The Sun and the Lion

In the late spring and early summer of 1511, Selim crossed the sea and arrived in Kaffa with only Suleiman informed. The father and son reunited at the port after a long absence, but they did not have much time to indulge in family affection.

The ride to the Governor's Palace on horseback was quickly spent sightseeing and talking. As soon as he stepped into the palace's reception room, Selim talked about the serious business he was here to do.

He still took the time to come to the Crimean Peninsula at a tight time, which was undoubtedly a clear goal. He believed that the Crimean Tatar Khan could provide considerable assistance to the struggle for power.

"Father, I have taken care of everything you told me in your letter. My grandfather is waiting in Bakhchisarai. When the news of your landing comes, he and the Tatar nobles will warmly welcome you." Suleiman said expectantly again. A follow-up question: "Do I need to follow?"

"No, I just go to visit the Khan of the Crimean Tatars. You also have important work to do, son." Selim thought that bringing Suleiman would not be more beneficial to the subsequent meeting, so he asked him to stay It would be more appropriate to attend to other matters in Kafa.

After a night's rest, Selim and a dozen of his entourage carried gifts and rode the horses prepared by Suleiman in advance in the early morning. Under the guidance of the Tatar guide, they left the reassuring fortress and city walls of Kaffa and headed west.

It took three days for a group of people to arrive in Bakhchisarai. This place is not the stereotypical nomad tent. The Khan's palace and mosque standing here are exquisite and solid. Architects and artists from Italy and Iran are here. A vast, spectacular and exquisite masonry complex was built.

As soon as they approached the palace, they were surrounded by a group of beautifully dressed Tatars. The Great Khan Mingli Glei wore a fur felt hat on his head, a fur coat on the outside, and an embroidered robe decorated with gold thread on the inside. The Khan's sons and The leaders of the six major tribes all wore similar attire. He personally led all his sons, daughters, nobles and corresponding entourage out to meet Selim.

The couple met for the first time and had only exchanged letters before. They greeted each other like old acquaintances, gave each other gifts, and accepted the salutes of the Tatar warriors and nobles present. Kerim Khan then enthusiastically welcomed Selim into the palace and received him like an Ottoman Padishah. Selim lowered his profile and acted as a lowly guest and junior rather than as the "Crown Prince" of the suzerain country. Express being flattered.

The banquet was of high standard, with a large number of distinguished guests attending. The ingredients and condiments used in the main course were valuable and rich in variety. The drinks and snacks included locally produced milk wine and dairy products, as well as high-priced fruits, nuts and fruits imported from abroad. Fruit wine and snack snacks made from these materials. The waiters, dancers, singers and musicians present to serve these nobles are all high-end consumer goods that can only be purchased at high prices in the slave market. For Kerim Khan, who relied on the slave trade as an important source of income, beautiful and lively Slavic female slaves It is the most indispensable.

Now that he had no intention of having fun at the banquet, he planned to get right to the point after the host had fulfilled his obligation to receive the guests.

Selim simply enjoyed the food, drinks, and other entertainment provided by the Kerim Khan out of politeness. He also publicly praised Minrigelei as "a devout, steadfast and honest Muslim with noble blood, good education and a saintly nature, and a successful king." This gave the Tatar nobles present a good first impression of the Ottoman prince.

The relationship between the two parties was not formed temporarily and hastily. Since Kerim Khan married his daughter to Selim, this alliance of interests based on marriage has gradually taken shape. Both Selim and Mingli Grai have been together in the past. Invest a lot of energy into this relationship over a long period of time.

"Father-in-law, I wonder if you have heard about the rumors that my father is preparing to abdicate and live in seclusion." After the banquet was over and the irrelevant waiters dispersed, Selim asked Kerim Khan.

Akari Gray, who lacked access to the internal information of the high sect, shook his head and said, "Abdication and seclusion? What happened in your country? What happened to Padisha?"

Selim then spent some time stringing together the recent important political news in the Ottoman country together with his analytical insights and slowly explained it to the Kerim Khan. This made Mingli Glei, who had mainly focused his energy on expanding the Khanate in the past, The situation on the southern shore of the Black Sea is much clearer.

"In other words, in the name of abdicating the throne and living in seclusion, Padishah is planning to let his favorite Shahzad inherit the throne? This move seems quite clever, and he wants to pass on the power without turbulence. But it will It is an inappropriate decision to hand over the country to the rule of mediocrity." Kerim Khan expressed his understanding and opinions on this, and it was obvious that he did not agree with Bayezid's approach. If Ahmed is allowed to become Padishah, then Selim and Suleiman will lose all status, and the Glei family will not be able to obtain any political gains from the marriage. Find Shuyuan www. zhaoshuyuan.com may even be affected by this.

"You are absolutely right." Selim praised.

Akari Gray, who knew what Selim wanted, first ordered the attendant: "Send the person here and bring the things."

Selim was not the only one to realize that the Crimean Khanate could be a help. Since Bayezid held the imperial meeting where he publicly stated that he would abdicate and live in seclusion, although Ahmed has not received any instructions to let him go. Kostantiniya's edict, but he already regarded himself as the prince.

With Bayezid's acquiescence, Ahmed sent a special envoy to win over Kerim Khan in the name of the crown prince, and arrived in Bakhchisale slightly earlier than Selim. The conditions he set out in the letter were not unfavorable - promising the Crimean Khanate complete independence and sovereignty, and ceding all Ottoman territories in the Crimean Peninsula and Azov to the Crimean Khanate.

This cession of territory is not just a matter of words, it is an edict in the form of a formal document and written in the name of the prince. As long as he supports Ahmed's succession as the new Padishah, this can be realized. The temptation was so great that it almost went to his head. Just when the Khan was still weighing the pros and cons, someone among his sons suggested that he should agree immediately and imprison Selim and Suleiman and hand them over to Kostantiniya. .

However, Akari Gray is still mature and prudent. Perhaps these two conditions can directly offset the marriage relationship between him and Selim, but whether it can be fulfilled remains to be seen.

The envoy who originally thought that the Khan had followed the advice was at a loss as soon as he entered the room. Although he had not seen Selim, maybe the other people who were guests of the Khan here were not the enemies of his master Ahmed?

The special envoy planned to ignore the displeased man in front of the Khan and broke the deadlock: "Dear Khan of the All Tatars, Mingli Grai, what do you think now?"