I Will Stage A Coup D'état-Chapter 59: Intervention in China (2)

Chapter 59: Intervention in China (2)

Yang Yun-ju, the Chinese Ambassador to Korea, was thoroughly angry at being summoned by the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs for two consecutive days.

What on earth does Korea think of our China? Do they really think the Republic of China is a vassal state that takes orders from them?

It was a ridiculous notion.

Just 400 years ago, Joseon was nothing more than a mere tributary state that received investiture and seals from the Emperor of China.

Although China was being pushed back by Korea, Yang Yun-ju did not forget the pride of China.

Looking back, there were countless times in the 5,000-year history of China when they were pushed back by barbarians.

Xiongnu, Xianbei, Jie, Di, Qiang, Rouran, Turkic, Uyghur, Khitan, Jurchen, Mongol, Japanese.

The years of being trampled by them would easily amount to a thousand years.

But China endured the rise of the barbarians and ultimately triumphed.

From the perspective of China’s long history, the rise of Koreans was nothing more than a fleeting moment.

Yang Yun-ju lived with the pride of China in his heart, so he was neither envious nor afraid of Korea.

“The Minister is arriving.”

At the official’s announcement of the Minister’s arrival, Yang Yun-ju rose from the sofa and straightened his attire.

The Korean Minister Ju Si-kyeong sat down without acknowledging Yang Yun-ju’s greeting.

Yang Yun-ju slightly frowned at the rudeness.

Ju Si-kyeong got straight to the point.

“I will inform you of the Korean government’s position. Please listen carefully. Our government considers the Republic of China’s accession to the Anti-Comintern Pact as an act that disrupts the order of East Asia and strongly protests against it. Accordingly, we warn that military action may be taken until the day the Chinese government withdraws from the Anti-Comintern Pact.”

What did he say?

Yang Yun-ju opened his mouth in shock at the appalling notification from the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Is this really the diplomacy of a normal modern nation?

No matter how much the Korean Empire is a reckless militaristic country, they at least kept up appearances, right?

Yang Yun-ju barely gathered his wits and protested to Ju Si-kyeong.

“No, Your Excellency. This is unacceptable. Our government’s accession to the Anti-Comintern Pact is a legitimate exercise of sovereignty. Hasn’t Korea also joined the Anti-Comintern Pact in the past?”

“We withdrew from the Anti-Comintern Pact as soon as we confirmed that Germany was causing problems. So please don’t use Pyongyang as an excuse. We have sufficiently conveyed our intentions, so please leave now.”

Ju Si-kyeong abruptly stood up from his seat after saying his piece.

It was a dismissal.

Yang Yun-ju returned to the embassy in a half-dazed state.

“Prepare to send a telegram to the homeland.”

An hour later, Guo Taiqi, the Foreign Minister in Nanjing, was startled by the telegram that flew in from Pyongyang.

Did signing the Anti-Comintern Pact in Berlin piss off Korea that much?

The scary thing was that Koreans were the type to follow through on their words.

I knew this would happen.

Even though they didn’t join the Axis Powers, Korea was already growling.

If they took one more step, Pyongyang could go to war.

Guo Taiqi reported this shocking news to the Chairman.

“Your Excellency. I think it’s best to put this issue on hold for now.”

“What, do we have to be interfered with by those Korean bastards even in our diplomatic matters?”

Chiang Kai-shek exploded in anger.

But now that Korea had shown its wrath, they needed to be cautious in their actions.

“Your Excellency. If this issue blows up, the challenges against Your Excellency within the Party will also intensify.”

Chiang Kai-shek wasn’t unaware of that.

Wasn’t it just yesterday that those despicable traitors like Li Zongren were plotting to steal his chair?

“I got it for now, so go.”

Chiang Kai-shek paced in his office and agonized for a long time.

He was the one who stubbornly took steps to join the Axis Powers, so if he backed down from the start, it would be a huge loss of face.

But if he stayed still like this, he didn’t know what kind of retaliation Korea would bring.

Chiang Kai-shek stood and pondered for a full 6 hours.

Whether it’s a ship sailing the sea or a nation made up of numerous groups, an entity with a huge size cannot easily change direction according to the law of inertia.

This was the reason why Chiang Kai-shek couldn’t immediately succumb to Korea’s threats even if he wanted to.

How can I buy some time?

To buy time, Chiang Kai-shek thought of throwing some candy to appease Korea for now.

I should hear Dai Li’s thoughts first.

Just as he was about to pick up the receiver, He Yingqin, the Minister of National Defense, rushed into the Chairman’s room with a pale face.

Although He Yingqin had a solemn face and a bureaucratic demeanor, he was no different from a frightened rabbit at this moment.

“Y-Your Excellency.”

“Minister, what’s the matter that your face has turned so pale?”

He Yingqin took a rough breath and managed to spit out a few words.

“K-Korea has blocked the Yangtze River and the Grand Canal.”

“What?”

Chiang Kai-shek felt his words get stuck in his throat at those words.

Korea’s first military action was to block China’s major arteries.

Around the time Chiang Kai-shek in Nanjing was in shock, the diplomatic envoys to China were agreeing with Korea’s military action.

“Rather than letting Chiang Kai-shek make the misjudgment of siding with Germany, it’s right to suppress him with force like this.”

“Prime Minister Lee Sung-joon made a good decision.”

It was not a war, but a show of force.

That much could be tolerated.

China, having received a strong warning from Korea, would also change their mind.

They made this calculation and ignored the desperate request of the Republic of China government.

“What, are you going to let those Korean bastards block the Yangtze River?”

“Why are you asking here, not that great Anti-Comintern Pact?”

Unfortunately for China, the great powers that could exert influence here in Asia were not on good terms with the Anti-Comintern Pact member countries.

“What about Germany, what happened to Germany?”

The Chinese government clung to Germany, the only corner they could lean on.

“If Germany doesn’t step up, we can’t do anything and have to submit to Korea.”

Chen Jie, the Chinese Ambassador to Germany, appealed for intervention to German Foreign Minister Ribbentrop with a face that looked like he was about to cry at any moment.

Ribbentrop had no choice but to explain the measures the German government would take.

“Our government has decided to deliver a strong condemnation statement to the Korean government.”

“And?”

“We will expedite the promised military supplies.”

“A-and?”

“No, what more measures can we take on the other side of the globe? I’m saying it takes time for us to exert influence in China.”

Only then did Chen Jie realize.

No matter how powerful Germany was, it was not as scary as Korea, a nearby fist.

‘We shouldn’t have gone against Korea in the first place.’

It was a late realization.

If they really wanted to side with Germany, they should have moved after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Chen Jie reported to his home country that there was not much Germany could do.

In fact, the German government’s condemnation statement was simply ignored by the Korean government.

“What? Stop the illegal intervention in China? Damn sausage bastards. You stop intervening in your neighbors.”

Koreans didn’t even sneer, so Germany’s condemnation became a laughing stock.

The great powers that had interests in China also clearly showed their intention not to stop Korea’s actions with silence or subtle support.

With the support of the great powers, Korea’s blockade of the Yangtze River continued.

In this situation, it was impossible for the Republic of China to continue on the path to the Axis Alliance.

“We, the Government of the Republic of China, declare that we will reconsider joining the Anti-Comintern Pact.”

China succumbed to Korea’s pressure by ‘canceling’ the fact that they joined the Anti-Comintern Pact.

Many Chinese people felt anger at this.

“Dirty Gaoli Bangzi bastards. What does it have to do with them whether China makes an alliance with others or not, why are they intervening?”

If Korea had been allied with the Soviet Union, it would have been understandable.

But that wasn’t the case either, was it?

Despite that, they interfered with China’s joining the Axis, which was simply outrageous.

Anyway, this failed path to the Axis brought a tremendous aftermath to Chinese politics.

Chiang Kai-shek suffered considerable political damage.

“I will resign from the position of President of the Executive Yuan to take responsibility for this incident.”

Chiang Kai-shek took responsibility for the failure of the Axis Alliance by giving up the nominal head of government position, the President of the Executive Yuan.

Of course, he firmly held onto the position of Chairman of the Military Commission, the actual source of power, and did not let go.

“Look at that Zhang bastard, just pretending to take responsibility.”

Anyway, China thought all problems were solved with this.

However, some in the Korean military had a slightly different idea.

“What if we escalate things when His Excellency hasn’t made a decision?”

“Escalate things? Don’t tell me, you mean that operation plan?”

“Yes. Aren’t the conditions just right? With the Gangsang Fleet dispatched for a show of force, it’s perfect for escalating things.”

The 3rd Department of the Army Operations Bureau waved the Sino-Korean War plan they had ambitiously devised.

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“But His Excellency’s intentions are not set, what if he gets furious when we try to make things happen?”

“Well, we can just shift the responsibility to China. If we do it like the time with Park Han-jin, there will be no evidence and it can be handled cleanly.”

The meaning was to create something like the Tianjin Warship Sinking Incident.

Of course, unlike then, the warship didn’t need to sink.

A provocation by the Chinese military was enough.

“It’s too dangerous. If by any chance it’s discovered, His Excellency will never forgive us.”

“But if not now, when will we deal with China? This is for the fatherland and the nation. We military officers have always made decisions for the country rather than self-preservation. Our loyalty will be recognized by the historians of later generations.”

The staff officers of the Operations 3rd Department looked at the department head with a determined expression.

For the officers who were pushed to the 3rd Department, which was no different from a demotion, and were facing retirement soon, this was their last chance to dedicate themselves to the fatherland.

After all, if things went well, couldn’t they get promoted?

Amid the officers’ intense gazes, the department head let out a heavy sigh.

“Let’s go see the Director of the Operations Bureau. If things go well at the top, we’ll proceed, if not, we’ll fold.”

“Yes, sir.”

It was the moment when the seeds of war were sown in the shadow of the show of force planned by Lee Sung Joon.