I Became the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire

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# Chapter 18: Small Movements (2)

When thinking about hygiene during the time of the Ottoman Empire and Europe, it was clear that the Ottomans had the upper hand.

Europe, during the era when Roman bathing culture still lingered, managed to maintain some level of cleanliness.

This changed when the plague spread, and people began to catch STDs from promiscuous behavior in bathhouses, leading medical scholars of the time to conclude that “soaking in warm water opens the pores and allows diseases to infiltrate.”

“The belief that washing leads to death must be spreading; by now, they must be thoroughly wrecking the public baths.”

The belief that contact with water could lead to illness was set to persist for another 200 years, and the era might soon have the idea of at least washing hands before meals.

In contrast, the Ottomans had steam baths where people sweat it out, using hot marble, and thanks to religious reasons in Islam, they washed their hands regularly, which was far superior.

“Well, just look at the sewage system; the Ottomans are way ahead.”

The epitome of hygiene is the sewage system, and the difficult task of establishing it was achieved by ancient Rome.

It isn’t enough to simply dig trenches for water.

To ensure a continuous flow of water, advanced surveying techniques are required, along with scientific principles like siphoning.

“It’s not surprising if there’s a bit of alien blood mixed in with the Romans.”

No wonder people in later Western Europe thought, “This is against the will of the gods,” or “I don’t know what this is, but it doesn’t seem human-made,” when they smashed aqueducts in most areas except Spain and Italy.

In contrast, the Ottomans repaired and extended the sewage systems established during the Roman era.

“To be honest, at this rate, the Ottomans might really be the true successors of Rome, right?”

Of course, about the Roman lineage, I couldn’t care less.

Yusuf spread out the map of Trabzon Citadel.

As previously mentioned, in Constantinople, they had somewhat utilized the sewage systems, so hygiene issues weren’t strikingly evident.

However, upon arriving here, the problems became quite apparent.

“Well, at least there are public restrooms, I suppose.”

The restrooms marked on the map were sufficient for the citadel’s inhabitants, and there was consistent management.

It was only natural for a country that recognized the need to build additional public restrooms after conquering Constantinople.

“But why are they just throwing the feces outside the citadel?”

Being generous enough to discard waste is one thing, but the problem is that the river flowing beside the citadel is the water source for this area.

Hygiene issues are bound to arise.

They might think to compost that waste for use, which is common in the East, but in the West, that would be met with a response of “Are you out of your mind, human?”

That’s due to the deep-seated belief about consuming crops grown with human waste.

“Even if they handle it well here, it’s the same as upstream dumping waste; it’ll be a problem.”

The conclusion is that boiling the water is the best solution for drinking.

Just as Yusuf was organizing his thoughts, he heard a knock at his office door, and Aishe entered with permission.

“Your Highness, I have brought what you asked for.”

“I was waiting for you.”

As Yusuf welcomed her, Aishe gestured for the waiting maids to enter.

Five dishes were placed before him, filled with liquids ranging from light brown hues to dark black.

Yusuf nodded at the smell that filled the room instantly.

“Definitely barley tea.”

While it might be more appropriate to call it a broth since it wasn’t made from tea leaves, it was a worry he was facing.

No matter how much they promoted the idea of boiling water for consumption, the likelihood of it being applied in reality was low.

“After all, just lighting a fire and boiling water isn’t something easy to do.”

Those who have tried it would agree; even with modern gas stoves, boiling water is quite a hassle.

In an age where one has to struggle with firewood to light a fire, it’s even worse.

In the end, there needs to be a factor encouraging them to boil water.

“Just like how the British have their tea time with black tea.”

But suggesting they drink tea made from expensive leaves was unrealistic; thus, the idea of barley tea came to mind.

Yusuf took a sip of the well-brewed barley tea and nodded.

It had the familiar taste of barley tea.

“Your Highness, is it alright?”

Worried that she might not have prepared it correctly, Aishe asked, and Yusuf handed her the bowl he had sipped from.

“Give it a try.”

“…Yes.”

Aishe, shyly accepting the bowl, took a cautious sip, and a slight smile graced her lips.

She appeared to like it enough not to feel the need for additional water.

“How is it? Is it nutty?”

“Really so.”

Well, barley was a grain familiar to the people here, so there was no reason to dislike it, and Yusuf wore a satisfied expression.

If considering a substitute for drinking water, barley tea was better.

“After all, there are no side effects, regardless of how much you drink. Good for loss of appetite and weak stomachs.”

Black tea and green tea have caffeine, which could lead to diarrhea or stomach pain if consumed instead of water.

For drinking purposes, barley tea, brown rice tea, and beet tea are fine, but brown rice is difficult to obtain here, and although beets are grown in the Mediterranean, they are much rarer compared to barley.

That means barley tea is the most suitable option.

“Now, the question is how to package this.”

Even in England, when tea was first introduced, it was promoted as a cure-all.

“Bring Hasan and Sinan.”

Shortly after this command, Aishe brought Hasan and Sinan, and Yusuf asked Sinan.

“What’s the status of what I instructed you previously?”

“We’re still checking for cows with ulcerations on their udders and runny noses, and verifying if anyone raising cattle shows symptoms like abscesses before catching smallpox.”

The smallpox that infects humans and the cowpox that infects cattle are different diseases.

Smallpox is a disease that only afflicts humans, while cowpox is a zoonotic disease that can affect both cattle and humans.

However, because the two are genetically close, immunity developed from cowpox works against smallpox.

Since they had just arrived, it was overly ambitious to expect results immediately.

“I must have troubled you with such a peculiar request.”

“It’s nothing. Since it is related to smallpox, I have high hopes. But why did you call for me?”

“Hmm, I need a guarantee.”

“…A guarantee?”

Sinan’s expression turned slightly puzzled.

One might think he was being asked to vouch for a debt.

“It’s nothing serious. It’s just boiled water from roasted barley; you only need to guarantee its health benefits.”

“If it’s made from barley, there’s no health risk, so it’s fine.”

It was a somewhat surprisingly cool response.

It’s better than raising objections with all this era’s knowledge, but it also felt odd to get such a straightforward answer.

Perhaps Sinan felt it too, as he chuckled softly.

“Don’t take it too weirdly. If it were something harmful to people, I wouldn’t have followed the prince’s orders.”

With a serious look, Yusuf nodded in agreement.

“I won’t let you down.”

“That’s enough. I have a lot to do, so I’ll take my leave.”

As if it sufficed to lend his name, Sinan bid farewell and left, and Yusuf turned to Hasan.

“Hasan, is everything fine with what you’re managing with Haus?”

“It’s a bit tough gathering the seeds from yon’s, but up until now, it’s been going smoothly.”

With clover being treated as a weed, it’s no wonder it would take time to gather seeds.

“I understand that; just don’t rush it. Instead, I’m thinking about selling this boiled barley water.”

“Are you planning to open a shop?”

His face wrinkled in confusion as if questioning whether it would succeed, and Yusuf nodded.

I can just take water from the river to drink, but whether it would actually succeed is debatable.

“I don’t intend to make money out of this. My aim is to get as many people to use it as drinking water.”

If they boil in large quantities to sell, the unit cost would be lower than boiling at home, hence reducing the burden.

“The leftovers from boiling will be mixed into porridge at a free meal center.”

“In that case, costs can be lowered further.”

In modern times, people may only drink barley tea, but in this era, barley with some nutrients removed is still a great food ingredient.

Of course, if sold outright, it wouldn’t sell, so it required some kind of seasoning.

I had already peddled medicine to the Sultan, so I have no qualms about that.

“Before we start selling, spread rumors that it’s good for those with digestive issues and particularly beneficial for children’s health.”

The greatest victims of contaminated water will be children who haven’t fully developed their immunity.

In just a month or two, they’ll feel the difference quickly, so integrating it into their lives won’t be hard.

Even in an era where lives are valued lightly, children are still precious.

As Hasan nodded to Yusuf’s orders, he hesitated and spoke up.

“Your Highness, carrying out the work isn’t hard, but since I have so many responsibilities, managing this shop properly might be difficult.”

“It’s true you have a lot on your plate.”

He seemed to have lost a considerable amount of weight compared to before.

Since the money-related matters were primarily in Hasan’s hands, he had been bogged down with late nights, and I feared that overloading him could lead to burnout.

“That won’t do.”

With so much work ahead, he must live long enough to assist until he’s 90 like the Emperor.

As I pondered who to entrust it to, my gaze landed on Aishe.

“Aishe, would you like to take a shot at it?”

“Me?”

Aishe’s eyes widened with surprise.

“You’re already helping your mother at the free meal center. We’ll set up right next to the center, and if needed, you can get help from your mother or Nene. Of course, I’ll assign someone from under Hasan to assist you.”

“I’m not sure if I can do it well…”

“I’m sure you’ll do just fine.”

After a moment of contemplation, Aishe bowed her head slightly.

“If it’s something that will help Your Highness, I’ll gladly take it on.”

“Good, I’m counting on you.”

There might be some trial and error, but she’s clever enough to handle it.

With a firm resolve, Aishe cautiously asked something she had been curious about since earlier.

“Your Highness, do you intend to sell the water boiled from roasted barley that’s turned black?”

“This?”

Yusuf picked up the bowl and carefully took a sip.

For a moment, he savored the rich flavor filling his mouth, then wore a satisfied smile.

“This is what I made for myself. It’s barley coffee.”

“Barley coffee?”

Aishe tilted her head in confusion, unsure of what that meant.

It was the substitute coffee called Orzu that they made in Italy instead of expensive coffee.

‘It’s a caffeine-free imitation, but it definitely tastes similar to coffee.’

In Italy, it was a national drink enjoyed by everyone, rich in fiber and caffeine-free.

It even tastes similar to coffee milk when you add milk.

‘I’ll have to be satisfied with this until I conquer Mecca.’

This was not the reason I made barley tea, really.

*

Yusuf’s movements attracted the attention of all the power players across the plateau.

Those sent from various cities reported on Yusuf’s every action for their lords, and news of his plans to open a shop spread throughout the plateau in no time.

“Using shallow tricks, are we?”

Upon hearing the information, Burka sneered and turned to his subordinate.

“Arda, what’s the outcome of the investigation?”

“We confirmed he has covertly contacted the Sobashi from Ordu, Tirebolu, Kelkit, and Gumushane. As you suspected, the shop seems to be a ruse. What should we do?”

Seeing his subordinate’s readiness to eliminate other Sobashi upon merely receiving orders, Burka shook his head.

“Don’t act recklessly. We’ll just need to give a warning.”

“Understood.”

As the subordinate bowed and exited, Burka muttered softly.

“Indeed, he’s still an immature brat.”

Though his tone dripped with sarcasm, there was a subtle hint of disappointment underlying it.

Without even realizing it.