Nanyang Storm 1864

Regarding the matter of these Chinese laborers, a report was submitted to the Supreme Command of the Allied Powers in the name of the General Headquarters of the Chu Expeditionary Force, and a positive response was quickly received.

French Prime Minister Clemenceau, on behalf of the government, pledged
The government will focus on the issue of Chinese laborers and will take several measures to address their plight, including allowing them to obtain French citizenship based on their own wishes, which is also a viable way to address the labor shortage.

Seventy percent of the Chinese laborers who went to Europe were in France, and they were able to receive a formal and positive response from the French government, which resolved the plight of at least half a million Chinese laborers.

As expected, it took the General Headquarters of the Expeditionary Force to step in; their words carried a different weight.

Even if the Imperial Ministry of Foreign Affairs negotiated ten times, the French probably wouldn't take it seriously, at least not to the level of French Prime Minister Clemenceau. It's unclear at some point that things would get stuck.

If high-ranking government officials pay attention, then solving the problem is not difficult.

These are, after all, workers from allied countries, and there are intergovernmental agreements between them. As long as the receiving party fulfills its obligations, it is not necessary to create any artificial obstacles.
Soon, good news also came from the UK: the local Chinese laborers were no longer confined to a small area, and many of them were able to freely travel to nearby towns and cities, and their wages and benefits also improved.

It's only slightly better than the meager wages that were previously so stingy, but it's still less than one-tenth of what local British workers are paid.

Some clever Chinese laborers, having witnessed the power of the Chu Kingdom in Europe, secretly went to the Chu consulate to apply for imperial citizenship and quickly obtained their new documents with the green light.

These Chinese laborers, who had obtained imperial citizenship, saw their wages significantly increased under the intervention of the Great Chu Empire's diplomatic consuls, reaching roughly half that of British workers.

Such a powerful example immediately caused a huge uproar among the Chinese laborers in Britain.

Countless Chinese laborers flocked to the Chu Kingdom's embassies and consulates in London and Manchester to apply for new status as subjects of the empire, creating a widespread trend.

Regarding the relevant regulations for overseas Chinese applying for imperial citizenship, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has long had a policy of maintaining openness and acceptance, and no further requests are needed.

Generally speaking, eight or nine out of ten people can pass.

Those who fail to pass either have physical ailments or have a bad reputation, such as being addicted to gambling, prostitution, opium use, or having a record of petty theft or fighting.

Most ordinary Chinese laborers can pass the test.

As long as one possesses the status of a citizen of the Great Chu Empire, one can receive fair treatment in all foreign countries, which is commonly referred to as national treatment. Marrying, having children, doing business, and owning property are not problems, and one will receive the legal protection of the country of residence.

Prince Chu-Zheng Hui used his enormous influence to accomplish this great thing for overseas Chinese laborers, but he asked the relevant departments to keep it a secret and not to publicize it.

With his current noble and lofty status, he no longer needs any additional accolades.

On September 16, 1918, the Allied Supreme Command launched the Battle of Hindenburg as scheduled, launching a large-scale offensive against the Hindenburg defenses in Belgium, and the flames of war were reignited in the blink of an eye.

November 21st

On the eastern front, a coalition led by the Great Chu Empire's expeditionary force, including troops from Romania, Greece, Serbia, Bulgaria, and Montenegro, launched an offensive against the German and Austro-Hungarian forces in Poland, initiating the "Polish Campaign."

In the Polish campaign
The Great Chu Empire once again deployed assault forces, mainly composed of armored divisions, which swept across the Polish plains. With their powerful assault capabilities, they successively defeated the main forces of the Austro-Hungarian Sixth Army, the Ninth Army, and part of the German Fifth Army, advancing triumphantly all the way.

In the initial stage of the campaign, the Great Chu Empire's expeditionary force consisted of approximately 42 troops, which, together with the allied forces of various countries, totaled over 51.

After making significant progress, Marshal Chu-Zheng Hui decisively committed most of his reserve forces, deploying two army groups and three artillery divisions, totaling approximately 23 troops.

This created a multi-pronged attack that broke through the enemy's defenses, allowing them to quickly expand their gains and advance all the way to the outskirts of Warsaw.

After a full four days of fighting in Warsaw, the Allied forces captured and occupied Warsaw, achieving a major victory to date.

on the other hand
The Anglo-French forces on the western front also won the Battle of Hindenburg. The successive victories revealed the decline of the Allied military bloc, and many senior generals and politicians of the German-Austrian alliance realized that defeat was inevitable.

On October 16, 1918, Austria-Hungary announced its defeat and surrender, and formally reached a ceasefire agreement with the Allied Powers, which was about 20 days earlier than in previous history.

The butterfly effect of the Great Chu Empire did influence the timeline of this unprecedented European war, but the outcome was exactly the same as in the original history.

As the occupying force, the Great Chu Empire's expeditionary force successively entered Budapest and Vienna, and together with the British and French allied forces, implemented regional military control over the defeated countries.

Imperial Homeland
Metro Manila

After five years of rapid development during its golden age, skyscrapers sprang up like mushrooms after rain in the Metro Manila metropolitan area, with buildings of thirty or forty stories becoming commonplace.

Most notably, the 64-story Royal Nanyang Bank headquarters building has been topped out, making it the tallest building in the world and significantly raising the skyline of the Manila metropolitan area.

However, these prosperous urban developments have no bearing on the Dragon Head Plains, where the Imperial Palace is located. The tallest buildings here are limited to five stories or less and are not allowed to exceed the three main halls of the Imperial Palace.

Nestled amidst lush greenery, Longshouyuan District is tranquil and peaceful. Upon entering, one can immediately sense its unique and noble style, a stark contrast to the bustling and restless atmosphere of the metropolitan area.

Nowadays, mansions in Longshouyuan District are extremely rare and expensive. Those who can live here are nobles of high status, especially in recent years, a large number of newly emerging nobles who participated in the victory of the European War and were rewarded.

Even with a large sum of money, it is difficult to buy a residential plot in Longshouyuan District.

these years
The price of residential land in Longshouyuan District has risen sharply. The wealthy businessmen who sold their land earlier, tempted by money, now want to buy back their old houses, but the money from selling the houses is only enough to buy a gatehouse.

No matter how much money you have, without a sufficiently prestigious noble title, you can forget about getting your hands on a mansion in the Dragon Head Plains.

As you can see, a large number of newly wealthy nobles, carrying huge sums of real gold and silver, want to buy a mansion in Longshouyuan District, and they all have to wait in line.

Throughout Metro Manila
Entering the Dragon Head Plains requires a special pass. The most basic requirement for obtaining a special pass is to own property in the area or to have a pass issued by one of the Empire's various administrative offices; otherwise, one should not even think about getting involved.

As the location of the imperial palace of the Great Chu Empire, Longshouyuan District, with its Heavenly Pavilion, Heavenly Palace, Heavenly Street, Heavenly Bridge, Heavenly Palace, and a series of royal palaces, mausoleums, royal temples, and Taoist temples, exudes the nobility of an emperor, naturally setting it apart from others.

Residents of Metro Manila have a saying: "Dragon Head Plains is the dragon's head, Glory Avenue is the dragon's body, the Pasir River is the dragon's vein, and Cavite is the dragon's tail," which vividly illustrates the core of this world-class metropolis.

Of the 16 districts in Manila, Longshuyuan has the smallest population, but the highest economic output. The eight major foundations under the Royal Household Department alone account for more than 70% of the economic output of the entire Metro Manila metropolitan area.

Nestled among green trees
Those classical buildings with upturned eaves and corners were the source of enormous financial outputs, amounting to hundreds of millions of silver dollars, as well as a vast amount of wealth that was unimaginable to outsiders, like an iceberg that had only just emerged from the sea.

Along both sides of Glory Boulevard, besides the Prime Minister's residence at Moon Lake, there are various government and departmental buildings, palace-style buildings with flying eaves and bracket sets connected in a row, and one after another, towering skyscrapers rising from the ground. These are the headquarters of the Empire's multinational trading companies and large enterprises, forming the skyline of the Manila metropolitan area. These core areas are extremely valuable, making developers more inclined to build high-rise buildings.

In the Longshouyuan area, vast forests and lakes create a pristine tranquility, making it the green lung of the Manila metropolitan area and the last sanctuary undisturbed by the city's hustle and bustle.

The land here is all in the hands of the Royal Household Department, which just lets it lie fallow without offering a single piece for development.

Thinking about it, it makes sense. Given the unfathomable wealth of the Imperial Household Department, it's understandable that they wouldn't care about such a small amount of money from land development.

This makes existing residential land in Longshouyuan District even scarcer, requiring one unit to be sold to another for one unit to move in.

If you don't have a residence in the Dragon Head Plains district, you'd be embarrassed to call yourself a member of the Empire's upper class.

The nobles and dignitaries couldn't even squeeze in under the covers, which made the wealthy businessman who sold the house here extremely regretful.

Selling it is easy, but buying it back is impossible.

On a tranquil lakeside
The surrounding area was filled with large trees that would take several people to encircle, and in front of them was a calm lake. A tall old man dressed in a cloth shirt sat on a large rock, fishing quietly, with only a middle-aged man by his side.

This old man is Emperor Zheng Guohui of the Great Chu Dynasty. The person serving him is Zhang Huaizhong, the royal secretary-general, who is also dressed simply.

"The Austro-Hungarian Empire has surrendered, and now only the Germans are left. They probably won't last much longer either. Huaizhong, the world is finally about to usher in a long-awaited peace."

"The sage is absolutely right. The world has suffered from war for too long. It is what the world hopes for that Europe can regain peace."

"Unfortunately, the empire's golden age is coming to an end."

"Your Majesty, I humbly believe it won't be that quick. Europe is currently in ruins, with all industries devastated. How easy would it be to recover? At least for the next two or three years, there will still be strong demand for the Empire's export goods."

"Hmm, Huaizhong's words are wise and experienced. Oh ho, the fish is here."

As Emperor Zheng Guohui of the Great Chu was speaking, the fishing float on the river surface suddenly moved and was then violently pulled into the water.

He quickly jerked the fishing rod, and the thin rod snapped into an arc shape. There was a big fish in the water, and it was really strong!
Zhang Huaizhong hurriedly stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, please let me do it. I mustn't hurt my back."

"Hmph, how dare you underestimate me? Just you wait and see, I'm going to catch this big fish today." Emperor Zheng Guohui of the Great Chu Dynasty got excited, tightened his fishing rod and started playing the fish back and forth, getting into a contest with the big fish underwater.

Zhang Huaizhong saw that the fish was quite large, stomped his foot in frustration, and blamed himself inwardly.

If I had known earlier that His Majesty was going fishing, I would have caught all the big fish in the lake and left some small ones for His Majesty to practice with. I didn't think things through.

The scenery around the small lake in the Longshouyuan area is delightful, but not many people come to fish, and the fish in the lake are all fat and plump.

Faces emerged from the dense forest behind them; they were all Royal Guard officers providing close protection. They were all visibly terrified as they watched His Majesty fight the giant fish.

After about 10 minutes of wandering, His Majesty was getting a little tired.

Zhang Huaizhong quickly stepped forward, took the fishing rod, and said, "Your Majesty, please rest for a moment. I will humbly help you reel it in for a while. This fat fish is probably a spirit, daring to defy Your Majesty's will. We must catch it and make it into fish soup."

"Hahaha...that's right." Emperor Zheng Guohui of the Great Chu Empire laughed heartily and casually handed the pole to Zhang Huaizhong.

Wiping the sweat from his brow, he said with great interest, "Huaizhong, did you see that fish flipping its belly up on the surface of the water just now? It made a huge splash; I estimate it must weigh around 20 jin (10 catties)."

"I'm afraid it's more than that. Everyone says wild fish is delicious, and I'm fortunate to have the chance to enjoy it with Your Majesty."

"Haha, I'll have the chef stew it when we get back, and all the officials should have a taste."

"On behalf of all my colleagues, I respectfully thank Your Majesty for this gift. The fish that Your Majesty personally caught is truly a blessing we could never attain in several lifetimes," Zhang Huaizhong said flatteringly. As he reeled in the fish, he seized the opportunity to speak when he saw that the emperor was in high spirits.
"Your Majesty, the Prince of Thrace has done another great deed in Europe. The 68 Chinese laborers in the northern lands were not doing well under European rule and suffered a lot of bullying."

His Highness, on behalf of the expeditionary force, sent a report to the Allied Supreme Command, requesting attention to the interests of this segment of the population and protection of their legitimate rights.

Currently, both Britain and France have responded positively, allowing free registration, and some Chinese laborers have also chosen to submit to our Great Chu Empire, and they are generally treated fairly.

This act of kindness is of immense merit.

"Oh... I am very pleased to see you all united!" Emperor Zheng Guohui of the Great Chu Dynasty said with emotion, nodding in approval.

A few days later

Schönbrunn Palace, the residence of the Austrian emperors

Prince Chu-Zhenghui, Commander-in-Chief of the Great Chu Empire's European Expeditionary Force, received a telegram from the mainland here. In front of many senior instructors, the usually composed prince suddenly lost control of his emotions after reading the telegram, and tears streamed down his face uncontrollably.

Then, with a solemn expression, he faced east, knelt down, and bowed three times, saying, "Father, what virtue or ability do I possess? My insignificant merits have earned you such concern from your father. I merely wish to remember your teachings and wish you boundless happiness and longevity!"

The high-ranking officers, unaware of what was happening, also knelt down.

They then received the telegram, which read, "...reported the truth to His Majesty, who was delighted upon hearing it, and nodded, saying, 'I am very pleased,' and was greatly pleased..." Only then did everyone realize what was going on, and they all looked excitedly at His Highness the Prince.

His Highness's eyes were moist, and he was still unable to calm his excited emotions...

The royal family of Great Chu had a large number of offspring, with a total of 105 princes who grew up. Apart from the eldest few princes, the other princes received very little imperial favor, and His Majesty probably couldn't even remember them all.

As for praise, Prince Chu-Zheng Hui had never heard it before in his life, no wonder he was so excited.

General reports focused on the specific facts, and the same applied to the rewards given to the expeditionary force.

This was the first time in history that he had heard words of praise from his father. For Prince Chu-Zheng Hui, who was extremely starved for love, what could be more important than this recognition?

Hearing the words "deeply comforted by our connection" instantly broke my defenses. (End of Chapter)