The Imperial Age with the Resurgence of Han Style

Chapter 351 New Conflict?

As the Ottoman navy withdrew from the western Mediterranean in the 17th century, the Maghreb coast (North Africa) became increasingly unfettered, with rulers eager to celebrate the Empire’s victories in distant Europe and to offer their congratulations in the most servile manner possible on the birth of an Ottoman prince or the accession of a new sultan.

However, they blatantly ignored the numerous orders sent from Istanbul.

Of course, due to their common belief in the True God religion, they will still show some loyalty.

A journal written by a Qi person about Egypt's Sinai Peninsula records a grand mountaintop prayer ceremony held in December 1667 to pray for the Ottomans to retake Crete: there were prayers for the Sultan, prayers for the Pasha, prayers for his entourage, and prayers for the loyal soldiers.

"It was a magnificent ceremony, the most spectacular of all... I think there were about 5,000 people praying, maybe 10,000. Even if many people didn't make it to the top of the mountain, most people at home prayed. Everyone hoped that the empire would win and conquer its enemies."

However, these "acts of loyalty" were at best a way of praising the Ottoman Empire, showing that they were the ones who represented the hope of the true Christian world and defended the faith with military victories.

It turned out that although Egypt's grain and taxes were indispensable to the Ottoman Empire, the region was difficult to control. The empire's sultan Selim I only broke the legs of the Mamluks, but did not eliminate them in one fell swoop, so they were still able to control most of Egypt's local affairs.

By the beginning of the 17th century, the Mamluk Beys had become powerful enough to give orders to the governors sent by the Ottoman Empire and even to issue orders over their heads.

After expressing their obedience to the empire and paying the prescribed taxes, these daring Mamluk Beys began to rule their respective territories as they pleased, turning the once rich and prosperous Egypt into a chaotic and miserable place.

However, with the arrival of the Qi people, all this changed dramatically.

The once fierce and fearless Mamluk cavalry no longer fought and killed each other for territory. Instead, they threw themselves into the arms of the Qi people, happily engaged in transit trade, or acted as guards for the Qi merchant group.

Under the arrangement of the Qi people, the Beys and tribal leaders who controlled large amounts of land converted large areas of farmland that once produced rice and wheat to cotton planting, thereby obtaining high profits.

The Egyptian warlords who occupied the mountains and drew lines as boundaries also took out their savings of many years and built factories, opened workshops, bought ships, built railways, and even established joint ventures in their jurisdiction with the merchants of Qi State. They actively engaged in the prosperous Mediterranean-Red Sea trade and made a fortune.

In just a few decades, Egypt, which was extremely closed, poor and backward, has become the "most handsome boy" in the Mediterranean region and has begun to look like a modern country.

The Suez Railway, the Su(Suez)-Cairo Railway, and the Alexandria-Cairo Railway run from north to south. Under the leadership of the Qi people, the Nile River has been continuously desilted and unblocked, once again becoming Egypt's golden waterway.

The main traffic arteries that have been built one after another have now connected the entire city, with countless vehicles and people traveling back and forth.

The telegraph, known as the "sound transmission device that can transmit sound over thousands of miles", connects Egypt's major cities and ports, bringing the most cutting-edge technology to this ancient land.

It is said that recently Qi engineers are carefully investigating the Isthmus of Suez and conducting scientific calculations and demonstrations on digging a canal connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea.

In order to open up the Asia-Europe trade route and subsequently control the Mediterranean, the State of Qi spared no effort and spent a huge price.

If Qi had not taken into account the traditional friendship with the Ottoman Empire, it would have swallowed up the whole of Egypt and turned it into its own overseas colonial territory long ago, instead of pushing a group of Mamluk Beys to the forefront and continuing to maintain the title of ruling over the Ottoman Empire's vassal territory.

In fact, the Ottomans also knew that Egypt had long been completely controlled by Qi. Apart from collecting some tribute every year, they would not obey any orders from the Sultan. However, out of self-esteem as the big empire, they pretended not to know and still appointed governors and tax inspectors to take office in Egypt.

If the governor of Egypt appointed by the empire was knowledgeable and sensible, he could lock himself in the governor's mansion, drink some wine, sit on a recliner and enjoy the singing and dancing of the female slaves, and not care about any political affairs in Egypt. He could spend his term of office leisurely and safely, and would receive a large and generous "salary" when he left.

If the governor who comes is a fool, ignorant and sensible, and insists on interfering in Egypt's local affairs and causing some trouble, he will certainly be severely punished by the Beys in Cairo, and they may even directly depose him or imprison him, and then "submit a petition" to the Istanbul court, requesting that a suitable governor be replaced.

"Sayyid's gang said they wanted to execute Governor Resos, but that might be a bit too much." Feng Quanlin, the Qi State's ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, leaned on the railing and looked at the streets of Cairo in the distance. He took a puff of his pipe and then gently exhaled a smoke ring.

"Haha..." Qi Yanqing, the director of the Qi State Colonial Affairs Department in Egypt, smiled and replied indifferently: "That Governor Resos probably gave a lot of bribes to the Ottoman court and the Grand Vizier, thinking of getting it back in Egypt with interest. As a result, he stretched his hands too far and touched the direct interests of Sayyid's gang. After being warned repeatedly, he still didn't know how to restrain himself. I think he angered them. This move to depose Governor Resos is a tough counterattack from them. However, if he is to be executed, it is indeed a bit too much, and it does not give Istanbul any face at all. We will send someone over to talk to him later. It will be enough to give him a small punishment and a big warning. Don't kill him. Otherwise, the face of the Istanbul court cannot be maintained."

"Yes, the dignity of the Ottoman Empire is inviolable." Feng Quanlin showed a hint of sarcasm on his face. "Over the past hundred years, this old empire has been weakening at a speed visible to the naked eye, but it still wants to maintain the dignity of a world empire. So, we in the Great Qi can't completely lose their face." "What, we in the Great Qi are going to resume economic aid to the Ottomans to support them in a war with the Russians?" Qi Yanqing keenly captured the key point in the words.

"If we don't support the Ottomans, will we just sit back and watch them get beaten up by the Russians?" Feng Quanlin said with a smile, "By supporting Augustus III, the Elector of Saxony, as the new King of Poland, the Russians not only expanded their influence in Poland and gained an excuse to interfere deeply in Poland's internal affairs, but they also gained a lot of benefits from both Poland and Saxony, which can barely support the Russians to launch a large-scale war. It is reported that the Russians have mobilized nearly 200,000 troops in order to deal a heavy blow to the Ottomans and the Crimean Khanate and eliminate the military threat from the south in one fell swoop. If we stand idly by and do not lend a hand to the Ottomans, I'm afraid the Russians will succeed."

"Wow, two hundred thousand troops!... The Russians are so generous!" Qi Yanqing raised his eyebrows, "Then the Ottomans must be very nervous after hearing the news. I wonder if they will put aside their pride and come to us for help?"

"The Ottomans will definitely come to us!" Feng Quanlin said firmly, "Except for us, no one can help them. Oh, if they count on the French, the Ottomans may be very disappointed. Even if the Grand Vizier of the Empire does not want to lose face for the Empire and begs us humbly, the Queen Mother Saliha in the Topkapi Palace and the leader of the black eunuchs, Besir Aga, will force him to submit."

"Well, if the Ottomans come to us, can we take this opportunity to seize Crete, which we have not been able to obtain before?"

"After we captured Sicily, Crete's value was not that high." Feng Quanlin squinted his eyes and looked at the sunset in the west, dyeing the whole city of Cairo red. "This time, if the Ottomans want to get the much-needed economic assistance from us, they will have to give us more things in exchange."

"Can we bring the whole of Egypt here?" Qi Yanqing's expression changed.

If Egypt was ceded, Qi would legally own this strategic location along with the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea.

Haha, maybe I can even become the first governor of the Egyptian territory, and have the supreme power to kill or take life and death over the more than four million people on this land.

"At present, it is not realistic for us Da Qi to seek the whole of Egypt." Feng Quanlin shook his head and said, "Egypt's geopolitical location is extremely important. Not only is it connected to the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea, it is also a bridge connecting the Levant region of the Ottoman Empire to the Maghreb, and it is also the outer barrier of the two holy places of Mecca and Medina of the True God. If it is ceded to us Da Qi, the prestige of the Ottoman Empire will inevitably be destroyed, which may arouse their strong opposition. Therefore, now is not the best time for us to swallow Egypt. ... Haha, besides, with the degree of control we have over Egypt, what difference does it make whether we cede it or not?"

By this time, Egypt's industrial and commercial economic lifeline was almost entirely controlled by Qi, making it the most important link in Qi's Mediterranean economic circle. Roads, railways, ports and Nile River shipping were all controlled by Qi capital, and even Egypt's food supply channels were in the hands of Qi people.

The State of Qi also dispatched more than 4,000 troops to Egypt in the name of highway guards, railway guards and port security. Those Mamluk local forces also became vassal armed forces of the State of Qi, which meant that the State of Qi had de facto control over Egypt's sovereignty.

In addition, Egypt's internal and foreign affairs were strictly controlled by Qi. The Director-General of Qi's Colonial Affairs Department in Egypt became the de facto ruler of Egypt. Various colonial institutions established in Cairo and other cities, including government agencies, economic affairs management agencies, judicial institutions and educational institutions, all reflected the characteristics of Qi's colonial rule.

With the influx of Qi's colonial institutions and a large number of traders, Qi also brought Eastern culture, Chinese education, and legal system to Egypt, which had a profound impact on Egyptian society and culture.

However, it would still be quite attractive if Egypt could be directly incorporated into the rule of Qi and become one of its many overseas territories.

"Besides Egypt, what else do the Ottomans have to sell us?" Qi Yanqing smacked his lips and said disappointedly, "They can't just give us some small islands to get rid of, right? Could it be that they're going to give us a piece of land in Greece?"

"It is not impossible for the Ottomans to cede part of their Greek territory to our Great Qi." Feng Quanlin said leisurely: "Compared to the marginal land of Greece, Romania, Moldavia, Serbia and Bosnia in Europe are the core of the Ottoman Empire and are territories that need to be protected at all costs. Now, the Russians are eyeing us covetously and have gathered hundreds of thousands of troops in the Dnieper River and Don River areas. If we do not deal with them properly and let them come to kill us, the losses will be much greater. After weighing the pros and cons, the Istanbul authorities will naturally make a wise choice. I heard that the French envoy used the "Russian-Austrian Alliance Treaty" signed by the Russians and Austrians several years ago to scare the Ottomans, hoping that they would take the initiative and attack Austria to share the military pressure of France. In this way, we can take advantage of it and make the Ottomans feel the serious situation they are facing, so that they will have to make major concessions to our Great Qi."

Feng Quanlin has been the Ottoman envoy for nearly ten years, and it is almost time for him to be transferred to another post. If he can take advantage of the current difficulties of the Ottoman Empire and achieve more positive diplomatic results for Qi before leaving, it will surely add a brilliant achievement to his official career.

"Sir, the governor, and the minister, there is news from Alexandria about Sicily."

At this time, an official from the Department of Colonial Affairs hurried to the Inspector-General's residence with a shocked expression on his face, sweat on his forehead, and a telegram from the telegraph office in his hand, which he respectfully presented to Qi Yanqing.

"…The French Navy has engaged in a firefight with our Mediterranean Fleet!" Qi Yanqing read it hastily, revealing a trace of solemnity, and then handed the telegram to Feng Quanlin.

"This... this is a big deal!" Feng Quanlin read the telegram quickly and couldn't help but smile bitterly, "...I hope this conflict doesn't lead to a war, otherwise it will end badly."

"The ambassador believes that our Great Qi cannot defeat France?"

"It's not difficult to defeat the French navy, but it will cost a huge price to completely defeat France." Feng Quanlin sighed and said, "We can't mobilize hundreds of thousands of troops to the European continent to fight the French to the death, right? You know, France is a big European country, not an island country like England."
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(End of this chapter)