Nanyang Storm 1864

Chapter 284: The Saigon River is Undefended
Smoking a cigar, King Zheng Guohui of Chu stood up and walked out of the cabin without restraint. The chief of staff He Xian, who was serving outside, immediately came forward and followed behind His Majesty one step behind.

Standing by the side of the ship, Zheng Guohui raised his hand, took another puff of his cigar, and slowly exhaled the smoke.

Then he placed his hands on the side of the ship, looked at the fleet of masts quietly anchored in the bay, and said in a tone that was neither a question nor a question:

"With the development of Southeast Asia, trade between nations is frequent, and Western ideas flow freely. It's far less isolated than the Shenzhou continent to the north, yet it remains subject to control and reduced to a vassal state. Why is that?"

Chief of Staff He Xian was shocked. He carefully looked at the King of Chu's expression as he looked towards the sea. His brain raced and he replied cautiously.
“To reply to your Majesty;

I personally believe that although the Nanyang region is vast and has frequent economic and trade exchanges with foreign countries, it is fragmented.

There are hidden resentments among each other, and there is no unified ethnic group or leader.

You finish your performance and I take the stage. Yesterday's Myanmar and today's Siam are both the powers of the Indochina Peninsula at the time.

It may last for more than a hundred years or as short as thirty to fifty years. Once the wise ruler passes away, the country will be in chaos and there will be no system.

The so-called Southern Barbarian states all belong to this category.

A short-sighted person will never achieve great things.

It is completely different from the European powers, such as England or France, which have been committed to the great cause of colonizing the world for hundreds of years, and have remained steadfast in their determination and have not changed their original intention despite repeated setbacks.

Only by adhering to such a firm national policy can we achieve success.”

"In that case, you have a very high opinion of countries like Britain and France." King Zheng Guohui of Chu said quietly.

He Xian's heart skipped a beat when he heard this. His mind raced, and he gritted his teeth and followed his heart, saying,

"I highly agree with the idea of ​​'learning the skills of the foreigners in order to defeat them' and am willing to put it into practice and explore a feasible path.

China is a great country with abundant natural resources, numerous talented people, and a territory of tens of millions of kilometers. It is truly one of the world's top powers.

Your Majesty led the people to establish a nation in Southeast Asia, determined to discard the dross and retain the essence to create greater glory for the Chinese in Southeast Asia. This is a great achievement unprecedented in history and will surely be recorded in history forever.

However, every inch has its own strengths and weaknesses.

After I went to Southeast Asia, I was able to open my eyes to the world. Looking around, I was shocked to find that the world is so big and full of wonders.

In the past, the British Empire had territory all over the world, with a vast territory of more than 30 million square kilometers. It dominated the seven seas of the world and was known as the "Empire on which the Sun Never Sets."

Later, France had a vast territory of 1700 million square kilometers, which was even larger than the original Chinese land.

It is true that there is always someone better than you.

Your Majesty is a man of extraordinary talent and strategy. The State of Chu is like a rising sun with unlimited potential. It will surely become a powerful ruler in Central and South China.

The only concern

Our Chu State is a newly born state, has not yet established a firm foothold, and is still weak in national strength. It will take more than ten years or even longer for us to work hard and develop diligently.

Although I am not talented, I wish to follow the horse's tail and achieve a thousand miles. There is no greater blessing than this."

King Zheng Guohui of Chu did not comment. He stood up, clasped his elbows with his hands, took a deep puff of the cigar in his right hand, and slowly exhaled.

On the sea in front of us, dozens of mighty warships were quietly anchored in the bay, rising and falling with the waves.

It's getting dark
The aroma of food wafted from the warship. It was a broth cooked in a big pot with radish added, and it was eaten happily with toasted flatbread.

After the meal, each sailor was given some fruit, sometimes bananas, sometimes pineapples, and sometimes various seasonal fruits. This was a tradition of the Chu Navy.

Before the war
Ensure that every officer and soldier has good food, enough to eat, and sufficient nutrition. If conditions permit, a barbecue will be arranged so that they can eat to their heart's content.

The warships were quietly anchored in the bay, each exuding a terrifying majesty.

This powerful maritime force was the source of pride for King Zheng Guohui of Chu. It accompanied him in his conquests in the north and south, expanded his territory, and established his remarkable kingly empire.

As he reviewed the fleet on the sea, King Zheng Guohui of Chu felt a sincere sense of heroism in his heart.

Facing the bay, he said calmly, "You've been by my side for many years. It's time to let you go and do some serious work. The three states of East Malaysia have all fallen into my hands. In the future, I will establish several prefectures and cultivate them as if they were outlying islands. I intend to establish the East Malaysia Governor's Office to govern them..."

Having said that, I didn’t go on.

He Xian's heart moved, and then he was overjoyed. He clasped his hands together and bowed deeply to the ground, and said respectfully:

"I, a humble official, have the audacity to request Your Majesty's permission to assume this position in East Malaysia. I will devote my heart and soul to developing East Malaysia, working at the grassroots level and making a real contribution. I vow to achieve outstanding results and live up to Your Majesty's grace."

"Well, after staying in the center for so long, Lord He's international vision has been broadened, and his perspective on issues is quite lofty. It is rare for him to have good international strategic thinking." King Zheng Guohui of Chu praised him. He Xian felt as elated as if he had eaten a ginseng fruit.

Fearing his whereabouts would be lost, he quickly bowed his head and replied, "Your Majesty's teachings, I never forget them. Any progress I have made is due to your teachings." "My dear, there's no need to be so modest. Go down to the lower levels and take care of the government affairs. Put your heart into it for five or six years, and if you can manage East Malaysia well for me, that would be a great achievement."

"I, your humble servant, am deeply moved and will work diligently to live up to your Majesty's high expectations."

"Well, you all have an idea in mind. After returning to the court, you can take up your new post."

"I understand. I will take my leave now."

"Well, let's go."

He Xian bowed again respectfully, took a few steps back, and then turned back to his small cabin.

The amount of information His Majesty gave him today was too much. He needed to go back and think it over carefully and start preparing for the new appointment.

For example, look up historical records, human geography, and development level of East Malaysia, the distribution of indigenous tribes and immigration arrangements, ideas about the establishment of new provincial and county governments, roads, docks, urban construction, etc.

It's such a big area, you can't just take office without knowing anything, right?
Taking advantage of his current position as the royal chief of staff, He Xian is now able to exert influence on various departments of the court. Naturally, he wants to strive for more government funding, more supplies, and more available talents for the East Malaysian region.

These complicated affairs were enough to keep him busy for a while.

Your Majesty, if you twist your mouth, you will break your legs if you run down.

However, this kind of trust and honor of being given an actual position still made He Xian feel warm in his heart. He was completely convinced of His Majesty the King of Chu and was a true loyal dog.

Whether it was the attack on Singapore or the next step of the bloody massacre in Saigon, Ho Sin, as the royal chief of staff, was involved in it all, from making plans to arranging details, and went through the entire process.

The great talents and strategies of His Majesty the King of Chu were displayed before his eyes one by one. Every decision he made was earth-shaking and heart-wrenching. It shook He Xian's soul time and time again, and left a deep impression of loyalty in his mind.

The more you understand the current international situation, the more you realize the terrifying strength of the world powers of Britain and France.

Just like Foreign Minister Zheng Xin, when he first learned about His Majesty the King of Chu's plan to attack Singapore, he was so shocked that his face turned pale and the memorial in his hands fell to the ground.

Immediately, his legs gave way and he knelt, hugging His Majesty the King of Chu's knees with both hands, crying out in agony, "Your Majesty, you must not do this. This is a death sentence. I risk my life to ask Your Majesty to revoke your order."

At the same time, he declared war on Britain and France, launched a surprise attack on Singapore, seized East Malaysia, and massacred Saigon. When His Majesty the King of Chu revealed his plan, it was probably not only Foreign Minister Zheng Xin who was frightened to death.

What is the truth?
After three days of bloody fighting in Singapore, the expeditionary force had the final say, completely controlling the coastal defense fortress that the British had painstakingly built for decades, and gaining the initiative in the war.

After the victory of this battle, the news spread back to the country and the whole of Chu was jubilant. From the government, the people to the army, a large number of fanatical fans of His Majesty appeared, and the crazy worship of the King of Chu reached a new level.

Especially the young officers in the army, they have reached the point of superstition.

No one can deny that the victory this time was definitely won by the British white colonial army. The undefeated record of the British and French powers was broken and the powerful myth was shattered.

Before the war
Even within the army, some people felt guilty. Although they had the courage to fight to the death, they were still uneasy.

The arrogance and ferocity of the British and French powers are not just words, but the accumulation of humiliations imposed by the colonial wars launched by the powers time and time again, which are all unforgettable marks.

This is like the future

The King of Chu suddenly said that he wanted to go to war with the two major powers, the United States and Russia, at the same time. Who could be so confident?
It must be clear

The State of Chu was not the Northern Divine Land, nor was it a great country with a population of hundreds of millions. It was just a small country in Southeast Asia.

But the world is so magical. The army led by the King of Chu really broke through the rock-solid Singapore and won this miraculous battle. What could be more exciting than this?
As time passed, the night closed in like a tide, the sky was full of twinkling stars, the bay outside the mouth of the Mekong River was roaring, and most of the sailors on the warships had fallen asleep.

The luxurious rear cabin of the Guangming
The nine dragon-shaped candlesticks on the desk shone brightly, illuminating every detail in the cabin. King Zheng Guohui of Chu was looking at the map of Saigon, making notes and drawings on paper, thinking about a detailed plan for the attack.

The Saigon River does not have as strong and complete coastal defense facilities as Singapore. One reason is that the French only captured Saigon in February 1859, less than ten years ago.

Secondly, France was facing financial difficulties, and most of the funds allocated to the Saigon Governor's Office were used to build urban buildings, bridges, roads and churches, while coastal defense facilities were repeatedly postponed.

The French, like other European powers, loved to build churches in their colonies.

Catholics are particularly devout. The Spanish and French are also very keen on building churches. Saigon now has 6 churches and new church construction plans are being implemented.

the last point

The French are more arrogant and proud than the British, and do not believe that there are any powerful forces in East Asia and Southeast Asia that can threaten French colonies.

If you tell the French now that the Chu fleet plans to capture Saigon, no French person will believe you. They will just think you are crazy and talking nonsense.
The "proud Gallic rooster" has always been so confident. Even if it stumbles repeatedly, it still remains true to its original intention and will not turn back even if it hits a wall.

Therefore, there were no forts or fortresses on the Saigon River at all. This was also the biggest reason why King Zheng Guohui of Chu dared to lead the fleet to raid Saigon.

Since you don't defend yourself, I won't be polite.

(End of this chapter)