Nanyang Storm 1864

Chapter 260: Rewarding the Founding Meritorious Service

The Edo secret meeting reached a unanimous decision and immediately sent personnel to Nagasaki to appease the diplomatic envoys of the great powers to avoid misjudgment.

Unexpectedly, several express horses came to Nagasaki to report the news. This was the gathering place for envoys from various countries. With the discussion on continuing the previous treaty, the powerful southwestern vassal states and the emperor's forces vied with each other to please the emperor, and no one was left behind in reporting the good news.

From this we can see that the Fuso anti-shogunate faction is strong on the outside but weak on the inside, and they all have their own ulterior motives.

September 18th, 2025

The Meiji Emperor of Japan issued an edict to the diplomatic envoys of the great powers, ordering them to "follow the old trade rules without making any changes" and "to conduct trade with all countries and seek common development."

At this point, a potential earth-shaking storm was quietly wiped out.

outside kyoto
The assembled anti-shogunate army was greatly encouraged, and after a fierce battle, they defeated the conservative army and townspeople assembled by the shogunate, winning a decisive victory in the Battle of Kyoto...

At the same time, Manila
It happened to be the day after the Lunar New Year Lantern Festival, and the city of Manila was filled with the remains of the festive occasion. The red couplets, window decorations, and door god paper paintings posted on the doors of every household had faded and become dilapidated due to the wind and rain.

This coincided with the end of the rainy season, and three consecutive months of heavy and light rain had greatly reduced the festive atmosphere at the end of the year and the beginning of the new year.

This kind of geographical climate is the characteristic of Nanyang.

In this rainy and humid weather
There was a festive atmosphere in the mansions and courtyards inside and outside the Royal City of Manila. At the beginning of February, His Majesty the King of Chu issued an edict to enfeoff the ministers who had made contributions to the founding of the country, and the whole court was filled with joy.

This time, the King of Chu bestowed titles on a total of 6 earls, 15 viscounts, 72 barons and 222 honorable lifetime knights (note: no fiefdoms, not hereditary). The generosity of the titles exceeded expectations, and naturally attracted a tide of gratitude, which is not worth elaborating here.

The high-ranking nobles included 6 earls and 15 viscounts, who together formed the highest aristocratic circle of the Chu State, and from which future famous families emerged.

The kingship of Chu followed the ancient ritual system of the Han Dynasty in the Tang, Song and Ming dynasties, and did not follow the system of the Qing Dynasty. There were no barbarian titles such as Beile, Gushan Beizi, Ru Bafen Guogong, and Non-Ru Bafen Guogong. The purpose was to reorganize the Chinese nation, clarify the inside and outside, and know the hierarchy.

"The Book of Rites: The Royal Regulations" says: "The king's system of salary and nobility is divided into five levels: duke, marquis, earl, viscount, and baron."

The highest title granted to the founding ministers included Li Hezhang, Earl of Cavite, Zheng Shouye, Earl of Jinshan (note: fourth uncle, currently Lieutenant General of Jinling), Lieutenant General Qian Jiang, Earl of Mucheng (note: Minister of Military Affairs and Director of the Army), Lieutenant General Huo Haisheng, Earl of Shui'an (note: Deputy Minister of Military Affairs and Director of the Navy), Major General Robert, Earl of Mars (note: Deputy Director of the Navy and Commander of the Sailing Battleship Fleet), and Zheng Shouxin, Earl of Tude (note: younger uncle, currently Deputy Prime Minister of the Cabinet and Minister of Commerce and Culture).

The six earls were the top nobles of the Chu State. Each of them had a fief of 30,000 mu, and was subject to the preferential tax rate of "one in ten" for the nobility. Their inheritance was uninterrupted and they shared the same prosperity and wealth with the country.

The titles of these six earls came from their fiefdoms. Earl Li Hezhang's fiefdom was in the Cavite Peninsula, so he was named "Earl of Cavite".

The fiefs of the other five earls were all in the northern part of Hainan Island, located in the newly established five counties of "Gold, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth", and were under the jurisdiction of the Five Elements Prefecture in the north.

The Wuxing Prefecture is located in the developing northern wilderness of Hainan Island, specifically north of Cabanatuan Prefecture and Angeles Prefecture. It is a northern prefecture that is currently introducing large-scale Chinese immigrants for colonization, and its area extends to the northernmost coast.

Most of the fiefs of earls, viscounts and barons were here. After the large-scale immigration and reclamation in the State of Chu, each noble fiefdom needed to be managed separately, which required a lot of time and money.

Simply put, you are given a piece of wasteland, and Chinese immigrants in need can migrate from their families on the mainland, open up roads, build towns and castles, and build ranches and homes.

After the construction is completed, the nobles' fiefs will be tax-free for ten years. After ten years, taxes will be levied according to the "ten-to-one" tax rate, and relevant regulations will be implemented in accordance with the laws of the Chu Kingdom.

After such a long time in Southeast Asia, these aristocratic families have basically accumulated some funds.

But if we want to invest this money in fiefdoms and carry out large-scale construction and investment, it can only be said that this amount of money is a drop in the bucket and is far from enough.

At first glance
It seems that the King of Chu was a little harsh towards these emerging nobles, but in fact it was not the case.

These nobles could intercept some of the Chinese immigrants who went to Southeast Asia and transfer them to their own fiefdoms, or they could write letters back to the Chinese mainland and ask their clan members to migrate with their families to build their own fiefdoms.

The royal government exempted the nobles' fiefs and estates from taxes for ten years. This was the biggest gimmick left to the nobles and the most precious reward from the King of Chu for building the nobles' fiefs and estates.

These Chinese immigrants who came to the nobles' fiefdoms could also work and produce here, earn income through hard work, and repay the 99 taels of money for each person's boat ticket and other resettlement expenses owed on credit.

Building villages and towns, building homes, the process of reclamation and development is the same.

The difference is
The taxes paid by the subjects of the noble fiefdoms were handed over to the noble stewards, who would then repay the debts owed to the Royal Nanyang Bank of the Kingdom.

For example, 1200 Chinese male immigrants moved into a certain noble fiefdom, and they gradually formed more than a thousand families and divided into more than ten villages for settlement.

Each Chinese immigrant was burdened with 99 silver dollars for the ship ticket, as well as debts for women, farm tools, food, seeds, oxen, livestock, etc. required for resettlement, totaling 25 silver dollars in loans and interest.

The repayment responsibility for this portion of the loan fell squarely on the shoulders of the nobles of the territory. The nobles collected taxes from their territories and, based on their funding arrangements, gradually repaid the loans and interest owed to the Royal Nanyang Bank. This was a routine part of running a noble territory.

Generally speaking, it usually takes 5 to 6 years to pay off immigration-related debts, and the remaining amount is net income.

It only takes a few years of gradual construction for the noble territory to develop into something quite presentable, with crisscrossing fields and prosperous villages and towns.

What if any minerals can be discovered?
If you run some docks, fishing ports, factories, vineyards, wineries, etc., you can generate stable income every year, and maintaining a decent aristocratic life will be no problem.

If the business is well managed, then life will naturally be prosperous. Castles will be built, reservoirs will be built, and you can do whatever you want within the noble fiefdom.

If the business is not going well, then you have to sell the house, the land, the ancestral property, and eventually become a destitute nobleman, with nothing but the noble title and a mountain of debt.

This situation is not uncommon, it depends on each person's situation.

Is life good? This is something that each noble family needs to manage themselves, and it is not something that the Chu government needs to consider.

The conferment of the six titles of earl had profound political considerations, with the aim of stabilizing and balancing the various forces in the country and truly playing a role in inspiring people.

There were three civil officials and three military officers. Among them, Major General Robert was a naturalized nobleman from the State of Chu, and Zheng Shouye was the chief general who stayed in Shenzhou. All aspects were taken care of.

Taken together
It was comprehensive and appropriate, and also appeased the influential white military officer group in Chu.

The number of viscounts conferred by King Zheng Guohui of Chu reached 15, far exceeding the original rumor of more than 10 people, which surprised many people.

Among them, the commanders of the five major army expeditionary divisions, the commander of the navy fleet, and the heads of various departments of the Cabinet's Zongli Yamen were all included, and everyone was very happy.

The fifteen viscounts had no titles, but were all top-notch nobles of the State of Chu. Each of them had a fief of 8,000 mu, and was subject to the preferential tax rate of "one in ten" for the nobility. Their title was inherited from generation to generation and they shared the same prosperity and wealth as the country.

Even more surprising was the fact that 72 barons, including the commanders of army regiments, deputy commanders, commanders of fortress garrisons, captains of major naval vessels, including sailing battleships and ironclads, and all officers above the rank of lieutenant colonel, were all granted the title of baron and noble, enjoying fiefs and estates.

The prefects of various prefectures of the Chu government and a few more mature county magistrates also joined the ranks of baron nobility, including Zheng Shouxu, Guan Qiren, Dong Baoshan and others who were staff members of the royal palace, as well as the officers of the royal guards, Huo Chongshan, Fang Shiwei, Dong Jiasheng, Zheng Jiayu and others, all of whom were awarded the title of baron nobility.

The seventy-two barons had no titles. They were all the backbone of the aristocratic group of the Chu State and were part of the upper class.

Each of them had a fief of 2,000 mu, and was subject to the preferential tax rate of "one in ten" for the nobility. The tax was inherited from generation to generation and they shared the same prosperity with the country.

Specifically, it is the level of village chief.

The treatment of relevant noble fiefs and lands is similar to that of great nobles such as earls and viscounts, so there is no need to elaborate on it.

The largest number of people awarded were 222 honored lifetime knights (note: no fiefdoms, not hereditary), including most military officers above the rank of major, county magistrates in civil affairs, and middle-level clerks in various departments, and everyone received the title of "Knight".

Strictly speaking, "Sir" or "Knight" does not belong to the aristocracy, but this depends on how you understand it, there is no strict definition.

For some highly respected knights, the upper aristocratic circle is willing to accept them, and they are the aristocratic class.

The opposite is true.

After King Zheng Guohui of Chu bestowed titles on his ministers, he could no longer stay in Manila after the Lantern Festival of the old calendar year, so he led a group of ministers to inspect the Cebu Islands.

This is also the characteristic of His Majesty the King of Chu
As a young king who had just won the world, King Zheng Guohui of Chu could not sit still in Manila, nor would he stay in the deep palace for a long time. Instead, he would go out for inspection every now and then. His diligent attitude was praised by all the ministers.

Besides this, I dare not be lazy anymore.

His Majesty the King of Chu is indeed magnanimous, especially this time he conferred titles on the founding ministers, which won unanimous applause. The whole court was filled with gratitude, and the monarch and his ministers were enthusiastic about building the kingdom together.

However, he demoted and exiled those ministers who displeased the King of Chu without any discussion, and his punishment was severe and cruel, which made people happy but also full of awe for the royal power in their hearts.

Be diligent in doing things and don't be careless.

Everyone knows
Your Majesty the King of Chu is a rare talent that has appeared in over a hundred years. He is well-versed in both Eastern and Western knowledge, and has a keen eye and can see through everything. No one can deceive him or her.

If you do this, wouldn't that be tantamount to seeking your own death?

(End of this chapter)