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Chapter 209: Bestowed the Title "Savior of the Oppressed"
🕑 Added 2025-02-01 23:32:04 +0000 UTCChapter 209: Bestowed the Title "Savior of the Oppressed"
Berthier didn't bother meeting with Sinaneddin, who had come as an envoy. Instead, he sent someone to the Kasbah Palace to deliver a list of pirates, demanding that Hamud Ali immediately hand them over.
On Hafsa's advice, Ali decided to take a firm stance and promptly expelled the French envoys from Tunis. At the same time, a large-scale mobilization began within Tunis.
Due to having previously sent a large portion of his forces to Kairouan to deal with Yunus, there were fewer than a thousand guardsmen left in Tunis. However, Sinaneddin demonstrated considerable personal capability, managing to mobilize over 7,000 guardsmen within just two days.
For those unfamiliar with Tunisian affairs, this might sound a bit strange. That's because the term "guardsmen" in Tunis doesn't refer to a specific military unit but rather a social class.
Over a hundred years ago, during the height of the Ottoman Empire, elite Janissaries were dispatched to invade North Africa, including Tunis, Algiers, and Tripoli. They easily defeated the local populations and turned these regions into Ottoman provinces.
As the Ottoman Empire declined, the Janissaries stationed in North Africa began to control these areas, gradually breaking away from Ottoman rule and forming independent regimes.
The Ottoman Sultan, unable to do anything about this, eventually gave them the title of "Pasha"—a rank similar to a governor—recognizing their rule over the regions of North Africa.
These Ottoman Janissaries, to prevent assimilation by the local population, strictly enforced internal marriage, maintaining Ottoman customs, clothing, and traditions. They became a distinct social class.
Over the years, the Janissaries grew wealthy by exploiting the local North African population. The new generations of Janissaries, born into privilege, had long lost the valor of their ancestors.
At the same time, the Janissaries began to split into different factions. The lower-ranking Janissaries continued to serve in the military, while the more powerful and influential ones could hire others to serve in their place, eventually leading to a system where one could buy their way out of military service.
Thus, the Tunisian Janissaries were no longer a military force but had become synonymous with nobility.
At present, the Janissary class in Tunis numbered nearly 90,000, but the actual combat troops were fewer than 20,000.
However, nominally all Janissaries were still considered soldiers, so when the Bey of Tunis issued a mobilization order, a large number of Janissary nobles were drafted into the army.
These men, however, had little to no experience handling weapons, let alone military training, so their combat effectiveness was highly questionable.
The following day at noon, an envoy from the Guard Corps arrived outside Tunis and listed the crimes of the pirates, condemning Hamud Ali for colluding with and sheltering them.
Berthier then gave the order to attack.
Tunis, situated by the port, was a coastal city, and its defenses were primarily designed to counter threats from the sea. It only had walls on three sides—the side facing inland was almost entirely undefended.
Unfortunately for the Tunisians, the Guard Corps was advancing from the land.
Unlike the landing operation at Bizerte, this time the entire corps could fully deploy. Cannons, horses, and other equipment were all in place. This was a battle that would showcase the full strength of the Guard Corps!
Berthier's talent in troop deployment, which later earned him the position of Napoleon's chief of staff, was already evident.
The night before, he had meticulously mapped the surrounding terrain and devised a detailed battle plan.
Now, standing on a hill opposite Tunis, Berthier looked through his telescope at the mass of Tunisian troops. Although he felt some tension, he stuck strictly to the timetable, ordering the artillery to begin the attack.
The thunderous roar of cannon fire echoed through Tunis. Combined with yesterday's news that the European fleet had blockaded the port, chaos erupted throughout the city.
At the side gate of the Kasbah Palace, the guards were surprised to see Bey's nephew, Hajji, approaching with a dozen attendants.
The leading guard stepped forward and saluted, asking, "Pasha, is there something urgent?"
"I must see the Bey immediately," Hajji replied, signaling to the man dressed as a tailor behind him. "And I've brought him a new robe to try on."
"A new robe? Now?" The guard glanced in the direction of the distant cannon fire, clearly puzzled.
At that moment, the "tailors" suddenly rushed into the palace, pulling out pistols and taking the guards hostage. From behind a statue near the Kasbah Palace, forty or fifty men armed with muskets and scimitars appeared, surrounding Hajji and escorting him further into the palace.
Because many of the palace guards had been sent to fight the Europeans, only a few dozen guards remained, patrolling different parts of the palace.
Prosper, leading a dozen agents from the intelligence service, marched at the front. Whenever a guard appeared, he gave the command to halt and had his men fire a volley. After reloading, they would continue advancing.
With this methodical approach, they reached the inner chambers of the Kasbah Palace in just over ten minutes, escorting Hajji all the way.
Finally, in an upstairs bedroom, Hajji found Hamud Ali in plain clothes, with Hafsa standing beside him.
Hajji's eyes filled with cold, unwavering determination.
Prosper had his men thoroughly search the room, ensuring no guards were present before withdrawing with his agents, leaving Hajji's men inside.
Hajji's guards immediately surrounded Ali, who tried to sound authoritative but was clearly fearful. "Hajji, what are you doing?!"
Hajji didn't reply. Instead, he drew a scimitar from one of his guards and strode toward Ali.
Ali began to panic, stumbling backward, his voice trembling. "Why... Why are you doing this?"
"Seventeen years ago, you forged my father's will while I was just a child and stole the title of Bey from me. I endured that!" Hajji said, glancing at Hafsa with emotion. "Three years ago, you even took Hafsa from me! I begged you on my knees, but you had me thrown out."
Taking a few steps forward, Hajji grabbed Hafsa with one hand and raised the scimitar with the other. "Don't you understand? Without her, my life is meaningless!"
"I... I'll let you take her, I... I..." Ali's words were cut short by a flash of steel as the scimitar plunged into his left side, the blade piercing through to his back.
Gritting his teeth, Hajji said slowly and deliberately, "I don't need your permission! Three years ago, I swore I would take her back with my own hands!"
He yanked the scimitar out, and blood sprayed everywhere, drenching both him and Hafsa.
"I did it! See? I really did it!" Hajji dropped the scimitar and turned to embrace Hafsa tightly, burying his face in her neck. "We can finally be together!"
"Yes!" Hafsa nodded fervently. "I see it! From now on, we'll never be separated again!"
They held each other close, tears of relief and joy streaming down their faces.
After a long while, Ishak's voice came from outside the room. "Pasha Hajji, I hate to interrupt, but time is of the essence. Are you ready on your end?"
Wiping away his tears, Hajji took a deep breath and called out, "Yes, Mr. Ishak, you can come in now."
Hafsa then stepped forward to announce to the palace guards that Hamud Ali had been murdered by traitors from the navy, and in his dying moments, he had left a will appointing his nephew Hajji as the new Bey.
Outside Tunis, the left wing of the Prince's Guard Corps broke through the defenses of the Tunisian guards, quickly causing the Tunisian army to collapse.
In fact, after just a dozen rounds of bombardment from the Guard Corps' artillery, the Tunisian guards were already in disarray. At that point, their only two cannons hadn't even reached the battlefield. The Guard Corps executed a feigned attack on the right wing, allowing the left wing to easily break through.
The Tunisian army, which had double the numbers of the French forces, was completely outmatched, scattering in all directions and getting picked off without ever mounting a significant resistance.
Just as Berthier was about to order the left wing to pivot and encircle the enemy, the steward of the Kasbah Palace hurriedly arrived from Tunis, delivering a new order from the newly appointed Bey, Hajji: "Cease resistance immediately and allow the French army to enter the city."
The Tunisian officers, upon receiving the order, breathed a collective sigh of relief. The opposing army had been terrifying—highly organized, with overwhelming firepower and tactical precision. They had been dreading the moment when they might be struck down, but now their lives were spared.
Berthier left a portion of his forces to guard the prisoners while he led three battalions to the Kasbah Palace to support Hajji. Although Hamud Ali was dead, many high-ranking officials in Tunis were still loyal to him. After years of suppression, Hajji had almost no political influence and would struggle to control these officials on his own. The few dozen agents from the intelligence service were nowhere near enough to ensure Hajji's safety.
As the Guard Corps swiftly took control of key points throughout Tunis, the city's officials began to gather at the Kasbah Palace, either voluntarily or under duress, to pay their respects to the new Bey—Hajji. As for Hamud Ali's death, no one seemed to care much—after all, they knew he had come to power through his own schemes. Whether he died at the hands of the Tunisian navy or not was entirely up to Hajji's narrative.
The first thing Hajji did upon taking office was to announce the disbandment of the Tunisian navy involved in the murder of the previous Bey and hand over the officers involved in piracy to the French as criminals. He then ordered the guards at Kairouan to continue their campaign against the Yunus rebels and not to leave the fortress.
Meanwhile, Berthier began organizing a police force for Tunis, composed entirely of native Berbers. The Guard Corps included many instructors from the Paris Police Academy, so they were tasked with training the new police force. For the time being, these instructors also took on all the senior positions within the Tunisian police. The guards in Tunis had been completely disarmed, so maintaining order in the city temporarily fell to the Guard Corps and these newly formed Berber police units.
At the same time, Tunisian officials were ordered to conduct a census of all white slaves and European residents living in Tunis.
Paris, France.
For the past two days, nearly every newspaper's front page was filled with news from North Africa. His Majesty the King had dispatched an expeditionary force, which, with the support of the navy, had wiped out the Barbary pirates in Tunis in just a few months. The expeditionary force had rescued over 33,000 European citizens who had been kidnapped by the pirates and protected tens of thousands of Christians in Tunis from the threat of piracy.
In the streets of Paris, people were buzzing with excitement, eagerly discussing the events in Tunis: "My distant cousin disappeared five years ago, and it wasn't until recently, when the expeditionary force rescued him, that we found out he had been captured by pirates!"
"Those cursed pirates! Thank goodness His Majesty's army wiped them out!"
"I heard they captured nearly a thousand pirates and seized a ton of pirate ships. It's fantastic!"
"Long live His Majesty the King! He truly is the greatest king!"
"Hey, did you see what the papers said? The Pope has declared His Majesty the King as the 'Savior of the Oppressed,' thanking him for bringing salvation to countless Catholics!"
This title, of course, was the result of Joseph's initiative to have someone communicate with Pope Pius VI. The Pope saw this as an opportunity to boost the Church's prestige while also pleasing France—why not?
Meanwhile, in the circles of wealthy nobles and industrialists, the focus was on the news that "a series of agreements have been signed between His Majesty's diplomats and the new Bey of Tunis, following sincere negotiations."
In a salon in the Louvre district, a group of nobles was enthusiastically discussing: "I hear we can now purchase land in Tunis?"
"Yes, I saw that too. It was in Le Parisien, and the land is quite cheap."
"A relative of mine is in the North African trade. He tells me the soil in Tunis is very fertile, and you can grow three crops of wheat a year!"
"France has been hit by droughts and hailstorms recently. Perhaps buying land in Tunis isn't a bad idea."
"Are you only thinking about farming? Now, Tunisian tariffs on French goods have been almost reduced to zero. You can make a fortune just by shipping some wine or clothing over there!"
"Exactly! Viscount Hoien is raising funds to buy two ships for North African trade. Is anyone interested in investing?"
At Versailles, Mirabeau and several officials from the industrial sector were wearily emerging from their offices. They had just been discussing how to expand industrial production by taking advantage of the agreements allowing the French to set up factories in Tunis. Now, they were heading to a ball hosted by Queen Marie to celebrate the successful eradication of the pirates.
The Hall of Mirrors was filled with lively music and packed with nobles attending the ball. Such celebrations were always popular because the King and Queen were usually in a generous mood, often bestowing lavish rewards upon the guests.
Queen Marie, with an extravagant hairstyle, took King Louis XVI's arm and gracefully made her way to the wooden steps at the front of the Hall of Mirrors. The noblewomen whispered among themselves about the Queen's trendy hairstyle, which featured a giant warship atop her head, nearly as tall as her face.
"Oh, Her Majesty is always at the forefront of fashion! That hairstyle is simply stunning!"
"Oh, my God, it's a warship!"
"Madame Cisneros, do you recognize that ship?"
Madame Cisneros, being the wife of a naval officer, had some knowledge of such matters and quickly responded, "If I'm not mistaken, that should be the flagship of the combined fleet from this campaign, Le Téméraire."
"They say the hairpiece was made by His Majesty the King himself."
"Oh, that's so romantic! If a man made a ship like that for me, I'd marry him in an instant!"
The Queen's attendants clapped their hands to silence the crowd, then stepped back with a bow. Queen Marie smiled and raised her hands, gazing admiringly at her husband, and proclaimed, "Let us offer our highest respect to the great 'Savior of the Oppressed!'"
The nobles immediately began cheering, "Long live the Savior of the Oppressed!"
"Long live His Majesty the King!"
Feeling slightly awkward with all the attention, Louis XVI rubbed his forehead, thinking to himself that he hadn't done much of anything. Why was the Pope being so generous with his praise?
(End of Chapter)
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