Chapter 1267: Speeding up Da Ying (Third update, please subscribe)

Great things begin with small things. The sudden idea of ​​a young flying officer in the 19th year of Shengde would bring about changes in the future, which was impossible for people at that time to predict. After all, when changes occur, only a very small number of people can control the future.

The future is unpredictable, but sometimes it is predictable.

For some people, the future is predictable and can even be deployed. Almost at the same time when the Pacific Fleet Command requisitioned the "Yizhou" immigrant ship, in the palace of Zhongdu, Emperor Zhu, who had no idea about the news, was reviewing a report, which was the "Jerusalem Incident" investigation report.

"Your Majesty, in the past six months, the Investigation Department has sent the best agents to Jerusalem, Egypt, and the United Kingdom. Through various investigations, they have proven Lawrence's confession. They did plan the incident and carried out the assassination of Emperor Napoleon III!"

Listening to Qian Zizhuang's report, Emperor Zhu pursed his lips, then stood up. When he picked up the cigar and wanted to smoke one, he hesitated for a moment. Finally, he walked to the window silently and stared out.

In fact, he could have chosen to conceal it, but who knows what would happen if he concealed it? In this incident, any concealment could cause many uncertainties and even affect the trust between the two countries.

After all, Emperor Zhu himself was also a beneficiary of the assassination, at least potentially.

In this situation, Emperor Zhu had to face it with caution. After all, there could not be any doubts between them.

He thought for a while before speaking.

"Now that we have proven this, we need to inform the French side that I will visit France in the near future. Do you know what this means?"

"I know."

"Is it possible to stop this?"

"I think it's unlikely."

"But we still have to give it a try."

Emperor Zhu said.

"However, if I leave empty-handed, I'm afraid I won't be able to persuade them to give up their revenge for the time being. I need a gift!"

Gift?

His Majesty's request made Qian Zizhuang's heart tighten, and he said.

"I think this gift should not be given too hastily."

"We shouldn't act too hastily, but without a gift, I really have no reason to persuade them..."

Emperor Zhu smiled slightly, looked at Qian Zizhuang and said:

"Maybe we thought too much at the beginning. It is not enough to promote the UK just through certain measures. We need to speed up!"

"Speed ​​up, Your Majesty?"

"We have people in the Cape Colony, right? Some people in a special position, I mean."

After Qian Zizhuang nodded, Emperor Zhu said,

"For now, if we just add fuel to the flames, how long will it take according to previous estimates? Two years! It will take two full years to induce a war. Of course, the Boers are also speeding up now. Well, can we use some methods, some special means to speed up this process..."

After thinking about it, Qian Zizhuang said.

"I understand!"

"Well, leave the files here... Think about it! How can you speed up the process even faster... Maybe you can use some means from the inside? However, you don't need me to teach you your profession, just do it according to your understanding."

…

On this day, in the rooftop office of De Beers Mining Company, Sir Cecil John Rhodes, Chairman and Managing Director of De Beers Mining Company of the British Empire, sat in a leather armchair. As before, he glanced at the report in front of him and said softly:

"Oh my God, if this works, all of southern Africa will be ours!"

No one answered him, he just talked to himself.

He stood up from his large desk, crossed the room to the window, and stared down at the people and traffic moving through the central business district of Cape Town, a city that, from a European perspective, looked backward and colonial.

But in the eyes of Cecil John Rhodes, this land is full of wealth and opportunities. Although he was the losing party in the expansion competition with the Ming Dynasty more than ten years ago, he still gained a lot of wealth through investment in the Kimberley diamond mine.

Just a few months ago, he defeated his old rival, the oligarch Barnato of the Kimberley Central Mining Company, and established the De Beers Consolidated Mining Company, becoming one of the three directors of the company. He has almost monopolized 90% of the world's diamond production. Together with the profits of the South African Mining Company, which he invested in and operated two years ago, he can get millions of pounds in profits every year.

However, his huge wealth all came from a foreign country - the Transvaal Republic, a country founded by the Boers. The Transvaal government, which had been madly poor for many years, would not let go of this piece of fat meat of his, and levied taxes and fees arbitrarily. He had been suffering from the damage of extortion. Therefore, destroying this "greedy" Boer country was Rhodes' greatest wish.

“This is really an opportunity!”

Ross whistled softly while talking to himself.

"With an investment of only 100,000 pounds, we can completely destroy this country. Then the diamonds in Kimberley and the gold in Johannesburg will all be ours. From now on, we will no longer have to endure the extortion and plunder of the Boers!"

Talking to himself, Roz picked up the phone on the table.

"Hey, please let James come up..."

James, Rhodes read the name, and then he took another look at the report. He was not unfamiliar with James. That guy came to Cape Town from the UK thirteen years ago. At that time, he was still a pauper. Later, he joined the company and then step by step became a middle-level manager of the company. This guy... always gave him some constructive suggestions when he was not expecting it.

"James!"

After James entered the office, Roz smiled kindly at his confidant.

"I have seen your report. This is a big deal. I need to think about it before making a decision. Tell me, why is now the time to take such action?"

"The reason is simple, sir."

James replied.

"In the past few years, the Transvaal government has regarded the Kimberley diamond mines and the Rand gold mines as fat meat, and has imposed heavy direct taxes and profit taxes. At present, the tax revenue from the gold mines has reached seven-eighths of the annual revenue of Transvaal. In addition, Transvaal has also issued various franchises, monopolized the explosives business, and arbitrarily increased the tariff rates on goods imported or re-exported from the Cape Colony to Transvaal. The import tax alone has raked in more than 1 million pounds a year. The monopoly on explosives has made the government profit by 600,000 pounds a year. These 1.6 million pounds are simply squeezed from us. Almost everyone has reached the point where they can no longer bear it. Sir, since no one can bear it anymore, then of course the time for action is ripe."

After thinking for a while, James said again.

"And I have also met someone who is suitable for this mission. I believe that as long as we are willing to take the risk, our action will definitely succeed!"

"But, with just a few hundred people...can they succeed?"

Rhodes asked back,

"It is impossible to occupy a country with a few hundred people, but a few hundred people are enough to involve the British Empire. Sir, what we need is the involvement of the British Empire!"

Although he did not explain further, everyone knew what this meant. It didn't matter whether those people succeeded or not. What mattered was that they would provoke a war.

"Do we need to bring this up at the board meeting?"

“Does it matter?”

James' words were met with a smile. Yes, it was not important at all. Most of the time, the board of directors was just a decoration.

"But we need the cooperation of Johannesburg. If we want to expand this matter as much as possible, we must turn this incident into a big event and make it uncontrollable. Only in this way can we benefit from it."

James' words made Rhodes nod in agreement.

"That's right. Only if the situation gets as bad as possible can we force the government to intervene. This is indeed the best option for us."

After thinking for a while, Ross said again.

"Just follow your plan, but before implementing it, I want to meet that guy."

After James left, Rhodes picked up the phone.

"Hello, is this Pearson? I want to discuss something with you!"

Pearson is one of the three major directors of De Beers Mining Company, and Pearson is also the chairman of the South African Mining Company, and the Rand Gold Mine belongs to the South African Mining Company.

The two companies may seem to be two companies, but in fact they have long been integrated through cross-holdings. Their interests are of course the same.

Rhodes believed that Pearson had long since developed a deep hatred for those damned Boers.

"Here's what happened..."

(End of this chapter)