Chapter 417 Consensus Formation

The town of Xi’an is not a military fortress, but a dual-use trading town. After allied warships have been identified and fulfilled certain procedures, they can enter the port for replenishment, berth and rest. Colonial powers such as Britain, France, West Holland and other colonial powers generally give ships from other countries. Team convenience.

  Of course, except for hostile countries.

  A few hours later, the French cruiser was allowed to berth smoothly in the port, and the heavily armed soldiers on the shore could be seen pulling out the cordon, setting up checkpoints and a simple bunker piled with two sandbags, and even equipped with Maxine machine guns in the bunker.

  This makes the faces of the French officers on the light cruisers look ugly. They are used to rampant in Africa and have always been high above them. They have not been treated in this way for a long time, although this is a normal practice.

  After all, it was a warship, not a civilian ship, and strengthening the guard was originally the meaning of the question.

  As usual

  French army officers and soldiers on the light cruiser were allowed to take turns ashore to take vacations, limited to a certain number of people, and must abide by local laws, respect local customs, and must not drink, make trouble, fight, etc., and must return to the warship before 12:00 at night.

  The town of Xi’an sent a special person to contact the French light cruiser, and reiterated the relevant matters again, hoping that the French army officers and soldiers will abide by the order of the town to avoid any unpleasant things from happening.

Compared with the sailors, the treatment of the French officers is much better. The Xi'an garrison arranged a special carriage to greet them, and was personally received by the deputy captain of the expeditionary task force, Major Friedman Kopf, and the event will be held in the evening. A welcome reception showed considerable courtesy.

Major Friedman-Kopf once served as the commander of the Leopard Cavalry Guards. Following his current post, Huo Xiaohu, the deputy commander of the Kalimantan First Division, participated in the "clean-up" security operation in northern Queensland. He is a veteran professional soldier, the German Junker military Noble origin.

  French officers and his entourage were arranged to stay in the "Guangxi Guild Hall". This is a Ming and Qing-style mansion with earth and stone buildings. The floor is covered with blue bricks and some local flowers and plants have been transplanted. It looks quiet and elegant.

  This mansion has just been completed. It is the private property of Captain Lei Xiaopeng. It is used to receive high-end guests and businessmen on weekdays. It is also a clubhouse for resident military officers. It is perfect for receiving French people.

  The Arab maid served melons and fruits from Liangshui Town. After the French officers had eaten it, the heat was wiped out. They leisurely shook the pu fan in the cool breeze, feeling very comfortable.

Among this group of French officers, there is a middle-aged Frenchman in casual clothes. He is not tall. He wears gold glasses and is very rich. He has curly black hair. He is the foreign affairs commissioner of the Canal Administration. Mr. Fulham, put the leftover melon skin on the table and asked;

   "Mr. Major, this place is really great. It was built by you very well. It made me mistakenly think that this is not a desolate and primitive Africa, but a good place more suitable for human life. It is really impressive."

   "Thank you for your compliment, Mr. Fulham Commissioner."

   "Uh... please allow me to take the liberty to ask, are you really here to build a supply base for ocean trade routes?"

   "Your understanding is correct, sir."

"Is there any other purpose? For example, continue to expand Queensland's sphere of influence and exert influence on the trade between Europe and Asia. Otherwise, it is difficult to explain why you chose such a desolate and primitive area, except for the Gobi Desert and the desert. No, it is completely unsuitable for human survival."

  "I have no comment on this. The soldiers just follow Shangfeng's orders. There are not so many problems."

"Then let’s look at it from another angle. I also searched for relevant information at the Suez Canal Authority. I know that the Earl of Queensland is a nobleman entrusted by Her Majesty the Queen. Judging from his history, he has a strong expansive nature. Just now in the East Indies I fought a battle with the Dutch, and won, and gained a lot of post-war rights, then can we think...now he has set his sights on Africa."

   "I have no comment on this, Mr. Commissioner."

  "To be honest, the Suez Canal Authority is concerned about your military presence in Africa. It is hoped that the two sides will deepen cooperation and understanding through an open and inclusive attitude, and work together to maintain regional peace. This is our purpose here."

  "Excuse me, Mr. Diplomat. I am a soldier. I only act according to the order. Please consult the Australian side for related questions."

   "Then... during the welcome dinner, can we see Lieutenant Colonel Lei?"

   "Sorry, I can't be sure."

   "Is he not in town?"

   "I'm sorry, it's related to military secrets, I have no comment."

   "Uh..." After asking three questions, Commissioner Fulham rolled his eyes and said helplessly; "Then we look forward to an open and frank communication with you at the dinner."

"As long as it doesn't involve military secrets, it should be fine." Major Friedman-Kopff stood up, looked at the relaxed Frenchman, and was very bored. He still raised his hand in salute and said; "If there is nothing else. Son, please allow me to say goodbye. There is still military affairs to deal with."

   "Thank you for the reception, please do it yourself." Colonel Payette stood up and replied with the military salute, and said in response.

   "Well, goodbye."

Major Friedman-Kopff turned around and left neatly. He is a traditional Prussian character, rigorous and rigid, few words, and not a very good diplomatic receptionist. From his mouth, Mr. Fulham Hardly any useful information can be heard.

  It’s not a good chat partner either.

  So, after Major Friedman-Kopff left, the atmosphere in the living room was obviously relaxed, and the French officers with detached personality began to chat and laugh.

   "My God, I really didn't expect to see Germans here. The rotten smell on them makes me sick. I hate Germans the most."

   "What's the use of hating? It's not time to be neighbors with them."

"Gentlemen, please calm down. According to my understanding, Queensland is an immigrant society. The theme of immigration is the Chinese ethnicity in the eastern continent. There are also British, Scots, Germans, Italians and Americans, and of course there are also French. It's a bit similar to the situation in North America. The only difference is that there are a lot of Easterners, so to be precise, they should be German-born Queenslanders. These are two concepts."

   "Isn't that the same, I hate Germans, I hate Germanic beards, I hate German beer and Hessian prosciutto, I hate everything that touches Germans."

   "Well, I actually hate you as much as you, they are like wooden people carved out of a mold, hahaha..."

  French officers laughed as they talked. All kinds of stupid and dumb jokes about Germans are popular in France. Of course, the British are also indispensable, and they are not tired of them.

  France is located in southwestern Europe. It has the enthusiasm of southern Europeans in its personality, humorous, sensitive and neurotic. It is a country where outstanding artists and architects emerge in endlessly, leading the world's fashion and art trends.

  The failure of the Franco-Prussian War is a deep scar in the hearts of every Frenchman. An optimistic, cheerful and confident Frenchman will face it with a smile, which does not mean that he does not care.

  At this time, Mr. Fulham, the diplomat, and Colonel Payette came to a secluded room next to them, and they exchanged views on Xi'an Town separately.

   "Mr. Colonel, from everything we have seen, I am afraid that we have to accept the reality of one more neighbor. This is really annoying."

"Mr. Fulham Commissioner, the European Berlin Conference is about to be held. The French have to accept the increasingly crowded reality in Africa. Our military is fully prepared for this. It seems that Queensland is a tough and interesting role. We look forward to it. To further contact and understand."

   "Well, it seems that we both have reached a consensus on this issue, and the final report needs to be signed by you."

"I have no problem. When I entered the town of Xi'an, I noticed that the urban planning and construction here is quite good, not inferior to us Europeans, and the formation of such a large-scale town in more than 8 months shows that it is quite high. This has to be taken seriously."

   "Indeed, Mr. Colonel observed very carefully."

"From a military point of view, Xi'an Town is a forward base with long-lasting logistical support capabilities, which can echo the Greater Hashni Island, greatly enhancing the forward presence, and the Queenslanders’ military training is quite standardized, revealing a strong presence. The German smell, I can smell it 300 miles away."

"Well, it's a fairly powerful opponent. The disgusting British guys are everywhere." Commissioner Fulham set the tone for the private conversation between the two, and then the conversation turned around and talked about other topics of interest; "Colonel Sir, when we entered here, we saw many Arabs and Persians, especially Arab women wearing masks. What is your opinion?"

"Slave trade." Colonel Payette replied almost without hesitation. His gray-blue eyes blinked and said in a low voice; "We have stationed more than 20,000 troops along the Suez River. The damned Ottoman Empire is strict. It is forbidden to trade with us. The boys need to adjust their lives during their military service, especially female slaves."

"Of course, I understand very well." Fulham nodded and said after considering it; "We can communicate with Xi'an Town about this and try the possibility of trade. Expect too much."

   "I have different views on this, let's wait and see." Colonel Payette smiled confidently and ended the private meeting.

  The Ottoman Empire and Tsarist Russia are inexorable enemies. Any country close to Tsarist Russia is an enemy of the Ottoman Empire, without exception.

in Europe

  Because Germany, the Austro-Hungarian Empire and Italy formed the Alliance of Three Emperors, they formed a semicircular encirclement of France geographically, and land forces had an absolute advantage, and the military situation was quite unfavorable for France.

Therefore, in order to relieve the pressure on the military situation on the European continent, France is doing its utmost to win over Tsarist Russia, hoping that the two sides will form a military alliance to relieve their own pressure. For this reason, it has released a huge franc loan and provided comprehensive technical assistance to help Tsarist Russia in the Black Sea region. Build warships, update army weapons and equipment, repair roads and establish long-distance telegraph networks, and close cooperation between the two sides.

This move really angered the Ottoman Empire, and the Ottoman Empire in the Black Sea and the Balkans always faced great threats from Tsarist Russia. The two sides fought 10 large-scale Russian-Turkish wars in more than 100 years. It is truly an immortal enemy.

  The French do this, which is equivalent to handing over a knife and letting Tsarist Russia slaughter the Ottoman Empire. How can this be tolerated?

under these circumstances

  The Ottoman Empire almost banned all kinds of trade ties with France, including the Suez Canal Authority. Fortunately, the French had a large number of colonies. The Suez Canal was not far from France, and the supply of various materials was still sufficient.

  The only thing missing is the female slave.

  Everyone knows the truth. After all, in this era, proud French people will not treat Africans equally, and treat them as their own kind...

  (End of this chapter)