BXBX NOVEL Chapter 20: Contacting The Rebel Leaders
Chapter 20: Contacting The Rebel Leaders
Vijay, quickly waved his hand as if he was in a hurry and directly asked, "Do you have a way to supply arms to the rebel forces in the Mughal Empire without the kingdom noticing?"
Major General Yogendra Singh was taken aback by the sudden question from the king, but being an experienced veteran, he quickly regained his composure. he began to think about what the question could mean, and was overjoyed by the possibility of the answer. He swiftly replied, "I can accomplish that, Your Highness. I still have many comrades fighting for freedom within the Mughal Empire. Although they are aware that they do not have a significant military advantage against the Mughal Empire, these individuals are the ones who hold life-and-death grievances against the Mughal Empire. So, they keep on fighting even though they know that there's no chance for them to get back at their enemies, even at the cost of their own lives."
Vijay was satisfied with the answer and ordered him, "Our Empire in the near future will mass produce iron weapons. I need your contacts in the Mughal Empire to buy our arms. Contact them and let them know our intentions."
Major General Yogendra Singh was overjoyed at first, but later replied with a sad expression., "They will buy without a doubt, Your Highness. Although I think their resistance to the Mughal Empire by itself will only cause a little trouble for the empire at the cost of their lives, I believe it can delay the complete integration of the people by the Mughal Empire."
Vijay was satisfied with Major General Yogendra Singh's analysis. He was also happy that the Major General could consider the interests of Vijayanagara before his own. Although some might consider this cold-blooded, one must remember that this is an age where the strong rule the weak, and there are no human rights for the weak.
Vijay read the information about this Yogendra Singh. He had joined the Maratha army after his parents were killed by the Mughal army during a raid on his village. Later, as he wished, he was sent into the Mughal Empire for battle. But due to a leg injury sustained in the battle, he managed to escape from the battlefield and chose to lay low, eventually settling down within the Mughal Empire. Returning to the Maratha empire was not an option as he would be branded a deserter. Instead, he made the difficult choice to start anew.
He even fell in love with a woman, but his plans to propose were killed when she was forced into a marriage arranged to a local noble lord. Powerless to intervene, he watched as the woman he loved was married off against her will. What was even more depressing is that, when she could not secure her place in the harem, she was poisoned to death.
Since then, Major General Yogendra Singh has had an intense hatred against the Mughal Empire. They had taken away his family, his homeland, and the love of his life, leaving him with deep hatred and resentment. This is one of the reasons, along with his battle prowess, that he could rise through the ranks so quickly.
On that very day, Four carrier pigeons reached the rebel leaders in multiple parts of the Mughal Empire, explaining the deal that a mysterious power had offered to the rebel leaders.
In the heartland of the Mughal Empire
The pigeons sent by Yogendra Singh landed on the rebel leaders' windows one by one and delivered a note. The note filled them with hope, as it was from a powerful and mysterious group offering help against the Mughal rule that oppressed them.
Kamal, the leader of the northern resistance force, read the letter with wide eyes, his heart pounding with a mixture of disbelief and excitement. He was overwhelmed by the thought that there were forces coming to their aid. Kamal used to be a normal kid until the Mughals took away their farmland and forced them to pay nearly all their food as taxes, which caused his parents to starve to death.
Murali, a tough man who commanded the loyalty of his people in the West, clutched the letter to his chest. His breath caught as he imagined the revenge that awaited him, envisioning his daughter. Murali was a father of a young daughter, but that was no more when the drunk landlord saw his daughter, and defiled her, causing her to die in the process. As he got no justice, he joined with other like-minded people and chose to be a thorn in the eyes of the empire.
In the eastern corner of the empire, Roshan, a skilled tactician, scanned the words with a mixture of scepticism and hope. He had been betrayed many times before, but the words on this parchment were from his friend and sworn brother, Yogendra. He would not lie to him. Could this mysterious power truly be their salvation? Roshan used to come from a fairly wealthy family; he was well-educated and had a bright future until all their property was seized by the high ranking army personal of the Mughal Empire. When his parents sought justice, they were mysteriously assassinated.
Aditya, a relentless warrior in the south, clenched his fists as he read the message. For years, he had fought fiercely against the Mughals, and now a ray of light emerged at the end of a long, dark tunnel. He pictured giving justice for all the people that raised him. Aditya was an orphan taken care of by the Rama temple, but that changed when the temple he thought was his whole world was set ablaze right in front of his eyes, causing all the priests and orphans like him to be burned alive.
The next day, the four leaders gathered at a hidden spot only they knew about. Their faces showed a mix of excitement and crazyness as they talked about what was in the message. The mysterious power had promised them a lot of iron weapons. Even though they had to pay for it, that wasn't an issue because they had taken a lot of wealth from the nobles they had killed.