Persian Empire 1845

Chapter 431 New Decision
The war between Italy and Austria also came to an end. It was clear that the Italian army could not even defeat Austria, and the ideal of unification could only remain a fantasy.

On July 14, Austria forced Italy to sign the Treaty of Milan, ceding the Lombardy region back to Austria. This sparked protests by hundreds of thousands of people in Milan and Venice, but the demonstrations were suppressed by Austrian troops. His Majesty the Emperor ordered that those who rioted be either imprisoned or exiled to the Congo.

On the 15th, an economic cooperation agreement between Iran and Austria was officially signed. Stocks on the Vienna Stock Exchange rose across the board as soon as trading opened, and high-ranking officials and wealthy businessmen celebrated again. They invested their funds in stocks and industry, ready to make a fortune.

Meanwhile, Nasserdin and Franz secretly signed a pact. Iran supported the Habsburg family's recapture of Spain, and in exchange, Austria would recognize the Argentine region as part of Iran's sphere of influence. Thus, the two sides completed a clandestine exchange of interests, each getting what they wanted.

When news of the agreement reached Iran, the Tehran Stock Exchange saw a surge in prices. This was a boon for the Iranian economy, allowing them to export more goods to Austria.

"Your Highness, as soon as the agreement was signed, domestic merchants became very active. They all want to go to Austria to do business."

Musharraf showed Murad the Iranian Industry Newspaper, explaining the situation. Murad was very interested in international trade. He currently used British industrial goods and French luxury items, while Iran continuously exported these goods in exchange for them; this back-and-forth exchange completed international transactions.

"Besides Austria, which other places do we trade with the most?"

“All countries trade with our country, but the most are definitely Austria, Cinnican, the Far East and France.”

Kerosene, as a form of hard currency, has always been welcomed by various countries, and households with a little money would use kerosene lamps for better lighting. However, Canada imposes a 50% tariff on kerosene because this severely impacts the local whaling industry.

Then there were the Persian carpets favored by nobles from various countries. In 1863 alone, Iran exported carpets worth 5100 million rials, making it a true flagship product. From royalty to wealthy merchants, everyone bought Persian carpets to demonstrate their status.

“In the past, there wouldn’t have been this much trade. Next…”

A knock sounded at the door, followed by a guard's voice. "Your Highness, the envoy from Qinistan has arrived!"

"Let him in."

The special envoy Anwar bowed to Murad, "Your Highness, the Governor has a matter of utmost urgency to report to you."

The governor's letter was delivered to Murad; the matter was indeed quite significant. It had implications for internal affairs in the Far East.

As is well known, the Far East has been embroiled in an uprising that lasted for more than a decade. The insurgents initially relied on Iranian weapons to wreak havoc, but trade was disrupted and internal strife was frequent, and they finally succumbed to the pressure this year and were wiped out.

Although the ruling regime was destroyed, it still had hundreds of thousands of supporters. They were scattered across the southern lands; some continued the struggle, while others migrated overland to Vietnam. This led to the formation of numerous Chinese armed groups in Vietnam, the largest of which was the Black Flag Army. During the Guangxi and Yunnan uprisings, many insurgents fled to Vietnam to avoid suppression, including Liu Yongfu. After entering Vietnam, they faced encirclement and suppression by the Vietnamese authorities, and to save their lives, they formed various local armed groups. The Black Flag Army was also established during this period.

The Black Flag Army was powerful, and the local people paid taxes to them. In 1860, Emperor Tu Duc appointed Doan Tho as the commander of the military affairs in Northern Vietnam and sent him to Lang Son to suppress the rebellion. Soon after, Doan Tho was captured and killed by another rebel leader, To Quoc Han, shocking the Nguyen Dynasty court.

However, Liu Yongfu and his men also wanted a base of operations, hoping to launch a counterattack, but the failure of the uprising made them give up on that idea. At this time, a man from Vietnam gave them hope: Li Shixian, the Prince of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom.

Li Shixian had originally been fighting in Guangdong and Guangxi, but the fall of Nanjing and the assassination of the Heavenly King forced him into exile overseas. At this time, his existing connections came in handy. He repeatedly joined forces with Hong Rengan to request the purchase of weapons from Iran, particularly from the Iranian consuls stationed in Guangzhou and Hong Kong. They transferred Li Shixian and 2000 men to Haiphong, where they established themselves.

Li Shixian continuously recruited soldiers in the area, declaring that the young Heavenly King would arrive soon. This gained him the loyalty of the local armed forces, but also allowed his power to grow, reaching 10000 soldiers. He became a destabilizing factor in the north.

But Li Shixian was also a shrewd man. He immediately sent someone to Saigon, proposing to guard Iran's northern border, requiring only a portion of land. The governor felt this should be decided by the government, and after writing down the details, sent someone to Tehran to report to the Shah.

“Your Highness, the Governor believes that our foundation in northern Vietnam is unstable and that we can rely on them to maintain it. As long as they pledge allegiance to Shah, we need not worry about anything else.”

For Qinistan, this was a way to greatly alleviate financial pressure. Moreover, there was no need to worry about them rebelling; they could simply be settled in one place and allowed to be self-sufficient. This was quite common in India, ensuring that the central government's share, the governor's share, and the rest remained their own.

"The governor must carefully examine whether this group is truly loyal."

Murad continued, "If they really can control it, let them quell the local rebellion first. If that works, their conditions can be agreed to."

The governor's other document was a report on the suppression of the rebellion throughout Vietnam. Turning Vietnam into a vassal state so hastily was too radical. Rebels were springing up everywhere in the country, from Hanoi to Nha Trang. Even Iranian troops couldn't suppress them all.

With their help, Iran would face significantly less pressure. However, the likely cost would be a decline in diplomatic relations with the Far East. But then again, diplomacy in the Far East doesn't seem to affect trade; they essentially have little say in the matter.

"The situation in Vietnam is still beyond our imagination. We cannot be lenient with them!"

Murad had a certain understanding of rebels and bandits—those who endanger national security. Either they overthrow the government, or the government eliminates them completely. This is something every country must do.

Moreover, the market in Qinistan accounts for a significant share of Iran's foreign trade. Instability in Vietnam could lead to instability elsewhere. Therefore, from any perspective, this issue must be resolved, even if it means introducing an armed force.

(End of this chapter)