Desert Eagle Suletan Khan

Shaysta Khan, Amir Khan, and Asfjah sponsored Prince Muhammad Qam Bahish to hastily hold a coronation ceremony at Agra Fort. With 100,000 elite soldiers under Shaysta Khan's command, plus more than 10,000 defeated soldiers under Amir Khan and Asfjah, their total strength exceeded 110,000, and their power remained formidable.

"Your Majesty has just ascended the throne. Please attack Delhi and restore the dynasty to win the hearts of the people," said Shaysta Khan, the seventy-six-year-old viceroy, proposing the attack on Delhi. The old man was highly respected, and the generals immediately echoed his proposal.

"Excellent! I will conquer Delhi and cut off the head of the General of the Guard to appease my father!" Emperor Bakhsh shouted excitedly, drawing the short sword from his waist.

“Your Majesty has just ascended the throne. The most important thing is to issue a proclamation to all directions, letting the people of the land know the true meaning of the relationship between ruler and subject. Avenging the late emperor and restoring the capital is certainly important, but the garrison is powerful, and our army's morale will inevitably be low after our crushing defeat. Delhi is also a very fortified city. If the siege fails, our fate will be sealed. It would be better to station our troops at Agra Fort and wait for the reinforcements from all directions to gather before attacking Delhi. At that time, we will outnumber the enemy, and defeating them will not be difficult,” Amir Khan suggested. This suggestion seemed similar to Shaistha Khan's proposal, but it delayed the advance on Delhi. There was no other way; this once-fierce general had truly been terrified of the garrison during the Battle of Delhi.

“Regent, what do you think?” Bakhsh asked Shaisthahan.

Shaishta Khan wasn't entirely confident of victory. His army had been fighting the Marathas in the Delhi mountains without rest, and upon learning of Delhi's peril, they rushed there hastily, their preparations inadequate. He had proposed attacking Delhi to avenge the late emperor because, as a newly appointed regent, he felt compelled to make this statement. Seeing some dissent, he gave Amir Khan an approving look and slowly said, "That makes sense. In that case, send proclamations to all directions informing them of the new emperor's ascension and gather all loyalist forces to attack Delhi. Before the reinforcements arrive, carefully defend Agra Fort to prevent any unforeseen events."

Multan (located in Punjab province, Pakistan) has a history dating back thousands of years BC. It is an Islamic holy city, known as the "Suf Holy City," due to the presence of the tombs of Bahadur Zakaria and Shah Ruq-i Azam. It is also home to a large Sikh population, having been ruled by the Sikh Empire.

To rule this region with its complex ethnic landscape, a ruler needed someone both benevolent and ruthless. Emperor Aurangzeb appointed his second son, Muhammad Mu'azam, as governor of Kabul. Compared to his father, he was relatively mild-mannered and tolerant, attempting to appease the Rajputs and Sikhs through appeasement policies to stabilize the empire, while also possessing extensive military and administrative experience. In another timeline, after Emperor Aurangzeb's death, he defeated his two brothers and nephews to become the new Mughal emperor, Bahadur Shah I.

Two years ago, Emperor Aurangzeb arrested and executed the ninth Sikh Guru Deg Bahadur in an attempt to undermine his religious beliefs. This not only failed to force Sikhs to convert to Islam, but also solidified their resolve to resist oppression, as they viewed Deg Bahadur as a hero who "sacrificed himself for the religious freedom of all mankind." His earnest pleas to his elderly father were ignored, leaving him no choice but to try to appease the Sikhs on the northwest bank of the Indus River and maintain stability in the Kabul region.

Muhammad Amin Khan, the military nobleman who controlled Kashmir, relied on his father Bahadur Khan's status as the cousin and brother-in-law of Emperor Aurangzeb and his distinguished military achievements for the empire, and thus did not pay much attention to him as governor. He patiently waited, and then, taking advantage of the invasion of the Imperial Guard and his father's summons of troops from various regions to defend the capital, he summoned Muhammad Amin Khan to Vedicli, thus gaining control of Kashmir without bloodshed and bringing the entire northwest bank of the Indus River under his absolute control.

Then, under the pretext of serving the king, he led more than 40,000 troops to garrison at Multan, deploying defenses along the Indus River to observe the situation in Delhi. Soon, his general Ali Mardan Khan brought a special "guest" to his tent.

"Second brother, Father died in battle, Delhi fell, and Mother, unwilling to suffer humiliation, immolated herself!" Princess Zina Tenesa burst into tears upon seeing her brother. Mu'azam knew his sister was strong-willed and resolute. Dissatisfied with the husband their father had chosen for her, she remained single at twenty-four. She often expressed her opinions on politics and frequently helped the poor, the elderly, and women. He never expected her to weep; it seemed she had endured much hardship on her journey! His eyes reddened, he patted his sister's head. "Little sister, don't worry, I will definitely fight my way back to Delhi and avenge Father!"

“Second brother, the most important thing right now is not to take back Delhi. You should immediately ascend the throne to stabilize the people’s hearts!” Zina Tennessa stopped crying and said seriously to her brother.

“Hmm,” Muazam nodded slowly.

"Your Highness, news has arrived from Delhi: the Guard has captured Delhi, and your father has been killed in battle," Zulfiqar Khan, the Mughal general stationed in Gujarat, rushed into the residence of Prince Muhammad Azam Shah, the governor of Gujarat, to report.

Azam Shah, the third son of Emperor Aurangzeb, was an ambitious man lacking political foresight and patience. In another timeline, instead of remaining patient after his father's death, he attempted to quickly eliminate his elder brother Mu'azam and seize the throne, only to be defeated and killed in battle.

"Is the news true?" Upon hearing of his father's death in battle, Azam Shah's eyes showed no sorrow, only a naked thirst for power.

Zulfiqar Khan understood his master's thoughts perfectly and shouted, "A country cannot be without a ruler for a single day! Your Highness, please ascend the throne immediately and restore the dynasty!"

"Thanks to your help! After the restoration of the kingdom, I will never let you down!" Azam Shah patted Zulfiqar Khan on the shoulder and made a promise.

The envoys sent to various parts of the Mughal Empire to pacify the region did not achieve much. The local Mughal officials did not surrender to the guards because of the death of Emperor Aurangzeb and the fall of the capital Delhi. Instead, they turned to Aurangzeb's three sons because of their respective positions.

Three emperors suddenly appeared before Prince Chen Suhbalu and General Alatan Cang. Among them, Emperor Bahish and Shah Istar Khan's army of over 110,000 was stationed at Agra Fort south of Delhi, posing the greatest threat; Emperor Mu'azam's army of over 40,000 was stationed at Multan west of Delhi, facing the garrison across the Indus River, also posing a significant threat; Emperor Azam Shah's 40,000 troops, under the pretext of retaking Delhi, left Gujarat for Tata, the capital of Sindh province. While their force appeared formidable, their distance from Delhi made it clear to anyone with discernment that the Third Prince's true intention was merely to subdue the Tata forces in Sindh province, and he had no desire to get involved in the turmoil in Delhi. (End of Chapter)