Others also started thinking about Guo Kang's suggestion.
Mrs. Elena first asked: "Then what if Sheikh refuses to accept this situation and insists on fighting us to the end?"
Theodora was stunned and glanced at Guo Kang helplessly.
This question was too simple and she obviously didn't want to answer it. Guo Kang had no choice but to take the initiative to explain: "Then find another person. Whatever the world lacks, there will be no shortage of people who want to be emirs. If he doesn't do it, there are plenty of people who can."
"Can this newcomer take on the responsibilities you mentioned?" Mrs. Elena asked again.
"Of course." Guo Kang replied: "I just said that Sheikh should be slightly stronger than Hafez, just an example. On the other hand, if Hafez is stronger than Sheikh or this new opponent, he can still achieve the same goal. Effect."
"We don't have to worry about not having anyone." He looked at everyone, thought for a while, and said bluntly: "A lord's power does not come from himself, but from the needs of the social environment."
"As long as there is a vacancy in power, someone will definitely take over. As long as there is a need, someone will naturally meet it. As for who takes over, we don't need to care at all."
"If Sheikh falls, then someone will naturally replace him and manage those areas that we and Hafez cannot control. We don't have to worry about his ability. The competition among the Mamluks is extremely fierce, and those who are incompetent will pass. The time is cut off by themselves, we don’t have to pick it up.”
"We only need to take good care of the ports and trade routes, and leave the rest to them to fight." Guo Kang said: "And don't worry, it's not just us, the Caliph also very much hopes that these people will fight. If one day they don't If there is a fight, then the caliphate will be in danger..."
"The Caliphate is also a force. What if he gets bigger and then tries to establish his own country?" Mrs. Elena asked all aspects.
"I think this possibility is too small. If you have this ability, you won't have to be a puppet for hundreds of years." Guo Kang shook his head: "And if he has this idea, the Mamluk warlords will immediately teach him a lesson - Just like every time the Bishop of Rome has something on his mind, King Alemanni will lead his army south. It has become a habit over there."
"Besides, I've only said half of what I said. In addition to ourselves, other forces can also be introduced."
Elena seemed to still have some questions, but Cao Xun put his hand on her arm to stop her from talking.
"Please continue." He said to Guo Kang: "Who else can we help?"
"Italian businessmen." Guo Kang replied: "The Venetians have long wanted to dredge the canal. By pulling them in, the money problem can be solved, and you can even make a profit."
"Canal?" Cao Xun seemed to have never heard of it.
"The canal connecting the Red Sea and the Nile River." Guo Kang nodded: "The construction of this river is not difficult. The Egyptians tried it more than 3,000 years ago. The pharaoh who presided over the excavation work at that time was called Sinusert. The location of the canal is also named after him. Because the pronunciation kept changing, it should be called 'Suez' now."
"After the collapse of the Abbasid dynasty, the various regimes that controlled Egypt had no intention of maintaining the canal. The river gradually became silted up and disappeared, and it has not recovered until now."
"The Venetians really wanted to restore this canal to facilitate their direct access to the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean. The profits from this trade route were so amazing that they even contacted the Mamluks and were happy to pay for the construction themselves and would not ask for control of the canal. , as long as you ensure that your merchant ships can pass through without hindrance."
"I think this condition is very good, but why couldn't it be implemented before? Is it because the credit of the Venetians is too bad, or is there something wrong with the canal?" Cao Xun asked.
"It's not a problem with the river." Guo Kang said: "Since it has been blocked for hundreds of years, in order to replace the failed canal, many camel teams appeared in the local area, specifically to take over goods from various ports on the Red Sea and deliver them to Various ports in the hinterland of Egypt or along the Mediterranean coast. Over the years, a huge group has formed, and it is said that the size has reached 100,000 people. If the canal is re-excavated, most of these people will be unemployed. "
"The Mamluk regime is not very stable, so the sultans don't have to offend them for this money. Anyway, the transportation is not convenient, which only makes the Venetians who are responsible for the next step of transportation and distribution anxious. The Mamluks still collect tolls themselves, So I don’t really care.”
"Then won't we also face this problem?" Cao Xun asked: "Or is it that the Venetians have come up with a plan this time?"
"Oh, this problem has become much smaller now." Guo Kang said: "There was a serious plague in Egypt before, and the losses along the trade routes were severe. Then there was a civil war, and there is still no peace. Now many caravans have moved By taking other routes, the size of the camel team has also been greatly reduced. It is much easier to deal with than it was back then."
"That's okay..." Cao Xun muttered as if he didn't expect it to be solved like this.
"As soon as the Mamluk envoys opened, several representatives of the Italian Chamber of Commerce came to see Tuohuan and me." Guo Kang said: "I deliberately told them all the news about the canal, hoping that they would bid against each other so that we could make more money. a little."
"Currently, the Venetians are not only willing to pay, but will also support our garrison in Egypt. Because they believe that the local regime cares too much about trivial matters such as camel caravans, and only outsiders like us are more focused on business itself."
"We told them that in a place like that, everyone is an outsider, and it is best if we can stick together. The Venetians also think it makes sense and think they can invest in the canal, and they also offered to sponsor our military operations."
"When we finalize the specific plan, maybe we can raise the price again. Because businessmen in several other city-states are also enthusiastic, there will definitely be another round of competition. At present, if the negotiation goes well, we will leave The garrison may not even have to pay for it ourselves.”
"Then are you prepared to deal with the local forces with force?" Cao Xun asked.
"I don't know much about Egypt, but based on my experience, this kind of team that has been operating on fixed trade routes for a long time will not only have its own organization, but will also be inextricably linked with the local forces along the way."
"What you mean is that now that the power of the camel team has weakened, there is no problem in dealing with them. But we need to consider the subsequent effects." He stroked his white beard, stared at Guo Kang intently, and continued to ask the question: "What if If we confront the camel caravan with force, will it affect the subsequent construction?"
"If there is no rush, of course we can slowly organize manpower and wait until the local area establishes our own management organization before digging the canal. But what this plan pursues is to restore the canal as soon as possible, right? In this way, we have to mobilize a large number of local people quickly. Labor, and this kind of work definitely requires the cooperation of the wealthy people around you. How are you going to deal with these people?"
(End of chapter)
