The Sun and the Lion

After some operations, Hailbey succeeded in getting close to Ibrahim, but out of caution, he could not directly contact Turgut. He could still only contact the consul in Aleppo and the Safavid side. Communicate.

Thanks to the emir's betrayal, the mission became a distinguished guest of the Safavid court again. Although they failed to complete any diplomatic missions and made substantial progress, all members of the mission spent several days eating, drinking and having fun in such extravagant ways that they ignored the Islamic law. Lost in it, they left Isfahan with satisfaction, a city that left them with wonderful memories - the wine was delicious, the snacks were delicious, and the dancers and singers were also very beautiful.

At the same time, new news came in and out of Isfahan and was known to Divan. A foreign affairs report handed over by an Armenian businessman when he returned home presented the recent news in European Christendom to Ibrahim.

A piece of information that had nothing to do with Iran but was of great interest to him caught his eye - after several battles, the Hungarian Peasant Army was completely defeated, and its leader Dosa Györgyi was beheaded in public. Other thieves such as Dosa Györgyi Most of Gregory, Friar Lawrence and others were killed in battle or disappeared. The defeated peasant army soldiers basically turned into bandits and even fled across the Carpathian Mountains to the no-nonsense zone of Ukraine.

The balance of the Balkan game still tilted towards the Ottomans. After experiencing civil strife, Hungary had exposed the fact that it was weak and was forced to bribe Selim to pray for peace.

It seems that Osman has climbed out of the trough, and its relationship with the Mamluks has heated up, so flank security cannot be ignored.

At present, the red-bearded brothers have accepted the official positions granted by Safavid, and aid supplies and volunteers are also sent to Djerba Island one by one. The Barbary pirates whose strength has been strengthened are roaming the Mediterranean under the banner of Safavid, and they obey the instructions to move some warships Transferred to Izmir, there is no need for the King of Kings to worry about it for now.

Compared with outsourcing, Dewan is more concerned about the direct departments. The fleet and naval infantry have never stopped the pace of expansion. A large number of Gulf Arabs have been recruited into the army, serving as the best soldiers of the Imperial Navy on new warships or overseas fortresses.

The fleet that will be transferred to Yemen to "protect the Hajj route" is entirely composed of new ships, including galleys and karaks. It is small in size, with a total of 7 ships. Since the Battle of Goa, Ehsan has not been very popular. Concerned about the Mamluks' naval construction, they naturally did not bother to inquire about relevant information.

Out of concern, before the fleet pulled anchor and set sail, Ahsan personally inspected the ready-to-go team again, and finally returned to the shore from the flagship with satisfaction: "Okay, don't waste time, let's set off immediately. Although Shah's patience is like the sea, but Still not infinite.”

"Yes." Fleet Commander Nasir respectfully accepted the leader's instructions and organized the ships to weigh anchor and leave the port under his eyes. It was not until they all disappeared from sight that the Commander-in-Chief returned to the Yamen to continue handling other matters.

The "Red Sea Guardian" that set off from Hormuz successfully arrived at the port of Aden. The Governor of Yemen attached great importance to any reinforcements from the mainland. The fleet that successfully received supplies quickly penetrated into the Red Sea with the help of the Yemeni pilot.

The Mamluk fleet cruising off the coast of Jeddah soon discovered the Safavid fleet that suddenly headed north. Selman sent a small boat back to report, and personally led a warship to intercept it.

Although they are on alert, the two countries are still friendly relations. The Mamluk fleet has no intention of firing, but only asks them not to approach the port of Jeddah for the time being.

Since the ship was shorter than the Safavid warship, Selman could only raise his head and look up at the other side to observe. He did not see these warships in Aden and Mocha, but he witnessed them with his own eyes not long after he returned to Jeddah. According to his guess, , these warships are most likely additional reinforcements sent.

The Safavid fleet originally stationed in Yemen does seem a bit "weak" compared to the Mamluk fleet that is rapidly expanding in Jeddah. In the opinion of the Turkish captain, the main reason is that the fortifications are well repaired and difficult to destroy through sea attacks.

While he was observing and thinking, the distance between the two parties had become close enough for communication. Nasir took the initiative to express that he had no hostility: "Your Excellency, who is in charge of the fleet, I am the commander of this fleet. If you are loyal to As the commander of Sultan Michel's defense of the Holy Land, I can assure you that what I and the ships under my command bring are friendship and peace. If you are a pirate who does not know the heights of the sky, then I can only say that you have messed with the wrong person."

"What if?" Selman turned to look at the mast. Every ship was flying a yellow flag that showed its identity. Which pirate would dare to impersonate His Majesty the Sultan's flag?

"I don't think you recognized it. All the ships here are flying flags belonging to the Sudan. We are the fleet that defends Jeddah." After identifying each other and resolving the misunderstanding, Selman was ordered to bring the friendly countries who came to visit and exchange. The fleet was led into the port.

"Your Excellency, although they have fewer ships, they are one size larger than ours, and they probably have more manned and cannons. And I see that their sailors are very skilled in maneuvering the ship, and their level is really not low." He shared his experience with Hussein who was standing aside. During the observation and negotiation process, the Governor of Jeddah knew that this was a powerful enemy, but at this moment he wanted to understand the deeper meaning of sending a warship to Jeddah at this time. Could it be that the Persians really wanted to seize the Holy Land?

The Safavid fleet that was able to enter the port was arranged to berth not far from the Mamluk fleet. Selman wanted to take the opportunity to spy on more detailed information, and Nasir was also learning about future opponents.

As the commander, he had to go ashore to meet and talk with Hussein, while the lookouts on the mast used the newly issued telescopes to observe the shipyard and warships condescendingly, recording everything they saw.

"May God bless you, Your Majesty the Governor. I am Nasir, the commander of the fleet. Thank you for allowing my ship to dock. Otherwise, we would have nowhere to rest and purchase supplies. I am really grateful." The commander said with a smile on his face. He greeted the Governor of Jeddah in front of him with a friendly smile.

"Your army and ours are comrades-in-arms who jointly defend India. How can there be any reason to shut out our allies? From what you said, it seems that your destination is elsewhere. I wonder what is the important matter of visiting our port?"

Nasir still maintained the expression on his face and replied: "There is nothing particularly urgent. It's just that my monarch specially takes the safety of the Holy Land into consideration. After all, our army just defeated the Franks. It's hard to say anything about them." Will we organize a more powerful fleet to attack the Holy Land directly in retaliation? Not only the Franks, but also pirates wherever there is shipping. As a responsible big country, our country takes the initiative to shoulder the heavy task of escorting. My mission is to serve as a guardian and protect The security of the Holy Land threatens the prosperity of the Red Sea.”

"When did it become your turn to worry about the safety of the Holy Land?" The two of them cursed.

Since he could not directly identify the real purpose of the demonstration to show off his strength, Hussein recognized this high-sounding reason and took the opportunity to understand the specific progress of the Persians after the Battle of Goa.