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Chapter 1702 The Crown Prince

Imadan, Afghanistan. Pen? Interesting? Pavilion wWw. ｂiquge。 ｉｎfo

"Enemy attack—"

A Soviet army left their positions and was secretly advancing towards the positions held by the Afghan army. At this time, a flare rose into the air, and under the red light, the movements of the Soviet troops were unobstructed, and the whistle on the front line suddenly sounded, and the Afghan soldiers, who had long been exhausted, once again cheered up and dealt with it with all their might.

"Boom-"

When the Soviets saw that the night attack had failed, the attacking troops immediately accelerated, and the artillery fire in the rear immediately roared, pouring bombs on the Afghan positions.

The battle was fierce, and it was not until the morning that the Soviets retreated unwillingly, and the front and rear of the position were all densely packed with corpses.

"Report to the commander, it's another great victory! In last night's battle, more than 2,000 Soviet troops were killed, and we were only killed more than 980 in the battle. ”

Chief of Staff Valsandi walked into the command headquarters and shouted loudly.

"What a fart! More than 980 people died in one night, where can I find so many people to fill the troops? On the surface, the Soviets are much deader, but judging from the situation of the captured prisoners in the past few days, most of them are poor ghosts recruited in the western and northern regions! Sheng Shicai's main force has not been affected at all, so if life is exchanged for life, the city will be broken sooner or later! ”

Meydan City Commander-in-Chief Samidaq. Shah's face was gloomy.

After continuous fighting, the defenders, who originally had more than 60,000 people, were less than 30,000 when he took over the defense, and now there are only more than 14,000. Although food and ammunition were slowly replenished due to the intervention of external forces, the consumption of human beings could not be replenished in any way.

In addition to worrying about the lack of troops, Samidak. Shah has one more thing on his mind.

Since his cousin Diana returned from France, he immediately became madly infatuated with her, and swore in public to marry her, but no matter how much he pursued, Diana was indifferent, and later asked his father to make peace, and let his cousin, who was the king, resign, which made him very angry. Fortunately, the king simply gave Diana to a Chinese in exchange for material aid, which in Samidak's opinion was unacceptable in any way.

"Chief of Staff, pass on my order, strengthen the defensive line, let the units rest in turn, and send the wounded soldiers to Kabul immediately...... In addition, ask Kabul for help, and if you don't send reinforcements, you won't be able to maintain it for a few more days at most! ”

Samidak. Shah waved his hand and asked the chief of staff to go down, and looked at the map again, but he didn't feel like he could hold on, and he felt a sense of frustration in his heart. In order not to let the front-line soldiers have a relaxed mentality, the king and the prime minister deliberately kept the secret of the Anjia Army's dispatch of troops, and now the entire military and political top brass does not know much about this.

"Report, I caught a spy in front! This man said that he was an old acquaintance with the commander, so we brought him here! "The captain of the guard company ran to Samidak. Shah reported in front of him.

"Nope!"

Samidak. Shah waved his hand, then thought about it, and said, "Forget it, bring it over and take a look!" ”

"Yes!"

Soon, the person was brought to Samidak, the man who was escorted by two Afghan soldiers was in his forties, with a high nose and deep eyes, and a typical Arab appearance, Samidak was stunned for a moment, and hurriedly asked someone to let him go: "Teacher Gulizab, why are you ......?"

He was a teacher of the Mushahi family of Mongols, mainly teaching the Qur'an and Persian. After Khan became the king of Afghanistan, Gulzab was appointed governor of Faryab province, and he had many correspondences with Samidakta, but after the Soviet army occupied the northern region, he lost the news, and he didn't expect to see it now.

Gulzab bent down and saluted Samidak, who motioned for the soldiers to stand down, and then made two cups of tea himself, and then invited Gulzab to sit down.

"Samidak, of all the children I taught, you were my proudest student. But have you ever thought about it, no matter how hard you try, Dingtian is where you are now. According to the tradition of the Mushahiban family, the king can only be hereditary, that is, the most honorable crown can only be given to Nadir. The Khan lineage was inherited, and the branches of other families could at most serve as prime ministers, military ministers, and other positions.

"As it stands, your father holds the most inconspicuous position of Minister of Justice and Education, and has nothing to do with military and political power. Fortunately, this is a time of war, and the king and the prime minister have to grant you the right to serve as a father and son, but once it is in peacetime, you will definitely be idle. With the prestige and ability of your second, third, and fourth uncles, do you have the confidence to stand out? ”

Samidak's face became ugly, and after a while he said, "Teacher, you are here to be a lobbyist for the Soviets, right?" ”

"You can say the same thing!"

Gulzab's heart tightened, but a sincere smile appeared on his face: "However, I am more here for you, Samidak, my most proud student. I'm afraid you don't know that the commander of the Soviet army, Sheng Shicai, established Soviet power on a large scale in northern and western Afghanistan, and conscripted five or six hundred thousand poor people to join the army, saying that it was to consolidate the people's power, defend the achievements of the revolution, and overthrow the reactionary rule. Therefore, although the Soviet army has killed more than 100,000 people in this attack on the city of Maidan, it has not damaged its main force, and the Soviet army can continue the war as long as it wants!

"However, through this period of fighting, General Sheng Shicai thinks that you are a rare talent, and he is very disciplined in fighting, and he is unwilling to fight you to the death. He sent me this time to give you a few choices: first, as if nothing had happened, he attacked you until his men were exhausted, and he was marching into Kabul in the light; Second, you let Kaimaidan enter Kabul, and he will support you as the king of Afghanistan and rule Afghanistan with the help of the Soviet army; Third, if you don't want to stay in Afghanistan, he can pay you a large sum of gold to send you out of Afghanistan, which is enough money for your next life! ”

"What!?"

Samidak stood up with some gaffe, pacing back and forth, his face cloudy. After a long time, he said: "Teacher, how do I know if Sheng Shicai will cross the river and tear down the bridge?" ”

Guli Zabu also stood up, walked to Samidak's side, and took out a letter from his bosom: "This is a handwritten letter from General Sheng Shicai to you. He swore to me that if he told a lie, the sky would thunder and he would not die! ”

Samidak took the letter with trembling hands, and after reading it, he thought carefully in his heart.

Although the current situation in Kabul seems to be sustainable, anyone with a discerning eye knows that due to the inaction of the British, coupled with the loss of the vast northern and western provinces, it has become a dead end. In the absence of foreign aid, using Kabul to fight against a steady stream of Soviet troops is purely self-defeating. No matter how long it lasts, as long as the troops are exhausted, the defeat of Kabul is almost inevitable.

If what Sheng Shicai said is not a lie, then surrendering to the Soviet army will not only get his hands on the throne of the king of Afghanistan, but also have the opportunity to have his cousin Diana. Thinking of his cousin's peerless face, Samidak's heart fluttered.

Samidak swallowed hard, and after a while, he said with difficulty: "I need General Sheng Shicai's guarantee that after he enters Kabul, he will not engage in robbery, ***, purge, and massacre, and must ensure the absolute safety of our 'Mushahiban' family members." Moreover, regardless of the rest of Afghanistan, but at least around Kabul, the Soviets must not do what the Soviets did in other areas, otherwise the king would not be right. ”

Gulzab didn't expect Samidak. Shah's bones are so soft, he can't help but lament, and his heart says that Afghanistan is over now. However, for the sake of his wife and children, and for the survival of the more than 200 members of the family, he can only continue to pretend to be a selfless and wise man:

"It's all worth it to be able to avoid bloodshed for Afghans! It seems that I have to congratulate His Highness Samedak in advance on his assumption of authority in the country of Afghanistan! I'm afraid it won't be long before I change my name to your majesty! ”

Samidak didn't see any joy on his face.

In any case, the betrayal of the family and the country is not so pleasant. Moreover, Samidak did not dare to guarantee that the prosperous world would not be as trustworthy as the letter said, what if he broke his oath? However, people have the psychology of seeking good fortune and avoiding evil, knowing that it is death to keep it, why not fight, saying that there may not be a way to live? The most important thing is that only in this way can you have the opportunity to get involved with a charming cousin, otherwise once Diana gets married, it will be too late to regret it.

"Teacher, I'll send someone to send you back now, handle all aspects of the relationship, ask General Sheng Shicai, and see what I need to do...... Although I have the power to command and mobilize the army, it is not so easy to get the troops to surrender, I can only find another way! ”

When Samidak had finished speaking, he immediately called his servant Sibikan. Sibican once studied abroad with Samidak, and now acts as an attendant officer, obeying Samidak's word.

After hearing the command, Sibigan obeyed the order, although there was a shocked look on his face.

......

Kabul Royal Palace.

Princess Diana was learning Hanyu Pinyin from Tang Fen in her room, when Naguli, the palace secretary, walked into the room: "Princess, Your Majesty is invited." ”

Diana smiled apologetically at Tang Fen, stood up and said, "Colonel Tang, I'll go see my brother, and I'll be back later." ”

"I have been ordered to ensure Madame's absolute safety, and I will always be by Madame's side." Tang Fen was unmoved, and stood up.

Diana saw Tang Fen's insistent and indifferent pretty face, and said helplessly: "Okay, but I hope not to interfere with my conversation with my brother." ”

When I came to the palace where the king was, I saw Zahir. Shah and Muhammad. Prime Minister Hashem is in a heated dispute.

"Your Majesty, why take the risk? There are still more than ten Tian'an generals' headquarters will go south, and at this time, all you need to do is send reinforcements, so why bother to drive the expedition in person? "Muhammad. Hashem exhorted.

"Uncle Wang! Samidak's cousin said that more than 3,000 soldiers were killed in one day yesterday, and that the total strength of the city of Meydan had now dropped to more than 9,000. And Kabul continues to send reinforcements to the front, and now there are not many troops left, and we have no choice but to use the imperial conquest to boost morale!

"Uncle Wang, don't worry, I'm not a child anymore, I will take care of myself!" Zahir. Shah's face is very bad, for more than ten days, he has received the number of casualties from the front line every day, and now the hospitals inside and outside Kabul are crowded with the wounded, although the An Jiajun has supplied some medicines, but compared to the huge number of wounded soldiers, it can still be described as a drop in the bucket, even in the palace, it seems that the painful wails of the wounded soldiers can be heard. Although he is only in his twenties, Zahir. Shah's face has been wrinkled, showing how much pressure he is under.

"Even if I want to go, I should go!"

Muhammad. Hashem insisted: "I am the Prime Minister, and you are His Majesty the King. It doesn't matter if I die, but if Your Majesty has an accident, our Afghanistan will be truly finished! ”

Zahir. Shah shook his head: "Uncle Wang, there are so many military and political affairs in Kabul, and they can't do without you at all!" Since I can't help much now, it is better to let me share the fate with the front-line soldiers and inspire everyone's determination and courage to fight to the death! ”

Speaking of which, Zahir. Shah saw Diana, who had just walked into the room with a surprised face, and said with a smile: "Uncle Wang, I am ready to appoint Diana as the crown prince and hand over the king's golden seal to her. ”

"The Crown Prince?"

Muhammad. Hashim's eyes widened and he asked, shocked and shocked.

Zahir. Shah nodded: "In the West, there are many women who are kings, such as Her Majesty Queen Victoria, the famous Queen of Victoria, who created the glory of the empire on which the sun never sets, which is not surprising. Now that my two sons are still young, not to mention the two little princesses, it seems that Diana is the most suitable. ”

Diana was trying to persuade Zahir. Shah didn't want to risk his life, and when he heard that he had appointed himself as the crown prince, he was so surprised that he couldn't close his mouth: "Brother, how can our country be compared with the British?" This is Afghanistan......"

Zahir. Shah said encouragingly to Diana: "Sister, haven't you always wanted to improve the status of Afghan women? Now that we are trapped in a corner, and in the midst of the war, the tribal chiefs and mullahs have been severely weakened, I do not think there will be any interference with this appointment. In addition, don't you think that doing so will make General An's attitude towards sending troops more resolute? ”

Diana was stunned for a moment, Muhammad. Hashim looked thoughtfully at Zahir. Shah glanced at it, and said in his heart that His Majesty has grown up and knows how to use various layouts to consolidate his rule.

The royal driver said that danger is also dangerous, but with the army, there is no need to charge, and safety should still be guaranteed. This crown prince, in the final analysis, has to wait for Zahir. It was useful only after the abdication of Shah. But the problem is that now the king is only in his twenties, and when he abdicates, he doesn't know that the year of the monkey will come, but this gives the general in the east a hope, I have to say Zahir. Shah is calculating.

After figuring out this layer, Muhammad. Hashim did not object, but said to Diana: "Princess, since Your Majesty has made a decision, you should do as you are told!" Now, your fifth uncle is guarding the Khyber Pass, your fourth uncle is leading troops to guard the Logar Fortress, and your third uncle is leading troops to Karabagh for reinforcements. Since Your Majesty wants to lead the troops, let him go, I firmly believe that Allah will bless Afghanistan! ”

"But—"

Diana argued: "That's the crown prince, I ......"

Zahir. Shah's face became extremely serious, and he put his hands on Diana's shoulders:

"Sister, now that the situation is critical, you have to be brave enough to bear the burden! Although it was only more than ten days before the An Jiajun sent troops, from the north to the south, rushing all the way to the rescue, there would be a delay of at least a month in the middle, that is, we had to hold on for more than 40 days!

"Sister, our brother and sister depend on each other, if you don't help me, who will help me? Don't worry, I will take care of my safety, and if I see that the situation is not right, I will immediately withdraw to Kabul, use the city defenses of Kabul as a last resistance, and never be in danger easily. In order to reduce the constraints on you, I have decided to bring Umara with the children so that you don't have to worry about anyone questioning your decision! ”

"Brother!"

Diana pursed her lips, but when she saw her brother's stern face, she had to swallow her complaint.

Subsequently, Zahir. Shah himself wrote the edict to Prime Minister Mohammed. Hashem made it public in the form of a telegram, and then handed the golden seal representing the king's prestige to Diana, and after doing so, he set out with his wife and children, as well as the only three regiments in Kabul, on the road to the city of Meydan for reinforcements.

~~~~~~~~~

: Sorry, chapters 1697 and 1699, put Prime Minister Mohammed. Hashem is written as Shah. Wari up. Actually, Shah. Wari was born in 1932 by Nadir. Prime Minister of Khan's reign, he was the uncle of the five Nadir brothers, and at this time served as ambassador to Britain.

The previous text has been corrected, and here is a solemn mention that in fact, it was correct when I wrote chapter 1691, but when I was writing the book, I checked other information, but I confused myself.

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