Vienna, Schönbrunn Palace.

Franz plays with a beautifully rounded blue gemstone, a moon stone that the locals believe brings good luck and even the blessing of the moon god and awakens the power of a person's past lives.

Franz was curious about what it could bring to himself?

The person who gave this stone to Franz was the wealthy Indian merchant from the lower caste. Villawise said that the stone was the Eye of Brahma, which was enshrined in the temple, and it seems that he did make a lot of money.

South Asian subcontinent, Hyderabad.

Since his last victory, Barucci has received covert support from many princely powers. Someone contributes money, someone contributes. But none of the top brass of the princely states have taken a public stand, because they are all waiting for a result.

If Barucci wins, then they will send troops to help liberate the Indian subcontinent. If Barouchi loses, then they will swarm him and his Sindh princely state to shreds like hunting dogs.

With 20,000 British troops against 50,000 rebels, to be honest, the Indian side had a great advantage in terms of troops. And except for the insufficient number of artillery, the other equipment is almost the same.

At the same time, the enemy's attack on Hyderabad requires crossing the desert, which is a labor expedition, while the Sindh Princely Army has a strong castle as a cover and rests for a long time, and has the advantage of waiting for work.

However, the results were a big surprise. As soon as the battle began, King Kapil, who was in charge of defending the front, directly moved out of the way and attacked the remaining two kings with the British army.

Baruch's three-sided encirclement and suppression plan instantly turned into his own house being blossomed in the middle. The British directly divided the remaining rebel army into two parts, and the Indians, who had lost the protection of the flanks, were simply unable to organize a decent counterattack.

What's even more terrifying is that in order to increase their combat power, the rebels have recruited many untouchables into the army. And the cancer of India's thousand-year-old caste system broke out at this time.

Many untouchables dropped their weapons and surrendered to the enemy in droves, because they didn't know what it meant to defend their homeland.

On the contrary, in the eyes of these low-level people, the opposite side is more "benevolent" and "kind" than those local landlords.

Frankly, the Indian subcontinent is now more barbaric than most modern people imagine; Burial of the living, living sacrifices, castrations, clothing tax, nose tax, slavery, cannibalism. Each of them is appalling.

To this day, some of these practices persist in parts of India.

Therefore, for the poor people at the bottom who are worse than the snail dwellers, there is no difference between their own lord and the white lord from outside, but it is just a change of ruler, and this new lord is more "benevolent" and "fair".

The battle of 10,000 people ended with only 73 casualties on both sides combined.

This time, however, the British did not show their "merciful" side, and the Governor, Count Ehrenborough, ordered the execution of all the murderers of General Pienal, as well as his own officers and soldiers.

After the capture of Hyderabad, the British army staged a massacre of the city, with more than 20,000 people killed, but some aristocratic rebel leaders such as Barucci escaped liquidation.

Of course, capital crimes can be avoided, living crimes cannot be escaped, and the rest of their lives can only be spent under the supervision of the British.

But even if this treatment is much luckier than those people at the bottom, the untouchables were first conscripted into the battlefield, and finally survived the war and encountered the slaughter of the city, and those land kings who came to receive the land also did not treat them as human beings, and even more wished that these people were dead.

Villawise, who had made a fortune during the war, came to the Doge's Palace with trepidation. After dotting two gold bars up and down, he met Count Ehrenborough without incident.

"Mr. Villawise? What are you looking for me? ”

"Your Excellency the Governor, I am a merchant and have brought some of the specialties of our hometown to visit you today. I hope you don't dislike it. Villawise said cautiously.

Count Ehrenborough poured a cup of coffee and sat down in his chair very casually, like a nodding man he had seen a lot.

It's just that the targets of those businessmen who bribe are the greedy goods of the Port Authority, and it is the first time that they have come to the door to bribe themselves.

However, Ehrenbal only regarded the Indian in front of him as a mediocre tobacco dealer, who just wanted to sell his goods for a good price.

After a brief thought, he opened a box filled with neatly stacked gold bars.

Suddenly he was so shocked that Count Ehrenborough fell to the ground without even holding the coffee cup steadily, and he himself stared at the valuable gift in front of him as if he were unaware.

"Lord Governor, Lord Doge"

Villawise screamed three times before Ehrenbarough came to his senses.

The latter apparently realized that he had just lost his temper. Although he had long heard that India was a place full of gold, he still underestimated this so-called "reputation".

Although he was born in a noble family and held a high position, he mainly relied on the shadow of his ancestors, and although he was prosperous all the way, he really didn't see much of the world, so he was scared by a box of gold.

"You... What do you want to do? It took a long time for Count Ehrenborough to hold back such an embarrassing remark.

This was somewhat unexpected, and he thought that the English were all virtuous.

"Lord Governor, I really want to make friends with you."

"Good, no problem!" Count Ehrenborough agreed, but as soon as he put his hand on the box, the other party spoke again.

"My lord, I am a serious businessman, and unfortunately the navy lords always suspect me of smuggling contraband."

Ehrenbale immediately understood what the other party was coming to.

"Don't worry, I'll give you a certificate and solemnly declare that you're doing things for the United Kingdom. From now on, you will be a merchant of the British Empire, and no one can check you casually! ”

With a stroke of the pen, he stamped the seal of the Viceroy of India, which may not be much to him, but it is a dream for an ordinary Indian.

Of course, there was no need for such trouble, and in the past, by bribing the staff of the East India Company, the ship could be docked in its name, and many troubles such as taxes and inspections could be avoided.

But in 1833 the East India Company's trading privileges were revoked, and even in its name it was censored.

That's why Villawise went to the Governor's Palace, after all, he didn't just deal with tobacco, but also absolutely contraband-weapons.

It imports weapons and ships them to India for profit.

(First in Austria, then in Chenla, because of the proximity and the fact that it did not affect the layout of Franz)

But the absurdity is that the British have an arsenal in India, and the production is not low. Although the battle of Hyderabad was lost, the merchant escaped sanctions, and more weapons poured into the other princely states.

Armed with a sharp weapon, the murderous heart is self-enlightening.

The subcontinent has become more volatile, which is a good thing for the Sikh Empire in the north and the newly restored Afghanistan.

In fact, Russia further north also wanted to get involved, but it was never able to break through the steppes and deserts in Central Asia.

The three kingdoms of Bukhara, the vast and the Khiva are like a moat, between Russia and the rich South Asian subcontinent.

(End of chapter)