Became The Sultan Of The Ottoman Empire [EN]: Chapter 80

The Distorted Situation (3)

To arduously occupy a territory and keep it as a vassal state was akin to acquiring a company through a hostile M&A [mergers and acquisitions] and retaining the existing management.

It wasn’t a common occurrence, so there was usually a compelling reason for it.

Like the Principality of Wallachia, ruled by Vlad Țepeș, the inspiration for Dracula.

Or like the Moldavian Principality, with its national hero and Romanian Orthodox saint, Stephen the Great of Moldavia, where formidable adversaries existed and rebellions could erupt at any moment.

If entrusting national defense and plunder to entities like the Crimean Khanate, they became vassal states, treated as occupied territories with certain privileges.

However, when Mengli finally received permission to visit the capital, he sensed that the atmosphere was far from normal.

“You are restricted to only three guards to accompany you in the capital.”

“What nonsense is this!”

Saadet, who had come with him, protested at the resolute Janissary’s words, but he was silenced by what followed.

“It is the Padishah’s [Ottoman ruler’s] strict order. Do you intend to defy it?”

With these words, the Janissaries surrounding the guards all placed their hands on their sword hilts.

It was an act that conveyed their willingness to kill the guards to meet the quota, and an ominous aura filled the harbor.

“Saadet, it’s alright. Surely the Padishah would not harm us.”

“…Understood.”

There was no point in needlessly antagonizing them, and besides, the guards would not be able to cross the gates of Topkapi Palace anyway.

Mengli knew well from his past captivity that once inside the capital, his life was in the Sultan’s hands.

‘But the atmosphere is worse than I expected.’

As Mengli tensed up slightly, a commotion arose from the five galleys he had arrived on.

-Ah! This bitch?!

“Don’t you dare lay a hand on them! They are gifts for the Padishah!”

Despite his old age, Mengli shouted in a resounding voice, and soon after, women tied with ropes were led out of the galleys in a line.

The harbor buzzed as the women, who had been somewhat dolled up, set foot on the harbor.

It wasn’t just the number of them, but also the exquisite beauty of the women.

So much so that they didn’t notice a little girl being roughly pushed down, grabbed by the scruff of her neck.

“Hmm, it seems you’ve prepared quite a lot.”

The Janissary, who was forbidden from starting a family, seemed slightly swayed, and his overbearing demeanor relaxed.

Even if not gold and silver treasures, the women needed basic education and body searches before being presented to the Sultan, so they were handed over separately.

As Mengli moved towards Topkapi Palace under the protection of the Janissaries, he casually said to Saadet.

“The people’s expressions look good.”

He spoke lightly because the Janissaries were glaring, but Saadet understood the hidden meaning.

Even though traces of the past disaster still remained throughout the capital, the people’s faces were bright and full of hope.

It was a scene that indirectly showed how outstanding the newly enthroned Sultan was.

After entering Topkapi Palace, they underwent an even more brutal body search by the Silahdars [palace guards] and were allowed to enter the audience chamber.

“Wait for the Padishah to appear.”

The Silahdars stood guard solemnly, and time passed.

Standing without being able to sit comfortably, ready to pay respects at any moment, was difficult for the old man’s body, and Mengli’s body began to tremble.

-The great Padishah Yusuf Shah bin Bayezid Khan enters. All pay respects!

With the eunuch’s cry, the Silahdars all paid their respects, and Mengli and Saadet knelt down and bowed their heads.

Only the sound of small footsteps was heard in the audience chamber, and as Yusuf sat down, Mengli shouted on behalf of them.

“May Allah’s blessings be with the great Padishah!”

“Rise.”

At Yusuf’s permission, Mengli rose, inwardly groaning.

No matter how outstanding one may be, it takes time to adapt to a position, but the oppressive gaze was so fitting for the owner of the empire.

“Mengli Giray, Saadet Giray. You have traveled far.”

“It is nothing. It is an honor to meet you.”

“But why did Mehmed Giray not come with you?”

It was natural to leave a successor behind in case of unforeseen circumstances, but when this was pointed out, Mengli calmly replied.

“The current situation is unsettling, so we had to prepare for any mishaps. Please forgive us.”

“I am not reproaching you. I merely wanted to see what kind of person the one who will soon inherit your position is.”

Mengli’s expression hardened at Yusuf’s words.

Mengli was old, so he would have to hand over the position someday, but the word ‘soon’ implied only one thing.

“Is it the Padishah’s will that this Mengli step down from his position now?”

“Spending the rest of your life comfortably in the empire’s capital would not be a bad thing for you. Wouldn’t you agree?”

Mengli gritted his teeth at the suggestion that he not only step down but also come as a hostage.

As Mengli, who had called himself the Khagan [supreme ruler], the emperor of the Mongol nomadic people, he felt an immense sense of humiliation.

“It would be lonely to live in a foreign land with an old body, so spending time with your son would be nice too.”

“…Your greed is excessive.”

The Silahdars glared fiercely at Mengli for his disrespectful words, but it was no threat to Mengli, who had led numerous battles to victory while traversing the steppes.

Yusuf twisted his lips at Mengli’s words.

“Excessive greed? Whose greed is excessive? How dare you set foot in the heart of the empire without permission and still say such things?!”

“That was Selim Wang…”

Mengli, who had mentioned Selim as an excuse at Yusuf’s rebuke, closed his mouth.

If Selim were simply a loser, it could be an excuse, but within the Ottoman Empire, Selim was branded as the culprit of the disaster.

It meant that he was the person to distance oneself from the most.

“I will give you time to think it over carefully. It will be for the good of the Crimean Khanate.”

Mengli bowed his head, realizing Yusuf’s true intention to cleanly take responsibility and cut ties with Selim.

“I will consider it.”

He knew in his head that it was the best option, but voluntarily relinquishing the power he held was not an easy task.

He would need time to consider.

Yusuf slightly lightened the heavy atmosphere.

“Now that I think about it, I heard you brought so many women?”

“That is correct. I brought them because it seemed necessary to refill the harem.”

The women who had been touched by his father, Bayezid, or Selim, should be sent out.

There were plenty of women, so there was no need to take his father’s or brother’s women. It wasn’t good for public opinion either.

There would be quite a few vacancies, and they needed to be filled.

“A hundred is a bit too much.”

“They are carefully selected women, so dispose of them as the Padishah wishes.”

It was a common era to gift women, and it was a good card to use to gain loyalty.

It meant that there was no harm in having many women.

Of course, considering the sincerity of the one who brought them, he had to accept some women into the harem without giving them all away as gifts.

“Then let’s take a look.”

Up to this point, things had proceeded as Yusuf had planned.

But when he met the women who had finished their body searches and preparations after leaving the audience chamber, things got a little strange.

The little girl staring up with venomous eyes was completely unexpected.

‘Hürrem Sultan, huh.’

If the historical Hürrem had the venom to overcome countless intrigues and the flexibility to hide it within, the little girl in front of him was still a child.

The venom that needed to be hidden was pouring out of her body.

To be honest, he didn’t expect to meet Hürrem Sultan like this, so he felt a bit dizzy, but this was also luck if you could call it that.

‘Because the probability of her being kidnapped and brought as a slave to be offered to the Sultan, and catching my eye, is very low in a Crimean Khanate that is weaker than in the original history.’

But he didn’t need this kind of luck.

If he hadn’t noticed, he would have handed her over to any manager, but considering who she was, he was a little concerned about doing so.

“Padishah, do you like this woman?”

“%$@!”

He didn’t understand what she was saying, but he knew that the words she was shouting in a fit were curses.

That’s what the faces of the women next to her showed, and the man was horrified and raised his hand.

Yusuf raised one hand.

“That’s enough. She’s like a wild horse that’s running wild. I’d rather not give her as a gift and get cursed. Wouldn’t you agree?”

Light laughter erupted at the joke, and Yusuf looked down at Hürrem.

The atmosphere had calmed down, but it was obvious that she would suffer all kinds of hardships if he just passed by like this.

She had dared to insult the Padishah, a slave.

She could even be beaten to death.

“Send this child to the harem for now.”

“Understood, Padishah.”

To be honest, he hadn’t decided what to do with Hürrem yet.

He had thought about pairing her with Suleiman like in the original history.

‘But she might only pick up bad habits, and she might not love him like in the original history.’

She had enough potential to become a beauty in the future to be sent as a gift to the Sultan.

But it wasn’t just because of her appearance that Hürrem received Suleiman’s affection.

‘It was thanks to her being a wise woman who gave a lot of helpful advice, unlike the other women who were simply obedient.’

It’s like the cliché in romance comics: I’ve never met a woman like this before!

He was captivated by the different feeling from the women he had been with in the harem, but Suleiman’s situation had changed, so he didn’t know if he would like her.

If he didn’t know, he could just keep her by his side and observe.

“Still, it seems like it will be fun to watch.”

It would be fun to watch how Hürrem, who had entered the harem earlier than in the original history, would grow up.

Yusuf pressed down on Hürrem’s head.

“Your fate will depend on Allah from now on.”

Whether she would persevere and leave her name in history, or become food for the fish in the Bosphorus Strait.

Before that, she would have to survive Fatima’s hands, who would hear about today’s events.

That was her karma.

***

‘What’s going on.’

Saadet had an uneasy look on his face as he walked through Topkapi Palace, where the dark clouds made it difficult to see ahead and where a sinister aura flowed, unlike during the day.

He had entered the palace at Yusuf’s command, who had secretly summoned him late at night, so fear and curiosity coexisted.

As he entered the audience chamber he had visited during the day, he heard the sound of water trickling into his ear.

It meant that a story that should not be leaked to the outside world was unfolding in the audience chamber.

“Have you come.”

“I, I greet the Padishah.”

The lamps brightly illuminated the inside, and Saadet hurriedly paid his respects to the cold green eyes looking down from the high seat.

Yusuf opened his mouth towards Saadet, who was trembling under the suffocating pressure.

“Saadet Giray.”

“Yes, yes!”

“Do not be afraid. I have only called you to satisfy my curiosity.”

Saadet was not relieved by these words, as there was no way he would have been called alone in the middle of the night just to satisfy his curiosity.

“Do you remember the story I shared with your father during the day?”

“Of course.”

“Your father seems to regard your brother, Mehmed, as his successor.”

While feeling puzzled at Yusuf’s words, Saadet answered.

“That is correct. My brother has already been active as a co-ruler for a long time. He is considered the most suitable.”

“Do you think so too? Do you think your brother is better than you? Perhaps you simply haven’t had the opportunity.”

Saadet felt suffocated at Yusuf’s question.

As the true feelings he had been trying to suppress were brought out, his mind became dizzy.

The age difference between the two was 27 years, and it was a heart he had hidden because it was almost impossible to overcome this huge age difference.

“I can see your thoughts clearly. It’s not easy to beat a brother who was born more than 20 years earlier.”

“…That is correct.”

“But it’s not impossible either.”

At Yusuf’s words, Saadet looked up at Yusuf as if possessed.

The green eyes, resembling the steppes, shone fiercely like the cruel nomadic life.

“Because I did. Saadet.”

“Yes, yes! Padishah.”

“I will give you a chance.”

“What…?”

Towards Saadet, who was confused by the word opportunity, Yusuf spoke of the opportunity he had prepared.

“Soon, an attack will come upon the Crimean Khanate. It must be because you have been running wild for too long. The weakened Crimean Khanate will have a hard time defending itself. Of course, I have no intention of allowing this.”

Saadet was startled by the following words.

“To help, I will release the Crimean Khanate soldiers I have captured as prisoners, and I will appoint you as the commander.”

“Me, not my father?”

“Yes, he is an imperial hostage.”

Even though many have died and been injured, there are still over 20,000 elite soldiers.

Saadet felt a dark ambition surge within him at Yusuf’s words.

“If you don’t time it right, your brother will be in great danger. The choice is yours.”

Yusuf turned around and disappeared, and the faucet was turned off, and the sound of water stopped.

Saadet could not get up for a while in the silent audience chamber.