Franz's remarks were shocking. At this moment, Benny Erbin, the Bagamoyo merchants, and the Austrians present all had stunned expressions on their faces.

After all, Benny Erbin had indeed deceived the Grand Duke in a sense, and now the latter had an absolute advantage.

No one would have doubted that this young man would be able to kill everyone in this port at the first order.

Friedrich understood his nephew's approach.

Politics is an advanced art of compromise and cooperation, and even if it seems stupid in front of everyone, it is necessary to at least insist on doing a good job of superficiality.

Because the convenience and invisible benefits this brings to oneself cannot be ignored. The big salt shirt next to him thought that this was a very clever trick to control people.

Benny Earbin also showed that he was very aware of the current affairs, and immediately seized the opportunity to show his "loyalty".

"I am willing to serve the Empire. I've lived in Bagamoyo for almost thirty years, and I can also help you connect with nearby tribes.

I think they're all willing to surrender to you. Whatever the means, I will dedicate Tanzania to you. I will be the most faithful servant of the Habsburgs."

Although such a sensual statement is a bit disgraceful, it is not so much for Erbin, who has grasped the life-saving straw.

Moreover, the position of Governor of Tanzania was a real temptation, a piece of gold falling from the sky for him and for his family and tribe. Of course, this is also true for the vast majority of people in this world.

At this time, the merchants who were hostile to Benny Erbin turned on the cynicism mode, which quickly escalated into invective and curses.

Because they knew very well that the prince of the kingdom of Wegin, whom they despised, would inevitably take revenge on them. Of course, in the face of Austria's powerful military strength, they did not dare to do anything excessive.

"Merciful Grand Duke Franz, he is not at all worthy to be the governor of Tanzania!" A pot-bellied merchant pointed at Erbin, his exaggerated expression as if the other party was a traitor who had deceived his ancestors for eighteen generations.

"Yes! The 30% profit he promised you is too low, and we at the Nord Chamber of Commerce are willing to give up 70% of the profit! We are also willing to work for the Habsburgs! ”

"That bastard is a filthy primitive! He doesn't deserve to rule over whites! I protest! ”

The merchants of Bagamoyo were so agitated that they drowned Benny Erbin with spit. After all, they thought that removing this stumbling block would mean that they would be able to secure the rest of their lives by getting the Governor of Tanzania's mission in their hands.

Taking a step back, if they were to be obtained by Erbyn, they would be in hell.

Not only will the family business and business routes that Bagamoyo painstakingly managed over the years disappear, but even the lives of himself and his family will be in jeopardy.

However, for a new colonial power that did not have enough projection capabilities to the outside world, it was precisely this kind of shallow-based people who needed to better rely on the majesty of the empire to maintain its rule.

If it is replaced by an eight-sided exquisite snake, there will be a big question mark over whether it can effectively control the situation thousands of miles away for a long time.

More importantly, Franz needed a capable person who could thoroughly implement his will and have strong execution; Banning slavery is like banning drugs, and it is not a day's work to ban the old diseases that have been plagued for thousands of years.

"Listen, I would like to solemnly announce four things:

First, Benny Erbing would become the plenipotentiary of the Austrian Empire in Tanzania.

Second, the Viceroyalty of Tanzania will launch a total ban on slavery, prohibiting anyone from the slave trade, and phasing out slavery with immediate effect. ”

As soon as the second article was mentioned, the hornet's nest was immediately stabbed, and the Bagamoyo merchants below invariably expressed their dissatisfaction with rich verbal gestures.

"It's too harsh! If you don't even give us a way to live, you might as well kill us! ”

"This violates the principles of free trade!"

"Merciful Lord, save us."

However, their "performance" did not succeed in impressing Franz, who, instead of paying attention to the crowd in front of him, turned his head and let the soldiers fire their guns.

Sure enough, the sound of gunfire was the most effective silence, and the noisy crowd fell silent instantly.

Even if some people with ulterior motives had the intention of taking the opportunity to create chaos and incite rebellion, after seeing the resolute eyes of the Austrian soldiers and the black muzzles of their guns, their faces were like wilted eggplants, and they did not dare to think about anything else.

Coupled with the reputation of the previous "massacre" on the sea of Zanzibar and other rumors, it successfully shook these restless groups. Let the sentence that has come to the lips "Kill, run!" He swallowed it back.

"Third! The Government of the Sultan of Oman has granted our country an exclusive franchise, and the Viceroyalty of Tanzania will be tasked with spreading the spice throughout the world. ”

"Exclusivity" may sound tempting, but for merchants accustomed to the slave trade, there is always a hint of weirdness.

In fact, the clove trade in Zanzibar has great potential, and although it now accounts for 60% of the world's production, it will continue to account for 90% of the world's production from the late nineteenth century.

Its profits once accounted for 80% of Zanzibar's entire national income, and now with the blessing of Austrian agricultural technology, it is believed that cloves will become the signature product of Tanzania.

It is not uncommon in history for a commodity to bring a region to life, let alone a commodity that is destined to shine in history.

Franz was confident of his plan to replace the slave trade with cloves, and as the perfume and soap and cigarette industries grew, the demand for cloves only increased.

(At this time, the cigarette market was not yet on a scale, but having Franz in this was not a problem.) ）

The slave traders, of course, understood what the Grand Duke meant, and understood his determination to ban slaves. Audience responses to the above three statements were mixed.

Some people were disheartened, after all, they naively thought that this land would be their racecourse after the Omanis were driven away, but they did not expect the Austrians to directly lift the table.

What they didn't know was that banning future Austrian Tanzania from participating in the slave trade was also a prerequisite for Austria to monopolize the clove trade in Zanzibar.

So in return, the latter will turn a blind eye to Oman's actions. After all, there is no such thing as a free lunch, and if you want to dig a piece of meat from Said without being hated, you will certainly not be sprinkling another handful of salt on the wound.

Instead, he clearly gave the other party a chance to save a little face, and then gave him a date, so that the two sides were temporarily evened out.

Some people are unimpressed, after all, Bagamoyo's slave trade tradition has been a commercial activity since the beginning of the Age of Discovery, how can it be so easy to say that it is abolished?

Others were ecstatic because they knew how profitable the spice trade could be. And the "exclusive franchise" in the mouth of Grand Duke Franz is even more mouth-watering.

In this way, the vast majority of external competitors can be eliminated, and as long as a unified price alliance is formed internally, it is easy to create a monopoly and thus maximize the profits.

This was still mixed news for the future residents of the Tanzanian colony, but what Franz said in the end was definitely a good condition for the people in front of him.

"Fourthly, Tanzania is the territory of the Austrian Empire, and all subjects enjoy the same treatment as the Austrians, and are protected by the imperial army and imperial laws."

This last statement is both an explanation of Benny Urby's previous request and a reassurance, or a talisman, to those who have persecuted him.

It is clear that Franz was not prepared to let the Benny Earbyn family dominate, and he knew very well the meaning of the proverb "don't put all your eggs in one basket".

And only by making both sides dependent on Austria can the rule be firm and long-lasting.

Later generations have closely linked the four chapters of the Grand Duke's Covenant with the slave prohibition movement of the same era, known as the Bagamoyo Declaration.

(End of chapter)