As the Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire, Suleiman had seen his share of events. To put it in the vernacular of a certain region in the Central Hall, he had seen great snakes defecate.
However, the sights he witnessed from leaving Topkapi Palace to the Ming concession, and especially after truly entering the concession, continuously battered Suleiman's confidence.
Outside the concession, a large number of Ottoman nobles, ministers, and civilians were desperately trying to escape Istanbul. Some Ottomans, feeling they could not survive and unable to escape, resorted to burning and looting in a final act of desperation before death. Even the Istanbul city defense forces showed signs of disarray.
In contrast, within the Ming concession in the Ottoman territories, sandbags and abatis had been erected around the perimeter. Large numbers of able-bodied Ming youths patrolled in groups, carrying breech-loading rifles, with grenades attached to their chests and swords at their waists. They were clad in armor, their equipment even more refined than that of the Ottoman Imperial Guard.
When Suleiman truly set foot within the concession, he was met with an scene of revelry and prosperity. Ming shops continued their businesses as usual, with many French merchants also frequenting them. It seemed as though no one cared that the Ming and the Ottomans were already in a de facto state of conflict.
However, what truly plunged Suleiman into despair were the guards standing before the Ming Embassy in the Ottoman Empire.
The military equipment of the youths patrolling the perimeter was already more refined than that of the Ottoman Imperial Guard, but the equipment of the Ming soldiers before him could not merely be described as more refined; it was utterly incomprehensible!
The grenades carried by the perimeter youths were the same model as those of the Ottoman Imperial Guard, with wooden handles and iron casings, hung from their chests in cloth bags. But these Ming soldiers had no such cloth bags for grenades; instead, iron lumps, resembling melons, were directly attached to their bodies.
The perimeter youths carried breech-loading rifles. Due to the need to carry a large quantity of ammunition, these youths also had cloth bags for bullets. However, these Ming soldiers had no similar cloth bags, and the firearms in their hands were vastly different from those carried by the youths.
What baffled Suleiman even more was that the youths on the perimeter, at least, wore armor. But these Ming soldiers, apart from the round, thick hats on their heads, showed no sign of armor. Instead, they wore clothing primarily in desert colors, supplemented with various color blocks. They had no swords at their waists, their footwear resembled boots rather than shoes, and they wore thick gloves?
In short, these guards were entirely unlike any army Suleiman had ever encountered.
If he judged solely by their outward appearance and equipment, Suleiman felt that these guards were definitely inferior to the patrolling youths, and even less impressive than the Ottoman Imperial Guard.
However, judging by the reports from Mukalla Port...
Any trace of condescension that had arisen in Suleiman's heart quickly vanished. He dutifully sent his calling card and, upon meeting Xu Hong, immediately began to lament, following the plan he had discussed with Mustafa Pasha: "You have been in Istanbul for a long time, and you must know the Imperial Guard. They have always been audacious and pay no heed to the Sultan or the Caliph."
"You should also know that we, the Ottoman Sultan and the entire Ottoman court, hold the Great Ming Emperor in the highest esteem. Even our ancient scholars have said: 'Though knowledge be found in China, seek it there.'"
"All these misunderstandings arose because of the Imperial Guard. Even our Caliph, the Ottoman Sultan, has perished because of this, and the lineage of the Caliphate has been extinguished."
"We are willing to accept any punishment from the Great Ming Emperor. At the same time, we hope that the Great Ming Emperor can select a new Sultan and Caliph for the Ottomans, and we beg the Great Ming Emperor to forgive the Ottomans."
"If the Great Ming Emperor is still not appeased, then let him punish those of us in the Ottoman court. We beg him to spare the Ottoman civilians, can you do that?"
"To this end, we are willing to dispatch an escort to accompany all Ming personnel within the concession to leave Istanbul and proceed to Mukalla to rendezvous with the Great Ming Emperor and the Ming army, to demonstrate the attitude of the Ottomans."
The pressure was instantly shifted onto Xu Hong.
Accepting Suleiman's request would mean that these Ming merchants would have to leave Istanbul and travel to Mukalla Port under Ottoman escort. The Ottomans would naturally seize this opportunity to seek an audience with Emperor Zhu and beg for mercy.
If he refused Suleiman's request... although Suleiman had not stated it directly, Xu Hong understood very well that refusal would mean the Ottomans might resort to a mutually destructive confrontation with all the concessions in Istanbul.
What's more, the Ottomans might even blame everything on the Ming Empire – "Look, it is precisely because the Ming Empire was too aggressive that we were forced into a mutually destructive conflict with them. You have all been implicated by the Ming people. Anyway, the Ottomans are finished, so if you seek revenge, go find the Ming people!"
For a moment, Xu Hong found himself in a predicament.
If a conflict were to break out, Xu Hong would not be afraid, nor would the Ming merchants within the concession.
Even if the Ottomans could now rally England, Arabia, the Habsburgs, Russia, and other nations to form a league against the Ming Empire, the Ming Empire might not necessarily fear them.
The crucial point was whether to fight or not. This was not a decision that Xu Hong, as an ambassador, could make alone. While it was true that the Ottoman Imperial Guard had fired upon the fleet of the Ming Emperor, how would the Ming Empire respond to this incident?
Although completely annihilating the Ottoman Empire was the logical course of action, and sparing them would be abnormal, Xu Hong also knew that much of what Suleiman said was factual. This included the fact that the Ottoman Imperial Guard did not respect the Sultan and frequently rebelled, and that the Ottomans currently had no intention of provoking a conflict with the Ming Empire. These were all facts.
If the Ottomans were spared, it would be somewhat justifiable.
Especially since Suleiman had explicitly stated his hope that the Ming Emperor would decide the selection of the Ottoman Sultan and Caliph.
It was difficult to ascertain the sincerity behind these words, but the posture was undoubtedly well-executed.
The more he thought about it, the more conflicted Xu Hong became. Looking at Suleiman, who had calmly settled down to drink tea, Xu Hong's teeth itched with resentment.
Compared to Xu Hong, Suleiman was far more composed.
What was a disturbance in Istanbul? What were a few students causing trouble? As long as the pressure could be shifted onto the Ming people and a glimmer of hope could be secured for the Ottomans...
A sharp glint flashed in Suleiman's eyes. He continued his lament: "Ambassador Xu, you may not know, but since the Imperial Guard offended the Great Ming Emperor, there have been signs of unrest in Istanbul. Many civilians, fearing the Great Ming Emperor's displeasure, are fleeing with their families. More and more students are taking to the streets, enumerating the crimes of the Imperial Guard and demanding that Mustafa Pasha severely punish those guards who offended the Great Ming Emperor."
"However..." Suleiman said with a hint of hesitation, "How the Imperial Guard should be dealt with should be decided by the Great Ming Emperor's word. It is not appropriate for our Ottoman court to decide at this moment. What do you think, Ambassador Xu?"
Xu Hong's mood grew even more unpleasant.
"What do I think?" he thought. "Is this something I can have an opinion on?
Besides, those fleeing from Istanbul are said to be the relatives of your Ottoman nobles and ministers. There are hardly any ordinary civilians among them, are there?"
After a moment's thought, Xu Hong picked up his teacup and said with a forced smile, "How about this, Your Excellency the Grand Vizier, why don't you wait a little longer? I will send someone to Mukalla Port first, how about that?"
Suleiman's face visibly darkened: "Although Istanbul is not a hundred thousand li away from Mukalla Port, it is not close either. By the time the envoy sent by Your Excellency reaches Mukalla Port and returns, I fear that not only Istanbul, but the entire Ottoman Empire will be in chaos."
After pouring out his grievances, Suleiman began to play the emotional card again: "Ambassador, you may not know, but ever since the Ottomans joined the 'Little Broken Pot' [referring to a derogatory term for the Ming Dynasty], we have always followed the lead of the Great Ming. All the nobles and ministers in Istanbul consider it an honor to learn the Ming language and official tongue. The Ottoman people look up to His Majesty the Great Ming Emperor like infants look to their parents. Now, because of the rebellious Imperial Guard, His Majesty the Great Ming Emperor is enraged. How pitiful are the Ottoman people? I implore Ambassador Xu to see clearly!"
Looking at Suleiman's genuinely earnest expression, Xu Hong merely smiled and nodded in agreement, showing no intention of accepting Suleiman's proposal.
As a graduate of the "Vertical and Horizontal Studies" department of the Great Ming Royal Academy, Xu Hong vividly remembered two sentences from the curriculum.
The first sentence was: "What cannot be obtained on the battlefield cannot be obtained at the negotiating table."
The second sentence was: "When others say they particularly like the Ming or particularly admire the Ming, they are invariably trying to gain some benefit from the Ming."
The current situation perfectly matched those two sentences from the textbook. Suleiman was trying to achieve peace at the negotiating table because he could not win peace on the battlefield, and his method of achieving peace was to utter such nonsense as 'particularly liking the Ming' and 'particularly admiring the Ming'.
Yes, in Xu Hong's opinion, Suleiman's statements of 'particularly liking the Ming' and 'particularly admiring the Ming' were utter nonsense.
After all, not every commoner in the Ming Empire necessarily particularly liked the Ming. How could these barbarians particularly like the Ming?
Utterly preposterous!
Thinking of how Suleiman had unfairly dumped a huge pot of trouble onto him, placing him in a difficult position, Xu Hong felt even more displeased and couldn't help but let out a cold snort: "How pitiful are the Ottoman people? But where did the Imperial Guard come from? If the Ottoman people do not support the Imperial Guard, how did the Imperial Guard gain power?"
Hearing Xu Hong's words, Suleiman almost spat out a mouthful of blood. His implication was that the Ottoman people had chosen the Imperial Guard. Did that mean the people of the Central Plains had chosen the Great Qing?
Of course, such nonsense was something Suleiman only dared to think in his heart.
After carefully considering, Suleiman continued: "Time waits for no one, Ambassador Xu. I understand your difficulties, and I implore you to consider the countless innocent people of the Ottoman Empire. If the entire Istanbul and even the entire Ottoman Empire descend into chaos, will that not ultimately harm the interests of the Great Ming?"
Seeing that Xu Hong remained unmoved, Suleiman gritted his teeth and said in a low voice: "Ambassador Xu, you may not know, but the remnants of the Imperial Guard still harbor some individuals who have planned several actions against the Great Ming. Mustafa Pasha's side alone has intercepted and prevented numerous attempts by the Imperial Guard remnants targeting the oil fields."
Xu Hong's expression darkened, and he glanced sideways at Suleiman: "What, you're trying to scare me with the oil fields?"
Suleiman's expression also gradually turned grim: "I dare not. I am merely the Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire. How could I dare to scare an esteemed Ming envoy like yourself? However, I respect the Great Ming and His Majesty the Great Ming Emperor. Those remnants of the Imperial Guard may not necessarily respect the Great Ming and His Majesty the Great Ming Emperor. If they truly destroy the oil fields, how will Ambassador Xu account for it to His Majesty the Great Ming Emperor? Or, Ambassador Xu, are you not worried that they might incite the countless civilians of the Ottoman Empire and engage in a 'mutual destruction' with the Great Ming?"
Hearing Suleiman's statement, Xu Hong couldn't help but burst into laughter: "Mutual destruction? I must admit, Your Excellency the Grand Vizier, your scholarship is indeed commendable, managing to know the idiom 'mutual destruction'."
However, as he was laughing, before Suleiman could show any signs of happiness, Xu Hong's tone suddenly changed: "However, I would like to see what qualifications you Ottomans have to negotiate terms with the Great Ming!"
If Suleiman had not uttered such nonsense as "mutual destruction," Xu Hong might have been somewhat hesitant. After all, whether to fight or not was not a decision an ambassador like Xu Hong could make alone. Even if all the Ming merchants in Istanbul were constantly prepared for conflict and supported a fight with the Ottomans, it would not be enough. Without explicit orders from Emperor Zhu, Xu Hong could only restrain the Ming merchants, preventing them from acting rashly like they did in Benghazi.
However, he never expected that Suleiman, this fool, would utter such nonsensical words as "mutual destruction"!
Now, it was all good. Xu Hong no longer had to worry about how to restrain the Ming merchants, and the Ming merchants no longer had to worry about not earning military merits. "Mutual destruction with the Great Ming? You think you're worthy?"
Xu Hong smiled, picked up his teacup, took a sip, and then smilingly said to Suleiman: "Your Excellency the Grand Vizier, please proceed?"
Suleiman's expression froze, and he said sternly: "Ambassador Xu, have you thought this through?"
Xu Hong smiled and nodded. Just as he was about to say something, a commander from the Embroidered Uniform Guard entered and handed Xu Hong a note: "Ambassador Xu, Mukalla Port has been captured, and the remaining Ottoman troops have been annihilated. His Majesty orders us to protect the Ming civilians in Istanbul and await the army's arrival for their evacuation."
(End of Chapter)