Chapter 185 The deal is concluded
"Ahem!" Becker said: "Our East African war faction is ready to take down the Yeke Kingdom, but considering the friendship between the two countries, we want you to make two choices yourself, Your Majesty."
Becker himself felt a little embarrassed when he said this, because he said that he would destroy the diplomatic activities of other countries.
Sure enough, Msiri's fist on the opposite side was hardened, and his face was so gloomy that he could drip water, but he still held back and asked, "Oh, what choice do you plan to give me?"
"The first thing is to resist to the end, and then my East African army will do it myself. If it is then, no one will be spared." Becker said with a sudden change in style.
"Mr. Becker, I have to say that you are really courageous. I don't know how powerful your military strength in East Africa is, but your mouth is really hard. Don't you know how serious the consequences of offending a monarch are? ?” Msiri confronted.
"Now, you guys are not in East Africa, but in my hands. You don't think you can run amok here with dozens of guns!
I, Musili, ruled the Kingdom of Yeke not only by firearms, but by wisdom. There were so many slave traders back then, but I was the only one who achieved such success.
When you stepped into this royal city, I had already arranged warriors from all over the country. Now there are hundreds of people with guns pointing at you, many archers, and countless spearmen. As long as you make any changes, They will beat you into a sieve in an absolutely short period of time. Msiri said triumphantly to Becker.
"Uh, why did your majesty say that? We carry weapons mainly to guard against wild beasts, and your majesty also knows that there are the most wild beasts in Africa." Becker said: "And this time we are here to talk about cooperation, and your majesty has not listened to the second option. , how can you rely on guesswork!"
"Then come and listen to me! If you can't satisfy me, hehe, then you can blame me for being cruel!" Msiri said.
"The second plan is, Your Majesty, you take the initiative to take the subjects of the Yeke Kingdom to give up the Yeke Kingdom. As a thank you, East Africa is willing to provide Your Majesty with a batch of arms to help His Majesty rebuild the country abroad." Becker faced Msiri Said.
After listening to Becker’s words, Msiri first focused on the matter of arms. As for East Africa’s desire to annex the Yeke Kingdom, this is not a secret. Judging from the past style of the East African colonies, they are insatiable.
Msiri said: "Your country is really a good idea. You plan to buy my entire kingdom with just a little arms. Did you do business like this before?"
Becker retorted: "Your Majesty, it's not the whole kingdom, we just want the land under your feet. As for your wealth and subjects, we will naturally take them all away.
I think Your Majesty should know that with a gun in hand, it is not difficult to find another blessed land and re-establish the country.
There is no need for both of us. For this piece of land, we will fight to the death, and I think you should be the most clear about the advantages of firearms over traditional weapons. "
After listening to Becker's words, Msiri understood that these East Africans really planned to go empty-handed. They wanted to swallow the Yeke Kingdom without paying the price.
“There is nothing in the world that can’t be made easy, but how much can you bid in East Africa?” Msiri said.
Becker stretched out five fingers.
"Five hundred guns? No, too few!" Msiri shook his head and said.
Becker said awkwardly: "I'm talking about fifty guns."
"Mr. Becker, can you East Africans show some face? The Yeke Kingdom is such a large area that it is not easy to get fifty guns."
"Your Majesty, is it a business? It is natural to bargain. If you think the price is not suitable, of course you can ask for it!" Becker said.
"At least a thousand guns, and corresponding ammunition, you know, we are going to give up the entire Yeke Kingdom, and we can't do business without arms." Msiri said.
"One thousand is too much, at most seventy, seventy guns, plus the Musketeers that His Majesty owns, can walk sideways throughout Central Africa." Becker said.
"Mr. Baker, that's not how the accounts are calculated. The Yeke Kingdom has been developed for a long time. I, Musili, have worked hard to manage the Yeke Kingdom for so many years. I won't say anything else. Look at this palace. Its value is more than seventy. Guns!" Msiri said.
"Well, Your Majesty, in fact, these palaces and cities are of no value to us in East Africa. Instead, they are cumbersome, just like the buildings left by the Zanzibarans in East Africa, it took us a lot of effort just to tear them down. ’” Becker said.
Violence, Msiri cursed secretly in his heart, and said: "It is of little value to your country, but it was built by Yeke Kingdom after spending a lot of financial, material and manpower.
Moreover, I can't find such a cheap one in the whole of Africa! A thousand guns is not difficult for you. You have met my request by making them. So what if the Yeke Kingdom surrenders. Not only that, but we can also leave the nationals to you. "
"Ah! This is not possible, Your Majesty, we only need land in East Africa. Of course, it is better for your people to go with you. After all, do you need manpower outside!" Becker said hastily.
"But what do I need so many wastes for? I just need to take the warriors and officials of the Yeke Kingdom and go into battle lightly. These natives are also a burden to me." Msiri said to Becker.
Becker pondered for a while in the palace. This was so true that he didn’t expect it. This Msiri is so indifferent to his own people. It seems that he can’t do without some sincerity. , We must find a way to let Msiri drive these natives out of Yeke Kingdom by himself.
"Your Majesty, it's alright. This time we are at a disadvantage in East Africa. We can provide you with 500 guns, but you must take your own people away. You must know that 500 guns can form a powerful army. It is enough for us in East Africa to personally conquer the Yeke Kingdom.
So paying five hundred guns, there must be no more. At that time, with these five hundred guns, you can easily build another Yeke Kingdom. "
"One thousand!" Msiri said still to himself.
"Hmph, Your Majesty, I am talking about cooperation with you, not because I am afraid of the strength of the Yeke Kingdom. If you continue to drag like this, it will be meaningless. The price is five hundred, no more.
Otherwise, I can only regretfully announce that this negotiation has failed. "Baker said slightly threateningly.
It seems that this is indeed the bottom line of East Africa. Msiri is indeed a smart man, otherwise he would not be able to complete the transformation from a slave trader to a king.
Actually, from the very beginning, Msiri had no intention of going head-to-head with East Africa, but just wanted to get as many things from East Africa as possible.
Under the rule of Msiri for more than 30 years, the Kingdom of Yeke is now unable to achieve sustainable fishing. There are frequent riots, which are suppressed by force.
Msiri does not need to assume any obligations to rule the Yeke Kingdom. After taxation, he only needs to buy weapons without thinking. If there are any opponents, he will be sent to see God.
Under the governance of Msiri, the population of the Yeke Kingdom decreased by 30%, which is why there was a matter of taking in the Eastern Bantus into the army.
The local aborigines are no longer easy to manage, and Msiri naturally wants to throw the blame away, find another place, and start over.
The envoys sent from East Africa happened to allow Msiri to blackmail a batch of arms. As Becker said, with 500 guns, he could walk sideways throughout Central Africa.
Moreover, Yeke Kingdom originally had a musketeer force of several hundred people, and now there are still more than 300 people after restricting the supply of ammunition in East Africa.
"Okay, Mr. Becker, this time, for your sake, I reluctantly agreed to the simple payment, but five hundred guns, not one less." Msiri said.
"Don't worry, Your Majesty, as long as we don't see a single native staying behind when we accept the Yeke Kingdom, we will naturally keep our promise.
But before that, we can only provide a hundred guns first, and only after confirming the results can we hand over the rest to your country at the border.
This is also considered an employment, so your country can rest assured that there may be opportunities for cooperation in the future. said Becker.
After thinking for a while, Msiri drank the wine in his hand and said, "Deal!"
(end of this chapter)