Living in the 19th century, the most inconvenient thing of all is the speed of information.
I'm not even asking for smartphones.
Just a telephone… no, even telegraphs would be more than enough.
I've lost count of how many times I've thought that.
Still, Samuel Morse is currently being showered with money and has begun telegraph projects in both Canada and the United States, so results should appear by next year at the latest.
As soon as that succeeds, it will spread to Britain as well.
If I just wait a few years, the frustrating slowness of communication might finally ease.
However, establishing communication networks across continents will still take a long time.
Naturally, events happening in Asia reach my ears only after a delay.
No matter how hard I try, this is something I simply cannot change.
With the technology of this era, overcoming such physical distance is nothing more than fantasy.
As a result, completely unaware of what was unfolding across Asia, I was busy planning how to dismantle the East India Company in India.
If I could remove the East India Company as smoothly as possible and turn Indian public opinion in favor of the British Crown, it should become possible to make Victoria the Empress of India far more smoothly than in the original history.
And if that happened, my own status as her husband would naturally rise as well.
At the same time, the Indian interests currently dominated by the Baring family could be divided between the Rothschilds and myself, allowing us to secure a generous share of the profits.
Fortunately, the Rothschilds were even more cooperative than expected.
Apparently, they said that the scent of money coming from me was incomparable to anyone else.
Honestly, that wasn't wrong.
I had no choice but to admit that their sense for money was truly exceptional.
Because of the inherent disadvantage of being Jews, they could never stand openly at the forefront of power.
Naturally, that meant they had little choice but to ride on the back of someone like me.
My own position also made it difficult to stand completely in the open.
Perhaps because of that, we found ourselves understanding each other quite well.
And the fact that I had never discriminated against Jews probably worked in my favor as well.
"As Your Highness instructed, we have investigated how the East India Company's operations are proceeding in India. As expected, many of their projects are tied to the British government. Among them, however, there are several ventures that appear… rather unstable."
"Perfect. If we dig into those, it'll be easy to destroy public confidence in the East India Company."
They were already obsessing over opium production just to maintain their declining profits.
If I could wipe them out completely this time, it would be immensely satisfying.
"Ah, and there's one more task I need you to handle. Your family has considerable influence not only in Britain but also in France, correct?"
"Yes. Our family has accumulated considerable wealth in France as well."
"As you know, Egypt has long wanted to build a canal connecting the Mediterranean and the Red Sea. Since Egypt effectively gained independence from the Ottomans a few years ago, these plans have accelerated. But if the canal is actually constructed, wouldn't Egypt be more likely to cooperate with France than with us, considering our less friendly relations with them?"
"That is true."
In the original history as well, Egypt cooperated with France to construct the canal.
But after France was thoroughly defeated by Prussia in the Franco-Prussian War, Britain was able to purchase a large amount of canal shares.
However, relying on such luck in this timeline would be foolish.
We would need to move faster before Egypt even began acting.
"Use every method available to ensure that France reacts negatively to the canal project. Alternatively, you could provide funds to Egypt and persuade them to negotiate with us first. The key point is that while France is distracted by Vietnam, we must secure the advantageous position in the canal project."
"Understood. I will discuss it with our relatives in France."
In the future, there would be far more merchant ships and warships heading toward Asia.
No matter what, the Suez Canal had to be firmly controlled by the British Empire.
And if Egypt refused to cooperate?
Then we could simply use the Rothschilds to orchestrate a massive financial scheme and push the Suez Canal Company into bankruptcy.
In the original history as well, when France tried to set absurd toll fees, Britain openly obstructed construction.
Of course, if I did it, I wouldn't be so crude.
A project requiring enormous capital like canal construction could easily be driven to bankruptcy if someone deliberately interfered with the finances in the middle.
While Russia and France remained obsessed with peripheral issues like Primorye or Vietnam, we would simply finish preparing the foundations for a century of British dominance.
I was happily immersed in these schemes, feeling as if I had finally returned to my real work again.
Then Benjamin Disraeli appeared, clearly furious, carrying reports from Asia.
"Those yellow mon— no, forgive me. The idiots in Asia appear to have completely lost their minds."
"Lost their minds? Did Joseon cause trouble again?"
It was rather sad that whenever I thought of troublemakers, Joseon immediately came to mind.
But what could I do?
My homeland was still full of rigid Neo-Confucian conservatives.
But Disraeli pulled out two letters and began explaining something I had never expected.
"It isn't Joseon. The draft of the mediation agreement between Joseon and Russia has been completed smoothly. The problem is Japan."
"So Japan wants to be included as well. I expected that from the beginning."
"The problem is… for some reason those fools sent an invitation asking to invite Your Highness."
"…Excuse me? Are they asking me to go to Japan?"
"The Governor of Shanghai was so dumbfounded that he didn't even know whether to be angry or not. Originally he intended to ignore it, but since Shogun Tokugawa himself wrote a personal letter addressed to Your Highness, he sent it here instead. They insisted that only Your Highness should open it, so no one else has read it."
A minor Asian country in the distant Far East daring to summon the Prince Consort of Britain.
No wonder Disraeli was furious.
"What is Parliament saying?"
"The majority opinion is to reject it outright and send warships to warn those insolent fools to stop talking nonsense and open their country."
Naturally.
This was also a matter of British national pride.
Both political parties would unite in condemning Japan.
Most members of Parliament were probably genuinely angry, just like Disraeli.
"Well then, I suppose I should first see what nonsense my distant cousin has written."
Half amused and half curious, I opened the letter from the man who had fabricated my Tokugawa lineage.
Apparently assuming I could speak Japanese but not read it, the letter included an English translation prepared by Dutch merchants.
"To His Highness, Prince Consort of the British Empire.First, I sincerely apologize for making such an unexpected request that may cause Your Highness discomfort. This proposal arises from complicated circumstances within our country, and I must emphasize that it is not meant to show disrespect toward Your Highness or the British Empire.
I, Tokugawa Ieyoshi, Shogun of the shogunate, have long admired Your Highness's fame and hoped that this country might one day develop as greatly as the British Empire. The reason for this humble request is that all the people of this nation wish for the honor of seeing with their own eyes the Tokugawa hero who has achieved such success in Europe.
I know this would cause Your Highness great inconvenience, and I feel nothing but shame for asking. However, if Your Highness were to visit, it would greatly strengthen the friendship between our nations, and the thirty million people of these islands would praise Your Highness's generosity and regard the British Empire as a brother nation."
The letter was so excessively apologetic that it was immediately obvious this invitation had not been Ieyoshi's original idea.
Most likely, public pressure had forced him into it before he even realized what was happening.
But that was their problem.
I had no reason to care.
Normally I would have ignored the request entirely.
But the final part of the letter caught my attention.
"Of course, it would be shameless to ask for Your Highness's understanding without offering anything in return. Therefore, if Your Highness were to visit personally, we will actively pursue trade between the British Empire and the shogunate, and we will accept whatever conditions Your Highness desires.
All across these islands, people are already thrilled by the success that Your Highness—descendant of the Tokugawa—has achieved in Europe. I too will spare no effort to ensure that all Asia may unite with Your Highness in the future. I humbly ask for a favorable response and promise that the time spent traveling here will not be in vain."
They were offering not only a commercial treaty, but also a willingness to accept almost any condition I demanded.
Honestly, that wasn't a bad proposal.
The shogunate must know how dangerous this invitation was for them.
Which meant they truly had no better options left.
Depending on how I handled this, it might even be possible not merely to open Japan—
but to turn it into something halfway to a British client state.
Of course, if I pushed too openly, it might provoke resentment.
But what was the British Empire best at?
Divide and rule.
Since the Shogun had personally addressed me as Tokugawa in his letter, that also provided a convenient justification for British involvement if something happened later.
And because it could be framed as an internal matter, it would be easy to keep countries like France or Russia from interfering.
After finishing my calculations, I followed Disraeli into Parliament and announced that I would accept Japan's invitation.
"Your Highness! You have only just returned from Canada, and now you intend to travel to Asia?"
"If their king invited you in such an improper manner, we should simply ignore it!"
"That's right! For the Prince Consort of Britain to visit some remote Asian country would invite ridicule from other nations!"
"I understand your concerns, gentlemen. However, my distant relative, the Tokugawa Shogun, sent me a personal letter. He says he wishes to establish diplomatic relations with the British Empire and open his country, but he needs help persuading public opinion in Japan."
"But that's their problem! Why involve Your Highness—"
"Countries in Asia currently fear Europe greatly. And now Russia has attacked Qing. Given the circumstances, their reaction is understandable. Strictly speaking, however, this is an opportunity for us."
After slightly modifying the contents of Ieyoshi's letter, I unfolded a large world map centered on Asia before the members of Parliament.
"Japan occupies a very important geopolitical position. If both Joseon and Japan fall under our influence, Russia would be completely trapped and unable to emerge into the Pacific. Furthermore, as we increase our presence in Asia via the Pacific, we will require reliable locations to supply coal."
Sailing from Europe to Asia currently took nearly three months one way.
But crossing the Pacific from California reduced the journey dramatically.
However, while coal stations existed at places like the Cape of Good Hope, India, and Singapore, there were very few such locations across the Pacific.
Even though we had recently secured Shanghai and Tainan, using Japan as a supply base would be far more efficient.
"But still… there is no reason for Your Highness to go personally…"
"If someone else goes, it becomes a treaty between two states. But if I go—since they call me Tokugawa—it can be presented not as diplomacy between two nations, but as cooperation between brother nations. That would completely exclude France, which is always trying to insert itself into Asian affairs."
Such a structure would ensure that if problems arose later, Britain alone could intervene.
Of course, I didn't mention my other objective.
This was also the perfect opportunity to attract the immigrants I desperately needed.
After all, hadn't they promised to accept whatever conditions I wanted?
"Although the journey may be difficult, if it strengthens the British Empire's dominance, then I, Killian Gore Hanover, will gladly visit Asia as a relative of the Tokugawa! Everything is for the British Empire!"
The display of patriotic devotion moved the members of Parliament deeply.
They responded with enthusiastic applause.
I wasn't a sailor, and I was already sick of life at sea.
But when an opportunity like this appeared—
you had to seize it.
After all, if the other side was opening mid lane wide open,
how could I not push in?