C2170 Queens Feast (1/2)
Shh … There was a hiss at the scene, even the Europeans started blushing. The reason they were looking for was too far-fetched.
Since when did Mauritius become the core interest of the British Empire? It's not near the Golden Channel at all, okay? Located in the deepest part of the Indian Ocean, the closest continent was the savage Madagascar.
When the Dutch first found the Mauritius, there weren't even natives here, so it was basically a deserted island. If it wasn't for the storm, there wouldn't have been a merchant ship that would have explored this region of sea that was far away from the shipping lanes.
After that, the French came and drove away the Dutch, and then the British came and chased away the French. Finally, over ten years, they started to transport immigrants from India to the Mauritius on a small scale.
Criminals in Europe, the lowest rank in India, and refugees from war all over the world were mentioned. It was worth mentioning that at the end of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, a small number of Chinese had also fled to this place.
With a bit more than 20,000 people scattered all over the county, everyone could imagine how poor this place was. Let alone developing industry, there wasn't even a large scale population base for agricultural development.
Every year, they would export some wood, sea products and sugar, which were the backbone of the economy of the Mauritius. Their total trade volume for a year was not even comparable to a small sized Steel plant in the suburbs of London.
For Benjamin to actually say that such a lousy island was the core interest of the British Empire, this was a lie that was unjustifiable. Even he himself felt embarrassed.
Xiao Letian laughed helplessly, and picked up the glass of champagne on the ice sculpture. He took a sip, ”It's more than a thousand miles away from the Prowling Chinese Shang, with a population of more than twenty thousand, and an area of 1800 kilometers. There are no industries here, and even within a radius of a thousand kilometers, there aren't any industrial zones …”
”A place like this... Is it really a core area of interest for the UK? ”Dear Prime Minister, it seems that you have a great prejudice against us Chinese. We have come to Europe with the desire for peace. Do you really think that we are the aggressors?”
The queen's face did not look good. She looked at her son, her meaning was clear, this was to let her son end this dispute as soon as possible. At this moment, Xiao Letian had the upper hand, if they were to continue discussing this matter, Britain would only end up suffering.
Edward understood his mother's meaning, and immediately coughed lightly and said, ”Respected leader, your business is too big, this is not a decision that one or two people can make …”
”In terms of jurisprudence, the Mauritius belongs to the Indian colonial system, and Her Majesty the Queen of India also holds the title of Queen of India, so this island belongs to the royal family!”
”If you want to buy it, the Royal Family has to sign a trade contract with you … This is a matter concerning the royal family, and it has always been done in a prudent manner, and is not something that can be easily decided! ”
”Let's wait for the resolution of the council. The royal family can start negotiations with you only if the council agrees to accept this deal!” Before the negotiations have been completed, we should just put these dodo in the Botanical Garden! ”
This was already the best that Xiao Letian could hope to achieve. Forcing the council to vote was much better than letting the queen block the door with a single word.
”As you wish, I know that the British Constitution is stronger than the royal laws, and I respect the system of the British Empire!”
Xiao Letian knew that he had to advance or retreat, so he decided that it would be easier for Prince Edward to act like a normal person. He looked at the cold dodo on the table and sighed, ”After hearing your reasoning, looking at this dodo now, I feel guilty. I won't take another bite …”
”But that can't be wasted, right?”
The Queen suddenly stood up and said, ”Isn't there a lot of Chinese soldiers outside? And the warriors of the Janissaries that we are so dedicated to! Push out the other dishes on the dodo and let them have a taste too! ”