Nanyang Storm 1864

Chapter 337 Pacific Empire Dream

The proposal concerning Hawaii was temporarily shelved due to different opinions. King Zheng Guohui of Chu did not make much statement. After discussing it for a while in the afternoon, he returned to the palace early.

The Cabinet and various departments moved into the new offices, significantly improving working conditions. Mid-level officials now had their own clean, brightly lit offices, eliminating the need for the entire department to be crowded into one.

In contrast
Ganquan Palace seemed even more cramped and small, but fortunately the ever-expanding royal staff moved into the palace-style building once used by the Prime Minister's Office, and worked there on a daily basis.

When on duty, they would go to Ganquan Palace in turn to be appointed.

The expanded Royal Guard Division also moved into the palace-style mansion formerly occupied by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as its headquarters, solving the major problem of overcrowded office space.

Inside Ganquan Palace
As usual, the atmosphere was solemn and peaceful. All the officials and attendants on duty in the palace walked lightly as usual to avoid making any extra noise.

The Ganquan Palace is not a big building, with only two floors in total. The "click-click" sound of leather shoes walking here can be heard clearly in the imperial study.

Whoever is so reckless will be guilty of serious misconduct in front of the emperor and will be severely punished.

In the Imperial Study
King Zheng Guohui of Chu was holding a glass of red wine in his hand with a comfortable expression. He leaned comfortably against the side of the imperial desk, looking at the large and exquisitely drawn map in front of him, and took a sip from time to time.

It seems that this large map painted in light green to mark the territory of the Chu State is the most delicious dish to go with wine.

The Chu State's mainland territory included the Hainan Islands, Cebu Islands, Tongzhou Islands and East Malaya, totaling approximately 51 square kilometers. It also had outer island territories such as the Shangri-La Islands, the Solomon Islands, and the Mariana Islands (including Guam and Saipan).

Especially the outer island territories, although the land area is not large, it can control the vast surrounding sea areas, almost covering all the areas around the equator and south of the western Pacific Ocean, making it a well-deserved country of thousands of islands.

Thinking of what the Minister of the Interior Dong Huanzhang said today, Zheng Guohui looked towards the Hawaiian Islands on the east side of the map.

The Hawaiian Islands are one of the three major archipelagos in the Pacific Ocean. They are particularly famous for their key location in controlling the Pacific shipping routes. They are a must-pass place for the increasingly prosperous marine economy in the future. They hold the gateway to cross-strait exchanges in the 19th, 20th and even 21st centuries.

At the two ends of the Pacific route, the Hainan Islands at the western end and the Hawaiian Islands at the eastern end play an important role.

If all of them were under control, then the Chu State would dominate the Pacific shipping routes and its position would be unshakable.

The Pacific Gyre, on which ocean-going ships rely heavily, passes through here. The importance of the monsoon current to shipping in today's era cannot be overemphasized.

King Zheng Guohui of Chu gently shook the crystal wine glass in his hand, sniffing the rich aroma of the wine, and looked at the Hawaiian Islands with an increasingly fascinated look.

He was not planning to attack Hawaii at this time and had no good intentions.

Instead, he wanted to spread the news of victory in the war against the British and French powers fully, let the news settle and ferment for a while, and then through deliberate guidance of public opinion, turn it in a direction that would be beneficial to the Chu State.

At least in America, money can be used to turn public opinion in favor of Chu.

Perhaps Britain and France did not recognize the victory unilaterally promoted by Chu, and wishfully believed that it was a draw with no winner, and both sides calmly resolved the dispute with a gentlemanly attitude.

But this did not affect Chu's vigorous propaganda at all. Chu acquired East Malaya through war, won equal treatment from the British and French powers in international affairs, won relatively fair two-way preferential tax and trade treatment, and won the respect of various countries. Isn't this enough?

The King of Chu has secretly ordered the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of the Interior to use various channels to exaggerate Chu's victory in this regional war in North American public opinion and expand its influence.

all of these

Everyone was preparing for the "Hawaiian Incident". It would be effortless to overthrow this corrupt and outdated indigenous kingdom. The key was to eliminate the strong backlash from the United States and avoid it escalating into a war.

Therefore, in the "Hawaii Incident", it is particularly important to pay attention to protecting the personal and property safety of white Americans and avoid giving the other side an excuse to intervene.

Another very important aspect of public opinion propaganda is the exaggeration of the strong power of the Chu State.

This can make the top leaders in Washington more cautious and prudent when making decisions, allowing the regional situation after the "Hawaii Incident" to develop in the direction expected by the king and his ministers of Chu.

As the saying goes, "A good warrior does not have a great reputation."

These seemingly unrelated actions can influence the relevant decisions of the US government's president and Congress. The power of public opinion is indeed great.

After drinking two cups, King Zheng Guohui of Chu's cheeks flushed slightly. He had been eating well and sleeping well these days, and his whole body became fairer and he had gained a little weight.

in his eyes

The eight main islands of the Hawaiian Islands on the map are lined up in a line like geese. They are much more attractive than beautiful women. They are so cool and refreshing that you can never get enough of looking at them.
King Zheng Guohui of Chu's gaze wandered back and forth between the Hawaiian Islands and Central America, revealing an extremely fiery expression.

The Hawaiian Islands are a stepping stone to landing in Central America. If the Chu State can eventually extend its colonial tentacles to Central America and gain a foothold between North and South America, that would be the ultimate dream achievement.

The territory of Chu State spanned both ends of the Pacific Ocean. Who dares to say that this is not the grand foundation of the Pacific Empire?

If the shape of this great empire is likened to a scale, then one end of the scale is placed on Central America and the other end is placed on the East Indies, stretching more than 14700 kilometers from east to west.

Why is “more than” put in quotation marks?

Because this distance
The distance is calculated from the westernmost territory of the Chu State, namely Kuching, the capital of Sabah State in East Malaya, as the western starting point, and Nicaragua in Central America as the eastern end point.

There are still many variables involved.

If the western territory of Chu State could be extended to Sumatra Island in the future, this distance would undoubtedly be greatly extended.

Similarly, if the Chu State could successfully land in Central America and rapidly expand its colonies in Central America, the area would be more than 14700 kilometers.

The rope at the top of the scale is the Hainan Islands, and the weight is naturally the Australian continent.

In this way, the prototype of a huge empire that would dominate the world was revealed. King Zheng Guohui of Chu savored the wine in the cup carefully, and became intoxicated by the thought of this magnificent picture.

In the next few decades
If I could realize this grand vision of an empire, then this life would be enough and it would be worth it to come back again.

The turning point of mind

King Zheng Guohui of Chu made up his mind and planned to take over the Hawaiian Islands before the end of the year and secure it as soon as possible.

Be careful to prevent any changes that may occur later, which may turn out to be bad.

Although there is no historical fact that the State of Chu fought against the British and French forces alone, thanks to its foresight and sufficient war preparations, the State of Chu has survived this severe test.

What lies before us... is a smooth road.

When the Chu State intervened in Hawaii this time, Zheng Guohui hesitated and did not make a decision early. This was because the powerful America in later generations had left a deep impression on him, which made him hesitant.

From the heart

King Zheng Guohui of Chu was absolutely unwilling to go to war with the United States and create a powerful enemy for the kingdom, which was extremely unwise.

However, the staff office, through careful assessment of the situation, submitted a confidential research report indicating that;

The future colonial expansion of the Chu State to the east and south will inevitably lead to irreconcilable sharp conflicts with the United States and the Netherlands. If it is not well controlled, it will easily slide into a state of war.

When dealing with the Dutch, King Zheng Guohui of Chu was not afraid and was eager to drive them out as soon as possible.

However, when dealing with America, King Zheng Guohui of Chu was still very cautious.

America regards South America as its own back garden, and Central America is the "path leading to the back garden". Once America sets foot in it, it will inevitably touch the sensitive nerves of the United States.

Internal reference of the staff room
The possibility of Chu State overthrowing the Kingdom of Hawaii through a sudden change of government, which led to a fierce dispute with the United States, is no more than 30%.

If war does not break out within six months, the possibility of war will drop sharply to less than 10%.

If the Chu State invades Central America, the probability of war breaking out in the next five years will be more than 5%, and it will only be higher, not lower.

The specific increase or decrease depends on the situation in Central America at the time and the policy of the ruling party in the United States. Is it an aggressive and offensive policy or a more conservative one?
One thing won't change

"Monroe Doctrine" as the current national policy of the United States has been implemented without fail.

Therefore, the path of eastward expansion and colonization is bound to be a policy full of risks and controversies, and the kingdom must vigorously promote it.

"The road ahead is long and arduous, and we still need to accumulate national strength!" King Zheng Guohui of Chu muttered to himself, looking at Central America with fiery eyes and an unfulfilled look.

He really didn't dare to set his sights on Central America now, even though it was a vast and fertile territory within his reach, ruled by only some corrupt Indians and native whites.

It's like a piece of delicious fat meat on your lips, making you salivate.

However, King Zheng Guohui of Chu still carefully concealed his inner desire. He knew that Chu did not yet have the strength to compete with the United States.

The reason is the same as that of the British and French powers, that is, separated by the vast and distant Pacific Ocean, the power that Chu can deploy to Central America is very limited.

If a war breaks out, the situation will quickly spiral out of control and out of the control of the Chu State.

If we lose the war, it will be a major blow to the eastward colonial expansion strategy.

This is also the main reason why the Chu State was determined to take over the Hawaiian Islands. If 150 million people could be immigrated to the Hawaiian Islands, the total population of the island would reach about 220 million, and self-sufficient industrial and agricultural production would be achieved.

Only then would the State of Chu have enough confidence to plan its colonial expansion into Central America.

To achieve the above purpose

It requires government financial support and continuous immigration to Hawaii for several years, at least 5 to 6 years, to reach the threshold conditions for expansion into Central America.

On the North American continent at that time
The trans-North American Pacific Railway will be fully opened in more than a month, that is, around May 5. It will be connected by rail from New York on the East Coast to San Francisco on the West Coast, and will have the ability to transport materials and troops on a large scale.

The sparsely populated western part of North America is no longer a gap in America's strength.

The long distance across the Pacific Ocean has now become the biggest weakness of the Chu State's eastward expansion, and it is difficult to change in a short period of time.

In terms of regional sensitivity
King Zheng Guohui of Chu prioritized the Nicaragua region, which had superior geographical conditions, fertile and vast land, but the upper ruling class was extremely corrupt, management was chaotic, and there were numerous internal conflicts.

Such targets, like sick old cows on the African savannah, are most likely to be targeted by predators.

The North American Investigations Division under the Ministry of the Interior entered Nicaragua in advance in the name of Chinese businessmen to collect geographical and cultural intelligence. The separatist situation of powerful forces in various places has begun and will gradually infiltrate.

Wait until the time is right
They would purchase large tracts of land in Nicaragua, under the pretext of establishing sugar plantations, and gradually introduce Chinese workers to develop the power of the Chu State.

Costa Rica, further south, has the Isthmus of Panama, and discussions about building a canal there have been going on for half a century. It is an area of ​​great concern to Americans.

In contrast
It is much more sensitive than Nicaragua. If Costa Rica is chosen as the target, the possibility of US armed intervention is as high as 90%.

By choosing Nicaragua as the target of invasion and colonization, the possibility of US armed intervention is reduced to 70%, making it one of the places in Central America with the lowest possibility of intervention.

(End of this chapter)