Chapter 349: Obsessed with War
Ande said, "Before coming to East Africa, I asked some foreign merchants for advice. They said that the countries of Europe constantly wage war against one another—especially in the Germanic region, where countless small states exist and are extremely warlike. Prussia is said to be the most militaristic among them. I've heard they once had a 'Soldier King,' and many of their rulers are like that. Take their current monarch, Wilhelm I: during his reign, he has already launched war against his northern neighbor Denmark, and now he's vying for supremacy with France. Who knows how that'll end?"
Li Ge mused, "Sounds like Prussia is rather like the old Qin dynasty—no benevolent rule, so it's bound to fall in its second generation."
"Brother Shiyan, be careful what you say," Ande warned. "The East African Kingdom we're in now has ties to Prussia. If someone overhears you, there might be trouble."
"Oh?" said Li Ge. "How so?"
"You may not think East Africa and Prussia are connected, but they're family. King Constantino of East Africa is actually a prince from the Prussian royal house. They're all from the same lineage."
"Ah, I see," said Li Ge. "But still, one's in Europe and the other's in Africa. The two countries can't be that close—maybe for a generation or two, but after that, they'll likely go their separate ways."
In other words, he saw the relationship between East Africa and Prussia like that of brothers who have split the family estate—whatever their bond now, the future would likely be independent.
Ande nodded, "Even so, their systems and cultures might be very similar. Prussia is all about war, and I fear the East African Kingdom isn't much different."
Li Ge agreed, "You really have to be here to see it. The rumors aren't exaggerations—they're accurate descriptions. There's an old saying: 'Even if a country is large, if it loves war, it will fall.' East Africa is just a small state, yet you see soldiers everywhere. The people must be suffering."
Ande shook his head, "Brother Shiyan, you're being a bit one-sided. That quote continues: 'Even if the world is at peace, forgetting about war is dangerous.' Isn't our own Far East in precisely that kind of situation right now? Besides, nothing is absolute. We can't just say a country is wrong because it has many soldiers."
"But that's what our ancestors taught us!" Li Ge protested.
"Well, look at Prussia," said Ande. "Its geographic location is incredibly dangerous. Without a militarized society, it could be wiped out at any time. Westerners don't follow morals like we do. The idea of 'just wars' doesn't apply there. European countries today are like our Warring States era—so for Prussia, its methods may be the best it can manage."
Li Ge asked, "And East Africa? Is it just like Prussia? Prussia is surrounded by strong nations. But East Africa—just by its name, we know it's in eastern Africa. Clearly not in the middle of anything. Why does it need such a large army?"
"Well," Ande suggested, "what if the East African Kingdom is the invader? Think about it—Constantino came from Prussia. And according to our records, this area was once home to the ancient Kunlun slaves. Admiral Zheng He even visited these shores. But how many Kunlun people did we see in Dar es Salaam yesterday?"
Li Ge thought for a moment. "Now that you mention it… hardly any."
"Exactly," Ande continued. "And East Africa's still recruiting immigrants from our Far East. So how does it feed all these newcomers?"
"They'd need a huge supply of grain," said Li Ge.
"Right. And grain doesn't grow on trees—it grows on land. Where did Constantino, a European, get his land?"
"You mean—it was stolen?"
"What else could it be? You really think the natives invited him over? So what's the army for? It's obvious."
Li Ge grumbled, "Savages, the lot of them."
Meanwhile in Vienna, Ernst sneezed. "Who's talking behind my back?"
Ande continued, "Prussia is surrounded by strong neighbors, so its army is for defense. But East Africa isn't surrounded by powers—it's surrounded by weakness. So for Germanic settlers in Africa, their army isn't for defense—it's for taking land. As Westerners say, the world has five continents. Our Celestial Empire spans only part of Asia, yet Africa is no small place. The ambitions of the East African Kingdom are obvious. In fact, they don't even try to hide it."
Li Ge nodded. "That makes sense. But how many troops does East Africa really have? What's its population? How large is its territory? And does it have any neighbors with similar power? Surely Constantino isn't the only clever man—other Western powers must be interested in Africa too."
"No idea," said Ande. "How could we know that? We've only seen Dar es Salaam—just one city. To understand East Africa as a whole? Unless they tell us, we're in the dark. And no country's stupid enough to hand over that kind of information. If I were East Africa's government, I'd keep quiet and get rich in secret. As for similar regimes nearby—yes, there's at least one: the Sultanate of Zanzibar. The sailors on our ship said East Africa seized its mainland territory."
Li Ge guessed, "What about Britain? Surely Britain has holdings in Africa. They're called the empire on which the sun never sets, after all. And probably France too."
Given the prosperity of Dar es Salaam, Li Ge and Ande couldn't believe other colonizers wouldn't notice such a good place.
"That might be why East Africa is rushing to build up its military," said Ande. "If Britain and France—true global powers—come to compete in Africa, how else could East Africa stand firm except by preparing its entire population for war?"
Clearly, the two had misunderstood East Africa's military buildup—mistaking immigrants for soldiers. Yes, East Africa had a large army, but it wasn't as excessive as they assumed. After all, with a territory over 7 million square kilometers, some level of militarization was indeed necessary.
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