Nanyang Storm 1864

The three of them walked along the narrow cobblestone street. Not long after, Lu Ahu led the way and turned into a muddy alley. The wooden houses here were even older and lower.

"Mr. Han, please keep an eye on your feet. This is the fourth family. The Zheng family only has an old woman, a half-paralyzed, useless man, and a group of children left. They were helped by the hometown association and are temporarily settled here."

Lu Ahu was leading the way in front, bending over and speaking with a flattering look on his face.

It is the rainy season in Southeast Asia. It rains every day, morning or evening, and sometimes even for more than ten days in a row.

The environment in this slum is even worse, with sewage flowing everywhere, rags, rotten grass, feces and other unknown things floating in the water, and a musty smell everywhere.

Colonel Han Wenqin's shiny leather shoes were immediately stained with mud and water as soon as he stepped in. He walked forward calmly without frowning.

It can be said that the Dutch-ruled areas have such bad morals that have not changed for hundreds of years.

When it comes to the colonies of the Dutch East Indies, the Dutch have never been stingy with their investments and have only exploited them, leaving the infrastructure practically nonexistent.

What was it like three hundred years ago? Is it like this now?

Except for Batavia, the ruling core, which is slightly better, other cities are dirty and messy. Only a few Dutch-style buildings and churches are quite decent, and the other buildings are hard to describe.

After the Chu State recovered Kalimantan Island and the Aceh to Jambi area on Sumatra Island, it invested heavily in construction, which was really a great effort.

Millions of indigenous convicts were driven to build urban buildings, docks, warehouses, roads, bridges, irrigation canals, dams and urban sewage facilities. After more than 20 years of construction, the city has its current brand new look.

Compared with the Dutch-occupied area, it is a world of difference.

Fortunately, the royal family and government of Chu were financially strong, investing huge sums of money, up to tens of millions of silver dollars, every year to build with high local standards, and this was maintained for decades.

This side

As you step into the dilapidated courtyard, you will see laundry hanging all over the yard, arranged like flags of all nations.

Several large wooden basins were lined up on the ground. A white-haired old woman and seven or eight children, big and small, were washing vigorously beside the basins. The oldest child was only twelve or thirteen years old, and the youngest was only four or five years old.

Hearing the noise at the door, the old woman looked up and saw three strange men walking in from the open courtyard door. She quickly stood up, lifted her clothes and wiped her hands.

He came forward and asked, "I wonder...what can I do for you?"

Although the old woman's clothes were shabby and her hair was gray, one could still vaguely see the elegant temperament of a scholarly family in the past, and her tone was neither humble nor arrogant.

Although she is thin, she stands in the middle of the yard, guarding the children behind her like an old hen protecting her chicks.

"Is this the Zheng family from Oogang?" Han Wenqin asked casually as he looked at the room full of old and young people.

The old woman took a step back with a wary look on her face, and held out her hand to stop her eldest grandson, who was taller than her, and asked, "Where are you from, distinguished guest? What advice do you have for me?"

Han Wenqin didn't find it strange to see the old woman so alert.

A wealthy Nyonya family experienced forced marriage and plunder by the Dutch, and their family was broken up and reduced to such a state, with only two or three big cats and kittens left. This behavior is perfectly normal.

The gang leader Lu Ahu beside him was impatient. He was afraid that the old woman's words would offend the noble man, so he quickly scolded her.

"Shut up! Country women and children don't know etiquette.

Just answer whatever Mr. Han asks you. This is a great blessing for you, the Zheng family, and you must be respectful.

Even the hundreds of brothers in the Old Port Dahe Gang must bow their heads and serve carefully in front of Mr. Han."

This is clearly a reprimand, but it also implies a reminder to protect.

There was nothing wrong with it originally, but the words "you and the Zheng family" were a big taboo.

Even though the two have nothing to do with each other, it sounds particularly harsh to the ears of the Chu people.

Colonel Han Wenqin suddenly turned around, a flash of anger in his eyes.
In the Great Chu Kingdom, the Zheng family was a highly respected royal family, and no one dared to be so arrogant.

"Get out! You are not allowed to come in without my permission."

"Ah... yes, yes, I'll get out of here right now."

Lu Ahu's flattery hit the horse's leg. He was so scared that his face turned pale. He hurriedly left the courtyard and waited outside.

Anyone who can become the leader of a gang must be a smart person, not a stupid person.

At this moment, Lu Ahu came to his senses and slapped his thigh in regret.

After this little episode, the old woman knelt down with the children, kowtowed twice, and replied;

"In reply to Master Han, we are the family of Zheng Yunliang, who have lived in Aogang for generations. Our family has suffered misfortunes and hardships, and now we are taking refuge here to escape the retaliation of our enemies. Please understand, Master."

Han Wenqin's expression softened at this moment, and he spoke slowly;

"Don't panic, I'm a representative from the Old Hong Kong Chinese Association. I've heard about your family's plight, and it's truly heartbreaking.

This time I came here to find out the relevant reasons. Is there anything I can help you with?

As overseas Chinese, we have no right to allow foreigners to bully and humiliate us.

The Chinese Association is a place where we fight for fair treatment for our fellow Chinese people, redressing grievances and avenging vengeance, but we must always uphold justice."

He had just finished speaking when he heard a howl from the house behind him, followed by the sound of a heavy object falling to the ground, which made the children panic.

She ran over crying and shouting, trying to help up a man covered in mud.

"Don't touch me, go away."

The man growled and, using his two movable arms to support himself, crawled all the way to Han Wenqin and kowtowed several times in the mud.

The voice said sadly;
"My name is Zheng Yungui, and I am the third oldest in the family.

Now there are seventy or eighty people in my Oogang Zheng family, and I am the only adult male left alive. The rest have all died tragically at the hands of the foreigners.

Our family property was taken away, the men were either dead or disabled, and the women and family members were enslaved. Our family, the Zheng family of Oogang, was persecuted by the foreigners. The hatred is higher than the mountains and the grievances are deeper than the sea.

I beg the Chinese Association to take charge and uphold justice for our Zheng family..."

"Cough cough..." Han Wenqin coughed twice, interrupting Zheng Yungui's crying, but there was not much sympathy in his eyes.

He asked in his mouth;

"Are you willing to become citizens of the Great Chu Kingdom? This is wrong and neither right nor proper."

Zheng Yungui, who was lying on the ground, looked up upon hearing this, his face full of regret, his eyes bloodshot, he nodded fiercely and said;
"As long as the Lord Qingtian can make the decision for my Zheng family, let alone naturalization into the Chu State, even if it means letting Zheng Yungui die right now, I will not hesitate."

He was now like a drowning man who had grabbed a life-saving straw, holding on to it tightly and willing to agree to any request.

There must be something hateful about a pitiful person, and the Ooka Zheng Yunliang family is such a case.

This is a Peranakan family that has lived in Aogang for generations. It is said that they originated from a large Chinese clan that fled to Southeast Asia during the late Ming Dynasty 270 or 280 years ago.

His family is distributed in Old Port, Ogang in the south and surrounding areas. They own a large amount of land and mines in the local area, run trading companies and plantations, and are famous for their wealth.

Many wealthy Chinese businessmen originally living in Southeast Asia would seek a Chu identity for themselves in order to obtain additional consular protection and protect their rights from being infringed by the colonists.

But this is only the majority. There are also some stubborn people who reject and are wary of this.

The Zheng family of Oogang is such a conservative family.

Because of this
The consular protection of the Chu State's expatriates could not cover the Zheng family in Aogang. Now that their family has been destroyed, they still want to ask for protection.

If it weren't for the current delicate period, even if this family died out, they would have nothing to do with the State of Chu and their influence would not be so great.

It was because the Dutch were well aware of this that they could attack the Oogang Zheng family with impunity.

Once the cattle and sheep are fattened up, shouldn’t they be slaughtered?

Han Wenqin was quite satisfied with Zheng Yungui's statement and nodded in agreement.

"Okay, then you can die.

It just so happens that this old woman is also old, and she will go to the underworld with you, so you won’t be lonely on the road to the underworld.

Do not worry

Since they have become naturalized citizens of the Great Chu Kingdom, even the greatest grievances can be redressed, and no one dares to bully these children.

I can agree to your request.
These children of the Zheng family were well taken care of, went to school to learn to read and write, and grew up smoothly.

If we work hard, we might be able to restore the Oogang Zheng family's reputation and make it even better than before. That's possible."

"Are you serious, sir..." Zheng Yungui, who was lying on the mud, had a glimmer of hope in his eyes and asked hurriedly.

Han Wenqin didn't smile at all at this moment. He said solemnly, "I promise to represent the official position of the Great Chu Kingdom."

"Okay, okay, okay, hahahahaha... I've had enough of this frustrating life. I wish I could die soon and be reborn soon!" Zheng Yungui suddenly laughed wildly at this moment, and his laughter was horrible, as if he was going crazy.

"Mother, I have long advised my eldest brother that in order to leave a way out for the family, he should become a naturalized citizen of the Great Chu Kingdom and seek asylum."

"It's fate. Big brother's stubbornness has ruined our Oogang Zheng family. His death is not a pity."

"Mother, thankfully, we have this last chance to make it possible for all of our children to become naturalized citizens of the Great Chu Kingdom. If one day we can restore the Aogang Zheng family, we, mother and son, will be able to rest in peace."

"Uncle Three..."

"father……"

The whole family was crying together. The tragic scene was hard to watch, but it was a very realistic microcosm of today's society.

Without a strong country to support them, it is absolutely wishful thinking to expect those foreigners to be kind.

An unprecedentedly powerful Chu State rose in Southeast Asia, reducing the suffering of millions of overseas Chinese, which was a great achievement.

in the original history

Of the Chinese from the Qing Dynasty who immigrated to Southeast Asia and America, only two or three out of ten remained, and most of the others died young in the miserable life of slavery.

Countless corpses paved a bloody and tearful road for the overseas Chinese to strive for progress.

And now

The powerful Chu State had embassies and consulates in many neighboring countries and colonies of the great powers, even as far away as Europe, which in itself was a testament to the existence of national strength.

Its powerful influence is far-reaching.

Even North America, where racial prejudice is the most serious, does not dare to act recklessly when it comes to the interests of the overseas Chinese of the Great Chu Kingdom.

The Chu State had demonstrated its tough attitude to the world through its previous expeditionary wars;

Anyone who openly offends the Great Chu will be punished, even if he is thousands of miles away.

Two days later

September 21th, 2025

In Palembang, a fierce conflict broke out due to the rights protection of overseas Chinese, resulting in more than a dozen deaths and injuries. A man and an old woman set themselves on fire in the street, leaving behind seven or eight orphaned children.

In the Palembang Municipal Square, many foreign journalists witnessed the conflict with their own eyes. The Manila World Journal was the first to report this terrible incident, followed by the British Times and other European media.

In just a few days, news of the Dutch's bad behavior in the colonies spread.

Because it involved overseas Chinese from Chu State, the royal family of Chu State was outraged, and the public in Chu State was outraged, and the anger towards the Dutch was ignited all of a sudden.

The Chu State Ministry of Foreign Affairs quickly summoned the Dutch ambassador and ordered him to quickly find out the truth, severely punish those who violated the interests of overseas Chinese in the colony, and lift military control over Palembang and surrounding areas, allowing the Chu State army to enter and jointly manage them.

Furthermore, control over Java Island was relaxed, including Batavia, Bandung, Surabaya, and other places. An investigation team composed of Chu and European countries entered to thoroughly investigate the malicious acts that infringed the interests of Chu expatriates...

In view of the fact that the Dutch East Indies seriously violated the Convention on Consular Protection between the two countries, the Chu State will take all effective means, including the use of force, to effectively safeguard the interests of Chu's overseas compatriots.

The Kingdom of the Netherlands can still cope with the conditions for punishing the murderer mentioned above.

However, the subsequent conditions of the Chu State all involved sovereignty, such as allowing the Chu State army to enter Palembang and allowing the joint investigation team to enter Batavia and Bandung. These were conditions that the Kingdom of the Netherlands would never agree to.

Who knows if you will leave after you come in?
Colonial affairs were always fraught with shady dealings. Oppression, exploitation and fattening the sheep were common practices and were not to be tolerated at all.

Not to mention the Netherlands, isn’t it the same for you in Chu?

There were countless incidents of infringement on the interests of overseas Chinese, such as the mining labor camps that enslaved the local indigenous people and the areas in Kalimantan that deprived the indigenous people and Dutch white colonists of their property.
Can these places be shown to an international investigation team? Can they be made public? Can we confidently say they are fair and just?
The tough attitude of the Chu State suddenly made the atmosphere in the Nanyang region tense.

Many sensitive people sensed an unusual and solemn atmosphere.

The "Palebang Incident" that occurred in Southeast Asia gave London, which was already in a state of panic, a chance to breathe.

The British army's defeat in South Africa has now become a hot topic in European public opinion. For more than a month, related reports have been on the front pages of European newspapers.

The "Palembang Incident" made the British sensitively aware of the opportunity to shift the focus, and they then worked hard to fan the flames.

Led by the famous newspaper "The Times", European newspapers reprinted the report of Manila's "World Journal", which made headlines for more than 10 consecutive days.

The film deeply explores the ugly behavior of the Dutch colonists, including forced marriage, murder and robbery, collusion between officials and businessmen, and the extermination of entire families. All kinds of dark secrets are revealed.

For a time, the image of the Dutch, who were originally bullied in the eyes of Europeans, instantly changed to Dutch robbers who did evil things without caring about their manners.

The little bit of sympathy that European society had soon disappeared.

Such a clever side attack rescued Britain from the whirlpool of public opinion that was deeply criticized by everyone. It was even more refreshing than drinking a glass of ice water in the dog days of summer.

The wind direction in the international community changes so quickly, just like the clear sea surface that is suddenly covered with dark clouds and turbulent winds.

The Zheng family involved in the "Palebang Incident" is no longer important at this moment.

It was merely the detonator of the great power struggle; the moment it exploded, it had already fulfilled the mission entrusted to it by history. (End of this chapter)