We chatted privately for a while

Commissioner Fulham agreed with Colonel Payette that this so-called Queensland should have the strength to expand in Africa, similar to Belgium or the Netherlands, which are small third-rate European countries, and nothing more.

As an Australian Dominion under the British Empire, this may be a test balloon released by London, or a reckless decision made by the so-called Earl of Queensland in order to win the attention of European powers and increase his own weight.

Or simply, as they call it, a logistical supply base for an ocean-going trade line, only in a sensitive location.

Anyway

The task of the observation team has been completed, and they will have a detailed understanding of the intelligence on all aspects of the construction of the town of Xi'an, the social structure and the deployment of troops, and then provide a detailed report that is not mixed with personal subjective opinions, so as not to affect the judgment of the Suez Canal Board and Paris.

Normally, this should be the end of the matter.

After all, the Suez Canal and Djibouti are separated by a whole Red Sea, 2,200 kilometers apart, and the French can't reach here no matter how long they are.

They can show concern, they can show concern, but that's about it.

Commissioner Fulham has had more contact with the upper echelons of politics, as far as he knows;

So far, France has no plans to colonize the Horn of East Africa, and it is neither realistic nor possible to listen to the arrogant rhetoric of putting the whole of Africa under the rule of the French tricolor as a joke.

In the future, in addition to the footprints of old colonizers such as Britain, France, Portugal and Spain, more expeditions from foreign powers will surely be ushered in, and it will become very lively.

Faced with this situation, France is unwilling and has no way.

It is like a dog guarding the house, taking Africa as its own bag, hearing any wind and grass will run out to see, bark twice, if there is an outsider intrusion, if it can be bullied, it will be bullied, if it can be driven away, it will be driven away, it is estimated that it cannot be easily intimidated, and it can only be left by him.

Until the welcome dinner began, the local officials and the military in Xi'an Town gathered, and the real big boss, Lieutenant Colonel Lei Xiaopeng, did not show up, it was said that he went on a military mission and needed to be kept secret.

Well, there was no shortage of good wine and good food at the welcome dinner, which did not affect the revelry of the French naval officers.

Until the afternoon of the third day

Lieutenant Colonel Lei Xiaopeng led a group of cavalry to arrive belatedly, and then there was a warm feast, and there was very little information that could be understood.

Although the owner was a little unhappy with his identity, it was all a small thing, and the French were surprised to find it; Xi'an is a really good place.

With a wide variety of products, from Australian and European products to silk, tea, porcelain and wine from the Far East, as well as Arabian girls, it is a paradise to linger in.

After more than 20 days at sea, they were all spoiled, and after coming to the town of Xi'an, the officers and men on the light cruiser indulged in revelry for several days, and spent almost every franc on their bodies, and then left with large bags of goods.

Colonel Payette had to admit that on the long route from the Suez Canal to India, the town of Xi'an was indeed an excellent logistical supply point.

He even thought about writing a special report after he returned, listing this place as a fixed anchorage for French warships between Indochina and Europe, replenishing fresh fruits, vegetables and grains, so as not to let the young men rest and relax.

meanwhile

What they don't know is that the Golden Years, a fast luxury cruise ship from Queensland, is slowly passing through the Suez Canal.

In the luxury cabin on the top floor of the cruise ship

Li Fushou's slender figure stood on the carpet, looking at the blue Mediterranean Sea in front of him from a distance through the glass, which was a sea full of infinite vitality, nourished a prosperous maritime civilization, nourished a large number of Europa countries fighting the ocean along the coast, and was the core area of the world in today's era.

It is a common idea among Europeans to have a manor in Europe rather than a city in Australia and a country in Africa.

Those down-and-out aristocrats, bankrupt merchants or craftsmen, or criminals and paupers who can't get along at home to develop overseas, but who wants to leave their homeland and go overseas if they have a little ability?

"Sir, can we go to Paris this time?" Nicole walked over, stretched out two white and smooth arms and gently wrapped her arms around Li Fushou's waist, gently pressed her head on his back, and asked in a gentle tone.

"Yes, my men have bought a luxury mansion on the Champs-Elysées, and you can live in Paris when you arrive, where we can host cocktail receptions, and you can go to jewelry stores and galleries and buy everything you like."

Li Fushou patted her hand dotingly, Nicole is smart and informed, and will not put everything she wants on her face like Fiona's stupid woman, so Li Fushou took her with her to travel in Europe.

The rush of the trip stemmed from a letter from Lord Gulliver, Minister of the Colonial Ministry, which was a confidential letter concerning the future of the island of Madagascar.

Even if he didn't say it, Li Fushou could guess a little.

It was now the end of October 1884, and the Berlin Conference of Europe, scheduled for November 15, was about to convene, and the whole of Europe was now a large diplomatic arena, with envoys from various countries shuttling back and forth and carrying out high-intensity diplomatic activities.

Paris and Berlin, in particular, are on the cusp of the limelight, with lavish balls and dinners that almost stay up all night long.

Judging by the current information;

Britain and France, two old colonial powers, will be collectively boycotted by European countries and the United States and other participating countries at this Berlin conference.

Among them, especially the Belgian King Leopold I jumped up and down very hard, the German Emperor Wilhelm I added fuel to the fire, the Dutch royal family, which was very bitterly suppressed by the British, Spain, Norway, Italy, Austria-Hungary, the United States, Greece, Bulgaria and other countries have stood in line, and the guns are unanimously aimed at Britain and France, the two old colonial powers.

If nothing else

King Leopold I of Belgium's claim in the Congo River valley would be unanimously supported by all European countries, with the exception of France, and Britain would be happy to see it come to fruition, thus forming the "Congo Free State", to which the Kingdom of Belgium belonged, and this vast land of 1.9 million square kilometers would be included in the personal domain of Leopold I.

In this big situation

Britain, which occupies the largest number of colonies in Africa, will inevitably become the target of public criticism, and it is estimated that it is inevitable to be spitted on, and it is inevitable to fight alone, and it is inevitable to be diplomatically isolated by European countries.

Professor Glenn Johnson has been so successful in Europe that he has reached a transfer agreement with the Kingdom of Portugal to accept Guinea, which is in fact two Portuguese-founded settlements, with a combined population of less than 2,500 people, for £75,000.

The sudden rise of Queensland to occupy the Somali region in the Horn of East Africa did not provoke a strong reaction from the countries, which inspired Lord Gulliver, Minister of the Colonies;

In that case, can this model be replicated in other regions as well?

The British Empire's colonization plan in Africa was the 2C Plan, hoping to establish a colony that stretched from southern Africa in the south to Egypt in the north and throughout Africa in the north and south.

Neither Guinea, in the corner of West Africa, nor in the barren and barren Somalia of the East Horn, nor Madagascar, far from the African continent, are in this vast plan.

Instead of cheapening other Europeans, it is better to cheapen your own horses Queensland.

Perhaps this was the true thought of Lord Gulliver, Minister of the Colonies, who knew it well;

The Earl of Queensland, who is far away in Australia, is an ambitious man with a fascination with land and will definitely take the bait.

Although the island of Madagascar was not included in the British colonization plan, it did not mean that the British had forgotten the world's fourth largest island, but they were just powerless.

Although the Royal Navy of the British Empire is strong, the army is just like that, and it is not half a star weaker than France, the traditional army power in Europe.

Therefore, in the land hegemony, it is common to eat deflated.

The British have also set their sights on the island of Madagascar for a long time, but due to various factors and the containment of France, it has not been successful, and it has become a historical problem.

Back at the beginning of the XIX century

That is, when Jiaqing beheaded the traitors of the imperial court and Shen Manmen, Madagascar was already an indigenous kingdom.

King Radama I of Madagascar went on a campaign to unify the island of Madagascar, which had been divided by the princes.

But along the coast, there were also several strongholds established by the French.

For example, the Fort of Dovan, also known as Tauranaru, which was captured in 1642, is southeast of the Falklands.

France used Fort Dovan as a springboard to enter the Falklands, encroaching on Madagascar step by step, which made Britain envious, jealous and hateful, and all kinds of saliva flowed, even saying that France could not annex the Falklands alone.

Britain provided weapons and ammunition to Madagascar, so that the Ma army had the strength to prevent the French army from landing on the island and completely occupy the area.

Madagascar produced a strong woman, and this was Ranavalona I, the queen of Radama I.

In 1828, after the sudden death of her husband, she took the scepter and told the French: As far as your dream is, you can go as far as your mother goes!

France, of course, was greatly annoyed by this, and invaded the Falklands the following year.

As a result, he was beaten with a blue nose and swollen face, and Ranavalona I ordered;

Arrest all French missionaries on the Falklands, and close down all the brainwashing schools run by foreign devils on the Falklands. She knew that the enemy's most terrible weapon was not guns, but ideological indoctrination, and at the same time, the people of the Falklands were not allowed to practice the religion of Europe, otherwise they would be severely punished.

The harshness of the foreign missionaries also provoked the British.

Faced with the intransigence of the Kingdom of Madagascar, long before the First Opium War, the Anglo-French forces invaded together and tried to blast open the gates of the Kingdom of Madagascar.

On that day, the port of Tamatave in Madagascar was bombarded with guns and guns. As a result, as soon as the British and French troops landed, they fell into the vast sea of Equestrian people, and had to retreat in embarrassment under repeated fierce battles, and the plan to colonize Madagascar ended in vain.

It was precisely because of this historical origin that Lord Gulliver, Minister of the Colonial Department, thought that with the help of the Queenslanders, if the other party was also interested in Madagascar, then Britain could take advantage of it without firing a single shot, and Queensland's territory was equal to British territory, no different.

If the invasion was lost, it was also the business of Mr. Earl Queensland, and London had no loss.

If it succeeds, then the British will have access to an abundance of indigenous labor in Mauritius, which is not far away, while the French-occupied island of Reunion will have to wait and see.

If you can secretly rub and give the French another knife in the back, why not?

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