The Han culture is spreading strongly in Southeast Asia

Chapter 835 Intangible Cultural Heritage of the Roman Empire
It must be said that Mo Zhouqian has grown up very quickly, or perhaps it could be said that he was originally very politically talented.

Just three days after the raid on the Erzinchan Basin, Mo Zhouzhan immediately conveyed to the Ottoman Empire his willingness to negotiate through Cao Zhenyong, the plenipotentiary ambassador of Dayu to Europe.

However, this only pushed Selim III into an even deeper predicament.

Because Mozhou only agreed to negotiations with the western Armenian region; the rest of the Caucasus region was unlikely to agree to negotiations, as it was already Liao territory.

However, even though the Ottoman Empire suffered heavy defeats in all six Russo-Turkish wars, it had not completely lost the Caucasus region.

Even the largest source of soldiers for the Ottoman Empire came from Albania and Macedonia in the Balkans and Georgia in the Caucasus.

The Ottoman Empire could admit defeat, but it could not afford to lose the Caucasus now; it would be impossible to explain this to its domestic population.

"Send troops, continue sending troops. I will gather another 100,000 men and recall the Egyptian legions to continue fighting the Seres."

With red eyes, Sultan Selim III looked at his confidants and supporters and said, "We have no choice but to continue the march, otherwise the reforms will completely fail and we will fall into the hands of the conservatives."

His confidants understood that Sultan Selim III was not truly going to continue fighting the Seres, but rather that the defeat at the Erzinjan Basin had severely damaged the Sultan's prestige.

This gave the conservatives, who had already suffered greatly from the reforms and were very dissatisfied with them, an excellent opportunity.

They have become extremely unreliable and could launch a coup at any time.

The law for electing the Praetorian Guard wasn't unique to Rome; Green Ivy also had one, and even surpassed it!
If we don't bring in some forces we can control at this time, then the Sultan and their lives will be threatened.

At the same time, a tough stance can also help stabilize some of the public's support for Sudan.

“Your Majesty, the Egyptian legions are unreliable. We should recall the troops from the lower Danube region. Alemdar Mustafa Pasha is the strongest supporter of the reforms!”

Some reminded Sultan Selim III that recalling the Egyptian legions was a very untimely decision.

The Egyptian people suffered a severe psychological blow after the English helped drive out the French expeditionary force.

They discovered that the foreign invaders they had despised were the ones who respected Egyptians the most. The Sudanese army, which they had been eagerly awaiting, was committing atrocities in Egypt, burning, killing, and looting.

Although the French didn't treat us like human beings, at least they treated us like cattle and horses. But when their own Sultan and Caliph came, we weren't even treated like cattle and horses.

This stark contrast ignited the Egyptians' desire for resistance to the fullest extent, and small-scale resistance began to erupt in major Egyptian cities.

Many ambitious individuals also took advantage of the discontent among the Egyptian people, constantly fanning the flames and even personally getting involved. After the English left, Egypt immediately descended into chaos.

It was mainly composed of the Egyptian governor, who represented the Ottoman court, and the new Sultanate army under his control.

The Mamluk nobles represented the interests of the local feudal lords.

Imams who represent the interests of local clergy.

There were also mercenaries from Albania, making it a four-way conflict.

They fought fiercely in the Nile Delta region. Just last year, even the commander of the Egyptian legion sent by the Ottoman court, Tarpasha, was assassinated, causing the army, which should have belonged to the Ottoman court, to split up and participate in this battle royale.

All of this resulted in ordinary Egyptians living far worse lives than during the French Expeditionary Forces' rule.

Therefore, at this time the Ottoman Empire had lost the hearts of the Egyptian people, and most of them felt despair towards the Istanbul court and the Caliph.

The only thing that kept Egypt in Ottoman hands was the Egyptian governor Khurshid Pasha and his 20,000-strong new army.

If these people are brought back, Egypt will be lost.

"Yes, the empire cannot lose Egypt." Selim III also realized that losing Egypt to protect himself would deal an even greater blow to his prestige.

However, Selim III was in a panic. "Alemdar's army is too far away. Although the Rus' are currently being attacked by the Seres Empire, they will not come to seize the Duchy of Wallachia and the Duchy of Modavia. The army can be safely recalled."

But... I don't know if we can hold out until then.

Selim III told the truth: it would take at least three or four months from the time the edict was issued in Istanbul to the lower Danube, and then to the time Alemdar Mustafa Pasha returned with his troops.

Moreover, the moment Alemdar's army moves, the opposition in the city will immediately receive the news, and may launch a rebellion ahead of schedule.

Only by using the Egyptian legions and secretly transporting them to Istanbul by large ships could they catch them off guard.

The storm is brewing, and now it's a matter of who can act faster. Selim III is racking his brains, constantly weighing the pros and cons of recalling the Egyptian legions.

Just then, the chief eunuch of Topkapi Palace scrambled in, a chubby black man with an extremely terrified expression on his face.

"Your Majesty, a mutiny has broken out in Egypt. Hulshid Pasha was overthrown and killed, and that Albanian wolf cub, Muhammad Ali, seized command of the army, declared himself governor of Egypt, and even petitioned you to recognize him!"

If Mozibu were here, he would know that the Ottoman Empire was in big trouble.

Because this Albanian (questionable) Muhammad Ali is none other than the historically famous Egyptian Ali Pasha.

Historically, he quickly conquered Egypt with thousands of French expeditionary veterans who refused to return to France and remained in Egypt, along with his Albanian and Macedonian compatriots, forming the backbone of the army that Sultan Selim III had long dreamed of.

If it weren't for the intervention of Britain, Russia, Prussia, and Austria, the Ottoman Empire would have been swallowed up by Ali Pasha.

"God!" Upon hearing this news, Sultan Selim III screamed, spitting out a mouthful of blood before collapsing heavily to the ground.

It was truly a matter of timing and fate. Selim III's crushing defeat and Ali Pasha's ascension to the throne almost a year earlier were actually caused by our Möngke Emperor.

Firstly, due to his hatred of the French revolutionary government, after leading the English army to conquer Egypt, Maurice Lacquer retained a large number of French expeditionary soldiers in Egypt.

Historically, English commander Sydney Smith, fearing that the French would regain control of Egypt after his departure, only allowed 4,000 French expeditionary troops to remain in Egypt.

In order to make it easier to fight the French government on land and weaken the French army, Maurice allowed more than 7,000 French expeditionary troops, especially a large number of experienced officers, to stay behind.

These French soldiers were far more powerful than the Ottoman army. After Ali Pasha gained their loyalty, his strength grew rapidly, allowing him to win the game ahead of schedule.

Then came Mo Zhouzhan, who, by some strange twist of fate, arrived in the Caucasus at this time, directly provoking Selim III's military adventure and completely ruining the already little prestige of this Sultan.

Later that day, news of Sultan Selim III collapsing in Topkapi Palace and the coup in Egypt spread like wildfire throughout Istanbul.

The only reason why such a message, which should have been strictly censored, began to spread so quickly is that some of Sultan Selim III's confidants and supporters, in order to protect themselves, sided with the conservative opposition and informed them of these two pieces of information.

The following afternoon, just as Sultan Selim III had recovered somewhat from vomiting blood and resumed eating and processing documents, the royal guard, incited by the conservatives, began to mutiny. These guards, who should have been united around the Sultan and ready to fight to the last drop of blood for him, eliminated a small number of new troops loyal to Sultan Selim III and stormed directly into Topkapi Palace.

After taking control of Topkapi Palace, they immediately gained the support of the conservative Sheikh Islamists.

The so-called Sheikh Islam is essentially a combination of the imperial religious prosecutor, judge, and scholar, and can manage all religious affairs, including the management of religious organizations.

Even the succession of the Ottoman Sultan required their confirmation, demonstrating their extremely high status.

The Sheikhs issued an Islamic decree declaring that Selim III's reforms violated Islamic doctrine, were blasphemous against Islam and tradition, and that his abolition was legal.

Thus, the rebels obtained the legal basis and immediately enthroned Mustafa ibn Abdulhamid, Selim III's cousin, as the new Sultan, who became Mustafa IV.

The ruthless guards dragged Selim III from his bed in his bedroom, dragged him to the throne room, and forced him to kowtow to Mustafa IV, who was seated on the throne.

“I did nothing wrong, so why are you opposing me? Why are you rebels and regicides?”
Everything I've done is to save the Empire, to save the Celestial World. You are the Royal Guard; you should support me, not oppose me!

Selim III was filled with grief and indignation. He was pinned to the ground and roared loudly, refusing to recite the oath of allegiance to Mustafa IV on the throne.

"You damned idiot, you're not carrying out reforms at all, you're just trying to benefit those treacherous officials who follow you. Don't try to make your dirty ideas sound so noble!"

"The sectarian laws and the principles of believers of Islam were established by the Prophet long ago. Who are you to dare to change the will of God that the Prophet upholds!"

“You are the traitor! You have betrayed the glorious traditions that have sustained the Ottoman Empire for centuries.”
Only we, the Imperial Guard, are the pillars of the Empire. Those new soldiers who have stolen our land, food, and money are nothing but lowly peasants; they cannot defend the Empire. The only ones who can defend the Empire are us!

The Yenicheni, once known as the Sultan's personal guard, have evolved into an unwieldy military group.

Having seized a great deal of benefits from the Ottoman Empire, they were unable to defend the empire when a new era arrived, and instead became the most vicious enemies hindering the empire's reforms.

Amidst furious roars, the royal guards slapped Selim III repeatedly across the face, raining blows with their fists and feet until he screamed in agony, blood gushing from his mouth and nose.

Seeing that he might be beaten to death on the spot if he did not submit, Selim III finally yielded. He gritted his teeth and recited the oath of allegiance to Mustafa IV, and was then imprisoned in the dungeon of the palace.

However, this was not the end. After forcing Selim III to abdicate and installing Mustafa IV, the Janissaries immediately obtained an edict from Mustafa IV and began a large-scale search and arrest of those who supported Selim III's reforms in Istanbul.

These guards suffered greatly during Selim III's reforms over the years, with many losing more than half of their assets. Now that they have regained their power, they immediately began a brutal campaign of revenge.

Not only were many people who supported the reforms confiscated and executed, but even many wealthy merchants who did not support Selim III's reforms were labeled as reformists. At best, they were extorted for a large sum of money; at worst, their families were ruined and they were killed.

Istanbul was plunged into extreme chaos and panic.

Meanwhile, throughout the Ottoman Empire, many Pashas did not support the Janissary coup, and Mustafa IV had little prestige. Chaos began to spread from Istanbul to the rest of the country.

Then, Alemdar Mustafa Pasha, the most trusted confidant of Selim III and who controlled hundreds of thousands of Ottoman troops along the lower Danube and the western Black Sea coast, began his operation.

He raised the banner of restoring the throne of Selim III and led 70,000 elite troops from Varna on the lower Danube River toward Istanbul.

Mochüzü in Tbilisi soon received news of the Istanbul coup, as Mochüzü had specifically sent his brother Mochüzü from Budapest to inform him.

“Your Highness, Osman Pasha Alemdar Mustafa has presented my brother with a gift worth fifty thousand silver dollars, requesting that we not attack the Principality of Mordavia while he is away.”

Mo Gongbo's mind has recently become active. After running around, he actually managed to attract a wave of investment. A group of money-grubbing Wenzhou people bet more than three million silver dollars on Mo Gongbo.

This heavy gamble was on Morgonb obtaining the title of Grand Duke of Nice and on his uncle, King Carlo Emmanuel IV of Sardinia, being able to restore his kingdom.

Well, he really had a good eye. This Kingdom of Sardinia was later commonly known as the Kingdom of Sardinia, which was the same Kingdom of Sardinia that unified Italy decades later with Cavour as its prime minister.

"It seems that the civil war in the Ottoman Empire is about to begin," Lin Zexu sighed, looking at Liao King Mo Zhouzhi.

"Your Highness, we can ignore Mustafa IV's war threats; he wouldn't dare send troops to Western Armenia."

You may now summon the sixty-seven vassals of Western Armenia, but do not receive them; merely sponsor them.

"What a brilliant plan!" Mo Zhouzhan held his cousin Mo Gongbo's hand and said to Lin Zexu with admiration, "My sponsorship of them will give the people of Western Armenia confidence to resist the Ottoman Empire in the future."

If I don't accept them, then they won't be my vassals, and they can be used as bargaining chips in future negotiations with the Ottoman Empire without worrying about damaging my prestige.

Gui Han also burst into laughter, "Western Armenia still has too many vassals. Let the Ottoman Empire kill some of them so that in the future, good places like the Erzinchan Basin can be used to settle some Han warriors as vassals."

Holy crap!

Mo Gongbo was shocked. These people were really cunning, no less so than his brother Mo Gongze.

But he immediately cheered up. These cunning old foxes are on my side! They're so treacherous and cunning, we're bound to win!

"Seventeenth brother, I heard you have a force of 1,500 Wenzhou soldiers. Send them to me, and I'll add another 1,500 Pashtun musketeers for you."

Three thousand men will gain experience in the war against the Russians, and upon their return, they will be an elite force.

Mo Zhouzhan addressed Mo Gongbo as his seventeenth brother, which was based on the order of the Gong generation of the imperial clan, that is, Mo Zibu's nephews.

"That's wonderful, brother! Thank you, Your Majesty!" Mo Gongbo was overjoyed. Now that the Great Yu had decisively defeated the Russians, he was sure that sending these 1,500 Wenzhou soldiers to the battlefield to learn in practice would be very beneficial.

Although there are not many Han Chinese in the four provinces of Anxi, there are quite a few Pashtuns recruited from the high mountains of Afghanistan. These guys are also good fighters and can endure hardship.

With these three thousand men at his disposal, although they might not play a significant role on the European battlefield, for Mo Gongbo, these three thousand men were the capital to participate in European affairs, and also the capital to share the spoils if France were ever conquered in the future.

"No need for thanks, we're brothers. The future emperor's strategy of assimilating Europe will require our joint efforts."

And if I marry Princess Mary, I'll have to call you my great-uncle, hahaha!

Well, Princess Marie was the daughter of Emperor Franz II of the Holy Roman Empire, and Emperor Franz II was actually Mogongze's cousin, or you could say Mogongze's unofficial cousin.

Mo Zhouqian felt an urge to burst out laughing at the thought, and Mo Gongbo also found it funny and laughed along with him.

"Seventeenth Brother, go back and tell Sixth Brother that I know exactly what he's up to. He can rest assured about my ambitions. With our brothers working together, the future will surely belong to us!"

Mo Zhouzhao's words were vague, but what he actually meant was his attempt to join forces with Mo Gongze to launch a pincer attack from the east and west, and to divide up the Ottoman Empire.

"I understand, and I will certainly convey my brother's words." Mo Gongbo was overjoyed. He had been worried that his elder brother, the King of Liao, was too ambitious, but now it seemed that he had worried too much.

(End of this chapter)