Became The Sultan Of The Ottoman Empire [EN]: Chapter 206

The Conspirator (3)

There’s a saying that you can’t even drink cold water carelessly in front of children.

It was a saying that didn’t resonate much while raising five sons and one daughter, but I never thought I’d experience it so keenly at this age.

“Grandfather, why can’t I drink *kahwa* [coffee]? I’ve heard it’s not good for children, but is that medically proven?”

He used to be a little one asking how babies are born, but after living in the capital for two years, he’s asking for the basis of arguments.

Yusuf, looking indifferently at the chattering Batur, replied curtly.

“I said it’s not allowed. No further explanation is needed.”

It’s not difficult to explain the reasons, mentioning the growth period. He just didn’t feel the need to.

Yusuf rose from his seat and walked to the center of the audience hall, looking to both sides.

Orhan, who is old enough to become a *Sanjakbey* [governor of a district], Omer, who is more composed than when they first met, Ali, who is larger than his peers as befits Murat’s son, and Batur, who is watching carefully.

Looking down at one son and three grandsons, Yusuf asked.

“Batur, do you think it’s unreasonable to be forbidden without a proper explanation?”

“…No.”

“It is unreasonable. And it’s a feeling everyone experiences.”

Yusuf patted the slightly subdued Batur on the head.

“Prince Orhan didn’t even get a chance to challenge for this position because he was born late. And Ali.”

“Yes, my Padishah.”

“Isn’t your skin color also the same?”

In the Ottoman Empire, black skin isn’t treated as less than human as it is in Europe, but it’s not considered equal either.

At the very least, there’s an underlying perception that they are poor people living in underdeveloped areas, and this can be seen in the price of slaves.

‘Looking at the administration of the capital, Europeans are the most numerous, and Africans are almost non-existent.’

The ratio is changing as the *Devshirme* [system of taking Christian boys into Ottoman service], which enslaved Christian boys, is abolished and officials are selected through exams.

But the number of people receiving higher education to become officials is different, so it will take a long time for the number of officials from Africa to increase.

“Discrimination isn’t just about despising and insulting. Giving them an extra glance and feeling sorry for them can also be discrimination. That’s why I haven’t blamed you separately for the trouble you’ve caused so far.”

A different skin color from others, and a personality resembling Murat.

How much trouble has he caused in the meantime? The reason he turned a blind eye to it wasn’t just because they were family.

Ali lowered his head.

“I’m sorry, my Padishah.”

“I didn’t bring it up to hear an apology. Everyone feels unfairly treated at times. Even I did.”

Not only did he suddenly become an 11-year-old Yusuf, but he also had to kill all his brothers to become Padishah in order to survive.

All he had was the status of a prince, and his brothers had already built their own power, so it’s needless to say how daunting it must have been.

“Whatever the reality was, I overcame it and sat in this position. Ali, you can’t change your skin color, but you can change other people’s perceptions. Isn’t that so?”

“Yes, it is.”

“You can prove your abilities, or you can make those with the same skin color as you excellent. There are many other ways, and it’s worth trying for a lifetime.”

Yusuf, with his hands behind his back, looked Ali in the eye.

Ali was born with a wild horse-like nature and upbringing, and just looking at his clouded eyes, one could tell how stifling and difficult life in the capital had been for him.

“Now you have somewhat useful eyes.”

Yusuf smiled lightly and spoke coldly to the children.

“One, there are far more people in this world who are in such an unfair position that they would say that what you complain about is a blessing. One of them would be someone who was born a slave, as in the book Orhan wrote.”

The novel co-authored by Hürrem and Orhan received great attention from the beginning.

It was written by Hürrem, famous for Yusuf’s biography, and as a book from the dynasty, it was possible to gauge the future direction of the empire.

Currently, the content of the book, which implies the reorganization of the slavery system, is causing heated debate.

“One thing is certain, as I did to Batur, the higher the status, the greater the possibility of becoming a perpetrator rather than a victim. This means the same for you.”

In the previous Ottoman Empire, there was no need to say such things.

In the Ottoman Empire, where anyone who hindered the rule, whether brother or nephew, was mercilessly killed, only one person would survive in this position.

‘But the Ottoman Empire has become too big to rule the country that way.’

In order to bring the entire empire under the influence of the dynasty, there is no choice but to use the same royal family.

Of course, royal family rebellion can occur, but it doesn’t mean that having vassals instead of the royal family will prevent rebellion.

It’s just as dangerous if an incompetent guy becomes Padishah, and the descendants will take care of the ruin of later generations.

Anyway, those in this position will at least sit in the position of Sanjakbey.

“So, if you sit above, you must think and act more deeply with a broader perspective. Thinking of the people.”

“We will keep that in mind.”

Yusuf, with a satisfied expression at the children’s answers, sat down.

“Of course, there are also opponents to whom you can force injustice without any qualms. Do you know who it is?”

Looking at the children who couldn’t answer easily, Yusuf raised the corners of his mouth.

“That’s the enemy.”

For example, Spain.

***

It’s ironic.

The defeat of the Ottoman Empire in distant Manila has increased interest in the Eastern Route within Spain.

People were so interested in the route that no one paid attention to the words of the previous viceroy, who pleaded that he had never colluded with the Ottoman Empire.

-How much profit is there that the Ottoman Empire even tried to interfere?

That was the first thought.

Because it looked like they had heard the rumors and hurriedly dispatched a fleet.

This question was easily solved. The goods that were taken care of by Urzi were sold, and they made a profit large enough to make up for the losses.

I was amazed by the staggering profits for a moment, but then anxiety crept in.

“If the trade permit was given because of the abdication, when might they ban it again?”

“They won’t change their mind right after the abdication, but we don’t know when the next infidel emperor’s power stabilizes.”

“Shouldn’t we make a formal treaty?”

The opinions of these nobles put pressure on Karl, and Karl tentatively asked the Ottoman Empire for their opinion on this, but.

The answer that came back was a firm refusal as expected, and the only answer Karl could give was.

‘Yusuf, I can’t work with that devil. Prince Kasim must be crowned.’

It makes me angry to think of Kasim, who keeps pestering me in letters that he doesn’t have enough money, but I can’t abandon him now.

Because he has already invested a lot of money, and Kasim’s role has become more important.

Everything will be resolved if the Kasim he supports becomes Padishah, but he can’t announce this, and the nobles and merchants became even more impatient.

-There is not much time left. We must move quickly before the Ottoman bastards block us.

-This is an opportunity you will regret for the rest of your life if you miss it now.

This movement became more active after a merchant who moved one step faster than others who hesitated made a big profit.

The Spanish fleet that had just left Manila was also made up of people who took advantage of this trend.

“Hehehe, how much is this all worth?”

The captain laughed as he checked the boxes piled up in the warehouse.

The spices with a unique scent, as well as the Eastern goods that must be moved carefully, are worth whatever you ask for when they are transferred to the home country.

No matter how much the price of spices has fallen due to the Ottoman canal, it was expensive because it came through Venice or France.

Of course, the nobles and merchants who invested in the ship and money get the biggest share of the profits, but the captain also gets a lot, so he had reason to be happy.

“Seeing this taste of money, I guess the money-hungry Venetians are wagging their tails at the infidels.”

He could understand the Venetians who acted without dignity.

“Captain, the item check is complete! Nothing wrong!”

“Nail it shut! If anyone touches the goods, know that I’ll throw them to the sharks right away!”

The captain, who had threatened, said to the merchant on board.

“Next time we come, we should reduce the plants from the New World. It’s a good thing we brought the treasures of the natives, or we would have been in trouble.”

“It was fortunate that I brought silver coins just in case.”

He felt a little bitter because he had no choice but to sell the seeds, which were already sufficiently secured, at a low price.

As the two were talking about the next voyage and came up on deck, the watchman’s shout was heard.

-Fleet discovered ahead! Fleet discovered!

With the watchman’s cry, the crew moved busily.

It was hard to see a good outcome when encountering another ship at sea, and the crew moved the sails to change direction.

Unlike the crew’s wish to pass by without incident, the watchman shouted loudly as he watched the fleet turning and approaching.

-Enemy! Enemy!

The two Spanish ships that were moving together also moved in a hurry as the approaching fleet got closer.

“Is it Ottoman?!”

“No! It looks like an Eastern fleet!”

It wasn’t difficult to distinguish because the shape of the ship was clearly different from the Ottoman Empire, but that didn’t mean it was a good situation.

He didn’t know why about ten Eastern fleets were approaching, but it didn’t seem like a good intention.

“Captain! What should we do?!”

The captain, who scanned the other ships that were hurriedly preparing everything, made a decision.

“Run away when you get a chance!”

“But then the other ships will….”

“Someone has to let the home country know about this!”

There was no option to run away together. The speed of the approaching enemy fleet was faster than expected.

The captain, who had decided to throw the other ship as bait, fired a few cannons as if responding together, and when the enemy got closer, he turned the ship and fled.

-Thud!

“Just ignore it and move on!”

As he betrayed and ran away, a bullet fired from another ship hit the railing and wood fragments scattered.

The two Spanish ships, which were shooting bullets in anger, were quickly surrounded by the enemy and emitted black smoke, and the captain said with a firm face as he watched the scene.

“I will report it to the home country when I return.”

His face did not brighten at the fleet that did not look like pirates.

***

Two young boys wearing ragged clothes rummaged through a pile of garbage with their hands.

Several times they were startled by the rotten smell that numbed their noses and the rats that popped out of the garbage pile.

The boy who found a piece of moldy bread divided the bread in half.

“Yuri, eat this.”

The boy, who handed the bread to his hearing-impaired brother, gritted his teeth as he satisfied his hunger with food for beggars.

“I will definitely take revenge on those bastards.”

Ivan IV, the Grand Duke of Moscow, vowed revenge as he swallowed the food.

When his mother, who had inherited power in place of his dead father, died, all the malice was poured out on the young Grand Duke and his brother.

The nobles who fought for power not only killed their political enemies in front of the young Grand Duke, but also kicked them out naked like now.

They had to rummage through garbage piles to solve the cold and hunger, and they were dragged into secret rooms and tortured.

“Ugh….”

Suddenly, pain surged from his back, which had been whipped a while ago, and Ivan barely swallowed a groan.

Hugging his brother, Yuri, who was looking at him worriedly, Ivan closed his eyes tightly.

‘I want to run away.’

His heart was full of wanting to run away, no matter what Grand Duke he was, but this was just a delusion.

As long as there are people watching, there is no way to escape this place with the body of a child.

When he was suffocating from the bleak reality, he heard footsteps from behind. He had enjoyed the sight of them falling to the bottom enough, so he wondered if they had come to take them to the castle, but that wasn’t the case.

“Ivan Vasilyevich. Are you the Grand Duke of Moscow?”

When he turned his head, the smell of blood stung his nose.

The man illuminated by the moonlight wiped his hands with a red-stained cloth, and Ivan asked the man in a trembling voice.

“Did you come to kill me?”

“That’s not it. I came to help the Grand Duke.”

“Help? Who the hell are you to say that?”

Facing the wary Ivan, the man bowed politely.

“You can think of me as a friend from the Ottoman Empire right now.”

“Ottoman….”

Even though Ivan was still young, he knew about the Ottoman Empire. It was a name that came out of the mouths of nobles who were fighting with their political enemies several times.

He couldn’t help but know how huge and dangerous the country was, and Ivan was surprised when the name came up.

“Unfortunately, there is not much time left. Will you escape this hell with the help of the Empire? Or will you continue to live like this?”

Continue to be tortured and rummage through garbage?

Ivan, who had no reason to hesitate, grabbed the stranger’s hand.

“Congratulations on becoming a friend of the Empire, Grand Duke.”

That day, two brothers disappeared from Moscow.