With the Ottoman Empire facing internal and external difficulties, Abbas the Great, who had completed a series of reforms, seized the opportunity to dispatch troops, sweeping across the Caucasus region from 1603 to 1604, and in 1605, he decisively defeated the Ottoman Empire's 100,000-strong eastern garrison led by Sinan Pasha in the Battle of Lake Urmia, washing away the Persian's century of humiliation.
By September 1606, the Persian Safavid Dynasty had completely controlled the Azerbaijan region and successfully captured Erzurum. At this time, their morale was high, and their forces pointed directly at Anatolia, showing a strong potential to decide the outcome of the war in one battle.
However, unlike in the original timeline, the Ottoman did not sign a treaty with Austria in 1605 and was still bogged down on the Hungary battlefield. With rebellions in Africa erupting one after another, the Ottoman Empire was almost in a state where it had no troops to spare. On the Anatolian battlefield, it could only rely on defensive fortifications to hold on.
It was against this backdrop that Facio, dispatched by Augustus, crossed the Mediterranean, traversed the Arabian Desert, and detoured through the Strait of Hormuz. Along the way, he experienced pirate pursuits, bandit robberies, rebel attacks on cities, and garrison pursuits, finally arriving in Persia with the few remaining members of his delegation.
Upon entering Persia, Facio immediately revealed his identity. Although the Papal States was a completely foreign religion to Persia, and they didn't have much concrete understanding of it, it sounded very influential. However, upon learning that Facio had come through countless hardships to jointly resist the Ottoman Empire, he was welcomed with open arms by the populace wherever he went.
Along the way, Facio also witnessed the prosperity of Persia and learned about the brilliant military victories Persia had achieved in recent years, expressing his sincere joy and admiration. Upon learning of the deep-seated animosity between Persia and the Ottoman Empire and how the Persian army, after capturing a city, would parade the heads of the Ottoman Empire's defenders on spear tips, he felt that this diplomatic mission was even more significant.
Under the widespread welcome of the Persian military and civilians, Facio finally arrived at the capital of the Persian Empire, Isfahan, known as the "Half of the World."
Abbas the Great was not carried away by the string of victories. He clearly understood that to further strike the Ottoman Empire, he still needed to win over as many allies as possible, and the Papal States was the nominal leader of the entire Catholic world, playing a decisive role in whether the war on the Ottoman Empire's western front could continue.
Therefore, Abbas attached great importance to this visit. Not only did he and his diplomatic staff cram relevant knowledge about the Papal States, but he also set the location for receiving and banqueting Facio in the magnificent Forty Columns Palace, even personally hosting a welcoming reception for the Papal States envoy.
This action naturally met with opposition from many conservatives within the country, who believed that although there was room for cooperation between the two countries in confronting the Ottoman Empire, the other party was, after all, the leader of the Catholic. Welcoming him to the sacred Forty Columns Palace and lowering oneself to such an extent was a blasphemy against Allah.
Abbas the Great, who had completed centralization of power, could easily suppress any opposing forces. He merely quoted a line from the Persian poet Saadi, which made these dissenting voices disappear: "Whoever desires help in times of adversity should treat others with generosity in ordinary times."
The Forty Columns Palace is located in a large garden covering an area of square meters. In front of the palace is a huge portico supported by 20 colossal monolithic cedar pillars. In front of the portico is a pond 110 meters long and 16 meters wide, with water spouting from the mouths of four lions placed at the bottom of the pond.
The pond water was crystal clear and shimmering. The wooden pillars were reflected in the water, and another 20 identical pillars appeared. Half were made of wood, while the other half were illusory reflections in the water. This combination of reality and illusion, the human world and the world beneath the water, two realms, invited contemplation. The name "Forty Columns Palace" originated from this.
The interior walls and ceiling of the palace are inlaid with mirrors, colored glass, and murals. Most of the murals employ meticulous brushwork, with clear and delicate lines. Some depict historical scenes of the Persian fighting against the Uzbeks, Mughals, and Ottoman, some reflect solemn scenes of the king receiving foreign envoys, some portray social scenes of men and women dancing, and others are decorative patterns of animals and plants.
The subdivided structure composed of glazed glass bricks, the diversity of materials used in the interior decoration of the palace, and the architecture itself—all of this naturally showcased the prosperity and strength of the Persian Empire.
Walking through the magnificent Forty Columns Palace, and thinking of meeting the ruler of such a vast empire, then looking at the few remaining entourage members beside him, Facio suddenly felt his heart pounding fiercely. He then stopped to admire a mural depicting a battle between Persia and the Ottoman Empire, using his interest in it as an excuse.
This action, far from displeasing the Persian, instead ignited a strong sense of pride in them. Many attendants proactively introduced the background and content of the mural to Facio, which effectively broke down communication barriers between the two countries and greatly eased the tension of everyone in Facio's delegation.
Abbas the Great's original plan was to have a designated person guide the Papal States delegation to admire everything in the Forty Columns Palace after the reception and banquet. He was very pleased to learn of their strong interest and, not putting on any imperial airs, decided to immediately go to that mural with his people and converse with the Papal States delegation.
The delegation was listening with great interest to the Persian attendants' introductions, translated by their accompanying interpreter, when suddenly a high-pitched Persian voice came from afar. All the Persian attendants immediately knelt down.
Facio was confused when the accompanying interpreter told him that Abbas the Great had arrived. He almost stumbled. The emperor of such a vast empire was actually so unpretentious, actually moving to meet him. If His Holiness the Pope were to move to meet a Persian delegation, it would probably mean the collapse of the Catholic world. He quickly reviewed the etiquette with the other members of the delegation.
As the other party drew closer, Facio led the delegation in a bow and said, "Great Abbas the Great, our delegation, on behalf of the Papal States, extends our most sincere greetings to you. May the prosperity of the Persian Empire be as eternal as the sun and moon, and may the friendship between our two nations last as long as heaven and earth!"
Abbas the Great made a gesture to rise and then walked directly to the mural that had made Facio stop. After a brief glance, he understood and said, "That was a very difficult battle. The brave Persian army achieved the final victory and gained land."
Subsequently, Abbas's tone became somewhat sorrowful: "It's just a pity that later, the Persian Empire suffered constant internal strife, its national strength was depleted, and it disintegrated. The gains from that battle were long gone, and since then, the Persian have been suppressed by the Ottoman Empire for centuries."
Facio was about to say something when Abbas spoke again, his tone shifting from sorrow to coldness and determination: "However, such things will not happen again! This time, we have forged a truly powerful and soon-to-be completely unified Persian Empire; and in this war, we will not only reclaim lost territories but also ensure that the despicable Ottoman Empire will never rise again!"
Subsequently, all the Persian spontaneously raised their arms and cheered, their eyes filled with fanaticism: "Persia is unified!!"
Facio felt immensely shocked. This was an unparalleled desire for unification and a deep-seated hatred for the Ottoman Empire.