Solovyov in Tsarist Russia 1796.

One of Oman's greatest assets was its slave and spice trade in East Africa, which generated enormous profits.

The slave trade persisted until the early 19th century, and slavery can still be found in Mauritania even in the 21st century.

Although it sounds distant, it did exist; Russia itself was still a backward feudal serfdom system.

However, even this current version is relatively advanced, as it is only recently developed in Europe.

The slave trade would then decline, and the last remaining slave-producing regions would eventually sign treaties to end this trade.

However, Oman also possesses a wealth of rare resources, and if managed properly, it could also achieve great success in East Africa.

However, Africa, despite its magical nature, is also incredibly dangerous.

Although Oman defeated Portugal and seized many places on the East African coast, they still rarely ventured into the inland areas unless they were sent by slave-hunting teams, and even then, they usually did not go too far in.

In addition to wild beasts, inland regions are also plagued by various terrible diseases.

If anyone wanted to establish a nation or start a business in Africa in the 19th century, and you ventured deep inland, you wouldn't need to ask anyone else but whether the sleeping sickness would allow it.

This is already one of the less frightening diseases out of all the terrible ones.

Solovyov also had some interest in East Africa, and Said ibn Sultan, who always valued business, agreed to let them go to Zanzibar.

This is an important stronghold of Oman in East Africa, which was seized from the Portuguese.

Portugal, as a European country, is indeed quite peculiar; its overseas colonies were frequently seized by its rivals.

The benefits of the Age of Exploration have passed, and Portugal still holds a relatively good position in Brazil. However, it seems that Crown Prince Petro is more inclined to favor the Brazilian colonies than the Portuguese mainland.

On the way back, Solovyov was still unaware of how the marriage arrangements with the Portuguese royal family would be handled.

The biggest problem with his mission this time is that intelligence updates may be slow.

The journey is really long, but there are also many advantages.

Being away from the political struggles in Europe would also allow him to be more relaxed and comfortable.

Upon arriving in Oman, he befriended this peculiar sultan.

However, within the Arab world, his style is much more normal, reflecting a more modern and integrated image.

If possible, Oman controls the Strait of Hormuz and has such a trade system in East Africa, making it a country worth befriending.

If he can achieve his goal of conquering Persia, it will probably be easier for him to win over Oman, since they are close by.

As for the Sultan himself granting him a trade permit to Zanzibar, that was an unexpected bonus; everything went very smoothly overall.

As for sailing to the western Arabian Sea, it was also very easy at this time.

Even if there were Somali pirates, they wouldn't dare board such a large fleet.

The Sultan of Oman also provided translators, and they were able to disembark and tour the area upon arrival in Mogadishu.

This place was also a trading post that Oman and Portugal were vying for at the time, and Oman did not have complete control over it.

However, the Portuguese forces had already weakened considerably here.

Due to the hot weather, the gentlemen no longer cared about appearances and wore rather thin clothes.

However, when they arrived, they were just in time to see the nomads driving their livestock over.

Solovyov has always had a special fondness for animals, and it's unknown how the cheetah cub he entrusted to his daughter is doing in Cape Town.

When you get here, you naturally pay attention to the local animals.

Then he saw a whole street of camels.

Somalia is not a suitable place for farming. Although animal husbandry can bring in a lot of income, these assets are also vulnerable to loss.

On the streets, you can also see merchants from all over the world who come to Mogadishu to trade.

Besides Arabs, there were Dutch, Portuguese, Egyptians, Persians, and Indians, and of course, the British.

However, they often went to Mombasa, which is also an important outpost on the East African coast.

Solovyov actually saw it; someone had captured a lion cub.

Compared to the docile and weak cheetah, which is only fast, the Abyssinian lion, though majestic, is still somewhat small.

Of course, this is in comparison to lions in other places.

Solovyov was indeed somewhat interested in the lions, but he only had experience raising anthropomorphic felines, which wasn't really his forte.

Moreover, he didn't bring his daughter this time, otherwise Lisa would definitely want her too.

She just really loves these big cats.

Solovyov doted on his daughters, but was stricter with his sons.

Another reason was Katya's requirement: her sons couldn't be unsuccessful when they grew up.

But she couldn't be like those bohemian guards on the streets of St. Petersburg, because she was rather conservative.

In Mogadishu, during their stay, even Pasha wanted to go ashore, but Solovyov always refused.

However, once you get to Zanzibar, which is now under the control of the Sultan of Oman, you can go there.

However, this island will become part of Tanzania in the future.

There is also a part of Tanganyikana on land, and from there, heading inland, you can see Mount Kilimanjaro.

Solovyov knew that his journey was not to see the snow on Kilimanjaro; he would be staying in Zanzibar for a long time on this voyage.

Because this is Oman's largest trading post in Africa.

He even had time to send a frigate to Madagascar to write to the young king, indicating that he would be arriving in Madagascar soon.

The Jiaqing Emperor also took great care of the small countries that came to form a delegation, and even gave a reward to the King of Imreina.

Although the native animals of Madagascar are indeed incredibly ugly, their ugliness has a certain style.

As for this "consolation" work, Zhaolian would not personally go to consolate an African country.

But he could send someone; after discussing it with Solovyov, he would send Yishan.

Of the members of the royal family who came with him, he was the only one who was a guard; the rest were all intellectuals.

As for the other members of the Qing Dynasty delegation, they will have to stay in the port of Madagascar. Although there is a terrible infectious disease called Kenyah, which is spread by mosquitoes, the last major pandemic has passed, and there will be a temporary lull in the economy.

Not every place in Africa will be plagued by plagues all the time.

Solovyov, however, was more concerned about the unique local situation in Zanzibar.

If possible, sailing ships from the Persian Gulf to this location would significantly shorten trade routes.

Moreover, considering the coastline around Africa, shortening this trade route would eliminate middlemen taking a cut, which is acceptable.

He would definitely do anything that would annoy the British.

As for Zanjibar, the Sultan of Oman was not undertaking any major construction projects at this time; only the mosque was newly renovated.

When the Sultanate of Oman is divided in the future, Zanzibar, as one of the sultanates, will also have its own Sultan's palace. This is all after Sultan Said, and Solovyov doesn't care about it. In fact, he has always believed that the British are involved, creating divisions everywhere.

However, the land of Oman was preserved. When oil was developed, although Oman was no longer the richest country, the standard of living in the country improved significantly.

As for purchasing spices and timber here, it was mainly due to the preferences of the Qing Dynasty officials.

For example, a set of furniture can be made from high-quality African wood, which is hard and durable.

As a top scholar from Tongcheng, Long Ruyan would inevitably have some interest in these types of wood.

As for African rosewood, the material used is quite good.

After traveling abroad, the officials of the Qing Dynasty had their eyes opened.

However, they are still on the island of Zanzibar and have not yet gone to the mainland.

And so, they also saw a qilin. No, it was a giraffe.

Like the people of the Ming Dynasty four hundred years ago, the civil and military officials of the Qing Dynasty were also full of curiosity about this big guy.

"General Suo, this is the Qilin."

"Many countries contributed during the previous dynasty, but this item..."

At least in North Korea, giraffes are still called Kirin Seumida.

Japan is in the same situation.

"Compared to the Qilin, it is not like the Ming Dynasty. There are bound to be far-fetched interpretations. Human knowledge is limited and we do not know the infinity of the universe."

Of course, he certainly didn't believe in auspicious omens.

When Zhaolian saw it, she couldn't help but feel curious.

However, this mission did not include bringing back a Qilin.

Emperor Qianlong didn't really believe in these things, and he stipulated that no one could be reincarnated without the court's certification. Although superstitious activities existed in the Qing Dynasty, they were not very popular.

And there's another troublesome matter, which comes from Confucius.

Confucius said, “The arrival of the unicorn signifies a wise king, but its appearance at the wrong time has led to its destruction, which is why I am saddened by this.”

From this perspective, the fact that the emperor received a "Qilin" at the gate was not a good omen, but rather a very bad one.

It was also in the early Ming Dynasty, when Confucianism had probably fallen into a slump, and perhaps Emperor Qianlong would have realized the significance of this statement.

If he had asked that question back then, perhaps even the adults could have answered it.

Zhao Lian was very learned, and the cultural level of the Hanlin scholars was such that even though the Gongyang School was no longer a prominent school of thought, they were still aware of it.

Why does Your Highness sigh?

"General Suo, are you aware of the Master's injury to the unicorn?"

"Your Highness, are you referring to the Qilin?"

"exactly."

"If this is the case, is it auspicious or inauspicious?"

"It seems that five stars are rising in the west."

"I know that the appearance of five stars in the east is auspicious for China. But what does it mean if they appear in the west?"

Before Zhao Lian could answer, Niu Jian, who was standing next to her, had already spoken.

"General Suo, what the Prince said is what Sima Qian wrote in the Book of Astronomy: 'When the five planets are divided in the sky, if they accumulate in the east, China will benefit; if they accumulate in the west, foreign countries will benefit.' This saying is true, and it aligns with your military strategy in the west."

Niu Jian, that guy, was a deserter, one of the most clownish officials among the losers of the Opium War.

However, he didn't say the rest, but Solovyov understood.

"Therefore, our superior nation and our country should join forces to resist the British barbarians. The extent of the British barbarians' harm to the people is only the tip of the iceberg in India."

The scholars all agreed with this point.

As for Zhao Lian, he saw that Qilin had this idea, and although he hadn't even traveled halfway, he had already gained a lot of experience and was still somewhat moved in the end.

British barbarians are everywhere, so the future looks bleak for the Qing Dynasty.

After seeing the giraffes, the group toured the island.

Many people have written about exotic customs and cultures.

Compared to the mainland, life on an island like Zanzibar is much more comfortable.

Things would probably be better if we didn't see Arab rule over the locals.

In addition, the group also saw a local leopard, a rare subspecies that later became extinct.

Solovyov's journey, though ostensibly a diplomatic mission, took him to a place filled with wondrous creatures, where he encountered many rare and exotic animals, greatly broadening his horizons.

Moreover, regarding local trade, including ivory and rhinoceros horn, he could only say that without buying and selling, there would be no killing.

Although these resources are still quite abundant, with the increasing demand from some people, elephant products...
Solovyov was a strange rich man. Although he was very interested in jewelry, he only liked to collect saltwater pearls and freshwater pearls. As for fur products, only bearskin hats and sea otter fur could arouse his interest.

Zhao Lian once discussed philosophy with Solovyov on a ship and discovered that Solovyov was more familiar with Mencius.

This also includes some of Mencius's ideas on protecting mountains and forests as a long-term solution.

But Solovyov didn't mention anything about the more radical approach, like Wang Anshi's, which guided the monarch's behavior.

Considering that Wang Anshi would have been completely discredited by the Southern Song Dynasty's Ninth Sister and a group of ministers when they tried to overturn his case if he hadn't had his outstanding literary talent and historical standing, it's already quite remarkable.

Of course, Wang Anshi was indeed somewhat unkempt.
Solovyov himself had the means, after all, Nikolai was his student.

As for ivory and rhinoceros horn, Solovyov was very skeptical about the latter's effects, wondering if they were really as magical as claimed.

If it really comes down to using these precious animals, then domestication and breeding could be considered.

Moreover, in his remarks, Solovyov also criticized the dragon bones and the looting of the ancient capital of the Shang Dynasty since the Song Dynasty, which resulted in the loss of a large number of bronze artifacts.

This doesn't even include oracle bone inscriptions, or the equally unfortunate dinosaur fossils.

I don't know how many of them were consumed. In fact, the efficacy of mineral and fossil medicines is also a mystery. Some do have an effect, while others are quite puzzling.

Solovyov also mentioned the oracle bone inscriptions to Zhaolian.

"If Your Highness sees the medicinal ingredient Dragon Bone, you might as well investigate whether it is the remains of an ancient beast or the bone plates used by our ancestors in sacrificial rites."

Once Solovyov said that, Zhaolian understood.

Several scholars were sitting nearby, and they naturally understood what he meant.

If any major discoveries are made in the future based on the critique of a single Chinese herbal medicine, it would probably be a blessing.

Solovyov had no idea how powerful his words would become. (End of Chapter)