Holy Roman Empire Chapter 815 - Having Too Much Money is Also A Burden

            



        Just as Austria was getting ready to flip the table, a dramatic change also took place in Egypt.         No matter how much Russia and Austria tried to hold things back, the Mahdist uprising army couldn’t withstand the full-force assault of the French. Their battle performance was downright disastrous.         If it weren’t for the Eighth Division causing destruction during their retreat and blocking the Nile River, which increased logistical pressure on the French, the French army would have already reached the heart of the uprising, which was Sudan.         At the Eighth Division headquarters, Falkenhayn rushed in and said, “Lieutenant Colonel, something big has happened.         We just received news that Mahdi died last night. The cause of death is still unclear, but it’s suspected to be related to an infection from his wound.”         To survive on the battlefield, it takes more than just skill. A large part of it depends on luck.         Mahdi was particularly unlucky. While inspecting his troops, he was hit in the left leg by a stray bullet that seemed to come out of nowhere.         The bullet didn’t hit the bone, only leaving a hole in his thigh. Given the medical standards of the time, this would be considered a minor injury.         Since the bullet didn’t strike a vital area, he would have had a high chance of survival if treatment had been given promptly.         However, Mahdi’s luck ran out. That small wound ended up getting infected.         In theory, an infection isn’t necessarily fatal. With the use of antibiotics, most cases can be treated and lives can be saved. If things really get bad, amputation is still an option for survival.         Unfortunately, this is the African continent, where medical supplies are scarce. Britain and Austria were certainly not generous enough to send medical personnel to support the uprising forces. What remained common here was more of the old ways...         In any case, after a series of mishandlings, Mahdi’s body gave out.         Whether Mahdi lived or died wasn’t the most important thing. What truly mattered was the timing of his death. If he had died at a different moment, people like Hutier wouldn’t have even bothered to care.         But now was the worst possible time. The uprising forces had just suffered a major defeat, completely crushed by the French, and were in desperate need of a morale boost.         To make things worse, Mahdi died right then and there. The army didn’t even have a single figure to rally behind.         No matter who took the leadership role, it was impossible to win everyone’s trust. A power struggle within the uprising forces was inevitable.         At this point, the rebels were truly “beset by troubles both within and without,” and collapse could happen at any moment.         After a brief moment of silence, Hutier gave a bitter smile and said, “This news couldn’t have come at a worse time. It looks like our mission is coming to an end.”         The unwillingness in his tone, along with the hint of worry between his brows, made it clear that Hutier was far from calm.         In times of peace, it’s incredibly difficult for soldiers to make a name for themselves. This Egyptian rebellion had already been the best opportunity they could hope for.         Leaving now would certainly earn them a decent evaluation, but that’s all it would be—decent. If it were graded, they might score an 80 at best, still a full 20 points short of perfection.         Strategically, they could count it as a success. They had succeeded in creating trouble for the French. But tactically, they didn’t achieve a single commendable victory.         The few wins they had were built on sheer numbers. In nearly every battle, their casualties were several times higher than the enemy’s.         Competition within the Austrian army was brutally fierce, driven by the law of the jungle where only the strongest thrived. With results like these, they had nothing they could proudly present.         Potiorek said, “We have to leave anyway, so we might as well slip away while there’s still chaos. If we stay any longer, we’ll end up witnessing a farce.”         With the French army closing in and the rebel forces on the verge of collapse, the leadership was still busy scheming and fighting for power.         As a professional soldier, Potiorek had no desire to watch this kind of circus unfold.         Especially since staying any longer could drag Austria into the mess. That was something they absolutely could not allow.                 As expected, no sooner had Hutier and the others left than a power struggle broke out within the ranks of the uprising forces.         If the French hadn’t suddenly launched an offensive that forced the rebels to retreat once again, things might have escalated into a full-blown internal conflict.         Operating on the principle of “if I can’t have it, then neither can the enemy,” Lieutenant General Jarrett, who was an outsider, somehow found himself named the new leader of the uprising forces in the midst of all the confusion.         Of course, this “leader” title was only nominal. In reality, Jarrett had no control over anyone. If he wanted to command the troops, he had to rely on handing out weapons and supplies to bribe them into action.         Inside the central command post, Lieutenant General Jarrett, who had just taken over as acting commander-in-chief, was busy trying to clean up the mess.         “General, we just received word. The entire upper leadership of the Eighth Division has vanished. It looks like the Austrians have chosen to abandon the uprising.”         With a loud bang, the documents on Jarrett’s desk flew into the air.         There was no doubt that this was a devastating blow for Lieutenant General Jarrett.         Without Austria’s support, the chances of the uprising turning the tide became even slimmer.         Unlike most foreign officers, Jarrett genuinely hoped for the rebellion’s success. Ever since the great victory at Aswan catapulted him into the ranks of world-renowned generals, his fate had been tied to the uprising.         A renowned general needs real victories to back up his reputation. And there’s no accomplishment that can compare to defeating the French.         In life, everything comes down to fame and fortune.         Lieutenant General Jarrett was no exception. Especially after tasting success, he had no desire to lose it.         After all, the so-called great victory at Aswan was far from perfect. The casualties suffered by the rebels were much higher than those of the French.         If it hadn’t been for political considerations, a battle like that—where both sides were badly wounded—would never have been glorified.         No one liked a ruthless commander, especially the lower-ranking officers and soldiers. No one wanted to be sacrificed.         With this kind of record, Jarrett would return home with some reputation, but not much else. He might even be sidelined entirely.         Getting angry wouldn’t solve anything. Unless Britain or Austria intervened directly, the outcome of the rebellion was already set in stone.         Originally, Jarrett’s plan was to provoke a conflict between France and Austria, dragging Austria into the war. Given the current international climate, as long as there was a spark, there was an eighty percent chance that a conflict between France and Austria would break out.         After calming down, Lieutenant General Jarrett realized the situation was beyond saving and said, “Jack, get everything ready. We need to leave as soon as possible.         It has to be done in secret. We can’t attract the attention of those people. And remember, everything in the warehouse must be taken with us.”         If it were just about fleeing, there would be no need to pack anything. Quietly slipping away would have been much better.         Clearly, Lieutenant General Jarrett wasn’t the type to leave empty-handed. He had used his position to reap a great deal of personal gain.         After all, Egypt was an ancient civilization with a rich history, filled with gold, silver, and jewels, not to mention a vast number of antiques and cultural relics.         The latter, in particular, held no value in the eyes of the rebel leadership. Since Jarrett liked them, of course they were offered up to him.         If they didn’t please the man in charge, who knew whether they’d be cut off from aid and supplies during the next round of distribution?         Now that it was time to flee, Jarrett hadn’t forgotten about his spoils. In fact, he was thinking even bigger, eyeing the rebel army’s stored collections as well.         The young officer Jack shook his head and said, “General, we’ve got too much stuff. It would take at least dozens of wagons to transport everything.         With that much cargo, it’ll be nearly impossible to slip away quietly without alerting the rebel leadership.”         Jarrett had once heard a line that sounded overly pretentious: “Having too much money is also a burden.” He never imagined that one day he’d truly experience it himself.         Trying to flee with dozens of wagons in tow… Forget hiding it from the rebel leaders, even the enemy French would probably notice.         Once the news got out, it wouldn’t just be a matter of escaping with the loot. Whether they could even keep their lives would be a big question.         Lieutenant General Jarrett snapped, “Idiot. When did I ever tell you to just run off on your own? Without the protection of the main army, all this loot becomes a death sentence.”         Jack, unfazed by the scolding, grinned and asked, “Uncle, what’s your plan then?”         Jarrett shot his nephew a glare and said irritably, “Shut up. You’re supposed to call me General. If you want to go further in the army, don’t let anyone know we’re related.”         Like most European armies of the time, the British military was filled with nepotism. But these things were understood, not spoken of.         To avoid provoking resentment among the rank and file, those born into privilege had to enjoy the benefits while keeping a low profile.         If their connections were exposed, it might not matter in the short term. But when it came time for promotions, others would start looking at them differently.         It might not seem like a big deal at first, just some envy and resentment from regular soldiers, but it could cause serious trouble down the line. At higher levels of promotion, if a rival brought it up, it could be the last straw that broke the camel’s back.         As for the evacuation plan?         Who needed some elaborate strategy? Just take the whole army and leave together.         As long as they crossed the border into British-controlled Africa, everything would be safely in the bag. *** https://postimg.cc/gallery/PwXsBkC (Maps of the current territories of the countries in this novel made by ScH)

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