Buckingham Palace, Conference Hall. Pen? Interesting? Pavilion wWw. ｂiquge。 ｉｎfo

"Everyone!" Everyone's eyes turned away. It was British Prime Minister Palmerston, who looked very tired from the long hours of worrying about the future of the empire. Still, he persevered in every meeting of the London Peace Conference. Because this peace meeting is so important!

"It is indeed a very important and meaningful thing to help Black Africa move towards civilization and progress. The few semi-civilized countries in black Africa should be the focus of our civilized countries. Examples include the Kingdom of Abenisia, the Kingdom of Madagascar, and the Sultanate of Zanzibar. At the same time, we should also respect the vested interests and colonies of countries in black Africa. For example, the sovereignty of the Cape colony of the British Empire and the Portuguese colony on the coast of East Africa should be fully respected! ”

Napoleon III squinted, and a map of Africa already came to mind. Several of the countries and colonies mentioned by Viscount Palmerston, with the exception of the British Cape Colony, are on the east coast of Africa! It also includes the Kingdom of Madagascar, where France has established a base. The Cape Colony, on the other hand, is located at the southernmost tip of the African continent and is the gateway from the Atlantic Ocean to the Indian Ocean. It is clear that the aim of the British was to control the entire east and south coasts of Africa in order to avoid French or Chinese naval bases in the Indian Ocean.

Although the British Empire still has an advantage in its navy, it is very difficult to control the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans at the same time. If the naval bases of France and its allies can be squeezed out of the Indian Ocean, it will be very beneficial to Britain's global deployment. Because in the absence of bases to resupply and rest, it will be difficult for the navies of France or the Ming Dynasty to operate in the Indian Ocean.

Palmerston's next request seems to confirm this speculation. "The British Empire also needed to buy all of France's colonies in India."

What a big stroke, all at once the entire Indian Ocean was circled!

However, Viscount Palmerston's request was not yet over. "In addition, the British Empire wants to exchange the interests of the Tehuantepec Canal for the interests of France in the Suez Canal."

Napoleon III nodded noncommittally. He knew that the British were already preparing for a future world war! Egypt is now under British control, but the Suez Canal is under French control. However, exchanging Tehuantepec on Mexican territory for the Suez Canal is acceptable. But France's special rights in Madagascar and its colonies in India could not be paid for nothing.

"France needs to get British Honduras." Napoleon III immediately prescribed a plus. British Honduras was a British colony connected to the Mexican Empire. Napoleon III would turn it into a direct French dependency in the New World.

"Yes." Palmerston agreed without hesitation. What the British Empire needs most now is to consolidate its fundamentals, such as India. For example, Australia, for example, the Canadian Federation. There is not much energy left to compete with the French for Latin America.

"France also needs Britain to cease to make any more claims to Black Africa except on the east coast and the Cape colonies."

Viscount Palmerston was silent for a moment. After weighing the gains and losses, he said in a deep voice: "The British Empire cannot accept any demands of the Yellow Empire on Black Africa!" ”

Napoleon III smiled faintly and looked at Viscount Palmerston, "Mr. Viscount, I think you are a little mistaken, we are not discussing the partition of Black Africa, but how to help Black Africa. The Ming Empire and the Mexican Empire did not want to acquire colonies in black Africa, they were to bear the same international obligations as the civilized countries of Europe. Helping the people of black Africa to escape poverty and barbarism. ”

Viscount Palmerston was dumbfounded by Napoleon III, stunned for a long time, and said coldly: "How are the Ming Empire and the Mexican Empire going to help the blacks?" ”

This question will have to be answered by the representatives of the countries concerned. Wu Chunqiu said with a smile: "Of course, it is to help the people of black Africa build a prosperous and powerful country. ”

Viscount Palmerston said coldly: "A powerful slave country, right? ”

"Not slavery." Napoleon III took over the topic and emphasized, "In the future Black African Federation, there will be no such cruel and backward system as slavery, and every black agricultural worker will have a standard of living no less than that of a textile worker in Manchester." ”

Well, there was no slavery, and the conscience of Napoleon III did not allow such a cruel system to appear in Black Africa.

So Zeng Ke. Solomon, O'Hara's eloquent military advisor, came up with the better-sounding name "hereditary agricultural worker." ZENG Ke. Emperor O'Hara was going to practice a progressive "hereditary worker's system" rather than a monstrous slavery. Although "hereditary workers" can be "transferred" between farms, children born to hereditary workers are immediately subject to a "hereditary worker's contract" with the farmer.

But Zenke. Emperor O'Hara stipulated that they would receive a very small salary in addition to their own room and board. It is also possible to redeem the "hereditary worker contract" at your own expense and thus become a free worker. In short, these hereditary workers are not slaves.

Viscount Palmerston didn't dig deeper. It was only by hearsay that he knew that the Black African Empire might be engaged in slavery. However, now the Black African Empire has not yet been established, and everything is just empty words. Anyway, he was satisfied with the East African coastline, and the affairs of West Africa were tossed by Napoleon III. For Britain, how to balance France's land superiority in Europe is the most important thing.

He exchanged glances with Count Andrách, who had just become Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Austrian Empire, who immediately said in fluent German: "The present situation in the whole of Central Europe is very dangerous, and the five countries of Prussia, Austria, Poland, France, Rome, and Russia are mobilizing their armies, and this is a harbinger of war!" This war is likely to cause the destruction of white European civilization! So it must be avoided! ”

It should be postponed! Wu Chunqiu lit a cigar at this time, and Meimei took a puff. "Napoleon III needs time to digest the spoils of war in North America, and at the same time speed up the development of the navy. Britain also needed time to strengthen its maritime superiority, while helping Russia and Austria, as well as the United States of America, to regain their strength. So the world war cannot be fought for the time being...... But peace is unlikely to last long. ”

"Prussia did not want war. Because Prussia is the most peace-loving country in the world (and Bismarck does not blush), we only need a peaceful united Germany. Since Austria has its own empire. So why bother in the German Confederation? Prussian Prime Minister Bismarck shrugged and said, "As long as Austria withdraws, won't all crises be resolved?" He swept his gaze around the hall and said lightly, "Unless someone wants a completely unified Germany...... Including all the lands of the German Confederation and the Habsburgs! I wonder if there is anyone in this hall who agrees with such a German appearance? ”

The whole room was silent.

The German Confederation plus other Habsburg possessions...... All of Central Europe and most of the Balkans are included. With a population of at least 70 million, the industry is almost the same as that of China and France, and as long as you work hard, you may be able to surpass the United Kingdom! Such a country is really about to appear, it is hard to say what Britain means, France and Russia will unite to crusade!

Seeing that no one spoke, Bismarck smiled slightly and looked at Count Andrách, "Count, I don't think you Hungarians want to see a German like this either, right?" An Austro-Hungarian Empire is possible, but a German-Hungarian Empire you don't even think about it! ”

Count Andráhi sneered: "The Austrian Empire can make sacrifices for the peace of Europe, but it needs to be compensated!" Austria needs to get Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mendinegro and Bulgaria! ”

In the conference hall, it was quiet again. Austria's requirements are indeed a bit high. Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mendi, Negoro and Bulgaria are all Turkish territories. If Turkey loses these three territories, it will lose almost all of its territory in Europe. (To be continued)