Mustafa's eyes widened at once. "Your Highness, have you obtained reliable intelligence?"
Joseph neither confirmed nor denied it. "Even if there is only a one-percent chance of this, it would be fatal to Ali Pasha." The Egyptian envoy nodded gravely.
If Ali's army was crossing the Dahna Desert when the Sultan sent men to block Medina, there would not even be any need to fight—the Egyptian soldiers would soon die of thirst. He looked at Joseph searchingly. "Your Highness, what should we do next?"
"One thing is certain: Saud will not willingly accept defeat." Joseph casually picked up a hunting rifle beside him and began wiping it down. "That means the fighting in Hejaz will continue for a long time—perhaps three years, perhaps five."
Historically, Ali had sent his eldest son Ibrahim to fight for seven years before finally wiping out Saud's army.
"And during that time, Ali Pasha will gain nothing from Hejaz."
Fighting on the Arabian Peninsula, seven or eight hundred kilometers away from Egypt, would entail enormous military expenses. Forget profits—he would most likely have to keep pouring money into it. Joseph continued, "Therefore, Ali Pasha's best strategy should be to withdraw from Hejaz for the time being."
Mustafa shook his head on reflex. "But..."
Joseph motioned for him not to rush. "The Sultan's war in the Caucasian has not yet ended. He cannot possibly send too many troops to garrison Medina.
"Besides, given the Janissary Guard Corps' combat effectiveness, they will most likely be defeated by Saud as well.
"When that happens, the Sultan will probably have to send Ali Pasha back to solve the Hejaz problem.
"Since that is the case, why not let the Sultan's troops wear down the Diriyah rebels first?"
Mustafa nodded thoughtfully, but then immediately said unwillingly, "But wouldn't that mean