Nanyang Storm 1864

Chapter 346 February 1869, 5

On May 1869, 5, Glory Street looked brand new. From early in the morning, people from Manila who were participating in rallies and parades and representatives from other places gathered there, making the atmosphere of the parade even more lively.

The Avenue of Glory, stretching nearly twenty kilometers from Yunxiao Gate to Manila's Intramuros, was packed with throngs of spectators. Almost all of the newly formed Manila Garrison Division, clad in brand new uniforms, took to the streets to maintain order.

The troops participating in the parade gathered in advance from schools that had been stationed and trained in advance, including the Royal Army Advanced Infantry College, the Royal Manila Naval Academy, the Royal Administrative College, and the Manila Institute of Technology.

They were all dressed in new military uniforms, officers' neat uniforms and leather shoes, command knives hanging from leather belts around their waists, and wide-brimmed military caps on their heads, which made them look very majestic and heroic.

The soldiers were fully armed, wearing rubber shoes and leggings, and their cross-hide individual armor looked majestic, but the leather ammunition magazines at their waists were empty. No bullets were allowed to be issued during the parade, and they were just for show.

8 o'clock in the morning
99 long trumpets sounded mournfully, marking the beginning of the celebration.

After 21 cannon salutes were fired, the "May 4st Military Parade and Thousands of People's Parade to Commemorate the th Anniversary of the Going to Southeast Asia" officially began, and the passionate singing melody echoed in the sky.

In order to cover a wider area of ​​streets with the sound of music and the national anthem, the music performance and chorus after the 21-gun salute involved 322 large brass trumpets, 12 music bands and 12 youth choirs, forming an extremely magnificent chorus wave, which triggered the chorus of more than onlookers to sing in unison.

Amidst the sound of this exciting music, King Zheng Guohui of Chu came galloping over on a white horse, dressed in a white marshal's uniform, leading more than 20 generals from the army and navy of the General Staff Headquarters, triggering thunderous cheers.

"Long live your Majesty, long live, long live your Majesty!"

"Long live the Chu Kingdom!"

"Long live the invincible Chu Iron Army!"

"Loyalty to the King, loyalty to the country, loyalty to the nation..."

Amidst the cheers, King Zheng Guohui of Chu came first to the outside of Yunxiao Gate, loosened the reins, and let the steed under him trot.

The officers and soldiers who were being reviewed were arranged in a long square formation, lined up in a row outside the Yunxiao Gate along the Glory Avenue. The long queue had no end in sight.

"Everyone, hailed your majesty...! Military salute."

As the officers leading the formation shouted loudly, the officers and soldiers on parade raised their hands and saluted in unison. Such a scene was very exciting.

As he rode his horse, King Zheng Guohui of Chu raised his white-gloved right hand to salute the officers and soldiers on parade, and said loudly, "Brothers of the Chu army, thank you for your hard work."

"I am willing to die for Your Majesty, even if it means going through fire and water."

"Thank you for your hard work, brothers of the Chu Army."

"Loyalty to the Crown, loyalty to His Majesty."

"Thank you for your hard work, brothers of the Chu Army."

"Serve as the king's vanguard, sweep away all enemies, and win every battle..."

"Thank you for your hard work, brothers of the Chu Army."

"Fight for the prosperity of the Chinese nation, and forge the military spirit with iron and blood."

King Zheng Guohui of Chu rode a horse to review the troops along the way. Each parade team had 403 people, including 400 officers and soldiers and three leading officers.

More than 30 parade formations were lined up along the way, including the Royal Navy formation, the Royal Army formation, and the artillery formation. The horseback review lasted more than ten minutes.

Accompanied by the neat slogans coming from the square formation, King Zheng Guohui of Chu rode his horse all the way, saying "Thank you for your hard work, brothers of the Chu army", and received a warm and neat response.

When he heard the slogan "Fight for the prosperity of our Chinese nation, and forge the military spirit with iron and blood," his face was obviously stunned.

Looking over, he saw Colonel Fang Shiwei standing at the top of the square formation, looking at him with a sharp gaze.

When King Zheng Guohui of Chu raised his hand to return the greeting and nodded slightly, he could see Colonel Fang Shiwei's excited and enthusiastic eyes.

The cavalry reviewed by His Majesty the King passed by quickly, but Colonel Fang Shiwei was still very excited.

In the current Chu army
The 403th Expeditionary Division belongs to a newly established corps. There are only two phalanxes under review, one led by Deputy Division Commander Fang Shiwei himself, and the other led by the commander of the main nd Regiment. Both have a size of people.

Almost every regiment with outstanding military achievements can send a parade formation, that is, 403 officers and soldiers, to accept the inspection of His Majesty, which is a great honor in itself.

During His Majesty's inspection, the reply slogans were to be determined by the commanders of each division and formation, and were required to be "concise and powerful, and no more than 20 words."

The slogan of the parade formation of the 6th Expeditionary Division was personally drafted by Colonel Fang Shiwei. Now that it has received the attention of His Majesty, all the hard work has finally paid off.

Colonel Fang Shiwei was born into the Royal Guards and is one of the king's trusted officers. His vision, courage and knowledge far exceed those of ordinary officers.

Through careful observation in daily life, Colonel Fang Shiwei found that His Majesty often emphasized the factor of the Chinese nation, and he secretly kept it in mind.

Opportunities always come to those who are prepared, and this is absolutely true.

Just as the square formation's neat slogans rang out, His Majesty's expression was obviously stunned for a moment, and he nodded to himself.
Colonel Fang Shiwei was so excited that he could hardly control himself. He felt as if he was walking on clouds, and his face was abnormally flushed. He felt extremely honored.

He is now the deputy commander of the 6th Expeditionary Division and is not yet qualified to ride a horse and follow behind His Majesty to accompany him in reviewing the army and navy.

Major General Zheng Jiahui, commander of the 6th Expeditionary Division, followed at the end of the reviewing cavalry. This also highlights the identity of the th Division. With its short experience and few military achievements, its status in the army is naturally not high.

Lieutenant General He Rulin, commander of the Second Expeditionary Division, rode behind Lieutenant General Qian Jiang, only one body length away from His Majesty the King. As the commander of the "Devil Division," he was now extremely popular in the army.

According to Your Majesty's usual approach, there should be no problem in promoting Lieutenant General He Ruolin to Deputy Chief of the Army General Staff.

The other deputy chief of the army's general staff must be Lieutenant General Huang Shan, commander of the 3rd Royal Expeditionary Division. He was also promoted to lieutenant general of the army and was awarded the title of earl for his outstanding military achievements.

It won’t be long before the Second Expeditionary Division welcomes a new commander, and the same will happen to the Third Expeditionary Division. The mark of the original commander will gradually fade away.

According to the military system of Chu

At the level of Lieutenant General Qian Jiang, Chief of the General Staff, his subordinates will not be in charge of the actual expeditionary main division. The same is true for the Deputy Chief of the General Staff, who is the commander of the entire army.

When His Majesty wants to launch an expedition against a country, he will temporarily appoint these officers as commanders-in-chief to lead the army assembled from various main forces, such as the position of commander-in-chief of the Singapore Expeditionary Force.

It was not standardized in the past that a division commander could hold such a high military position. Now it has been standardized and clarified through the military system.

A division commander is absolutely not allowed to do so, but a deputy chief of staff can lead troops in combat independently.

Looking at the reviewing cavalry going away, the officers in the parade formation had fiery eyes. Now was a good time for the Chu State to expand its territory and make great achievements.

Colonel Fang Shiwei believes that one day he will be able to reach that height.

more than twenty minutes later
The sound of hurried horse hooves rang out again. This time, King Zheng Guohui of Chu led a group of generals and officers and did not stop, but galloped away on horseback.

Hundreds of Royal Guards cavalrymen who were waiting near Yunxiao Gate immediately rode up to catch up. The heavy sound of hooves rang out like thunder as they headed towards the center of Glory Avenue.

The Yuehu Residence is located on the middle road of Rongyao Avenue. Surrounding the Yuehu Residence are a series of government offices and important institutions, including the Chu Parliament, the Supreme Court, the Supreme Procuratorate, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Chu Army General Staff Headquarters, the Ministry of Finance, the Royal Nanyang Bank, etc., which are lined up on both sides.

The tall and solemn Chinese palace-style buildings appear particularly magnificent and majestic, making people feel relaxed and fascinated.

"Listen to my command, everyone has it."

"Everyone, turn right, shoulder your guns, and march in unison."

"One, two, one, two, one, two, raise your head and chest. This is our division accepting His Majesty's inspection. Keep your spirits up."

The commander's orders came one after another, and the various military formations gathered outside the Yunxiao Gate began to move. Passing through the Yunxiao Gate where drums and music were playing, the neat rows of soldiers marched eastward along Glory Street.

The distance from Yunxiao Gate to the reviewing rostrum on the middle of Rongyao Avenue is 8.5 kilometers, and it normally takes an hour and a half to walk there.

Fortunately, there were crowds of people on both sides of the road, waving the Bagua national flags in their hands, shouting and jumping with excitement on their faces, cheering for the military officers and soldiers!
Walking in the queue, the officers and soldiers could not help but straighten their chests with great pride. This was a moment of enjoying military glory, which would remain deep in their memory forever.

Whenever I think back on it, it's like a fierce flame burning.

On the square of the Prime Minister's Office of the Chu State Cabinet

A tall parade tent had been erected, with a long row of viewing platforms at each end, each about 300 meters long. They were filled with envoys from various countries and guests from various prefectures and counties in the kingdom. It was truly a gathering of people.

When the King of Chu returned with his cavalry, thunderous cheers of welcome were heard in the square. Everyone paid their respects and bowed deeply to the ground with their hands clasped together.

The King of Chu dismounted from his horse near the viewing platform, opened his arms and waved to the people in all directions, and then, surrounded by a group of generals, walked directly onto the tall viewing tent.

Opposite Yuehu Residence

There is no central garden on this section of Glory Avenue. Instead, there is a large square built with neatly arranged large stones. It extends from the small square of Yuehu Official Residence all the way to Glory Avenue, thus forming a large "Lu"-shaped square.

The small "mouth" above is the small square in front of the Yuehu Official Residence, and the big "mouth" below is the flat, wide and unobstructed Avenue of Glory.

Normally, this 800-meter-long Avenue of Glory is blocked by traffic barriers, and vehicles and horses pass through each lane.

Now the traffic barriers have been removed, and a tall parade tent and viewing platform have been built in the center of Glory Avenue. More than 100,000 people have gathered around it, and the scene is extremely grand.

There were colorful flags flying, gongs and drums blaring, and the thunderous cheers reaching the sky.

Ever since the King of Chu returned with a group of senior generals, the people in the square have been singing and dancing. They have always been in an extremely excited and enthusiastic atmosphere, singing and dancing to the sound of drums and music in the square.

Even without anyone organizing you, you can still have a lot of fun on your own.

(End of this chapter)