When King Selim I and Moses heard this, they quickly looked at Ali Pasha.
Ali Pasha respectfully handed the ultimatum from the Ming Empire to Selim I. He had already had the above content translated.
"...If your country is unwilling to abide by the Erzinjan City Agreement, continues to hinder the free trade of our Ming merchants in your country, and defaults on compensation, our Ming Dynasty will take all necessary measures to safeguard the interests of the Ming Dynasty!"
"Your country is required to transport this year's compensation and delayed interest to Nanyun Province within seven days, otherwise my Ming Dynasty will send a large army to your palace in Instanbul to get it in person."
"snort!"
Seeing this ultimatum, Selim I angrily tore it to pieces on the spot.
"That's too much!"
"The people of Ming Dynasty are bullying others too much!"
"What do they think we are, the Ottoman Empire?"
"Is it a small country like England or Portugal?"
"Are you someone you can bully whenever you want?"
"We also took all necessary measures to protect the interests of Ming Dynasty and sent it to Nanyun Province within seven days."
Selim I was really angry. The Ottoman Empire had always been synonymous with power. It punched the Persians, trampled on European countries, beat the Egyptians until they cried for their fathers, and ran rampant across the Mediterranean, burning, killing, and looting.
It can be said that all the neighbors on all sides were bullied by the Ottoman Empire. However, now the Ming people actually ignore the Ottoman Empire so much that they threaten to use force to make the Ottoman Empire remember.
It's true that my uncle can bear it, but my aunt can't.
"Come here, pass my order and order the armies from all over the country to move to the city of Erzinjan. I will start from here and fight all the way to the capital of the Ming Dynasty."
Selim I was really angry. The people of Ming Dynasty really looked down on him.
He did not take the Ottoman Empire seriously at all.
"Great Sultan, great Sultan, think twice, think twice!"
When Ali Pasha heard this, he quickly said: "Great Sultan, calm down the fire first, calm down the fire, don't get angry."
"How can I not be angry?"
"The people of Ming Dynasty did not take our Ottoman Empire seriously at all. Look at this ultimatum. Is this an equal foreign policy?"
Selim I said angrily.
"My great Sultan, please calm down first."
"The Ming Dynasty has always been like this, not only for our Ottoman Empire, but also for other countries."
"Of course, the Ming Empire was powerful, but they were also very proud and arrogant, and they always looked down on people in other parts of the world."
"We should try not to start a war lightly with the Ming Empire. The strength of the Ming Empire is too powerful, far beyond what countries like Persia, Egypt, and Europe can compare with."
"The Ming Empire can easily mobilize hundreds of thousands of troops, and all of them are well-trained and well-equipped elite troops. Its army has already been fully armed with muskets and cannons, and is also equipped with a large number of war horses and cars.
Motorcycles, etc.”
"Once we go to war with the Ming Empire, our chances of winning may be less than half. Even if we can win, we will definitely suffer heavy losses. At that time, it will only give Persia, Egypt, and European countries an opportunity to take advantage of it."
When Ali Pasha said this, he still considered Selim I's feelings.
Ali Pasha had been to the Ming Empire and saw with his own eyes the vastness, richness and power of the Ming Empire. In his opinion, in a war with the Ming Empire, the Ottoman Empire had not even a 10% chance of winning.
In the battle of Erzinjan City, the Ming Dynasty's 200,000-strong army destroyed the Ottoman Empire's 500,000-strong army, slaughtering hundreds of cities and rivers of blood.
The bombardment of the Ming fleet.
Although the Ottoman Empire is stronger now, the strength of the Ming Empire will only become more powerful and terrifying. Not to mention anything else, it just swept through Eastern Europe 2 years ago.
A large number of powerful countries such as the Crimean Khanate, the Principality of Muscovy, the Principality of Ryazan, and Kievan Rus, disappeared in the blink of an eye under the sweep of the three armies of the Ming Empire. The entire vast land of Eastern Europe became the Black Earth Province of the Ming Dynasty.
At that time, the Ming Empire only dispatched 300,000 troops and wiped out all this with minimal losses and costs. How could the Ottoman Empire resist the wolf-like and tiger-like Ming Empire army?
"Even so, we can't swallow our anger like this, right?"
After hearing this, Selim I immediately calmed down, but he was still very stubborn.
"Your Majesty, it's a good deal to endure your anger for a while in exchange for the strength of our Ottoman Empire."
"As long as we continue to become stronger, one day we will be able to defeat the Ming people."
Seeing that Selim I had calmed down, Ali Pasha patiently persuaded him.
"But we have been paying this war indemnity for more than ten years. The annual war indemnity of 8 million taels, we have now paid hundreds of millions of taels of silver to the people of Ming Dynasty."
"This is such a huge wealth. If we have hundreds of millions of taels of silver, we can easily arm a million-strong elite army, enough to sweep across all directions with ease."
"I really can't accept it. The wealth we have worked so hard to save is just given to the people of Ming Dynasty in vain."
Soon, the subject of war reparations came up. Selim's life was very unwilling to continue paying war reparations. Eight million taels of silver a year was a heavy burden for the Ottoman Empire.
If this money could be saved, the Ottoman Empire could raise a powerful army.
"Your Majesty, we are not as powerful as the Ming people now. Even if we are unwilling, we still have to accept it. Otherwise, if we start a war with the Ming people now, it will be extremely detrimental to us."
"I think it would be better for us to send the war compensation that we have raised as soon as possible. In addition, regarding the free trade of merchants in the Ming Dynasty, I also think that we should continue to allow it now, rather than prohibit it."
"Once the Ming Dynasty stops selling food, weapons, tea, sugar and other commodities to us, we will have many problems internally."
"Trade is like this. It has a good side and a bad side. The Ming people's goods impacted our related industries, but they also brought a lot of things we urgently needed. They also bought our slaves and gave them to us.
It brought a lot of wealth, and overall we made a lot from our trade with the Ming people."
Ali Pasha also said helplessly.
In order to pay war reparations, Bayezid II deducted all the gold used for decoration in the palace, and finally collected the first huge war reparations.
Later, the plundering of white slaves was able to meet the annual payment of war compensation, and there was also excess money to continue to expand the army and strengthen its strength.
He participated in the peace talks that year and it was the agreement he signed. Regarding this agreement, he has always advocated that it should be strictly implemented and not give the Ming people an excuse to continue the war with him.
War reparations have been paid for more than ten years, and they can be paid off in another ten years.
Just be patient and it will pass.
Besides, if there is a stalemate with the Ming Dynasty and the Ming Dynasty stops buying your white slaves, the financial revenue of the Ottoman Empire will become a big problem.
What did the Ottoman Empire use to feed its huge army? Purchase new weapons and weapons, cast cannons, etc.
"But I'm really not willing to give away this huge wealth to the people of Ming Dynasty for nothing."
In fact, Selim I did not dare to go to war with the Ming Empire, he just wanted to test the reaction of the Ming people.
Who knew that the Ming Empire would react so strongly and send such a tough diplomatic ultimatum. At the same time, the Ming merchants would no longer trade with the Ottoman Empire.
This Ming Dynasty man is really untouchable, he is very tough, and he has always been like this to the outside world.
It is estimated that it will not be easy to calm down the anger of the people of Ming Dynasty. If this slave cannot be sold, it will be an extremely bad thing.
"Sultan, great Sultan~"
"Something big happened, something big happened!"
At this time, another minister hurriedly walked in, panting and sweating profusely. Without waiting for Selim I to ask, he immediately said: "The news just came that the Ming Empire has gathered 200,000 people at the border of Black Earth Province and Nanyun Province.
The army intends to attack us."
"In addition, the Ming Dynasty's Black Sea Fleet and Mediterranean Fleet appeared on our coastline and began to blockade the northern and southern seas, ports and cities of our Ottoman Empire."
"It is reported that the Red Sea Fleet of the Ming Empire is passing through the Egyptian canal, and it is estimated that it is very likely to come to join the blockade of our sea areas and ports."
"What?"
When Selim I, Ali Pasha, Moses and others heard this, they were immediately shocked.
The Ming Empire was moving too fast.
As soon as this ultimatum was issued, the army and navy of the Ming Empire had already reached the border and coastline, looking like they were going to launch a massive attack on the Ottoman Empire.
This made Selim I, who was still hesitating whether to pay war reparations, frown deeply.
Although he wanted to seek revenge from the Ming Dynasty and dreamed of defeating the Ming Dynasty, when the war really came and he faced the Ming Empire's army, he suddenly lost any confidence in his heart.
The power of the Ming Empire was not just blown away, but was achieved through battles. The most vivid memory of the Ottoman Empire was the Battle of Erzinjan, which killed dozens of Ottoman Empire soldiers.
Ten thousand elite troops were destroyed.
Now the Ming Dynasty has pressed forward with another 200,000 troops. God knows if there will be more troops coming from behind. The navy has begun to blockade its coastline and ports.
"Report~"
"The great Sudan, Persia, and Egypt prepared troops on the border, intending to retake the Mesopotamia."
Before he could react, someone else came hurriedly to report.
"Immediately pay the war reparations and interest to the Ming Empire, and apologize to the Ming Empire, and promise that such a thing will not happen again in the future."
When Selim I heard this, he immediately opened his eyes wide and panicked. After thinking about it, he gave up and quickly gave the order to Ali Pasha.
He really has no confidence at all to start a war with the Ming Dynasty. The Ming Dynasty's fleet can reach their capital city of Instanbul in minutes, so he still has to give in. Otherwise, once the war starts, he will probably be surrounded on all sides.
Enemies from all directions will not miss such a good opportunity.
But he had such wonderful thoughts, thinking that if you give in, the Ming Dynasty will simply let you go?