1444, Byzantium Resurrects

Chapter 390 The hero comes to an end
The clergy were making final preparations before the coronation ceremony. The gates of the Scarlet Monastery were tightly closed. Salonika and Carlo walked around the only remaining chapel and headed towards the open space behind the monastery.

After climbing over the ruins, a group of tents on the open ground came into Thessaloniki's sight. All the senior knights of the Order of St. Andrew were present, and each branch also sent its own representatives. Some small nobles who were loyal to Alexius were flying a variety of flags.

"It is said that Alexios originally planned to invite some moderate Muslim vassals, but in the end he felt it was inappropriate and was afraid of causing conflict, so he did not let them come."

Carlo said to Salonika.

"One war after another and the conflicts have led to a continuous rise in religious extremism on both sides. Although Alexios has clearly opposed indiscriminately labeling all Muslims as enemies, ordinary people still do not buy into it."

"In fact, the more you kill, the deeper the hatred and the more serious the extremism. The Islamic world is not a monolithic entity. Blind killing may unite them and allow fanatics like Safavid to take advantage of the opportunity to gain power."

"Alas, it is not easy to resolve religious conflicts. The Georgian people who have been plundered by the Saracens for hundreds of years will not think so rationally. If Alexios suppresses them for a few years, perhaps he can make them realize that ordinary Muslims will not affect their lives."

Salonika nodded.

"Even in Timgad Palace, the settled Saracen farmers and the nomadic raiders are not of the same mind. The Mudéjars who fled from Iberia are very docile. I don't know why the Spanish want to drive them away."

"Georgia is on the front line against radical Islamist forces and is relatively weak. Alexius's policy is undoubtedly correct."

"He is not like Justinian, who has large coal fields to supply military supplies, a large number of Russian fugitives to serve as soldiers, an inland navy to control the river, and the victorious general Gonzalo. The Crimean Tatars are already an isolated Islamic island. Justinian can launch a large-scale purge against them in the Cossack Kingdom, but Alexius cannot."

"However, Alexios probably wouldn't like Justinian's method of mining coal at the expense of human lives."

Carlo pursed his lips and sighed.

"Forget it, this is not our business. Let's go meet Alexius."

Salonika nodded, and the two of them mounted their horses and ran towards the tent in the open space.

Since the city of Mtskheta had been badly destroyed in the war and the reconstruction work had not yet been completed, most of the people preparing to participate in the coronation ceremony gathered in this camp, with numerous tents guarding the central camp.

In the central camp, Alexios was sitting with his wife Maria, playing with their two children.

The eldest daughter, Tamara, is four years old this year, at the age when she is lively and active. The eldest son, David, is nearly two years old. He was born after the Battle of Mtskheta, has just learned to speak, and follows his sister as he runs around in a staggering manner.

Tamara and David are the two most famous kings in Georgian history. Alexios named his children after them, which also expressed his earnest hopes.

Sitting on a chair by the fireplace, Alexius's younger brother Basil, wearing glasses, was quietly flipping through a thick book.

"Basil, where is Anastasius?"

Mary peeled an orange, handed it to her eldest son David, and looked at Basil.

"Georgia has been in chaos for many years and has a lot of work to do. You have been here for a week and we have only held a banquet to entertain you. Life here is not as good as in Constantinople. I am really sorry and hope you can understand."

"No problem, your Majesty."

Basil closed the book and smiled.

"I've been studying abroad these days, and I haven't lived in Constantinople for too long."

"Anastasius has just been released by his father. He is very happy now. He is probably going hunting with the young knights."

"Your Majesty Isaac... won't you come?"

Maria asked.

"Father is busy. He is preparing a big project."

Basil said.

"It seems that Uzon Hassan is no longer getting better. The White Aries Dynasty is about to be in civil strife. The armistice agreement between the Eastern Empire and the Turkic forces in central and eastern Anatolia is about to expire. The central army of the empire is being mobilized to Anatolia."

"Justinian will confer the title on you on behalf of his father. The Kingdom of Cossacks, the Kingdom of Circassia, and the Kingdom of Georgia may all participate in the upcoming war in the East."

"Father has helped us a lot. The Kingdom of Georgia will always be loyal to Constantinople. Fighting for a just cause is our duty and our honor."

Alexius, who was sitting nearby, said calmly.

"When Justinian arrives, I will sign some commercial agreements and technical terms with him on behalf of the Georgian people, introduce advanced technology from the Eastern Empire, and strengthen trade cooperation between the two places."

"Haha, don't worry about that. The route from Constantinople to Batumi is already very mature. It is the most valuable trade route on the Black Sea."

Basil said.

"Also, I've read in the newspaper that monks from Japan have brought a large number of tea seeds and tea growers to Constantinople. His Majesty has allowed them to build a temple in Rize on the southern coast of the Black Sea, on the condition that they help Rize develop its tea planting industry. Western Georgia is adjacent to Rize, and the conditions are good, so it should be able to grow tea there as well."

"There is also the Great Voyages of Discovery. Our Uncle Manuel has made up his mind to firmly participate in colonial expansion. Georgia's navigation conditions are countless times better than Serbia's. If we borrow the imperial port, it should be possible."

"Oh? Tea? That's good. Georgia doesn't have any valuable specialties, and its mineral resources are also relatively scarce. I'm worried about this."

A smile appeared on Alexius's hard face.

"As for the great voyages, let's forget about it for now. Georgia has been in chaos for many years, and recuperation is the key."

As they were talking, Thessalonika and Carlo arrived. The brothers and sisters had not seen each other for a long time, and everyone was very happy to attend the coronation ceremony together.

"Alexius! Your scout knight asked me to announce that Justinian has arrived!"

As everyone was toasting, Anastasius, dressed in hunting clothes, ran over in a hurry, shouting loudly.

"I shot three pheasants and roasted them tonight!"

No one cared about Anastasius' hunting results. Several royal members immediately took action, tidied their clothes, called the guards, walked out of the camp and came to the gate of the camp.

Alexios stood in the front, with Maria and two children beside him, and his younger brothers and sisters standing on both sides.

The sound of the marching army came from far away. On a distant hill, a Cossack cavalryman wearing a golden uniform, riding a golden warhorse, with a golden scimitar on his waist and holding a double-headed eagle flag, climbed over the hillside and appeared in front of everyone.

"By the blessing of God, co-emperor of Rome and the Romans, crown prince of the Empire, prince of Carthage, king of the United Kingdom of the Cossacks and the Twelve Circassian Chiefdoms - Justinian Avishi Palaiologos!"

Before everyone could react, wave after wave of soldiers appeared in front of them. Walking in the front were Justinian and his Golden Guards, followed closely by the Circassian troops, and the infantry of the two legions of the Eastern Roman Empire's central army were on both sides.

Justinian waved his hand, and the army slowly stopped. Alexius kicked his horse's belly and rode forward.

Justinian's attire was very grand. The crown on his head was of dark gold, his purple robe was embroidered with intricate patterns of gold, black and red, and the scabbard at his waist was inlaid with diamonds and gems from the colonies.

Alexius' attire was much simpler. On his holy white uniform was painted the emblem of the Order of St. Andrew, and beneath the uniform was the armor given to him by his grandfather Constantine XI.

The two brothers stood on their horses facing each other, staring at each other. There was silence on the field and the subordinates on both sides did not dare to say a word.

After thinking for a while, Alexius dismounted, bowed deeply to Justinian, walked forward and took his reins.

"Welcome, Your Majesty, my most respected elder brother."

"Congratulations, my dear brother. It is my honor to be here and witness your coronation."

Justinian laughed, dismounted, opened his arms and embraced Alexios.

"Long live! Long live!"

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. The Eastern Roman Empire's central army pounded the ground with heavy weapons, and Justinian's Circassian troops also waved sabers.

"You are worthy of being my brother. You have fought for ten years and never gave up. Finally, you have become the king of a country."

Justinian loosened his arms and looked at Alexius's face, which was beginning to show signs of vicissitudes.

Compared to a few years ago, Alexius has half of his ear missing, which is the scar left on him by the Battle of Mtskheta.

"The Battle of Mtskheta was really unwise. My mother cried for a whole day, and my father was very angry. He even listed this battle as a negative example for the Army Officer Academy."

Justinian patted Alexios on the shoulder.

"However, our father is blessed by God, and our family's veins are filled with gold and blood, destined to be glorious and brilliant. Since this is your own choice, as your elder brother, I can only support you with all my strength."

"Sorry, I didn't think much about it at the time."

Alexius lowered his head apologetically.

He was well aware that he did not have any particularly outstanding military talent and was rather unorthodox in governing the country. Over the past ten years, the Eastern Roman royal family had invested heavily in him, almost using huge amounts of real money to support his dream, which brought him the final victory.

"As for the throne... I know that my talent is average. Without your help, I would not have achieved the success I have today."

"No, you have been very successful. I have been in Georgia for a few months and the ordinary people are on your side."

Justinian shook his head.

"Without our military assistance, it might take you longer, but those stubborn and conservative nobles will eventually be defeated by you."

"Let's go, no more talking, let's go meet Basil and the others."

The army brought by Justinian set up camp on the spot, and the two brothers marched side by side, along with their younger brothers and sisters, into Alexius's central camp.

What followed was a family banquet, where brothers and sisters from different places gathered together again after many years.

After chatting for a while, Alexios hesitated and glanced at Maria.

Maria was stunned, sighed, and ordered someone to bring a document and hand it to Justinian.

"Over the past ten years, my father and you have given me a lot of support. These are all my records. In the years to come, I will slowly repay them with my own income."

Alexius said seriously.

Justinian took the document, threw it into the furnace without even looking at it, and burned it completely.

"Father said that the Eastern Empire's support for you is for its own benefit, and his support for you is the support of a father to his son, and neither needs to be repaid."

Justinian wiped his hands with his handkerchief.

"It is enough that you can unite Georgia and make it a strong bulwark for the Eastern Empire against the Turkmen and contain the Safavids."

"But... the Cossacks and Circassian cavalry have helped many times. They are your personal troops. This has nothing to do with the Empire."

Alexius said.

"I still owe you."

Justinian thought for a moment and looked at Alexios.

"In that case, why not hand over those nomadic Alans to me? They are all Orthodox Christians who once lived in the Kuban steppes but were driven to the Caucasus Mountains by the Mongols. I will continue to develop the steppes in the future, and perhaps I can use them."

"You are probably going to build Georgia into a big granary. Instead of letting those nomads cause you trouble, you might as well let them follow me to open up the frontier."

"Aran?"

Alexius was stunned.

"I really didn't manage them much before. I basically granted them autonomy. The Alanian crown of the Bagration family had long ceased to exist due to their internal strife."

"Since you want it, I naturally have no objection. You can take everyone else with you except those Alan knights who are already serving in the Knights."

"But they may not pay much attention to my orders. You may have to convince them yourself."

"Well, that's enough. I have had some contact with two of the three major tribes."

Justinian nodded in satisfaction.

"After all, grasslands are better than deep mountains. They will be willing to do so."

"Ah, speaking of which, I have some presents for you."

Justinian clapped his hands and gave a few instructions to the guards who were approaching.

After a while, several Cossacks came in with a few black puppies. The puppies were strong, had thick hair, and were quiet and steady.

"This was given to me by a herdsman when I was touring the Circassian tribes. The puppy's mother is a pure steppe gray wolf, and its father is the best Caucasian Shepherd Dog. It has an excellent pedigree and is a very good animal companion."

"There are five puppies in total, just enough for the five of us. Each of us can have one."

When Justinian finished speaking, Anastasius immediately cheered, ran down from his seat, and selected his puppy.

Thessalonika also loved these furry little animals and picked out the smallest female dog and held it in her arms.

"Justinian, you must have some other intention in giving us the puppies?"

Salonika looked at Justinian with a smile.

"That's natural," Justinian admitted generously, picking up a cup of coffee.

"In recent years, the number of slaves in the Eastern Empire has increased. In order to regulate slave plantations, slave mines, and slave factories and prevent slaves from escaping, some slave owners have begun to consciously train hunting dogs to hunt down slaves who want to escape."

"Also, some officers suggested that Father follow the example of the ancient Romans and reintroduce military dog ​​units into the Roman legions to perform reconnaissance, search, and combat missions."

"My father accepted their suggestions and decided to set up four major dog training bases and allow private dog training bases to be operated. They will follow the horse administration model and adopt a pedigree registration system to select the most suitable military dogs step by step."

"Due to the vast territory of the empire, the conditions in different places vary greatly. The types of military dogs in the four military dog ​​bases are different. The military dog ​​base in Sfax is responsible for breeding North African hounds, Ioannina and Smyrna are responsible for breeding Cane Corso dogs, and Constantine on the Don is responsible for breeding Caucasian Shepherd dogs."

Justinian drank his coffee slowly and looked at Alexios.

"In the Circassian tribes, I have consciously searched for some excellent Caucasian dog breeds and recruited some professional dog trainers. I hope you can allow my personnel to carry out the same operation in Georgia and strive to get the military dog ​​base back on track as soon as possible."

Justinian looked around at everyone and continued.

"I tell you, don't underestimate this industry. I once held a competition in Circassia, where some herders took out their best Caucasian Shepherd dogs to chase a dozen Saracen slaves who tried to escape. The dog with the best performance was the father of these puppies. The escaped slaves targeted by it could not run far at all."

"You can make money by raising dogs. Some excellent Caucasian Shepherd dogs have even been sold for hundreds of solidus. This is one of the unique industries in Circassia."

"We will be engaged in a long-term security battle in Anatolia in the future, and the demand for large dogs will only increase."

After this speech, no one spoke. Everyone just regarded raising dogs as a noble pleasure and did not think about it too much.

"Allowing a dog to bite a person is not what a wise ruler would do!"

A childish voice sounded. It was Alexios' eldest daughter, Tamara of Georgia.

Justinian glanced at Tamara, smiled and shook his head, not caring.

Maria quickly covered her daughter's mouth, and Alexius woke up from his thoughts and sighed.

"Since the Empire wants it, I have nothing to refuse. Georgia will be fully open to the citizens of the Eastern Empire, as long as it does not violate the laws of the Knights."

"That's good, I have no other requests."

"After attending the coronation ceremony, I will return to Trebizond with my army and prepare for war."

Justinian put down his coffee, raised his glass again, and looked at everyone.

"In the name of God, may my father live a long and healthy life, and may the glory of our family last forever!"

On February 1478, 2, in the Scarlet Monastery in Mtskheta, the ancient capital of Georgia, Justinian, the co-ruling emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire, represented the only Eastern Orthodox empire and crowned Alexios as the King of Georgia. The archbishop put the king's crown on Alexios. After many years, Georgia was finally united.

However, the Kingdom of Georgia reorganized by Alexius was no longer the aristocratic feudal state of the past, but a centralized theocratic kingdom led by the Order of St. Andrew and St. George. In accordance with his own ideals, Alexius carried out retro reforms in Georgia, trying to promote the model of the ancient Christian commune on this land again.

In any case, the Muslim forces' plan to eliminate the Knights in one fell swoop completely failed. The Aq Qoyunlu King Uzung Hasan failed to eliminate the northern threat before the arrival of disease. Instead, the brutality and tyranny of the Turkmen raiders and the Safavid Order forced Georgian Christians and Muslim moderates to gather under the banner of the Holy King. A unified kingdom with a population of one million stood to the north of the Aq Qoyunlu Dynasty.

……

It was still cold in Tabriz in early spring. The Aq Qoyunlu was celebrating its own Islamic Ramadan, during which Muslims fasted, gave alms, recited the Koran, and devoted themselves to their gods.

Tabriz was once the capital of the Black Sheep Dynasty. Ten years ago, the Turkmen of the White Sheep Dynasty, led by "the Chosen One" Uzung Hasan, entered Tabriz singing triumphant songs, ending the central government of the Black Sheep Dynasty. The city then became their capital.

No matter from which level, Uzungol Hassan was a true wise king. He was not only good at fighting, but also good at governance. Not only did he pursue his enemies relentlessly, but he was also willing to tolerate different beliefs and cultures. He pushed the Aries Dynasty to its peak, although this peak was destined to be short-lived.

After the defeat in Anatolia, the central authority of the Aq Qoyunlu suffered a severe blow. The rebellion of Prince Ugulu marked the beginning of the internal strife within the Uzungu Hassan family. For six years, open and covert struggles have been going on in the court. Various sects, emirs, governors, princes... They put their own interests above the overall interests and kept a close eye on the aging body of old Padishah and his throne that symbolized power.

In the past six years, Uzungol Hassan made a lot of efforts to save his regime. He reorganized the standing army, although it was no longer as good as its predecessors; he rebuilt the central government, although this central government had actually become a platform for various factions to divide up interests; he vigorously developed Tabriz, although Persian trade was no longer as good as before due to changes in shipping routes.

For six years, Uzungol Hasan suspended the pace of external expansion, allowed the Turkic Bey states in Anatolia to achieve autonomy, signed an agreement with the remnants of Timur's descendants, and devoted all his energy to resisting the expansion of the Eastern Roman Empire. To achieve this goal, he used his last time to formulate three plans and moved towards the goal step by step. Some plans failed, while others were successful.

First, Uzum Hassan set his sights on the East and signed an agreement with Muslim forces along the Indian Ocean coast, trying to jointly resist the massive expansion of the East Indian fleet of the Eastern Roman Empire in the Indian Ocean and bring the Indian Ocean trade back into the hands of the Muslim regime.

Obviously, this plan failed. Uzum Hassan had no ability to form a strong navy. There were not enough trees and sailors along the Persian coast. The shipbuilding technology of the entire Arab world was far behind that of the Christian world. The Arab sailing ships that were built with great effort were helpless in front of the improved caravels and caravels. Several squadrons of the East India Fleet had nothing to do and always liked to rob the coast of the Persian Gulf, and even forced many Persian fishing villages inland.

The defeat in the Battle of Diu, the loss of the Strait of Hormuz and the collapse of the Malacca Sultanate announced the end of the Muslim hegemony in the Indian Ocean. Eastern goods no longer reached the Mediterranean through the old routes, but instead went around the Cape of Good Hope through new routes. The business of "middlemen" in the Islamic world became increasingly difficult.

Second, as the influence of the Knights of St. Andrew continued to expand in the north, the Safavid Order was seriously threatened. Under their leadership, Uzung Hassan took advantage of the situation and launched the last war in his later years.

In Uzung Hassan's view, he could not only use this war to strike a blow against the arrogant Orthodox forces, but also take this opportunity to reshape the central authority and train a standing army.

As for Alexios the Iceman, who had a good reputation even in the Islamic world, never committed wanton killings, and firmly adhered to the spirit of chivalry, Uzun Hassan never regarded him as a real opponent and despised him in his heart.

"If it was Emperor Isaac, I wouldn't dare to fight him. If it was Prince Justinian, I would also have concerns about his General Gonzalo, but they are all busy with the infighting among Christians now. There is only one Alexius, who is not worth mentioning at all."

Uzon Hassan, who was still very proud until his later years, said so. He even warned his subordinates that after successfully capturing Alexios, they must not harm a single hair of Alexios. Those who abide by the noble spirit should also be respected.

The facts were just as Uzohn Hassan had expected. The Knights of St. Andrew and the Georgians fought tenaciously, but they failed to stop the attack of the Aries Army. Uzohn Hassan turned the ancient capital of Mtskheta into a meat grinder and wiped out two-thirds of the Knights' manpower.

However, just as he was about to send the third letter of surrender to Alexios, winter arrived and a cold wave hit the land of Georgia, completely destroying Uzon Hassan's already aging body.

He fell ill and returned to Tabriz.

In the royal palace of Tabriz, Uzun Hassan lay on his bed. His face was haggard and thin, his heavy eyelids drooped over his half-open eyes, and his nose, which had lost its sense of smell, could no longer smell the strong smell of medicine. The candlelight flickered in the dim room, and the smell of decay and aging filled every corner.

Uzung Hasan was born in 1423 and is only years old now. However, years of military service and irregular life have worn away his vitality. The betrayal of his eldest son and the power struggles among his other sons have exhausted his spirit. This great hero is approaching the end of his life.

During the year he spent in bed, Uzon Hasan's condition was sometimes better and sometimes worse. At first, he could still walk and handle government affairs, but the arrival of another winter pushed him back to bed. His relatives and ministers went from being concerned about his well-being to being indifferent. Everyone seemed to be hoping that he would die soon so that they could divide up his inheritance.

The door opened and a middle-aged man walked in. He gently came to Wuzon Hassan's side and stared into Wuzon Hassan's eyes.

Through his blurred eyes, Uzon Hassan recognized the person coming. This was his son Jacob, one of the more talented among his sons.

In recent days, Uzon Hasan has become mentally ill, which is an extremely huge blow to a monarch. Being mentally ill means that it is difficult to issue orders. Even if an order is issued, it will be regarded as "nonsense" by power strugglers with ulterior motives and refused to be executed.

These days, only Jacob would come to visit his father every day. Although he would not stay for too long, it still brought a little comfort to Uzon Hassan.

Of course, Uzon Hassan was also very clear that Jacob might not have any feelings for him anymore. He was just more cautious than others and did not dare to be too arrogant while Uzon Hassan was still alive, for fear that he would miraculously get better.

"Father, I'm here to see you."

Jacob called out to Uzon Hassan and brought him a glass of water.

"Is there anything I can do?"

"How are our arrangements in Egypt..."

Wuzon Hassan asked breathlessly.

"They didn't come to see me, I didn't know the situation..."

"It's basically successful, father, you don't have to worry."

Jacob was somewhat disappointed to see that Uzon Hassan had not made any additional arrangements for the succession, but he still answered his father's question.

"The newly-appointed Egyptian and Syrian Sultan, Kayitbay, is unwilling to serve as a puppet of the Greeks. He has already discussed the withdrawal of troops with the two major mercenary groups. The Greek emperor has not taken any action for the time being."

"Qaitbay is a capable and skillful monarch with great prestige among the Mamluk community. He will not allow the Greeks to continue interfering in state affairs and is willing to form an alliance with us."

"That's good……"

Uzon Hassan licked his cracked lips and forced a smile.

"Three plans... finally one succeeded..."

Interfering with the Mamluks was Uzun Hassan's last plan. After his defeat in Anatolia, he regretted his disdain for the Mamluks and hoped to form an alliance with them to defend the last bastion of Muslims in the Mediterranean.

By 1478, Uzungol Hassan had successfully interfered in the internal affairs of the Mamluk Dynasty through a series of means, helped them achieve unification, and drove the two major mercenary groups to Alexandria.

"We have no choice but to stand with the Egyptians and Syrians and put aside the past grudges... The Greeks are aggressive and are the enemy of all Muslims..."

Uzon Hassan continued to chatter.

"Father, do you need to care so much about the Greeks?"

Jacob, who was sitting nearby, couldn't help but interrupt Uzon Hassan.

"There are still many Turkic countries between us and the Greeks. It will probably take decades for the Greeks to assimilate them all."

"You have introduced Ottoman technology over the years, and we can also manufacture muskets and cannons ourselves. If the Greeks rashly step into the mountains of eastern Anatolia, we may not be without the ability to fight back!"

"I am more worried about the burgeoning heretical sects, such as the Safavids, than the Greeks."

"Is this what you think... hehe..."

Uzon Hassan sneered.

"Leaving the Greeks alone and busying themselves with internal strife, you and your brothers all have the same idea."

At this point, a hint of sadness welled up in Uzon Hassan's turbid eyes.

"Jacob, tell me honestly, if I die, will you and your brothers work together to resist foreign aggression?"

"Father, everyone says you are old and confused. Now it seems that this may be true."

Jacob sighed and stood up.

"I still remember the incident with Ugulu. Even if I don't want to fight for the throne, will others let me go once they sit on the throne?"

"Didn't you defeat your own brothers and take control of Diyarbakir?"

Wu Zonghasan opened his mouth, but didn't know how to refute, and was stunned and speechless.

Jacob looked at the terminally ill Uzon Hassan and his eyes became firm.

"Father, this is the last time I will come to see you. Everyone is taking action. I can't just sit there and wait for death. I will leave Tabriz tonight."

"Don't worry, if I can succeed, I will definitely inherit your ambition and push our dynasty to the peak!"

After saying this, Jacob walked away, leaving only Uzon Hassan's heavy breathing in the empty room.

As night falls, lights light up outside the window. In the bustling city of Tabriz, the streets and alleys are filled with fasting lamps lit by Muslim residents.

Over the years, Tabriz did become very prosperous under the governance of Uzung Hasan. A large number of Muslim scholars and craftsmen from Anatolia fled here, bringing with them the culture and technology of the Ottoman Empire, turning Tabriz into a new Islamic academic center.

With the help of these scholars and craftsmen, Uzungol Hassan built a university, slightly improved the tax system, acquired the ability to manufacture Ottoman firearms, improved the combat capability of the Aq Qoyunlu Army, and increased the prosperity of Tabriz.

However, Uzohn Hassan's illness cast a shadow on the future of Tabriz. The princes were ready to take action, waiting for Uzohn Hassan's death. The current peace was just the last ray of light before the night.

Uzon Hassan tried hard to open his eyes and looked through the window, looking for what he wanted to see.

A bleak firelight lit up in the sky, shining on Uzung Hasan's face, freezing the smile that had just appeared on his face.

The door opened again and the maid who was changing the dressing came in.

"Why isn't the big fasting lamp... as bright as before?"

Uzon Hassan asked softly, pointing at the torch outside the window.

"Your Majesty, I am not sure..."

The maid answered cautiously.

"It is said that your warehouse has been taken over by Prince Khalil, and the officials in charge of the Grand Lamp seem to have been replaced by a new group of people. They may have taken those valuables..."

"Oh I see."

Uzon Hassan said this without any sadness or joy, asked the maid to leave the room, and continued to watch the torch burning dimmer and dimmer.

That is the Great Ramadan Lamp located in the city center. It was built by order of Uzum Hasan when he had just defeated Busayin, a descendant of Timur. Every Ramadan, the towering Great Ramadan Lamp burns pine resin, wax and charcoal to provide warmth and light for the citizens of the entire city. It once became a symbol of the prosperity of Aries.

And now, the old king who led them to the top is about to die, and the new princes are fighting for power, eager to divide up every bit of benefit.

The fire is about to go out, but the king is nowhere to be seen. The princes of Islam will eventually walk into the fate of killing each other on the ashes of the remaining fire.

Perhaps, among the princes of Uzon Hasan, someone will be able to stand out from the chaotic disputes, regain his former glory, and wipe out the shadow of the troubled times.

Perhaps, new forces will grow and develop on the remnants of the White Abyssinia and lead the Islamic people to start the next dynasty.

Or perhaps, their era is passing away quietly without anyone noticing.

(End of this chapter)