Nanyang Storm 1864

Chapter 261 Auspicious Arrival in Beijing
While the King of Chu was on his southern tour, Foreign Minister Zheng Xin was ordered to lead a delegation to the northern Shenzhou court. The entire delegation consisted of four large sailing ships with more than 270 people, carrying a large number of South Sea specialties and rare wild animals.

The biggest highlight of the envoys' pilgrimage to the northern emperor was these rare wild animals, including giraffes, elephants, turtles that lived hundreds of years, koalas, kangaroos, Tasmanian tigers, white tigers, black panthers, lions and lionesses, and various rare conches and sea shells.

The value is not very high, but it is "strange", which shows the good intentions put into it.

In the past two years
The Chu State caused a lot of trouble in Southeast Asia. It was said that a Chinese force led an army to Southeast Asia and captured Hainan (note: formerly the Luzon Islands), which had been occupied by the Spaniards for more than 300 years. They also attacked everywhere and made a great splash.

This was no secret in China's southeastern coastal provinces, northern Zhili, and the capital. Even in the official circles of inland provinces, there were few who did not know about the Chu State's powerful deeds in the Nanyang region, and they praised it as a story.

Many Chinese became rich overnight in Southeast Asia by opening factories or doing business. Countless Chinese immigrants married and had children here, and lived an enviable and happy life without worries about food and clothing.

Whether the rumors are true or false, they spread very quickly and their scope becomes wider and wider without exception.

At the current stage

The State of Chu had not yet established postal or trade relations with the northern Shenzhou continent (note: this was the case on the surface, but the State of Chu conducted business in the northern continent under the guise of a foreign company and enjoyed the same treatment as foreign merchants). Most of the sources of information were from various private channels.

For example, Chinese families doing business in Southeast Asia, sailors of the immigrant fleet traveling between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait, envoys from various countries, and channels within the imperial court.

It is impossible and unrealistic to keep such a large-scale immigration operation completely confidential.

In particular, the channels within the imperial court would not turn a blind eye to the rising power of the Chinese in Southeast Asia, and the detailed reports had already been submitted to the Zongli Yamen.

It wasn't just one memorial, but hundreds of them.

The book covers the details of the Chu State's attack on the Hainan Islands, all the previous conquests and battles, both naval and land, as well as the use of warships to intimidate the Ryukyu Kingdom, the pointing of cannons at Tokyo Bay, the bloodbath at Lake Ikeda, and the use of powerful military force to intimidate the powerful vassal states of Fuso, forcing them to bow their heads and sign treaties, achieving many results.

The imperial cabinet and the two Empress Dowagers in the Forbidden City all knew every detail of what happened in Nanyang.

He saw that a Han force that he once ruled was now making great progress in the Nanyang region, and was even able to stand on equal footing with the foreigners and bully other countries.

The top echelons of the imperial court were feeling confused and complicated.

It can be said to be sour and bitter, mixed with a hint of pride and dissatisfaction, and a sense of unwillingness that even I, a descendant of the Eight Banners, could go.

"Think of our imperial lineage, which has been passed down for over two hundred years and serves as the foundation of the Divine Continent. Now, a band of Han Chinese bandits is wreaking havoc in Southeast Asia, even to the point of interfering with the imperial lineage, and their power is growing. This is all thanks to the court's earnest guidance, which is truly invaluable."

After singing
All the gentlemen in the court looked back at the internal and external troubles facing the Shenzhou continent, and well... the little ambitions that had just been ignited were instantly extinguished.

Thus, we fell into a strange silence.

The imperial court did not take no action. Several generals under Zheng Guohui, the general of Jiangnan, who had been transferred, have now been reinstated and given rewards and titles to show the court's favor.

The rank of military generals is relatively high, and promotion requires real military achievements.

The additional reward and title did not bring any real power, and could only bring more annual salary. This showed the court's ambiguous attitude and its intention to win over the emperor.

The only change was that Zheng Shouye (note: fourth uncle), a third-rank lieutenant general, was promoted to a second-rank deputy general, awarded with a double-eyed peacock feather and a yellow riding jacket, and was still stationed in Jinling as a deputy general.

Who is the main general?

The chief general is naturally the current King of Chu Zheng Guohui. In the list of officials of the Ministry of Personnel of the imperial court, King of Chu Zheng Guohui is still the legitimate general of Jiangnan. The imperial court did not seize this title, and the general's annual salary is still paid.

The intention of getting close to and winning over is revealed in both explicit and covert ways, just as the saying goes, "It is better to be still than to move."

The person in charge of the court was Prince Gong Yixin, nicknamed "Ghost Six", and was the most sober and wise among the Manchu ministers in the court.

Prince Gong Yixin decided that "it is better to be still than to act." He said, "We should carefully observe the Chu State's intentions and formulate policies accordingly, whether to show favor or punish, it is up to us to do so!"

This wise insight won the favor of the two Empress Dowagers, who then issued an imperial decree: "Prince Gong Yixin is authorized to take full charge of the affairs of the State of Chu, and there must be no mistakes. This is my imperial decree."

This time, the Chu State's Foreign Minister, Viscount Zheng Xin, went north to the capital. When his fleet docked at the Tianjin wharf, it attracted countless onlookers, all of whom were amazed.

Nothing else, it's simply stunning.

The imperial court has always believed in offering "auspicious signs", which implies that the court has a wise ruler, the country is prosperous and peaceful, and the times are peaceful and prosperous. These are "auspicious signs" given by God, and the court firmly believes them.

"Auspicious signs" are generally divided into five levels, which were called "unicorn, phoenix and five spirits in ancient times, which are the auspicious signs for the king." It is the highest level of auspicious signs.

The following are Da Rui, Shang Rui, Zhong Rui and Xia Rui, each with a specific list, which is very detailed.

The New Book of Tang: Records of Officials states:

"The Langzhong Yuanwailang of the Ministry of Rites is in charge of books and auspicious signs. Jingxing and Qingyun are considered great auspicious signs. There are sixty-four names of them.
The white wolf and the red rabbit are the most auspicious things, and there are twenty-eight of them.

Gray birds and red geese are considered as auspicious animals, and there are thirty-two of them.
Jiahe, Zhicao, and Lianli are the lower auspicious signs. There are fourteen famous things in it.

Later, the variety continued to increase, and ritual vessels such as bronze tripods, bronze bells, jade chimes, and jade walls were also listed as auspicious objects. Therefore, there are far more things that can be listed as auspicious objects.

When a large wave of auspicious signs came, people in the government and the country could no longer sit still.

King Zheng Guohui of Chu was originally a Chinese Han Chinese. With the advice of Prime Minister Li Hezhang and others, he really had a firm grasp of the thoughts of the court and would not make any mistakes.

The current imperial court is rich and powerful, what rare treasures have they not seen? Ordinary objects are not worthy of their attention.

But the problem is that "auspicious signs" are too rare. The auspicious signs brought by the Chu State delegation to the court were not just one kind, but a whole wave. That was really amazing.

After the arrival of the delegation, it immediately alarmed the local officials in Tianjin, who then sent a fast horse to report to the capital.

The capital was shaken, and the Forbidden City was also shaken, which was regarded as "a scene not seen in decades."

So the court sent important officials to Tianjin to welcome the auspicious sign into the capital and showed it the highest courtesy.

The procession was so grand that the streets of Beijing and Tianjin were practically deserted, eager to witness the spectacle. The imperial court was forced to dispatch over 10,000 officers and soldiers from the Beijing garrison to guard and welcome the procession along the way, making the scene even more impressive.

When the convoy, which stretched for more than ten miles, arrived in the capital, it caused a huge sensation. The huge crowds of people flocked to watch, and the scene was simply spectacular.

Four centuries-old sea turtles, each as big as a small round table, were placed on a high-rise cart tied with red silk and paraded through the city.

Throughout Chinese history, there has always been a saying of the "Five Spirits", namely the Qilin, Phoenix, Turtle, Dragon and White Tiger. They are the best of auspicious signs and the highest level of auspicious omens representing the emperor.

This time, the Chu State's delegation that came to Beijing to pay homage to the emperor suddenly produced a tortoise and a white tiger. No wonder it shocked the Forbidden City and the two knowledgeable Empress Dowagers and the young Emperor, who had been eager to see them.

This kind of emotion has not appeared in many years.

Ancient Chinese called it the image of a divine tortoise, with a round top that resembles the sky and a square bottom that resembles the earth. On its back is a mountain called Panfaqiu, with interlaced cloud patterns forming constellations.

It is one foot and two inches long, and it can tell good and bad luck, and it is believed without words.

Zhuangzi's "External Things": "Zhongni said, 'The divine tortoise can see the dreams of Yuanjun, but it cannot escape Yuqie's rope.'"

If a turtle that is “one foot and two inches long” can be called a divine turtle, then how big were the four old sea turtles presented by the Chu delegation?

The smallest sea turtle was more than nine feet long, or 2.78 meters, and weighed more than two thousand kilograms. It required ten strong men to lift it.

This is a typical Pacific giant turtle. Major General Zhou Laonian, who conquered many Pacific islands, discovered hundreds of such giant turtles on a remote island.

They immediately brought back more than twenty turtles, among which four, which were not the largest, appeared at the top of the gift list for the audience delegation.

Because of this great achievement, Major General Zhou Laonian became one of the 15 viscounts. He was also the only lucky person in the Chu Dynasty Army who was awarded the title of viscount as a deputy division commander.

The kings and ministers of Chu were well aware of the court's preferences, so what they could offer was naturally not ordinary things.

Then came a pair of majestic white tigers locked in iron cages. They came from the British Indian colony. The appearance of such an auspicious sign once again drew exclamations and worship from the onlookers.

In the convoy behind, lions, lionesses, black panthers, Tasmanian tigers and other ferocious beasts were imprisoned in iron cages. Every time they roared, it attracted a tide of people to kneel down and worship them in awe as if they were gods.

further back

There were eight elephants striding over, with an elephant slave sitting on each elephant, controlling the elephant's majestic body to move forward carefully.

In the following convoys, there were auspicious animals such as koalas and kangaroos, which also caused waves of exclamations.

The white Tasmanian tiger belongs to the white wolf, and the well-behaved koala can barely be considered a red rabbit. These are the two best of the best, so they should not be underestimated.

The four adult giraffes walking at the end drew the most cheers. Their extremely tall stature and spotted patterns made many onlookers exclaim "Qilin", "Is it a Qilin?" and "Oh my God!"

Each adult giraffe is protected and walks within the enclosure.

The so-called Weiche is a Western-style four-wheeled extended carriage with 2-meter-high thick wooden barriers erected on all four sides. The inside is wrapped with thick quilts to prevent the giraffes from being injured.

The bottom is empty, and the giraffe is fixed in the middle of the vehicle with cowhide ropes. The giraffe walks forward on its own, with its eyes and ears covered with black cloth to prevent it from being frightened and struggling.

Every detail is carefully considered.

This ostentatious journey into Beijing caused a sensation throughout the city, with people flocking to watch and the atmosphere was extremely lively.

When a group of auspicious signs entered the Forbidden City, the young Emperor Tongzhi led all the officials to welcome them. When he saw these mythical beasts, he couldn't help but scream in surprise, his face full of shock and surprise.

Immediately, a grand worship ceremony was arranged, which kept the Ministry of Rites of the court busy.

The two Empress Dowagers also saw many auspicious beasts in the Forbidden City. Their reactions were not much better than that of the young Emperor Tongzhi. They could even fit a duck egg in their mouths.

Never underestimate the curiosity of women and young men. When this curiosity is strongly aroused, it is accompanied by great surprise and the urge to scream; "It is a blessing for the court that the dynasty has not yet run out."

Especially the divine turtle and the white tiger, they are the five legendary sacred beasts, how can they not surprise people?

There are also extremely ferocious lions and lionesses, and stunning giraffes. These are all recorded in the history books of the deep palace, but have you ever seen them?

The court immediately arranged an auspicious day, and the emperor led all officials to offer sacrifices to heaven and ancestors in the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests in the Temple of Heaven, presenting auspicious signs and announcing to the people of the world that this was a scene of prosperity.

The grand sacrificial ceremony further enhanced the prestige of the State of Chu, displaying it before the people of China without any concealment.

Long before
There were many rumors about the State of Chu, and all kinds of stories were spread out, especially in the southeastern coastal provinces where people were more informed and had a strong desire to go to Southeast Asia.

This is also the problem in the current northern China, where many officials and wealthy families and small and medium-sized landlords are thinking of moving to Southeast Asia, and the number of spontaneous Chinese immigrants is increasing.

The Chinese mainland is so vast, and its population is so huge that it is difficult to count.

Even if only one percent of the population has such thoughts, that would still be more than three million people.

The main factor hindering them from going south was the high cost of the boat ticket, which was as high as 99 taels of silver per person.

The top leaders of the Chu government were naturally aware of this problem, and various solutions were put forward, but each had its pros and cons, and they were all rejected.

King Zheng Guohui of Chu had his own considerations and decided to postpone the implementation of the new immigration policy.

In his opinion
There were no obstacles for the Chu State to absorb the population of the northern Shenzhou continent, nor were there any conflicts in ethnic integration, religion, etiquette and living customs. Without ethnic conflicts, rapid domestic and population development and growth was foreseeable.

But there is a core issue here, which is "autonomy and controllability".

King Zheng Guohui of Chu hoped to move forward slowly, steadily, and with a more solid foundation. He warned government officials not to rush for quick results, arguing that the kingdom would struggle to withstand a large influx of immigrants without adequate infrastructure.

With the Chinese mainland at our back, are we still worried about the lack of Chinese immigrants?

Was the State of Chu prepared to welcome more than 300 million Chinese immigrants a year?

If the answer is no, how to deal with the ensuing unrest and numerous immigration conflicts?
The four words "autonomous and controllable" are very important, and a ticket of 4 silver dollars per person is like a tightened valve that can be opened and closed and adjusted as needed.

A hasty liberalization may not bring about a new construction boom, but may very likely lead to a disaster.

Even if the possibility is only 1%, King Zheng Guohui of Chu is unwilling to take the risk.

What he hadn't thought of was

The envoys sent by the State of Chu caused a huge stir in the Shenzhou continent. For a time, their reputation spread throughout the north and south of Shenzhou, and the reputation of the State of Chu was raised by several levels.

It is no longer an unknown small country in Southeast Asia, but a dreamland for Chinese immigrants, a rich island full of hope and money, and a vast world where talents can be displayed.

The subsequent surge in spontaneous immigration was difficult to contain and was beyond the expectations of the Chu government.

Even immigration tickets that cost 99 silver dollars were snapped up, and going to Southeast Asia became a trend that lasted for more than ten years.

Such a sensational result was totally unexpected.

(End of this chapter)