1453: Revival of Byzantium

Chapter 332: The Mandate Has Changed

"Call no man happy till he is dead."

-        Aeschylus

Now it is the time for Candarli Halil Pasha to go.

Things were alright initially when the Grand Vizier returned to his estate as if nothing has happened to him. Just like a normal person, energetic like before totally unlike a man of his age waking up earlier than others, then handle state and court affairs until the sun sets. The bruise on his head is also showing signs of healing with the bleeding stopping in a few hours, and by the next day only a minute scar that looks like an earth worm can be spotted. 

The Grand Vizier do not mind that scar by a bit, he has went through way too many battles in his life and because of that he has already developed way too many scars on almost every single part of his body. He would not mind having another one on his face adding another mark of glory to him. 

However, after two days, the Grand Vizier found out that some thing, is not right. 

First he started to have some bit of confusion and disorientation when he is working up late. Thinking that it might just because he is tired the Grand Vizier went on to have a bit of sleep, only to find out that the sleep has not made his tiredness better, instead after he woke up he found himself developing a little shortness of breathe, and strangely speaking he can feel his heart rate going a little bit faster than normal. 

The Sultan's palace surgeon came in the afternoon saying that it is just because the Grand Vizier has over exhausted himself and did not drink enough water which is why all of these happened. Nothing much, only some remedies to enhance the Grand Vizier's sleep. 

Though even after some rest things definitely did not go towards the better, the Grand Vizier knows that his confusion and disorientation is growing stronger when he found himself to slowly lose the sense of directions always bumping in to walls. Later that night he developed a slight fever and felt coldness in his four limbs despite it being the high tide of summer in an Eastern Mediterranean habitat. 

On the fourth day the Grand Vizier noticed another thing strange when he is bathing; Some poxes in a slight purple colour began slowly developing on his arms. Mosquito bites? Highly unlikely. Past injuries? Needles maybe? Also unlikely. And further more by this time the Grand Vizier has much bigger concerns to take care of, he feels like he has been stripped of all of his energy forcing him to lay still in bed for the most time of his day. But even till now with the last bit of consciousness he ordered the faithful Janissary commander to forbid any one from passing the information that he is sick. 

And of course, things went towards the worst end. And by the end of the fourth day the purple pickles on his skin has enlarged becoming bloody violet spots occupying a big patch on his skin with completely no reason at all no beating, no open wounds, nothing. It just evolved there as if it has appeared miraculously over night. 

At the fifth day after the Grand Vizier visited that market, he never woke up. Even if it is already noon. Every one in the court is waiting for him anxiously outside his estate waiting for him to carry on dealing with the daily affairs of the state performing his duty as the Grand Vizier and the regent of the Sultanate. Some even attempted to burst in to the door to see the Grand Vizier, only to be stopped by the still faithful Janissary commander. 

Though he is still faithfully performing his duty, but even him began to develop a doubt inside his mind, what is the Grand Vizier doing? And why have he not appeared for the whole day? 

After he managed to convince the courtiers and governors to go home because the Grand Vizier had some 'urgent affairs. The Janissary commander went in to the estate to confirm the statues of the Grand Vizier himself filled with doubt, worries and curiosity. As he reached to the front of the Grand Vizier's room, a bunch of maidens and servants are already waiting there as according to them the Grand Vizier has not came out of that room for the whole day.

With out further hesitation the junior Janissary commander bursted the door open and charged inside, only to find the leader and owner of this Sultanate continuing to lay there on his bed with a nasty smell, eyes remain shut and mouth slightly open. The Janissary commander rushed to the side of the bed hoping that the Grand Vizier is just in his sleeps and began trying to summon the soul of the Grand Vizier back by violently shaking his arms and calling his name, however all of these efforts are to no avail, the Grand Vizier continues to lie there lifelessly, and the rest of the servants dare not to enter the room. 

It is then did the Junior Janissary commander discover that those purple pox found on the Grand Vizier's shoulders have enlarged and expanded forming an entire purple patch of skin that looks like a bruise mark, though the strange thing is that there is yet no other open wound on the Grand Vizier's body. The Janissary commander went on checking his master' heart rate, and to his horror he could not sense any, which can only mean one thing.

The Grand Vizier is dead. 

The Janissary commander took a few deep breathe to calm himself down as his hands began shaking vigorously as if those hands are not his, and his entire body began breaking in to a series of cold sweat. He walked out of the room with his mind muddled unclear of what to do, then he saw those servants and maidens still urgently waiting before the Grand Vizier's doors.

"Arrest every one inside this estate." Declared the commander. "Bring every one of them in to investigation! Make them confess what sins did they commit!" 

The maidens and servants instantly became in to a state of chaos as those guards charged in to them beating and tying them up. In the middle of the chaos the vice commander approached his superior and asked with a nervous tone. "What happened inside there? What did the Grand Vizier say? Who gave you the order to arrest them? They are the servants of the Grand Vizier! IF they decided to spread rumours about" 

"The Grand Vizier can neither be able to say any thing, nor will he be able to hear any gossips in the future." The Janissary commander replied monotonously. "As the Grand Vizier has ascended to meet the Mightiest Allah to receive his blessings. Most likely he got assassinated, by the use of poison, and thus these pricks over here has undoubtedly the highest level of suspicion."

The vice commander took a deep breathe hearing this and carried on with the order making sure no one is able to make an escape out of these premises. 

Although the Junior Janissary commander, Gedik Ahmed, did had some prior experience in handling urgent affairs like these having been serving as the Bey of Rum for two years before he lost it, but still his brain is messed up with panic and uncertainty having little or no idea on what kind of action he ought to do next. Does he inform the Sultan? No, he cannot do that, as he knows what possible things the Sultan might do to the kins and political allies of the Grand Vizier. Or does he contact Zaganos Pasha and Abbas Pasha? No, that would definitely bring another round of chaos in to the capital city herself. Or does he try to hide the information? But how long can he hide before some other persons find out and has his head for this?

The only thing he knows now is that he has to do some thing, and he has to do it fast.

After sealing down the entire estate with his own men the Janissary commander rushed back to his head quarters in the palace, and from there he summoned every single sub coordinate who he knows are loyal to the Grand Vizier, and with out any delays he issued a curfew order asking the few commanders to immediately lock down the entire city, impose stricter regulation on people travelling in and out, even to the various viziers and pashas. 

He is now planning some thing big. 

Within days every one inside Edirne can now sense that some thing is not right. The entire atmosphere of the city has changed, not for the better but for the worst. There are soldiers and guards every where, standing on guard on every single street with batons and blades. Every one who dares to go against the authority or conduct any crimes are instantly charged with a penalty much more severe than usual.