His Royal Highness Don Leeshin was very interested in this expedition to Egypt, and was also very interested in expanding the territory and establishing a colony in Northeast Africa.

Now that you're going, what do you have to get?

In this regard

The Holy Lord did not give a clear opinion, and it was up to His Highness Tang Li Xin to figure it out by himself.

Fortunately, His Royal Highness Don Lee Sin was surrounded by a large number of talents, and was assisted by experienced colonial officials, who were able to form a strong and capable team.

The leader is the Grand Governor, Lord Liu Daqing, a group of young and ambitious rising stars.

In a French luxury estate in the town of Oak Bay

A dozen or so people, led by His Highness Don Leeshin, were meeting to study, and in front of them was a large sand table that included the Arabian Peninsula, Northeast Africa, the Red Sea, and Egypt, carefully made according to the scale depicted on the map, and could give a more comprehensive view of the geographical structure and the distribution of mountains and seas in the region.

Lord Liu Daqing held a long pole in his hand and pointed on the large sand table;

"To establish a colonial area, it is necessary to have a good geographical and natural environment, abundant water sources and fertile land, as well as a certain number of local people and a hinterland that can be developed in the long run, in order to truly gain a firm foothold.

Sum up

The Arabian Peninsula and Northeast Africa have a harsh natural environment, arid climate and little rainfall, dominated by desert and Gobi terrain, and only the coastal areas of Ethiopia, Yemen and Egypt are barely eligible in the Red Sea coastal area.

Among them, Egypt is the main area infiltrated by Britain and France, and it is also the key area that Europe has repeatedly tried to conquer since the Middle Ages, and the regional competition situation is relatively fierce.

The remaining plateau region of the Arabian Peninsula along the Red Sea is a narrow corridor of plains that is home to traditional Arab nomads.

There are many tribes, with a population of about 35~400,000.

The rest is the coastal region of Ethiopia on the other side of the Red Sea, known as Eritrea, with a total area of about 130,000 square kilometers. Due to its location on the plateau, which blocks the moist water vapor from the Red Sea, there is abundant precipitation, many rivers, and the temperature is relatively pleasant.

Eritrea stretches more than 1,300 kilometers along the Red Sea from Djibouti in the southeast to Alamas in the northwest, and is inhabited by Semitic and Cushitic tribes, with a total population of about 2,670,000 to 300,000.

The region is a vital part of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, and if it can be taken away, it will greatly strengthen the Empire's voice in the Asia-Europe shipping lane, even if it is Britain.

The Arabian Peninsula Plateau and Eritrea must be one or the other.

That's the only way

In order to truly defend the Empire's right of unimpeded passage on the Asia-Europe shipping lane, without the need to look at the eyes of the British, and sit low and small everywhere.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs media;

Britain had already rejected the request of the Imperial Expeditionary Fleet to enter the Mediterranean from Gibraltar and then to Egypt.

Now we have only one route left, which is to enter the Indian Ocean through the Strait of Malacca and then go on an expedition to Egypt.

It was this reality that underscored the importance of the conquest of the Red Sea coast, which would give the empire a stable logistical supply base in the region and a say in the Asia-Europe shipping lanes.

In case it turns its face, the Empire has the ability to block the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and cut off the Asia-Europe route, and the so-called Suyinshi Canal is just an expensive ornament. ”

As soon as the words fell, they won a warm applause.

Everyone started talking, and the atmosphere in the conference room became more and more enthusiastic......

"In this way, the expeditionary fleet will have to bring a certain number of immigrants, and it will also need to carry sawmill equipment, tractors, reinforced concrete, some brick kiln masonry, and oil and rice milling equipment, etc., will this be too burdensome? Consumed too much? ”

"General Zheng is too worried, and this matter can be arranged by contacting the colonial department. After all, they have a wealth of experience in colonization, and the corresponding colonization appropriations can be formed into a special fund and sent to the parliament for a vote. There is no shortage of manpower and material resources on Paradise Island, and everything can be prepared. ”

"It makes sense, starting from Paradise Island saves 2/3 of the voyage and can reach the Red Sea coast in just over a month, which is the most economical way."

"In view of the large size of the fleet, we should immediately send a note to the ports along the British coast, and at the same time, our men should take the lead in preparing sufficient supplies and waiting for the fleet to arrive and replenish it as soon as it arrives, so as not to delay the journey."

"Your Highness, how many people do you think it is appropriate for the accompanying immigrants?"

"Huh...... Of course, the more the merrier, depending on the amount of colonization funds applied for by the colonial department, it is estimated that it should be between 1~30,000 people, and if you add the 3rd and 4th Marine Divisions stationed in the area in the future, the number is already quite a lot. ”

"Your Highness is right, I think the Eritrean region should be chosen as the first choice for colonization, the area is larger, the hinterland is deeper, the precipitation and light conditions are good, suitable for the development of agriculture and animal husbandry."

"Hey...... Don't forget that it's all black there. ”

"It's not a big deal, the colony requires a lot of labor in the early days, and if you can build a railway line along the Red Sea about 1,300 kilometers long, you can firmly control the coastal ports and the entire colony. As for the fact that blacks will eventually disappear, their existence ...... It was just a flash in the pan in Eritrea. ”

"So how do you make sure that ordinary soldiers and immigrants don't have relationships with black women and give birth to a lot of headaches of mixed-race children? Don't say no...... This has already happened on the Nicaragua Canal construction site. ”

"Why don't you make the Arabian Plateau your primary goal, but it's more difficult to conquer?"

"It's not a little higher, it's a lot higher. The Arabs were nomadic tribes of the desert, coming and going like the wind, and even if they conquered, there was nothing to be fished. And those fields are even more barren, and the oases are not only small in scope, but also have little rainfall, making them very difficult to colonize. ”

"My lordship, I remember that the Arabs have a long tradition of human trafficking, and wouldn't it be better to either conquer by force or pay for Arab women captured in tribal wars to meet the needs of soldiers and immigrants?"

"Wonderful, this plan works."

"Seconded."

"It's the best of both worlds, second."

As one of the emerging colonial powers in the world today, the Tang Empire is quite keen on conquering foreign races from top to bottom, and will not be limited by traditional Confucianism, which has been lonely at the imperial government level.

Except for the educational circles, which often advocate traditional Chinese virtues and attach importance to inheriting education, other military and economic departments have all abandoned the theory of Confucianism, advocated active foreign colonial expansion, and made every effort to seize the international market.

This is not the slightest bit of gentleness and courtesy, and there is no room for everyone to do their part.

I grabbed the mouth full of oil, and I couldn't grab it, so I could only drink the northwest wind.

After a secret meeting of a group of young and vigorous elites, the rules of the expedition were quickly set and sent through the established channels.

The expedition to Egypt was not a matter for the Royal Navy, but involved close cooperation among the various government departments of the Empire, and the Foreign Office was responsible for liaising with the British ports for supplies, and explaining the Empire's intentions to Egypt to the European countries to avoid unnecessary interpretation.

The Colonial Ministry took active action to fully cooperate with the expedition plan in terms of manpower, materials and appropriations, which was originally within the scope of the colony and was listed as the top priority at present.

The Army General Staff Headquarters successively handed over some field artillery, cavalry equipment and supplies, and opened several strategic reserve warehouses to the expeditionary fleet, which were stocked with a series of good things including Montana bison jerky, Seattle wild yellow croaker, canned salmon, cowhide tents, emergency diesel engines, heavy machine guns, cowhide armed belts, and raincloths, which were available to the expeditionary fleet.

Being able to make the Army Staff Headquarters cooperate so much has nothing to do with His Royal Highness the Emperor Eleventh taking command of the expedition, and who can not care about the royal affairs?

As the date of the expedition on September 28 approached, the coal carriers, cargo ships and Royal Navy oil and water vessels requisitioned by the major shipping companies gathered at the port of Oak Bay, and the loading of the cargo, the coal of the coal, the oil and water ships of the lubricating oil, kerosene, diesel or other oil were also ready.

September 28, 1871.

Warships gathered, battle flags hunted.

Emperor Richard personally attended the ceremony, presented the expeditionary flag to the expeditionary fleet, and led a group of princes and important ministers to the altar to burn incense and pray to heaven.

His Royal Highness Don Li Xin, commander-in-chief of the expeditionary fleet, Commodore Zheng Huaishan, deputy commander and captain of the armored cruiser "Evil Wind", Colonel Pan Shouguo and Colonel Liu Daqing, and a number of senior officers were inspected by His Majesty and solemnly swore to set out for the expedition.

All the ships in the harbor sounded their whistles, and under the leadership of the flagship armored cruiser "Evil Wind", they sailed out of the harbor one after another, embarking on a long voyage of 10,000 miles.

Stand by the dock

Emperor Richard watched the expeditionary fleet sail out of the harbor one by one, and his face was full of relief, this expedition will be a very representative event.

The children of the royal family finally carried the banner of opening up the territory, and the seventh son, the ninth son, the tenth son, and other princes, some were wise and wise, some were both civil and military, and some were brave and good at fighting, showing their talents in the experience of the imperial army.

The inheritance of the Tang royal family is worry-free, which is a gratifying and congratulatory thing!

The eleventh son of the emperor, Tang Li Xin, knew people well and was known to have a sense of the overall situation, and he was the prince favored by Emperor Richard, and he intended to take this opportunity to let him experience it.

The expedition to Egypt was only a long journey, and as long as it could be successfully reached, it would be more than half successful.

The Ottoman Navy was still dominated by old-fashioned sail warships, and its local sail fleet ships on the Red Sea side were old, poorly armed, and completely incapable of competing with modern ironclad ships.

The main battle will break out on land.

The traditional Mamluk cavalry of Egypt can still be called a North African powerhouse, although the sun has set. Yin Smail Pasha has always had close relations with European powers such as Britain and France, and his army is also equipped with a large number of advanced Western guns, and its combat effectiveness cannot be underestimated.

These pressures fell on the shoulders of the 3rd and 4th Royal Marine Divisions, and the capture of Suyinshi City would inevitably lead to fierce battles.

His Royal Highness Don Li Xin is more familiar with land battles, and in the South American War, he once followed the cavalry to raid thousands of miles, and experienced more than a dozen battles large and small, and there is no shortage of experience and insight, what is lacking is only the opportunity for actual experience.

Richard is looking forward to what kind of answer the eleventh emperor can deliver?

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