After the signing of the Russo-Afghan Treaty, the Emir only temporarily breathed a sigh of relief. In fact, he did not trust any of the Western powers, and his decision to ally with the Russians was made out of sheer necessity. With the start of the Anglo-Russian struggle for influence in Central Asia, a small country like Afghanistan simply did not have the strength to remain neutral and was forced to choose sides. Frankly speaking, neither Britain nor Russia was a good choice. Both were eyeing Afghan territory. The friendliness of the Russians was only because their reach did not yet extend that far.
By drawing Afghanistan to their side, they could frustrate the British and, more importantly, increase the success rate of their southward strategy. It was precisely because they could not yet reach that far that the Emir could confidently and boldly ally with the Russians. If Afghanistan actually bordered Russia, the Emir would not have dared to sign that treaty. This was not an unfounded fear. Looking at so many of the Russian Empire’s neighbors, aside from the powerful Austrian Empire, which of them had not been invaded by Russia? That alone was enough to make the point clear. So, even while drawing closer to Russia, the Emir had not given up on easing relations with the British. Even though the Emir knew the British were constantly eyeing Afghanistan, he had no choice.
For a small country to survive, its politicians could not afford to hold grudges. … The Emir firmly refused, “Mr. Walters, your country’s demands are excessive. We can safeguard our own security. We do not need your country’s garrison. There is no sovereign state in the world that can tolerate foreign troops stationed on its own soil.” After several days of probing, Walters already understood very clearly that this was the bottom line of the Afghan government and that there was no room for negotiation. “Your Majesty, if your country does not agree to let us station troops, then please open a passage for our army to head north and assist the Khanate of Bukhara, which is currently being invaded by the Russians.” Granting passage was somewhat more acceptable than stationing troops, but the Emir remained suspicious of British intentions. After all, their credibility was about as reliable as toilet paper. After a moment’s hesitation, the Emir once again refused, saying, “If your country wants to help the Khanate of Bukhara, there are two other routes you can take. Why must you pass through Afghan territory? You should know that our transportation infrastructure is very poor here, and the people are extremely hostile to your country. If your troops pass through, accidents are likely to happen.” Whether or not the British had any tricks up their sleeve, since Afghanistan had already chosen a side, allowing British troops to pass through would be impossible to explain to the Russians. Trying to play both sides was the fastest path to destruction. The Emir understood this simple truth and chose to shift the problem elsewhere. As long as he could get rid of these troublesome British, he did not care which country they eventually used as a route. Walters’ heart sank. He knew that this excuse was far from perfect. To send troops to assist the Khanate of Bukhara, there were actually three possible routes. Given these choices, the British government had no reason to insist on passing through Afghanistan, where anti-British sentiment was strongest. It would only invite trouble. Though he understood this, he absolutely could not admit it aloud. With a strong composure, Walters answered without changing expression, “Of course, it is all for the sake of Anglo-Afghan friendship. Although our two countries have had some unpleasant encounters in the past, that is all in the past now. The British government now wishes to repair our relations. Requesting passage through your country is a chance to break the ice between us. Once this is accomplished, there is even a possibility that our two nations could become true allies in the future.” In the shortest time possible, Walters had fabricated a reason that sounded fairly decent. Even he was somewhat impressed by his own quick thinking. However, the final promise he made was a bit too much. Britain barely had any nominal allies, and as for genuine allies, you would be hard pressed to find even one in a history book. Anyone who believed that claim would have to be completely out of their mind. The Emir was not a fool. Upon hearing this explanation, he completely lost hope in the British. He did not respond right away but instead simply stared Walters up and down, the contempt on his face obvious. Having failed to deceive the Emir, Walters was not the least bit surprised. A king who had survived the brutal world of political struggle would not be so easily fooled by a few words. After staring each other down for about two minutes, Walters slowly spoke and questioned, “Has your country signed a secret treaty with the Russians?” Having his intentions called out, the Emir’s expression changed dramatically, though he quickly regained his composure. The number of people who knew about the Russo-Afghan secret treaty was fewer than the fingers on one hand, and the chance of a leak was almost zero. That meant Walters was simply probing. He hurriedly and firmly denied it, saying, “Of course not. How could we possibly have dealings with the evil Russians?” The Emir was not a skilled actor. The panic that flashed across his face had already revealed a lot. After realizing the truth, Walters knew that his mission to win over Afghanistan had failed. Without pressing the matter further, he exchanged a few polite words and took his leave. As the carriage slowly rolled out of the royal palace, the frustrated Walters closed his eyes, focusing on how he might sabotage the Russo-Afghan secret treaty. Suddenly, the carriage came to a halt. Drawing on his experience of many trips to and from the palace, Walters knew it was far too soon to have returned to his residence. He immediately asked, “Wha happened?” Before the guards could respond, a series of deafening explosions erupted. The carriage was flipped over, and Walters lost consciousness for the last time. The few guards who had miraculously survived finally realized what had happened. It was yet another assassination attempt. Unlike the previous attempts, this one had clearly been meticulously planned. From the initial ambush to the later suicide attack, everything had been executed seamlessly. As for the assassin? If the man who had rushed in carrying explosives counted, then what remained now was nothing but scattered, mangled flesh. Without modern forensic technology, no one could determine who the real culprit was. Even if by some chance they managed to deduce the identity of the assassin, it would be of no use. The dead do not speak. Upon receiving the news, the Emir fainted on the spot. He simply could not bear such a blow. By this time, Redmond had already set out on his return journey. Having successfully brokered the Russo-Afghan alliance, his official mission was complete. The rest was no longer Austria’s concern. … Inside the Government House in Calcutta, Viceroy Lytton had just entered his office when he received the news, unsure whether it was good or bad. From the perspective of the British Viceroy of India, the assassination came at a very opportune time, providing Britain with an excuse to invade Afghanistan. Unfortunately, Britain was currently in a military arms race with France and Austria, and it was not the right moment to provoke war. With a loud “bang,” hot coffee splashed out. Although Walters had been sent by him to stir things up, as an envoy, he represented Britain’s dignity. Now, he had been assassinated, and Lytton found it hard to control his emotions. He immediately shouted angrily, “This is a provocation against Britain. Demand that the Afghan government hand over the murderer within a week, or face the consequences!” As the Viceroy of India, Lytton wielded significant power, including the authority to declare war. In fact, much of the territory of British India had been expanded by colonial governors on their own initiative. If everything had to wait for decisions from the British government, nothing would ever get done. The broader national interests? That was the job of the Prime Minister and the Cabinet. The Viceroy of India only needed to consider the “big picture” of the region of India. After a brief pause, Viceroy Lytton issued another order: “Order all troops to be ready for combat. The humiliation Britain has suffered must only be cleansed with blood!” What the truth was no longer mattered. In any case, Viceroy Lytton had already made up his mind about the Afghan government. … In London, by the time the news of the assassination arrived, it was already evening. Upon receiving this bad news, Prime Minister Gladstone no longer cared about resting. In all honesty, he never intended to stir up trouble in Central Asia at this time. He was also completely unaware of the mission to send a diplomatic delegation to Afghanistan. It wasn’t that Prime Minister Gladstone was neglecting his duties, it was simply that these trivial matters didn’t require the Prime Minister’s attention. Sending a delegation was a small issue. If Walters hadn’t been assassinated, embarrassing Britain, no one would have reported it to him. Prime Minister Gladstone asked, “Has the killer been found?” Who the killer was, Gladstone had no interest in knowing. As a skilled politician, his primary concern was how Britain could benefit from this incident. Inquiring about the killer was more of a formality. Generally, the true culprit would be pointed out based on what would maximize Britain’s interests. Foreign Secretary George shook his head, “It seems to be related to local extremist religious groups. As for who exactly did it, there are very few clues at the scene, and it will be difficult to uncover the truth for now.” That wasn’t really an answer. Whoever was willing to carry a bomb and carry out a suicide attack could only be from an extremist group, or at least associated with one. Ordinary people wouldn’t have the courage to initiate a suicide attack for an assassination. The biggest dilemma for Prime Minister Gladstone now was whether to seize the opportunity and invade Afghanistan, using the assassination as a pretext. The arms race had only just begun, and taking action against Afghanistan now would undoubtedly increase the government’s financial burden. However, letting this opportunity slip by was frustrating. After all, it’s hard to find a war excuse as convincing as this one. Once they missed this opportunity, it would be gone forever. The assassination of a diplomat touched on a common international bottom line. Using it as a pretext would leave little room for objection from other nations. Even if the Russians wanted to intervene, they could only do so in secret and not openly. *** https://postimg.cc/gallery/PwXsBkC (Maps of the current territories of the countries in this novel made by ScH)
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