Reincarnated as Nikolai II

The next month, on February 2nd, I received an invitation to grace Queen Victoria’s funeral, but I declined.

Instead, many monarchs attended and graced it, including Germany’s Wilhelm II, the King of Belgium, the King of Greece, and the Crown Prince of Sweden and Norway - so it must have been a grand funeral even without me.

In March, U.S. President William McKinley began his second term.

While his re-election was successful, there was quite a bit of criticism about the imperialistic tendencies revealed through the war with Spain and Cuba and the Philippines, and even the Asian Open Door Policy he had been pushing seemed to hit a slight snag.

In May, America was once again in an uproar about whether the economy would die or live.

I heard someone tried to sweep up stocks to control railways, but it was a cause difficult for me to understand.

Three months after Cuba finally became U.S. territory, McKinley died. It was assassination.

With this, America seemed likely to shrink further inward.

January 31st of the next year. Britain broke its Splendid Isolation and formed the Anglo-Japanese Alliance.

Even when dealing with Germany they used the term ’entente’ rather than ’alliance,’ but this time they openly raised hands together in international society.

At that time, I was tense for a different reason.

"Congratulations! It’s a boy!"

"The mother! How is the mother!"

"She’s exhausted now but will be fine soon!"

My first child was born in February.

Three months after the child was born, America finally spat out Cuba.

I think they didn’t spit it out because they lacked the ability to digest it, but rather due to an allergic-like reaction domestically.

But funny enough, in July they completely swallowed the Philippines as the Philippine-American War ended.

Their dual nature of disliking imperialistic moves while liking imperialistic fruits wasn’t even funny.

In August, the Commercial Telegraph Agency (TTA) was established in St. Petersburg under the leadership of the Communications and Finance Ministries.

Perhaps in a little while, an era will come where one can call anywhere in the empire with just a telephone receiver.

And again January. When the new year dawned and my child was approaching their first birthday.

"Yes, Minister Kurino Shinichiro. Say that again. What did you say?"

"Your Majesty the Tsar, we request that the Korean Empire be completely placed under our Empire’s control, and that the Russian Empire’s authority in Manchuria be limited to railways."

"So, hand over Korea? And just eat the railways in Manchuria and get out?"

"...Please don’t misinterpret our words."

The Japanese Empire came picking a fight under the guise of negotiation.

==

The land reform that took 4 years to prepare and was finally completed while the imperial government was torn apart for 5 years.

If I poured nearly 10 years into this issue, Japan has been constantly trying to form an alliance with Britain for 7 years since the Triple Intervention.

At that time, Britain didn’t feel the need to break its isolation to form an equal alliance with East Asian monkeys, but the atmosphere seems quite different after the Boxer Rebellion.

’Trans-Siberian Railway completion. Chinese Eastern Railway centered on Harbin completion. South Manchurian Railway completion. And even though we’re not building them, various railways are being actively constructed in Korea too.’

The Russian Empire actively implementing its southward policy centered on railways. Plus the occupation of Manchuria.

We certainly provoked Britain too much in a short time.

What Britain probably worries about isn’t Korea but Qing. More precisely, they fear the structure of Russia, connected by land, monopolizing Qing.

Korea? To those pirate bastards, Korea isn’t worth even Hong Kong or Taiwan compared to Qing.

What about Japan? Minister Shinichiro declared that even the previous Sino-Japanese War was ultimately caused by Korea’s misguided diplomacy, so they would control Korea.

’Ito is behind Shinichiro. The Ito I know wouldn’t try such an unreasonable attempt.’

Regardless of good and evil, Ito is still a man at the peak of power as the 10th Cabinet Prime Minister.

If he couldn’t even calculate that much, he wouldn’t have served as Prime Minister four times.

Yet the fact that they’re spouting such claims to my face means.

’They’re under pressure. Or it’s not in the realm of practical calculations.’

Probably both. The Ito I met was a pragmatist like Witte and relatively moderate.

Here, ’relatively’ means not that he thought war should be avoided or domestic affairs were the only answer, but that he thought it would take more time to minimize losses in the process of swallowing Korea.

However, as time passed and Russia also expanded its influence in the Far East, perhaps they could no longer postpone it.

Having finished my momentary thoughts, my gaze turned to Minister Shinichiro who was waiting for an answer while keeping his back straight before me.

Though I don’t know the detailed circumstances, this Manchuria-Korea exchange negotiation proposal must be the scheme Ito finally came up with.

"I hear Prime Minister Ito has been on a world tour for the past two weeks."

"I didn’t know you were aware."

"I’m quite interested since I’ve done some world traveling myself. I’ve even met your Emperor, you know."

"...Is that so."

"He should be in France? Or England? Anyway, one of those two countries now. To discuss such a big matter with you... It would be difficult."

A proposal containing both gentleness and extremism. What was Ito thinking when he threw this and departed on his European tour?

Could it be because I seemed less interested in Korea than expected?

Or did he think the empire would be burdened by excessive military expenditure in the Far East?

Or else was he trying to drag us to the negotiating table with our backs against a cliff?

As I rose from my seat first, the dialogue between Minister Shinichiro and Minister Giers continued.

Leaving them behind and exiting the reception room, I immediately summoned War Minister Sakharov to my study.

"You called for me?"

"Minister, move all warships stationed in Korea and Qing to Vladivostok."

"May I ask the reason?"

"The Japanese minister just asked me to hand over Korea."

"...Did you refuse?"

"Not yet."

While I’m not afraid of war, I’m not so dull as to completely overturn the negotiating table.

"Move the Far Eastern Fleet in Port Arthur to Vladivostok as well."

"It shall be done."

The Russo-Japanese War in original history started with Japan’s surprise attack while negotiations were ongoing.

Logically, since no one thought Japan would fight a land war with the Russian Empire without being crazy in this era, the surprise was quite successful.

But I know. There’s no clearer signal of war than today’s proposal.

Japan’s exhausted patience that makes even four-time Prime Minister Ito spout nonsense about a Manchuria-Korea exchange.

This is war.