Reincarnated as Nikolai II

Chapter 49 Twisted Flow (5)

"How can these cabinet ministers just watch the situation! Open those mouths that usually speak so proudly!"

Gojong, the king who crowned himself Emperor, berated his ministers while restlessly trembling with fear.

Was it the price of comfortably settling into the neutrality created by the Russian Emperor? When the first bill hit Korea, the Korean court was shaken to its roots.

"A mere minister threatening a country's monarch is a matter that must be punished! Your Majesty, first let's arrest him-"

"You speak of arresting a diplomatic envoy? Are you suggesting we go to war with Russia?"

The very reason Minister Weber still remained in Korea was due to Gojong's desperate request, yet they speak of arresting him?

Though usually not active in ministerial meetings, Gojong had to do something about the Tsar's 'request.'

"Your Majesty, haven't we done enough by banishing all former Japanese envoys to insignificant posts?"

"They speak of war! War! Do you think the Russian Emperor will be satisfied with just expelling a few people? Don't you understand what they truly want?"

How could they not know? Rather, they all keep quiet precisely because they know too well.

'The Russian Emperor wants Korea to cooperate in the war.'

'But Japan is the same.'

'If we choose the wrong side here, even my children and grandchildren won't survive.'

No one could answer, as taking one side would mean the end of not only themselves but their entire family if they fell to the other side.

Of course, there were exceptions.

"Your Majesty! At times like this, you must take Russia's hand! Russia's army is so powerful they could advance to Hanyang within just a week!"

The prime example was Foreign Minister Yi Wan-yong.

After living in America for 2 years and 5 months as minister from '87, he became a pro-American official.

During his time with the Jeongdong faction, he was a spokesperson for both pro-American and pro-Qing factions.

'The old grudge between the two empires won't end so ambiguously. In the end, an island nation can't defeat a continental power!'

'But didn't Britain take Japan's side?'

The ministers, ignorant of world affairs on their narrow peninsula, found it difficult to give confident answers.

Even Yi Wan-yong himself wasn't 100% certain.

'Still, if Russia wins, wouldn't there be at least some chance of remaining independent?'

Whether constitutional monarchy or absolute monarchy, the country needs to exist first for him to survive.

If the country falls, Foreign Minister Yi Wan-yong can't exist either.

Nevertheless, if this small country couldn't survive on its own... he would abandon a country that couldn't protect even himself.

==

In the end, though Gojong and his ministers showed movement at the level of 'slightly pressuring Japan to appease Russia while not angering Japan enough to kill Korea'...

The war sentiment that seemed ready to explode at the slightest touch was sufficient to burst with just this.

"Korea requested complete withdrawal of troops? By what right!"

"When making the treaty in '82, they pushed the content that troops could withdraw if Japanese legation security wasn't necessary."

"That's why I'm asking by what right they made such a judgment!"

"Prime Minister, will you just watch this? Must we keep taking this?"

They had long known the Korean king who merely changed his title to emperor was pro-Russian.

However, at such a time, the Japanese Empire was in a situation to fall for even such a pathetic provocation.

'Must keep my senses. War - that's exactly what the Russian Tsar wants!'

Just as Japan had built up military power with Sino-Japanese War reparations, Russia too had spent years strengthening Far Eastern defenses.