Nanyang Storm 1864

Chapter 221 Fubo Gate

Manila pier
This originally spacious dock has been expanded to an area more than three times larger than before. In the distance are warehouses, many of which have been built or are under construction.

On the inside of the pier
A row of two-story viewing platforms was built, about 200 meters long, with a total of eight levels of stands in front and back, which can accommodate thousands of guests.

Parallel to the viewing platform, there was already a long line of soldiers, each 5 meters apart, stretching out far away, forming an insurmountable viewing line.

A long row of Bagua national flags fluttered in the wind, rustling in the sea breeze.

The 12,000 officers and soldiers participating in the parade sat neatly at the assembly ground at the far end of the dock. They got up very early and arrived half an hour ago after breakfast.

People attending the ceremony can only stay inside the viewing line and cannot cross it to avoid affecting the normal progress of the ceremony.

at this time

Inside the viewing line, a dense crowd of people had gathered, almost submerging one side of the ceremony site. It was a complete sea of ​​people, with crowds of people everywhere.

Many anxious people arrived last night and grabbed a good spot at the front.

On the other side of the cordon, many officers were holding brass trumpets and shouting warnings as they walked;

"Citizens, please note that crossing the cordon is not allowed. Failure to do so will be treated as dangerous behavior."

"Please keep an eye on your children and do not allow them to run around freely. Parents who violate this rule will be punished for negligence."

"Please stay within the designated area to watch the ceremony and maintain order. Once again, crossing the cordon is not allowed."

Despite repeated warnings, some people still pretended not to understand and rushed into the cordon, where they were immediately pinned down by the soldiers on duty.

After gathering thirty or fifty offenders, the officers drew out the bamboo whips in their hands and whipped each person's buttocks three times without holding back at all.

Every time the whip hit her, a bloody mark as thick as a finger would immediately appear on her buttocks, and she would scream in pain.

Then these people who violated the rules were allowed to pass and returned to the crowd watching the ceremony. These guys were in so much pain that tears and snot were streaming down their faces, and they were rubbing their buttocks and screaming.

With bad examples set, order immediately becomes much better.

In the colorful tent on the side of the viewing platform

earlier

Representatives from various European countries and local states arrived one after another, brought by horse-drawn carriages, and the colorful tent became lively.

On the long table on one side of the shed were some Western pastries, croissants, donuts, as well as Chinese pastries such as fried cakes, pastries, honey three-knife pastries, and thousand-layer pastries, as well as some fruits and hot tea.

If you need coffee, the waiter can pour you a cup from the thermos.

These refreshments are for distinguished guests from various countries. Those who did not eat enough in the morning can fill their stomachs, as the National Day celebrations will last quite a while.

"Hey, man, are we just gonna stay in this little shed?"

"Of course not. We'll go to the top of the fortress to watch the ceremony. The view from there is much better. You'll like it."

"But why don't we go up now?"

"It seems that His Majesty the King of Chu has not arrived yet. We need to wait patiently for a while."

"Why the hell are we waiting for them?"

A white man blurted out without any modesty, which immediately attracted several angry glances, as if they wanted to deeply imprint his appearance in their minds.

See this scene
The white man wisely kept his mouth shut, fearing that these people would rush over and beat him up.

Or find a deserted place and hit yourself with a club.

Prince Shang Jian of Ie of the Ryukyu Kingdom could understand English. He turned around and looked over at this time, with an expression that showed he was eager to stand up and scold this white man, showing his close friendly relationship with the Chu State.

Hesitated
Considering that the foreigners are not easy to deal with, it is better not to cause trouble for the Ryukyu Kingdom and force his head back.

This is what happens to small and weak countries. Without strength, they have no status.

Mr. Ord, Governor of the Channel Islands of the British Empire, and his entourage were politely led into a small room in the colorful tent. There were more chairs and tables here than before, so they could sit down and wait.

The receptionist politely said in English, "Your Excellency, Governor General, please wait a moment. His Majesty and the Queen's carriage is on its way. They will ascend the city wall with the distinguished guests to witness the founding ceremony."

"Okay, thank you." The Governor's Secretary Wijnaldum nodded politely to express his gratitude, showing his gentlemanly demeanor.

Governor Ord's eyes rested on the four black ironclad warships anchored at the Manila dock. These four powerful warships made his arrogant look less arrogant.

The British only respect partners with strength. If the French are romantic and the Americans are reckless and somewhat willful, then the British are purely opportunistic. Sir Joachim Anderson also caught the Governor's gaze and looked in the same direction. At one end of the dock in the distance was a fleet of sailing ships with masts like a forest, and the soldiers on the fleet were ready to go.

He said, "I think this is something the Orientals are trying to show us."

"Your instincts are undoubtedly correct, my dear Sir Anderson," Governor Ord replied in a cool tone, retracting his gaze and continuing;

"The key point is that the Orientals do have something to show us. Here, I see an attitude of fully integrating into the Western steam industrial revolution, which is worth re-examining."

"Damn Americans! Their short-sighted mercantilism has made the situation in Southeast Asia more complicated." Sir Joachim Anderson said somewhat unhappily.

Governor Ode raised his eyebrows and said;

"The Americans are one of our major threats in the Pacific. According to reliable sources, the final ownership of Alaska is basically a foregone conclusion and will be sold for $720 million. The Americans have won again."

"This is bad news for Canada. The US will then clamp down on Canada from two directions. It's guarding against us."

"That's right. We must cut off the Americans' attempts to extend their reach into the Pacific, especially towards Taiwan. They are showing signs of impatience."

"Are you referring to... the incident of the American merchant ship running aground some time ago?"

"The so-called grounding incident is just an excuse. News from the Guangzhou Consulate says the Americans want to use warships to resolve the issue."

"Oh, damn it! They are just as insatiable as the Russians, looking for food everywhere like hungry wolves." Sir Joachim Anderson's expression became aggressive and he said with a bad face.

No one likes to sit in the yard to eat, and then see a rude man with black fingernails passing by the door, without even saying hello, suddenly reaching for the plate in front of him.

Especially this American, he was once a rebellious serf.

This is a true reflection of the British people's hearts, full of disgust and aversion, but without a trace of timidity.

Even though the United States won the War of Independence, the British Empire never admitted defeat to America, only to France.

While chatting

The soldiers sitting on the ground on one side of the dock stood up and formed a line at the order of their superiors, and then sang the national anthem in unison. The majestic singing echoed in the sky, magnificent and majestic.

The orderly chorus of tens of thousands of soldiers echoed over the dock. This shocking scene made Governor Ode change color and think deeply.

The distinguished guests from various countries in the colorful tent stopped whispering and looked over in unison, filled with various emotions.

There is envy, shock, fear, worry, doubt, and eagerness. All kinds of emotions can be expressed in the complex eyes, which is very wonderful.

Before the national anthem was finished, the band's drums and music started to play on the stage. The high-pitched suona music pierced the sky, and the beating of the drums made people's blood boil.

A man on a white horse galloped into the arena, holding a flag with the word "Chu" in its hand, shouting at the top of his lungs, "The King of Chu has arrived..."

Immediately behind him, a fully armed cavalry team with flags on their backs appeared. After entering the wide dock, they quickly separated to both sides.

Then the rumbling sound of horse hooves was heard, and a brigade of royal cavalry with yellow feathers on their helmets appeared in everyone's sight, escorting the golden royal chariot in.

"All... salute!"

The guards saluted in unison, and the people watching the ceremony were overwhelmed by the might of the royal family. They knelt down to greet them, their eyes filled with fiery reverence.

King Zheng Guohui of Chu and the queen sat on the imperial sedan chair, nodding frequently to the people around them, demonstrating their graceful kingly demeanor and winning cheers.

The imperial carriage stopped near the colorful tent. King Zheng Guohui of Chu and the queen got off the carriage. After a brief greeting with the guests from various countries present, they were surrounded by the crowd and boarded the newly renovated Fubo Gate Fortress.

This Fubomen Fortress is the original Fort Santiago Fortress.

The fortress wall of Fort Santiago facing the bay was completely destroyed after two days of continuous bombardment by the 15-inch Dahlgren cannon of the ironclad heavy ship.

The current Fubomen Fortress was rebuilt on the ruins of the original Fort Santiago. It was expanded more than 200 meters towards the bay, and the city wall facing the bay is higher and thicker.

The side of the city wall facing the bay was built entirely using the rammed earth method of Chinese city walls. The base is 36 meters wide, the total height of the city wall is 26 meters, the top width is 18 meters, and the widest central part of the city wall is 42 meters.

The side of the city wall facing the bay is more than 380 meters long and has no city gates. A three-story Chinese-style building with flying eaves was added in the center, called the "Fubo Pavilion."

It was taken from the meaning of "Jinghai Fubo". In order to avoid the word "Jinghai" in the name of King Chu, it was named "Fubo Pavilion", and the fortress was also named after this.

The tall three-story Hua Xia is a building with flying eaves and brackets. Together with the fortress wall, the total height reaches 54 meters. The light from the attic on the highest floor can be seen on the sea more than kilometers away.

It is said that at night, if you look southeast with a monocular telescope from the Cavite Fort, you can see the light of the Fubo Gate lighthouse. I don’t know if it is true or not?
Cavite Fort is 31 kilometers away from here, so far away that it is normally invisible.

(End of this chapter)