Black Corporation: Joseon

Episode 1080 Tosagupin (10)

Two days later, the Janissary commanders met the Habsburg messenger.

“I will support Korkud. Instead, we must never forget that we supported it.”

“You will consider it a wise choice.”

“Then can we move to Anatolia right now?”

“No, please hold fast to Konstantinye right here. Please do not allow anyone to cross the gates of Konstantiniye until Korkud comes.”

The Janissary commanders who heard the messenger responded with confident expressions.

“Don’t worry about that part. No one will pass through these gates until Korkud of Anatolia comes.”

It was natural for the Janissary commanders to be confident. Their mission itself was to defend Constantine and protect the Sultan. They were just doing what they had to do anyway, but there was no one who would miss the opportunity to make a small profit.

* * *

While the European powers were betting on Selim and Korkud, England, who was worried, also decided on her own card. The card they chose was Ahmad.

‘Who is likely to be the next sultan?’

‘If there are already people who choose him, how much share can England secure?’

‘Is the stake worth the investment?’

Some of the English people who were pondering over various issues changed their thinking.

“wait? “Do I really have to become a sultan?”

“What nonsense is that?”

“Think about it, the reason we want the Ottomans is to secure a passage to Persia and Baku, right?”

“yes. So, we are trying to make the person we support a sultan. “To ensure the safety of the passage.”

“Look at the map. Konstantinye is far from Persia and Baku. Considering the connection with England, it is more advantageous to take control of Cyprus or Lebanon.”

“That’s not true.”

“Then let’s change our perspective. Spending more than necessary to make us a sultan is not a good choice. And if people other than England have also invested in the same candidate, the stake issue will cause headaches. In that case, let’s make sure to leave out the part that makes him a sultan. First, start working with the goal of becoming a sultan, but if it is difficult to achieve your goal, withdraw from the competition and focus on securing the Persian transportation route. “By making the candidate we supported the leader of that region.”

“Even if you make him a lord, the new sultan won’t leave you alone, right? “It’s like that every time.”

“Think of Jem.”

“Jem? The current Sultan’s younger brother? Hmm…”

Cem, the current sultan’s younger brother, escaped to Europe immediately after losing the sultan competition. Afterwards, he continued to be imprisoned in various places in Europe, but it was the life of a ‘criminal like a king’. And Bayezid II gave up active external expansion due to Djem. This was because it was certain that if Europe was overly stimulated, Europe would immediately put Gems at the forefront and cause an Ottoman civil war.

“I know what you’re thinking, but there’s a very big problem. That was possible because Djem fled to Europe, but your plans require you to remain in Ottoman territory, right? “Again, will the Sultan just let that happen?”

“There are three competitors now. It’s not two. If it were a 1:1 sub, it would have to jump out, but there are three. “Wouldn’t the other person who lost out in the competition act similarly to my thoughts if he didn’t want to die?”

“Just hold on…”

Those who were arguing against it stopped talking at this point and became lost in thought.

‘It certainly is!’

* * *

The first expedition of the new sultan was to find and kill the other brothers and their children who had fallen out of the competition. If he failed to do this properly, he would end up in the same situation as the 6th Sultan, Murat II. At that time, Murat II was engaged in a civil war with his younger brother, Mustafa, and another Mustafa, who was probably his uncle.

The problem here was probably ‘Uncle’ Mustafa. When Mehmet, the previous sultan, became sultan, he killed all his brothers, but the whereabouts of the youngest son, Mustafa, were unclear. And when Murat II was competing for sultanate, someone claiming to be ‘him’ Mustafa appeared.

* * *

“So, those who are left out in the competition have no choice but to actively cooperate to save not only themselves but their children. And if the only goal is defense, excessive spending is less likely to occur.”

“I don’t agree with that part. The Sultan would never spare his defeated rivals. The civil war will continue. If that happens, excessive spending will inevitably occur.”

“As I said before, the current situation is not a 1:1 competition. The new Sultani has two competitors left. This means that you can’t focus all your energy on just one person. And…who said they would provide support for free? “You have to get what you can get.”

“Hmm…”

Eventually, this new plan went to Henry VII. Henry VII, who had meticulously lost the plan, asked his subjects.

“How long will the civil war that determines the Ottoman sultan last?”

“The longest period was 10 years.”

“10 years…”

After thinking for a moment, Henry VII lifted the seal and stamped it on the plan.

“I grant permission to implement based on this plan. And if possible…”

Henry VII paused for a moment and continued, glaring at the map.

“I hope the civil war continues for a very long time. Let the high noses of those who proudly call themselves the ‘leaders of the Middle East’ sink. If we collapse like that, England might be able to secure a land route to India and the Ming Empire.”

Although Terra and Gloria were being developed step by step, the places where the greatest wealth was gathered were still India and the Ming Empire. Therefore, there was talk about ‘restoration of the Silk Road’ among some ambitious people. What was even worse was that the more radical among these people began to refer to ‘Alexander the Great’s Eastern Expedition’.

* * *

Thus, England entered the final stage of the race to determine Osman’s successor. Ahmad immediately accepted England’s offer. Unlike other competitors, it was an offer that Ahmad could not refuse, as he was isolated and helpless. With the intervention of external forces, the battle to decide Osman’s successor took place on a larger scale than expected.

As the return race began, carts loaded with weapons made by European powers began to move openly across the land routes and ports connected to the successor camp. It wasn’t just the cart. Under the pretext of ‘protecting cargo,’ the armies of the great powers moved in, holding high the flags of the successors they supported.

In this situation, situations often occurred where parades supporting different competitors faced each other. The commanders of the European powers, who stopped the Ottomans with the armies of the European powers from jumping out, exchanged graceful greetings according to etiquette with the commanders standing across from them. After exchanging graceful greetings, the two groups headed their separate ways.

“Why are you leaving them alone?”

Although the accompanying Ottoman warriors were angry, the European commanders responded with a calm face.

“It’s not time yet. “Once all preparations are complete and the order is given, then nothing like this will happen.”

“Aren’t you really scared? “So you don’t want to fight?”

As the Ottoman warriors pointed out, the eyes of the European commanders began to look alive.

“Are you saying that without knowing the enmity between us and those mean and cowardly bastards?”

“….I made a mistake.”

As preparations to become the winner of the ‘successor decision battle that will be remembered forever in history’ progressed, European mercenaries also began to get busy. The mercenaries, who had been experiencing a recession due to the closure of their stores for a while, began to see color on their faces as the number of places they visited increased.

As the demand for mercenaries increased significantly, young people who dreamed of making a fortune began to flock to the mercenary units. They weren’t just immature people who didn’t know anything about the world yet. City workers who suffered from low wages and runaway slaves who wanted freedom from peasants also flocked to the mercenary army. As the size of the mercenary army grew again and gold and silver coins began to jingle from the mercenaries’ pockets, businesses targeting mercenaries also began to become active.

“depart!”

The mercenaries, who had properly filled their forces and completed some training, left their garrison. The place they were heading to was Ottoman. Behind the mercenary group, another group of carriages carrying prostitutes and pimps followed. What is interesting is that even though the ‘heyday of mercenaries’ had arrived, Switzerland, the ‘homeland of mercenaries’, remained quiet.

This was largely due to the treaty concluded with the empire.

-Switzerland only provides troops to allied empires.

According to the treaty, Switzerland was shackled, but surprisingly, the Swiss did not express any complaints. The empire was steadily employing a considerable number of soldiers and paying them reliably.

That wasn’t all. Skilled craftsmen were able to immigrate to new areas of the empire. The new land of the empire was literally a ‘land of opportunity’. However, the empire did not just take money from Switzerland. Educational facilities were established throughout Switzerland to foster craftsmen, and workshops were established to make objects – most notably precision watches – to be sold in Europe.

Thanks to this, Switzerland escaped the image of a country that would starve to death if it did not engage in mercenary activities, and it became the country closest to the empire among all European countries.

* * *

After the short ‘calm before the storm’, the three main competitors began to move.

“Let’s go to Konstantiniye!”

“Wow!”

With shouts and banners engraved with the names of the candidates and verses from the Koran, the troops left the castle where they were staying and headed toward Konstantiniye. The soldiers took a confident stance amid cheers from the women who climbed the city walls and castle walls, shouting their characteristic cheers. Competitors in the center of the main camp confirmed the change in the situation with their confidants and European commanders.

“The sentries have sent a report!”

“Information from spies has arrived.”

Based on the information sent from all directions, the competitors and staff pondered their choice.

“Shall we go straight to Konstantiniye? Or should I attack the others first? “If I were to attack others, who should I attack first?”

Among the competitors pondering the best move, Selim and Korkud made up their minds.

“Hit Ahmad first!”

The person closest to Konstantinye was Ahmad. Coincidentally, the place where Ahmad was located was located on the route that must be taken to get to Konstantinye. Thanks to this, Selim and Korkud launched an unintended joint attack, and Ahmad was subjected to a joint attack.

“The situation is bad, but it is not hopeless. “You just have to go through a lot of trouble.”

Ahmad had an ambiguous expression upon hearing the words of the staff sent from England.

‘Do you mean it’s good or bad?’

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