Chapter 204: Drive the Wolf to Devour the Tiger
Russia.
Petersburg.
Crown Prince Paul Petrovich emerged from Catherine's private chambers, reluctantly glancing back twice before finally striding towards the other end of the corridor.
He wasn't seeking intimacy with his mother; quite the opposite. He was filled with aversion for Catherine, just as she felt towards him.
He was loath to leave his adorable little angel, Alexandra.
Catherine never considered his feelings. Ever since she noticed Alexandra was growing more and more like her, she had monopolized the little one's company.
Paul rarely saw his daughter even once a month.
Previously, he had taken the little one to the King of France's birthday, finally enjoying a good two months reunited with his daughter. But now, back in Petersburg, they would be separated again.
As he turned the corner of the staircase, filled with melancholy, a figure suddenly emerged, vigorously embracing his shoulder. A familiar voice resounded:
A smile immediately broke out on Paul's face. He playfully shoved his younger brother, then deliberately put on a stern face and said:
"I don't have as much money as you to spend on women, especially French women. They're even more expensive."
"Haha, what else is money for?" Alexei leaned in again. "Are you still going to train troops today? Why don't we go fishing? I've prepared the fishing gear and the wine."
Paul continued to walk forward, chest out and head held high:
"Spare me that. I'd rather not get so drunk I'm swept away by the river like a piece of refuse."
He was referring to a winter a few years ago, when Alexei, while fishing, insisted on betting who could finish an entire bottle of vodka first. In the end, Alexei got drunk and fell into the icy river. If not for the desperate rescue efforts of the guards, he might have been swept away.
"Don't worry, I'm going to sea tomorrow, so I won't drink too much."
Paul glanced at his younger brother, who had clearly matured a great deal, and gave him a firm pat on the back:
"Let's go! Fishing!"
Inside the Winter Palace, Catherine looked at her granddaughter with loving eyes, completely devoid of the majestic aura of a great ruler, and said softly:
"Little one, was Paris fun?"
Alexandra sat up straight, a joyful smile appearing on her face upon hearing the question:
"Yes, it was very interesting there. People wore beautiful clothes, and I rode a carousel. Did you know, those wooden horses really move?"
"That's wonderful, dear." Catherine smiled and nodded, then asked, "So, did you complete the task I assigned you?"
"Yes, Grandma."
"Then tell me, what kind of person is the French Crown Prince?"
The little girl tilted her head and pondered, then replied:
"Hmm, he has beautiful blue eyes and he's very handsome, especially when he wears that dark blue long coat. But he always seems very busy; I only saw him two or three times. Oh, and he's incredibly popular; you could hear people mentioning his name everywhere in Versailles Palace. It seems he's done some amazing things... But I didn't quite understand what they were saying. Something about building a bank..."
Catherine stroked the little girl's hair, listening to her ramble for a long time, then suddenly said:
"It seems you have a good impression of him?"
Alexandra nodded earnestly.
Catherine also nodded, then continued to ask:
"My dear, would you like to live in Paris? I mean for a long, long time."
The little girl thought of being able to ride the carousel every day, and her eyes instantly widened with joy:
"Really? That would be wonderful!" She immediately thought of something, then lowered her gaze to the Tsar. "Are you coming too? If you don't come, I'll miss you very much."
...
North Africa.
The port of Sfax in southeastern Tunisia.
Inside a tall, beige building, Younis, clad in a deep red robe with a dark grey feather tucked into his white turban, a scimitar at his waist but grey European-style breeches on his legs, was high-spirited and energetic as he pointed at a sand table before him, talking animatedly with his officers.
It was unclear what they were discussing, but several men burst into laughter. Younis's gaze passed through the arched window, spotting a large group of laborers on the distant dock unloading bundles of goods from a large ship.
He knew the ship carried flintlock muskets recently transported from France, along with accompanying gunpowder and lead shot.
The guards standing outside the door were already armed with these Charleville muskets, appearing formidable and impressive.
A sedan chair stopped downstairs. A man in his fifties, adorned with a magnificent waist scimitar, stepped out, gestured to the guards, then quickly ran upstairs, saluting Younis excitedly by placing a hand over his chest, and proclaimed loudly:
"Pasha, I have already convinced that old man Deolu! He has brought 600 soldiers to pledge allegiance to you!"
The words had barely left his mouth when the bearded middle-aged man beside him immediately frowned and said:
"Imanzadeh, Deolu's men aren't Janissaries. Why are you letting them join?"
Younis raised a hand to stop him, then turned to Imanzadeh and smiled, nodding:
"As long as they are loyal to me, I can grant them high office and generous emoluments, regardless of their background."
Imanzadeh was overjoyed. He saluted again and said:
"Thank you, Pasha! I am confident I can also persuade several factions in the El Kef region; they can provide at least 4,000 troops."
Younis waved his hand generously: "Go do it. I will remember your contributions."
"Yes, my most esteemed Pasha."
As Imanzadeh departed, the bearded middle-aged man immediately placed a hand on his chest and addressed Younis:
"Pasha, are you truly disregarding the traditions of the Janissaries?"
Younis chuckled, "Nizamiddin, there are too few Janissaries left who uphold our glorious traditions. We must utilize everyone we can.
"If Imanzadeh can truly bring back 4,000 men from El Kef, then I will have 12,000 troops."
He gestured towards the constant stream of carts transporting armaments. "With these excellent weapons, it won't be long before we can defeat that fellow Ali. Once I become Bey, I will naturally restore the Janissaries' glory."
Currently, the entire population of Tunisia is less than two million. Ali can only mobilize about 25,000 troops, and a significant portion of them have already defected to Younis.
Moreover, the Janissaries were severely corrupted, and their combat effectiveness was far from what it once was. Conversely, some local factions were more capable fighters.
Because old subordinates like Imanzadeh had already been canvassing and forming alliances throughout Tunisia, Younis, upon returning to Sfax just three or four days prior, had already gathered an army of several thousand.
Younis turned to look at the sand table. According to the battle plan he had agreed upon with his subordinates, once he had amassed sufficient logistical supplies, he could march his troops north, seize the Kairouan fortress, and establish a standoff with Hammuda Ali.
He knew full well that Ali was decent at handling civilian affairs, but was no match for him in war.
In a year or two at most, he would be able to besiege Tunis City and unite Tunisia!
...
Tunis City, Kasr Palace.
Hafsa's delicate fingers lightly stroked the zither strings, and melodious music filled every corner of the palace.
Half-reclining on a cushion, with narrowed eyes, a slightly corpulent middle-aged man wearing only a light shirt was Hammuda Ali, the current ruler of Tunisia.
He held a chess piece in his hand and looked impatiently at the official standing with lowered head beside him:
"Speak slower. What's happened in Sfax?"
The official quickly replied, "Great Bey, news has just returned from there that local factions have blockaded the borders, preventing people from leaving Sfax."
Hammuda Ali tossed the chess piece to a nearby servant, frowned and asked:
"Are they having another tariff dispute with a neighboring province?"
Tunisia was a mix of various factions, and local tribes often, due to tax or commercial issues, prohibited people from other areas from entering or leaving their territory.
"That much is unclear," the official said. "The Janissaries sent to investigate have not returned either."
"Oh? These wretches, do they mean to rebel?" Hammuda Ali waved his hand. "Send more men, and take my command. Tell them to cease their troublemaking."
"Yes, Great Bey!"
After the official delivering the news departed, the music in the palace suddenly ceased.
Hammuda Ali turned to look at his favorite concubine and said softly:
"Hafsa, why have you stopped playing?"
The young woman, dressed in a long, dark green gown, rose and walked to his side. A worried expression on her face, she said:
"Pasha, I believe there is something I must tell you."
"Oh?" Ali chuckled. "What could be so serious?"
Hafsa gestured for the servants nearby to withdraw; only then did she speak:
"At a gathering I hosted the day before yesterday, I overheard the wives of several Janissary officers, including Ruum and Ishaq, mention that their husbands were going south to meet a 'great figure'."
"What's strange about that?"
"Do you recall that a few days ago, Sir Khalil reported to you that people in the southern provinces were heavily purchasing grain and oats?"
Ali nodded, "Yes, there was such a report."
Hafsa said with a solemn expression:
"Pasha, I believe a rebellion is very likely brewing in the southern provinces! Perhaps in... Sfax."
"A rebellion?" Ali waved his hand dismissively and laughed. "What are you talking about?"
Hafsa said, "Do you remember the rebellion in the Gafsa region seven years ago? I recall that the Berber tribes there also first extensively hoarded grain, and then prohibited locals from entering or leaving."
Ali's smile froze instantly, and he grew serious.
Hafsa continued:
"Pasha, didn't Ruum and Ishaq participate in a rebellion before? Wasn't it your brother who pardoned them?"
Ali's face darkened. He knew very well that these two men had once been Younis's subordinates. The rebellion Hafsa spoke of referred to Younis's siege of his father, Ibn Hussein, more than twenty years ago.
Later, his father was defeated and died in battle. But Younis then turned to attack his own father, Karamanli Ali, which gave him and his brother the opportunity to reclaim Tunisia.
Now, Younis's former subordinates had suddenly left Tunis City and headed south, and a series of unusual events were unfolding in the south...
His eyes narrowed. Perhaps just as Hafsa suspected, someone was indeed plotting a rebellion!
Given the speed of information dissemination in this era, news of Younis's escape from Algiers had not yet reached Tunis City. In fact, the Algiers council was still debating whether to inform the Bey of Tunisia about the matter.
Hammuda Ali pondered for a moment, then ordered the Janissary Agha, also known as Commander-in-Chief Khoja, to be summoned. He instructed him to prepare his troops to depart for Sfax to investigate whether a rebellion was underway. At the same time, he ordered the Janissaries to thoroughly investigate officers like Ruum and Ishaq.
Soon, the men sent to investigate Ruum and Ishaq returned to report that they had already left Tunis City yesterday and had taken their sons with them.
Khoja acted swiftly, leading two thousand elite Janissaries south the very next day, while also ordering his deputies to mobilize more troops to follow.
His luck was excellent. Three days after his army departed Tunis City, they encountered a detachment of troops traveling from El Kef to Sfax.
The latter appeared very nervous; without waiting for Khoja to question them, they hastily launched an attack on the Janissaries.
Khoja's forces were already prepared and immediately annihilated this Berber armed force of over 800 men.
According to their confessions, an officer named Imanzadeh had incited them to go to Sfax and join "the true Bey," Lord Younis.
When the news reached Tunis City, Hammuda Ali was greatly alarmed and immediately ordered a general mobilization of the Janissaries. A week later, over ten thousand troops had gathered at the border between Kairouan and Sfax.
...
"Pasha, the French have replied." An officer, his face grim, rushed into Younis's military tent and saluted with a bowed head. "They said they encountered a storm in the Western Mediterranean, and the remaining weapons won't arrive for at least another 10 days."
"Ah—Almighty Lord, why do you punish me so?"
Younis spread his hands flat and sighed heavenward.
Since the first shipment of two thousand flintlock muskets and three cannons arrived at Sfax port, no other weapons had been delivered.
The troops he had gathered possessed only very rudimentary weapons; after all, Tunisia's most advanced equipment was in the hands of the Janissaries.
What was worse, Imanzadeh had previously reported that several major tribes in El Kef had decided to support him, but Hammuda Ali had, for reasons unknown, suddenly dispatched troops southward, intercepting all the tribal forces midway.
Now he commanded fewer than 7,000 men, while Khoja had already led over ten thousand Janissaries into the Kairouan fortress. The strategy of a surprise attack on Kairouan was clearly a pipe dream.
Younis turned to look at the sand table, suddenly clenched his fist, and said fiercely:
"Ruum, you will immediately lead 1,500 men to Choukhri Valley."
"Ah?" Ruum clearly hadn't processed the order. "Pasha, but Khoja already has outposts there."
"Did you not hear my words?"
"Yes, Pasha!"
Younis then pointed at the bearded man:
"Nizamiddin, deploy the cannons in the dense forest on the east side of the valley."
"At once!" Nizamiddin then cautiously asked, "Pasha, who will provide cover for me?"
Cannons were indeed the kings of the battlefield, but in the era of muzzle-loading cannons, their limited range and slow movement meant that without infantry cover, they could easily be ambushed by cavalry and would be utterly defenseless.
"Don't question me."
Younis barked, turned and jabbed his finger into the center of the sand table, and gritted his teeth, saying: "Ishaq will lead the cavalry and follow me.
"Rabia's forces will be deployed west of the valley...
"Before dawn tomorrow, we must break through Khoja's defenses! While Kairouan fortress's forces are limited, we will bypass the fortress and capture Sousse!"
"Yes, Pasha!" the men in the tent responded in unison, their expressions grim.
Comments