Nanyang Storm 1864

Soon after the imperial edict was delivered, many radical figures appeared in the news media of the Great Chu Empire, claiming that the Great Chu Empire had a sacred mission to Australia: "It is the will of heaven, the land belongs to me."

Some people clamor for democratic self-determination, and some radicals even claim to resolve the issue by force, many of whom are heavyweights in the political arena.

It caused a sensation for a while and everyone knew about it.

The term "Manifest Destiny" is very familiar to Europeans, especially the British. It is not an old term.

After the independence of the United States, it was very popular, especially during the period of foreign expansion in the 19th century, claiming that "the United States has the manifest destiny to rule the North American continent from the Atlantic to the Pacific", including incorporating Canada into the United States.

Americans' territorial ambitions have always existed, have never been extinguished, and have been put into practice.

On the one hand, America wanted to seize Canada's resources, and on the other hand, it wanted to drive British forces out of North America.

It is the only dominant company in North America.

Taking advantage of Britain's unpreparedness, the Americans launched two attacks on Canada: one in 1775 during the American Revolutionary War, and the other in 1812 after the declaration of war on Britain.

As a result, everyone knows that the British army and Canadian militia occupied Washington, burned down the White House, and completely woke the Americans up.

The British responded immediately to the "Manifest Destiny" publicly promoted by the Great Chu Empire. British Foreign Secretary Lord Henry Campbell met with the Chu ambassador and lodged a strong protest.

However, this did not stop the fermentation of public opinion in the Great Chu Empire. The saying of "Manifest Destiny" was very popular in the Chinese society of Chu.

Since the establishment of the Great Chu Empire, it has always boasted of being the Celestial Empire. This has greatly fostered a sense of pride among the people, and they have a deep sense of responsibility to educate the barbarians around them.

The invasion and occupation of Kalimantan, Sumatra and Java were all for the purpose of "civilizing the barbarians and letting them enjoy the beauty of China", not for occupying the land of the indigenous tribes and enslaving their people.

This is the rhetoric used by the Great Chu Empire to glorify its aggressive behavior. It now also applies to Australia and is gaining widespread acceptance in imperial society, with heated discussions heating up.

Many people are speculating;
Will the Empire use military force against Australia?

The relevant public opinion continued to ferment, putting pressure on London, making Downing Street no longer able to sit still.

10 Downing Street, London

"Gentlemen, who can tell me? What is going on with the sudden ambitions of these damn Orientals?" Prime Minister Cecil roared in anger.

The war in South Africa had already put a heavy burden on the British finances, and the Boer guerrillas' military raids over thousands of miles were successful one after another, which repeatedly humiliated the British Expeditionary Force.

This, in turn, caused the Cecil government's support rate to plummet, and the pressure between the government and the opposition was enormous, which was the biggest problem that always plagued the current cabinet.

The Germans’ ridicule and the Dutch’s pity-mongering all over Europe burst the powerful image of the British Empire like a bubble, revealing its weak side.

Public opinion throughout Europe was unfavorable to Britain, which made the British very embarrassed.

nowadays

The Chu State, the only country that supported and provided strong logistics, suddenly caused "Manifest Destiny", which directly broke the British defense.

Facing the Prime Minister's questioning, Finance Minister Smith-Bannerman shook his head speechlessly and said;
"You can't expect a wolf to remain indifferent to the fat meat right before its mouth. The Americans are like this, and the Chu people are also like this. They are always thinking about the vast colonies of the British Empire.

The reason why they didn't take action was because the owner of this piece of fat meat was someone they couldn't afford to offend.

We are in big trouble now, the wolf has bared his teeth, and that is the essence of the problem."

"Damn it! We should teach this abominable Chu a lesson, just like we did the Qing Dynasty, and shake our fists at them to wake them up."

"That's a good idea. Send out our Royal Fleet. It's time to expand the Straits Settlements. We need to conquer the Chu Kingdom by force and bury their arrogant fantasies once and for all."

"Great! Manila is an international metropolis with a population of over 400 million. Those Orientals are so rich they're called the 'Jews of the East'. They should be made to feel the iron fist of the British Empire."

"Wait a minute, gentlemen. How many troops do we need to send? What will it cost? Will we be able to win this expedition thousands of miles away?" Finance Minister Smith-Bannerman could no longer hold back. He interrupted the cabinet hardliners' wild fantasies and spoke angrily.

“Thirty-five years ago, the British and French forces made a military effort, and everyone knows the result.

The British and French allied forces once suffered an unprecedented defeat. At that time, the Chu State had a population of only more than 600 million, and was known as "six million people and six million soldiers."

The current Chu State has a population of hundreds of millions, an economic scale that is 93.5% of the British Empire, a fleet of 22 world-class main battleships, and a total army of 36.

If mobilization is carried out, the army's numbers can be multiplied several times.

The Chu State was not a weak Qing Dynasty, but a tougher opponent that was ten times more difficult to deal with than the Boers, and possessed advanced weapons and equipment that were no less advanced than those of the British Empire.

Indeed, the British Royal Navy roamed the seven seas unrivaled and dominated the world for more than 200 years.

I remind you not to forget that the Chu State has the natural fortress of the Red Sea, and there are more than a hundred solid coastal defense fortresses across the country. It is simply a daunting hedgehog. How many Royal Navy warships are needed to dispatch?

And there is Manila, which Mr. Soros has been thinking about. Do you know how desperate Fort Corregidor is?
It is definitely the most terrifying coastal defense fortress in the entire world. Its firepower is twice that of the British Gibraltar Strait Fortress, and its guarding force is five times more.

Give up your illusions, gentlemen, and let us return to reality."

His words were like a bucket of cold water poured over their heads, instantly leaving those hardliners speechless.

Prime Minister Cecil also calmed down his excitement and looked at Admiral Roberts with a look of expectation.

General Roberts, Commander-in-Chief of the British Army, had just resigned as Commander-in-Chief of the South African Expeditionary Force and returned to London to serve as Commander-in-Chief of the Army.

He has the most say on the current war situation in South Africa.

Admiral Roberts saw everyone's eyes focused on him, he sighed inwardly and said in a firm tone;
“Your Excellency, Prime Minister, my Lords;
The Queen's Army has a glorious traditional history and has never been afraid of the challenge of any powerful enemy, whether it was France, Russia or Spain in the past, or the Chu or Boers now.

With enough troops and sufficient financial support, we can defeat any enemy."

After saying that, he closed his mouth tightly.

His meaning was very clear: what's the point of fighting a war without money and soldiers?

There are now 40 British Expeditionary Forces in South Africa. Even if the Boer War ended today, 30 of them would be transferred to the Western Pacific region, which would require sufficient financial support.

Where does the money come from?
From the outbreak of the South African War to the present
The British Parliament passed several resolutions and allocated a huge amount of 1.65 million pounds for war expenses, but the gap was still as high as million pounds.

Now they are borrowing money from everywhere, and the Chu State is the big money bag. Opening up a second battlefield at this time is simply a complete disaster.

When Prime Minister Cecil and other cabinet members heard the word "finance", they immediately felt disappointed.

Britain's finances are currently struggling, having caused many famines, and it really cannot afford another large-scale overseas war.

thought for a moment

Prime Minister Cecil instructed the Foreign Secretary, Lord Henry Campbell:
"Dear Campbell, I need the Department of Foreign Affairs to send a clear and strong signal to the Chu State that it will not be allowed to interfere with Australia's independence process.

The dignity of the British Empire will not be trampled upon, and any act that crosses the line will be met with a strong response."

At this point, his tone softened and he continued while considering;
"Taking into account the reality of Australia today, there are more than 550 million Chinese people. This is an important consideration for the Queen's government, which focuses on colonial interests.

The two sides should hold secret consultations on this issue, properly manage differences and find possible common ground.

Although Australia is located in a remote area, it has a vast area and is an extremely valuable British colony.

If the Chu State can demonstrate sufficient sincerity, including but not limited to establishing a military alliance, paying a price of 1.5 million to million pounds, clearly defining Australia as an area of ​​special interest to the UK, and other conditions, further negotiations can be conducted.

What do you think, gentlemen?"

When Prime Minister Cecil mentioned a price of 1.5 to million pounds, everyone present couldn't help but feel a jump in their hearts and were tempted.

This was the highest price ever paid for any territorial transaction in the world, in exchange for that desolate piece of land in Australia to make up for the huge financial deficit in Great Britain.

Come to think of it, this seems like a good deal.

A child who was determined to leave home could receive huge compensation, and the face of the British Empire could also be saved.

As for 1.5 million or million pounds, can the Great Chu Empire afford it?
All the British officials present were not worried because those Orientals were so good at business that they had huge trade surpluses every year.

Oil exports alone

It is no secret that the royal family of the Great Chu Empire is extremely wealthy, earning tens of millions of pounds in trade surplus from the British Empire every year.

these years
Many small European countries have intermarried with the royal family of the Great Chu Empire. As long as the royal family of the Great Chu Empire shows a finger, it is enough for these small European countries to have enough food and drink. It is so arrogant.

The Great Chu Empire possesses rich tropical resources, which are industrial resources that countries in the cold regions of Europe urgently need, and they have to import them even if they have to grit their teeth.

Especially now that the demand for natural rubber is increasing and the price is skyrocketing, as the world's largest supplier of natural rubber, the State of Chu has made a lot of money.

The Chu royal family could really afford this money.

What's in Australia now?
That remote place, which Europeans regarded as the end of the world, had nothing but denim and wool that were as black as fingernails, and vast expanses of arid desert Gobi.

Aside from a large territory, there are no other advantages. (End of this chapter)