Reincarnated as Nikolai II

He couldn’t even come up with a rebuttal.

The disaster of the Imo year is about to repeat.

No, this situation has already surpassed the level of the Imo Military Rebellion.

The soldiers haven’t just missed 13 months of wages, they haven’t received 4 years’ worth of life-and-death compensation.

The scale is clearly going to be tens or hundreds of times larger than the few police officers who led the Imo Military Rebellion.

"What are you telling me to do... I’m just a general who’s been loyal to the country."

"I’m not telling you to turn your army around and raise rebellion like the Yi royal family. I’m asking you to swing that sword in the right direction."

"And after that?"

"If you do that, I and the Independence Party members will somehow take care of the aftermath."

Can those words really be trusted? How different could they be?

Such doubts arose in Lee Dong-hwi’s mind for a moment but soon disappeared.

Because to think about such aftermath...

"There are already many discontented soldiers heading to the capital. If you don’t make a decision now, this country will be decided."

The sword was already being swung at its master.

As Yi Wan-yong said, someone had to grab this handle.

Lee Dong-hwi, who gained only burdens from a conversation where he sought answers.

"...Hey there, prepare my uniform!"

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He immediately prepared to go out.

Though he still didn’t fully trust that snake-like old man’s words...

Nothing would change by just staying still like this.

==

Officially, they were a military training unit.

It seemed strange to dispatch military advisors when they hadn’t even properly started rebuilding after reclaiming the capital, but anyway, that was the justification the Russian Empire presented.

And as soon as they arrived and settled in the capital...

"Rebellion! It’s rebellion!"

"The Regent orders us to sweep away the traitors!"

"Control the capital! We’re starting to suppress the rebellion now!"

Pašić immediately moved after receiving orders from Regent Alexander to suppress the rebellion.

"Didn’t the Regent promise to end the Black Hand matter in 1917 with just punishing the ringleaders!"

"The government broke its promise! It seems they want to use this opportunity to turn our military into obedient dogs!"

"You, you crazy bastards! Even if we’re all Slavs, bringing in foreign powers?"

The government side moved right after securing the capital defense. Could the military respond by immediately leading troops to occupy the capital? No, that wasn’t possible.

"They are potential traitors. Prepare to strike as soon as they move."

"It’s the Commander-in-Chief’s order! All forces, enter combat readiness! Prepare for offensive as soon as orders come down!"

Because not far from this Serbia was still Aleksei Brusilov, Russia’s war hero who led the way in bringing down three empires.

Above all, not everyone in the military was infected by the Black Hand.

"This bastard was a Black Hand officer! I clearly heard him bragging about it!" 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

"N-no! My mission was secretly for the Serbian royal family-"

"So you admit it anyway!"

Though Apis, who threatened the Regent’s power and made even the government fear to touch him, had already died three years ago...

"Arrest them all! If anything comes up after investigation, it’s execution!"

"I, I’m not Black Hand, I belong to White Hand-"

"Kill this bastard too!"

Prince Alexander also had no reason to refuse eliminating their remnants and potential recruits.

Above all, Prime Minister Pašić had clear reasons to strike them down.

"Because of just a few officer bastards, we were treated poorly at the peace negotiations and couldn’t get a penny in reparations! Because of such traitors, we bear the stigma of being a country that started a war even after losing our nation once!"

"Kill them! Kill them all!"

Because they had to attribute it as the reason why Serbia couldn’t absorb three small neighboring countries to become Greater Serbia.

In fact, Pašić was still resentful that Serbia was only allocated one seat at the Paris peace negotiations.

Even China, which had sent war workers and coolies, received two seats, while Serbia, which had staked its national fate on this war, only got one.

Throughout the peace and post-war negotiations, Serbia had no voice.

Rather, Austria, despite losing, garnered global sympathy and was able to relatively easily escape war crime responsibility.

Moreover, when the Hungarian government’s conditions for invading the Kingdom of Serbia in 1914 were revealed, the Austrian Empire even had their reparations forgiven.

The content was that ’even if we defeat Serbia, we will maintain their sovereignty and territory’.

To Pašić, who had fled all the way to Greek territory to escape the Dual Monarchy’s army, this couldn’t be anything but an absurd excuse.

Why when His Majesty Peter I was bedridden...

How did the Black Hand grow to threaten the royal family and government...

Why did this country become worse off than the defeated nations despite being victorious...

Wasn’t it all because the Dual Monarchy conquered Serbia even if temporarily?

Therefore, though this purge might be somewhat extreme and leave aftereffects, it couldn’t be anything but absolutely necessary for the Kingdom of Serbia.

"We lost our kingdom because of internal elements trying to usurp royal authority!"

"Loyalty? Is fighting the Austro-Hungarian Empire loyalty! Next they’ll want to fight Italy!"

"If it weren’t for you lot, we wouldn’t have needed to give land to Bulgaria and Romania!"

Having all blame shifted onto them and being killed without chance for rebuttal - that was the role given to the Black Hand that once controlled the kingdom.

However, if there was one thing Prime Minister Pašić couldn’t understand...

’Just what do they gain from doing this?’

It was about the attitude of those watching this entire process from beginning to end, especially Bronstein, the supervisor dispatched by the Tsar.

"Hmm? Do you have something to say?"

"...It’s nothing."

"Prime Minister, in my opinion, why don’t we use this opportunity to designate all unauthorized organizations as illegal and induce voluntary dissolution? Honestly, secret military organizations only look like seeds of rebellion."

The Okhrana seemed poised to dissolve all secret organizations in three countries - Serbia, Croatia, and Slovenia.

"Just dissolution is enough?"

"If possible, killing them would be better, right? We can just kill the ringleaders based on their inclinations. Standards will develop with experience."

"...I’ll consider it."

Bronstein smiled with satisfaction at just that much of an answer.

He seemed to sincerely believe he was teaching this immature kingdom how to fish.