Nanyang Storm 1864

The Imperial Palace of the Great Chu Empire
Princess Shion

The weekly audience with His Majesty and the time for the imperial decree are held in the inner hall.

The important cabinet ministers, headed by Prime Minister Fan Zhicheng, were seated on the left and right, each with a brocade stool to sit on, arranged in order of their duties.

The ministers did not have to stand and listen, nor did they have to kneel down. Many red tapes were abolished and everything was kept simple.

This reflects the favor of His Majesty the Emperor of Great Chu towards his subjects, and that he does not treat them as slaves.

Foreign Minister Pan Yuchen stood in the middle of the court, reporting on current important matters.

"...

The British side was deeply mired in the South African War. So far, the war expenses had reached 2.21 million pounds, and the financial burden was very heavy.

Over the years

The total amount of war loans owed to the Great Chu Empire has reached 4.16 million silver dollars, equivalent to 8350 million pounds, with an annual interest rate of between 7.8% and 9.6%.

Just to repay the principal and interest each year, 130 million to 140 million ounces of gold need to be repaid.

It is precisely because of the heavy financial burden that there are growing calls in British society for an early end to this terrible war, including from many heavyweight Liberal Party politicians.

The current Conservative cabinet of Lord Cecil, under immense pressure from Buckingham Palace to the hostile Liberal Party, is taking a number of major measures to try to escape its current predicament.

First, in July 1900, the British Parliament passed the Australian Constitution and the British Dominion Ordinance, which would facilitate the independence of the Australian Dominion.

The same treatment was given to the three major dominions of Canada, South Africa and New Zealand, with the aim of helping them break away from British colonial status and establish independent countries.

In this way

The UK will significantly reduce its fiscal pressure. This is a plan that has been discussed for more than 20 years and a bill that has been promoted many times during the administration of Liberal Prime Minister Lord Gladstone.

Trapped by the current huge financial pressure, the Conservative Party, which has always taken a tough stance on the bill, is now changing its course, which is indeed the general trend.

Second, Britain contacted us privately many times, trying to persuade the Great Chu Empire to participate in the South African dispute and form a British-Chu coalition to completely quell the Boer rebellion.

This plan
In essence, they wanted to drag the Chu Empire into the war and transform the Chu State from a regional partner to a military alliance partner to share the pressure of the huge expenses of the South African War.

In compliance with Your Majesty's decree, we politely decline.

Third, the British side is seeking a new syndicated loan, hoping to reach a bank credit of 2500 million pounds as soon as possible to ensure the continued military operations of the British Expeditionary Force on the South African front.

Such a large amount of military expenditure can only last for three months at most.

Fourth, in order to reach an early ceasefire, the British side has secretly contacted and negotiated with the Boers, but has not yet achieved any results.

Starting in September 1901, Boer generals Smuts and Herzog once again led their troops into the Cape Colony and launched a frenzied harassment campaign.

They led more than 5000 Boer cavalry, divided into several small guerrilla groups, and marched thousands of miles deep into the British rear, advancing all the way to the Atlantic coast and the suburbs of Cape Town, forcing Britain to declare martial law in the Cape area.

As early as February, under pressure, Kitchener, commander-in-chief of the British Expeditionary Force, secretly negotiated with Boer resistance leader Louis Bertha.

However, due to huge differences, several negotiations ended in failure.

The biggest disagreement
The reason is that the British side firmly disagrees with the Boers' independence, and is even less likely to make concessions when they have gained absolute military advantage. This point is non-negotiable.

The recent military actions of the Boer army were aimed at putting pressure on the British Expeditionary Force and proving that the Boers were not powerless to resist.

In summary

After comprehensive analysis, colleagues from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs concluded that the British side has no intention of continuing this costly war and is seeking ways to end it as soon as possible.

What concerns our Great Chu Empire is the issue of the independence and self-determination of South Australia. I would like to bring this up for discussion by all the court members and present it to Your Majesty.

"I have finished my report and respectfully request Your Majesty's judgment!"

After saying this, Lord Pan Yuchen bowed deeply towards the Nine Dragon Throne at the top and quietly withdrew.

Chief Minister Fan Zhicheng raised his hand and bowed to His Majesty, saying, "Your Majesty, I believe that the other issues concerning England are of no concern. The only crucial issue is how to deal with the issue of Australian autonomy. The Great Chu Empire should take a stance on this and submit it for public discussion."

Emperor Zheng Guohui, seated at the head of the table, nodded slightly and said, "I agree with your report. Regarding the issue of Australian autonomy, please feel free to speak freely."

The voice just fell
General Pan Tianshou, the Minister of War, stepped forward, saluted, and said:
"Your Majesty

I believe that the Australian issue concerns the affairs of millions of Chinese expatriates. This is a matter of great importance and the best thing to do is to follow the will of the people.

As we all know, most of these expatriates migrated from the Great Chu Empire. Although they were in a foreign land, their hearts were with the imperial court.

If they could one day submit to the Celestial Empire, it would be the wish of all people.

Our Great Chu Empire should demonstrate a broad mind, respond to the will of heaven and follow the will of the people. This is the right thing to do. We must not miss this opportunity, or it will be too late to regret it."

"Your Majesty, I have objections."

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhang Huaizhong, who had just been transferred to the position of Minister of Finance, stepped out of the class, saluted, and said;

"I believe that this matter should be considered in the long term and should not be taken arbitrarily.

Although England suffered a heavy loss in the South African War, its power remained. This was because it was a land war and did not damage the strength of the British Royal Navy in the slightest.

As the core military force for Britain's intervention in world affairs, the Royal Navy's strength has attracted worldwide attention and should be used with caution unless absolutely necessary. Australian affairs are inevitably subject to London's will to intervene.

The so-called independence does not mean complete laissez-faire, but rather institutional reforms made in response to financial pressure.

At this critical juncture of interests, it is best to do less and wait and see what happens, and make plans in secret.

Once the intention is revealed, there is no going back.

If we are at a disadvantage in everything, we will become enemies with England and become suspicious of each other, and it will be difficult to achieve our goals, which will be counterproductive.

Therefore, I believe that it is better to keep a low profile and wait for the opportunity to strike.

I have only a few humble opinions, and I respectfully ask Your Majesty to enlighten me."

Zhang Huaizhong's meaning was very clear. Seeking to gain control of Australia was a long-term strategy for the Great Chu Empire, but one should not be impatient or hastily express one's stance, otherwise one would be at a disadvantage.

If this is the case, the space for policy reversal will be greatly compressed, creating difficulties out of nowhere.

Afterwards, the ministers expressed their views one after another, each standing on the radical faction and the conservative faction. In the end, there was no clear winner among the important cabinet ministers, with half on each side.

Both sides held their own opinions and argued fiercely.

Until the end

Only the Prime Minister Fan Zhicheng had not yet made a clear stance. He watched the two sides arguing with a calm look and a strict tone.

This is also a habit developed around Emperor Zheng Guohui. Before His Majesty makes a clear attitude, all arguments are just arguments and have no meaning.

This is also the important reason why Fan Zhicheng was able to serve as the Prime Minister of Chu for 8 years and then became the first Prime Minister of the Great Chu Empire, that is, to follow the will of His Majesty.

Since the founding of the Great Chu Empire
His Majesty the Emperor of Great Chu has emphasized on various occasions that all state governance strategies and foreign policies should be considered with the interests of the empire at the core, rather than blindly following others.

The emperor's will has been implemented in the government's administration, and this has become increasingly evident in the past two years.

Specifically speaking of Australian affairs, because it involves the British Dominion of Australia, it becomes much more complicated considering the historical Australian Expeditionary Force and the current situation in Australia.

Due to its location in the western Pacific Ocean, Australia has extremely close economic ties with the Great Chu Empire, and with the addition of millions of Chinese immigrants, the situation becomes complicated.

What to do and what to follow is a great test of the decision-making of those in power.

Listening to the heated debate among his ministers, Emperor Zheng Guohui sat high on the dragon throne, his expression extremely serious, without any sign of inclination.

From his heart
I wish I could embrace Australia right now and make it a sacred and inseparable part of the Great Chu Empire, but in reality it is not that simple.

Although Britain advocated for Australian independence, it did not actually want to leave the Commonwealth. Instead, it wanted to remotely control Australia's foreign and military policies without placing heavy financial pressure on the British Empire.

You want the horse to run, but you don't want it to eat grass. That's probably what it means.

Radical opinions expressed

Based on the reality that Chinese residents occupy the mainstream of Australian society, the Great Chu Empire should instigate and promote Australia's submission to the Great Chu Empire after independence, so as to achieve a true unification of the Western Pacific.

This idea is good, but the possibility of it being realized is slim.

As Finance Minister Pan Yuchen said, although the British have fallen on hard times, they still have might and will never allow Australian affairs to get out of control.

The current situation is just an illusion, which implies the British side's probing and comprehensive considerations.

The best strategy is to remain unchanged in the face of ever-changing circumstances.

When the prince and his ministers were arguing fiercely, Emperor Zheng Guohui coughed lightly, and the ministers below instantly fell silent, and all cast inquiring eyes towards the Nine Dragon Throne.

Being in a supreme position, Emperor Zheng Guohui did not need to worry about anything, he said directly;
"What you have said, my dear ministers, is all based on the interests of the empire, and I am deeply comforted.

The major national affairs, whether urgent or slow, have different starting points but the same destination, and are the same. They are all the advice of experienced people for the country.

Why not spread the word, spark widespread discussion in the public opinion circle, and see how the English respond?

If the government takes advantage of the situation, wouldn't it be less of a gamble and more certainty?

By changing the pace of action, we can take the initiative everywhere."

The Emperor's words awakened the ministers, who suddenly realized what was going on. They all stood up, bowed, and said, "Great! I second the proposal."

The situation remains the same, but after a period of fermentation of public opinion, the government made a decision after careful consideration, which is really ingenious.

This is the skill of sophisticated governance. When faced with something uncertain, the government does not need to make a hasty statement, as this will only block its own way out.

Let public opinion ferment for a while and see how the opponent reacts before making a decision.

At that time, we will be able to move forward and backward freely, and the policy risks we bear will be greatly reduced, which is the best of both worlds.

Even if public opinion had gone too far, the British would not have been able to mobilize a large force to cause trouble.

After all, this is not the official position. Ordinary people can speak and act freely. We can't just shut everyone's mouth, right?
Zheng Guohui, the emperor of the Great Chu Empire, was well aware of the situation of the British side, but he was not sure how strong the British political parties that supported the independence of the four dominions of Australia, Canada, South Africa and New Zealand were.

How big is the reaction of British society when faced with provocations that are out of control?
It would be a good idea to first test public opinion. (End of this chapter)