Chapter 3684
Compared with countries that have dealt with before, negotiations with the Arabs are undoubtedly a new test.
At this stage, the Arabs did not have a unified political power. Instead, each tribe implemented autonomy on a tribal basis. Tribes and tribes reached cooperative relationships through various methods such as sects, marriages, and alliances.
The good news is that the power of these tribes is relatively limited, far less than that of a country with a well-established system. Whether it is to use force to deal with them or use other means to bribe them, the difficulty will be relatively low.
But the bad news is that the rule of these tribes is far less stable than that of the country. Even if a cooperation agreement is negotiated, it is difficult to guarantee its continuity. Tribal leaders change, wars break out with other tribes, and there are too many unpredictable factors that will affect the effectiveness of the agreement.
Although Li Yuande claimed to have dealt with Arab businessmen, he was far from familiar with them. What conditions would be needed to persuade the other chief to accept cooperation and let him come to Khasab? There is no clear idea yet.
Qian Tiandun did not give too clear instructions, only authorizing the two of them to make decisions at their own discretion and to discuss the terms of cooperation with the other party first. As long as the handover of Khasab can be facilitated, the conditions can be relaxed to see what the other party wants and try to satisfy them.
After all, Li and Dong have no official status in the fleet. Although they are authorized to represent Haihan, no matter what conditions they negotiate, the final decision-making power still lies with Qian Tiandun. Even if he agreed to some outrageous conditions, Qian Tiandun still had room for redemption.
While they were negotiating with the Shihu tribe, the huge fleet could not wait forever and still had to continue its mission of exploring the Persian Gulf.
In addition to their respective entourages, Qian Tiandun assigned them a platoon of armed escorts, and also arranged for a warship and a supply ship to stay in Khasab, waiting to pick them up when they returned.
The fleet stayed in Khasab for two days before setting off again. Dong Shangyi and Li Yuande's team, with the assistance of local Arabs, will accompany the Arab caravan to the Shihu tribe in the southern interior. The round-trip journey is expected to take at least half a month.
Qian Tiandun's sailing plan was to travel westward along the coastline of the Arabian Peninsula on the south coast of the Persian Gulf until he reached the Mesopotamian plain at the northwest end of the Gulf, and then turn back eastward.
After the fleet penetrated into the Persian Gulf, the number of ships on the sea was significantly reduced compared to the Strait of Hormuz, and the vast majority of them were only small fishing boats driven by coastal fishermen.
The further west you go, the more desolate you see along the way. Looking around, you can see a patch of yellow sand on the horizon, as boundless as the sea, which is breathtaking.
But even in areas with such a harsh natural environment, there are still some human settlements. The unique viability of desert peoples is as tough as those drought-resistant plants rooted in the sand.
After traveling westward for several days, the fleet arrived at the Qatar Peninsula.
If Khasab near the Strait of Hormuz is only an informal territory of the Ottoman State, then the Qatar Peninsula, which was included in the Ottoman territory a hundred years ago, can be regarded as its orthodox territory.
Although Doha Port on the east coast of the Qatar Peninsula is only a fishing port in the eyes of Haihan soldiers, it can be regarded as a medium-sized port in the Persian Gulf during this period.
This place was also conquered by the Portuguese in the last century, but the Ottomans soon came back and drove the Portuguese out. Although the location of Doha is not a geomantic treasure, compared to remote areas like Khasab where no one is fighting for it, it can be regarded as a populated area.
The people here are more knowledgeable than the fellow citizens in Khasab. When they saw the Haihan fleet sailing into the open sea, they inevitably caused a small panic, thinking that war would once again come to this port that had been peaceful for a hundred years.
However, the Haihan fleet quickly sent a small boat into the port to inform the other party that the fleet was just passing through here, hoping to enter the port to obtain supplies.
The local officials were very cautious and did not allow the Haihan fleet to dock in the port. They only agreed to provide the fleet with various supplies and materials needed, and to submit a sailing plan in the Persian Gulf. Obviously, they were on guard against uninvited guests at sea.
In order to reward the soldiers who spent a long time at sea, Qian Tiandun ordered the purchase of hundreds of cattle and sheep to provide extra meals for the fleet. For a time, the price of livestock in the small port of Doha soared, and live sheep were sold out.
In addition to supplying supplies, Doha Port is also a trading port. Specialty products such as local spices, limestone incense burners, gold thread embroidery, and Arabian wool carpets are very popular among foreign businessmen.
It's a pity that Dong Shangyi and Li Yuande had other tasks and did not come with the ship. Otherwise, these two people would inevitably have to go shopping in Doha Port.
While the troops of the special warfare division were feasting outside Doha Port, Dong Shangyi and Li Yuande were eating sand in the desert.
They set out on the same day as Qian Tiandun. The special warfare division fleet had already traveled more than a thousand miles, but the caravan they were in had only gone a hundred miles south of Khasab.
From Khasab to the south are hills that stretch for more than a hundred miles. The route is winding and circuitous. You can only ride slowly on horseback. You will walk for several days. After you leave the mountainous area, you will then transfer to a camel to enter the desert. .
Check out the 16-9 book bar and see the correct version!
The two originally thought that the terrain of the desert was relatively flat and they would travel faster, but they never thought that the desert was actually hills made of sand. They were undulating and very loose, and their traveling speed would not be much faster than in the mountains.
And once the wind picks up, the yellow sand that covers the sky will reduce visibility to extremely low, and the camel team can only stop to take shelter from the wind, often for several hours.
When the sandstorm blows over, the terrain in the desert will change immediately. It is even more difficult for outsiders like them to distinguish the direction. They must be led by the local Arabs to get back on the correct route.
Even though their heads were tightly wrapped with scarves and even their eyes were covered with glass goggles, the sand poured in from nowhere would still blow into their mouths and noses, making even the saliva feel lumpy in their throats. There is sand.
Although special operations divisions have specially equipped marching rations, most of them are not suitable for consumption in desert environments. Needless to say, there was a need for a fire to heat things up. There were not even a few firewood to be found in the desert. Self-heating military rations must be filled with water into the heating bag first, which is also not suitable for the current water shortage environment.
So before setting off, they specially purchased a batch of food from the Arab caravans they were traveling with, such as dried meat, nuts, baked bread, dates, etc. These foods that have been passed down through the test of time are obviously more suitable for the dining environment in the desert.