The Joseon Prince Went To America And Didn’t Return – 197



< Guests from the Central Plains (3) >

Sun Yat-sen fell silent again.

Perhaps it was because of the solemn expression I had on my face a moment ago.

‘He’s in a dead end situation right now. He really has nowhere else to borrow money from but me.’

From the day we first met until today.

Ten days passed.

Meanwhile Sun Yat-sen met with other New York capitalists and made the same request to them that he had made to me.

‘The result was NO as everyone expected.’

While the Qing court was still standing strong the capitalists in New York did not know the inside story of the Central Plains as well as I did.

That’s why no one lent a large sum of money to a handful of rebel leaders.

Since I was the only one who was listening to Sun Yat-sen’s proposals Sun Yat-sen was now risking everything in negotiations with me clutching at straws.

‘Given the nature of the Chinese people it is highly likely that they made a lot of noise when leaving the Central Plains.’

It would be embarrassing to return empty-handed so you can’t help but be anxious.

“First of all the size of the loan is the same as before.”

Sun Yat-sen opened his mouth which had been tightly shut as if he had made up his mind.

“I want five hundred thousand dollars as a deposit. I want it all in cash and to be received immediately upon signing the contract.”

“What about the rest?”

“I would like to receive machine guns cannons rifles warships etc. in kind.”

The total amount of loans that Sun Yat-sen had previously requested from me was ten million dollars.

The remaining nine million dollars were for the latest weapons as in the previous deal.

‘I remember what Woo-ching and Tam-ming said.’

Currently the Qing Dynasty has one military organization capable of dealing with Western armies.

It is the Beiyang warlord that Li Hongzhang raised in the old days.

‘If the Qing Dynasty collapses like this everyone will have to watch out for the Beiyang warlords.’

Because in today’s Qing Dynasty whoever has the stronger military has the right to speak.

That’s why it seemed like everyone wanted Western-style new weapons.

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“What are the conditions?”

“I would like to set the interest rate at 18% and the maturity period at 30 years.”

oh!

They are offering interest rates 3% higher than the Qing Dynasty.

If you calculate it using the Rule of 72 it means that the loan amount doubles approximately every four years.

These are truly ultra-high interest rate conditions.

“Ah! I will apply compound interest instead of simple interest as I suggested before. I want to align the conditions with the Qing Dynasty as much as possible.”

It was worth eavesdropping on it.

Even without putting pressure on them they keep adding conditions that are disadvantageous to them.

“What about collateral for additional loans?”

“I am….”

“Ahem. Before I speak I’d like to inform you of one thing first.”

It may be rude but I cut Sun Yat-sen off.

“Please speak.”

Sun Yat-sen looked slightly uncomfortable but did not get angry.

Because he was now ‘hyper-ul’ itself.

“I intend to offer the loan not to you personally or to the Chinese Alliance but to the new government that will be established. I think you know what I mean.”

It was specified that the loan target would be the next government to be established.

Fortunately Sun Yat-sen nodded as if he understood what I was saying.

“Ah! I also wanted to mention this so that’s good. When the new government is established in the Central Continent… I will promise this to Your Majesty and the capitalists here in New York.”

Sun Yat-sen promised that the new government would continue all the treaties and loan agreements the Qing had previously concluded with the Western powers.

‘He’s a pretty realistic character you know.’

Sun Yat-sen studied abroad in the United States during his childhood.

Is that why?

Among his contemporaries he was the one who understood the power of Britain and the United States better than anyone else.

Moreover they also knew very well that they could not overthrow the Qing Dynasty without their help.

I think the new government will plan things like this first once it is formed.

“This also means that His Majesty the King will take over the loan contract that he had promised with the Qing court.”

After finishing his speech Sun Yat-sen started to search for something in a hurry.

“What are you looking for?”

“In order to talk about additional collateral we need some maps of the Central Plains.”

Sun Yat-sen also appears to be offering territory.

okay.

That’s the best we can do given the current circumstances.

I told Choi Hyun-woo to bring me a map of the Qing Dynasty.

“As far as I know the border between Qing and Joseon was divided by two rivers.”

“The west is the Amnok River and the east is the Tumen River.”

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I blurted out the phrase written on the Baekdu Mountain boundary stone.

Then Sun Yat-sen nodded.

“Some historians interpret this as Duman. However from today this controversy will end. The new government will interpret this as Tomun.”

I squinted my eyes and focused on the conversation.

I made a silent gesture for him to continue speaking but Sun Yat-sen seemed to be encouraged by my positive response and continued speaking in a slightly louder voice.

“I would like to offer the land east of the Songhua River as additional collateral this time.”

Tumen is also a small tributary of the Songhua River.

My eyes widened because it was a river located much further west than the Mudan River that the Qing Dynasty had proposed.

“It’s a pretty big area. Are you serious?”

“Yes that’s right. However….”

It was going well but then the word ‘only’ was added.

I furrowed my brows again as this word connotes a negative or conditional expression.

“but?”

“There is one thing Your Majesty the King must know.”

“What?”

“Currently this area is outside the control of the central government. The western area is ruled by the Fengtian Clan a faction of the Beiyang Clan and the closer you get to the Mudan River the stronger the influence of the Russian Empire becomes.”

Then that’s it.

There are conditions attached.

That’s also quite tricky.

Sun Yat-sen glanced at me and continued talking.

“If the new government fails to repay it by the due date it will renounce all rights to the territory and transfer it entirely to His Majesty the King…”

I guess I figured out Sun Yat-sen’s hidden intentions.

I interrupted Sun Yat-sen and asked him back.

“It seems that driving out the forces occupying this area is not included in the terms of this agreement.”

“Yes that’s right.”

Why would the Qing Dynasty or Sun Yat-sen have put Manchuria up as collateral?

Since it was a region that had lost a significant amount of control at the time the land-loving people of the Central Plains proposed it as collateral.

In a way it’s a situation where bad goods are used as collateral.

But for me Manchuria was the place that was worth taking the risk.

I continued with this transaction.

“The Qing court probably proposed this with similar thoughts.”

Sun Yat-sen criticized the Qing government’s sinister schemes and rebuked them.

“The Qing imperial family claims this land as the Qing imperial territory but ironically this land is an area that the Qing dynasty had no control over.”

“I see.”

“I said this before stamping the seal so that His Majesty the King would be aware of this.”

I nodded and made a face like I understood.

“Good. I’ll keep that in mind. Ah!”

I also made a face as if I was going to tell Sun Yat-sen something.

“That’s it for the ten million dollar collateral.”

“Huh? What is that…”

“I’m talking about the loan to Beijing. Don’t you want this to fall into the hands of the Qing imperial family?”

“Yes.”

“Shouldn’t we also have a deal about acting this out? Am I wrong?”

* * *

“I intend to provide a loan worth thirty million dollars to the Qing Dynasty as promised.”

A promise is a promise.

If I break this they might later bite me and refuse to transfer the collateral.

He declared that he would faithfully fulfill his contract with the Qing imperial family.

“But there’s something you should know. Here read carefully the contract I signed.”

“You have agreed to ship ten million dollars worth of weapons out of the Port of San Francisco this year.”

“okay.”

I looked at Sun Yat-sen slightly raising one corner of my mouth.

“You just have to set sail within this year.”

“So it could be right now or it could be December 31st.”

I nodded and looked again at the map of Central Plains spread out before us.

“I heard that the revolutionary forces are gradually taking over the Central Plains. I heard that the situation is turning around as even the gentry class who had been quiet until then are rising up in revolt due to the nationalization of the railways.”

I snapped my fingers and pinched out the rebel-held areas.

“What if at this point I were to support the Qing government as quickly as possible?”

“….”

“The spark of revolution could easily be extinguished.”

Sun Yat-sen looked slightly impatient at my pessimistic outlook and licked his dry lips.

“What do you want?”

“I hope that the new government that will be established in the future will adhere to three principles. This means that it will adopt the Three People Policy as its principle.”

“Are you Sammin?”

I have also mentioned the slogan that the revolutionary government adopted as its political platform in the history of the Yuan Dynasty.

Among them I particularly emphasized one principle.

“I hope that the new government that will be established in the future will be a country of only the Han Chinese.”

“I think so. Considering that we were ruled by the Manchurian minority for so long isn’t this a natural measure?”

“If ethnic minorities such as Mongolians and Tibetans decide to live separately we should just leave them alone.”

Sun Yat-sen reacted negatively to my proposal to establish a state only for the Han Chinese rather than a republic for the five nationalities (Han Manchu Mongol Hui and Tibetan).

“In addition to the Han Chinese there are many ethnic minorities living together in the Central Plains. Your Majesty what Your Majesty just said could easily be considered interference in internal affairs.”

“….”

“But I can guarantee you one thing. Our new government officials will never connect Koreans with China. I can guarantee you this.”

“That’s not very pleasant. If that’s the case then our conversation today will end here.”

Sun Yat-sen also seemed unable to yield and as soon as I finished speaking he got up from his seat.

“I’m sorry.”

“Me too. Just in case if there is any room for negotiation again come back to me.”

Sun Yat-sen clasped his hands together and greeted in the Chinese style.

After that he was about to leave but then he remembered something and turned his head again.

“Before I go back I have one personal question for you.”

“Tell me.”

“During your lunch conversation with the Qing royal family from Beijing what did you talk about at the end?”

Oh I was wondering that.

‘It’s nothing.’

He suggested that several young men from the Qing imperial family be sent to the west to study.

In the future when the Qing Dynasty falls all those at the top of the line of succession will be executed or exiled.

Because I wanted to take some out before that.

‘Just in case. If we immigrate some Qing imperial family members to America they might come in handy later.’

He also told a story about the antiques trade.

I mentioned only the latter and told Sun Yat-sen about this leaving out the former.

“You were talking about antique trading?”

“Yes. My wife Queen Ethel is very interested in art so she is planning to establish a gallery in the west.”

“ah….”

“Wouldn’t it be better to distribute cultural artifacts that are hundreds of years old in the Western market at a fair price rather than selling them for cheap? I proposed distributing them through my new gallery.”

Sun Yat-sen did not believe my last words.

I won’t whisper to tell you that story.

But since he couldn’t figure it out he gave up and decided to go back to his quarters.

“I see. I understand.”

“Okay. Then I’ll take my leave now. Ah! Mr. Sun.”

“Yes Your Majesty.”

“I would like you to contact me as soon as possible.”

There is so much to do.

Since I had no time to worry about China I surreptitiously tapped the pocket watch on my waistband and urged him on as he left.

* * *

“Hmm… you mean you need to borrow ten million dollars by the end of the year? And an additional thirty million dollars by the year after?”

My financial manager Woo Hyun-sik expressed his dissatisfaction by filling his mouth with air.

“First we need to secure some liquid funds using the stocks Your Majesty owns as collateral.”

“Because of Baron Rothschild liquidity in the market is dry. If it is really difficult to get cash I must sell some of my stocks to close this deal.”

When I emphasized that this was a contract that absolutely had to be concluded Woo Hyun-sik tilted his head.

“But Your Majesty should I lend you bonds while using my own personal funds?”

“Because it is an opportunity to put a leash on the Qing. In order to achieve true independence we must also consider our relations with neighboring countries.”

“Still I think forty million dollars is excessive.”

I snickered and made a gesture to tell him not to overdo it.

“It would be much less than that. The amount of cash can vary greatly depending on how you calculate its value.”

“but….”

“Even if it costs forty million dollars I’m not the type of person to be shaken by that. Don’t worry too much.”

As of April 1911.

So before Standard Oil split I personally owned about 7.5% of the company.

It is now worth about $200 million.

If left alone until 1913 it would rise to about $300 million.

So the 30 million dollars to give to Qing and the 10 million dollars to give to Sun Yat-sen were not large sums of money to me.

Of course $40 million was not a small amount of money but it was a very good opportunity to take on a personal debt against the Qing Dynasty which was on the verge of collapse so it could be seen as a very profitable deal.

“majesty.”

“Tell me.”

“I’m worried that those bastards will easily give up the lands they have as collateral.”

Choi Hyun-woo expressed his concern with a worried expression.

“Even if they hand it over will the Russians stay still? The same goes for Japan. They will surely rush to claim that they have some rights too.”

I nodded in agreement as if I fully understood their concerns.

“You are right. If we do not have the strength to defend it it will be taken away again. But think about it the other way around. If our strength is strong enough won’t we be able to regain the old territory we lost? With a solid cause.”

Depending on what I do in the future it will be a deal that is a good deal or a deal where I put the Qing Dynasty on the hook.

Will today’s choices be re-evaluated?

My close associates were watching this anxiously but I was at peace because I knew well what the future would hold.

“By the way Sun Yat-sen is from Guangzhou.”

“Why him?”

“It’s been almost four days since I returned to my accommodations… and there’s still no news.”

“You seem to have a lot on your mind.”

“In a way it is like selling the country’s land for my own personal glory.”

It could be because of the three principles of the people mentioned at the end.

Because unlike existing history there is an aspect of forcing the establishment of a country only for the Han Chinese.

‘You’re hesitating.’

If so there is only one solution.

It’s to inform Sun Yat-sen of the current situation in the Central Plains.

‘I have to make her love me.’

So that you have no choice but to accept what I propose.

I looked at Choi Hyun-woo and gave the following order.

<Guest from the Central Plains (3)> End