IBTCPOTME Novel - Chapter 155
## Chapter 155
< The South and the North (9) >
It was just a simple fight, but then these hulking men came swarming in, brandishing guns, and dragged the man away.
“…Shouldn’t we follow?”
“What are you going to do there? Judging by the guns they pulled out, it’s probably…”
The man trailed off.
Even in a city, the weight of the name Joaquin Posada Gutierrez, the governor of Cartagena Province and a grand seigneur among grand seigneurs, was too much to casually mention. Especially after witnessing that scene.
Thirty years had passed since liberal ideas began to spread across the world, but this was the state of Nueva Granada in 1847.
He was practically a grand duke.
An inexplicable emotion surged within the hearts of those listening to the conversation, but there was nothing they could do.
At that moment, Antonio Marquez, who dared to gossip about Joaquin Gutierrez, was being dragged away by the hulking men.
“Get in!”
The hulking man shoved Marquez hard in the back.
They pushed him into a slightly larger cart, not a carriage, and mounted their horses.
His cart was to be pulled by horses. Five of Gutierrez’s men were in front of him, and five were behind him, watching him and following.
“Ugh…”
His whole body ached.
This was because Gutierrez’s men had beaten him up collectively as a form of venting their anger. But it was going according to plan.
Blood from a tear somewhere covered his eyes, but he wiped them and looked outside.
It was dark.
It was already evening at the tavern, so it was pitch black because the day had completely set.
Gutierrez’s men took out kerosene and kerosene lamps, made in the Mexican Empire, and lit them.
After about 30 minutes, they had already reached halfway. Joaquin Gutierrez owned several large farms, and he had one right next to Cartagena, the second most prosperous city in Nueva Granada after the capital, Bogota.
‘I trust Santander and the comrades.’
A weak feeling of anxiety arose, but he had confirmed that Santander had definitely escaped, so he had no choice but to trust him.
“Whew…”
“Look at you, already scared. There’s even more hell waiting for you when we get there…”
Bang!
A gunshot rang out. After the first shot, several more gunshots echoed in succession.
Rat-a-tat-tat-tat!
Neigh!
“Ambush! Prepare for battle!”
“Prepare for battle!”
The one who seemed to be the leader among the men, the one Marquez had punched in the jaw, gave the order.
Marquez calmly surveyed the situation.
‘Only two dead? At least 20 shots were fired.’
“Th, there! On the right!”
One man shouted, spotting the enemy on the right.
“There are some on the left too!”
The enemy emerged from both sides.
“Open fire!”
There was no order on which side to target. They were flustered, so he simply ordered them to fire. But the opponent was faster.
Bang! Rat-a-tat-tat!
Marquez flattened himself on the bottom of the cart just as the second volley of shots poured in.
Gutierrez’s men were demoralized.
“Damn it! Just take him and run forward!”
But only three of them were moving. The rest had either been shot or their horses had been shot and fallen.
“Dump the lamp!”
In the darkness, the lamp’s light was only serving to reveal their location.
The man, who had already decided to throw it away, threw it with all his might, but he lacked strength. He hadn’t been able to get into a proper position because he was running. But it didn’t matter.
“We’re alive!”
The ambushing enemy was not pursuing them. They had survived despite the trap. They had even secured their target, so they would be even more trusted.
“…Target?”
“Sh, shit! Where did he go?!”
They had tied his hands and feet, so how did he escape?
“Damn it. I told you to secure him to the cart!”
He could hear the leader shouting from beside him, but he was indignant. Wasn’t it enough to tie up a guy who couldn’t even move properly after being beaten to a pulp? Everyone had agreed.
“No!”
Just as he was about to protest his innocence.
“C, Captain! Ahead! Ground! Ground!”
Another surviving member shouted urgently.
It was caltrops. They had scattered caltrops. The members immediately pulled hard on the reins, but it was too late. It was too dark, and they had thrown away the lamp, so they spotted it too late.
Neigh!
The horses screamed in pain. Startled by the sudden pain, the horses stumbled momentarily, but thankfully, they didn’t fall immediately. Instead, they began to limp, their speed gradually slowing down until they finally stopped.
“Abandon the horses. Watch your step.”
“…Captain, I think it’s too late.”
There were enemies here too. When a sharp-eyed subordinate noticed, a voice came from there.
“Drop your guns.”
“… ”
They were already pointing their guns.
“…Drop your guns.”
Gutierrez’s men threw down their guns.
***
A very ominous rumor spread through Cartagena the previous night. Over a hundred witnesses told their friends and families what they had seen, and the rumor spread throughout the city in an instant.
“So, those guys who are supposedly ‘that landowner’s’ men, they took Marquez, right? Because he was talking bad about him?”
“Yeah.”
It wasn’t accurate, but it was close enough.
Marquez wasn’t a famous person in the city, but he was the eldest son of a family that had lived in the city for a long time, and naturally, many people knew him.
“I guess the rumors about those landowners trying to become independent from Nueva Granada and establish their own country were true.”
“Yeah. There’s no other reason for them to react so sensitively. It’s not the first time we’ve insulted him.”
That was true. The citizens of Cartagena, a port city, were among the first in Nueva Granada to receive foreign goods, and naturally, liberal ideas had spread there.
It was only natural that many people were critical of the hacienda owners of Nueva Granada, who were practically European nobles or lords.
“…Be careful, you guys. What if someone hears you?”
“There are only three of us here. What are you so worried about? Javier, you’re too scared.”
The highly contagious emotions of anger and anxiety colored Cartagena in just one day.
The atmosphere changed the next evening, after Marquez was kidnapped.
“Huh? Our Marquez is back?”
Even those who didn’t know Marquez a few hours ago were delighted to hear that he had returned safely.
“…But how come it’s already?”
“Come on, what does it matter? He’s talking about this incident in the city square, so we can just go there.”
Evening of March 28, 1847.
Many people gathered in the square of Cartagena.
Antonio Marquez, who was said to have returned safely, was a mess. His clothes were stained with blood, he had bruises all over, and he had many wounds. He had only received basic treatment before going up to the platform.
As the people murmured at his shocking appearance, Marquez opened his mouth.
***
Richard Pakenham, the British ambassador, informed the Mexican Empire.
“The British Empire, after carefully considering the negotiation proposal regarding the Oregon Country that the Mexican Empire has proposed, has regrettably decided not to accept it. This decision is based on the spirit of continuous friendly relations and mutual respect between the two countries, but the British Empire maintains its position that it cannot officially recognize the Mexican Empire’s claim to the Oregon territory.”
The tone was polite, but the content was strong. It was saying that the Mexican Empire had no rights to the Oregon Country, so don’t even think about negotiating.
“That’s quite a strong stance, unlike Pakenham.”
I said, reading the report I received from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“Yes, Your Majesty. That’s not all.”
Diego said.
“There’s more?”
Indeed, the back of the report contained the full text of what Pakenham had said.
———
Furthermore, the British Empire, after much deliberation, has also decided not to renew the non-aggression treaty with the Mexican Empire, which is set to expire next year, 1848. This decision is part of a process of exploring new steps in building future relations between the two countries, and is the result of considering the current and future international situation and the national interests of both countries. The British Empire values its relationship with the Mexican Empire and hopes that this measure will not hinder peaceful and constructive dialogue between the two countries.
———
“…Not renewing the non-aggression treaty while talking about peaceful and constructive dialogue? I don’t know what kind of nonsense this is.”
Even for diplomatic rhetoric, it was a string of nonsense.
“It’s practically a declaration of war.”
Diego summarized neatly.
“This is something they could have informed us of right before the renewal next year… It’s a political issue. Public opinion in the British Empire towards our Mexican Empire is not very good.”
To put it bluntly, they could have informed us that they wouldn’t renew the non-aggression treaty just one day before it expired. But they deliberately did it a year in advance.
It’s an absurd act, considering there’s no benefit, but for politicians who care about public popularity, this might be a more rational action.
“Yes, I think so too.”
The British Empire’s strong stance didn’t instill any fear in me.
“It’s ridiculous. How are they going to fight us now that America is gone? They’re just barking loudly without any real plan.”
When I said that, Diego didn’t seem fazed at all, and he said in a light voice.
“They’re the same blood, so they act the same as America.”
“Hahaha, that’s true.”
However, it wasn’t entirely without a plan. A few days later, news arrived.
“The Austrian Empire… It’s unexpected that they’re even forming a military alliance.”
For the British Empire, which claims to be the guardian of balance, to officially ally with a European country, especially the Austrian Empire, which can be considered a great power, is a surprising event.
This was also less of a pragmatic approach and more of a way to warn our Mexican Empire and enhance their prestige. If it had been the British Empire of the original history, they would have taken a more pragmatic approach.
‘I was aware of the Austrian Empire’s existence, but I thought they would move in right before or after the war, after being persuaded by the British Empire. But instead, Metternich moved first…’
With my meager knowledge of European history, I could only know major events, not predict how Metternich would act at this time.
‘Indeed, the one who created the Concert of Europe, a fitting move for balance.’
“But the British can’t send and maintain a large army in another continent. It’s the same for our Mexican Empire. Especially if the opponent is the British Empire. What will happen if Austria blocks Prussia’s front while Britain attacks Prussia’s coast while we’re fighting at sea?”
“…We won’t be able to hold out.”
“Yes. Prussia’s growth rate is amazing, but the reality is that they’re not even ready for a one-on-one against the Austrian Empire yet.”
Occupying Britain’s North American colonies while Prussia is suffering? Although Britain’s North American colonies boast a huge size, they are still colonies. They are not even comparable to the value of Prussia, a European power.
It might seem like a gain for our Mexico if we abandon Prussia and exchange them, but it’s not that simple.
The Mexican Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia are not just allies, but blood brothers connected by marriage. My son’s fiancée is still living in Prussia.
If the Mexican Empire abandons Prussia, the prestige of the Mexican Empire and the imperial family will be shattered, and the Prussians will forever hate Mexico for not helping their homeland.
“For now… Let’s wait and see. That’s what we were going to do anyway.”
“Yes, it seems like they don’t intend to start a war immediately unless we get tougher, so we can just follow our plan.”
We’ll stick to the original plan.
I said that, but I wasn’t entirely happy about it.