Persian Empire 1845

Chapter 100 Adventure
Naser al-Din and Fatima's wedding celebrations lasted for several days, and he himself was immersed in joy.

But life goes on after that, and of course, work must continue.

Europe remains turbulent, with fierce clashes of ideologies, and conservatives, liberals, leftists, and rightists all vying for influence across the globe. The Iranian ambassador is relaying the latest news back to Iran as quickly as possible.

Iran has completed its procurement from Europe, and a large number of machines and skilled workers have been shipped to Iran. They will contribute to the development of Iran's industry.

“Shah, our caravans in the north have already handed over their earnings, totaling 25 riyals.”

Saeed reported the income of the northern caravans to Naser al-Din. After deducting other expenses, 25 taels were ultimately handed over to the royal family. Although it was a small amount, making money was not their primary concern; intelligence gathering was.

"Any news from Russia lately?"

"Russia is preparing to aid Austria and is assembling troops in Europe, so there's no need to worry about their movements for the time being. It seems that the emperor still has his heart set on Istanbul."

Naserdin looked at the map with a magnifying glass and said, "This is not hard to understand. This is their holy land. Taking this place will send a signal to the whole world. Russia is the leader of all countries, and all countries have to listen to them."

"Sigh, why can't they be satisfied? They already own so much land, yet they still want to plunder others'."

That being said, most of Russia's land was uncultivable, with locally produced furs and timber being the only remaining rewards. The western region, with the Ural Mountains as the boundary, was the heart of Russian rule. Over 80% of the population engaged in economic activities there, and due to geographical limitations, its ports could not function to their full potential. Therefore, successive Tsars were exceptionally obsessed with access to the Mediterranean.

"Let them gather as much information as possible about the local situation, preferably about the local army. This time, the Iranians are really going all in."

Seeing Shah's melancholy expression, Sayyid didn't know what to say and could only leave to let him think about it alone.

"Sir, your son has arrived."

Said had just left when he learned of this news, which puzzled him. Why was this kid here?

"Tell him to wait, I'll be there as soon as I'm done."

This wasn't the first time Saeed's son, Muhammad, had entered the Gulestan Palace, but the things here looked quite nice, even better than what they had at home.

“I said, is there any certainty about this? Let me tell you, if the Shah doesn’t support this plan, it’ll all be for nothing.”

"Don't worry, I've already found out. Shah is short of money right now. As long as we succeed, even if we sell 80% of our harvest, the rest will be enough for us to live on for the rest of our lives."

Saeed quickly finished dealing with his business and went to his room. His son, Muhammad, was talking to another person, whom he also recognized. It was Adil, the son of a friend of his, a travel enthusiast who had been beaten by his father for not intending to join the government, but even so, he had not given in.

Said coughed twice, and the two immediately fell silent, turning to greet him.

"Muhammad, didn't you say you were going to Isfahan to try your luck? Why are you back so soon?"

Said looked at him with exasperation. This kid said he wanted to go to Isfahan, and he'd just given his permission, only to return after two months. He really didn't know what else he could do. "Father, I just wanted to tell you, I've suddenly discovered a chance to make a lot of money, and I was almost ready to invest. Could you... perhaps sponsor me a little..."

"What?" Said suddenly shouted. "I thought Isfahan would make you more mature, but it seems you haven't learned your lesson at all. And you, you never want to work, yet you're the one who's going to support this family in the future!"

Saeed lectured them incessantly, but Muhammad wanted to make one last gamble, so he offered his final words.

“Father, please trust us one last time. This time we can not only make money, but also please the Shah.”

Upon hearing this, Sayyid became interested. He sat down and said, "I'd like to hear how you plan to please the Shah."

Adil quickly stepped forward to promote the idea, "Uncle, we've received important information. There are large amounts of gold buried in many places in India, especially in a temple in the southern region. It's said that the temple there has more gold treasures than anywhere else. If we can get our hands on it, Iran will have enough for the next three years."

Adil's claims were exaggerated, and while there was some exaggeration involved, there is indeed a historical record of India being plundered for three years without paying taxes.

"Hmph, you two dare to go to India?"

“We’ve already secured some people who have agreed to try their luck in India. Now we just need a little funding. And we will also hand over most of the profits to the national treasury.”

Although it may seem like a pipe dream, it would be acceptable if it could help him fail and get back on track.

"Tell me, what's still missing?"

"Yes, 50,000 rials will suffice."

Seeing that his son only had this request, Sayyid could naturally grant it, but he had a question: why didn't they keep the treasure for themselves but instead handed it over to the state?
Because they clearly understand that possessing such a large amount of wealth will attract the covetousness of others, and even if most of the wealth is handed over to the state, the rest will be enough for them to live on for a lifetime.

"Let me tell you, you're going to another country. If it causes a diplomatic dispute, even if I wanted to protect you, there's nothing I could do."

Saeed gave him a final warning, to which Muhammad simply nodded. Whether he could turn things around depended on this.

Their destination this time was the Padmana Bhaswami Temple in southern India. Built in the 16th century by order of the king of the Travankhon Kingdom, the temple has been a popular pilgrimage site since its construction. Although the number of worshippers has decreased somewhat in recent years, it remains quite popular.

According to his friend, the local temple has several rooms, which are said to be filled with gold and silver treasures.

As for why his friend knew so much, it's naturally because his friend is Parsi and knows the area very well.

After securing their safety, they immediately headed to Chabahar, preparing to board a ship to southern India. Not only the two of them, but also a dozen or so others went with them; they were mostly the second or third children of noble families. Even if they inherited their fathers' fortunes, they wouldn't receive much, so they figured it was better to venture out and try their luck; if successful, they would surely possess a great deal.

　It's officially available today, congratulations!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)