Reincarnated as Nikolai II

"Prime Minister, from what I see, the Korean king has sat down holding onto power. And the reform forces and military opposing this have joined hands, is that how I should see it?"

"Though we can't call General Lee's forces the military, seeing how they've already subdued the units guarding Hanyang, it seems clear the revolutionary forces will soon establish themselves as the Korean Empire's military itself."

"Not even funny. Veterans subduing regular army."

Haven't they learned anything from losing Hanyang in a day during the Russo-Japanese War?

The only thing we've been involved with in Korea was military strengthening, yet even that was so easily taken - there's nothing to say.

"We provided weapons and sent training units to help... Is this the difference in actual combat experience?"

"Rather than that, I think the dead Korean king's military purpose focused more on suppressing rebel forces than national defense. Otherwise, the discrimination between provincial military district forces and capital defense forces, treatment of veterans, efforts to strengthen naval power... It makes no sense that there was absolutely no sign of blocking foreign powers in every aspect."

"Tsk..."

We tried raising them to check Japan in our own way, but in the end, it seems independent defense was nowhere close.

Though the king is already dead, seeing the situation makes even me want to meet and ask him.

'Just what were you thinking, trying to embezzle tens of thousands of veterans' allowances?' Stay tuned with My Virtual Library Empire

Palace expansion? Didn't Heungseon Daewongun lose all public support while rebuilding Gyeongbok Palace in the name of restoring royal authority?

'...I shouldn't talk. Original timeline Russia also met revolution while building churches.'

Come to think of it, rulers' architectural greed seems like a sign of national ruin.

It's commendable that they tried to build roads, construction, hospitals, and various other social infrastructure, but that too should have been done moderately.

"If the state wanted to use the veterans' allowances, they should have tried other methods."

If they had separated the funds we sent from the existing treasury and given returning veterans 20-30 year maturity bonds as a workaround, the situation wouldn't have spread like this.

Or if they had just promised installment payments, the government might have gained huge profits through inflation the later they paid.

"Indeed, the reason the Korean government couldn't come up with proper measures..."

"Ignorance of financial policy. Inadequate administrative capacity. Use of funds. Everything was a problem."

"Truly, the Korean king wasn't even qualified to embezzle money."

That country wasn't in a position to inadequately adopt Western culture and build roads, hospitals, or construction anyway.

"They should have started with land reform but they lined their back pockets. Good thing he's dead."

"From what I heard during Prime Minister Witte's time, the land officially managed by the Korean royal family exceeded 50,000 hectares. Including unofficial land and state-owned land... No wonder the royal family had no reason for land reform."

"Ha!"

What's funnier is that Gojong was the longest-reigning king in Joseon dynasty history.

At this point, it makes you wonder if Heungseon Daewongun who restrained Gojong wasn't amazing.

Whatever assessment we make of the Korean royal family and politicians, the problem has already erupted.

From what I've heard, the Imperial Household has no funds to give the angry military, and the military has no intention of returning home like this.

And the Independence Party and Yi Wan-yong who have cleverly positioned themselves between them...

"They're determined to sell out the country."

"With how much they want third party intervention, their intentions are clear."

"They want to make it so the next king can't even touch power. Through us."

They were constantly demanding our intervention under the pretext of mediation.

While constitutional monarchy is a system naturally accepted after a few revolutions in the West, in the East it's no different from an extremely weak king, strong minister system.

I hope those country's officials and people don't immediately think of powerful family politics or regency when they hear about the parliamentary system.

Such Western systems were easily accepted by Japan where the emperor was originally a figurehead, but other Asian countries can't help but have quite strong resistance.

'Yi Wan-yong knows this better than anyone.'

What's there to say when public sentiment already supports the king under normal circumstances.

Even if they implement a parliamentary system, parliament will inevitably split into royalist and republican factions before the first reforms can begin.

And here, republicans are unconditionally treated as potential traitors and disloyal subjects.

This Confucian ideology, which is half religion, never places ministers above the king from the Three Bonds and Five Relationships.

"Maybe... those Independence Party or some extremists want us to give them mandate rule or interference in internal affairs."

"That won't do. Korea's very existence proves our nation has changed course from expansion and imperialism. There's nothing good in intervening now."

"I want to stop at friendly relations. But the problem is that no matter how much we proclaim protectorate status, they take it as suzerainty."

That truly complex and ambiguous internal strife.

Public sentiment doesn't follow for it to be a people's revolution, and for a military revolution, the Imperial Guard was actually subdued.

Can't call it a parliamentary rebellion like the English Civil War when parliament is just trying to pick up the fallen royal family's power from the middle. Parliament isn't the main actor.

'My responsibility is... no, is it difficult to say there's none at all?'

If we must say, perhaps a misdemeanor like negligence.

We did induce military strengthening by even attaching an oxygen respirator to an unprepared country.

But this too is just slightly irritating, not something to feel long-lasting guilt about.

As Russia's Tsar, what I need to consider is just one thing.

How to guide that country at a crossroads in a direction beneficial to Russian national interests.

Different ethnicities make thoughts of East Slavic incorporation all delusions.

Trusteeship would also just mean Russia bearing all their problems right away.

Mediation? If we get involved, we must absolutely have the courage to be hated. Meaning we must make our chosen side lead that country for generations.