After sending Xu Guangjin and Yi Ha-eung away, I leisurely sipped my coffee and informed the Governor of Hong Kong of the decisions that had been made.
"So, we're not declaring war on Qing?"
"If they refuse our demands, then we will."
"I see. I had assumed we would take this opportunity to strike Qing and seize additional territory and concessions."
"There's no need for us to attack Qing ourselves. Taking things by force is a last resort. It works once, perhaps—but if you use the same method twice, its effectiveness inevitably declines. And if they're forced to surrender land again, who knows how they might react."
If Qing stubbornly refused to attack the Russian forces, then we would resort to coercion.
But in that case, we would have clear justification.
Still, I personally estimated the chances of that happening at less than five percent.
"So, you intend to use Qing to cut off Russia's reinforcements and end the situation there?"
"Of course not. If that were all, I wouldn't have come here myself. The Asian Fleet is going to get very busy soon, so I trust you'll prepare accordingly, Governor."
"…Pardon?"
"Let's assume Qing attacks the Russian forces. Do you really think those disorganized troops—who fled after a few shots from our side—could defeat them?"
The Russian forces were second-rate troops scraped together from the frontier.
But Qing's soldiers were even worse.
And considering the disparity in equipment, even with similar numbers, it would be nearly impossible for Qing to defeat them.
So then what?
"They would have to bring at least twice Russia's numbers to stand a chance. And if Qing, already struggling, commits that kind of bloodletting… what do you think will happen?"
"They would lose the ability to suppress the rebellions in the south… Ah. I see. Heh… heh…"
So he finally understood.
Though that grin makes it look like I'm plotting something particularly vile.
"From a historical perspective, wouldn't it look better to receive tribute rather than seize things outright? So let's wait and see. What choice will our paper tiger make?"
No matter what they chose, Qing would end up fighting either Britain or Russia.
And in no scenario would they get a perfect ending.
So really—who told them to get greedy?
They poked at land we had already marked.
They can consider this a valuable life lesson.
* * *
After Xu Guangjin's tearful report reached the Forbidden City, an imperial court assembly was convened once more.
Normally, there would have been loud demands to dismiss and exile him immediately.
But now, the atmosphere was so grim that no such voices were even raised.
"…Attack Russia's main force? Us?"
"Yes. If we refuse, they will regard us as Russia's ally and hold us accountable for attacking Joseon."
"What kind of madness is that? Since when are we Russia's ally?!"
"Regardless, it is true that we attacked Joseon, leaving us with no excuse. Especially now that Girian Gore has declared himself a royal kinsman of Joseon—and Joseon has formally acknowledged it and is using that fact to counter us…"
"That's absurd nonsense! Since when has Joseon entrusted matters of state to its royal relatives?"
They had looked into it, just in case.
And as expected, Joseon rarely appointed royal kinsmen to actual positions of power.
At most, they were given honorary roles.
For one to step forward and speak on national affairs like this was virtually unheard of.
They had lodged a strong protest with Joseon over this absurd logic—
—but Joseon, clearly trusting Britain, had chosen to push forward regardless.
—We have decided to revise our policy and begin formally consulting our distinguished royal kinsmen. The appointment of Heungseon-gun Yi Ha-eung as a diplomatic representative is proof of this.
Since when had Joseon ever consulted royal kinsmen in state affairs?
"Starting now," they said.
At that point, it was so absurd that no words could even describe it.
But absurd or not—the situation had already unfolded.
Emperor Xianfeng glanced at his younger brother, Prince Gong, who stood beside him with a grim expression.
In truth, hadn't everything unfolded exactly as his brother had warned?
In the end, it was the emperor's decision that had led them here.
So perhaps there was still a solution.
"In this situation, do you have any ideas on how we should proceed?"
"…."
Prince Gong studied his brother's expression for a moment before speaking carefully.
"Your Majesty, this is effectively an ultimatum. If we do not accept it, we will once again have to go to war with them."
"…So it seems."
"Our situation is worse now than it was during the previous emperor's reign. At least back then, we did not have large-scale rebellions. If Britain devastates our coasts again, it will only benefit the Taiping rebels."
"Then… must we attack Russia?"
"There is no other choice. However, with the hastily assembled Manchu forces, we cannot defeat the Russian troops gathering in the Maritime Province. We would need to mobilize far more troops, which would place an enormous strain on the treasury."
And though he did not say it aloud—
there was always the possibility that they might attack Russia… and be defeated instead.
If that happened, the dynasty itself might collapse.
"But if we go to war with Britain, we are certain to be ruined. Then we must attack Russia, but…"
"Your Majesty. If you choose that path, then you must focus on defeating Russia completely and decisively."
"But as you said, that would require excessive expenditure."
"You must choose. Either mobilize the army even at the cost of bankrupting the treasury… or…"
Or?
Was there another way?
It was clearly an unorthodox—and perhaps dishonorable—solution.
But even Prince Gong could think of no better alternative.
In the end, survival came first.
Trust and promises meant little when the fate of the nation was at stake.
So he carefully laid out his plan before the emperor.
* * *
Driven to the brink by the cunning pressure of the British Empire, Emperor Xianfeng secretly sent a messenger to the Russian forces in the Maritime Province.
"Britain has incited our former tributary, Joseon, to betray us. If we allow this to continue, it will destroy the very order of Qing. Therefore, we wish to join forces with your country to diminish Britain's influence in Asia."
"You wish to form an alliance with us? Not long ago, you crossed our borders and looted our villages."
"That was due to British threats—they demanded we attack Russia or face their wrath. However, His Majesty has now resolved that we can no longer submit to Britain's demands. So, shall we form an alliance? After all, you cannot defeat Britain alone."
Russia had already scraped together as many troops as possible in the Far East.
But even so, they could not defeat Britain alone.
If Qing joined them—
it would be a tremendous advantage.
"…I see. But if we are to fight Britain, we would expect significant concessions. Surely you want Primorye returned?"
"No. You may keep the Maritime Province. What we want is the land Britain took from us—and your cooperation in restoring Joseon as our tributary. In return, we will stand with you in this war."
"In that case, His Majesty will surely agree."
They weren't asking for Russian land.
They were asking to take land from Britain and Joseon.
There was no reason to refuse.
Even if things went wrong later, they could always deny everything.
Commander Gennady Nevelskoy of Primorye gladly accepted Qing's proposal and steeled himself for war against Britain.
Even reclaiming Vladivostok would have been a blessing.
But with this level of support, victory in Asia might actually be possible.
And if they won—
his own career would soar.
He began planning to combine Russian forces with Qing cavalry to defeat the Joseon and Japanese troops.
"First, eliminate their land forces. Then establish layered defenses to prevent the British fleet from approaching Vladivostok."
"Understood."
"His Majesty has ordered that, if no one else, the Japanese must be made to pay dearly. Show them no mercy."
The once hopeless atmosphere on the battlefield began to shift.
Morale returned to the officers and soldiers alike.
And on the day the Russian forces were scheduled to link up with Qing—
the Manchu Eight Banners launched a surprise attack on the completely unprepared Russian troops.
* * *
The Siberian brigade commander of the Russian army was stunned.
"What the hell—what is happening?! Why are they attacking us?!"
Weren't they supposed to be allies?
Then what was this?
Why were the very people they had agreed to ally with suddenly charging at them on horseback like madmen?
They weren't even prepared for battle yet!
They had been told to coordinate with Qing forces and then advance south to crush the audacious Japanese.
"Commander! Enemy forces on all sides!"
"The Qing have betrayed us!"
"I can see that! Return fire! Return fire!"
Caught in a surprise cavalry assault with their positions fully exposed—
there was no way they could respond properly.
No matter how superior their army was, they needed time to prepare.
But they had none.
Worse still, the Siberian brigade had not even expected combat, and their deployment was sloppy.
Meanwhile, the enemy consisted entirely of cavalry optimized for ambush—
slaughtering them at will.
This wasn't just betrayal.
This had been planned from the start.
"C-Commander! They're right on top of us! We have to retreat!"
The officers cried out in desperation.
"Damn it! What the hell was that idiot Gennady thinking, trusting those bastards?!"
"They've broken through our lines and set fire to our supplies!"
"If we delay any longer, our retreat will be cut off!"
"…Damn it… this is insane…"
They had scraped together these forces from across Siberia—
and now they would be wiped out without even a proper fight?
At least if they had fought the British and lost, it would have meant something.
But this?
Still, the living had to survive.
The commander mounted his horse and fled without looking back.
"Retreat! All units, retreat to Vladivostok!"
As he fled, using his men as shields, he could hear the Qing soldiers shouting behind him.
"They're running!"
"This is the power of the Great Qing!"
"Fools of Russia! Have you learned the terror of Manchuria?! Hahaha!"
He couldn't understand their words—
but the tone made it clear enough.
Mockery.
Insults.
This wasn't his fault.
It was all due to the incompetence of Gennady—
and the treachery of Qing.
That was the only consolation left to the shattered brigade.
* * *
—Urgent report! Qing Eight Banners ambush Russian forces, achieving a decisive victory. Russian reinforcements have suffered near-total losses.
I read the report several times, hardly believing my eyes.
How in the world did the Eight Banners defeat Russian troops?
Were the Russians really that incompetent?
That question was answered immediately after reading the detailed report.
"…Wow. This really happened in the 19th century?"
They proposed an alliance—
and then ambushed their "allies" at the rendezvous point?
What is this, Romance of the Three Kingdoms?
The sheer scale of continental scheming made my head throb.
If I felt this way—
what must the Russian commanders be feeling?
I wouldn't be surprised if one of them dropped dead from sheer rage.
"Your Highness, it seems Qing has fulfilled its promise. What should we do?"
"They kept their promise, so we can consider the suspicion of a Russo-Qing alliance resolved."
Though honestly, this felt less like a battle and more like forging a blood feud for generations.
They really do keep surprising me.
Then again, how could someone like me possibly understand the grand spirit of the continent?
That boldness—
to make an enemy of Russia itself for short-term gain.
I applaud it.
May they never lose that spirit.