The Joseon Prince Went To America And Didn’t Return – 148



< The Best and the Worst (4) >

Pyotr Stolypin former Prime Minister of Russia.

He had been in quite a good mood just ten minutes ago.

Because they were able to extort a huge amount of bribe money from Lee Kang who was known as an investment genius and a money maker.

‘Things are going pretty well.’

It’s a verbal contract and the details may change when the main contract is signed but you should receive at least ten million dollars.

If Lee Kang had become Emperor Nicholas’ financial manager he could have received five million dollars more.

Until just a moment ago he had been trying hard to control his expression inwardly.

‘If we mention it too often it will have the opposite effect but let’s mention the withdrawal of the Korean Empire volunteer army once in a while. It’s an opportunity to extract more money from the stationing expenses.’

Although Stolypin’s successive reforms increased Russia’s revenues day by day the Russian Empire’s finances were traditionally not in good shape.

‘Lee Kang’s money will be a drop of rain to our government’s parched finances.’

In a Russia like that a million dollars a year was truly valuable money and Stolypin was secretly delighted.

But you know.

As soon as the word ‘Rasputin’ came out of Lee Kang’s mouth Stolypin’s face became increasingly hardened.

‘Rasputin?’

Stolypin and Rasputin were enemies.

In the political structure of the Russian Empire which was no different from an absolute monarchy it was very important who received more favor from the emperor.

Stolypin is the most powerful person besides the Tsar.

Naturally Stolypin had to gain Nikolai’s trust and enjoy his favor.

Rasputin whom he had never heard of or seen before suddenly appeared in front of him and interrupted him.

‘If this rumor had reached the prince then the story about Rasputin would have reached our enemies all over Europe.’

As Russia is a large country it has had many enemies.

The saying goes that as Russia’s national power grows stronger there are more people who are wary of it.

Among those who opposed Stolypin’s reforms were many vested interest groups with various vested interests.

There are also many who take money from rival countries such as Britain and Germany and block Russia’s prosperity.

Stolypin folded his arms recalling this international situation.

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“If you are telling me lies Your Majesty you should brace yourself.”

Lee Kang was not intimidated by Stolypin’s warning.

“Hmm. Where should we begin?”

He blurted out the following words with a slightly playful expression on his face.

“I heard the crown prince is currently suffering from hemophilia…”

Stolypin flinched.

Because a national secret leaked out of Lee Kang’s mouth.

“Maybe I am mistaken?”

“I can’t confirm that.”

“I understand. He is the leader of a nation… I can’t just carelessly reveal his illness to the outside world.”

Lee Kang looked at Stolypin with an expression of understanding and said the following:

“Well then let me correct my statement a little. Let’s assume for now that the Crown Prince has hemophilia and continue our conversation.”

“….”

“I heard that the royal physicians in charge of Your Majesty’s treatment often prescribe aspirin as a treatment for Your Majesty. Is that correct?”

Once again a big secret has come out.

How did Lee Kang know this?

‘Did you hear that from the British?’

but.

The Russian palace is full of spies from European countries.

The Crown Prince’s illness had been going on for a long time so information about it would have spread like wildfire.

Stolypin closed his mouth with a slightly offended expression.

“Hmm I guess I can’t confirm this either.”

Then Lee Kang showed an expression of understanding again.

“Prime Minister.”

“Speak Prince.”

“Have you ever been prescribed aspirin Prime Minister?”

Stolypin nodded and answered since he could answer to this extent.

“Of course. Isn’t it a medicine that is excellent for reducing fever and pain? I also use it often.”

Lee Kang clapped his hands in agreement.

“That’s right. Aspirin is a very effective pain reliever. But you see aspirin has some very deadly side effects.”

side effect?

Stolypin looked at Lee Kang with narrowed eyes.

“What is it?”

“Aspirin thins the blood.”

Information that would be useful to modern people with even a passing interest in pharmacy.

but.

At the time we had no idea that these side effects existed.

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“Aspirin interferes with blood clotting. As you know the main symptom of hemophilia is clotting disorder right? What would happen if I were prescribed aspirin when my wounds are not healing?”

Stolypin suddenly felt goosebumps all over his body.

It wasn’t medicine it was poison.

“Well when you take medicine the pain will be relieved and the fever will go down. But only for a short time. Aspirin will make your condition worse.”

“….”

Lee Kang began to guess something again putting strength into his voice.

“The young crown prince is reluctant to consult royal physicians. Why? Because he distrusts the medicines they prescribe.”

Stolypin suddenly became worried about the Tsarevich.

Lee Kang continued speaking with a serious expression.

“On the other hand what did Rasputin do? He refused to take the medicine prescribed by the royal physicians and instead gave the Crown Prince an elixir of his own making. I heard that he boiled various herbs such as deer antlers pollen from the dandelion dried straw and the root of the trident and gave it to the Crown Prince whenever he was sick.”

“That’s right.”

“The royal physicians laugh at these as folk remedies that are just floating around in the world but in fact they contain some ingredients that help stop bleeding and relieve pain. They don’t seem to have as strong analgesic effects as aspirin but… at least they don’t interfere with stopping bleeding.”

therefore.

In short Lee Kang’s words mean that Rasputin’s prescription helped the Tsarevich.

At least better than the royal physician.

“In addition Rasputin calmed His Majesty’s mind and body with his excellent speaking skills. He may look a bit fierce but when you talk to him isn’t he as warm-hearted as any old man you might find in any neighborhood?”

Stolypin was slightly angry as he tried to belittle Rasputin’s achievements.

“Is it just because of those two things that Rasputin was able to capture the hearts of His Majesty the Crown Prince and His Majesty the Empress?”

“Yes that’s right.”

“her!”

“The Empress blamed herself for the Crown Prince’s illness. Don’t they say that hemophilia is inherited through the mother?”

right.

Everyone keeps quiet but hemophilia is inherited primarily through the maternal line.

Some people were gossiping that the disease was inherited from the Empress’s maternal grandmother Queen Victoria.

The Empress being a human with ears would have heard these rumors often.

“The Empress is blaming herself for her only son’s illness. In this gloomy situation Rasputin has brought some relief to Her Majesty’s condition.”

“….”

“How would the Prime Minister react if the Empress was there?”

Lee Kang emphasized one thing with a confident face.

“From now on do not prescribe aspirin to the Crown Prince.”

“…I understand.”

I said it’s not medicine it’s poison.

Although it was something that needed to be verified Stolypin decided to believe Lee Kang’s claim for now.

“Continue using the medicines that Rasputin prescribes but develop new and innovative drugs to replace them. Then the Tsar and Empress will not have to rely on Rasputin.”

yes.

If we continue to follow Rasputin’s prescriptions his influence will only grow.

‘uh?’

Stolypin looked at Lee Kang once again mentioning the word Lee Kang had uttered.

“Did you just say New Testament?”

Lee Kang recalled what had happened in Germany and emphasized to Stolypin the importance of the New Testament.

“I met some scientists in Germany…”

“Yes. Please continue speaking.”

“A German researcher extracted a pain-relieving ingredient called acetaminophen. This ingredient is a pain-suppressing ingredient that does not interfere with blood clotting.”

“ah.”

“It’s still in the early stages of development and there are still many steps left to go such as clinical trials before it can be fully produced… but wouldn’t the time be shortened somewhat if we invested unlimited amounts of people and money?”

Although it was not a cure for hemophilia Lee Kang-yi made an intriguing proposal to Stolypin saying that it might be possible to develop a painkiller that did not inhibit blood clotting.

“I have money. A lot of money.”

Lee Kang standing in front of Stolypin explained with a kind expression why he was pouring a huge amount of money into developing a new drug.

“I want to develop a new drug quickly for the countless patients suffering from pain of unknown causes. I guess that’s why God saved my life once.”

They even cite religious reasons.

In Stolypin’s opinion Lee Kang is a greedy capitalist who covets gold.

It seems like he dared to mention God to make it better but he didn’t bother to point it out because it would be helpful to the crown prince.

“As you know the Russian Empire is not in a good financial situation.”

“I know.”

Lee Kang looked at Stolypin with sparkling eyes and showed his greed.

“But there are many things in the Russian Empire that I do not have.”

Before meeting Lee Kang.

Stolypin also did some research on Lee Kang.

We looked into what Lee Kang did after becoming one of the world’s richest people.

Interest seemed to be truly greedy for talent.

‘It felt like I was seeing the Medici family in their prime.’

The Medici family patronized artists but Lee Kang was a little different in that he primarily patronized scientists.

However because they were similar in their desire for people Stolypin noticed that Lee Kang was trying to use him to gather Russia’s key talents.

‘but….’

It’s an offer you can’t refuse.

Because curing the Crown Prince’s illness was a matter of utmost importance to the Russian Empire which was an absolute monarchy.

Stolypin was willing to pay hundreds of millions of dollars if only he could cure his future enemy’s chronic illness so he decided to accept Lee Kang’s devilish offer.

“Are you suggesting that we send our country’s chemical experts to this prince’s medical laboratory?”

“Yes. Regardless of race age or gender as long as you have outstanding ability you will be fine. I heard that there are many such talented people in Russia.”

Among the many words Lee Kang emphasized race.

He wouldn’t have emphasized this word without reason.

‘ah!’

Anti-Semitism is rampant in Russia today.

Many Jews of this era were intellectuals and Lee Kang seemed determined to take advantage of this situation in Russia.

“Okay I understand. I will discuss this with my cabinet members. You will need to give me some more time.”

Stolypin unlike Nikolai was sympathetic to the Jews.

‘It’s a shame to send the Jews to America…’

It was an interesting suggestion for Stolypin who was sympathetic to the Jews because perhaps it might be better for the Jews living in Russia.

Moreover by giving away some Jewish scientists he can even give Lee Kang some color.

Stolypin sorted this out in his mind and asked Lee Kang to give him some time.

Because if we buy some time we can continue negotiations with better conditions.

* * *

After the conversation with Stolypin.

There were several more drinking parties among the men.

About three more days passed.

Finally a banquet worthy of the name was held in St. Petersburg.

I took a car and headed to the Catherine Palace famous for its Amber Room.

Because World War II had not yet occurred the pumpkin room was preserved in its original form.

So I was in the car imagining for a moment what the untouched pumpkin room would actually look like.

“What do you think of Prime Minister Stolypin?”

Because I have some time left.

I asked my closest aides Woo Hyun-sik and Choi Hyun-woo about Prime Minister Stolypin whom I had met in the past.

Woo Hyun-sik thought for a moment and then quickly answered my question.

“You talk a lot.”

“And he’s also very stubborn.”

Choi Hyun-woo quickly added his opinion to Woo Hyun-sik’s words.

Woo Hyun-sik nodded his head in agreement.

“He is too strong-willed. He may be able to run wild for now because of the Tsar’s favor but if Nicholas takes this away he will be overthrown in an instant.”

“yes.”

Why would Prime Minister Stolypin be wary of the incomparable ‘jobless Rasputin’?

“That’s why I’m even more wary of Rasputin. I’m tightroping making all sorts of enemies and then this guy named Rasputin suddenly shows up and tries to shake the rope from the other end.”

It is said that the number of Russian intellectuals eliminated by Stolypin alone exceeds three digits.

He is currently in a situation like a man riding on a tiger’s back.

Either keep running or come down at some point and get eaten by a tiger.

A situation where you have to choose between two options.

Stolypin of course chose the former.

Well I would have done that too.

“By the way why did Your Majesty advise the Prime Minister?”

“Wouldn’t it be better to just watch this quietly since it could easily become poisonous?”

The two aides asked me with puzzled expressions.

Perhaps it was because I gave him some advice when there was absolutely no reason to help Russia.

‘When I think about what the Russian Empire will do to the Korean Empire… I can never have good feelings about it.’

It’s buried because of Japan and the Qing Dynasty but the Russian Empire also did all kinds of evil things to the Korean Empire.

How much privilege was taken away when Emperor Gojong fled to the Russian Legation?

“You could think that way but I think it would be more helpful for me to help him.”

Didn’t we get to recruit important talents in Russia to our institute by helping Stolypin?

‘If I become a financial manager it will be to my advantage if the Russian Empire falls.’

Stolypin is the last bastion of the Russian Empire.

If he remains in good health the Red Revolution may fail.

‘But will Stolypin be able to live long with this much help?’

Personally I was interested in it so I read several biographies about Rasputin when I was living as Park Byeong-jun.

Rasputin was a clever man with a keen eye for the times and was quite capable of reading trends so it is said that he went on a pilgrimage to Israel around 1910.

He avoided the position due to Stolypin’s continued attempts to restrain him.

‘He’s made so many enemies that it wouldn’t be strange if he died at any time. Stolypin.’

Stolypin’s nickname is Radical Progressive Reformer and Defender of the Conservative Aristocrat Faction.

A nickname similar to “I drank alcohol but I didn’t drive drunk.”

This ridiculous phrase is attached to his name because he is criticized on both sides.

Conservatives call me a radical.

I’m being pointed at by progressives as a total right-winger.

Since it was clear that even this level of help wouldn’t get the message across I added some advice to him while looking out for my own interests.

“We’ve arrived. Should we go inside the banquet hall?”

* * *

Beautiful Russian women in dresses are singing along.

I could have gone over and said hello but there were so many eyes on me that I just sat there in the pepper field pouring champagne and enjoying the view.

‘Oh. It’s just a pipe dream.’

When I was single it was easy to approach her but now it’s difficult.

If you approach them without permission strange rumors will spread through social circles.

‘They say a lot of wind happens during pregnancy…’

further.

Ethel’s mutterings of warning as she returned to England rang in my ears making me even more cautious.

‘and.’

That was when.

A beautiful but still young woman appeared at the banquet hall.

She came straight up to me and bowed slightly.

“Hello Prince Lee.”

Her true identity was revealed to me by the father-in-law of the second-generation lord Baron Valerian Nolken who had been introducing me to the Russian nobility.

“Oh your highness. This is Princess Olga the First Grand Duchess of the Russian Empire. Please greet her.”

“Nice to meet you.”

“Oh my you’re even cooler than the rumors say.”

“If just a little more time passes the princess will be loved by everyone.”

Olga covered her mouth with her hand and laughed heartily.

Afterwards she moved to greet other Russian nobles.

“Then I’ll be going now. If anything is inconvenient please let me know at any time. My father will listen to everything I say.”

“I understand. Then Princess Olga I hope you enjoy the banquet as well.”

After the princess left I had to continue greeting the Russian nobles.

“Your Majesty it is a pleasure to meet you.”

That was when.

A new figure appeared in front of me and held out his hand.

“I didn’t see you at the last congratulatory banquet. What’s your name?”

“I am Emmanuel Nobel. I am the CEO of Branobel. It is a pleasure to meet you.”

< The Best and the Worst (4) > End