The War Court and Lap Pillow, Austria's Mandate of Heaven

Chapter 1596 Let's Fight First and Talk Later
Rama IV also learned from Europeans that Austria was actually a traditional land power, and that the entire country supposedly had only one port, which it had seized from other countries.

It took nearly four months for the news to travel from Siam to Vienna, and at least seven to eight months for the Austrians to send troops to Siam.

The British could reach Siam from India in just a few weeks, and from Malacca to Bangkok in even less time.

There are also legends that the Austrian Empire was at odds with other European countries and its internal rule was unstable, with constant warfare. In addition, a large number of Siamese people returning from abroad performed exorcisms for Rama IV, which undoubtedly strengthened his confidence.

However, just ten days later, King Rama IV received news that the Khmer army had invaded Siam.

"Impossible! How dare they!"

King Rama IV kicked the general who was reporting the news to the ground.

"It's true! Your Majesty, the Zhenla army has been invading for seven days."

The general quickly got up and explained.

"How is that possible? You only reported it after seven days?"

Rama IV was even more enraged, staring intently at the general before him.

"The Zhenla people killed anyone they saw and set fires everywhere, so news couldn't get back at all. Some local officials thought it was just bandits, but they never expected that the Zhenla people had attacked."

"Where is Chacchai? He commands fifty thousand men! What is he doing?! Bring him to see me!"

"General Chachai."

"What's wrong! Tell me quickly!"

"General Chatchai was betrayed by his own men and had his head cut off."

Rama IV immediately felt dizzy. His most elite 50,000 border troops were gone as soon as the war started.

"Quickly, tell General Porter to send troops! The Austrians are attacking! Have General Jessein lead the troops out to stop the Austrians!"

Rama IV's panicked state resembled that of the previous war; he still remembered just how cruel those so-called Khmer protectors of the faith truly were.

The same is true now; the wars waged by religious fanatics are often extremely brutal.

The Zhenla side had long ago used religion to turn a group of people against the Siamese border troops. These people immediately disrupted the Siamese border army's command system, and even the commander-in-chief, General Chatchai, was assassinated.

When the well-prepared Zhenla army launched its attack, the Siamese border troops were in chaos. Soldiers either surrendered in droves or took the opportunity to escape, and very few even offered any resistance.

This was mainly due to the nature of the army. Apart from a few noble officers, the vast majority of soldiers in the Siamese army were conscripted on short notice. Even the so-called elite soldiers were just those who had been conscripted for a longer period of time.

Even low-ranking officers in the army generally lack any sense of national responsibility. Who would risk their life for a few coins?

But these people soon regretted it. By this time, Zhenla had become a completely theocratic state. Since it had only converted to Christianity a few years ago, the whole country was filled with an atmosphere of religious fanaticism.

This fanaticism gave them an inexplicable sense of closeness to their fellow brothers, but only hatred for their enemies.

Anyone who refused to convert along the way was cremated on the spot by the Zhenla army. Joining the other side did not mean that they would be safe. Adult men were incorporated into the army, while women and children were escorted away from the battlefield and sent to Zhenla.

Before Deckwell arrived in Phnom Penh, Ambrose had already made battle preparations, or rather, he had been waiting for this moment all these years.

Not only had Ambrose been preparing for battle for a long time, but the local church had also never given up its missionary work over the years, and the borders of Siam had long been infiltrated like a sieve.

When news of Siam's breach of the agreement arrived, the high-ranking officials of Cambodia reached a consensus to take action against Siam.

Deckwell hadn't been idle all these years; he'd been gathering intelligence in Siam and was quite familiar with the situation there. Rama IV's new army was largely a ceremonial force, and the local warlord conflicts wouldn't make it much stronger. Deckwell had also attended military school and, following the traditions of German aristocrats, had seen battle. He highly approved of Ambrose's battle plan and also felt that waiting for Vienna's response was far too slow.

Thus, Ambrosius (the royal family), Decwell (the imperial government), and Bishop Nerman (the church) reached a consensus and decided to launch a direct war.

Rama IV mobilized several armies, but they were all defeated by the Khmer army.

"Why haven't General Potter's troops arrived yet?"

Prime Minister Sompasan answered with great difficulty.

"Your Majesty, I delivered your personal letter to General Potter. But General Potter said..."

"say what?"

Rama IV asked eagerly.

He said that the Zhenla people were not part of the Austrian Empire's army, and he could not leave his post without permission.

"Damn the British! Do the Zhenla people have to wave the flag of the Austrian Empire to be considered Austrian?"

"Your Majesty, the British are actually just making excuses."

Although Rama IV was furious, he understood Sompashan's implication.

"How much does he want? Give them the money!"

King Rama IV's understanding of the situation greatly pleased Sompasyan, but he did not show it.

"Your Majesty, I will go to Malacca again immediately. I will definitely bring back reinforcements for you!"

Soon a British army of two thousand men arrived in Bangkok, and together with the new army trained by Rama IV, they formed the last line of defense.

However, the Zhenla army did not choose to launch a full-scale attack on Bangkok; instead, they set fire to fields and forests and plundered people everywhere.

King Rama IV was restless in the palace, but the British troops who came to his aid refused to leave the city and engage in a skirmish with the Khmer army.

Meanwhile, the young officials who had been incited by Rama IV were now demanding war every day, which greatly annoyed Rama IV. He did not expect that before the news even reached Vienna, the Khmer Empire would send troops first.

Everything happened too suddenly; he thought he had at least six months to prepare.

Now he could only hope that the loyalist army would arrive soon. However, what he did not know was that the local loyalist troops had already been ambushed and routed by the Zhenla army on the outskirts.

As if things weren't bad enough, not long after, Rama IV received news of a local rebellion. He absolutely refused to believe that these rebellions had nothing to do with the invasion of the Khmer army.

Various true and false military intelligence reports were circulating everywhere, with some even claiming that the Zhenla army had appeared near Chiang Mai (the northernmost part of Siam).

King Rama IV could no longer sit still, and he decided to order the new army to take the initiative and lead it with young and promising generals.

However, the result was that they fell into the trap that Ambrose had already set up. The entire 20,000-strong new army was wiped out, and all the officers who refused to surrender were beheaded and their heads displayed to the public.

Of course, the families of those who surrendered would be beheaded by Rama IV, and for a time, the city and its surroundings were filled with carnage.

For the next month, Rama IV did not send troops out again. Of course, the Khmer army had no intention of attacking the city either, but simply continued to sweep through Siam.

Just when Rama IV was feeling desperate, he suddenly received a peace request from the Austrian Empire.