**Chapter 100**
Pacific Fleet (1)
"Teacher! I heard that France lost the war and transferred the rights to the debt to Mexico. Is it true?"
"...Where did you hear that?"
Gerard Simon knew it was a rumor spread by his classmates, but he acted as if he was genuinely surprised and bewildered.
"It doesn't matter where I heard it. Is it true?"
Everyone attending this school knew that France had demanded a huge sum of money in exchange for Haiti's independence. They were all children of upper-class families in Haiti. Otherwise, they would be suffering under harsh labor at this hour.
"It's true. Ahem. Let's end the discussion here."
"Then! What if Haiti joins Mexico? Will all the debts disappear?"
"Emile!"
Gerard Simon was genuinely startled.
"Don't even utter such a thing!"
Haiti had gained independence through a slave rebellion, but that didn't mean it became a democratic country.
Only the French officials had disappeared. There was a strong alliance between the military leaders and the former landowners at the time of independence.
Thankfully, the children here were all from landowning families, so the military leaders wouldn't hear about this, but it was a very dangerous statement.
"Why not! We don't like the French, but Mexico isn't bad. They even punished the French and freed the black people in Cuba, making them live well. Didn't you teach us that last time, Teacher? Right, Jerome?"
"Yes. You definitely said that last time."
Military leaders and landowners.
The landowning class emerged after independence when the military leaders themselves, their close associates, and some peasants were given land, so these two classes could be considered one body, but if you look closely, there are clear differences in their positions.
The military leaders monopolized power using the army, their actual force, and the justification that they contributed to independence. Most landowners didn't have political power.
"We Haitians fought so hard for independence. To give it up... The adults will be shocked, so don't say such things."
"Yes."
Emile cowered as Teacher Gerard Simon scolded him.
Gerard Simon was genuinely worried about this situation. It was a statement that came out faster than expected.
Haitians have national pride. After all, they were the first country to gain independence through a slave rebellion in history.
Emile's statement was something a 15-year-old, who had grown up in an environment where his parents were already landowners, could say after independence. It was a statement that was difficult to relate to yet, so he had to stop him. It could only fuel social backlash.
"Still, the work I've been doing has been effective. I'm surprised at how well it's working, but it's unexpected."
Gerard Simon was the first black agent of the Mexican intelligence agency. He was once a slave, but he became a freeman thanks to the grace of the Mexican Imperial family.
He made a different choice than other freed slaves: he joined the Mexican army.
Black people have recently started joining the army in large numbers due to the war with France, but seven years ago, right after the abolition of slavery, less than ten people, including him, volunteered to join the Mexican army out of the tens of thousands of freed slaves.
Everyone else thought about going to the countryside, getting land, and farming, or going to the city, getting a house, and working. It was very rare for someone to suddenly enlist.
"I'll repay the kindness I received by freeing Haiti."
Ironically, the children he's teaching are from the families on the exploiting side, not the exploited side, but that's what makes it even more meaningful. He's made the privileged class, who should be opposing him, support him.
Moreover, he was gaining a reputation as a knowledgeable teacher who was well-informed about the outside world by teaching these children.
There are very few knowledgeable people in Haiti now, and even fewer who are well-informed about the outside world. That's why Gerard Simon's reputation had to spread.
***
"It's Asia."
"Asia?"
All the money my companies earn is reinvested in those companies.
To increase investment through Real Inversión in this situation, we need to earn money from outside, not from those companies.
Asia is what I came up with as a way to do that.
"Yes. From what I've learned, Japan's gold price is very interesting."
"Japan... Ah, you mean that East Asian country. I know that the trade volume has increased recently, making it very difficult to take advantage of the price difference between gold and silver, but is Japan different?"
As I was talking with Diego, the cityscape of Veracruz outside the window was being bathed in the evening glow.
"Don't be surprised, it's 4.5 to 1."
"What? Is that true?"
There was a time when Mexico and South America circulated a large amount of silver, causing the global exchange rate between gold and silver to fluctuate, but nowadays, they are traded at almost the same rate globally.
Trade volume has increased since then, the size of the economy itself is growing rapidly, and a large amount of gold has come from our Mexico.
"Yes. It's a huge difference from the global standard of 15 to 1."
"Even if it's true, wouldn't Japan refuse to sign a trade agreement?"
Naturally, they would refuse to trade. Japan at this time was implementing the Sakoku (鎖国) policy, which literally translates to "closed country."
The only exception was the Netherlands, which was allowed to trade on an artificial island called Dejima, located in Nagasaki. This was a policy with the intention of controlling the influence of the outside world by accepting foreign goods through trade but also limiting their influence within Japan.
In this situation, there's no way to solve this diplomatically unless we use force.
"That's why I established the Pacific Fleet."
"Ah, that's why."
It's been 18 years since I came to this world, and this 15-year-old body is now 33.
I've already resolved the moral dilemma of attacking external groups by forcing the indigenous people to submit.
I'm the Crown Prince of the Mexican Empire, and my top priority as Crown Prince must be the benefit of the Mexican Empire.
"Of course, there's no need to be deliberately cruel."
Even though it's the age of imperialism, we're busy absorbing our own territory, so we don't have any plans to expand useless colonies. After all, they're colonies that we'll only end up with a bad reputation and won't be able to maintain in the end.
It's right to exert influence to benefit our Mexico and invest that in the mainland.
"By now, our fleet must have crossed the Pacific."
***
February 1, 1841.
An unidentified fleet appeared in Edo Bay in Japan. The imposing sight of the fleet was cast upon the sea under the brilliant morning sun.
This unidentified fleet completely blocked Edo's maritime traffic, which sustained a population of 1 million.
The peaceful daily life of Edo, which had enjoyed stability for a long time, was instantly filled with tension.
"...Is that iron plating on the entire ship? Am I seeing things?"
"No, I'm seeing it too."
"The cannons are enormous."
As the Japanese people watched, the lead ship was not only large but also iron-plated, and the size of the cannons it carried was so enormous that the Edo shogunate couldn't even think of sending its navy.
"With that kind of firepower... Could it be the British ships that are currently at war with China?"
Tokugawa Ieyoshi's gaze was fixed on the distant fleet. He speculated about the identity of the fleet that had suddenly appeared.
News had recently come that the vast empire of China was struggling against a European country called England, so he thought that this kind of fleet could only be the British.
"From what I heard from the Dutch merchants, that flag belongs to a country called the Mexican Empire."
As his subordinate's voice pierced the heavy air, a wrinkle appeared on Tokugawa Ieyoshi's forehead.
"Mexico? Where is that...? No, we can't just stand here, so send a messenger."
"Yes."
A messenger from the Edo shogunate reached the Mexican Imperial fleet, but there was no one in Japan who could speak Spanish. They had chosen someone who was proficient in Dutch and English and could speak some French, but he couldn't speak Spanish.
Actually, there was someone on the Mexican Pacific fleet who could speak English, but they demanded that they bring someone who could speak Spanish. It was to gain a psychological advantage in the negotiations.
The messenger couldn't achieve anything and returned, starting to look for someone among the Dutch who could speak Spanish.
"It's been a day, and they still haven't come... I guess we need to fire a warning shot."
Dario Navarro, the admiral of the Mexican Imperial Pacific Fleet (Flota del Pacífico), issued a warning shot order.
"Yes!"
The two main turrets of the silent Mexican fleet began to rotate. The heavy silence spread over the sea was broken by the sound of the turrets rotating.
"What? What's going on? The cannons are moving!"
The main guns, aimed at the sea, spewed fire.
Boom! ...Boom!
The intense roar shook Edo Bay.
Whistle-whistle-
Splash!
Even the Dutch merchants watching from afar were horrified by the chilling power.
"I guess that's the new Mexican ship that destroyed the French fleet."
One merchant sighed.
"The rumors weren't false. With that kind of firepower, it could pierce even a ship of the line."
"It seems sufficient."
While the Dutch merchants leisurely assessed the power of the Mexican ship, Japan, with its feet set on fire, finally found someone who could speak Spanish.
Two days after the fleet arrived, on February 3rd, amidst the still cold winter wind, the first conversation between the Mexican Empire and the Edo shogunate took place.
"What brings you here with your fleet?"
"I've brought a letter from His Highness, the Crown Prince of the Mexican Empire. I'll deliver it to your general in person, so please grant us permission to land."
"...To land such a large fleet? That's impossible."
"Then, I have no choice but to sail this fleet into Edo."
The shogunate official's tone was polite, but the Mexican official's tone was overbearing.
The Pacific Fleet, consisting of one ironclad, two 104-gun ships of the line, four armored frigates, and a high-speed messenger ship, had no equal in this part of the East.
The Mexican Imperial naval officers considered the Japanese warships to be nothing more than toys.
The Edo shogunate official, sweating profusely under the terrifying threat, changed his tune.
"I'll go back and get permission. Please wait a little longer."
"Bring me an answer within three days."
***
"It's insane to let them into Edo! You saw their rude behavior!"
"Do you think they'll just back down? Lord, if it's unavoidable, we need to let them in as soon as possible to lift the blockade."
Being blockaded in front of Edo was like having a noose around the Edo shogunate's neck.
The shogunate's current naval power couldn't even scratch their fleet. In that case, it was better to negotiate quickly.
"That's true, but what if they have ulterior motives?"
Tokugawa Ieyoshi pondered for a long time, but he had to make a decision.
The three days the Mexicans had announced had passed, and they had started approaching Edo with their fleet.
"Their fleet is moving!"
"We need to grant them permission to land immediately!"
The fear of being bombarded at any moment gripped Edo.
"I'll grant them permission to land."
Tokugawa Ieyoshi had no choice but to say that.
Thank you
ReplyDelete