Became The Sultan Of The Ottoman Empire [EN]: Chapter 159

It was beyond chilling; it was terrifying.

The assembled ministers couldn’t bear the heavy atmosphere and lowered their heads.

Breaking the long silence where even breathing couldn’t be heard, Yusuf began to speak.

“I only encouraged him, but the little brat has lost his nerve.”

There were several reasons why he bothered to involve France.
Hungary was the bulwark of Europe, and no matter how good the relationship between France and the Ottomans was, it could be unsettling, so it also served to appease them.

He also involved them to embolden Lajos II to make mistakes that would give cause.

Of course, there were many other reasons, but the two main reasons were to instill confidence in Lajos. France probably didn’t expect him to do something like this either.

‘But that guy is capable of anything.’

Perhaps going through a turbulent period, he insulted and killed the Ottoman envoy in the original history, incurring Suleiman’s full wrath.

The reckless brat who was acting up, trusting only in the Habsburgs behind him, was Lajos II.

Yusuf gestured at the envoy’s rotting head.

“Give him a proper funeral.”

“Understood, my Padishah.”

He knew he could die, and he sent a low-ranking official who volunteered, but his hardened face didn’t soften.

It was probably the first time he had felt such anger in a long time.

“Ali Pasha.”

“Yes, my Padishah.”

“It seems I have been too lenient. It seems they have forgotten what kind of country the Empire is.”

He had shown a gentle attitude towards Europe for cultural infiltration, and it had clearly been effective.

The fear of the Ottomans had diminished, and Yusuf’s reputation and Ottoman culture had penetrated that gap.

Even coffee, for example, was being sold to European nobles at high prices as a precious drink enjoyed by the Ottoman emperors and nobles.

However, as there are losses when there are gains, a fearless puppy had popped out.

“Grand Vizier.”

“Yes, my Padishah.”

“We must take a blood price. I declare war.”

At Yusuf’s declaration, the ministers raised their heads.

It was war. They knew that some of them could die, and that it could be them, but the ministers’ faces showed excitement rather than fear.

“First, encourage the activities of the Akinji [Ottoman light cavalry known for raiding] on the border. Provide them with weapons if necessary.”

The Akinji were the Ottoman’s irregular raiding forces.

Instead of receiving a salary from the state, they lived by plundering the enemy countries of the empire, and they also served as scouts, weakening the enemy’s national power and observing their movements.

“And summon those two fellows who are Sanjakbeys [Ottoman district governors]. Let’s see how much they’ve grown.”

At the mention of summoning Mehmed and Murad, the ministers’ eyes gleamed.

It was not unusual to call princes who had become Sanjakbeys to war.

The Ottoman princes had to continue to prove their worth until the Padishah died, and the ability to wage war was the most basic.

‘The important thing is that the Padishah is now thinking about his succession.’

‘I don’t know which side to reach out to.’

It was close to a miracle that Yusuf, the youngest, had become Padishah, and usually, the earlier one was born, the more advantageous it was.

In the ministers’ eyes, the ones who would be on the succession stage were determined.

‘Although a woman named Hürrem is said to be newly pregnant, even if a prince is newly born, there will be more than a ten-year difference from the previous ones.’

‘In fact, it will be a fight between four people.’

Of course, Mehmed and Murad, who have already achieved great results, are in the most advantageous situation, but Yusuf’s young age means that there could be plenty of variables.

Although he has not yet been appointed as Sanjakbey, Qasim, who is showing prominence in society, as well as Mustafa, who is rumored to have mysterious abilities, had enough potential.

As the ministers’ heads became complicated with war and succession intertwined, a blunt voice was heard.

“If you’ve racked your brains enough, move. Because you’re going to have a hard time for a while.”

The ministers’ faces turned pale in an instant.

The intensity of work would increase again as they had to send a fleet to the East and prepare for war at the same time.

It meant that nights with coffee had arrived, and there were even ministers who smelled the non-existent scent of coffee.

As the ministers quickly dispersed, Yusuf looked down at the map he had drawn.

“I’ll have to redraw the map soon.”

Because he would have to redraw the empire’s territory.

***

France invaded Lombardy, a region in northern Italy.

It was a war that had already been foreseen, and Charles V, facing the Franco-Venetian alliance that had even hired Swiss mercenaries, brought in the Papal States.

Charles V, who was supporting the Duchy of Milan, the center of Lombardy, from behind, doubted his ears for a moment.

“…What did they do in Hungary?”

“They beheaded the Ottoman envoy and sent it to Topkapi Palace [Ottoman Palace in Istanbul]. And the enraged Ottoman Emperor has declared war.”

“I didn’t mishear, did I?”

Charles, who thought he had heard nonsense because he was too focused on the war situation, chuckled at the minister’s words confirming the reality.

“Did Lajos really do something that even I can’t do?”

He was so dumbfounded that he didn’t call him the King of Hungary and called him by his name, and the minister who conveyed the situation lowered his head.

Even Charles, who ruled a vast territory, was worried about the Ottoman’s national power and paid a large sum to conclude a peace treaty, but Hungary boldly cut off the head of the Ottoman envoy.

“It seems they committed the act believing in the Habsburgs behind them.”

“Who said they could believe in them at will!”

Charles, who was angry, tapped his fingers anxiously.

He was so preoccupied with the war with France that he didn’t expect this to happen.

No, even if he had paid attention, he couldn’t have imagined that they would cut off the envoy’s head.

“…What if we provide military support?”

“Even if they hadn’t killed the envoy, Hungary has already declared war. Helping Hungary would be breaking the peace treaty.”

It was okay to blow the peace treaty and lose the huge amount of money paid, but they had to avoid breaking the treaty and receiving the invasion of the enraged Ottomans.

It wasn’t for nothing that he praised the envoy who had visited the Ottomans even though he had concluded the treaty under unfavorable conditions.

After much deliberation, Charles sighed and made a decision.

“Still, the Ottoman Emperor is someone you can talk to, so we should try to appease his anger.”

Charles quickly pondered how much financial leeway he had and sent an envoy to the Ottomans once again.

***

-Kuh-huh-huh!

The man, avoiding the lion that leaped nimbly despite its huge size, stirred up dust.

The lion, shaking its abundant mane once, revealed its angry teeth and crouched down.

The man, carefully watching the lion’s thick muscles compress, thrust his sword at the lion that was leaping again.

Koo-oong!

As the lion, its neck pierced and its tongue lolling, collapsed, the man, stained with dirt and lion’s blood, stood up.

As the man was brushing off the blood-stained dirt, a tremendous shout reached his ears.

“Wow, Your Highness! What are you doing right now?!”

“I was just hunting. Don’t make a fuss.”

Yagiz Pasha, who was helping Murad, looked aghast at the indifferent words.

“If the Padishah saw this, he would have given you a severe punishment!”

“But my father isn’t here.”

Murad, who had cleared the area around the territory, including receiving the surrender of Aden, which was terrified by the Ottoman fleet, crossed over to the Horn of Africa beyond the Gulf of Aden.

After clearing the important coastline, Murad went hunting around Africa, advancing Yagiz’s hair loss as he did now.

Yagiz, glaring at Murad who was hunting with a sword instead of a perfectly good gun, sighed.

“A message has come from the Padishah.”

“Really? What’s the matter?”

There had been no separate instructions since the order to occupy the Horn of Africa.

As Murad watched the soldiers skinning the lion’s hide as if they were used to it, he heard an interesting story.

“Hungary has killed the Empire’s envoy.”

“They’re crazy.”

Murad commented briefly.

If he were told to do the same thing, Murad would rather fight a lion with his bare hands.

It wasn’t because the Padishah held the prince’s lifeline, but because he knew how scary Yusuf was when he was angry.

“It seems the King of Hungary has about three hundred lives.”

“If he had three hundred lives, the Padishah would be pleased. He says he can tear him apart three hundred times.”

“That’s true.”

Murad, exchanging trivial jokes with Yagiz, wiped the blood off his sword and asked.

“My father wouldn’t have contacted me to tell me that Hungary was crazy. Did he call me?”

“Yes. I heard that Prince Mehmed was also summoned.”

“There’s no way he wouldn’t have called my brother when he called me from far away. There will be many faces I haven’t seen in a long time, so I should bring some gifts.”

Murad, effortlessly slinging the lion’s hide that the soldiers had struggled to bring over his shoulder, moved his steps.

Black soldiers armed with guns followed behind him.

***

Puh-ook!

-Gulp!

The night was deep, and a faint sound reached Mehmed’s ears as he moved his quill, relying on the candlelight.

Mehmed didn’t pay attention as if he was used to it, and when only the sound of the quill scratching was heard, a knock was heard.

-Your Highness.

“Come in.”

With a nonchalant permission, the door opened, and Mehmed asked without turning his head.

“How many rats were there?”

“There were five.”

“Okay, I understand. Take care of it.”

There was no need to find the mastermind behind the rats. There were many who were aiming for this place.

The Donbas region, which no one had paid much attention to, began to reveal its value as Mehmed began to develop it.

Based on the overflowing mines, it produced a huge amount of iron every day, which brought greed and fear to the surroundings.

There were plenty of people trying to find out the secret and create chaos in the city, and night visitors were common.

‘It wouldn’t be a gift from my brothers.’

It’s not that he has the naive idea that his brothers would never try to take his life.

He was trusting his father, Yusuf.

“Because my father, who says that even one hand is lacking, would never forgive assassination.”

Mehmed raised his green eyes, which resembled Yusuf, and looked up at the chillingly shining moon.

Mehmed, who knew that if he was born as a prince, he had to aim for the Padishah’s seat by any means, didn’t have assassination in his plans.

Judging coldly, losing Yusuf’s anger by assassinating one competitor was incomparably greater than reducing one competitor.

“He bought such anger from Father, huh.”

Mehmed recalled the delivered summons and moved his quill again.

“As Father said, the world is still wide. There’s still a lot to learn.”

The world was wide, and there were many crazy people.

Mehmed realized that there were things that even his smart head couldn’t understand.

***

Yusuf smiled coldly.

There was a familiar face and an unpleasant face that he had already seen once.

“Does Carlos think I’m a joke? Or does he consider the Empire an idiot?”

The envoy who came at the order of Charles V felt cold sweat dripping down his face.

The fiercely raised eyes gave off an ominous feeling, and the Hungarian envoy who came with him was trembling like an aspen tree.

Swallowing his fear with difficulty, the Spanish envoy began to speak.

“How could we take the Ottoman Empire lightly? However, for the sake of peace, I beg you to appease your anger…”

“Stop.”

Yusuf, spitting out a cold word, rose from his seat.

Yusuf, who had cut off the envoy’s words, gestured, and the silahdars [Ottoman sword-bearers] who were guarding him grabbed the two envoys and knelt them on the floor.

“Pa, Padishah?!”

The Spanish envoy was horrified as Yusuf, receiving a sword from the silahdar, pointed the sword.

Blood seeped out as the sword’s movement grazed his neck, and the envoy couldn’t even swallow his saliva in fear of being stabbed in the neck.

Just as he was relieved to see the sword moving away, Yusuf swung the sword.

“Kkyaaaaaaak!”

The Hungarian envoy, his shoulder pierced, screamed, and Yusuf snarled at the Spanish envoy who was looking up with trembling eyes.

“If you had uttered one more word, I would have cut off that tongue.”

Yusuf, shaking off the blood on his hand as if it were dirty, pointed at the Hungarian envoy and ordered.

“Tear him apart and bring his head.”

At this order, the Hungarian envoy was dragged away, and Yusuf continued to speak to the Spanish envoy.

“Tell Carlos. He can interfere in this war if he wants. But he will have to bear the full cost.”

“A, understood.”

The only answer he could give while looking at the eyes swirling with anger was one.

***

A Spanish ship exploring the New World discovered a strange ship.

The sails, torn here and there, were hideous, and the hull, broken here and there, looked as if the ship could sink at any moment.

The people waving their hands diligently on the deck didn’t seem to have any intention of attacking, and the Spanish exploration ship approached the ship.

“Who are you!”

“W, we are Portuguese! I am the Governor of India, Diogo Lopes de Sequeira!”

“India?”

The Spanish captain tilted his head at the word India.

He had heard the news just before leaving that the Portuguese fleet in India had been defeated by the Ottomans, but it didn’t make sense that the Governor of India was here.

The captain examined the other ship with suspicious eyes.

Although it had become hideous, there were several features that indicated it was a military ship.

The captain, examining the ship, realized one strange thing.

“It doesn’t seem to have many weapons for a military ship.”

There didn’t seem to be many arquebuses [early type of gun], let alone cannons.

At the captain’s question, Diogo sighed.

“I traded with pirates to get food. I had no choice but to give them even my weapons because I was being chased.”

Diogo, who had traded with the Wokou [Japanese and Chinese pirates], made that excuse.