Laying lines, casting nets

Ottoman. ▂ ▄ ▅ ▆ ▇ █ █ ▇ ▆ ▅ ▄ ▂

Kostantiniyye.

Said walked dejectedly between the guards who were bowing their heads in salute on both sides, then looked back at the Topkapi Palace behind him, feeling even more desolate.

Just now, the Sultan appointed him as a special envoy to "inspect" Tunisia.

A few years ago, this would have been an incredibly lucrative post that many would have coveted—typically, a remote province like Tunisia would have treated the Sultan's envoy very well and given him a generous "travel allowance" when he left.

However, this mission was destined to bring no such benefits.

The Empire was facing a very difficult situation at Ochakov. Potemkin, the Russia leader, was leading a large army on the border and could capture this important fortress on the northern coast of the Black Sea at any time.

Coupled with the disastrous defeat at the Battle of Fidonisi Island, the empire now faces an extremely perilous situation, with its Finance, military, and other aspects already overburdened.

At this critical juncture, a coup d'état occurred in Tunisia.

The Pashahamud Ali, appointed by the Empire, was killed, and his nephew Haji declared himself his successor, but instead of requesting the Empire to bestow the title of Pasha as is customary, this damaged the Empire's prestige.

It was against this backdrop that the Sultan selected him to go to Tunisia.

Said sighed. This mission didn't even have any funding; he had to pay for it himself.

Moreover, according to imperial custom, if he failed to get that Haji to apologize to the Sultan and request the appointment of Pasha, he would most likely be executed for "incompetence and disgrace to the imperial dignity"...

With the help of his Servant, he got into the sedan chair, silently calculating his assets. He figured he could probably come up with 30,000 Sultani, wondering if this small amount would be enough to "persuade" Haji.

Ha! How ironic that the Sultan's envoy is trying to bribe the Pasha of a border province...

United States.

Philadelphia.

On the street outside the Independence Hall, two or three thousand citizens were excitedly chanting slogans and waving vigorously toward the Parliament Hall.

Hamilton stood at the second-floor window, looking out with satisfaction, inwardly marveling at how well the US Dollar 200,000 he had spent had been worthwhile.

News came back from the Mediterranean Sea yesterday that the United States fleet, with the help of France and the Netherlands, has wiped out the Barbary Pirates in Tunisia, which will greatly improve the safety of the Mediterranean Sea shipping lanes.

As the congressman who initially advocated for a special grant to combat piracy, he gained considerable political prestige.

Madison, also a member of the Federalist Party, leaned over and gestured towards the window with a famous smile:

"Mr. Hamilton, you're a legendary hero in Philadelphia now! Hmm, ' The Pirate Judge,' just listen to the nickname everyone's given you."

He lowered his voice slightly. "Judging from this momentum, you might actually have a shot at the presidency."

"Ha, you jest. My reputation is far from sufficient." Hamilton waved his hand with a laugh. But the title of "Pirate Judge" stirred something within him.

The navy reported that the France had captured thousands of pirates and offered to sell them to the United States for US Dollar 2,000 each.

That money was enough to buy five strong male slaves. But the fleet commander thought it was too expensive and didn't buy them.

Hamilton shook his head inwardly. This fool should absolutely buy back a hundred or so pirates, hold a public trial, and then hang them in front of everyone. That way, he would be even more worthy of the title of "Pirate Judge"!

Those fervent and proud citizens outside might just be the reason they receive a pleasant surprise in next year's presidential election...

Thinking of this, he turned to look at Madison:

"I will submit a grant application to Parliament to purchase the Barbary Pirates; please give me your support."

Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Sir Joseph York, the United Kingdom ambassador to the Netherlands, strode quickly out of the Parliament building with a somber expression.

At the recently concluded States General, the Dutch people did not condemn France's actions in North Africa as the United Kingdom had hoped.

Furthermore, they issued a statement saying that the recent free trade in the Mediterranean Sea has been better protected, thanks in part to the contributions of the Dutch people.

York cursed under his breath. Everyone knew that the small Netherlands boat was just doing the France work; it was clearly supporting France!

Although the Dutch people were terrified of the United Kingdom, they harbored deep resentment towards the United Kingdom's domineering attitude. Therefore, they were more than willing to seize upon such trivial matters to annoy the United Kingdom.

York suddenly recalled the rumor he had heard a couple of days ago— that the Netherlands East and West India Company would merge and accept France investment to form a "United East India Company".

This matter must be verified as soon as possible. If it is true, we must do everything in our power to stop it, in order to prevent the Netherlands from continuing to side with France.

The Low Countries were a strategic beachhead for the British Empire, and absolutely could not be lost!

On the "Forward," Joseph looked at "Analysis of the Origins of Tunisia" with a smile on his face.

Monsieur Saint-Pierre's writing is absolutely superb; he skillfully weaves together historical materials, various legends, and even myths, making the story incredibly vivid...

No, it should be said to record the colorful history of Tunisia.

He handed the manuscript to Ishaq, a "North Africa expert," to review it. If there were no problems, he was to translate it into Arabic and Berber language as soon as possible and then print it in large quantities.

To increase efficiency, he even brought a printing press and printing Craftsman with him on board.

Another day passed, and the fleet arrived at the Port of Tunisia.

Berthier and a group of officers were already at the dock to greet them. However, because Joseph had instructed them not to reveal their identities, there were almost no soldiers present.

After the landing Sloop was moored and brought to a stop, Berthier and the others saw an exaggeratedly long gangplank extending from the ship, and then His Crown Prince came into view.

After a simple welcoming ceremony, Joseph walked straight up the 30 -Domi -long gangplank to the Carriage that had been unloaded from the ship.

Berthier looked at the strange Carriage with its sealed bottom and pointed ends, and pulled Kexer aside in confusion to ask:

"Your Highness, what is this...?"

The latter helplessly shrugged and whispered:

"His Highness promised Her Majesty the Queen would stay on the ship. So, ah, it was a ship. A ship mounted on Carriage."

Berthier: "..."

Half an hour later, the convoy arrived Tunisia City. Joseph immediately saw a large number of tents, numbering over a thousand, set up on an open space beside the main road in the distance.

Judging from the flags around the Camp and the uniforms of the patrolling soldiers, they should be the Tunisia Guard Corps.

What's going on?

Berthier, sitting opposite the "boat," hurriedly explained:

"Your Highness, this is the Guard Corps led by Koja, numbering over twelve thousand. After their battle with Younis, they returned to Tunisia City. I was worried they might cause trouble, so I had them stationed outside the city."

Koja had naturally heard that the France army had broken through the 7,000- Guard Corps defenses in just over an hour. Although the latter was hastily assembled, he still dared not easily clash with the French Army and could only stay obediently outside the city.

Berthier continued, "However, these Tunisia soldiers are used to a life of luxury and are constantly clamoring to return to their homes in the city. Oh, they only train once every three days and don't stay in the Military Camp the rest of the time."

Joseph immediately realized something and asked, "Isn't this basically where the most combat-effective units of the Tunisia Guard Corps are located?"

"Yes, Your Highness."

Joseph smiled slightly, "Then let them go into town and go home."

Berthier hurriedly said, "Your Highness, last week Mr. Prosper led his men to infiltrate the France caravan and successfully repelled an attack on the caravan, capturing several bandits."

"It turned out that these people were all Tunisia Guard Corps from northern Kaf.

"A great deal of evidence suggests that the previous attack on the France was carried out by the Tunisia Guard Corps."

"If we allow these tens of thousands of Guard Corps to enter Tunisia City, they might very well..."

"It's alright," Joseph said. "To prevent another assassination attempt on Bey, they must store their weapons in the armory before entering the city."

"In addition, increasing the number of Berbers Police and strengthening patrols should not be a problem."

Berthier then nodded somewhat hesitantly:

"Yes, Your Highness."

The next morning, Joanne brought two people, one tall and one short, to Joseph's temporary residence in the Tunisia City.

The taller, middle-aged man had a typical Arabia appearance, but his clothing was very Europe. The short, stout man, on the other hand, was clearly France, but he wore a headscarf and an open robe.

Led by Eman, the three entered the room and immediately noticed that the floor was covered with wooden planks arranged in the shape of a ship.

Joanne was already used to it, and stepped forward to bow with her hand on her chest:

"Sir, Mr. Agadon and Mr. More have arrived."

He then said to the two people beside him:

"This is Mr. Joseph."

After exchanging greetings, Joseph, following local custom, invited the two to sit on the carpet, instructed Servant to bring drinks and refreshments, and after a few brief pleasantries, got straight to the point:

"I hope to use your connections to help me transport some special items to various parts of Tunisia."

Agadon was the French Descent clothing merchant who had helped the Police Intelligence Division enter Kashir Palace. He was also a high-ranking member of the France Tunisia Chamber of Commerce and had extensive connections and resources in Tunisia.

The man next to him, Mr. More, is his local business partner, a native Arabia.

Agadon had only heard Joanne say that the young man before him held a prestigious position and had extremely high authority over matters in Tunisia.

So he asked very politely:

What do you need me to transport?

"Weapons, Ammunition," Joseph said without hesitation, "And some Silver Coin."

Agadon and More exchanged a glance, their expressions immediately becoming tense:

"Sir, as you know, things are very chaotic in Tunisia lately. What if these items are hijacked..."

"I will send people to protect you. Although there won't be many, it will be enough to handle Guard Corps except for a large contingent. Oh, and you can rest assured about the reward; it will definitely satisfy you."

Seeing that the other party was still somewhat hesitant, Joseph offered an even greater temptation:

"By the way, this is a matter of concern to the Royal House. If you handle it well, I can guarantee you a place in Paris high society."

Agadon's eyes lit up. No matter how much money these French Descent merchants, who had struggled in the "wild west," made, the Paris Nobility would only disdainfully call them nouveau riche.

Their biggest dream is to become true members of the France upper class. Who wants to spend their whole life in a godforsaken place like North Africa?

He nodded vigorously immediately. "Please rest assured, no matter how many weapons... uh, I mean goods, I guarantee they will all be delivered to your desired location on time!"

"How can we avoid the Guard Corps's inspection?"

"That's the bare minimum, sir. I know exactly how to bribe those greedy fellows. And I can leverage the power of the Chamber of Commerce; even if we get investigated, we can get it back with a little money."

"Very good, Mr. Agadon! Please allow me, on behalf of His King, to express my heartfelt gratitude to you."

Suburbs of Tunisia City.

Inside a typical two-story Arabia- style building, several well-dressed people Orthodox God passing around two Pamphlets.

The booklet's cover was prominently titled "Analysis of the Origins of Tunisia."

A middle-aged man with a thick beard pointed vigorously to a particular page and exclaimed excitedly:

"Hilada Chelebi is absolutely right! We are Roman descendants, with a glorious history and noble lineage!"

"Chelebi" is an honorific title for a very well-known scholar. The Hilada he mentioned is a scholar who is very influential in Tunisia.

The other person immediately replied:

"These historical evidences show that we share the same ancestry as France, Spain, and other countries, and it was entirely possible for us to integrate into advanced Europe civilization!"

"You see, Chelebi mentioned that many people in France believe we are their long-lost compatriots!"

The bearded man turned two pages and said in a deep voice:

"Those damned Ottomans! They severed our ties with our Rome homeland! They brought ruin and decline to Tunisia!"

Joseph truly hadn't anticipated that so many "sophisticated" people existed in Tunisia.

This is understandable, given the large number of France businessmen in Tunisia who project an enviable image of fashion, wealth, confidence, and France power to the locals. In an era of weak national and ethnic consciousness, Tunisia are prone to exhibiting pro-French sentiments.

Joseph's initial intention was simply to try to find a common ancestor between France and Tunisia; he didn't have much hope as to how many Tunisia would believe it.

Even if it only affects 10% of people, it will make my plan easier to implement.

However, his historical research on "shared ancestry" was enthusiastically received by many Tunisia, especially intellectuals. No one cared whether the evidence in the article was reliable; they immediately accepted the conclusion. [Note 1]

Just as if United States scholars in the future were to "prove" that Philippines and themselves share the same ancestry, the latter would gladly accept it.

[Note 1]: At this time, North Africa was mainly inhabited by Berbers, Arabia, and Ottoman. The latter two were standard Caucasians, and their appearance was not significantly different from that of European. Even the Berbers only had slightly brownish skin, and because they had been intermarrying with Caucasians for a long time, they looked like Caucasians who had been exposed to the sun too much.