Novels online

Chapter 1467: Bloodthirst

Perrot added, "Your Excellency, beyond the interests I have already mentioned, there is one final, crucial point.

"Given that Gaza and the Holy City are simultaneously under threat, there is a very high probability that the Ottoman Sultan will choose to compromise with the Persians. He would then recall his armies from Transcaucasia to deal with you."

Muhammad Ali was a shrewd man. He considered this, nodding slowly in thought.

Transcaucasia was merely an additional gain for the Ottomans. Gaza, however, was the gateway to the fertile Levant in the north, and the Holy City was even more significant; Selim III could never afford to lose it.

Even if he moved quickly and occupied Gaza in a short time, he would soon find himself facing an Ottoman grand army of nearly 200,000 men. Egypt currently had only 50,000 to 60,000 troops, and of those, the Albanian Army—the only ones he could truly trust—numbered fewer than 13,000.

Even if he were lucky enough to hold Gaza, his strength would be severely crippled.

How could the Mamluks and Governor Hüsrev possibly pass up such a golden opportunity to incite a rebellion within Egypt?

If he followed the French Prince Regent's advice and sent troops to reclaim Mecca instead, although the city belonged to the Sultan, the local tribes in the vicinity could be recruited into his own army.

Muhammad Ali hesitated no longer. He turned to the French envoy and said, "Please convey my most sincere gratitude to His Royal Highness. He has saved my life on more than one occasion.

"I shall do so," Perrot replied.

Accompanied by the 'King of Egypt,' Perrot made his way toward the banquet hall. Along the way, he offered another reminder: "By the way, Your Excellency, the Prince Regent also asked me to tell you that before you depart for Mecca, it would be best to thoroughly resolve Egypt's internal issues."

Meanwhile, two thousand kilometers away in the Topkapi Palace of Kostantiniyye, the Ottoman Sultan's face was filled with surprise and gratitude. He addressed Gouffier, the French Minister: "I truly do not know how to thank the Prince Regent. He has helped me avoid the worst possible scenario!"

As he spoke, he signaled to the Chief Eunuch with a subtle glance. The eunuch, having served the Sultan for many years, immediately understood that this gesture meant '100,000 Kurus.' He quietly withdrew from the hall to prepare the gift for the French Prince Regent.

A gift worth over 300,000 francs was not a small sum, and for an Ottoman Empire currently engaged in a national war, it was at the very limit of their capacity. It was no wonder Selim III offered such a generous tribute.

Only yesterday afternoon, he had been debating with his senior ministers whether to recall the army from Armenia to deal with the Saudi rebels who had occupied the Holy City. A pilgrimage to Mecca was a requirement for all Ottoman nobles, and the Sultan was no exception. Losing the Holy City was a catastrophe of the highest order.

Then, half an hour ago, the French Minister had arrived unexpectedly to inform him that the Prince Regent had managed to persuade the Egyptian warlord to send troops to Mecca. Traveling from Cairo by steam paddleboat made reaching the region quite convenient.

On February 17, Selim III's decree reached Egypt.

Muhammad Ali was officially appointed as the Governor of Egypt. A military budget of 1.2 million Kurus—equivalent to over 3.6 million francs—was allocated to the Egyptian garrison. The Governor was ordered to lead his army to the Hejaz immediately to recapture the Holy City of Mecca.

Without even waiting for the Sultan's envoy to depart, Muhammad Ali sent his troops to drive every one of the former Governor Hüsrev's men out of Cairo.

Ten days later, the Egyptian army began feverish preparations, massing to the east of Cairo. Meanwhile, Muhammad Ali organized a lavish banquet to celebrate his appointment as Governor, inviting every official and noble of standing in Egypt. This included over 260 middle and high-ranking Mamluk officers. The following day, starting at noon, a grand feast commenced within Cairo's famous Saladin Citadel, accompanied by the sounds of cheerful music. No one noticed that the Albanian soldiers, who had been resting on the outskirts of Cairo, were marching back into the city in formation.

Over a thousand members of the Egyptian elite caroused until sunset, as the banquet finally drew to a close.

Following the protocol officer's arrangements, the Mamluk officers were to proceed as a group to the city center to receive the blessings of the citizens of Cairo.

When these officers and their retinues—nearly 500 people in total—reached the barbican of the Saladin Citadel, the gates at both ends suddenly slammed shut. Moments later, the walls were lined with thousands of flickering torches. Thousands of Albanian soldiers, armed with percussion cap muskets, aimed down at the terrified Mamluk officers. At the command of Tahir, Muhammad Ali's confidant, flashes of fire erupted in the night sky like a swarm of stars.

Dressed in their ceremonial finery and completely unarmed, the Mamluk officers had no way to resist. Amidst a chorus of agonizing wails, they were cut down by the hail of bullets.

An hour later, Tahir sent word to the Governor: all 480 Mamluks who had attended the banquet had been executed.

The next morning, countless Albanian soldiers began a door-to-door search throughout Cairo for the families of the Mamluk leadership. It was announced that the Mamluks had 'plotted a rebellion, which had been suppressed by the Governor.'

Following the execution of over a thousand Mamluk 'remnants,' Muhammad Ali personally issued a gubernatorial decree.

Henceforth, all remaining Mamluk soldiers and low-ranking officers were to be integrated into the New Egyptian Army. Their lands would be preserved and their military pay increased by twenty percent, but from that day forward, no one was permitted to call themselves a Mamluk.

With high efficiency, the 'King of Egypt' placed the Mamluk cavalry under the command of Albanian officers. In just half a month, the reorganization was largely complete.

Hardly any Mamluk soldiers resisted.

Through these bloodthirsty means, Muhammad Ali thoroughly solidified his grip on the throne of Egypt.

On March 20, 1801, an Egyptian army of twenty thousand set out for Mecca.

Warsaw was enduring its coldest winter in decades.

By early January, the temperature had already plummeted to twelve degrees below zero. Although the City Council had urgently allocated several batches of cheap bread to cope with the crisis, many people could still be seen frozen or starved to death in the streets.

Before the gates of the Royal Castle, King Stanislaw II watched as the carriage of the French Special Envoy, Sieyès, vanished into the heavy snow. He turned to the five ministers standing behind him.

"Gentlemen, what should we do now?"

Trembecki, the Minister of War, immediately shouted, "Your Majesty, our soldiers have traded their lives on the front lines for a hard-won victory. We absolutely cannot miss this golden opportunity for revenge!"

Late last year, the French Crown Prince had suggested that Poland withdraw its troops from the eastern bank of the Dnieper River. This time, he had sent a special envoy with a personal letter, warning that the Polish Army was likely facing extreme danger.