Persian Empire 1845

Chapter 313 Changes in the sky
The morning sun was blinding, and Herat's station was already bustling with activity. Being a border region, many trucks unload goods here daily, but today the train arrived earlier than usual; the reason was unclear.

"What's going on? I haven't heard of any urgent shipments from Mashhad."

"You'll know when you open it and take a look."

Before they could even get close, the carriage opened by itself, revealing fully armed soldiers inside.

The soldiers quickly jumped out of the carriage and lined up. The leading officer strode forward, his sharp eyes scanning the surroundings.

"Everyone, stand still and don't move!" the officer shouted, his voice carrying an unquestionable authority.

The workers looked at each other, none daring to make a move. The atmosphere at the station instantly became tense.

Just then, Murad and Shabaz arrived at the station on horseback. Murad dismounted and walked towards the officer.

"General, you've worked hard," Murad said with a smile.

The officer immediately saluted, "Your Highness, we await your command."

Murad nodded, then looked at Shabaz, "Now, take over the defenses of Herat immediately. Don't let a single person escape. Anyone who resists will be beheaded on the spot!"

"obey"

Murad's sudden attack caught everyone off guard. In an instant, countless soldiers appeared in Herat. Led by their generals, these soldiers rushed directly to the military camps and other places, surrounding the government building without saying a word. Then, the leaders led their soldiers straight inside.

For some of the cooperating officials, these people were relatively well-behaved. They simply read out the order to the other party and took everyone into custody. Apart from a few people on the list who were directly arrested, the rest of the people were not restricted from leaving for the time being.

Of course, those who attempted to escape or even resist were not treated so leniently. The public witnessed a policeman and several people attempting to resist being shot on the spot, and their bodies were left lying across the market without being collected, a shocking sight.

When it comes to action, either do nothing, or act with overwhelming force.

In a single day, all the important places in Herat were sealed off, and the officials and clerks who were detained and imprisoned, along with the shops and residences of many local wealthy merchants, were also seized. The total number of people involved exceeded three hundred, and it can be said that they were all wiped out.

At this time, Daoud was discussing the possibility of independence. He currently only had 2000 guns and needed artillery, an important weapon.

"We need artillery to protect ourselves. Or we can go directly to India; the British have promised to offer us official positions."

"No, we should continue to build up our strength, and it would be best to get Germany's support, otherwise I'm afraid we won't have enough strength."

Another person laughed heartily: "Don't worry, the British promises are still valid, as long as we can offer enough leverage. For example, we can voluntarily become their protectorate."

Everyone nodded; the British protection was the best. They were the most powerful country in the world; if they didn't do this, they'd be wiped out by Iran in no time.

Daoud turned around, his gaze sweeping over the crowd like a knife.

“Listen, what we need most right now is internal support. The people of Herat may be dissatisfied with me, but they are even more afraid of the rule of the Iranian monarchy. As long as we can stir up their fears and convince them that only independence can protect their interests, they will stand on our side.”

He walked to the table, picked up a map, and pointed to several villages surrounding Herat. “These places are our most important granaries. Immediately send men to control these villages and cut off Herat’s food supply. At the same time, spread rumors that Prince Murad intends to impose heavy taxes and exploit the people. We must make the people of Herat believe that only independence can free them from the oppression of the royal family.” His men nodded in agreement, deciding to act immediately.

After adjusting his strategy, Daoud sat alone on the sofa and read a book for less than ten minutes when his subordinate rushed in looking flustered.

"My lord, our people have been attacked! Prince Murad has mobilized troops and taken control of Herat!"

Daoud dropped the book in his hand with a thud. His face instantly turned ashen, a flicker of panic crossing his eyes, but he quickly regained his composure. He slowly stood up, his gaze dark and menacing as he stared at his subordinate.

"What did you say? Murad has mobilized troops to take control of Herat?" His voice was low and cold, as if it were being squeezed out from between his teeth.

The subordinate nodded tremblingly, "Yes...yes, sir. Prince Murad suddenly mobilized Mashhad's army, our stronghold has been surrounded, many brothers have been captured...now the people in the city are also starting to support him, our men are simply no match for him!"

Daoud remained silent for a moment, his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white. He hadn't expected Murad to act so swiftly, nor had he anticipated that his carefully constructed defenses would be so easily breached.

"Useless!" Daoud suddenly roared, kicking over the coffee table in front of him. "What are you all doing? Didn't you hear a single whisper?!"

"Sir, what should we do now?" the subordinate asked cautiously.

Daoud took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. He knew this was not the time to lose his temper; he had to come up with a solution as soon as possible.

Daoud narrowed his eyes, pondered for a moment, and then said coldly, "Immediately gather everyone else and prepare to retreat. We cannot wait here to die."

His subordinate nodded and was about to turn and leave when Daoud suddenly called him back.

"Wait," Daoud's voice held a hint of malice, "before you leave, burn down all the city's granaries and supply warehouses. If we can't have them, Murad shouldn't expect to control Herat so easily either!"

"Yes, sir! I'll make the arrangements right away."

Daoud watched his men's hurried departure, a ruthless glint in his eyes. "Murad, you think you've won?" he muttered under his breath. "Herat is already a ruin. I'll see how you clean up this mess!"

Murad stood on the city wall, looking at the people who had been captured. Many of them were people he had seen a few days ago. Herat was a murky place; without a steady approach, they couldn't be eradicated completely.

"Your Highness, Daoud has fled from the east, and it seems he is preparing to escape to the border!"

Murad asked, "Did he run away?"

"No, when they ran to the East Gate, they were blocked by a crowd of people who had come spontaneously. Daoud killed a few people, and the crowd tied them up."

Murad sighed, "I don't know how he left such a shadow on the people of Herat, but thankfully he's gone."

The operation lasted a day and a night, resulting in the arrest of 653 people, including officials, businessmen, and military officers. 99 who resisted were executed on the spot. Daoud and his associates were also captured. Extensive evidence was found on him proving his treason and collusion with the enemy.

(End of this chapter)