179 Qing reforms (1)
The Blue Court under tremendous siege pressure created by Easterfield’s expeditionary force.
Now that even a half-million army was useless, they had no choice but to worry about the future.
Do Gwang-je, who governs the Qing court, was deeply troubled.
“Maybe this is a good thing.”
Do Gwang-je was called the ‘Emperor of Zaringobi’ who lived a life of poverty.
As an emperor, he managed to be recognized as the king’s timber, but the problem is that the Qing’s national fortune had already waned.
If Do Gwang-je had carried out a little more drastic reforms and wisely overcame foreign affairs, the current Qing might have been a little different.
But the luck of the country was already after the aura.
“your majesty! Let 500,000 soldiers subdue the enemies!”
“… … We have already lost to them several times. Still, you mean slaughtering 500,000 troops?”
“It is not a massacre! We are the kingdom of heaven! You can’t lose to them, can you?!”
Qing’s sources were also a problem.
If the army is disbanded and surrendered as it is, the authority they held in their hands until now will be scattered to heaven.
Easterfield is a democratic country, and they are aiming for a liberation force that will return power to the citizens, so the Qing officials tried to stop them at any cost.
Dogwangjae’s thoughts were different.
“No, you have to think differently.”
“It is disrespect for our ancestors… … .”
“His blasphemy has brought us this far. Do you not have thoughts in your head?”
“… … your majesty!”
“Half a million soldiers are our people. A country exists only when it has its people. If there is a country only for power, it is not a country but a band of thieves for exploitation.”
Has there ever been an emperor who vehemently veiled his subjects so bitterly?
The king gains power through two channels.
One is to become a king through the support of the people, and the other is to become a king through the nobles.
Of the two, the one with the longest and most powerful power would be none other than the former.
However, as a hereditary monarch, the current emperor seized power within the framework of the indigenous forces, but in the end, he was able to ascend to the throne with the support of his subjects.
What would happen if the servants revolted against such a guide?
visor!
The servants all drew their swords in unison.
“What… … !”
“Kill the guards!”
Soldiers waiting outside Daejeon attacked, killed the guards, and beheaded their heads.
🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩
“Ahhh!”
“You crazy people!”
Soldiers in seven packs of blood were lined up everywhere, and they stood on the corpses and brutally cut off their heads.
Despite the atrocities committed without any remorse, the soldiers had no expression on their faces.
The light guide was desperate.
“… … There will be a massacre.”
“your majesty! Now, put down your scepter and sit on the throne and just watch our progress!”
It was really an instant thing.
A rebellion broke out in the Qing court and the emperor was imprisoned, an unprecedented situation.
***
Lee Hwan doubted his ears.
“… … The emperor is imprisoned?”
“It is said that the servants got up and detained the emperor and took power.”
In the first place, it means that there were not that many subjects who had blind loyalty to the emperor.
Until now, he only seemed to be loyal to the emperor, and there were no people who were truly loyal to him.
It was only letting out a sigh.
“Hmm, things got a little messed up.”
“But we have Qing people, don’t we? No matter how much the Qing government opposes it, if the people have already surrendered to us, they will have no choice but to help.”
“right. We have the most powerful force, the people.”
Yi Hwan came to Beijing in two days, and the people could visit their relatives and friends with a very light foot on the boat and car that Easterfield supported.
He ordered about 50,000 troops to maintain security.
“Since the government has reached that point, the city will become unsafe. Declare martial law in the name of our Easterfield and place our troops in the right place.”
“If that happens, friction with the local officials will come to an end.”
“Tell the governor. If you do not disarm, I will shoot you with shells.”
For now, the government might oppress the people, so Lee Hwan recommended surrender.
Perhaps, when the news that the emperor had been captured, the discipline of the official would have loosened a little.
“Speak after the threat. The lives of those who cooperate with us now will be spared, and no further charges will be held. Also, declare that you will support the grain until you return home and find a new line of livelihood.”
“Yes, I understand!”
The amount of grain Easterfield harvests a year is enough to feed 500 million people, and more than 70% of its production has to be stockpiled or exported to run agriculture.
Such Easterfield will be able to create a country where there is no starvation by steadily releasing food that has been stored for three years in Asia.
“As the grain loosens, there will be more forces to surrender. We will quickly take over the local government first. Release an additional 100,000 soldiers and send them across the land of China.”
“Yes, my lord!”
The cost of taking over Qing is astronomical. If Easterfield had not controlled all of the world’s finances or was not a leading trade country, it would have gone bankrupt right away.
But Easterfield was wealthy enough to not blink an eye even after throwing so much money, and the liberation of Asia was worth it.
If the people of Asia could lead a more comfortable and peaceful life in the future, it didn’t matter how much money it cost.
What was important to them was human life.
150,000 soldiers spread out in all directions, and Yi Hwan ran nonstop and entered Beijing.
Whoops!
When he set out to besiege the Forbidden City, a huge crowd gathered around him.
“Free us!”
“Please burn the Forbidden City right now!”
From slaves to commoners and middle-class people, they appeared on the streets to warmly welcome Yi Hwan’s army.
But they were already showing anti-government tendencies.
Lee Hwan grabbed the megaphone towards the crowd of 100,000 people.
-I am King Lee Hwan of Easterfield and Michael Easterfield!
“Oh, Easterfield I!”
Already, rumors about Yi Hwan spread all over Beijing.
Even in the surrounding cities and villages, no one was unaware of the existence of Lee Hwan.
So far, the grains Lee Hwan had distributed alone amounted to nearly ten times the amount that the Qing court had taken away, so they could not have known.
-We are here to set you free! There is one thing you are forgetting! That is the preciousness of human beings.
“But they are ignorant bastards! Not only do they regard human life as the life of a fly, but they think that as long as they have their own boat, it’s over!”
The people of Qing, who had already been subjected to oppression and exploitation, were filled with distrust of the government.
However, it was also what Lee Hwan had to do to silence the government’s distrust.
– I fully understand your feelings! But there are certainly your friends or family members in there. Also, the 500,000 soldiers will be children and friends to some. Considering even their lives, it is right to besiege the Forbidden City.
“… … Ugh!”
-All life is equally precious! Humans are equal from birth! If that were the case, then no human life could be taken arbitrarily!
“It’s also something different!”
– We have organized an army for your liberation! Of course, it is true that nobles died in the name of freeing the people of Asia! I don’t think any more sacrifices are needed! As I said before, life is precious!
Lee Hwan wanted to repay those who despise life and show them what true happiness is to those who lived because they could not die.
That was the reason Lee Hwan had to exist, he thought.
The people began to sympathize with Lee Hwan’s words.
“Ugh! If that’s the case, then you shouldn’t kill anyone because it’s a high-ranking masterpiece.”
“That’s it. Well then, while we siege the Forbidden City, we will have to wait patiently.”
Through Lee Hwan’s persuasion, the people also began to join Easterfield’s cause.
***
The 150,000 soldiers spread across China, maintaining security in cities, towns, and villages and taking control of local governments.
In the process, some loyalists to the court committed suicide, but most of the officials fell to their knees.
It was because the Federation Forces of Easterfield persuaded him that it was not good to bleed more than necessary.
As a result, intellectuals living in Qing began to come out one by one.
Six intellectuals came to Roy Blass, the commander of the Eastern Occupation Forces.
They made an offer to Roy Blass.
“Adjustment is already out of function. If you are going to rule each region as a military government, how about starting politics through the people right now?”
“Politics through the people?”
“Assuming that all governments are formed by voting, why not select representatives through voting and join the Federation of Easterfield?”
“Wouldn’t it be a hasty decision to establish a local government that is not controlled by the central government?”
“So you have to join the Federation. Wouldn’t it be like creating a self-governing government while still in control if we could form our own government by building local governments while being governed by the federal government?”
“Ugh!”
“Besides, if we join the Federation and already accept a central government, there is no need or justification to support grain in the Forbidden City, so they will surrender on their own.”
It was indeed a wise strategy.
No government takes it for granted that the people help the people maintain their sovereignty because the people are on the fence of the state.
If you think about it, government institutions will lose their power if the people can freely trade without the government through their own production activities.
That is what they are claiming now.
“If the people do not distribute grain, the palace is of no use. No matter how many soldiers there are, even more so if there is no place to use them.”
“You were like that. The people are the foundation of the country. I want to teach them that too.”
Roy Blass realized that there were intellectuals in Qing too.
“Okay, let me make a suggestion to your Majesty.”