11th of January, 2025
Luoyang, Occupied China
Following the conquest of Luoyang, the Romans gave an impressive party in the Forbidden City before burning it down, to which they also invited the allied leadership.
"Your Majesty, this is Field Marshal Grand Duke Henry Velaines of..."
"Yes, I know Grand Duke Velaines. He used to be the Viceroy of Euro Britannia, long ago."
Said Giulio interrupting King Ludwig of Bavaria, who was introducing to him some important guests. Saying so, Giulio shook Velaine's hand.
"Pleased to see you again."
"My pleasure, Your Majesty."
Ludwig intervened again: "Now, this is Lady Kaguya..."
"Kaguya!" Exclaimed Giulio hugging and kissing twice Kaguya Sumeragi. "In the end you came!"
"Yes! In a hurry, but here I am."
"And I couldn't be happier to see you here! Kallen is also looking forward to see you."
"Wait a moment, is Kallen here?" Asked Kaguya alarmed. Giulio and the others started laughing.
"It was joke, don't worry." Reassured Giulio.
"I mean... Personally I would have no objections. But I am a minister and she..."
"Yes, I know, don't worry."
"Because of my personal friendship with the Tianzi I feel obliged to inquire about her fate after the capitulation." Asked Kaguya, now more serious.
"We will bring her to Rome." Replied Anya.
"Oh yes and we plan to parade her through Via del Corso naked and in a cage." Added Ayano, who was next to Giulio.
"Ayano, for Jupiter's sake!" Exclaimed Amedeo.
"What?" Asked Kaguya appalled.
"They are joking." Intervened Giulio. "I plan to keep her in the Sassuolo Ducal Palace, made available to us by the Dukes of Modena and Reggio. This until the end of the war, then she will receive a pension and will be allowed to live freely in the Empire."
"May I visit her?" Asked Kaguya.
"She is already on her way to Italy." Replied Giulio.
"Mesdames and Monsieurs" Announced the Master of Ceremony. "Let us all stand up to welcome His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Julius I of the Romans, Emperor and King, King of Italy and of all the other Domains under the Sun, with his wife, Her Imperial Majesty Anya of the Romans, Empress and Queen Consort, Countess of Coeur D'Alene."
Everybody stood up to applaud them, after which the orchestra played the Kaiserhymne and the Inno a Roma.
"Ladies and gentlemen" Started the Emperor. "I am pleased by the warm reception. I would like first of all to thank Generaloberst Rommel, to whom I have conceded just a few hours ago the Imperial Order of Jupiter Optimus Maximus and all those who have fought so far in this campaign. The Gods are in our favour and soon we will all be celebrating in our homes. Now please, let's have the orchestra resuming playing and let's cheer at our victory."
12th of January, 2025
Anna Clément was with her parents visiting her brother, now recovering at the Imperial Army Hospital of Luoyang, which was now being administered by the Roman Occupation Force.
"Son, how are you feeling today? Are you recovering? I have brought you some food." Asked Countess Madeleine, giving her son a basket with food.
"Thanks mom! And yes, I am feeling better, but the doctor said I will need to stay here for still two or three days, before being transferred back to Europe." Replied Hector.
"Really?" Asked Count Jean-Pierre. "Do we really want to trust those Chinese?"
"Dad, the hospital is not anymore administered by the Chinese, now there are our Army's doctors here." Said Anna.
"True, but honestly I would love if I could get out now. I am truly fed up of China, East Asia and all this mess."
"We know of this, Hector." Replied his father. "If you want I can see if they let you go for some money."
"Dad, for Heaven's sake!" Exclaimed Anna.
"My sister is right." Replied Hector. "Better if I stay here, after all they are telling me to do so for my own sake, not theirs. By the way, how was yesterday's party?"
"It was great, the food was amazing and we had the orchestra and a tenore of La Scala, of Milan singing, also there were many friends of ours." Replied Countess Madeleine.
"I could see some of the celebrations on TV. Giulio is a true megalomaniac." Said Hector, thinking of the many displays of power by the Emperor.
"Other than arrogant, egocentric, cynical and narcisistic beyond any tollerable limit." Added his father.
"Come on dad! He always respected you!" Intervened Anna. "He is a good person, he just has his moments."
"I just don't like how he treats other people." Replied Jean-Pierre. "Like, he wanted to slap the Tianzi in front of everybody just to show who was the boss, and he did this to someone that used to be his friend and that always had great respect to him. Then he treated the King of Bavaria like trash during the whole evening."
"He didn't, King Ludwig was insisting too much with him over marrying Princess Lucrezia and he lost his patience."
"Yes, but he could recall, sometimes in his life, that his sister has also her own feeling and that he cannot marry her off to any stranger just because of business."
"Oh no!" Exclaimed the man on the bed next to Hector's.
"All good, sir?" Asked Jean-Pierre.
"I know him..." Said Anna perplexed.
"He is Li Xingke, former Chief of Staff of the Chinese Imperial Army." Intervened Hector. The man however did not seemed to care.
"That's a disgrace..." Murmured again Li Xingke pointing at the TV. All the Clément looked at it.
On the screen was being sohwed the current edition of LVX News, in which a German journalist with a triumphalist tone was describing the scene that was being showed: the destruction of the Forbidden City.
The international troops were plundering the compound, taking out statues, jewelry and all the other treasures kept inside, while other soldiers were throwing gasoline and other inflamable materials on the buildings (most of them in wood) and inside them, preparing to set everything on fire.
"Your Emperor shouldn't do this... He knows very well what the Forbidden City means for the Chinese." Said again Li with an increasingly weakened voice.
"Well, you talk about someone who plundered the Buddhist temples during the Euro-Chinese War in order to enrich his private collection of antiques." Replied Hector.
"He will regret doing this... He is liberating against him a force that he cannot imagine... You must stop him!" The last words came almost strangled as Li Xingke fell back on his bed prey of convulsions.
"Call a doctor, soon!" Exclaimed Anna.
When the doctors arrived it was too late. Li Xingke, former personal guard of the Tianzi and Chief of Staff of the Imperial Chinese Armed Forces was lying dead on his bed. Outside the Hospital, the flames had already started devouring the Vermillion Forbidden City, before the astonished eyes of the whole world.
Press Updates
From LVX News, 12th of January, 2025
The Forbidden City Burns! Emperor Julius: "A lesson to all those who think of challenging the might of Rome. When the flames will die, it will be covered with salt." Parade in Rome to take place, will exhibit the former Tianzi and Chinese banners as war trophies.
From The Tokyo Herald
Roman Forces burn Luoyang's Forbidden City to the ground. Prime Minister Ohgi Kaname: "An action to be condemned. We are in China to re-establish the order, not to plunder."
From BBC News
Rome burns Luoyang to the ground. Lord Mercia: "An act of pure and simple barbarism. Giulio Galahad-Canossa is a landsknecht, not and Emperor."
From The Times of New Delhi
Raja of India condemns Roman plunder of Luoyang and outrage to the Tianzi. "The world needs a new order, free from the prevarication of the Northern Barbarians."
From Globo News
Empress Carine greets conquest of Luoyang: "Rome and Brazil stand together against anyone wishing to challenge the world order and bring back the old chaos. Congratulations to our soldiers in China and to our brave allies."
From Die Transvaler
Luoyang is taken! President Verwoerd travels to Italy to meet with Emperor Julius. "After the success of our partnership in China, we look forward to extend it to deal with terrorist threats in Africa."
13th of January, 2025
Nanking, Chinese Federation
Yuan Xiquan was drinking his tea together with NN and General Wu Enlai, a young nationalist general who had gained his trust and had become his right arm.
"General Xiquan, you will allow me, but now the foreigners are in Luoyang and most of our armies lie defeated. How shall we move?"
"General Enlai, have you checked the news?" Asked back Xiquan.
"I did, sir."
"So you must have seen that our victory has just started."
"Sir, I beg your pardon?"
"You will get used to his way of speaking." Said NN.
"Well, as I guessed, Emperor Julius as much as ingenuous he may be, is still an impulsive youngster. In his willingness to show off his might even in an unnecessary circumstance, he has exposed all the contradictions of the Roman Order. Now it is up to us to take advantage of them and provoke the collapse of the system."
"After our naval victory against the Japanese it is quite possible to push back in the North. Some victories on land, may indeed push the others to give up." Observed Enlai.
"And that's why you will soon meet with the Ambassadors of Japan, India and Rio de La Plata, while I will meet that of Britannia." Replied Xiquan. "We must dominate the intermediate zone, in order to surround and strangle Rome." Replied Xiquan.
"Dominate? Sir, I am not sure we can think of dominating in our situation." Objected Enlai.
"Just be patient, young Enlai and you will see. In our desperate conditions we have repelled a Japanese naval invasion and if they delay the signing of a peace treaty we may even take back Taiwan, which will certainly destabilise them. The Chinese are now willing to take their revenge, but are waiting for a new leader, as Lihua has now lost the Mandate of Heaven. Yesterday they burnt to the ground the Forbidden City, but soon it will be Rome that will be burning."
In the evening of that day of January, while the Chinese were returning to their homes, on all the TV station of the country was broadcasted an official communicate coming from the Eastern Theatre Command of the Chinese Imperial Armed Forces.
The communicate came with first the image of a new flag, red with a Golden Sun at its centre, while followed by a new anthem that soon would have been known as the March of the Volunteers. Following this opening, the image of General Yuan Xiquan appeared on the screen. He was dressed in a military uniform and the background was that of a white wall, with as only decoration a painting potraying Qin Shi Huang.
"Sons of China." Started the General. "Today the foreign devils have occupied and burnt the Forbidden City. This has been an outrage to the whole of China and many of you at this moment are shocked and desperate in front of the failure of our Empress in defeating them.
The failure by the Tianzi however means only one thing: that she has lost the Mandate of Heaven and the burning of the Forbidden City lies as a demonstration of it. China is not dead nor have the Heavens abandoned it. The Middle Kingdom must rise again, for without the Middle Kingdom the ties between men and the Heaven are severed.
This is why, Chinese, this is not only a fight for China, but for the emancipation of the whole mankind. Those imperialists have invaded us, but they are paper tigers, which will turn into ashes when the Red Banner will be high on the East.
The fall of the Tianzi means the beginning of the Revolution. Only yesterday the Beyiang Fleet has defeated the Japanese near our coasts and prevented them from landing, while our troops, having reorganised themselves, have already stopped the Imperialists' offensives.
I call upon you, Chinese, to follow me. From the countryside and the cities, join me against the Imperialists from within and without. We shall win this war, return China to its rightful position in the world and create a new order, based on justice and harmony.
The East is Red!"
14th of January, 2025
Castelporziano, Duchy of Latium, HRE
Giulio was about to receive President Verwoerd at the Imperial Villa of Castelporziano, in the countryside of Latium. He would have received him together with Metternich, Anya and Amedeo, who were sitting with him in a small lounge, waiting for the South African President.
"Your Majesty, allow me to say that the move of burning down the Forbidden City has been diplomatic suicide." Started Wilhelm von Metternich, without hiding his irritation.
"Come on, Metternich, it wasn't that bad." Replied Giulio.
"If until now Rome had the respect of the international community, after that episode this has been lost! The world is pointing at us as hostis humani generis."
"Well, I wonder if they will point in the same way at our Armed Forces." Replied Anya.
"Even with the forces that we have, I highly doubt that Rome could ever stand against half of the world, with the colonial empire in revolt." Insisted the Reichkanzler.
"That's why we need the South Africans on our side." Cut short Giulio.
"Your Majesties, Prince Metternich, President Hendrik Verwoerd."
Hendrik Verwoerd entered the room and all they stood up. He was a tall, middle-aged man, with a short grey beard and hairs and grey eyes. Near him, Giulio, with his 1m 78cm would look short, not to talk about Anya.
"President Verwoerd, be very welcome to our country house." Started Giulio extending his hand. Verwoerd shook it.
"Thank you, Your Majesty, it's a honour to meet you and your wife." Replied the South African also kissing Anya's hand.
Giulio then introduced Metternich and Amedeo: "This is Prince Wilhelm von Metternich, the Reichkanzler and this is my cousin, Lord Amedeo Farnese, Duke of Parma and Piacenza and Grand Master of the Imperial Military Order of St. Michael."
"Very honoured."
As they were introduced, the Emperor invited the President to take a seat and after the servants had brought a bottle of Porto and glasses, the talks began.
"So, Your Majesty." Began Verwoerd. "Allow me to begin by saying that my people was delighted by the cooperation between our forces in preserving white supremacy over China."
"And we are grateful for the heroism demonstrated by the Rhodesian Light Infantry in Luoyang."
"Ah well... the good old RLI, these are tough lads and I have to recognise it even though I am a proud Boer."
"No doubts about it. Anyway, allow me to say that I have always been fascinated by European and Britannian colonialism in Africa, especially as far as South Africa and Rhodesia were concerned."
"Am I mistaking or a member of your family served in South Africa?"
"Sir Engelbert, yes." Replied Giulio. "Commander of the colonial forces. Fought the Second Zulu War, the Second Boer War and the First Matabele War, was killed with Major Wilson's Shangani Patrol."
"Sorry for interrupting your exchange of memories." Intervened Anya. "But perhaps we should get back to business."
"Of course!" Replied Verwoerd. "I've heard you've had troubles in your colonies."
"Indeed." Replied Giulio. "Those damn terrs are giving us some headaches."
"I know, they have already started crossing the Zambesi, but down there it's that thing: we slot floppies."
"Good to know, good to know. I personally believe that at this stage a Roman-South African cooperation is fundamental, if we want to preserve Africa in our hands. You see, I sincerely believe that the white man has been designed by the Gods to rule over those lands and the day he will fail his mission, well, better to prepare to the worse." Replied Giulio.
"I see we speak the exact same language on African matters, Your Majesty. However, as for any matter of international affairs, I have to ask what will be the exact terms of our cooperation and which gains the Union of South Africa may have."
Giulio smirked.
"I was waiting for this question. We offer to create a Joint African Interforce Command, which will include both South African and Roman Generals, under the direct supervision of us, first. Second, we offer to modernise your ground forces by providing you 10,000 units of infantry knightframes type Alexander T-5, that are the most modern model produced by the Clément industries plus other 500 elite knightframes that we will discuss in a second moment. Moreover, we propose to liquidate the Societé pour le Congo and to replace it with a new Directorate that will include a 30% participation by South Africa. 15% to the State, 15% to the Verwoerd Family. Finally, I offer to the SADF Navy 30 Destroyers of the Triarii Class and 10 Light Cruisers of the Attilio Regolo Class. Is it enough?"
Hendrik Verwoerd nodded with surprise.
"It's much more than I have expected, but then I have to ask, what to you demand in exchange, other than the command of the African Command?"
"South African full cooperation in repressing the African rebels, the establishment of a permanent military alliance between our countries, which will commit both parts to help each other in case of war with a third power, a free trade agreement and the permission to establish a naval and air presence in Cape Town."
"We should discuss about the trade agreement and the military bases."
"We can discuss the trade agreement if you wish. Yet I will be intransigent on the military presence at the Cape. It's a strategic position and it is crucial for the Kriegsmarine to be able to strike from there."
Verwoerd thought for some more moments.
"Would you like to think over it for a few days, sir?" Asked Amedeo.
"No need. I will need to think about the trade, but for the rest we have a deal."
"Amazing!" Exclaimed Giulio smiling and shaking his hand.
"I will be pleased to address with Mr. President the details of the agreement." Said Prince Metternich.
"Magnificent, just don't take too long."
"Indeed, we will have soon to go to the North." Added Anya.
"I beg your pardon, where should we go?" Asked Verwoerd.
"Well, don't you want to choose the elite units knightframes?" Replied Giulio.