European Financial Emperor

102 Unpacking (2)

Even though he was looking at Lee Hwan’s stiff expression, Ben Heren didn’t seem to be impressed.

No, maybe it’s an attitude that seems like a normal thing to do.

“Did you know?”

“of course. There’s no way I’m not aware of what’s going on in the Allied Forces.”

It was as if the internal communication between Austria and Russia was a personal affair.

Lee Hwan was a little embarrassed by his attitude.

“… … Does England know?”

“No, I don’t know yet in England. Some of the soldiers may know, but I think I did pretty well in Austria.”

“okay… … .”

The lack of inspiration for this reversal means that Ben Heren knew something.

“Do you think Austria will join hands with Russia?”

“you’re right. So I thought there was going to be a war, and in one way or another, finance would move.”

Ben-Heren nodded quietly.

He inquired about Lee Hwan’s intentions, and soon agreed to take over the Baltic Sea Co., Ltd.

“Then let’s do it as you please.”

“Aren’t you going to dry it?”

“Didn’t you say A great war is coming soon. If that’s the case, it would be the most important thing to unite all the financiers in Europe.”

“Yes, I do.”

“But I have one condition.”

“Tell me.”

“They will have to wipe them out someday.”

“… … Are you going to wipe it out?”

“Before you destroy them, you must strike them with your own hands and take all of Europe’s financial stake.”

Lee Hwan tilted his head.

Although they thought that they would fight and fight among themselves and disappear on their own, it was unreasonable to accept that as a fact.

Hana Ben-Heren was talking about it as if it had already been decided.

There must have been some premise for such a thought.

“Why do you think it will perish?”

“Have you ever thought about why England gave you the Baltic Corporation?”

“… … uhm.”

“Think about it. Why did Britain give the Baltic Corporation?”

Lee Hwan also thought about the reason why Britain gave up the Baltic Sea Corporation, but there was no clear answer.

No matter how intelligent he was, he could not know what the royal family was thinking.

But Ben Heren was different.

“British has the idea of annihilating the northeastern part of Europe using the Baltic Corporation as a base.”

“Isn’t that already revealed by the fact that we are constantly sending spies to Poland?”

“Yeah, it was. But no one would have thought that Denmark would invade the neighbourhood.”

“… … Denmark?”

After losing Norway, Denmark declared neutrality in the war and declared that it would not engage in any military or political action.

This may seem like a rebellion against the British, but when they heard that the British fleet might pass through their coastline, they did not react.

This was very important in determining the victory or defeat of the war, but Denmark did not say a word.

Although it maintained neutrality, it could be seen that in the end, it was on the side of Britain.

There was a reason for such a double act of Denmark.

“Denmark thought that Britain and Russia would start a war, so they secretly sided with Britain in this Austrian Allied War. If Britain were to lose this war, it would be a disaster, but they were lucky enough to be among the victors.”

“Then, in the next war, you might consider participating in the war yourself.”

Ben Heren emphasized that Denmark is a company designed to seize its own country, and the reason why Britain is still doing business is the transition to a war-ready country.

“right. Denmark will not enter the war unless the declaration of neutrality is withdrawn. The British had already raised the British drug in the last Napoleonic Wars to the extent that the British lost even the sovereignty of Norway. Isn’t Denmark actually having both arms and legs cut off while the UK has a haircut? However, it seems that Britain and Russia are about to go to war, so I am in a hurry.”

“So, you thought you were going to organize an army and go to war to create an excuse to be armed?”

“That’s right.”

“Hmm… … .”

“Now the UK has no need for a Baltic Corporation. Maybe because they think Denmark is in their hands.”

“Are you trying to get rid of a company we don’t use anyway?”

“right. It would be better to get a new gun based on him.”

“I didn’t know there was such a thing.”

Ben Heren had no objection to Lee Hwan’s purchase of the Baltic Sea Co., Ltd.

It seemed that he had intentions of interfering deeply with his actions after the purchase of Hana.

“After you have secured the Baltic Corporation, you must become a human butcher. Perhaps if the Baltic Corporation includes a large number of financiers, there is a possibility that finance will flow according to the British will.”

“You’re saying that we should purge all of the Knapapuls we don’t know about.”

“Sure.”

Throughout the conversation, Ben-Heren’s expression didn’t really change a bit.

Suddenly, a single word passed through Lee Hwan’s mind.

‘No, wait a minute. What if all of this was Ben-Heren’s plan?’

It was so terrifying that I thought that maybe it wasn’t.

If it was said that Ben Heren’s path so far was the only way to put this plan into action while thinking about the future, it would have been terrifying indeed.

Just then, another thought crossed Lee Hwan’s mind.

“Are you in peace?”

“Well? Why are you asking that all of a sudden?”

“It seems like it’s been a long time since I’ve been to an audience these days.”

It was a fleeting moment.

For a brief moment, Ben-Heren showed a slightly bewildered look.

But he soon regained his composure.

“You are at peace.”

“Um, that’s right.”

Lee Hwan was convinced through this.

‘… … the king is sick And Ben Heren is making something big!’

***

Around April 1828, the Ryukyus were occupied by a fleet from Holland.

Originally, they presented rifles for the establishment of diplomatic relations with the Ryukyus and brought gold to this place.

The officials of the Hana Ryukyus even planned to encircle the ironclad ships at night and seize the fleet.

The commander of the fleet, Andre, who was already aware of this plan, mobilized his soldiers and immediately eradicated the infiltrating forces.

The firepower battles of the Dutch fleet that began thereafter drove the Ryukyus into a crucible of screams.

The royal palace had already been blown up, making it difficult to recognize its shape, and the logistical base had become a rag.

If people hadn’t escaped from the palace as soon as the bombardment started, the Ryukyu Royal Palace might have been in a sea of blood by now.

About 2,000 soldiers gathered in the back of the royal palace and captured the Ryukyu royal family and their officials.

“When people say nice things, they always hit the back of the head like this.”

“… … Ooh, we were just trying to test you. I really had no intention of taking the fleet. It really is.”

“Hey, is that an excuse? As soon as the shells exploded and the rifles were mobilized, they surrendered. Do you feel scared now that you cut the power gap?”

“Wrong… … .”

From the point of view of the royal family, there could be no greater humiliation than this.

The Hana Ryukyu royal family realized that their armed forces were overwhelmingly superior even compared to those of the Qing Dynasty.

Rebelling now was no different from jumping into flames to kill yourself.

Andre gave the royal family a choice.

“I’ll give you a look. One to surrender to us and give up our throne, the other to die with honor. Which one would you choose?”

“If you surrender… … .”

“The Ryukyu royal family will disappear, and this will become our forward base.”

“… … A forward base, what is an outpost for?”

“I must have said it clearly before. We are here to retake the country of Joseon.”

It was clear that the Ryukyu Archipelago was a necessary strategic point to advance to Joseon.

However, what they were curious about was why they were attacking Joseon with such tremendous force.

“It is said that Joseon is already a hopeless country… … .”

“Whether there is a hope or not, we will know when we land.”

“Hmm, besides, it was the Qing dynasty, wasn’t it? When you land, Joseon will be trampled by the Qing army.”

“Whether it will be trampled on or not will be known in the near future.”

“Uh… … .”

With the weapons they had, I thought that they could cross the Amnoksu and neutralize the Qing army that would rush to save the subject.

However, the Ryukyu royal family thought that it would not be as easy as it sounds.

“The population of Qingguk is unimaginably large. Do you know that?”

“It would be. But think about it. We are just a small squad. The main force has hundreds of such fleets. They have far more firepower than the weapons we have. That fleet is standing behind us.”

“… … This is just a squad?”

It was absolutely unbelievable.

The most powerful army that the Ryukyu Kingdom has ever experienced was the Qing Dynasty, if not Western gun dealers from abroad.

When Portuguese merchants first arrived here on the Japanese archipelago, the Ryukyu Islands experienced a new world.

However, the new world experienced at that time is now perfectly remembered as a relic of the old times.

It wasn’t all that powerful an army, so I had no idea how far to believe.

Whatever the members of the Ryukyu Kingdom thought, Andre preached his plan.

“From now on, this will be our forward base. And we plan to take over the Kyushu region and build up our ranks there.”

“… … Are you going to occupy the Kyushu region?”

“If we want to conquer, there is nothing we can’t do.”

No matter how powerful their fleet was, I wondered for a moment whether they would be able to occupy Kyushu.

The Hana Ryukyu royal family soon changed their mind.

“Well, if it includes this much… … .”

“Prepare this place to develop as a logistical base while we plow the road with inclusive diplomacy. Of course, whether you join hands with Qingguk or Japan is up to you. Just keep one thing in mind. If he arrives with a fleet, Asia will be utterly devastated. At that time, if you persist in a high posture without surrendering, the Ryukyus will probably become ashes.”

It was hard to believe that an army more terrifying than these existed.

However, if what they said was true, the Ryukyu Kingdom had only one option.

There was no other way than to follow them, thought to be the heavenly army.

“… … good night. I will follow your words. What can we do?”

“Make the harbor bigger than it is now and clear all the sandbars. And build a warehouse out of bricks to fill the harbour.”

“Even now, the port is quite good… … .”

“This is not enough for a long time. He has an army that is much larger than you think. So we need the right facilities.”

“Um, I see. Let me do what you say.”

“You thought well.”

“However, if we follow your instructions, can we ensure the life of the royal family and the safety of the people?”

Andre laughed softly.

“When he comes, everything will be sorted out.”

“iced coffee… … !”

“Look forward to the day he comes. Perhaps Ryukyu will be a much better country to live in than it is now.”