March 1869.

After inspecting the company in Vienna, Ernst visited the Austro-Hungarian royal family and, after a short stay, returned to Heichingen.

1869 was a crucial year, and the opening of the Suez Canal at the end of the year alone would have a profound impact on the East African colonies.

The opening of the Suez Canal does not only mean a change in shipping lanes, but also affects the affairs of East Africa.

Cape Town's strategic position declined, and Britain and France entered into a series of rivalries for control of the Suez Canal.

Ernst believed that this was also an important factor in Britain's willingness to challenge France behind Prussia, which was indeed too powerful now.

Now, all European countries know that Prussia is accumulating strength, and the changes in the pattern of the European continent are also in Prussia's next decision, and the attention of all countries is focused on Europe, which is a good thing for East Africa.

The opening of the Suez Canal has weakened the position of East African ports such as Dar es Salaam and Mombasa as the world's main waterways.

The impact on the East African colonies can be mixed, and it can reduce the vigilance of other powers against East Africa, but East Africa, including Africa as a whole, will also be very passive in terms of economic and strategic position in the future.

Just like why the United States is chasing and intercepting Russia like this, the Americas are still too isolated in terms of geography relative to the world island as a whole, and if Russia, a country that straddles the European continent, is allowed to cover the entire world island, the United States can really only be the king of the Americas.

The same is true for Africa, where the Mediterranean coast of North Africa has always been the main traditional commercial route to Europe and the Middle East, while the coast of East and West Africa is the only way to the Far East.

After the opening of the Suez Canal, the coasts of East and West Africa will decline, of course, there is a premise, that is, Africa has not given birth to a world power.

If sub-Saharan Africa were to give birth to a real world power, like the United States, it would be able to pull sub-Saharan Africa back into the world trading system and occupy a large share, otherwise South America would be the ceiling that Africa could reach in the future.

"Ernst, what have you been up to lately? I've been seeing you writing in your study lately, didn't you just come back from building some business in Vienna a few days ago? Prince Constantine came up behind Ernst and asked, looking at his son's table full of documents and papers.

Prince Konstantin has now completely bid farewell to the affairs of the kingdom and is at home at leisure, and his daily routine is mainly to take care of the territory.

In another year, Konstantin will be 70 years old, and the life of Prince Constance Dante in history is still relatively turbulent, and he has no children in his previous life, so he basically lived in Prussia in his later years, and finally died in the green mountain city of Prussia.

And in this life, after having Ernst, Konstantin's attention to politics was significantly weakened, and he was not active in Prussian politics.

For example, the famous Hohenzollern Royal Medal was founded by Konstantin and Prince Karl Anton of Sigmaringen, who was very keen on the cause of the entire Hohenzollern family.

In this life, Prince Constantine put most of his attention on the training of Ernst, and the Royal Order of Hohenzollern still appeared, but this time only Prince Karl Anton was in charge.

In the early stage, Ernst was still young, and Konstantin spent most of his time in Heixingen in order to take care of Ernst, and after Ernst woke up, Ernst's growth rate was too fast, causing Konstantin to lose his enterprising spirit, after all, his son was so successful, he should also enjoy his old age.

"Father, I am planning the upgrading of First Town, and I intend to build First Town into a modern city with a high level." Ernst flipped through the knowledge of urban construction with a book.

"Is First Town the temporary political center of the East African colonies?" Konstantin asked.

Now there are two colonies under the name of the Heshingen royal family, East Africa and Alaska, and compared to the real sales procedures and documents in Alaska, the East African royal domain is only the claim of the Hexingen royal family.

The political center of the two colonies was Heshingen, and as the nominal owner of the Heixingen royal domain, Konstantin naturally knew something.

"Yes, father, as the political center of East Africa, First Town will also be the temporary capital of our Heixingen royal family in East Africa in the future, so I have to do a good job of local construction in advance to facilitate the subsequent relocation work." Ernst said bluntly.

"It seems that you really like this part of East Africa, and you have completely decided to put the future of your family in East Africa!" Konstantin sighed.

As a European, Konstantin certainly has a deep affection for Europe, but his only son wants to gamble the family's future on East Africa, and he will not stop him.

The aristocracy should focus on the family business, and in that area of East Africa, the single cluster data is indeed not comparable to the small Heixingen.

Heixingen was originally a small country that was dispensable in Europe, although it was a nail embedded in Prussia in South Germany, but its strategic position was negligible to the current Kingdom of Prussia.

In the future, after the reunification of Germany, there will be almost no sense of existence, to put it mildly, it is the ravines and ravines, of course, the whole of South Germany is almost the same terrain next to the Ars Mountains.

"There's no way around it, the interests of East Africa are too huge, especially now, anyone who knows the real data of East Africa will probably be moved." Ernst handed Prince Constantine a map of East Africa, which was updated in real time.

"Indeed, such a large area of colony can't be hidden for a long time, and if it is exposed, I am afraid it will really attract the attention of people with intentions." Konstantin looked at the East African colonies on the map, which occupied a large area of Africa, and said solemnly.

At the beginning, Ernst just painted a cake for himself, but now that this cake has really appeared, Prince Constantine has to pay attention to it.

"Father, this is the data of the East African colonies last year, please take a look." Ernst pulled out a folder from the drawer under him, which contained three annual statistical reports of the East African colonies, from 1866 to 1868.

Prince Konstantin pulled over a chair, sat down at the conference table, and began to look closely.

After browsing through the data on the economy, food production, resources and population, army, etc., Konstantin's brow became tighter and tighter.

After a while, Konstantin put down these documents and said with a serious face: "Now it seems that East Africa has grown up completely, what are your plans?" ”

"Father, I plan to go to East Africa in the next two years, and I will go to East Africa in person to preside over all the affairs of East Africa." Ernst was honest about his plan.

"This can't be done, now East Africa urgently needs a person with enough prestige to sit in charge, otherwise the hidden danger of remote control command is too great, I don't believe that anything can be bigger than the Hohenzollern family controlling East Africa, and you can sit still!" Constantine reprimanded Ernst in a rare harsh tone.

Ernst fell silent, of course Ernst wanted to fly to East Africa immediately, but Ernst had always struggled with three points.

One is his only relative, Prince Konstantin, Ernst couldn't let go of his parents back home in Africa in his previous life, but he had to travel overseas in order to live.

In Africa, Ernst works in a volatile place, often having to work with the company across borders, and is a stranger in a foreign land, so Ernst attaches great importance to family affection, and as a result, he dies in a foreign country, and Ernst can't imagine how heartbroken his parents would be when they learned the news.

Therefore, in this life, Ernst was naturally not at ease with his father, which was also the biggest psychological obstacle to Ernst's delay in making up his mind to go to East Africa.

The second point is to coordinate the coordinated development of the East African colonies and the Heshingen consortium, and Ernst tried to convince himself that the current weight of the Heixingen consortium is above that of East Africa, but the rapid expansion and development of East Africa is shattering Ernst's idea, and the position of East Africa in Ernst's heart is indeed unshakable.

Of course, the Far East must also be very important in Ernst's heart, but Ernst knows that in the face of the chaotic situation in the Far East, he is not that material, and he is a German, and there is no reason to interfere in the politics of the motherland in the previous life in this time and space, and being able to bring countless refugees and the bottom of the Far East to the East African colonies for development is already the greatest help that Ernst can do to the Far East at present, but in this life Ernst has never had illusions about the Far East, and he really can't go back.

The third point is that Ernst was waiting for an opportunity, at the right time, to declare sovereignty over East Africa, with at least the consent of the majority of the powers.

The above three points are the reasons for Ernst's struggle, anyone who really faces a choice, will have a choice, Ernst is not a person with a hard heart, it can be seen from the fact that Ernst did not carry out direct extermination activities against the natives, but Ernst is not weak, so many things can be done, if it is really the Virgin, the East African colonies cannot exist.

"I probably know what you're worried about!" Prince Konstantin lamented.

Looking at the usual high-spirited son, who rarely fell into silence, Konstantin vaguely guessed a part.

"Ernst, you have to remember that life and death are inevitable, and no one can act rashly, especially for us nobles, from the moment we are born, our fate is no longer in our control, and the interests of the family must always come first." Prince Konstantin said.

"I know, I have become an obstacle in your heart now, but I am old, I can see many things, if you have an idea, you can rest assured and boldly do it, I should not be a constraint on your life path, every father hopes that his son can have a career, and he does not want to become a stumbling block on their growth road."

Hearing this, Ernst knew that Konstantin might have realized the first point of his worries, but this was only the main knot in Ernst's heart, and the other two points could not be ignored.

So, he explained to Konstantin: "Father, thank you for your selflessness and love for me, but things are not what you think, and the East African affairs are still involved in ......"

Ernst laid out his predicament with Konstantin.

"That's it! It seems that it is indeed a difficult choice for you to go to East Africa now, but it is also a problem not to go......" Prince Konstantin also fell into thought after listening to his son's reason.

"That's right!" Suddenly, Konstantin seemed to think of something.

He stood up and said, "I've now thought of a way to get the best of both worlds, do you think it's okay?" ”

"What's the solution?" Ernst was confused.

"What do you think I'll do in East Africa for you?" Prince Konstantin said to Ernst.

Ernst was not calm for a moment, if his old father went to East Africa, of course, he could solve the problem, but the road to East Africa was not very friendly to an old man.

"No, father, you're so old, you won't be able to stand it when you go to sea." Ernst said categorically to Prince Constantine.

"Hmph, you just look down on me, when I led Hei Xinggen across the European continent, you weren't even born yet! Over the years, in order to take care of you, it can be said that it is basically equivalent to raising the elderly in Heixingen in advance, and now my physical fitness is no worse than that of you young people, isn't it just going to sea? Why don't you believe in the physical qualities of a father? Konstantin said to Ernst.

"But ......"

"But what? Let's not argue anymore, I've made up my mind, now it's not your business alone, it's the entire Hehenzollern royal family, the entire Hohenzollern family, as the current Hohenzollern family, the head of the Hexinggen family, I have the final say in this matter. "Constantine deprived Ernst of the right to speak at the heart of his word.

Originally, Konstantin was the main candidate for the position of patriarch of the entire Hohenzollern family, but for the sake of Ernst, Konstantin gave up the position of patriarch to Prince Karl Anton in the early years, after all, the patriarch of a large European family had a lot to do, and after the annexation to Prussia, Konstantin had to deal with the affairs of the Hexingen territory and Prussia at the same time.

So Konstantin handed over the position of patriarch to Prince Karl Anton, and at the same time in Prussia was only a nominal position, receiving an extra salary, at that time, Hexingen was merged into Prussia, in fact, it also reduced part of Konstantin's enterprising spirit, after all, Hexingen was originally a small country, and there was no real name, so what kind of struggle, and in this life Konstantin had a son, and he was no longer keen to participate in Prussian politics.

In the previous life, he didn't even have an heir, so he could only think about the family, and this life was naturally different.

"You arrange the ship now, I want to go to East Africa immediately to continue the great cause of our Heixingen royal family, don't look at me these years have been very idle, in fact, I can't bear it in my heart, for me, power is impossible to give up at once, it's just that in the past, Heixingen limited the stage I can play, and now there is a big stage of more than two million square kilometers, continue to show my revenge, can you bear to cut off a father's dream?" In order to compromise with Ernst, Konstantin deliberately began to perform psychic techniques.

As the king of a small country with real power in the past, Prince Constantine, like most European monarchs, has full diplomatic ability, after all, it is common for the Qin Dynasty to be in the twilight, and countries that are not good at diplomacy are destined to not live for so long.

Ernst's talent for diplomacy was like that in the eyes of Prince Constantine, and the old fox was more experienced in terms of people's hearts.

In the end, the father and son had a brief confrontation, and the experienced Prince Konstantin was naturally not something that Ernst, a little doll, could deal with.

Helplessly, Ernst could only agree to Konstantin's decision, but also won some compromises, that is, for the sake of Konstantin's safety and health, Ernst had to be fully prepared, and it was impossible for Konstantin to leave for East Africa immediately.

It was necessary to wait for Ernst to coordinate and arrange the company's best ships and service personnel before the trip could take place, and East Africa had to rush to prepare a good living environment for Prince Constantine.

(End of chapter)