IBTCPOTME Novel - Chapter 112
## Chapter 112
(112/180)
Rebellion and Revolution (1)
The desire for independence among the inhabitants of the eastern region of Hispaniola was growing hotter by the day.
Political instability in Haiti was deepening, and President Jean-Pierre Boyer was losing control of the eastern part of the island, which he had conquered 21 years ago.
“Now! This is our chance for independence!”
Those who had been fighting for independence all thought so. But there was still a problem to be decided before that.
“It’s our independence, won through bloodshed, so of course, we need to establish an independent nation!”
Juan Pablo Duarte shouted. He had long organized a secret society called “La Trinitaria” to pursue the independence of the east from Haitian rule.
Suddenly joining the Mexican Empire at this opportune moment? He couldn’t understand it, but it was true that the public opinion was stronger than he thought.
If they started to divide before they even began their full-fledged independence movement, there was no way they could succeed. That’s why he came to this meeting to talk.
He argued passionately.
“No one knows how Mexico will treat us. What if they exploit us like Haiti, with no difference? And this eastern part of the island is everything to us, but we’ll be treated as a mere finger to Mexico. Are you still saying we should join Mexico?”
“Declare independence? Are you going to fight Haiti again? Even if we win by luck and don’t get conquered like before, you have to admit there will be a lot of casualties.”
It was Alvaro Fuentes, who had recently gained fame as an intellectual in the eastern part of the island and was the first to propose joining the Mexican Empire.
Like Juan Pablo, who was the son of a merchant and studied in Europe, he was also the son of a merchant and studied in the Mexican Empire. He was known for his accurate understanding of the current international situation.
Unlike the western part of the island, Haiti, which had successfully achieved a slave revolution and established a black-led nation for the first time in history, the eastern region of the island was still dominated by whites and mestizos, and most of those gathered here were white and mestizos.
“We have to accept it for independence. Were you thinking of rebelling against Haiti without that kind of determination? If we declare independence with the territory that was originally a Spanish colony, it’s more than half of the island. There’s no way the Haitians will let us go.”
Pablo shouted proudly, but Fuentes immediately countered.
“So, you’re saying that we don’t have to accept those sacrifices if we join the Mexican Empire. We’re not a single ethnic group that originally built a nation and lived in this land. What are the benefits of forming an independent government? It seems like the only benefit is that we can each get a position in the newly established country.”
“What?”
The meeting room, where dozens of people were gathered, became noisy. As if reflecting the divided public opinion, the meeting room was divided into two sides.
“Are you saying we’ve been fighting for independence because we want power!”
“Take back those words immediately!”
In that tense atmosphere, as if they were about to break up the meeting, Fuentes shouted without backing down.
“If that’s not what you want, why are you so insistent on forming an independent government? Are you willing to accept the countless blood that will be shed just to gain the honor of establishing an independent nation? If we ask to join the Mexican Empire, we can achieve our goals without any sacrifice.”
There were two main reasons why the inhabitants of the eastern region of Hispaniola wanted to break free from Haitian rule and become independent.
Cultural reasons and economic reasons.
The western and eastern parts of the island had been French and Spanish colonies for a very long time, and naturally, there were significant cultural and linguistic differences between the two regions. However, the Haitian government tried to unify the entire island into one political unit, and in the process, it implemented a policy of forced assimilation of the eastern region’s culture, language, and economic policies.
That wouldn’t happen with the Mexican Empire, which has a similar cultural background, being a former Spanish colony, and speaks Spanish.
The economic reason is the same. The massive taxes imposed by the Haitian government to repay its foreign debt and run the country would be significantly lighter if they joined the Mexican Empire, and they wouldn’t seize the farms in the east in the name of land redistribution.
These two are the main reasons why the eastern residents want independence, and if they join the Mexican Empire, Haiti wouldn’t think about fighting Mexico, so they could simply achieve it.
“···Who told you that the Mexican Empire would accept us unconditionally? Even if they accept us, they could seize all our farms and make them government-owned, just like they did in Cuba and other islands. Are you willing to accept that?”
Pablo’s decisive attack caused the pro-merger group to murmur. Those present were at least middle class. They have assets, and most of those assets are land. What if the Mexican Empire takes it away? It was a fatal risk.
Murmurs-
Fuentes countered before the atmosphere got any worse.
“This is propaganda! Everything the Mexican Empire seized was the property of the enemy. The Mexican Empire is working in various ways to solidify its control of the Caribbean. You’ve all heard that all the islands around here have become Mexico’s. Mexico will welcome our merger, and they won’t do something as ridiculous as taking away our property without any justification, which we joined on our own!”
Fuentes’ words were persuasive. After all, hadn’t he proven several times that he knew about the international situation?
In the end, the discussion went against the pro-independence group. The pro-merger group emphasized that they could gain “overwhelming benefits without any sacrifice,” but the pro-independence group had very little to offer.
Normally, this kind of discussion would naturally be decided in favor of establishing an independent nation, because there’s something called “national identity and pride.” But the inhabitants of the eastern region of the island lacked that concept. It was never an independent nation.
The indigenous people living on the island had mostly died from disease long ago, and although they declared an autonomous government in 1821, it was conquered by the Haitian government and disappeared before they could even exercise real control.
In the end, the only advantage the pro-independence group could claim was that they could be “autonomous,” but Fuentes and the pro-merger group argued that they could achieve what they wanted through “autonomy” by joining the Mexican Empire, so why were they willing to make such a huge sacrifice?
It wasn’t a false attack, as they weren’t entirely free from the intention of getting a position in the newly established country, but the pro-independence group angrily stopped the discussion.
The discussion ended without a conclusion, but its contents spread among the inhabitants of the eastern region.
***
I was busy with the construction of Chihuahua, urban design education, investment decisions, and handling important issues of the state and businesses, with no time to rest, when I received bad news from Mexico City.
My father had collapsed.
“Why did he collapse?”
“The examination results are thankfully not a serious illness. It’s been determined that he collapsed due to overwork, with accumulated fatigue over a long time.”
“Overwork?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. He’s getting older, so excessive work like this could be bad for his health.”
“···I see. Alright. I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Overwork…”
My father is already 60 years old. He’s at an age when his stamina would decline.
Seeing my father’s face lying in bed, I felt a pang of sadness. He was once a strong soldier. I felt the transience of time as I saw the giant who had led the country to independence and ascended to the throne of Emperor grow old.
Some might say that all the achievements after independence were made by the Crown Prince, but I don’t think so.
How many kings were there who envied their own sons, checked them, or even killed them? Such countless cases have accumulated, leading to the saying, “Power is not shared, even between father and son.” But Agustin I didn’t do that.
Instead, he listened to what I said with an open mind, and if he thought it was appropriate, he actively pushed it forward.
He didn’t engage in embezzlement or extramarital affairs, which a dictator with immense power would do, and he diligently handled various affairs of the Empire for a long time, helping to develop the Empire. And didn’t he collapse from overwork? The reason I’ve achieved many things is largely thanks to my father, who helped me focus on them.
“Heronimo, you’ve come.”
I heard my mother’s voice from behind.
“Yes, Mother.”
“Don’t worry too much. It happened because your father’s stamina isn’t what it used to be, so we just need to reduce his workload a bit.”
“Yes. It’s good that it’s not a serious illness.”
“Your father was also thinking about passing the throne to you, so you should start preparing to take over soon.”
My mother, in my father’s bedroom, where he was asleep, made a sudden bombshell announcement.
“···He did collapse this time, but he’s not seriously ill, and he’s still in good health, so you’re going to pass the throne to me?”
“Your father can’t work until he dies, can he? Even Emperors are human. And so are Crown Princes.”
My mother said that and placed her hand on my shoulder as I sat in the chair.
“I haven’t said this before, but when you came to my room for the first time in a long time, 21 years ago, I was happy because I thought you had finally grown up, but now, I feel a little sorry for you, living only for the future, with no time to look back.”
She must be talking about the day I visited her room right after reincarnation.
“···You feel sorry for me?”
“Yes. From the sidelines, it seems like you’re living as if you’re possessed by the idea of developing the Mexican Empire. Your father has that tendency too, but you’re even worse, like father, like son.”
It’s true that I’ve been running nonstop for the development of the Mexican Empire since I was reincarnated into this body when I was 15. I haven’t taken two consecutive days off, except for my wedding, so my mother must feel sorry for me.
My mother might think that I’m just naturally a workaholic, like my father, but I have a duty to do this.
It was a divine being who sent me here.
Didn’t I spend the whole night at a shabby bar in Mexico City, talking about how Mexico should have acted after independence?
“···”
But seeing my father’s sleeping face and my mother asking me, my heart softened. They’re not my real parents, but aren’t I their real son? They were parents who loved their children, which was rare in this imperial position.
“The Mexican Empire is now stable enough that you don’t have to run so hard. I hope you’ll take care of your family and the people around you.”
It’s true that I come down to Mexico City on weekends to see my family, but the main reason is because I think children’s education is important. I often work even when I’m here, so my parents and Cecilia might feel neglected.
“Yes, I understand, Mother.”
My heart was complicated, but I answered that I understood.
***
After taking a whole weekday off for the first time since my wedding and spending time with my family, I held a party that weekend.
I invited the CEOs of my companies, the talents I personally scouted, the Imperial Party members of Congress, and my connections in the military, people who could be considered my closest confidants.
Even though they were my closest confidants, I rarely saw their faces, except for Diego. I held a party to see them after a long time because I felt something after hearing my mother’s words.
“Even though they’re my closest confidants, I haven’t seen many of them since my wedding, so I definitely haven’t been paying attention to the people around me.”
It turned into an urgent invitation, but now that the Mexican Empire has a well-established railroad network across the country, it’s enough time to come to Mexico City.
Guests began to enter “Solis Hotel,” the first luxury hotel built in Mexico City.
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