Chapter 315

Opportunity!

Sometimes, opportunities always come their way unintentionally.

At least for Tian Jingyuan, the new military commander stationed in Istanbul as the military department, Amway's seemingly tentative words made him see an opportunity.

"Egypt is the big granary of the eastern Mediterranean, and the surrounding forces have been coveting Egypt's fertile Nile Delta and river valley, hoping to strengthen their power by controlling Egypt, and use it as a springboard to Libya in the west to the Atlantic Ocean or Mesopotamia in the east, in addition to controlling the trade from the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean to the south, so Egypt has always been a battleground for soldiers."

In the hotel in Cairo, when the new ambassador was invited to the governor's palace to attend the welcome party, Tian Jingyuan's tone was a little excited, and he stared at Zhang Guoliang and said.

"Perhaps, we should try, as long as we control this place, it is equivalent to controlling half the world."

"Try what?"

Zhang Guoliang asked rhetorically.

"Occupy Egypt? Brother Akashi, if this is the case, it will definitely cause a war with the Ottoman Empire! Don't forget, Egypt claims to be the breadbasket of the Empire! ”

Zhang Guoliang's words made Tian Jingyuan smile.

"War, how could it be? We don't need to send troops directly, and we don't even need official intervention! ”

"No need for official involvement? What do you mean? ”

"Not a direct intervention!"

Looking at Zhang Guoliang, Tian Jingyuan said.

"You see, it's only 400 miles from Suez City to the Mediterranean, and if we can build a canal here, then there's no need to detour around the Cape of Good Hope to Europe from now on! Think about it, how much time and money can be saved for the merchant fleet? ”

His suggestion made Zhang Guoliang say with deep understanding.

"That's true, but if you want to build a canal, you have to occupy it! What do you mean by saying that direct intervention is not required? What do you mean......"

Looking at Tian Jingyuan in surprise, Zhang Guoliang said in a low voice.

"You mean the Copts?"

Linked to the guide's words, Zhang Guoliang's brows furrowed.

"Coptic...... Well, you can really strategize. ”

"More than that! It's simply a direct strategy! ”

Tian Jingyuan said excitedly.

"You can also see what kind of life the Copts are living now, as long as they have the opportunity, they will definitely be willing to launch an uprising, perhaps, their population is less than forty percent of the population of Egypt, but as long as they are given enough support, their uprising will definitely succeed, after all, the era of riding horses and holding scimitars, competing who is more savage, and then they can attack the city and plunder the land is over."

Regarding Tian Jingyuan's point of view, Zhang Guoliang certainly does not doubt that he grew up in the era of firearms, and of course knows that in the era of firearms, the role of personal bravery or barbarism in war has been reduced to a minimum. But even so, he was still surprised.

"Enough support?"

Looking at Tian Jingyuan puzzled, Zhang Guoliang asked rhetorically.

What does this sufficient support mean? If you don't send troops, how can you support them? ”

Zhang Guoliang's tone was full of incomprehension.

"You don't need to send troops, you just need to provide them with weapons, and then train them, at most ......"

Glancing out the window, Tian Jingyuan continued.

"Get a few more armed merchant ships and help them lay down the Suez Canal, of course, these armed merchant ships are the ships of the Nanyang Zhuxia, and they are personal ships."

Although this idea has just come to mind, in Tian Jingyuan's heart, he already has a preliminary plan.

"Even, we don't need to pay money, as long as we throw the bait of the canal, believe me, there will be countless trading houses that smell meat and come to us, take the initiative to cooperate with us, they will take the initiative to provide funds, weapons, ships, and even personnel, believe me, those merchants will never miss this opportunity!"

Tian Jingyuan's words completely subverted Zhang Guoliang's perception of war, he looked at his colleagues in front of him dumbfounded, and it was hard to believe what he said.

"You mean, let those merchants finance a war?"

"No,"

Shaking his head, Tian Jingyuan said seriously,

"It's not a war, it's an uprising, we need to burn the whole of Egypt with the flames of the uprising, and the Copts may burn it all down, and when it's all over, the Ming will get the canal from the Copts...... Or rather, the land where the canal was built, so that we could build a canal here that connects the Red Sea with the Mediterranean! ”

"But ......"

Facing Tian Jingyuan, who looked fanatical, Zhang Guoliang asked rhetorically.

"But will the Copts agree?"

"They ......",

Looking at his colleagues with a smile, Tian Jingyuan's smile became brighter and brighter.

"Is there a choice?"

Is there a choice?

In one of the few Christian churches in Cairo, in the basement that was not very spacious, several Coptic Orthodox bishops looked at the Ming people in front of them, who were dressed no different from the Egyptians, and they already had a certain understanding of the Ming Kingdom, knowing that it was a country far more powerful than the Ottoman Empire.

“…… We have also suffered from foreign invasions and enslavements, so we can understand the pain of others, we can understand what you are going through, we can understand the pain of being excluded and discriminated against in your own country as real Egyptians, why are they called "Egyptians" as invaders, but the real Egyptians are called Copts, why do Copts give up their own language and can only choose the language of the invaders? Why are you only second-class people in your own land? Or even a third-class person? ”

Tian Jingyuan's words resonated with several bishops. Although they have always advocated patience, but in the face of the reality that under the pressure of the "Egyptians", more and more Copts continue to change their faith, they are also secretly anxious, as believers, they know very well that in the long run, soon, there will be no more Copts in Egypt, there will be no more Orthodox Christians, everyone is Egyptian, and no one will remember the real Egyptians - the Copts will disappear from the world.

However, although they all hate the Arabs and dream of letting Egypt shine again under the light of the cross, so that the Copts can once again regain their land and country, they have to admit that the Arabs are powerful.

"Mr. Tian, even if you don't consider the strength of the Ottoman Empire, just in Egypt, the strength of the Arabs is extremely strong, every adult Arab is a warrior, they all have scimitars, they all have war horses, we ......"

Rasim looked at Tian Jingyuan in front of him and said what they were most worried about - the force of the Arabs.

"We have neither horses nor weapons, we are like a flock of sheep to be slaughtered!"

"You have the backing of the Ming - the most powerful country in the world!"

Tian Jingyuan's tone looked very proud, Daming is indeed the most powerful country in the world.

However, when the bishops present heard his words, they were a little skeptical. Bishop Yatana of Alexandria asked rhetorically.

So, what kind of help will this country give us? Will you send troops here? If you send troops, believe me, Mr. Tian, every one of us Copts will provide you with all the help you need, we will send guides, we will provide you with food, we will even provide you with military expenses, everything you need, we are willing to provide, as long as you can help us win freedom! ”

Freedom is only lost when it is lost to realize how precious it is, and for the Copts, who have lost their freedom for nearly a thousand years, they dream of being free, and it is because of this that they are willing to provide everything to gain freedom.

"Freedom needs to be earned!"

Looking at the bishops, Tian Jingyuan said.

"When the aliens invaded, we never gave in, no one helped us, we defeated the mighty enemy with our own hands, and then drove them thousands of miles away - in fact, the vast majority of them, we killed!"

Faced with these bishops who didn't seem to be willing to give anything, Tian Jingyuan directly dispelled their thoughts.

"Daming, at least for now, and even in the next few years, will not intervene in Egypt, because the time is not ripe."

"Immature? Why? ”

"The Ming Dynasty is a peace-loving country, we will not take the initiative to attack other countries, if we take the initiative to intervene in Egypt, it will lead to the disgust of the people. But I believe that a similar fate will make us sympathetic to you, and if you start an uprising, I believe that the people will support you, and then the court will be able to send troops, and before that, we ......"

Smiling, Tian Jingyuan said in a helpless tone.

"I can only provide you with weapons, money, and, of course, can help you train an army, an army belonging to the Copts, believe me, it will only take a year at most, as long as you can provide enough personnel, we can train you a well-equipped and well-trained army in the world."

"Are you really willing to help us like that?"

Facing the bishops' inquiries, Tian Jingyuan nodded and said.

"God can bear witness!"

Although Tian Jingyuan was not a believer, when he said this, the bishops thought for a moment, and Rasim looked at him and asked.

"Why is the Ming Dynasty willing to help us, don't say anything similar, Mr. Tian, even the Christians in Europe have never been willing to help us, let alone you...... Our beliefs are different. ”

"It is true that our beliefs are different, but Da Ming welcomes all beliefs. Of course ......"

After a pause, Tian Jingyuan looked at the bishops and said.

"Our help is not gratuitous, and we also need a small amount of reward......

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