Chapter 379 Question of Congo

  1884, early March

  Qinglong Suburb, Longhu Palace

  Among the beautiful mountains and rivers, a rippling blue lake is fascinating. The pure lake reflects the blue sky and white clouds, the green hills and red flowers on both sides, and the cascading peaks and mountains, showing the beauty of a paradise.

  This is the Honghe Reservoir on the bank of Qinglong City. The Honghe Reservoir is a typical first-line canyon reservoir, just like a blue dragon winding through the mountains, so it is also known as "Qinglong Lake".

  Backed by mountains and lakes, it is precisely such geographical conditions that make Qinglong City have an elegant environment and beautiful scenery. There are many schools in the city, which adds an atmosphere of human writing.

The Longhu Palace is a garden-style Chinese palace building that has just been completed. It was built by the royal architects from the Manchu Qing Dynasty, the "Xing Lei" family. It combines the winding paths of Jiangnan gardens with the majestic atmosphere of the royal gardens to draw on all aspects. The long, carefully built lakeside palace.

  There is a small island by the lake, and there is a 9-story glazed and exquisite pagoda on the island.

  Golden glazed tiles gleamed in the sunshine, the breeze blew, the copper wind chimes on the tower eaves made a pleasant sound, and the lake reflected the majestic tower body, like a fairyland on earth.

  The 9th floor of the pagoda

  Here is a diamond-shaped space with only a dozen square meters. The window lattice fence made of precious sandalwood has exquisite carvings and exudes a light sandalwood fragrance.

There is a small round table in the middle, and the table is full of delicate refreshments. Li Fushou sits in the upper position facing the stairs. On the left is the third aunt Fiona, and on the right is the nine aunts. However, in the melodious Guzheng song, I was enjoying the lake and mountains, which seemed leisurely and contented.

  Nicole Slimy Finger delivers the peeled grapes into Li Fushou’s mouth. The cool and juicy grapes carry the fragrant smell of a girl, making them very pleasant to eat.

  Li Fushou sighed secretly; this decadent and degenerate enjoyment... is life!

  In the past two years

He is under tremendous pressure. In addition to work, he works most of the day. It runs at high intensity like a winding clockwork. He is buried in a pile of official duties that can never be handled. He really needs a good rest. Take a long vacation by yourself.

  He doesn't want to overwork and die. The example of Yongzheng's violent death is right in front of him.

  In fact, after the Dutch were dealt with, there were almost no obvious hostile forces around Queensland’s Earls Territory. The Royal Navy fleet of the British Empire lost several broken ships in Samarinda and Machen, and the signal was very clear.

  The veteran colonists dominated by France understand that they will not take the initiative to stab this hornet's nest.

  Look around the world

  Except for the old colonial countries such as Britain, France and the Netherlands, Germany, Russia, and the United States are not yet capable of projecting naval power to the South Pacific region thousands of miles away.

  From now to the end of the 19th century, Germany, Tsarist Russia, and the United States are all trying their best to develop their own naval forces. There is no power in the South Pacific region, and they have no time or the ability to participate in regional hegemony.

  The only thing blocking Li Fushou's progress is the southern white separatist forces, but he is not in a hurry, and some have time to wait.

   "My favorite Lord Earl, what are you thinking?" Nicole tilted her head and looked down. Seeing Li Fushou looking at the distant lakes and mountains in thought, she asked curiously.

"I'm thinking..." Li Fushou turned his head and looked at Nicole's beautiful face mixed with innocence and maturity, and said with a smile; "The scenery of Qinglong Lake is so beautiful. It is indeed a good place, but it always feels less popular. ."

Nicole’s clever eyes rolled and said, “I know, this reservoir can not only generate electricity, but it is also the source of drinking water for several large cities in the surrounding area. Therefore, fishing, rafting, hunting, and entry of unrelated persons are strictly prohibited. How can there be popularity in the reservoir area?"

   "You still know a lot!" Li Fushou chuckled lightly.

  "My dear Lord Earl, don't underestimate me. I still read the newspaper a lot now and know a lot of major events at home and abroad."

   "Oh... tell me?"

   "Of course there is no problem!" Nicole is a French aristocratic girl who grew up in the United States. She has a straightforward and unrestrained personality, which is deeply loved by Li Fushou.

  She is the only one who dared to call "My dear Lord Earl" in the entire Red Fort, which shows the degree of favor.

  So Nicole was not ashamed, she still did some homework, she said with her fingers;

   "Then... look at...

  Let’s start with the Far East. The situation in the Far East is the focus of the recent report of the World Journal. I know that the Manchu and Qing states signed an agreement in North Korea and obtained the Qing concession in Incheon. It is said that Fusang has strongly protested, and northern Mao and Russia have also expressed serious concerns.

  More...

  The French Expeditionary Force annexed the Kingdom of Cambodia, but suffered repeated setbacks in the northern part of the Kingdom of Vietnam. I heard that it had lost three consecutive battles. Even the Prime Minister of France disbanded the cabinet and resigned for this reason.

  Although the land war was frustrated, the French Expeditionary Force’s fleet shelled Keelung Port. Liu Mingchuan, the military supervisory office stationed in Taiwan, led the army to fight it. The fort was destroyed. Qing official Liu Mingchuan led the army to launch a land battle with the French army. The French army was defeated and fled back to the ship.

After the unsuccessful attack, the French fleet attacked the Fujian Navy again more than a month later, and the Mawei naval battle broke out.

  The Nanyang Fleet rushed to the battle. The flagship "Yangwu" was injured by a French marine lightning, but it hit the French flagship with a tail shell, killing and wounding many sailors.

  Fujian Navy lost 7 ships and more than 700 casualties in the Mawei naval battle. Mawei Shipyard was simultaneously destroyed by the war, and the French Expeditionary Forces fleet struggled back.

  However, on the land battlefield, the French lost their panties, so the fighting between the two sides stopped and the peace talks were underway...

  According to American newspaper reports, from New York to Washington are now preparing for the celebration of the 100th anniversary of independence. The Statue of Liberty presented by France has been installed and will become a symbolic totem of New York. "

  Nicole whispered a lot, then raised her face and opened her beautiful big eyes to stare at Li Fushou, with an expression of "praise me" in her eyes.

   "Well, the newspaper backs well." Li Fushou joked rather narrowly.

  This immediately caused Nicole’s dissatisfaction, and she puffed up her mouth. For these boring international political developments, she really spent a lot of time; "No, please explain, what is a good newspaper back?"

   "Everything knows what is happening, and I must know why, then I will test you..." Li Fushou smiled without saying a word, and said as soon as he changed the conversation; "Why did the Manchuria settle in Incheon, why did the Fusang country be dissatisfied?"

   "What's the problem? Everyone knows that the peninsula is a piece of fat, but there is no reason not to take a bite in front of them?"

   "Hehe... it's really good." Li Fushou's admiration came from his heart.

  In this era of extremely inconvenient transportation, it is difficult for women to have a global perspective even if the elite is limited by the times.

   "My dear Lord Earl, don't treat me like a naive child, okay?" Nicole rolled her eyes helplessly.

   "Oh..." Li Fushou laughed blankly, he really underestimated Nicole.

Nicole grew up in France, an old colonial country, when she was a girl, she traveled across the Atlantic Ocean to the United States, and when she was 17 years old, she traveled across the Pacific Ocean to Australia. It can be said that her journey encompassed more than half of the earth, what she saw and heard It's far beyond what people can compare.

  Nicole was originally a smart girl who had received systematic aristocratic education, and her vision was not even better than that of a deep-bowed lady who didn't get out of the door.

  Li Fushou was determined to test her, and asked a very difficult international question: "Nicole, do you know the Congo question? I will reward you if you can answer it."

   "What reward?" Nicole asked with interest.

  "If the answer is good, then reward you the Fengheyuan in the Red Fort. You don't need to live in Fiona's Normandy Garden."

  Fengheyuan? ? ?

  Nicole immediately became excited. She knew that the entire Red Fort had 12 individual courtyards, large and small, each with its own style, and Fenghe Courtyard was one of them.

  Lord Earl, one wife and nine concubines, almost everyone has a separate courtyard, but Nicole, the nine consort who was the latest to enter the house, has no separate courtyard, and still lives in the Normandy garden.

  12 individual courtyards vary in size, but each one is carefully crafted to be exquisite and worthy of savoring.

For example, the Jingsi Pavilion where Mrs. Gu Liuyan is located is an authentic Gusu garden style. The Taihu stones piled up on the rockery are all transported from Gusu thousands of miles. The pavilions, water pavilions, and rockery ponds are really one step at a time. The winding path leads to the quiet.

The Nuanxiang Pavilion, where Mrs. Taixiang lived, occupies an area of ​​five and a half acres. It is a typical Ming and Qing official mansion style. The five entrances and seven courtyards are symmetrical and neat, with rigorous layout. The front hall and the back garden have a charm.

  The third wife Fiona lives in the Normandy garden, which is French neo-romantic style, with domed stone pillars and exquisite carvings, revealing French architectural features everywhere.

Of course, the largest is the Lingxiao Pavilion, which covers more than half of the entire Red Fort. It is located on the top of a hill and overlooks the entire Red River Valley City. There are many annex buildings and courtyards around it. They are respectively stationed in the directly affiliated institutions of the Earls Mansion, including The secretariat, the inner warehouse, the general affairs office (the housekeeper of the inner government), the guards, the telegraph station, the audit office, the school, etc., are the core areas for handling government affairs and the most guarded places.

  Now there are two courtyards in the Red Fort—Fenghe Courtyard and Zhifang Pavilion.

Although   Fengheyuan is a Chinese name, it is an authentic British Victorian architectural style. It is a Victorian building with a strong Italian charm. It has a conspicuous tower and a high roof, which is very recognizable.

  The main building is divided into two floors. It is made of white rock as a whole. It has round Roman-style windows and entrance doors, wide cornices supported by stone brackets, and exquisitely carved mountain flower patterns.

   Such a European-style building is more in line with Nicole's aesthetics. She likes this kind of courtyard with a strong Mediterranean style. When she thinks of having it, Nicole can't breathe with excitement, and red clouds appear on her white face.

  Not only Nicole, Fiona was also taken aback.

The Fenghe Courtyard is located by the small lake, the area is nearly twice as large as the Normandy Gardens, and it is nearly 16 acres. It is also one of the top courtyards in the Red Fort. This shows that the Earl's love for Nicole is indeed from the heart. .

  Li Fushou saw Fiona covering her mouth in surprise, Nicole flushed with excitement, and was short of breath. He couldn't help but laughed and said; “Don’t be too happy. Nicole’s answer should satisfy me.”

   "Hmm, Fengheyuan must belong to me."

   "So confident?"

"certainly……"

Nicole’s arrogant chest. This question may be difficult for others, but Nicole knows it very well, because her geography teacher Jim was once a member of the Congo River Valley expedition at the Metropolitan Museum of America. I accompanied the team to inspect the tropical jungle in depth.

  After returning from Africa, Mr. Jim has never forgotten the mysterious and primitive continent. He often mentions the unique landscape, humanities and history of Congo and the surrounding African continent. He looks forward to returning to Africa one day for more detailed investigations.

  So, Nicole knows so well about this, she is bound to win.

  "My dear Lord Earl, let your lovely Nicole explain in detail the past and present of the Congo problem."

  Nicole’s angelic face became serious, and she murmured after a little thought;

   "Generally speaking...

  Congo refers to more than 2 million square kilometers of land in the Congo River Basin in Africa. There are many branch rivers of the Congo River, abundant water, rich mineral resources, large lush tropical jungles, and a rich variety of wild animals.

I have to introduce my geography teacher Jim here. He was one of the first experts in Europe and the United States to participate in the investigation of the Congo River Basin. In 1875, he followed the Congo River Basin expedition team organized by the Metropolitan Museum of the United States into this vast green jungle. In-depth investigation of the human history and resources of the local indigenous tribes, this is his most proud life history.

  Nowadays, the so-called Congolese issue is raging around the world. It is nothing more than a delicious steak on the table, but more than a dozen customers are coming to eat with knives and forks. Some of them are still very unreasonable.

Africa is a beautiful and fertile continent. The Congo River Basin is one of the most brilliant pearls on this continent. The original indigenous kingdoms and tribes have lived here for generations. Sadly, they do not have the power to decide their own destiny. ..."

  Speaking of which

  Nicole paused, and her beautiful big eyes glanced at Lord Earl intentionally. Seeing him nodded seriously, he obviously agreed with Nicole's words. This made Nicole excited and spoke more confidently.

  "My dear Lord Earl, let us look at the origin of the Congo problem together.

When the U.S. Metropolitan Museum delegation arrived in the lower reaches of the Congo River in 1875, the French tricolor flag was already flying along the river. An expedition team led by the French arrived here two months before the Americans. Gold was discovered in the lower reaches of the Congo River.

  The news came, and Europe was in an uproar.

  Belgian King Leopold II is a guy with a very strong ambition to expand abroad, and has always been deeply ambitious for the fertile and vast African colonies.

Considering that Belgium is a small third-rate country, he made the name of international development. In 1876, he established the "International Association for Investigation and Development of Central Africa". Later, he simply changed its name to "International Congo Association" and actively planned expeditions to the African continent. .

  In fact, the French are faster in this game.

  As a veteran colonist in Europe, the French knew that there was a reason for quick hands and slow hands, so they responded immediately.

  After the establishment of the "International Congo Association" in 1876, the French immediately organized an expedition under the name of the "French Branch", led by the Italian Brazzar into the Congo, and signed a treaty with the local indigenous Batek King Marcoko.

  Under the coercion and temptation of Brazzaville, Marcoko recognized France’s right to “protect” all its territories. In fact, under the guns of the colonists, this poor indigenous king had no choice at all.

  The Belgian's movements were slow. In July 1878, His Majesty Leopold II signed a five-year contract with the American explorer Stanley.

  According to the contract, Stanley will lead an international expedition team dominated by Belgians, under the banner of the "International Association", to open up a 200-mile road into the interior of Congo.

  It is also stipulated in the contract;

  Stanley is responsible for investigating the resources along the Congo River Basin, humanities and geography, for "persuading" local chiefs, and signing a treaty that recognizes the "protection" of international associations.

   Therefore, the Congo issue was originally a conflict between France and Belgium, trying to put this rich and vast land under its own name.

Under the leadership of the senior American explorer Stein, the international expedition team completed an expedition across equatorial Africa from east to west, and discovered the main channel and estuary of the Congo River, thus setting off an enduring "Congo fever" in Europe. ".

  Faced with the faster moves of the French, Stanley knows how to use the pressure of international public opinion to win benefits for himself and the Belgian side that he represents.

The book "Crossing the Dark Continent" by Stanley became a sensational bestseller in Europe and the United States after its publication. His propaganda about building railways and developing the rich gold resources of Congo has aroused great attention from European princes and wealthy merchants. Attention has produced a sensational effect.

  This is the first time that the law and the contradiction have been internationalized and made public. According to my opinion, Belgium knows that its voice is not as loud as the French National People's Congress, so it draws onlookers to preside over justice and muddy the water.

  I have to say that this is indeed a genius idea.

  In October 1880, Brazza established a stronghold on the right bank of Lake Malebo, raised the French flag, and declared the area a part of the French Central African colony.

  In July 1881, a Belgian expeditionary force led by American explorer Stanley, after nearly two years of arduous trek, rushed to the left bank of Lake Malebo, 400 kilometers away from the mouth of the Congo River.

  But they were disappointed to find that a French flag was flying over Nguma on the right bank, and French soldiers were guarding the tricolor flag.

  This shows that the French Expeditionary Force, led by Brazzar, has taken a step ahead in the race to go deep into the interior of the Congo.

After being stationed on the left bank of Lake Malebo, the Belgian Expeditionary Force led by Stanley publicly declared that the treaty signed by Brazzar was invalid.

  Stanley induced King Marcoko to sign another treaty, agreeing to let the Belgian "International Association" be stationed on the left bank of Lake Malebo.

  In this way, a confrontation between Belgium and France in the lower reaches of the Congo River was formed, and the two sides opposed each other.

  During the conflict between France and Belgium, the Portuguese stood up and protested against Stanley’s occupation of the mouth of the Congo River, which further complicated the situation in the Congo.

  The Portuguese government claims that it has rights to this land since the 15th century.

   is based on the era of the great voyage, the Pope's division of the two colonies of Portugal and Spain, Portugal has actual power over this piece of Central African land.

  The United Kingdom sees that the Congo River Basin has great advantages to take advantage of, and it is convenient to use the alliance between Britain and Portugal to conclude treaties:

  The United Kingdom recognizes Portugal's sovereignty over the Congo Riverside area, and Portugal guarantees that the United Kingdom can enjoy the same commercial and shipping rights in this area.

  Once the treaty was signed, it immediately annoyed the French, and the Belgians were also spitting bitterness in Europe in an effort to win the sympathy of international public opinion.

As a result, the Congo problem spread to the four countries of France, Portugal, and Britain. The French government protested against the signing of the Anglo-Portuguese treaty. Germany, which was in conflict with the United Kingdom, immediately publicly supported the French protest note. The United States was also involved, followed by Italy, Spain, and Austria. The Hungarian Empire, the Netherlands and Tsarist Russia expressed their stances, and since then they have been involved in more and more European countries.

Well, the Congo issue has become a mess nowadays. As for who can eat this steak on the table, my dear Lord Earl must have unique insights. If you are willing to share, Nicole is very willing to listen. . "

   "Papa Papa..."

  Li Fushou applauded vigorously, using this clear action to show that Nicole’s exposition was wonderful and he was really satisfied.

  (End of this chapter)