In the Kara region of West Africa, this is a small port village located in the coastal area of Cameroon in later times. It is the outlet of a local river.
Twenty or thirty years ago, indigenous people migrated here and established a small village. Later, people from Europe and even the Chu State gradually came here to conduct small-scale trade.
However, the trade volume is very small, because in the past, the European slave trading business was mainly concentrated in the Gold Coast area. The slave market here has not yet been developed. At the same time, there are no precious resources such as gold in this place. At the same time, Europeans are in the contemporary era. Plantations are rarely established locally.
Therefore, not only the Cameroon region, but actually the entire African region was very backward in terms of colonial development.
Its degree of colonial development is far less than that of the Americas.
This is mainly because the natural conditions in Africa are worse, and outsiders will face greater troubles and difficulties if they come to survive here.
Unlike the Americas, although there are a large number of primitive deep forests and even tropical primitive jungle areas in South America, it is just a matter of terrain, and there are not as many messy problems as in Africa.
Therefore, most of the European colonial activities in Africa were limited to some coastal areas, and the colonial activities in Africa were mainly dominated by the Portuguese and the Dutch, especially the Portuguese, but whether they were the Portuguese or the Dutch, they It is a small country with a small population. The domestic population is sparse, and it rarely engages in large-scale immigration development.
Their colonial activities were more focused on establishing commercial strongholds in coastal areas and then conducting trade.
Later, the Chu people came to Africa and drove away the Europeans. After they monopolized Africa, their expansion strategy was divided into regions. The South African region with better geographical and climatic conditions was, to be precise, the southernmost coastal plain of South Africa. region; plus the Maputo region, a super gold producing area, adopts a direct jurisdiction policy.
However, in other parts of Africa, the traditional colonial model is adopted, focusing on establishing administrative territories. These administrative territories are mostly coastal plains with relatively good conditions and strategic transportation locations, such as excellent deep-water ports.
The scale of these administrative territories is generally small. The smallest ones only have a lonely trading stronghold, and the larger ones are only slightly larger towns and the surrounding coastal plain areas.
But overall, the Chu Empire's expansion into Africa was conservative and slow. In fact, many coastal areas did not achieve comprehensive actual control, let alone the inland areas.
A small number of directly-governed territories were developed by immigrants, some administrative territories developed plantations, and most areas maintained trade exchanges.
This is the current expansion strategy of the Chu Empire in Africa.
Under such circumstances, even after the Chu people took over the control of Africa from the Europeans, most of the African areas were either deserted or under the control of local tribes and kingdoms.
This is the case in Cameroon.
This area is still under the control of several local tribes. The Kara area where Chen Jingyun and others landed belongs to one of the tribes called Douala people.
Of course, Chen Jingyun and the others couldn't figure out what the Duala tribe was... There were too many messy tribes in Africa. Until now, the Chu people couldn't even figure out the various African tribes operating in the coastal areas.
They all look so dark that you can't tell them apart, and what they say is all the chirping of birds that you can't understand.
It would be too difficult for the Chu people to distinguish different tribes and nationalities among these seemingly identical Africans.
Although Chen Jingyun has also been in Africa for many years, he was actually mainly active in the Maputo area before. It was only in the past year that he brought people to West Africa to be active. Before that, he was mainly active in the Gold Coast area!
To be honest, this is his first time in Cameroon...
The reason for coming here is actually very simple, so this is one of the few areas on the coast of the Gulf of Guinea that no Chu people have set foot in and actually control!
More than a hundred kilometers to the west is Calabar, the colonial trading stronghold of the Chu people. More than a hundred soldiers of the Indian Army are stationed to control this important estuary of the Calabar River. This place is also the golden center of the Chu Empire. In addition to garrisoning troops, there were more than a thousand Chu immigrants who opened up grain plantations and cocoa plantations in the surrounding areas.
There is a Gabon River in the Gabon area three to four hundred kilometers to the south. The Portuguese had also been active in this area before. After the Chu people arrived in West Africa, they felt that the location here was suitable for establishing a logistical supply station.
Therefore, we found a place to establish a colonial stronghold at the mouth of the Gabon River. The construction just started the year before the year before last. So far, there are only two to three hundred Chu people, dozens of whom are soldiers of the Indian Army.
In the large area between these two places, although Chu people's ships sail along the coastline almost every day, and Chu people's merchant ships occasionally go to some coastal indigenous ports in this area for trade, but The Chu people did not establish a formal colonial stronghold.
In other words, this area is still a blank for the time being, and its actual control is still in the hands of the local indigenous tribes.
This kind of situation is rare in this area of Africa... Although the Chu people have not been able to carry out large-scale immigration and development in Africa, they are still quite enthusiastic about establishing coastal strongholds. Basically, the terrain is better or the geographical location is more important. New colonial strongholds will be built in local areas, and coupled with the large number of colonial strongholds previously taken over from Europeans, this has also led to the fact that the Chu people still have a lot of coastal colonial strongholds in Africa.
If Chen Jingyun wants to build a country overseas, he naturally needs to consider territorial development. If possible, Chen Jingyun still hopes to obtain an outlet to the sea, preferably one with a river.
So after studying for a long time the African region, which was simple and primitive and still had a large blank space, he finally chose this place...
Of course, he chose this place because he knew a little about Xu Duolin, the governor of the Golden State. According to rumors, the governor of the Golden State was old and liked yellow and white things.
According to rumors, this person was assigned to serve in Africa after failing in the domestic battle. He is the kind of unlucky person who has no hope of being transferred back to his homeland to serve in his life.
And for such an official who has no room for advancement in his official career and is facing retirement... To be a local emperor in this land of West Africa is to make money, and there is no need for political achievements.
Under such circumstances, he could have the opportunity to make some maneuvers to get Xu Duolin, the governor of the Golden State, to acquiesce. At worst, he would have to turn a blind eye to his founding behavior.
After all, his behavior in founding the country can be either big or small... In some areas, in the eyes of some overseas territory officials, it is an indifferent behavior, but in some officials, in some areas, it is an intolerable behavior, and even makes a big fuss. I can also charge you with a serious crime of treason.
But how to determine the specifics and how to deal with it all depends on the words of local overseas officials...
In this way, if you want to build a country overseas, you need to find a suitable overseas territory official... In Chen Jingyun's opinion, Xu Duolin, the governor of the Golden State, is a very suitable candidate.
Sure enough, after giving away the gold, Xu Duolin turned a blind eye to Chen Jingyun's matter.
After the special envoy sent by the Governor's Palace arrived at Kara Port, they only conducted a casual inspection. They did not find any slogans such as Chen Jingyun's rebellion, nor did they find Chen Jingyun doing anything that was not in compliance with the rules such as proclaiming himself emperor. They confirmed that Chen Jingyun and others I was respectful to the official attitude of the empire, and after accepting gold worth hundreds of Chu yuan, I warned Chen Jingyun that the Governor's Office can temporarily turn a blind eye to your actions in the Kara area. And issue a formal document of withdrawal of nationality... This nationality does not mean that you can withdraw it just when you say it. You must have the official approval to issue the document. As for the formal withdrawal of nationality, you can do whatever you like!
And the special envoy also specially proposed a feasible plan, that is, you can overthrow that tribe and replace it, and then formally establish a country or something.
The empire has always paid little attention to the internal struggles of the indigenous people and the fights between the indigenous tribes... There are many indigenous kingdoms in Africa, but the empire does not take them seriously...
As for gaining recognition from the empire, or even being canonized by the empire, this is not easy!
Referring to several previous examples of overseas nation-building and eventual official canonization by the empire, without exception, they all provided significant support when the empire expanded externally.
For example, in the 23rd year of Chengshun, the Kingdom of the Song Dynasty was officially established in the Chilean region of South America. The Zhao family made great contributions to the expansion of the empire in South America. Not only did they serve as the leader, but they also acted as thugs. The first generation king of the Zhao family died directly on the battlefield with the Portuguese. After the second generation king succeeded to the throne, he continued to lead thousands of troops to fight alongside the Chu army.
In the end, the empire officially recognized this vassal state and formally ennobled him as the King of the American Song Dynasty. His country was called the American Song Kingdom, that is, the American Song Kingdom.
The situation in several other officially recognized and canonized kingdoms was similar.
If Chen Jingyun wants to be canonized in the future, he can only follow the same example: provide enough help to the empire in colonizing Africa and bring enough benefits to the empire.
Coupled with his respectful attitude and don't do any messy things, such a big empire can't tolerate a mere small vassal state.
Again, the empire has even canonized more than a hundred indigenous kings, and it is not necessary to canonize a few Chu people who founded overseas countries as kings of vassal states. After all, they are of the same race and ethnicity.
The premise is that you have to let the higher-ups in the empire see your determination, hard work, and most importantly, your attitude.
Finally, before leaving, the special envoy was still puzzled and asked Chen Jingyun: What are you trying to do?
After all, even the king of a vassal state has no human rights in the Chu Empire...
If you want to return to your homeland in the future, you must seek approval from the imperial edict.
Moreover, once Chen Jingyun gives up his nationality and becomes the king of this vassal state, he will be no different from the indigenous people. He will be completely far away from the civilized world. He will only be able to hang out with a group of indigenous people for the rest of his life. If he wants to set foot in the directly-administered territory again, It's impossible.
Except for specially approved diplomats from the vassal state, other natives are prohibited from traveling to the directly administered territories.
The king of a vassal country is no exception, unless he specifically requests approval of the imperial edict, but if you think about it with your toes, the emperor of the empire is too lazy to pay attention to you, and it is impossible to issue a special edict for you.
After the first king of the American Song Dynasty died in the battlefield, his son, the second king of the American Song Dynasty, repeatedly asked for permission to return to his hometown for burial, in order to return his fallen leaves to his roots. However, he was not approved, and he could only be buried locally.
The imperial vassal affairs department approved: Since the King of the Song Dynasty is not a national, there is no reason to bury the country.
Regarding the special envoy's answer, Chen Jingyun did not answer!
Ambition is something that sometimes cannot be expressed...and different people want different things.
Chen Jingyun has no interest in the prosperous world and the center of civilization... Because in that prosperous world and the center of civilization, he is just an ordinary Chu countryman. With a little money, it is impossible to enjoy a good life.
But in Africa, he is a man with a large number of soldiers (well, at least to the local indigenous tribes) and the power of life and death over the surrounding indigenous people. After the founding of the West African country, he can even become the local king and create a country of his own. own kingdom.
Even if he didn't live in a prosperous and prosperous era, Chen Jingyun probably wouldn't be able to live in peace in his hometown...
As for danger, he doesn't care too much about the simple enjoyment of life.
He believes that when a man is alive, he should be a ghost hero if not a hero.
It sounds a bit extreme, but you can't expect a person who comes from a poor background and goes to Africa to work as a mercenary after retiring. He travels around Africa all year round and builds a team of mercenaries. His thoughts are the same as ordinary people.
An ordinary person would not go to Africa to practice mercenary business, wielding swords and guns!
After the special envoy from the Governor's Palace left, Chen Jingyun held a meeting of confidants in a small wooden house in his administrative center, also known as the palace.
After speaking out the tacit approval of the Governor-General's Office and the special envoy's suggestions, Chen Jingyun took off his military cap, revealed his bald head, looked around and said: "Gentlemen, the attitude of the Governor-General's Office has been made clear. As long as we don't make too much trouble and actively cooperate with the Governor's Office on expansion, they can pretend they didn't see the founding of the country!"
"Even if you do well in the future, you can even be officially canonized by the empire!"
"Gentlemen, now is the time for us to create a century-old career and gain glory and wealth!"
The faces of the group of people below are also full of excitement. The dozen or so people sitting here today are all Chen Jingyun's confidants who have followed Chen Jingyun for many years, and were selected by Chen Jingyun. They are all people who want to be the founding heroes of the country and gain wealth for a lifetime.
He is also the core member of Chen Jingyun's team.
Now that they heard that the Governor-General's Palace had acquiesced in their founding of the country, they were naturally filled with excitement. No matter what the future holds, they can now build the country in an open and honest manner. The name of this founding hero and even the nobleman has been completely determined.
And as long as the empire does not interfere, they are still very confident in establishing a country in this wild land, even if it is just a small country.
The nobles in a small country are not nobles at all!
As long as they can dominate and be a master, they don't mind, and they even look forward to becoming a noble of a small country in a wild land!
(End of chapter)
