Nanyang Storm 1864

Chapter 207 British Gentleman
King Zheng Guohui of Chu strode away with an angry look on his face. He did not even pause when passing through the corridor of the small living room, and ignored the two generals who stood up in a hurry.

This frightened Major General Dong Kuifa and Major General Zhou Laonian so much that their faces turned pale, their legs felt weak and they had no idea what was going on inside.

Deputy Chief of Staff He Xian hurried over and saw the two generals pause. He whispered hurriedly:
"Your Majesty's negotiations with the British have failed. You may return. I haven't had the chance to report to His Majesty yet. Please return at another opportunity."

"Thank you, Lord He. I am deeply grateful." Major General Dong Kuifa raised his hands, clasped his fists and bowed several times as if he had grabbed a life-saving straw.

"Don't be so formal. I won't talk to you anymore. We need to serve His Majesty at the steps. Please go ahead." After saying this, He Xian left in a hurry.

Major General Dong Kuifa and Major General Zhou Laonian looked at each other, their original joy and desire to seek credit all disappeared, and they left with their heads down.

Lord He Xian has been of great help this time. If I had gone to see His Majesty at this juncture, I might have been scolded and cursed.

Fortunately, fortunately, we will select a few beautiful native girls and send them to Lord He’s house tonight.

It's just a local product, not a token of respect.

These two generals have also tried black girls. Although they don’t look very good, they all say they are good after using them, and it gives them a unique feeling.

After a feast of wine and meat, it would be nice to have some tropical fruits. Such local specialties are polite and prestigious to give to others.

A palatial mansion in Intramuros, Manila
This place was designated as a state guesthouse to receive distinguished envoys and distinguished guests from neighboring kingdoms. Governor Ode and his entourage stayed here.

Back to Dachu State Guesthouse

Governor Ode's rage completely erupted, he waved his hands madly in the air and shouted;

"Damn these arrogant Oriental bastards! How dare they treat this Governor-General with such contempt? This is a blatant trampling on the dignity of the British Empire and must not be allowed."

When he said this, none of the white officials accompanying him responded.

This is obviously an attempt to take advantage of the situation. Not taking Governor-General of Ord seriously is one thing, but openly trampling on the dignity of the British Empire is another. The two should not be confused.

If it is the latter, it will inevitably trigger a large-scale war.

"The sacred dignity of the British Empire must not be trampled upon" is not just a saying, it is a bottom line that cannot be touched and no one dares to ignore.

This is a monument forged by a series of bloody lessons, and it is the majesty that belongs only to the world hegemon.

If it is the former, then it can only be said that it is self-humiliating.

Why do you threaten other people's king for no reason and force them to sign a treaty of friendship and trade? Why should they tolerate you?
The accompanying white officials looked around, and no one took the initiative to respond to Governor-General Ord. This was not an easy task to handle, as it would involve taking responsibility.

We are just superiors and subordinates. Why should I risk my future career to help you?

The United Kingdom is one of the earliest European countries to implement the civil service system. It is divided into political officials who are elected through elections and generally follow the cabinet into power. They include the prime minister and ministers of various departments, as well as county governors and mayors.

The other type is administrative officers, that is, civil servants. These dozen or so British officials are civil servants stationed in overseas governor-general's offices. They accumulate experience and get promoted according to the civil service system.

The purpose of leaving one's homeland and working in overseas colonies is to gild one's resume.

Governor Ord was originally a senior civil servant in the Colonial Office, but his nature changed after he was appointed by Her Majesty Queen Victoria.

He was neither a political official nor an administrative officer, but a royal representative appointed by Her Majesty the Queen to manage the colonies. This was the basis for his arrogance.

The problem now is

Governor-General Ord had not yet officially taken office in Singapore, but he had already caused so much trouble. If this were reported, the British royal family would have to clean up his mess.

The logic is very clear.

The royal representatives suffered contempt outside, and they had to get back at the owner.

In 1786, Britain took the lead in occupying Penang, which was the first colony established by Britain on the Malay Peninsula.

In 1826, Penang, Singapore and Malacca were merged into the Straits Settlements, which were administered by the Governor-General of Bengal and later transferred to the jurisdiction of the Governor-General of India.

this period
Britain implemented a "non-interference policy" in the Straits Settlements, that is, it did not interfere in the political affairs of the Malay states, and mainly infiltrated the Malay Peninsula through economic and trade exchanges.

As the saying goes, "A new official starts with three things."

Governor Ode was ambitious and ready to change his ways and accomplish something great.

He intended to strengthen the British Colonial Office's control over the Straits Settlements and Southeast Asia, project influence, and become the invisible hand that dominated the situation in the region.

The idea is indeed grand, but it was severely slapped in the face by reality.

Governor Ode was angry for a while, but soon realized that the atmosphere was not right. His subordinates were not actively responding, and he was just performing a one-man show.

Then, Governor Ode said angrily to the Governor's Secretary Wijnaldum:
“In view of the language of these abominable Orientals, I have every reason to believe that they are trying the patience of the British Empire and have ulterior motives.

Related reasons
I will write specifically to His Excellency the Secretary of State for the Viceroyalty of India, urging him to face up to the new challenges emerging in the South China Sea.

What do you think about this?”

He directly named and expressed his position, leaving no room for ambiguity among his subordinate officials.

The Governor's Secretary Wijnaldum raised his eyebrows and replied calmly;
“Your Excellency the Governor;

I will report to the Colonial Office everything that happened here truthfully. There is no doubt that the Orientals did show an unfriendly and uncooperative side.

But I personally think
We should be more calm and carefully judge the impact of this Eastern regime on the situation in the South China Sea, and pursue a "non-interference policy" to avoid getting too deeply involved.

The Strait Governor's Secretary Wijnaldum is also a senior civil servant. He is not the Governor's secretary, but a senior official in charge of the daily affairs of the Governor's Office.

In the Viceroy's Office of India, a similar position was held by the Secretary of State for India, who was one of the five members of the Imperial Legislative Council, the highest council of the Viceroy's Office of British India, responsible for making decisions on major issues.

Its level and importance are far beyond the reach of the position of Secretary to the Governor of the Straits.

The Straits Governor-General's Office had a small jurisdiction and weak power, and the Governor-General's institution was relatively simple, not as complicated as the Governor-General's Office of British India.

"Hmph, as for how to report to the Colonial Office, as the Minister of Governor's Affairs, I am responsible for regional affairs. Naturally, I have my own considerations. You don't need to worry about it." Governor Ode did not get the attitude he wanted, and his expression looked unhappy.

He paused, then continued;

"Gentlemen, as the British Empire's colonial representatives in Asia, we shoulder the heavy responsibility of maintaining peace and stability in the region. Maintaining prosperity and unimpeded trade in the region is in the best interests of the empire.

I want to remind you
When a mischievous boy breaks into the community, whether to let him do whatever he wants or take decisive action to drive him out will test your political wisdom.

Okay, that's all I have to say. I need some quiet time alone."

"As you wish, Your Excellency the Governor." Everyone said nice words but dispersed without any reluctance.

at dusk
Wijnaldum, secretary to the Governor of the Straits Settlements, and a dozen other British officials attended a luxurious dinner hosted by Major General Robert, commander of the Da Chu Navy.

Governor Ord made an excuse not to attend, which greatly diminished the dinner's luster.

at the dinner
There was an endless stream of high-ranking officials and dignitaries arriving in horse-drawn carriages. Most of the Chinese officials brought their beautiful concubines with them, while their wives stayed at home and would not attend such indecent occasions.

Captain Charlie also attended the banquet with his beautiful wife Aurora. Most of the guests at the dinner were naval officers.

Some famous naval generals, such as Colonel Nie Tongsheng, Colonel Phelan Williams, Lieutenant Colonel Zhang Lei, Lieutenant Colonel Fu Hongyu, and Lieutenant Colonel Fleming all came with their female companions. The venue was truly packed with guests.

The dinner was held in the form of a buffet in the backyard of Major General Robert's house. Two tables covered with white tablecloths were placed on the left and right, filled with various cakes, fried foods and meals, as well as champagne and red wine, for the guests to enjoy.

The navy of the Great Chu Kingdom had many former American naval officers and had a stronger Western style, but it did not have the aristocratic style of etiquette that the European navy did.

After all

The earliest white immigrants to the American continent were mostly poor European whites and lower-class civilians, and European aristocrats were simply rare creatures.

It was only after the French Revolution that many French nobles fleeing persecution crossed the Atlantic to North America, bringing with them the sophisticated etiquette of the French aristocracy.

Overall, it is still rather vulgar and unrefined.

Sir Joachim Anderson, the Civil Affairs Commissioner of the British delegation, looked at the rude behavior of the naval officer and couldn't help but sneered arrogantly. He said to Wijnaldum:

"My God, what am I seeing? This is the worst imitation of European manners, especially those Americans with black fingernails, who are even more vulgar than farmers."

"Although your evaluation is a bit harsh, it roughly aligns with the facts I have seen." Wijnaldum replied reservedly, and the two began chatting about it.

"I can sense that the Great Chu Kingdom's absorption of Western culture and its application of advanced steam civilization are much stronger than other places."

"Oh...you also noticed those four steam ironclad ships."

"That's right, sir. Although the earliest steam ironclad ships originated from the exploratory experiments of the British Royal Navy, it was the Americans who took the lead in developing and fully applying them to warfare."

"Indeed, according to a notice issued by the Colonial Office, the French Navy has also equipped itself with a number of decommissioned steam ironclad ships from North America, which has invisibly attracted the attention of the Royal Navy."

"Those poor Gauls have now been reduced to ragpicking."

"Objectively speaking, these steam ironclad ships were not used for very long. The longest was only three or four years."

"No matter how old the equipment is, the proud British Empire Royal Navy would not bother using someone else's leftover second-hand equipment. It's like looking for food in a garbage can. It's very frustrating."

"I agree with you. Oh, you see... that very elegant lady gives people a very different feeling."

The two of them spotted Madam Aurora almost at the same time, and their eyes immediately brightened.

Mrs. Aurora was wearing a light white Parisian style elaborate lady's dress. Her tight waist could be held in one hand, which set off her chest and revealed a breathtaking white.

Her beautiful appearance also became the focus of the scene.

Captain Charlie was very excited to bring his wife Aurora to such a high-end social occasion, as it would allow him to get closer to his superiors.

compare to
Lady Aurora, who was already accustomed to such social occasions, was even calmer. When she saw the British people coming towards her attentively, a faint smile appeared on the corner of her mouth.

The deep hatred for her father's death and her mother's disappearance was like a poisonous snake gnawing at her soul every moment. Now Aurora felt like she was living in a cage, a trapped lark.

The only chance of escape is from these arrogant British people in front of him.

Captain Charlie was completely unaware of this. He was still feeling genuinely proud of his wife's effortless performance and felt that he had earned face.

But the Han naval officers around him did not think so. Lieutenant Colonel Fu Hongyu was the captain of the ironclad ship "Zhennan" and his immediate superior.

Seeing these British people swarming around the charming Lady Aurora like flies, he felt disgusted and reminded Captain Charlie:
"Charlie, I know that Westerners and Easterners have different etiquette, but men and women shouldn't touch each other, let alone those in the bedroom.

I really don't like the looks of those British people. It's not a good sign.

You must keep an eye on Aurora. Don't forget that she is a Spanish woman and your trophy."

"Thank you for the reminder, sir. I will pay attention to it." Captain Charlie replied politely, but it did not attract real attention.

Lieutenant Colonel Fu Hongyu opened his mouth and closed it again. He didn't want to say anything more. He sighed to himself and left with his champagne glass.

After all, this is Captain Charlie's family affair, and as a superior he has to avoid suspicion.

Otherwise, if you tell others about your concern for someone else's wife, it will be difficult to explain and it will affect your reputation as an official.

"Can you save me? Dear gentleman, my father is Major General Pero de Manuel Carvajal, the Spanish Royal Governor-General of Luzon, and I am his daughter Aurora. These brutal Orientals killed almost everyone, and I was forced to greet them with a smile. It was an extremely humiliating day." Aurora said quickly in Latin.

She knew that Captain Charlie did not understand Latin, and few of the former American officers here could speak this elegant language.

Civil Affairs Commissioner Sir Joachim Anderson's expression changed when he heard this. He exchanged glances with Mr. Wijnaldum silently and felt that the problem was serious.

For proud British officials, nothing is impossible.

They are the superior people who are high and mighty and can do whatever they want to the entire South Seas countries and even the northern powers without having to consider the feelings of others.

The only thing that can influence the decision is whether this small risk is worth it?

Sir Joachim Anderson once again looked at the charming Lady Aurora. She had transformed from a girl into a young woman, and was as fresh and juicy as a ripe peach, which was very attractive.

"For any upright gentleman, rescuing a woman in distress is his unshirkable duty. Dear Lady Aurora, I will find a way to get you out of this hellhole."

"Oh... God! You are the brave and upright knight guarding with a sword. Praise your noble character." Lady Aurora used her weak disguise and generous praise to quickly make the British feel elated.

(End of this chapter)