Persian Empire 1845

Chapter 207 Returning to China
At the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, Nasser al-Din is praying, with the Ottoman governor of Jerusalem accompanying him.

This governor was a greedy fellow. In order to gain more wealth, he started organizing pilgrimage tourism around Jerusalem. As long as you had enough money, the governor himself would accompany you on the tour.

The governor recently made a fortune; the Iranian Shah next to him said he wanted to buy land in Jerusalem for Shia families to live in. So he spent 55 rials to buy all the land inside and outside the city of Jerusalem. Because bandits were rampant, the land outside the city was very cheap, and the residents inside the city had little purchasing power, so it all became Nasser al-Din's property.

Naser al-Din also stated that he would purchase more land as long as it was within his jurisdiction, which delighted the governor-general. With just one move from the Shah, he could earn more than a decade's worth of income.

Of course, there was a condition for these lands: they could not be sold to Jews, not even a single piece.

Since the financier had said so, he had no objection. Anyway, there was no point in squeezing any money out of those Jews, so he might as well sacrifice them.

"What wonderful land! Why should it be given to the Jews?"

Nasser al-Din was acutely aware that the Arabs' lack of unity gave the Jewish and Ansarist forces an opportunity to exploit the situation. He felt that things would be different if they were all led by Iran. The Ottoman Empire was no longer viable, and Iran represented a new and emerging power.

The entire region of Syria and Mesopotamia was in a pristine state, and Nasser al-Din was determined to send the Ottoman to his coffin, even personally driving in the nails.

Of course, Nasser al-Din did not forget his work during his visit, including approving the Bangkok Treaty with Siam, establishing the Qinistan Railway Company, and setting up the Iranian Arab Company, jointly owned by the royal family and Arab tribes, to explore and develop various resources in the desert region.

During a previous conversation with Napoleon III, it was learned that the ironclad warship ordered by Iran would be launched next year, so Nasser al-Din ordered another one, and even requested expedited delivery. This is also to better protect their maritime interests.

Moreover, while discussing the appropriate development of the navy with Britain, coastal artillery was not considered part of the navy. As a result, coastal cities began constructing coastal artillery, aiming to cripple the enemy fleet with a single shot.

Nasserdin also received a letter from Amir saying that all projects were progressing smoothly. The railway from Tabriz to Abadan is expected to open this year, and the construction of ordinary highways is also underway, which is expected to reduce freight transport time to one-fifth, thus improving the competitiveness of Iranian goods.

“Shah, things have been quite lively in the East lately. Someone approached us and said they would give us 52% of the shares in return for taking back a gold company.”

Naserdin looked at Pezeshkian, "Then just agree! Isn't this free wealth?"

“Shah, this company is not simple. It has Dutch backing. If we rush in, it will cause a diplomatic incident, so…”

"So you're saying Iran shouldn't provoke the Dutch?"

Naserdin shook his head, then said to Pezeshkian, “Now is not the time for mutual courtesy. We might be careful with countries like England, but let’s forget about countries like the Netherlands. They’re not the same country they used to be.”

Moreover, I think an American made a very good point: in today's world, you're either on the table or on the menu. Where do you think Iran should be?

"Is this life-or-death language really real?" Pezeshkian expressed doubt, but he dared not refute it, because it seemed the Shah was preparing to intervene in this region, and not just this one, but also Japan, Vietnam, Qing Dynasty, and all the way to the north. Wherever Russia is involved, Iran will intervene. Don't blame him; since a war is inevitable anyway, he might as well contribute to peace in the Far East in advance. Further troop increases are expected in the future.

The journey from Jerusalem to Tehran took several months. Nasser al-Din traveled to Damascus, Aleppo, and Beirut, and also sailed to Cyprus, where Shia families began to settle in some predominantly Christian areas. They were all following the orders of the Grand Ayatollah to migrate from Anatolia to Syria and Cyprus, with the Shah and Ulimah providing them with financial support to enable them to settle down.

The Ottomans clearly did not treat this land well. It was sparsely populated, economically weak, and had poor transportation. How could the Ottomans possibly manage this land?

Nasserdin returned to Tehran in July. His trip, which lasted one year and 21 days, began last year. He visited 11 countries, went to 35 cities, and signed 19 agreements, most of which were in line with Iran's interests, greatly enhancing its international standing.

Upon seeing Nasser al-Din, Amir quickly approached him, saying, "Welcome back, Shah."

"Thank you, Grand Vizier, for taking the time out of your busy schedule to welcome me."

Of course, Naser al-Din did not forget to welcome his subjects. After greeting his ministers, he waved his arms to the surrounding crowd, which seemed to be a signal, and the cheers reached their peak.

Naserdin went directly back to Gulestan Palace, where Amir reported to him on his work over the past year.

"It seems that the Shah already knows most of the things. This is the most recent event that hasn't been delivered yet. The Sultan of Oman has taken the initiative to approach our country and said he is willing to sign a free trade treaty with us."

Oman's sudden change of attitude suggests that Sudan is afraid. That makes sense; Britain, France, and the US are too busy to deal with him right now, while Iran has plenty of time to play along.

As for its navy, well, it might be able to strike Iran once or twice, but in the long run, they will still lose. Therefore, Sudan has decided to proactively open up; whatever Iran wants, Oman will try its best to satisfy, as long as it doesn't hinder itself.

"Honestly, I still prefer his tougher side back then."

How could I not like it? If I take a hard line, I'll have a pretext to send troops. Then I can directly take Muscat and Zanzibar, perfect.

"Oman probably feels that Britain can no longer protect it, and the situation in India and the Far East has diminished Oman's importance. If all goes well, Britain may recognize Oman as part of our sphere of influence."

Amir offered his analysis, stating that Oman's importance has indeed diminished considerably. Aside from the presence of Iran, Europe sees no other reason to keep Oman. It's not profitable for Britain; it's better to do them a favor by giving it to Iran.

"Since they've come to us for this opportunity, why refuse? Perhaps in the future they'll obediently beg for Iranian rule."

Oman will one day become a province of Iran. Nasser al-Din firmly believes this.

(End of this chapter)