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Chapter 436: The Stars of Paris

"But..."

The Indian officer was about to say more, but Marquis Wellesley raised a hand to cut him off. "If you don't want to lose soldiers, go recruit some untouchables. Anyone will do, as long as they can draw enemy fire."

The officer immediately fell silent, saluted, and left. On the Indian Peninsula, the lives of lower-caste people were the cheapest; any number of deaths was acceptable.

Wellesley continued to Cornwallis, "This way, Tipu will be forced to split his forces to defend Mangalore."

South of Mangalore lay the city of Mysore, the capital of Mysore and its second-largest city. Tipu Sultan naturally couldn't abandon it easily.

Wellesley went on, "Once the Mysore army begins to move, I will take the marines by ship around Cape Comorin and launch a surprise attack on Tiruchirappalli."

Cape Comorin is the southernmost maritime region of the Indian Peninsula. Tiruchirappalli is an important city in Carnatic, southeastern India, which Tipu Sultan had already captured.

If Tiruchirappalli could be retaken, Mysore's offensive in the east would be stalled.

"You, meanwhile, will continue to clear out these troublesome fortresses in Mangalore using my tactics. By the time I achieve results there, you should be nearing the city of Mysore."

...

The eastern Mysore city of Salem.

Tipu Sultan watched cart after cart roll into the city, his expression finally relaxing.

The carts carried flintlock muskets and gunpowder recently shipped from the Ottoman Empire, along with some medicine and military uniforms. With these supplies, his army should not lack ammunition before the monsoon season arrived.

However, he also knew that after losing control of the southern coast, aid supplies would be increasingly difficult to transport into Mysore, and future battles would become tougher.

Initially, he had been somewhat dismissive of Lafayette's words, but after several months of fighting, he finally realized that the British were far more powerful than he had imagined.

The red-coated soldiers were exceptionally well-trained and disciplined. He typically had to mobilize tens of thousands of troops just to barely contend with two or three thousand British soldiers.

Furthermore, British commanders were exceptionally cunning, leading battles with virtually no discernible weaknesses.

He had suffered a surprise attack by the British at Tiruchirappalli. In less than three days, his army of 30,000 had been routed by fewer than 4,000 British soldiers and over 10,000 Hyderabad troops, losing Tiruchirappalli, which he had only recently captured.

Consequently, he was forced to retreat and defend Salem.

If he couldn't hold this, Mysore's third-largest city, the British would push directly to Seringapatam, his administrative center.

He carefully recalled Lafayette's words before his departure. First, he dispatched trusted officers to assess the food reserves, then summoned his important minister, Shah, instructing him to secretly travel to Hyderabad for some covert dealings.

Meanwhile, Marquis Wellesley, high-spirited and energetic, rode his horse up a low hill. Gazing down at the distant city of Salem, he felt a great sense of ease in his heart.

Though this British "God of War" was commanding a large army for the first time, his extraordinary military talent had allowed him to sweep all before him in a series of campaigns. In just a few months, he had completely reversed the British army's decline and transitioned to a full-scale counteroffensive.

Orders delivered yesterday from London had promoted him to Major General, granting him full authority over military affairs in India.

Wellesley had been holding his breath, waiting only to stabilize the situation in India before returning to settle scores with those Frenchmen!

He spurred his horse forcefully, galloping towards Salem below the hill, while loudly instructing the officer beside him, "Prepare the entire army. We launch a full assault on Salem at noon the day after tomorrow."

...

Paris.

On the main street south of the Louvre Palace, Schmidt pulled his neck into his collar. Glancing at the already dimming sky, he told his valet, "This damned cold wind makes me want to head back to the inn.

"Why are the French holding the exhibition's opening ceremony at night?"

The valet looked at some children nearby and whispered, "My lord, would you like me to rent a hand warmer for you?"

"Oh, alright. I'm practically frozen stiff."

No sooner had the valet departed than lively music suddenly filled the air.

Schmidt looked up to see a squad of palace guards separating the crowd. Then, Her Majesty the Queen of France, dressed in white formal attire and adorned with flowing, colorful feathers, descended from a carriage across the street. Surrounded by numerous officials, she ascended the already constructed platform.

After a flurry of drumbeats, a court official signaled for everyone to bow. Then, Queen Marie raised both arms, dispensing with any preamble, and declared loudly, "I invite all friends who have come to Paris to witness this magnificent spectacle with me!"

Before Schmidt could react, several cannon volleys boomed around them, and then a series of sparkling "starlights" rapidly began to shine from both ends of the street.

The "starlights" continuously illuminated the night, and in just a few minutes, the entire street became as bright as day, as if by magic!

Like everyone else, Schmidt shielded his eyes from the dazzling white glare and looked up in astonishment, only then realizing they were a series of peculiar streetlights.

Unlike the kerosene lamps he was familiar with, these lights were incredibly powerful, allowing him to clearly see the intricate embroidery on the dress of the lady standing beside him.

People immediately began to discuss excitedly: "What kind of lights are these? They're incredibly bright!"

"I heard they're called gas lamps. A dozen or so appeared in Saint-Germain-des-Prés a few months ago."

"Oh, my goodness, it's as if night has vanished here..."

A moment later, the orchestra resumed playing, and Queen Marie, her face wreathed in smiles, announced, "This is France's first exhibit at this Industrial Exposition. Oh, forgive us for not placing it within the Palais-Royal, but its footprint is simply too vast.

"Its name is the Gas Streetlight. From now on, it will illuminate all of Paris! While other places fall into darkness, this will remain a bustling and vibrant metropolis!

"And so, the World Industrial Exposition officially begins.

"I will participate in this global grand event with all of you. Please, enjoy the marvels and conveniences that industrial technology brings!"

The Queen of France was still delivering her enthusiastic address, but Schmidt, unable to wait, slipped out of the crowd. He gazed into the distance, seeing the entire Parisian district dotted with "starlights." Ribbons of light stretched to the horizon, reminding him of the futuristic worlds he'd read about in novels.

His fatigue instantly vanished. Taking the hand warmer offered by his servant, he simply followed the bustling crowd as they strolled down the street.

The shops lining the street were still brightly lit, vendors on both sides eagerly called out their wares, and the street teemed with even more people than during the day. The surrounding twilight lent the scene an additional air of mystery and chic.