Chapter 586: Thai Campaign (8)

Manggu's entire city is free of battle flames, the smoke gradually fades, and the shattered streets still retain the charred scent of fire.

"Commander Zhou, Luan Piwen's group is yours; I'll handle Stilwell's side. See to it that it's dealt with quickly, and don't give the Allied Forces a chance to intervene," Du Yuming said, gripping Zhou Haitong's hand, his tone urgent.

After the Expeditionary Force seized the Prime Minister's residence and captured Luan Piwen, Song Kan and a host of Thai cabinet ministers, Du Yuming quietly transferred full custody of these people into Commander Zhou's charge.

Zhou Haitong nodded and replied: "Don't worry, I have my own plan; I'll never let a cooked duck fly away."

While Stilwell and the Western Allied Forces are still basking in news of the great victory in Manggu, not yet having reacted or been able to intervene in Thailand's post‑war arrangement, Commander Zhou makes an immediate decision, opting to cut the Gordian knot swiftly to stabilize Thailand as fast as possible.

He knows very well that the Allied Forces have always liked meddling in Nanyang's affairs.

If Stilwell regains his senses, he will certainly intervene in the name of the Allied Forces, either sheltering Luan Piwen's pro‑Japanese leaders or forcibly stationing Western powers in Thailand, disrupting Nanko's overall layout.

Therefore, before the Allied Forces can intervene, they must, in the name of the Thai royal family, completely eliminate Luan Piwen and seize actual control of Thailand.

Commander Zhou ordered his subordinates: "Prepare a vehicle, go to the royal palace to see King Ananta, the matter cannot be delayed."

"Yes, Commander!"

The deputy officer replied and stepped back.

He knows that before the Allied Forces intervene, they must, under the Thai royal name, completely deal with Luan Piwen and thereby seize real power in Thailand.

Having made up his mind, Commander Zhou immediately dispatched guards to guide him and personally proceeded to the Thai royal palace to audience King Ananta Mahithun.

At this time, Ananta is still young; residing in the palace, he has already seen clearly the current situation.

The Japanese Army collapsed like a mountain, Manggu fell, the elite 48th Division was annihilated, and Luan Piwen's Japan‑backed separatist regime has already collapsed.

The whole of Thailand has completely fallen under Nanko and the Expeditionary Force's control; he has no military authority, no power, and no capital to resist at all.

During the Expeditionary Force's attack on Manggu, Ananta trembles all over, frightened and terrified!

After Commander Zhou sits down, his expression steady, he signals the accompanying translator to render his words sentence by sentence.

The translator, without a single error, conveys to the young king Commander Zhou's meaning: "Now Luan Piwen and Song Kan have defected to Japan, invited the wolf into the house, tied Thailand to Japanese war machines, causing the land to be ravaged by fire, the people displaced— they are Thailand's criminals."

"These persons and a host of treasonous ministers, bringing disaster to the nation and its people, are unforgivable; from now on the royal family will step forward to oversee the execution, to appease the people's anger and uphold the law."

The translator finishes, Ananta's face changes slightly, and he asks softly: "Commander Zhou's meaning is that the royal family should preside over the execution?"

"Exactly," Commander Zhou nods.

"The royal family steps forward, with legitimacy and propriety."

At the same time, Commander Zhou candidly informs Ananta of the current situation: "From now on, the defense, public security, transportation, and overall military‑civil administration of all Thailand will be formally taken over by Nanko. The Thai royal family members will retain their honored status and royal privileges, remaining symbolic figures of Thailand; they need only reside peacefully within the palace and need not involve themselves in military or governmental affairs."

Here Commander Zhou makes a Tai Chi gesture, indicating that the guarantee is only the symbolic status of the royal family, and where that symbol lies, he does not know.

Jiang Anguo also does not allow Thailand to retain a royal family; he has already prepared a contingency.

The young Ananta listens quietly to the translator's rendition, his expression calm, having already weighed the pros and cons in his mind.

He knows clearly that the great tide is set: Manggu is ruined, the Japanese Army defeated, and Thailand no longer has any external force to rely on.

If he refuses Nanko's arrangement, not only will the royal honor be lost, but even his own safety cannot be guaranteed.

If he complies, he can use the public's hatred of Luan Piwen to bolster the royal reputation, preserve his own position, and prevent Thailand from sinking into greater war and division.

Logically and emotionally, he has no reason to refuse.

"I understand," Ananta says slowly, nodding, "I will cooperate with Nanko's arrangement, and I ask Commander Zhou to keep his promise."

He has no reason to refuse; compliance is the only option now.

Ananta is willing to cooperate with Nanko and preside over the ceremony dealing with Luan Piwen's group.

The next day, the square in front of the Thai royal palace is already under multiple layers of martial law imposed by South China Army soldiers.

The surroundings are filled with Manggu civilians who rushed in upon hearing the news, as well as neatly lined South China Army troops; the atmosphere is solemn and heavy.

Luan Piwen, Song Kan, and the cabinet ministers who followed him in allying with Japan and sowing chaos in Thailand are dragged to the center of the square, each in disheveled clothing, pallid, trembling all over, long stripped of the arrogance and authority they once held.

They still shout, "You can't kill me!"

"I am Thailand's Prime Minister!"

Under the witness of a Thai royal representative, a public execution ceremony officially commences.

According to Thai traditional law and the will of the people, Luan Piwen, Song Kan, and the criminal ministers are publicly sentenced to hanging.

Below the execution ground, countless Manggu civilians watch with cold eyes; many who have suffered the war's hardships shout loudly, finally releasing long‑suppressed resentment.

The Luan Piwen regime, which once controlled Thai politics and thrived under Japanese patronage, is thus utterly annihilated.

After the execution ceremony ends, Commander Zhou immediately discusses King Ananta's placement with Yao Quanyi.

Naturally, they also send a Telegram to inquire the commander in Singapore.

The two carefully weigh the current Thai situation and agree that Ananta must absolutely not be sent to the Lashu POW camp for detention.

The Lashu POW camp specifically houses senior Japanese war criminals and hostile generals; sending the Thai king there would amount to completely abolishing the Thai royal family.

Now Thailand has just emerged from the flames of war; public sentiment is volatile, tribes and local powers are numerous, and the situation was already unstable.

If even the nominal king disappears, the whole of Thailand would instantly fall into a leaderless chaos, with local forces seizing the chance to carve out their own domains, war reigniting, security collapsing; Nanko's attempt to peacefully take over and govern Thailand would become far more difficult.

Retaining King Ananta's nominal status is the best way to stabilize Thai public sentiment and maintain local order.

Finally, the two decide to send King Ananta Mahithun to settle in Qinglai in the north.

Qinglai, located in Northern Thailand, far from Manggu's political center and within the garrison area of Yao Quanyi's Independent Regiment, is heavily guarded; it can protect the king's personal safety while isolating him from Manggu's power core, preventing any covert collusion with former ministers or remnants from reviving.

With the placement set, Ananta, also very aware of the times, publicly issues a royal proclamation recognizing Luan Piwen's crimes against the nation, acknowledging Nanko's takeover of Thailand's defense and military‑civil authority, and calling officials and citizens alike to cooperate with Nanko's governance, jointly quelling the war and restoring livelihoods.

From then on, Nanko, using the Thai royal name, lawfully executes the pro‑Japanese culprits and smoothly assumes all actual power in Thailand.

Preserving the royal family's nominal title calms the people, while seizing military‑civil authority fixes the situation; this both eliminates any chance of Allied Forces' interference and fully stabilizes Thailand, laying an unshakable foundation for Nanko's deepening of Nanyang and its control over the entire Southeast Asian strategic map.