Nanyang Storm 1864

Chapter 480 Visit to London
More than ten days later
In the evening of September 1884, 9

The Royal Mail Ship Ocean Crosser and the Immigration Ship Dongting Lake sailed up the Thames River and docked steadily at the Port of London in the evening. They were warmly welcomed by Chinese businessmen and international students in the UK and attracted a large number of onlookers from local London residents.

Lord Henry, the British Foreign Secretary, and many upper-class celebrities and aristocrats came to the dock, rolled out the red carpet for the arrival of the King of Chu, and a 42-member band entertained them.

The local Chinese welcomed the arrival of His Majesty the King of Chu with lion dancing and celebratory gongs and drums, adding a lively and festive atmosphere to this simple and grand welcome ceremony.

That night, the King of Chu stayed in a luxurious Gothic palace building on Belgrave Street. This was one of the royal family's overseas assets in Europe and was the King of Chu's palace residence purchased at a high price.

Belgrave Street is where British aristocrats gather. It is adjacent to Buckingham Palace and Hyde Park. There are more than a dozen foreign embassies in the surrounding area, and the Chu Embassy is also nearby.

The people who live here are members of the royal family, celebrities in London's upper class, business leaders or diplomats. The British Crown Prince Edward lives in a palace nearby, as do other nobles and celebrities such as Neville Chamberlain, Secretary of State for the Colonies.

The Georgian and Victorian townhouses, Gothic palace buildings, and early heavy Norman buildings here have classic gray-black limestone facades, which are thick and solid.

There are five royal-level parks around it, and the streets are lined with various cafes, bars, high-end jewelry stores and handmade custom clothing sewing shops, as well as numerous art museums and top private clubs.

The famous Westminster School in the UK is nearby. It is a typical wealthy circle where every inch of land is worth a lot of money and the price of property per square foot is astonishingly high.

Even so
There are also many British aristocrats, royal families of various European countries and people from the upper class who are trying their best to get here. Money doesn’t matter. The key is that living here is beautiful and decent, and they can also meet the real upper class people in London.

In France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Russia, and even in the Netherlands and the three Nordic countries, the royal family of Chu purchased luxurious palace-style buildings for the residence of the King of Chu and royal dignitaries.

And these are just some of the assets of the Chu royal family.

The Chu royal family purchased a large number of shops and residences in both Britain and France, and even owned entire streets in prosperous areas. This was also a powerful measure to balance the huge foreign trade surplus.

On average, every year, many companies owned by major funds under the Chu royal family will make large purchases of suitable blocks, shops, and apartments in major British cities such as London, Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, Edinburgh, Oxford, Cambridge, Belfast, Portsmouth, etc., and hold a large number of fixed properties.

Why focus on investing in the UK?
This is because the huge trade surplus generated by the crude oil and refined kerosene exported by the Chu State is 70% in the British market. The annual trade surplus is about 30 million pounds, and a part of it must be consumed locally.

The annual purchase scale of the fund owned by the Chu royal family ranges from 6 to 7 million pounds to tens of millions of pounds, which is used to maintain long-term investment returns.

Earn money in the UK and spend it in the UK, don't expect to take it all home.

The investment income of this part alone
Today, the annual income can exceed 6.3 million pounds, which is equivalent to about million silver dollars. The overall investment return rate is around %, and it is still rising steadily.

These rental properties are scattered among dozens or even hundreds of companies. In today's era of severe lack of information exchange, it is difficult for outsiders to grasp the full picture and it is not easy to attract attention.

This part of overseas income, together with the various British bonds, French bonds and German bonds purchased by the State of Chu, can generate a large amount of stable income every year and is an important part of the royal income.

London's upper class aristocrats knew

The Chu royal family has been acquiring real estate properties in prosperous areas of Britain, but how much exactly is there? That can only be guessed.

The Chu royal family holds a large amount of real estate and fixed properties in the UK, which also serves as an anchor to consolidate the relationship between the two countries and plays a tangible and intangible role.

For example, when the British Foreign Office sent a telegram to inquire about the Maldives, there was no further news after the Foreign Office officially responded.

In other words, the British side acquiesced to Chu's military occupation of the Maldives.

It's just an inconspicuous Pacific island anyway, so just take it. It's the Royal Navy's fault for its reckless behavior in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, so make up for it at least!

The British Foreign Office was too optimistic. A mere Maldives Island could not satisfy the appetite of King Zheng Guohui of Chu.

The impact of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait standoff was extremely far-reaching. The Chu State not only militarily occupied the Maldives and occupied the Pilin Island and the Seven Brothers Island, which are the throat of the Red Sea, but also launched a large-scale invasion and infiltration of Chinese forces into the Arabian Peninsula.

By the way, we also have to occupy Madagascar to calm the nerves. This is a series of combined punches.

However, both Pilin Island and Qixiong Island are uninhabited deserted islands. On weekdays, only some fishermen pass by or go to the islands to rest temporarily.

The Chu State's military occupation was subtle, and the massive cave excavation project was underway, which had already sent more than 2160 black slaves to the island.

Daily projects should be hidden in the mountains and forests as much as possible so that they are discovered by the outside world as late as possible.

On the evening of his arrival, King Zheng Guohui of Chu received an invitation to a meeting at Buckingham Palace, to which he readily agreed. This was exactly what the question implied.

The diplomatic departments of the two countries reached a consensus on this, and the next step of the state visit will be to visit Her Majesty the Queen at Buckingham Palace.

Her Majesty Queen Victoria wore the crown of the Queen of India, which made her one level higher than the king. Going to the court for an audience was in accordance with aristocratic etiquette, and there was no question of whether it would damage the national dignity.

Her Majesty Queen Victoria will formally meet with the King of Chu at Buckingham Palace for in-depth and friendly exchanges, exchange views on international affairs and reach consensus, which is also a diplomatic achievement that the British side urgently needs.

That night
Queen Victoria will host a grand Royal Ball in honor of His Majesty the King of Chu, attended by numerous members of the British royal family. This will be a prestigious event for London's upper crust. The following day, the King of Chu will meet with visiting British Prime Minister Gladstone and cabinet members at his residence. The two sides will discuss a wide range of issues, further strengthening the close relationship between the two countries.

For example, in the area of ​​jointly promoting global free trade policies, the two countries can work closely together and even jointly launch a military crusade, which is within the scope of possible discussion.

For example, issues of regional peace and stability, including those in Central and South America, the Western Pacific, East and West Africa, Eurasian shipping routes, etc., Chu, as one of the important participants, has a significant influence that cannot be ignored.

If the UK wants to exert its influence as a global leader, it must obtain the support of many regional powers. When many hands make light work, the flames burn brighter.

For example, given the severe situation Europe is currently facing, the Chu State has large colonies in East Africa and West Africa, and has the potential to intervene in the European situation. Britain is keenly aware of this.

For example, in the multinational joint war initiated by Britain, Chu could contribute its strength, which is also an aspect that the British side attaches great importance to.

For example, at the international conference held in Berlin in November, if the British and Chu sides can reach a consensus on multiple related issues, then the UK will have more bargaining chips, which will help to dominate the pace of the Berlin International Conference.

German Chancellor Bismarck had worked hard for more than a year to plan an international conference, but the British wanted to seize the initiative. This was extremely domineering and arrogant.

I vaguely remember that it still tastes the same.

We cannot simply say that the British are troublemakers. After all, standing at the pinnacle of global leadership, there are so many sights to behold and so many international affairs to consider.

This is a higher perspective than the King of Chu, and the challenges and risks faced are naturally greater.

Among the many topics discussed, Prime Minister Gladstone even proposed the idea of ​​establishing a global international organization, which may be the predecessor of the League of Nations.

Ideas like the League of Nations are old, stemming from the concept of a peaceful international community.

The earliest example can be traced back to 1795, when Immanuel Kant systematically proposed the idea of ​​representative government and world federation in his book "Perpetual Peace" published that year.

The Concert of Europe (1814-1870) also began to develop after the Napoleonic Wars in the early 19th century. Britain led seven anti-French wars, which actually formed the prototype of the League of Nations.

This helped maintain European security by avoiding endless wars of conquest.

This period also promoted the development of international law, including the formation of the Geneva Conventions and the Hague Conventions, which also set standards for humanitarianism in international law.

nowadays

William Randall Creamer, a famous British social activist, and Frederic Passy, ​​a French pacifist, were lobbying intensively in various European countries, advocating the establishment of an inter-parliamentary union.

This organization was the predecessor of the League of Nations, which was born after World War I in 1920.

Regarding Prime Minister Glastonbury's proposal to exchange views, the Chu State had a lukewarm attitude, and its rejection was evident.

Are you kidding me?
The Chu State is currently continuing to advance its colonial expansion, constantly invading Africa and the eastern Pacific region, further expanding and consolidating the foundation of the kingdom, and moving step by step towards prosperity.

How could they be willing to organize an international occasion where they would frequently condemn themselves? That would be like having nothing better to do.

Just like Britain and France now, they are basically well-fed and have no desire to expand their overseas colonies on a large scale, so they start thinking about stability and world peace.

In the original history

The proposed League of Nations organization was ultimately not formed, which was not unrelated to the opposition from major powers such as Germany, Russia, and Austria-Hungary. Now the Chu State has to be added to the list.

This crappy international organization is of no benefit to the current Chu State. Instead, it increases the number of control points, which is quite troublesome.

We can’t just turn a blind eye to the voice of the international community, can we?

There has to be a response, right?
The international community's condemnation of the Chu State's long-term military occupation of Colombia and its brutal policy of repression and enslavement has aroused strong dissatisfaction.

Condemning the Chu State for invading Madagascar, invading the Dutch-occupied area of ​​Sumatra, and even invading Java, the Chu State was subjected to strong accusations from various countries for bullying the weak and humiliating the Dutch, who were as white as lotus.

King Zheng Guohui of Chu felt overwhelmed. It would be better not to set up this international alliance. It was such a disappointment.

Many things cannot be brought to the international community for discussion. Once discussed, they will be magnified, and the related negative impacts will spread rapidly, greatly affecting the international image.

The old colonial powers such as Britain and France have already eaten their fill and are contentedly sitting on the porch, fanning themselves with palm-leaf fans and basking in the sun. Only then do they have the leisure to comment and point fingers at others.

Shouldn’t those who are not full (note: such as the Chu State, Germany and Tsarist Russia) carry their hoes and go out to find some good food to fill their stomachs?

On many international issues
Based on the perspective of their respective national interests, the positions of Chu and Britain were not entirely consistent, and there were many differences of opinion.

(End of this chapter)