The Joseon Prince Went To America And Didn’t Return – 163



< The Man in the Mask (1) >

“Fuck…..”

Katsura Taro clutched his head and made a painful expression.

Because things aren’t going as planned.

“Why is what you said yesterday so different from what you said today? Could it be that the Baron was playing a trick on me?”

He promised to extend the foreign debt.

Change your mind overnight.

Even though the creditor is never the ‘first’.

Katsura Taro was furious at Baron Rothschild’s sudden change of heart.

He swept the documents and various writing materials on the desk with both arms and threw them under the desk.

“Eight!”

Udangtang-

A loud noise echoed throughout the Prime Minister’s residence.

At this the secretaries came into Katsura’s office with surprised expressions on their faces.

“Your Majesty please calm down.”

“….”

“In times of crisis Your Excellency must lead our confused Japan.”

Asian people value saving face.

of course.

Although I often show things that are already unbearable to those close to me.

Katsura looked at the secretaries who were advising him and barely managed to pull himself together again.

“Yukimura.”

“Yes Your Majesty.”

“How much of the national debt do we have to repay this time? How long do we have to pay those British bastards?”

I think I reported it this morning too.

Yukimura sweating profusely parroted the specific information he knew.

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“I think there are about three weeks left. The amount that needs to be repaid is five million British pounds or about forty million yen.”

At this Katsura sighed and looked up at the ceiling.

I blamed the heavens.

“You little shits.”

Katsura fell into a trap.

If we accept disarmament as Britain demands the Lord Chancellor of the Admiralty a member of the Cabinet will object.

It was the Navy that betrayed former Prime Minister Saionji and went over to Katsura on the condition that disarmament be nullified.

But what if we don’t repay the foreign debt we borrowed from abroad?

If it defaults the Japanese economy will fall into the abyss in an instant.

“There is no good idea.”

Oh let me correct one of the assumptions I made earlier.

If we disarm not only the Navy but even the Army will turn their backs on Katsura.

They too are a people who shrug off the word disarmament.

“You damned devils Anglo-Americans. When will you lend us money? How dare you interfere in the internal affairs of the Empire of Japan under the pretext of fiscal soundness?”

No matter what choice is made the Third Katsura Cabinet will collapse.

He has only three weeks left.

There was one great undertaking he had wished to accomplish within it.

As time was running out Katsura came to his senses and looked for his secretary.

“Yukimura.”

“yes.”

“I’ll call the Sone Commander. Hurry up! There’s no time.”

Two years ago in 1908.

An international telephone cable was installed connecting Korea and Japan.

hereto.

High-ranking officials living in the two countries can now converse without time differences as if they were neighbors living right next door.

“It’s me.”

As soon as Governor-General Katsura Sone picked up the phone he announced something in a nervous voice.

“Complete the Japan-Korea annexation within this week. What? Are you talking nonsense? Why doesn’t it make sense? Haven’t you been making steady preparations all this time?”

As the head of the Sone Dynasty I have no choice but to object.

All of a sudden.

Because the higher-ups set an absurd deadline.

But Katsura kept urging him saying that there was no time.

“Otherwise neither you nor I will be able to complete our great undertaking and will have to step down from this place. If that happens it will be an act that we cannot bear to our descendants. Do you understand what I am saying?”

bang-

Even after Katsura hung up the phone he still seemed to be upset.

after-

He tried to forget the current situation a little by soothing his mind with fine whiskey and cigarettes.

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“Yukimura.”

“Yes Your Excellency the Prime Minister.”

But the current situation was not easily erased from his mind.

rather.

All he could think of was the face of the person he hated the most.

“The British government’s latest move… is that son of a bitch Lee Kang behind it?”

“….”

“I bet you’re just about to board a ship leaving for New York.”

Yukimura who was Katsura’s secretary remained silent.

For the Japanese right wing the name ‘Lee Kang’ was literally a trigger button.

Anyone who carelessly adds anything to this could get their head smacked with an ashtray.

That’s why.

He chose to remain silent even though it meant being a bit of a nuisance.

“Ha- That unlucky bastard Lee Kang. He keeps bothering me till the end. Eight tho!”

When the secretary did not give a satisfactory answer Katsura glanced at Yukimura and spat into the ashtray.

Then I thought about Lee Kang again.

‘This guy Lee Kang. Isn’t there a way to screw him over?’

* * *

“Are you saying that the Sone Tonggam sent someone again?”

“yes.”

“Tsk tsk. Merging two countries is no easy task. How dare you try to handle it like this like frying beans in a flash.”

Park Je-sun is a politician who became the Minister of Internal Affairs of the Korean Empire in place of Lim Seon-jun who died in the previous attack.

“Tell him that I will try.”

“….”

“What are you doing? Go and see.”

Like other pro-Japanese officials he was a quick-witted person who was good at reading the mood.

He was also very sociable and was known as a fly in the Hanyang cabinet.

“Prime Minister Yoon. Have you been following the principles?”

“Are you here? Minister of the Interior Park.”

It’s like a nickname that is widely known in the world.

Park Je-soon greeted the new prime minister by rubbing his hands together like a dung fly.

“Congratulations. You have succeeded the late Lord Lee as the greatest of all men.”

Yun Taek-young scratched his head and showed the modesty typical of Joseon aristocrats.

“You emphasized so many times that it had to be me… I had no choice but to accept it pretending I couldn’t win.”

“Thank you so much for giving me courage during such a difficult time.”

“No. Then let’s go inside first.”

After sitting at the head of the table Yoon Taek-young looked at Park Je-soon and asked.

“Ah Minister of the Interior Park.”

“Please speak Prime Minister.”

“Is this the list of Joseon nobles that the previous governor-general instructed? How is the progress?”

After Yi Wan-yong’s death the process of merging the Korean Empire and the Empire of Japan became stagnant.

The Japanese government first implemented policies that were expected to generate less opposition.

The process of secretly unifying the legal and administrative systems of the Korean Empire and the Japanese Empire was carried out.

The process of legislating the Joseon aristocracy was also part of that process.

“Here it is.”

“There are more than I thought.”

Unlike Japan Joseon did not have a five-rank system.

This is because it declared itself a vassal state within East Asia after its founding.

However when the empire was declared and the name of the country was changed to the Korean Empire the five-rank system was also revived albeit in name only.

Japan attempted to revive the dead system and formally establish a noble class in Joseon similar to the nobility of Japan.

“What are the things with red dots next to their names?”

“Those are the people who were offered titles but publicly refused them.”

“Heh heh.”

Who would dare refuse a title?

They even give a huge bonus.

Yoon Taek-young made a face that showed he didn’t understand.

“The people associated with Uiwang are steadfastly refusing this.”

A representative example is Yu Gil-jun.

They say that as soon as he heard the news he flew into a rage all the way from the western United States.

“Then what about the black dot here?”

“Those who have cautiously accepted the title. Those who have not marked the dot are those who have not yet given a definite answer.”

Yoon Taek-young checked the list one by one with the magnifying glass he brought then asked Park Je-sun the questions that had been on his mind.

“It looks like they will be giving titles to foreigners who are not Koreans?”

“Yes. Since the Sone Tonggam emphasized this so much I reflected it even though I didn’t feel like it.”

“Is that so? Oh but. There are no dots next to these?”

“I haven’t gotten a definitive answer yet because I live across the ocean. But I’ve put it on the list for now.”

roughly.

I think it would be a good idea to end the matter regarding the Joseon nobles here.

Yoon Taek-young continued speaking with a cautious expression.

“Did Minister Park hear that news? That….”

Yun Taek-young who was also a subject of the Korean Empire could not bring himself to say that word.

Park Jae-soon seems frustrated by this.

He took back what Yoon Taek-young had said while talking behind his back.

“Are you talking about news related to the Japan-Korea annexation?”

“That’s right.”

“I just received a notice from Resident-General Sone a little while ago. It seems that Resident-General Sone also sent someone to Prime Minister Yun who just took office.”

Park Je-soon narrowed his eyes and looked at Yoon Taek-young.

“Do you Prime Minister intend to accept the Resident-General’s recommendation?”

Yoon Taek-young nodded silently.

Park Je-soon made a surprised expression at this.

“Prime Minister Yun you should think carefully. His Majesty the Emperor and the Emperor have reacted very negatively to this move.”

“I know.”

“The situation is quite different from the year of Eulsa. In the past they followed our advice but now they will not. It would have been difficult to persuade them even if it took a month so how can you do it in two weeks?”

Yun Taek-young is the father-in-law of the current emperor Sunjong.

That’s why.

He knew better than anyone else how the Korean Imperial Family would react.

“Furthermore… aren’t the people of Uiwang watching us?”

“….”

“We only have one life. Aren’t these things we do just to survive?”

Park Je-soon was a man who read the times better than anyone else.

He said that Yoon Taek-young’s choice was not a good one at all.

“Prime Minister Katsura will not last long. Britain Japan’s ally is openly pressuring him.”

If Yoon Taek-young makes the Japan-Korea annexation public Park Je-sun who was a member of the cabinet must also express his opinion for or against it.

But what if Yoon Taek-young cleverly stalls for time?

Park Je-soon will be able to keep his position without being criticized and enjoy the country’s allowance.

That’s why Park Je-soon persuaded Yoon Taek-young again.

“Katsura is caught up in internal and external troubles. So let’s bide our time and avoid the fierce storm. Let’s not get our shit mixed up.”

Yoon Taek-young who had been listening to this quietly became angry.

“Minister Park do you plan to spend your whole life worrying about what other people think?”

“Huh? What is that….”

Yoon Taek-young’s financial situation is not very good at the moment.

He is very extravagant in his spending.

He gambles often and his granary is completely empty.

If the Japanese government had not approached him and promised him a large sum of money Yoon Taek-young would have gone into hiding and watched the situation unfold just like Park Je-soon.

But now he was on the verge of bankruptcy so there was nothing to see.

immediately.

In order to receive a huge amount of money in bribes the Korean Empire had to become one with the Japanese Empire.

That’s why Yoon Taek-young scolded Park Je-soon with a stern expression.

“I intend to meet His Majesty the Emperor tomorrow and make my proposal again.”

“I told you Your Majesty you are not so easygoing.”

“If there is still no response we will have to resort to intimidation.”

“….”

“Isn’t leading your ruler on the right path the way of a true subject?”

Is the right path really to sell out the country?

Park Je-soon looked slightly dumbfounded at Yoon Taek-young’s absurd logic.

At least he himself had something called a ‘conscience prick’.

Since Yoon Taek-young wasn’t even visible the beak of the fly that was always flattering stopped for a moment.

“I clearly warned you Prime Minister Yoon.”

“….”

“Just don’t drag me into this.”

Yoon Taek-young clicked his tongue as he watched Park Je-soon leave the government building in a hurry.

“Tsk tsk. You’re such a coward…”

* * *

“huh?”

Yoon Taek-young had been sleeping for a long time.

Then I felt something strange and opened my eyes for a moment.

“So who are you…?”

A strange guest entered Yoon Taek-young’s love house.

It’s also dark.

But I couldn’t tell what it was because it was wearing a mask.

Yoon Taek-young broke out in a cold sweat on his back because he was not a welcome guest.

“Yoon Taek-young.”

The night guest whispered Yoon Taek-young’s name.

Yoon Taek-young just blinks and looks at him.

“The last royal relative of Joseon who was granted the title of Prince Haepung as the biological father of the current empress. A traitor who was not satisfied with this and tried to sell out the country by becoming the prime minister.”

A night guest who recites Yoon Taek-young’s identity one by one.

“Who who are you?”

“Well who do you think it might be?”

Yoon Taek-young couldn’t scream loudly because the night guest was holding a knife and pointing it at Yoon Taek-young’s neck.

But I could roll my eyes and look around.

The house was quiet as if not a single ant was walking around.

‘What are these guys doing?’

Surely you didn’t pass out from drinking at this hour?

Yoon Taek-young whispered to the masked guest praying that anyone would come to Sarangchae.

“What do you want?”

“….”

“If you want money I’ll give you a large sum of money that I can use until I die. So please don’t even think about talking nonsense.”

The masked man snickered.

And then he rejected Yoon Taek-young’s offer with a slightly bewildered tone.

“What are you talking about? If you needed money you should have started a business instead of doing this.”

“….”

“Besides isn’t it a well-known fact in the capital that you don’t have a single penny? What do you think of me?”

Yoon Taek-young then clapped his hands together and kept a mean expression on his face until the end.

“Please! Save me. I will do whatever you ask.”

“Be quiet. On your way to the afterlife reflect on your past misdeeds one by one!”

“Please! Ugh.”

Could it be because they cut off the area where the vocal cords and trachea are?

Yoon Taek-young died croaking without even being able to scream once.

For Yun Taek-yeong who received the largest amount of aid from the Japanese Empire in history it is a rather absurd ending.

“Ha- I feel like shit.”

The man who assassinated Yoon Taek-young carefully placed the ‘Gaksi mask’ he was wearing next to the dead Yoon Taek-young.

After that.

After changing his clothes he jumped over the wall of Yoon Taek-young’s house when there was no one around.

< The Masked Man (1) > End