Nanyang Storm 1864

more than a month later
Emperor Zheng Guohui of the Great Chu Empire, who was vacationing at his lakeside palace, received Lord John Kruger, the British envoy, who brought a personal letter from British Prime Minister Arthur Balfour.

Its content focused on the situation in the Far East and the Anglo-Japanese alliance strategy, hoping that the Chu state could clearly maintain consistency.

To put it bluntly, it's about relieving Japan of its worries.

At the current stage

The State of Chu did not provide war loans to either Russia or Japan. However, the United States actively participated, providing Fusang with substantial preferential loans to support its attempt to resist the southward invasion of Tsarist Russia.

The US is providing funding, Japan is contributing its resources, and Britain is cheering them on. Now, all they hope is that the State of Chu won't cause trouble. That's roughly the situation in the Far East.

On the other hand, France provided the money, Tsarist Russia provided the troops and manpower, and the Germans cheered them on, each with their own considerations based on their own interests.

Emperor Zheng Guohui of the Great Chu had just attended the steel plate cutting ceremony of the "Coconut City" battleship a few days ago, and then came to the lakeside palace with a group of concubines for a vacation, where he received the British special envoy.

After reading Prime Minister Arthur Balfour's handwritten letter, Emperor Zheng of Great Chu laughed heartily a few times and said very simply;
"Since it is the earnest expectation of our British friends, the State of Chu can make a clear commitment: it will provide the necessary facilitation for the implementation of the Anglo-Japanese Alliance strategy, but not in the military sphere."

Prime Minister Arthur Belf can rest assured that we will maintain a neutral stance as long as it does not harm the interests of the State of Chu.

Are you satisfied with this answer, Lord?

What more could you want?

I'm extremely satisfied.

Lord John Kruger's main purpose in this trip was to eliminate any concerns the Fusang Kingdom might have about, namely the maritime military threat from the Chu Kingdom, and to prevent them from interfering in the affairs of the country.

Emperor Zheng Guohui of the Great Chu Dynasty readily agreed to the promise, which completely eliminated this concern, allowing the Japanese to attack Tsarist Russia without any worries.

“Excellent, Your Majesty the Emperor. Please allow me, on behalf of London, to extend my highest respect to you. Your country will always be a reliable global partner for Britain.” Lord John Kruger said with a relaxed expression after completing his mission, generously offering a high compliment.

Then he added;
"Your country's interests are mainly in the south, while Japan focuses on the three northeastern provinces and the Korean Peninsula. London believes that it can coexist peacefully and amicably with Japan."

Look at Europe
On that small continent, Britain has long interacted with more than a dozen countries, has hundreds of years of history since the Middle Ages, and has plenty of experience dealing with grumpy neighbors.

The Western Pacific region is vast enough to accommodate two powerful nations.

Having faith in God and a forgiving heart will bring true peace to our souls.

Your country and the United Kingdom are close partners in global operations, and Japan is the United Kingdom's only military ally in the Western Pacific. Its importance is irreplaceable.

London's sincere hope..."

Sir John Kruger is the Lord Keeper of the Seal in the current cabinet. He is a man of high status and has close ties with the British Royal Family. As a special representative of King Edward VII, he reflects London's policy inclinations.

His remarks were somewhat superfluous, revealing a strong sense of superiority and carrying a didactic tone.

The smile on Emperor Zheng Guohui's face gradually faded, while Lord John Kruger remained oblivious, still immersed in his own wonderful world, muttering to himself.

The other members of the British mission around him had already sensed something was wrong, but before they could warn him.

Emperor Zheng Guohui of the Great Chu suddenly interrupted, saying, "Alright, I didn't know your envoy was acting like a woman, rambling on and on without any point. I'm a bit tired, let's stop here for today."

Suddenly interrupting someone is considered very impolite in diplomatic situations, but this depends on the person.

Lord John Kruger was momentarily stunned after being interrupted, and stared blankly as Emperor Zheng Guohui of the Great Chu Dynasty stood up with an unhappy expression and left.

He left only a brief statement: "Your Excellency may take your time to explore Manila, accompanied by relevant personnel from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs."

The lingering sound echoed as the towering figure of Emperor Zheng Guohui of the Great Chu Dynasty disappeared from the palace.

Is this being disliked?

Lord John Kruger's face flushed red and then turned pale. He could only stand up awkwardly and leave the palace accompanied by Pan Yuchen, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Chu, looking rather dejected.

This is not his fault.
British envoys around the world have always been arrogant and domineering, able to boss around the monarchs or heads of state of a country.

They don't care about other people's opinions or their moods; they do everything as they please.

Over time, this led to the development of this bad habit of looking down on everyone.

However, they encountered a setback from the Emperor of Great Chu, which was entirely their own doing.

Inside the Imperial Palace Study

After Emperor Zheng Guohui of the Great Chu arrived, he picked up the memorial and began to review it, completely ignoring the trivial matter that had just occurred to him.

There aren't many people in this world who can live without having to consider the British's feelings, and he's one of them.

After a while
The Imperial Secretary, Li Jingxi, entered silently. Seeing that His Majesty was reviewing memorials, he did not want to disturb him, so he stood respectfully with his hands at his sides. Emperor Zheng Guohui of Great Chu read for a few minutes, circled the memorials with his pen, casually put down his brush, and said without raising his head, "The person has been sent away."

"Your Majesty is wise. The British envoy, accompanied by Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Qian Weijun, recently traveled to Batangas to continue their journey. They intend to participate in negotiations for a joint venture oil company between Chu and Britain, a large-scale business cooperation project with an investment of £420 million."

"Hmm, a storm is brewing," Emperor Zheng Guohui of the Great Chu said, closing the memorial and setting it aside as he leaned back in his chair.

He meant that the Far East was about to face another storm.

Li Jingxi, not knowing how to respond, bowed and said, "I have heard that one can leisurely cross the Five Lakes in the misty rain and roam freely in the four seas. Your Majesty's lofty realm is something we can only admire."

Emperor Zheng Guohui of the Great Chu laughed at his words, raised his hand and gently patted the armrest of his chair, saying, "Very well, then let's just stand by and watch the Five Lakes in the Misty Rain, and see how much trouble they can stir up?"

"Your Majesty is wise," Li Jingxi echoed.

Having said this
Emperor Zheng Guohui of the Great Chu looked at Li Jingxi thoughtfully, paused for a moment, and then asked, "Minister Li, how long have you been by my side?"

"In response to Your Majesty, from the time I took office as Deputy Secretary-General, it has been a total of 13 years."

"Yes, that's quite a long time indeed. Minister Li is very much like his father, acting steadily and cautiously, with excellent strategic vision, able to consider gains and losses from the perspective of the global chessboard." Emperor Zheng Guohui of Great Chu did not hold back his praise, giving him a high evaluation.

Li Jingxi bowed deeply to the ground, his voice trembling as he replied, "Your humble servant is dull-witted and has only been able to make progress thanks to Your Majesty's personal guidance. I dare to respectfully regard you as my lifelong mentor."

This is also true.

Serving as the secretary-general to His Majesty the Emperor exposes one to world events and major domestic and international affairs, transforming past experience into geostrategic thinking and cultivating a far-sighted strategic vision.

It simply cannot be done elsewhere.

When his father, Li Hezhang, was alive, he insisted on sending Li Jingxi to work in the East African colonies for ten years. He started from the grassroots level as the deputy colonial commissioner and gradually rose to the high position of deputy governor in charge of agriculture and economy, laying a solid foundation.

The past decade

These were the ten years that the Li family of Cavite held power in the government, and the ten years that saw them rise to the highest ranks of officials. However, Li Hezhang kept his eldest son in the East African Governor's Office, tens of thousands of miles away, for ten years to gain experience.

This was a huge fortune, allowing Li Jingxi to stay away from the imperial center for ten years, during which time all the political turmoil and behind-the-scenes competition had nothing to do with him.

Their painstaking efforts are truly touching.

Emperor Zheng Guohui of the Great Chu looked at Li Jingxi with a satisfied gaze and said, "Minister Li, you must know that Lu Junxi, the Minister of Commerce and Culture, has ruined his reputation in his later years by participating in a major case of abuse of power for personal gain, involving a sum of tens of millions."

He was therefore convicted and imprisoned, awaiting trial at the Manila High Court.

Many officials in the Ministry of Commerce and Culture are implicated. I need a capable minister to share the burden. What do you think?

"Your Majesty, I am willing to share your burdens and thoroughly eliminate all malpractices, restore the former glory of the Ministry of Commerce and the Ministry of Culture, and serve the Empire," Li Jingxi replied firmly.

Emperor Zheng Guohui of the Great Chu Empire was overjoyed upon hearing this and nodded, saying, "That's perfect. My dear minister, you shall take up a post in the Ministry of Commerce and Culture. You must achieve something to show the officials of the court, and they will surely judge you."

Lee Kyung-hee, a trusted confidant whom he has cultivated over a long period, is unlikely to remain in the Ministry of Commerce and Culture for long; he is a potential future prime minister.

In two years, there will be a change of government. Now, acting as a firefighter, it would be good to achieve something in the Ministry of Commerce and Culture and gain considerable prestige.

His next step, transferring to a key cabinet position, would be much more logical.

The monarch and his ministers were of one mind. Former Prime Minister Wu Qingfeng acted as a sharp knife, cutting away the long-standing corruption in the court and bringing a clean governance to officials from top to bottom.

He then established a comprehensive system for evaluating and auditing officials, which included power supervision, checks and balances, and post-departure audits. This ensured the clean and honest administration of the Great Chu Empire, and he thus rose to the high position of Prime Minister.

Now Li Jingxi is going to follow the same path, but on a much smaller scale, within the scope of the Ministry of Commerce and Culture, and the risks he needs to take are naturally much smaller.

Now that it has been decided, an imperial edict should be drafted immediately for him to assume office.

Since Lu Junxi was dismissed midway through his term, the appointment of the new Minister of Commerce and Culture, Li Jingxi, has attracted more attention in the court, leading to much discussion in private.

Entering the 20th century
With the rise of movies, radio, photography, newspapers, magazines, and other emerging channels of cultural dissemination, the imperial subjects suddenly had more access to information from home and abroad, giving them a novel feeling of opening their doors to the world.

Hundreds of newspapers and magazines have emerged, along with dozens of broadcasting agencies of all sizes. The Ministry of Commerce and Culture has become increasingly burdened with regulatory responsibilities and its power has grown.

In addition, the Great Chu Empire is a world-class trading power with frequent foreign business exchanges. Wealthy merchants from various European and American powers also like to invest in the Great Chu Empire, creating the current prosperous scene of import and export trade and commerce.

As the highest-level government department in charge, the commerce and culture sector carries considerable weight.

Li Jingxi at the beginning of his term

They prioritized eliminating corruption and bureaucrats, and promptly appointed a large number of capable officials to lead the effort. (End of Chapter)