Nanyang Storm 1864

The person most concerned about the military developments of the Great Chu Empire was none other than Admiral Togo Heihachiro.

After commanding and winning the Battle of Tsushima during the Russo-Japanese War, he became the undisputed war god of the Japanese Navy. For his merits, he was promoted to Minister of the Naval General Staff of the Japanese Navy, granted the title of Duke, and promoted to the nobility.

Admiral Togo Heihachiro expressed his deep concern regarding the continuous commissioning of several new "Kunlunshan" class battleships by the Great Chu Empire.

"The reversal of the maritime power situation in Northeast Asia is imminent, and the most dangerous potential enemy is none other than the Royal Navy of the Great Chu."

With the combined strength of the fleet, it was less than half that of the Chu Kingdom, and as the Chu Kingdom continued to launch its new and advanced battleships, its disadvantage became increasingly obvious.

If a backlash occurs, the combined fleet could very well face annihilation.

The plan for command
We must strengthen our fleet by acquiring new battleships from European countries and restore and further enhance its combined strength to meet the challenges of naval power in the new era.

His intentions were good, and he was very vigilant, but unfortunately, even a skilled cook can't make a meal without rice!

After the Russo-Japanese War

The war expenditure of up to 16 billion yen has burdened the Japanese government with a heavy debt that will need to be repaid over the next two or three decades. Where will the funds come from to purchase new warships?
Similar to the newly launched "Kunlunshan" class battleships of the Great Chu Empire, these ships reached the world's top level, with each ship costing a staggering 890 million silver dollars.

If you include the cost of ammunition and training, it would easily exceed 1000 million silver dollars.

Such a fleet sailing on the vast ocean is like a moving gold mine, far beyond what the current Fusang Kingdom can achieve.

Moreover, this involves the most advanced naval weaponry issue, namely the 13.5-inch Mk-V naval gun developed by the British Armstrong company, which is an extremely sensitive high-tech military technology.

The 305mm (note, i.e. 12-inch) main guns that were previously equipped were just common equipment used by major naval powers around the world, and had been in development for decades.

The Mk-V naval gun is different; it is equipped on the Royal Navy's latest Lion-class battlecruisers, making it the most advanced equipment in the Royal Navy, bar none.

What does this represent?
The emergence of the Mk-V naval gun rendered the existing main battleships of European navies obsolete, relegating them to insignificant supporting roles and symbolizing the end of an era.

This also includes nearly 40 main battleships of the British Royal Navy, which have gone from being popular young ships to being worn out.

The next few years

The Royal Navy plans to develop a series of new battleships to replace its aging fleet and will not consider selling its advanced Mk-V naval guns for the next 5 to 10 years.

The Great Chu Empire, which also possesses cutting-edge expertise in this field, developed a new 343mm twin-mounted main gun thanks to its advanced military equipment research and development capabilities.

Apart from Britain and Chu, no other countries, including Germany, the United States, and France, have developed a 13.5-inch caliber main gun, so the Japanese have nowhere to buy one.

This is the trouble that Japan faced after defeating Tsarist Russia: the two major military powers in the same region were wary of each other, which could easily trigger an arms race.

Faced with the rapid development of new battleships by the Great Chu Empire, the Japanese were gripped by inexplicable anxiety and a profound lack of security.

The Fusang Joint Fleet has developed to the point where it can rival the Royal Navy of the Great Chu Empire, and it is not foolish enough to entrust its safety to the mercy of the other side.

Faced with Admiral Togo Heihachiro's concerns, Yamagata Aritomo offered words of comfort.
"Lord Dongxiang, given the formidable military might of our Great Fusang Empire after its victory over Tsarist Russia, I imagine the Chu Kingdom would not easily provoke us and risk its own safety. Perhaps Lord Dongxiang's words are an overreaction?"

"No, Lord Yamagata, as the saying goes, two tigers cannot share one mountain. It would be unwise to entrust the safety of the Fusang Empire to the slightest fear of the Chu people."

"Don't forget, we are now allied with the most powerful people in the world, Britain, which is the strongest guarantee of security."

"The British, humph... what about the restrictive clauses in the alliance?"

"Lord Togo, please calm down. At this stage, our national strength is weak, and our finances are particularly strained. The plan to build new ships can only be postponed. The Combined Fleet should exercise restraint and not cross the Ryukyu Kingdom to the south."

"This kind of approach only addresses the symptoms, not the root cause!"

"This is a temporary emergency measure. We should wait a few years before making any further decisions. We should prioritize patience."

"It seems... there's no other way but to put our hopes on Amaterasu's protection."

"The nation is facing difficulties, and we are surrounded by powerful enemies. We hope that Mr. Togo will join hands with us to overcome these difficult times!"

"Please rest assured, Lord Yamagata, the Navy Ministry will stand with the entire Empire to uphold the dignity of the Daifusan Empire with honor and life. This is the sacred honor of the Navy."

"Yoshi, great!" This important agenda ended rather uneventfully, and Admiral Togo Heihachiro failed to secure shipbuilding funds for the Navy.

He could only exchange a few polite words before leaving, his spirits dampened.

Admiral Togo Heihachiro was dissatisfied with the perfunctory attitude of the elder statesman Yamagata Aritomo, but there was nothing he could do about it.

The rivalry between Japan and the West has always existed on land and sea. A single new battleship costing tens of millions could supply ten field divisions, so Yamagata Aritomo's lack of enthusiasm is quite intriguing.

With the great war just over, the Choshu Domain, which controls the government, is somewhat reluctant to invest huge sums of money in a new round of arms race.

After leaving the lush Japanese-style garden, Admiral Togo Heihachiro glanced back, his eyes filled with disdain and dejection, and said in a flat tone, "These are all petty scoundrels, not worth considering."

After saying that, he got into the black BMW, and the car sped away down the road.

Admiral Togo Heihachiro's assessment was not unfounded. Japan had already borrowed a huge sum of 16 billion yen for war expenses. Couldn't they borrow another one or two hundred million?
Unfortunately, this was not something he could control. Seeing the new warships of the Chu navy being launched one after another, he could only deal with them as they came.

By the end of June 1907
The first ship, "Kunlunshan," and the second ship, "Qinling," have already entered service and formed combat capability. The third ship, "Tianshan," is leading the fleet in exercises near the Java Sea, and the officers and soldiers on board are cooperating very well.

The fourth ship, HMS Changbaishan, was delivered a month ahead of schedule. After thorough preparation, Royal Navy officers and sailors have already maneuvered the ship out of port and headed to the waters near Shangri-La Island for its first long-term training exercise.

Everything is progressing smoothly. The shipyard is working overtime to build the fifth ship, "Emeishan," with construction progress exceeding 20%. The sixth ship, "Yandangshan," has also just been launched and the keel is being laid.

November 1st

After more than ten years of arduous construction, a grand ceremony was held to celebrate the completion of the 18.2-kilometer No. 1 undersea tunnel, located in Bulan County and connecting the Hainan Islands and Cebu Islands. This is another landmark mega-scale infrastructure project of the Great Chu Empire.

This tunnel connects the Metro Manila metropolitan area with several major economic centers in Cebu, providing a convenient land route, and its importance cannot be overstated.

On both sides of the undersea tunnel, there are large tunnel toll booths, a battalion of soldiers stationed there, and a police station providing comprehensive security.

In the future, every vehicle passing through the undersea tunnel by land will have to pay a toll, which will be used to repay the construction loan.

At the celebration site

Prime Minister Li Jinghui of the Great Chu Empire read out His Majesty the Emperor's congratulatory message, praising it as "a vital passage connecting the north and south, turning a natural barrier into a thoroughfare," and highly commending the completion of this important undersea tunnel.

The faces of the public and engineering staff participating in the celebration were filled with joy. In the future, they can travel directly from Cebu to Manila by car, and all the way north to Wuxingfu, with no obstacles along the way.

Tunnel No. 2, which connects the Cebu Islands and the Tongzhou Islands, also started construction three years ago and is currently under construction.

Once Tunnel No. 2 is fully completed, the three islands of the mainland will be integrated into a single entity, which will have significant social and military implications, giving the core of the Great Chu Empire a deeper and more profound presence.

The power of modern technology has accelerated the process of "integration of the three islands," and the benefits are self-evident.

The completion of Tunnel No. 1 demonstrates the world-leading level of the Great Chu Empire in the field of water conservancy construction.

During the construction process
The engineers overcame dozens of engineering emergencies, including roof falls, quicksand, water seepage in soft soil layers, and collapses, using their ingenuity to solve each problem and finally build this undersea tunnel connecting the two banks.

Unlike the Thames Tunnel and the Pasig Tunnel, this is the world's first truly underwater tunnel, attracting widespread media coverage from around the world.

The news media in Britain and France paid particular attention to this project because the concept of the Channel Tunnel has been proposed for over a century and is a century-long project that top experts in the world's engineering field have dreamed of.

The completion and commissioning of the entire No. 1 tunnel was like a shot in the arm, giving those in the engineering community who are passionate about the Channel Tunnel a real hope of its realization.

After independently completing the Panama Canal, the Great Chu Empire went on to complete a series of major water conservancy projects, including the Kunjiang Bridge, the Batangas Dam, and the No. 1 Subsea Tunnel, once again demonstrating its world-class hydrological construction standards and earning high praise.

Since the beginning of the 20th century
The automobile industry of the Great Chu Empire entered a stage of rapid development, with dozens of automobile manufacturing companies emerging across the country, producing as many as 41 vehicles annually, which were sold to countries all over the world.

In particular, economy cars priced below 1800 silver dollars became widely available in middle-class families of the Great Chu Empire and quickly gained popularity.

The completion and opening of Tunnel No. 1 perfectly meets the needs of long-distance driving.

Many of the wealthy and powerful families in Metro Manila own vacation villas and other properties in beautiful Cebu. Previously, they needed to travel by cruise ship to reach these properties, but now they can drive directly there, greatly improving convenience. (End of Chapter)