Nanyang Storm 1864

In early 1906, Northeast Asia was caught in a strange post-war peace.

As the Russian invasion receded in the three northeastern provinces, the Qing Dynasty restored its rule in the Northeast after a five-year hiatus, but was constantly constrained by both Japan and Russia.

In Harbin, a city in northern China, blond-haired, blue-eyed Russians can be seen swaggering around everywhere. They have a strong presence in the city and continue to immigrate there.

In Shenyang, Lushun, and Dalian in the south, the influence of the Japanese along the South Manchurian Railway expanded rapidly, with various Japanese trading companies, banks, and enterprises entering the area.

Wandering samurai in kimonos and graceful Japanese women are an indispensable part of the scenery in these cities.

More often, it was the Chinese people who ventured to Northeast China, settling down in the cities and villages of this black soil region, living in the same world as immigrants from Japan and Russia.

The three elements restrain each other, yet coexist awkwardly, presenting a eclectic style.

In Southeast Asia, however, the situation is quite different.

The mainstream newspapers, magazines and news agencies of the Great Chu Empire angrily criticized the Japanese for encroaching on the Northeast, considering it a blatant invasion of their homeland, which was absolutely intolerable.

The news reports sparked strong feelings of indignation among the people, which made the imperial subjects' impression of the Japanese even more negative, leading to a series of incidents of humiliation, suppression of the Japanese, and expulsion of Japanese trading companies and personnel.

Diplomatic disputes between the two countries are also ongoing, subtly brewing a storm.

Entering July

A sudden incident caused a rift between the states of Chu and Ri, and the long-standing resentment of the Fusang Kingdom towards the Great Chu Empire erupted, leading to a sharp deterioration in relations between the two countries.

Sanbaoyan Palace in early July

As one of the leading industrial cities in the Great Empire, Zamboanga City had a population of over one million in 1906. Its light and food industries were quite developed, making it a bustling metropolis in Southeast Asia.

Here, the Japanese opened a Black Dragon Martial Arts School. Every day, Japanese martial artists dressed in kimonos would come and go, and they would prevent Chinese people from entering.

In the past, the local imperial subjects didn't care much, since it was just a small place for martial arts practice.

In the major cities of the Great Chu Empire, there are martial arts schools of all sizes. In Sanbaoyan alone, there are twenty or thirty. Each school has its own rules, which are not particularly remarkable.

However, after the conflict between the two countries, many local residents of Sanbaoyan began to dislike the Black Dragon Martial Arts School.

this day

Several Black Dragon Society wandering samurai dressed in kimonos got into a verbal altercation with local Chinese residents on the street over their clothing, which escalated into a physical fight.

The brawl resulted in minor injuries to three local Chinese men and one Japanese samurai.

Police officers arrived immediately and, after understanding the situation, prepared to take the Japanese samurai and local Chinese residents involved back to the police station for questioning, which was originally a normal police procedure.

Unexpected
More than ten members of the Black Dragon Martial Arts School from Japan who arrived later believed that the police were biased towards the local Chinese community and that the person would be mistreated after being taken back to the police station, so they firmly disagreed with taking the person away.

They even fought back with samurai swords, which led to a sudden turn of events.

Upon witnessing such egregious resistance to the police, the patrol officers immediately called for reinforcements, and within moments, a large number of fully armed military and police personnel arrived.

And at this time

The Black Dragon Society also gathered more than forty Japanese samurai, who confronted the police with a tough attitude and acted extremely arrogantly.

When the police arrived at the scene, Deputy Chief Superintendent Wang Boyuan of the Zamboanga Police Station, after failing to order the other party to discard the weapon, decisively issued a suppression order.

Gunfire erupted, and the more than forty Japanese warriors who were putting up a stubborn resistance were battered and bruised by the dense barrage of bullets, suffering heavy casualties.

The incident resulted in 12 deaths and 29 injuries. After being taken to the hospital, six more people succumbed to their injuries and died there.

This was the "Black Dragon Society Incident," which shocked both China and the world and caused a huge upheaval in relations between Chu and Japan.

The first few days

The Great Chu Empire's Police Administration responded to inquiries from international media, stating that the matter was;
"Normal public security incidents do not need to be over-interpreted."

"The Zamboanga police used necessary means reasonably and legally to suppress the crisis and prevent greater harm from occurring."

"The police response was decisive and resolute, which is commendable and effectively maintained local security."

……

The Great Chu Empire has never hesitated to suppress indigenous groups, including the native whites of the East Indies, and its military and police forces have been extremely ruthless—this is almost common knowledge.

The Great Shu Empire itself didn't take it seriously. These Japanese dared to confront the police with weapons in the street, which was a serious crime. So what if they were killed?

However, after the Asahi Shimbun reported on the matter, it quickly ignited public opinion in Japan, which in turn fueled long-dormant discontent and led to a large-scale wave of public protests.

In Tokyo, Osaka, Kobe, Nagasaki, Shizuoka and other places, angry Japanese people took to the streets to demonstrate, with the number of demonstrators ranging from several thousand to tens of thousands.

These Japanese attacked the Great Chu consulate in Kyoto and the Chinese concession in Nagasaki, as well as some of the Great Chu Empire's financial and commercial branches in Japan, such as the Royal Nanyang Bank, the Royal Nanyang Telegraph Bureau, the Royal Bright Oil Company, and the Royal Heavy Industries. They vandalized and burned Chinese shops, causing dozens of conflicts.

And in this process

The Japanese military and police mostly stood by and did nothing, or even fueled the flames, which greatly angered the Great Chu Empire, which issued a serious warning through the Imperial Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

"Fusang's current actions are on the wrong path, and Fusang will bear all the serious consequences that will result."

In response, the Great Chu Empire no longer showed any leniency.

On August 3, 1906, the Japanese marchers who stormed the Royal Nanyang Bank in Kyoto were attacked by Chinese armed guards while they were vandalizing and burning the bank. Seventeen people were killed or wounded.

On August 7, 1906, the Japanese marchers who stormed the Chinese concession in Nagasaki were met with a merciless volley of gunfire from the concession's garrison, resulting in 61 deaths and injuries.

On August 8, 1906, Chen Wen, a director of the Nagasaki Concession Municipal Council, was attacked by three Japanese samurai on his way home. Chen Wen and one of his followers were killed on the spot, while two others escaped with injuries.

On August 10, 1906, He Jianxing, the general manager of Royal Nanyang Heavy Industries in Japan, was shot and killed. The Japanese gunman who attacked him was then killed by his bodyguards.

On August 17, 1906, the Police Administration of the Great Chu Empire announced;

All brothels, gambling dens, and martial arts schools operated by Japanese within the territory are illegal and must close within three days; otherwise, they will be shut down. August 18th

The Ministry of Commerce of the Great Chu Empire officially announced that anyone is prohibited from wearing Japanese clothing, opening Japanese schools, or publishing Japanese newspapers and magazines within the territory of the Great Chu Empire, and that all related illegal practitioners will be strictly investigated.

The rapid deterioration of the situation in the Western Pacific has caused deep concern among the British, as reported by The Times of London.
"The victory in the Russo-Japanese War brought great confidence, and the newly emerging Japanese warriors were trying to defeat another powerful enemy. This would inevitably lead to long-term instability in the Western Pacific, which would harm British interests."

A special envoy from Britain also quickly shuttled between Chu and Japan, attempting to mediate the conflict between the two countries and calm the situation as much as possible.

Unexpectedly, the resentment from the Fusang Kingdom was so intense that it was as uncontrollable as a volcanic eruption.

From the perspective of Fusang
The Great Chu Empire has always treated Japan with arrogance, disdain, and contempt, as a superior colonizer. This has deeply wounded the sensitive and fragile hearts of the Japanese people.

As a world power that defeated Tsarist Russia, Japan has the right to obtain the status of a normal country, sit at the world table, and become a significant member.

Western countries generally acknowledge this point and have successively abolished the unequal treaties imposed on Japan.

Only the Great Chu Empire still retains the Nagasaki and Kagoshima concessions, which is a blatant insult to Japan and absolutely cannot be tolerated.

Negotiations regarding the removal of the concessions have been ongoing for over five years, with minimal progress due to the significant differences in the positions of both sides.

The Japanese side believes that

The State of Chu had no sincerity in negotiating; rather, it was using this method to humiliate and provoke the State of Fusang in order to achieve its sinister and ulterior motives.

Since the "Lake Ikeda Tragedy" of 1867

The Fusang people had endured 40 years of colonial humiliation imposed by the Great Chu Empire. As a dumping ground for Chu's industrial products, their national industries suffered immense damage and incalculable losses.

Whether from the perspective of national sentiment or the pursuit of normal national status, the Great Chu Empire bears an unshirkable responsibility.

The Japanese are now filled with a victim mentality. When it comes to the domineering and arrogant Great Chu Empire, they have a lot of grievances to vent!

Since the signing of the unequal trade treaty between the two countries
By establishing concessions, dumping industrial products, and granting its citizens superior consular privileges, Japan gradually infiltrated the financial and industrial sectors, reaping substantial colonial profits.

The Royal Nanyang Bank, Royal Bank of Communications, Chu State Limin Bank, Chu State Agricultural and Industrial Bank, and other financial institutions of all sizes alone absorbed a large amount of funds from Japanese nobles and wealthy merchants, accounting for nearly half of the total.

This is because many of the large financial institutions in the Great Chu Empire are top-tier banks that rank among the world's best, with extensive financial operations and outstanding reputations worldwide.

Nine out of ten nobles, celebrities, and wealthy merchants from Fusang verbally vehemently opposed the Great Chu Empire, yet the vast majority had opened accounts in the Great Chu Empire's financial institutions and held substantial amounts of gold and silver assets.

When it comes to matters of personal interest, these Japanese high society nobles, celebrities, and wealthy merchants behave very honestly.

Compared to the behemoth-like multinational financial institutions of the Great Chu Empire, the banks of Fusang were like fireflies, the gap between them was enormous.

Banking was never a strong point for Japan to begin with, and its development was particularly difficult under the pressure of international financial institutions such as Britain, France, and the United States, resulting in severe underdevelopment.

This vicious cycle made the upper-class nobles and celebrities of Fusang, who were well aware of the intricacies of the situation, even more hesitant to entrust their assets to such banks.

What if they go bankrupt? Wouldn't that be the end of them?
As Chu's economic influence permeated Fusang, the vast and prosperous Chu market became an insurmountable barrier, leading to a severe trade imbalance between the two countries.

Firstly, in the industrial sector, Fusang's industry suffers from a comprehensive disadvantage: small scale, scattered layout, poor product quality, and limited variety, making it completely uncompetitive.

The financial and agricultural sectors are even more so; they are completely immature seedlings, heavily reliant on foreign banks and imported grains for support.

Aside from women and raw silk, Japan had no other goods to export.

The trade imbalance between the two countries is severe, with Japan recording a large deficit every year. It can only be balanced by overseas remittances from the Nanyang Sisters.

After the Ministry of Commerce of the Great Chu Empire officially announced the ban on brothels and prostitution in Japan, Japan immediately felt a sharp pain, as if its flesh had been cut off, and declared to the outside world;

"Hundreds of thousands of vulnerable and helpless women in Fusang will lose their livelihoods as a result. This is a serious violation of the interests of the Fusang people. We urge the State of Chu to take this matter seriously as a responsible major power..."

The Japanese, which followed suit, softened its stance and began to control the rampant domestic public opinion and strongly manage the increasingly angry Japanese citizens in order to prevent the situation from deteriorating further.

It has to be soft!
The remittances from these hundreds of thousands of women from Southeast Asia amount to tens of millions of dollars annually, making them the largest source of foreign exchange for Japan. These funds are used to fill the country's severe fiscal deficit and repay the principal and interest on huge loans from European and American countries.

Losing this large source of income would immediately leave them unable to make ends meet.

Japan is a typical country with a debt-based economy, bearing huge debts to European and American countries. It basically lives on borrowing, and now its situation is getting worse.

When you're broke, you naturally lose your confidence and your voice becomes softer.

The Great Chu Empire did indeed impose many restrictions on trade and economic exchanges with Fu State, which is a historical issue. Undeniably, it also reflects trade discrimination by a powerful nation against a weaker one.

Regarding the deterioration of relations between Chu and Japan, the Great Chu Empire also has a legitimate position, as stated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as follows;

Firstly, regarding the "Black Dragon Society incident," the police of the Great Chu Empire handled the matter reasonably, legally, and in accordance with regulations. The police's decisive handling of the mass incident in which dozens of people were armed and confronting the police was not problematic.

Secondly, regarding the strong public backlash and the repeated attacks on the Chinese concessions in Japan, the biggest problem lies in the malicious intentions of certain individuals in Japan who deliberately manipulate public opinion to smear the empire's image and intentionally create a focal point of public opinion.

Thirdly, regarding the issue of the Chinese concession, negotiations between the two sides have been ongoing.

The Great Chu Empire reiterated
The door to negotiations is open. The Empire has never shied away from issues related to the abolition of concessions and is willing to conduct fair and just negotiations with Japan and exchange views frankly.

All treaties must be based on a fair stance, not on the premise of harming the interests of the Chinese concessions; this is completely unacceptable.

The Fusang Kingdom, acting like a victim, openly threw a tantrum, ignoring the goodwill of the Great Chu Empire, and relentlessly escalating the situation. As a result, they will be held responsible for the deterioration of relations between the two sides and bear all the serious consequences arising therefrom.

News media and public opinion in Europe and America generally lean towards the position of the Great Chu Empire, and are more critical of the Fusang Kingdom, even its ally, Britain.

France and Tsarist Russia were allies, and after France's defeat in the Russo-Japanese War, France harbored a deep-seated resentment towards the Japanese and naturally had no positive feelings towards them.

The British are typical self-interested people. The economic and trade relations between Britain and Chu are close, and there is a long-term friendship with decades of close cooperation. Naturally, they have a bias in their views on issues, which is also reflected in their news reports.

Compared to the State of Chu, the Fusang people were just a new friend who had only been allied for four years.

Its true strategic position was that of a dog that Britain placed at the door of Northeast Asia. After it was used up, it was merciful enough that it wasn't cooked into dog meat soup.

Expecting the British to speak out for justice is wishful thinking. (End of Chapter)