Nanyang Storm 1864

"Your Majesty, the Prime Minister's Office has forwarded an urgent telegram from the Supreme Command of the Allied Powers, requesting Your Majesty's wise decision."

"Oh, bring it here."

"The minister obeys the order."

Emperor Zheng Guohui of the Great Chu Dynasty took the urgent telegram from across the ocean, read it for a while, and then put it down with a thoughtful expression.

Consider it
Then he gave the order;

"The Tsarist regime's secret peace negotiations with Germany are strongly condemned and resolutely opposed by the Empire. This is a blatant betrayal."

On this issue

The Great Chu Empire shares the same attitude as its allies Britain, France, the United States, and Italy: it must seriously negotiate with the new Russian government, express its firm opposition, and order it to pull back from the brink; otherwise, it will bear all the serious consequences.

Oh... The Chu Kingdom supports all decisions made by the Supreme Command in this regard, and in the worst-case scenario, agrees with the suggestion of forming a multinational coalition to intervene.

at the same time
The State of Chu needed to remind its supreme command that the situation on the eastern front was facing the serious consequence of a rapid collapse.

Given the unclear intentions of the Russian government, the State of Chu could not rashly take over the eastern defense line after Russia's withdrawal from the war, lest it be subjected to a malicious pincer attack by Germany and Russia.

If this happens, the situation will deteriorate further, making it difficult to win the final victory in the war.

In view of this
The Chu state proposed to continue deploying the third batch of reinforcements to the eastern front to stabilize the battle line and guard against the worst-case scenario. The Supreme Command is requested to give this matter serious consideration.

"Yes, that's roughly the gist of the reply. It will be forwarded to the Prime Minister's Office for processing."

"Your humble servant obeys the decree and will immediately go to convey it."

"Well, let's go."

Emperor Zheng Guohui of the Great Chu Dynasty put down the telegram in his hand and waved for Zhou Qing, the deputy director of the Royal Secretariat, to leave.

He sat on his throne, picked up his teacup and took a sip, but his thoughts drifted to Europe, thousands of miles away.

Just like in the original history.

The newly established Tsarist Russian workers' regime faced a precarious situation, with a severe food crisis caused by its aggressive military expansion and various factions fragmented.

Tsarist Russia was the weakest of the imperialist powers. Although it boasted itself as the fifth largest industrial country, its total population of 1.76 million accounted for only 2.7% of the world's economic output, with more than 90% of its population engaged in agriculture.

compare with

The Great Chu Empire, with a population of similar size, had achieved complete industrialization. In early 1918, with a total population of 1.88 million, its total economic output accounted for 11.2% of the world's total, four times that of Tsarist Russia.

This has inadvertently increased their war potential.

From the outbreak of World War I in 1914 to the present

Tsarist Russia mobilized a total of over 16.4 million troops, but could only produce 3.3 million rifles. On average, only one new rifle could be distributed among five soldiers. The other soldiers could only use old-fashioned rifles, flintlock muskets, or even handguns, wooden sticks, broadswords, and spears. The equipment situation was indescribable.

Aside from having a large number of troops, they lack everything else.

The most serious problem is the food crisis in the Russian army. A large number of troops need a lot of food, but the large number of young men enlisting has led to a severe labor shortage.

The labor shortage led to large areas of land being abandoned and reduced grain production.

This vicious cycle of increase and decrease led to a food crisis in Tsarist Russia, a country that should have been a grain exporter.

In 1916, the Russian army's demand for food was seven times that of 1914. The consumption of food by an army of tens of millions was staggering, yet the army remained in a state of constant hunger.

At this time, grain production was only 80% of that in 1914, and the situation was even worse in cities and villages. Petrograd received only 14% of its due amount of grain, and apart from a small group of elites at the very top, almost everyone else was starving.

This problem was becoming increasingly serious, and as more and more people struggled on the brink of starvation, a nationwide famine broke out, ultimately leading to a change of regime within Tsarist Russia...

Even if you put Emperor Zheng Guohui of the Great Chu in the position of the supreme ruler of Tsarist Russia, he would be dealt a terrible hand and would be almost helpless.

The country is in turmoil, and abroad we have to grit our teeth and fight the Germans. We just can't hold on any longer!
If they don't fight, then the Allied military bloc will collectively go berserk.

The unilateral peace between Tsarist Russia and Germany could have dragged the Allied military bloc members, such as Britain, France, the United States, and Italy, into the abyss of defeat in the war, resulting in unimaginable and enormous costs for the countries, nations, and governments.

This is betrayal, this is a backstabbing, this is an act of faithlessness that cannot be tolerated and could potentially destroy all the sacrifices and enormous costs of the past few years of war.

Who wouldn't be furious if they encountered something like this?
After much thought, perhaps only the Great Chu Empire can remain calm and composed?

Why do you say that?
Firstly, the Great Chu Empire had already received the promised division of interests from its allies, such as Britain and France, namely Tunisia and Crimea, and it couldn't go back on its word.

As for the Thrace region in the plan, it would be great if we could get it if conditions allowed, but if the situation deteriorates rapidly, it wouldn't be a big deal if we couldn't get it, just a slight regret.

The current situation on the European battlefield is a classic example of Germany fighting four against one, facing a combined attack from Britain, France, France, and the United States, yet still managing to remain undefeated.

From the heart

Emperor Zheng Guohui of the Great Chu Empire greatly admired the Germans. The Germans are, and will continue to be, a lingering shadow in the minds of countries like Britain and France, and the greatest force that has brought them down from their pedestals, without exception.

Only the Germans could single-handedly cripple two great powers like Britain and France.

The Great Chu Empire was not deeply involved in the European war and had little direct interest. At crucial moments, it was even able to change its stance and help the Germans completely defeat Britain, France, and the United States, thus completely changing the world map.

Of course, there's only a very small chance of that happening.

Given Emperor Zheng Guohui's prudent approach, he would not make overly risky decisions. Governing a vast country should be done slowly rather than hastily.

When policies suddenly change 180 degrees, it's hard to adapt psychologically.

Kaiser Wilhelm II, having lost all hope of victory, has become desperate and is offering the Great Chu Empire irresistible temptations.

If the Great Chu Empire could change course like Tsarist Russia, the Germans would be willing to offer up the Italian Apennine Peninsula and Romanian territory to share with the Chu Kingdom on the Ukrainian plains.

Following their long-standing tacit understanding, the State of Chu informed the Allied Supreme Command of the lucrative terms offered by the Germans, which included the British Straits Settlements and the French Indochina Peninsula. This was a huge mistake. The Italians were furious upon hearing this, cursing the Germans as "too arrogant, utterly disrespectful, and complete gamblers."

It's not fair to blame the Italians for breaking down. The Germans used Italy, this traitor, as a key bargaining chip and handed it all over to the State of Chu. How could the Italians, who were always so arrogant, bear this?
Emperor Zheng Guohui of the Great Chu had no other intention than to show the Allied Powers how favorable the German terms were.
So, after the Great Chu Empire launched a new offensive against the Ottoman Empire, shouldn't this Thracian region be given as a reward to compensate the Great Chu Empire for its post-war gains?

That makes much more sense.

Compared to the Great Chu Empire's exorbitant demands, the United States appeared unambitious, making no requests for the division of European and North African territories, only demanding the guarantee of unimpeded Atlantic trade and low tax rates after the war.

Actually

Americans are also fighting for huge bank loans and to expand their influence in Europe, playing the good guy here.

The Great Chu Empire was much more direct and mercenary; they wouldn't get involved unless offered sufficient benefits, and they clearly demanded advantages.

This is because Emperor Zheng Guohui of the Great Chu Empire had long-term plans, such as what kind of alliance Europe might form in the future.
The Great Chu Empire possesses considerable territory in Europe, which can be considered a European country. Of course, it can be grandly incorporated into the European Union, making it a strange country mixed in with the European Union.

The same reason

The Great Chu Empire could also join the African Union, the South American Community, ASEAN, and the East Asian New Order in the future. It could even use its influence to form a Gulf Kingdom Alliance and create two international organizations for fun.

How can you squeeze into the EU if you don't have a real foothold in Europe?
Even if the United States wanted to form a North American economic community, it would have to include the Great Chu Empire, because the Great Chu Empire had bought Baja California from Mexico, which is definitely in North America.

Just thinking about it makes me happy. Nowadays, almost every international organization in the world is inseparable from the Great Chu Empire.

Although we are currently in a time of war, Emperor Zheng Guohui of the Great Chu has already set his sights on the peaceful times after the war. After all, war is temporary, and peace is the mainstream of the international community.

The Great Chu Empire had a presence in various international organizations around the world and could not be simply categorized as an Asian, European, African, or Central and South American country. Its true definition should be a global empire.

In this era where the northern lands lack a pillar to support the Chinese nation, the Great Chu Empire, as a purely Chinese nation, rightfully shoulders the important responsibility of spreading Confucian culture and promoting the influence of Eastern civilization.

The relationship between the two is roughly that of brothers in a large Chinese family.

One stayed in their hometown to build a solid foundation, while the other went overseas to explore and forge ahead. Their development directions were different, but their ultimate goals were the same.

All aspirations for overseas expansion and development are transformed from blueprints into reality through one's own efforts.

Emperor Zheng Guohui of the Great Chu felt a strong sense of accomplishment. This was the grand undertaking he was most proud of in his life, and he still felt excited when he thought about it now.

Although the grand plan has been largely completed, just like in the game of Go, the remaining territory and corners cannot be overlooked, otherwise it would be a waste of resources.
Where are the corners and edges here?
In reality, the distance is not far. The Great Chu Empire has been planning for decades, mainly focusing on the eight indigenous kingdoms in West Malaya occupied by the British, as well as parts of Burma and the Indochina Peninsula occupied by the British.

Over the past few decades

Through the trade expansion of Chinese merchants, the Great Chu Empire basically controlled the economic lifeline of the entire Western Pacific region, and Chinese merchants also controlled almost 80% of the total economic output in the aforementioned region.

The proportion of ethnic Chinese in these regions is mostly between 43% and 57%, slightly higher in the eight indigenous countries of West Malaya, and slightly lower in Myanmar and the Indochina Peninsula.

Without exception
Thanks to the powerful position and influence of the Great Chu Empire, the Chinese community occupied a very influential political, military, and legal position in the upper echelons of these regions, and many highly influential figures emerged.

Through marriage alliances with princes, these regional magnates, relying on the empire's powerful backing, grew increasingly influential, constantly eroding the foundations of European colonial governments.

This was consistently reflected in the reports of high-ranking officials in the colonial governments of countries such as Britain and France, yet it remained an intractable problem.

London is avoiding the issue, and so is Paris, because the current international situation cannot do without the assistance of the Great Chu Empire, and these old European colonial powers also need Chu as a global partner.

Damaging important bilateral relations for the sake of some regional interests is a situation that old colonial powers such as Britain and France absolutely do not want to see.

In the final analysis
The fundamental and core interests of these old European colonial powers remained in Europe. Only Britain's core interests included the Indian subcontinent, and France's core interests included Algeria. Other regions were considered secondary or peripheral interests.

In the current international situation, local interests must be subordinate to overall interests, and peripheral interests must be subordinate to core interests. This is the logic followed by old colonial powers such as Britain and France.

Emperor Zheng Guohui of the Great Chu Empire saw this very clearly. He was not in a hurry at all and continued to subtly and quietly erode various regions of the Western Pacific, developing and strengthening the power of the Chinese.

One day, quantitative changes will lead to qualitative changes, and all the efforts will yield a bountiful harvest of golden rice.

At that time, it's no surprise that some small Chinese kingdoms will emerge in these areas.

The Great Chu Empire has a large number of royal offspring, and it can easily accommodate a dozen or so more small kingdoms.

As a father, Zheng Guohui always had to consider the interests of his sons and grandsons. It was perfectly reasonable for his children to want to establish an independent kingdom in a place closer to the empire's homeland.

West Malaya has eight existing indigenous kingdoms, Myanmar can add about ten more, and other places can add two or three more depending on the situation. That would be about right.

Only about half of the imperial princes are willing to develop their careers outside the capital. That's because they see their brothers living comfortably and secretly feel a competitive spirit.

The other princes either served as heads of important financial, military, and heavy industry enterprises in the empire, devoted themselves to culture, education, or art, or focused on developing their careers in the empire's military or political circles.

To achieve something in an empire is far more respectable than in these small kingdoms.

Make an analogy
The current Commander-in-Chief of the European Expeditionary Force, His Highness Prince Chu-Zheng Hui, the 41st Prince of the Emperor, is very likely to be granted the noble title of Prince of Thrace by the Empire, which would be an extremely honorable honor.

He was far superior to the average king.

This is a prince of the Great Chu Empire, who is always at the core of the empire and can sit on equal footing with the leaders of the world's great powers. How can the ruler of a small country compare to him?

For example, large financial institutions such as the Imperial Bank of Nanyang, the Royal Bank of China, the Bank of Communications, the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, and the Bank of America have monthly turnovers of hundreds of millions of silver dollars, representing wealth as vast as mountains of gold and seas of silver.

In those small kingdoms with weak foundations, a few hundred thousand or a million silver dollars was the most they could have; most of them fell into this category.

Those with tens of millions in revenue are mostly princely kingdoms with a long history of development, such as the Kingdom of Yemen, the Kingdom of the United Arab Emirates, and the Kingdom of Colombia, and they live a relatively comfortable life.

But even if things are going well, can they be as comfortable as the empire's major financial institutions, the eight funds of the Royal Household Department, the multinational heavy industrial groups, mining groups, port terminals and transportation groups affiliated with the empire?

These super-enterprises have monthly turnovers of tens or hundreds of millions, far exceeding that of 80% of kingdoms.

From the perspective of the Great Chu Empire, these princely kingdoms were nothing more than playthings, at most offering greater freedom, nothing more. (End of Chapter)