Greece’s Roman Road

"Also, I have discussed with your mother, and I think Princess Sophie from Germany is very suitable for you. As a marriage partner, if you don't object, you can try to get in touch and make a marriage contract."

Queen Olga looked at Constantine and said.

Princess Sophie, daughter of Crown Prince Frederick and Crown Princess of Germany, sister of Wilhelm (later Wilhelm II).

During his two years of study in Germany, Constantine had had contact with him. She was a gentle and kind girl, and Constantine did not hate her.

Thinking of this, Constantine smiled and said, "Have you heard of that Greek legend?"

"What legend?" Queen Olga asked in confusion.

"There was a legend among the Greeks to the effect that if a king named Constantine and a queen named Sophie ruled Greece, the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople would fall again. into the hands of the Greeks," Constantine explained to the two.

"There is such a legend? That's good, it's a good omen," said King George I.

Both of them are outsiders (George is from Denmark, Olga is from Russia), and they don't know much about Greek folk stories.

Sufi is a symbol of wisdom in Greek. The pronunciation of the wise and the sage is similar to that of Sufi, and Sophia also means this.

So this legend is not nonsense, its general meaning can be understood as: if the king of Constantine is wise and wise, then he will reign in Constantinople again.

From this legend, we can experience the Greeks' hidden deep nostalgia for Constantinople.

This new Rome established by the Roman Emperor Constantine in 330 (the original name of Constantinople, later people gradually named the city he established after Constantine, the first emperor of Eastern Rome. ).

Whether it was fate or not, the city was finally conquered by Muhammad II of Ottoman Turkey in 1453 in the hands of another Constantine (the last emperor of Eastern Rome) after more than 1,000 years.

This probably explains why when Constantine was born, the Greeks launched a petition to name the eldest son of their king, the future crown prince, and the future king, Constantine.

The Greeks had high hopes for Constantine and cherished a special feeling.

Constantine, who understood this situation, did not dare to slack off all these years.

Precisely because of the high expectations, when Constantine failed, the people's anger grew stronger.

"I see, I will handle the Congo affairs properly as soon as possible," Constantine replied.

"As for the engagement, I have had contact with Princess Sophie, and I have nothing against it."

Three days later, Constantine agreed to the division of the shares of the Greek Congolese Corporation chaired by Nina.

Probably, the royal family and the Greek Education Foundation hold 50%, the National Bank of Greece and Alpha Bank each hold 10%, other large families and individuals who are interested together hold 10%, and the other 20% are all handed over to overseas Greeks.

As for the general manager of this company, Costerbloom is the director, and other shareholders send directors to form the board of directors.

Headquartered in Athens, as a colonial company, it must send people to the Congo.

........

Standing in front of the port of Piraeus, saying goodbye to Banning and Costebro who are about to go to Africa.

"This time to Congo, Banning, I hope you can establish an effective government agency as soon as possible, and at the same time be careful to guard against the expansion of other countries' colonies"

"Assist Costerbloom, those lands with better geographical locations that are suitable for development, get them into the hands of the Greek Congo Corporation as soon as possible, so that it can generate economic benefits," Constantine instructed the two of them.

When Costerbloom came to inform Constantinople this time and volunteered to go to Congo, Constantine was very surprised.

At the end of the 19th century, unlike later generations, the transportation was developed and the communication was convenient.

Going to Africa in this era is still very dangerous.

The threat of disease, such as malaria, yellow fever, schistosomiasis, etc., the danger caused by navigation accidents, etc.

So these days, except for those who want to go to the colonies to get rich and have no chance in their own country, the children of rich families like Costerbloom dare to venture to Africa, which is really beyond Constantine's expectations.

In Costerbloom's words, it was a family ordeal.

If he can spend it safely and make a career in Congo to prove his talent, his future position in the family can be expected.

"Costeblu, after you arrive in Africa, you can decide other projects for yourself. The land where the wild rubber forests are located will be bought first," Constantine said to Costebro.

"Rubber forest? Is it the rubber used to make tires?" Costerbloom asked.

"That thing isn't very useful now, is it?"

"I am more optimistic about the rubber market in the future. In short, the Greek Congolese Corporation will just buy a part of the wild rubber forest," Constantine said.

At the end of the 19th century, with the invention of the pneumatic tire, rubber occupied an increasingly important position in industrial raw materials.

Constantine wanted to plan ahead to make a fortune in the rubber boom.

Moreover, the economic crop of rubber, newly planted rubber trees, takes a period of time to harvest rubber. If the rubber gap is huge and the price rises, it will be too late to plant rubber trees. When the newly planted rubber trees can be tapped, the price will already be high. It has fallen back, because everyone will plant a large area of ​​rubber trees when the price of rubber is high.

"Also, Banning, I hope you can understand that when we go to Africa, the factor of making money is even greater. I don't want to see the indigenous people in the Congo region rebel and riot all day long." Constantine faced Banning solemnly. said.

"Your Congo government, UU reading www.uukanshu.com should be flexible and gentle, learn from the colonial experience of the Netherlands or Portugal, as long as those African indigenous people can recognize the government's rule, it will not affect European or American businessmen. , you can be more forgiving, you don't have to be so tough."

Constantine was mainly worried that the Congolese government was overly advocating force, or that those companies or individuals who went to the Congo were squeezing the natives like smashing their bones and sucking their marrow, causing a strong backlash from the locals.

In case there are fires all over the Congo and the situation is uncontrollable, those companies or individuals will be a big deal and leave. Anyway, Congo is an international colony, and you can still make a fortune when you go to other places.

But Constantine and the Congolese government were embarrassed.

The management rights of the Congo, which Constantine worked so hard to plan, were mainly used to obtain industrial raw materials, and by the way, they provided Greece with a start-up capital for industrialization.

Don't make money at that time, and you have to add a lot of money to hire the army to suppress the rebellion.

At that point, sending troops to the African Congo thousands of miles away would probably cost something that Constantine or Greece could not afford.

After all, Greece is not like Britain, France and Germany. Their own strength is strong enough. No matter how big the storm is caused by the colonial natives, they have enough confidence to suppress it.

"Don't be like those brainless Germans in your Kongo colonies," Constantine solemnly instructed.

After Southwest Africa (Namibia) was assigned to Germany at the Berlin Conference, a large number of Germans came to Africa and seized the land of a large number of locals.

This has caused local riots to continue, and the Germans have a tough attitude and believe in force, and have now sent a large number of troops to stabilize the situation.

If the Congolese government followed suit, Constantine would cry to death.

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