NOVPUB
Chapter 61: Sino-Korean War (2)
On July 15, 1941, a war broke out in the Far East, but the world showed a surprisingly lack of interest.
“Ah, I gotta watch the title match between the Commie million-strong army vs. the Nazi United States of Europe!”
With a hellish war of annihilation unfolding in the middle of Europe, causing tens of thousands of casualties a day, what would it matter if some yellow monkeys died?
The public opinion of countries around the world showed a surprisingly cold response.
I had anticipated that international public opinion would turn out this way.
How many people did the former Japanese Empire kill in the Sino-Japanese War?
Nearly 20 million people died from the war or starvation.
Some scholars even say that up to 50 million people died.
Yet, the world was indifferent to China’s tragedy.
This time was no different.
The Korean Empire switched to a total war system.
In June, while preparing to support the Soviet Union, it had already entered a partial mobilization phase, but it was different from a full-fledged wartime situation.
Factories that produced civilian consumer goods were successively converted into military industries producing military supplies.
Leather factories made military uniforms and boots, tractor factories started producing tanks, and pipe factories began stamping out rifles.
The complete transition to a war economy was achieved at an astonishing speed.
“Alright, I’m taking the picture.”
I posed while holding a newly produced submachine gun.
“How long do I have to wait for this?”
“Just a bit longer, Your Excellency.”
Having lived in the 21st century where you could take a picture instantly with a click, waiting for a while for a camera to move was really inconvenient.
I couldn’t get used to it at all.
“Your Excellency. Here’s today’s war report. Shanghai has fallen.”
“Hmm. Shanghai falls in three days. They’re pushing more vigorously than expected.”
Perhaps remembering the lessons learned from the previous war, Chiang Kai-shek did not repeat the mistake of cramming dozens of divisions into a narrow area.
However, that level of improvement could not match the powerful Korean Army.
Unfortunately for the Chinese, we had become stronger than during the First Sino-Korean War.
On the contrary, China had to enter the war without fully recovering from the damage of the First Sino-Korean War.
As the gap between the two widened, victory on the Western Front was an extremely natural outcome.
Since the sword has been drawn, this time we’ll go to the level of completely subjugating China.
We had already aroused the vigilance of the West, we had to at least incorporate China into our sphere of influence.
Ah, we have to recoup our losses, don’t we?
It’s a similar mentality to imperialist Japan, but there was a difference.
At least I was aware of what I was losing and gambling on.
“Your Excellency. The Defense Security Commander is requesting an audience.”
“Lee Jeong-ju? Tell him to come in.”
I straightened my clothes and then stood by the window, taking a posture as if pondering something.
A ruler has a duty to fulfill the fantasies of his subordinates anytime, anywhere.
In my case, I had the duty to show the image of His Excellency Lee Sung Joon working tirelessly day and night for the sake of the motherland and the nation.
“Your Excellency. This is Defense Security Commander Lee Jeong-ju.”
“Ah, yes. What’s the matter?”
Only then did I slowly turn towards the desk as if awakening from contemplation.
This should look plausible enough.
“There is someone on the Chinese side who wants to contact Your Excellency through an unofficial channel.”
“They contacted the DSC instead of the intelligence agency? From where?”
It seems they felt that the military intelligence agency was more reliable since we are a military regime.
Well, it’s not a wrong judgment.
“It’s from Hong Kong.”
I had Lee Jeong-ju continue explaining.
“The person who contacted us is Wang Jingwei, a prominent figure in the Kuomintang who was in charge of the last negotiation.”
Again, that guy?
Indeed, among the anti-Chiang faction, Wang Jingwei was the only one who had the courage(?) to openly side with Korea.
“I guess Wang Jingwei has brought some good news?”
“Yes. Wang Jingwei’s proposal is that if we help remove Chiang Kai-shek from power and support him, he is willing to actively promote a Sino-Korean alliance.”
This guy is an interesting fellow.
He says alliance, but that means crawling under our sphere of influence. And he accepts that?
Well, if you can sell out your country and become the head of state, it’s a profitable deal.
Our Lee Wan-Yong only became a count after selling out the country.
Certainly, selling the Republic of China to the Japanese Empire and becoming the head of the Nanjing Puppet Government was a judgment befitting a professional traitor.
Even betrayal is a talent.
Suddenly, I had such a thought.
Anyway, there seemed to be no need to completely reject Wang Jingwei’s proposal.
“You.”
“Yes, Your Excellency.”
“Tell Wang Jingwei that if he wants to form a Sino-Korean alliance, he should come into our occupied territory and establish a ‘new Republic of China government’.”
Just in case Wang Jingwei gets bold and goes against us, we had to consider that possibility as well.
So I’m proposing that he burn all the bridges and come over.
If he does something that anyone can see as traitorous, he’ll have no choice but to be our puppet.
That’s exactly what happened to Wang Jingwei in the original history.
“Wang Jingwei won’t accept it easily.”
Of course, if he’s human, that’s natural.
Who would want to put on a leash?
I wouldn’t want to say that either.
“If he refuses, tell him to wait until he changes his mind.”
Even if it’s not Wang Jingwei, we had many alternatives we could use.
The next day, the intelligence agency brought our new collaborator to me.
A handsome man with a friendly impression and likable features, dressed in a people’s suit, bowed to me at a 90-degree angle.
“I am Zhou Enlai, the plenipotentiary envoy of the People’s Republic of China. It is an honor to meet you, Your Excellency.”
Zhou Enlai?
The future number two of China was standing in front of me.
Indeed, he was one of the few reasonable and rational people within the Chinese Communist Party.
Of course, that doesn’t change the fact that he’s a Commie.
Ah, even though he clearly saw people dying during the Great Leap Forward, he didn’t think of stopping it and only prepared for the aftermath. How can he be human?
Even so, I couldn’t show any dislike towards the Commie who came from the Chinese Communist Party.
In a situation where I’m trying to get a piggyback ride from the Commie boss, I couldn’t say things like “I love anti-communism, oh ho ho.”
“Nice to meet you. I am Prime Minister Lee Sung Joon of the Korean Empire.”
I greeted Zhou Enlai with a smile on my face.
I even served him tea that I personally brewed.
Perhaps pleased with my hospitality, Zhou Enlai repeatedly expressed his gratitude.
After exchanging some casual conversation, we revealed our true intentions to each other.
“Our Chinese Communist Party is fully willing to cooperate with Korea and expand the liberated areas to the Yangtze River basin. However, we need the support of the Korean Army to do so.”
“Tell me. How much help do you need?”
I didn’t even think that Mao Zedong would help our war for free.
The Commies who want to share other people’s property wouldn’t readily give up their own, would they?
“We need 1 million rifles and 700,000 sets of military uniforms. We would also appreciate it if you could provide us with about 300 million rounds of ammunition.”
Th-these bastards, they have quite an appetite, don’t they?
The Commies I know are only around 100,000 in size.
But judging from the support they want to receive, it seems they want to raise a million-strong army.
If our influence and implicit support are added to this, they could become a force that can rival the Chinese Kuomintang.
No, they could become even more than that.
“That’s a bit difficult.”
I flatly rejected Zhou Enlai’s request.
It’s their own problem that the Commies are greedy.
Why should we grant that?
I’m not a Commie, after all.
“Then how much support can we receive?”
As expected, they didn’t intend to take it all from the beginning.
I had anticipated it.
“200,000 rifles, 150,000 sets of military uniforms, and 50 million rounds of ammunition. That’s all we can give you.”
Of course, these are the materials of the ‘former’ Japanese Army that are stored in the warehouse.
The storage conditions may not be very good, but why should we care when we’re not going to use them?
“That level of support makes it difficult for us to actively carry out the expansion of the liberated areas as proposed by Korea.”
Well, that’s understandable.
But why should we trust you and raise you to that extent?
If we’re not careful, a Commie regime more belligerent than the Kuomintang might be established right next to us.
“Your Excellency. If you could just bestow a little more generosity, we will surely live up to Korea’s expectations. Please show your magnanimity.”
You’ll live up to Mao Zedong’s expectations, not mine.
“So, you said your name is Comrade Zhou Enlai?”
“Yes. Prime Minister Your Excellency.”
“Let me tell you one thing. I am someone who doesn’t care if Chiang Kai-shek continues to dominate the continent.”
“Pardon?”
Was it unexpected?
However, I meant it sincerely.
“As long as the Republic of China submits to us and forms a Sino-Korean alliance, I don’t care who the ruler is. In other words, our partner doesn’t necessarily have to be Chairman Mao.”
“...”
“So think carefully. Will you take what we give you and act, or will you continue to play in the countryside without even taking that?”
I made it clear that I had no intention of massively investing materials in the Chinese Communist Party.
Zhou Enlai gulped and stared at me for a moment before barely speaking.
“We will follow Your Excellency’s words.”
This is why a superior-subordinate relationship is good.
The Chinese Communist Party had no choice from the beginning.
The subcontracting deal was concluded at this cheap price.
Footnotes
1. Wang Zhaoming, widely known by his pen name Wang Jingwei, was a Chinese politician who was president of the Reorganized National Government of the Republic of China, a puppet state of the Empire of Japan.2. Lee Wan-yong, also spelled Yi Wan-yong or Ye Wan-yong, was a Korean politician who served as the 7th Prime Minister of Korea. He was pro-Japanese and is best remembered for signing the Japan–Korea Annexation Treaty, which placed Korea under Japanese rule in 1910.3. Zhou Enlai was a Chinese statesman, diplomat, and revolutionary who served as the first Premier of the People's Republic of China from September 1954 until his death in January 1976.4. Mao Zedong, also known as Chairman Mao, was a Chinese politician, political theorist, military strategist, poet, and revolutionary who was the founder of the People's Republic of China.
