I Became the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire

＃Chapter 31. Spreading Ashes (2)

As evident from the nearly downfall of the White Sheep Dynasty due to succession crises, inheritance is a significant issue.

Many methods have been devised, including the practice among nomads of transferring inheritance to the eldest son to create a separate branch, while the youngest son inherits last, known as “last son inheritance.” There’s also the brotherly succession, where, upon the death of a monarch, it is the brothers, not the sons, who inherit.

Comparatively, the Ottoman approach is strange, as inheritance methods are generally established to minimize disputes among siblings in other places.

“If it’s just power at stake, there’s bound to be a civil war; with lives on the line, brothers will surely fight to the death.”

Who would want to sit quietly and wait to die? Would you rebel or just comply?

When asked this, most would choose the latter.

There’s a reason the Ottomans maintain stability despite employing methods that could easily divide the nation.

“The Sultan is simply too strong.”

No matter how many troops a prince might gather as a Sanjakbey, mustering 3,000 would be considered fortunate.

That amount is nothing but a joke when compared to the thousands of personal guards armed with gunpowder and armor that the Sultan commands.

Once a prince becomes Sultan, regardless of any civil unrest among brothers, he can easily subdue them.

“The reason he prefers to stay close to the capital is that he wants to seize the Sultanate as soon as the Sultan dies unexpectedly.”

The Sultan himself arranged for succession during his lifetime.

Where to grant a fief and which heir to support is entirely up to the Sultan’s will, thus he exerts absolute influence over the succession choice.

Therefore, gaining the Sultan’s displeasure is never beneficial.

“So, I must report ahead if we’re going to war.”

“The Padishah might oppose it,”

As Shamsi pointed out, this was the crux of the matter.

Historically, the current Sultan had been passive in wars against Ismail.

“It’ll become a two-front war, so no matter how good the plan is, it won’t be easily permitted.”

Despite the Ottoman Empire, engaging in war against the Western nations, including Venice, while simultaneously fighting Ismail in the east would indeed be burdensome.

“What if the Padishah opposes it?”

“I’ll proceed regardless.”

In response to Shamsi’s question, Yusuf answered with no hesitation.

“The Sultan’s favor is just a façade.”

In blunt terms, I was solely relying on the Sultan, yet he could suddenly appoint another prince as heir due to senility.

Thus, amassing achievements and gaining the support of officials and the military, even at the cost of incurring the Sultan’s wrath, seemed far more advantageous.

“Then, I can proceed without waiting for an answer, right?”

“Indeed.”

Yusuf hadn’t just been watching while Ismail I occupied Tabriz.

He had already sent ashes to various places within the White Sheep Dynasty, and they were merely waiting for orders.

After Shamsi departed with the instructions, Yusuf chuckled playfully.

“I hope you’ll appreciate my gift.”

It was a pity he couldn’t see the faces of those who would be pleased to receive it.

*

Spreading rumors.

It may seem trivial, but it’s not an easy task as one might think.

While it’s said that words without legs can travel a thousand miles, not every rumor spreads that swiftly or widely.

To effectively spread rumors, Yusuf dispatched agents who initially approached nomads and refugees.

“Who are you!”

Even with cities and towns, not everyone is settled and living on the land.

Many nomads roamed without belonging to a specific region, and they were on edge due to ongoing civil war and recent brutal battles.

“Calm down. We haven’t come to fight.”

The group that approached responded with smiles, though they remained on guard.

One should never trust anyone in the steppes.

“We are the ones sent by the rulers of Idir.”

“… Why have you come?”

Hearing that someone in power had sent them, the nomads relaxed their tone slightly.

Though difficult to fully believe, crossing a powerful figure could lead to trouble.

“Are you perhaps the Shia folks terrorizing the area lately?”

“We’ve been Sunni since ancient times!”

Relieved that they were indeed fellow brothers in faith, the man nodded and lowered his voice as if sharing a secret.

“Our lord has instructed us to warn our Sunni brethren in the area.”

“A warning?”

“Indeed. The one who recently occupied Tabriz and proclaimed himself Shah is of Shia, you know?”

“Surely, no one is unaware of that.”

The men of Qizilbash wearing red turbans were well-known figures, and their unbelievable victories were widely talked about.

Of course, there was Ismail whom they followed.

“He declared the establishment of a Shia kingdom and has been oppressing Sunnis. Tabriz is already flooded with the scent of blood from those who’ve been executed for refusing conversion.”

“Is that true?”

“Why would I lie to you?”

The nomads’ expressions grew dark.

Changing one’s faith isn’t a decision made lightly.

“Moreover, he claims to be a direct descendant of the Imam’s seventh generation, and that’s a blatant lie. He’s putting to death anyone who questions it, so be cautious. It’s wise to avoid going near Tabriz if possible.”

“I had no intention of going there anyway, but I will be careful. Thank you.”

This was crucial information that could prevent hundreds of families from suffering, so he expressed genuine gratitude.

“If you’re that grateful, be sure to inform anyone you meet along the way. We’re all brothers in faith. Here’s something to help with your living.”

The nomad accepted the jingling pouch and nodded vigorously.

“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure to spread the word.”

“Then, stay safe.”

The man bid farewell with a gentle smile, and once he was out of sight, he asked his companions.

“Where to next?”

“There’s a group of refugees not far from here.”

In these times, the army was not much different from raiders.

While they wouldn’t wreak havoc on their own citizens, in a country torn by civil war, where would one find citizens?

Everywhere the Ismail troops had passed had turned to ruins, and countless refugees had fled.

“There’s no rumor more credible than the stories from the victims.”

The man smiled broadly.

“Let’s move as quickly as possible and return. The prince said, ‘A long tail will get caught.’”

These counterfeiters mixing truth and falsehoods weren’t the only ones; rumors spread quickly.

*

Even if Tabriz had been occupied, Ismail only controlled less than 20% of the White Sheep Dynasty’s land.

It wasn’t possible to seize this vast area purely by force, so as much territory as possible needed to surrender.

“Originally, that shouldn’t have been too hard. Ismail has already shown much.”

He held legitimacy as the grandson of Hujun Hasan, led troops in the last battle against 30,000 foes, and personally defeated one of the key commanders, proving his leadership and courage.

That’s why he could seize Tabriz, once the capital of the White Sheep Dynasty, with relative ease.

“Honestly, how can you resist a war machine that has won two consecutive battles of 7,000 against 30,000?”

Aside from the bloodline of the White Sheep Dynasty, if appropriately incentivized, many regions would surrender to Ismail.

Thus, in less than ten years, he could secure such a vast expanse of Iran.

“But this time, it might not be so easy.”

Just two months after the rumors were spread, the atmosphere grew tense.

Many were troubled by ominous rumors, and those firmly believing in Sunni principles began fleeing towards the Ottoman and Mamluk Sultanates.

Though Yusuf had effectively spread ashes on Ismail’s dining table…

“Surely, it won’t crumble this easily. Just a bit of annoyance, right?”

He had only played a sandbag role, and during this time, he needed to seize Erzurum.

Yusuf’s gaze turned to the map.

Between Trabzon and Erzurum lay the fertile highland region of Bayburt.

“I must take this first before I can extend my reach to Erzurum. It needs to be seized quickly.”

Apologies to Bayburt, but he didn’t plan on spending much time on such a small city.

If they were to refuse the surrender invitation, he intended to seize it by force.

“I hope the Sultan’s response arrives soon.”

The answer was taking longer than expected.

He wished to proceed once he received an answer, but the delay was frustrating.

While gulping down his irritation with a swig of barley coffee, Shamsi entered.

“Prince, the Padishah has returned a response.”

“Have you read what it says, Pasha?”

“Why would I?”

It wouldn’t be appropriate to read something from the Emperor before the recipient, and even Shamsi couldn’t do that.

Yet, his question stemmed from the fact that Shamsi’s expression had a hint of someone who had already seen the response.

Intrigued, Yusuf checked the letter’s content and clenched his fist.

“Perfect!”

Though it came with a condition to seize Erzurum as planned, permission was permission.

Moreover, the Sultan had also provided support.

Following the request, the Sultan would sternly warn the Crimean Khanate not to raid the Circassians and arrangements were made to receive assistance from the neighboring Sanjakbeys.

This was an excellent start, and Yusuf, filled with joy, turned to Shamsi.

“Prince, you need to head to the harbor for a moment.”

“The harbor?”

“You’ll understand when you see it.”

Despite being puzzled by Shamsi’s enigmatic demeanor, Yusuf went out to the harbor and was met with the sight of ships filling the area.

Hassan, who was busy giving orders for unloading, brightly called out upon seeing Yusuf.

“You’ve arrived, Prince!”

“Hassan, what is all this?”

“Items sent by the Padishah. Take a look.”

Opening a tightly sealed wooden crate revealed iron armor.

Not the typical metal plate armor one might imagine but a kind of scale armor combining iron plates and chains.

“This kind of armor is far better than plate armor.”

In hot regions like the Middle East, wearing armor made solely from metal plates would be unbearable.

Thus, in hot areas like the Middle East or India, chain mail was primarily used, as plate armor was more favored among the Ottomans combining iron plates for added protection against arrows and spears.

“It’s no wonder that the term ‘Yushman’ for scale armor derives from the Ottomans.”

Of course, just because it was favored doesn’t mean it was cheap.

This scale armor was more expensive than most mass-produced plate armors.

“How many sets are there?”

With boxes continuously being unloaded from the ships, it was clearly not a small number.

In response to Yusuf’s inquiry, Hassan quickly answered.

“We need to check directly, but it seems there are about five hundred sets. Additionally, several weapons and gold coins have been sent.”

Just this amount of provision wasn’t merely about money.

Producing such a volume in Trabzon would require at least a year.

“Hassan, which direction is the capital?”

With this supply, prayers should not be directed toward Mecca but rather toward the capital.

Thanks to the Sultan’s generosity, their shortages were resolved.

“Now, I just need to do my part.”

Yusuf’s gaze was directed southward.

War was just around the corner.