Nanyang Storm 1864

Chapter 385 The three emperors gather together
September 11th, 2025

The last stronghold of the Dutch colonists in Samarinda was captured by the angry Chinese masses. At this point, the vast and prosperous Dutch-occupied areas in South Kalimantan fell, which made the Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies very angry.

The Chu State also expressed regret over this and actively stated that it was willing to take on the responsibility of communicating and persuading local Chinese armed groups to ease the regional situation and demonstrate its responsible role.

The Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies directly and harshly refused and began to find ways to transport troops to the occupied areas of Kalimantan Island by using civilian ships, two or three at a time.

Some have four or five hundred people, some have seven or eight hundred people.

But basically, every time it was sent there, it fell into oblivion, not even a bubble was created, let alone any effect in saving the situation.

Three months passed quietly
Under the information blockade, the Dutch discovered that a large number of Chinese immigrant ships entered the southern part of Borneo, with the number reaching 3 to 4 people per month. In just three months, the number of Chinese immigrants increased by nearly 10.

This discovery shocked and angered them, and they were once again deeply upset, so they lodged a strong protest with the State of Chu.

But what's the use?
The two sides engaged in a diplomatic war of words. The Chu State said that the Dutch white colonists did not respect the spirit of the contract, abused, exploited and oppressed Chinese immigrants. This led to the people launching protests to fight for the rights that should belong to them. This is a symbol of progress, civilization and freedom.

The State of Chu firmly supports the Chinese people's spontaneous struggle for equal rights, applauds and cheers for it, and rejects the relevant protests from the Netherlands.

What conspiracy theories do the Dutch have? They just repeat the same old refrains: conspiracy theories, Chinese threat theories, etc., but they have no real effect at all.

I want to start a war, but I don’t dare.

They are not strong, have no backbone, and have a huge mountain to lean on. The British have an ambiguous attitude, always giving verbal support but never taking any actual action.

I let it go, but I was unwilling to give up, so I just kept wasting time like this.

On July 7, the new governor-general from the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Sir James Loudon, arrived and took over the mess. The former governor returned to the Netherlands in disgrace with his family and the money he had plundered from the people during this period.

What awaits him will be impeachment by parliament and possibly even life in prison.

If we don't prepare enough gold and silver to make arrangements, life after returning to our homeland will be extremely difficult, and there will be no hope for the future.

Manila

The stage by the water at Taiye Lake in the Chu Palace

King Zheng Guohui of Chu brought a group of wives and concubines to watch the show with the old Queen Mother Wang. The old Queen Mother Wang was nearly 6 years old but still in good health and with a rosy face.

The Queen Mother sat in the middle seat, with her children and grandchildren surrounding her knees. Queen Zheng Li led the concubines in the harem and princes and princesses of all sizes to pay homage to the Queen every day, which made the old lady very happy and more energetic.

"Queen Mother, Guoyao's wedding ceremony has already gone through the six rituals, and the auspicious date is set for the ninth day of the seventh lunar month. It's a good opportunity to hold the wedding while I'm back in Manila for further studies at the Army Advanced Military Academy. What do you think?"

"It's all right, it's all right. The eldest brother is the father, you can do whatever you want."

"With the Queen Mother's decree, I will arrange for them to take care of it."

"Well, fine. This piece is well sung. Rewards... everyone will get rewards." Old Queen Mother Wang focused most of her attention on the stage. She smiled happily when she saw the wonderful parts and waved her hand to order the distribution of rewards.

King Zheng Guohui of Chu immediately looked around and said:

"What are you still standing there for? The Queen Mother said there will be a reward, so it must be given. Go and get the reward money! Everyone will get a reward."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

The palace maids were also standing aside watching the show. When they heard the order, they hurried to get the reward money. Then a group of four palace maids came up with trays in their hands. The trays were full of heavy and shiny cash, which made people very greedy.

Yue Fei (Qiao Yue) hurried over to catch it, picked up the tray and poured it directly onto the stage. The tray and the silver coins were scattered all over the ceiling, and the shiny silver coins were everywhere.

Four plates of silver dollars were thrown up in succession, and hundreds of silver dollars were scattered everywhere, shining brightly. The scene was quite spectacular.

All the actors on the stage knelt down in unison to express their gratitude, and even picked up the tip money while kneeling. This is the rule of the opera theater.

In fact, it’s not much money, but when the reward money is scattered around, it looks lively and festive, and people from top to bottom cheer, which makes the lively atmosphere even more lively.

The old Queen Mother was smiling like a flower. King Zheng Guohui of Chu winked at Queen Zheng Li, meaning that she should stay here and accompany the Queen Mother to watch the opera, and he would slip away.

Queen Zheng Li smiled dignifiedly and nodded. Your Majesty is busy with state affairs, and it would be great if he could spare some time to accompany her for a while.

"Your son respectfully bids farewell to father and wishes him good health." The eldest son Chu-Zheng Dan led several younger brothers and sisters in performing the proper ceremony, looking extremely adorable.

The eldest son Chu-Zheng Dan is already 7 years old. He started his education at the age of 4. He can recite dozens of Tang and Song poems and looks like a little adult.

King Zheng Guohui of Chu waved his hand with a warm expression and said, "My son, please don't be polite. You can accompany your mother to watch the play here. Remember to take good care of your younger brothers and sisters."

"Your son will follow my father's orders and take good care of my younger brothers." Chu Zhengdan replied in a clear voice.

King Zheng Guohui of Chu has not been idle in recent years. There are a few more beauties in the palace, and his children have increased to 11, seven boys and four girls. It can be said that his family is flourishing.

Having too many concubines in the harem is also a trouble. All the women's eyes are fixed on every move of King Chu Zheng Guohui. A smile or a touch of the child's head will cause waves in the hearts of the concubines.

His Majesty showed a hint of fondness. As long as it was his own child, he would naturally be extremely happy and would be happy for at least one or two months.

The other concubines saw this, some looked lonely, some were jealous, and some were resentful, but they did not dare to show it.

It's like accidentally knocking over a porcelain vase in a porcelain shop, causing a chain reaction.

The best way is to treat everyone equally and maintain the image of a high and majestic king, which will avoid so many problems.

Return to the Purple Palace

As usual, the royal secretary general Li Jinghui came to the imperial study to present the memorial to the emperor and report the latest major events at home and abroad.

One was the "Maria Luz Incident". On July 7, a Peruvian slave ship carrying hundreds of abducted Chinese laborers was discovered in Yokohama, Japan.

This triggered the "Maria Luz Incident" between the Meiji government of Japan and Peru. The 231 abducted Chinese workers on the slave ship were treated well and planned to be sent back to the mainland.

This major diplomatic incident attracted the attention of Tsar Nicholas II, who took over the diplomatic arbitration of the incident.

Firstly, the Xinjiang Yakub Beg rebel forces were supported by Tsarist Russia and became increasingly rampant. Zuo Zongtang, an important official of the imperial court and the governor of Shaanxi and Gansu, planned to enter the river to suppress the bandits and was vigorously preparing weapons, equipment and troops.

In July 1872, the first group of 7 Chinese students to study in the United States, including Zhan Tianyou, Liang Dunyan, and Huang Kaijia, led by Chen Lanbin and Yung Wing, departed from Shanghai to study in the United States. That same month, the Shanghai Merchants Steam Navigation Company opened, and Shanghai's first silk reeling mill was completed and put into operation...

In Indochina

The white colonial army from the French Governor-General's Office in Saigon marched northwards and captured Hue Province, the early capital of the Kingdom of Vietnam. They headed north towards Hanoi and attempted to occupy Haiphong, Ninh Phong and other places. The Hue court asked the Black Flag Army to come to assist in resisting the French invasion. The fighting had already started north of Hue, and both sides had won and lost.

The Kingdom of Vietnam sent envoys to request military assistance from the State of Chu, or at least to send military instructors to train the army in order to stop the ambitions of the French colonists to expand northward.

King Zheng Guohui of Chu would not interfere in such matters, nor did he want to change the historical course of the Indochina Peninsula.

Occupying and colonizing the Indochina Peninsula was the focus of France's foreign colonial expansion policy.

Over the next half century, France's colonial expansion in Indochina continued, encompassing many countries such as Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and forming the general appearance of French colonies.

Even if the State of Chu lends a helping hand today, what about the next few decades?

The Kingdom of Vietnam and the Northern Divine Land were equally corrupt and incompetent, two rotten fruits destined to be beyond redemption, the only difference being that one was bigger and one was smaller. The decadent and backward nature of their feudal rule remained unchanged.

If the State of Chu dared to help, the Kingdom of Vietnam would collapse on Chu, like a dog-skin plaster that could not be peeled off or thrown away.

How could the State of Chu do such a stupid thing?

The French colonists are now most nervous about this matter. The new French Governor of Saigon, Adrien Canter, wrote a secret letter to King Zheng Guohui of Chu, secretly promising:
If the Chu State does not interfere in the war in Indochina, France will firmly support the Chu State's position of protecting the interests of the Chinese compatriots in Kalimantan, and both sides will gain what they need.

The secret envoy from the State of Chu had already reached a tacit understanding with the French side in Saigon, and the British should also be aware of this.

This is the reason why King Zheng Guohui of Chu is able to sit firmly on the Diaoyutai. Many international events are one thing on the surface and another thing in secret.

The relevant major powers in the region basically have some understanding of each other's bottom line and scope, and have many tacit understandings and exchanges of interests in secret, which cannot be revealed to outsiders.

For example, in terms of foreign colonial expansion

The British have drawn a red line for the Chu State, prohibiting further colonial expansion to the south and west. It is time to stop here.

That is
The British recognized the status quo of Chu's control over Kalimantan Island, but this was the limit of tolerance and the Chinese influence was not allowed to continue expanding southward to Java Island and the Kingdom of Bali west of Java Island.

The Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies only occupied about 4/5 of the entire Java Island. In the westernmost part of the Java Islands, there was also an indigenous Balinese Kingdom, an indigenous country that believed in Islam.

In Sumatra
The British also did not support the 6th Expeditionary Division stationed in the Tanjung Kap area to expand the occupied area, and asked it to exercise restraint and avoid disrupting the current stable situation in the Malacca region.

In exchange
The British pledged to support Chu's expansion eastward, specifically in Nicaragua and Honduras in Central America, but not Costa Rica.

As for South America, the British did not mention it.

The British attempted to stimulate the Chu State's aggressive external expansion and colonial momentum, land in Central America, attract the attention of the Americans and create confrontation. This was the regional balance of power that the British wanted to see.

The British have never recognized the United States's ridiculous "Monroe Policy" or paid attention to its "back garden". They are just troubled by the fact that they cannot devote too much energy and strength to the confrontation in Central and South America.

Introducing foreign forces from the State of Chu was a clever move by the British.

Over the years
Chinese immigrant forces have landed in Central America in large numbers. Regular immigration flights consisting of large immigrant ships have now become a normal way to import Chinese immigrants to Central America and continue to expand their influence.

Almost half of Nicaragua is now dominated by Chinese forces. They have guns, organizations, money and power, and they are swallowing up large areas like a whirlwind.

This caused extreme anxiety among Americans. In North American newspapers, one could often see angry criticism from relevant American figures, with the spearhead directed at the hegemonic British Empire.

That really means they have an undying desire to destroy America and are trying to trip us up everywhere.

There were also the hateful Chu people who helped the Chinese immigrants who were sweeping across Central America like locusts, frantically expanding their influence in Nicaragua and occupying large tracts of fertile land.

The American newspapers reported repeatedly, which aroused the strong hostility of white residents in North America towards local Chinese workers. The news of Chinese workers being bullied and oppressed came from North America from time to time, which attracted the attention of the Chu State's diplomatic department.

Regarding this dangerous trend of public opinion, the Chu State has negotiated with the United States many times but to no avail.

In June
The "Wilhelm Cargo Ship Incident" occurred on Saipan Island. It was caused by this American cargo ship. On its return journey, 103 Chinese laborers were secretly loaded into the cabin and were seized by the port of Saipan Island.

These "pig-crowned" Chinese workers were released, but 41 people from the cargo ship "Wilhelm" that illegally carried immigrants, from the captain to the white sailors, were arrested and fined a heavy amount of 5.15 silver dollars.

For each Chinese worker illegally transported as a pig, a fine of 500 silver dollars was imposed, totaling 5.15 silver dollars.

When the US learned of this, it was furious and quickly contacted the Chu State's diplomatic department, trying to rescue everyone on Wilhelm's cargo ship.

The US has a bad attitude and even threatens war.

The Chu State ignored the US's blatant and arrogant attitude. After a public trial in early July, it announced the seizure of the "Wilheim" cargo ship and related cargo, which would be auctioned to offset the huge fine.

41 white crew members, led by the ship's captain, John Wilhelm, were sentenced to hard labor ranging from 11 years to six months and were sent to a mining hard labor camp.

This incident led to a further deterioration in relations between Chu and the United States.

After the mediation of the Governor of Ord of the British Straits Settlements, and the promise of American diplomats to limit the wanton slander in domestic newspapers and public opinion, to safeguard the interests of Chinese expatriates in the United States, and to ensure their personal and property safety, John Wilhelm and other white crew members were released and deported.

In addition, there was another international event that attracted the high attention of King Zheng Guohui of Chu.

in Europe

Austria-Hungary declared:

Emperor Franz Joseph I and Imperial Chancellor Count Andrassy Güla plan to visit Berlin in early September.

Shortly thereafter
The Russian Empire also declared:
Russian Tsar Alexander II and Prime Minister Gorchakov will visit Berlin in early September.

These two brief pieces of news shocked Europe and the world, and attracted the attention of major powers in the world, especially the British and the French.

The Emperor of Austria-Hungary, the Tsar of Russia and Kaiser Wilhelm I of Germany gathered in Berlin. What big things were they discussing in secret?
The three major European powers gathered together. If you want to know what good things they could do, the French would be the first to jump out and you wouldn't believe it. Isn't that just fooling people?

Now the major powers of the world are nervously watching Europe and Berlin. Diplomats from various countries are also gathering in Berlin, welcoming this unprecedented summit event with uneasy feelings.

(End of this chapter)