Reborn as King of South America

Chapter 566 Korean Peninsula II

The Busan Railway Station, not far from the port, was bustling with people, with whistles blaring, noises coming and going, and the sounds of hawking were constant. Looking around, it was filled with densely packed Korean people wearing coarse linen clothes and with their long hair tied up.

"The pace of reform in the Korean Empire is still too slow, and the customs and living standards of the people are still the same as before they left."

Jin Xingjian sighed as he looked at the ordinary people in the train station, who were poorly dressed and lacked daily necessities.

"It will be fine. The Korean Empire has achieved an independent status and has established close cooperative relations with the Han Empire and Russia. With the help and coordination of the two countries, the national strength of the Korean Empire will also be steadily improved.

Brother Xingjian, look at the biscuits and canned food in the hands of the people, as well as the steamed buns and rice cakes for sale. More than half of these processed foods and grains are transported from the mainland of the Han Kingdom, and the price is less than half of that in the peninsula.

With the grain and processed food imported from the Han Kingdom, the living standards of the people in the peninsula have improved a lot compared to 10 years ago. At the very least, there is no need to worry about large-scale peasant riots due to famine. "

A young North Korean man explained.

“Thanks to the help of the Han Empire, the empire was able to escape danger and ordinary people were able to get enough food to fill their stomachs.

Instructor Zhang, I am very glad that you can come to the Korean Empire to serve. I heard that your mother is also Korean, and you also have Korean blood. I believe that with the help of you and the adults, the development of the Korean Kingdom will get better and better, and the relationship between the two countries will become closer and closer. "

Jin Xingjian took a few quick steps forward, came up to Zhang Chengji, and spoke kindly.

"The Han Empire and the Korean Empire are as close as a family, and I have half Korean blood in my body. Not only me, but most of the more than 100 officers and soldiers who were replaced this time also have half Korean blood in their bodies. Our mothers were born and raised in Korea, and were forced to immigrate to South America. However, although they left the place where they were born and raised, their longing for their homeland has not changed at all. Before leaving for the post, my mother specifically asked me to go to my grandfather's house to see my grandfather, grandmother, uncle, nephew, niece, and the village where she lived when she was a child.

I'm not afraid of you laughing at me, but in order to fulfill my mother's wish, I used the military allowance I had saved for two months to buy a newly launched small camera, and planned to take a few sets of photos, and then let the comrades who were on duty take them back and give them to my mother. "

Zhang Chengji said with a smile on his face and a gentle tone.

Zhang Chengji, including many Han officers and soldiers stationed on the Korean Peninsula, many of them have half Korean ancestry, and because their mothers are Korean, they can speak fluent Korean. However, when it comes to identity recognition, both Chinese and Koreans are mainly based on paternal identity. Their fathers are Chinese and have received Chinese education in the Han country. Therefore, although they say that they have half Korean blood flowing in their bodies, they have never regarded themselves as Koreans in their hearts, nor have they regarded these Koreans as their compatriots. Not only them, but also after assimilation education and decades of naturalization life, coupled with the living conditions, economic conditions, and national status of the Han country that are far higher than those of the Korean Peninsula, their mothers' generation also psychologically identify themselves as Han people. If someone makes fun of their Korean origin, it will be considered a serious insult, which will not only be strongly counterattacked by the parties and their families, but also violate the government's public security management regulations and will be punished by public security management laws. Therefore, in the mainland and Songkhla, Lan Fang and other places, few people dare to make fun of the other party's pre-naturalization identity.

Compared with ordinary people in the local area, Zhang Chengji, an officer of the Imperial Army, who is 29 years old, has already started a family and has 4 children, and his rank has been promoted to major. His thoughts and insights are more mature and stable. He did not feel offended by the topic of his mother's background during the conversation with Jin Xingjian. Instead, he was calm and behaved in a friendly manner. In fact, Zhang Chengji did not feel any fluctuations in his heart about Jin Xingjian's deliberate attempt to get closer to him.

Studying in Han and relying on Han's power to balance Japan and Russia is a consensus reached across the Korean Peninsula. It is normal for Korea to seek help from others and deliberately win over Han. As for the so-called blood relationship, it is just talk and no one will take it seriously.

Even though Zhang Chengji said that he had a special blood relationship with North Korea and that his mother missed her homeland in North Korea, these were actually just polite words.

Like many descendants of maternal immigrants to South America who married local Chinese men, Zhang Chengji heard from his mother since he was a child mostly about his poor childhood, the oppression of the Korean government, nobles, and landlords, and the fear of famine and death. As for the so-called longing, it was only when he was occasionally touched that he recalled his parents, brothers and sisters in his hometown and a brief childhood experience. As for the land of Korea and the government that ruled the Korean Peninsula, it was difficult for him to have the so-called longing or good feelings for it because of the different class status.

"A new type of camera has been produced in the empire? This is really unexpected. The development of the Han Empire is really changing every day. If I have the opportunity to return to South America in the future, I am afraid that I will not even recognize the place where I lived before."

Zhang Chengji ordered a lieutenant to take out the small camera he had purchased and show it to everyone. After seeing it, Jin Xingjian was surprised.

"If you like it, I'll ask someone to buy one for you next time."

Zhang Chengji said generously.

"Thank you, Instructor Zhang. After I buy the goods, I will visit you and give you the money."

Industrial products such as cameras and watches were much cheaper when purchased locally than from overseas. Kim Heung-geon was born into an upper-class family on the Korean Peninsula and could naturally afford imported cameras. He took the opportunity to agree to pay a visit, intending to interact more with Jang Sung-ki and then, with the help of the power of the Han Kingdom, gain more political benefits in the officialdom of the newly established Korean Empire.

As everyone was chatting, they walked into the train station and were suddenly attracted by a loud noise.

Jin Xingjian beckoned over a North Korean civilian and asked, "What happened ahead? Why are so many people gathered together?"

"Master, a few Japanese wanderers are looking for trouble and are beating up a small vendor."

The people who were called over looked at Jin Xingjian and others with new hairstyles, realized that they were of unusual status, and spoke carefully and respectfully.

"The Japanese are going too far. Before leaving the peninsula, they launched an armed coup and organized ronin to openly attack the imperial palace. If the Han army had not rescued them in time, I'm afraid that His Majesty the Emperor and the Empress would have been killed by the Japanese. Now, the main force of the Japanese army has evacuated the empire, but they still dare to be so arrogant and wantonly humiliate the Korean people! This is intolerable, everyone, we returned from studying abroad to serve the country and defend the country's dignity. We must not stand idly by when we encounter such an injustice today!
Instructor Zhang, everyone, I'm sorry, we will go ahead and stop the Japanese atrocities. After returning to Seoul, we will meet you in private."

"No problem, let's go and take a look together. I also want to see what kind of people these Japanese wanderers are like."

"Thank you very much!" Jin Xingjian was overjoyed, and everyone rushed towards where the crowd gathered.

"Make way, everyone, make way!"

Jin Xingjian shouted to disperse the crowd, walked to a stall, looked at the two uniformed North Korean policemen beside him, and asked condescendingly in his usual manner: "You are the police responsible for maintaining order. When you saw the Japanese committing violence, why didn't you step forward to stop it!"

"Who are you?"

The police observed that Jin Xingjian and others were not simple people, especially when they saw Zhang Chengji and other Han soldiers following behind them, they asked them carefully.

"Mr. Jin, the Imperial Foreign Minister, is my uncle! My father is the Left Prime Minister of the Council of State!"

Jin Xingjian brought up his uncle and father's official positions, which shocked the two North Korean policemen on duty.

"Go and stop them!"

Jin Xingjian ordered.

"Master Jin, they are Japanese. If you interfere without authorization, it may cause disputes between the two countries."

"Didn't you understand what I said? They are on the land of the Korean Empire and must abide by the laws of the Korean Empire. Who gave them the right to beat the people of the Korean Empire for no reason? Go and stop their atrocities, then lock them up and punish them for their illegal actions according to the laws of the Korean Empire!
Go now, I don’t want to have to do this again!”

"Yes, sir." Considering Kim Heung-geon's prominent family background, the two North Korean policemen stepped forward with smiles on their faces and negotiated with the Japanese ronin who was committing violence.

"Assholes, stupid Koreans, a bunch of uncivilized scum! How dare you interfere in the affairs of the people of the Empire of Japan! Don't you want to live?"

Several Japanese ronin were arrogant and beat the two Korean policemen to the ground with their fists and feet, shouting wildly: "You lowly Koreans, you are all cowards! You only know how to bow your heads and curry favor with other countries! Sooner or later, the army of the Empire of Japan will occupy the entire Korean Peninsula! We will trample you pigs and dogs under our feet!"

"Haha, I heard that Korean women are humble and submissive. As long as they are given a bite of food, they will sell their bodies. The damn Han people only used a few ships of food to exchange batches of Korean women. I really want to taste the taste of Korean women! Especially those noble women, who are of noble status. It must be very fun to play with them."

"Damn it! You are worse than pigs and dogs. I do not allow you to insult the people of the Korean Empire like this!"

Jin Xingjian and his companions were so furious that they could not help but rush forward, ready to teach the Japanese ronin in front of them a lesson themselves. However, before they reached the Japanese ronin, they heard a gunshot, and the first Japanese ronin who had spoken rudely fell to the ground.

Zhang Chengji put away his pistol and ordered, "Load your rifles, take the weapons of the Japanese ronin, and kill anyone who dares to resist!"

"Yes, sir!"

At a command, more than ten Han soldiers came out and surrounded the Japanese ronin who were causing trouble.

"lay down your weapon!"

Cold orders came one after another. Even though he didn't understand Chinese, facing the cold muzzle of a gun and his companions who were hit by bullets and lying on the ground howling, the arrogant Japanese ronin lost his momentum in an instant.

"We are citizens of the Empire of Japan. Why do you shoot our companions? We want to protest to North Korea!"

A leading Japanese ronin, You Ziqiang, held on and spoke in a tough tone.

"You insulted the Han Empire. Shooting is the lightest punishment. If you don't do as we ask, I guarantee as a soldier of the Han Empire that none of you will leave here alive today! Protest? There's no need to protest to North Korea. If you want to protest, just protest to me. I'm the captain of the embassy guard stationed in the Korean Peninsula by the Han Empire. I have the right to make decisions on the battlefield when it comes to armed conflict!"

Among the Han country's rotation troops, there was an officer who knew Japanese and translated Zhang Chengji's words verbatim. After hearing Zhang Chengji's murderous words, several Japanese ronin lost their courage and gave up resistance, allowing the Han soldiers to come forward and control them.

"Xingjian, the Busan government has arrived. Let's leave these Japanese wanderers to them. The train is about to start. Let's not waste time and get on board quickly."

The gunshots alarmed the Korean soldiers on duty near the train station. A team of fifty or sixty guards arrived and saw several Japanese ronin tied up with ropes by Chinese soldiers. They did not dare to approach easily.

"Thank you, Instructor Zhang. I'll go say hello to them."

Jin Xingjian bowed again to express his gratitude, then chatted with the leading North Korean officer and explained what had happened. Then several Japanese ronin were left behind, and the rest boarded the train one after another.