Nanyang Storm 1864

Chapter 336: Establishment of the Colonial Office
At the Imperial Conference

The king and his ministers sat together to make decisions on state affairs. Not only was the efficiency high, but the atmosphere was also unprecedentedly harmonious. The victory in the war brought more confidence to the top military and political officials of the Chu State.

His words and actions all revealed the pride of being a world power.

As many important matters were being discussed, King Zheng Guohui of Chu smiled and said:

"My dear ministers, now that all the important military and political matters have been agreed upon, let's issue the following documents and go through the formalities so that they can be implemented as soon as possible.

It was getting late and it was already noon when the government offices were dismissed.

I have ordered people to prepare a simple meal. After that, you can take a short rest as you still have important things to do in the afternoon.

Someone, come! Serve the meal! "

King Zheng Guohui of Chu did not ask for anyone else's opinion. He waved his hands and ordered the meal to be served.

All government offices, banks and other institutions in the Chu State, including schools, hospitals, libraries, etc., all implemented a work schedule of 8 am to 5 pm.

The 8 am to 12 pm work schedule was an edict issued by the King of Chu. People had to go to work at am, go to the government office or go to school, get off work at pm, and take a one-hour break at noon.

I go to work at 1 pm and have a one-hour lunch break.

From 2 o'clock to 5 o'clock, we work for 4 hours in the afternoon, and then we are off duty after 5 o'clock. The working day is 8 hours.

Working 7 days out of 6 and having one day off on the weekend has become a regular routine.

Thus

The government and relevant agencies have fixed working hours every day, which makes it convenient for ordinary people to do things and improves efficiency, so they don’t have to run errands back and forth in vain.

However, this does not include factories, shops, restaurants, bars, teahouses, brothels, casinos, theaters and other places, which can still operate independently.

In some important cities such as Manila, Davao and Batangas, people in the government offices usually do not go home at noon and just have a simple meal.

Some large government offices would set up a small canteen and hire two cooks to take charge of the kitchen. Everyone would chip in some money and make a simple meal at noon to fill their stomachs.

Your Majesty's gift of food is a great honor.

"Your Majesty, we sincerely thank you. How fortunate we are to receive such an honor." All the ministers stood up and bowed to express their gratitude. Prime Minister Li Hezhang bowed on behalf of all the ministers to express his gratitude.

King Zheng Guohui of Chu waved his hand nonchalantly. The chief of staff Wu Qingfeng, who was standing beside him, hurriedly cleared the memorials and the four treasures of the study on the imperial desk and ordered someone to clean the table.

There were not many ministers in the cabinet. The waiters came up one by one and placed a small tray in front of each person. Then they brought four home-cooked dishes, a bowl of rice, and a soup.

The four dishes are braised lamb with skin, stewed pork ribs with winter melon, stir-fried kidney and three fresh vegetables. The soup is ginseng, antlers and eight treasures pigeon soup. Although it is simple, the crystal clear lamb with skin melts in the mouth, and the three fresh vegetables are green and crispy, white and green, and taste original when eaten.

The cabinet ministers all said it was delicious after eating it, it was really praised by everyone.

King Zheng Guohui of Chu said with a smile;

"If you like this, then it's easy to do. This Huaiyang cuisine chef has a few apprentices. If you like it, you can talk to him privately."

Prime Minister Li Hezhang replied with a smile, "Then I will not hesitate to pick up a good chef and bring him back to my residence. Then I can enjoy delicious meals every morning and every night."

"Hahaha...Master Zhongtang got there first, so we can't fall behind. Since the mutton with the skin is so delicious, we have to bring a chef back with us."

"That's right, that's right. This is completely different from the beef and mutton flavors of the Northwest. It really shows good craftsmanship."

All the ministers agreed, it seemed that the braised lamb with skin was indeed popular.

This is a local dish from Haimen County, Tongzhou. It must be cooked with lamb with skin. The stewed lamb skin is crispy, tender and mellow with a rich flavor. It is really wonderful to put it in your mouth and chew it with the lamb.

The meal didn't take long. After finishing, the waiters came up one by one, cleaned up the table, served freshly brewed hot tea, and then quietly left.

King Zheng Guohui of Chu took a sip of hot tea, put down the teacup and said to everyone;

“Now that the war is over, the government has a heavier task. From now on, we must focus on industrial and agricultural development.

Immigration work is the top priority for the development of the kingdom and must not be relaxed at any time. We must ensure the orderly and stable influx of Chinese immigrants and promote the great cause of land reclamation and colonization.

The existing territories in the kingdom have a mild climate, abundant rain and sunshine, and are sufficient to support a population of billions.

This requires that immigration work be steadily advanced under the government's deployment and in accordance with the steps of setting up prefectures and counties, expanding in an orderly manner from point to line and from line to area.

In view of the complexity and multiplicity of colonial affairs, I intend to follow the example of England and establish a new Colonial Office in the government to specifically manage such affairs.

My dear ministers, you have nothing to do here, so you can discuss this matter."

When it came to colonial affairs, all the ministers became excited and began to express their ideas.

nowadays

The colonial affairs of the Chu State were mainly shared by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of the Interior, the General Police Department and the General Punishment Department. There was some overlap in their respective functions. After all, colonization and immigration is a comprehensive matter that involves all aspects.

Matters involving foreign interests and disputes require the intervention of the Chu Ministry of Foreign Affairs, especially in northern China. Not all local officials are willing to see a large outflow of refugees, so some obstruction and suppression are inevitable.

Then, either through inducement, bribery, winning over, or suppression and threats, basically 99% of the problems can be solved.

If there are any difficult troublemakers left, just deal with the troublemakers directly.

Similar operations would require the use of some manpower from the Ministry of the Interior’s action team.

The top national policy of the Chu State is to ensure continuous and stable immigration. Now, more than a dozen stable immigration collection sites have been opened in the Shenzhou mainland, both secret and public.

Some are secretive, like Chongming Island, while others are public, like the refugee camps, soup kitchens, charity halls or docks set up in Weihaiwei, Shanghai, Nanjing, the three towns of Hanjiang, Fujian and Guangdong, almost covering all coastal and river provinces.

They even openly sold tickets to Southeast Asia, and for each ticket sold, they would give the local government a commission of varying amounts of silver and distribute the profits.

Any northern official who dares to stop Chu from gathering Chinese immigrants will touch the sensitive nerves of Chu and will inevitably be subjected to various measures.

Generally speaking, 90% of local officials can be subdued by coercion and inducement. Who doesn’t love the money?

In some special areas

For example, the East Malay region borders the Lan Fang Kingdom, and related colonial affairs involve the diplomatic level.

For example, in the Tanjung Kap area of ​​Sumatra, the 6th Expeditionary Division stationed in the area is currently undergoing reorganization, reorganization and training, and its weapons and equipment are also being replenished.

Once everything is settled, the Sixth Expeditionary Division will be unable to bear the loneliness and begin to expand its territory.

Then...it must involve diplomatic affairs.

Whether it is the Sultan of Aceh and the local indigenous states, or the Dutch and the British, this is a very difficult matter at the diplomatic level.

If not handled properly, it can easily lead to disputes and confrontations.

Because of this characteristic, within England, the Colonial Office, which was directly under the Cabinet, was several times transferred to the Foreign Office and then became independent, because colonial affairs were numerous and complex, involving all aspects.

It is undeniable
Although the British Colonial Office became independent, it remained an important cabinet minister after the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Foreign Secretary, with enormous responsibilities and powers.

After King Zheng Guohui of Chu proposed the idea of ​​establishing a Ministry of Colonies, all the ministers discussed it and most of them expressed their agreement, including Minister of Foreign Affairs Zheng Xin.

It is true that colonial affairs are too complicated and have kept the Ministry of Foreign Affairs very busy, so it would be better to separate them.

Minister of the Interior Dong Huanzhang was not very willing and raised objections.

The Ministry of the Interior's most outstanding work today is in the external affairs area, including the Fifth Department of the Ministry of the Interior, which has made outstanding contributions in the war, namely the Southeast Asia Investigation Department.

During the campaigns against Singapore, Saigon and East Malaya, the Southeast Asia Survey Office made numerous contributions and was commended several times by His Majesty the King of Chu.

As the Minister of the Interior, Dong Huanzhang was naturally proud of it. This was a great achievement!
If a new Colonial Office is established, all these external agencies will have to be handed over, and the Home Office will have to focus on internal affairs. Not only will it offend people, but it will also be difficult to achieve impressive results.

This does not mean that Dong Huanzhang is short-sighted and that his position is determined by his position.

As Dong Huanzhang sat in the position of Minister of the Interior, he had to fight for the Ministry of the Interior, fight for budget allocations, fight for powers, and fight for opportunities for the Ministry of the Interior to come to the fore.

After discussing for a while, the majority of the ministers supported the establishment of a new Ministry of Colonies. The Minister of the Interior, Dong Huanzhang, seemed to be alone and soon stopped talking.

Dong Huanzhang regretted it at this time and secretly blamed the fact that the Minister of Public Security, Earl Zheng Shun, and the Minister of Punishment, Viscount Zheng Jiabao, were not there, otherwise he would not be alone.

After the Colonial Office was established, it was inevitable that a large amount of power would be taken away from these two people.

Finally, it was Prime Minister Li Hezhang who stepped forward, clasped his fists and bowed to the leader, King Zheng Guohui of Chu, and said:

"Your Majesty, we have discussed for a moment the necessity of establishing a new Ministry of Colonies. This will allow us to continue to expand our influence in Sumatra and Australia and further advance our colonial expansion."

"In this case, the cabinet will draft a petition, approve it, and then report it to the emperor for approval." King Zheng Guohui of Chu said casually and decisively.

This originally originated from his proposal, so there will naturally be no problem in its final implementation.

Minister of the Interior Dong Huanzhang felt depressed when he saw that his opposition was useless, but he suddenly remembered an idea and his eyes lit up.

Dong Huanzhang then stood up, bowed, and said, "Your Majesty, I have a memorial to report."

"No need to be so polite. What does Lord Dong want to report?" asked King Zheng Guohui of Chu.

The State of Chu was not a great country like the Northern Divine Land. It had strict etiquette and regulations, and treated all its ministers as slaves. They had to kowtow and perform solemn rituals when reporting to the emperor.

A small country has its own advantages, and the atmosphere between the ruler and his subjects is very relaxed.

King Zheng Guohui of Chu sat on the rosewood couch at the top. There was neither a dragon throne nor imperial ceremonial guards here, just a simple rosewood cloud couch.

The ministers sat on the left and right. If everyone grabbed a handful of melon seeds and ate them while chatting, it would be a typical tea party.

Minister of the Interior Dong Huanzhang also knew that since the establishment of the new Ministry of Colonies was unstoppable, all the external powers of the Ministry of the Interior would have to be handed over in the future.

Including the exceptionally outstanding fourth, fifth, and sixth departments, now let’s put the benefits into practice and let everyone see the achievements of the Ministry of the Interior.

The specific content of the memorial is
The fourth is the North American Investigative Office. Now the special commissioner of this office, Colonel Wang Haigou, has run several secret bases in Hawaii very successfully and has almost infiltrated the Kingdom of Hawaii into a sieve.

Colonel Wang Haigou could understand what the Hawaiian king said in half an hour, without missing even a single punctuation mark.

Colonel Wang Haigou even turned the captain of the Hawaiian Kingdom's guard into a traitor. The method he used was very simple, nothing more than seduction and inducement. Then, he used threats and intimidation to make this native man submit obediently.

The Ministry of the Interior, acting on the secret orders of the King of Chu, has been managing the Chinese forces in the Hawaiian Islands for two and a half years. In terms of scale and strength, they can make things happen at will.

On Niihau Island, where a large number of troops are stationed, the number of settlers reached 3.2 a year ago. It has a strict management model that is semi-military and semi-agricultural, and its combat effectiveness is quite good.

The Ministry of the Interior delivered as many as 2.4 rifles and more than 200 12-pound Napoleon field guns to the island. These were inventory stocks purchased in North America with special funds. Each rifle cost about US$2.3, including a full set of individual equipment.

Just one order

It can quickly arm up to three divisions of troops, and its combat effectiveness is not inferior.

Purchasing weapons and ammunition from North America is much cheaper than transporting them thousands of miles from the State of Chu.

After the American Civil War

As many as millions of rifles eventually ended up in the iron furnace, but in American warehouses, there are still millions of them in stock, all of which are relatively intact and newer firearms and individual equipment.

Guess
These weapons and equipment were also secretly sold by the managers of American warehouses. These warehouses are privately owned and are responsible for storing military equipment and other supplies for the federal government.

After the war, America fell into a short period of economic difficulties. Financial appropriations were not timely and arrears were very serious, which led to warehouse managers secretly selling supplies, including large quantities of arms.

The bronze 540-pound Napoleon field gun, which had a purchase price of $12, was purchased for only $50 each.

More than 200 Napoleon field rifles only cost more than silver dollars. If they were transported thousands of miles from the mainland of Chu, this amount of money would not even cover the shipping fee. It can be said to be a good value for money.

In addition to the Niihau Island base, Colonel Wang Haigou also used various means to obtain three sugar plantations on Oahu from a large American landowner and sent more than 6700 Chinese workers to the plantations.

In addition to the hidden warehouses, teahouses, dock warehouses and other places all over the Hawaiian Island, their ears and eyes have almost spread throughout the Hawaiian Kingdom.

Colonel Wang Haigou also established close ties with local Chinese gangs. Due to the shortage of labor, American plantation owners continued to transport Chinese workers from the mainland, and the Chinese now accounted for the largest ethnic group on the island of Hawaii.

All conditions are ripe. Once the action is launched, more than 4 armed forces can be mobilized.

Dong Huanzhang revealed the whole matter, which caused the cabinet ministers present to marvel at the matter.

These cabinet ministers are all powerful and know about this matter, but they don't know the details.

"Now that everything is ready, let's just take down the Kingdom of Hawaii in one fell swoop to avoid any more trouble."

"No, our relationship with the United States is quite good right now, and trade is growing. If this incident were to cause a rift between us, it would be detrimental."

"Hmph, why not? I believe it's better to act sooner rather than later. Just as Your Majesty said: if war destroys something, rebuild it; if relations between the two countries are damaged, mend them. But if we have a forest in hand, we should first realize the benefits."

"Are you afraid that a cooked duck will fly away? Don't act hastily. Make a decision after careful consideration."

"From the Ministry of the Interior report, it's clear that the Americans covet Hawaii, but due to the delay caused by the war, this matter may not be simple."

"Given our sufficient preparations, are we still afraid of America?"

It is obvious that the ministers have many differences on this issue and it is difficult to reach a consensus.

After the ministers discussed it for a while, King Zheng Guohui of Chu finally expressed his opinion and said;

"The war has just ended, and the people are still undecided. It is not appropriate to start a war now. The matter of Hawaii can be discussed later. Let's leave it at that."

This was the final conclusion and all the ministers had no objection.

(End of this chapter)