Chapter 76
Chapter 76
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Translator: Wjin
Chapter: 076
Chapter Title: The Married Couple Con Artists (2)
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September 1736, the nightmare of the Ottoman army.
The atmosphere at the emergency council convened by Padishah Mahmud I remained grim from start to finish.
Muhsinzade Pasha, the interim Grand Vizier, had squandered the entire Rumelia army, leaving the Rumelia front on the brink of total collapse.
The Emperor lambasted his ministers for moving the troops so thoughtlessly, but no one dared voice the truth—that they had done it out of fear of execution at his hands.
"This is less a tactical failure and more divine punishment for defying the words of God."
At the Sheikh ul-Islam's declaration, which perfectly gauged the Emperor's mood, the new Grand Vizier Said Pasha, the Kapudan Pasha of the navy, the Agha of the Janissaries, and others nodded in unison.
It wasn't that these fanatics had the Quran stuffed in their heads instead of brains.
'Our defeat in battle wasn't our fault—it's all because of the supreme commander's incompetence!'
What other tail-cutting technique was so convenient and versatile?
The moment this logic took hold, the Emperor, the other commanders, and even the soldiers all became innocent victims free of blame, with every sin pinned squarely on the supreme commander alone.
This was the Ottoman Empire's favorite 18th form, routinely employed when sending defeated generals to the gallows.
"There are testimonies that Muhsinzade Pasha failed to observe Ramadan."
"...For such a man to wield the baton of holy war made defeat inevitable. How tragic."
"Your Majesty! Appoint a devout and renowned general as the Sword of Allah even now, and set things right!"
The Emperor solemnly nodded at the impassioned pleas from the empire's top brass.
This wasn't just merciless execution for the sake of punishing a defeated general.
How could an Emperor forgive such sloth and indulgence from one who dared lead a holy war while flouting the laws?
"Execute Muhsinzade Pasha the moment he returns. And as his successor..."
Swoosh.
As the Emperor's gaze swept over the assembly, everyone averted their eyes and bowed their heads.
'God! Please! Not me!'
'Please... I've kept Ramadan faithfully and prayed diligently every day. God, spare me...'
'Spare me alone. I swear I've prayed.'
The state of the Rumelia front was plain from even a quick scan of the reports.
Christians were rising in revolt everywhere, the main army had evaporated, and Russian interference had halved trade revenues from the Black Sea.
Who in their right mind would want to step into that inferno, supreme commander or not?
All prayed fervently to the God in heaven with downcast eyes, but someone had to shoulder the burden eventually.
"We shall appoint Said Pasha as the new commander to rebuild the shattered Rumelia army. Does anyone object?"
"Y-Your Majesty! This is an immense honor, but I fear my faith may yet fall short for commanding a holy war."
"Is that so? Do the rest of you agree?"
"Your Majesty! If I may speak of Grand Vizier Said, he prays not only daily but even before washing his face or hair—a model of true piety! I dare proclaim there is no finer candidate!"
"The Janissaries concur."
Yes, as long as it wasn't them, all was well.
The moment the logic held that one man's misfortune could bring happiness to all, the Emperor's appointee was as good as doomed.
He would become the empire's most shameless hypocrite if defeated, but for now, the freshly minted paragon of Ottoman faith squeezed his eyes shut.
With things as they were, his only path to survival was to dump every sin on his predecessor.
"...Your Majesty, I shall pour forth every ounce of my ability, but truthfully, the situation in Rumelia gives me grave concern."
"A valid point. With Austria even sending their next heir to the front... they mean business. The man's name is Franz Stefan, yes?"
"Yes. As per Your Majesty's orders, I've prepared and submitted a detailed report."
"I've read it. I wondered if there was an error last time, but it was accurate. At this point, is he not Satan incarnate—or Satan himself?"
Neglecting him due to the war with the Safavids had been a painful blunder.
How had they overlooked this demonic sprout growing in the soil of their rival, the Holy Roman Empire?
"The Niš commander testified unequivocally. Austria's berserker Joseph moves at Franz's command. View Joseph as the demon sword Franz forged himself to topple our empire."
"The report mentioned he even dragged his wife along..."
"Indeed. It reveals his cunning. He uses Maria Theresa's beauty to cloud men's judgment. For his ambitions, he drags even his wife into the perils of the battlefield."
Christian uprisings across Rumelia had killed Muslims opposing them, but that too was Franz's doing.
Mosques damaged in frantic flight? Franz's handiwork.
The Hagia Sophia ornament falling in Constantinople last night? Franz's curse.
On-site commanders now invoked the devilish synonym Franz to cover their own mistakes.
Satan himself might applaud in awe.
Unbeknownst to him, Franz had become a superhuman capable of sparking incidents in up to 256 places simultaneously without lifting a finger.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Austria's triumphs over France and the ongoing victories against the Ottomans had utterly reversed its standing from original history.
Decades prior, victories in the Ottoman wars and the War of the Spanish Succession were dismissed by cool-headed analysts as mere displays by Eugène de Savoie.
Yet even in his dotage, Eugène had crushed France.
Now, as if blessed by heaven, Austria advanced ferociously, vowing to liberate all Eastern Christians.
It was getting hard to chalk this up to mere luck or momentum.
Russia had swiftly moved to seize the Black Sea amid Austria's success, only to suffer nearly 30,000 losses to plague—grievous compared to Austria's mere 2,000 casualties against the Ottomans.
As these results spread, nations' calculations grew intricate.
First, Russia.
"...Should we ask Austria to slow their advance?"
"Tell them to halt because we're suffering from plague? Think they'll listen?"
"We signed a non-interference pact before this war even began. We have no right."
"But if Austria liberates the Balkans, it complicates our position as Orthodoxy's leader. What if the Greek Orthodox become an Austrian protectorate?"
"...The Greeks were just laymen claiming Rome before Russian Orthodoxy existed anyway."
If the war ended thus, Russia could secure the Black Sea coast, but Austria's gains dwarfed theirs.
Amid myriad concerns, Russia reaffirmed plans for a total assault once the plague ebbed.
Next, France.
"That Franz bastard... that bastard again..."
"Your Majesty, even if Austria dominates the Adriatic, it won't greatly harm us. They'll clash harder with the Ottomans, so if anything..."
"You say that after these results? The Ottomans are half-dead already. They might just hand everything to Austria!"
"...Shall we mediate a ceasefire now?"
"Can we?"
He itched to douse the Ottomans' Balkan liberation efforts, but lacked any pretext.
"The Papacy allied with Austria to declare Eastern Christian liberation. Abruptly calling it off now would look bad."
"Damn it. Those idiot Ottomans couldn't even block that properly."
Louis XV tsked at Ottoman ineptitude, conveniently forgetting France's own grander defeats.
France lacked leisure for support amid its own recovery, and backing Islam against Christian liberation was tough even for them.
Spain was the same, so Europe's hopes converged on one nation.
We can't, but Britain might.
Britain can.
English pirates ignore pretenses.
Britain for sure...
Boiling with "If it's Britain" faith, expectations funneled to London.
Even Britain found mediating peace tricky.
"We have no need to heed the Pope, do we?"
"But with Catholics versus Orthodox, backing Islam feels off..."
"Who's backing Islam? Merchants in the Mediterranean are uneasy; let's just tidy things up amicably."
"Austria did save face against France last time. Alienating them fully risks diplomatic tangles later."
-How much stronger would Austria grow swallowing the Balkans?
-How might Adriatic reconfiguration affect British shipping?
-Won't a declining Ottoman overly empower Russia?
-In future colonial wars with France, whose side Austria takes could tip the balance.
Weighing gains and risks, Britain's parliament plunged into endless debate.
At that juncture,
Austria's fiercely southward army seized Sofia, the key stronghold linking Edirne and Constantinople.
Impossible without local Christians' mass uprising aiding them.
In other words, the Ottomans hadn't anticipated Sofia falling so swiftly.
In the hasty mobilization, Franz ended up advancing to Sofia with them, surveying the cityscape and whistling inwardly in admiration.
"Well, damn... we might actually reach Edirne at this rate."
"Isn't it possible? I never dreamed local support would make war this easy."
"True, but the issue is what to do with the remaining Muslims here. Once fanaticism erupts, reason vanishes. Slaughtering them—even as fellow People of the Book—harms our interests. For that, Islam must accept our occupation meekly... but will they?"
Even with past-life memories, Franz's OS was overlaid with 21st-century sensibilities.
No matter his resolve for ruthless hegemony, reality forced him into unparalleled mercy.
He knew it well.
Thus, he consciously pushed "conscience" to its limits.
But.
"Hiiiik!"
"S-Spare us!"
"Uwaaaah! It's Franz! Franz Stefan in our city..."
"Kuh... We're done for."
Far from the feared Muslim resistance, Sofia—with nearly 40% Muslims—saw people wetting themselves at rumors of Franz's entry.
Terror transcending will to fight.
"...Your Highness, the Muslims seem more cowardly than expected."
"Yeah? Not what I figured."
"They must recognize Your Highness's mercy."
True, sincerity transcends eras.
Franz and Joseph chuckled as they toured Sofia's streets, reassuring folk.
Muslim onlookers greeted them by fainting or soiling themselves.
Was relief that profound?
Turks seemed surprisingly timid and guileless.
Truly inscrutable.