After receiving the order, Kohler hurriedly sent an envoy to change horses along the overland route, and hurried to Portugal to contact his long-time partner, the Duke of Coimbra, Jorge. Morality. Lencastre, asked to buy African cattle.

"What? Grand Duke Marin wants to buy African cattle from the Mali Empire? Why? "Duke Jorge of Coimbra. Morality. Lencastree was confused, and he didn't understand what kind of madness Marin was going to buy African old black cattle, isn't it good to have European cattle?

The messenger Karen did not hide it, but said honestly:

"That's right, Lord Duke, the island of Cuba under the rule of Grand Duke Marin has had a hot weather this year, and most of the ploughing cattle have died of heat. Obviously, European cattle are not well adapted to the hot climates of the tropics. This has affected sugar cane cultivation on the island of Cuba, so the Grand Duke has sent me to order African cattle from you. Presumably, with the power of the Grand Duke in Africa, it is not difficult to get some local cattle from the natives, right? ”

Duke Jorge of Coimbra. Morality. Lencastree did not immediately answer Cullen, but suddenly realized:

"I said that my horses and cattle on the island of São Tomé always die of heat, because the cattle and horses in Europe are not adapted to the hot climate of Africa!"

"Lord Duke?"

Duke Jorge of Coimbra. Morality. Lencastel also reacted at this time and responded:

"I can indeed get you some of the scalpers you mentioned about buying scalpers in the Mali Empire, but I can't guarantee the amount. Because, the Kingdom of Portugal is currently at war with the Mali Empire! ”

"War?" Cullen was a little dumbfounded.

"Yes, war! Moreover, the reason for the war was caused by you, the Grand Duke of Marin! "Then, the Duke of Coimbra, Jorge. Morality. Lencastel gave Cullen a detailed briefing.

It turned out that in order to divert the attention of Spain and Portugal, Marin specially told the two major gold producing cities in Africa, Timbuktu and Great Zimbabwe. Portugal was given Timbuktu, so it was natural to act.

The Portuguese first did business with merchants along the coast of Guinea in the Mali Empire, and paid bribes to find out about Timbuktu.

Timbuktu was once the territory of the Mali Empire until 1468, when it was taken by the emerging Songhai Empire. So, naturally, Malian businessmen know the news about Timbuktu. Bought by the Portuguese, Malian businessmen happily revealed the news to the Portuguese and confirmed that Timbuktu was the gold capital of Africa.

This time, the whole of Portugal was in a sensation. King Manuel I of Portugal and his ministers immediately made a strategy of sending troops to Guinea, first to occupy the Mali Empire, and then to march into Timbuktu.

Today, the Portuguese army, having occupied the coastal areas of Guinea, is attacking the interior of Guinea. However, things didn't go so well.

As Marin predicted, the declining Malian Imperial Army could not withstand the Portuguese army. However, the hot climate of Africa became the enemy of the Portuguese army.

At the moment, the Portuguese army only occupies the coastal areas of Guinea. But when they wanted to go deep into the interior, the soldiers were very unaccustomed to the soil. Guinea has complex topography and a density of tropical rainforests. The Portuguese army was able to defeat the regular army of the Mali Empire. However, in the rainforest, the Portuguese battle formation could not be used. Especially the cavalry, which was completely useless. Portugal's most powerful knightly unit is even more useless. Because, as long as the knight wears a full set of plate armor, he will get heat stroke...... Not to mention knights, a war horse with horse armor can also suffer from heat stroke in the hot climate of Guinea......

Therefore, the Portuguese offensive is moving slowly, and it is basically a feeling of moving forward step by step. That is, every time you lay down, the castle was repaired first, and then it was overhauled. Then they enslaved the local blacks, cut down the jungle, and opened roads...... Until the road is repaired, then continue to attack...... As a result, progress has been slow......

However, all this and the Duke of Coimbra, Jorge. Morality. It doesn't matter if Rencastel is relevant. Because, for this operation, King Manuel I of Portugal did not take him to play......

Why? Because the Duke of Coimbra, Jorge. Morality. Rencastree and Manuel I were not all the way. Duke Jorge of Coimbra. Morality. Lencastre was the illegitimate son of the previous King of Portugal, João II. After his son, Prince Alfonso, fell from his horse while hunting and died, João II personally went to Rome to ask the Pope for permission to let his illegitimate son, Duke Jorge of Coimbra. Morality. Rencastree succeeded to the throne, but failed. In the end, it was Manuel I who won the Portuguese throne, so Manuel I and the Duke of Coimbra, Jorge. Morality. Rencastel is not a man of the way. Moreover, João II personally ordered the execution of Manuel I's brother, Duke Diogo of Viseu. Therefore, the two are actually very incompatible. If it weren't for João II's condition of succession to the throne, Manuel I would not have allowed Jorge to do so. Morality. Rencastre became Duke of Coimbra and gave him rights to the islands of Madeira and São Tomé.

Therefore, in this operation to seize the golden capital of Timbuktu, Manuel I attracted many big nobles, except for the Duke of Coimbra, Jorge. Morality. Lencastree was playing, so the Duke was very depressed.

It is for this reason that the Duke of Coimbra, Jorge. Morality. Lencastree said he couldn't guarantee how much he could get. After all, Portugal now only occupies the coast of Guinea, and the number of African cattle that can be obtained is certainly not much. Moreover, the Portuguese forces that occupied the coast were also the same as the Duke of Coimbra, Jorge. Morality. Lencastree is not all the way. How much can you get, Jorge. Morality. Lencastree can't guarantee it.

As for trading with the Mali Empire for African cattle, if it had been before the war, it might have been possible. But now that Portugal and the Malian Empire are torn apart, it is impossible for the other party to sell cattle to the Portuguese......

……

Karen suddenly looked bitter, but the task couldn't be left unfinished. So, he tried to ask:

"So, Lord Duke, can you get African scalpers from other African countries? It doesn't matter what kind of cow he is, it's heat-resistant! ”

Duke Jorge of Coimbra. Morality. Lencastree thought for a moment and said:

"When you say this, I think that my territory, the island of São Tomé, is not far from the Kingdom of the Congo, and I can go to the Kingdom of the Congo to buy cattle. Congo knows, right? It was the king who converted to Christianity! ”

Last year, the newly enthroned King Alfonso I of Congo (I didn't know what the name was, but changed his name after converting to Christianity) converted to Christianity, making the Kingdom of Congo the first Christian country in West Africa (Congo is not the first Christian country in Africa, Ethiopia in East Africa converted to Christianity very early, but it is Orthodox), and the first Catholic country in Africa.

Portugal made a big deal of it, flaunting its credit for spreading the glory of Catholicism and demanding more colonial mandates. If it weren't for Spain's previous efforts to eliminate Granada, the Allahist nation, the Portuguese would probably have their tails up in the sky.

Duke Jorge of Coimbra. Morality. Lencastrey had a close relationship with the Kingdom of Kongo, because a large part of the black slaves in his hands were obtained through the Kingdom of Kongo. The Kingdom of Kongo waged war against the surrounding tribes, captured black slaves, and sold them to Jorge, the Duke of Coimbra. Morality. Lencastre. Therefore, the relationship between the two sides is close, and it is no problem to buy African cattle from the Kingdom of Congo.

"By the way, and the Kingdom of Benin!" Jorge. Morality. Lencastree thought for a moment and added. Benin is also the Duke of Coimbra, Jorge. Morality. The partners of the slave trade in Lencastre, who were "suppliers". There is no problem in buying African cattle from Benin. In this way, the supply problem of African cattle has been solved......