Chapter 299 Prediction
Zanzibar Island.
More than a month after the East African government demanded that Zanzibar abolish slavery, a group of unexpected visitors once again visited the Zanzibar Royal Palace.
A steam merchant ship flying the British flag docked at Zanzibar Island. The people on the shore were not surprised by this. The location of Zanzibar Island determined that merchant ships from almost all countries sailing in the Indian Ocean might appear here. Of course, that was before the opening of the Suez Canal. Now most ships go through the Suez Canal.
However, the people of Zanzibar have not forgotten the grand scene of merchant ships from various countries docking in Zanzibar in the past, so the appearance of a British merchant ship is not surprising.
When the merchant ship docked, a group of people got off the ship, but their purpose was not to trade or replenish supplies. They went directly to the port's management location.
"Are you an official of the Sultanate of Zanzibar?"
"Yes, I am the person in charge of the port, Emmeni."
"Well, I am the special envoy of the British Empire and I am going to visit the Sultan of your country. Please inform him."
Hearing the purpose of the visitor, the Zanzibar official did not dare to neglect him. He said, "Sir! Please wait a moment." After that, he turned around and said a few words to his subordinates, then took a carriage to the palace to report the situation.
"Hello, I am Akaram, the deputy manager of Sudan Port in Zanzibar. What is your name, sir?" Akaram, who stayed to receive the British envoy, asked politely.
Edward ignored the Zanzibar official. He looked around at the situation in the port of Zanzibar. Because the Sultanate of Zanzibar took over the East African trade, it did not decline with the opening of the Suez Canal. It was still very prosperous, with people coming and going on the streets and many ships in the port, but Edward's attention was not here.
When landing at the port, Edward noticed that Zanzibar Port seemed to have something more than when he passed by here ten years ago.
Edward: "That flag, if I remember correctly, should be the flag of Europe! Why is it erected together with the flag of the Sultanate of Zanzibar?"
Aikaram: "That is the flag of the East African Kingdom. The East African Kingdom is a friendly country of our Sultanate of Zanzibar, so their flag is erected together with ours."
Edward said indifferently, "Oh! I see. I've also heard about a new country emerging in East Africa, but because I've been in India for many years, I'm not very well informed. This is the first time I've seen their flag."
Ai Kalam: "Sir, the ruler of the East African Kingdom is a member of the famous Hohenzollern family in Europe, and its monarch is Prince Constantine of the former Kingdom of Prussia!"
Edward: "I see. It seems that East Africa has changed a lot in recent years! The Germans have opened up a colony here. Do they have any connection with you? For example, what specific business do you do?"
Aikaram: "It's mainly agricultural product trading. The East African Kingdom is rich in rice and wheat, as well as special products such as sisal."
"Pfft!" Edward couldn't help laughing when he heard what Akaram said. "Germans are really good at farming. I heard there are many Germans in America who are also like this."
Edward was not impressed by this East African kingdom. It was just a small country that was happy in a corner that even the British Empire didn't want.
"I haven't seen you for ten years. The army of your Sultanate of Zanzibar seems to have become more regular. It seems to have introduced some European features. Is that a fort? It's well built. It used to be very shabby and had only a few small cannons."
Aikaram said nervously with sweat dripping down his face: "Mr. Edward, in fact, they are the army of the East African Kingdom, and they also built the artillery fort."
Edward: "Oh! Have you, Zanzibar, become so close to the so-called East African Kingdom? You even let them defend your own port."
Aikaramu could only smile awkwardly and said, "It's like this. After all, East Africa is a friendly country of Zanzibar. We...still trust our 'friends' more."
The Sultanate of Zanzibar certainly does not want to hand over its national defense to East Africa, but the situation is stronger than the person, so it can only obey the arrangements of East Africa. If it is obedient, the East African Kingdom will at least give it some soup. If it is disobedient, East Africa can now take over Zanzibar. It is like a dumb person eating bitter herbs, unable to express its pain.
Edward said sarcastically: "Then the relationship between your two countries is really good. It would be great if the Indians could also have the awareness of your country!"
By this time Emmanuel had returned.
"Mr. Envoy, His Majesty the Sultan has agreed to meet you. Please follow me."
…
When Emmanuel took Edward to the Royal Palace of Zanzibar, a figure quickly headed towards the Embassy of the Kingdom of East Africa.
This person was a member of the East African Army stationed in the port of Zanzibar. Emani not only reported the news to the Sudan, but also reported the news to the East African Army at the port.
East African Embassy in Zanzibar.
"Mr. Lemons! A British ship just landed on Zanzibar Island. A group of British people got off. They claimed to be British diplomats and asked to go to the Sultan's palace. The Zanzibar people did not dare to refuse. They should have arrived at the palace by now!"
Lemons: "Oh! A warship?"
"Not really. If it were a warship, our army would intercept it after they landed."
East Africa has troops stationed at the port of Zanzibar Island, but the East African garrison generally does not interfere with the trade activities of the Sultanate of Zanzibar, so the army did not stop the British from going ashore. If the British had come here by warships, East Africa would definitely have questioned them.
Lemons: "Ah! I see! It seems that the British can still communicate this time. Let's go to the Zanzibar Palace to take a look."
…
Zanzibar Royal Palace.
Little Sayyid had already made preparations and welcomed the British envoy with tea in the palace.
"Sultan Sayyid, I am Edward, the special envoy to Zanzibar sent by the British Empire's Indian colony of Bombay!" Edward, dressed in a suit, introduced himself arrogantly to little Sayyid.
Little Sayyid asked with a big smile on his face, "I wonder why your envoy is visiting the Sultanate of Zanzibar!"
Edward: "Just last month, we intercepted a slave trade ship from your country heading to the Ottoman Empire, and two months ago there were two more. We have warned your country many times that as an important country on the Indian Ocean coast, you still have such bad behavior. It is shameful. So I came here on behalf of Britain and the civilized world to ask the Sultanate of Zanzibar to immediately stop the slave trade, which is a backward behavior that violates humanity and freedom."
Edward immediately took the moral high ground and criticized the Sultanate of Zanzibar.
Little Sayyid's smile froze a little, thinking back to what the East Africans said last time that the British might use this as an excuse to interfere in Zanzibar. He didn't quite believe it at the time, thinking that it was just a random excuse made up by the East Africans in order to obtain the right to station troops in the Sultanate of Zanzibar. Now it seems that the East Africans are still honest and they really didn't fool him. Fortunately, the East Africans had given him a warning before, otherwise he would have been in trouble today.
After adjusting his expression, little Sayyid said with a smile, "Special Envoy Edward, how can you say that? Our Sultanate of Zanzibar is also part of the civilized world."
Edward: "Your country is still trying to quibble. Since the founding of the Sultanate of Zanzibar, it has been a country that relied on the slave trade. In the past few decades, the slave trade in the Indian Ocean has become increasingly rampant because of your actions."
Little Sayyid: "Your country cannot arbitrarily frame us. We admit that the dark history of slave trade did exist, but your country back then..."
Edward flatly denied it, saying: "We have long since abandoned this evil business. Now the British Empire is a promoter against the slave trade and the embodiment of justice."
Little Sayid: "Uh! In fact, our Sultanate of Zanzibar is also against the slave trade, and the slave trade in Zanzibar is also illegal."
Edward: "Nonsense! If the Sultanate of Zanzibar really did this, would we be able to find evidence?"
Little Sayid said proudly, "You don't know that after I came to power, I actively promoted the abolition of slavery in the Sultanate of Zanzibar. Just a month ago, we had completely enacted law to ban the slave trade. Any slave trade in the Sultanate of Zanzibar is illegal and punishable by death. Your country is completely worrying too much this time. We Zanzibar people can solve this problem ourselves!"
Edward was confused. What? When I first arrived, you told me that the Sultanate of Zanzibar had abolished slavery and banned the slave trade!
He asked unwillingly: "You are not afraid of me and made up a lie!"
Little Sayid: "Of course not. We just promulgated the law last month, and it is still posted on notice boards across the country! You can go check it out, or ask around on the street. I can personally accompany you to verify it."
Edward was about to speak when someone shouted at the door: "Do you know who I am? If your Sultan knew that you stopped me outside, the consequences would be something you could not afford..."
Edward was a little displeased, but Sayid was very surprised to hear the voice.
"Excuse me, Lord Edward, it seems that we have guests visiting today. I am sorry to bother you. I will go and see who is so bold as to make such a loud noise in the palace."
At this time, the security guard was listening to Lemons scolding him with grievance, wondering how a small security guard like him could have provoked him.
"Who is making so much noise?" Little Sayyid came out and pretended to ask loudly.
But he excitedly stepped forward to greet Lemons and whispered, "Mr. Lemons, you are here? The British ..."
Lemons said with a smile: "I will help you with this matter, let's go in first."
Before leaving, Lemons took out a gold coin from his pocket, handed it to the guard, and said, "You did a good job just now, don't worry about it!"
After saying that, he turned around and went back to the palace with Sayid, where Edward was sitting on the sofa drinking tea.
Little Sayid: "Special Envoy Edward, I'm so sorry, this is the East African Minister, Mr. Lemons, there was some misunderstanding with the guard just now."
Edward: "Forget it, I won't pursue this matter anymore. Let's continue talking about the slave trade."
"Slave trade?" Lemons said, "Your Majesty the Sultan, hasn't our country strictly prohibited your country from abolishing the slave trade?"
"Oh, yes, that's right, but Special Envoy Edward may not be aware of this..." Little Sayyid cooperated and repeated the conversation he had just had with Edward.
Lemons: "So that's how it is. In my opinion, it's a complete misunderstanding. Envoy Edward has good intentions after all. But your country repented relatively late, so Envoy Edward is not clear about this matter. I think Envoy Edward must have wasted a lot of time on the journey, especially India, which is the pearl of the British Empire. And Edward came from Mumbai just for this little thing, which is obviously not worth it. Sultan Sayyid should express his opinion!"
Finally, under the mediation of Lemons, little Sayyid spent a huge sum of money to buy peace. As for Edward, he let the matter go for the sake of money. Anyway, Zanzibar had indeed abolished the slave trade in law, so it would be easy for him to report back. However, Edward still reminded: "Your Majesty, it is better for your country to be careful in its trade at sea. If you are found to continue selling slaves..."
Said: "Special Envoy Edward, if it is really a slave trading ship, it is definitely not the work of the Zanzibar people. Your country can sink them at any time."
Anyway, Sayyid’s own slave ship has been converted into a “labor” export ship with complete formalities, and the living environment of the “workers” has been greatly improved. It is not much different in appearance from ordinary immigration ships.
(End of this chapter)
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