Nanyang Storm 1864

Chapter 343 The Queen's Words
The second day in Singapore

Lieutenant General Connor and General Maignan brought a large number of officers to Bishan in the north of Singapore. The Bishan Valley, which is only a dozen kilometers long, is neither big nor steep, but it blocked the British and French forces for half a year.

More than 100,000 people were killed or wounded, but they were unable to conquer this sad and desperate valley.

With a strong sense of reluctance, a group of carriages arrived near the last earthen rampart in the valley.

As Lieutenant General Connor and the other officers walked towards the carriage and looked around the valley, everyone fell silent.

In the mountains nearby

All the sunny sides facing the south are covered with densely packed tombstones, layer upon layer along the not-so-steep mountains, so many that it is difficult to count.

The stone steps wind their way up one after another. The cemetery is planted with green pines and cypresses, but they all look small and it is obvious that they were planted not long ago.

Each level of the cemetery has neatly stacked gravel roads, which are flattened and compacted. The widest places are more than 2 meters, and the narrowest places are more than 1 meter. They are all arranged in order.

In the wider areas of the mountain top and the mountainside, there are typical Chinese pavilions with flying eaves. On the stone tablets are written large characters such as "Loyal Soul Forever Cast" and "Eternal Immortality", as well as dense inscriptions.

More than 20 disabled Chinese veterans emerged from the cemetery, led by a one-armed major. With a solemn expression, he raised his remaining arm in a military salute and addressed Lieutenant General Connor and the Allied officers. "Captain Ke Huaizhong, gravekeeper of the Singapore Expeditionary Force Honorary Veterans Cemetery, salutes you, officers! I have taken off my uniform and am now merely a baron of the kingdom."

After listening to the translation, Lieutenant General Connor and General Maignan raised their hands in return with solemn expressions, and the officers behind them also raised their hands in return.

This is a time of mutual respect among soldiers and the best display of European gentlemanly demeanor.

Lieutenant General Connor said politely, "Your Excellency, my colleagues and I would like to pay our respects to our former opponent. Is this possible?"

"Welcome, sir, please follow me."

"Then it'll be hard work."

Lieutenant General Connor was the first to take off his military cap and put it under the protection of his right arm. The officers behind him followed suit with solemn expressions on their faces.

The person buried here was once an opponent of the British and French forces, but the tenacity and bravery of this opponent in fighting left a deep impression on the officers of the British and French forces.

Looking at the tens of thousands of tombstones all over the mountains, no one could smile in this solemn environment.

All of this is caused by the damn war...

Just a few days later,

The British moved quickly and basically demolished all the barricades in the city of Singapore, but the piles of mud ruins in the houses on the edge of the city were selectively forgotten.

On the surface

Apart from the marks of artillery fire and bullets in the battle for the city, the city no longer has many war scars. Only the large areas of ruins that have been cleared out in the city's buildings tell people what happened here?
As cargo ships begin to flock to the ports again, the problem of labor shortage becomes a pressing issue.

Singapore is located at a key point in the Strait of Malacca. Most cargo ships traveling north and south pass through here to resupply and carry out important cargo distribution before embarking on their next journey.

To date
No other port can replace Singapore's important role, which has led to a pile-up of cargo ships in the port, but an extreme shortage of manpower to load and unload the cargo.

The British and the Chu State quickly reached an agreement, inviting the Chu State's immigration fleet to import 10 Chinese workers to Singapore within two months to fill the shortage.

The British colonial authorities would use Indian cotton, British woven cloth, locomotives and other mechanical equipment to pay for the immigration costs.

Throughout Southeast Asia, only the Chu State possessed such a huge maritime transport force that could organize and transport hundreds of thousands of Chinese immigrants in a short period of time to supplement the shortage of manpower.

The relevant departments of the Chu State agreed to the deal after confirming that the British side would guarantee that the interests of these Chinese workers would not be exploited and that they would have the legal civil rights to engage in business, employ, own property, and marry.

At that time, the war had just ended.

However, trade between Britain and Chu was rapidly heating up. A large amount of wool from Australia was shipped to Singapore. After a brief replenishment here, it headed to Chennai Port again.

At the same time, rails, iron farm tools, cigarettes, canned fruits and other export materials were also transported to the ports of Chennai and Kolkata, and a large amount of cloth, cotton and other necessary materials were imported from Britain. The economies of the two sides were highly complementary.

With the arrival of immigration fleets in mid-to-late April, a large number of Chinese immigrants entered Singapore, allowing this important city in Malacca to resume operations and quickly restore it to 4% to % of its former prosperity.

September 28th, 2025

A fleet from Kolkata, India, arrived in Singapore. The flagship "Kolkata Pearl" fired a salute upon entering the port, and the salutes from the shore were quickly responded to.
More than a thousand white gentlemen and ladies gathered here to welcome the arrival of a group of high-ranking officials from the Governor-General's Office of British India. The scene was quite grand.

After the British took back Singapore, British merchants and their families who were temporarily residing in various parts of Southeast Asia returned one after another, along with many French, Dutch and Germans, making the city lively again.

A long carpet was laid on the dock, and the band played "Land of Hope and Glory". The exciting melody echoed in the sky, and many gentlemen and ladies shed tears when they thought of the painful suffering during this period.

"Your Excellency, welcome to this land that has suffered so much. This is the moment that people have longed for, allowing it to be bathed in the Queen's omnipresent glory again." Governor Ode said with a respectful smile on his face, bowing and touching his chest.

Less than five months after this unfortunate new Governor-General of the Straits took office, the Singapore Governor-General's headquarters was destroyed by the Chu State. Governor-General Ode and some senior officials of the Governor-General's Office fled to Penang overnight.

As a result, not long after, Penang Port was also bombarded by the Chu State's armored fleet, which was really embarrassing.

The colonial governors of the United Kingdom are not government officials, but royal representatives sent by Her Majesty the Queen to exercise the right to rule the colonies. The power of appointment and removal lies with the British royal family.

For this reason, the fall of the previous Earl of Derby's cabinet did not affect the position of Governor-General of Ord, as only Her Majesty the Queen could remove him from office.

As long as you are thick-skinned enough, there will be no problem in continuing to stay in this important position.

Governor Ord obviously did not want to leave. He wanted to make amends and continue to contribute his remaining energy. He did not want to leave Singapore in disgrace.

All kinds of ridicule and criticism came rolling in, but Governor Ode pretended not to hear them, and no one could do anything to him.

The Governor-General of British India, Earl George Broadhead, was the king of India and the entire Southeast Asia region, and the real mastermind behind the war. He would never do anything to slap someone in the face, so he smiled and said;

"Dear Governor-General of Ord, I bring greetings from Her Majesty Queen Victoria. Every citizen who works hard for the British Empire will be treated with due respect.

Although you encountered a small setback, it undoubtedly made your resume more legendary.

No one can predict the future, and as a subject, what I should do is to look after this colony for the British Crown. We need to restore peace and tranquility in the region, which is in the fundamental interests of Great Britain."

"The wisdom and brilliance illuminate this world, and the will of Her Majesty the Queen will be implemented without compromise. No matter when, I am a humble servant crawling at the feet of the Queen." Governor Ode's posture was extremely humble, and he bowed deeply.

Earl George Brownhead came forward and whispered in his ear, "Her Majesty the Queen asked me to tell you something: Don't provoke those Chu people."

Governor Ode was stunned, then nodded stiffly. He really had this plan.

All dignity has been trampled into the mud. How can one not feel resentment and madness in their hearts?

Sitting on the throne of the Governor-General of the Straits, it is so easy to find opportunities to create some minor frictions and do some small actions!
The warning from London suddenly woke him up, and he nodded solemnly and agreed.

obviously

If the warning from London is not followed, the governor's position will be removed in a minute, and there is no reason to argue at all.

If the Governor-General of Ord was the minor governor in charge of Singapore, then Earl George Broadhead was the major governor in charge of the entire Indian subcontinent, and the Governor-General of Australia was an unpopular governor in charge of a remote royal estate.

Although they are both stewards of the British royal family's servants, there is a huge difference between them.

The British Indian colony is known as the most dazzling jewel in the crown of Her Majesty Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. It is also the most important colony of the United Kingdom. All other colonies have to fall behind it. It belongs to the unique highest level.

The five-member committee representing the highest authority under the Governor-General of India was called the Imperial Council.

The Secretary of the Governor's Office was called the Secretary of State, which was an officially recognized and formal title. No other colony could enjoy such high treatment.

The war between the Anglo-French coalition and the Chu army ended in a draw (note: this was the propaganda of both Britain and France), which directly led to the downfall of the cabinet of the Earl of Derby in Britain. The British Governor-General to Australia resigned in disgrace and became the scapegoat.

Upon closer examination, Governor Ode does not bear much responsibility and appears more like a victim.

The welcoming ceremony at the dock was dignified and grand. Governor Ord invited the distinguished guests from the British Indian colony to ride in a ceremonial carriage and enter the city in a swaggering manner.

What followed was a flurry of self-promotion and one aristocratic banquet after another that whitewashed the situation, with gentlemen and ladies dancing gracefully in palace-style buildings. The pain of war was hardly to be seen.

Only Governor Ode knows
Earl George Broadhead not only brought a message from Queen Victoria on this trip, but also shouldered the important task of supervising the Channel Governor's Office.

If you make a mistake, it won't be a matter of just one word.

(End of this chapter)