Reincarnated as Nikolai II

"How can these cabinet ministers just watch the situation! Open those mouths that usually speak so proudly!"

Gojong, the king who crowned himself Emperor, berated his ministers while restlessly trembling with fear.

Was it the price of comfortably settling into the neutrality created by the Russian Emperor? When the first bill hit Korea, the Korean court was shaken to its roots.

"A mere minister threatening a country’s monarch is a matter that must be punished! Your Majesty, first let’s arrest him-"

"You speak of arresting a diplomatic envoy? Are you suggesting we go to war with Russia?"

The very reason Minister Weber still remained in Korea was due to Gojong’s desperate request, yet they speak of arresting him?

Though usually not active in ministerial meetings, Gojong had to do something about the Tsar’s ’request.’

"Your Majesty, haven’t we done enough by banishing all former Japanese envoys to insignificant posts?"

"They speak of war! War! Do you think the Russian Emperor will be satisfied with just expelling a few people? Don’t you understand what they truly want?"

How could they not know? Rather, they all keep quiet precisely because they know too well.

’The Russian Emperor wants Korea to cooperate in the war.’

’But Japan is the same.’

’If we choose the wrong side here, even my children and grandchildren won’t survive.’

No one could answer, as taking one side would mean the end of not only themselves but their entire family if they fell to the other side.

Of course, there were exceptions.

"Your Majesty! At times like this, you must take Russia’s hand! Russia’s army is so powerful they could advance to Hanyang within just a week!"

The prime example was Foreign Minister Yi Wan-yong.

After living in America for 2 years and 5 months as minister from ’87, he became a pro-American official.

During his time with the Jeongdong faction, he was a spokesperson for both pro-American and pro-Qing factions.

After the Russian legation incident, when America hesitated to clash with Russia, he quickly switched to become a pro-Russian official.

However, disappointed with Gojong who tried absolute monarchy modeled after Russia after declaring the Korean Empire, and additionally pushed aside by pro-Russian royalist ministers, then framed with "Yi Wan-yong and the Independence Club are trying to establish a republican government!", he subtly turned pro-Japanese.

Then, during the Boxer Rebellion, shocked to see a mere frontier governor - equivalent to a military commander in Korea - easily occupy Beijing, he came to his senses and became a hardcore pro-Russian again.

Yi Wan-yong, who achieved a grand slam of pro-Russian, pro-Qing, pro-American, and pro-Japanese views, was a born politician who knew incredibly well how to switch sides.

No matter how much of an East Asian dragon the Japanese Empire might be, they ultimately couldn’t match Russia, who was born a true dragon.

’Russia occupied Beijing with fifty thousand troops, and afterward stationed an army of one hundred eighty thousand just to guard the border.’

Even if they give up the southern provinces including Honam, if the Amur military administration comes down to Korea and holds out in Hanyang, this war will end in Russia’s victory.

’Then... I’ll make sure this meeting is recorded in detail and reaches the Tsar’s ears.’

It’s quite ridiculous how even the supposedly pro-Russian faction cowers in fear of losing their lives.

This is precisely when one should take a stance.

"Then what does the Foreign Minister think we should do?"

"Sincerely comply with their request. Move the public sentiment to burn Japanese remnants and drive out the merchants eating away at Korea. Then the Russian Emperor will be greatly moved and send a grand army to protect Korea."

The intention was to blindly pick Russia and survive somehow.

For a moment, Gojong nearly burst out ’So if the Russian Emperor isn’t moved, we all die!’, but barely held back by gritting his teeth. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

In the end, no safe way to escape the binary choice through some mysterious method was visible.

In the Korean political landscape where pro-Qing and pro-American factions had fallen, the moment had come for everyone from the king to low-ranking officials to make their choice.

Russia or Japan.

Get it right and enormous power is guaranteed; get it wrong and die.

The ministers racked their brains trying to increase their survival probability by even 1%.

’Rumor has it the Russian Emperor said he’d give everything below 38 degrees north to Japan. Wouldn’t that mean Japan is right?’

’The old grudge between the two empires won’t end so ambiguously. In the end, an island nation can’t defeat a continental power!’

’But didn’t Britain take Japan’s side?’

The ministers, ignorant of world affairs on their narrow peninsula, found it difficult to give confident answers.

Even Yi Wan-yong himself wasn’t 100% certain.

’Still, if Russia wins, wouldn’t there be at least some chance of remaining independent?’

Whether constitutional monarchy or absolute monarchy, the country needs to exist first for him to survive.

If the country falls, Foreign Minister Yi Wan-yong can’t exist either.

Nevertheless, if this small country couldn’t survive on its own... he would abandon a country that couldn’t protect even himself.

==

In the end, though Gojong and his ministers showed movement at the level of ’slightly pressuring Japan to appease Russia while not angering Japan enough to kill Korea’...

The war sentiment that seemed ready to explode at the slightest touch was sufficient to burst with just this.

"Korea requested complete withdrawal of troops? By what right!"

"When making the treaty in ’82, they pushed the content that troops could withdraw if Japanese legation security wasn’t necessary."

"That’s why I’m asking by what right they made such a judgment!"

"Prime Minister, will you just watch this? Must we keep taking this?"

They had long known the Korean king who merely changed his title to emperor was pro-Russian.

However, at such a time, the Japanese Empire was in a situation to fall for even such a pathetic provocation.

’Must keep my senses. War - that’s exactly what the Russian Tsar wants!’

Just as Japan had built up military power with Sino-Japanese War reparations, Russia too had spent years strengthening Far Eastern defenses.