Chapter 336: Undermining the British
Tipu Sultan gave his horse's reins a slight shake, riding quickly past his soldiers. The soldiers at his side immediately presented arms, their gazes full of respect.
"Lord Jahan Zeb, do you think my army can defeat the British?" Tipu Sultan turned to ask the slightly plump old man riding behind him.
"Of course, Your Great Sultan," the old man named Jahan Zeb declared, raising his wide sleeves and bowing slightly. "Your mighty army is invincible; no one can stand against you."
He paused, glancing at Tipu Sultan's expression, then continued, "However, the British possess excellent weaponry, and their warships support them along the coast. If we were to fight them, Your army would suffer considerable losses."
"Furthermore, we still rely on trade with the British to acquire the gold coins you need to implement your reforms."
Tipu Sultan nodded slightly. Jahan Zeb had been a highly trusted minister since his father's time, so his advice naturally could not be ignored.
"So, you believe I should expel these Frenchmen?"
"Not necessarily," Jahan Zeb replied, stepping forward two paces and speaking in a low voice. "They have brought many weapons and technologies, which you can fully utilize to achieve your goals.
"As for their desire to use your strength against the British, we merely need to keep them at bay with constant prevarication.
"And once the British witness our strength, they will undoubtedly choose to cooperate with us."
Tipu Sultan nodded, raising his horsewhip and pointing south. "Then we will march on Travancore at the beginning of next month. As for the Frenchmen, you shall entertain them."
"Yes, Your Great Sultan."
In a luxurious building in the southern part of Mysore City, Lafayette paced back and forth restlessly.
He had been in India for a month, and had repeatedly suggested to Tipu Sultan that they launch an offensive against the British. He had even drawn up battle plans, yet the stubborn Mysore leader had consistently refused.
Here, his days consisted of banquets and invitations to supervise military training, but he saw no hope of completing the Crown Prince's plan!
And his own path to soaring success would turn to naught!
Lafayette abruptly stopped, gestured for a servant to fetch his coat, then instructed his attendant, "Go and summon Monsieur Salah."
"Yes, General."
Soon, a man in his thirties, clad in an Arabic-style robe with a neatly trimmed full beard, arrived outside his room. He placed a hand over his chest in greeting and spoke in French with a North African accent, "General, you sent for me?"
"Yes. Please accompany me to Ambavilla Palace; I must convince him!" Lafayette strode towards the carriage in the courtyard. "The rainy season will soon be upon us, and large-scale battles will be impossible then."
Salah hurried to catch up. "General, you have already spoken with Tipu Sultan five times, and he seems very reluctant to accept your advice."
"It's all that old geezer Jahan Zeb!" Lafayette fumed as he climbed into the carriage. "Every time I explain the importance of defeating the British, he interrupts with things like 'the British are merely here for trade' or 'they bear no ill will toward Mysore'..."
"'And all previous wars were merely trade disputes,' " Salah added. "He is indeed a problem. To my knowledge, Mysore has several pro-British factions, and Jahan Zeb is their leading figure."
As the carriage slowly began to move, Lafayette's gaze suddenly turned cold. "Perhaps I really should ask the Intelligence Bureau for help to make that fellow disappear completely!"
"No, no, that would be too risky," Salah interjected. "Perhaps you've forgotten His Royal Highness the Crown Prince's instructions before you departed. I believe now is the time to try those methods."
"The Crown Prince?" Lafayette immediately shook his head. The Crown Prince's "special methods" were practically a joke.
Things like 'telling stories to the people of Mysore,' 'labeling opponents,' 'using myths to guide public opinion in Mysore,' 'and even forming a marriage alliance with Tipu Sultan'—
Salah probed, "If you are too busy negotiating with Tipu Sultan, perhaps I could implement His Royal Highness the Crown Prince's methods instead? What are your thoughts?"
Lafayette irritably ran a hand through his hair, saying distractedly, "Do as you please."
An hour later, Lafayette emerged dejectedly from Tipu Sultan's palace. Salah did not return to the guesthouse with him but instead headed west, towards the city.
With the help of the Intelligence Bureau, Salah, the Second Consul of France in Mysore, successfully met with Mysore's General Sheikh Khan. Although the Intelligence Bureau had been in Mysore for less than a month, it had quickly established a usable intelligence network by leveraging former employees of the French East India Company. Its reach even extended to several native states beyond Mysore.
As a Muslim from Tunisia, Salah conversed very congenially with General Sheikh Khan, who spoke French. The general had previously been part of Tipu Sultan's military reform initiative, traveling to Europe to study military technology, learning French during his time in the Ottoman Empire.
"You are absolutely right; Jahan Zeb has undoubtedly accepted favors from the British," Sheikh Khan said, sitting cross-legged on the carpet and nodding repeatedly as he looked at Salah. "However, His Majesty the Sultan trusts him implicitly, and we cannot even criticize him in the Sultan's presence."
Salah had sought out Sheikh Khan precisely because the general was Jahan Zeb's political opponent.
Salah smiled faintly. "You could perfectly well have others oppose him."
"Others?"
"For instance, minor nobles, or even the common people."
"I don't understand what you mean."
"Since Jahan Zeb is pro-British, then we shall make the British lose popular support..."
Salah and Sheikh Khan deliberated until five in the afternoon before preparing to depart. Just before leaving, as if suddenly remembering something, Salah asked the general, "I wonder if His Majesty the Sultan would be interested in a marriage alliance with France?"
Hearing this, Sheikh Khan instantly beamed with ecstasy, nodding vigorously without hesitation.
It was well-known that Tipu Sultan, from his father's generation onward, had begun learning from Europe in an effort to strengthen Mysore. As he continually engaged with Europe and understood its advancements, he inevitably developed a strong admiration for the great European powers. In simple terms, he was 'Europhilic.'
Tipu Sultan himself could speak English, French, and Turkish.
However, the great European powers had been exceedingly cold toward him, a native of the Far East and an infidel. In the end, he had been forced to settle for less, aligning himself with the Ottoman Empire.
Thus, Mysore's military training system was largely modeled after the Ottoman New Army, and during this period, he also learned a little from individuals within the British and French East India Companies.
Now, with France, a leading European power, expressing interest in a marriage alliance with Tipu Sultan, how could he not be ecstatic?
However, Sheikh Khan immediately thought of a serious issue. "Monsieur Consul, if there is a marriage alliance, would a conversion of faith be required?"
'Conversion of faith' means changing one's religious beliefs. Mysore practiced Islam or Hinduism, while France was Catholic. If a marriage alliance were to occur, one of the spouses would inevitably have to convert.
Salah smiled and shook his head. "Of course not, General. Mysore could marry an Islamic princess."
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