The Sun and the Lion

The sea water washes against the shore of the island. This is the Western Mediterranean thousands of miles away from Isfahan. In the largest city on Djerba Island, Houmaitsuk, pirates gather and ships of different shapes are being maintained on the shore. There are also shipwrights who dismantle captured ships to obtain wood and other supplies. This is obviously the stronghold of a giant maritime pirate.

"The sky has changed." Herzl, who returned from Egypt, found that the changes in the political situation had exceeded their brothers' expectations. With confusion about the future, he landed ashore and walked into the castle that was the lair of the pirate leader.

Oruch and Isaac, who were planning the next plundering voyage, saw that their brother had returned, stopped thinking, and quickly asked: "What do you say over there?"

Herzl shook his head: "The Sultan of Cairo is no longer willing to support Shahzad this time. He can no longer support us. Even if I don't support him with living expenses, it will be difficult for him to survive in Iskandaria. Inside the mansion The number of servants has been reduced to a minimum, and the clothes of master and servant are not even the same."

"How did we end up in such a situation? I didn't expect that our last connection with the Supreme Kingdom would be cut off like this?" Oruqi slapped his forehead with his right hand, as if he really had a headache and needed to be supported.

"Kansou Gauri is extremely stingy this time." Herzl was also dissatisfied with Cairo's harsh treatment of his family. The last time Korkut went into exile in Egypt, he was able to find another ship for them and was personally received by the Sultan. .

The three brothers Isaac, Oruch and Herzl were born on the island of Lesbos. Their father became the lord of Sipasi and the villages on the island due to his military exploits. Their mother was a local Greek and it is said that she was originally the widow of a priest. . Due to the excellent family conditions, they and the other two brothers received a good education, were proficient in navigation and business skills, and mastered many languages ​​​​spoken in the Mediterranean. Before being attacked by the Knights Hospitallers, they were just ordinary sailors. Merchant, sailing ships between Anatolia, the Levant and Egypt.

The attack by Christian pirates killed the youngest brother Ilyas, and Oruch was imprisoned for several years before escaping with a deep hatred for Christians. He first served the Cairo court as a naval officer, and then he switched to the Ottomans—— To be precise, he is under the command of Prince Korkut. The two brothers Oruch and Herzl, who accepted Shahzad's funding to carry out piracy activities, were thus involved in the political whirlpool within the high gate. So much so that when Korkut fled Egypt for the first time, he was afraid of being imprisoned for treason. Implicated, they fled to the Maghreb overnight with their men, and have made a living by pillaging the Christian coast based on the ports of Tunisia and Algiers. The eldest brother Isaac, who originally did not participate in piracy and focused on business, was also implicated. Later, he came to the Maghreb to join his two younger brothers.

Continuous attacks on the Christian coast, plundering and helping Muslims and Jews in Iberia escape their difficulties, made the three brothers' power and prestige rise. In addition to his generosity, the sultans of the Maghreb countries recognized him, the ulema and mullahs praised him, the saved Moors were grateful to him, and the sailors on the pirate ships supported him. Orucci's jihad contribution allowed him to be honored as "Lord Orucci" by the Iberian refugees, while the Italians fearfully called them "Red Bearded Brothers", and various Christian forces offered extremely high rewards. .

He sat back on the chair, and Isaac looked at Herzl, waiting for him to tell all about what he had heard during his eastward journey.

"The matter is so complicated that I don't even know where to start." Herzl organized his thoughts and briefly described the current situation in the Eastern Mediterranean: "Now the powerful Gaomen no longer exists, Rumelia and Anatolia It was divided and ruled, and the islands in the Aegean Sea were attacked by pagan pirates from Rhodes Island, and their ownership was uncertain."

The war process known from Iskandaria has been processed to an unknown extent - the Shah of Persia, a more sinister existence than Timur, suddenly pressed on the Ottomans last year, and the usurper Seli Unable to receive God's help, Mu was defeated without any suspense in his superiority. He completely lost his control over the Anatolian lands and even lost his ancestral graves in Soyut and Bursa.

Oruch doesn't care about the course of the war. Understanding the postwar changes is what interests him and will be helpful to the future.

The decline of the Ottoman Empire is already obvious, and it is not intuitive to rely on oral accounts alone. However, after the winter, deserters began to come to the Maghreb to join various pirate groups, and he, who was separatist on the island of Djerba, was also a target of defection. Not long ago, he took in a galley hijacked by mutinous sailors. When the other party claimed to be from Galibolu, he was still doubtful about this statement.

Combining this incident with what Herzl said, it can be known that the current Kostantiniya court can no longer afford a large navy. The former emperor Bayezid worked hard to build the navy into a pride that could compete with Venice. Now they But they mutinied due to disarmament caused by financial constraints. How can one expect to get any help from the higher authorities in such a dire situation?

"The harassment of Frankish pagans is getting more and more rampant. Find Shuyuan www.zhaoshuyuan.com. They are not satisfied with occupying Al-Andalus. Now they are targeting the ports of Maghreb. But now Maghreb But the Muslims in Al-Andalus cannot count on the support of their fellow believers. If this continues, yesterday in al-Andalus will be the tomorrow of the Maghreb. Alas." Isaac's anxiety points to the current situation. Although they are famous in the ocean, Although they were giant pirates, they were still unable to fight alone against the Spaniards who intended to invade North Africa.

Oruqi nodded in agreement. He was worried about more than just the future of North African Muslims, but he did not say it clearly. Instead, he continued: "We have to think of a way, Third Brother, what forces do you think can provide us with support? "

Herzl walked around the table and looked at the sea chart with his two brothers, and then he pointed to the Anatolian coast in the picture: "When I was returning, I heard that the Sultan of Konya was recruiting 'Sea Ghazi' to Izmir. Work for him, maybe..."

"Isn't this the territory of another Shahzad? Will it be prejudiced against the brothers? Besides, Anatolia is not necessarily richer than Rumelia." Isaac did not agree with this option. .

Herzl replied: "As far as I know, he has already submitted himself to the Shah of Persia. If the Shah of Persia is interested in us, it is not Konya's decision. It is said that the conqueror possesses The wealth that India possesses is beyond the imagination of ordinary people.”

Just as the debate between the two was about to continue, Oruci, who had just gone to the door of the room, returned to the table: "Someone came to report that the ruler of Bejaia invited us to expel the Franks who occupied this port with generous terms. People. I am very interested in the 'Sea Ghazi' that the third child just mentioned. When we cut off all the heads of the Spanish garrison and bring them to Izmir, who can doubt the identity of our holy warriors?"