Became The Sultan Of The Ottoman Empire [EN]: Chapter 6

#6. Look at this guy? (2)

The 15th and 16th centuries are pivotal periods in world history.

In 1492, Christopher Columbus, sailing for Spain, discovered the Bahamas, and in 1498, Vasco da Gama of Portugal rounded Africa and reached India. These voyages marked the beginning of the Age of Exploration, also known as the Age of Discovery.

This era was the starting point of the golden age for Spain and Portugal, before the rise of a new dominant power, the British Empire, in the 17th century.

However, in historical narratives, the Ottomans have often been misunderstood.

The common misconception is that the Ottomans, by conquering the Eastern Roman Empire, blocked the Mediterranean trade route to China, thereby forcing European powers to seek new routes. This narrative suggests that the closure of East-West trade led to a surge in spice prices.

‘That’s complete nonsense.’

The Ottomans weren’t like Heungseon Daewongun [a Korean regent known for his isolationist policies] who would enact foolish policies like erecting steles of rejection and blocking trade.

On the contrary, the Sultans actively worked to facilitate and normalize trade.

“The Sultan, with his keen interest in commerce, approved of my business ventures, saying it was a good idea. That was over 10 years ago, even before you were born,” Fatima explained.

“It couldn’t have been easy, even with permission.”

“That’s true. I faced considerable interference. But after your birth, they couldn’t openly interfere with me. I was prepared to fight to the death if necessary.”

Although Fatima had virtually no chance of becoming the Valide Sultan [the mother of the Sultan], she was still a concubine who had given birth to one of the only nine princes in the empire.

If Fatima was willing to risk everything, anyone who excessively harassed her risked being expelled from the harem.

The other concubines who had given birth to princes of the same rank had all left the harem with their sons, which allowed her business to flourish.

While traveling in the carriage, Yusuf inquired,

“What kind of business did you primarily conduct?”

“Even if a slave becomes a concubine, how much wealth could I possess? All I had was a small amount of money, the status of being a concubine favored by the Sultan, and the fact that my son was a prince. While contemplating my options, I realized that trust was paramount in transactions between merchants.”

“Could it be?”

“Yes, I acted as an intermediary, connecting reliable merchants with each other.”

It wasn’t just because she was his mother; she was undeniably clever.

It was irrelevant that Fatima was a slave and a concubine who was often overlooked within the imperial family.

Cheating in a matter involving the imperial family was tantamount to suicide.

Even in modern times, displeasing a powerful figure can lead to a tax investigation, so what would happen in the Ottoman Empire, an absolute monarchy?

‘They would immediately behead you for daring to insult the imperial family.’

You’d be fortunate if you were the only one to die.

Of course, it wasn’t entrepot trade [re-export trade] where she directly bought goods to sell to another party, but brokerage trade where she only arranged deals and took commissions. While this might seem like small money to the powerful, even small amounts accumulate significantly over 10 years.

“It’s a shame. It will be difficult to maintain the business once I am appointed as a Sanjakbey [governor of a district].”

“That’s true.”

The concubine’s influence only works when you’re nearby.

Once he was appointed as a Sanjakbey and entered the succession race in earnest, it would be prudent to liquidate the business in case his brothers attempted to sabotage him.

‘It’s reassuring to have more funds…’

Honestly, he felt uneasy.

Not only was his concubine mother alive, but she had also saved up money to be used as military funds?

This business had been running for 10 years, so it wasn’t influenced by the recent surge in his luck. There was no way such a fortunate event could happen to him, especially after he had almost been poisoned from the start.

This wasn’t distrust, but the result of countless past experiences.

‘I’ll know for sure when I go and check it out myself, but there’s a high possibility that there’s some trickery involved.’

He would even bet 1 point of his charm talent, which enhanced his appearance.

He wouldn’t dare bet his luck, but he was confident enough to wager his precious talent.

While chatting with Fatima, the carriage came to a halt.

“We’re here.”

As a woman of the Sultan, Fatima, who couldn’t show her face to strange men, was completely veiled from head to toe, starting with her hijab.

Yusuf, who exited the carriage following Fatima, noticed the strict guards and the people quickly avoiding them.

The atmosphere was already tense due to the war, but since even the prince had been attacked, it was no wonder the people of the capital were keeping a low profile.

“Let’s go in.”

Perhaps because they had arrived without notice, the guards were surprised and opened the gate.

The building they entered was constructed with mortar using bricks and lime, a common practice in that era.

‘Buildings like this will collapse during an earthquake.’

No matter how hard he tried, there was no way to prevent the earthquake that would occur in 1509, 10 years later.

He could play the role of a prophet then, but he couldn’t be sure if they would believe him.

‘If only the building materials were different, we could reduce the damage…’

You shouldn’t think of modern concrete or cement when using mortar in this era.

It was merely an adhesive for attaching bricks or stones, serving only as an exterior finish. Cement and concrete were not directly used as structural materials for buildings.

However, it would be a mistake to think, ‘Cement is a building material that should only be used in modern times!’

There was a civilization that used it as a building material long before that.

‘Rome, what are you?’

If the United States tortured aliens in the 20th century, Rome would have tortured them before Christ.

The Pantheon and Colosseum, made of concrete, have remained intact for nearly 2,000 years, demonstrating its incredible durability.

This remarkable technology declined with the fall of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century and is now almost forgotten.

‘Well, some people are aware of it, but it’s a technology that’s been largely buried until the mid-18th century, making it worth researching.’

The Roman style required volcanic ash, making it difficult to replicate. However, lime and clay could be used as substitutes.

This knowledge could be used to make money and could also be used militarily.

…It’s strange to think that a wiki addict’s memory is so useful, but anyway, it was fortunate that his thoughts on the great earthquake led him to consider concrete.

While he was examining the building with these thoughts, someone came running in a hurry.

“Oh my! What brings you here without a word?”

The man bowing to Fatima was plump, and sweat was dripping down his constantly bowing face.

Fatima, who acknowledged the greeting with a slight nod, introduced the man to Yusuf.

“Yusuf, this is Hassan, who has been managing the business on my behalf for 10 years. He’s a slave, but he’s talented enough to have grown the business to this point.”

“I’m Hassan! It’s an honor to meet you, Your Highness!”

It didn’t matter that he was a slave. The Ottoman Empire was a country where slaves could rise to become great merchants.

Yusuf, who observed Hassan acting as if he was about to prostrate himself, subtly smiled.

‘Look at this guy?’

The emotions emanating from Hassan’s actions and gestures were tension, anxiety, and fear.

One might assume it’s a natural reaction for a slave to meet his master, but it had been 10 years.

He had been working under her for 10 years, and Fatima, who had even praised Hassan, wouldn’t normally shout ‘Work, Hassan’ and whip him.

Even if he was nervous, anxiety or fear was an excessive reaction, suggesting two possibilities.

Either Hassan was an extreme coward.

‘Or he has committed a crime.’

One could argue that he was overinterpreting the emotions he had only briefly witnessed, but Yusuf, who had arrived with a suspicion that there would be a problem from the start, had ample reason to be suspicious.

Yusuf wasn’t foolish enough to reveal these thoughts without evidence.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you. My mother speaks highly of you; you must be a very talented person.”

“I, I’m honored. It’s all thanks to your kind consideration!”

Hassan, who smiled brightly at the compliment, cautiously inquired,

“But, may I ask what brings you here?”

“I came to introduce Yusuf to the business you’re running and to review the assets. I hope we’re not intruding.”

“Oh no, not at all! I don’t have anything to hide. Please come in.”

Hassan led them to the office.

You can learn a lot just by observing small details.

The neat appearance of the office, despite their unannounced arrival, reflected Hassan’s personality, and the behavior of his subordinates indicated that he managed them well.

Based on this alone, one could understand why Fatima had trusted him for 10 years.

“Here are the details of the assets you possess.”

Fatima, who received the thick document, briefly examined it and asked,

“What would be the total value if you converted everything to ducats [a gold coin]?”

“It would be at least 10,000 ducats.”

Yusuf glanced at Fatima to see if she had concealed the amount, and his suspicions were allayed when he saw her readily nodding.

The business wasn’t run like a sprawling octopus, and it was a simple operation, making it difficult to embezzle a significant amount of money to the point of being afraid.

‘Then that means there’s another problem.’

The question to consider was whether the cause of the problem could be found in the office.

Although he was a slave, he wouldn’t live in the office, and he could hide important things at home.

After thinking for a moment, Yusuf concluded that it was likely to be in the office.

If the evidence was crucial, there was a high probability that he had hidden it in the office where he spent most of his time, and the anxiety he had displayed earlier reinforced this judgment.

If this was the case, he had no choice but to find it himself.

“May I look around the office? Are these the contracts you’ve made here?”

“Yes, they are.”

He quickly scanned the piles of paper.

They meticulously recorded the transactions made by the merchants and the commissions received.

Yusuf, who examined the documents, sighed inwardly.

‘There’s no coffee here after all.’

Coffee, which originated in Ethiopia, was probably spreading across the Red Sea in Yemen as a stimulant.

The Ottomans conquered Egypt and Yemen, and coffee spread to Europe, so it wasn’t quite the right time to trade it properly yet…

‘No, to drink coffee that I used to buy for a few thousand won [Korean currency], I have to conquer at least Egypt, what is this?’

As a caffeine addict who could endure chicken but not coffee, he felt annoyed.

Yusuf, who roughly put down the paper for no reason, rummaged through the office here and there.

“What is this?”

“It’s a box from the East.”

“What’s inside here?”

“It’s a list of taxes.”

Hassan didn’t lose his composure as Yusuf searched the office like he was catching lice, and Yusuf began to think he had misjudged the situation.

Feeling embarrassed for no reason, Yusuf patted Hassan.

“You’ve been doing well?”

“T, thank you.”

Yusuf realized that Hassan was extremely embarrassed by his actions.

There was still one place that he thought was the safest.

“Stand still.”

“Your Highness?!”

When Hassan tried to evade Yusuf’s sudden groping, Fatima said coldly,

“Stay still.”

She suspected that Yusuf, who had been exhibiting surprising behavior, wouldn’t do this without a reason.

Ignoring Hassan’s reaction, who was even trembling, Yusuf felt a rustling sensation in the belt area and quickly retrieved the source of the sound.

It was luxurious paper, and Yusuf smiled as he unfolded it.

[If you report that Prince Yusuf is fleeing to the West, I swear to Allah that I will liberate Hassan from his slave status.]

…Interesting, isn’t it?