Mustafa sat in his chair with a somber expression, his face revealing no hint of joy or anger, his gaze drifting to the sky outside the palace. Aliti, the Grand Commander of the Kapıkulu Cavalry Corps, and Oezguer, the Grand Vizier, remained silent, each lost in their own thoughts.
After a long pause, Mustafa withdrew his eyes from the sky and turned to Aliti and Oezguer, saying, "Alemdar's army is nearing Istanbul. What do you think we should do?"
His question was met with continued silence.
When they had moved against the reformist nobles, the traditionalist nobles led by Aliti and Oezguer had shown no mercy, and many reformist nobles had fallen under their swords.
Now, Alemdar had gathered the reformist nobles who had narrowly escaped death and was marching back to Istanbul to reinstate Selim III as Sultan. It was obvious how Alemdar would deal with the traditionalist nobles.
Aliti had considered defeating Alemdar on the battlefield to prove that the reformist nobles' support for Selim III's reforms was misguided. However, the string of defeats had already shown that the traditionalist nobles' army was no match for the reformist army.
In comparison, Selim III's reforms seemed correct, and they, the traditionalist nobles, were the sinners hindering the march of history.
Seeing the atmosphere in the palace fall into silence once more, Mustafa couldn't help but shake his head in disappointment, his suspicion of the traditionalist nobles growing.
Perhaps Selim III was right, and he was the one who was wrong?
After another period of silence, Mustafa turned his gaze to Aguli, the Grand Commander of the Janissaries, and asked, "What about you? It was you who led the purge in the city. If Alemdar breaches Istanbul, do you think he will spare you?"
Without waiting for Aguli's reply, Mustafa turned his gaze back to Aliti and Oezguer and asked, "And you two, do you think you can escape Alemdar's retribution by remaining silent?"
Seeing that Mustafa had stripped away all pretense, Aliti and Oezguer could only exchange helpless glances.
Oezguer bowed slightly and said, "Sultan, Alemdar intends to reinstate Selim as Sultan. If..."
Mustafa's expression immediately turned grim.
Oezguer's meaning was clear: if there was no longer a Selim III to reinstate as Sultan, then Alemdar would have no choice but to acknowledge Mustafa as Sultan.
In the Ottoman Empire, where the succession of Sultans and Caliphs was paramount, such a maneuver was indeed feasible.
The problem was that this would render Mustafa's previous actions of constantly smashing Selim III's wine glasses to prevent him from committing suicide by poisoned wine meaningless.
In the end, a living Selim III held more value and could better demonstrate Mustafa's "benevolence."
Moreover, forcing Alemdar to acknowledge Mustafa as the sole Sultan and Caliph would require more than just eliminating the abdicated Selim III.
There was also Mahmud to consider – Mahmud was Mustafa's brother, who also had the right to inherit the position of Sultan and Caliph, and Mahmud was more inclined towards the reformists.
If they were to eliminate Selim III and young Mahmud as Oezguer suggested...
Well, wouldn't that be an outright execution of the "fratricide decree" that had been abolished?
However, if they didn't eliminate Selim III and young Mahmud, and Alemdar managed to breach Istanbul, then what about himself...
Seeing Mustafa's fluctuating expression, Aliti also bowed and advised, "Sultan, to make Alemdar halt his advance, we must extinguish all his hopes!"
"We know you care for your brothers, Selim and Mahmud. But if Alemdar breaches Istanbul, will they care for their brotherhood with you?"
"Especially Selim III, who has forsaken the true God. Mayhanir, whom he valued most, died before his eyes. If he becomes Sultan again, the entire Ottoman Empire will be led astray from the true God's faith!"
"..."
As Aliti was incessantly advising Mustafa, Mustafa suddenly exclaimed, "Enough!"
Mustafa stood up, glared at Aliti and Oezguer, and shouted, "I told you to find a solution, and this is the solution you came up with? Or is this a solution that even needs you to think about it? Hmm?"
After scolding Aliti and Oezguer, Mustafa slumped back into his chair as if all his strength had been drained, and instructed Aguli, the Grand Commander of the Janissaries, "Go. Although Selim and Mahmud have betrayed the true God, God is merciful and will always open His arms to lost lambs."
After Aguli left the palace with the Janissaries, Mustafa turned his gaze back to Aliti and Oezguer and said, "What next? Do you have any more ideas?"
With Selim III and Mahmud about to be executed, Aliti and Oezguer, who had been mostly silent, became animated.
Oezguer bowed directly and said, "Sultan, the reason Alemdar is leading his army to attack Istanbul may not be entirely because he desperately wants to reinstate Selim III as Sultan. It is more likely because he was frightened by the previous actions taken against the reformist faction."
Mustafa chuckled, thinking, "Isn't that obvious? You two scoundrels acted so ruthlessly, confiscating property and exterminating families of the reformist nobles. Anyone in the reformist faction wouldn't be afraid, would they?"
Oezguer continued, "Therefore, I believe we can send someone to contact Alemdar and inform him of the news that Selim III and Mahmud have returned to the embrace of the true God. At the same time, we can extend our goodwill to persuade him to retreat."
However, Aliti shook his head and said, "Persuasion alone may not be enough to make Alemdar retreat. If you were Alemdar, would you be willing to retreat so easily?"
Oezguer was rendered speechless by this. After a long moment, he retorted, "Then what do you suggest we do?"
Aliti bowed to Mustafa and said, "To make Alemdar willingly retreat, we must find a way to make him believe that we will no longer target him."
Mustafa chuckled and looked at Aliti, "Then what is your opinion? How can we make him believe us?"
Aliti bowed and said, "I believe we can enfeoff him as the Governor-General of China, granting him the lands bordering the Ming Dynasty and the White Sheep, along with military authority to ensure the logistics of his army and the power to collect taxes."
Upon hearing Aliti's suggestion, Mustafa's disappointment deepened.
Would Aliti's offer sway Alemdar?
Theoretically, a fiefdom and the power to collect taxes were enough to impress any Ottoman, especially the power to collect taxes, which would give Alemdar the capital to become a state within a state.
However, this was merely a theoretical possibility.
Everyone knew that if the Ming army learned that Alemdar dared to accept the title of Governor-General of China, a title full of provocations, then Alemdar's life would be on borrowed time.
Therefore, as long as Alemdar's mind was not broken, he would never accept such a title.
More importantly, if the Ming army learned that the Ottoman Sultan had enfeoffed a Governor-General of China, would they not tear up the peace treaty and launch an attack on the Ottoman Empire again?
In other words, Aliti's suggestion was utter nonsense. It might only anger Alemdar, but it could also bring greater disaster upon the Ottoman Empire.
Shaking his head slightly, Mustafa decided to stop relying on the brilliant but flawed plans of Aliti and Oezguer. He directly instructed Evrim, the junior vizier, "Send someone out of the city to meet Alemdar. Inform him that Selim and Mahmud have returned to the embrace of the true God, and tell him to retreat and encamp by the Rhine River."
"If he agrees to retreat, I will grant him the authority to collect taxes and recruit soldiers in the towns along the Rhine. If he can conquer territory in Europa, I will enfeoff him as the Governor-General of Europa."
"Furthermore, I will permit him to continue piloting Selim III's reform plans in the towns along the Rhine. If he can prove that Selim III's reform plans are feasible, I will promote them throughout the entire Ottoman Empire."
Hearing Mustafa's words, Aliti and Oezguer became agitated. Oezguer exclaimed, "Sultan! We overthrew Selim III because his reforms violated the will of the true God. Why do you still allow Alemdar to continue experimenting with Selim's misguided reforms by the Rhine?"
Mustafa glanced at Oezguer and Aliti, sneered, and asked, "Do you have any better methods to make Alemdar retreat? Or do you have any better ways to appease Alemdar for the time being? If you were Alemdar, would you be willing to retreat without sufficient conditions?"
Oezguer was once again rendered speechless.
As Mustafa said, Alemdar's army was already close to Istanbul. Facing the precarious Ottoman court, it was the opportune moment for Alemdar to make exorbitant demands. Without sufficient conditions, who would be willing to retreat?
Mustafa continued, "The true God has taught us that if infidels who have abandoned the true God are stronger than us, God permits us to deceive infidels with lies to gain their trust and ensure our survival."
"This is clearly stated in the scriptures. As the Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire, you must be aware of God's teachings, right?"
Hearing this, Oezguer began to understand Mustafa's intentions.
Scripture (3:28): Let the believers not take disbelievers as allies instead of believers. Whoever does that has nothing to expect from God, unless you fear them (and deal with them with feigned courtesy).
If Mustafa accused Alemdar of being an infidel who had betrayed the true God, then according to the scriptures, one could indeed use lies to deceive Alemdar, thus not violating God's teachings against lying.
The key point was that Mustafa's actions were entirely justified. Since the reformist nobles in Istanbul who supported Selim III's reforms were labeled as infidels who had betrayed the true God, then Alemdar, who sought to reinstate Selim III, was naturally also an infidel who had betrayed the true God.
Oezguer and Aliti exchanged glances and bowed together to Mustafa, praising, "Wise Sultan!"
Mustafa turned his gaze back to Evrim, the junior vizier, and asked, "What are you still waiting for?"
The junior vizier Evrim subtly glanced at Oezguer and Aliti. Seeing that they had no objections, he bowed slightly to Mustafa, placing his hand on his chest in salutation, and said, "As you wish, most esteemed Sultan, I shall go and contact Alemdar."
...
As the junior vizier went out of the city to find Alemdar, Aguli, the commander of the Janissaries, also led his contingent of Janissaries to the palace where Selim III was imprisoned.
Selim III seemed unsurprised by the arrival of Aguli and the Janissary soldiers. He even greeted Aguli, saying, "Long time no see, Aguli. You must be here on the orders of Mustafa or Aliti, I presume?"
Aguli bowed slightly and paid his respects to Selim III, "As wise as you are, Alemdar's army is already close to Istanbul. And indeed, I have been ordered by the Sultan to escort you back to the embrace of the true God."
Selim III chuckled, shook his head lightly, and said, "It's a pity, a pity that I cannot witness Aliti and Oezguer receive their just desserts before I return to the embrace of the true God."
After a moment's thought, Selim III suddenly asked Aguli, "By the way, do you serve the Ottoman Empire? Or do you serve Aliti and Oezguer?"
Aguli was taken aback, then replied with unwavering conviction, "Of course, I serve the Ottoman Empire. However, I serve the true God even more!"
Selim III chuckled again, nodded, and then picked up his wine glass from the table, gently swirling it as he said, "Mustafa, that fool, always thought Aliti and Oezguer were right. But he doesn't know that Aliti and Oezguer are the infidels who have betrayed the true God!"
"He's so foolish, yet he wants to discuss the future of the Ottoman Empire with me? What nonsense!"
Saying this, Selim III looked at Aguli and said, "I am returning to the embrace of the true God. However, you must not go after young Mahmud anymore. The current state of the Ottoman Empire is all due to that fool Mustafa and those infidels, Aliti and Oezguer."