Slave labour, though ostensibly only required to sustain his subsistence, was the highest in any labour.

A man who does not have access to a little pose, eats the most, does the least, and does nothing.

From the experience of all ages and nations, I believe that the labor of a free man is cheaper than the labor of a slave.

—Adam Smith

Benny Erbin said what he said, but Franz did not want to discourage the other party, after all, the greatest advantage of the capitalist system over slavery was the efficiency of exploitation.

"Mr. Benny, your story is very touching. But I want to remind you that Europe at this time is far from what you think. In addition, the British government has officially announced a total ban on the slave trade. With their naval strength, it is believed that it will not be long before the slave trade will be completely cut off from Africa.

As for the war between you and the Omanis, we really can't help it. ”

Although the other party's speech was very touching, Franz was not an easy person, and his words were still calm and cold.

"No, you're wrong! The slave trade has never been interrupted since ancient times, and it will not be interrupted in the future! The British and Omanis wear the same pants! Benny Earbin was in a good mood.

In fact, he was not the only East African country in history that wanted to sell his land to foreign powers in exchange for protection.

The Mazruis, who had ruled Mombasa, gave up their family domain as a British protectorate, and a British naval captain accepted the offer when he found it profitable.

But John Bull never disappointed when it came to disappointing people, and they soon discovered that Said was willing to pay more.

So the British, who had strong business genes, lowered their flags, withdrew their troops, and watched the Mazruid family be wiped out by Said.

It's just that Austria doesn't have the same strong sea power as the British Royal Navy, which may not make Said jealous, and the Omani Empire at this time is no longer what it used to be, and it is already a veritable overlord of East Africa.

In fact, Oman and the British signed the Treaty of Moresby, which de facto recognized Oman's supremacy in East Africa and acquiesced in the slave trade.

The British's double standards have always been so outrageous, they can kill slave traders without mercy on the one hand, and on the other hand, they can acquiesce to some people who trade slaves legally.

"Wearing a pair of pants? As far as I know, isn't Britain expanding its influence everywhere in the name of prohibiting the slave trade? ”

Both Friedrich and Franz were a little confused, after all, Britain had always made such a big publicity, and it usually did so.

"Said gave them benefits, and the British turned a blind eye, and even sold them weapons and warships."

This is very much in line with the usual style of the Anglo-Saxons, and it would be even more consistent if the Omanis were sold some inferior weapons and obsolete warships.

After that, Benny Erbin told about the various "bad deeds" of Oman and the British fly camp dogs, so I won't repeat them here.

Franz and Friedrich's eyes lit up and they cheered up again.

After all, Britain was one of the least interested countries in Austria at this time, and although there was no direct geopolitical conflict between the two sides, the small frictions and calculations in the open and in the dark never stopped.

And both of them have huge ambitions hidden in their hearts, and in order to achieve it, John Bull must be a hurdle that cannot be overcome.

"We can provide you with weapons and the necessary support, but the Austrian Empire will not intervene in the battle of Bagamoyo for the time being. Even if you are about to be wiped out, we will not intervene in advance.

In addition, we can guarantee the survival of the Kingdom of Vegin, but it must be included in the market cycle of the Empire, and all of you need to obey the laws of the Empire and obey the will of His Majesty the Emperor. ”

Franz already had a plan in mind, but now was not the time, so he reaffirmed his position again. Of course, if this group of people really succeeds in taking Bagamoyo, it will save a lot of trouble.

100,000 florins, even with a 1% chance of rooting out a powerful British ally in East Africa, was worth it. Not to mention, the Austrian Empire also gained an early colonization of Bagamoyo and control of an important East African port, which was very beneficial to its own strategic layout in the future.

But even so, Franz still will not change his previous plan, after all, this kind of investment is like gambling, and small gambling is pleasant, big gambling hurts the body, and excessive gambling is ruined.

"No problem, I can agree to these conditions, but you must give us the treatment of our citizens."

Benny Erbyn, who shoulders the fate of his country and his people, naturally has to be cautious when facing life-and-death choices, even if it is a curve to save the country, he has to sell it for a good price. This is the ethics of a businessman.

"Of course, as long as they live in the Austrian Empire, uphold the rule of the Habsburgs, abide by the laws, regulations, and policies of the Empire, and fulfill their national obligations, they are Austrian citizens and are protected by the Austrian Empire."

His above words were expressed in a more formal tone, which made the people around him cast puzzled eyes, they didn't know if the Grand Duke was conveying his personal will.

No matter what those present think, this is what defines the future Austrian citizen in their minds.

Friedrich glanced at his nephew helplessly, and Benny Erbyn, who was in good spirits, had a feeling of being valued for a long time, which made him satisfied. The big salt fir sound heard a hint of off-string sound, maybe

What happened after that once again refreshed Franz's understanding, that is, Benny Earbyn was not a bare-bones commander; He really had an army of about 2,000 men, and the total number of private armies of the merchants was close to 2,500.

They had planned to go to India for help and purchase some more equipment along the way.

Fortunately, those Indian merchants also hated the Omanis and provided a considerable amount of financial support and a lot of intelligence, but unfortunately on the way back, they encountered a tsunami, and everyone was trapped in Mumbai, which led to this scene of asking for help.

Fortunately, Franz's fleet was large enough to accommodate the 2,500 uninvited guests.

Through these merchant channels, Franz gained valuable information that the alliance between Said and the British was not monolithic, just as it was with the Indians.

Both Britain and India benefited greatly from trade with Oman, but these Arabs wanted too much and were not settled.

Said's extensive cultivation of cloves and spices in Zanzibar has undoubtedly hit the spice market in India. In order to sell slaves for a high price, they always had to look at the Americans and the French, which made the British, as connoisseurs, very disgusted.

Just as Franz had predicted, the British were also looking for an opportunity to trick the Omanis. So he was going to write a few letters.

(End of chapter)