Nanyang Storm 1864

Chapter 617 Inspection of Blanca
Emperor Zheng Guohui of the Great Chu Empire saw very clearly that the 20th century was a struggle between the two countries of Chu and the United States, a struggle for national destiny that would last for half a century or even a hundred years, and a struggle for future world dominance.

What does America have in this era?
To put it bluntly, Chu had everything the United States had, not only more abundant and of better quality than the United States, but also at more competitive prices, and its human resources were unimaginably plentiful.

Therefore, the Great Chu Empire had the confidence to compete head-on with the United States.

The United States emerged from the major opportunities presented by the two World Wars, transforming itself after World War II and thus dominating the world situation from the mid-20th century onwards.

At the beginning of the 20th century, Europeans were obsessed with war and colonial hegemony. As a result, the war destroyed Europe's industrial base, and imports from the United States became the mainstream.

This ushered in America's golden age, which began after the outbreak of World War I.

The Great Chu Empire is determined to seize the opportunities and national fortune of the United States, and will take every possible measure to strike at and delay the United States.

The royal offspring's desire to develop in South America was merely a side effect.

The imperial family will not provide direct assistance; at most, they will turn a blind eye and let them fight it out on their own.

If you win the fight, you'll build a nation and establish a career; if you lose, you'll suffer a complete loss, and you can't blame anyone else.

Finally, returning to the empire, one can live a life of wealth and honor, easily securing a sinecure as a director in any large corporation, enough to sustain one's entire life.

Emperor Zheng Guohui of the Great Chu Empire did not pay attention to these minor details; his focus remained on the global chessboard, on the competition between major powers, with the competition with the United States being of paramount importance.

Britain, France, Germany, Russia, and the like had been relegated to the second tier in his mind.

There's no need to lift a finger; these European powers will fight each other to the death, reducing their national strength by a whole level. Why bother with them?
After visiting Colombia, Emperor Zheng Guohui of the Great Chu Dynasty stayed for a full month and a half, and then added visits to São Paulo, Brazil and Buenos Aires, Argentina before continuing his journey south.

1914st January 2

After visiting Brazil and Argentina, Emperor Zheng Guohui of the Great Chu Empire led his fleet to the capital of Blanca, Tasmania, South America, to begin an inspection tour of the empire's far-reaching South American territories.

The capital of the state of Blanca is Blanca City, an important port city located on the southern border of Buenos Aires Province in Argentina. Its geographical location is similar to that of Shanghai in northern China, situated at the intersection of river and sea shipping routes.

Located on the north shore of Blanca Bay, 900 kilometers north of the port of Buenos Aires, and bordering the southwestern side of the Atlantic Ocean, it is the largest export port for wheat, wool, and frozen meat in the Patagonia region.

Due to the large-scale migration of Chinese immigrants to the deserts in the second half of the 19th century, the rise of agriculture and animal husbandry led to significant development of the port.

It is a maritime and railway hub in the Patagonia region, with the transcontinental railway connecting to the Pacific coast of Zieno state, traversing the southern part of the South American Great Plain.

The transcontinental railway connects 7 provinces and 29 counties along its route, forming the most prosperous agricultural and pastoral area in the entire Patagonia region, home to a population of over 547 million.

These two states alone account for more than 70% of the total population of the entire Patagonia region, making it the most developed, prosperous, and affluent area.

The most central city of these is Blanca, which had a total population of 91 in early 1914. It was the largest city in the entire Patagonia region and the region's industrial and agricultural processing center.

The economy of the entire Patagonia region can be summed up in one word: it is primarily based on export trade to Europe.

The region is rich in wheat and high-quality flour, and its wool is processed into combed and coarse wool. Ships full of cut frozen meat are also exported to Europe as major products.

In the ports along the Atlantic coast of Patagonia, cargo ships frequently travel to Europe, carrying high-quality flour, frozen meat, and wool to London, Nottingham, Manchester, Lyon, Marseille, Milan, Rome, Madrid, Amsterdam, and other European cities.

In recent years
In the more southerly Atlantic states, government officials are widely promoting the cultivation of crops such as cotton and developing light industries such as cotton textile mills, weaving mills, and dyeing and finishing plants as emerging industries.

The Great Chu Empire's cotton textile industry was not strong enough. It could only meet about one-quarter of its own cotton raw material needs, and its cotton and linen textile production capacity could only meet about half of its own needs, leaving a vast market.

The shortfall was largely made up by cotton textiles imported from Britain, which constituted an important part of trade between the two countries.

The vast semi-arid regions of Australia and Atlantic Asia have suitable climates and land for cotton cultivation, but the sparse population makes it difficult to achieve large-scale production.

The Great Chu Empire covered an area of ​​over 1700 million square kilometers, with a population density of less than 10 people per square kilometer. It was located in the relatively mild and humid south, a typical example of a vast and sparsely populated land.

After checking into the Blanca Palace, Emperor Zheng Guohui of the Great Chu Empire enthusiastically visited various towns and villages, gaining a thorough understanding of the development of South America.

There are tens of thousands of private ranches and plantations here, most of which are village-style settlements formed by Chinese immigrant families.

Almost every household here raises horses, and every family has cattle and sheep. There is more grain than they can eat, and prices for all kinds of goods are extremely low.

On the vast Costa Rican plain, there is not a single mountain for thousands of kilometers. Large boulders are hard to find in the thick black soil, making it excellent land for agriculture and animal husbandry.

The Costa Ridge is generally triangular in shape, wider at the top and narrower at the bottom.

To the west, along the Pacific coast from north to south, lies the Andes Mountains, stretching over 6,000 kilometers and reaching the Strait of Magellan at the southernmost tip of the South American continent. In the central and eastern parts of the Costa Rica region lies a vast plain, one of the world's three major concentrations of black soil.

The other two are the Ukrainian plains and the Louisiana Plains in the United States.

"Indeed, this place has a typical rural landscape and unique advantages for developing agriculture and animal husbandry."

Emperor Zheng Guohui of the Great Chu Empire rode his horse and, accompanied by local government officials, toured the area, feeling quite satisfied.

There aren't many cities here, and they're not very big.

The vast plains are mostly connected by towns and villages, which are often the core areas of large private ranches. Clan ancestral halls, family temples, and village temples can be seen everywhere, reflecting the characteristics of a strong Chinese community.

In villages and towns where herders live, most houses are made of wood, with the materials sourced from the surrounding forests.

This led to a dietary structure primarily based on beef and mutton, featuring baked naan bread and flatbread, along with sauerkraut, milk tea, milk wine, cured meat, and beef jerky, all characteristic of Northwest China.

Such habits are not formed overnight.

Riding on horseback, Emperor Zheng Guohui of the Great Chu Dynasty rediscovered the exhilarating feeling of his youth. His superb horsemanship allowed him to maneuver his prized steed with ease, much to the concern of his accompanying officials.

Only after returning to Blanca did everyone feel relieved.

Blanca stands out in South America. It is a typical Chinese city, with rich Han and Tang architecture everywhere, and dozens of high-rise buildings rising from the ground.

If placed on the empire's homeland, it would be nothing special.

This is a city completely rebuilt by Chinese immigrants, constructed according to imperial city standards. The wide main roads are straight and orderly, with central medians and green islands, as well as relatively complete drainage facilities.

Kerosene streetlights, trams, cars, motorcycles, and bicycles on the streets, as well as newly built grand theaters and cinemas—these amazing features are ubiquitous in the cities of the empire.

After a week's stay
Emperor Zheng Guohui of the Great Chu Empire embarked on a three-day, four-night transcontinental railway journey in Blanca aboard a royal train.

The fleet accompanying the emperor on his southward journey had already sailed north several days earlier and should now be crossing the Strait of Magellan in summer, heading towards Chieno on the Pacific side.

The terminus of the transcontinental railway is also in Chieno province.

The State of Zieno is a vast landmass on the Pacific side that includes the island of Zieno. It is a frontier state directly under the central government of the Empire and is the second most populous state in the Costa Rica region after the State of Blanca.

The state's economy is based on mining, with abundant copper, iron, coal and bauxite, as well as more than a dozen other minerals, including saltpeter and sulfur.

The region includes the Andes Mountains, which stretch for over 1600 kilometers along the Pacific Ocean. More than 90% of the mountainous areas of the entire Costania region are located within the canton of Ziono.

Its jurisdiction includes more than 170 mines, three large copper smelters and a steel plant, as well as some shipyards and agricultural implement factories, making it a city with a decent industrial base.

Mid-February in South America is the height of summer.
The imperial train, which the emperor of the Great Chu Empire called the Royal Special Train, made several stops along the way to travel around and gather some early colonial pioneers who had responded to the desert expedition to hold discussions on the future and development of the region.

This was a tremendous honor for the early immigrant pioneers, who were now gray-haired.

Many veterans with a history of service pulled out their old uniforms and medals from the bottom of their trunks, and, supported by their children and grandchildren, came to the royal train to receive an audience with His Majesty the Emperor.

This honor of meeting the Emperor brought many elderly people to tears, and they remained in prayer for a long time after leaving the Royal Train.

These early adventurers, who were able to own thousands or even tens of thousands of hectares of pastureland, all benefited from His Majesty the Emperor's decree to launch the desert expedition.

Now they are wealthy and have many children and grandchildren. Almost all of them have established a rich family business that can be passed down to future generations, which is enough to make them proud of their lives.

We should remember the source of our blessings, for all the kindness and favors we receive come from His Majesty.

Taxes from the entire Tasmanian region, including Java, Australia, West Africa, and Baja California, were directly under the Royal Household and were paid directly to the Royal Household without going through the central government of the Empire.

Baja California Island was purchased by the royal family of the Great Chu Empire, and the Second Royal Guard was stationed there. The money, grain, and taxes paid by the guards naturally belonged to the Royal Household Department.

In the Great Chu Empire

The Imperial Household Department was even wealthier than the Imperial Treasury. The entire budget of the Royal Navy, the Royal Guard, and more than half of the Royal Army's budget came from the Imperial Household Department, making it the core force through which the Great Chu royal family controlled the empire.

If you control the money, you have control over the military and police forces, and you will be invincible.

(End of this chapter)