LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 68
No matter how I see it, I can’t be lenient towards a country that tried to kill me. Shouldn’t I at least be thankful for the absence of war?
They should realize that I’m being quite forgiving right now.
Even if I say nothing now, I can’t interfere with them consuming Lithuania, but it’s bound to upset me.
I simply stopped at this point.
Honestly, even with this situation, if Russia tolerates Poland’s growth, they might have other thoughts brewing.
A few more points will be added.
Absolutely, the Russian army cannot enter Polish territory without a request from the Polish government. So, military transit rights must be discussed in advance.
“Then, it’s guaranteed that we’ll be supporting them with weapons.”
“As long as Poland does not betray us, yes, that will happen. And one more thing.”
Unlike Austria with which we have a mutual defense treaty, Poland can support us but cannot drop its guard.
This time, due to my attempted assassination, we were able to lead the agreement, but…
“What else is there?”
“Since preliminary discussions have been made, let’s schedule a day to meet in Moscow to finalize the agreement.”
This much should satisfy the Russian people, right?
“Are you saying I should go to Russia?”
“Austria lost land to Serbia in the end, but I doubt Russia will be the same.”
“!!”
“If you don’t come to Russia yourself, I can’t pacify the angry military either. Is that unacceptable?”
I said that with a confident smile.
No matter how I see it, I can’t stop the military once they get heated.
For instance, look at Anton Denikin’s special military operation.
“…Understood.”
Good. I have to accept everything.
It’s the only way I can continue living.
With this, Poland will be officially recognized as aligned with Russia.
Communist Germany will surely have to keep an eye on Poland to come to Russia.
“Ha, but being this lenient still feels a bit off. There’s no guarantee those guys won’t sink their teeth into us.”
On the way back, Ungern seemed quite agitated.
As a monarchist, it must irk him that the Tsar almost died at the hands of Poles.
“Right. For now, it’s manageable thanks to Józef Piłsudski. Although he was behind the assassination attempt, that’s another story.”
Afterward, whether Poland acts up or keeps its promise to Russia—it doesn’t matter much to me.
If they adhere to the anti-air defense agreement, at least we won’t be consumed by anyone.
Not adhering to the agreement?
In this history, they won’t gain sympathy.
“Does that mean something will happen to the author’s successor?”
“Yes. It likely will.”
With an assassination attempt having already occurred, I wonder how the successor would fare.
If Józef Piłsudski picks a good heir, that would be one thing. But can the next generation properly control such a heated Poland?
The nations entering the anti-air defense agreement include Poland, the German Empire (East Prussia), Austria, Hungary, Romania, and Southwestern Ukraine. Should we even include Lithuania outright?
And we should also include Britain or France in this.
“Your Majesty, you are truly remarkable.”
Sazonov, who had been quietly listening, clapped his hands.
“What do you mean, Sazonov?”
“Your Majesty, did you not foresee all this? You must have predicted that Polish nationalists would cause trouble. Did you not take matters into your own hands to bind Poland?”
Uh, why would it be like that?
I didn’t aim for that, even if I wasn’t completely caught off guard.
Sazonov’s gaze towards me seems to convey something divine.
“No, it’s not like that at all.”
“Indeed, because of the war, you could not afford to let Poland do as it wished, thus turning them into our Russian dogs like this.”
Ungern, why do you understand so well?
I hope we don’t accumulate any more awkward misunderstandings from here on out.
Since we’re already in Poland, should we swing by East Prussia?
The ambassador from Germany has been approaching us.
He asked to stop by East Prussia.
I briefly entertained that thought, but Ungern blocked it.
“That’s not acceptable. The journey to East Prussia is dangerous and German Reds might have infiltrated there.”
“Uh, really?”
Thinking it over, that does make sense.
As it turns out, the latest assassination attempt involved German Reds, so who knows where trouble might arise again?
“Your Majesty, you need to preserve your safety. This time, it’s absolutely necessary. You were lucky this time, but you could be in trouble if anything feels off. You need to return to your country.”
With Beregais being here as well, as much as I might, I can’t dispute that.
“I understand. Enough already.”
I’m getting tired of the nagging.
Well, there’s no helping it; since there was a real assassination attempt, the Kaiser won’t have any objections if I head back due to the danger.
On the contrary, if we invite the Kaiser to Moscow, they’ll certainly accept.
At the very least, they’ll realize we’re still considering the German Empire.
I don’t know how many troops will come from that region, but we have Austria’s Adolf, so we should be fine somehow.
“What about Japan?”
Those guys are supporting the Northern Government.
They’ve suffered from the Great Earthquake and seem to want to secure their interests in China through the accommodating Northern Government.
On the other hand, we’re selling weapons to the Legalist Government.
I had already reached out to them just in case there’s any backlash.
“Ha ha ha ha! Why should we care about those who can’t even manage their colonies properly?”
“General, what do you mean?”
“It seems your heroic deeds are known in Korea, and there’s a movement centered around the royal family to restore national sovereignty. So, it appears quite a number of troops have been stationed in Korea.”
So the snowball is rolling in Korea after all.
If World War II breaks out, there should be a legitimate way to defeat Japan while helping Korea.
But, this way, Japan will be drained of resources in various ways.
Having suffered from the Great Earthquake, Japan will likely need to keep troops stationed in Korea for the time being. There are signs of resistance from Koreans and Manchurians against Japan in the railway, too.
Well, if those guys suffer, that’s good for us.
They might not consider attacking Russia again with such pointless thoughts.
—
The Japanese Empire
The Japanese Empire supported Duan Qirui’s Northern Government, which recognizes the South Manchuria Railway Company.
Sun Yat-sen’s Legalist Government, which rose up to oust Duan Qirui, sent people demanding the occupation of Manchuria and compensation for the Chinese who died in the Great Earthquake, aggravating Japan’s concerns. Naturally, if they acquire control over China, Japan’s interests derived from it would be put at risk.
Recently, however, Russia has been supporting a military advisor and weapons to a man named Chen Zhongming, part of the Legalist Government.
That did not sit well with me.
Hara Takashi, who survived an assassination in real history and remains Prime Minister, along with Army Minister Takahashi Korekiyo and Foreign Minister Uchida Kōsai, had to resolve the issues surrounding the Chinese question thrown out by Anastasia.
“Is it true that the Russian Republic has been supporting the Legalist Government recently?”
“According to the Russian Ambassador, they say it’s due to the Tsarina’s legitimacy, hence they have no choice but to help.”
“Hmm. Still, this seems a bit much.”
“The Russians said they hope this civil war escalates. They believe it wouldn’t threaten either Russia or Japan if the Chinese are fighting among themselves and shedding blood.”
The Russian ambassador conveyed a suitable excuse while acting on the Tsarina’s orders.
It’s beneficial for both nations if the Chinese fight and shed blood against one another.
“Hmm. There’s some merit to that. For now, we should wait and see.”
I don’t know what the Russian Tsarina is thinking, but currently, Russia is a friend of the Empire.
“Isn’t the royal family also an issue? In terms of the Changdeokgung royal family.”
The royal family from Changdeokgung, King Gojong.
While we’ve treated them with respect, with Anastasia’s heroic tale reaching the Korean Peninsula, there’s been a movement amongst Koreans to restore national sovereignty centered around the royal family.
In response, Japan answered with brutal military suppression, using the excuse of protecting Gojong from the rioters while energetically placing him under house arrest.
Unlike in actual history, a considerable number of Japanese troops entered the Korean Peninsula to prevent the Irregulars’ independence movement.
The costs were piling up, with Japan already experiencing a deficit from developing Korea and now dealing with the cost of stationing troops.
However, amid the chaos caused by the Great Earthquake, one problem arose.
Prince I-gang of the Korean Empire went missing.
The last place he was seen was near the border of the railway and the Korean Peninsula in Andong.
In actuality, in 1919, the prince’s exile incident was canceled due to increased surveillance from Japan’s royal family, changing after the Great Earthquake.
Prince I-gang had recently been someone worth watching even within Japan.
Unlike his decayed father, he was on an elite course and quite knowledgeable about international relations.
“I believe it’s better to treat the royal family with due respect on one hand while demoting them on the other. Regarding their history.”
“How do you mean?”
“Records suggest that when Korea’s first monarch, Yi Seong-gye, was fleeing from Mongolian invasions, they surrendered to the Mongol and became a Mongolian official, then switched allegiances to Goryeo when the Mongol collapsed during Lee Ja-chun’s reign.”
“Oh. So that child also betrayed Goryeo to establish Joseon. Wait, then wouldn’t it mean the royal family is also a traitorous line that sold out the country when the timing was right?”
In short, we’ll treat them as royal and noble, but we will thoroughly demote them so that they cannot become the focal point for Koreans. That was the idea.
“I think it would be wise to issue those orders to the Governor-General’s Office of Korea. Mobilizing Korean nobles directly could be one method.”
To think I would have to deal with things the Governor-General’s Office of Korea should handle here.
Recently, the Governor-General’s Office itself has been in such a state that it barely has any authority, directly governing Korea.
Looking back, it’s partly caused by the Tsarina giving hope to Koreans, but it’s not something that can be laid out like that.
—
The Tsarina bombing incident in Poland quickly spread to the world, particularly in Europe.
It was only natural.
The Tsarina’s visit to Poland garnered surprising interest worldwide.
For a Tsarina, who holds numerous titles, to extend a hand to Poland, which was once a territory of Russia, is a historical event.
Several newspapers even referred to Anastasia as a symbol of peace.
Naturally, the bombing incident was enough to draw attention.
In Britain, they now suspect that the confused Poles might attempt to invade Lithuania.
“It’s outrageous to throw a bomb at Tsarina, who attempted to improve relations with Poland. Has Poland just gained independence and gone mad trusting us?”
“Still, it’s fortunate nothing significant has happened. But what if Poland targets Lithuania next?”
“Would they dare touch Lithuania, which is under our influence?”
“Do you think a bunch that would try to kill the Tsarina would know better?”
“Whether Poland will carry out its role under the German blockade remains doubtful. What if they ask for Lithuania instead?”
“First, we need to find out what kind of conversation occurred. We should check through the Tsarina what might have prompted them to throw a bomb impulsively.”
Despite their obvious hatred for Russia, they attempted to kill the monarch of a nation spanning East and West.
This means that even the mighty British Empire, if they show any signs of weakness, poses a danger for those fools.
Thus, Britain chose to keep an eye on the Baltics, and Józef Piłsudski’s dream of rebuilding the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth was buried deep.