140 Death

The day before the attack I was planning, or rather another attempt to lure the Ottoman army, an Ottoman delegation arrived at our camp under the white flag... It was something I did not expect, the war was far from being settled, both sides of the conflict still had almost intact strength and more I thought about it, the dumber I was... I couldn't find any logical reason, Sultan Murad was an alcoholic, but he wasn't an idiot... However, a white flag fluttered before my eyes. I did not expect a trap or a suicide attack, but to be sure the Ottoman emissary was welcomed by me in the open air, surrounded by several dozen Cossacks. When I found out their reason for coming, I became even more dumb.

"Repeat what you said again?" (MC)

"His Majesty Sultan Murad died last night after several weeks of illness." (Grand Vizier)

I don't believe... Murad died of cirrhosis of the liver, but it was not until 1640... his last order was the death sentence on his brother, but everybody were afraid to carry out this order... Vizier, High Porta andvJanissaries were afraid of the end of the ruling family and the chaos in the country.

"I don't believe your words... You have the choice to tell the truth or bring his body here. If you refuse, we continue to fight..." (MC)

I also decided to throw the bait and see if the fish would catch the hook.

"...My spies have informed me that the Sultan has given the order to kill his brother Ibrahim. Sooner or later I will find out the truth, but you may not see it." (MC)

"I am an emissary and Grand Vizier, I come here in peace, trusting that you will respect the white flag, which even the barbarians in the east respect." (Grand Vizier)

"I will not kill you here, you will return to your camp, and we will attack it every day, every hour... until only a handful of you will remain, and then I order my people to capture you... I know how to torture a man for weeks and not kill him and you can be sure you will feel every second of these weeks on your body." (MC)

It was just a threat that would be difficult to implement, so much trouble for one man, it's not worth it... but I had to reconsider the situation, if Sultan was dead it was unfavorable to me, or rather put me in a precarious position about the future. Murad, despite his addiction, was politically experienced and managed to reform and strengthen the Ottoman Empire... He was a man with whom you could try to communicate and cooperate, but not trust.

However, his brother was a political idiot who let himself be controlled by his mother and high officials, Ibrahim was also insane, he drowned 280 women from his harem in the Bosphorus... the only positive thing about the situation was that all these women were fat, Ibrahim had a fetish that the fatter the woman was, the more he liked her... pervert.

I sent the Vizier to the Ottoman camp, despite my threats, he insisted on his version of the events. Which forced me to send messengers to Saddat and Shahin Giray to increase the frequency and power of the attacks.

(Grand Vizier Tabanıyassi Mehmed Pasha / Tayyar Mehmed Pasha POV)

"You think this Lah has a spy in our ranks?" (Tayyar Mehmed Pasha)

"You ask if the sun rises in the east? Of course he has... and a high-ranking spy, no more than twenty people knew about the order to kill Ibrahim, but he doesn't know how the Sultan died, so only thirteen people are suspected." (Grand Vizier)

"Don't even suggest it, the Sultan dies, and a few days later thirteen officers and officials... what do you think it looks like?" (Tayyar Mehmed Pasha)

"Looks like our heads are going to be next... but if not now, they must die later. What are we doing with this Lah?" (Grand Vizier)

"We show him the body, the poison leaves no traces, he won't know what killed the Sultan... and then we make peace." (Tayyar Mehmed Pasha)

"If the sultan had not ordered the execution of the officers, everything could have been different... one stupid decision and the Janissaries rebelled and nobility from whom Murad wanted to take the lands." (Grand Vizier)

"It's all in the past. Who will negotiate the peace? Ibrahim... is not fit for this." (Tayyar Mehmed Pasha)

"Probably me and Valide sultan Kösem." (Grand Vizier)

"What will we offer them?" (Tayyar Mehmed Pasha)

"Crimea and Moldova, and with Lahs peace for many years... but more importantly what they want to take." (Grand Vizier)

(End POV)

Two days later, the Grand Vizier returned to our camp with the body of the Sultan... I think a sultan, I saw his portrait once, but I was not sure if it was his body, his face was similar.

Despite the protests of the Ottoman emissaries, I ordered the Sultan to be stripped naked... but there were no traces of a knife or rope. The only thing that was noticeable was that it was not the body of a man who had been ill for several weeks... maybe he had an internal stroke or was poisoned. I didn't know what to think about it.

All I knew was that I saw a body that probably was the body of the Sultan and who probably died of natural causes.

"If you want to talk about peace, we'll do it on the other side of the Bosphorus, and only when your army lays down their arms... If you don't, we keep fighting." (MC)

This war did not go as I wanted, the Ottomans are almost keeping all their strength, and the Tatars and Cossacks will not be weakened... damn it. Perhaps history will recognize this war as our victory, well, paper is patient and will accept everything... for me it was a failure.