The Republic of Zheng Fa is a small Asian country recovering from a crippled economy due to the actions of an international smuggling ring. Its national flag depicts a phoenix.
Lang Zi and the House of Lang
Around 2000 BCE, a philosopher named Lang Zi revolutionized Zheng Fa's law enforcement system via his "philosophy of detainment". His efficient, if draconian, methods shaped the country's legal system into its current state and ensured that Lang Zi was greatly respected in his home country. The House of Lang is descended from Lang Zi, and its members held positions of power in Zheng Fa for many years and even operated a training school for police officers.
A chef's visit
On December 21, 2001, pastry chef Yutaka Kazami headed to Zheng Fa to train his confectionery design skills, which were lacking at the time. His three-year stay in the country dramatically improved his ability to make candy designs as he intended. He went on to become a world-renowned pastry chef. His trip, however, extended the statute of limitations on a murder that he had committed, ultimately leading to his arrest 18 years later.
The SS-5 Incident
- Main article: SS-5 Incident
President Teikun Ō and Dai-Long Lang.
In 2007, President Teikun Ō was assassinated during a visit to the United States, as part of a plot by one of his body doubles to replace him. With the help of Chief Prosecutor Bansai Ichiyanagi and Marī Miwa, however, the murder was made to look like a kidnapping. The only witness to the "kidnapping", Ryūji Kamei, was murdered during the plot by the conspirators, although Ichiyanagi took over the investigation to ensure that the murder was completely covered up. The government of Zheng Fa quickly paid the ransom money demanded, and the body double returned, claiming to be the real president.
Dai-Long Lang, Ō's head bodyguard and the detective in charge of the investigation, found out the truth through a child witness, but knowing the grave consequences of such a revelation, he decided to keep it hidden, took full responsibility for the "kidnapping", and was demoted. He continued to investigate and eventually arrested Miwa and had her put on trial. However, thanks to Ichiyanagi's machinations, she was acquitted. Lang resigned, and the Lang name was tarnished. Shi-Long Lang, his son, made it his life's duty to restore his family's honor, and he rose among the ranks of Interpol to become one of its top agents.
The smuggling ring
- Main article: Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth
In the 2010s, Zheng Fa fell under the influence of an international smuggling ring led by Quercus Alba. The country suffered a great flood of counterfeit bills produced by the criminal group, crippling its economy. The counterfeit bills were made using Babahlese ink made from whitcrystal oil, which made them almost indistinguishable from genuine Zheng Fa currency. Since the country was used as a refuel and cargo transfer point for iFly Airlines, an agent of the smuggling ring infiltrated the airline and used Flight I-390 to switch the priceless Alif Red with a fake. She was eventually caught after killing Interpol agent Akbey Hicks. Thanks to the actions of Miles Edgeworth and Shi-Long Lang at the Cohdopian Embassy, Alba was arrested and the plates used to make the fake bills were seized by the local authorities.
The body double exposed
- Main articles: Turnabout Target and The Grand Turnabout
A few days after the smuggling ring's fall, the body double attempted to boost his failing publicity by arranging a fake assassination attempt during a speech at Gourd Lake in the United States. However, one of his bodyguards, Manosuke Naitō, used the ensuing chaos as an opportunity to kill the head bodyguard, Gai Tojiro. Edgeworth investigated the incident and, despite the president's attempts to cover up the fake assassination plot, figured out what had really happened and Naitō was arrested for the murder. Roughly two weeks later, the president was killed by Sōta Sarushiro, who had witnessed the assassination of the real president all those years prior. In the end, Edgeworth managed to get to the truth behind both the president's identity and his murder. Despite the crushing revelation that the president had been a fraud for 12 years, Shi-Long Lang vowed to help restore his country's greatness.
Name
- Zheng Fa's name in the Japanese version is "西鳳民国" (Seihō Mingoku in kanji and Xī Fèng Mínguó in pinyin), which translates as "Western Phoenix Republic"; the national flag depicts a phoenix.
- In Chinese, "政法" (Zhèngfǎ) can be translated as "politics and law".
Development
Zheng Fa may be loosely based on China, Hong Kong, or Taiwan to the point of speaking the same language, or at least sharing the word "謝謝" (xie xie), meaning "thank you".