Nanyang Storm 1864

Chapter 275: If the enemy can go, I can go too.

The military and political preparations of the Chu State began in early July and have now entered the third month. The depth and breadth of the mobilization of the people have reached basic villages and everyone is aware of it.

In early August

While the British Parliament was still discussing the necessity of an expedition against the State of Chu, the entire State of Chu had already entered a period of war mobilization. All the recruits in the 10 infantry battalions entered a high-intensity training phase, and war mobilization propaganda was also being carried out simultaneously in urban and rural areas.

When the British Parliament decided to declare war on the State of Chu and the relevant resolution was passed down to the Governor-General of British India, Chu's war preparations had already been fully launched.

King Zheng Guohui of Chu clearly understood the truth;
For a new country like Chu, the sense of belonging to the kingdom is the most important wealth, no doubt about it.

The pressure of external invasion has led to a qualitative change from quantitative change.

In a very short time

The high-intensity political and patriotic propaganda aroused strong resonance among the vast number of Chinese immigrants in Southeast Asia, thus producing additional effects that were difficult to achieve in decades.

The root cause
It was the invasion from the British that aroused unprecedented strong resentment among the Chinese immigrants.

Most of these Chinese immigrants had once become refugees during the wars that ravaged China, endured unspeakable suffering, and struggled on the brink of life and death countless times.

Having experienced it once, no one wants to go through it a second time.

In order to defend their happy homes and their current dignified lives, everyone stood up and took up swords and guns to defend everything they had worked so hard to obtain.

No one wanted their homeland to be reduced to ruins in the flames of war, and the will of Chinese immigrants was unprecedentedly united.

The advantages of a mono-ethnic country are now fully demonstrated.

King Zheng Guohui of Chu had never expected such a wonderful result.

It's worth it, whatever I say is worth it.

In this era, no one deliberately mentions the Chinese nation, and no one deliberately emphasizes the glorious and splendid culture in the history of the Chinese nation.

In order to enslave the Han people, the Qing court adopted a policy of keeping the people ignorant for more than two hundred years, which weakened the national characteristics.

It aims to divide the Han people, weaken and vilify the previous regime, not mention the glorious history of the Han people, implement feudal slave rule, and ideologically imprison the Han people.

They hoped to enslave the vast Central Plains and hundreds of millions of Han people for generations.

Therefore, the vast majority of Chinese people who migrated to Southeast Asia did not have a clear sense of national identity, were unaware of the glorious Chinese culture in history, did not understand the former glory of the Han nationality, did not know about the glorious military exploits of Fenglangjuxu in the Han and Tang dynasties, and their national consciousness was completely unawakened.

All this was caused by the policy of keeping the people ignorant. When the propaganda vigorously promoted in cities and towns of the Chu State was deeply rooted in the hearts of the people, accompanied by the huge sense of crisis of foreign invasion, the Chinese people broke through the fog and saw the truth of history.

At this moment, the Chinese genes deep in the blood were seduced out and spread explosively, leading to a comprehensive sense of Chinese national identity and glory.

Also at this moment

A strong sense of national pride and national cohesion was formed instantly. This was a defensive response under the huge pressure of foreign invasion, which is medically called a "stress response."

Just like a person's hair stands on end when he is extremely frightened, a hedgehog will open all its spikes when it encounters an enemy.

Everything happened naturally, and the Chu State also underwent a qualitative change at this time. When seeing the light, no one wanted to return to darkness.

September 3th, 2025

Ganquan Palace

In the palace's large conference room, which is rarely opened, the highest military and political meeting in front of the emperor is being held. The place is filled with shining generals and high-ranking officials, all of whom listen in silence with solemn expressions.

Prime Minister Li Hezhang was standing on the podium, delivering a report on the work of the royal government. His voice was clearly heard by every participant.

"...

On August 8, Britain officially declared war on my country.

On August 8, France declared war on our country.

On September 9, the State of Chu officially declared war on Britain and France. This would be an all-out war that would determine the life and death of the State of Chu. The rise and fall of the country and the well-being of the people would all depend on this battle.

The people of the whole country must unite as one, defend the glory of the kingdom with loyalty and passion, and be united as one to be loyal to His Majesty and the royal family.

Only by firmly following Your Majesty's footsteps and moving forward in the direction Your Majesty guides can the State of Chu achieve ultimate victory, defend the integrity of the country and territory, and defend the homes of each of us.

At this moment of national crisis, all citizens of the country should demonstrate infinite loyalty, be ready to obey Your Majesty's orders at any time, and pave a glorious path with their lives.

At this moment, the five million people of the kingdom are united in their determination to defend to the death..."

Prime Minister Li Hezhang gave an impassioned pre-war mobilization speech on the stage. Every word he said was deeply imprinted in the hearts of the participants, causing ripples.

When he finished his speech, there was thunderous applause in the conference hall.

King Zheng Guohui of Chu, dressed in a white marshal's uniform, stood up immediately, strode to the front of the brass loudspeaker on the rostrum, and scanned the venue with sharp eyes.

The venue suddenly became quiet, and you could hear a pin drop.

King Zheng Guohui of Chu snorted coldly and said;
"I originally planned to stay quiet for a few years, stay low-key and settle down, and focus on development, boosting the national economy and industrial production, so that the people can benefit and live a happy life.

Now it seems that this is not possible. The British and French powers in Europe want to bully us, sit on our heads and shit and piss, and bully and insult us at will.

What do you think we should do?

Zheng Guohui's resonant voice swept across the venue, and he used simple words to issue a shocking question.
The entire venue fell into silence. No one could have imagined that His Majesty the King of Chu would play his cards in such a crude, simple and clear manner.

There was only a brief pause, and then the roars of the crowd erupted in the venue, one wave higher than the other.

"Fight, fight back, and fight these foreigners to the end."

"That's right, we all have a head on our shoulders, so who's afraid of who?"

"If the foreigner wants to bully us, then kill him."

"Your Majesty, please lead us in battle. A Chinese man would rather die standing than live on his knees."

"What's the joy of living? What's the fear of death? Just kill it happily. Why should you be afraid of him?"

"Okay..." King Zheng Guohui of Chu shouted loudly. He looked around the bustling meeting hall again. As his eyes swept around, the loud shouts gradually weakened.

"Okay, okay..." King Zheng Guohui of Chu said "Okay" twice again. At this time, the venue was completely silent. He continued;
"You are all men of blood. I was not wrong about you. This is just a battle. How many of you here have not experienced a few life-and-death battles?

This king started his career as a militia in Tongzhou and has fought hundreds of battles, big and small. Am I still afraid of another battle with the foreigners?

There are many generals here, all of them are heroes who followed me through the mountains of corpses and seas of blood. Now they have established a country in Southeast Asia, and are enjoying wealth and glory, with titles for their wives and children, and their family lineages are passed down from generation to generation.

Is this the end of the road to glory and splendor?
No...far from it.

Since I was able to carve out a world for myself with my bare hands and lead the people to establish a nation in Southeast Asia, if I can conquer a vast territory, I may be able to reach a higher level.

When a crisis strikes, there are both dangers and opportunities.

If we can defeat the European and American powers, I promise that the titles of duke and marquis can be given to meritorious officials as rewards, passed down from generation to generation, and passed down along with the country.

The prerequisite is to establish sufficient glory and merit, spread our national prestige far beyond the waves, and stabilize the overall situation of becoming a powerful country in the region.

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, this king's words are true and without falsehood."

My goodness, this is outrageous! It instantly set off excited cheers from the entire audience.

Especially the generals of the army, their eyes were red with excitement, and they were rubbing their hands and couldn't wait to go to the battlefield and kill him.

This is absolutely useful information, and it's the kind of information that drives everyone crazy.

The subtext is obvious
This duke and marquis are willing to give them out as rewards. You, the ministers who are currently barons and knights, if you can make achievements in the war, your titles may be raised.

This kind of good thing that you can't even dream of can only happen at the beginning of the founding of the country.

If we wait until the country is stable and the aristocratic system of Chu is formed, then even if there is a war or if you make great contributions, don't expect your aristocratic title to be changed. The possibility is extremely small, extremely small.

King Zheng Guohui of Chu knows human nature well. He cannot just give inspirational speeches to all the senior military and political officials here, but also has to come up with something interesting that will make them risk their lives. I just want to ask you, are you tempted?

His public commitment is more effective than any amount of inspirational speeches.

Seeing the excitement in the crowd, King Zheng of Chu smiled and suppressed it, and asked loudly;
"I would like to ask you, are the swords in your hands sharp?"

"Your Majesty, our swords are thirsty and eager to drink the blood of our enemies and forge glory."

"Hahaha...Okay, can you chop off the enemy's head?"

"Your Majesty, please give the order. I'm afraid the other guys will take the head."

"Well, if the enemy can go, I can go too." King Zheng Guohui of Chu waved his hand with domineering authority and declared, "There's no point in sitting around and waiting for the foreigners to come and kill us. That's not my style. Soldiers, listen to my orders."

"Your Majesty, please give the order." Everyone in the venue stood up and saluted respectfully.

A group of senior generals came to the rostrum in unison, stood at attention, saluted, and waited for orders to be conveyed.

King Zheng Guohui of Chu glanced around with satisfaction and ordered in a deep voice, "Lieutenant General Qian Jiang, Minister of Military Affairs, listen to my orders..."

"Your Majesty, I am here."

"I hereby order you to immediately form the Chu Garrison Command, which will coordinate and command the First and Fifth Divisions, four newly formed infantry regiments, and all the militia forces nationwide. You must hold the key points and work together to defend the fortresses, keeping the enemy at bay at every step. Defend our national territory with your blood and lives, and fight to the death. This is my command!"

"I obey your order and swear to defend the national territory with my blood and life. I will fight to the death and will be invincible." Lieutenant General Qian Jiang accepted the order solemnly.

"Commander of the Second Expeditionary Division, He Rulin, listen to my orders!"

"Your Majesty, I am here."

"I order you to form the Singapore Expeditionary Force, with the Second Expeditionary Division as the core and three newly formed infantry regiments added. Attack and occupy Singapore, Penang, and other areas of Malaya. Defend the cities, recruiting local Chinese expatriates as soldiers. Drive them down like nails in Singapore for me, and hold them for at least six months."

"I will obey the Holy Order and stay in Singapore like a nail, holding on for more than half a year." Major General He Ruolin accepted the order solemnly.

"The army has been assembled and you are to set out immediately." King Zheng of Chu continued to give orders.

Major General He Rulin saluted resolutely and replied, "We will resolutely carry out your Majesty's orders for the second expedition. We will lead our troops to Singapore and will not return until we are victorious."

Everyone knows that this is an extremely difficult task and will face a frenzied counterattack from the British and French armies, but this is a good time to achieve success.

This move was intended to share the attack pressure of the British and French powers on the Chu homeland, break the attack steps of the British and French coalition forces, and create an opportunity for themselves.

At the same time, it means facing an unprecedentedly brutal bloody battle.

(End of this chapter)