I Became the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire

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“In the spirit of courtesy, we have come to visit.”

As the waves crashed, the fisherman’s small boat rocked.

The fisherman, clutching his net, shouted angrily when his companion, Jang, staggered clumsily.

“Jang, be careful! Did you forget that Wang fell overboard and drowned not long ago?!”

“Why worry needlessly! I’ve been on this boat more than a couple of times?!”

“If you’re not careful, you might find yourself going the same way as Wang!”

This small wooden boat, which barely fit two or three people, reflected the dire situation of the area.

The southern coast of the Ming Dynasty, a place later known as Hong Kong in history, served as a trading hub and was a remote outpost for the Ming.

For the farmers and fishermen here, tomorrow’s weather seemed more important than the shifting fortunes of the Ming Emperor, and it was common to see them setting out to fish in their old, small boats.

When Jang halted in confusion while pulling the net, the fisherman bellowed at him again.

“What are you doing?! Did a drowned Wang just pop back up?!”

Chided over the prospect of a water spirit emerging, Jang remained blankly fixated ahead, causing the fisherman to raise his head in shock.

It felt like a tidal wave was rolling in from the ship.

The distinctly foreign shape of a ship and the bright sun shone upon a red flag, brightly visible against the water.

As large ships approached in formation, so massive that they could easily capsize a small fishing boat merely by passing, the fishermen finally snapped back to reality.

“I feel sorry for them.”

Suleiman remarked while rowing away, hastily stowing away nets in a panic.

Losing a net was a significant blow to a fisherman, a commodity held dearer than life itself.

Without a net, their livelihood would clearly be in danger, and seeing Suleiman’s regret, Ibrahim bowed his head.

“Through someone knowledgeable about this place, we will ensure compensation.”

“Not a bad idea.”

There was no obligation to feel indebted, but since they had come to foster a good relationship, such consideration could be made.

Suleiman, having shifted his gaze from the small fishing boat, looked towards the faint shoreline in the distance.

“Finally, we have arrived after a long journey.”

A long voyage, harsh even for the crew, hadn’t been easy for Suleiman.

Food and drink were scarce, and during the stormy times when the ship tossed violently, he worried that this was how he would meet Allah.

Of course, the previous voyage had not been worthless.

“Ibrahim, isn’t the world truly vast?”

“I understand why His Majesty is willing to take risks and sail into a broader world.”

With over 80 ships, their fleet was sufficiently capable of establishing dominance over the Mediterranean.

It was a significant gamble for the Ottomans to send such a large fleet, for sacrificing this opportunity while signing peace treaties with Charles V could yield consequences if their fleet took heavy damage.

After all, it wouldn’t be easy to recover in a short while, no matter how mighty the Ottomans were.

“Indeed, now I understand why His Majesty cautioned against underestimating those living here.”

Though the destination was the Ming Dynasty, solidifying the trade routes leading there was the true goal.

They had made contacts with nations along the routes extending to this location, and now it made sense why Yusuf had advised caution.

As they observed the approaching land, Kemal nodded in agreement with Suleiman’s sentiments.

“Had there been a war with those island nations, it wouldn’t have been easy. Now I understand why the Portuguese faced hardships there.”

“Those fellows are everywhere.”

Suleiman clicked his tongue.

For such a tiny Western nation, they were quite the meddlesome ones even here.

“Not that it’s a bad situation for us.”

The Portuguese had allied with the Hindu Kingdom of Sunda in Indonesia to contain Islam, just as they had in India.

Thanks to that, among the Muslims in Indonesia, there was growing favor towards the Ottomans who had pushed out the Portuguese.

Nations like the Demak Sultanate, which had directly engaged in naval battles with the Portuguese, warmly received the Ottomans.

“Indeed, their ships are certainly large.”

“They chose to enlarge their fleet at the expense of maneuverability. Consider them moving fortresses. It’s no wonder the Ming forbids their entry.”

The main ships of the Indonesian islands, known as djong, were deemed too dangerous to allow entry into Guangzhou.

When the Portuguese clashed with the Demak Sultanate in 1513, their robust ships repelled assaults when cannonballs failed to breach their hulls.

As Kemal described them as floating fortresses, it wasn’t an exaggeration. If such heavily armed ships engaged in bombardments from the harbor, devastation would follow, making their prohibition of entry entirely reasonable.

“And it’s likely we’ll be denied entry ourselves.”

Suleiman observed the harbor that was now within reach.

The port of Tunmun, which had granted them entry, was small.

Primarily a fishing harbor, merchant vessels seeking trade would head deeper into Guangzhou, just a hundred kilometers away, thus leaving little reason for such a port to develop.

As the Ottoman fleet blocked this small harbor completely, chaos erupted, and soon, a junk that had been docked approached them.

“Is that the harbor master?”

“Indeed, Pasha.”

After a thorough body search, the officials allowed onboard were answered by Gurai.

The official from the Ming cleaned cold sweat off his brow, recognizing Gurai.

“You! How dare you deceive me!”

“Deceive? That sounds quite unpleasant. I have never told a lie.”

“You’re saying this isn’t a deception?! How can this fleet be arriving for a social visit?!”

Even the persistent Wokou pirates wouldn’t show up like this.

Bringing a war fleet ready to scorch the land and claiming it was a visit—it was enough to grind one’s teeth in anger.

Seeing the official’s fury, Gurai smiled.

“Our custom is to bring heavy gifts when making initial introductions—out of courtesy.”

Of course, the heavy gifts were mostly weapons.

Cutting off whatever the official was about to say, Gurai firmly declared, “And this is before our Empire’s royalty. You should mind your manners first.”

With that remark, the official cast a glance at the man standing front and center.

Though he was slightly shorter, the dashing face of the man sent chills down the official’s spine.

Those surrounding him looked like they would kill him at a moment’s notice, prompting the official to hurriedly bow.

“I am Zhang Huan, in charge of Tunmun. I apologize for my rudeness.”

Listening to the translation, Suleiman nodded.

“I am Suleiman Pasha, an official of the Ottoman Empire. I accept your apology. So when may we enter the harbor?”

After seeing the entry permit that he personally authored, Huan felt a chill run down his spine.

He should have realized when he had to part with a fortune just to obtain the entry permit.

It could well be the fare to the underworld.

Huan stammered, “I apologize, but to dock, we must obtain permission from the Guangzhou Prefecture.”

“That contradicts your earlier promise.”

“W-well, that is…”

Huan rolled his eyes in silence while Suleiman tucked the permit into his coat and spoke coldly.

“It would be wise to expedite your return. We shall remain in this vicinity until an answer is provided.”

Upon hearing Suleiman’s words, Huan gaped, startled.

With such a massive fleet blocking the narrow port of Tunmun, they couldn’t stay there indefinitely, and they would inevitably head into broader waters, which led directly toward Guangzhou.

The thought of 80 ships obstructing trade routes, a vital center of southern maritime trade since ancient times, was startling.

It was no longer something one could ignore, and Huan returned to the harbor, his face pale.

“A response is likely on its way back.”

Suleiman’s suspicion was correct.

As fear of the foreign fleet invading Guangzhou engulfed the southern Chinese coast, a message finally came back from the Guangzhou Prefecture.

– Zhang Huan, who unilaterally granted entry permits for personal gain, has been sentenced to death. Entry is prohibited until the Imperial sanction is received.

“A virtual denial.”

Suleiman understood well how long it would take for reports from such a remote territory to reach the throne of a colossal empire like the Ming.

He had no idea how long it would take for the report to reach the throne, for a decision to be made, and for their answers to be returned—waiting idly aboard the ship for all that time was unacceptable.

Casting a cold glance at the Ming land, Suleiman issued orders to Kemal Reis.

“With the easiest route sidelined, we must proceed as His Majesty intended.”

“Understood, Pasha.”

Following the orders, Kemal commanded, and the Ottoman fleet spread its sails wide.

*

Yusuf gazed at the newly drawn map.

The territory, having expanded by absorbing Ruyos II’s lands, was evident, but Yusuf’s gaze shifted eastward.

“Soon we should arrive at the Ming Dynasty.”

Yusuf tapped his finger on the land representing the Ming.

He may have a wealth of knowledge, but he didn’t claim to know everything.

Thus, while he wasn’t entirely well-versed in all things Ming, he was somewhat aware of a few points.

‘Currently, the reigning emperor, Jiajing, is considered one of the four notorious tyrants of the Ming Dynasty.’

Rejecting the duties of an emperor for thirty years, he was one to usher in the notorious reign of Wanli, but Jiajing remained tyrannical nonetheless.

With generals given his alias and a talent for woodworking, unlike the neglectful Chengzu and Xuanzong, it was difficult to defend the actions of these two.

Jiajing had immersed himself seriously in Taoism over his 46-year reign, previously threatening a crisis of assassination after abusing court ladies in pursuit of the elixir of immortality.

‘In a way, we might exploit his delusions, so it’s not entirely bad.’

He sent people in search of herbs for immortality and was thus more susceptible to temptations than other emperors.

The key was finding a way to reach the emperor.

“Mustafa.”

“Yes, your Majesty.”

At sixteen, Mustafa was staring at the map with sparkling eyes when he flinched.

He should have been made a Sanjakbey by now, though not as advanced as Kasim.

‘Even if sent as a Sanjakbey, he would likely run off.’

While Tazlu had been preparing the Sanjakbey position in Tabriz, using family influence, he had grown increasingly resentful of Mustafa’s desire to set sail.

When Tazlu boldly declared that his son would claim the position of Pasha, it was a testament that family plans don’t always align with reality.

‘There must be a way to satisfy both Mustafa and Tazlu simultaneously.’

The answer lay in the assignment given to Mustafa.

If he could not even manage that much, it would be better for both the state and for Mustafa to give up any dreams of the Pasha title.

In any case, whether or not he found the answer, Yusuf questioned Mustafa, who was likely to set sail.

“The Ming currently enforces a maritime ban. It won’t be easy for them to open their doors just because we send a fleet. So what do you see as the biggest issue?”

“Given the prolonged nature of our stay, wouldn’t it be food and water?”

“Exactly. A person must eat to live.”

It was not without reason that sailors had been tortured or executed during the Age of Exploration for stealing food and water.

Food and water were critically important.

“The problem is not being able to trust the Ming to provide food and water.”

The Ming had enacted a maritime ban due to rampant piracy, and the Ottoman fleet was vast enough to devastate the coastal defenses of Ming.

With that in mind, the Ming may have contingency plans to neutralize the Ottoman fleet by tampering with their access to food and water.

While it was uncertain whether they would enact such strategies, keeping supply lines full through Ming would have to be avoided.

At least until relations were established between the Ming and Ottomans.

“In that case, we must first secure a base for supplies.”

“Correct.”

There was no telling how relations with the Ming would progress.

They could end up like the Portuguese, earning goodwill with the Ming while assisting in pirate eradication before engaging in trade.

‘Or we could end up in conflict with the Ming, treated the same as pirates, resorting to smuggling instead.’

While piracy fell under the Ottomans’ mercantile endeavors, they would have no issue with the latter outcome.

They would be ready to provide ample torment to the Ming should relations not improve.

Though it would be ideal to cultivate a friendly relationship, human affairs are unpredictable.

In any case, the plan was to act strategically over the long term, and Yusuf knew the most suitable location.

“If my plans unfold as envisioned, this ought to be where the empire’s fleet will take root.”

Yusuf pointed to a singular island marked on the map.

*

“Pasha! An island is in sight!”

At Ibrahim’s words, Suleiman exited the cabin and stood on deck.

Had Yusuf not labeled it an island, one could have easily mistaken it for a portion of the continent due to its grand size.

Covered in lush green forests, the island appeared lovely, and Suleiman recited the island’s name as penned by Yusuf.

“That is certainly Taiwan.”

The island that would become the Ottoman base.