Nanyang Storm 1864

Chapter 258 Situation in the Nanyang Region
During his time in the United States, Zheng Xin had extensive contact with the white upper class, which gave him a deeper understanding of European and American society and his own unique views.

During the conversation, I gained a lot of new insights.

This also aroused the keen interest of King Zheng Guohui of Chu. The two of them sat there and talked for half a day, and the freshly brewed tea was changed several times.

Speaking of the grievances and hatred between Britain and the United States, this is one of the main contradictions in the current international situation.

The British are suppressing and guarding against the United States in all aspects, and their obvious hostility is not concealed at all. The relationship between the two countries can be described as being good on the surface, but then stabbing each other in the back.

The Civil War that spread across North America left the United States battered and devastated, and the country is now licking its wounds at home.

The British royal family is notoriously petty, the most well-known example is;
Why is there only a Royal Navy but no Royal Army in the British Empire?

This is because Cromwell sent Charles I to the guillotine in 1649, making Charles I the only king in British history to be publicly executed, and the army was an accomplice.

More than two hundred years have passed, and the British royal family still bears this grudge in their hearts. The army cannot be named the "Royal" Army, and it will never be able to obtain such an honorable title in the future.

In the eyes of the petty British

America is its overseas colony in North America. It is a rebellious regime composed of criminals exiled to North America and a group of adventurers, a group of rebellious sons who betrayed their mother country.

My uncle can bear it, but my aunt can't.

Britain really hates this group of Americans who have betrayed their traditional Saxon traditions and will never forgive them easily.

After the Northern regime won the Civil War, relations between America and Europe worsened, and can be described as extremely bad.

British textile factory owners joined forces to lower the price of cotton even more severely, forcing cotton plantation owners in the southern United States to sell cotton at a loss, which in turn severely exploited black slaves, forming a vicious cycle.

There may be secret instructions from the British upper class behind this.

simply put

The door to Europe, led by the United Kingdom, is almost closed to the United States. The high tariff barriers imposed by the United States on trade are also one aspect. Each and every one of them makes the British side grit their teeth.

In this difficult environment

The US foreign policy was forced to choose to develop southward and westward, make friends widely, and was very enthusiastic about establishing diplomatic relations with the State of Chu, which was an obvious signal.

America is now very eager for friends, especially countries with which it can conduct normal diplomacy and trade.

When Zheng Xin went to Washington on behalf of the State of Chu to present the credentials, he was warmly received by US President Johnson and Secretary of State William Seward. They reached consensus on many areas of bilateral relations, laying the foundation for friendly exchanges.

……

"Hehehe... Has anyone ever raised the Midway issue with you in person?"

"Your Majesty, it does exist, but this person is merely an assistant to a member of Parliament. My humble answer is: whoever discovers it first, whoever possesses it first, will have sovereignty."

"Well, sometimes formal diplomatic rhetoric is the best answer."

"Your Majesty, Washington does have some very far-sighted people. Someone once asked me if the Chu State had any territorial ambitions in Central America."

"Oh, how do you answer?"

"My answer is: Chu is very concerned about the United States' southern policy. We hope that the Mexican government's current territory and rights can be truly protected, rather than having its own neighbors constantly encroaching on our own yard."

"Hahaha... This is a very interesting suggestion." Upon hearing this, King Zheng Guohui of Chu couldn't help but burst into laughter, and the atmosphere became more relaxed.

Zheng Guohui knew;
The focus of the United States' expansion policy was on the South, and in the following decades, it successively acquired some remote territories in western North America.

If history had not changed

It was not until the end of the Spanish-American War in 1898 that the United States had the energy to turn its attention to Europe and Asia, especially hoping to repair relations across the Atlantic.

But the narrow-minded British still bear a grudge and turn a blind eye to America's frequent flirtations.

The most direct proof of this is that US President Woodrow Wilson was not invited to make his first state visit to Britain until 1918.

The first time a US President formally met with Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth at Buckingham Palace was not until 2003, during President Bush's official state visit.

At this time, 227 years had passed since North America's independence.

In 1918, just as the First World War was ending, American President Woodrow Wilson ambitiously set foot on the British Isles, trying to negotiate with the British and participate in the planning of the world map after the First World War, becoming one of the top decision-makers.

In the end, they were met with dismay and were jointly rejected by Britain and France. European newspapers and media were full of mocking words, and they finally returned to North America in disappointment.

From World War I to the outbreak of World War II, America's "Monroe Doctrine" became increasingly serious. It closed its doors and only cared about its own lives, rarely participating in international affairs.

The major damage in 1918 was the culprit.

In the small living room
As we talked about happy things, time passed quietly and before we knew it, it was almost evening.

Zheng Guohui simply ordered a banquet and sent someone to inform Prime Minister Li Hezhang and several ministers of the Prime Minister's Office to come to Ganquan Palace to attend the imperial banquet.

The office building of the Prime Minister's Yamen is not far away. Walking out from Ganquan Palace, there is a palace gate not far away. This is a wall built behind the Zheng Clan Ancestral Hall (Note: formerly the Cathedral of St. Augustus), separating the original street.

After walking out of the palace gate and forward for more than a hundred meters, you will reach the Wangfu Square facing the Zheng Clan Ancestral Hall. The Prime Minister's Office of the Chu State Cabinet is on the other side of the Wangfu Square.

The person who delivered the king's order left quickly and came back quickly.

This is equivalent to calling a few leaders to have a meal together when it is almost time to get off work, and then discussing some things at the table.

His Majesty summoned them, and Prime Minister Li Hezhang and several ministers arrived quickly.

Just as everyone was gathered, King Zheng Guohui of Chu took out the edict he had written long ago and announced on the spot the appointment of Zheng Xin as the new Minister of Foreign Affairs, in charge of the kingdom's diplomatic and colonial affairs.

According to international practice
Colonial affairs were handled uniformly by the Foreign Office, both in Britain and France, but later Britain established a separate Colonial Office to separate similar colonial management functions.

Zheng Xin bowed solemnly to the ground and said, "How have I deserved the honor and ability to be valued by Your Majesty and be entrusted with the important task of a senior official in the ministry? I will devote my whole heart to repay your grace..." and so on.

The ministers came forward one after another to offer their congratulations, and the atmosphere was filled with laughter. The imperial banquet was held in the small conference hall next to the East Pavilion. The original long conference table was made up of eight small tables, but now it was separated again, covered with an embroidered white tablecloth, and decorated with flowers to become the wine table.

There were more than a dozen senior officials from the ministry and their deputies, so there were just two people to each table.

King Zheng Guoyao of Chu sat alone at the top of the table, facing north and back to south, which meant that the heart of Chu was toward China.

There were 8 dining tables on the left and right, and various dishes were brought up in a continuous stream. Soon the tables were full and quite sumptuous.

The imperial banquet did not have many dishes. Each table had only eight dishes, half of which were meat and half were vegetables. In addition, there were a few main dishes that came later, such as roasted whole lamb, baked prawns with salted duck eggs, Dongpo pork, five-treasure seafood soup, etc., and each table was given a small plate.

This royal favor is so rare, this is a banquet bestowed by His Majesty the King of Chu!

Even though we are in Southeast Asia, the vast majority of people here are Han Chinese with authentic Chinese blood, and they are the first generation of immigrants. From traditional ideas, cognition to customs, they all regard themselves as a great country.

Even though the State of Chu was only a small regional country with a population of more than three million, it did not prevent the traditional ideas of the Chu officials, such as the Eastern Yi, Southern Man, Western Rong and Northern Di, from being deeply rooted.

The territory is small and the population is small, so what is there to be afraid of?
The Chu State had its back on the Northern Shenzhou, which had endless human resources, and its annual immigrant population reached more than 130 million. After its rise in the South Seas, it invisibly produced a huge siphon effect.

In addition to the large-scale immigration organized by the government, many Chinese expatriates from coastal provinces and Malaya, Indochina and Batavia moved their families to the territory of Chu.

The biggest attraction of the Chu State to these overseas Chinese families was that it was a typical Chinese kingdom regime, where they could develop freely without repression in the business field and enjoy protected private property and overseas consular rights.

The latter, in particular, is particularly important for Chinese capital involved in frequent cross-border business in the Nanyang region.

This year alone

The total number of overseas Chinese families that flocked to the Chu State reached 24.36. The vast majority of them were whole families moving in, or entire branches of the family moved in in large numbers, thus bringing about close trade channels with various countries in Southeast Asia.

Overseas Chinese brought capital and close ties with their original countries of settlement, forming countless spider-web-like Chinese business trade circles, which opened the door for Chu's industrial products to successfully enter the above-mentioned markets.

this age
Chinese businessmen were the main players in controlling the commercial trade in the entire Nanyang region. Chinese cargo ships sailed north to the Korean Peninsula, Fusang, and the Chinese mainland, south to Dutch Batavia, Surabaya, and the ports of Chu State, and west to the British Indian colonies and Malacca, including the Indochina Peninsula, forming an important Chinese trade circle.

In Malaya, Penang and other places, the Chinese population accounts for more than half of the local population, and more than 90% in Singapore.

In the French Saigon Governorate, especially in Saigon City, local Chinese expatriates accounted for more than 40% of the population and monopolized industries such as commercial trade and transportation.

In the Kingdom of Siam, an important coastal city of the Kingdom of Burma, Chinese expatriates accounted for 20% to 30% of the local population and controlled important commercial channels.

Under the jurisdiction of the Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies, the Dutch whites prohibited Chinese immigrants from owning local land and engaging in industries such as plantations.

This has led to the local Chinese being concentrated in important cities such as Batavia, Bandung, and Surabaya, where they have basically monopolized many local industries such as commercial trade and transportation, and account for 20% to 30% of the local population (note: only urban population, not including the vast rural areas).

The addition of these overseas Chinese families has greatly enriched the prosperity of the Chu market. In major cities such as Manila, Cebu, Davao, Zamboanga and Batangas, the commercial market is booming and house transaction prices are rising.

A large number of overseas Chinese bought land and houses, opened factories, companies and shops, and established shipping companies and trading firms. The influx of hot money from overseas Chinese led to the rapid development of cities and towns in the Chu State.

room
King Zheng Guohui of Chu put down his chopsticks and wiped his mouth with a hot towel. All the ministers below put down their chopsticks and turned their eyes to His Majesty.

"My dear ministers, congratulations to Lord Zheng for returning home with such honors. I propose that we raise a toast together to celebrate the Chu Kingdom!"

"Your Majesty, congratulations to the State of Chu."

All the ministers stood up, raised their cups with both hands, drank them all in one gulp with a respectful look, and then turned the bottom of the cup upside down.

King Zheng Guohui of Chu also took a sip from his wine glass and said with a smile, "No need for formalities, everyone, please sit down. Today, the king and his subjects gather together, and we must not leave until we are drunk!"

Prime Minister Li Hezhang sat down, bowed with both hands, and said, "Our Chu State now has a wise ruler in power, and all the ministers are united in their efforts. The country is thriving. Why should we worry about not dominating Southeast Asia one day?"

"What the immortals said is very true. Only with such lofty ambitions can we create a prosperous situation where all flowers bloom and live up to our original intention of coming to Nanyang!"

"We should live up to our original aspiration and congratulate Your Majesty and the Great Chu." The ministers raised their glasses again.

King Zheng Guohui of Chu picked up the wine glass with a smile and drank it all again.

After three rounds of wine, five flavors of food.

When King Zheng Guohui of Chu was talking with his ministers, he mentioned the great changes that had taken place in the northern Fusang Kingdom, and everyone sighed with regret.

After Emperor Komei died of illness at the beginning of this year, Crown Prince Mutsuhito ascended the throne and became Emperor Meiji. He was young and ambitious, and actively formed an alliance with the anti-shogunate forces to raise an army.

In the second half of the year

It happened that the Chu fleet arrived in the Ryukyu Kingdom and signed a treaty between the two countries to lease the port of Naha. It then once again marched to Tokyo Bay and used force to force the Edo Shogunate to sign an unequal trade treaty.

This invisibly aroused widespread anger among the Fuso people, townspeople and lower-class samurai, and the spearhead was directed at the weak and incompetent Shogun Tokugawa Yoshinobu, who was called a "traitor" by many Chinese people.

This is inevitably due to the disturbances caused by the four powerful vassal states in the southwest.

The bloody massacre at Lake Ikeda by the Chu State's sailing fleet dealt a heavy blow to the Satsuma Domain, which had been the most vulnerable. The naval power that it regarded as its mainstay was wiped out and completely disintegrated.

He kicked the iron plate and broke his leg bones.

Faced with the cruel reality, the country of Fuso fell silent for a moment.

When the powerful sailing fleet of Chu returned with a satisfactory trade treaty, an even more violent anti-shogunate movement broke out in Fuso, and everyone took out all their long-suppressed anger on the shogunate.

Amidst nationwide cries for war and killing, faced with such a favorable situation, the momentum of the anti-Qing forces, which had just suffered a heavy blow, quickly revived.

On November 11, Emperor Meiji issued a secret decree to overthrow the shogunate, and the anti-shogunate army marched to Edo. The last shogun, Tokugawa Yoshinobu, abdicated in disgrace and petitioned Emperor Meiji to "return power to the emperor," ending the shogunate's 8-year history of ruling Fuso.

Thus, the shogunate era ended.

When the news came, the whole Chu State was shocked. The next step that affected the interests of Chu State was
It is necessary to immediately contact the new regime headed by the Emperor of Fuso and ask whether the trade treaty between the two countries that was just signed can be implemented smoothly?
Obtaining a formal commitment from the Fuso government is an urgent matter for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

If the new Fuso regime overturns the previous preferential trade treaty between the two countries, there is no doubt what will happen next. It will inevitably be another northern expedition, triggering a new war.

(End of this chapter)