Nanyang Storm 1864

On April 20, 1907, the Qing government reorganized the three northeastern provinces and established governors for the three provinces of Fengtian, Jilin, and Heilongjiang.

On May 14, Guo Renzhang and Zhao Zhi led a Qing army uprising in Qinzhou, but due to a communication failure, they missed a golden opportunity.

On May 22, the Huanggang Uprising broke out.

On October 12, a banking crisis broke out in the United States. Nearly half of the loans in New York City banks were used by trust investment companies with high-interest returns to pledge against high-risk stocks and bonds, resulting in a large number of bad debts.

The mortgage bankruptcy of the trust company triggered a major crisis, known in history as the Panic of 1907.

Between 1903 and 1907, the U.S. economy experienced an unprecedented period of rapid growth, during which the market demand for capital was high, leading some U.S. institutions and investors to over-borrow.

In the search for funding, a new financial product known as trust investment companies emerged, which resulted in a severe crisis in the financial markets.

November 26st

In Nagasaki, thousands of passionate young Japanese took to the streets to protest the unequal concession treaty imposed by the Great Chu Empire, against oppression, tyranny, and bullying, which sparked a large number of social propagandists and wandering samurai to participate in the march.

When the massive procession arrived at the streets near the Chinese concession, the Chinese concession garrison and the Public Works Bureau police were already on high alert, using barricades and palisades to block the procession's advance.

The emotionally charged Japanese students denounced the Chu army and police at the scene. Two crazed students doused themselves with gasoline and set themselves on fire as a form of protest.

This action ignited the emotions of the marching students and wandering Japanese samurai, who began to repeatedly attack the police and military cordon, throwing bricks, burning debris and shops along the street, and the incident quickly turned into a riot.

When warning shots proved ineffective, some armed rioters even threw homemade bombs at the cordon, resulting in the deaths and injuries of several military and police personnel.

At the most critical moment of the riot, the Chu army and police, under orders, raised their guns and fired volley after volley at the swarming Fusang rioters.

The piercing gunshots shattered the tranquil sky, and a large number of demonstrators were covered by a hail of bullets. The streets were stained red with blood, and the scene was instantly a mess.

The incident resulted in over 100 casualties, with 17 rioters killed on the spot and six others dying after being taken to the hospital, bringing the total number of deaths to 23.

This sparked a nationwide wave of protests in Fusang. The protesters were highly emotional, and a large number of Chu state banks, trading companies, shops along the streets, and other fixed assets were vandalized and burned, leading to many serious incidents.

A wealthy Chinese family of four in Kagoshima was attacked by a group of radical thugs on their way home from a movie screening. The husband was hacked to death, while the wife and her two daughters were brutally raped and died in the street.

Nationalist sentiment in Japan was completely ignited, leading to a surge of radical rhetoric calling for war and bloodshed, with the target of the Great Chu Empire being the primary focus. Anti-Chu activities erupted continuously in society.

This greatly angered the Great Chu Empire, which then took a hard line in negotiations with the Fusang Kingdom, demanding that the personal safety and property of its citizens residing in Fusang be guaranteed.

A one-month deadline was set for them to take decisive and necessary measures to severely punish the perpetrators, suppress public discontent, stabilize order, and safeguard the fundamental interests of the Chu people living abroad.

Simply put, it means an apology, compensation, and severe punishment for the perpetrator.

The contents of the negotiations between the two parties were inadvertently leaked, which triggered a nationwide uproar in Japanese newspapers.

Public opinion accused the Japanese government of succumbing to power and disregarding the dignity and territorial rights of its people. Some newspapers even directly shouted radical slogans such as "punish the traitors."

In a short time, the Japanese government was put in a very embarrassing situation and became the target of public criticism.

Amidst the boiling public opinion, Japan adopted an unprecedentedly tough stance, refusing to make any concessions.

Before the final deadline set by the Great Chu Empire arrived, the Fusang Kingdom maintained close communication with Britain, France, Germany, and the United States, attempting to force the Chu Kingdom to back down through multi-national pressure.

Manila Royal Palace

Emperor Zheng Guohui of the Great Chu Empire surveyed the entire room with a majestic expression, waved his hand, and issued an edict.

"I, having received the Mandate of Heaven, reign over all nations; how could I possibly limit myself to securing peace in the South Seas?"

We must ensure that every place, both at home and abroad, bathed in the light of the sun and moon, is filled with joy before our hearts are truly at peace.

Previously, during the Nagasaki Rebellion, the government appealed to me for help, and I dealt with it with a conciliatory attitude.

It is scheduled for one month to combat the chaos and stop the violence.

Your country, Japan, has signed a treaty with the Great Chu, yet you have repeatedly caused chaos and harmed innocent overseas Chinese. You should bear the responsibility for this.

However, the deadline has passed, and you Japanese have cleverly evaded the issue and changed the subject, truly revealing your wolfish ambitions.

The Japanese, separated by the sea, are arrogant and have recklessly provoked the heavenly army, thus bringing disaster upon themselves.

I hereby solemnly admonish the King of Wa: You shall faithfully abide by the three covenants, remain of one heart and mind forever, repay the Great Chu Dynasty with loyalty, and maintain good relations with all nations with trust and righteousness.

The surrounding barbarian tribes must be strictly controlled and kept in check to prevent them from causing trouble.

Furthermore, with the Russo-Japanese War now over, Japan should be considerate of its people, streamline conscription, and prevent the common people from abandoning their livelihoods.

They should take extra care to comfort and appease him, so that his parents and wife can be reunited.

However, the Japanese invaders, who only knew how to bully others and disregarded treaties, barked and howled at our Great Chu Dynasty, showing a demeanor of petty people, being obsequious at first but arrogant later.

Therefore, war is declared against Fusang immediately.

When the heavenly army arrives, everything will be destroyed. Do not say you were not warned.

The imperial edict ordered the royal army and navy to display their might in foreign lands, exempting them from all other duties, so as to prevent future conflicts, obey the emperor's orders, and not disobey them.

"Respectfully yours, this is the decree."

"Your Majesty is wise, and we, your humble servants, will obey without question," the assembled military and political ministers replied respectfully.

Foreign Minister Lee Kyung-hee was the first to step forward to receive the imperial decree. He then held the decree high with one hand and quickly left the main hall to immediately convey the order to declare war on Japan to the embassies and consulates ahead.

Admiral He Zhucheng, First Minister of the Admiralty, then stepped forward to receive the decree. He accepted it with both hands, turned to the assembled officers in their white naval uniforms, and proclaimed: "Soldiers of the Royal Navy, the Emperor's decree has been issued! Today is the day to establish your merit! Fight to the death, repay the Emperor's grace with your unwavering loyalty and blood, shed your blood on the blue sea, and swear to defend the supreme glory of the Royal Navy!"

"We humbly obey Your Majesty's decree and swear to defend the highest honor and glory of the Royal Navy to the death!" The naval officers snapped to attention and saluted, their voices echoing throughout the hall.

"Follow me into battle!" General He Zhucheng shouted.

"Yes, sir. I am willing to die with you."

Admiral He Zhucheng strode out of the hall with the imperial edict in one hand, followed hurriedly by the other naval officers.

See this scene
All the civil and military officials in the hall felt their blood boil. Prime Minister Lee Kyung-hoi exclaimed with emotion, "The wind howls, the Yi River is cold, the soldiers go forth, never to return. How magnificent, how magnificent!"

Emperor Zheng Guohui of the Great Chu, who sat high on the dragon throne, nodded in approval and said, "The officers and soldiers of the Royal Navy are all loyal and brave men. Their spirit is commendable and their will is admirable. They should have such a fierce spirit."

The ministers all nodded in agreement. At this moment, Duke Zheng Guoguang, the Minister of the Army, and a group of army generals felt a mix of emotions, feeling extremely uncomfortable.

The Navy Department's move was brilliant, immediately stunning the Army Department. Favor is finite; if the Navy Department is more favored, then the Army Department naturally falls out of favor—that won't do.
The army officers in the hall all turned their attention to General Zheng Guoguang, who was the Minister of the Army and naturally wanted to win back his pride.

General Zheng Guoguang was caught off guard by the Navy's unexpected move, which put him in an awkward position.

Seeing everyone's gazes turning towards him, he had no choice but to step forward and loudly proclaim, "Your Majesty, the 500,000 soldiers of the Royal Army volunteer to go to war, to defend the glory of the Empire, to be fearless in sacrifice, and to be the vanguard."

"My dear minister, please be patient. There will be plenty of opportunities for you to prove your worth," Emperor Zheng Guohui of the Great Chu Empire waved his hand and gave the order.

General Zheng Guoguang could only bow and reply, "Your humble servant obeys."

According to the previous operational plan, the Royal Navy would naturally fire the first shot, and after completely annihilating the Japanese Allied Fleet, the decision would be made on whether to deploy the army, depending on the situation.

If Japan had backed down early on, there would have been no need for a major conflict.

The Royal Army is a powerful force poised to deliver the final blow; it should be kept out of use if possible, as it represents the last iron fist of the Empire.

With all the affairs arranged, Emperor Zheng Guohui was in high spirits and instructed General Zheng Guoguang to remain in court for an audience after the court session.

After the court session

Several senior army officers surrounded General Zheng Guoguang, offering him advice and suggestions. They believed that the army could not be absent from this major battle.

The Royal Navy is favored by His Majesty the Emperor and is poised to achieve even greater glory. If the Royal Army continues to fail to demonstrate its capabilities, the sense of crisis will only intensify.

The squeaky wheel gets the grease; we must seize every opportunity to shine.

General Zheng Guoguang was annoyed by their chaotic suggestions and agreed, then headed towards a side hall to quickly get rid of these annoying old folks.

In the Imperial Study
Emperor Zheng Guohui of the Great Chu Dynasty, who had just finished court, had changed out of his dragon robe and put on a loose, light moon-white casual dress. He was sitting on a sofa to the side, leisurely enjoying his tea.

Upon seeing General Zheng Guoguang come to pay his respects, he casually waved and said, "No need for formalities, sit down and let's talk."

A palace maid served fragrant tea, and General Zheng Guoguang sat down as instructed.

He sat on the sofa with half his buttocks to the side, his upper body upright, his hands neatly placed on his knees, and his body slightly leaning forward.

These court officials all speak in this manner when meeting His Majesty the Emperor. Even after Emperor Zheng Guohui of Great Chu has spoken, he refuses to change it, so we can only let them be.

Occasionally, when she recalls the relaxed and carefree times she shared with Li Hezhang in private, she often sighs with regret.

The supreme imperial power brings a sense of loneliness at the top, which explains why monarchs throughout history and across the world have referred to themselves as "lonely and isolated"—it's such a vivid and apt description.

Emperor Zheng Guohui of the Great Chu Dynasty took a sip of tea, put down the teacup, and said;
"Third brother, today we are declaring war on Japan. Don't be fooled by the fact that the court officials are responding to our call and that there are so many followers."

In fact, there are probably quite a few people who have reservations about what I have done.

The saying "It's impossible to please everyone, and governing a country is extremely difficult" couldn't be more true.

Seeing His Majesty the Emperor shake his head, Duke Zheng Guoguang quickly cupped his hands and said;
"Your Majesty

Your humble servant believes that this is the work of a mere upstart, utterly incompetent, yet he has troubled Your Majesty to such an extent, which is truly hateful.

His Majesty is wise and far-sighted, making decisions from a high position in the imperial court, and all his actions are extraordinary. How could such mediocre people fathom his wisdom?
In my daily life, I have often heard different political views.

There are many pretentious and pedantic scholars who say things like, "We should govern the country with benevolence and filial piety, establish ourselves with kindness and compassion, and spread grace and virtue to the barbarians in all directions," which is all nonsense.

The founding heroes of our Great Chu Empire, following Your Majesty's lead, used archery, horsemanship, swordsmanship, and spears to expand our territory, colonizing thousands of miles away and spreading our national power to all corners of the world.

Dozens of countries were destroyed, hundreds of tribes were exterminated, and countless people lost their lives under swords and spears.

Finally, the countless bones forged the empire's supreme prestige, standing atop the world's nations, looking down upon all others, and opening up a vast world for overseas Chinese.

What an earth-shattering feat this is!
Looking at the emperors and generals of all dynasties in Chinese history, they were no less impressive than him, and some even surpassed him.

Why should Your Majesty take such petty words to heart?

"Hahaha... Third Brother's words have awakened me from my dream; I was being too attached to appearances." Emperor Zheng Guohui of Great Chu laughed heartily upon hearing this.

He wasn't too bothered by it; he just had a feeling about it.

The rumors circulating are not isolated cases. Indeed, many prominent figures and sages of the Great Chu Empire enjoyed discussing state affairs and engaging in grand pronouncements, and they had reservations about the empire's frequent use of force to conquer and its large-scale, organized assimilation and extermination of foreign tribes.

They sympathized with the conquered and enslaved Javanese, and were satisfied with the obedience of the Fusang people, so they could not bear to use force against them.

Often, this kind of rhetoric actually finds a considerable following.

in this era

The Japanese have not committed many heinous acts that arouse the wrath of both gods and men, nor have they launched a large-scale invasion of the northern China. On the contrary, they liberated the three northeastern provinces from the enslavement of Tsarist Russia.

Many wealthy upper-middle-class people in Chu had a good impression of these humble and submissive Japanese slaves, so why would they want to use force against them?
Of course, this is only a small part.

It just goes to show that when a country gets big, you'll find all sorts of people.

Emperor Zheng Guohui of the Great Chu Dynasty summoned General Zheng Guoguang, Minister of the Army, not to discuss this issue. After chatting for a while, the two got to the main topic.

In preparation for the war against Japan, the Imperial Army formulated more than a dozen detailed operational plans, all of which were locked in a safe.

When needed, you can simply take it out and use it directly.

The main topic of conversation between the emperor and his minister was which plan to adopt and implement the landing.

These landing plans included the Nagasaki Plan, the Kagoshima Plan, the Osaka Plan, the Kyoto Plan, the Shizuoka Plan, the Mito Plan, the Sapporo Plan, and so on, each with its own advantages.

For example, the Sapporo landing plan was designed to cut off Hokkaido and separate this northern island from the Japanese archipelago. Therefore, it was a landing plan that was implemented and belonged to the category of limited warfare plans.

Since it is a limited war plan, the number of troops and weapons used will inevitably be smaller.

For example, the Nagasaki landing plan was a response to the illegal annexation of the Chinese concession in Nagasaki by Japan, and it involved a military strike, combined with the fleet bombarding Nagasaki. It was also a limited war plan.

The Shizuoka and Mito proposals are different; both cities are coastal cities surrounding Tokyo, and their importance is self-evident.

Once a landing operation is launched, we will inevitably be surrounded by a large number of Japanese troops. It will be a full-scale war, requiring the entire nation to devote its strength to a decisive battle against the enemy!

They discussed it for a while.
Emperor Zheng Guohui of the Great Chu Dynasty preferred to land on Kagoshima, a traditional territory of the Satsuma Domain with a strong naval tradition, and home to the largest naval academy in Japan.

If this place is leveled, the tradition of the Japanese navy will have to start from scratch, directly breaking its backbone. The losses will be incalculable!
(End of this chapter)