Persian Empire 1845

Chapter 539 The New Capital

After a few rounds of drinks, everyone at the class reunion was quite drunk. Some left and returned to their lodgings, planning to go out and do their work the next day.

Sadiq took Suleiman back to his wife's house, where she greeted them. Suleiman asked his wife to prepare some late-night snacks, as he had something else to say.

“Sadig, thanks to you, my company is now listed on the stock exchange.”

"It's nothing. As long as it's not illegal, you can come to me with anything."

Sadiq also profited greatly from the stocks; based on current value, he has gained 53 riyals. These stocks are amazing; you can make so much money so quickly.

"Here, this is black tea imported from Ceylon. Have a drink."

"Thank you!"

After drinking the wine, he drank tea and felt somewhat sober. Suleiman then asked him questions.

"By the way, was what you said at the party true?"

Sadiq feigned surprise, "Which one am I talking about?"

"That's the one, the one you said you wanted to invest in the Ottoman Empire."

“Ah, you mean this? Really. I heard it from His Excellency Rabbani. He said that the Shah cannot tolerate not having access to the Mediterranean Sea, so he is preparing to fight the Ottomans. Since it’s the Mediterranean Sea, it must be Syria and Jerusalem.”

Suleiman nodded. The country's expansion over the years had indeed followed the path foretold by the Prophet. The Arabian Peninsula, Iran, Transoxiana, next should be Egypt, Syria, and Jerusalem. Then came Anatolia and the Balkans, and thus a new empire would be born.

Investing in Syria was also part of Suleiman's strategy. He saw the potential in Damascus and wanted to set up a textile factory, but he felt the risks were too great. Now, after listening to his old friend, he felt relieved.

"Many people are talking about investing in Egypt now. Do you have any advice?"

Sadiq only said one thing: "We must get our hands on the Suez Canal shares. Even if it's just a little bit."

I've compiled a lot of information and discovered that the Ministry of Industry and Commerce is paying particular attention to the French project on the Egyptian canal. I figured they'd definitely take some action, and if I could get some stock in the canal company, I could make a profit.

Although he didn't know what use it was, Sadiq was sure he was right. The two talked until midnight, and Sadiq stayed at Suleiman's house until he left the next day.

Although the delegation's findings were telegraphed back to Baghdad, Nasser al-Din still wanted to hear what his son had to say. Therefore, after resting in Baghdad for two days, he boarded a train to the new capital.

“Your Highness, these are what you need to tell the Shah,” Abdullah said, handing Murad a stack of documents.

"These require a full explanation, these only need a brief mention, and some can be handed over to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Industry and Commerce."

The Shah attaches great importance to the situation in the Far East and Okinawa, therefore a comprehensive and detailed explanation is necessary. This includes the situation of our navy in Naha, as well as diplomatic relations with surrounding countries. Murad hadn't expected that there would be so much to explain about the East. Besides the Okinawa issue, there was the situation in the Philippines, a detailed explanation of the cultural aspects of Qinistan, British rule in Singapore and India, and so on. It would take more than a day to cover all of this.

"Does India need to say anything too?" Murad asked.

“Yes, Your Highness, the Shah also attaches great importance to India. Rather than letting the British control it, we should influence it. Britain can rely on India to maintain its hegemonic position, so the next step is to completely eliminate India. Britain should return to its original position.”

Murad hadn't expected his father to harbor such ambitions. He'd only ever thought of such thoughts towards the Ottomans, never imagining that India shared them.

"This is our information from India. The British exploited them and turned it into sustenance for the Queen and the navy. That's why they don't fear any country and pay special attention to us."

Following the Indian Revolt, the Queen of England declared in a royal decree that she would treat her Indian subjects as she would her subjects in other parts of the empire, stating that "we will faithfully fulfill our obligations" and that "all our subjects, regardless of race or creed, shall be free and just to serve in public office, provided they are educated and competent and have a sense of responsibility."

That's what they say, but in reality, it's just for better control over India. By absorbing some Indian compradors, they can consolidate their rule and also garner praise, with people saying that Britain is so magnanimous and a model nation.

"Your Highness, please remember what the Shah said. The British are not to be trusted, the Americans are not to be trusted, the Jews are not to be trusted, and the Jews in Britain and America are even less to be trusted!"

"Huh? Yes."

Murad struggled to process this passage. On the surface, it said the British, Americans, and Jews were untrustworthy, but in reality, it meant the Anglo-Saxons and Judaism were untrustworthy. In other words, not only Britain and the United States, but also Canada, South Africa, and Australasia were untrustworthy. Even if one were to believe them, the local population would have to be eradicated.

A conspiracy theory is particularly prevalent in upper-class society: the Anglo-Jewish conspiracy, which claims that Anglo-Jews and a segment of Jews influenced by them are attempting to dominate the world through various means. Don't have any good intentions when dealing with them; they are all untrustworthy. They must be completely eradicated, both culturally and physically.

Murad continued to listen to Abdullah's instructions and finally finished reading about the situation in the East before the train stopped. At least he wouldn't be completely in the dark in front of the Shah.

As the train slowly pulled into Baghdad's central station, Murad saw a breathtaking sight through the window—the platform was covered with Persian carpets from Isfahan, stretching all the way to the square outside. A military band in traditional attire played music, their brass instruments gleaming in the sunlight.

"Welcome back to the country, Your Highness!"

Amidst the unified shouts, Murad had just stepped out of the carriage when he was helped off by two guards.

“This…” Murad looked at Abdullah in surprise.

“The Shah’s decree.” Abdullah smiled and pointed to the end of the platform—where a pure gold open-top carriage stood, pulled by eight white horses, each with lapis lazuli inlaid on its forehead. “You will ride this to the palace.”

The scenery along the way was even more breathtaking. The plane trees on both sides of the street were covered with crystal lanterns, which were lit with blue flames symbolizing the Twelve Imams even during the day.

In front of the palace, a silver human wall of honor stretched all the way to the top of the steps. Murad had just stepped out of his car when the master of ceremonies announced in a booming voice: "In the name of Allah! His Highness Murad Qajar, Crown Prince of the Empire, wielder of the Sword of the East, and guardian of the Mashhad Temple, has arrived!"

(End of this chapter)