족쇄가 풀렸다(2)

The father who destroyed Eastern Rome turned what was considered just a regional power, the Ottoman Beylik, into the hegemony of the Mediterranean, the Ottoman Empire.

The son expanded the empire’s territory by 1.5 times by conquering Egypt, and the grandson, known as the Great Sultan, was the most famous monarch in Ottoman history.

Amidst this glorious lineup, Bayezid II may have lost some of his renown, but he was by no means an incompetent figure.

‘As long as he’s not senile and can’t tell right from wrong, he must understand what his choices mean.’

The Sultan likely felt that embarking on an expedition against the Safavid was a great risk.

War is like a gamble between nations, with troop strength, supplies, and internal instability from gaps in troop numbers placed as stakes.

Winning could yield great profit, but losing might change a nation’s fate.

‘The expedition against the Safavid won’t be easy.’

Even years of preparation wouldn’t suffice, and with only a few months to prepare, the likelihood of the opponent being thoroughly defensive was high.

Moreover, it could easily turn into a war that lasts for many years, so the aging Sultan must have also worried about his health.

In addition to that, there were domestic instabilities.

‘It’s like pulling out a knife while cutting radishes and then throwing it back in—he probably thought he could suppress any backlash.’

He might have still believed in his own strength and thought that it wouldn’t be an immediate issue, but this showed a lack of objective self-awareness.

This event had shaken his standing significantly.

Just listening to the news coming from the capital told me that. The princes and officials had started to move more overtly.

“Those supporting Ahmed are petitioning to have his sons quickly appointed as Sanjakbeys.”

Ahmed had five sons.

The youngest, Kasim, was too young to qualify, but the remaining four sons were over 12 years old and could be appointed as Sanjakbeys.

This meant four Sanjakbeys supporting Ahmed would be added at once.

Yusuf smiled brightly and said.

“Should I send my nephews to the embrace of Allah right now?”

Yusuf’s suggestion of eliminating his nephews before they could pose a threat to him received a calm response from Semsi.

“If you’re not considering the consequences, I won’t stop you.”

Getting caught while trying to assassinate nephews in the capital could significantly shake the foundations they had worked hard to build.

There was no need to take such risks just to kill a nephew or two.

Yusuf wasn’t speaking sincerely; this was anticipated.

Anyway, Ahmed’s four sons seemed likely to be appointed as Sanjakbeys a year earlier than in the original history.

“Suleiman will also be appointed as a Sanjakbey.”

Suleiman, after all, was also appointed this year in 1508 in original history.

It was only a matter of time before the five nephews were appointed Sanjakbeys and became obstacles, but the truly important matter was elsewhere.

“What matters is which Sanjak they are appointed to, but no information has been reported yet.”

“Which region they take is a crucial matter, so isn’t that natural? Still, it’s not too difficult to predict.”

As Semsi said, the predictions weren’t difficult.

The prime location would be a Sanjak close to the capital, and Yusuf was doing his best to obstruct that.

In the end, they would try to secure a region that would benefit them as a second option.

“Ahmed’s sons will likely aim for the areas around him or the path to the capital, and Suleiman will go to Cape.”

Cape, located in the north of the Black Sea, was next to the Crimean Khanate, making it a viable second choice for Selim.

Of course, the final decision rests with the Sultan, so until the results come out, no one could be sure.

“It’s a pity that Prince Mehmet is still too young. Wouldn’t it be nice if he got better soon?”

Semsi’s jest made Yusuf chuckle lightly.

“Do you think having children is as simple as one’s heart desires? If it were easy, Brother Korkut would have had plenty of sons.”

Still, he had at least one son, while Korkut had none, leaving him without any hope.

With Yusuf’s rebuttal, Semsi shrugged.

“I was just saying it’s a pity. If he could be appointed as a Sanjakbey, it would have been a great help for the prince.”

“Well, the Pasha held Mehmet in high regard.”

“Prince Mehmet is a genius, so isn’t that only natural?”

Since Semsi was known for his harsh judgments of talents due to being one who rose to the rank of Pasha, it was remarkable that he praised someone like that.

Yusuf raised one corner of his mouth.

“Coming from someone who called the prince a fool, that’s quite surprising.”

“More accurately, I said I didn’t know if he was a genius or just ordinary.”

He was now wealthy, but back when he had just become a Sanjakbey, Semsi had been a teacher.

His learning speed might have been average, yet he viewed Yusuf, who was well-versed in all sorts of knowledge, like some unusual creature.

As Yusuf and Semsi bantered lightly, there were a few knocks, and the door opened slightly.

“Father.”

As Mehmet peeked his head through the opened gap, Yusuf chuckled.

“I thought of a cat, and a cat came running. Come here.”

Quoting an Arabic proverb that said if you speak of a tiger, it will come, Yusuf pulled Mehmet over and sat him on the desk.

Seeming to enjoy facing Yusuf, Mehmet’s green eyes, reminiscent of his parents, drew small semicircles.

“So, what brings you here?”

“I came because it’s time to study with the Pasha.”

Looking like he had used that as an excuse to come, Yusuf playfully ruffled Mehmet’s hair.

“The teaching of the Pasha won’t be easy.”

“It’s not hard; it’s fun.”

Semsi wasn’t the type to show leniency just because someone was young.

Noticing Yusuf’s surprise, Semsi said flatly.

“For smart people, studying is enjoyable.”

“I didn’t know that.”

He probably wouldn’t know for a lifetime. Nor did he want to.

Just as he encouraged Mehmet to work hard, Yusuf caught sight of a small bruise on him and frowned.

“Where did you bump into something?”

It wasn’t a large bruise, but the small one caught Mehmet off guard, and he hesitated before truthfully answering.

“I got hit when I went to see Murad.”

“Who did it? Was it Hatice?”

If Hatice was the cause, there would surely be a valid reason.

However, he worried that a fight might break out between Aishe and Hatice, and Mehmet mentioned the culprit.

“…It was Murad.”

“Hmm, Murad.”

Murad was just about six months old, and already he worried about the bond between the siblings.

*

In the capital, debates surrounding the Sanjakbey appointments were ongoing, with various conflicts arising in support of the princes.

However, this was primarily a story related to the capital and certain regions, while the overall Ottoman Empire remained peaceful.

The Safavid, who invaded Dulqadir, had retreated, and all the gathered sipaahi returned home, leading to a cessation of war.

Abroad, the Safavid avoided a confrontation with the Ottomans and instead turned their heads towards the remaining White Sheep Dynasty, while the Mamluks could go to war with Portugal at any moment.

The West was also not in a position to pay attention to the Ottomans.

The Pope, Julius II, who wished to expand the Papal States, was preparing for war against Venice, living up to his nickname as the Warrior Pope.

The peace that seemed to continue for a while was broken by Korkut.

“Are you setting off now?”

At Ahmed’s question, Korkut nodded.

Fortunately or unfortunately, while he hadn’t achieved any military exploits in Dulqadir, he suffered no troop losses.

Fifteen hundred heavy cavalry, including five hundred fully armed knights, were prepared to deploy.

“I didn’t want to do this, but since my father rejected my request, this is the only option left.”

Korkut had asked to be sent back to Saruhan after Mahmood, who was holding it, was killed in an ambush.

However, the answer he received was a denial, and Korkut fell into deep despair.

His anger towards his father was reflected in his harsh voice, and Ahmed patted his shoulder.

“Your father can’t be that uncaring. What kind of difficult request could he possibly deny?”

“Isn’t he sending me to the landlocked Chorum?”

Unlike other princes, Korkut had invested heavily in naval power.

He believed that entering the capital via the sea was the better choice.

However, being sent to Chorum caused all his efforts built over ten years to instantly dissolve into thin air, and it couldn’t be said how much despair and anger that carried.

“You just need to get it back. So, are your preparations perfect?”

“Of course. I’ve already spoken with those who would follow me there. When I arrive, it will be without bloodshed.”

Although Korkut was not seen as a proper heir to the throne due to siding with Ahmed, he was well-respected in Saruhan.

Korkut’s confident words brought a smile to Ahmed.

“Of course you’ll do well. I trust you.”

“Don’t worry!”

Ahmed genuinely hoped Korkut would succeed.

To reach the capital located in the Balkans, they needed to cross the Bosporus Strait, which meant they required ships to transport troops.

If Korkut could seize Saruhan and embrace the connected naval forces again, this issue could be resolved.

‘Plus, he could obstruct the ones trying to cross over from the other side.’

Other brothers would struggle to cross a strait less than 1 kilometer wide.

Of course, if Korkut betrayed them, he could face the same fate, but the likelihood of that happening was low.

‘Even after their father’s death, it seems Korkut would be denied entry to the capital as it stands now.’

Korkut had already made the title of prince seem meaningless by siding with Ahmed.

Skillfully mounting his horse, Korkut held the reins and said.

“Then I’ll see you later.”

Korkut set off with his troops towards Saruhan.

*

Receiving word that Korkut was leading his troops to seize Saruhan made Yusuf frown.

“So he really couldn’t hold back any longer.”

“It was something that couldn’t be prevented, even if it was anticipated.”

Without a single action taken, he couldn’t report it to the Sultan, and it was impossible to raise troops to block him.

By the time the information arrived, quite a bit of time had passed, so he must have already moved a lot.

“The Padishah won’t be able to stop him.”

“It would be difficult for him to catch him by force. If he succeeds in entering Saruhan, he’ll have no choice but to appoint him as a Sanjakbey.”

Using the central army to punish Korkut would endanger the Sultan’s own safety, and it had been not long since they had been dismissed from their duties.

The Sultan had no choice but to watch this situation unfold with open eyes.

The repercussions of abandoning the expedition against the Safavid had already begun to surface, and Yusuf frowned.

“It’s only me who’s in a difficult position.”

It wouldn’t be a problem for Selim, who would be moving from the Crimean Khanate.

However, that was Yusuf’s misunderstanding.

He wasn’t the only one who perceived Korkut’s movements as threatening.

*

A man, with closed eyes and head lifted to feel the warm sunlight, opened his eyes at the sound of hooves.

“Şehinşah, we have confirmed the enemy’s approach.”

The slightly wan-looking Şehinşah calmly held the reins.

“Let’s go; it seems I will finally see my brother’s face after a long time.”

“Hah!”

Following Şehinşah’s command, the three thousand cavalry that were lined up began to move.