On one occasion, in 1459, he had guests at his castle. They were Turkish envoys, sent by the Ottoman Sultan himself, Mehmed II. He had sent the envoys to gather what he called a delayed tribute of 10,000 ducats, a form of currency, and 500 men to be employed in the Turkish Army. Vlad refused, as paying the tribute would mean his public …show more content…
Beyond that, there lie a deep moat, dug by servants, that also surrounded the castle’s perimeter. If anyone managed to make it past both of these obstacles, then they would certainly be struck down. There were several towers that were positioned close to the castle that had slots carved in them, which made it easy to fire arrows from, and later being used for weaponry such as muskets and cannons. If one thing was certain, it was that Vlad most certainly did not want his enemies making it to Castle Poenari alive. (History Channel, …show more content…
For months he hid within the forest, occasionally emerging to murder a few Turkish soldiers he came across by poisoning their food and water before retreating back into the forest. One day, with the villager’s aid, he snuck out while Mehmed was asleep, camped just outside the town of Targoviste. The next morning, when the sultan awoke, he was horrified to find that his entire army had been impaled, their bodies all around. Disgusted, he retreated back to Turkey, much to the happiness of the Wallachian citizens. This event is what gave rise to the famous wood carving of Vlad seated at a table, eating while he gazed upon the dead Turkish soldiers. (History Channel,