Nanyang Storm 1864

Chapter 418 Willing to Go to Dongsang City

After finishing the meal, Li Jingxi felt refreshed and recovered.

Walking on the dirt road that had just rained heavily, there were large ponds connected to small ponds on the road, as well as deep pits dug up to build underground ditches, and yellow mud was flowing everywhere.

The terrain is slightly higher as we proceed along the wooden houses on both sides of the road.

The entire city of Cabinda is quite large and is located on the banks of the majestic Congo River. The city is surrounded by an earthen city that is 3.3 kilometers wide and more than 4 kilometers long, with three gates.

Since many wooden houses had been built before, the newly arrived Chinese immigrants, even though numbering more than 4,000, could be accommodated with a little crowding.

There is a large open space on the southeast side of the earthen city. On one side of the woods, a sawmill, brick kiln and lime kiln are built here, as well as several sturdy stone warehouses.

Less than one-fifth of the entire Cabinda earthen city is effectively utilized.

The Chinese residential areas are basically in the wooden house area. Across the internal earth wall and a small river is the slave concentration camp. They are also the main force in the construction of this city.

As soon as the rain stopped, they were driven out to work.

Li Jingxi looked at the group of dark and strong bodies working in the slightly damp weather after the rain, wearing only the same light-colored shorts around their waists.

This scene gave him a strong shock.

Li Jingxi was not an ignorant man. He had seen many enslaved indigenous convicts in the large mines of the Chu State. They worked day and night under difficult conditions, and many Chu people were accustomed to it.

The Colonial Office has always been promoting the idea that the Chinese nation, as an excellent and advanced civilization, has a natural responsibility to educate the barbarians and indigenous peoples.

This is almost identical to what the white colonists said. It is undeniable that the propaganda effect was very good among the ordinary people of Chu State and cultivated a large number of fanatical supporters.

The Governor's Mansion is a two-story Chinese-style pavilion. Its brick walls are made of thick local rocks. It is like a small fortress in itself and has excellent defensive capabilities.

When Li Jingxi arrived here, after being reported by a lieutenant officer, he soon met Major General Pan Tianshou, who was wearing a loose Tang-style gown and looked like a rich man.

Beside him was Colonel Fang Shiwei in military uniform. He was a soldier with a face as tough as a knife and an axe. He was born into the Royal Guards.

Li Jingxi paid a visit as scheduled. Governor Major General Pan Tianshou laughed heartily and looked very amiable. He had received a secret letter from the Prime Minister that was privately handed over by Uncle Fu. In fact, there was not much content in the letter.

It just talked about some overseas scenery and expressed a yearning mood, but there was no substantial content.

What the secret letter itself said was not important. The key was the young lord Li Jingxi who arrived with him, which implied that the kingdom's top powerful family was asking for his care.

The intention of the request is self-evident.

"I, Li Jingxi, the officer of the Ministry of Colonies, pay my respects to the Governor-General. Although I am ignorant, I have long heard of the glorious achievements of the General and I admire them." Li Jingxi bowed deeply in accordance with the rules of officialdom.

Major General Pan Tianshou came over with a generous look, laughing loudly, and personally helped Li Jingxi up, saying with great admiration:
"I've long heard that the Li family of northern Anhui are all talented and famous. Seeing them today, I can see that they are indeed extraordinary. From now on, we will be stirring the same pot together. My dear nephew, there is no need to be restrained."

"That's what I wish for, but I dare not ask for it." Li Jingxi was of noble status, and not every superior could be worthy of his respect.

Major General Pan Tianshou was the highest-ranking officer who knew the details. Apart from him, only Colonel Fang Shiwei knew about the experience of the son of the Marquis's Mansion. No one else knew.

He paid his respects to the superior as usual, without many complicated rules. He then asked his attendants to sit down and talked about business.

Major General Pan Tianshou was a straightforward soldier who didn't like beating around the bush. He said directly:
"My dear nephew, your visit has really posed a difficult problem for me. The Congo River is a haunted place full of mixed people, with hundreds of black indigenous tribes. Entering the jungle is life-threatening.

In just these two months, our Chinese immigration settlements have suffered no less than ten attacks, resulting in dozens of casualties. We must not be careless.

After knowing your situation, I have considered it and there are three options for you to choose from.

The first option is to stay in Cabinda and serve as a deputy colonial commissioner. The security conditions here are much better than in other places.

It's easier to take care of it since it's under my supervision.

The second option is to go to Dongsang City, which is a plain along the coast with good farming conditions. It is not far from Cabinda and you can preside over the colonization work in Dongsang City.

The third option is to go upstream along the Congo River to the Sandaowan colony, which is a Chinese immigrant settlement located in a valley. The surrounding security situation is slightly better.

The so-called slightly better is only relative.

This hellhole is full of armed black tribes, and in the north there are traditional Arab slave trading forces that roam around on the edge of the desert, making it quite tricky.

In my opinion

It is best to stay in Cabinda, where there is nothing to fear except the Portuguese whites not far away."

When Major General Pan Tianshou said this, Li Jingxi had already considered it and said firmly:
"Your Excellency, I am deeply grateful for your kind and considerate attitude. After careful consideration, I am willing to accept your order and head to Dongsang City. I will begin with the most basic colonial development and accumulate experience bit by bit."

"Good, you are ambitious. You are worthy of being a direct descendant of the famous Li family in northern Anhui. Your ambition is extraordinary." Major General Pan Tianshou praised.

After a moment's consideration, he turned to look at Colonel Fang Shiwei, who had been standing silently to the side, and said, "My dear brother, are there any capable soldiers among this group of immigrants? Please arrange for them to be brought to Dongsang City for my nephew. It would be best if they could be handled properly."

"Yes, Lieutenant Tang Yingyuan is my old subordinate. He is experienced in many years of war and acts decisively. He can go to Dongsang City with my nephew." Colonel Fang Shiwei made the arrangement without hesitation.

"Okay, then arrange for Lieutenant Tang to go to Dongsang City and issue the order as soon as possible."

"Yes, sir."

Today, among the eight Chinese immigrant cities on the Atlantic coast, Cabinda has the largest military force, while the others mostly have between one and two hundred people, or an attached black battalion.

The rank of lieutenant is sufficient for command.

The Congo River Governorate was ultimately a joint-stock colonial company that had to consider profits and output. It could not develop its army without restraint, but only maintain the necessary armed forces.

Therefore

The Congo River Governor's Office often used money and goods as lures to attract surrounding black tribes to trade. By constantly launching tribal wars, it obtained defeated black slaves as labor to develop the city.

There were not many military operations actually launched.

Major General Pan Tianshou and Colonel Fang Shiwei are both experienced soldiers and know the principle of "if you don't move, you will be calm, but if you move, you will be like thunder."

Any expeditionary adventure team under the Congo River Company would commit bloodshed as soon as it went out. Any black indigenous tribes that dared to attack Chinese colonies and cities would be killed without leaving any alive.

It is this extremely ruthless style that can greatly intimidate the local indigenous black tribes.

If the local black chiefs still had a bit of common sense, they would not dare to provoke these ferocious Chinese colonists easily. That would be a huge disaster.

(End of this chapter)