The Fox of France

The distance to Istanbul is a bit farther, and since they don't have telegrams, Sultan Selim III got the news of the recapture of Tripoli by the invincible Turkish army a bit later than the European countries like France. However, when dispatching the expeditionary force, they had already decided who would rule Tripoli once it was captured. So, in reality, the Turks acted faster than the French and the Vatican.

Nevertheless, the Turks didn't engage in any unscrupulous activities during this time gap. Before deploying the troops, everyone had already discussed issues such as land distribution and the selection of church sites. It was agreed that the final decisions would be made only after the French consul and representatives from the Vatican arrived. Therefore, the Turks' actions were, in fact, faster than both the French and the Vatican.

However, taking the initiative did have its advantages, especially when it came to wealth distribution.

So, when Viktor arrived in Tripoli, the Turks had already registered the situation of the estates in the area. The remaining tasks mainly involved two things: identifying the believers and allocating the land.

Identifying the believers should have been straightforward because every Christian slave theoretically should have been on a list. However, the great fire in Tripoli destroyed many things, including the lists, making it uncertain whether a person was a Christian or not.

When Viktor saw the "Christian Slave List" provided by the Turks, he immediately noticed a problem. The number of Christians on the list seemed to be a bit too low.

"Respected Pasha, is there an original list?" Viktor asked.

"Yes, but it's written in Turkish," replied Pasha Benhaden, the newly appointed Pasha of Tripoli. "Do you need to see the original list?"

"Yes, Pasha. This is a sacred mission entrusted to me by the First Consul of France and the Emperor of the Roman Empire. I must take it seriously," Viktor nodded.

"Respected Pasha, may I take these things back to study?" Viktor asked.

"No problem. There's no issue at all. Feel free to study them as much as you want. We are intimate allies, after all," Pasha Benhaden replied.

Viktor took the original list back and compared it with the current one. He found that almost every name from the initial list could be found on the original list. However, there were quite a few names on the original list that were missing from the current "Christian Slave List."

The next morning, Viktor didn't even have breakfast. He went straight to Pasha Benhaden's residence, seeking an audience. Seeing that it was the French consul, the servant dared not neglect the news and invited Viktor to the front yard to have coffee, rushing to report to Pasha Benhaden.

At this time, Pasha Benhaden was having breakfast. He was known for his temper. Regardless of who he met, as long as the official was of a lower rank, whether a general or a noble, he would show his displeasure without reservation. Those who worked under him were even more at his mercy, ranging from verbal scolding to physical punishment, depending on the situation.

The servant went in to report, but upon seeing that Pasha Benhaden was having a meal, he remembered one of the rules set when he took office. One of them was that, while he was eating, no matter what happened, no one was allowed to disturb him. Eating was important.

Therefore, the servant dared not approach and could only stand aside.

However, Pasha Benhaden happened to see the servant, asked, "What's the matter?"

The servant quickly approached and reported, "Reporting to Pasha, there is a visitor who wishes to see you..."

Before he could finish speaking, a sound of a slap was heard, leaving five finger marks on the servant's face. Then, Pasha Benhaden cursed, "Nonsense bastard! How many times did I instruct you? While I'm eating, no matter who comes, you're not allowed to disturb me. Do you have no ears? Did you not hear?"

Saying that, he lifted his leg and gave the servant another kick, knocking him to the ground.

Pasha Benhaden, still angry, went to the shelf by the table and took his whip. The servant, realizing the situation was not good, hastily said, "Respected Pasha, this visitor is different. It's an extremely important matter."

Pasha Benhaden became even more furious, shouting, "Is he more important than me? Whoever he is, whether a general or a noble, is there anyone more important than me here?"

The servant quickly explained, "It's Mr. Treville, the consul of the French Republic."

Upon hearing this, Pasha Benhaden's attitude suddenly changed. He became less aggressive and stood there in a daze for a while. After thinking for a moment, he suddenly slapped the other side of the servant's face, leaving another five finger marks. Then, he jumped up, scolded, "Nonsense bastard! Who did you think I am? So, it's a Frenchman! Why didn't you tell me earlier? Let him wait outside for half a day?"

The servant quickly replied, "Originally, I was about to inform, but seeing Pasha was having a meal, I waited in the corridor."

Pasha Benhaden, upon hearing this, lifted his leg and kicked again, saying, "Other guests are not allowed to come in while I'm eating. If it's a Frenchman, and it's about the friendly relations between the two countries, why make him wait outside for half a day? Foolish bastard! Hurry up and invite him in!"

So, the servant quickly ran out and invited Viktor into the living room.

Once they were seated in the living room, Pasha Benhaden asked, "I wonder what business Mr. Consul has here?"

Viktor explained, "Yesterday, after reviewing the original register, I noticed some burn marks on it. Considering the great fire in Tripoli at that time, many Christian slaves must have been burned to death. Therefore, the number of names on the Christian slave list you provided me is fewer than those on the original list. I can understand that. However, I believe that there must be some names on the new list that were originally on the part that got burned. In other words, some names on the new list should not be on the original list. So, I think there might be some errors or omissions in the counting of Christian slaves. I strongly request a comprehensive and thorough reexamination of all the slaves to ensure that no one deserving of freedom continues to suffer an unfortunate fate."

Pasha Benhaden, after hearing this, said, "Ah, is that so? It must be those damned servants slacking off. If not for Mr. Consul's compassion and meticulousness, a rough person like me might have been deceived by them. Fortunately, the slaves are still here. I will immediately order those below to conduct a thorough investigation. What do you think?"