Nanyang Storm 1864

Chapter 486 An unexpected big harvest
It took only one hour and forty minutes to cross the English Channel and arrive at the port of Le Havre in Normandy.

It is only 216 kilometers away from Paris, France. It is the outer port of Paris and the second largest commercial port in France after Marseille. The port is crowded with ships and a prosperous scene.

The water depth conditions in the Port of Le Havre are very good. Large ships can enter the harbor at any time without considering the tide conditions. The water depth at low tide is more than 15 meters.

In this French port, a fund affiliated with the Chu royal family holds shares through several companies, owning a total of 11.2% of the port's equity and part of the terminal warehouse properties, with an average annual dividend yield of more than 9%, making it a very good investment.

If there is an opportunity in the future, we will further increase our holdings.

King Zheng Guohui of Chu chose France as the second country to visit because of its historical status in the European continent and its strong international influence.

If I say that French Emperor Napoleon shaped the modern European landscape, I believe most people would agree.

Napoleon single-handedly created the North German Confederation, making it a vassal of France and an accomplice in fighting the Holy Roman Empire and Prussia.

Therefore

France had unquestionable decision-making power and influence on the issue of the North German Confederation, and was the biggest obstacle to the unification of the Kingdom of Prussia. It was also the powder keg fuse that caused the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War.

In 1806, Napoleon, Emperor of the First French Empire, ordered Francis II, the last Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, to dissolve the Holy Roman Empire. The Holy Roman Empire thus perished and the latter evolved into the Emperor of the Austrian Empire.

After the defeat at Waterloo, the North German Confederation became a group of idle small countries without a master, and always followed the big boss, the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

It was not until the Franco-Prussian War in 1871 that Germany was unified under the Kingdom of Prussia, resulting in the present-day German Empire, which is as vast as that of France.

French Emperor Napoleon conquered the Apennine Peninsula, annexed Genoa, and was crowned King of Italy in March 1805. This was the territory of the Kingdom of Italy 3 years later.

Today, France is the center of liberal thought in Europe and even the world. During the Third Republic, anarchism, liberal thought and Bourbon restoration, awakened nationalism and workers' movement, as well as anti-democratic liberalism represented by Guizot, all found suitable soil for survival here.

The London Times once ridiculed Paris, saying it was "a paradise for lunatics and paranoids, germinating dangerous ideas that could harm the whole of Europe. Those hedonistic officials are only thinking about climbing into the bed of a woman at night, but they turn a blind eye to the chaos that is just around the corner and allow it to spread madly and disorderly..."

King Zheng Guohui of Chu has long been immune to the love-hate relationship between the British and the French, and will not listen to one side of the story.

But the chaos and filth of Paris still shocked him. The city was littered with human urine and cow dung, and was filled with an elusive stench. Large amounts of garbage were floating on the Seine, and visible feces were floating in the river.

The whole city is filled with the indescribable call of the wild. Exquisite and elegant French buildings are set against the dirty streets. Elegant ladies walk by with their skirts lifted and their heads held high, as if they are walking on a stage that belongs to them alone.

These strong contrasts brought a profound shock to King Zheng Guohui of Chu.

It is indeed a fertile soil. No wonder it can give birth to so many strange ideas. It is really exciting.

There was little success in the exchanges with the French government and upper class, and the relationship between Chu and France was walking on a middle line between neither enemy nor friend, with the majority of public opinion in Parisian newspapers being hostile.

France's two attempts to expand its colonies in Indochina were both defeated by the Black Flag Army, which even led to the fall of the cabinet and brought shame to the French army.

These past events will not be erased so easily.

Although France has no definite evidence to prove that the State of Chu is secretly supporting the Black Flag Army, many things do not require definite evidence, and personal conviction is enough.

In the entire South Seas and Indochina Peninsula, the only country that could cause trouble to the French colonists was the Chu State.

This charge of aiding the enemy has long been a hot topic in France, with conspiracy theories flying everywhere. The purpose is to find excuses for the incompetence of the government and the military and to alleviate the pressure of social criticism.

For the pride of France, losing to the Black Flag Army is embarrassing and unacceptable in any way.

If the Black Flag Army had the full support of the Chu State, that would seem to explain it.

However, recently, due to the oil trade price reduction war launched by the State of Chu, France saved a lot of money on imports, and the economic and trade relations between the two sides suddenly became warmer.

The warming of economic and trade relations does not represent a comprehensive recognition of politics, culture, religion and governance philosophy, not to mention that the two sides still have the difficult and unresolved issues of the Indochina Peninsula.

The colonial development of the Indochina Peninsula was the focus of France's foreign expansion. The arrogant French attempted to build a large colony here that would rival the Indian Peninsula.

This implies the intention of competing with the British, an aspect that the proud French particularly value.

The French suffered such a great loss that it could not be eliminated by the King of Chu's visit to France. From the government to the people, there are deep prejudices against them.

During U.S. Secretary of State Woodrow Wilson's visit to Europe, the focus was on activities in France.

These two countries are good friends across the Atlantic Ocean. France worked very hard to make the United States independent, which led to the outbreak of the Great Revolution that shocked the world. Even King Louis XVII was beheaded.

After its independence, the United States has always been a thorn in Britain's throat, but when the French see the Americans, they just like them and their values ​​​​match, so naturally they are particularly warm to each other.

With all these factors intertwined, it is not surprising that it is somewhat indifferent.

The King of Chu and his entourage stayed in Paris for five days, met with the cabinet and senior political figures, attended several luxurious banquets, and then set off south.

The King of Chu's convoy traveled south through important cities such as Bordeaux, Toulouse, and Milan, and arrived in Rome on November 11, beginning its official visit to the Kingdom of Italy.

Another delegation, led by Foreign Minister Zheng Xin and including Colonial Secretary Wu Qingfeng and Deputy Chief of Staff He Ruolin, arrived in Berlin ahead of schedule.

Today in Berlin, high-ranking officials from various powers have arrived one after another. Kings, grand dukes, prime ministers, secretaries of state and other heavyweights have gathered to warm up for the upcoming international conference.

Privately, shuttle diplomacy has already begun.

As the German Chancellor who presided over the meeting, Bismarck frequently held secret consultations with some heavyweights, trying his best to promote Germany's policy of colonization in Africa and strive to dominate the discourse of the meeting.

Lord Henry, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, also arrived with a delegation. How could the British be absent from such a world-renowned stage?

In the Roman Palace

The King of Chu held a formal meeting with King Umberto I of Italy. Compared with the implicit hostility of the French government and people, the Italians were much more enthusiastic and gave him an extraordinary reception etiquette.

As a newly emerging kingdom that only unified the Apennines and the entire Genoa in 1870, Italy, like Germany, was a world power that caught the late train, much later than the Chu State.

By the time they reacted and looked around the world, there were not many colonies left to divide up.

There was no hope in the Pacific region, as almost all the indigenous islands had been occupied by the Chu State. The German expedition team traveled around the Pacific region for more than ten years but failed to find an unowned island that could be colonized.

At best, we will find some uninhabited deserted islands that are completely unsuitable for colonization and long-term development.

Other than this
The areas surrounding the Indian subcontinent and the entire South Seas region were divided up by the four great powers of Britain, France, Chu and the Netherlands, leaving no room for intervention.

The independent states of North America, Central America, and South America were stabilized, and the Near East and the Persian Gulf were under British control.

The only place where we can make a move is Africa.

In a private meeting with King Zheng Guohui of Chu, Italian Prime Minister Agostino De Pretis and several important cabinet ministers attended the meeting and bluntly expressed their intention to colonize Ethiopia, hoping to gain support from Chu.

During these one or two years, diplomatic representatives of European powers frequently traveled back and forth, privately coordinating their positions on colonizing Africa and seeking support from major powers.

The territory I have my eyes on must not conflict with other powerful countries, so prior communication is very important.

Among them, King Leopold II of Belgium was the most active. His request to colonize Mozambique has been understood and approved by more than a dozen countries including Britain, Germany, Italy, Chu, the Netherlands, Austria-Hungary, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Greece, Bulgaria, etc., and he has reaped great rewards.

In turn, this put enormous pressure on the Portuguese, who had colonized Mozambique for more than three hundred years, and became invisible in international occasions due to their lack of strength.

Portuguese Prime Minister de Lesser angrily pointed out: "A group of Anglo-Saxon nations are openly looting with no regard for etiquette or shame, completely disregarding justice and morality. This is the greatest tragedy of the current international order."

In recent times, King Leopold II of Belgium has personally sent secret envoys to attack everywhere, and Britain has also helped to intercede.

It was with the help of Britain that the State of Chu agreed to Belgium's colonial demands.

King Leopold II of Belgium is the nephew of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. When it comes to helping, Buckingham Palace will act decisively.

This is part of the package of deals under the table. The UK has accepted a favor and will have to repay it in the future.

Back to topic
The Italian Kingdom's colonial demands were, on the one hand, to test whether the Chu State had any intention of colonizing Ethiopia, and on the other hand, it really needed the Chu State's help.

King Zheng Guohui of Chu was not that stupid. He was bewitched by the high-level diplomatic reception, delicious food and drinks, and flattery, and agreed without hesitation.

Giving up such a large piece of profit must be exchanged for an equivalent and generous return.

When the Italians talked about colonizing Ethiopia, King Zheng Guohui of Chu deliberately frowned, the smile on his face gradually disappeared, and he showed a very embarrassed look.

His behavior made Umberto I and Prime Minister Marquis Agostino de Pretis lose their composure, and they exchanged glances silently in private.

I feel that this matter is hanging in the balance. The Chu State probably also has the intention of expanding its colonization, otherwise it would not have occupied Eritrea, an important coastal area.

This is a big trouble!
The State of Chu occupied a coastline of more than 300 kilometers along the Red Sea, extending all the way to Djibouti in the northeast and bordering Sudan in the southwest.

That is
Italy wanted to send a large-scale invasion of the Ethiopian Plateau, or it could work with Britain to invade the African plateau from Sudan. The disadvantage was that Sudan was mostly desert and Gobi, with extremely backward infrastructure.

There are almost no decent roads here, and it takes a detour of more than 1700 kilometers to get deep into the Ethiopian plateau, and most of the area is uninhabited and arid.

Without strong logistical support, there is no need to even think about it.

Either enter from the Chu side, that would be the best option.

The Chu State built flat and wide roads and numerous bridges from Dinghai Port to Asmara, and extending to the inland hinterland. The local Chinese cities and settlements had very strong logistical supply capabilities.

If they could invade the Ethiopian plateau from here, they could purchase food, meat, supplies and vegetables from the local area to meet the huge needs of the Italian colonial army.

Compared to shipping it from Europe, this saves a lot of money.

In addition, the roads here are smooth, which is conducive to long-distance marches for the Romanized legions. They only need to cross more than 670 kilometers of East African Company territory to penetrate deep into the Ethiopian Plateau.

The Sakota region in Ethiopia has many lakes and rivers, a large amount of plateau forests and grasslands, and many local black indigenous villages and towns, which are very conducive to the Italian invading army's conquest.

Enter from this side

It can be said that this is the best solution for Italy to realize its colonial dream of conquering Ethiopia, without a doubt.

There was no third option: either get permission from Britain or work with the State of Chu to directly cross through the East African Company's territory and then conquer Ethiopia, the ancient plateau country.

There is no other way.

The colonies of Chu and Britain occupied a total of more than 2300 kilometers of coastline on the northwest end of the Red Sea. Ethiopia is actually a landlocked country and it is impossible to fly over it.

To be honest

The Italians have a good vision. Ethiopia is really a good place to colonize.

Located on a plateau, the climate here is relatively mild and moderate. The Kingdom of Ethiopia is famous for its handsome men and beautiful women. They are not only tall and strong, but also have light skin. Throughout its long history, the kingdom has had a lot of exchanges with European countries.

It is also because of this that the Ethiopian Kingdom is not an ignorant indigenous black tribe. Their army commonly uses muskets and artillery, and has hired European instructors all year round. It's just that the performance of their weapons is backward.

Does this explain the enthusiasm in Italy?
When you treat others with courtesy, you must ask for something.

King Zheng Guohui of Chu considered it with difficulty for a while before saying:
"Your Majesty, the King of Italy, there are two different opinions on the issue of colonizing Ethiopia in the Chu State, making it difficult to make a decision."

"I am aware of your country's intentions. This matter is of great importance and involves many people. Please allow our government to carefully study it before giving a definitive response."

He simply used the tactic of "delaying" and did not express his position for the time being. He wanted to see what bargaining chips Italy could come up with first. Anyway, there was no rush.

The Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Italy, Marquis Agostino de Pretis, is a senior politician with deep scheming who can sense the evasion in the words.

Without this ability, it would be impossible for him to hold the throne for more than three years in Italian politics where the prime minister changes like a revolving lantern.

Prime Minister Marquis Agostino de Pretis was well aware of the true meaning of negotiation. Now that the cards had been revealed, he would talk openly without any taboos. It was just a matter of how much to offer.

After exchanging glances with King Umberto I, he said:

"The Kingdom of Italy could support and recognize Chu's efforts to establish new colonies in Africa or other parts of the world.

They also made full use of the unique advantage of being located in Europe and having friendly relations with various countries to stand up for Chu's colonial stance and loudly advocate for it.

Mobilize the great powers, including Germany, Austria-Hungary, Tsarist Russia, and France, to understand and support your country's position. This is His Majesty the King's solemn promise."

This is a heavy-weight promise with great weight, which demonstrates Italy's sincerity.

To achieve this, the Kingdom of Italy will also have to pay a lot.

The Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Italy, Marquis Agostino De Pretis, took out his chips word by word. His light green eyes were fixed on King Zheng Guohui of Chu, and he was not fully confident in his heart.

The Kingdom of Italy made such a solemn promise and invested a lot of money.

As long as it did not affect France's foreign colonial interests, the Kingdom of Italy was confident that it could persuade Germany, Austria-Hungary, Tsarist Russia and France to understand and support the colonial expansion of the Chu State, thereby leading a large number of European countries to acquiesce to the status quo.

This is by no means bragging, but real confidence.

Current Europe

The country was in a serious situation of confrontation between two major military groups. On one side was the Triple Alliance centered on Germany, Austria and Russia, and on the other side were potential hostile forces headed by France and Britain.

Since the end of the Franco-Prussian War, military preparations on both sides have never stopped.

Continuously increase the number of troops, improve the reserve mobilization system, strengthen the research and development of new weapons and equipment, and build fortified areas on a large scale.

France has always had a strong impulse for revenge, but in the face of the overwhelming military advantage of the Triple Alliance formed by German Chancellor Bismarck, it has never dared to act rashly.

France looked around the entire European continent and found that it did not have a single powerful ally.

It also had to rely on the strong support of its arch-enemy Britain to barely compete with the Triple Alliance and maintain the military confrontation as the weaker side.

This is the greatest pain in the heart of proud France, which has been seeking a breakthrough.

In 1882, Italy reached a quasi-military alliance treaty with German Chancellor Bismarck with many restrictions, which put it on the side of the Triple Alliance.

Why do you say that?
Because the Italians are very smart, this quasi-military alliance treaty can bring great economic and political benefits to the Kingdom of Italy, allowing the Kingdom of Italy to enter the center of the world stage and become a role that no powerful country dares to ignore.

When both sides are evenly matched, throwing in any small chip will trigger a quantitative change.

The Italians were already well versed in the art of fence-sitting, and they could use quasi-military alliances to influence the foreign policies of Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Tsarist Russia.

It can also use its unique position on the edge of the Triple Alliance to influence France, which is struggling to come up with a solution.

France's situation in Europe is very bad. The four-nation military alliance can be said to have locked up France's strategic space and greatly restricted France's international influence. It is a fatal chain around France's neck.

The cunning Italians made it quite difficult to trigger the military alliance by attaching many restrictions to the treaty.

Originally, Germany did not agree to sign the treaty, which would clearly put Germany at a disadvantage.

However, with the strong push of the strategically minded Prime Minister Bismarck, an insurance was added to the Triple Alliance, and the two sides officially signed the agreement in 1882.

The person who led the entire process of negotiating and signing this military alliance treaty was the Prime Minister, Marquis Agostino de Pretis, a very talented man who had served as Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Italy for three years.

Since the death of the first Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Italy, Cavour, in 1861, there has been fierce political struggle within the Kingdom of Italy, and mutual attacks have caused numerous conflicts. More than a dozen prime ministers have been like a revolving lantern, none of whom have served for long.

The term of office may be as short as two to three months or five to six months, while the term of office may be as long as more than a year, or two years at most. They will soon fall under the concentrated fire of domestic political forces.

Prime Minister Marquis Agostino de Pretis was able to hold on to this position for more than three years, and he was able to appease the main political factions in the country and bridge many conflicts, demonstrating his superb political skills.

The chips he threw out really moved King Zheng Guohui of Chu, but he didn't show it on his face. Instead, he frowned and sighed deeply, and his meaning was very clear:

This is not a easy thing to do!
Seeing the King of Chu's hesitation, the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Italy, Marquis Agostino De Pretis, was ecstatic and immediately threw out another heavy chip without hesitation, adding to the bet and continued:

"Your Majesty, in order to demonstrate utmost sincerity, the Kingdom of Italy can include the above commitments in its colonial disputes with European countries, such as the Netherlands."

His words moved King Zheng Guohui of Chu. This was exactly what the Chu State urgently needed, and it could be said to be the most valuable bargaining chip.

The same thing depends on where it happens and who it happens against.

The colonial expansion in the unowned territories of Africa had no strong international support. With the strength of the Chu State, it just occupied the territories and would be generally recognized by the international community.

However, if a colonial conflict occurred with European countries, no country in Europe would stand up and speak for Chu's position, let alone gain support.

This is the most attractive part of the Kingdom of Italy's promise, which even made King Zheng Guohui of Chu unable to remain calm.

The secret meeting fell into silence for a long time. Everyone stared at the face of King Zheng Guohui of Chu nervously, worried about the decision he was about to make.

Especially the Italian King Umberto I and the Prime Minister, they put all their chips at stake, and this was the only deal that mattered.

Colonizing Ethiopia was the key direction of the Kingdom of Italy's external expansion. Looking around the entire African continent, it is difficult to find such a good place.

The territory is large enough, the resources are abundant enough, and the population is large enough that Italy is simply envious.

(End of this chapter)