Became The Sultan Of The Ottoman Empire [EN]: Chapter 20

#20. Internal Affairs (2)

The livestock’s spilled entrails and blood stained the ground red, and the intense, stomach-churning smell of blood assaulted the nose.

Perhaps because of the blood, a fierce bloodlust filled the eyes of the Sipahi [Ottoman cavalry soldiers] gripping swords dripping with blood.

The sight was so imposing that the hundreds of onlookers couldn’t even breathe properly, but Yusuf smiled.

‘I need to appear composed to buy time to think.’

Even if the targets were animals, facing such a frenzied slaughter up close was quite shocking.

However, he had overcome too many dizzying experiences to be fazed by something like this.

Yusuf, quickly regaining his composure, rapidly turned his mind.

It was too bold an action to simply try to intimidate him with a shocking scene.

After much deliberation, Yusuf was able to discern the reason without much difficulty.

‘He’s clever, I’ll give him that.’

To anyone else, it might look like a simple outburst, but Burka was really aiming to receive support policies extending up to Trabzon.

It was a bold method that didn’t consider the recipient at all, but it was enough to give the impression that he was sincerely trying to resolve misunderstandings by slaughtering the livestock.

‘If I continue to exclude Trabzon after he’s gone this far, there will be an uproar.’

It would be fortunate if he was simply treated as petty, but it was obvious that the dissatisfaction directed at Burka would turn to him.

For Burka, it was beneficial to minimize those who would defect if he could receive support up to Trabzon, and even if he couldn’t, it was good to deflect the complaints.

In the latter case, the solidarity of his forces could become even stronger.

Upon grasping Burka’s intentions, Yusuf could sincerely smile.

“Burka Sobashi [Ottoman military rank, roughly equivalent to a captain], you’re playing a very interesting game?”

Burka raised one eyebrow.

He hadn’t expected him to see through his reasoning so quickly.

‘Could it be that the support policy also originated from the Prince’s mind?’

It was known that the policy was conceived by the Prince, but not many fully believed it.

Such a policy couldn’t be created simply by being clever.

Burka thought it was a policy created by the Pasha [high-ranking Ottoman official] attached to Yusuf’s side, but it seemed he needed to revise his thinking.

‘It’s surprising, but it’s not a situation that can be overturned anyway.’

Burka asked, feigning ignorance.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. More importantly, are the misunderstandings resolved now?”

Yusuf nodded.

In any case, he only had one choice.

“It’s not that I excluded Trabzon because of that misunderstanding, but since Burka Sobashi has gone this far, I will bear the burden and include Trabzon in the policy scope.”

“Thank you.”

Burka expressed his gratitude with a smiling face, but he wasn’t finished speaking yet.

He moved as he wanted, but it wouldn’t be right to let him off scot-free.

“More than that, you said you wanted to resolve misunderstandings, but you’re not thinking of just taking the captured livestock, are you?”

*Give it back, you bastard.*

Yusuf smiled as he watched his face twist miserably.

***

A sudden festival was held in the castle.

This was because Yusuf distributed the meat he received to the residents of Trabzon.

It wasn’t money, and he couldn’t keep all that meat to himself.

‘The best way to show off is with someone else’s money.’

It was quite amusing to see Burka making a constipated face as he watched the people cheering for Yusuf.

In any case, Muslims couldn’t eat the meat butchered that way.

Only meat butchered according to the Dabihah method [Islamic method of slaughtering] is recognized as halal food.

‘It doesn’t matter in an emergency, but this isn’t one.’

To be precise, Burka, who carried out such a ruthless slaughter, could also be seen as problematic, but he had the power to avoid any repercussions, even from this level of offense.

It was perfect for showing off since Christianity, which made up the majority of the residents, didn’t care about eating it.

Shemsi, who followed Yusuf into the office, opened his mouth.

“You did well.”

“Did well? We just exchanged blows.”

Burka was able to barely maintain his power by including Trabzon in the policy scope, and Yusuf reduced the opponent’s wealth and gained the favor of the residents in the castle.

That’s how it could be summarized.

“That’s enough. Time is not on their side anyway. Even if they use their heads to maintain their power, it’s only limited to Trabzon.”

The more those who receive support show favor to Yusuf, the less likely other Sobashis would be to side with Burka recklessly.

Burka would try not to be isolated, but it wouldn’t be easy.

“So, let’s not be impatient.”

“I have no intention of rashly touching the inheritance issue by rushing things.”

It was a problem where someone might go crazy and come looking for him on a dark night.

“First, we need to select those with high loyalty among those receiving support and form a personal guard. The current escort is not enough.”

“I guess so?”

There were five Cherkess bodyguards as personal escorts, and defense forces were stationed throughout the castle, but the former lacked numbers, and the latter lacked trust.

He had to form a personal guard of at least 50 people and deploy them in the castle to feel safe.

Further down the line, when Haas became normal, he had to raise 20 cavalrymen according to Ottoman law.

“For now, both I and Burka need to catch our breath.”

“And unlike this policy, you shouldn’t announce the inheritance issue openly.”

“I’m thinking of starting with rumors for now.”

The inheritance of the land held by the Sipahis depended on whether they died in battle or from natural causes.

If someone with land earning 20,000 Akçe [Ottoman currency] annually died in battle, their land would be inherited by their three sons, with 6,000, 5,000, and 4,000 Akçe annually.

In the case of natural death, land earning 5,000 and 4,000 Akçe would be inherited by two sons.

The fact that inheritance was limited to a maximum of three sons, no matter how many sons there were, was enough to create a gap.

‘If the rumors hadn’t spread, they would have accepted it as unavoidable, but it’s a different story when the opportunity to inherit comes.’

Inheritance battles would break out, and there would be those who would try their best to look good to him.

If the situation turned out like that, even the most proud Sipahi would have no choice but to bow their heads.

That was the only way to stop the infighting within the family.

“Still, I hope things get sorted out before the end of this year.”

There were only about 4 months left this year, so it wasn’t a lot of time.

‘It’s been about 3 months since I became Yusuf, so it’s not a short time.’

This damn world didn’t allow for even a moment of complacency.

Still, if he succeeded in internal affairs, he could at least live without constantly looking over his shoulder for 2 years.

‘The problem is that I have to grab Ismail by the hair and fight him next.’

If he didn’t want to have his hair pulled out by Ismail, who had been building momentum, he had to build a force to fight against him.

Usually, there were between one thousand and three thousand Sipahis in one Sanjak [Ottoman administrative division], and the Trabzon Sanjak had about two thousand five hundred.

However, not all of them could participate in the war, and 10% of them had to stay behind to collect taxes.

‘Even if it’s just over two thousand, it’s still a huge force, but it’s woefully inadequate compared to the number of soldiers Ismail leads.’

The number of soldiers led by Ismail, who was 14 years old in 1500, was 7,000.

After the Safavid dynasty began in 1501, the number would increase further, so about 2,000 soldiers would obviously be on the express train to Allah [die in battle].

Naturally, he had to bring in forces to fight together, and considering that, even 2 years was only enough to not be life-threatening, but he had to move breathlessly.

It wasn’t for nothing that he said he had to finish it within this year.

“Only Allah knows the future, so I can’t be sure, but I will try.”

“I will trust the Pasha.”

No matter how much Burka struggled, internal affairs were only a matter of time.

***

As Yusuf and Burka began to catch their breath, the ominous atmosphere that had enveloped Trabzon quickly subsided.

As the power struggle between the powerful ended, interest returned to barley tea, and barley tea began to be distributed to children at the free food center in earnest.

It had only been a month since the store was completed, but it was enough to spread by word of mouth.

“Did you hear? Leah’s baby has been very sick lately.”

“I heard. Selena’s child, who died a few years ago, died like that too.”

“Just in case, I asked for barley water to feed my child and fed it for about 2 weeks, and it was all better.”

“Really?!”

“It’s certain, so these days, parents with sick children are going to the free food center like that.”

Water boiled with barley was not a cure, but it was more helpful for recovery than drinking contaminated water.

The story that it had an effect spread, and when the store opened, it was crowded with parents with children.

The five specially made huge pots were spewing hot steam, and the moderately brewed barley tea was scooped out and cooled in wooden tubs.

When it was cool enough to take away, it was sold to those who were waiting.

In the busy store, Aisha was running around, sweating profusely.

“What’s so good that you’re smiling like that?”

“Have you come?”

Even at the blunt words, Aisha greeted him with a bright smile, and Yusuf took Aisha out of the store, where he felt the heat.

“I didn’t send you to work yourself to the bone.”

“I can’t neglect the work that the Prince has entrusted to me.”

“Looking at it, it seems to be running well without you.”

It was dangerous because it used hot fire, but the work itself was not difficult enough to cause problems.

The only problem that could arise was embezzlement, but it wasn’t a big business to make a lot of money, so there wasn’t much money to steal.

He doubted that anyone would do such a daring thing in a store owned by the Prince.

“Didn’t the Prince say that we should keep increasing the number of stores?”

“That’s right.”

One store couldn’t properly handle even Trabzon, where nearly 10,000 people lived, and considering other cities, it was practically a franchise business.

Now was a process of accumulating know-how.

“How can I check what problems will arise unless I run around myself?”

“…You won’t listen even if I stop you. Don’t forget that I bought you at a high price. If you get hurt, I’ll kick you out.”

Aisha gave a bright smile at Yusuf’s threat.

“I say this every time, but if the slave trader heard those words, he would have shed tears of blood.”

“That’s because he didn’t educate the slaves properly.”

“I will be careful as the Prince said.”

Aisha, who had given a definite answer, continued as if she had forgotten.

“Come to think of it, Fatima asks every day what the Prince is drinking.”

“…So?”

For some reason, he felt a cold feeling, and that feeling was right on the mark.

“When I said it was boiled water with barley roasted black enough to burn, she said, ‘Why are you drinking something like that?’ and said she would throw it away.”

…Mother?

The only vitality in his life was in danger of being robbed.

***

Time flowed like the wind.

The dry and hot summer passed, and it became a season with cool weather and frequent rain.

It was a season when farmers were busy sowing winter wheat.

For several months, the uncomfortable cohabitation of the two powerful men continued, and no one thought that this peace would last long.

The peace that had been clumsily woven was finally coming to an end, and Yusuf drew the sword he had been holding back.

The rumor that the Prince was involved in Sipahi inheritance spread rapidly throughout the Trabzon Sanjak.

Fraternal affection between brothers, which was only seen in the Ottoman imperial family, was slowly rising.