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

Chapter 1901 The Gift
Lakshmi Pai couldn't help but think of that man again. His words were all lies; he was just using her and manipulating her completely.

Lakshmi Pai was essentially an indomitable warrior. Now, filled with shame and rage, he naturally didn't care about anything else and was about to kill the damned old man in front of him with a single strike.

However, how could such a local tyrant not have helpers? An iron rod blocked the blade, and several bodyguards around him had already drawn their pistols.

Fortunately, Lakshmi Pai's maids also drew their guns, creating a standoff. Two maids stepped forward to shield their queen, but a large crowd quickly gathered around them.

Others might not understand, but Lakshmi Pai could understand German. The surrounding crowd was furious and wanted to hang all the slaves on the ship and expel the merchants who delivered the goods from the union forever.

Lakshmi Pai gripped her scimitar tightly; she was prepared to die, and she would never back down again.
Suddenly, a commotion broke out in the crowd as two rows of cavalry escorted a carriage as it approached.

"The Governor has arrived!"

With a shout from the cavalry officer, the surrounding crowd immediately scattered like a tide. Even the tall, thin old man who had been wailing incessantly scrambled to the side, and his head injury seemed to have lessened.

As soon as the carriage came to a stop, the attendants quickly placed a large, multi-tiered bench in its place. Then the carriage door opened, and a round hand wearing a white glove reached out.

Then a figure, whose dress was stretched to its limit, emerged, supported by two equally sturdy maids.

As soon as he landed, he let out a soft breath, subconsciously rubbed his trembling stomach, and then smiled at the crowd around him. His already kind eyes were now almost invisible.

The double layer of soft flesh on his chin made him look harmless, but the crowd that had been shouting and fighting just moments before had fallen completely silent, so quiet that you could almost hear the breathing of the people around him.

"Everyone, please don't be so formal. I'm here to pick someone up. I'll leave as soon as I'm done."

Despite this, no one dared to make a move. The man before them was the true ruler of this land; the life and death of any individual, the rise and fall of a family, even the existence of the indigenous tribes, were all within his control.

"Taffy?"

Lakshmi Pai did have some recollection of the fat man in front of him, or rather, he had some recollection of the maidservant beside him.

Lakshmi Pai has met many extraordinary people in her life, but she rarely sees a woman who is so tall and fat, especially since she was once a dancer, which left a deep impression on her.

"Hello, Ms. James. It's been a long time since I last greeted you. I hope you'll forgive me."

However, the next second Lakshmi Pai pointed the knife at Tafi.

Did you lure me here?

Governor Taffy's entire body of fat trembled violently, and several buttons popped off.

“Miss James, you still love to joke around. I’m just here to pick you up.”

Lakshmi Pai then pointed the knife at the tall, thin old man whose scalp had been ripped open.

Is this how you welcome me?

Governor Taffy glanced at the disheveled old man beside him, who tried to smile obsequiously, but his expression was worse than crying.

"what happened?"

"He wants to buy me and make me his slave."

Taffy frowned almost imperceptibly upon hearing this.

"Check it out. If it's true, throw it into the sea to feed the fish."

"Yes."

The cavalrymen in front immediately dismounted and dragged the tall, thin man to his feet.

Where are my people?

Lakshmi Pai asked again, his tone still impolite, but Tafi wasn't annoyed.

“Come with me. I’ll take you to see them.”

Lakshmi Pai sheathed her scimitar with some skepticism, and the group then traveled by carriage to the governor's mansion. After resting for three days, Lakshmi Pai boarded a train again, surprised that the Austrian Empire would build a railway here as well.

This railway leading to the African interior cost Franz a lot of money, but it was necessary to build in order to ensure control over the border regions.

However, the actual effect of this railway was far from satisfactory, and it can be called Franz's most failed investment. Fortunately, he still had a way to remedy the situation.

Unlike Lakshmi Pai and her worried entourage, the children riding the train for the first time were quite happy.

The farmland and herds of animals along the way drew screams of excitement from the children. Amidst their playful laughter and exclamations of wonder, they quickly reached their destination.

It was another city, a city that seemed to have appeared out of thin air in this vast world. However, it was more like a fortress than a city; in fact, it was originally a fortress.

But plans can't keep up with changes, so it became a city again.

However, it is probably less than a tenth the size of Mombasa, with only a few thousand people in the entire city, and many of the residents are newcomers.

Lakshmi Pai was warmly welcomed by the crowd as soon as he stepped off the train.

"Welcome, Your Majesty. Long live Your Majesty!"

People on both sides of the road knelt down. Many of these people were immigrants from Jhansi. After so long in exile, they finally had their own land again. Their gratitude was heartfelt, and many of them couldn't stop the tears from welling up in their eyes.

In the square in her heart stood a palace. Lakshmi Pai recognized it at first glance as being just like the palace in Jhansi, only much more magnificent. Tears welled up in her eyes.

"Is this Franz's gift?"

Taffy just smiled and gestured for her to keep going.

Lakshmi Pai rode her horse all the way to the palace gate. As the gate slowly opened, she suddenly felt uneasy, but she did not hesitate for long before going inside.

In the empty palace, her leather boots made a crisp sound as they landed on the ground.

Suddenly a voice rang out.

Are you satisfied with my gift?

In an instant, Lakshmi Pai felt as if she had been struck by lightning. Countless memories and thoughts flashed before her eyes, and her shock, joy, and anger all happened in an instant.

She wanted to draw the sword at her waist and slash the man in front of her, but her hand was held down, and the next second she was pulled into his arms.

After a brief struggle, she finally resigned herself to her fate, but at that moment Franz said something.

"You haven't answered my question yet."

Lakshmi Pai, however, pouted, just like she did when she was a child.

"Did I have a choice? It was all planned by you anyway."

Fortunately, Lakshmi Pai had practiced yoga, and she managed to pull herself out of Franz's embrace. Her posture was as graceful as a fully drawn bowstring, though the full, firm curves inevitably rubbed together.

However, before Lakshmi Pai could even process what had happened, he discovered that his veil and sword were gone.

"If you're so capable, why won't you save my country? Now you want to trap me in this palace?"

Clearly, she had some misunderstandings; she thought Franz wanted to keep her captive there forever. But Franz had neither the interest nor the time.

“I’ve already taught you the method. But your allies are clearly unreliable, and you don’t trust me enough.”

Lakshmi Pai was somewhat embarrassed and angry, and she didn't know that everything Franz said was true. Franz lifted Lakshmi Pai's chin with his hand, and she obediently raised her head.

"But you can rest assured, I have no intention of trapping you."

I told you this was a gift.

Lakshmi Pai's face was full of confusion and bewilderment.

"You and your people can stay as long as you want, and I and my country will not interfere."

If there's a chance in the future, I'll help you get Jhansi back.

Her face was filled with disbelief. Franz then took out a map, drew an outline on it, and handed it to Lakshmi Pai.

Her heart raced involuntarily, her tense body softened again, and she pressed herself against Franz's chest, trying to show her tenderness, and spoke in a soft, almost inaudible voice.

"Thank you so much, I really don't know how to repay you."

"Go and meet your people. They are still waiting for you, their queen. Don't keep them waiting any longer."

Lakshmi Pai took a deep breath to calm her excited emotions, dressed herself properly again, and then went out onto the balcony.

As the gates opened, light flooded in along with the cheers of thousands of people and the enthusiastic atmosphere.

If Queen Jhansi hadn't been used to grand occasions, she would have been speechless with astonishment at the sight before her.

The moment the Queen of Jhansi appeared on the balcony, the dark mass of people below seemed to fall silent for a second, but the next instant brought even louder cheers and joy.

"Long live Her Majesty the Queen!"

People seemed to have forgotten the pain of leaving their homes and the suffering of migration; they only felt the joy of surviving a catastrophe.

Lakshmi Pai is also eager to share her joy with her people.

The cheers reached their peak when Lakshmi Pai declared that this was their new kingdom.

"Long live the Queen! Long live Jhansi!"

Lakshmi Pai turned around and pulled Franz out.

"From this day forward, we will pledge our allegiance to our new master, His Majesty Franz Joseph I, who has given us land and a new life!"

"

This wasn't part of Franz's original plan, and the current situation left him both amused and exasperated.

However, Franz quickly sorted out his thoughts. After all, Queen Jhansi was a woman of this era, and even if she had been exposed to some modern ideas, she could not escape the imprint of her time.

She needed a man to rely on, and the Kingdom of Jhansi needed the protection of a powerful empire, and Franz was just the right person to provide all of that.

Therefore, Franz was not too surprised. He did not want to reveal his identity, as it would not benefit him. But since things had come to this, he had no choice but to accept it, though he still needed to be punished.

As for the people and soldiers of Jhansi, they had even less resistance. They could pledge allegiance to Bahadur Shah II, a prisoner they had never met, and they could also pledge allegiance to Franz and the Austrian Empire.

Furthermore, this seamless transition is also related to Lakshmi Pai's personal prestige; she is the kind of natural leader who can more easily gain the support and endorsement of the people no matter what she does.

The journey of migration had also worn down their resentment. If they were truly dissatisfied, they would have either already left the group and died on the road, or they would have died of anger long ago.

The Austrian troops in the city were not quite sure what was going on, but they quickly came to the conclusion that everything was part of Franz's plan, and thus they quickly calmed down.

This was no big deal for Franz, who slowly helped Lakshmi Pai up.

"I accept your allegiance."

Cheers resounded through the sky; Franz knew only a few words of Hindi.

Lakshmi Pai smeared some turmeric she had prepared beforehand and dotted it on Franz's forehead, then smeared it twice on her own face, and even jumped up and down excitedly.

In that instant, she was no longer the woman who supported the fate of the nation, no longer the warrior who fought bravely with a scimitar, nor the nationalist who pondered the path to India's revival.

She was just a vibrant, passionate, and carefree young girl with a touch of wildness.

Lakshmi Pai turned around and waved to her people. Before she could recover from her excitement, Franz came up to her and joined her in receiving the cheers of the crowd.

Lakshmi Pai turned to look at Franz behind her, a pang of jealousy rising in her heart. Everything she had painstakingly built had now been taken away by him. The latter seemed unfazed, so Lakshmi could only continue to smile and wave.

Perhaps it was the heat in Africa, as sweat kept sliding down her face. Maybe it was the fatigue from waving or the long journey, plus the sudden changes in mood made her look a little tired.

She embodied two seemingly unrelated traits: resilience and beauty. Franz felt a pang of regret when he saw the new scars on her shoulder, but then felt relieved that she had survived.

You must understand that the battlefield is a place where lives are at stake. No matter how good the equipment or how skilled you are, you can still lose your life in an unknown corner.

Lakshmi intended to share her yoga experiences with Franz, and the two ended up chatting late into the night. Franz was also a good listener, and the two enjoyed their conversation immensely.

The next day, Lakshmi stretched and yawned. Before she even opened her eyes, she smelled a fragrant breeze. She reached out and her brows furrowed slightly.

She felt that things might not be so simple.

After a brief moment of consideration, Lakshmi Pai decided to see for himself.

"Manzhu! You're here! Why are you covering yourself with my blanket!"

Manzhu ignored the noise around her and simply pulled the blanket around her tighter.

Lakshmi Pai only then noticed that her best friends seemed to be here.

Lakshmi Pai bit her lip, her heart filled with mixed emotions.

At this moment, Manzhu got up and stood up beside her with a smile.

"Have you forgotten? You dragged us in here yesterday when you were drunk. I was going to refuse."

Manzhu's coy and alluring demeanor stirred even her own heart, but it also made her feel more ashamed and angry.

"You're talking nonsense! How could I?"

Before Lakshmi Pai could finish speaking, another maid who had grown up with her spoke up.

"You insisted on bringing us in because you said it would be more lively with lots of people, and you wouldn't let go of our skirts."

Lakshmi cried out a few times, trying to run out, but then turned back, because she had no idea where she could go.

"What about others?"

"They left around noon."

Manzhu yawned, pulled the brocade quilt over herself, and casually covered herself with it, leaving large patches of her white skin exposed to the air.

Lakshmi couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.

"But maybe this is just who he is."