While Peter's embassy launched an unprecedented investigation and study in the Celestial Empire, in Europe, the war between the Roman Empire against the Ottoman Turkish Empire reached its last juncture. With the end of the Battle of Sivas, Turkey's counterattack was repelled. The Turks, who were unable to counterattack in the short term, had hoped that in winter, when the Caucasus mountains were covered with ice and snow, and when the logistics of the Roman legion had problems, the Turks who took the opportunity to counterattack made the wrong plan. Under the pressure of the Ming Dynasty, Persia agreed to the Roman legion to use Persia to ensure logistics. Although the mountains in northern Persia also faced the threat of wind and snow in winter, the environment was better than that of the Caucasus. Thanks to this, the Roman legion had to launch an attack on Istanbul before the Turks completed the preparations for the war. This was the most important battle for them to restore Rome and restore Constantinople.

Almost as the Roman legion once again arrived outside Constantinople, which had been away for more than two hundred years, the Ming Dynasty's Mediterranean fleet in Alexandria sailed into the Bosphorus Strait under the pretext of protecting the expatriates and entering the narrowest strait, which was only more than a mile. At this time, the Turks had no maritime power to stop the powerful Mediterranean fleet. On November 30, Ross, with only fifteen warships in the Bay of Sinop

A naval battle between the Navy Fleet of the Horse Empire and the Turkish Fleet in the Bay of Sinop. They not only destroyed Sinop's turret, but also severely damaged the more powerful Turkish fleet there. The Ming Dynasty's bombardment once again played an unexpected role. Under the fierce artillery fire, the Turkish fleet suffered a devastating blow and fled in all directions. The Roman fleet pursued with all its might, and in the end only one Turkish cruiser escaped by chance.

It was also from that time that the fleet of the Roman Empire began to attack around the Black Sea, constantly damaging the Turkish fleet. On January 17, 1695, when the Imperial Legion arrived outside Constantinople, the main force of the Turkish Navy no longer existed.

Although the Ming fleet and the Roman fleet did not meet due to the threat of the Turkish army in the strait, in fact, the two armies had already met on land, and Egypt invested a reinforcement of 45,000 people.

Just as in 1453, Ottoman Turkish Sultan Mohammed II led 170,000 infantry and cavalry and 320 ships, surrounding Constantinople from both land and sea, in an attempt to completely destroy the Roman Empire, the Ottomans also faced sieges from both land and sea, and the ones surrounding the city were not limited to the Roman Empire.

From early January to March, in just less than three months, in addition to the Mediterranean Fleet of the Ming Dynasty and the reinforcements sent by Egypt, another liver army from Europe also arrived at the battlefield. The Spanish sent a legion of 20,000 people. In return, they obtained Jerusalem. According to the agreement reached between the two countries, Spain also needed to withdraw from the Philippines and exchange the Philippines for Jerusalem. In any case, it was a very cost-effective transaction in their opinion.

Unlike the Roman Empire that was only a corner of Constantinople, the Roman Empire was left with only a thousand-year-old capital, the Turks still had a wide range of territory, but their army could not withdraw to Istanbul at all. Large-scale uprisings in the Balkans, Greece and other places and the counterattack of the Austrians restrained a large number of their troops. As for the Turkish Legion along the Don River, after losing the Black Sea navy, they could only survive in the fortress.

The shelling of Istanbul, from January 17 to May, never stopped. Although the Turkish Legion tenaciously resisted the coalition's attack, everyone knew that the fall of the city was only a matter of time.

In Cape Sarakirio, the cape that separates the Golden Horn Bay from the Marmara Sea, in the grand palace of Topkapi, Ahmed II's life has reached its last moment. During his four years of reign, one disaster after another, leaving him in anxiety and exhaustion almost every day. Now, he is plagued by illness, and even breathing becomes more and more difficult.

"Great Sultan, our legions in the Balkans are no longer able to withdraw. The Austrian army led by Ludwig William, Earl of Baden, has reached Belgrade..."

Amid the words of Vizier Koprulu, Ahmed II, who was lying on the hospital bed, gasped and stretched out his finger to say something, but in the end the finger was still weakly put.

"Sudan……"

Amid the crying of the concubines, Koplulu looked at the body of Ahmed II silently. He looked at the eunuch Ali, the eunuch who was in charge, and the two of them just exchanged glances with each other and then walked out.

"Master Ali, what should I do now? Should I choose a new Sudan from Kafes?"

The place where the "kafes" mentioned by Koplulu detained the princes was in the fourth courtyard of the harem. Although they were not imprisoned in cages, they were strictly isolated in the harem and strictly monitored by the sultan and eunuchs. They were not allowed to leave the harem, nor could they get married and have children. If they could leave or get married and have children, it must be because they inherited the throne of the sultan and became the sultan. If they did not have the opportunity to inherit the throne of the sultan, they would be imprisoned to death by the sultan for the rest of their lives.

This is because the Ottoman inheritance law of slaughtering brothers was too cruel, so it was replaced by this imprisonment system. All royal men were imprisoned in a palace in the palace, and only after the old Sultan died, the oldest surviving adult men in the cage came out to serve as the sultan.

"What do you think? Davizine, you are the real ruler of the empire, and I am just a little eunuch."

From the time when Mohammed IV handed over the administrative power to Great Vizier, the power of the Sultan was only a symbolic nature. It was also since then that the Kopruil family had always monopolized the Great Vizier's position. Great Vizier from the Kopruil family was talented, ambitious and cruel.

But even so, Koplulu would not be excited by Ali's words, he just said calmly.

"You also need to make an idea, after all, I'm just Big Vizier."

Eunuchs may be just eunuchs, but these black eunuchs in Turkey have deposed the Sultan more than once. The characteristic of the Koplulu family over the years is to maintain good relationships with eunuchs, especially with past eunuchs.

"Your Excellency, I think even if Mustafa inherited the throne of Sultan, he would not be able to change the overall situation. What do you think?"

Ali's voice was not loud and his tone was very calm. The Mustafa he spoke of was the son of Muhammad IV. According to the law of succession, he should be the sultan after the death of Ahmed II.

"Indeed, the current situation can no longer change anything, no matter how hard we try!"

As a famous Turkish official family, Copruil has always considered not only the interests of the empire, but also the interests of the family, and now it is no exception.

"Greater Vizier, maybe, we should plan for ourselves."

In the end of the dynasty, everyone was planning for themselves. When the Turks in the city were called to live and die with the city, late at night on May 22, a guest came to the tent of the Roman emperor Zhu Hetong.

"Rome does not want war now or in the past, but you have occupied the land and capital of Rome, and have forced the Romans to change their faith, and forced all the people on the land you have conquered to change their faith. This is why I came here, not just to regain the land here, but to allow the land where freedom is coming again, and to allow the people who are enslaved by you to enjoy freedom again!"

Facing the visit, Mustafa Copruil, Zhu and Don's tone was direct and serious.

"Almost everyone wants revenge. They want to kill everyone in the city, just like you did, but this is not what I want to see. Even now, I am ready to accept your surrender!"

Then Zhu Hetong made clear his opinion.

From the calmness and friendship of the Roman emperors when they spoke, Coplulu believed that he was willing to negotiate.

"Your Majesty, your Majesty has no meaning for the debates in the past. We should face the future." As the son of Vizine, Mustafa Copruil was probably the next Vizine, but now, all this has turned into a situation, but now he must strive for the future of his family.

"It is known that although we cannot get any assistance now, every Turk here is willing to live and perish with the city, and each of them believes that the pagan invasion will destroy everything, Your Majesty, this is not something your kindness can determine, in fact, we all know this very well, just as the Spanish never allowed the Moors to preserve their faith."

As the next Great Vizier, Mustafa Copruil had always received rigorous training and learning. He had long been familiar with the officialdom and was very good at negotiating. This is why his father would send him here.

"Maybe……"

After interrupting, Zhu Hetong frowned and shook his head gently.

"Who knows? All this has to be left to future decisions."

"We believe in His Majesty's kindness, but we are unwilling to believe in the test of the future, because in the future, all will ask us to change our faith, just as we do in the places we conquered, we allow them to preserve their faith at first, but we will soon turn our promises back, not that the Sultan is willing to turn it over, but that all officials of the Empire have such a request."

Looking at the emperor from the Roman Empire in front of him, Mustafa Coprulu knew that the premise for the success of the negotiation was that the emperor in front of him was a Ming country, and they did not believe in any beliefs at all.

"Your Majesty, so each of us is willing to die here, not for Türkiye, but for our faith."

Suddenly, Mustafa Coprulu's words changed and he said seriously.

"But, your Majesty, if you can give us hope, we are willing to hand over this city to you! As long as you can give us a promise!"

On May 29, 1695, a double-headed eagle flag symbolizing the Roman Empire, after a full 242 years of separation, once again rose in Istanbul, no, on the rise of Hagia Sophia, and like this city, he returned to his master again.

This church, built by Constantine the Great, was of extraordinary symbolism for the Roman Empire. Once upon a time, it was a Turkish temple, surrounded by four white minarets, indicating its identity. But now, inside the church where the most beautiful tiles and words written in the Turkish language can be found everywhere, the pagan worship was thrown out of the church, and the priests who accompanied the army rebuilt the church, while the devout warriors knelt there and prayed.

"We are the Lord's warriors, and all the glory today belongs to..."

In this place with special significance, even the undevoted warriors became pious. It seemed that at this moment, these mountain warriors from the Caucasus really became warriors of the Lord, only raising the sword in their hands for the Lord...

Meanwhile, the Turks, who were once the masters, had to leave the place with complex moods, each of them was only allowed to carry their luggage, and they were leaving the city to the unsinkable province of Baghdad, where they would start their own lives. As part of the agreement, the Roman Empire would provide them with food and fresh water on the way.

Almost all Turks know that this is an agreement reached between the Great Vicci and the Roman Emperor. The reason why this agreement was reached was to protect the citizens in the city. They were naturally grateful for this. Perhaps, for them, this was the best choice.

Although many of them don't know where Baghdad is and how far away it is, at least there, they are able to preserve their faith.

When the Turks in the city left, the flag of the double-headed eagle rose in many parts of the city. The Orthodox people who were once infidels and suppressed as pagans were all cheering happily.

They took the initiative to go to the Turkish temple, put a cross there, and it will be converted into a cathedral, and all the temples in the city will be turned into churches. Everything that Mohammed II did to Constantinople will now be repeated again.
Chapter completed!