The uneasy feeling I had before returning to Britain turned out to be correct.
The passage of legislation addressing the Irish famine and regulating opium was certainly good news.
But the problem was that the process had gone too smoothly.
Logically speaking, anyone with sense should have known that the Irish issue could not proceed without me.
But the confidence within the Conservative Party had now reached the heavens.
The Whigs?They'll disappear in the next election anyway.
Nothing can stop us.
That kind of optimism had begun to rot their brains.
And as a result, the Conservatives' worst habits were resurfacing.
"Killian… would you consider going to Hong Kong for a while as a special envoy to Asia?"
Prime Minister Robert Peel said this the day after I met Victoria.
And he said it with the most apologetic expression imaginable.
"Are you asking me to resign my ministerial post?"
"No, no. Nothing like that," Peel hurriedly replied.
"There were simply suggestions that we could create a position—Asian Special Envoy—and send you there. After all, among our politicians, no one understands Asia better than you."
"Is that so?"
"But I thought I was supposed to lead the investigative commission for preventing the Irish famine."
"Well…"
Peel hesitated.
"That responsibility could be assigned to someone else."
If it wasn't me, the position would almost certainly go to Daniel O'Connell.
Which meant the Conservatives would be handing him the political stage.
Did they really not understand that?
No.
They understood perfectly.
The meaning behind this was obvious.
You've earned enough credit already, kid. Now go somewhere else for a while.
Charles was the son of the Duke of Wellington.
Naturally, the old aristocratic establishment treated him as one of their own.
But me?
No matter my achievements, I was still fundamentally Irish.
I might have been allowed into their elegant salons.
But they had no intention of actually opening the door.
"I never heard anything like that in the House of Lords," I said calmly.
"So this suggestion must have come from the Commons… or the cabinet."
"Well… yes."
"But it wouldn't be a long trip," Peel added quickly.
"At most two years."
"Just long enough for the famine investigation and the anti-opium legislation to wrap up," I replied.
"How convenient."
In other words:
We've got your policies and plans already.
Now stop hogging the spotlight and go sit quietly in a corner.
The intention was so transparent that it was almost refreshing.
At least this way, no misunderstandings were possible.
I had warned the House of Lords before.
But I hadn't said much to the Commons.
So I had always suspected something like this might happen.
After all, the Commons was full of five- and six-term politicians.
From their perspective, I must have been extremely irritating.
Especially with the rapid rise of the Wellesley faction.
Perhaps they wanted to slow its momentum by removing me.
Peel tried to reassure me.
"Just endure it for a little while."
"After all, we must win the election first, mustn't we?"
"The election will be over by the year after next. Once you return, the noise should die down."
"And if anyone continues causing trouble, I'll deal with them personally."
I gave him a level look.
"Prime Minister, let's be honest."
"At this point we could win the election even if we fought with our feet instead of our hands."
"So sending me to Asia simply to avoid internal friction seems like a waste, doesn't it?"
"Well…"
Peel chuckled awkwardly.
"Some in the party believe we might win more than five hundred seats this time."
"If we achieve that kind of landslide, wouldn't it be a victory for all of us?"
All of us.
Of course, that "all" didn't include me.
Or Ireland.
Apparently, mere accomplishments weren't enough for an outsider like me to dominate central politics.
At best, someone like me could become a loyal servant to those already at the center of power.
And right now they were demanding exactly that.
Show them loyalty.
The Conservative elders were not fools.
On the contrary—they were excellent at judging the political situation.
Which was precisely why they were trying to pressure me before I grew too large.
If they had simply stayed quiet, I would have removed only the necessary targets.
But if they insisted on pushing things this far…
Then I could proceed without the slightest guilt.
Honestly?
This made things easier.
"Very well," I said.
"I'll consider it positively."
"If the party's opinion is truly that firm, resisting would only create division."
Peel looked visibly relieved.
"I'm sorry to treat someone who has just returned with such achievements like this."
"But if you go to Asia and strengthen your international reputation, it could benefit you in the long run."
"That's one way to see it," I replied pleasantly.
"I'll think about it positively, as you suggested."
"Good, good," Peel laughed.
"After all, what matters is that everything works out well."
Seeing me yield so easily, Peel's face brightened immediately.
But the last thing he said was something I genuinely agreed with.
What matters is that everything works out well.
After all, he would remain prime minister.
And the Conservatives would keep their majority.
Why shouldn't everything work out nicely?
Since he said it himself…
I hoped he would maintain that mindset until the very end.
While Britain had been selling opium to China, the dangers of opium were rarely reported.
Naturally.
You can't advertise that the product making you rich destroys human lives.
By the mid-19th century, even without modern scientific studies, people already knew from experience how destructive opium addiction was.
Now that the opium trade was collapsing, British politicians began quietly distancing themselves from it.
Of course, since many had already accepted money from the trade, they had no intention of truly eradicating it.
It was all for show.
A warning.
Clean up a little.
Let the merchants quietly disappear.
Most citizens had no idea about these hidden motives.
At least…
Until the royal family entered the story.
Opium Discovered Inside Kensington Palace — Queen Victoria Furious!
The Devil's Drug Reaches the Heart of the British Empire!
Of course, the story was fake.
Even the greediest criminals wouldn't dare smuggle drugs into the palace where the Queen lived.
However…
It was true that a large quantity of opium had been discovered in Kensington Palace.
Because I had secretly placed it there.
Normally, it would be improper for a monarch to directly request action from ministers.
But this situation was different.
Opium had been discovered inside the Queen's residence.
Using that as justification, Victoria immediately summoned Robert Peel to the palace and demanded a thorough investigation.
Citizens watched the situation with outrage.
Now the pressure on the government intensified.
Stop talking.
Prove it with action.
But the Conservatives had originally intended nothing more than symbolic enforcement.
Now they had no choice.
The grill had become hot enough.
So I placed the finest ingredient on top.
Whistleblower William Gladstone Reveals the Ugly Truth of Conservative Elders
Harsh Words in Public, Secret Deals in Private — How the Conservatives Protected Opium Merchants
"I Was Silenced When I Tried to Speak" — William Gladstone Resigns Party Membership
At first, the Conservatives instinctively shouted:
"Whig propaganda!"
But when they realized the speaker was their own party member…
Their minds froze.
What the hell is he doing?
William Gladstone stood proudly in Parliament.
In his hand was the list I had given him.
"These are the names of members of the Commons who received money from opium merchants."
"If you believe I am lying, then charge me."
"Mr. Graham. Mr. Austin."
"Are my claims false?"
"If they are false, answer publicly."
One of the accused politicians stammered desperately.
"T-this is slander! William Gladstone is trying to destroy me! I never helped opium merchants import drugs into Britain!"
"Then you swear you never accepted any compensation?"
"You swear you never used the authority granted by citizens to assist narcotics traders?"
"Even though I possess evidence?"
"I… that…"
The list contained more than ten names.
I had intentionally excluded figures like the Marquess of Anglesey, whom I could still use politically.
But the rest?
They were nothing more than parasites occupying seats.
It was time to clean them out.
To be fair, they might feel somewhat wronged.
Most of them had protected opium merchants.
But few had actually advocated importing opium into Britain itself.
Still—
How would the public react if they explained that?
Yes, we supported the opium trade and even encouraged war for it…
But we never intended to sell it here.
Would anyone calmly accept that?
Propaganda works best when 99% truth is mixed with 1% lie.
The accused politicians were all senior members with long careers.
For the public, it was shocking.
For the Conservative Party, it was humiliating.
Even within the party, reactions turned hostile.
"This was the independent action of a few corrupt individuals!" one Conservative shouted.
"This does not represent the entire party!"
"Oh really?" a Whig shouted back.
"You expect people to believe the Prime Minister knew nothing?"
Peel shouted desperately.
"I truly didn't know! If I had known, I would have stopped this madness myself!"
"Then it's either corruption or incompetence!"
"Resign!"
The Whigs, who had been suppressed for years, attacked relentlessly.
Within days, Conservative approval ratings collapsed.
13 Conservative MPs Caught Accepting Money from Opium Merchants
William Gladstone Joins the Whig Party — "I Will Continue Fighting Until British Politics Becomes Morally Pure."
Conservative Party in Crisis — Prime Minister Peel's Leadership Under Scrutiny
The Conservative leadership had now been branded as villains who took money from drug traffickers.
Five hundred seats?
At this rate, they would be lucky to keep a majority.
Rice bends its head when it ripens.
But the Conservatives had tried to suppress a general who had returned with victories.
From that moment…
This outcome was inevitable.
You were simply too arrogant.
A few days later.
Peel sat across from me, looking utterly exhausted.
"…The situation is bad."
"Very bad."
"That bastard William Gladstone has completely ruined everything."
"We helped him rise in the party, and this is how he repays us?"
"Well," I replied lightly.
"He has always been somewhat morally obsessive."
Indeed, William had always been known for speaking uncomfortable truths.
So no one suspected a larger conspiracy.
They simply assumed the moral fanatic had finally gone too far.
"Prime Minister," I said calmly.
"What should I do now?"
"When should I leave for Asia?"
"Asia?" Peel blinked.
"Why would you go to Asia?"
"You asked me to consider becoming the Asian Special Envoy just a few days ago."
"I've already begun preparations."
Peel laughed awkwardly.
"Haha… well… that was only a possibility."
"The situation has changed."
"You must lead the Irish commission!"
"Whoever suggested sending you to Asia should be the one sent there instead!"
The speed of that reversal was impressive.
But exactly as expected.
With approval collapsing, Peel needed a major success to recover.
And the person who had first championed both famine relief and anti-opium legislation…
Was me.
If he had sent me to Asia now, his premiership would truly be finished.
"Then I should assume the Asia assignment never existed?" I asked.
"Of course!"
"Good."
"I would hate for the story to change again."
"Don't worry," Peel said nervously.
"Just produce results in Ireland."
"If there's anything I can do to help, tell me."
Peel smiled awkwardly, carefully watching my reaction.
The rope I had thrown him was still hanging there.
And the Conservatives now needed it badly.
Because another major event was approaching.
Queen Victoria to Visit Ireland
The rumor was already spreading across the Empire.
The young queen would personally visit Ireland to hear the voices of her citizens.
At a time when the entire nation was watching her bold and patriotic leadership…
I would show them clearly.
Who the true savior of Ireland was.