Geographically close to North Africa, Sudan and Egypt, Ethiopia has been heavily influenced by European culture since 670 AD.

It is the only ancient Christian country in the Near East world, with a long history of inheritance.

Among the tribes of the Ethiopian highlands, in addition to the prevailing Semitic and tribal languages, English was the lingua franca spoken by most of the indigenous upper class aristocrats. In addition, there were a small number of nobles who were fluent in French and Spanish, and there were no barriers to communication.

The famous letter written by the Ethiopian Emperor Menelik II, who committed suicide by swallowing a gun, to Queen Victoria of England was written in English.

The Ethiopian Emperor Johannes IV wrote his own letters, also in English.

In his wandering court, there were many English and French assistants, as well as some Portuguese advisers, so it can be said that it was a more international royal court.

His Royal Highness Don Li Xin read this handwritten letter without any obstacles, and personally wrote a reply to express his greetings.

Adhering to the face of the world powers that have always asked for benefits, His Royal Highness Don Li Xin did not hesitate to praise and praise in his reply.

He called Johannes IV "the most outstanding Ethiopian king of all time", "a leader with world insight", "a dear friend", and "an emperor who also has an ancient and noble blood flowing in his veins".

His Royal Highness Don Li Xin's real intention is not to make any more moths in the demarcation of borders.

The border demarcation treaty signed between the Duke of Surel and the Imperial side can only be said to be a preliminary framework plan, and does not have the force of a real legal principle.

The plan must be approved by the parliament after the envoys return to their respective empires, and signed by the emperors of both empires before it can take effect, and this is an unavoidable and necessary final procedure.

Emperor Johannes IV of Ethiopia, who was well versed in the European Code, knew this well and could not have fooled it.

His Royal Highness Tang Li Xin simply made a few high hats for him to wear, and with a stroke of his pen in joy, this "Tang and Egypt Border Demarcation Treaty" was a certainty, with an unshakable legal foundation, and no one in later generations could overturn it.

Eat the fat meat in your mouth to be stable, and a few kind words should be given.

These days

His Royal Highness Don Leeshin temporarily postponed his return to Suez City for the purpose of finalizing the draft treaty on the demarcation of the border, in order to finalize the draft and avoid complications.

Leisure time

His Royal Highness received first-hand information from the British businessmen Ryan Jakes and James Tomkins about the current chaos on the Ethiopian plateau, and gained a deeper understanding of the situation of Johannes IV.

Its predecessor was the separatist Prince of Kasa, whose home was in the Tigray region, and he was the famous local chief of the Tigray tribe. The tribe has a population of about 3560,000 and more than 20,000 tribal warriors.

He was made a prince during the reign of Menelik II, and this princely title was modeled after the European noble titles, and like the duke, it was granted to the chiefs of the major tribes to appease people's hearts, and in fact there was no other benefit, just to sound better.

Year 1863

The expeditionary force led by General Napier of England crusaded against Menelik II, and Prince Casa, as a great chief close to European powers, immediately responded positively and sent tribal warriors to join the crusade army, so he was particularly favored by General Napier.

After the end of the war

The British expeditionary force took with them a large amount of loot, including more than five hundred precious religious artifacts and treasures, most of which came from the Church of the Savior in Magdala.

Among these artifacts are a 15th-century scroll of St. George slaying the dragon, a 500-year-old manuscript of the Bible, and a large collection of royal jewelry. These include the crown of Theodorus II, a large Coptic cross cast in fine sterling silver, and much more, as well as a great deal of wealth collected among the people.

Because Prince Casa licked hard enough, coupled with the logistics of providing black women, cattle and sheep for the British Expeditionary Force, General Napier left some rifle ammunition and military supplies that could not be taken away, as well as more than 40 artillery pieces to Prince Casa before returning home.

Among them, there were about 13,000 smoothbore rifles and hundreds of barrels of black powder.

It was with these advanced weapons and equipment that Prince Casa was able to rise in the midst of the princely strife and become the supreme ruler of this land of warlords by crowning Emperor Johannes IV, the "King of Kings" in the ancient city of Axum.

That being said, many warlords did not agree with him, let alone the absolute authority of Johannes IV.

For seven years, from 1866 to the present, Johannes IV has led his army to fight in all directions, during which time he has won and lost, but he has never been able to unify the Ethiopian plateau.

At that time, the guns and ammunition left by General Napier were almost consumed, and there was no money to import them in large quantities, and the equipment of the army under the command of Johannes IV had returned to the era of cold weapons, and the unification of the plateau was even more distant.

The kingdom of Shoa in the south, in addition to several indigenous kingdoms such as Gojam, Volo, and Simeon, is completely independent, and there are also a large number of separatist warlord chieftains, who do not obey the orders of Emperor Johannes IV at all, and there is still chaos on the plateau, which is the current bad situation.

I have to say that the Datang Expeditionary Force has caught up with a good time.

It not only expanded the area of Yunzhong Province to 210,000 square kilometers, but also obtained the 800-kilometer section of the upper reaches of the Abbe River, which is known as the "faucet of North Africa", which is undoubtedly important.

Originating in the Ethiopian highlands, the Abbe River is one of the world's most extensive major rivers, known as the "Abbe River" on the Ethiopian highlands, which flows from Lake Nata and winds for more than 800 kilometers to the Sudanese border.

After the Abbe River entered Sudan, it was called the "Blue Nile" because of the dense jungle on both sides of the river, the clear and turbulent water, and the large difference in height, which is very conducive to the construction of large water conservancy facilities.

The famous Fuxing Dam was built in the Gurmuz area of Mount Benni, 15 kilometres from the Sudanese border, a small place below Laremaiche.

After traveling for hundreds of kilometres, the Blue Nile joins the White Nile in Khartoum, covering more than 800 kilometres in Sudan and eventually entering Egypt.

After entering Egypt, it became the mother river of Egypt "Nile", which meandered more than 1,200 kilometers in Egypt, and the basin area accounted for 3% of Egypt's national territory, but concentrated more than 95% of the population and more than 99% of the arable land in Egypt, feeding the splendid ancient Egyptian civilization.

Just in terms of the amount of water

The Abbe River has a huge amount of water, and more than a dozen major tributaries originating from the Ethiopian plateau flow along the way, and the entire water volume can reach more than 85% of the Nile River input, which is worthy of the name "East African faucet".

The volume of the White Nile is small and volatile, accounting for only about 15% of the total water output, far from being comparable to the Abbe.

The Tang Empire incorporated the upstream Laremache and Tatai Kulalo into the territory of Yunzhong Province, and not only added 450,000 black indigenous tribes to its territory, but also added 85,000 square kilometers of land. Rather, it has mastered the entire "North African tap" and is capable of exerting strategic influence over the leading powers in the region.

Say something nasty

Whether it is the Sultan or Egypt, they all have to act according to the eyes of the Tang Empire. Otherwise, Datang will be able to turn off the "North African faucet" at any time, and let the downstream countries eat all the sand.

As soon as there is a plan to build dams upstream, these downstream countries panic, and this is really not a lie.

"Your Royal Highness, I would like to recommend myself to serve you." Ryan Jacks politely stroked his chest, with a flattering smile on his face, and continued confidently;

"I am a member of the Royal Geographical Society and have a wealth of knowledge in geography and hydrology, whether it is building bridges, dams, planning railway lines or making professional maps.

In addition, I have been doing business in the Near East and the Arabian Peninsula for more than ten years, and I have traveled all over the mountains and rivers here, and I have made many tribal chiefs and high-ranking indigenous kingdoms, so I am very familiar with the environment of the region.

Believe me for this experience, this is the person His Highness needs the most. ”

"You should have a better option, Mr. Ryan, like serving the UK." His Royal Highness Tang Li Xin did not refuse, but responded with a warm expression.

There was no shortage of British, Germans or French who came to serve in the Tang Empire, but there were very few experienced people who were familiar with the situation in Near Northeast Africa. The Mr. Ryan in front of him is indeed a good choice, which can save Yunzhong Province a lot of detours when making decisions.

But this does not mean that it is a dish when you pick it up on a plate, and you always have to see if there are any pesticide residues.

Ryan Jakes shrugged his shoulders with a wry smile and said frankly with his hands spread out; "I don't think that's a better option, in fact, as an expert on the Near East, I've been with the British Colonial Office for many years.

Reports are submitted irregularly every year, and are special reports on the situation in Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, or various regions of the Arabian Peninsula, historical origins or current contradictions, hydrogeological conditions, and tribal vendettas.

There are many others like me, such as Father Mike Lane, who is a missionary in Khartoum, or others.

And we'll get some similar handouts, maybe a dozen pounds, maybe twenty pounds, no more.

I suspect that no one will read the report seriously, let alone make a policy based on it.

Maybe it won't be on the desk of a big man at all, but it will be thrown away in some room where the materials are stored, and it will be dusted day after day.

It's very frustrating......

Your Highness, you know that I am a Scottish, and that I am at odds with the middle and upper echelons of the government that is full of Englishmen, and that they will not give a Scotsman any more chance.

This superficial perfunctory is even more frustrating, as if to say......

Hey man, come and take your flesh and bones away. Go to a place where no one is and enjoy it, and don't bother me anymore. ”

"Hehehe......"

His Royal Highness Don Lee Sin couldn't help but laugh out loud, he majored in European history in Germany, and he knew a lot about the historical grievances between the English, the Scots, and the Irish, and knew what kind of helpless emotions it was.

After hundreds of years of development, the feudal monarchy of the British Isles has now been solidified, and even all walks of life have been solidified, restricting the entry of outsiders, including authentic English and Scottish, through various trade guilds and civil organizations.

This stubborn adherence to tradition was almost suffocating, and it was the main reason why many Britons went to North America and other colonies around the world in search of development.

Unless you are willing to be a little fart for a lifetime, there is no future.

This is not like the Tang Empire, where society is full of opportunities to get rich overnight, full of opportunities to become legends, and full of opportunities to jump in class. It's like a magnet that attracts talented and ambitious people to the market.

Ryan Jakes wasn't the first and will never be the last.

After chuckling a few times, His Royal Highness Tang Li Xin turned his head to look at Colonel Liu Daqing beside him, and spoke; "Brother Daqing, I think Mr. Ryan's ability is more comprehensive, and he is a good helper, so I will leave this person to you to use."

"You're welcome, and I'm in dire need of talent." Colonel Liu Daqing nodded in response.

His Royal Highness Don Leeshin let out an "um", put away a smile on his face, and said to Ryan Jacks seriously;

"Mr. Ryan, I hope you understand the true meaning of this arrangement.

In the entire Red Sea Rim region, only Yunzhong Province is an overseas colony that the Tang Empire will invest a lot of energy to build, and this place is enough to make you feel bigged and kicked.

Elsewhere, it's just the status quo.

At this stage

Yunzhong Province needs to survey and plan railway lines, need to prove the types and quantities of minerals, need coal and iron ore and other minerals, and also need to reasonably plan bridges, reservoirs and other infrastructure, and these are all areas that you are good at.

Your report will not be locked in a locker, and it will even affect the formulation of development policies in Yunzhong Province. For example, if high-quality iron ore and coal are discovered, then we have the basis for the development of the smelting industry.

In the process of changing the historical landscape of the region, I believe that Mr. Ryan will not pass up the opportunity to show his talents, right? ”

"I am very honored to be able to contribute to the development of Yunzhong Province, Your Highness, you will not be disappointed with today's decision." Ryan Jakes thanked him very gentlemanly, and there was a fiery glint in his eyes.

Life is just a few decades, and he doesn't want to spend it in a dog's house, and now he is ready to roll up his sleeves and do a big job.

"What about your original ......"

"Your Highness, I will send a telegram to Cairo to resign from this part-time job, and I am sure that they will be happy to save another salary. Maybe you'll be filled, who knows? ”

"Okay, the Yunzhong Provincial Preparatory Office will send you a formal letter of appointment and hire you as an infrastructure consultant, maybe it will be more suitable."

"Thank you very much, Your Highness, I will prove that I am suitable for this job."

(End of chapter)