변화의 바람(2)

Yusuf wiped the chair with his hand.

After struggling and enduring numerous sacrifices, this was the place he found himself. He could stack a tower with the dead from his own hands, and the blood that flowed during this time could fill a valley.

The primitive desire to live and the ambition to become the master of the Empire caused substantial sacrifices.

The image of Bayezid, buried with a single coin, and now the boy who cried out, now a Pasha, flickered in his mind.

‘Still, I have no regrets.’

Yusuf’s gaze sharpened.

This was the fate he had accepted by becoming Yusuf, and he was prepared to make any sacrifices necessary.

Yet, having stood here through hardship, it would be a lie to say he didn’t wish for rest.

‘Now that I’ve ascended to the Sultan’s seat, I should be able to enjoy life in indulgence.’

Food? During the Ottoman Empire, food greatly advanced.

Thanks to the spices and fine recipes from Persia, vegetable and fish cooking methods from Greece, and dessert recipes from Arabia.

Every meal served to the Sultan was made by cooks who risked losing their heads if they presented the same dish twice.

It would not fall short compared to modern Michelin-starred restaurants, boasting a fine reputation.

But what about women?

‘I could have them crammed in until their bones decayed.’

The harem had such a diverse range of women from different races and ages that if he desired a specific type, there were plenty of people around willing to donate their daughters to the harem.

Beyond food and women, there were pleasures aplenty, and there were bureaucrats who could manage the country without him lifting a finger.

The Ottoman Empire was not a feeble nation that couldn’t withstand a Sultan indulging a little.

Perhaps living a life of indulgence was better than struggling through a bloody conquest war.

“One. I cannot be satisfied with just that kind of life.”

The blood of the Ottomans that devoured even brothers could not accept such a life.

Even if he couldn’t achieve his goal of an empire spanning six continents, he could not be ashamed of a future that had been crushed.

Yusuf tapped the armrest of the chair with his hand.

“Then I must focus and concentrate.”

Having knowledge of the future was a tremendous advantage.

It meant he could access the fruits of many geniuses who spent their lifetimes over hundreds of years.

But it wasn’t without problems.

‘The knowledge I have is quite superficial.’

For instance, while he knew that he could create subsoil fields using a mixture of dung, humus, rotten grass, and lime, he didn’t know the exact proportions or conditions required for decomposition, leading to many trial and error processes.

Even with scientific knowledge, he didn’t know how to prove it through experiments, and even with mathematical formulas, he couldn’t figure out how to validate them accurately.

‘Indeed, it is astonishing knowledge I have discovered, yet only occasionally does it lack the space to explain.’

In this capital alone, there were countless scholars who could easily see through the superficiality.

Even if he didn’t mention this, the time available for use was limited, and it was arrogant to think he could accomplish everything.

In the end, it meant he had to concentrate on the most critical fields as a Sultan.

“The two pillars essential to the nation are the economy and military power, but if I have to choose one, it must be military power in this era.”

War is a gamble, with the reason being that you can win big if you succeed.

Conquering others’ lands and plundering was more beneficial than struggling to develop trade goods or inducing an industrial revolution.

Many shared the same thoughts in this era.

In any case, he needed to move in a direction that would enhance military strength, and someone had arrived for that purpose.

“Your Majesty, Şemsi Pasha and the craftsman you summoned have arrived.”

“Let them in.”

The door opened, and the weary-looking Şemsi and an old man entered, bowing.

Yusuf smiled lightly at the old man.

“Welcome, Tahir.”

“It is an honor, Your Majesty.”

As Tahir responded with a trembling voice, the attendant handed Yusuf a gun.

It was a gun he had used only once in the succession battle and had taken care of lovingly after using it.

As he fondled the gun resting beside him, Yusuf spoke softly.

“Tahir, there’s no need to tremble. Though my status may have changed, my feelings for you remain unchanged.”

At Yusuf’s words, Tahir let out a deep breath.

“I appreciate your kindness for this foolish old man, who is clinging to life even as death awaits.”

“Before death, status or age mean nothing.”

“That fool… No, Hasan overcame that fear, did he not?”

At the mention of Hasan’s name, Yusuf burst into light laughter.

“Come to think of it, Hasan must have become close with Nene.”

Hearing that Hasan harbored feelings for her made Nene furious, and it was then that Fatima intervened.

Though Fatima wasn’t fond of Hasan either, she hoped Nene, who had supported her for a long time, would settle down properly.

At Fatima’s persuasion, Nene had made the condition that Yusuf must become Sultan.

‘There was also the counter-condition that if I failed, we would die together.’

With that life-or-death gamble having succeeded, they would have tied the knot.

“That’s right. On the wedding night, instead of making love, he threatened me with a knife, and yet that fool laughed and thought it was all good.”

“If he thinks it’s good, then that’s what matters, isn’t it?”

Nene wasn’t an overly harsh character, so if she kept putting in effort, she would eventually see results.

“More importantly, I wonder if he’s been too distracted by women that he’s neglecting his work on the subsoil fields.”

“He will surely manage well, for it is the Sultan’s command.”

The research on subsoil fields that Hasan was handling was crucial for ensuring a stable supply of gunpowder.

They needed stable access to saltpeter through these fields until they could conquer the land where it was found.

‘With Nene glaring at him from the side, he won’t neglect his responsibilities.’

Hasan had been freed from slavery only to enter under a new master.

Love can make one do anything.

“Let’s leave Hasan’s story at that, Tahir.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“The reasons I summoned you from Trabzon are twofold.”

“Twofold?”

Tahir looked puzzled.

He knew one reason was the gun, but he didn’t expect the other.

“As anticipated, the first reason is the gun. While it played its role in the last battle, I clearly felt its limitations.”

Managing the fuse throughout the entire battle was one issue, but it was too vulnerable during sudden encounters.

You can’t very well ask the enemy to wait while you light the fuse.

‘In the wars to come, most of our enemies will be cavalry, and the primary battlefield will be their territory.’

This meant they could be ambushed at any time.

He couldn’t underestimate monsters like Ismail or the Mamluks, who accumulated wealth through trade between Europe and the Indian Ocean, and he also needed to reduce losses when thinking of war with Europe.

Yusuf picked up his gun on the side.

“And so, I need more guns similar to this one as soon as possible.”

“The craftsmen in the capital will easily accept my skills and experience.”

Though Yusuf provided the schematics, sharing the results derived from many failures and deliberations was not an easy decision.

“Thank you.”

Of course, arming the troops with flintlock guns involved not only the method of production but also cost and manufacturing issues.

It wasn’t for nothing that it took over a hundred years to fully replace matchlocks even after development was complete.

There would be challenges in iron smelting and flint procurement going forward, but taking the first step had its significance.

“The second reason is to work on creating small cannons.”

“Small cannons?”

Tahir voiced his objections.

“It’s not the production that’s the issue, but it won’t have the firepower you desire. People didn’t just give up without reason.”

Cannons had been used for hundreds of years, and it wasn’t that no one had thought of movable small cannons on wheels.

The problem was the lack of technology, as molten metal poured into molds produced a variety of bore sizes.

As a result, it was impossible to fit shells precisely into the bore, and gas would escape through the gaps when it exploded, limiting the effective range.

To extend that range, more gunpowder had to be added, and to withstand the explosion, the cannon had to grow larger, which is why large cannons became the mainstay.

“So, you mean we need to make the bores similar to each other?”

“That’s correct.”

“If the molding method is the problem, then we can simply turn them down.”

“Oh!”

Tahir, who had experience making guns, immediately understood.

The machine for making holes was called a drilling machine, and the development of the drilling machine in the 18th century was the reason cannons became lighter.

“The basic schematics are currently with Suleiman Pasha. You should work with him on this. The clever Ayni will surely be helpful.”

“Understood.”

Turning a small iron bar into a gun and drilling a large hole in a lump of metal to make a cannon had different levels of difficulty.

Even with blueprints, undertaking the task alone wouldn’t be feasible, so having an assistant was a blessing he wouldn’t refuse.

After finishing the conversation with Tahir, Yusuf turned to Şemsi.

“Pasha, please support them in what they need. However, the introduction of the four-field crop rotation must not be delayed.”

The primary reason the gun replaced the bow was that it could be used effectively by soldiers who lacked training.

If there were many weapons and a sizable population to conscript, they could easily accumulate military forces.

‘Having a large population that can hold guns means military strength.’

The reason for improving hygiene through urban planning and increasing food production with four-field crop rotation was ultimately to increase the population, and the sooner it was implemented, the better.

Şemsi, who had frowned because of Yusuf’s unreasonable burden, sighed deeply.

“I will do my utmost.”

There was no way to refuse or escape, so there was only one answer that could come out.

As Şemsi was trying to leave with a bow, Yusuf casually said, as if he had forgotten something.

“Please grab some candles on your way. Since it seemed like a day is short, I should lend a hand.”

“… Thank you.”

“I’ve prepared plenty for others as well, so feel free to use them without being discreet.”

Yusuf’s generosity in providing expensive candles for night work added a weight of sighs to the Topkapi Palace.

*

“Are you not focused?! We have to dig more before the rain gets heavier!”

At the supervisor’s shout, the hands digging the earth for the sewer became even busier.

In the capital, where winter meant half a month of rain, a gloomy atmosphere hung with the drizzling rain.

Having passed through the eventful year of 1509, it was only a short time since the beginning of 1510, when Yusuf was able to meet the individuals he had been waiting for.

“Father.”

“Abuji!”

Seven-year-old Mehmet ceremoniously bowed, but four-year-old Murad jumped in and clung to Yusuf.

Though only four, Murad was so big that he could nearly rival Mehmet in size, delivering a heavy shock.

“Oh my! You’ve grown so much during the time I haven’t seen you.”

It wasn’t just empty words; within ten years, he seemed poised to surpass even adults.

Yusuf gestured to the displaced Mehmet, who looked enviously at Murad.

“Come here.”

“Yes!”

Yusuf patted his excited son’s head and turned his gaze to Fatima, who bore a delighted expression.

“Thank you for coming a long way, Mother.”

“For the call of the Sultan, what is there to trouble about? It’s really fine.”

“I’m glad to hear that. You’ve already met with him, right?”

Recalling the coffin of Bayezid, the first one to report back, Fatima wore a complicated expression.

It was a face that had once seemed so high, now shedding old emotions.

“I wished to meet him, but it was hard to see his face. I think I’ll be able to see him more often from now on.”

“Father would be glad. And now that you have come, I want you to work as Valide Hatun.”

Fatima’s graceful face broke into a slow smile.

“Are you entrusting the harem to me?”

“I found that there are still many who could be gifts. Please do as you wish, Mother.”

A similar smile appeared on the faces of the two.

Cold and chilly.