Became The Sultan Of The Ottoman Empire [EN]: Chapter 202

New Wind (2)

Murat’s victory in Africa shocked Europe.

It was obvious to anyone with eyes and ears that the Ottomans coveted Africa.

They trained so many slaves and even mobilized a fleet to block intervention, so it was impossible not to know.

Still, European powers, including Charles V, took a somewhat optimistic view.

“Slaves as soldiers? Easier said than done. They won’t be properly controlled.”

It’s one thing to use them as oarsmen or mercenaries who are paid to move goods, but to use slaves as soldiers?

Using a small number as cannon fodder is one thing, but an army made up of slaves can’t function properly.

They thought it was arrogance from a prince who had become accustomed to the elite Ottoman army, and they expected a rebellion during the war.

“Besides, the African land is not suitable for military movement. Since it is not a cohesive army, it will obviously collapse in the middle. At least they won’t be able to occupy it in the short term, so we can watch the situation and intervene.”

It was an extremely rational and common-sense judgment.

Most people who heard the news agreed with this idea, but unfortunately, Murat’s personal charisma and leadership were beyond common sense.

The news that returned to those who heard the news of the expedition and waited leisurely for the next news was that the Mali Empire had been occupied in just half a year.

The black storm that had occupied Mali temporarily stopped moving.

However, no one was relieved by this situation.

There is no country more skilled at stabilizing occupied territories than the Ottomans of this era, and they are rapidly stabilizing by leveraging the enormous resources flowing in by land and sea.

Merchants, who must be co-opted for stabilization, also generally conformed to the new order.

Losing slaves is a big blow, but entering the shadow of the Ottomans, who absorb goods from all over the world, is not entirely bad.

Looking at the way things were going, there was nowhere to escape. It seemed that they would eventually take over all of Africa, no matter how long it took.

While Europe was buzzing about Africa, it was of no interest to the New World pioneers.

More precisely, it was the Spanish pioneers who, unlike Portugal, had no reason to bring in African slaves on a large scale yet.

They were too busy with the work in front of them.

“That damn Antonio.”

Hernán Cortés, who destroyed the Aztec Empire, cursed Antonio de Mendoza, whom Charles V had appointed as viceroy in the New World.

He gave a huge territory to Spain by occupying the Aztecs and offered a huge amount of gold and silver, but all he got in return was neglect.

He was summoned to the home country, attacked by political enemies, and barely returned to the New World, but Nueva España [New Spain], the colony he founded after occupying the Aztecs, was a mess.

It would be one thing if it ended here, but he had to confront the viceroy who was sent to oust him.

Cortés, who was scribbling on documents, bit his lip anxiously.

“At this rate, I might be dragged back to the home country again.”

The king’s greed for the New World is becoming more and more blatant.

The fact that he sent a viceroy to Nueva España and did not appoint himself as governor, and the situation of Francisco Pizarro, who was a distant relative of his and occupied the Inca, made it clear.

The Spanish navy, which came to suppress the Inca rebellion, stayed there as soon as the rebels fled at the news of reinforcements.

“Is that incompetent king going to swallow the achievements we have made so far?”

Cortés cursed Charles, whose reputation had plummeted due to repeated defeats, but he had no intention of rebelling, as others suspected.

Even if Spain was crushed by the Ottomans, there was no chance of winning.

Anyway, if he stayed like this, it was obvious that he would be summoned to the home country and harassed and ruined by all sorts of lawsuits.

Cortés felt anxious every day because he didn’t know when his military power and conquest authority would disappear.

-Marquis! Marquis! I have urgent news!

Cortés, who was lost in thought, heard a knock on the door and a hurried voice.

“Come in.”

As soon as permission was granted, a subordinate came in and gave a brief greeting.

“What’s going on?”

“A battle has broken out with an unfamiliar ship!”

“An unfamiliar ship? Was it an Indian ship?”

“No! It’s a huge sailing ship. And according to the reports of the soldiers who occupied the ship, it seems to be a ship from the East.”

Cortés snatched the document that his subordinate handed him.

Along with the report that they had seized items such as porcelain and silk that seemed to have been brought as trade goods, the content was that the clothes were similar to the Ming Dynasty [Chinese dynasty, 1368-1644] clothes that the Portuguese had told them about.

“…Has the news been delivered to the viceroy?”

“No. Don’t you know that the soldiers hate the viceroy? He doesn’t know yet.”

Cortés’s mind raced.

The Magellan fleet had already proven that it was possible to go to the East, although it had been captured by the Ottomans in the middle.

The problem was the route back to the New World, and this information was the same as the discovery of that route.

“Even if we can’t communicate, find a way to interrogate them and find out the route! We must find out! We must act before the viceroy.”

“I understand!”

Cortés, who was left alone after his subordinate disappeared, flashed his eyes.

“The Lord has given me a chance!”

***

“Allah has helped us.”

Yusuf leisurely drank coffee and turned the pages of a book.

It was a book co-written by Hürrem and Orhan, and it was wonderful enough to stimulate people’s emotions.

Yusuf said to the two mothers and sons who were waiting for the evaluation with nervous expressions.

“A well-written tragedy transcends time. This book will remain even hundreds of years later. It’s very wonderful.”

“Thank you!”

Laughter mostly stays in that era, but sadness touches people’s hearts even beyond time.

That’s probably why we know Shakespeare’s tragedies but not his comedies.

It was the best compliment Yusuf could give, and Hürrem and Orhan smiled brightly.

“Show it to Suleiman. He’ll probably be surprised. He’ll doubt whether it was written by the same person as the last article.”

Hürrem, who heard the mischievous words, lowered her head as if she was embarrassed.

“You have worked hard. I’ll call you separately later.”

“I understand.”

Hürrem, who heard Shemsi’s words that came in the middle, took Orhan out.

It was considered a problem that neither she nor Prince Orhan could intervene in.

Yusuf closed the book after sending them out.

“A Ming Dynasty ship has reached the New World?”

“It seems so. There were porcelain and silk among the goods that reached Spain.”

It’s difficult to figure out the items presented to the king, but suddenly such items came in, so the story can’t help but leak out.

Because it would be such an unexpected item.

“Let’s sort out the situation. If porcelain came from the New World, then a Ming Dynasty ship must have arrived. The natives wouldn’t have made it.”

“That’s right.”

“They crossed the sea without any experience, so they’re lucky.”

No matter what hardships they had in the middle, they managed to reach the New World.

But it seemed like they used up all their luck getting there.

There wasn’t much information given, but it was enough to infer the situation.

“If the Ming Dynasty ship and Spain had made normal contact, would only the goods have been handed over?”

“No. They would have visited Spain in the form of an envoy.”

“Yes, that’s what would have happened in a normal situation.”

The Ming Dynasty also knows that there is Spain in the New World, so this fleet was also an envoy to Spain.

It’s good to establish friendly relations in order to receive goods from the New World normally.

“But there are no people and only goods came. Then we have to assume that there is a problem with the people. Don’t you think so?”

“There may have been a battle, or they may have gotten sick during the voyage or after arriving in the New World.”

“We’ll know in a while, but that part doesn’t matter anyway. The current information is enough to drive a wedge between them.”

Even if they had all sunk during the voyage and failed to reach the New World, they were going to blame Spain, but if the situation was perfect for misunderstanding, there was no need to say anything.

“I’ll have to contact the Ming Dynasty emperor. The fleet that reached the New World was annihilated by a Spanish attack.”

He calmly ordered something that Charles would have instinctively called a satanic act.

“King Charles will be furious.”

“What’s this? When you think about it, I was the one who created Hassan. All the things he did to gain notoriety were ordered by me.”

“That’s true.”

The idea that made Hassan gain the notoriety of Satan’s tongue came from Yusuf’s head, and Shemsi realized this again.

Yusuf, who felt Shemsi’s impure gaze, waved his hand.

“Let’s stop joking around. The job we have to do now is to deliver the news to the Ming Dynasty emperor.”

How will the Ming Dynasty emperor react when he hears this news?

His pride will be greatly hurt that the ship he sent with great expectations was attacked.

The relationship between Spain and the Ming Dynasty will not heal easily.

“Murat is doing well in Africa, and Kasim has started construction of the bridge with support.”

Considering that he squeezed support not only from Ferdinand but also from Charles, Kasim is also doing well, although he is hidden by Murat.

“Mustafa is said to be co-opting the natives well, and Mehmet will be moving his troops soon. Time is passing faster and faster.”

“Time originally passes quickly as you get older.”

“I’m still young enough. If I have Murat next to me, won’t I look younger?”

“The prince will be upset.”

Yusuf, who laughed softly at Shemsi’s words that didn’t exactly deny it, stopped joking.

“6 years left. Soon I’ll be able to count with one hand.”

The results of the tasks given to the princes are coming out, so the remaining time is also decreasing.

“There are not many days left to rest.”

“Yes, I should rest for a while after the abdication.”

By the time he abdicates, it will be 34 years since he ascended the throne.

It was not a short period of time, and his desire to rest was strong as he had been running while only looking ahead.

‘But I won’t be able to keep resting.’

Because that’s not my personality. At least I’ll do something small for the empire.

It may seem small to others, but.

I’ve already planned a retirement life that won’t be boring. So I had to make sure to have a good ending.

“Check the movements of the Spanish fleet carefully. There will be movement. And tell Barbarossa that the time is coming.”

Yusuf’s eyes shone.

Everything was moving according to plan.

***

Cortés took a deep breath.

His life has always been a series of dangerous gambles, and the same was true now.

Cortés unfolded the map with the route obtained by interrogating the prisoners.

“We will pioneer a new history.”

The route from the New World was connected to Manila.

According to what he heard through Portugal, it was a large trading center where goods came from not only the Ming Dynasty but also from India.

‘If we can get our hands on this place, we can also do Eastern trade.’

It was the only solution to the situation where the Ottomans were virtually controlling the Eastern trade using the canal.

The only thing that bothered him was that there was a problem with the Ming Dynasty ship that crossed the New World.

If it hadn’t been for the battle caused by misunderstanding, he wouldn’t have felt the need to feel uncomfortable, but there was nothing he could do about what had already happened.

‘The Ming Dynasty can’t know what happened in the New World.’

Even if they knew, all he had to do was pay compensation. He also learned through prisoners that the emperor was very interested in the New World civilization.

“Marquis, the preparations are complete.”

Cortés raised his head and looked around.

More than twenty ships were floating on the sea.

It was a fleet that he had persuaded Charles to support, and it was a scene that showed how much he was interested in this matter.

“Let’s go! For our future!”

With Cortés’s declaration, the flag bearer waved the flag to announce the departure.

A great challenge for the future has begun.

***

“Oh, Your Majesty! It’s a disaster!”

“What’s going on? Why are you making such a fuss?”

Charles clenched his fist tightly.

None of the news that came with the fuss had been good so far, and his body already felt ominous, and cold sweat was running down the back of his neck.

‘Is it news about Prince Murat, who has started to move south again? Or is it other news?’

Charles, who was trying to reduce the shock by bringing out all the expected situations, realized that he was making a futile effort.

It was news that he couldn’t have predicted, and even if he had predicted it, the shock wouldn’t have been reduced.

“O-Ottomans have sent the Eastern Fleet again.”

Charles asked in a dazed voice.

“…Why now of all times?”