Chapter 60: Anyone is needed

“Well, I’m sure things are shitty right now, but Manchuria isn’t fully developed yet. It’s even more foreign than the Korean Empire, which Japan was drooling over. If you really wanted to work, you could’ve just gone to the mainland. I wondered why they were here, so I visited the factory—and sure enough, there they were.”

‘What the hell? Why are they here?’ It was… surprising, to say the least.

“You’re Japanese, aren’t you? Fancy seeing you here.”

“Hai! We’ll work hard for His Highness, the Manchurian Shogun!” they replied in clumsy Korean.

‘Are these idiots here to produce defective goods on purpose? Is that the only thing they’re capable of?’

“Even so, aren’t we practically your enemies? You’d work for us?”

“Enemies or not, people like us need jobs. We’ve got to eat,” one said. “Besides, Mitsui Trading has ties to Joseon—no, the Korean Empire—so that’s how we ended up here.”

‘Guess Emperor Gojong spent more money than I thought.’

Well, business is business.

‘Maybe they’ll work here and then leave. Fine. Whatever.’

The designer of the Type 30 rifle would probably tear his hair out in frustration, but that’s not my problem.

It’s just a rifle, not a battleship.

“Alright. Then it’s your responsibility. Train the new workers properly.”

‘If they’re willing to work, that’s not so bad.’

“You’re honest. I don’t hate honest people.”

‘If they’re here to make money, honesty works for me.’

Soon enough, whether it’s the Gewehr or the Manlicher, we’ll license their designs, tinker with them, and maybe even develop something like the AK-47 or Nazi Germany’s late-war assault rifles.

“Shouldn’t we also make cannons?”

“Cannons? Right. Those too.”

“We’ll need to import artillery designs from somewhere. No point fixating on a single standard rifle. Maybe we can license foreign tech—or ask the Great Reverse-Engineering Gallery for cannon blueprints.”

***

“Ah, the Minister of Education has returned from Qing, I hear.”

“Already? He’s back from Qing?”

‘Well, given how long I’ve been touring factories in Manchuria, he’d have had plenty of time.’

Unlike the Yongsan Arsenal, this place is meant for serious production.

If Yi Wanyong wrapped up his business in Manchuria and returned, that’d be perfect.

“Yes. His aide, Syngman Rhee, mentioned that in Beijing, they spread rumors that Empress Dowager Cixi sold land to Joseon.”

“Oh? Now that’s interesting. I think I see the point.”

‘Honestly, Yi Wanyong didn’t even need to intervene, but this’ll make things more entertaining.’

“What do you mean?”

“After the Boxer Rebellion, Qing became a giant feeding trough for the imperialist powers—a semi-colony. Resentment against the Qing court has only grown, with cries of ‘Destroy the Manchus, Restore the Han!’ everywhere. And now, Qing—supposedly our suzerain—got its land snatched by its vassal. How does that look?”

“But didn’t we already negotiate that last time?”

‘That negotiation was just about extorting money. It wasn’t formal recognition of the land as ours. Just posturing to blow off steam.’

But if it’s officially acknowledged, that’s different.

“That was just passing it off as development costs for Gando, not actual recognition.”

“Then—”

“There’s a cognitive dissonance here. They shout ‘Destroy the Manchus!’ yet insist Manchuria—land of the Manchus—is part of China. And they still see Korea as a vassal deep down. So, getting robbed by their former vassal? That stings.”

‘Even if you argue Manchuria belongs to the Manchus, the Han won’t happily surrender land they’ve held for centuries.’

“That’ll give the anti-Qing faction plenty of ammunition.”

“Exactly. But we need to support Qing.”

‘This could be our chance to expand into China, but we’re too weak to stop the warlords eyeing Beijing. Keeping Qing alive is better for now.’

“That rotten Qing dynasty? Isn’t the Manchus’ time over?”

“The Manchurian Army still has thousands of Manchu soldiers. That’s an insult to them.”

“My apologies. I wasn’t thinking.”

“That’s not the only thing you weren’t thinking about. Thanks to me, there’ll be no Battle of Namsan, but if you want to work under me, you’d better learn to see the bigger picture.”

“And precisely because they’re rotten, we should keep them alive and milk them dry.”

“Huh?”

‘A broken China is better for us than a unified one led by revolutionaries.’

“Think about it. If a Han-led state topples the Manchus and unifies China, they’ll grow strong again.”

“The imperial powers won’t sit idle, but as long as they get their cut, it doesn’t matter who’s in charge. So, we’ll prop up Qing.”

“A unified China has always treated us as a vassal.”

“Exactly. So, keeping Qing on life support is in our best interest.”

“With us as their oxygen tank, Qing won’t dare oppose us or demand Manchuria back. Empress Dowager Cixi might die sooner, triggering the Xinhai Revolution earlier—or maybe the butterfly effect delays it. Either way, we need a buffer: Mongolia, Siberia, and a weakened Qing as our shield.”

“I see. That clears things up.”

“Qing will have to accept our terms if they want to survive.”

“With Manchuria controlled by Russia and Korea, Qing’s only hope is clinging to northern China—and for that, they need us. How ironic: the dynasty that humiliated us at Samjeondo is now our puppet.”

***

Yi Wanyong’s more competent than I expected.

‘And the fact that his aide is Syngman Rhee?’ Hilarious.

“Is Syngman Rhee his close associate now?”

“Wouldn’t you say so?”

‘Sounds like he’s angling for his own slice of the pie.’

Syngman Rhee… Honestly, I’m of two minds about him.

“The man who turned a destitute nation into a U.S. ally, signing the Mutual Defense Treaty with America—the so-called world police.”

“On one hand, he’s a controversial figure in the independence movement, and he also bungled things badly during the Korean War. Is it right to keep him around? Or should we cut him loose? He seems competent enough, but right now, it feels like he’s under Yi Wanyong’s control.”

“Maybe he’s planning to ride Yi Wanyong’s coattails into politics. Since we can’t get our hands on anyone else, that’s probably the case. It wouldn’t look good to openly align with a cabinet that already has the military in its grip, so he’s likely cozying up to Yi Wanyong instead.”

“Or maybe he’s planning to switch sides and join us. He might even flee to the U.S. if the situation calls for it. Either way, Syngman Rhee himself is just a nuisance. Given that he became president in the original timeline, he must be somewhat skilled in politics, right?”

“It’s bothering me, I must say.”

‘Should I summon him?’

After a moment’s thought, I shook my head.

No. There’s no need to call him.

I’ll have to go to Japan eventually, but it’s better to focus on Yi Wanyong than waste time worrying about a minor nuisance like Syngman Rhee.

At least Yi Wanyong gets things done properly.

***

“I’d like to meet with the Minister of Education.”

‘That bastard has been working hard, so I should at least give him some words of encouragement. Right?’

More importantly, there’s something different about him.

‘If he’s the kind of subordinate who’d work his ass off for me—maybe not to the death, but close—then he won’t betray me.’

‘And above all, Yi Wanyong is the only bastard who takes me seriously, regardless of my gender or age.’

When I met Yi Wanyong in Hanseong after so long, he looked unusually refreshed.

Probably happy about wrapping up his mission.

Frankly, I’ve also noticed that Yi Wanyong is surprisingly competent.

The same man who sold out the country with the Eulsa Treaty is now putting his mind to good use elsewhere.

And doing a damn good job at it.

That’s right. He’s secured Southern Manchuria as undisputed Korean territory.

From Russia, as a territorial concession under a count’s jurisdiction, and from the Qing, as recognized Korean land.

At any rate, I summoned Yi Wanyong to the Foreign Ministry office.

Partly to test if he’s truly my man, and partly to assess the situation in Qing China.

“I heard you’ve firmly settled the sovereignty issue in Southern Manchuria. Impressive work. And the additional compensation for the remains—excellent.”

The “remains protection fee.”

Not the original “Southern Manchuria development fund under Qing’s entrusted administration,” but a rebranded fee acknowledging the land as imperial territory—and squeezing more money out of them.

We’ll keep milking them until the Qing collapses.

Since the Empress Dowager Cixi agreed to it, and with the imperial family’s two emperors’ remains held hostage by us, they have no choice.

The real problem is that Han Chinese taxpayers will foot the bill for protecting those damned bones.

‘If I were one of those Han Chinese in the Central Plains, I’d be furious—why should my taxes go to preserving those bastards’ skulls?’

But that’s not my concern.

***

“Hahahaha! It’s all thanks to the groundwork laid by the Foreign Minister.”

Groundwork or not, what I’m really curious about is the situation in Qing.

For example, the fact that Empress Dowager Cixi, who should’ve died by now, is still alive.

It’s suspicious.

“How is Empress Dowager Cixi these days?”

Is she clinging to life like some kind of zombie?

“That wretched woman who ruined the Celestial Empire won’t last much longer. It’s a miracle she’s still breathing day by day. But for us, her staying alive is beneficial.”

I see. So she could drop dead any moment.

Well, at this point, she’s hanging on by sheer willpower.

Pathetic, really.

‘Was power that precious to her?’

Her dying wish was to ensure no woman would ever meddle in politics again—’but what’s the point when the country’s already fallen?’

“I see. Has she said anything about me?”

I’m the one who took Manchuria, after all.

“She was curious about who you are. I deflected the question.”

“Surprising that Empress Dowager Cixi let it slide.”

He probably leveraged my influence.

If her head were truly on the chopping block, she’d have threatened to call in Ok Jinseo’s troops.

Something like, “If you kill me, Ok Jinseo will march her army here.”

Now, the real question begins.

“If we use the humiliation at Samjeondo as a pretext to push into Qing, could we win?”

“We might gain the upper hand at first, but eventually, that vast continent would wear us down, and we’d lose our momentum for reform.”

Makes sense.

No matter how weak Qing is now, its territory is simply too enormous.

Koreans alone could never rule it.

Even if, by sheer luck, we conquered the Central Plains like the Manchus did, we’d just end up getting Sinicized.

Not that I’m serious about this anyway.

I was just testing him—seeing if he’s naive enough to miss the obvious.

“I appreciate your straightforward answer. Honestly, I hold the Minister of Education in very high regard.”

“Huh?”

‘Why the bewildered look?’

Well, in the original timeline, he was a traitor, so he’s probably done some shady things.

“When Hanseong was occupied, you retired to the countryside and bided your time, didn’t you?”

“What do you mean?”

Yi Wanyong flinched, his eyes darting around.

So he really is just an opportunist.

If Japan had steamrolled through the Russo-Japanese War here too, this bastard would’ve signed another Eulsa Treaty.

But he avoided that.

I have to give him credit for that much.

“You missed a subject. The righteous armies. While others were busy collaborating with Japan or selling out the country, you were preparing for a comeback.”

“Y-yes. That’s correct.”

The more I look at him, the more he irritates me.

If this bastard had just been a little more incompetent, I could’ve gotten rid of him.

“I also respect that you treat me as an equal, despite me being a woman and much younger.”

“Hahaha! Right now, Korea needs anyone it can get. If it means saving this country, we’d even hire a lowly hangwae—as long as it’s not Your Excellency.”

Of course.

If a 20th-century version of Kim Chamryeong had appeared during this three-way war, I might’ve filled my army with hangwae mercenaries like him.

And Yi Wanyong—that applies to you too.

“Everyone already knows this nation’s fate is sealed to the point where we’d have to rely on foreigners.”

“Your Excellency, what are you—”

Even for a traitor, this seems to sting.

His eyes dart around, checking if anyone else heard.

“I care more about the Korean people than this so-called empire or its royal family. What’s more important—a sham empire obsessed with its own prestige, or millions of Koreans?”

“Are you suggesting you’d overthrow the royal family?”

Even Yi Wanyong is stunned, his eyes widening.

***

[System note: The following are firearm references from the original text, preserved as-is.]

Mauser Gewehr 98 (German Empire)

Source: Wikipedia

Arisaka Type 30 (Japanese Empire)

Source: Wikipedia

Mannlicher–Schönauer (Austria-Hungary)

Source: Wikipedia