Nanyang Storm 1864

Chapter 316 Do you think I am a sick cat?
After the British and French forces in Kuching retreated, the remnants of the newly formed Sixth Regiment quickly returned. In this war-torn city, many wooden houses were still burning and the ground was in ruins.

There were many corpses lying in the city, a rough count showed that there were at least thousands of them.

These are the numerous crimes committed by the British and French forces against Kuching City in just a few days.
Major Yu Zhankui led more than a thousand troops into the city. Seeing many Chinese immigrants with numb expressions, he frowned slightly and did not pay much attention.

This city of Kuching
Because the city was occupied not long ago, the number of Chinese people settled in the city was relatively small. In addition to some early Chinese immigrants, there were also some Chinese families who bought boat tickets and immigrated on their own, coming from all over the country.

This city, which originally had a population of about 5.9, underwent a top-down purge after being occupied by the Chu army. A large number of local women were shipped to the three mainland islands, and the indigenous men were directly thrown into labor camps. Only some early Chinese immigrants were exempted.

After this catastrophe, the population of Kuching City dropped sharply to more than 1.4 people.

Adding the thousands of Chinese who immigrated on their own initiative, the total number is less than 2.

When the British army was approaching, the Chu army mobilized the Chinese in the city to evacuate to avoid the impending war, but unfortunately there were only a few followers.

Especially those early Chinese immigrant families, who stubbornly believed that the British and French were friendly foreigners and did not have much trust in the Chu State.

The result is obvious. They suffered another bloody purge, but this time it was the Chinese community that suffered.

Major Yu Zhankui had some sympathy for these people, but not much.

All he had to do now was to rush to the telegraph room, find the telegraph line and connect it, and then quickly report the situation here to the country via telegram for decision-making.

When evacuating

The telegraph machines and related facilities in the telegraph room were evacuated first, and the telegraph lines were cut and buried deep, making it easier to restore them now.

In the Imperial Command Post in Batangas Industrial Zone

This place is not far from the bunker earth wall defense line. The houses are more solid, spacious and safer, so it was temporarily set up as the imperial command post.

Several telegraph lines were connected, and specialists were sent from the Royal Secret Telegraph Office to receive military intelligence reports and submit them to His Majesty the King at any time for decision-making.

Chen Weiyong, director of the secret telegram department, hurried to the chief of staff's office with a newly translated military secret telegram in his hand and handed it to him with both hands.

He said respectfully, "Commander-in-Chief, this is the latest military intelligence from Kuching, the capital of Sarawak. The British and French forces there, totaling 1.33 men, have recently set sail. Their destination is unknown."

"Oh, this is important news." Chief of Staff Wu Qingfeng raised his head from the desk, took the telegram and took a look at it, his expression quickly became solemn.

After a brief consideration, he stood up and said to Director Chen Weiyong, "This secret telegram must be presented to His Majesty for review. Please come with me. His Majesty may have more questions for you."

"I am honored and thank you for your concern, Mr. General." Chen Weiyong said respectfully, clasping his fists.

He is the director of the Royal Secret Telegram Department and a subordinate of the Chief of Staff. The person in front of him is his direct superior and holds a high position of power.

"You and I are colleagues, there's no need to be polite." Wu Qingfeng said simply, not caring much.

It seems that there is only a deputy chief of staff between his current position as Wang's chief of staff and the director of the secret code department, but this is not the case.

The director of the secret telegram department is a military position. Chen Weiyong gave him the rank of lieutenant colonel, which is only equivalent to a regimental commander, and the rank is still a long way from the deputy chief of staff.

Once the deputy chief of staff is assigned to a certain position, he will at least start as a prefect. When he arrives at the various departments of the Zongli Yamen, he will at least be a high-ranking civilian official at the level of director or deputy minister.

The Chief of Staff is even more powerful, with the same status as the ministers of various deployments. For example, the former Chief of Staff, Ho Sian, served as the Governor of the Malaya Special Region, which is the scope of a governor's district.

Like the former Mindanao region and the current Tongzhou Governor, his status is far higher than that of the prefect. He is a civil official of a higher level than the prefect, and can be said to be a powerful frontier boss.

The reason why the Malayan Special Region is such a temporary name is because the ownership has not been determined.

If it were to be incorporated into the kingdom, the three states below would encompass Kuching, Bandar Seri Begawan, Sabah, Singkawang, and Lahad Datu, totaling about six or seven prefectural districts. This would be a considerable area, undoubtedly a governorate.

Chief of Staff Wu Qingfeng stood up and straightened his clothes, then took the telegram paper and several memorials from the desk and took them with him, signaling Chen Weiyong to follow him with his eyes.

Then he walked straight ahead, to the front corridor, and asked the guard officer on duty, "Captain Hu, I have some important documents to present to Your Majesty. Is Your Majesty available?"

"If you're free, please come in. This is Director Chen of the Secret Code Department, right?"

"Yes, Captain Hu, I'm Chen Weiyong."

"After entering, answer whatever His Majesty asks, and don't try to be clever."

"Thank you, Captain Hu, for your advice." Chen Weiyong was very humble. Although he was the director of the secret telegram department, he had very few opportunities to meet His Majesty.

Chief of Staff Wu Qingfeng pushed open the door and looked inside, then suddenly turned back and asked,
"Has your Majesty had any refreshments? Has he smoked any cigars?"

"I've smoked half of my cigar. I hope you have good news." Captain Hu said a few more words because they were acquaintances.

Chief of Staff Wu Qingfeng said "thank you" and then pushed the door open and walked in carefully.

When Your Majesty smokes, he is thinking about important issues. Cigars help relieve nervous anxiety and make the mind more agile.

Sure enough, after entering this temporary imperial study, I smelled a strong smell of tobacco.

His Majesty stood at the window, gazing deep into the distance at the bay, wondering what he was thinking about.
Chief of Staff Wu Qingfeng walked in quietly, followed closely by Chen Weiyong. The two stood about five or six meters away, bowing respectfully as they waited, not daring to make any noise and interrupt His Majesty's thoughts.

"My dear Lord Wu, is there anything wrong?" King Zheng Guohui of Chu asked without turning his head.

Chief of Staff Wu Qingfeng then stepped forward and reported in a steady voice, "Your Majesty, the latest military information from Kuching in East Malaysia..."

"Oh... bring it here quickly!" King Zheng Guohui of Chu turned around immediately and reached out for the telegram paper.

Chief of Staff Wu Qingfeng then took two steps forward, presented his hands, and casually explained, "I was worried Your Majesty might ask questions, so I brought Director Chen from the Secret Telegraph Department with me."

"Oh." King Zheng Guohui of Chu carefully looked at the content of the telegram, took it and walked behind the imperial desk.

After sitting down, he took a puff of his cigar, tapped the telegram paper with his hand, thought for a moment, and then asked, "When was Kuching City lost?"

"In reply to your Majesty, it was five days ago that the newly formed 5th Regiment, after a bloody day of fighting, was attacked fiercely by the Allied forces the next morning. Many of the bunkers and defenses fell, forcing them to fight on their own and retreat. They evacuated Kuching City around 10 am."

"Well, with 3,000 soldiers, they held off the enemy for over a day. The newly formed Sixth Regiment also did their best. Even though they were defeated, it was still an honor!" King Zheng Guohui of Chu sighed, then asked, "Were there any signs before the Anglo-French coalition withdrew?"

"In reply to your Majesty, this is the first telegram sent after the liberation of Kuching City. It does not mention anything else."

"Well, you can go down." King Zheng Guohui of Chu said lightly.

Chen Weiyong, director of the secret telegram department, saluted respectfully, then bowed and withdrew.

King Zheng Guohui of Chu twitched the corner of his mouth slightly and asked Wu Qingfeng:

"Lord Wu, why did the Anglo-French forces, who had just captured Kuching, withdraw so hastily? What was their intention? What are your thoughts on this?"

Wu Qingfeng carefully worded his words before answering;

“Your Majesty,
In my humble opinion, this group of bandits must have received orders from their superiors, otherwise they would not have retreated so quickly and so cleanly.

Kuching was not originally the primary target of the British and French forces, but they failed to capture it repeatedly and hit a wall in Bandar Seri Begawan, so they had to settle for the second best.

We need to save face when occupying Kuching.

This group of bandits has suffered repeated heavy losses, and their number is reduced to less than half. Their soldiers are tired and their generals are weak, so they can no longer pose a threat to the important cities under the jurisdiction of our kingdom.

It is possible that they will go north to join forces with the Batangas bandits to bolster their momentum and attempt to advance further."

King Zheng Guohui of Chu agreed with Wu Qingfeng's insightful analysis.

So he took a pen, wrote a few words on the telegram paper, and handed it to Wu Qingfeng.

Wu Qingfeng respectfully took it with both hands, and then heard King Zheng Guohui of Chu say, "Submit it to the Military and Political Department's General Staff Office. Also notify all cities and fortresses along the coast to strengthen their surveillance and report any military intelligence at any time."

"Your humble servant will obey the Majesty's order." Wu Qingfeng bowed and replied.

He then presented several memorials, briefly summarized the relevant contents, and reported to His Majesty the King of Chu.

King Zheng Guohui of Chu nodded after hearing this, his expression calm, and he just said perfunctorily, "I understand."

These memorials were placed on the imperial desk and reviewed in his spare time.

The war is now in full swing, and military information is the most important thing. Everything else can be put aside.

King Zheng Guohui of Chu glanced over the military and civilian casualties reported by Kuching and did not pay much attention to them. What he cared about was the number of British and French forces killed and wounded.

The newly formed Sixth Regiment killed and wounded a total of more than 7,000 enemy troops and launched a big rocket, which made him very happy.

The wounded regimental commander, Lieutenant Colonel Tang Yingyuan, and Major Yu Zhankui who led the night attack, are both very brave generals. It seems that they are both talented people who can be used!

As long as he can kill foreigners and dares to fight on the battlefield, King Zheng Guohui of Chu will not hesitate to use and promote him.

The battlefield situation is now relatively clear. The British and French forces that invaded the mainland cannot be said to have gained a firm foothold in Batangas. The attacks in recent days have been repelled, and the casualties are quite heavy.

Vice Admiral Calvin Phillips, commander-in-chief of the Anglo-French Allied Forces, was like a gambler who refused to admit defeat. He continued to throw chips on the table, determined to create a gap in Batangas.

In that case
King Zheng Guohui of Chu didn't mind taking a big gamble and annihilating these brazenly attacking British and French forces.

If the tiger doesn't show its power, do you really think I'm a sick cat?
Since we are going to fight back, we might as well make it bigger.

It's time for the Chu State's armored fleet, which is assisting in defending the Singapore fortress, to go out and take action.

The dozen or so sailing warships that the British placed outside the Singapore Bay could not withstand the sharp heavy artillery of the Chu armored fleet, so they could go to Kuala Lumpur Port to wreak havoc.

The enemy fights the enemy, I fight mine, what can they do to me?

(End of this chapter)