Became The Sultan Of The Ottoman Empire [EN]: Chapter 69

The Predetermined Ending (1)

Drizzling rain fell.

In Kostantiniyye [Istanbul], where rainy days were rare during the heat, the raindrops soaked the ground as the heat subsided.

“Prince Selim, it’s raining!”

“I can see that.”

Selim replied indifferently as the subordinate, kneeling on one knee, spoke with a voice full of joy. Selim stretched out his hand.

Collected water trickled down his palm lines, and Selim’s lips slowly curved upward as the water fell to the ground.

“It has been a long time.”

He had vowed to seize the heart of the glorious empire at a young age, before his beard had even grown. Now, he stood in this place only as his beard was beginning to turn white.

The days of dreaming nightmares of being deprived of his desired position and dying as a loser were now over.

Selim, gazing at the walls of Kostantiniyye standing firmly beyond the rain, turned his body.

“Behold! The rain we have been waiting for is falling!”

The soldiers who had been waiting for this moment in front of the capital shone their eyes at Selim’s cry.

The soldiers of the Crimean Khanate, hardened through numerous wars and plunder, felt no fear even knowing they would soon have to charge towards the thick walls.

Selim, drawing his sword, pointed it at the walls and declared.

“Do not be afraid! Like my grandfather, the conqueror Mehmed [Mehmed the Conqueror, also known as Mehmed II, Ottoman Sultan who conquered Constantinople], we shall cross those walls and seize glory!”

As the soldiers cheered at his declaration, Selim smiled deeply.

‘I am the winner of this time, Yusuf.’

Because it was severed by the Bosphorus Strait, he could not know the exact news, but he did not doubt that Yusuf would be the winner between Ahmed and Yusuf.

Since the rain fell before Yusuf, who defeated Ahmed, arrived here, he was the winner of this time.

Because rain was the key to victory.

The artillery, which the central army was proud of, was neutralized by the rain, and the central army had to block five times as many enemies without gunpowder.

“Also, rain is the promised signal.”

The traitors who had been waiting for the rain would stab the Padishah [Ottoman Emperor] in the back.

Listening to the sound of the horn echoing in the rainy sky, Selim spread his arms wide and enjoyed the rain.

“Allah [God] chose me last, Yusuf.”

The attack to conquer Kostantiniyye began.

***

The rain, which had lasted quite a while, stopped.

The Bosphorus Strait, which divides Asia and Europe, had a fast current due to the difference in water level and salinity between the two connected seas.

Since the strait usually had a current of 3 to 4 meters per second, they had to wait for the rain to stop in order to build a pontoon bridge.

Looking at the scene of small boats being connected one by one, Arda said with regret.

“It is a pity that we cannot build a pontoon bridge leading directly to the capital.”

“That is greed.”

Kostantiniyye was at the end of the strait, and the width there was 2 km.

Considering that the narrowest part of the Bosphorus Strait was 750m, it was too long to connect with a pontoon bridge.

“If I was in such a hurry, I would have entered the capital by boat.”

Rushing would lead to going to Allah’s arms first [dying].

The number of soldiers that could be transported by boat at one time was limited, and considering the complicated situation in the capital, entering the capital without proper troops was suicide.

Still, the pontoon bridge, which started to be built from early dawn, roughly revealed its shape by noon, and planks began to be laid on the closely connected small boats.

“Isn’t it spectacular?”

“It is worth seeing. It would have been better if there was a bridge, though.”

At Yusuf’s words, the Grand Vizier smiled subtly and replied.

“It is a difficult problem. The Padishah also tried to build a bridge in Halic [Golden Horn], but failed. Building a bridge here is even more difficult.”

Halic was a bay that stretched out in the shape of a horn towards the land from the strait, and its surface shone golden in the evening, so it was called the Golden Horn or the Golden Horn Bay.

The Golden Horn was an important stronghold from ancient times because it surrounded the capital, and if a bridge could be built here, it could have several advantages.

The Grand Vizier’s words meant that they could not build a bridge in Halic, which was narrower than this place, so how could they build a bridge in this strait?

‘Well, accepting that design was too ahead of its time.’

The person who designed the bridge that the Grand Vizier mentioned was Leonardo da Vinci.

With the current construction technology, they could not build piers that could withstand the fast currents, and Da Vinci proposed a bridge that was arched instead of piers to withstand the load.

It was too ahead of its time, so Bayezid [Bayezid II, Ottoman Sultan] did not accept it.

‘In fact, in modern times, bridges have been built based on that design, so it is worth trying to bring Da Vinci and give it a try.’

Of course, ascending to the Sultan’s throne was the priority.

While they were chatting lightly, a long pontoon bridge was completed between the straits.

The pontoon bridge connected to the land far away was literally spectacular.

“Move! Move!”

The Janissaries [elite Ottoman soldiers] and Kapikulu [Ottoman household troops], who ridiculed the soldiers who were uneasy about the unfamiliar pontoon bridge as if they were hicks, took the lead and crossed the pontoon bridge.

Unlike the creaking sound, they crossed safely, so Yusuf also stepped on the pontoon bridge.

The sound of rough currents flowing between the small boats that had become bridges could be heard, and the bridge swayed in the wind, but it was more stable than expected.

It was when Yusuf, who had crossed first, was watching more than thirty thousand soldiers lining up and crossing the pontoon bridge.

“Your Highness! Urgent news!”

The herald, who ran panting, knelt on the floor and shouted.

“Kostantiniyye has fallen into the hands of Prince Selim.”

At the herald’s words, Arda drew his sword with an angry face and aimed it at the herald’s neck.

“How dare you bring such nonsense!”

“It, it’s true. Only one of the ten galleys that were sent in advance to check the situation in the capital managed to escape the capital. That is what they said!”

Everyone here knows. There is no reason for the herald to risk his life and tell a lie.

However, it was news that they did not want to believe enough to show Arda’s fierce reaction.

Only Selim was left, and when this news was delivered, the faces of the commanders turned black.

Since Selim occupied the capital, he would now ascend to the Padishah’s throne.

Yusuf, who had been indifferent among those who lowered their heads as if in despair, said.

“I will check it with my own eyes. March to Kostantiniyye as planned.”

At Yusuf’s declaration, the soldiers who had crossed the pontoon bridge began to march.

Giving off a dark atmosphere.

***

Since the Golden Horn bridge would not be built until the 19th century, the movement of Yusuf’s army was bound to be longer.

They moved as quickly as possible, but it was already dusk when Yusuf’s army, mostly composed of infantry, faced the walls of the capital.

Those who faced the walls with tired bodies felt a terrible sense of despair.

“It has fallen into Selim’s hands as reported.”

The traces of the past battle that could not be washed away by the rainwater remained in various places on the walls, and the long walls were densely packed with soldiers.

Instead of Selim’s soldiers, only the site of the abandoned camp remained in front of the walls.

When the commanders could not hide their feelings of helplessness, the firmly closed gate opened and a cavalryman approached and shouted.

-Hear, Shehzade [Prince] Yusuf! This is the message from Prince Selim, who will ascend to the throne of the great Padishah!

Arda and others tried to jump out at the arrogant words, but Yusuf raised his hand to stop them.

“I will listen once.”

-Shehzade Yusuf, come to the capital immediately, confess your past sins, and show your loyalty! If your loyalty is complete, he said he will not take your life!

Yusuf chuckled at the cavalryman’s words.

“He’s talking nonsense.”

In the original history, it was Selim who killed Korkut, who said he would be loyal.

If he enters the capital, he can guarantee that his head will be placed on the succession ceremony like a pig’s head on the ancestral rites table.

Yusuf aimed his gun and pulled the trigger as if there was nothing more to hear.

-Taang!

Thud.

As the enemy grabbed one eye and fell from his horse after being shot by a roughly fired gun, a bewildered gaze was focused on him.

Yusuf shrugged.

“Lucky. I didn’t know this would hit. Now that it’s like this, go and return that guy’s head.”

At this order, a cavalryman ran out, cut off the fallen enemy’s head, threw it near the walls, and returned.

Yusuf showed a feat close to art, but it was not a problem that could be solved by killing just one soldier.

Shemsi, who was troubled with a stiff face, said.

“Your Highness, it is not too late. Become the Sultan of Anatolia.”

“Like Shehinshah [King of Kings]?”

“He is different from that nominal person.”

Unlike Shehinshah, Yusuf was supported by several cities in Anatolia, so he could split the Ottoman Empire in half as he said.

Of course, if Selim becomes the Padishah, he will be pushed back in terms of justification, so there are great risks such as rebellion and betrayal, but they believed that they could win enough by using the guns and gunpowder that had been effective in the past battle.

Voices agreeing that they could not give up like this popped out from everywhere, and Yusuf asked the Grand Vizier.

“Grand Vizier, what are you going to do in the future?”

The actions of the Janissaries and Kapikulu who had joined him would change depending on his intentions.

At Yusuf’s question, the Grand Vizier slowly bowed.

“My last order from the Padishah was to help Prince Yusuf.”

The faces of the other commanders brightened at the Grand Vizier’s words, and Yusuf nodded.

“Good. Then I will need help right now.”

“Order me.”

“We need to send messengers to the cities of Rumelia [region in Southeastern Europe] to request support.”

The commanders thought that they would request troops in the name of the Grand Vizier, but the words that came out were completely unexpected.

“We need a lot of food and tents.”

“…Food and tents, you say?”

The Grand Vizier was embarrassed.

Because troops were more important than such supplies.

Some commanders even suspected for a moment that Yusuf had been greatly shocked by Selim taking the capital.

Of course, Yusuf’s mind was perfectly fine.

“Pasha, wasn’t it strange? That you focused on Anatolian information rather than the most important capital information.”

“…It was strange.”

There is also something to lose if you gain something.

Instead of focusing on Anatolian information, the communication network from the capital was almost cut off.

Considering that any prince would be in a very advantageous position if he occupied the capital, it was a strange behavior.

However, there was a reason why Yusuf made this choice.

‘Selim is mistaken. This succession war is not a fight between him and me. It’s my own time fight.’

Of course, it was amazing. Because he crossed the walls that he dared not even think of attacking and occupied the capital.

He admired Selim.

However, Selim’s actions did not affect the outcome of this succession war.

‘Because the fight ends when I arrive in Rumelia within the period.’

If he had not occupied the capital, he could have led the army and executed Selim, and even if he had occupied the capital as he did now, it did not matter.

No, it was fortunate that Selim occupied the capital.

“Soon a great disaster will unfold in the capital.”

A disaster called the Great Kostantiniyye Earthquake, also known as the Little Doomsday.

By now, as planned, his informants would be spreading rumors in the capital that ‘a disaster will strike because the wrong person has ascended to the Padishah’s throne.’

‘Since the succession war fortunately broke out in 1509, all endings were predetermined.’

Yusuf said coldly.

“Become the source of disaster and become the cornerstone of my empire, Selim.”