The Joseon Prince Went To America And Didn’t Return – 33



< People Investment >

“This prince is named Alfredo.”

George Pardee’s butler came out to the front door to meet me.

He bowed slightly to me and guided me to Padi’s house.

‘Hoo.’

I slowly walked away and entered the entrance of the mansion where Padi lived.

As it was the official residence of the Governor of California its size was considerable.

Beautiful flowers were blooming all over the garden.

The space between them was filled with sculptures created by famous artists.

‘Is this Madame Padi’s taste? It’s classy.’

In this day and age the homes people live in are decorated by women not men.

So I was able to roughly infer Mrs. Padi’s tastes.

“This prince.”

After about a minute a familiar face caught my eye.

It was George Pardee.

He waited for me outside the door then took a step toward me and smiled brightly.

“Welcome Prince! Is this your first time here?”

“Yes.”

I entered Padi’s office and even his private space.

This is probably evidence that my relationship with him is deepening rapidly over time.

‘If we can raise Padi let’s raise him as much as possible.’

Within California alone he is currently king.

If my close friend Padi were to sit here for a thousand years it would certainly be of help to me.

‘It would be nice to join the cabinet.’

It would be even better if he were to become the Federal President.

If I have interest as my background I will be able to realize the future plans I had previously conceived more easily.

Get notified for updates: https://discord.gg/93rmBjgP6B

I looked around imagining a rosy future in my mind.

“Mrs. Pardy must have had a hard time decorating these gardens.”

You may be wondering why I am suddenly praising his wife.

This is also a strategy.

You could say it’s a secret recipe that’s been passed down for a long time among lobbyists.

‘Conquer the hearts of women.’

The wives of powerful men have more power than you might think.

It varies from person to person but there are some people who influence my husband’s decisions.

‘Even Gojong was like that.’

In the past didn’t the Queen Min and now the concubines intervene in state affairs and influence them without us knowing?

Of course American politicians may not be as influenced by their wives as King Gojong.

Since you don’t know what kind of person Padi is yet it can’t hurt to have a good first impression of Mrs. Padi.

“It must have taken a lot of effort to maintain such a quaint garden… I can see your efforts everywhere.”

Very loudly.

He said it so that everyone in the house could hear.

Okay then.

“oh….”

A woman approached me.

She was George Pardee’s wife.

“Finally someone has come to appreciate my efforts.”

Padi hurriedly came out and got between me and Mrs. Padi.

“Your Majesty this is the woman who will become my wife.”

“Madam it is an honor to meet you Madam.”

“I am honored to meet this prince in person whom I have only heard of through rumors. It is a pleasure.”

I gave her a Western-style greeting by gently kissing the back of her hand without being rude.

After that I gave her the gift I had prepared separately.

“This is my gift to you Mr. Governor and Madam. Please accept it.”

“What is it?”

“It is a traditional craft of the Korean Empire called mother-of-pearl lacquerware. The gift for the governor is a business card holder and the gift for the lady is a jewelry box.”

The jewelry box was filled with traditional ornaments of the Korean Empire such as norigae (a type of hairpin).

Mrs. Padi looked quite impressed.

‘It always works.’

As a modern person I had a pretty good idea of ​​what kind of gifts Americans liked.

I was born in the United States and my hometown is also San Francisco but most Americans see me as Asian not American.

Maybe that’s why they really liked it when I gave them traditional oriental crafts as gifts.

‘One of my favorite items was mother-of-pearl lacquerware.’

“Oh my! You’re so pretty.”

Join our discord and ping me to update more chapters. Discord: https://discord.gg/93rmBjgP6B

Mrs. Pardy kept looking back and forth between me and the jewelry box with her ears hanging from her mouth.

Padi who was watching that scene was also smiling brightly.

‘It’s a secret that it’s not easy to sell.’

This point should also be noted.

Because I might need it again later.

Mrs. Pardi looked around the jewelry box and then looked at me.

After that he gave me some comforting words with a rather serious expression.

“Oh I heard the story too. Last spring… something unfortunate happened to the prince right?”

Usually when you are invited privately a companion comes along.

But my wife passed away earlier this year so I had to come alone this time.

Mrs. Padi patted me on the back as she mentioned this.

“I offer my condolences even if it is late.”

“Yes thank you.”

As the mood began to cool down slightly Padi tried to lighten the mood by forcing a big smile.

He walked into the house ahead of me and called out to me.

“Hahaha. Prince. Please go in. I have prepared a delicious meal for you. This person has taken special care of it.”

After moving to the living room and sitting down the food started to come out.

It wasn’t a course meal but rather a series of dishes served at once but one dish caught my eye.

“It must be Jambalaya.”

“Have you ever tried it?”

“Yes. Doesn’t it taste similar to paella which originated in Spain?”

I guess he prepared some rice dishes as he is an Asian.

Actually I eat just about anything.

‘I guess that means you’re being considerate of me.’

I actually don’t really like jambalaya.

But he pretended to be happy and thanked Mrs. Pardi again pretending that it was his favorite food in the world.

Because we cannot ignore their sincerity.

Thanks to that Mrs. Padi’s expression also became brighter.

“Come on Prince. Have a drink. On such a happy day why should you be without alcohol?”

“Isn’t this a California wine?”

“That’s right. Even though it has a lower name value it tastes better than wine produced in France.”

Is it because he is a high-ranking public official?

It appears that they prefer domestic products.

Since it was similar in Korea and the US I didn’t think much of it and sipped my wine.

‘Uh… not so good yet.’

The California wine industry began to grow gradually during the 1920s.

Since the 1980s Chile and Australia have become leaders in New World wine occupying a significant portion of the wine industry.

Maybe it’s because the technology is still lacking but the taste wasn’t as good as I expected.

‘I should buy a vineyard sometime.’

George Pardee offered another drink.

“Do you like rum or whiskey too?”

I guess he still doesn’t like the taste of California wine.

So it seemed like they were going to offer just the first glass and then replace it with another drink.

“That’s good. Wine is good but when you’re in a good mood isn’t a strong drink better?”

“Haha that’s right.”

They began to have a serious conversation while exchanging strong whiskey.

First of all he started praising my achievements this time.

“It hasn’t even been ten days since you took over as vice-chairman. You’re already so active… The other special committee members should be very nervous.”

The accomplishments I have made can actually be seen as great.

No matter what anyone says the most important thing in a reconstruction project is capital.

The United States is a country where capitalism has reached its peak so it is extremely reluctant to invest public funds.

In this situation a large amount of insurance money which can be considered private funds has been obtained.

So George Pardee had no choice but to be silent.

“Have you made any plans for the next time?”

Padi asked me with an expression that seemed to expect me to be there.

I hinted to Padi a plan that had been in my head.

“We are considering turning some of the ruined land into a park. We are planning to start the project targeting land owned by those who have defaulted on their taxes.”

Padi nodded in agreement.

“San Francisco has been developed too quickly. Compared to other cities it has less green space.”

“Yes. There is a severe lack of parks for citizens to walk in. I thought it would be a good idea to actively reflect this point in the city’s reconstruction this time.”

This plan will also benefit me.

Because I plan to build or expand a park near my property and increase its value.

But I didn’t need to tell Padi everything so I kept my mouth shut and ended the topic.

“Your Majesty when you called all the insurance agents I actually thought you would fail.”

“Why?”

“I didn’t know those vampires would kneel so quickly. How on earth did you cook them?”

I winked and threw out my signature joke.

“It’s a trade secret. If you want to know give me five hundred dollars.”

“Is that a trade secret? Hahaha.”

Padi started laughing out loud as if my joke had worked.

“Your Majesty you sometimes surprise me.”

“Isn’t all that surprise helpful to you Governor?”

“Yes that’s right. So I think that’s fortunate.”

I spread my fingers and told Padi one more thing.

“What’s even more refreshing is that the majority of the insurance money came from British people.”

“That’s right Prince. Thanks to you we were able to recover the gold that had been smuggled to England.”

George Pardee is also American.

Americans are quite patriotic about their country.

But at the same time Americans of this era had a very strong sense of inferiority toward the British who had ruled America in the past.

When I mentioned that point and scratched it Padi seemed relieved and talked only about this topic for a while.

“Those bastards. Didn’t they have a near-monopoly on selling fire insurance here in the West back in the day? They’re a total idiot.”

Is it because you’re drunk?

George Pardee’s original disposition seemed to creep into the conversation.

He was very similar to Theodore Roosevelt in economics.

Also be wary of syndicates (monopoly companies).

‘Unfortunately this announcement only serves to further strengthen Lloyd’s control.’

I was in a good mood for a while but I couldn’t shake it so I just laughed along.

“Ah so I guess I’ve proven my qualifications as the vice-chairman of the committee.”

The time has come.

Now is the time to show off to my fullest.

Since it was a rare opportunity to be in an official setting I raised my chin and spoke proudly of my achievements.

“Isn’t that so?”

“You are speaking the obvious. Who has accomplished more than this?”

Padi narrowed his eyes and mentioned a certain person.

“Thanks to you Mr. Abe Luef you can keep your mouth shut right? I feel so relieved that your show-off mouth is sealed.”

“That’s true. When I first saw him I knew he was the governor. He was so confident even though he was late…”

George Pardee grimaced in displeasure at the mention of Abe Luef’s name.

As expected Padi and Ruef didn’t get along very well.

‘Well he’s a guy who tries to manipulate the governor like a puppet. Who would like that?’

I offered Padi another drink.

“Come on… Today is a nice day so let’s have a drink.”

“Let’s do that.”

Padi’s face gradually turned red.

It’s evidence that you’re drunk.

“Anyway thanks to you Prince my popularity in Northern California is skyrocketing.”

“Yes. If things continue this way I think we’ll know who will win without even opening the ballot box.”

I squinted my eyes and changed my expression slightly.

Then he lowered his voice and looked at George Pardee as if he had something to say secretly.

“But you know there’s something strange going on these days.”

“Rumor?”

“There’s talk that the governor won’t run for office this time.”

Governor Padi became serious at my question.

“Who said that?”

* * *

The atmosphere froze in an instant.

For politicians not running for office is tantamount to a death sentence.

I looked slightly embarrassed.

“Isn’t it?”

“Yes. It’s just a rumor. I heard that there are a few people who criticize me these days… I didn’t know that such malicious rumors would spread like this. Ha! Even the request for a military court-martial by the Federation Army was like that. I did what I had to do but why can’t I be arrested and am so impatient?”

The U.S. military made a significant contribution to the recovery from the San Francisco earthquake.

However some committed crimes by looting the ruined city.

Padi continued to urge the federal government to punish him severely.

There were a few people who were uncomfortable with Padi’s movements at the time and Padi was mentioning them now.

“Is that really just a rumor? Are you not thinking of running for the Senate or the next presidential election?”

“I don’t have enough experience to be on the center stage. The same goes for the Senate. Don’t you have fellow party members George Clement Perkins and John D. Works in that seat? Why should I step down as governor now when I have four years to wait?”

Padi spoke passionately the veins on his neck rising.

“Maybe that rumor spread because of the last incident. But I definitely said it then. I’m not even thinking about the vice presidency anymore.”

Pardee was once mentioned as a possible running mate for Roosevelt.

But he refused outright.

Because the vice presidency doesn’t have much real power.

The vice presidency is usually a position accepted by those who are politically retired.

Unless you’re as incredibly lucky as Roosevelt this is the end of your political career.

“I guess I heard a rumor. But….”

Watching Padi’s expression his doubts grew even more.

“I asked the governor because I thought the rumor had some credibility.”

Padi looked at me with narrowed eyes.

“Did you ever meet with anyone from the South Pacific Railway Company?”

“….”

“I guess that’s true. Anyway those guys are the problem. They’re despicable guys who go around badmouthing me to everyone.”

The relationship between the Southern Pacific Railway Company and Padi could almost be considered as one of bitter enemies.

A relationship that clashes with everything.

It seemed like they could never be reconciled.

“Governor do you know that they have been meeting with Abe Luef quite frequently these days?”

George Pardee was silent on my advice.

But his complexion gradually darkened.

“I know.”

Yeah I already knew that.

Of course there’s no way a governor wouldn’t know this.

“Your Majesty don’t worry about Ruef. He will quietly disappear from politics after the elections.”

George Pardee is also planning to purge Ruef.

‘The problem is timing.’

Timing is everything.

Especially something like a coup d’état that changes power.

It may be because Rufus is aware of Paddi’s movements that he is trying to nominate someone else as the Republican candidate.

“Then you have had several tripartite meetings with James Zealot since last week? Do you know that too?”

also.

I don’t know everything.

Padi’s shaking eyes proved this.

“There are rumors that you are going to nominate a new Republican candidate for this convention. It is also said that you are bribing party members one by one. Haven’t some of your donors been avoiding you recently?”

Even Jack Milo was like that.

Didn’t you advise me to be careful?

“….”

“….”

Padi seemed to have caught on to something I said.

He kept his mouth shut and thought about it carefully.

‘Padi is a helpful person to me. I have to help him make the right choice.’

I don’t know if the real Ruef will bring down Padi or not but given the circumstances it’s 100% likely.

Because I would have done the same thing.

I persuaded Padi with a serious expression.

“It may end up as a rumor but if we leave it alone the governor may be in big trouble. Politics is a battle of timing.”

“….”

“It is said that the best defense is a good offense. Right now public opinion is on the governor’s side. This is no time to be cautious. Furthermore isn’t Ruef corrupt?”

It looks like after this election Padi will try to bring down Abe Luef.

But then it might be too late.

There is also a way for Abe Luef to move first and use his authority as the chairman of the Republican Party’s nomination committee to exclude him from the race.

The aftermath is significant but will Ruef consider public opinion when his own neck is at stake?

no.

“hmm….”

“If you want to run for reelection you have to get rid of Abe Luef. I believe the governor knows what the tripartite meeting means.”

If there is a cause it is best to quickly pull it out by the roots.

The governor and I.

‘Abe Luef is no help to me.’

Right now he’s so focused on Padi’s fall that he’s not even trying to control me.

As soon as they get some breathing room they’ll try to get rid of me first.

I think so too.

Shouldn’t there be only one competent problem solver in each area?

“Governor!”

So I put more pressure on George Pardee.

Padi just listened to my story without saying anything.

Although he was silent I could see what was going on in his head.

It seemed like he was struggling with what choice to make.

“Let’s stop here for today. Next time… I will invite the prince again.”

< People Investment > End