Persian Empire 1845

Chapter 111 The Unexpected War

Originating in Qinghai Province, the Lancang River flows south, taking the name Mekong River after leaving Yunnan. After flowing through most of the region, it empties into the sea in the southeast, where its mouth forms the Mekong Delta due to geographical factors. The land here is extremely fertile, yielding up to seven harvests in two years.

Cholon Port is located on the west bank of the Saigon River. Local Chinese and Khmer people migrated here to defend against attacks from the Nguyen Dynasty of Vietnam. The area had always been peaceful, but the arrival of several large ships in recent days has changed that.

After escaping, Bahram was unwilling to continue in this state of despair. He once again persuaded the Shah to provide 15 riyals in support, and purchased a large amount of goods to load onto a ship for continued exploration of the East. Having learned his lesson last time, he was wiser this time, proceeding cautiously throughout the journey. He quickly rounded the Strait of Malacca and finally arrived at the port of Causeway.

They brought out some goods to trade with the locals, but most people just looked, because they could produce anything, whether it was cloth or something else.

"I thought we could sell them, but we only managed to sell a few. It seems this place isn't very good."

Bahram fell into deep thought. Logically, this location was good; the area should be very prosperous. But now it seemed he still needed to go to a big city like Guangzhou.

However, the people here are very friendly and approachable. If it weren't for the fact that I'm here, I believe we could be great friends.

Just then, his nephew Naseh, who had come with him, rushed over. "Uncle, something terrible has happened! Our people are fighting with the locals!"

"What's going on?!" Bahram asked, somewhat incredulous.

“We paid our taxes to the local officials through normal procedures, but because of a tax issue, they kept asking us to add a tax called something like ‘ship tax.’ We got angry and started fighting. In the end, someone shot and killed the other person.”

Normal trade has turned into a diplomatic crisis, and now he can't escape even if he wants to. The castle across the river is about to send troops, and he has to make a decision.

Bahram gritted his teeth, silently chanting the name of the god Ahura Mazda, and decided: Do it! Even if it means death, it's his fate.

"Gather everyone together, clear out the enemies in the city first, then hold the bridge and prevent them from crossing."

Their merchant fleet consisted of 350 men. Although small in number, they were equipped with Iranian-made muskets, two cannons, and a large quantity of gunpowder. Furthermore, they were quick-witted, killing the extorting official and then swiftly eliminating everyone around him. Now that their superior had ordered the purge of the officials at the port, they naturally obeyed.

The town of Cholon was relatively small, and the Nguyen Dynasty's center of power in the south was Saigon on the other side of the river, so there were far fewer officials and soldiers left there, maybe only about 100 at most.

These Vietnamese officials, who usually oppress the local Chinese and Khmer people, are now suffering themselves, much to the delight of the local people.

However, Bahram had no time to worry about the people in the city. After securing the basic position of the port, they aimed their artillery at the bridge spanning the Saigon River. "Uncle, we only have 20 shells left. We can't hold out for long like this."

Doesn't Bahram know their situation? They're just a caravan; it's really difficult for them to fight the enemy hand-to-hand here.

As evening approached, troops were finally dispatched from Saigon. A massive force of over a thousand men, armed with swords, spears, and halberds, prepared to slaughter everyone on the riverbank and claim their possessions as spoils.

Bahram stared intently at the enemy, and as soon as they reached the center of the bridge, he immediately ordered them to open fire. In an instant, shells and bullets filled the air, and the enemy suffered heavy casualties before they could even react.

"Keep firing, don't let them get any closer." Bahram didn't check the effects of the artillery fire; he simply didn't have that much time. As soon as the initial barrage was finished, he immediately gave the order to continue firing.

After the first shot was fired, the people waiting on the side immediately loaded the new shell, and then the gunner adjusted the angle slightly and began the second firing without hesitation.

The threat of artillery fire deterred them from advancing, and the earlier attack had damaged the bridge structure. Under the impact of the water flow, the bridge collapsed, severing the only land connection between the two places.

The bridge has collapsed, so the other side won't come over for the time being, but don't forget that every person living here is a good swimmer. They will come back soon, and now is their chance to escape.

But Bahram doesn't want to run. He's already lost once; does he want to suffer another defeat? But his forces are small, and if he were to return to Iran to request reinforcements, it would take at least two months.

With no hope of reinforcements, he had no choice but to take a dangerous path. He sent people to "mobilize" the Chinese and Khmer people on the dike, asking them to build fortifications and store provisions, while also using the property confiscated from the homes of Vietnamese officials as wages to recruit soldiers.

“Listen to Naseh, while they haven’t attacked yet, hurry back to Iran and ask the Shah to send troops to help… Take this, they will definitely send you to see the Shah when they see this.”

Bahram handed the certificate he was carrying to his nephew, urging him to hurry and return to Iran by boat. The goods on board were also used as fortifications to block the river. Now, all that was needed was time.

Knowing the heavy responsibility on his shoulders, Nasseh hurriedly bid farewell to his uncle and boarded a boat to leave the embankment. His departure took another 20 men with him, significantly weakening the local defenses.

At night, the Vietnamese army launched a surprise attack. More than 1000 men familiar with swimming were mobilized and swam across the Saigon River under cover of darkness. The soldiers rushed across a large muddy area, and Bahram, fearing a night attack, immediately gave the order to fire. This time, it was not just gunfire, but a simultaneous firing of guns, cannons, and arrows. As the gunshots and the sound of bowstrings being released rang out, many of the Vietnamese soldiers at the front were shot down. However, because this was not the first time they had faced such a counterattack, the Vietnamese soldiers, who were previously afraid of guns and cannons, were not as terrified as they had been initially.

Twenty-odd men fell, but the other soldiers didn't stop, continuing their advance. As long as there was no artillery, this loss was tolerable. As for arrows, although fast, their killing power was weak. They advanced with their shields raised, now only a short distance from their target. If they gritted their teeth and charged, it wouldn't be long before they reached them, and then these men would be lambs to the slaughter.

(End of this chapter)