I Will Stage A Coup D’état - Chapter 65



Only Krnovel

EP.65 The Great Hall (2)

Dictator Lee Seong-jun’s will was firm.

The peasants had their lands taken away without even having time to protest while sitting down.

They said they would return the principal and interest over 50 years, but how could that be proper compensation?

Considering the inflation rate, opportunity cost, and the profits that could have been made from the land, it was like losing the land for a tenth of the price.

Kang Hyun-sik couldn’t hold back his anger.

He could not just stand by and watch the empire rob him of the land that he, his father, and his grandfather had protected for generations.

We had to fight them off and reclaim our land at all costs.

Land was not just a simple asset; it was also the pride of the family and a symbol of the status of a military official.

Kang Hyun-sik first contacted the nearby military bases.

“Marquis Kang. It’s not good to interact with people so often these days. Just wait until things get better.”

“Oh, who doesn’t know that? Look at the situation, the situation. How can I endure this?”

Kang Hyun-sik vented his anger on his friends.

What more can I endure when I have lost everything except the title of Marquis?

However, many of Kang Hyun-sik’s close friends did not agree with what he said.

No, deep down I agreed with Kang Hyun-sik’s words, but I was afraid to put it into action.

‘How dare you think of talking back to Lee Seong-jun, who is such a ruthless bastard?’

At the point when the counter-coup failed, the Mubans had effectively lost the ability to challenge Lee Seong-jun.

It was said that even the few remaining military personnel were dragged away one by one by the Security Command and the Military Police not long ago.

At this rate, there would be no point in having a coup or anything like that.

“Hey, you fucking cowards.”

Kang Hyun-sik returned home and grumbled.

At that time, a secret letter was sent to Kang Hyeon-sik.

‘Imperial Association?’

The name itself had a conservative feel to it.

Kang Hyun-sik went to see the fairy who said there was a meeting of the Hwangguk Association.

“Is Marquis Kang here too?”

“No, was your brother there too?”

Surprisingly, quite a few famous military leaders were present at the Imperial Association meeting.

Like Kang Hyeon-sik, they were influential figures who had the courage to speak out against the Lee Seong-jun administration.

Kang Hyun-sik felt a sense of satisfaction inside, seeing that they were all people with titles like Marquis, Count, and Baron.

Not long after the banquet began, the old man who seemed to be hosting it appeared in the room.

“Your Excellency Duke Nam Jinseung.”

“No, His Excellency Nam Jin-seung is the one who took part in this?”

Everyone looked encouraged by Nam Jin-seung’s appearance.

Who is Nam Jinseung?

He was the eldest grandson of Nam of Uiryeong, one of the most prominent military officials in the empire, and he inherited the position of Duke of Ansan at the time.

“Your Majesty, it is an honor to meet you.”

The warriors bowed down to Nam Jin-seung one after another.

Nam Jin-seung greeted him as if it were a given.

Kang Hyun-sik also quickly went to say hello.

“You are Marquis Kang.”

“Do you know me?”

“I knew your father.”

Kang Hyun-sik felt even more familiar with Nam Jin-seung after hearing that he was close with his father.

The meeting ended without any incident.

Because everyone spent time getting to know each other and chewing out Lee Sung-jun.

Two days later, Kang Hyeon-sik again received an invitation from the Hwangguk Association.

It was a fairy in a different position than before.

When I visited the fairy, there were similar members as before.

Some people couldn’t come, so their faces weren’t visible.

Of course, Nam Jin-seung showed up to the meeting without fail.

After going to about 10 meetings like this, the regular members became familiar with each other.

And on the day of the 11th meeting, Nam Jin-seung brought up an important topic.

“Now that we’ve become familiar with each other, let’s get to the main point. What do you think the situation is in this country?”

“Well, isn’t this a situation where the foundation is collapsing?”

“That’s right. This country is collapsing to its core. What kind of country is Daehan? The great Gojo raised the country from the aftermath of the Imjin War, and Seongjo overthrew the Later Jin and built it on a solid foundation. Did both of them do that? No, it would have been an impossible feat without the military officers who were their hands and feet.”

The story that Muban is the foundation of the empire refers to his contribution in reviving the empire during the reigns of Gojo and Seongjo.

Who wouldn’t agree with that story?

Anyone living in the empire should nod in agreement.

“Lee Seong-jun is trampling on our military unit. He’s trying to bring us down to the same level as the others by trampling on us with his dirt feet. Should we just let this happen?”

“No, Your Majesty.”

“How can our military be placed in the same position as those in the heavens?”

“I think so too. So everyone should gather their strength and wisdom and defeat Lee Seong-jun.”

The warriors looked at each other for a moment at Nam Jin-seung’s words.

While attending the meeting, I developed a sense of belonging to this Imperial Society to some extent, but it was a separate issue for Lee Seong-jun to follow dangerous stories like Tadoh.

When hesitation seemed to flow among the soldiers, Nam Jin-seung continued speaking.

“I know you are scared right now because you are afraid of Lee Seong-jun. I admit that you are scared of Lee Seong-jun. But is there any room left for us to retreat further?”

That wasn’t it.

The moment the land was touched, Muban had to choose.

Would you rather fall to the same level as those things, or risk your life and run?

Those who remained here were the heirs to the title who valued the honor of their family more than their lives.

Kang Hyun-sik was also lost in thought for a long time.

Then, with difficulty, I opened my mouth.

“If you were to undertake the work, I would like to know Your Majesty’s intentions and how you would proceed.”

“Don’t do that, sir.”

As Nam Jin-seung clapped his hands, a tall man wearing a suit came in and distributed papers with something written on them to the soldiers.

The soldiers read it carefully and were startled.

“This, this is.”

Nam Jin-seung was aware that he could not defeat Lee Seong-jun with military force.

Then what should we hit Lee Seong-jun with?

Nam Jin-seung suggested terrorism as an answer.

Nam Jin-seung said as he stirred the flesh of the croaker with his chopsticks.

“As you know, I was a veteran of World War I. That was when I first tasted gas.”

Nam Jin-seung still couldn’t forget the fear of the poison gas rushing in.

When the gas rushed in, even a perfectly healthy person would become a foaming corpse within minutes.

“Even now, when I think about those days, I can’t sleep.”

gas.

Few of the warriors here had ever felt that fear.

But I knew it because I had heard legendary stories.

“How about letting Lee Seong-jun experience that fear too?”

People were in a state of confusion.

But still, wouldn’t a poison gas attack be a bit much?

“Yes, everyone may still have hesitant thoughts. But think about it carefully. We are in a position where everything is being taken away. Are we in a position to choose the means and methods?”

Kang Hyun-sik thought that what Nam Jin-seung said was right.

“Then how do you plan to prepare for the ‘terrorism’ that Your Majesty spoke of? It seems that you can’t even attempt gas without having chemical equipment.”

Simple chlorine gas is readily available anywhere.

However, chlorine gas has an irritating odor and color, and is immediately detected when used, making it unsuitable as a terrorist weapon.

In that case, we would have to use gas like tabun or sarin developed by Germany, but to make these, we would need proper factory facilities and technicians.

Not only did it cost a huge amount of money, it was also easy to fall under the surveillance of government authorities.

Nam Jin-seung also had something in mind.

“Why don’t we just build a factory in China and bring it in?”

“!!!!!”

It was a brilliant idea.

The current Republic of China is a lawless world where there is no such thing as law.

In the midst of all that chaos, who would really look into building a chemical plant to manufacture poison gas?

“If what Your Majesty says is true, then cost is the issue.”

The ultimate issue, in the end, was cost.

Bringing in equipment, setting up a chemical plant, and hiring technicians didn’t cost a penny or two.

“That’s why I need your help.”

‘This is about funding chemical terrorism.’

If I were to pay for this, I would be putting my name on a terrorist organization.

But I didn’t want to leave it at that after hearing the whole story.

In order to avoid being ostracized in a society of the nobility, you had to show your sincerity.

“Then, how much?”

“500 won. Just prepare 500 won each.”

It wasn’t a lot, but it wasn’t a small amount of money either.

If times are good, then maybe not.

Kang Hyun-sik saw that people were hesitating and decided to take the lead.

“I will pay for it. Why are you so scared when it comes to doing things for the greater good?”

As Kang Hyun-sik stepped forward, the other martial artists also gained courage one by one.

“I will do it too.”

If Lee Seong-jun is eliminated through terrorism, land reform will be left in limbo.

And in the midst of that chaos, the new leader who takes power will reach out to the military for the sake of the regime’s legitimacy.

If there had been no such calculations, even the warriors would not have been able to muster up the courage.

“Thank you all for helping me out like this.”

“No. I am grateful to Your Majesty the Duke for taking the lead in this matter.”

The meeting ended in a friendly atmosphere.

As all the soldiers left, Nam Jin-seung’s smiling face completely changed.

Nam Jin-seung’s expression, which had been treating his loyal vassal just a moment ago, was extremely cold.

“You’ve cooperated this far, so keep your promise to be lenient on my stupid bastard.”

“Of course, Your Majesty. Our court has never broken a promise.”

Nam Jin-seung let out a sigh as the central agent disguised as the Duke’s confidant, Lee Seo-bang, retreated.

The plot itself was plausible, but it was a trap set by the central government to lure out malcontents.

‘I’m sorry.’

Nam Jin-seung expressed sympathy for his fellow warriors who were disappearing into the other side of the era.