Ibrahim was not an ordinary child, although on the surface he was not much different from the children of the other "blood tribute" - he also left his mother at the age of seven, put on a red coat and a red hat, and was taken to Istanbul under the watchful eye of an officer, but he still clearly remembered his origins - he was the child of a Greek sailor, and when he was about four or five years old, he was taken captive by pirates and sold to a Magnesian widow who had a son of his own, Almost as old as Ibrahim, she bought him and raised him as her own son, just so that she wouldn't hand over her own son in the time of blood tribute.

She succeeded, but Ibrahim did not hate her for it, she was not bad to Ibrahim, and without her, he might not have been able to come to Istanbul and become the retinue of Prince Suleiman, and then his most trusted friend.

Even now he was sick himself in the service of the sick prince, and then, on the orders of the first lady Esche, he was sent to the pyre and was about to be burned alive.

He lay among the dead and the dead to come, some of them could cry and groan, and Ibrahim was in high heat, but he listened as hard as he could, and when he heard that someone was cursing the prince Suleiman and the first lady Aishe, his heart was full of anger, but he was too weak to do anything.

The door of the hut was suddenly opened, and the rancid smell that poured out of the windowless room made even those who had been tightly covered with several layers of fine veil feel a pang of suffocation, but fortunately the swift sea breeze quickly carried away the filthy smell, but then came the crying and pleading like a ghostly howl.

"They...... What's going on? Cosimo Jr. asked in surprise.

"They thought we were here with firewood and grease," said Duarte, who, when he was a slave, had seen civilians suspected of contracting the disease gathered in a hut and then outside piled up wood, doused with grease and burned to the ground. "They thought they were going to die, even though they were no different from the dead now."

Cosimo Jr. shook his head—the slaves on one side (also very tightly wrapped) hooked the still alive out, and though it was rude, no one complained, especially when they saw that the hut was indeed piled with dry firewood, as Duarte had said—the flames rose so fast in the wind that in an hour or two there were only a pile of black wreckage with broken bones.

Those who survived were sent to another room, including Ibrahim, who was cleaned, fed potions, porridge, and wind and sunlight through the slightly open windows, giving them a little sense of being alive – some of the more well-dressed people observed them through the small glass-encrusted openings, including Suleiman's mother, First Lady Ayshe.

The First Lady Aysheer was not so young, she gave birth to Suleiman at the age of fourteen, and she was exactly thirty years old this year, but she still had the charm, but compared to the slave girls who entered the court every year, or even every month, she was too old to serve the Sultan in her bed, and Selim would occasionally summon her, just to talk to her about their son, or to draw some inspiration from her lovely thoughts, so as soon as Suleiman was found to be infected with smallpox, she did not hesitate at all, and did not even wait for the Sultan's order, So he begged himself to follow his son to Yedikule.

Her decision was correct, Suleiman became ill after meeting her, although Selim Sultan doted on her and her son, he would not put himself in danger, and there was a queen mother in the court, she was also a mother, and would never allow even the slightest chance of endangering the sultan, in that case, why should she be lucky, but attract the disgust and disgust of these two noble people?

Moreover, until Yedikule, Mrs. Aychet insisted on not taking care of and visiting Suleiman herself, and Suleiman, when she was occasionally awake in the middle of high fever, was able to understand her mother's behavior—knowing that those who were destined to die would burst out with unimaginable strength and determination, and that things they had not dared to think of before might be carried out in a blink of a moment—for example, more than one slave girl or eunuch or attendant wanted to escape, and more than one stupid fellow wanted to assassinate Suleiman—they naively thought, As long as the source of the infection, Suleiman, died, they did not have to worry about contracting smallpox and dying in Yedikule.

If it weren't for Aishe, without the authority and favor she had built up as First Lady, perhaps the team would have collapsed before it reached Yedikule, Suleiman was sometimes unconscious from high fever, and his attendants were too young to manage and rule, and they would not have been able to contain the madness and riots that were surging under the deferential countenance—but Madame Aisher was here, which meant that the eunuchs and maids who were loyal to her were here, and they quickly reconstituted the hierarchy of the ranks. Everyone took on the complicated and heavy work according to their previous duties - and when fatigue took over everyone's body and mind, the whole team settled down.

This stability took a slight turn the next day, for the Sultan's black eunuchs, with about a hundred Sipahi cavalry from Istanbul, rode up to them overnight—at first, the eunuchs and slave girls wept loudly when they saw the Sipahi cavalry in white and red hats, because they thought that the Sultan had changed his mind and was going to shoot them here.

Madame Aychet's face changed when she saw the smoke rising, and she could be said to have exhausted the last resort to get the Sultan of Selim to allow them to leave the city, but if the Sultan wanted to change his mind, she was helpless.

The Sipahi cavalry slowed down at a distance of five hundred feet from the ranks, stopped at three hundred feet, and then slowly parted to the sides, revealing the black eunuchs and a group of hooded merchants inside—they looked like Arabs in their clothing, but Madame Aychet knew that they were Christians just by looking at their gestures, and sure enough, the black eunuchs saluted her, and told her that these were doctors from Italy, skilled in medicine, and that the Sultan had sent them to look after Prince Suleiman and Madame Aiser.

But to Mrs. Eiche, these people did not look like doctors at all, but like warriors, and the only two less dangerous people, a middle-aged man wearing a mask to hide his wounds, and a boy with a beautiful face who was still a child, and when Madame Eichea saw him, she could not help but think of her son Suleiman.

"Do you know why you're here?" Lady Asheer asked softly, as soon as she came to them, the child was destined to not be able to leave, even if he had not contracted smallpox—some regrets could not help but rise in her heart, but it was only regret that she would not anger the Sultan at this time.

"I'm a doctor." The boy replied.

Madame Aychet couldn't help but laugh: "Shouldn't it be your father?" ”

"Of course my father is better than I am," said the boy, knowing that Madame Ayser had misunderstood and thought Duarte to be his father, but instead of explaining, he smiled and said to Madame Aiser, "but there is no one more skilled in medicine than I am." ”

Madame Aixer thought that this was just a child's words, and that only Duarte and Ezio knew that little Cosimo was not lying or exaggerating, and that he was not telling his father, Giulio. The Medici was very attached to him, followed him closely at all times, and had the precocious wisdom of his father, and the sensitivity of his mother, so that when the other children were still shouting and playing, he was already able to do some auxiliary work for his father, whether it was sorting out information, copying account books, or dispensing medicines, treating patients, Giulio was the initiator and advocate of cowpox, and when it came to smallpox, no one could know and understand it better than Cosimo Jr.

Rather than panicking, fearful, or desperate to behave because he had seen smallpox, he taught the people in the group how to protect themselves – covering their mouths and noses with a layered veil, wrapping their hands, and keeping their skin and mucous membranes as close as possible before they could come into contact with the sick...... Originally, Suleiman was the only patient, but soon, some of his attendants and eunuchs who were closer to him also became ill, because it was necessary to prevent the spread of the epidemic and the leakage of secrets, so these people were thrown into a closed car and taken away - and then the treatment, there was no real cure for smallpox, as long as the treatment was aimed at the inflammation and high fever it caused, the high fever could be cooled down with alcohol and water, and the inflammation required aspirin roughly extracted by Julio, although it was not so symptomatic, But fortunately, the people at this time had good medicinal properties, and with the addition of mandala, aconite, and opium poppy, most people successfully passed the most dangerous period of poisonous blood.

The red macules on their bodies turn into slightly bulging pimples in three or four days, and after two or three days, they change from pimples to herpes, then to thick blisters, and after two or three days after the pustular rash forms, they gradually dry up and shrink into scabs, and then they gradually shrink and fall off, but that is after thirty or forty days.

There are also people who die, but as long as there is hope of healing, no one will go crazy.

By this time they had reached Yedikule, who had been burned so completely by Suleiman that even the rats and birds were nowhere to be seen, and they were relieved of much trouble, and according to the instructions of the strange doctors, they set up tents in the open square, large and small, instead of occupying the houses that had not yet collapsed.

But the biggest problem also came, as if under a curse, Suleiman turned out to be the only patient who was still struggling with the poisonous blood phase, and after him, everyone who contracted smallpox broke out with herpes, but he still suffered from high fever and cramps and pain, Duarte gave him all the potions, but it only gave him temporary peace.

"More." Mrs. Aychet said.

"No," said Duarte, "it's not a matter of dosage anymore," he said, looking at Mrs. Eiche, "he must have a herpes, but as you can see, his rash is still flat, and even retracted, which means that he has the poison of the epidemic in his body, and there is no way to channel it, so he can only have fever and pain again and again......"

"Then find a way...... Lead out! Madame Esher clenched her hands: "What are we going to do, bloodletting?" Still is**? Go ahead, and if you can save my son, I will thank you with all my precious stones and gold! ”

"I need to think about it." Duarte said.

He went back to the tent and spoke to little Cosimo, who furrowed his brows worriedly: "It's toxemia," he said, "very serious toxemia, and we can't delay it any longer, or Prince Suleiman will be a cripple or a fool even if he survives—but," he reached over, opened the tent's hanging curtains, and looked out at the gray sky, April in Istanbul was different from April in Rome, when the sea breeze was still wrapped in the winter cold," My father and I had this situation when we were out, and my father asked those people to leave the child outside the house and let the mosquitoes bite him, so that his rash turned into herpes, but it was August in Italy, and now we are in Istanbul, and it is April, where do we get mosquitoes from? ”

Duarte was about to answer when he heard a commotion outside.

Ezio quickly slipped into the tent, his face unusually ugly, "Madame El Sheer ordered the slaves to gather those infected with smallpox together—she was going to burn them. ”

"Why?" Cosimo Jr. asked subconsciously, and then he also understood—although Madame Aychet could barely maintain her calm appearance, deep down, she might have already despaired—and she was just trying to hold on to the last glimmer of hope, and today, Suleiman's condition deteriorated, and Duarte's hesitation brought her to the brink of collapse. Ezio looked at Cosimo Jr., Madame Ash was going to put to death those who were sick, and perhaps tomorrow she would execute those who were so healthy that they were blinding, the day after tomorrow...... Or if Prince Suleiman dies, she will have everyone bury him!

But they won't let little Cosimo die here!

"Julio has gained the trust of the Sultan of Selim...... He may be angry, but he won't pursue it too much," Duarte said, "and although our trade will be a little more difficult after that, it's not impossible – Cosimo, you have to get out of here immediately," he said, "and let Ezio take you away." ”

"Things are not yet the worst," said Cosimo Jr., as he listened quietly to them, before he said calmly, "I have heard my father say another way to cause pox, Duarte, go to Madame El Eyche, and tell him that you have a solution, but you need to test it on other patients first." Then he gave the method briefly to Duarte, and told him to go and say to Madame Eiche, "As for you, Teacher Ezio," he said, "go and look around and find a safe way out for us." ”

"Well, I thought you were absolutely sure?" Ezio feigned surprise.

"There is never a 100% possibility in this world," Cosimo Jr. said solemnly, "I will not cost my life lightly, and yours, experiments and treatments take time, and it is better to be fully prepared and arranged than to act recklessly without a plan." ”

"That's right." Ezio nodded in satisfaction, "But don't blame Duarte, he's caring." ”

"How so?" Cosimo Jr. said, "Is there anyone in the world who loves me more than you?" Except for my father. ”

Ezio laughed out loud, and before leaving, he couldn't help but grab the serious little face, crumple it into a ball, and make a "......" sound—"Of course," he flashed out of the tent before little Cosimo jumped up in anger and hit him, "We all love you." ”

————

This is how Ibrahim and several others were pulled out of the darkness, out of the flames, out of death.

"Sumac?" Madame Aixer pondered, "Are they the little trees that are used as spices?" "In Ottoman Turkey, there is indeed a plant called sumac, which grows red fruits, which are edible, but very sour, so people often grind them and use them as a seasoning, in yogurt or pasta.

"It should not be like that," Duarte said, "it should have come from the East, farther than India, and it was called lacquer or lacquer, and people brushed it on wood and then polished it to decorate the surface or to repel it." ”

"Oh, I see," Madame Eiche, gesturing to one of the eunuchs beside her, "I have this ...... in my utensils."

"I'm sorry," Duarte said quickly, "what we need is fresh lacquer." ”

"If it's that kind of lacquer," said the eunuch, "I know that there are people in the Grand Bazaar who buy and sell." ”

"Then go and look for this lacquer," said Madame Eyche, "if it were my eunuchs or slave girls, they would not come back if they left." ”

Hearing Madame Aisher say this, the eunuch even involuntarily took a step back, and Duarte noticed that his knees were trembling.

"Then aren't you worried that we'll not come back?" Duarte asked.

"If your little master is here," said Madame Eiche, "then you will surely return." ”

Duarte's eyes suddenly became sinister, and Madame Eichet only smiled behind the veil, some people said that love and cough could not be hidden, and so was affection and loyalty, at first she thought that the child was Duarte's son, but after a few days, she realized that she was wrong, Duarte was a minister, and this child was either the heir of the king or the heir of the duke, and Duarte must be working for his father.

People like this, she saw a lot when she hid in the golden window of the Sultan.

——————

Not long after Duarte had left, a eunuch respectfully came to Cosimo Jr.'s tent and said that Madame Eichet had summoned him to her side.

"Come in," said Madame Eyshe.

Madame Eyshe's tent was the largest except for Prince Suleiman, wide enough to allow horses to ride around the pillars, and it was too magnificent to believe that she was in an abandoned haunted realm—the bright light became soft and ambiguous through the translucent cloth into the tent, the air was filled with the rich and sweet scent of red sandalwood, the feet were on a soft and gorgeous carpet, and the sky was covered by a brocade like clouds, which flowed from the center of the zenith to the surroundings like brilliant flowing water, Tied at the end with a golden tasseled rope, Madame Aychet reclined against a cylindrical dark purple velvet pillow, her supporting arms hanging lazily from it, her wrists white and plump, three or four gold bracelets encrusted with cornflower sapphires, and her other hand tapping lightly on her legs—two maids kneeling at her side, one holding Oud, a stringed instrument plucked by an eagle's feather or a fingernail, which in Rome was called a lute—playing an unknown but light-hearted ditty.

The second maid was pouring tea for them, and the tea was crimson with golden ripples in the silver cup.

Madame Aisher stretched out her hand and pointed to the seat cushion in front of her, and little Cosimo walked over generously, pulled the seat five or six feet away from Madame Aixie, and sat down cross-legged.

When little Cosimo looked up at himself again, Madame Eschea stretched out her slender fingers and removed her veil.

The two maids beside her reflexively followed, and then they realized that it was not Selim Sultan but a strange man, and their faces immediately turned unusually pale. Mrs. Aysher sneered in her heart, everyone here, except for these Christians, and her son Selim, were doomed to never return to Istanbul, to Topkapi Palace, and she was doomed to death, and these maids, eunuchs, unless the minister of Selim was valued and asked for a reward from the Sultan, they could escape.

But would the ministers of the Sultan of Selim care that such a slave girl, or eunuch, would consume the Sultan's trust in him for such a humble life? Of course it can't be, it's a pity that these people can't understand it at all, but how can she break their illusions, only if they still think that they can return to Topkapi Palace, it is possible to overcome the fear of death and continue to serve her and the prince Suleiman with all their hearts.

"What is there to worry about," said Madame Elsher softly, "he's still a child," she turned to little Cosimo, "child, how old are you?" ”

"Ten years old." Twelve-year-old Cosimo Jr. replied.

"Then you are strong," said Madame Aychet, admiringly, "and so is my Suleiman, who, at the age of ten, was as tall as a child of twelve, or even thirteen or fourteen. She pushed the silver platter with the honey snack to little Cosimo, "Eat it, kid, you all love desserts." ”

Little Cosimo blinked, a little curious, and bold as an ordinary boy would, so he accepted the invitation without hesitation, and took a small ball of golden brown and put it in his mouth, it was a soft, glutinous food, wrapped in cheese and drizzled with honey on the outside—just like this side of Madame Elsie is now showing.

But what a gentle and kind person she was, little Cosimo did not believe it, nor did those who were slowly suffocated to death in a closed hut because the air was so thin that they were almost healed, and that they were no different from healthy people except for the inevitable scars on their skin, and that they would never again be infected with smallpox.

By a single order of Madame Elsie, they all died.

Only a handful of them were left as experiments.

So, although Madame Elsher was still glorious, the maids beside her were like budding flowers, the snacks were sweet, the tea was hot, and little Cosimo's chest was still cold.

"Tell me, child," said Mrs. Elsher kindly, "have you ever heard that sumac can cure smallpox?" ”

"No," said Cosimo earnestly, "my teacher once mentioned to me that this method had been used farther away than India to save smallpox patients who had never been able to escape the poisonous period. ”

"Is this the only way? Anything else? ”

Cosimo Jr. knew that if he said that mosquitoes could be used to promote herpes, then those who survived would immediately be thrown into a swamp or some other place where there might be insects and flies, and if they did, even if they had herpes, they would die from infection or malaria - so he immediately shook his head, "It's safest to use lacquer, because the lacquer itself is poisonous, it can burn your fingers, but after making lacquer, this toxicity will be carried away by wind and water vapor and slowly disappear - so we need new lacquer, Instead of applying it directly to a person, it is applied to a wooden board and then the patient is placed naked on it and rolled over, irritating the skin with subtle toxicity until a herpes develops. ”

Madame Aisher listened very attentively, she was not an ignorant woman, she could read, she knew a lot, just as now, she could also converse with little Cosimo in Latin, even though the maids beside her were frightened by the fact that these people were going to use poison to treat the prince, Madame Ayser still spoke softly, and calmly inquired about the details—she had also read the relevant texts in the Topkapi Palace, and the Ottoman Turkish Sultan had tried to take a small amount of poison to resist the poisoning of the enemy, Her only concern is that the method has so far only been written and verbal.

"I've heard that you've been blessed to keep you from this plague, haven't I?" Madame Aychet asked softly, "May you let me have a look?" ”

Cosimo Jr. rolled up his sleeves and gave her a glimpse of the cross scar on his upper arm.

The two maids couldn't help but exclaim—Madame Esher almost reached out her finger to touch the scar.

"It is very good," said Madame Eyche, "though it is your god, but I also hope that my son will not be afflicted in this way—" She looked eagerly at the blue-eyed boy, "I beseech you, my little highness, may you go to my son?" Although he is sick, you will not be infected, and I hope that you will come to him so that he too can have a gift. ”

At this moment, not only the two maids, but even little Cosimo opened his eyes wide in disbelief.

"If anyone stands before me and says, 'I can save your son,'" Madame Ash smiled and straightened up, "even if it is a devil, I am willing to kiss his feet." And if God can't save my son, I will trample him under my feet. ”

She said this, lowering her head and resting her forehead against little Cosimo's knee.

Little Cosimo was taken aback, he was accustomed to bowing to him, and to seeing people kissing his father's robes, but for the first time a mother was so humbly prostrate before him, he jumped up from his seat as if he had been burned with coals: "Please stand up," he cried out, "please stand up, ma'am!" ”

Madame Aychet didn't care: "Would you like to, then?" ”

"I do." Cosimo Jr. sighed softly inwardly, but even if Madame Ayzert had not, he would have managed to see Prince Suleiman one or more times, after all, he could not see the patient, he was not sure of his current condition, and had thought that he would have to wait until Duarte returned...... At the same time, he couldn't help but be in a trance - he didn't have a mother, although he already had a father who was better than all his fathers, but this was different after all.

Whatever Cosimo Jr. thought, he was immediately taken to the tent of Prince Suleiman.

The condition of Prince Suleiman was worse than Cosimo Jr. had expected, he was red and hot, and the rashes had shrunk to the point of almost sinking into his skin, and the eunuchs and attendants who had wiped the alcohol for him occasionally touched the mhalled skin, and he immediately cried out in pain—a wail, but in fact it was as thin as a gossamer, and Cosimo Jr. was worried about whether he would be able to hold out until Duarte and they returned.

。 m.