1635 Han style rises again

March 1684, 3, Suez.

Ayman Ashraf was riding on a horse, watching the long queue stretching towards the pier indifferently. The appearance of having nothing to love in life is like turning into a walking dead.

"May God bless them!" Ayman Ashraf murmured softly. They are a group of poor people who had to be implicated because of their master's mistakes. (that is, the governor of Egypt) were all sentenced to exile and sent overseas. Since then, they may never be able to return to their hometown.

Half a month ago, Lord Horta Zakabasha accused Ismailia Pasha Ahmad al-Muhammadi of having misconduct and offended His Majesty the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire in words, and asked him to kiss him immediately. Go to Cairo for questioning and trial.

How dare Ahmed Almuhammadi Pasha plead guilty to such a crime, claiming that this accusation is purely slanderous and framed by someone with a heart, and asked the Ottoman Empire to send a more impartial adjudicator, Come to investigate the matter carefully and return his innocence.

Regarding going to Cairo for questioning and trial, Al-Muhammadi Pasha expressed doubts about Basha's impartiality and refused to go.

However, before El Muhammadi Pasha was ready to gather the Mamluk cavalry and local tribal fighters for security and defense, more than [-] imperial guards stationed in Cairo suddenly killed them in Iraq at dawn. Smelia City.

Although, the defenders in the city closed the city gates in time, and went up to the city with weapons to defend.However, the Sukai Highway Guard, who accompanied the imperial guards to "counter the rebellion", launched several artillery pieces from the formation, and broke open the gate of Ismailia City after only a few rounds of bombardment.

The moment the city was broken, civil strife suddenly broke out in the city. Several Mamluk nobles led hundreds of cavalry and local tribal armed forces to set fire to several government offices in the city, and slashed and killed the defenders who were caught off guard.

Under the cooperation of the inside and the outside, the city of Ismailia fell quickly. Al-Muhammadi Pasha himself and more than [-] Mamluk cavalry under him were all killed, and the treasury, officials and rich merchants' houses in the city were also destroyed Looted.

Afterwards, Master Basha appointed a new Pasha, the Mamluk nobleman who took the initiative to cooperate with the imperial army to attack the city, replacing the Muhammadi family who had ruled the place for more than 80 years, and became the new owner of Ismailia.

More than 700 people who followed El Muhammadi Pasha's "rebellion" and their relatives were deprived of their status as free people and reduced to slavery, and more than [-] of them were exiled overseas.

As for the "overseas" places of exile, they were Qi's colonial possessions in Sinai, Aden, the Gulf (Persian Gulf), and East Africa.Those places are said to have a harsh environment and poor living conditions, and they often face the invasion of inland hostile forces or indigenous savages, and are in a situation of death threat at any time.

Speaking of Qi people, as an imperial guard stationed in Suez City, Ayman Ashraf's inner feelings are very complicated.

Undoubtedly, the arrival of the Qi people made the port of Suez extremely prosperous. Countless merchants and goods gathered here, and then transported to Cairo through a flat road, and then to the south bank of the Mediterranean Sea via the Nile River, and finally diverted to the Ottoman mainland. and continental Europe.

Countless people and tribal herdsmen in the city of Suez and the surrounding areas have benefited from the prosperity of the Red Sea-Mediterranean trade, enabling them to enjoy a large number of commodities from all over the world, greatly enriching their daily lives.In addition, the arrival of many merchants has also played a positive role in stimulating the local economic development. The cattle, sheep and horses of the shepherds, the grain and vegetables of the farmers, the commodities of the small handicraftsmen, and countless homeless refugees all have the most Good customer.

Ayman Ashraf and their garrison belonged to the Imperial Guard system of the Ottoman Empire and were under the jurisdiction of Lord Basha in Cairo, but the salaries of the [-] officers and soldiers under their command were paid by the people of Qi Yes, a proper big benefactor.

After taking other people's money, it is natural to obey their orders.Therefore, these garrison officers and soldiers are largely controlled by the Qi people, and they have become a sharp knife for them to control the Suez Port and the surrounding tens of kilometers.

Of course, the scope of activities of the officers and soldiers of the garrison is not limited to the Port of Suez, and occasionally they will be transferred to the Sinai area on the east coast of the Red Sea to attack those "recalcitrant" local tribes and incorporate them into the forces of the Qi State business group.

Ayman Ashraf doesn't know why the Qi State is obsessed with expanding their commercial power in the barren Sinai area. Apart from the desert, there is endless Gobi. It is estimated that the population of this huge area will not exceed 10 , and there are also some miserable Bedouin nomadic tribes, who have nothing but a few valuable commodities such as cattle, sheep and dates.

You must know that during the period of the Mamluk dynasty hundreds of years ago, those aristocratic lords never sent officials to really manage the Sinai region, leaving the unfettered Bedouins to live in water and grass and graze cattle and sheep.If it weren't for the St. Catherine's Monastery built by a group of Orthodox monks in the southern mountain area, it is estimated that those big shots in Cairo would not have paid any attention to it.

The Qi people not only obtained the lease right of the southernmost piece of land in Sinai from the Ottoman Empire more than ten years ago, built fortresses, farmed and resettled, and vigorously developed the local people's livelihood, but also built a land on the coast of the Red Sea more than 170 kilometers away from Suez three years ago. Tour, built another stronghold without authorization and fortified it, regardless of the fact that the jurisdiction of the land was still under the jurisdiction of Egypt.

Afterwards, the Qi people claimed to the Ottoman Empire stationed in Cairo Basha that this act was to better maintain the safety of the Red Sea trade routes and provide effective supplies for the merchant ships.

Strange to say, Lord Basha in Cairo actually believed the words of the Qi people, and took a tacit attitude towards their wanton expansion of influence in the Sinai region.

Although Ayman Ashraf was only a small captain of the garrison, he also saw from the various behaviors of the Qi people that they had a strong desire for Egypt.The Qi people are slowly encroaching and controlling the whole of Egypt in a way that is completely different from the armed invasion in the past.

From Suez to Cairo, and from Cairo to the ports along the Mediterranean Sea, whether it is land transportation or Nile shipping, they are all in the hands of Qi merchant capital. Pashas and noble lords in many places are deeply tied to Qi people economically. Basha, where the empire was stationed in Cairo, was also bought by the people of Qi.

The people of Qi built a military fort in the port of Suez. Its strength and defense were far superior to those of Suez and Cairo. During the period, more than 500 armed guards were stationed all year round. Even the elite army cannot conquer it in a short time.

The salaries of the officers and soldiers of the Suez City Garrison were paid by the people of Qi. From the commander of the army to the main battalion officers below, they all willingly served the people of Qi and became their "super thugs" who deterred the local area and attacked hostile forces.

The more than [-] road guards under the Sukai Highway are called civilian armed forces under the jurisdiction of the Highway Management Committee, but their equipment and training are completely organized in accordance with the regular army model, and they are completely obeyed by the people of Qi, and they are actually controlled by the people of Qi. of a private soldier.

Not to mention, Qi State also deployed a squadron in the Red Sea area, which is often anchored in the Port of Suez to control and maintain this increasingly busy trade route.As long as they are willing, they can dispatch several powerful professional warships at any time to block the entire Red Sea.

However, it is precisely because of the existence of Qi's sea power that the once rampant pirate forces disappeared more than ten years ago.But at the same time, the presence of merchants from India, Persia, and the Arab region has become increasingly rare, so that the entire Red Sea region has formed a situation in which Qi merchants dominate.

Of course, Ayman Ashraf didn't care too much about all the changes in Egypt. In his opinion, the Qi people were much "cuter" than those Ottomans.At the very least, the people of Qi brought a sliver of prosperity to Egypt, brought a variety of commodities, and brought huge benefits.Unlike the Ottomans, there will only be endless destruction and wanton plunder.

"Beep beep beep..." A melodious horn sounded, interrupting Ayman Ashraf, who was wandering away. He looked up and saw that hundreds of exiled prisoners had boarded the ship. Dock coolies untied the cable and threw it overboard with all his might.

The officers and soldiers of the garrison who maintained the order at the pier immediately began to return to the camp as a whole team. Ayman Ashraf drove the horse under his crotch, led a few cavalry, and slowly walked towards the barracks outside the city.Behind them, four armed merchant ships of the Qi State are raising their sails one after another and sailing out of the port one by one. The yellow dragon flag hanging on the top of the mast is fluttering under the breeze, and the five-clawed golden dragon on the flag is also vivid and flamboyant. With endless power and influence.
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On April 4, Guang'an Fort (now Djibouti City).

"It's only April, and the weather is so hot, it's simply not a place for people to stay!" Shi Weijie, deputy commander of the Red Sea Squadron of the Indian Ocean Fleet and Lieutenant (Colonel) Zhaoxin, just got off the ship when he felt a wave of heat coming to his face. Sweat dripped from his head in an instant.

"Sir, April to October in this Guang'an Fort is the most difficult hot season." Ye Chenggui, Governor of Guang'an Fort and Lieutenant (Major) Xuanjie of the Navy said with a wry smile: "Besides, this hot season is really It’s so hot! At noon, the temperature can reach as high as [-] degrees, and it’s impossible for people to stay outside. Even at night, the temperature is [-] degrees, making it difficult to sleep.”

"Then how did you survive the past few months?" General Shi Weijie took off his hat, reached out and wiped the sweat from his forehead, then unbuttoned his collar, and squinted to look at the bright red sun in the sky .

A few months ago, Shi Weijie was transferred from the Bangladesh Squadron. He thought it was already very hot there. Who would have thought that Guang'an Fort near the Gulf of Aden would be even hotter.

"To tell you the truth, sir, our main military and political personnel in Guang'an Fort will take turns going north to the Port of Suez to escape the summer heat during the hot season. Although the summer there is still hot, the temperature difference between day and night is large at any rate. At night, you can sleep soundly." Ye Chenggui said As he spoke, he graciously handed over a pot of water.

"All of you are gone. Are the remaining officials and subordinates reliable?" Shi Weijie took the water bottle and looked at the black coolies on the pier looking listless under the sun. Driven by his scolding, he had to unload the supplies on the ship under the violent sun.

"Don't worry, sir." Ye Chenggui said with a smile: "The Egyptians and Indians in Guang'an Fort know who is the most reliable force in this area! In the entire Indian Ocean, we Qi people are the masters of all affairs. No one dares to take the idea of ​​Guang'anbao."

After hearing this, Shi Weijie smiled, then boarded a carriage and drove towards the city.

Among the several fleets of the Qi Navy, the Indian Ocean Fleet is the most powerful in terms of fleet strength and the number of ships it owns.As of last year, the Indian Ocean Fleet has 48 combat ships of various types, accounting for more than [-]% of the total number of naval ships. It has the widest sea area under its jurisdiction and the largest number of overseas strongholds under its control. Tianjin, escorting Qi's expanding Indian Ocean trade.

The surrounding areas of Guang'an Fort are mainly coastal plains with a tropical desert climate, hot and rainless all year round. This natural environment is naturally extremely unfriendly to agricultural production.Therefore, there is no decent agriculture in this area after more than ten years of development, and it is still unable to achieve food self-sufficiency.The hundreds of acres of arable land reclaimed outside the city only use the few water sources to grow some fruits and vegetables to provide supplies for passing ships.

However, there is a salt lake (now Asal Lake) in the northwest of Guang'anbao, with a radius of more than 10 square kilometers.This salt lake is also a natural large salt field, rich in potassium salt.The salt content per liter of water is as high as 330 grams, which is so rich in salt that it is rare in the world.In the cool season from November to March of the next year, the civil affairs officials of Guang'anbao will drive the local aborigines to go down to the lake to dig and collect salt mines, refine table salt, and then sell it to indigenous tribes in inland Africa, as well as Arabia, Persia, etc. Land is the only local economic activity.

In addition, there are a large number of limestone, perlite and gypsum minerals in the mountainous area north of Guang'an Bay (now Tajula Bay).What is still gratifying is that these minerals are buried shallowly and have large reserves, so they are very easy to develop.After the investigation, Guang'an Fort plans to establish a stronghold in the area, which can not only mine minerals and increase economic effects for the local area, but also correspond to Guang'an Fort, completely lock the entire bay, and consolidate Qi's rule in the area .

"There is the Port of Suez at the northern end, Chongyang (now the city of Tour in the southwest of the Sinai Peninsula) and Taixing (now located in the city of Sharm El Sheikh, the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt) in the middle, and Guang'an and Aden at the southern end. The fleet has completely controlled the entire Red Sea, which is enough to ensure the continued prosperity of the Red Sea-Mediterranean trade in our country." After Shi Weijie took office, he basically inspected several ports and strongholds under the squadron, and arrived at The squadron was stationed at Guang'anbao, the anchorage, and couldn't help but think about it secretly, "If this is the case, apart from continuing to staking the land and opening up new strongholds, there is no other chance to make meritorious service and receive awards."

"Sir, the Abyssinian Empire is located deep inland, with a population of one million, and the country is rich, and the country is located on a plateau, with a cool and comfortable climate." Ye Chenggui said carefully: "If we are willing to work hard If you work hard for a few years, you will be able to get a lot of extra income."

"Oh?" Shi Weijie immediately became interested when he heard the words, "What is the current situation of the Abyssinian Empire?"

"The rulers of the Abyssinian Empire claimed that they were direct descendants of King Solomon of Israel and the Queen of Sheba. They had a history of thousands of years, so they were called the Solomon Dynasty. The country had successfully repelled the Arabs, Ottomans However, in recent decades, the ruling class of Abyssinia has indulged in pleasure-seeking and intrigue, and political assassinations are prevalent. More than one emperor was killed by his son, and the empire gradually emerged. The scene of decline and decline. The power of the emperor has declined relatively, and the status of the dukes, governors, and tribal leaders in the big provinces below has risen. If it is, it should not be difficult for us Qi forces to take this opportunity to enter the country."

"Our forces in Qi State?" Shi Weijie glanced at the governor of the navy, and asked sarcastically, "Who are these forces including?"

"Hey..." Ye Chenggui laughed dryly, and then said in a low voice: "The Red Sea Transportation Company and the Egyptian Trading Company intend to expand their respective business fields, and hope that with the support of our military, they can get involved in this Albanian city located in the plateau area." The Bisignian Empire, to obtain corresponding commercial benefits."

"The power of our navy may not be able to radiate to the inland areas of the plateau. How can we provide the necessary support to those businessmen?" Shi Weijie thought for a moment, then shook his head and said: "For the present plan, we should take advantage of the fact that European countries have no time to look east. In order to completely consolidate our control over the Indian Ocean region. It is reported that last year the Portuguese begged us to help them regain Mombasa Island captured by the Omanis. Great opportunity to rush."