Chapter 39 Overlapping Monarchs

Selim never expected anyone to understand him. Since he came here, he felt that he was surrounded by loneliness.

His father Mustafa III and his uncle Hamid I both thought about reform, but this was only because the Russians were becoming more and more aggressive in the north.

No one would have thought that this ancient empire had already stepped into the abyss of collapse step by step. After all, not everyone has the advantage of prophecy like Selim.

The more he could do, the more difficult it was for Selim.

Five hundred years of history and glory, pain and separation, were like chains wrapped around the Ottoman Empire. The more he struggled, the more suffocated Selim felt.

Selim had thought about Patriarch Nicholas's opinion a long time ago.

But he couldn't stop. The boat was more turbulent in the middle of the river, and the broken ship of the Ottoman Empire was about to reach the most dangerous moment in human history.

He actually wanted to hide in the deep palace alone and enjoy the life of the Sultan. He was not a great man, and the material enjoyment of the world could also make him intoxicated.

However, the Ottoman Empire could not find another helmsman. If Selim left it alone, the broken ship would disintegrate under the waves and reefs.

By then, the Islamic world would usher in eternal decline, its glory would be buried, its splendor would be forgotten, and its people could be arbitrarily ravaged by power.

Out of respect for one great civilization to another, out of pity for countless people of the empire.

"Since the whole world is in decline, let the balance be reset one day."

Selim chanted another poem of the original owner in a low voice, and the sound spread in the exhibition room, with wailing and determination, hitting the treasures of successive sultans, as if missing someone.

"Your Majesty, what is this?"

Looking at the things in Selim's hand, Patriarch Nicholas couldn't help asking.

"This is what my father Mustafa III left behind. An iron mail armor inlaid with gold and silver jewelry, as well as his gilded sword, gilded stirrups and shield."

After briefly explaining the objects in his hand, Selim talked about the past of his father Mustafa III.

"My father was one of the six sons of my grandfather Ahmed III who survived to adulthood.

When he was 13 years old, he experienced the Khalil Rebellion, his father was deposed and the throne changed.

After that, he was imprisoned in Topkapi Palace until 1757, when he took over from his cousin Osman III at the age of 40.

Although Osman III was in power for only three years, he left a good legacy to his father in his last days."

Selim cleared his throat and continued.

"Osman III appointed Mehmed Pasha as Grand Vizier in 1756, who was also one of the most famous Grand Viziers in the history of the empire.

The Grand Vizier reformed the administration and finance of the empire, making the empire's income exceed its expenditure for the first time.

As an advocate of peace policy, Mehmed Pasha was able to keep the empire away from conflict despite his term of office almost coinciding with the Seven Years' War in Europe."

As if he saw the last prosperity of the empire, Selim paused and continued.

"Perhaps due to his long-term life as a prisoner, my father longed for justice and happiness.

Soon after he ascended the throne, my father showed a special concern for justice, that is, to check whether the laws he made were followed.

He took many measures to ensure the prosperity of Constantinie - regulating coinage, building large granaries, maintaining aqueducts, and formulating strict fiscal policies.

Under my father's governance, everything in the empire seemed to be developing in a good direction until the outbreak of another Russo-Turkish War in 1768."

Selim looked at the chain mail and said in a low voice.

"Father has always had a dream. He wants to make the Russians understand that the empire's territory is inviolable.

He took on great pressure and reformed the empire's army with the assistance of the French (including the initial modernization of the artillery and the establishment of the Naval Engineering School in 1773), but it seemed to be of no avail.

Rumyantsev and Suvorov easily defeated the empire's army. The Battle of the Kagul River was the empire's eternal shame.

Father eventually died half a year before the end of the war, and Catherine shattered his dream.

The signing of the Treaty of Kuchuk-Kainargi allowed the Russians to trample on the face of the empire.

The empire lost the sovereignty of the Crimean Khanate, the Russians entered the Black Sea, and obtained the status of protector of Orthodox Christians living in the Ottoman Empire."

"Your Majesty!"

As if sensing the Sultan's intense emotional fluctuations, Patriarch Nicholas immediately shouted.

"Don't panic, Nicholas, I just think it's ironic."

Selim smiled.

"A small principality eventually became a behemoth today, while an ancient empire is only lingering on.

What made a country that was still unknown in the time of Suleiman the Magnificent become so powerful?"

Patriarch Nicholas remained silent, as if he suddenly understood what was different about the sultan in front of him from previous generations.

There seemed to be an invisible barrier separating the sultan from others, and no one could guess what the sultan was thinking.

"Your Majesty, you can't expect one generation to do the work of several generations!"

After careful consideration, Patriarch Nicholas finally expressed his thoughts. He was sure that the loneliness and worry of the sultan came from this.

"You are right, dear Nicholas. I really can't complete such a huge task."

Selim said calmly.

"But I can't just sit back and watch the empire collapse. As long as there is still a little bit of strength left, I should struggle and leave a little hope of survival."

Selim put down what he was holding, turned around and left, followed closely by the Treasurer and Patriarch Nicholas.

The heavy door closed behind it, kicking up a burst of dust. The history of the Ottoman Empire was hidden behind the door.

But Sudan's worries about the future seem to have disappeared.

Selim once again recited the poem in a low voice.

"Since the whole world is declining, let the balance be reset one day."

But this time, compared to the previous nostalgia, a high-spirited fighting spirit rose from it.

The Treasurer looked at the Sultan's retreating back, and he recalled the paintings of the Sultan's triumphant victory in the history of the empire.

The sultans in those paintings are also facing the sun. They are riding tall horses, wearing armor, and holding scimitars.

There was obviously a huge difference between the two, but the chief treasurer found that those different figures seemed to overlap on the Sultan.

"Perhaps the great sultans in the history of the empire have always been just one person. They have always been caliphs on earth, burning themselves for the prosperity of the empire."

The Treasurer shouted: “Your Majesty, I will always support your great cause.

Even though I don’t understand your thoughts, I understand your greatness. Please persevere and revive the empire. "

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