Nanyang Storm 1864

In the Purple Palace
After a series of military simulations on the sand table, seeing that it was getting late, the officials took their leave and the hall fell silent.

During his decades-long military career, Emperor Zheng Guohui of the Great Chu Empire developed a keen military sense and felt that the current plan of the Japanese invasion was the best and most practical.

Tactics such as flanking maneuvers, key strikes, or luring the enemy deep into enemy territory for encirclement and annihilation, as described in weapons simulations, all have their shortcomings in large-scale troop operations.

In today's era of poor communication conditions, close coordination between different military units is a major challenge that is very difficult to overcome.

Once a unit breaks through, it becomes difficult for neighboring units on the left and right to keep abreast of the battlefield situation and provide reinforcements to expand the breakthrough, which can easily lead to the dangerous situation of an isolated and reckless advance.

If the enemy seizes the opportunity to turn against us, we will be trapped in a tight encirclement.

Without highly mobile trucks, a large number of cavalry and horse-drawn carriages, and a highly efficient army, it would be difficult to carry out a flanking maneuver.

If things go wrong and turn out badly, it won't be as good as it seems.

The Chu Empire's army, when faced with harsh conditions, probably lacks the willpower to withstand extreme environments as the Fusang army; this is an undeniable fact of the current Chu army.

From an observer's perspective

Emperor Zheng Guohui of the Great Chu Dynasty largely approves of the current combat strategy of the Japanese and Russian armies, which is to use conventional tactics to achieve victory and unconventional tactics to achieve victory. The key is that the strength of both sides is on the table.

Even if a breakthrough is achieved in one area, it is unlikely to have a global impact.

Looking back on the history of the Great Chu Empire's expansion and conquest, aside from some shortcomings in logistical support during its early years, the standards of support for the army steadily increased during subsequent colonial wars, never falling behind.

Nowadays, cigarettes, milk candy, chocolate, canned meat, and dried biscuits have become standard wartime rations for individual soldiers of the Royal Army of the Great Chu Empire, basically in line with those of the Western powers, and much higher than the individual ration standards of the Fusang army.

As a developed industrial nation in the south, the Great Chu Empire has no shortage of these things, so why make its soldiers suffer without any hardship?
This results in soldiers lacking fighting spirit and resilience in extremely harsh and difficult environments, which is a problem that the Royal Army must face today.

Returning to the current state of the Northern War

Large-scale military operations involving hundreds of thousands of troops often have frontal battlefields that are one or two hundred kilometers wide and tens of kilometers deep. The simpler the operational plan, the more effective it is. Direct, head-on confrontation tests the comprehensive military strength of both sides.

If it works, it works; if it doesn't, it doesn't. There's no room for pretense.

The sand table uses colors to depict casualties, with areas where no war has occurred in green and areas outside the war zone in white.

In the areas where war is taking place

The scene uses red to depict the casualties, ranging from light red to bright red, and then to a deep, blood-red hue, making the viewer's heart clench.

Emperor Zheng Guohui of the Great Chu Dynasty felt a strange sense of comfort as he looked at the vast expanse of blood-red in the Lushun region.

Unable to suppress the upturn of his lips, he walked out of the side hall with his hands behind his back, feeling both relaxed and happy.

Emperor Zheng Guohui of the Great Chu Dynasty walked to the Nine-Dragon Imperial Bed, sat down against the soft brocade cushion, picked up a few memorials at random, looked at them, frowned and put them aside.

By the end of August
The election for the next Prime Minister of the Great Chu Empire has begun, and the atmosphere of the election is heating up, making it a top priority of public attention.

Li Jinghui, the current Minister of the former colonial government of the Chu Kingdom, is far ahead in the prime ministerial election, with a chance of winning at least 60%. He is the candidate appointed by Emperor Zheng Guohui as the next prime minister.

The original Chu State Conservative Party performed poorly in the election. Its leader, the current prime minister Fan Zhicheng, has been re-elected for three terms, totaling 15 years, which is almost the same as the time that the first prime minister, Li Hezhang, was in power.

Two of those terms were for the Great Chu Kingdom, and the current term, which began in 1900, is for the Great Chu Empire. According to the Great Chu Constitution, he cannot continue to serve as Prime Minister.

In the Chu Conservative Party, the current Prime Minister Fan Zhicheng will not participate in the election. His future destination will be the House of Nobles, where he will likely hold a position as a deputy speaker.

In the future political landscape of the Great Chu Empire, it can also play a role in providing advice and suggestions, namely, improving the laws and regulations of the Great Chu Empire, which is a major task that the parliament has been working on.

The newly nominated prime ministerial candidate is Lee Kyung Hee, the current Minister of Commerce and Culture, who was also Emperor Zheng Guohui's former secretary-general.

Lee Kyung-hee was clearly at a disadvantage in the prime ministerial election.

As for the other minor parties, they can only join in the fun.

The memorials read by Emperor Zheng Guohui of the Great Chu were different opinions submitted by some veteran officials and nobles. They believed that Li Jinghui was cold-hearted, seemingly honest but actually treacherous, and was not a good person.

His deliberate flattery and attempts to deceive the emperor, along with his attempts to control the situation, make him an unsuitable candidate for the new prime minister. Your Majesty, please reconsider.

This was because during his tenure as Minister of the Colonies, Lee Ching-hui resolutely carried out His Majesty's decrees, vigorously promoted the process of national integration in Java and Sumatra, and pushed for reforms to the colonial system, which touched upon the actual interests of many powerful and influential families.

For example, the family of the Minister of the Army, Zheng Guoguang, has deep interests in East Malaya.

In accordance with the spirit of colonial reform, the vast amounts of land and plantations owned outside of their fiefdoms and estates would all be subject to taxes levied on private land, resulting in a loss of millions of silver dollars annually. Under such circumstances, it's no wonder they were unhappy.

You only know the pain when the stick hits your own backside. This is the case with the Duke of Mindoro family, and with other powerful and noble families. It's probably a similar situation for Qi.

However, the reform of the colonial system was personally promoted by Emperor Zheng Guohui of the Great Chu Dynasty, and it would never be stopped because of the obstruction of some people. It will be promulgated and implemented before the end of the year.

This major institutional reform, which had been in the works for more than a decade, has finally come to fruition.

The entire system reform will be carried out in two steps. The first step is the reform of the seven islands in the mainland. Cebu Special District will be changed to Cebu Prefecture, which will be directly under the central government of the Great Chu Empire.

The Tongzhou Governor-General District was divided into two, becoming Sanbaoyan Prefecture and Dawo Prefecture, both of which are provincial-level government offices directly under the central government of the Great Chu Empire. The original Tongzhou Governor-General District was abolished.

The Sumatra Governorate was also divided into two, becoming Aceh and Palembang, which were directly governed by the central government of the Great Chu Empire. The original Sumatra Governorate was abolished.

East Malaya State District divided into three

The first reorganization resulted in Brunei, with its capital in Bandar Seri Begawan. Its territory included the former Sarawak and Bandar Seri Begawan, and it was under the administrative structure of a state or province.

The second reorganization resulted in Lanfang State, with Pontianak as its capital. Its territory included the former Sabah region, the former Lanfang region, and the former West Kalimantan region, and it was under the provincial/state-level administrative structure.

The third reorganization resulted in the Kalimantan State, with its capital at Machen. It encompasses Central Kalimantan, South Kalimantan, and East Kalimantan, making it the largest in area. It also operates under a provincial/state-level administrative structure.

The Shangri-La Governorate is divided into two parts: the eastern part is the Eastern State, and the western part is the Western State. The capitals are Donggang City and Xinxi'an, respectively. This is also a provincial-level administrative division.

Java is divided into three parts: Surabaya and Yogyakarta in the central part belong to Taman Dua; Batavia (also known as Batavia) and Bandung in the west belong to Batavia; and the eastern part belongs to Bali.

Following this colonial reform, the seven main islands will no longer have colonial governorates, and all state governments will be directly under the central government. This will greatly strengthen the central government's authority and implement direct administration.

Next Step

When the time is right, the Australian and Overseas Governors' Offices will also be restructured and brought under the direct jurisdiction of the central government.

Following a steady approach of "reforming one as it matures," it is expected that all overseas colonial governorates will be transformed into entities directly under the central government within 10 years.

Only by streamlining the administrative system can society gradually transition from the current feudal system to a democratic system, which is a long adaptation process.

As the top-level designer of the imperial system, Emperor Zheng Guohui of the Great Chu Empire led the development of the entire empire. Naturally, he had to have a long-term vision and promote the transition of society from feudal autocracy to democracy.

The rule of law in the Great Chu Empire must be put on the right track, gradually transitioning from "rule by man" to "rule of law".

The relatively crude methods used in the old colonial era will no longer work.

Even in the Congo River colonies, there were hardly any black people to be seen. Their population proportion was so small that it could be ignored. So where would the indigenous people come from to bully them?

The education of citizens has now entered the stage of abiding by laws and regulations and not neglecting to do good deeds because they are small.

While enjoying a life of plenty, one should abide by the law, be loyal to the emperor and love the country, and strive to be a person with positive energy.

A thorough reform of the colonial system is the only way to build a democracy. The next key areas for reform are the Viceroyalty of Hawaii, the Viceroyalty of Central America, the Viceroyalty of Patagonia, the Viceroyalty of East Africa, and the Viceroyalty of the Congo River.

In other words, before 1910, these regions had to complete their reforms and be directly governed by the central government.

The subsequent Governor-General of Madagascar was to be reorganized by Australia by 1915.

Emperor Zheng Guohui of the Great Chu Dynasty pondered these matters in his heart, reached out and picked up his teacup, took a sip, and roughly grasped the situation.

These complaining noble families still need to be appeased, but the reform of the colonial system must be resolutely implemented. The central government should issue a decree next month and not postpone it to the next government.

By letting the current Prime Minister Pham Ji Sung bear some of the criticism and finding the next Prime Minister, Lee Kyung Hoi, to take charge of the Moon Lake Official Residence, the resistance from the upper class and powerful figures would be much less, making things easier.

Ultimately, these cabinet ministers were merely a step away from Emperor Zheng Guohui, allowing the noble class to vent their resentment at the Yuehu official residence.

The current Emperor Zheng Guohui of the Great Chu does not directly offend anyone. Those who break the law will be punished by the Police Administration, the courts, and the procuratorate. If someone violates the law, they are simply unlucky and cannot be blamed by anyone else.

The right to execute death row inmates each year also belonged to the Supreme Court and the local governor's offices, and did not need to be presented to the Emperor.

Only petitions signed by thousands of people requesting a pardon can be submitted to His Majesty the Emperor for a final decision.

The Emperor of Great Chu possessed the absolute power to dismiss the Grand Secretary, dissolve the parliament, and pardon death row inmates, but he rarely used it. Since the establishment of this kingdom, he had never exercised his royal privileges.

This effectively safeguards the government system and prevents the judiciary from being wrongly accused, thus upholding judicial fairness and impartiality. (End of Chapter)