---

Perfect Justification (2)

There are plenty of instances where the justification for war is absurd.

A recent example can be found in the occupied Moroccan region, where they claimed a need to attack Portugal.

It was clearly just a pretext for conquest, not very sophisticated at all.

In contrast, the attack on the Duchy of Moscow arose with the perfect justification of aiding the Grand Duke in driving out rebel forces, leading to minimal resistance.

“Damn it! F*cking Ottoman! Stupid little bastards!”

Shuisky spat out curses.

The enemies that the Duchy of Moscow and Lithuania feared the most were the Ottomans, specifically the Ottoman vassal, the Crimean Khanate.

Since they needed to build a massive steel city in the barren Donbas region, their greatest shortage was population, and the solution from the Crimean Khanate supporting Mehmet II was straightforward.

– If we lack population, let’s kidnap some.

It was a classic conclusion from the plundering-minded Crimean Khanate, with the closest targets being Lithuania and Moscow.

Whenever they showed up, entire towns would vanish, forcing people near the border to migrate en masse.

With 30,000 troops from the Crimean Khanate and another 30,000 armed Circassians and Ottomans, any remaining will to resist was crushed.

The Ottomans dispatched clergy to the cities on the path to Moscow.

“Do not be afraid, brethren of faith. We have come to prevent the future that you worry about.”

For those already gripped by the fear that the Ottoman army could turn their city into ruins any moment, these words were like a lifeline.

While they had heard of this through letters, having a clergy member say it in person bore a different weight.

Once their breaths were released, the cities chose to surrender without resistance, and the Ottomans kept their promise of no plunder.

The justification of aiding the Grand Duke, combined with the infamous reputation of the Ottomans and the clergy acting as intermediaries, led to an unprecedented acceleration of the Ottoman advance.

They reached Moscow before even properly assembling their troops.

“Shouldn’t we surrender?!”

“Don’t talk nonsense! Do you think surrendering will spare us?!”

Beyond the city walls, a red wave representing the Ottomans rolled in on the wind.

Yet, the troops defending Moscow were only 10,000 strong, and they had left some behind in the occupied cities, which was an overwhelming disadvantage.

To make matters worse, morale had already plummeted.

The biggest reason for this was the sight of the flag of the Duchy of Moscow flapping forlornly among the Ottoman flags.

– The Grand Duke is right there; isn’t this treason?

– Why should we fight? Other cities have surrendered already.

There was no justification to be found, and the Grand Duke’s past misdeeds against his own subjects were widely known.

With the truth known, public sentiment turned ugly, and controlling the soldiers became increasingly difficult.

The commanders, the boyars, were well aware of how dire the situation was, but when thinking of the young Grand Duke who had come to seek revenge, they couldn’t even bear the thought of surrender.

Thus, they stubbornly ignored the calls for surrender, and Mehmet, seeing the empty-handed messenger returning, asked Ivan, who was fixated on Moscow.

“Grand Duke, it seems they have no intention of surrendering.”

“I expected this. Those filthy scoundrels.”

Ivan chuckled at how pitifully they acted to save their own skin and power.

As silence descended between them, the sound of horse hooves echoed across the battlefield.

About twenty horses stomped heavily, leaving tracks in the dirt as they moved.

Even while twenty horses were galloping full speed, immense cannons rumbled into the battlefield at a slow pace.

The overwhelming presence of the cannons was evident, causing visible chaos among the enemy from this far away.

“If you want, I can wait a little longer.”

Wasting time on the battlefield is a sin, but if Ivan wanted, he could postpone the siege for a few days.

At Mehmet’s offer, Ivan shook his head.

“That’s fine.”

“The moment those cannons fire, plunder will be unavoidable. Three days of plunder after the siege. That’s a promise from the Empire to the soldiers, and I have no intention of giving Moscow an exception.”

While he could adjust the level of plunder, stealing was still stealing.

For the people of Moscow, it was bound to be a brutal three days, but Ivan’s resolve remained firm.

“They may have been ignorant and unaware of my suffering, but those who follow the boyars, even knowing everything, are not my subjects.”

Mehmet, sensing how horrifying the memories from Moscow were, glared coldly at the city and placed his hand over Ivan’s head.

“If that is your choice, I understand. I shall proceed as you wish.”

Withdrawn from the casually placed hand, Mehmet commanded.

“Begin the bombardment.”

As the order was given, thunderous roars and screams adorned Moscow.

*

Yusuf strolled leisurely atop the city walls.

The bustling crowd in the capital looked like dust, and ships passing through the Bosporus Strait seemed like kernels of grain.

“From this perspective, subjects seem quite insignificant, don’t they?”

They appeared as if they would scatter with the wind, and the forcibly dragged Shamsi nodded in agreement.

“Being in a high position feels like standing atop these walls. Unless you descend, you tend to forget we are all the same people.”

“How can you say such things when the Padishah cares deeply for his subjects?”

“I mean it happens even to me sometimes. Occasionally, I find myself reminiscing about my days as a prince.”

Despite having to worry for their lives during perilous times, that was also when he had the most heartwarming time with his subjects.

Overcoming a crisis alone was impossible.

“Murad has even conquered the Kingdom of Congo.”

Murad exceeded expectations in fulfilling his duties.

Although the capital poured in significant resources for purchasing slaves and stabilizing conquests, it was nearly halting Portugal’s slave trade by almost taking over the West African coastline.

If all goes well and he can unify the ethnically and culturally diverse Africa, it would be a completely different story from historical Africa.

“Mustafa has brought most of the indigenous people from the islands he discovered under the Empire.”

Though they did not truly understand where the Empire lay or what country it was, that problem would resolve with time.

“Recently, I heard news that Mehmet has conquered Moscow.”

With the aid of the Ottomans, Ivan had gone about purging the boyars on a large scale.

With public sentiment enraged by the plundering, the main culprits, the boyars, became the targets of fervent vengeance, and Ivan, having suffered under their hands, held immense resentment towards them as well.

Thus, a brutal purge took place, into which the Ottomans wormed their way.

One could call it a descent into vassalage.

‘I wonder what will happen to Moscow in the future.’

With the Duchy of Moscow coming under the Ottoman flag, many changes lay ahead.

The Crimean Khanate, which would have seen to it that they burned all of Moscow except for the Kremlin fortress and captured or slaughtered over 100,000 people, would no longer be involved.

The chances of Ivan IV succumbing to syphilis and mercury poisoning might be reduced too.

Although it was impossible to know how this would affect the future, merely subjugating massive Moscow was a significant achievement.

“The princes have secured enough achievements to prove their worth. It should serve at least as enough justification to assuage objections to the transfer of power.”

“There will still be quite a bit of backlash. The subjects will feel the transfer is approaching.”

Yusuf chuckled at Shamsi’s concerns.

“With the things that have been done till now, having backlash would be disappointing. The one who comes to take my place needs to struggle a bit.”

“When that time comes, I won’t be here, so it doesn’t concern me. The next Grand Vizier will have a difficult time.”

No matter how smoothly the transfer might go, chaos could not be avoided.

To bring the turmoil of a vast empire back to a stable path would take immense effort.

‘During that time, I should reduce my activities as much as possible.’

Even if the prince were to fly and crawl now, it would still seem insignificant compared to the achievements he established, and with the fame of figures like the prophet added to it, comparison became impossible.

If someone as minuscule as himself were to stir up the empire, it would be challenging to restore order.

“I believe it might take about 2 to 3 years to settle the situation. During that time, I think I’ll stay in Trabzon.”

“Is that why you brought up your days as a prince?”

“Exactly.”

Not only was it a place filled with memories from his days as a prince, but it was also the place where he pledged to live for his subjects.

Initially chosen to deprive his brother Selim of opportunity, it had become like a hometown to him.

Shamsi also smiled at the memories of Trabzon.

“It’s already considered a holy place; it will be quite a commotion if the Padishah stays there.”

“Such an atmosphere isn’t bad either.”

As the wind brushed by his face, Yusuf wore a broad smile.

Trabzon was not a place to stop; it was where one could renew their spirit to take the next step.

“You could come to Trabzon as well. It’s a nice place to spend your old age.”

“Thank you, but I’ve spent more than half my life with the Padishah. I think it’s time to part ways. By the way, didn’t you mention something earlier about Prince Kasim?”

“Kasim, you say?”

He hadn’t forgotten to mention it.

“Kasim’s work is not yet finished.”

*

Ferdinand gazed at the Danube River, where a bridge connecting Buda and Pest was under construction, his face wrinkled in dissatisfaction.

“Prince! When will the bridge be completed?! Given all the money you’ve received, it should be done by now!”

“Calm down. Building such a long bridge is no easy task.”

The Archduke of Austria himself had come over into Ottoman territory out of frustration.

With Carlos’s support behind him, he had backed Kasim, so he wanted results quickly.

“Fine, the bridge’s completion is one thing, but why are they asking for more money?!”

“To construct such a bridge, a significant amount of iron is needed for safety. But then, there have been ongoing wars. Due to the weapons sent to Africa, the iron prices have skyrocketed. The construction costs are bound to increase.”

Ferdinand ground his teeth in frustration.

“Just use less iron! If it’s just a bridge meant to last a few years, who cares?!”

“I wish I could, but do you know who’s in charge of the bridge’s construction? They are seasoned engineers from the capital’s bridge builders. And they’re affiliated with Hasan Pasha.”

Hasan is a very common name, but there’s only one famous Hasan associated with bridges.

He was renowned for being so favored by Yusuf that he was granted permission to name the bridge after his late wife.

“If the construction ends up being shoddy, I’ll fall from my father’s grace. He cares about bridge safety above all else.”

“Aren’t you anxious?! Isn’t Prince Mehmet making Moscow into a vassal state?!”

Kasim frowned at Ferdinand’s remark.

“I’m anxious too! Who knew my brother would act like this?! If not for those bastards who abused the young Grand Duke, it wouldn’t have come to this!”

“Ha…”

Ferdinand sighed deeply at Kasim’s words.

He assumed the abuse towards the Grand Duke was the reason for the planned attack on Moscow, unaware it was destined to happen.

“So once the bridge is completed, will you become the next emperor?”

“…Honestly, it’s difficult. If there had been significant troop losses, perhaps, but we suffered a rather embarrassing defeat.”

Before Moscow, they had entered without resistance, and while there was a siege at Moscow, they had overwhelmed it with superior firepower.

The damages incurred were laughably small compared to the profits gained.

The grim reality in Kasim’s words made Ferdinand’s head spin.

“If my brother becomes the Padishah, I’ll have to worry for my life, but the Grand Duke will also be in danger. Carlos won’t just sit back and watch.”

If the plan with its enormous funding fails, a furious Carlos would hold Ferdinand responsible for presenting the plan.

Feeling cornered, Ferdinand’s unease was exacerbated by Kasim’s persistent nudging.

“I heard they’ve started digging canals in the New World. With the canal, they’ll feel the lack of funds, so his anger will only grow.”

“What are you trying to say?”

Kasim replied cautiously to the sharp tone.

“If you’re expecting to be attacked, wouldn’t it be better to make the first move? To be honest, the nobility in the Holy Roman Empire follows you more than they follow Carlos, don’t you think?”

“I have no intentions of betraying my brother.”

“Carlos didn’t hold you responsible for the defeat in the Roman-Persian War. I can’t understand why you remain loyal to him. He’s already notorious for his incompetence.”

Seeing hesitation on Ferdinand’s face made Kasim press on.

“Your loyalty will not receive any proper reward. As Carlos’s son grows up, he might even try to take your life to seize your position. The decision is yours to make.”

Life.

Kasim threw Ferdinand the excuse for betrayal.