■The defeat of the Japanese made the whole of Korea rejoice.
Especially the "Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea"!
From the time the provisional government was established in Shanghai to the present, they have never thought that they would win so quickly. Now, in the eyes of these "leaders" of the provisional government, North Korea is already theirs.
In the days when the Japanese were first driven out, the situation in Korea was still relatively turbulent, and these so-called leaders could barely live in peace.
But as the situation improved slightly, conflicts between them soon broke out.
Everyone wants to firmly hold power in their own hands, and everyone wants to become the true leader of North Korea.
Not only Rhee Syngman, Lee Donghui, and Kim Koo, there is another person whose influence in North Korea cannot be ignored: the former North Korean puppet emperor Lee who was demoted by the Japanese as "King Lee of Changdeok Palace".
On August 22, 1910, the Japanese army, military, and police in Seoul were all dispatched to guard the entire city, city gates, and strategic points. The minister's residence and the palace were even more heavily guarded. At 1 p.m., a royal meeting was held, and Prime Minister Lee Wan-yong
He explained the negotiation process with the Unification Supervisory Office, emphasized that "Korea-Japan union" was inevitable, and declared that all ministers unanimously supported the union.
At 4 o'clock in the afternoon, Li Wanyong went to the Unification Supervisory Office and submitted Li's letter of appointment for signing the contract. Li Wanyong and Terauchi Masaki formally signed the "Japan-Korea Merger Treaty". From then on, it became a colony directly ruled by Japan.
He was demoted to "King Lee of Changdeokgung Palace" and placed under house arrest in this 500-year-old palace, becoming a foreign prisoner in his own land.
The Japanese failed too suddenly, and coupled with the Great Kantō Earthquake in Japan, Japan had no time to take care of North Korea, let alone consider this "King Lee".
The Chinese army successfully drove away the Japanese, and the liberation of North Korea also gave Li and the North Korean ministers who were loyal to the royal family a sudden hope.
In their view, since the Japanese have been driven away and Korea has been restored, then naturally Li should "assume the throne" again and continue to be his "emperor"¨
It's a pity that not many people still take this former "Emperor" seriously.
Syngman Rhee is the president of the "Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea", Lee Dong-hwi is the acting president, and Kim Koo is the prime minister. The two presidents and the prime minister have a messy relationship, but they have one thing in common:
No one wants to continue to support Li, the "emperor".
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Li and the ministers close to him could only place their hopes on the Chinese, especially Chiang Kai-shek, the plenipotentiary mediator of the Republic of China in North Korea!
Li and the ministers learned from various channels that this all-powerful mediator has great power given to him by the President of China and can decide everything in North Korea! If he can get his support, any problem can be solved.
Li quickly entrusted his most trusted "righteous prince", his younger brother Li, to negotiate with Chiang Kai-shek.
This Li is still different from Li Da.
After Japan annexed Korea, Lee was made a Duke. Lee concealed himself by indulging in wine and sex, and secretly supported the Korean Restoration Movement. In 1919, King Lee died, and the Korean revolutionary movement group "Daedong Tuan" worshiped Lee as its president and devoted itself to Korea.
**sports.
After the "Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea" was established in Shanghai, Lee prepared to escape secretly to Shanghai to join the Provisional Government. However, he was discovered by the Japanese police in Andong in the northeast and was forcibly sent back to South Korea.
Since then, he has been living under the strict supervision of Japanese police agents.
Lee was the one who cheered the most over the defeat of the Japanese. In his opinion, the Japanese had been driven away, and it was natural for the Korean royal family to restore its legitimate status as the orthodox ruler of Korea.
At the same time, he also has a selfish motive.
Li was poisoned by a palace maid when he was young and lost his fertility. Once he dies, only his two younger brothers can inherit his position:
Li Yin and Li!
Li Yin is in Japan and there is no way he can return to China. So, the only one who can succeed Li Yin in the future is Li!
Moreover, in Li's opinion, he is very loved by the North Korean people!
"After Japan took over our country and killed my father and queen mother, I would rather be a commoner of South Korea than a member of the Japanese royal family. Therefore, I decided to devote myself to the provisional government station to do my best. This determination comes from
Father's revenge also comes from fighting for the independence of the motherland and the peace of the world."
After meeting Li, Chiang Kai-shek suddenly read this paragraph.
Li was startled at first, then overjoyed.
This was exactly the declaration he sent to the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea in Shanghai after he became the president of the "Datong Group". But now Chiang Kai-shek can recite it word for word. It seems that this negotiation is full of hope.
"Yes, Mr. Chief Mediator, this is the declaration I wrote. I didn't expect you to be familiar with it." Li said gratefully.
Chiang Kai-shek smiled slightly and asked him to sit down.
Although Li could speak Chinese fluently, Chiang Kai-shek's strong Jiangsu and Zhejiang accent still made him sound a little difficult. He had to concentrate to understand:
"Prince Yi's righteous deeds moved Zhongzheng very much. Zhongzheng believed that it was during the days when the Japanese pirates colonized Korea that the Japanese pirates were never able to relax because of the rise and struggle of Prince Yi and many other martyrs.
Ruling North Korea comfortably also laid a good foundation for the subsequent revolution."
When Li heard this, he quickly said: "North Korea's resistance is only part of it. Without the Chinese government's troops, we would not have won North Korea so quickly. China and North Korea have always been the staunchest allies and have maintained their friendship for thousands of years.
A relationship that is unparalleled in any other country.”
ally?
Chiang Kai-shek sneered in his heart. Since when can North Korea be on an equal footing with China? Can it consider itself an ally of China?
Chiang Kai-shek knew very well why the president sent himself to North Korea. This was the president's trust in him and it was also his best opportunity.
If he can successfully resolve the North Korean issue just like he did in the Northeast when he persuaded Zhang Zuolin to defect, then his future will be bright.
Chiang Kai-shek did not put his unhappiness on his face, but praised the relationship between China and North Korea in a friendly manner, and expressed the Chinese government's willingness to help North Korea restore stability and prosperity.
Li became more confident, and then tactfully stated the purpose of his visit: "Mr. Chief Mediator, the Japanese have been driven away, but the current situation in North Korea is not very stable. In Seoul, there are Japanese and some
There are various forces involved in North Korea. If you want to restore stability in North Korea, I think a unified authority is necessary."
Chiang Kai-shek listened with a smile.
Lee spoke carefully about the importance of establishing a power agency for the reunification of Korea, and also talked about Lee. In his words, restoring Lee's "emperor" status is a must.
"I'm afraid the title of emperor is a bit inappropriate." Chiang Kai-shek listened patiently to what he said, with a half-smile on his face: "In my memory, North Korea has always been a kingdom, and North Korea's canonization of the prince must also obtain China's permission. Only then can he be canonized.
Yes. According to customization, Concubine Min of North Korea sent important officials to Beijing to campaign against Li Hongzhang and other important officials of the Qing Dynasty. It took more than a year and millions of dollars to finally achieve the goal, and Li became the crown prince."
Li quickly understood the meaning of Chiang Kai-shek's words and felt a little embarrassed.
Indeed, North Korea was renamed the "Korean Empire" and the king became the "Emperor". It was planned by the Japanese, and the Chinese government has never acknowledged it. Now that the Japanese have escaped, the Chinese are back and want to
It is somewhat difficult to get the Chinese government to recognize South Korea's "Emperor" status.
Li regained his thinking: "Mr. Chief Mediator, if your government thinks that the title emperor is inappropriate, then we can completely discuss this point again.
But there can only be one unified authority in North Korea, and that is Huang Yi.
Your Majesty.
No other organization can replace it!”
He sighed and called out the word "Emperor" again, but fortunately he was quick to accept it and carried it over vaguely as "Your Majesty".
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"Other organizations" undoubtedly refers to the "Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea". When Chiang Kai-shek heard this, he smiled: "Yesterday, the acting president of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea, Lee Dong-hui, also came to me and talked about the legality of various organizations in North Korea. In
In their view, you are controlled by the Japanese and have lost the right to govern North Korea."
"That's nonsense!" Li couldn't help shouting.
Chiang Kai-shek smiled lightly and said: "Everyone has their own reasons, which makes it difficult for me to deal with it. By the way, Prince Yi, you once swore allegiance to the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea, and also sought their help. Now this is a bit...
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Li became embarrassed again and reluctantly explained: "At this time and that time, in order to drive away the Japanese, I had to seek all possible help, and I found them as a last resort. But now that North Korea has been overthrown, I think we should
Completely restore the Li family’s orthodox status.”
"Ah, that's it." Chiang Kai-shek pondered for a moment: "Prince Yi, I will try my best to mediate and balance the relations between the parties. From my perspective, I recognize the orthodox status of the Li family in ruling North Korea, but I also need other
The organization's promise. North Korea has just restored independence. As you said, there are forces from all sides. The situation is very complicated. If we are not careful, we are afraid that it will cause new chaos. This is something we are unwilling to do.
have witnessed."
Hearing that Chiang Kai-shek verbally agreed to the Li family's continued rule in North Korea, Li Daxi was overjoyed and thanked him again and again. After chatting for a while, Chiang Kai-shek got up to see off the guests, sent Li to the door, and suddenly said:
"Prince Yi, please go back and discuss it with your king. North Korea has been repressed. Some of the traitors who have worked for us in the past should also be properly liquidated and make them pay for their crimes!"