Nanyang Storm 1864

Manila

Summer Palace located on the shore of Sacred Lake
After decades of construction, the magnificent Summer Palace has become a large-scale royal palace complex, stretching for 17 kilometers. It includes the Summer Palace, the Nine Spirits Pagoda, the waterfront boardwalk, the Imperial Merit Archway Group, the Stone Boat Archway, the Wanfu Building, the Heavenly Palace, the Imperial Railway Station, the Imperial Archway, the Bell and Drum Tower, and the Sacred Lake Street, among other interconnected buildings, all showcasing the royal style.

All the princes and grandsons of the Great Chu Empire, as well as the top nobles, have their own corner here, arranged like a flock of geese on both sides of the Summer Palace, surrounding the beautiful scenery of the Sacred Lake.

The closer one is to the Summer Palace, the more royal radiance one receives, and the more distinguished and extraordinary one becomes.

The area surrounding the sacred lake boasts thousands upon thousands of luxurious resort villas, forming several small towns that accentuate the tranquil and leisurely beauty of the lake and mountains.

Over the years
Emperor Taizu resided here for a long time, unlike the late Emperor Gaozong of Chu, who traveled around to Cebu, Davao, and Australia, enjoying himself immensely.

The main purpose was to serve as a central figure for the current emperor. This deep affection and care made the emperor of Chu feel deeply grateful, and he naturally served him with great diligence.

It was during November 1932
The emperor also took a vacation at the summer palace, and every day he would come to pay his respects to the Holy Emperor Taizu, showing great deference and courtesy.

Emperor Taizu Zheng Guohui said several times that there was no need to come to pay respects every day, but the emperor just smiled and did not reply, and continued to come to pay respects on time every day as he pleased.

Even the Holy Emperor Taizu had no choice but to let it go.

The other princes and grandsons did not have this blessing. The Holy Emperor Zheng Guohui disliked noise and even more so, he disliked being surrounded by a large group of people. Therefore, it was extremely difficult for these princes and grandsons to see the Holy Emperor.

Without an imperial edict, an audience with the emperor is not permitted.

Prince Chu-Zheng Hui, the Chief of the Royal Army Staff who had just returned to the Imperial homeland to report on his duties, was extremely fortunate to be summoned by the Holy Emperor Taizu to the Summer Palace for an audience with the Emperor.

Upon entering the deep courtyard of the royal palace, Prince Chu-Zheng Hui straightened his back, abandoned his usual arrogant demeanor, and became respectful.

There seems to be an omnipresent royal majesty here, inspiring awe and reverence.

Zhou Qing, deputy director of the Secretariat of the Holy Emperor Taizu, led the way, talking as they walked.
"Your expeditionary force fought well at the front, and the old emperor is pleased. He said that these royal descendants have not tarnished the empire's reputation and are quite capable."

"Your humble servant is foolish and dull. This is all thanks to the wise and insightful planning of the Holy Emperor Taizu. How dare I take credit for it?"

"Your Highness is too modest. The achievements of the soldiers at the front can never be faked. The expansion of territory by the expeditionary force is real and worthy of being recorded in history!"

"I apologize for the commotion, Vice-Commander Zhou. How has the Holy Emperor Taizu been lately?"

"He's doing well. He went fishing early this morning and caught two large golden carp. The big one weighs over three pounds, and the small one weighs over a pound. The Emperor instructed the kitchen to make soup with the small one. He's had his breakfast almost done, and he has a really good appetite."

"This is a great blessing for our empire, something we could only dream of. It is fitting that the empire prospers for decades to come!" Prince Chu-Zheng Hui said with joy, while secretly taking out a draft from the Imperial Nanyang Bank and slipping it into Zhou Qing's hand.

"There's nothing good in North America, so I brought some local specialties. I hope Vice-Commander Zhou will accept them and put in a good word for me with His Majesty."

"Your Highness is too kind, I dare not accept such praise."

With a flick of his wrist, Zhou Qing wiped the 50,000 silver dollar draft away, his smile growing even warmer.

Prince Chu-Zheng Hui led his troops to conquer the nine states of the western United States, occupying prosperous cities such as Los Angeles and San Francisco, and confiscating gold, silver and jewelry and assets worth hundreds of millions.

They themselves would not be short of money, and all the generals and soldiers of the expeditionary force would also get a share. The tribute to the imperial court amounted to 2.8 million US dollars, and all kinds of good things to offer to the Holy Emperor Taizu were directly brought back by ocean-going ships.

How many exactly?
It's hard to say exactly what it was; there were antiques and artifacts from China, Europe, and even Egypt, as well as fine items passed down through the imperial court, and hundreds of thousands of books and writings from Western traditions. It's said that more than a dozen museums were emptied out of their collections.

These are minor matters, and His Majesty the Holy Emperor Taizu would not care. To tacitly allow imperial soldiers to plunder the wealth and women of the local inhabitants is the right of the victors.

After conquering the western states of the United States, Imperial soldiers had the right to choose a white woman. These Imperial soldiers stationed in various places could return to their bestowed mansions during their leave and enjoy a month or two of good life.

The western part of North America was then under the control of the empire, and with the information blockade during the war, those white women had no choice but to submit under various forms of oppression.

After all, life goes on; you can't just kill yourself.

In the future, when the officers and soldiers of the Empire retire, they will retire on the spot, settle down in various cities in the western United States, have children, reproduce, and become loyal supporters of the Empire's rule.

Today's more than 200 million military personnel represent more than 200 million Chinese families. Since last year, more than 120 million officers and soldiers have retired and formed more than 120 million families.

By next year
Millions more Royal Army soldiers will retire upon reaching the end of their service term, scattered across dozens of large and medium-sized cities, as well as thousands of suburban towns and farms, becoming seeds sown across North America.

Every year thereafter, hundreds of thousands of veterans will be resettled in various North American states, becoming the core backbone of the empire's rule and the foundation of the Chinese community.

Unlike Chinese immigrants, retired military personnel can receive houses, shops, women, and land for free as rewards for their military service. If they engage in business, they can also receive preferential tax rates.

Retired military personnel are given priority in entering various government departments, becoming tax collectors, police officers, civil affairs officials, and other government employees. They are also given priority in entering the port authority, and priority in being employed in factories or other companies and banks, where they can obtain relatively well-paid long-term jobs.

Chinese immigrants, on the other hand, all had to rely on their own efforts, and all their fixed assets had to be purchased with money, with prices fluctuating according to market rates. They also had to pay taxes according to regulations—this was the case for all Chinese immigrants. The Empire's transformation of the nine western states of North America had already shown significant results in just over two years.

The war resulted in the deaths and injuries of more than 77 white men in the West. Combined with prisoners of war and those who fled, this created a huge shortage of males in Kyushu, which originally had a total population of more than 400 million.

The influx of young, retired soldiers from the Empire, along with a large influx of immigrants, quickly filled the void left by the lack of white men, forming new families.

As the smallest component of society, a large number of retired military personnel and Chinese immigrants quickly stabilized the nine western states of the United States. Chinese families filled both cities and rural areas, substantially changing the face of western North America.

In the next few years

Such changes are still underway and will also take place in the newly occupied states. This is the Empire's orderly transformation of North American society to adapt to the new ruling culture.

"Your Majesty, His Highness Prince Chu-Zheng Hui, Commander-in-Chief of the North American Expeditionary Force of the Great Chu Empire, requests an audience and Your Majesty's decision."

"Oh, Little 41 has arrived, right? Summon him." A steady voice came from inside the hall, its tone warm and friendly.

Upon hearing this, Prince Chu-Zheng Hui, who was standing respectfully to the side, felt a lump in his throat and his eyes immediately reddened.

This affectionate address was so powerful that, apart from the Holy Emperor Taizu himself, who in the entire world would dare to speak to Prince Chu-Zheng Hui in such a way? Not even the Emperor of Great Chu would dare.

He is the forty-first imperial uncle of the current emperor of the Great Chu, and is even a generation above him.

Prince Chu-Zheng Hui was a Grand Marshal who commanded a million troops in North America. He was a ruthless figure who could stop a child from crying at night. He was revered by domestic and foreign media as the "King of North America." He had seen countless deaths and his heart was as hard as iron.

Now, when his father called him "Little 41," Prince Chu-Zheng Hui was instantly moved to tears. When he entered the hall, tears were already streaming down his face.

Even the most heroic and valiant man instantly transforms into a mere child before the Holy Emperor Taizu.

When he saw the slender, imposing old man in the hall, with snow-white hair and beard, looking at him with gentle eyes, he couldn't help but kneel down with a "thump" and kowtow in a trembling voice.
"Your Majesty, I, your unfilial son, have fought in North America for three years and have been fortunate enough to return in triumph. However, I have caused Your Majesty worry and anxiety and have been unable to attend to you. This is a crime deserving of death."

"My 41st prince has returned in glory, what crime has he committed? Please take a seat," said the Holy Emperor Zheng Guohui with a smile.

"Your subject kowtows to express gratitude for Your Majesty's grace and thanks you for the seat."

"Are there any outsiders here? Little 41, stand up and talk to your father. Your father is old and can no longer support you."

"May Your Majesty enjoy boundless blessings and longevity, shining as brightly as the sun and moon, just like the majestic Kunlun Mountains of the northern lands, forever guarding the empire's mountains and rivers. How can you say you are old?"

"Hehehe... Foolish child, how can a person live forever? Wouldn't that make him an old monster?"

The Holy Emperor Taizu waved his hand dismissively, his face calm and serene, his detached and carefree demeanor truly resembling that of a celestial being.

That means they have truly taken a detached view of worldly power, fortune, longevity, wealth, and other mundane things, and no longer care about them.

This left Prince Chu-Zheng Hui stunned. Moved, he felt that his own level of understanding had risen to a new level.

If one could often listen to the sacred teachings of the founding emperor and serve by his side, just thinking about it fills one's heart with immense happiness.

They talked for a while.

Seeing the Northern Army preparing for the Battle of Chicago, Emperor Zheng Guohui tapped his slender fingers lightly on the armrest of his chair, pondered for a moment, and said;
"Alas, things have come to this point and there is no other choice but to proceed. Order the generals at the front to make preparations, and make sure they are thorough."

After this battle, the area surrounding Chicago will inevitably be reduced to ruins, the people will suffer, and the land will be devastated—a tragedy too painful to describe.

Long-term pain is worse than short-term pain.

Military action must be coordinated with pressure from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to force the Americans to submit and sign a humiliating treaty.

Otherwise, whether it be the prosperous eastern United States or the metropolis with millions of people, all would be under the imperial military might and none would dare to defy it.

"If we defeat America in World War I, the world will be at peace!"

Prince Chu-Zheng Hui had long admired the foresight and wisdom of the Holy Emperor Taizu.

Upon hearing just a few more words, the strategic and geopolitical predicament before them suddenly became clear. They nodded in deep agreement and agreed, and would certainly act in accordance with the sacred teachings.

After saying all that, Emperor Zheng Guohui instructed Prince Chu-Zheng Hui to remain at the Royal Army General Staff Headquarters and not to travel to North America anymore.

He was also fifty-six or fifty-seven years old. At that age, even traveling on a transoceanic cruise ship would be extremely strenuous. He could simply sit in the central command and direct operations.

Let the young people do it. Prince Chu-Zhengyan, the commander-in-chief of the Southern Army Corps, is not yet 40 years old. He is in his prime, with no shortage of experience or courage. Why not let them do it? (End of Chapter)