Among the divided factions, the voices raised most vociferously belonged to the ‘Anti-Proposal Faction.’

“It is a matter of national pride for our Great Ming to eagerly snap up a proposal extended by Joseon!”

“Before our defeat in the last war, Joseon was a country that did nothing but bow deeply in gratitude for the benevolence bestowed upon them by our Great Ming! To accept this now is an affront to our dignity!”

“What is this mere petroleum that we must bend our pride to Joseon for it?”

In response, the ‘Pro-Proposal Faction’ began to raise their voices with equal fervor.

“Mere petroleum, you say! Because of that ‘mere petroleum,’ the great powers of Europe are attempting to join hands with the Ottoman Empire, their sworn enemy!”

“This is not about bending our pride! It is about pursuing mutual benefit!”

“The Empire is moving, and Europe is moving! If we turn our backs on the world for the sake of petty pride, we shall only face ruin!”

Just as the two sides were locked in fierce confrontation, the military leadership threw its weight behind the Pro-Proposal faction. Their reasoning was practical and urgent:

According to reports, Joseon has begun using petroleum as fuel to power their ships. Having imported refined petroleum from the Empire and tested it, we found it to be far more efficient than coal. It applies not only to the battleships used by the navy. Petroleum is also advantageous over coal as fuel for the tractors and assault vehicles used by the army. Finally, for the ‘flying machines’—or airplanes, as we call them—that Joseon is researching, improved power plants are essential. Considering the characteristics of these aircraft, petroleum is indispensable.

With the military joining the fray, the scales tipped decisively in favor of the Pro-Proposal faction. As the situation shifted, many who had initially stood with the opposition defected to the supporting side.

And here, once again, a wind of blood began to blow.

The few remaining members of the opposition were the hardliners among hardliners. In the secret locations where they gathered, words condemning the Chenghua Emperor overflowed.

“This entire situation is a conspiracy orchestrated by the Emperor!”

“Correct! Only the Emperor could have mobilized the Imperial Guards who had been standing by!”

“Tsk! This Emperor was flawed from the very beginning! Of all people, to bring in someone raised in Joseon! No matter how dire the circumstances were, they should have looked harder for a successor!”

As denouncements of the Emperor poured from everyone’s mouths, those with their own ambitions began to feel the stirrings of greed.

Wait a moment. The number of people gathered here is small, but they are all heavyweights of the court. If played correctly? If this is handled well… Is there any law stating I cannot become a Lu Buwei? Is there any reason I cannot sit in the position of ‘below one person, above ten thousand’?

Those whose ambitions had been reignited began to whisper suggestions to the comrades gathered in the room.

“How would it be if we took this opportunity to start anew?”

“Hm? Start anew?”

“Indeed. I am proposing a‘Purification’.”

Hearing that word, their colleagues turned pale with fright.

“Do not tell me! Are you suggesting treason?”

“It is not treason. It is a purification. Honestly, look at the Forbidden City now. Is it not a situation where the Emperor, who might as well be Korean, is surrounded by Koreans? How can this be seen as the court of the Great Ming? It is merely a vassal court of Joseon. Only through a purification can the thousand-year glory of the Great Ming be possible!”

“T-That implies… even the Emperor…”

“Abdication is the only answer.”

“I will pretend I did not hear that!”

“It is already too late! Just by opposing Joseon’s proposal, your future has effectively vanished! Merely keeping your current position would be something to be grateful for, but in reality, you will either be demoted to a provincial magistrate in some backwater or, even if you endure, your head will eventually be cut off for some trivial mistake! It is already too late!”

The phrase ‘It is already too late’ hardened the resolve of the opposition. The power struggles within the Forbidden City were fierce beyond imagination. Officials fought battles without bloodshed to secure slightly higher positions or slightly more power.

The government district of Beijing was a place where arguments raged in the open while slander and secret denouncements overflowed in the shadows. In such a place, if one fell out of favor with the Emperor even slightly, advancement became utterly impossible. Convinced that nothing remained for them but a bleak future, the remaining opposition members eventually decided to join hands with the ambitious plotters.

And this decision summoned a storm of blood upon Beijing.

***

Although they had agreed to join in the heat of the moment, swept up by the atmosphere, most began to regret the decision as time passed.

“This isn’t right! It’s impossible!”

No matter how much they thought about it, the only foreseeable outcome was failure. Consequently, a few quick-witted individuals secretly sought out the Imperial Guards Brocade and the Eastern Depot.

“I have come to report something.”

“If it is about the treason, we are already aware.”

“Gasp!”

“Who do you think we are?”

The Imperial Guards Brocade and Eastern Depot were already fully apprised of their movements. Upon confirming the reports that arrived almost simultaneously from both intelligence agencies, the Chenghua Emperor issued orders with a face distorted by fury.

“Drag in everyone who participated in the treason, along with their nine clans, and interrogate them! No, drag in their ten clans!”

“We receive your command!”

Following the Chenghua Emperor’s order, those who had participated in the conspiracy—along with everyone connected to them by blood, geography, or academic lineage—were all dragged in to face brutal torture.

While the screams of the tortured filled one corner of the Forbidden City, the Chenghua Emperor summoned the Crown Prince to impart a lesson.

“Whenever state affairs are discussed, it is impossible for all ministers to think the same way as you. That is why the Emperor and ministers gather to discuss matters together. Naturally, there will be agreement and opposition, and even compromise proposals may emerge. The Emperor’s job is to listen carefully to those words and adopt the ideas that are good for the country. But look at those treasonous wretches. Plotting treason just because their ideas were not accepted? Bear in mind that even when you become Emperor later, punishing such people immediately is the only way to serve the country.”

“I shall carve it into my heart. But why did they conceive of such a foolish thing?”

To the Crown Prince’s question, the Chenghua Emperor gave a simple and clear answer.

“Because they are fools blinded by greed. Blind fools who decided by seeing only what they wanted to see, without properly examining their surroundings.”

After this storm of blood swept through, Beijing finally reached the decision to accept the Empire’s proposal.

***

Unlike Beijing, where fierce opposition led to bloodshed, the decision in Yamaguchi was reached quite easily. The word ‘quite’ is attached here because there were no individuals harboring useless greed.

“According to rumors, the Empire has proposed a joint venture to Ming as well as to us, Japan. There is a saying, ‘Do not lose a good opportunity.’ Wouldn’t it be better for us to move first?”

At the suggestion of ‘moving first,’ the King of Japan, Ouchi Yoshioki, folded his fan and asked.

“Move first, you say? Is that not obvious? We must move faster than Beijing to increase our share, after all.”

At Yoshioki’s words, the retainer who had made the initial suggestion bowed prostrate and continued.

“That is not what I meant, but rather that our Japan should move to Persia independently, ahead of them.”

“Independently?”

“Yes. Seoul is a great power, and Beijing is also a great power. Naturally, Japan’s share is bound to be small. Therefore, Japan should move first to monopolize Persia. Or, even if a monopoly is impossible, we could secure the largest possible share, at least more than half.”

“Oho~. Do you think it is possible for us to occupy Persia before Seoul or Beijing?”

When Yoshioki showed interest, the retainer answered with a significantly brighter face.

“It is entirely possible! Because Seoul and Beijing are massive, it takes a lot of time for them to make a move. If we utilize that time, we have a sufficient chance of winning!”

“Hmm…”

Yoshioki thought for a moment while listening to the retainer, then shared his impression.

“Like the Zodiac. Are you suggesting Japan should move like the Rat?”

“Ah, that is…”

Faced with Yoshioki’s icy demeanor, the retainer stammered with a pale face. Yoshioki began to criticize the retainer fiercely.

“Do you intend to make Japan into a rat! To be blinded only by the profit before your eyes and fail to observe your surroundings is exactly like a rat! Do you not see the situation Japan is in?”

“N-No, that is not it… Your humble servant only wished for Japan’s national interest…”

“National interest? Is that for the national interest! You scoundrel! How much do you know about Persia! Nay, how many among Japan’s retainers know about Persia, and can you be confident that the quantity and quality of that knowledge is better than the Empire’s? And does Japan possess enough ships to transport our soldiers and supplies all the way to Persia?”

“T-That is…”

“The Empire extended its hand to us in a situation where we lack every single one of those things properly! We should be grateful just to be included, yet what? Move first? You scoundrel! How is what you said different from treason!”

At Yoshioki’s rebuke, the retainer pressed himself flat against the floor and answered.

“W-We apologize! My thinking was short-sighted!”

“Get out!”

When Yoshioki hurled the fan he held in his hand and roared, the offending retainer stumbled as he fled the Grand Hall.

“Pathetic fool, stupid bastard…”

Having spat out curses, Yoshioki looked around at the other retainers.

“Is there anyone else who shares the thoughts of that fool?”

“N-No, there is not!”

“Hmph!”

Snorting at the terrified reaction of his retainers, Yoshioki ordered the attendant beside him.

“Fan.”

“Hai!”

Taking the fresh fan brought by the attendant, Yoshioki continued addressing his retainers.

“Think carefully about what I just said to that fool. And do not forget that we must move faster than Beijing.”

“Ha!”

“Then, let us move to the next agenda item…”

That day, after the meeting ended, the retainers gathered separately to discuss the Empire’s proposal.

“There is some truth to what Yamamoto said. Seoul is the proposer and Beijing is a great power. It is certain that the share Japan takes will be small.”

“That may be true, but it is also impossible for us to move first and monopolize Persia. Above all, we have too little information.”

“Is it only information we lack? We have no ships either. Do you think those merchants who only care about their own profit would easily give up their ships?”

“Setting all that aside, if we moved first, would the Empire leave Japan alone? If we had to face the Empire, could Japan survive?”

At the final question, everyone in the meeting room shook their heads silently. Seeing this, the one who asked the question drew his own conclusion.

“It is true that it takes time for Seoul or Beijing to move. But it is also a fact that once they start moving, no one can stop them. Especially given the nature of the people in Seoul, they would move until they saw the bitter end.”

“They would beat us until the end.”

“Haa~.”

At someone’s blunt expression, the meeting room filled with the sound of sighs.

And that evening.

A wakizashi sent by Yoshioki was delivered to the home of Yamamoto, who had offended Yoshioki. To Yamamoto, who stared at the short sword engraved with the crest of the Japanese royal family, the messenger spoke.

“Do not worry about your family, my lord.”

“To be granted such benevolence, I am truly only grateful.”