Nanyang Storm 1864

Chapter 212 A Good Deal

Only three days later

Li Hezhang, Prime Minister of the Provisional Government Cabinet, came to Ganquan Palace to report on the government's work and preparations for the grand ceremony. It was only two days away from January 1st.

After finishing the report, Li Hezhang couldn't help but said with a bitter face;
"Your Majesty, in the past few days, the government has been harassed by envoys from various countries and has been unable to rest.

They even chased me into my house at night, especially that madman from the Ryukyu Kingdom, who had been lying at the door of my residence for two days. It was really outrageous.

It’s really exhausting dealing with these people.”

Because they are located in the safe and secure Manila Royal City, most of the official offices of the provisional government of the Great Chu Kingdom do not have strict guards and are relatively convenient to enter and exit.

This gave envoys from various countries the opportunity to visit under various pretexts, to socialize and build relationships, which was extremely annoying.

Zheng Guohui had no other options. He walked over and sat next to Li Hezhang, beckoning for refreshments and saying soothingly,
"These are all guests from various countries who have come to offer congratulations. Your Excellency, please be patient for now. They will naturally disperse after the celebration. It won't be long."

Li Hezhang shook his head and said;

"Your Majesty, the matter may not be that simple.

That Xiang Dehong spread the word everywhere;
The Ryukyu Kingdom and our Great Chu Kingdom are both of Chinese descent, connected by blood and sharing the same etiquette. They are truly brothers scattered overseas.

When we are honored, we share the honor; when we are humiliated, we share the humiliation. We should really lend a helping hand.

Now that our brother nation has been established, Ryukyu has come from thousands of miles away to congratulate us.

When the Ming Dynasty was bullied, Da Chu and Ryukyu should have shared the same hatred and been united as brothers, which was the right thing to do.

This madman also threatened;

You should use the sky as your blanket and the earth as your bed, and set up camp at the gate of my residence. You will not give up until you get a definite answer.

His crazy talk attracted a crowd of onlookers. Some applauded, some encouraged, and some shared the same passion. However, we became his stepping stones.

I have been unable to return home for two days due to the pressure. I think this person has a very strong mind and his words are probably true."

When talking about this matter, Li Hezhang sighed with worry.

Zheng Guohui's anger was already rising. He put down the teacup in his hand and said, "How unreasonable! This is just forcing someone to do something against their will."

He thought about it and then said;

"Prime Minister, please bear with me and stay at Malacañang Palace for the next few days to avoid the spotlight. We will discuss this matter after the celebrations.

This madman still needs Prince Yijiang Shangjian to come forward to comfort him. I will send a few people from the Royal Guards to take him away from the Prime Minister's residence first, and then deal with him properly.

The extent to which the ministers of each ministry should show favoritism to envoys from other countries was determined by themselves.

As the celebration approaches, we must prioritize the overall situation and avoid damaging the harmony, which would be detrimental."

"Thank you very much, Your Majesty, for your mercy. This is all I can do." Li Hezhang had no choice but to accept the King of Chu's kindness.

Malacañang Palace is located on the north bank of the Pasig River. It was originally the site of the Chu King's palace and covers a large area. In recent months, it has undergone large-scale expansion and has many buildings.

However, Queen Zheng Li did not like the remoteness of this place and instead wanted to live in Ganquan Palace.

King Zheng Guohui of Chu and the queen were newly married, and they had not seen each other for more than half a year. He could not bear to disappoint the queen, so he agreed and the palace remained vacant.

It would be a good idea to let Prime Minister Li Hezhang and several senior officials take shelter for a while.

After solving this troublesome problem, Li Hezhang's mood was obviously much better.

Chatted for a while

Li Hezhang stroked his beard with his hand and talked about the security issue of Ganquan Palace. He said:
"Your Majesty, this palace is too small. As soon as you enter, you're greeted by a corridor leading to the Grand Conference Room and the East Pavilion. There's very little room for maneuver.

If criminals really break in, it would be a cause for concern.

In my humble opinion

It would be better to connect several nearby houses to expand the scope of Ganquan Palace and divide the palace departments into them, which would be much more spacious.

Another gate was built on the east side of St. Augustine's Church, blocking the street entrance. The palace guards were stationed there, and no officials were allowed to enter unless they were summoned to an audience with His Majesty.

This way, we can be safe and secure.”

King Zheng Guohui of Chu thought this made sense and nodded in agreement, saying, "Prime Minister, your words are reasonable. We will proceed accordingly after the celebration."

The structure of Ganquan Palace is similar to the British Prime Minister's official residence, Downing Street. The palace office building is on the street side. Pushing the door open, there is a corridor. Following the corridor, you can reach the conference hall and the East Pavilion on the second floor where the King of Chu governs the country.

After all

Da Chu is now just a small country in Southeast Asia in terms of population and kingdom territory. It has inherited the original ruling structure of the Governor's Office of the Spanish colonists, but it does not have the grand scene of continuous palaces.

Whether it is the Prince of Chu's Palace, the Prime Minister's Office, or the offices of various ministries, most of them are scattered in various buildings in Manila's Royal City and look quite inconspicuous.

Li Hezhang's suggestions
That is to connect Ganquan Palace with the mansions on both sides, and then close the nearby streets at both ends. This will greatly increase the safety margin and prevent people from rashly breaking in.

After talking about this, Li Hezhang mentioned Zheng Yulan again, praising her highly.

After more than a year of training in North America, Zheng Yulan has become fluent in English, German, and French, and can also speak simple Spanish. She has played an important role in dozens of acquisition negotiations.

This time, the second batch of equipment and supplies procured from the United States was escorted back. The handover was clear and organized, demonstrating extraordinary competence. Zheng Yulan was already a well-educated scholar, well-versed in the classics, history, and literature. Now, she could be said to have mastered both Eastern and Western learning. It was no wonder that Prime Minister Li Hezhang took a liking to her.

Li Hezhang mentioned something and said;

"A few days ago, Zheng Yulan submitted a special report on the Stephen Battery, citing various advantages, which I find very reasonable.

This ironclad ship is now abandoned on the slipway. The hull is basically completed, the steam main engine and mast are all in place, and only a few parts remain to be put into use.

If it is converted into a commercial transport ship, it will only require an additional investment of US$30,000 to US$40,000 before it can be launched and set sail.

Considering the huge tonnage of this ship, whether it is used for immigration routes or cargo transportation, it is of behemoth level and has many advantages.

Zheng Yulan contacted Stephen Shipyard many times, and the other party was willing to sell it for a minimum of US$12, with a subsequent additional investment of US$16, totaling about US$.

Compared with the original construction cost, it can save three quarters.

I would like to use the US dollar loan from the Wan Guo Tong Bao Bank to purchase this ship, which will be of great use for traveling between Manila and Chongming Island."

"Stephen Battery"?

Hearing the Prime Minister talk about this, Zheng Guohui silently picked up the teacup and took a sip, thinking about how to deal with it.

A semi-finished giant ironclad ship costs 16 US dollars, which is almost equivalent to the purchase cost of three ironclad ships, or equivalent to two sets of iron-making blast furnace equipment. Is it really worth it?
As early as 1855, Stephen Brothers Shipyard planned and started building a giant ship.

The design indicators of this "future battleship" are amazing:

船长达128米，排水量4683吨，装备6.5英寸水线装甲，装备5门15英寸达尔格伦滑膛炮、5门10英寸线膛炮。

The most amazing thing is that the powerful "Stephen Battery" has a maximum design speed of 20 knots and a coal load of up to 1000 tons, with a power range of up to 1700 nautical miles.

Combined with sail power, it is almost possible to sail around the world.

In 1859, Stephen Shipyard ambitiously started construction. This giant ship's avant-garde pure heavy firepower and excellent gun protection made it worthy of the title of "big ship and big gun".

"Battery Stephen" was a double-chimney gunhouse ship design, and subsequent drawings transformed it into a turret ship, which attracted the attention of the US Navy.

The reality is cruel. Due to the high design standards, the Stephen brothers' big toy, which cost them a lot of money, was built very slowly.
The U.S. Navy lost interest in this large satellite, and by 1861, when "Stephen Battery" was completely abandoned on the slipway, the project had cost a huge sum of $60.

Edwin tried to convince the Navy to buy the ship, which had passed the inspection. According to Edwin's calculations, it would only cost another $63 to complete the launch of the ship.
The "Stephen Battery" only had its hull completed, but was not equipped with expensive naval gun weapons. Its desire for quick success and instant benefits eventually led to it running aground.

This put the Federal Navy in the embarrassing position of having no ironclad ships available at the beginning of the Civil War.

When the Confederate ironclad ships appeared on the sea, the Federal Navy Secretary Gideon Wells was almost crying in anxiety. He urgently launched a bidding for the design of ironclad ships with a budget of 150 million US dollars, which led to the subsequent ironclad ships being launched one after another.

Until the end of the Civil War
The "Stephen Battery" is still on the shipyard's slipway, exposed to the sun and rain.

Another investment of $30,000 to $40,000 was needed to complete the unfinished work on this ironclad ship, including installing the enclosed bridge and mast, and purchasing the necessary items such as anchors, sails, and cables.

The final ironclad ship will not have any naval gun weapons. It will be just an iron-hulled transport ship with dual power of sails and steam engines. The maximum speed can reach 15 knots, which is far lower than the designed 20 knots.

This huge iron-hulled ship is worth this price even if it is sold as scrap metal.

Considering the geographical characteristics of the Great Chu Kingdom, a nation of ten thousand islands, and the heavy immigration and material transportation needs, Zheng Guohui finally nodded and said, "Yes, the additional investment cannot exceed 30,000 US dollars. Any parts of the ship that can be replaced with wood, such as the bridge and cabins, can be simplified and improved after returning to Manila."

"I, your humble servant, will faithfully obey the Majesty's command. Zheng Yulan is loyal to the king and possesses great talents. She deserves to be put to important positions!"

"In the Prime Minister's opinion, where should it be placed?"

"Your Majesty, based on his outstanding performance, I recommend this man for the position of Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs. Is that appropriate?"

"Well... since the Prime Minister is so optimistic, let's follow the procedure."

"Wei Chen obeys your orders."

After getting the approval, Li Hezhang couldn't help but show joy on his face. This matter was a done deal.

The appointment of high-ranking officials in the Great Chu naturally has a usual procedure. First, there must be a nomination. Such high-ranking officials must be reviewed by the cabinet meeting, and after approval, they must be reported to the king and can only be appointed with the approval of the king of Chu.

Thus

The royal power was restricted by the cabinet, and on the surface it was impossible for the royal family to be arbitrary. It had the essential connotation of a constitutional monarchy, where "the emperor and the literati and officials ruled the world together."

But this only works for weak kings and does not affect the domineering power of Zheng Guohui, who established the Great Chu Dynasty and whose words are law.

People he dislikes will not be allowed to pass in cabinet meetings.

Li Hezhang got answers to all the problems he wanted to solve. He was in a good mood and chatted here for a while, drank some tea, and then said goodbye and left.

Zheng Guohui felt a little sorry for the money he had spent, but when he thought about the fact that after the "Stephen Battery" returned, it would be able to transport a huge amount of supplies and personnel in one trip, which was much more powerful than an entire fleet, he felt a lot better.

After removing the heavy artillery equipment, this huge iron-hulled ship can carry at least 4000 tons of supplies and 3500 to 4000 people. If it travels around Guangdong Province, it can make a round trip to Manila once a week.

The route between Chongming Island and Manila can be operated twice a month.

If you travel back and forth to Penghu, you can make a round trip in 4 days.

It really has a big belly and can hold a lot of things. Since it is an iron-hulled sailboat, it has a stronger ability to withstand wind and waves. Overall, it is a cost-effective deal.

(End of this chapter)