Became The Sultan Of The Ottoman Empire [EN]: Chapter 171

Yusuf surveyed the capital from the city walls.

During the reign of Justinian the Great, considered the peak of the Eastern Roman Empire, Constantinople’s population was estimated at 550,000.

A millennium since its zenith.

After that long period, Kostantiniyye [the Ottoman name for Constantinople] was experiencing the golden age of the Ottoman Empire, attracting a massive influx of people, with the population exceeding 600,000.

In the early 16th century, before Yusuf became Padishah [Ottoman sovereign], it was only around 200,000, showing the steep population increase.

The buildings destroyed by the great earthquake were rebuilt taller and larger, and the area protected by the walls was too small, so a city was being built outside the walls.

A bridge nearing completion in the Golden Horn showcased its grandeur, and the Galata area across the Golden Horn, anticipating the bridge’s impact, was rapidly expanding.

It was a landscape that indirectly proved the 20 years Yusuf had spent as the master of the empire, and Yusuf, with his hands behind his back, gazing at the splendid city he had built, said quietly.

“So, Francis was not captured as a prisoner, but truly died.”

“That is correct, Padishah.”

Death is fair.

Anyone born as a human, regardless of status, is bound to die at some point. However, the process leading up to it is not always fair.

Some people die from not being able to properly treat even a small boil, while others receive luxurious care even in life-threatening situations and live longer.

‘While there are countless soldiers for whom war is synonymous with death, there are also nobles who, even if defeated, are usually taken as prisoners.’

Francis, the King of France, was of such status.

A status where keeping him alive as a prisoner was more valuable than killing him.

In the original history, he was defeated in the Battle of Pavia, but Yusuf quietly said upon hearing the news that Francis, who had been captured as a prisoner, had died.

“That’s unfortunate. He wasn’t a bad opponent.”

He suffered a major defeat at the Battle of Pavia and was taken prisoner, so he is not a king with a good reputation even in modern France.

Still, he was a figure who contributed to the development of art, science, and architecture in France, and he was a rare figure who personally participated in the war.

‘What’s more important for the empire is that he was a decent trading partner.’

Based on this era, it’s almost unimaginable to have a close relationship with a heretic, but he was the one who made it happen.

You could say he was a figure who defied convention.

“What was the situation?”

“It has been determined that he was killed by Spanish infantry who attacked the rear under the cover of night during the siege. After the death of the French king, they immediately retreated, so the worst damage was avoided.”

“Then the war must have been suspended for now.”

“That is correct.”

With Francis’s death, the conflict between the Habsburgs and France is not in a state where it can be easily resolved, but war cannot be waged on anger alone.

Francis’s funeral and the quick enthronement of a new king to calm the domestic turmoil became necessary, so France did not have the capacity to continue the war.

‘Francis’s death must have been greatly influenced by us.’

Supporting weapons, supplies, and pirates prolonged the war, and Murat stirred up the Strait of Gibraltar, making Charles V impatient.

The connection to Francis’s death cannot be denied.

“There’s nothing we can do about someone who’s already dead, so we need to think about what to do in the future.”

Having lived with the help of high luck, I realized that luck rarely gives unexpected benefits.

After all, people can turn the same situation into misfortune or a blessing in disguise depending on how they act.

Luck played a role in setting up a slightly more advantageous game.

‘Since a variable has occurred, I need to redraw the board.’

Yusuf raised the corners of his lips.

Soon after, the French ambassador staying in Kostantiniyye requested a meeting.

***

The door to the audience chamber opened, and the French ambassador, Jean de la Foret, whom he had met several times, entered with a somber face.

As if to show his long life in the Ottoman Empire, Jean skillfully paid his respects.

“I greet the Padishah.”

“It’s been a while. I heard the unfortunate news. May God bless him.”

“Thank you.”

Jean gave a bitter smile and bowed his head. Even though he was in a distant land, it would be strange if his face was good when the king of his kingdom died.

Yusuf leaned back in his chair and asked.

“So, what brings you here?”

Enough time had passed for the Ottomans to receive the urgent news and briefly grasp the war situation.

It was enough time for Jean to receive instructions from his home country.

“The Dauphin de Viennois, Duke of Brittany, will soon be crowned as the King of France.”

Dauphin [the heir apparent to the French throne] means dolphin in French, and it was a title given to the Crown Prince of France.

“The Duke of Brittany, huh.”

He was Francis’s eldest son, but Yusuf didn’t know him well.

That’s because he died suddenly before his father, Francis, died, and his younger brother, Henry II, ascended the throne.

Although he held the title of Duke, Francis, who was essentially the king, also ruled the duchy, so there were no clear achievements left.

“How old is he?”

“He is 12 years old this year, according to the Ottoman way of counting.”

“Young.”

Even the deceased Francis was 5 years younger than himself, so it was not strange for the successor to be young.

Yusuf became a Sanjakbey [governor of a district] at the young age of 11 and had to struggle, but this had to be considered an exception.

It was not simply that the late king died suddenly, but the situation was that a young prince was succeeding to the throne in a situation where he had lost the war and died in battle.

“It must be a chaotic situation. I will start with truce negotiations first.”

“That is correct. The current France does not have the capacity to continue the war.”

The damage from this war will be great, but France, which has the largest population in Europe with over 18 million people, will quickly recover from the damage.

More important than that was how quickly the country could be stabilized.

“The Duke of Brittany will be crowned as the new king and will hold truce negotiations with Carlos. Did you come to tell me this fact?”

“No.”

At Yusuf’s pressure to get to the point without further delay, Jean swallowed hard.

He knew very well how much of a shockwave the words he was about to utter would cause, which made it even more so.

However, he could not ignore the words that had come from his home country.

“France wants to formally form an alliance with the Ottoman Empire.”

“An alliance, huh.”

Yusuf laughed as if amused.

The Ottoman Empire had deepened its relationship with Venice and France through the canal, but an alliance was another story.

In the original history, Francis formed an alliance with the Ottoman Empire, but that was only because his hatred for Charles V was very deep.

The person who committed this disruption was lying in a coffin, but the story of the alliance came out, which suggested various aspects.

‘It means that our Ottoman Empire has permeated to the point where France is thinking of an alliance first.’

After being crowned Padishah, Yusuf did his best to spread Ottoman culture to Europe.

It was not enough to completely break down the barriers that Christianity and Islam had built up over hundreds of years, but it meant that it had established itself to some extent in France.

Of course, they wouldn’t have asked for an alliance simply because they had become friendly with the Ottoman Empire.

“You’ll want to form an alliance as soon as possible. You’ll want to borrow the empire’s power before starting full-scale negotiations with the Habsburgs.”

It hasn’t been a few seconds since he uttered the word alliance.

Jean, who was momentarily stunned by Yusuf’s quick grasp of the situation in that short moment, bowed his head to hide his expression.

“…I am ashamed, but that is correct. If the negotiations proceed as they are, we will have to proceed with the negotiations from a disadvantageous position.”

As a result, the Habsburgs won the war, but the war was prolonged, and both sides suffered great damage.

The Habsburgs would impose excessive conditions to recover from the damage, and France, which had installed a 12-year-old child as king, did not have the spirit to fight.

The judgment to borrow the power of the Ottoman Empire to negotiate from an equal position was an excellent move.

It was also a number that was possible because Francis did not get captured as a prisoner and died.

“The important thing is whether an alliance with France will help the empire.”

Yusuf tapped the armrest, and Jean’s heart beat faster each time the regular sound was heard.

If the Ottoman Empire emerges as a variable in the negotiations, there may be friction with the Habsburgs, but there is no reason to be aware of them since when was the relationship good.

An alliance was valid because France needed to be strong to check the Habsburgs.

‘If only a few situations match, I can draw an interesting board.’

“I’ll have to check the conditions, but I’ll consider it positively.”

“Thank you, Padishah!”

It wasn’t a formal alliance, but Jean was delighted and gave thanks, and confidently continued.

“If the Padishah allows it, I would like to formally invite the Ottoman Empire to this inauguration ceremony.”

The ambassador could not decide on such matters on his own, so it can be seen as a matter already decided in France.

It seemed that they were planning to form an alliance quickly before the Habsburgs noticed and moved, and Yusuf readily said.

“I’ll send Kasim.”

“Prince Kasim, you mean?”

“Yes, it won’t be enough to go as a congratulatory envoy.”

Isn’t this why I raised Kasim to use him at times like this?

I’m worried that he might seduce a strict widow or virgin, but this was the best situation for Kasim to be active.

I was going to be satisfied even if I could only invite high-ranking officials, but there was no reason to refuse since the prince was coming in person.

“Thank you. The home country will not forget the Padishah’s consideration.”

“Go back. It’s a tight situation to prepare for the envoy.”

Jean bowed and stepped back, and a messenger who left the capital ran towards Buda.

***

In Baghdad, which is now Ottoman territory, there was a place called the House of Wisdom.

Baghdad was a city that had lost its past glory due to the thorough destruction by the Mongol army in the 13th century, but it was the capital of the Abbasid Caliphate, which was a vast empire.

The House of Wisdom played an important role in Baghdad during its glorious days.

Scholars from all over the empire gathered there, and it was a place of learning that synthesized knowledge accumulated during the Hellenistic, Roman, and Persian periods, such as theology, philosophy, architecture, medicine, and chemistry.

It was no exaggeration to say that it was a place where all the knowledge of the 9th and 10th centuries was gathered.

‘It would have been much better if all those books hadn’t been burned by the Mongol army.’

Yusuf took out a book from the bookshelf.

It was a library that Yusuf ordered to be built to recreate the House of Wisdom.

Filled with the musty smell of paper, all kinds of books from all over the Ottoman Empire arrived here in their original form or copied, and they were translated into Ottoman and made public again.

It was still in its early stages, so the entire huge library was not full, but someday there would be a moment when this space would be insufficient, and it would become the core of the empire’s development even if he was not there.

Yusuf, who was flipping through the newly translated book, closed the book and said.

“What’s wrong, Hasna?”

“How did you know?”

At the playful smile, Yusuf put the book on the bookshelf and said.

“How can I not know when there’s such a commotion?”

This commotion was not because of Hasna’s beauty, which could not be seen because her face was covered with a veil, not just a hijab.

Yusuf turned his head and looked at the huge beast.

“You eat like a pig, and you’ve grown up so fast.”

-Krrng.

The fur was glossy as if the nutritional status was good, and the mane rippled softly as if it had been combed with a comb.

It was a lion that Murat brought, and perhaps because it had eaten some Islamic water, the lion let out a low cry as if it understood the curse of being called a pig.

-Sniff!

“Quiet. Silence is the basic in the library.”

The lion, who was hit on the nose, drooped its head when Yusuf glared at it.

“If you pee in the library, I’ll have you castrated.”

“Father, Hasan doesn’t do that.”

“Hmph, Hasan’s name is too much for a beast whose job is to roll around in the sun, even though he doesn’t do anything.”

No matter how much Hasan is stamped as an unhappy name that is overwhelmed with work among the managers, it is a waste of name for a beast whose job is to bask in the sun.

“Hasan is also protecting me.”

“If that cat hadn’t even done that, I would have skinned it for meat value already. So, what brings you here?”

Yusuf asked, pressing the lion’s large head, which was rubbing its face against his leg and acting cute, and Hasna said in a calm voice.

“I heard that Kasim is going to the inauguration ceremony in France this time.”

“That is so.”

“I want to go too.”

“Why?”

“If it’s not now, it seems difficult to experience outside the empire. When will I be able to have such an experience?”

I don’t know how long the King of France, who is being inaugurated this time, will live, but seeing this was not a common opportunity.

It was also true that it was not easy to go outside the Ottoman Empire unless it was now that a peace treaty had been signed with the Habsburgs.

At Hasna’s request, Yusuf asked coldly.

“What is the reason for sending you, even while bearing the risk factors and additional expenses that arise from you going?”

“The opportunity to network with many noble ladies in France will not be common. I heard that, unlike the empire, the influence of women cannot be ignored in the West. It will surely be beneficial to the empire.”

“Can you be sure?”

At Yusuf’s words, Hasna slightly raised her veil and gave a bright smile.

“When have I ever disappointed you, Father?”

“I can’t say you haven’t.”

Hasna made a sulky expression at Yusuf’s firm words.

It wasn’t bad for Hasna to experience France. She was moving with Kasim, and France, who knew the importance of the alliance well, would pay attention to safety, so there was no need to worry too much about safety.

“Okay, I’ll allow it.”

“Thank you!”

“Still, I have to pay a little attention since you’re going too.”

Hasna’s beauty was only rumored to be rumored, so it wouldn’t be strange if a guy came out who was recklessly trying to flirt with her.

It wouldn’t be bad to engrave a warning in his head.

***

About a hundred pirate ships departed from Algiers.

The purpose was escort.