A massacre party was taking place within the walls of Bongcheon Castle.
The northern soldiers, who had tasted blood for the first time, ruthlessly trampled on the Qing soldiers and others who dared to approach.
It was as if the blood of the fallen Goguryeo had awakened.
It was as if the blood of those who had shattered the skulls of the Central Plains dynasties during the Goguryeo period had been revived.
Without mercy, they killed the Qing soldiers.
Covered in blood, I declared:
“Long ago, our people ruled over the Jurchen who now dominate the Central Plains! Goguryeo did, Balhae did, and even early Goryeo and Joseon did the same! This is the natural course of history!”
Everyone looked at me as if in a trance.
This was to raise morale and, at the same time, to assert that this battle was a righteous one.
Unlike the Western white civilizations that spread their empire and colonized, our attack had a cause.
I boldly declared, “Let’s place the Jurchen, who once arrogantly established the Jin and Qing dynasties, back under our control!”
“The Jurchen were once our brothers during the times of Goguryeo and Balhae, but they dared to leave the protection of their elder brother and grow stronger, eventually oppressing us during King Injo’s reign! Now, let us correct their ways and warmly embrace them as an elder brother!”
This massacre was a righteous act to correct the behavior of younger siblings.
It was time to throw off the appearance of weakness.
This was the moment to fully embrace national pride.
Not the kind of empty pride from keyboard warriors on the internet, but a serious, genuine form of national pride.
As a descendant of Goguryeo’s blood, it was only natural to expand our territory into Manchuria.
“That is correct. This is a righteous battle for our great nation!”
“I am Han Chinese! Kuuk!”
“Shut up, you Manchu slave!”
I struck the Qing soldier who had dared to mention being Han Chinese in Chinese with the butt of my rifle.
‘How dare he bring up his Han Chinese roots in front of me, while flaunting his Manchu hairstyle?’ A man with such a ridiculous hairstyle deserved to be punished.
And so, we took control of Bongcheon and Jilin provinces.
Of course, this was a temporary occupation.
The real goal was to secure Gando.
We would first develop Gando, and after the Russo-Japanese War, completely expel Japan.
When the revolution later broke out, we could recover all of Manchuria.
I gathered the Han and Manchu people, who were once subjects of the Qing Empire, while touring Bongcheon and Jilin.
Those who resisted were whipped, and those who obeyed were fully accepted as subjects of Korea.
“Long ago, we were the rightful rulers of Manchuria as descendants of Goguryeo, and after the fall of the Ming Dynasty, we succeeded their legacy and built the empire. We are the heirs of the fate of Goguryeo and the Central Plains, so the descendants of the Jurchen, once subjects of Goguryeo, and the Han Chinese, once subjects of the Ming, must naturally follow our great nation.”
Honestly, it was a bit of a stretch.
‘If we are descendants of Goguryeo, then we are descendants of Goguryeo.
Claiming to be the successors of the Ming Dynasty was far-fetched.
The Jurchen and Han Chinese would probably laugh at this.
‘But so what?’ After all, aren’t we the strong ones here? It wasn’t entirely nonsensical.
Joseon viewed Goguryeo as part of their own history, and after the Ming fell, Joseon saw itself as the inheritor of the Central Plains, declaring themselves the “Little China.”
With a little more wordplay, it wasn’t an impossible proposition.
“When will you continue following the fallen mandate of heaven? Or will you follow the foreign, white nation of Arasa? If you swear loyalty to the Emperor of the Great Han, and pledge your allegiance by cultivating the land and paying taxes, then you shall be accepted as subjects of our great nation.”
Now, let’s see their reaction.
“Why should we be vassals—t-“
I shot a Qing soldier in the head who had dared to mutter in defiance after surrendering.
As I watched the process in silence, I smiled brightly, my face stained with blood.
“Is there anyone else who disagrees?”
Even the soldiers from the northern army, who had reluctantly followed me, raised their rifles to kill any would-be rebels.
“Long live the Emperor! Long live the Great Han Empire!”, “We will follow the Great Han!”, “We are the Jurchen who once followed Goguryeo!”
“Yes. This should be enough. Of course, our goal was not just a small piece of Gando, but to fully secure all of it. The territory of Gando was unclear to begin with. We would occupy it, retreat into Gando, deploy troops to stabilize it, and then claim it as our own.”
After the battle at Bongcheon, I was called back by General Lee Beomyun.
He looked pleased when he saw me, but also appeared uneasy.
Noticing his expression, I tilted my head.
“The Emperor has informed me that the great powers are watching the current situation in Manchuria. What should we do?”
“What should we do? This was the perfect time to stir up more trouble.”
“General, this is the moment to embrace national pride.”
“National pride?”
“Yes. Now is the time to show our loyalty to the Great Han, to make our country even greater, and to demonstrate our devotion.”
“Tell me your plan.”
“After all, we’re not the regular army of the Great Han Empire, but rather a regional warlord in Gando, right? Let us fight under the crow’s flag, as descendants of the rightful rulers of Manchuria, the heirs of Goguryeo.”
It’s not certain that the emblem representing Goguryeo was the three-legged crow, as that symbol had been discussed in both Korea, China, and Japan.
But still, we could use it symbolically to give the feeling of an independent army fighting for its cause.
“Hmm, I hear you made a significant contribution at Bongcheon. You’ve killed countless Qing soldiers with your rifle, haven’t you? We must report your achievements to the Emperor.”
Oh no, that wouldn’t work.
I shook my head in opposition.
“No, I still have much work to do here in Manchuria.”
“But you can’t accomplish great things here.”
‘Great things? Unless I disguise myself as a man and go to the Emperor, what could I possibly do?’
‘Even if I did disguise myself, it would be obvious that I was a woman due to my extraordinary beauty.’
I couldn’t deceive the Emperor about my gender.
Therefore, I absolutely couldn’t go.
The only chance I’d have was as a diplomat, and that would only be by luck.
The real work here in Manchuria was to create a spirit strong enough to match the Japanese.
Once we were ready, we would fight them, fueled by our national pride.
I couldn’t leave now.
Not at all.
“Even if I went to the Emperor, what could a woman like me do? I might receive an award, but I won’t be able to gain a higher position.”
My options would be severely limited.
Then, rather, I should act like a shadowy figure, like a behind-the-scenes power.
Here, I must push Lee Beomyun and somehow help him secure a position.
“Mm. But you know European languages, so it might be a waste to keep you here.”
“The Emperor has confirmed General as the leader of a separate army, as a military warlord of the Gando region, at least on the surface. This means that Western nations will need to come directly to us to learn more about our situation.”
By now, the Qing Dynasty must know, and the European powers should also be aware.
I must show the foreigners here that the Imperial Army is not the same as the old Joseon army.
At the very least, I need to show that we can defeat the once-dominant Qing Dynasty.
“If that’s truly your intention, I won’t stop you. But it’s unfortunate. If you had stayed, you would have grown into an excellent general. Still, I’m sure your father would be proud.”
“Your praise is excessive, General.”
Even though he mentioned a father I don’t even know, it doesn’t stir any emotion in me.
Anyway, I’ve put it out there for now.
What matters is how the Western powers will react.
***
Beijing, Qing Dynasty
The fall of Fengtian and Jilin Provinces.
The disappearance of Qing troops in the barracks and the horrific pillaging by the Korean Empire were known to the Qing Dynasty.
The Empress Dowager, who had been indulging in luxury, had to grasp her temples upon hearing of the large-scale plundering and occupation being carried out by the Joseon army in Manchuria.
Not long ago, they had just submitted to the Western powers.
In such a situation, to be struck by the very Manchu sacred lands from the former tributary state of Joseon—’how laughable is that?’
“How dare the Joseon people attack Fengtian and Jilin? Has the Joseon government protested?”
“The Joseon government claims that those responsible are individuals with no connection to the government.”
‘Is that even believable?’
I’ve known for a long time that they had crossed over to Gando and were plundering, but these Joseon people are now mingling with the Japanese, and it seems like they’re becoming corrupted by them!
“Is this reasonable?! They speak the Joseon language and wear Joseon military uniforms, yet claim they have no relation to the Joseon government! Has the Joseon Emperor completely lost his mind?!”
“At this rate, Joseon will end up taking all of Manchuria.”
“We must send an army!”
If Manchuria is lost—though already plundered by Arasa—if Joseon also takes it, the meaning changes.
It’s a loss of Daichinggu-run’s sacred land, as well as the loss of the Qing’s former tributary nation.
They’ve already handed over much to Russia, and now to lose Manchuria to Joseon—’what is happening?’
This means another war, and with Joseon’s troops growing in number and settling in Manchuria, fighting will only cause greater damage to Qing.
‘Wait a minute, how will the reactions of the British be?’
“What have the British diplomats said?”
“Our military can’t hold back the Joseon army.”
“Then, let’s protest to Japan. No matter how much Qing is collapsing, Joseon is not in a position to challenge us!”
‘Would Japan even listen if we protested?’
Joseon has already started to look down on Qing.
Japan, which made Joseon independent from Qing, might even side with Joseon.
“They’ve clearly come with the intention of advancing. It won’t be easy to stop them.”
And their numbers aren’t small.
I’ve heard that their numbers are growing day by day.
The increase in numbers means their ability to control Manchuria is growing, and they’re probably preparing for a direct confrontation with Qing.
In the end, Empress Dowager Cixi, who loved to indulge in luxury, called in foreign diplomats to discuss the matter during one of her extravagant banquets.
“Korea is attacking Manchuria. I ask for your help, ambassadors.”
“Well, from our side, we don’t really see any way to support the Qing Dynasty.”
“After all, aren’t they not even regular soldiers of Korea, but local militias of Koreans who crossed into Qing territory?”
“That’s true. It’s not a war between nations.”
Of course, the reaction of the foreign powers was cold.
They were speaking as politely as they could, but due to the recent Boxer Rebellion, their perception of Qing was already in shambles.
And now, the former tributary state was attacking Qing—how ridiculous.
A small, peripheral country.
While not as weak as Qing, Joseon had been exploited in many ways by the foreign powers, and now Qing, seeing itself being beaten by a former tributary state, appeared as a joke in the eyes of foreigners.
Even the nation that once fought a war with its own vassal was now losing face.
How pathetic.
There was no reason to help Qing.
It was better to help Joseon and take more from Qing.
Naturally, this issue caused division within the Qing Imperial Court.
“This is all because of the Empress Dowager!”
“Your Majesty!”
The Guangxu Emperor, Dezhong, resented the Empress Dowager for blocking reforms.
Even after the Shin-chuk Treaty was signed, no changes had been made, and now, Joseon’s army was attacking Daichinggu-run’s sacred land, Manchuria.
It was all because she had blocked reforms and continued indulging in luxury.
Of course, Empress Dowager Cixi also had her excuses.
“Who could have predicted that Joseon, which had been manipulated by Japan, would suddenly go mad and attack Manchuria?”
“How could she have known that the Joseon people, who hadn’t even been able to respond properly when their country became a battlefield, would rise up like this?”
“That’s right! The Empress Dowager blocked reforms and drove out talented people, and now, even Joseon, once a tributary state, is trampling on Daichinggu-run! How can I face Emperor Taejong in the afterlife?”
King Gyeongjin Hwang Hyuk-gwang also kneeled and wept.
In reality, Qing had become a semi-colony after the Shin-chuk Treaty.
Not only had reforms been blocked, but Empress Dowager Cixi’s luxurious life continued, and there was no development in the military.
Naturally, it was thanks to King Gojong’s efforts that Korea’s military, though small, had been modernized.
Although the Korean Empire’s military was far outnumbered compared to Qing’s, in terms of quality, they were far superior, making Qing’s victory impossible.