บท 99: Mohammad's Plan

The capital of the Mughal Empire, Agra.

Mohammed the Vth sat in his study room, engrossed in documents detailing the daily management of the Empire. His peace was abruptly disrupted by a knock on the door, causing annoyance to crease his face.

"Come in," he said.

As the door opened, the old Prime Minister entered, causing a momentary disturbance. Despite his initial irritation, Mohammed held back from reprimanding the old man, recognizing his long and loyal service to the family. The Prime Minister had served both his father and him, appearing worn and aged, his hands trembling with the signs of old age. Mohammed, realizing the old man might linger for a few more years, decided to relieve him of his duties after the conquest of Vijayanagara.

The old man greeted, "Salam walae kum jahapana," and continued, "Your Highness, the army is assembled and ready for battle. We have managed to recruit a standing army of 200,000 soldiers. Among them, half are well-trained veterans, while the rest are newly trained soldiers. Although they may not be as combat-effective as the veterans, we have invested resources in them, providing training in formations, instructions in war, and basic martial arts. While this group may not stand against a well-trained army, they are suitable for backup and reserve, which should be enough to take on the Vijayanagara Empire," the old man said with a scheming glint in his eyes.

Mohammad, upon hearing the news, was jolted awake. He quickly sprang up from his seat and approached the old man, praising, "Great. You did very well, old man. Very well. After my conquest of Vijayanagara, your son will take your place, and you will be relieved of your duty. You can rest well then."

The old man, touched by these words, tears welled up in his eyes as he knelt down to express his gratitude. His family had been serving the Royal family for as long as he could remember. Raised by Mohammed's father from a very young age, his family was cultivated to be good helpers to the Royal Family.

Since then, he has been dedicated to this job. Now, in his old age, he couldn't manage all the affairs of the Empire. He was grateful to His Highness for relieving this burden. Typically, people in his position would work in the same role until their death, replaced only upon their demise. The kindness shown by His Highness, allowing him to retire early and appointing his son, deeply touched him.

Mohammed, seeing the old man kneeling, quickly ordered him to get up, saying, "Hey, alright, alright. You have worked hard enough to deserve this. Okay, tell me about the cannons that are being manufactured. Is the quantity I required manufactured?" Mohammed asked with anticipation.

The old man swiftly responded, "Your Highness, unfortunately, due to the high skill required to build these things, we are still short of a few divisions' worth of cannons. We have currently manufactured 70 cannons capable of firing distances of up to 80 meters, launching a 10-kilogram projectile. Its power is strong enough to breach a normal city wall with a few minutes of constant bombardment," the old man said with some pride.

However, Mohammed heard the answer and was left with disappointment, expecting that the manufacturing would have been completed by now. He still felt uneasy without more firepower, so he ordered, "I will give you 2 months. I need 50 more cannons as soon as possible. I do not want to hear any reasons. Do you understand?"

"As you wish, Your Highness," the old man replied with a hint of fear. Mohammad followed up his order, saying, "Mobilize army reactions and logistical supplies needed for the war from now on. I need enough supplies to last for a whole year. Make sure to send scouts beforehand to mark out the layout of Vijayanagara and gather any information that could be beneficial in this war."

"As you wish, Your Highness," the old man said as he finally left the room.

Soon, the Mughal Empire mobilized a large amount of food, medical supplies, and horses on a large scale. Merchants in the Mughal Empire noticed the difference, as the resources were procured at an astonishing rate. This news quickly reached the lurking spies in the Mughal Empire. Even the merchants sensed the unusualness of the economy, much less the deeply integrated spy network of Vijayanagara.

After a detailed investigation, it was confirmed that the Mughal Empire was preparing for war again in a matter of 2 to 3 months. This information was collected from various places in the Mughal Empire and swiftly sent to the Secret Service headquarters in Vijayanagar. Roshan, upon receiving this news, quickly made it a top priority and forwarded it to Vijay.