I am the Crown Prince of France

Chapter 337: Undermining the British

Tipu Sultan lightly tugged on the reins as he briskly rode past his soldiers. The troops immediately saluted him with their rifles, their eyes filled with respect.

"Jahan Zeb, what do you think? Can my army defeat the British?" Tipu Sultan turned to ask the slightly plump, elderly man riding beside him.

"Of course, great Sultan," replied Jahan Zeb, raising his wide sleeves as he bowed slightly. "Your army is unbeatable. No one can stand against you."

He paused, glancing at Tipu Sultan's expression before continuing, "However, the British have superior weapons and warships that can support them from the coast. If you go to war with them, your forces might suffer significant losses. Also, we still rely on trade with the British to obtain the gold needed for your reforms."

Tipu Sultan nodded slightly. Jahan Zeb had been a trusted advisor since his father's time, so his opinions were not to be taken lightly.

"So, you think I should drive away the French?" Tipu Sultan asked.

"There's no need for that," Jahan Zeb said, moving his horse closer to Tipu Sultan and lowering his voice. "They've brought us many weapons and new technology. You can use these to accomplish your goals. As for their desire to use your strength against the British, we can simply string them along. Right now, the most important thing is to demonstrate overwhelming power by crushing Travancore. This will deter other nations from opposing us. Once the British see our strength, they will undoubtedly choose to cooperate with us."

Tipu Sultan nodded in agreement and pointed south with his whip. "Then we will march on Travancore at the beginning of next month. As for the French, you will handle them."

"Yes, great Sultan."

In a luxurious mansion south of Mysore, Lafayette was pacing back and forth, filled with frustration. He had been in India for a month, repeatedly advising Tipu Sultan to attack the British, even drafting a battle plan. Yet, the stubborn leader of Mysore had not agreed. Every day was filled with banquets and training sessions, with no progress toward fulfilling the Prince's plan. Lafayette's ambitions were slipping away!

Suddenly, Lafayette stopped, signaled for his coat, and ordered his aide, "Fetch Mr. Salah."

"Yes, General."

Soon, a man in his thirties, dressed in an Arab-style robe with a neatly trimmed beard, arrived. He greeted Lafayette with a hand on his chest and spoke in French with a North African accent, "General, you called for me?"

"Yes. I need you to come with me to Amba Vilasa Palace. I must persuade him!" Lafayette said as he hurried to the waiting carriage. "The monsoon season is approaching, and then large-scale battles will be impossible."

Salah quickly followed. "General, you've already spoken with Tipu Sultan five times. He seems very resistant to your suggestions."

"All because of that old fool, Jahan Zeb!" Lafayette snapped as he climbed into the carriage. "Every time I explain the importance of defeating the British, he interrupts with nonsense about 'the British are only here for business' and 'they mean no harm to Mysore.'"

"And that 'the previous wars were just trade disputes,'" Salah added. "He is indeed a problem. From what I know, Mysore has quite a few pro-British factions, and Jahan Zeb is their representative."

As the carriage slowly began to move, Lafayette's eyes turned cold. "Maybe I should ask the intelligence bureau to take care of him for good."

"No, no, that's too risky," Salah cautioned. "Perhaps you've forgotten the instructions Prince Joseph gave you before you left. I think it's time we tried some of those methods."

"The Prince?" Lafayette shook his head. The Prince's "special methods" seemed like a joke to him. Things like "telling stories to the people of Mysore," "labeling opponents," "using myths to guide public opinion," and even "arranging a marriage alliance with Tipu Sultan" sounded ridiculous.

Salah hesitated before suggesting, "If you're busy negotiating with Tipu Sultan, why not let me carry out the Prince's plans? What do you think?"

Lafayette absentmindedly scratched his head. "Do whatever you want."

An hour later, after leaving Tipu Sultan's palace dejectedly, Lafayette returned to his quarters, but Salah headed west.

With help from the intelligence bureau, French Consul Salah quickly arranged a meeting with Mysore's General Sheikh Khan. The intelligence bureau, though new to Mysore, had swiftly established a network using former employees of the French East India Company. Their influence had even begun extending to neighboring states.

As a Muslim from Tunisia, Salah found common ground with Sheikh Khan, who spoke French, a language he had learned while studying military tactics in Europe. Their conversation flowed easily.

"You're right. Jahan Zeb must be on the British payroll," said Sheikh Khan, seated on a carpet. He nodded vigorously at Salah. "But the Sultan trusts him completely. We can't criticize him directly to the Sultan."

Salah had approached Sheikh Khan because he knew the general was a political rival of Jahan Zeb.

Salah smiled and said, "You don't have to criticize him yourself. Others can do it for you."

"Others?"

"Like the minor nobles, or even the common people."

"I don't understand."

"If Jahan Zeb is pro-British, then we need to make the British lose public support..."

Salah and Sheikh Khan discussed this plan until late in the afternoon. Just as Salah was about to leave, he seemed to remember something and casually asked, "By the way, does the Sultan have any interest in a marriage alliance with France?"

At this, Sheikh Khan's face lit up with excitement, and he nodded eagerly.

Since Tipu Sultan's father's time, Mysore had been striving to learn from Europe to strengthen the state. As they interacted more with Europe and recognized its advancements, Tipu Sultan couldn't help but develop a deep admiration for European powers—he was a true Europhile.

Tipu Sultan himself could speak English, French, and Turkish. However, the European powers, viewing him as an outsider and a non-Christian, were indifferent. He eventually settled for aligning with the Ottoman Empire. As a result, Mysore's military training system was largely modeled after the Ottoman Janissaries, with some influence from the British and French East India Companies.

But now, one of Europe's leading powers was offering to establish a marriage alliance with Tipu Sultan. How could he not be thrilled?

Still, Sheikh Khan quickly realized a potential issue. "Consul, if there were a marriage alliance, would it require conversion?"

"Conversion" referred to changing one's religion. Mysore was either Muslim or Hindu, while France was staunchly Catholic. A marriage alliance would usually mean one party would have to change their religion.

Salah smiled and shook his head. "Of course not, General. Mysore can marry an Islamic princess."

(End of Chapter)

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