A merchant ship set sail from Greece and, after several days of rough seas, finally arrived safely at Alexandria.
Surprisingly, the ship carried no cargo; a wealthy patron had spent a fortune to charter the entire vessel, seeking only to transport himself and his attendants to the Egyptian coast as quickly as possible.
At this moment, the patron calmly disembarked the merchant ship, stepping onto the land of the Mamluk Sultanate.
He was Baron Robert de Noyelles, the Duke of Burgundy Philip's spymaster.
A mysterious man, wrapped tightly in his clothes, approached Robert and whispered, "My Lord, let's go to my hideout first. Your attire is too conspicuous and will easily draw attention."
Robert looked down at his flamboyant Low Countries-style clothing, then at the Mamluks on the dock, feeling like an eagle thrown into a chicken coop, standing out and attracting attention.
"Alright, that was my mistake, lead the way quickly," Robert urged.
The mysterious man immediately turned and walked towards a small alley, with Robert and several attendants carrying luggage following closely behind him.
As the most prosperous city in North Africa, the bustling port of Alexandria housed a large population, and many foreign merchants resided there. However, few were dressed like Robert, which was undoubtedly a major blunder for a spy.
Fortunately, they reacted quickly and ultimately did not arouse the suspicion of the locals.
Inside the spy hideout, the mysterious man finally removed the mask and hat covering his head, revealing a Caucasian face.
This spy, named Antoine, had received orders to infiltrate the Mamluk Sultanate and make contact with various local forces long before the Crusade was launched.
Another Burgundy spy who accompanied him had gone to Syria to conduct intelligence work there.
After Robert and his attendants changed their clothes, they began to question Antoine about the situation.
"How have your contacts with the local forces been during this time?"
"The forces here are complex. I found some local informants to work for me; as long as the money is in place, anything can be arranged."
Robert nodded with satisfaction and said, "I hope things are as you say. I've brought ample funds. The Duke requires us to spread the news of the Ottomanss' crushing defeat at Varna, where they lost all their elites, throughout Cairo. Also, it would be best if we could bribe an important Mamluk minister to advise the Sultan to invade the Ottoman Empire. Do you have a suitable target in mind?"
Antoine pondered for a moment and replied, "Barquq Bey, he is the Mamluk's Naval Commander. He has always been a staunch anti-Ottoman, and it's rumored that he is insatiably greedy, sometimes detaining passing merchant ships to collect extra taxes."
"Can you arrange a meeting for me with him?"
Robert was full of ambition; he did not want to disappoint the Duke.
"I can try."
Antoine was not sure if approaching Barquq was the right decision, but Robert was so eager that he had no choice but to give it a try.
Several days later, in Cairo, the political center of the Mamluk, Robert successfully met with the Naval Commander Barquq.
"I hear you have a business proposition for me? I truly can't imagine what I, a Muslim, and a heathen from the distant West could possibly discuss."
Barquq stared at Robert, who sat opposite him, with an unfriendly gaze, secretly pondering the man's origins.
Robert smiled slightly and slowly said, "I believe you must have heard the widely circulated rumors recently, concerning the Ottomanss' defeat."
"That was spread by you? Your speed is considerably faster than the Sultan's intelligence officers. It seems you've been planning this for a long time," Barquq instantly understood the key point, and his tone became even more hostile.
Robert, however, remained calm and met the minister's gaze, responding, "This is for the benefit of both our sides."
"Benefit? When have you heathens and we Muslims ever had common interests? Moreover, you are currently waging that so-called holy war. The fact that I haven't immediately ordered your arrest is my greatest mercy; you should be grateful."
"That is incorrect, Your Excellency Barquq. Religion is indeed the greatest difference between us, but sometimes, the threat posed by brothers of the same faith might be greater than that from heathens, isn't that right?"
"Are you referring to the Ottomans?"
"Indeed, Your Excellency. Will we truly cross the vast Mediterranean Sea to invade your territory? I fear that before that, the Ottomans will have already incorporated Egypt into their grasp, wouldn't they?"
"Nonsense! How could our mighty Mamluk possibly lose to those weak Ottomans?"
"Firstly, the Ottomans are not weak; in our view, they are the most powerful nation in the East. Secondly, for His Majesty the Mamluk Sultan, now is an excellent opportunity to revive the glory of the Abbasid Dynasty. Furthermore, in this invasion, which will require no effort, you will undoubtedly reap considerable rewards. Our Duke has prepared a generous gift for you: as long as you can persuade the Sultan to mobilize troops and invade Anatolia, a grand gift of five thousand ducats will be delivered to you shortly. How does this transaction sound?"
Barquq's expression gradually softened; Robert's words indeed held some truth.
He had already been contemplating advising the Sultan, and now he could earn five thousand gold coins for free, which made him overjoyed.
Suggesting that the Sultan invade the Ottoman Empire was an extremely reasonable and beneficial proposal for the nation and its people. Even if he accepted money from a heathen, it couldn't be said that he was committing treason, could it?
At this thought, the atmosphere between Barquq and Robert instantly became harmonious. Barquq readily agreed to Robert's request, and Robert successfully completed the mission Philip had entrusted to him. This was undoubtedly a win-win transaction.
During the court assembly convened by the Mamluk Sultan Mahamoudy Hassan, Barquq eloquently explained the advantages and disadvantages, strongly recommending that the Sultan gather a large army to attack the Ottoman Empire to eliminate the threat on the Syrian border.
In the court, some military nobles from the western and southern parts of the Empire strongly opposed this proposal, as there was little profit to be gained for them by invading the Ottomans.
However, the military nobles from the Syria and Palestine regions strongly supported it, as the Ottomans frequently harassed and plundered their territories, and it was possible that one day they would move south along the Mediterranean Sea to annex the Middle East.
Now that the Ottoman Empire was in decline, if they didn't strike while it was weak, the Mamluk would only suffer the consequences.
Sultan Mahamoudy himself was a great warlord who had risen from Palestine and was elected Sultan due to his strong power. He had always harbored animosity towards the Ottomans.
Seeing the war faction gaining the upper hand in the court, he was momentarily filled with emotion, and with a wave of his hand, he stopped the arguments of the crowd.
"I have decided to gather a large army for a northern expedition and personally lead the campaign against the Ottoman. For a long time, the previous Sultans have weakly tolerated the provocations and plunder of the Ottomans, but I am different from them. It is time for the Ottomans to pay the price!"
The Sultan's order was quickly conveyed to all regions of the Empire. Mamluk mercenaries from North Africa, Egypt, and the Arabian Peninsula rapidly assembled in Syria. Only when the time was right would these opportunistic bandits, like hungry tigers, pounce on the Anatolia Peninsula of the Ottoman Empire.
Mahamoudy was an impulsive, volatile, and ambitious warlord. He harbored a grand ideal—to rebuild the Arab Empire, with himself as the Caliph of the new empire, and to re-unify the entire Islamic world.
As long as the Ottomans were defeated, all of this would no longer be a fantasy, and he would become the greatest Sultan since the establishment of the Mamluk Dynasty!