchuria and to improve relations between our nations. So why is the Empress Dowager meeting with us instead?”

“You—how dare you speak such insolence! I could have your mouth torn apart right now!”

Cixi rose from her seat, looking as if she might execute him on the spot.

But Yi Wanyong remained calm.

He smiled, unshaken, and spoke carefully.

“I am a representative of His Majesty the Emperor of Korea and also Governor of South Manchuria. I am also on close terms with the Russian Count of Foreign Affairs, who was chiefly responsible for organizing this journey.”

“What nonsense are you speaking!”

“If I were to be executed here, Count Ok would raise a massive army and repay the humiliation of Samjeondo tenfold.”

“You wretch! Our emperor is still too young, so I am serving as regent. How dare you Koreans threaten us!”

“Power never lasts forever. You’ve held power for not just ten, but countless years. Are you still not satisfied?”

Yi Wanyong was composed and confident.

‘Why?’

Because Korea was no longer a Qing vassal.

The woman he aligned himself with—Ok Jinseo—regardless of gender, had slaughtered countless Qing and Japanese soldiers.

Behind her stood the Russian Tsar himself.

More importantly, Cixi could not kill him.

She was no longer the same formidable figure she once was.

***

“Are you now attempting to interfere in the internal affairs of the Great Qing?”

“Oh, please. If that’s how you wish to take it, we find ourselves in quite a difficult position. We came to seek an audience with the Emperor. Why are we being met by the Dowager? And with Prince Cheok—the Emperor’s father—still alive, shouldn’t the Empress now step down?”

Just a little more pressure now.

There was, of course, the real danger of losing his head—but Yi Wanyong decided to trust in Count Ok.

“So, tell me—what is it that you want?”

“I heard countless stories on my way to the Forbidden City. Stories of how your previous emperor passed away.”

In other words, he was capable of turning this into an international scandal.

More importantly, this was a declaration: the Korean Empire had grown powerful enough to cause such trouble for the Qing.

At this, Empress Dowager Cixi began to sweat.

Inside her own nation, she could silence such rumors.

But if foreign powers got involved—especially those damned Koreans—things could get very troublesome.

That Yi Wanyong wouldn’t shut up until they gave up South Manchuria.

“Enough. Enough! I’ll tolerate your occupation of Southern Manchuria. So don’t you dare open that foul mouth of yours again!”

‘Yes. That’s how it should’ve been from the start.’

‘If they had just surrendered on their own earlier, things would’ve gone much more smoothly.’

“Anything beyond that can be approved by Russia anyway. That’s not something the Qing should concern themselves with. Now then, with this, there’s no need for either of our nations to get red in the face. Isn’t that just wonderful?”

Yi Wanyong spread his arms wide and laughed heartily, as if he had already gained everything he wanted.

At the sight, Empress Dowager Cixi, the Emperor Tang Xuanzong Puyi, and even the Prince Regent, Chunqinwang, all shuddered.

They couldn’t help but seriously wonder what kind of woman would keep such a man so close—this woman named Ok Jinseo.

Come to think of it, wasn’t she the one who started all this in the first place?

“Who exactly is this Ok Jinseo?”

When Empress Dowager Cixi asked the question, Yi Wanyong kept his lips tightly shut.

He had to be honest.

He wasn’t even in Manchuria when it all began.

He didn’t know much himself.

But there was one thing he was sure of: ‘she was a woman who had dared to expand Korea’s territory into Manchuria—something no one in 500 years of the Joseon dynasty had even dreamed of.’

She was a general who utterly crushed the Japanese army in a war no one thought could be won.

‘How could anyone look down on her just because she was a woman?’

“She is a warrior like King Yeonglak of Goryeo, galloping across the Manchurian plains.”

“A woman did all that?”

“Yes, even as a woman, she reclaimed the sacred lands of our Korean people. How could anyone disregard her for being female? At the very least, our Manchurian Administrator is no pampered flower in a greenhouse—she’s a true heroine.”

‘Yes. That was true enough.’

Even Cixi herself, who ruled this great Qing Empire—this mighty nation at the center of the world—was a woman.

But unlike her, who ruled from within the palace walls, this woman from Joseon had taken action with her own body.

And now, this envoy from Joseon dared to exalt Ok Jinseo while implicitly lowering her.

“Insolent wretch.”

Yi Wanyong analyzed the situation in the Qing court with cold precision.

Empress Dowager Cixi didn’t have long left. Still, the imperial court of the Qing couldn’t afford to antagonize the Korean Empire right now.

Not just Cixi—the crown prince’s supporters, those who should’ve been ruling on behalf of the child emperor, were all gnashing their teeth.

Might as well squeeze out as much as he could before the empress dowager passed away.

Yes. For example, compensation for safeguarding the royal remains would be appropriate.

The remains of Nurhaci and Hong Taiji.

Those remains were far more useful than the corpses of Confucius or Mencius.

Especially Hong Taiji, who was now paying dearly for his sins in launching the Jeongmyo and Byeongja invasions.

Yi Wanyong declared boldly:

“Also, regarding Gando—no, Manchuria—we’d like additional funding for its development.”

“That’s your territory now. What more do you want?”

Cixi thought to herself that the Joseon people had grown unbearably arrogant after siding with the Japanese.

She swore to herself that once she regained power, she’d punish them thoroughly.

If not her, then at least the next ruler would have to deal with them.

“Shouldn’t we receive compensation for protecting the remains of your founding emperor and crown prince?”

“You—you insolent scoundrel!”

Empress Dowager Cixi glared at him with bulging eyes, but in the end, she couldn’t do anything.

It made sense.

If she enraged this Korean envoy even slightly, he might order the remains of their founding emperor and crown prince to be discarded or desecrated.

They called it a “protection fee,” but it was, in effect, a threat: ‘Pay us, or we’ll destroy your ancestors’ remains.’

‘Despicable Joseon bastard!’

Even after all these years of domination, she knew that the Koreans still secretly resented the Qing and looked down on them.

But who would’ve guessed they would become so bold the moment they gained some strength?

She could only grind her teeth in frustration.

Since Cixi had taken power, the great Qing had suffered disgrace at the hands of the Westerners, lost to their own former vassal Japan, and now even Joseon—whom they had once considered beneath them—was stealing their sacred Manchurian lands and using royal remains as leverage.

And as a bonus, their envoy was shameless and rude.

But now, the great Qing couldn’t do anything, not even to a rat like this.

If they tried to punish Joseon, Russia would undoubtedly step in.

Besides, the Qing had deteriorated too much to even think of striking back.

To make matters worse, the other side had a brilliant general who had taken back Manchuria—something no one had done in hundreds of years.

And now, this envoy even dared to use the child emperor as a tool to pressure her.

Cixi bit her lip in frustration.

“Fine. We’ll make separate arrangements on that matter.”

As soon as she gave her answer, Yi Wanyong smiled slyly.

This much was more than enough.

He’d earned his keep.

The monster who was destroying this great empire would now pour money into Korea.

“Her Majesty’s benevolence reaches all the way to Qing. What a blessing it is. I pray for your long life and eternal reign.”

‘Let’s see how long this hag can hold on.’

The longer she lingered, the more opportunities Korea would have.

And the higher Yi Wanyong would be able to soar, as if he’d grown wings.

***

“Is this really okay?”

On the way out of the Forbidden City, one of his attendants asked the grinning Yi Wanyong.

Of course, it wasn’t okay. Which is why he had a plan.

The Qing Empire wasn’t teetering on the edge just because of what Ok Jinseo had seen.

Even from Yi Wanyong’s perspective, it was barely holding itself together.

People everywhere were slandering the royal family.

The military was rotting from the inside.

The streets were full of beggars.

This was the state of the Qing, now a semi-colony ruled by foreign powers.

If it was true that the Qing wouldn’t last much longer, then he had to exploit that.

Yi Wanyong turned to the attendant who had come with him.

“Spread rumors on the streets. Say that the Empress Dowager has sold off land to her former vassals, the Koreans. Call her a traitor.”

The attendant frowned.

‘You want me, Syngman Rhee, to do that kind of thing?’

‘And even if the Han Chinese started shouting about the fall of the Qing and the rise of a new Han-led empire, would they care whether the Manchus sold Manchuria to Russia or Korea?’

“The Han Chinese who despise the Manchus won’t care if Southern Manchuria is taken.”

Realizing what Yi Wanyong was getting at, Syngman Rhee tilted his head and replied.

“That’s not what’s important. What matters is that the Empress Dowager sold land to Korea. The Chinese see us Koreans as nothing more than their former subjects.”

What would happen if they learned that Cixi sold land to those very subjects?

Manchuria wasn’t the issue.

The fact that land was sold at all was the real problem.

They’d understand, even without being told, that the Qing had been extorted.

“You want to stir up a hornet’s nest.”

“Exactly. Let’s throw a stone and walk away.”

Yi Wanyong stroked his beard and smiled wickedly.