Chapter 436: The Stars of Paris
"But…" The Indian officer tried to say something more, but Marquis Wellesley raised his hand to cut him off. "If you don't want to lose soldiers, then go and conscript some untouchables. It doesn't matter who they are as long as they can draw enemy fire."
The officer immediately fell silent, bowed respectfully, and left. On the Indian subcontinent, the lives of those from lower castes were considered worthless—no one cared how many died.
Wellesley turned back to Cornwallis and continued, "This way, Tipu will have to split his forces to defend Mangalore."
South of Mangalore was the capital of Mysore, the city of Mysore itself, the second-largest city in the kingdom. Tipu Sultan couldn't afford to abandon it easily.
Wellesley went on, "Once the Mysorean army starts moving, I'll take the marines by ship around Cape Comorin to launch a surprise attack on Tiruchirappalli."
Cape Comorin is the southernmost tip of the Indian subcontinent, and Tiruchirappalli was a crucial city in southeastern Carnatic that Tipu Sultan had already captured.
If they could recapture Tiruchirappalli, Mysore's eastern advance would be stalled.
"You stay here at Mangalore and keep using my tactics to clear out these annoying forts. By the time I secure a victory over there, you should be nearing Mysore city."
Wellesley waved his cane, adding, "Then we can launch a two-pronged attack on Tipu. I expect by fall, he'll be begging us to sign a ceasefire."
...
In the eastern Mysorean city of Salem, Tipu Sultan watched as a series of wagons rolled into the city, his tense expression finally relaxing a little.
The wagons carried flintlock muskets, gunpowder, some medicines, and uniforms, all freshly arrived from the Ottomans. With these supplies, his army should have enough ammunition to last until the rainy season.
But he was also acutely aware that with the loss of control over the southern coast, getting more supplies into Mysore would become increasingly difficult. The battles ahead would only grow tougher.
At first, Tipu had dismissed Lafayette's warnings, but after months of fighting, he had come to realize that the British were far more formidable than he had anticipated.
The red-coated soldiers were highly trained and extremely disciplined; he often had to mobilize tens of thousands of his troops just to barely counter two or three thousand British soldiers.
Moreover, the British commanders were cunning, rarely leaving any openings in their strategies.
When the British launched a surprise attack on Tiruchirappalli, Tipu's force of 30,000 was routed by just under 4,000 British troops and about 10,000 Hyderabadis in less than three days. Tiruchirappalli, which he had recently captured, was lost again.
As a result, he had to retreat to Salem.
If he couldn't hold this third-largest city in Mysore, the British would push straight to Seringapatam, his administrative center.
Tipu carefully recalled Lafayette's advice before his departure, first sending a trusted officer to check the grain reserves and then summoning his minister, Shah, to arrange some secret negotiations in Hyderabad.
Meanwhile, Wellesley rode his horse up a small hill overlooking the distant city of Salem, feeling a sense of satisfaction.
This British "warlord," though commanding a large army for the first time, had turned the tide in favor of the British in just a few months, and the momentum had now swung entirely in their favor.
A command sent from London the day before had promoted him to major general, giving him full control over the war in India.
Wellesley had been holding onto a grudge, just waiting to stabilize the situation in India before returning to settle scores with those Frenchmen!
He kicked his horse forward, galloping down towards Salem, shouting orders to his officers, "Prepare the troops! We'll launch a full-scale assault on Salem at noon the day after tomorrow."
...
Paris.
On the main street south of the Louvre, Schmidt hunched his shoulders against the cold wind, glancing at the darkening sky. "Damn this cold wind. I'm about ready to head back to the hotel. Why are the French holding the opening ceremony of the exposition at night?"
His servant looked at the nearby children and whispered, "Sir, would you like me to rent a hand warmer for you?"
"Oh, alright. I'm freezing."
Just as the servant left, lively music began to play all around.
Schmidt looked up to see a unit of palace guards parting the crowd. Dressed in a white gown and wearing a hat adorned with colorful feathers, the Queen of France stepped down from a carriage across the street, accompanied by a group of officials, and made her way to a large platform that had been set up.
After a flurry of drumbeats, a court official signaled everyone to bow, and then Queen Marie raised her arms, skipping any formalities and loudly proclaiming, "Let all our friends who have come to Paris join me in witnessing a magnificent spectacle!"
Before Schmidt could react, the sound of cannons firing echoed through the streets, and a string of dazzling "stars" began to light up from both ends of the street, rapidly illuminating the night.
In just a few minutes, the entire street was transformed, as if by magic, into something as bright as daylight!
Like everyone else, Schmidt shielded his eyes from the intense white light, staring in astonishment at the strange new streetlights.
Unlike the kerosene lamps he had seen before, these lights were incredibly bright, allowing him to clearly see the embroidery patterns on the dress of the woman standing next to him.
People immediately began buzzing with excitement. "What kind of light is this? It's so bright!"
"I've heard it's called a gas lamp. There were a few installed in the Saint-Germain district months ago."
"Oh, God, it's like there's no night here anymore…"
Moments later, the band resumed playing, and Queen Marie, smiling brightly, announced, "This is France's first exhibit at this Industrial Exposition. Oh, forgive us for not displaying it in the Palais Royal—it's simply too large.
"It's called the gas streetlamp. Soon, it will light up all of Paris! While other places are shrouded in darkness, this city will remain vibrant and bustling!
"And now, the World Industrial Exposition officially begins.
"I will be joining you in this global celebration. Enjoy the wonders and conveniences that industrial technology brings!"
As the Queen of France continued her enthusiastic speech, Schmidt could no longer contain himself. He squeezed out of the crowd and looked up at the distant skyline, where the whole city of Paris seemed dotted with twinkling lights. Streams of light stretched out into the horizon, reminding him of the futuristic worlds he had read about in novels.
Suddenly wide awake, he accepted the hand warmer from his servant and joined the throngs of people strolling along the brightly lit street.
The shops along the way remained open, street vendors energetically hawked their goods, and the streets were even busier than during the day. The night added a touch of mystery and elegance to the lively atmosphere.
(End of Chapter)
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