The retreat proved easier than Stepan Khrulyov had expected. The Ottomans seemed to understand the wisdom of not pursuing a cornered foe, and chose to give way rather than provoke the Russians' ferocity.
This only left Stepan Khrulyov more bewildered. He was unsure whether his decision had been right, and even less sure what the Ottomans were truly plotting.
In truth, Stepan Khrulyov was overthinking it. The only reason he had been surrounded and attacked was that the rockets had set the palace ablaze.
Those who had previously been sitting on the fence could no longer remain still. After all, they were subjects of the Ottoman Empire; if the empire truly fell apart, they would not fare well either.
The reason these people had not been anxious before was mainly because Murad V held nearly ten thousand troops. No matter how poorly things went, defending the imperial palace should not have been a problem.
Yet one barrage of Russian rockets had brought jade and stone alike to ruin. Topkapi Palace had been built on high ground to begin with, and the raging flames now made it especially conspicuous.
Everyone knew what the Russians were like. Even though Russia had yet to occupy Istanbul, looting and slaughter had already begun.
Russian discipline had already decayed to such a state. It was hard to imagine what would happen once they fully occupied Istanbul.
Although every family in Istanbul with even a little influence had received assurances from the Russians before the war, Tsar Nicholas I had promised that, so long as they surrendered to Russia, they could keep their territories and their rights within them, and might even receive certain trade privileges.
But only a small number truly believed the Russians' promises. Most felt it was merely a means for the Russians