The Sun and the Lion

Kansu Gauri's little trick successfully aroused the anxiety of the other two parties, but in fact it had little impact on Venice. The three countries all shared profits on the same trade route. The harmonious relationship between the Safavids and the Mamluks could Stable trade routes, Venetian merchants will not be unable to purchase goods due to the war between the two countries.

Sanudo, who figured this out, realized that the Persian envoy was not his competitor, and the two parties were considered a de facto alliance. For this reason, he made special preparations, communicating with the other party in advance, and then visiting the Safavid envoy after receiving a positive reply.

The Mamluk court arranged different accommodations for different envoys. Venetian diplomacy was handled by the ambassador in Cairo, and his residence was within the Venetian community designated by the Sultan.

The Ottoman and Safavid missions were temporarily dispatched to perform diplomatic missions, so they were arranged to settle in Saladin Castle. Since Saladin ordered the construction of this castle in Cairo, successive Ayyubid and Mamluk sultans have been expanding and renovating the castle area. The area outside the palace is more than enough to accommodate two teams of foreign envoys.

Accompanied by the escort appointed by Malik, the Venetian walked through the streets of Cairo to the envoy's stay in the castle area. The waiter led him into the room, and he saw the waiting Safavid envoy.

"Hello, I am Benedetto Sanudo, the most distinguished Ambassador to Cairo of the Republic of Venice." Sanudo briefly introduced himself.

"Well, you are the one who corresponded with me before? Please sit down, distinguished guest." The messenger first asked the Venetian to sit down, and then said: "You can call me Ali."

"Okay, Sir Ali." Sanudo nodded to indicate that he had remembered, and took the wine glass brought by the waiter to entertain guests, which contained a small half glass of wine.

He was already used to the presence of alcohol. Drinking alcohol and even raising pigs are allowed in Venetian communities. Some Muslims may visit these communities and enjoy these taboo drinks.

Ali carefully observed Sanudo in front of him and asked proactively: "Your Excellency came to talk to me this time. Do you have anything important to discuss?"

"You know, your country and our country have always been friendly. We came to Cairo to meet the Sudan this time with the same purpose. Therefore, I think our two countries can also reach an agreement together." Sanudo threw out what he had previously thought. Good rhetoric.

"I think so too, Your Excellency Sanudo. The two countries can indeed reach an agreement on many issues." As an official under the Foreign Affairs Vizier, the group he belongs to is the most knowledgeable about the palace's foreign policy. This Venetian Republic is one that the King of Kings intends to befriend, so he naturally wants to show a friendly attitude toward it.

Sanudo continued to ask: "What do you think about how to deal with the Portuguese pirates currently raging in the Indian Ocean?"

"Then it is natural to eliminate the threat to these holy places and pilgrims, Your Excellency Sanudo. My master is very concerned about this issue, so he appointed me to negotiate with the Sultan to resolve this issue."

Ali's words confirmed Sanudo's previous suspicion. It seemed that the Portuguese had made such a big mistake in India. Thinking that the Portuguese would become a public enemy in the Indian Ocean, Sanudo's confidence and pride gradually grew.

He then continued to talk to Ali, intending to learn more about the agreement between the Safavids and the Mamluks, but the other party was also very cautious and refused directly: "My master did not allow me to announce all this."

The Venetians had no choice but to give up this idea and continue to have friendly exchanges with the Safavid envoys. Both sides continued to spit out rainbow farts and made little substantial progress.

In the end, Sanudo could only return in confusion with the little information he had found.

…………

Regarding Kansu Ghauri's behavior of treating the Ottoman envoy lightly and paying more attention to the Safavid envoy, the Ottoman envoy felt firstly angry and secondly anxious. Bayezid's active assistance to the Mamluks was not out of kindness. He wanted to win over the Mamluks in the name of defending the Holy Land against the Portuguese pagans and exert political influence on the Mamluk court.

Bayezid is friendly to Ibrahim and wants to maintain peace with Safavid, but this does not mean that he is relieved about the East. This is precisely a manifestation of his fear.

Padishah had noticed the growing relationship between the Mamluks and the Safavids, and he did not want to face a Mamluk or Safavid who had strong allies.

But judging from Kansu Gauri's current actions, the Mamluks are interested in getting closer to the Safavids. The Ottomans can't find an opportunity to divide the two countries for the time being. This makes the envoy very distressed. He can't intimidate Kansu Gauri. Would the Mamluk Sultans really be afraid of the Ottoman threat?

Instead of coercion, the only option was inducement. The Ottoman envoy sent his entourage to the palace to request another audience with Malik.

After quickly receiving a positive reply, he entered the room again and looked for Shuyuan www.zhaoshuyuａan.com. This time, his attitude towards Malik was much more respectful than before. During the salute, he addressed Kansu Gauri by all his titles. The honorifics used are also somewhat flattering.

Feeling that the Ottoman envoy's attitude had softened, Kansu Gauri felt happy, and his attitude towards the Ottoman envoy was not as cold as before. This made the two think this was a good start.

"Dear Malik, the foreign minister believes that the friendship between your two countries still has room for further development. In fact, Padishah can help you much more than anyone else."

Kansu Gauri was very interested: "Oh? Your Excellency said that your country can give much more than others. If this word spreads, I am afraid that other people in Cairo will be dissatisfied. However, this is my territory after all. , I am curious to ask, what specifically can your country provide, please tell me."

The Ottoman envoy first adjusted the amount of some assistance, including firearms, gunpowder, wood, shipping equipment, consultants, etc. But this alone did not satisfy Malik. He still waved his hand and said, "Is this the only sincerity of your country?"

This made the envoy at a loss. He was not authorized to promise other conditions to the Mamluk court. If he had reached an agreement with Malik in private, the Padishah would definitely refuse to recognize it after returning to the country, and he would be imprisoned or even executed.

"This...the foreign minister still needs to ask Padishah for instructions."

After the messenger finished speaking, Kansu Gauri signaled him to leave, ending the interview. Although the meeting did not produce any substantial results, it confirmed the correctness of his previous strategy - he could use his new neighbors to get some concessions from the Ottomans.

However, the Persian envoy will return home soon. If he wants to repeat his old tactics, he may have to consider other means of pressure.