Overnight, the world's 5th-ranked power, the Korean Empire, was turned upside down.
Then, an unheard-of man named Lee Sung Joon rose to become the de facto supreme leader.
The world was shocked by this astonishing news.
It was hard to believe that the supposedly strongest nation in the East had experienced two coups in just a few years.
While everyone was stunned by the December 8th coup, the Chinese government expressed hope for this new incident.
"A coup among those savage Korean dogs is proof that the contradictions and dissatisfaction within their society have exploded. How can that shithole Pyongyang continue the war in this situation? Now that their fatigue has peaked, we need to redraft the negotiation terms, Foreign Minister!"
"Yes, Chairman."
"Inform Ambassador Trautmann1. Tell him that peace negotiations should proceed on terms more favorable to us than previously discussed."
Foreign Minister Zhang Qun2 inwardly sighed at Chiang Kai-shek's instructions.
Knowing what kind of stubborn, prideful people the Koreans were, how could they accept throwing away a fully set table?It was utter nonsense.
But Chiang Kai-shek was the decision-maker.
Zhang Qun had no choice but to meet with Oscar Trautmann, the German ambassador to China.
However, it seemed Trautmann also had something pressing to say to Zhang Qun.
"Ambassador, we want to negotiate with new conditions reflecting our rightful demands."
Trautmann sighed heavily at those entitled words.
"As it happens, Korea has also asked to change the negotiation terms."
Zhang Qun felt a glimmer of misplaced hope at those words.
Perhaps the new Korean military regime was composed of Asianists who advocated for Asian solidarity?
If so, it wouldn't be strange if they took a more lenient stance towards China.
"Let's hear it then."
But Trautmann's next words cruelly betrayed his naive expectations.
"The Korean government wants to withdraw other conditions in exchange for receiving all rights related to railways in North China."
"W-what?!"
Zhang Qun was utterly shocked.
Have the Koreans gone completely mad with greed?
If they accepted those outrageous terms, North China would become nothing more than a semi-colony of Korea.
There's a damned good reason why great powers always demand railway construction rights when infiltrating and exploiting other countries.
The horrific times of humiliation during the late Song dynasty replayed vividly in his mind.
Naturally, Zhang Qun's face turned bright red with barely contained outrage.
"Absolutely not! I cannot accept this even if a knife is held to my very throat!"
"I understand, for now."
From his tense conversation with Trautmann, Zhang Qun keenly felt that the new military regime was even more ruthless and uncompromising than Park Han-jin.
In any case, this disturbing fact needed to be reported to Chiang Kai-shek immediately.
"What?! They want us to hand over complete control of North China's railways to Korea?"
"That's what Ambassador Trautmann relayed, sir."
Zhang Qun's alarming report infuriated Chiang Kai-shek to the extreme.
Given this dire situation, it seemed nearly impossible to seek a diplomatic solution for the time being, regardless of Korea's chaotic coup situation.
There's no damn choice. We must find a way to teach those arrogant young upstarts controlling that shithole Pyongyang a brutal lesson about reality.
Chiang Kai-shek invited General Alexander von Falkenhausen, the head of the German military advisory group in China, to a tense dinner.
"Thank you for inviting me, Mr. Chairman."
"Please, sit comfortably, General."
Over the strained dinner, Chiang Kai-shek brought up the audacious idea of launching an all-out offensive against the Korean army, which was in utter disarray due to the recent coup.
Falkenhausen immediately stopped cutting his juicy meat upon hearing this shocking proposal.
"Mr. Chairman, that's completely unreasonable."
Anyone else might have shouted in disbelief, but this was his most trusted military advisor.
"What's the damn reason?"
"We simply lack the forces to commit to such a reckless offensive. Didn't most of your central direct army disintegrate after the devastating Battle of Shanghai?"
Falkenhausen painfully reminded Chiang Kai-shek of that humiliating fact.
Since the bloody outbreak of the Korean-Chinese War on August 21, 1937, the Chinese army had been pushed back helplessly like sacrificial lambs.
While they were barely holding out against relentless offensives on the North China front, relying on natural boundaries like the Yellow River, the eastern coast was a completely different story.
Shanghai, which Chiang Kai-shek had stubbornly tried to defend with his life, crumbled before the overwhelming power of the merciless Korean navy, and most of the 73 divisions deployed there had to retreat in disgrace after losing their heavy weapons.
The catastrophic losses to the central direct army were also severe, with 27 out of 30 divisions melting away beyond recognition, like snow under a blazing sun.
In the disastrous process, even the absolute defense line 'Seeckt Line', painstakingly constructed by Seeckt and Falkenhausen, collapsed like a house of cards, leaving the defense of Nanjing precarious and exposed.
An offensive against the battle-hardened Korean army in this desperate situation?
Falkenhausen thought the Chairman was too excited by the tantalizing news of the coup.
Of course, Chiang Kai-shek's infamous stubbornness was not easily broken.
"If we're discussing pure military strategy, you're right, General. I admit you're more of an expert than me in that regard. But cutthroat politics is a completely different story."
Chiang Kai-shek emphatically argued that they shouldn't miss this golden opportunity while the Korean army was in turmoil due to the coup.
He insisted that if they missed this fleeting chance, the Korean army would regroup like a hydra, and then they'd have to fight under even more unfavorable, hellish conditions.
"If we can achieve just a tactical victory this time, the coup regime will inevitably face severe political pressure and instability. Then, we can conclude this bloody war on more favorable terms for China."
It wasn't that Chiang Kai-shek was talking complete nonsense.
There were not a few cases where the actual war situation and the ultimate outcome of the war diverged like parallel lines.
The Tet Offensive during the Vietnam War was a prime example. The U.S. forces achieved an overwhelming tactical victory against the infiltrating Viet Cong, crushing them mercilessly.
The North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces that participated in the suicidal attack suffered fatal losses, to the point where some called it a 'suicide' of the Vietnamese army, a pyrrhic victory.
However, the actual political dynamics worked in the completely opposite direction, defying all expectations.
Americans, focusing on the shocking fact that even the U.S. Embassy was threatened by the Viet Cong, felt they were losing the unwinnable war.
As a result, Washington faced the ironic situation of winning militarily but losing politically, a bitter pill to swallow.
What Chiang Kai-shek wanted was theoretically similar to what the North Vietnamese army aimed for, a political victory snatched from the jaws of military defeat.
Falkenhausen didn't outright refute Chiang's logic but still expressed a strongly negative view on the proposed offensive, his brow furrowed with concern.
How utterly foolish was it to throw away what little stake they had left for the mere possibility of a political victory, a gamble with their nation's fate?
Falkenhausen clicked his tongue in disgust, thinking Chiang hadn't learned a damn thing even after making such a catastrophic mistake in Shanghai, his arrogance blinding him.
"Mr. Chairman, if we absolutely must launch this ill-advised offensive, it would be far better to postpone it until January at the earliest."
"Go on, I'm listening."
"I've heard that Lee Sung Joon, the enigmatic head of the new regime, isn't very high in the military hierarchy. If such an unknown person suddenly stands at the top, surely the high-ranking generals will be uncomfortable with this abrupt change."
Chiang had to agree, the logic undeniable.
"With such an inexperienced person in power, a bloody purge within the military is almost inevitable. So we should wait until Lee Sung Joon starts meddling with the generals at the front, causing chaos and discord."
"Wait just a moment."
Chiang pondered deeply upon hearing those shrewd words, stroking his chin.
Wait.
For the long-suffering Chinese, 'waiting' was all too familiar, a constant companion.
China always endured, waited, and persevered through countless hardships.
And in the end, they always emerged victorious, battered but unbroken.
Chiang finally decided to bend his infamous stubbornness a little, like a tree yielding to the storm.
"Very well. As you wisely advise, General, we'll postpone the offensive for now, biding our time."
For Chiang, who had endured for so long, a mere month was insignificant, a drop in the ocean of time.
But can the demoralized Chinese army even properly execute an offensive with their diminished capabilities?
Falkenhausen wasn't confident about this at all.
*
"Your Excellency. Here's the detailed schedule for recalling the field commanders, as you requested."
"All in December, I see. "
I pondered carefully as I read the confidential report submitted by Defense Security Commander Kim Sung-joo, my eyes scanning every line.
Recalling frontline field commanders during the height of wartime was a risky move, bordering on utter recklessness, a gamble with our nation's fate.
However, certain dangerous individuals had to be summoned without fail.
If we didn't call them to Pyongyang and strip them of their military authority, they could bare their fangs at us later, using their wartime achievements as leverage to challenge our rule.
A brazen challenge from celebrated war heroes openly opposing us.
Just the thought of such a nightmarish scenario sent icy chills down my spine, making my blood run cold.
To prevent these dangerous enemies from gaining even limited resources like influence within the military, we had to take some calculated risks, playing with fire.
"Should we adjust the schedule, Your Excellency? To minimize potential disruptions?"
"No, proceed as planned."
China might launch an opportunistic offensive, taking advantage of the temporary vacuum created by the successive recall of commanders, but it was a risk we could afford.
At least the Chinese army I knew from the 'webtoon' was a weak, disorganized enemy that couldn't handle even proper division-level operations, their ineptitude was almost laughable.
As long as we maintained a solid defensive posture, there shouldn't be any major problems, just minor border skirmishes.
After reorganizing by surgically cutting out those treacherous elements that need to be cut, we'll think about our next move.
Strengthening our iron grip on the military takes priority over China for now.
"I'll prepare and submit the final list of names soon, Your Excellency. For your approval."
"Good work, Commander. I have faith in your discretion."
Kim Sung-joo saluted crisply and left the office, his footsteps echoing in the hallway.
While we proceed with this final purge in the military, scouring the ranks for hidden traitors, what should we do about China, that troublesome thorn in our side?
I pondered, my mind racing with possibilities.
Come to think of it, Park Han-jin had already overcome the most difficult hurdles in the grueling Korean-Chinese War, through luck and brutality.
He had crossed the formidable Yellow River in some areas, taken the vital port of Shanghai, and broken through the supposedly impregnable Seeckt Line, shattering Chinese morale.
Looking at it this way, Park Han-jin wasn't entirely incompetent at warfare, despite his many faults.
His timing was as precise as Hitler's when he viciously slapped the Soviet Union, catching them off guard.
So what did that fool do next?
He started a ruinous war that would fuck up the country for generations, just like Hitler, consumed by his own megalomania.
Anyway, getting back to the main point after digressing about that vile madman Park Han-jin,
The only task left for the mighty Imperial Army was to occupy the capital, Nanjing, the heart of China.
However, as someone who knew both the original World’s history and the webtoon’s intimately, I absolutely couldn't touch Nanjing, not even with a ten-foot pole.
Occupying that accursed place would forever eliminate any slim possibility of reconciliation with China, burning all bridges.
Taking Nanjing wouldn't make China collapse like a house of cards anyway, despite what some naïve generals believed.
China had vast spaces and countless cities to relocate their capital.
Even if we took Hanyang, Wuchang, and all other potential capitals, they could just move to remote Chongqing in Sichuan, where Liu Bei's Shu Han dynasty once stood strong against all odds.
China's landmass was so staggeringly vast, and we lacked the capacity to pacify their entire continent.
In this grim situation, forcing China to surrender militarily was utterly impossible, a pipe dream conjured up by armchair generals.
If I foolishly believed it was possible, my intelligence level would be comparable to the original Imperial Headquarters, a pack of delusional fools.
Therefore, negotiation was the best option, the only sane path forward.
But when do things in this fucked-up world ever go exactly as planned? Rarely, if ever.
I had to consider the unpleasant possibility of things not working out as I thought.
What if such an undesirable situation occurred, despite my best efforts?
Negotiations fail spectacularly, and both sides storm away from the table in anger.
Then we'd have no choice but to remove the stubborn obstacles blocking negotiations, by any means necessary.
Even in the original 6.25 Korean War3, as soon as that bastard Stalin, who had been blocking the armistice, finally croaked, the ceasefire agreement was miraculously signed, like magic.
The same harsh principle applies to Korean-Chinese negotiations, a universal truth.
If we eliminate Chiang Kai-shek, the stubborn core of the hawkish war faction, all our problems would be solved in one fell swoop.
The Germans in the original timeline tried to take out their own mustached Führer whom they foolishly elected, so it wouldn't be strange at all for the warlords who even started bloody civil wars to kill Chiang to try to eliminate their own boss.
I don't mean they would actually agree to do so, just that the chaotic circumstances make it entirely plausible, even likely.
I decided to seriously consider assassinating Chiang Kai-shek as a contingency plan in case negotiations failed, a last resort.
Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures, and we were living in the most turbulent of times.
This was my ruthless Plan B to end the war, no matter the cost.
***
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