"Master Huo, do you want these mercenaries to serve our navy? It's still too early to explore the western interior. We are a little weak in the south. If you really have the energy, you might as well let those Help people go to Assab and over there." Thick smoke continued to spray out of the nostrils of the old sailor in shabby clothes. He obviously did not understand Huo Congrong's decision in this regard.
"Mr. Derleth, these guys will not go back to Assab. They are not familiar with the situation there. This is the scope of her activities. Besides, Assab cannot provide them with sufficient supplies now, even if It is difficult to supply official supplies to our empire. No supply ship has arrived from Mangadishu for almost a month. I don’t know what went wrong. I have already shipped the last batch of supplies to Assab. Look. It looks like it can last for a month. You probably don’t know how many people this guy Zhou Laoer has, right? He has nearly 300 people in Sabana, and it is said that there are nearly 200 people who come to snicker at his old subordinates who have taken advantage of The ship is on its way to Mangadishu from the Empire. By the time these two hundred people arrive in Fasabana, this guy will have more troops than I have in Sabanad!" Huo Congrong smiled slightly, "Although he is a mercenary A military leader, but quite cunning. As far as I know, he has secret contacts with the two larger tribal leaders in the western interior. It is rumored that he even married the daughter of a tribal leader as his wife, but no one dared to ask him this question. "
Perhaps due to customs and habits, it is common for Tang men to marry Indians and other white people as wives and concubines, but it is extremely rare to marry black people. One reason is that although black people exist in the empire, they are quite rare. , most of them appeared as slaves. Another reason is that the aesthetics of Tang men regard white skin as beautiful, and dark skin is not very acceptable to the public.
"Oh? This guy seems to have some skills. He can actually get along with the natives." The guy dressed as an old sailor is also a member of the Imperial Navy, but he officially became a member of the Imperial Navy when Eastern Samoa was merged into the Imperial Navy. member's. Dres is the captain of the naval exploration and mapping ship "Blue Castle". This is a medium-sized survey and mapping ship. It has patrolled back and forth several times between Sabana and Assab. It is also now relying on Assab to sail to One of the main naval reconnaissance forces for southern exploration and expansion.
"Well, this is also the main reason why I want this guy to serve as our front station. This guy has some mobility in the west. Compared with our regular exploration and mapping team, his methods are not so particular. He is much more flexible. "Huo Congrong nodded and said, "Besides, he doesn't need much support from us. At most, it's just some material supplies. The south is certainly the focus of the empire, but sooner or later the empire will also enter the west. Rather than letting these guys spend all day, Instead of engaging in slave trading, it is better to let them work for the empire. As long as they are effective, I believe the empire will not be aware of what someone did."
"Well, yes, the empire's power here is too weak now. If this situation continues, I'm afraid it will be like what the guy just said. If those guys in the Western Continent take the lead, then we will be too weak in the future. Passive. Being able to use these guys can be regarded as making the best use of everything. For them, it can be regarded as doing something of great merit. At least it is brighter than what they did." The old sailor thought for a while and nodded. Agree with Huo Congrong's opinion.
"Mr. Derleth, how is the situation over there?" He finally got to the point. Although Huo Congrong is only the deputy division commander of a Marine Division. However, he represents the entire Imperial Navy and is responsible for the entire extended reconnaissance work in the area south of Angel Bay, including Sabana. Although Dres is directly under the leadership of the Naval Intelligence Office and the Bureau of Surveying and Mapping, due to the special circumstances of the colony, Huo Congrong He also presides over the overall work in the southern part of the New World, so Dres also needs to report recent progress to Hong Congrong.
"The situation in the early stage was not very good. You also know that the weather was too bad in the early stage. The Blue Castle had to stay in the small harbor in Assab to take shelter from the wind. It was only in the later stage that the work was really carried out. However, we made some breakthroughs this time. We Starting from Assab, we sailed along the coastline towards Lanzhou for nearly 400 kilometers. We discovered an island 120 miles away from the mainland coastline. The island area is not large, about 200 square kilometers, but we are here There is a surprising discovery on this island." When he said this, Dres's eyes began to shine, and a red tide appeared on his face.
"Oh? What discovery?" Huo Congrong realized that he might have made some big discovery. With Derleth's calm character, such a performance was considered an anomaly.
"This island is covered with wild cloves, almost all over the mountains and plains. My crew and I couldn't believe it, but it is true. I also brought back some plants and prepared to send them back to the empire for inspection. If they are really all cloves, With the flowers of vanilla, that island can be called Lilac Island." Derleth took out two plants from the package beside him and handed them to Huo Congrong.
Huo Congrong was a little surprised, but an island covered with cloves was undoubtedly a huge discovery for the empire. Although it did not mean much to the navy itself, it could be regarded as a contribution to the navy. Huo Congrong carefully looked at the resulting plant. After a while, I put it to my nose and took a hard sniff. It must be lilac.
"Mr. Derleth, I have to congratulate you. This should be lilac. If your discovery is true, I am afraid that the empire will immediately occupy this island even if it risks irritating the countries in the Western Continent. This is simply It is a natural cornucopia. You should know what spices mean to the empire and the Western Continent. Now that the empire controls most of the Meili region, spice production is almost entirely in the hands of the empire. The empire’s demand for spices has been soaring. , can't meet the needs at all, let alone supply the growing gap in the Western Continent without using hands, haha, maybe you will get a medal or even be awarded a noble status." Huo Congrong's tone was full of envy.
"Haha, I have already asked someone to draw the chart of that island. I hope it can bring a surprise to our empire." Derleth also grinned from ear to ear. It is unusual to be canonized as a noble. Dres had never dreamed of a dream that could not be achieved in a lifetime, but he had also heard that the person who discovered Golden Crown Island had been canonized as a noble. If he could really have such good luck, he would be proud of his ancestors.
"Well, this is a huge discovery. I have to report it to the empire as soon as possible. Please give me a signal from above. In addition, some of our opinions need to be reported to the higher ups. Maybe the empire should really change its current strategy." Huo Congtong stood up and thought that the discovery of Lilac Island might prompt the empire to make this determination.
The empire's colonial policy has always been vague and uncertain. This cannot be blamed on the inconsistencies of the Imperial Administration Council and the Privy Council. In fact, at the beginning, the empire had always encouraged both official and private parties to fully participate in the expansion of colonies in the New World. However, in view of the empire's expansion into the New World, Already one step behind, the establishment of the Qalyoub colony once aroused high vigilance in the countries of the Western Continent. Especially after a Marine Division stationed in Qalyoub, the Shampoo countries began to pay attention to the Tang generals. Will be involved in every move on this continent.
The subtle changes in the attitudes of the countries in the Western Continent have also made the empire feel it. Before the naval power can be projected to the distant new continent at will, the empire has to consider the attitudes of the countries in the Western Continent. After all, it is much closer to their home base. , and if the Empire wants to compete with them there, they don’t need to think about what the outcome will be.
Therefore, the empire on the surface reduced its official actions, which at least allowed the countries in the Western Continent to feel relieved a little. But in fact, the empire's support for civilian forces has not decreased at all, and its investment has even increased. However, the expansion of the empire's exploration is not limited to the new continent. From the Mawen Islands to the south to the southeast, they are all important routes for the empire's exploration. The New World is only one of the highlights of the empire's exploration and expansion.
After sorting out a large pile of information and maps in his hand, Wu Feng felt quite satisfied that the world was in his hands. The discovery of Dingxiang Island was a shocking geographical discovery, which means that there may be something in the sea around Dingxiang Island or on the mainland. All have the possibility of growing spices. The cultivation of spices in Meili has made Meili the richest place in the empire after Jiangnan County. Now the growing demand for spices across the mainland has doubled Meili’s worth, especially The empire's demand has almost quadrupled, and the harsh requirements for hydrothermal climate for spice cultivation have been a bottleneck that has always plagued the survival and expansion of spices. However, this bottleneck cannot be reached by researching or improving plants. The only way is to find The same land is suitable for growth, but all parts of Laya Continent have long been inhabited, and so far there is no news that qualified spice plants can grow there.
But now the naval officer of Dres has found a bright road for the empire. Scholars from the Institute of Botany of the Empire's Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources have confirmed that it is the authentic clove plant. Both the fragrance, color and effectiveness are completely consistent with those produced in the country. Merry's lilac is the same, which means aesthetics. Thinking of Wu Feng here, I can't help but want to grin.