Life of Being a Crown Prince in France

Chapter 1147: Chapter 1053: South Africa

The Russian envoy was evidently prepared and immediately smiled, saying, “The Tsar believes that a hero like you, who is also wise, should rightfully ascend to the Khanate.”

Murad, having the deepest thorn in his heart touched, immediately frowned and said bluntly, “I don’t need the Tsar to crown me.”

Murad was once the Chancellor of the Astrakhan Dynasty of Bukhara. After marrying the daughter of Khan Abu Gazi, he launched a coup and seized power.

However, because he obtained his position illegitimately, he was unable to declare himself Khan due to the unanimous resistance of the nation’s nobles and could only become an “Emir,” which is roughly equivalent to a governor or general.

Yet, Murad also looked down upon the Khan crowned by the Tsar of Russia.

Like Nurali Khan of the Junior Zhuz of Kazakhstan, who accepted the Tsar’s coronation but was called the “Tsar’s lackey” by the domestic “Tore.” Ten years ago, Serym Datoov of the Junior Zhuz raised a flag of rebellion against the Russians, aiming to overthrow Nurali Khan.

Count Koslovsky waved his hand and said, “You misunderstand. I meant that if we cooperate, my country will ensure you become a descendant of Khan Abu Gazi.”

Murad’s eyes immediately flashed with light. Abu Gazi was the Khan of Khiva, and he possessed the bloodline of the Golden Family. If what the Russian envoy said were true, that he could become the adopted son of Abu Gazi, then no one within Bukhara could question his eligibility to claim the Khanate!

However, he quickly regained his composure and said calmly, “How can you guarantee he will listen to you?”

Count Koslovsky confidently stated, “You should know, Khan Abu Gazi wants to eradicate the Kongger Tribe. And our people have already made contact with him. When our Allied Forces enter Khiva City, he will announce that you are his descendant.”

The Kongger Tribe is the major nobility of Khiva, controlling all the important positions and military of Khiva. Khan Abu Gazi has long been a puppet, harboring hatred for them.

At the same time, Murad’s coup also provoked Khan Abu Gazi, who was worried that the Kongger Tribe would emulate him and depose him.

So if he could use the Russians to help him regain power, he might even be willing to make Khiva a Russian protectorate, let alone recognize Murad as his adopted son.

Murad remained full of doubt: “Your forces are restrained by Kazakhstan’s Serym Datoov, you definitely can’t spare troops to move south to Khiva. Your footholds on the Caspian Sea coast hardly qualify as an Allied Force.”

“The rebellion of Serym Datoov will end within half a year,” the Russian envoy said, “General Nikolai Bahov has already led 20,000 troops from Orenburg to Kazakhstan.”

Murad was about to say, “That can’t defeat Datoov within six months,” when he heard the Russian continue, “Moreover, the Tsar has decided to recognize the position of the Middle Zhuz in exchange for them no longer supporting Datoov’s rebels.”

In this era, Kazakhstan was divided into Junior Zhuz, Middle Zhuz, and Senior Zhuz from west to east. In theory, they all belonged to Kazakhstan, but in reality, they were like three separate countries, each with its own Khan.

And previously, Russia refused to recognize their respective Khans unless they accepted Russian coronation, in order to control the Kazakhstan Region.

This led to mutual support among the Zhuzes, especially between the Middle Zhuz and the Junior Zhuz, which shared a border.

Murad fell silent. Datoov and his faction, Nurali Khan, were rivals, so they had to rely on the support of the Middle Zhuz to maintain their army. Once the Middle Zhuz turned to Russia, Datoov might not last even three months.

It soon became clear to him that the likelihood of success in cooperating with Russia this time was very high.

While excited, he was also surprised that the Russians, who usually solved problems with brute force, had come up with such a meticulous plan.

Several days later, Count Koslovsky walked out of the Yak Castle Palace with his head held high.

Upon getting into the carriage, he couldn’t help but squeeze the secret treaty between Russia and Bukhara in his pocket, sighing inwardly: the French people really have so many strategies. The Empire had been operating on the eastern shores of the Caspian Sea for so many years without making a breakthrough, yet in just these few days, they have made rapid progress.

Yes, his series of diplomatic maneuvers this time were all planned with the help of Talleyrand, who had recently come to Saint Petersburg.

Once Russia begins planting cotton in Khiva and Bukhara, it will certainly continue to increase its investment in conquering Iran. We’ll see if the British can still sit still.

…

South Africa.

On the northern bank of the Salt River, over 500 kilometers east of Cape Port.

Six or seven Xhosa, wearing skirts of animal skins and with their faces painted with colorful geometric patterns, their skin shining black, hurriedly ran to the fenced courtyard carrying a “stretcher” made of tree branches.

A group of black guards wielding spears stopped them, questioned them in two local dialects, and carefully examined the unconscious middle-aged woman on the stretcher.

The lead “guard” signaled for two of the stretcher bearers to carry her inside, while the others waited outside the courtyard.

The Xhosa dared not defy them; immediately, two of the strongest tribesmen carried the patient toward the European-style wooden house in the center of the courtyard.

After the three entered the house, they saw a room of two hundred square meters already crowded with people, with guards wielding spears occasionally shouting to maintain order.

After quite some time, a young black woman dressed in a white nurse’s uniform came over, inquired about the situation, handed them a small wooden card, and then took the patient to a very large grass hut on the eastern side, where over twenty wooden beds were arranged.

After waiting another ten minutes, a French doctor wearing a mask and a white coat arrived at the patient’s bedside and asked, “What’s wrong with her?”

With the help of a black translator nearby, the doctor quickly understood the situation.

The bedridden woman was a priestess of a tribe called Aoku, who had been severely diarrhetic for three days and was now nearly unconscious.

The doctor checked the priestess’s eyes and mouth and turned to ask his assistant, “Do we have any ongoing cholera drug trials?”

“Not at the moment, Mr. Darius.”

“Give her clean water. And monitor her closely.”

The so-called “clean water” refers to drinking water boiled and then sealed for preservation.

The French “drug testing team,” after arriving in South Africa, saved the lives of two to three hundred Xhosa people with this simple method alone.

Yes, as required by the Crown Prince, besides conducting drug tests, they also provided basic medical services to the locals and even trained some clever indigenous people to assist as helpers or nurses.

The tribesman of the priestess pulled the translator aside, excitedly speaking a long string of words.

The latter hurriedly told the doctor, “Mr. Darius, Mr. Kanulu says, if you can heal the high priestess, their tribe is willing to send ten warriors to fight for the Boers for three months. They will bring their own weapons and food.”

Darius nodded and gestured to his assistant, “Immediately administer saline and glucose to this lady. Two BDP tablets daily.”