Persian Empire 1845

Chapter 483 Unexpected Visitor
As the vote count proceeds, the situation is becoming clearer. The Progressive Party will win the most seats, followed by the Liberal Party, then the Revival Party, and finally the Whig Party.

All results were in by the time the polls were completed in Andijan, the furthest point in the country. The Progressive Party won 68 of the 150 seats, the Liberal Party 54, the Revival Party 20, and the Whig Party 8.

As expected, the pro-government Progressive Party won. With the 101 previously selected positions, the expert panel remains firmly under control, which is good.

This commotion should be over by now. If they want to argue, let them do it at the meeting. As long as it doesn't interfere with their policies, it's fine.

“Shah, the Grand Vizier and the Finance Minister have arrived.”

"Let them in."

Musharraf and Shahryari entered and bowed to the Shah.

“Shah, this is the postal savings report. To date, post offices across the country have taken in 132 million riyals in deposits. One-third of this money will be invested in local industries to boost the economy, and the remainder will be managed by the government.”

Looking at the data, Nasserdin was satisfied. Now the key was to pool society's capital for other purposes; people would receive gifts and interest simply by depositing money. They were gradually accepting this, but more effort was needed.

"Okay, thank you for your hard work." Naserdin first praised them, then asked, "Speaking of which, post office management is quite complicated these days, isn't it?"

Iran's postal system, like its police force, has a central headquarters in Tehran with branch offices throughout the country. Over time, problems have arisen, the most crucial being: who ultimately controls them? The government or the Shah?

"Did you know that during Darius's reign, Iran had a postal service, which I remember was called the Angalon?"

We are now in the era of the great revival of Persian culture; everyone knows that. This is Iranian history, and it should be the first postal service in world history. It only took seven days to travel from the easternmost point to the westernmost point. Even Herodotus described it in his notes: regardless of rain, snow, or scorching heat, the messengers traveled day and night, faster than migratory birds.

"Does the Shah want to re-establish the postal service?" Musharraf asked.

"That's definitely the idea. After all, communication is becoming increasingly important, and we need someone to manage it."

Not only the post office, but Nasser al-Din also wants to grant them the right to send telegrams. The government has more and more responsibilities to shoulder now, so those responsibilities need to be clarified.

"Yes, Shah, I will have the cabinet discuss it and then formulate a reasonable plan..."

"No need for that. Just allocate the post office and telegraph office. Also, find someone who is familiar with this."

Musharraf's eyes lit up, and he immediately said that he knew someone who had served as the postmaster in many places and was very experienced.

Since the Grand Vizier has said so, let that person see him first. This matter is temporarily settled.

"And the Shah, the King of Ryukyu will send his second prince and others. He says he wants His Highness to study in Tehran." Ryukyu has benefited greatly from Iran's influence in recent years. Thanks to its geographical location, it can attract a large influx of goods from Shanghai, Nagasaki, Saigon, and Manila. Although there are few merchant ships directly connected by port, it still boasts a large concentration of merchants.

Furthermore, this is also a docking point for the Iranian fleet. They keep a close watch on Nagasaki; after all, the Japanese are quite resentful, and they just need to prevent them from harming their interests.

“Great, it’s good to let him experience the culture and customs here.”

Naserdin then turned to Jahangir and spoke.

"In addition, write another letter to the merchant and ask him to take 30 from this year's profits and send it to the King of Ryukyu. Let him live a better life and not suffer any hardship."

The Ryukyu king was probably the poorest king Iran had ever seen. Even the kings of Cambodia or the Nguyen Dynasty were not as impoverished as the Ryukyu kings.

Ryukyu's revenue increased significantly after breaking free from Satsuma Domain's control, but its financial power was then used to subsidize Iran. Iran, being a benevolent nation, even gave the king 200 rials upon hearing about Ryukyu's situation. It's truly tragic.

"Wait a minute, this should have been relayed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Where is the Foreign Minister?"

"The Foreign Minister is busy with other matters."

"Huh?" Naserdin was puzzled. What could he be busy with? Could it be that Russia had attacked, or that the Ottomans had landed in Basra with British support?
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"Please understand, Your Majesty, while your invasion has harmed our country, it has also truly shown us our strength. We hope you can support us."

Okubo Toshimichi and Saigo Takamori finally arrived in Iran after overcoming numerous difficulties and met Abdullah. The first thing they said was, "What's going on? A coup?"
In truth, it was pretty much over. Due to setbacks in foreign wars and domestic instability, the shogunate was already on its deathbed, but the influx of foreign capital kept it afloat. The Tohoku region, in particular, saw its thriving industry, commerce, and fishing become the shogunate's main sources of income. Hakodate in Hokkaido was also a hub for numerous merchants.

All of this deeply saddened the daimyo and intellectuals of the southwest region, especially the defeat in the war against Iran. This not only shattered their resolve to confront the enemy head-on but also plunged the economy into recession. Iran captured Osaka Castle, eliminating the Mitsui family, the wealthiest family in the area. Subsequently, the British controlled Japan's currency, the French controlled the Shogunate's military training, and the Iranians went to the northeast to build railways and factories. Only the southwest region saw little improvement.

By this time, the daimyo also realized that expelling the barbarians was not an option. Gaining the recognition of powerful nations was the only way. Therefore, they began sending delegations and students to those countries to study, preparing to learn everything about them. At the same time, they also wanted to gauge public opinion and see if they would support them.

Saigo Takamori and Okubo Toshimichi were envoys from the Satsuma Domain, and their first stop was Iran. This was because Iran had already deeply penetrated every aspect of their lives, regardless of where they were located. Furthermore, their inclinations influenced the course of events in Japan. The British supported Satsuma, the French supported the Shogunate, and Iran leaned towards the Shogunate but hadn't fully sided with it. Of course, if Ii Naosuke were still alive, the situation would be different.

"I don't know what you two want. You came here and said a bunch of nonsensical things. Are you just here to chat?"

Okubo Toshimichi quickly interjected, "Your Excellency misunderstands. The war between your country and ours is over. From now on, we urge your country and ours to work together to create a better future. This is also the purpose of our visit."

(End of this chapter)