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In the Middle East, the impression is only that of yellow sand and Arabs wrapped in white turbans. Wang Yuze said that the ownership of the Middle East region has a bearing on the fate of the empire in the next 100 years, and this is absolutely unbelievable to the empire's foreign minister Wu Tingfang and defense minister Jiang Xingguo. The geographical location of the Middle East is very important. But the entire Middle East is currently in a state of tripartite game between Britain, France and the Ottoman Empire. Among them, the weak Ottoman Empire was already overwhelmed. With the exception of Asia Minor, which was still under the control of the Ottoman Empire, most of the other territories had become colonies of Britain and France. Britain and France are also actively competing for the Middle East. However, people don't seem to pay much attention to the Middle East. They all thought it was just a barren land.

"Your Majesty, is there any secret in this place in the Middle East?" Defense Minister Jiang Xingguo asked.

Wang Yuze nodded: "Although this is a desert, it is a barren land. However, there is black gold buried in the ground here! Whoever can control this black gold will be able to become the world's number one power! ”

"Black gold? Petroleum? Is there oil here? Foreign Minister Ng Dinh Fong's eyes widened. Wu Tingfang, Minister of National Defense, also looked at Wang Yuze with disbelief. The importance of oil is already well understood by the top brass of the empire. The total number of domestic automobiles is constantly rising. The Army, in particular, began to procure trucks on a large scale to replace pack horses for towing artillery. The baggage troops also began to replace pack horses with cars on a large scale. Many people who became rich first. They also started to buy cars as a means of transportation. This makes the total number of cars in China more than 20,000. And the numbers are rising. By 1905, that number was expected to climb to more than 50,000 vehicles. In the United States at the same time, there were only 7,000 cars. China is once again ahead of the world in the automobile industry.

Defense Minister Jiang Xingguo thought even more, and now, the warships of the Imperial Navy have eliminated coal-fired boilers. Switched to oil-fired boilers. The efficiency of oil-fired boilers is greater than that of coal-fired boilers, which makes the power of the battleship more powerful, and the speed and endurance have also increased a lot. Other than that. The tanks being developed by the army and the fighter planes of the air force also need to consume oil. Moreover, with the increasing number of various equipment, the consumption of oil will also rise rapidly. Domestic oil exploitation, because the oil is buried relatively deep. It's quite a hassle to mine. Therefore, a large amount of oil needs to be imported from abroad. In particular, the United States, which produces tens of millions of tons, is China's main oil importer. But. The hostile relationship between China and the United States will inevitably stop exporting oil to China once war breaks out. When the time comes, China's weapon of war. It will be subject to others. Although, the empire is in the South Seas region. Oil extraction has already begun. However, the production is not large, and it can only meet domestic needs temporarily, but with the explosive growth of domestic oil demand, it will soon be unable to meet domestic needs. Wang Yuze knows that the Nanyang region has abundant oil reserves, but with current technology, it is difficult to extract the roots. In addition, some of the large oil fields were also under the control of the Dutch East Indies.

"Your Majesty, if there is really oil in this place, then we must take this place!" Defense Minister Jiang Xingguo said with a twinkle in his eyes.

"I promise, there's more oil here than you can imagine!" Wang Yuze said affirmatively.

"Then, Your Majesty, I think the Empire should act immediately and take this place. In the Middle East, it is currently mainly the British and the French who are fighting for it. However, none of them are very powerful. Especially since the British are now at war with the Boers in South Africa, we can take advantage of this opportunity to get here! Foreign Minister Ng Dinh Fong said.

"However, the Middle East is not close to the Empire, and even if we start to penetrate Central Asia, there will still be a Persia in between. We have to take Persia before we can use this as a springboard into the Middle East! Defense Minister Jiang Xingguo said with a frown. What is now Persia belongs to the reign of the Zairean dynasty. However, the whole of Persia was almost divided into three parts. The southern part was the British sphere of influence, and the northern part was the Russian sphere of influence, and the Zaire dynasty was able to control only a small part of the area. After Russia was defeated by China, the Zaires took the opportunity to recapture the Russian-controlled areas. China, on the other hand, has also begun to prepare, and after the completion of the military reform, it will penetrate into Persia from the north. However, now that there is oil in the Middle East, this pace must be accelerated.

"Persia is also very important. In Persia, too, there is a lot of oil buried. We also have to get our hands on these oil fields. The military's infiltration of Persia must be carried out quickly. As for the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East, we can take another approach! Wang Yuze said with a smile.

"Another way?" Wu Tingfang and Jiang Xingguo were both a little puzzled.

"Arabs, excited about Islam, ideologically, will be somewhat extreme. If we forcibly occupy this place, sooner or later we will get into trouble as time goes on. Although a powerful empire is not afraid of these minor troubles, why not reap the benefits of the Middle East at the lowest cost? Therefore, the military intelligence has already found a good agent in the Middle East. We will support them and gain control of the entire Middle East. And what we want to get is the persuasion of oil exploitation here! Wang Yuze's eyes lit up. The coast of the Persian Gulf is home to 60 percent of the world's oil, and if it takes the oil here, China will be able to seize world hegemony. Of course, you have to be able to hold on. There is a big reason for the formation of the Indian Ocean Fleet of the Chinese Navy, which is to plot here.

"It's a good idea to find an agent. However, we must be prepared to confront the British and the French. The geographical location of the Middle East is important, directly in India and Europe, and the British will not let us take it! Defense Minister Jiang Xingguo said.

"Of course, but, does the Reich need to be afraid of the British? Britain is no longer the world's number one power a few decades ago. The Empire, both the Army and the Navy, had the strength to challenge Britain. In a few years, after the Empire's 'Han-class' battleships entered service, they could leave the British far behind. The Middle East, on the shores of the Persian Gulf, the empire is about to be decided! Wang Yuze said firmly.

Regarding Wang Yuze's decision, both Foreign Minister Wu Tingfang and Defense Minister Jiang Xingguo were quite supportive. Although, this is a big risk, if there is really a huge reserve of oil here, then any risk is worth taking! The British, who were the first to enter the age of steam, made them the world's number one power for more than 200 years. And now, the world is moving towards the age of oil, and if China can control the Persian Gulf, then it is equivalent to controlling the lifeblood of the world's energy. China's status as the world's number one power will be unshakable.

On 8 February, Wang Yuze's battleship 'Baiqi' arrived at Port Said in the northern part of the Suez Canal. The fleet will rest here for the rest of the day, replenishing fuel, fresh water, and food. By now, the fleet has sailed more than half of the voyage. The remaining ten days, from Port Said to England, good question. Perhaps by German orders, the commander of the British army in Egypt and the Egyptian Khedive (Egyptian monarch) Abbasid II rushed to Port Said to welcome the Chinese emperor. During this period, Wang Yuze and the queen attended a dinner held by the Khedive Abbasid II of Egypt to welcome Wang Yuze's arrival. The pure Arabian style of singing and dancing and relying on mutton are also very delicious. However, the commander of the British army in Egypt was very interested in the battlecruiser 'White Rise' and asked to visit it. However, it was rejected by Wang Yuze on the grounds that this was the top secret of the empire.

That evening, after the dinner, Wang Yuze and Empress Xiong Menghan returned to the battlecruiser 'Baiqi', and they were to leave for England early tomorrow morning. Won't stay here any longer.

When they returned to the battleship, two Arabs, dressed in traditional Arabic attire and wearing white turbans around their heads, were already on the battlecruiser 'White Rise'. These two people are none other than Abdul Rahman, the head of a well-known family in the Arab world, the Saud family, and his son, Abdul Aziz, who is only 20 years old.

Abdulrahman's father, who ruled the entire kingdom of Najd, was defeated by the Rashid family, and the father and son had to go into exile in Bahrain and Kuwait. Agents of the Military Intelligence Agency found them and expressed China's willingness to support them in regaining control of the Kingdom of Najd, and to take them to meet Wang Yuze while he was passing through here.

Father and son agreed, and when they saw the battlecruiser 'Baiqi', they were completely dumbfounded. They have also heard about the strength of China, which at the same time defeated the five great powers of the world. However, after seeing the battlecruiser 'White Rise', this undoubtedly gave them a more intuitive feeling. The entire kingdom of Najd, a colony of France. And behind the Rashid family, it is the support of the French. Therefore, they are somewhat less confident in defeating the Rashid family and retaking the kingdom of Najd. However, having felt the strength of China, they seem to have seen that victory is not far in front of them.

Both father and son began to thank Allah for giving them the right guidance, and the glory of the House of Saud will soon be restored!