Nanyang Storm 1864

1912 January 5

The fact that the Great Chu Empire received a formal request from the United States to begin negotiations on cooperation in areas such as economy, culture, finance, and education is a significant signal.

This foreshadowed a major shift in the United States' policy of hostility towards the State of Chu, which had been in place since 1906, and attracted the attention of the high-ranking officials of the Great Chu Empire.

His Majesty's Edict

The Prime Minister's Office has been instructed to dispatch capable personnel to conduct comprehensive negotiations with the United States on cooperation in relevant fields, with the expectation of achieving certain results.

Emperor Zheng Guohui of the Great Chu Dynasty accepted the olive branch extended by the United States without hesitation.

We're open to talking, and we're happy to engage in any kind of escalation or conflict.

The Great Chu Empire's Pacific hegemony was built on the strength of its Royal Navy, its control over the three major island groups in the Pacific, as well as important island groups and ports such as Hawaii, its control over Central America and Patagonia in South America, and its control over the Panama Canal and the southernmost Strait of Magellan.

All of these important conditions are indispensable.

Without the permission of the Great Chu Empire, the United States cannot move any warship from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. That's how powerful it is.

When passing through the Strait of Magellan, the southernmost point of South America, warships from all countries must declare their presence and obtain approval before they can pass innocently.

If the reason is insufficient, then rejection is highly likely.

Some might say, "Can't I just not get your approval for my warship?"
The truth is, it just doesn't work.

After unauthorized warships of the great powers entered the Strait of Magellan, ports of the Great Chu Empire and various South American countries, including Chile, Peru, and Ecuador, were not allowed to enter for resupply.

Even if they had the courage to do so, they wouldn't dare to disobey the Great Chu Empire's decree.

Not to mention that these three South American countries were deeply influenced by Chinese capital, and were closely linked to the Great Chu Empire in the fields of economy, trade, culture, and industry.

In the major ports of these three South American countries, the shipyards and shipping companies are mostly owned by Chinese capital. How could they possibly supply hostile forces?
I wouldn't do it even if you paid me; there's no room for negotiation.

The consequences of angering the Great Chu Empire are extremely serious; Colombia serves as a cautionary tale. After careful consideration, no South American country wants to follow in Colombia's footsteps.

Just one order

Patagonia could invade Argentina and Chile in the south at any time. Needless to say, its navy is not much of a threat, and its army is too weak for these South American weaklings to resist.

As for Ecuador and Peru, troops could be dispatched from nearby Central America. The Kingdom of Colombia was undoubtedly on the side of the Great Chu Empire, and its strength was absolutely overwhelming.

Under the dual pressure of the stick and the butter, these South American countries are quite obedient.

Even the main American battleships would be rendered useless without sufficient supplies; this is not the time to be petty.

If things really escalate to that point, the Americans will be the ones who lose face.

Could we use naval coal carriers to accompany them on their voyages?
The answer is no.

Because naval coal carriers are also part of the navy and support fleet, they also need to apply for permission to pass innocently through the Strait of Magellan.

Forcibly entering would be considered a blatant provocation with serious consequences.

The Great Chu Empire's Atlantic Fleet at its home port of Blanca is no mere decoration, nor is the detachment stationed on Firepower Island; they can teach these audacious individuals a lesson in no time.

In summary, the Great Chu Empire's hegemony in the Pacific was impregnable.

Especially in the eastern Pacific region, there are a total of 9 countries along the Pacific coast: Canada, the United States, Mexico, the State of Chu, Guatemala, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Chile. Six of these countries are directly affected by the State of Chu.

Including the State of Chu itself, there were a total of 7 states, which gave Chu a strong voice in the Pacific region.

Only Canada and the United States are able to maintain independent policies unaffected by the Chu state's Pacific hegemony.

Located in the north, Canada is almost negligible. No country imports timber or food from Canada. Trade between Chu and Canada is limited to the export of some tropical products, and the volume of trade is very small.

Each year, the amount amounted to only a few million silver dollars.

Inside the Zichen Palace
Emperor Zheng Guohui of the Great Chu, with his white hair and beard, was in high spirits. His tall figure was not hunched over at all, and he exuded an invisible royal majesty in every gesture. His words were becoming increasingly gentle and warm.

This is a day in early July.

After the routine audience with the Prime Minister's Office of the Imperial Cabinet, the Emperor and his concubines would travel by the regional royal train to Lake Star and Moon (Lake Marat) for a vacation lasting one and a half months.

During this period
All state affairs were handled by the Imperial Cabinet's Zongli Yamen and the Crown Prince's Eastern Palace, and major matters were reported to the Xingyue Lake Resort Palace, which had become the norm.

Emperor Zheng Guohui of the Great Chu Dynasty was getting old and gradually relinquished some of the power in the court. What he still held firmly in his hands were the military power, the police headquarters, the royal household affairs department, and other important institutions.

The current Prime Minister is His Excellency Li Jingxi, Duke of Kravite, who is reporting on some major domestic and international events in the council hall.

At the end of June 1912
The undersea tunnel connecting the Tongzhou Islands has been officially completed and put into commercial operation. This means that the three major island groups in Hainan (i.e., the Luzon Islands) are connected by several undersea tunnels, making travel more convenient.

Between the three main islands, new bridges and undersea tunnels are under construction, with cross-sea bridges often spanning three to five kilometers or even longer, demonstrating the top-level capabilities of the Chu Kingdom in the fields of bridges, tunnels, and other transportation.

The successive commencement of these large-scale water conservancy projects has effectively driven economic development, promoted social prosperity, and created favorable conditions for exchanges between the islands.

After listening for a while, Emperor Zheng Guohui of the Great Chu nodded gently in appreciation.

"By my decree, all matters concerning the bestowal of titles and rewards upon relevant engineering personnel, as well as the initiation and construction of new projects, shall be handled by the Crown Prince's Palace and need not be submitted to the Emperor. For projects that have passed the expert feasibility report, the Crown Prince's Palace shall approve them as soon as possible, so as not to disappoint me."

"Your Majesty, I have received your decree. Please rest assured that all the memorials submitted will be reviewed and forwarded within two weeks. I will not slacken my efforts in this regard."

Crown Prince Chu-Zheng Yuan, who was seated in a lower position, turned around, cupped his hands in a salute, and said...

Over the past ten years

Crown Prince Chu-Zheng Yuanjun took on many government duties, performing them diligently and properly without any overstepping of his bounds.

The fact that the royal family of the Great Chu had many talented descendants greatly pleased Emperor Zheng Guohui, who was also willing to relinquish more power.

The current Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Army is General Zheng Guoguang. The Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Publicity, and the Ministry of Finance are all controlled by members of the royal family, and they are doing a very good job.

After more than 50 years of continuous development, the infrastructure level of the eight islands in the Great Chu Empire and its overseas states is among the best in the world.

With the widespread availability of highways, bridges, ports, docks, railways, and trams, and the large-scale and in-depth promotion of agricultural mechanization, the benefits are self-evident.

Emperor Zheng Guohui of the Great Chu Dynasty has now entrusted all domestic affairs, including civil administration, industry, economy, and culture, to the Crown Prince and the Imperial Cabinet, and no longer interferes in them. He is more concerned with major international developments, such as the current situation in Europe and the ongoing Chu-US diplomatic negotiations.

Prime Minister Lee Kyong-hee's main report focused on the sharp conflicts currently erupting in Europe over the Balkans, which could potentially trigger a new regional war, casting an even deeper shadow over the already heavy atmosphere of conflict in Europe.

Specifically
Bulgaria, Serbia, Greece, and Montenegro, several Balkan European countries that originally gained independence from the Ottoman Empire, are now at loggerheads over territorial disputes, which could very well escalate into a regional war.

This is also a legacy issue, complex and difficult to resolve.

Within the original Ottoman Empire, these European countries did not originally have clear boundaries.

The various ethnic groups live together in a mixed environment, with Bulgarians, Serbs, Greeks, and other Yugoslavs living together, making it difficult to define clear boundaries.

Based on their respective claims and demands, there will inevitably be sharp contradictions.

Furthermore, the various European powers all eagerly joined in, resulting in a situation in the Balkans that was like a tangled mess, impossible to unravel.

These European countries are already small in territory, and now they are fighting tooth and nail over a few thousand square kilometers of land, with almost no room for compromise.

This was nothing to the Great Chu Empire, but for these small European countries, it was a matter of life and death.

In West Africa

With a mere wave of its hand, the Great Chu Empire acquired hundreds of thousands of square kilometers of land, and the Portuguese dared not utter a single word of rebuttal—that's how powerful it was.

Today in West Africa, the Haian Prefecture of the Great Chu Empire has extended its southern border more than 170 kilometers into the former Portuguese colony, making it more than 1680 kilometers wide, adding 28.6 square kilometers to the area. Lisbon still reluctantly accepts this.

This is because the governor of Haian was Prince Chu-Zheng Hong, the 71st son of the emperor. Through southward colonial expansion, he transformed Haian, one of the seven states in West Africa, into the largest state in terms of area.

This act was commended by the imperial government, and His Highness Prince Chu-Zheng Hong, the 71st prince, was granted the title of Duke of Haian for this, owning a million hectares of private land in the state, making him the largest landowner in West Africa.

Emperor Zheng Guohui of the Great Chu Dynasty was relatively lenient towards these royal descendants, allowing them to serve in the government and military, hold senior positions in major enterprises and financial companies, participate in academic and research activities, and pursue their hobbies to participate in social progress.

Instead of being raised in the princes' quarters, they all became useless snacks.

As long as these royal descendants want to do something, there are plenty of opportunities for them to showcase their talents in all sectors of the Great Chu Empire.

"...

The confrontation between the two major military blocs in Europe is intensifying, especially in terms of military equipment. Both are investing heavily in the arms race, which is showing clear signs of getting out of control.

According to reliable sources
Since 1890, the defense budgets of Germany, Austria, and Italy have been £2880 million, £1280 million, and £1480 million respectively, remaining at a generally normal level.

By 1914, however, Germany's military spending had increased to £1.108 million, the Austrian Empire's military spending to £3660 million, and the Kingdom of Italy's military spending to £2820 million, which accounted for almost 4-5% of government expenditures.

The massive allocation of fiscal budgets to the military has severely reduced spending in other areas, particularly people's livelihoods, education, and the economy, and this is now showing serious negative consequences.

After careful analysis, we believe that such fiscal expenditure is pathological and unsustainable; the more gunpowder piled up, the greater the damage from the explosion.

Today, both major European military blocs are vigorously expanding their armies. As of the end of June this year, Germany and Austria-Hungary together had an army of 3.7 million, which is six times the total strength of the Chu state.

The Allied forces had a total army strength of 580 million, which was ten times the total army strength of the Chu state, which was simply unbelievable.

This fervor for engaging in an arms race is intensifying and becoming increasingly heated, showing no signs of abating, which is very worrying.

From another perspective

The arms race between the two major European military blocs also provided a vast market for the empire's exported products, driving rapid domestic economic development and creating the current prosperous situation.

This was advantageous to the Empire, so in its diplomatic relations with friendly countries like Britain and France, the Empire continued to provide large amounts of financial and commercial loans to facilitate European countries' imports of Imperial products.

As of June of this year
The Empire held a total of over 57.2 billion silver dollars, equivalent to approximately 11.45 billion pounds sterling, with annual interest rates generally between 7.6% and 11%, rarely exceeding this range.

From the perspective of national composition, the ratio of the Empire's claims to its debts is approximately 6:2:1:1.

Of the total debt, 60% is concentrated in the UK, 20% in France, 10% in Germany, and the remaining 10% in Italy, Belgium, Austria-Hungary, the Netherlands, Spain, and Portugal. Overall, the debt risk is manageable.

In accordance with His Majesty's decree, the Empire is reducing its claims on Germany to facilitate their early recovery and transfer, thereby mitigating the risk of unrecoverable debts should war break out.

Generally speaking

These German debts are legacy issues from the past, and the Reich is transferring them to British, French, and American capitalists at a discount. The lowest package discount is 35%, and the reaction in the capital market has been quite positive.

Many American investors have a high degree of trust in Germany and are very eager to take over German debts owed by the Reich.

The Ministry of Finance and the Royal Household are selling off German bonds in bulk, and it is expected that by the end of next year, most of the total German bonds, amounting to 5.32 million, will be cleared out, reducing the amount to less than 100 million.

This last part of the debt issue is quite complex, involving a long history, numerous partners, and making debt collection and repayment particularly difficult.

The Ministry of Finance is conducting a thorough review, especially of some corporate and private bank claims, because for various reasons, creditors are unwilling to accept discounts, making coordination difficult.

We are actively trying to find a solution…

After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn

Upon hearing the report, Emperor Zheng Guohui of the Great Chu waved his hand gently and said;

"The Prime Minister and the Cabinet have done a great job, which pleases me greatly. Let's proceed according to the established schedule and do our best to leave the rest to fate."

"During this imperial retreat, you are required to coordinate with the Crown Prince on matters of state. Non-military and non-political matters need not be submitted to me; handle them as you see fit."

"Your Majesty, we obey your decree and wish you boundless blessings and peace! May your travels and vacations bring you good health and longevity!"

"Hehehe... That's nonsense. Living to a hundred years old makes you an old monster. What kind of longevity is this?"

"This is our heartfelt wish. We pray that Your Majesty will take good care of your health, which would be a blessing for the hundreds of millions of subjects of our empire."

"Well, there's no end to the toil of government affairs. You should all go and rest."

"Your Majesty, we kowtow in gratitude for Your Majesty's great favor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"

"Alright, alright, don't say these slogans anymore. I don't care about these things; they're all empty rhetoric."

"Your Majesty, we respectfully obey your decree." (End of Chapter)