Persian Empire 1845

Chapter 103 Indian Harvest
Looking at the sea of ​​people, Naserdin felt gratified. It seemed the event hadn't been in vain; he had been worried no one would come.

"Judging from this, there will probably be many visitors. That's good; it will help more people understand the benefits of industry, and it will also make it easier for the government to implement policies."

Naser al-Din returned to the Gulestan Palace satisfied, but he saw Said pacing anxiously. Upon seeing the Shah, he hurried over.

"What's wrong? What happened?"

“Shah, something terrible has happened!” Said said anxiously. “Our fleet that went to Qing China encountered a storm at sea, and the ships and cargo have sunk.”

This news startled Naserdin, who immediately inquired about the details. Sayyid recounted everything he knew.

It turned out that after the brothers received the investment, they picked up the goods in Calcutta and prepared to sail to Hong Kong. After only a few days of sailing, they encountered a storm at sea, and half of the cargo sank into the water with the ship.

The remaining cargo could have been transported, but they unexpectedly drifted to a coast in Sumatra. The local people robbed the merchant ship as soon as they saw it, killing many of the crew members, including the older brother. In the end, only the younger brother escaped with 17 crew members.

Saeed looked at Shah Nasser al-Din, his face expressionless. He simply said, "It seems even the heavens are preventing me from getting involved in this industry. Oh well, since that's how it is, let's not do anything. Let them recover from their injuries, and if they're willing, they can continue to help with trade."

It seems like he made a mistake by participating in this; he should have just not gone. Maybe he should consider taking a different path.

Saeed was also extremely anxious. This failed trade would definitely be a blow to the Shah, and he hoped that his son could give him good news.

By this time, Muhammad had arrived in India. His team consisted of more than twenty people, disguised as two caravans, and they were now waiting in this small village for the other caravan to arrive.

They had already scouted the place; the temple hadn't been looted much, and it must contain a great deal of treasure. However, they needed to enter at night. Of course, this would have to wait until they regrouped; otherwise, if the temple was too rich, they wouldn't be able to move it all.

Just then, a figure ran over. Behind him were many others; it was another team led by Adil.

"Are you all ready?"

"Of course, I've found a lot of vehicles to transport them out smoothly. Every extra day I stay here means another point for failure. I need to finish quickly and go back."

Muhammad nodded. Wasn't this group just trying to make the Shah realize their value? Hurry up.

They then began to assign tasks: some kept watch outside, some observed the road conditions, and the rest were tasked with scouting and looting.

"Abbas, you take your men and subdue the temple guards one by one quietly. I don't want to see any unexpected situations. Once we have control of the temple, Adil, as soon as you receive the signal, bring the carriage over immediately."

"it is good"

As Muhammad finished assigning tasks, those who received their assignments immediately began preparing. Hooks, crossbows, grappling hooks, ropes, and other equipment were all strapped to their bodies. Seeing that everything was ready, he waved his hand. "Let's go." The Padmanabaswami Temple stood tall and mysterious at night, and figures dressed in dark clothes quietly approached the temple.

A yawning monk, guarding the temple, patrols the interior with a lantern. As a Brahmanical temple, it inevitably receives donations from many believers, and to prevent malicious prying, a necessary protective force is essential.

However, these guardians from the common people were no match for them. Suddenly, without the monk noticing, a pair of hands reached out from the darkness and grabbed his neck. With a snap, the monk collapsed to the ground. The lantern and wooden stick he was carrying fell to the ground.

After the monk collapsed, several masked men dressed in black carried away his body, taking even the fallen lamp and wooden stick. A chilling silence returned.

Such scenes were playing out throughout the temple, but some were always caught off guard. One monk tried to shout, only to be beheaded. To make today's operation go more smoothly, they bribed the cooks to put sleeping pills in their food; some felt unwell and fell asleep, leaving only a few to stubbornly endure the pain.

"A total of 44 people have all been dealt with."

"Understood. Be vigilant and prevent any from escaping." After instructing his men, Muhammad gestured to Adil beside him. Based on the intelligence gathered over the past two days, they arrived at the secret chamber deep within the temple.

"Look at the map, this is it," one person said quietly after looking at the map for a while.

"Everyone get ready, what we're about to do is change ourselves."

Everyone nodded, and they began to explore the secret chambers. They soon discovered that one of the chambers was different. One wall was a different color from the others, suggesting it was built later. Upon closer inspection, they could also see that the filling material in the cracks was different as well.

This wall looks very sturdy; it would have taken a lot of effort and time to build it in the past.

Since that's the case, let's get straight to the technology. Quickly drill holes in the rocks, then swiftly insert gunpowder and ignite it. A few minutes later, with a loud bang, cracks appeared in the wall. Repeat this several times, and the wall collapsed completely; now we can reap the rewards.

Upon entering the cave, everyone was stunned. Mountains of gold ornaments were piled up, the most eye-catching being a golden elephant as tall as a person. Nearby, numerous chests were also stacked.

Adil stepped forward and pried open a box, which was full of various gold coins. "Quickly, get ready to move it."

Adil's words got everyone on the scene to work, and they loaded the treasures onto wagons and drove them away. They even dismantled the gate in the process.

Besides this one secret chamber containing treasure, other chambers also contained finds. Large quantities of gold and silver coins and artifacts were piled up like mountains. Empty horse-drawn carriages carrying these goods entered the temple one after another, their axles creaking under the weight as they left. This continued until dawn, when the returning caravans thoughtfully secured the gates before speeding away.

这次他们可是准备了80辆马车，全都装的满满当当。虽然不知道到底有多少，但这里面包括一条重逾1吨的金饰、1只黄金铸造的1.2米高大象雕像、17公斤属于17世纪的东印度公司铸造的金币、18枚19世纪初拿破仑时期的硬币、用丝缠绕的宝石、逾1000公斤重的金币和金饰，还有数千年前长3米多、重2.5公斤的金项链等。

To avoid suspicion, they went to great lengths to disguise themselves as a caravan importing cotton from India, even bribing several customs officials to turn a blind eye. Along the way, they observed the dark-skinned, short Indians, wondering if these people could truly hold onto so much wealth, and vowing to plunder the area again if they ever returned.

(End of this chapter)