1444, Byzantium Resurrects

Chapter 153 The Dawn of the Great Voyage
"Hey, Captain, if we reach the other side of the world, will we really see Prester John?"

On the vast ocean, three sailboats were sailing against the wind and waves. On the deck of the flagship Saint-Pierre, explorer Denis Dias was observing the direction with a compass.

Beside him, the Saint-Pierre's boatswain, Martim Tristan, was playing with a knife in his hand with a smile on his face.

"Maybe."

Denis said noncommittally.

The legend of Prester John first emerged at the end of the Crusades. The Crusaders were defeated repeatedly and were compressed into a few castles along the coast. They began to fantasize that in the far East, there was such a devout Catholic and kind priest king who would deal them a heavy blow from behind the Islamic world.

The Western Liao Emperor Yelu Dashi, Batu Khan of the Golden Horde, Hulagu Khan of the Ilkhanate and even King Timur were all mistakenly reported to be the incarnations of Prester John. In the end, it was proved that the enemy of my enemy is not necessarily a trustworthy friend.

Later, Marco Polo's travel notes sparked a wave of Oriental enthusiasm in Europe. People believed that there was a prosperous and rich country outside the Islamic world, and Prester John might be there.

Finding Prester John became one of the important goals of early explorers, at least on the surface.

As for Dinis, he had been among monarchs, nobles and explorers for many years and knew their personalities very well.

Looking for Prester John? Come on, no one would waste time and money on such a vain reason.

To spread the Gospel of God? It is possible that some priests indeed left everything in the old world with such a noble spirit, voluntarily boarded the ship to a distant place, and even did not fear hardships and work tirelessly, explaining the Lord's scriptures to the ignorant local natives over and over again in the jungle full of poisonous snakes and ferocious beasts.

Gold, slaves, spices, fertile lands and countless treasures were the main motivations for exploration.

"Speaking of the Priest King, I wonder what's happening to those Greek Orthodox priests now?"

Matim looked at the setting sun and estimated the date in his mind.

"It has been nearly a month since they went upstream, right?"

"By the way, what do the natives at the river mouth call their land?"

Martim chattered on and on.

"Congo."

"Oh, yes, what an ugly name..."

Denis put down the compass, took out his navigation notes, and recalled every detail of his journey in the light of the setting sun.

More than a year had passed since they left the port of La Palma. During this year, they arrived at Arguin Island and Gorée Island of the Kingdom of Portugal, and then visited the Bijagos Islands, St. Nicolas Islands, Queen's Port and St. William Islands of the Eastern Roman Empire, following in the footsteps of previous explorers.

Half a year ago, shortly after they left the St. William Islands, they accidentally hit a coastal reef and were forced to retreat to the St. William Islands for rest.

The archipelago, dotted with sugar cane and coffee plantations, is currently home to the headquarters of the Eastern Roman Empire's colonial office, headed by Count William of Monferrato, a member of the Valleoli family.

Compared to La Palma, which is operated as a local island, the Bijagos Islands, which retains the function of a transit station, and Queens Harbour, which relies on a large amount of gold to attract European gold diggers, the number of immigrants on the St. William Islands is not large. More than 200 white people drive a large number of black slaves to cultivate the fertile land. The sugarcane and coffee grown are processed on the island and then sent to Europe and served on the tables of princes and nobles.

Colonial Secretary William also had a very clear definition of this place. He did not plan to carry out large-scale urban construction, but retained the most original rural style. He only built a small port and a small castle. The former was used for transportation and the latter was used for surveillance.

According to the order of Isaac, the co-emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire, the colonial headquarters would be located wherever the empire's borders were explored. Denis strongly agreed with this.

However, precisely because of this, the progress of ship repair was extremely slow. After two months of anxious waiting, Dinis's patience was finally exhausted. He left the two severely damaged ships in St. William and took the remaining three sailboats to continue south to explore the unknown.

After sailing along the coastline for a while, the fleet discovered a large river with lush tropical rainforests beside it, which seemed to contain countless mysteries.

Dinis went upstream along the river mouth for a distance and soon found the local indigenous tribe.

The indigenous people here seem to be more advanced. They have mastered relatively advanced agricultural and smelting knowledge. Their language is also relatively complete, and they can record history through oral history and legends.

The various tribes of the Congo formed an alliance and pledged allegiance to a supreme ruler deep in the rainforest.

The natives called this river the Congo River and respectfully called the supreme ruler "Mwene Kongo", which means King of Congo.

After discovering that the other side had a large number of people and used iron weapons, Dinis quickly put on a kind appearance, gave the small handicrafts he carried with him to the tribal chiefs, obtained food and fresh water from them, and recorded the local situation in his navigation notes.

After receiving the gifts, the honest natives restrained their hostility, were very surprised at the arrival of the white monkeys, and danced around them.

According to them, the Great King lived inland to the east, had thousands of slaves and endless wealth, and would be very interested in their little gadgets.

Denis was not interested. In the minds of the colonists, the deep rainforest was almost a forbidden place of death.

However, several missionaries on the ship were very interested in this and hoped that the tribal chief would take them up the river to the court of the King of Congo to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ.

In this way, the four missionaries from the Greek Orthodox Church waved goodbye to the fleet, boarded the canoe provided by the tribal chief, and embarked on a journey eastward.

Dinis continued to move south and encountered many tribal regimes along the way, some of which were vassals of the Kingdom of Kongo, while others were enemies.

The fleet did not negotiate with them much. As usual, it used small handicrafts to win the favor of the tribal chiefs in exchange for some food and fresh water.

As the voyage continued, the rainforest gradually disappeared, savannah appeared more, and herds of exotic animals roamed the grasslands, which amazed the explorers.

Until one day, the grassland disappeared, and was replaced by an endless desert. The sky above the desert was shrouded in thick fog, and the bones of animals were exposed on the shore, with their empty eyes staring at the sea.

This coast seems to belong to the devil.

At the same time, the ocean currents also became abnormal, changing from hot to cold, as if they were going to overturn all the colonists who did not belong here.

Dinis immediately remembered Isaac's warning and ordered the fleet to leave quickly, sail into the sea, and keep a safe distance from the coast.

"Captain, those Greek sailors said that their Majesty was a messenger sent by God and would clear away all dangers on the long voyage. Is it really so true?"

Matim was chewing a banana. When he saw Denis looking at him, he thought for a moment and put the banana with teeth marks on it to his mouth.

Denis resisted the urge to throw this erratic boy off the boat and pushed his hand away.

"Is it really that effective? Don't you know?"

Denis said unhappily.

Long before setting off, Denis was summoned to the Black Castle, met the young emperor, and had a long talk with him.

The emperor seemed to know everything and gave him a lot of instructions, covering every detail, which made Denis roll his eyes.

"There is a large area of ​​calm water around Guinea. We must stay close to the coast and use the land breeze generated by the alternation of cold and hot between the sea and the land to assist navigation..."

"There is a populous kingdom deep in the rainforest. They are highly civilized. Don't act rashly. Try to build good relations with them and spread the gospel of the Lord..."

"At the end of the rainforest is the grassland, and at the end of the grassland is the endless desert. The sky above the desert is shrouded in thick fog, and the ocean currents are extremely strange."

"At this time, leave the shore immediately and sail to the middle of the sea until the coast is out of sight..."

Denis originally dismissed these prophecies as mere empty talk by a young monarch.

But everything that happened later corresponded to the emperor's advice, and Dinis had to admire the young monarch's erudition and foresight.

Could it be that he really received a revelation from the Lord?
"This emperor is truly amazing. I heard a sailor say a few days ago that His Majesty Isaac has arranged everything very well. Everything is going smoothly. There is no fun at all. Haha..."

Denis ignored him and continued looking at the stars in the sky to calibrate the direction.

As the fleet continued to move south, the coastal desert finally gradually disappeared, and after a short section of arid grassland, the green land reappeared before them.

The climate here is mild, humid and rainy, with plains and hills alternating along the coast and tall hills in the distance.

The crew members were all amazed, as if they had returned to their winter hometown.

After trading with a local nomadic tribe, Dinis set sail again, heading south.

To be honest, he was a little excited but also a little uneasy. No one could guarantee what the scenery would be like at the southernmost tip of Africa, at the end of the world.

He was still vaguely afraid, because he still remembered the last "prophecy" made by the young emperor when he said farewell.

"After the rainforest comes the grassland, after the grassland comes the desert, and after the desert comes the mild hills,"

Denis asked this question on the dock in Bilinchi.

"So, after this, what's next?"

The young emperor looked at him for a moment, as if trying to gauge his courage, before he spoke slowly. "Storm."

As the fleet turned a cape, the wind suddenly became violent, the stars in the sky disappeared, and thick black clouds swept in.

"Captain, look ahead!"

On the lookout, the sailor shouted loudly to Denis on the deck, anxious and panicked.

"It's a storm! We're caught in a storm!"

……

"Faced with a powerful enemy, we remain fearless."

"Be brave and loyal, and be worthy of God."

"I would rather die than lie."

"It is natural to protect the weak."

A grand investiture ceremony is being held in the Carthaginian palace.

In the magnificent hall, on Isaac's left stood his vassal generals headed by Marquis Mikhail, and on his right stood the Crusader allies headed by Duke Ferdinand. They all had solemn expressions, stood with swords in hand, witnessing together the glory and splendor.

Cardinal Isidore stood by, dressed in his robes, meticulously, adding a sense of sacredness to the ceremony.

Isaac was dressed in purple, wearing a crown on his head, holding a sword, and gently touching the right shoulder of the kneeling man.

The middle-aged man in front of him looked excited and was chanting a prayer.

His name is Nolant. He is from the Barentucelli family and is the nephew of the former Pope Nicholas V. With the support of his family, he formed an army of 800 mercenaries to participate in the Crusades. Not long ago, he led his army to threaten the Zayanid dynasty and occupied the city of Annaba.

After the death of Nicholas V, the status of the Barentucelli family in Rome was no longer what it used to be. Nolant had no way to deal with this and could only fight harder, hoping that Isaac would abide by his agreement with the old Pope and give him the reward he deserved.

Unexpectedly, Isaac not only did not break the contract because of the death of Nicholas V, but also included him in the first batch of rewards.

"Nolant from the Barentucelli family, this is your oath."

“Keep it in mind!”

Nolant answered loudly.

"Are you willing to pledge your allegiance to me, Isaac of the House of Paleologus, to protect my crown and support my heirs?"

"I will definitely die!"

"Are you willing to treat your subjects well, be fair in your heart, help the weak, and defend justice?"

"I will obey!"

"Are you willing to learn martial arts, train soldiers, and conquer the barbarians with my sword?"

"Be the vanguard for the king!"

"So far—"

Isaac held out his hand, and Nolant kissed the ring with the eagle emblem engraved on it.

The ritual was complete, and Isaac raised the sword and placed it on Nolant's raised hands.

"In the presence of God and the holy warriors, I appoint you as a knight and the Earl of Annaba. You will own the city of Annaba and its surrounding lands. I hope you will remember the oath I made today."

Snapped!
Isaac seized the opportunity and slapped Nolant in the face.

“This is to keep you in mind.”

Far from being annoyed, Nolant's slightly red face was filled with excitement and gratitude.

"The one who stands up now is Count Nolant of the Barentucelli family, an Imperial Knight, and the Lord of Annaba."

Isaac helped Nolant up and let him stand among the crowd to accept their congratulations.

"Imperial Knight, Lord Norant of Annaba!"

They drew their swords and cheered loudly.

When the cheers died down, Isaac continued speaking.

"You all saw that Norant was awarded the title of Earl of Annaba for his military achievements. He was the first and will definitely not be the last."

"The Saracens of the Zayanid dynasty also occupy Bejaia and Constantina, lands that should belong to us."

"Just yesterday, the Sultan of the Zayanid dynasty sent me a letter, shamelessly begging for peace!"

"Soldiers of Christ, tell me, how should we respond?"

Isaac looked around, seeing with satisfaction the greed and fighting spirit in everyone's eyes.

"Destroy them!"

"Destroy them!"

On July 1456, 7, after initially pacifying the situation in Carthage, Isaac held the first investiture ceremony and chose Nolante Barentucelli, who had a special status, as the representative and named him Count of Annaba.

In addition to him, Isaac also appointed five barons, fifteen imperial knights and twelve pronias in one go. Their fiefs were all between Annaba and Carthage, on the coastal plains on the southern coast of the Mediterranean and the northern foothills of the Atlas Mountains. The land was relatively fertile and suitable for grazing and farming. They were all Isaac's direct vassals and were directly loyal to him.

Among the five barons, three were jihadists from Europe, all of whom were born into minor noble families and mercenary leaders. They were fierce in martial arts and brought with them a group of mercenaries who had experienced blood and fire. They were deployed in the border areas near the west and south.

The other two baron titles were given to Isaac's two legion commanders, who would control and manage the territories around the city of Tunis with the assistance of the imperial central commissioner.

The Imperial Knights were a new class created by Isaac based on his own situation. They took the best aspects of the knight systems of the Holy Roman Empire and the Kingdom of France and used them as rewards for the jihadists in Western Europe. The title was hereditary.

There's nothing you can do, they just fall for it.

Pronia was a special system that originally existed in the Eastern Roman Empire. It was first established during the Komnenian dynasty and was originally a stopgap measure that had to be made to deal with land annexation.

The vassal of Pronia enjoyed lifelong ownership of the land, which was reclaimed upon death. If he wanted to continue to inherit, he had to obtain Esaac's consent.

Isaac improved the original knight system and prona system according to local characteristics and Roman conditions.

Imperial knights were mainly granted titles to minor nobles and mercenaries from Europe. They had the privilege of tax exemptions but were required to provide military service. They were distributed in border areas as the first line of defense against Muslim counterattacks.

Pronia, on the contrary, was mainly granted to the princes and grandsons of Isaac's country. They were required to pay a lot of taxes but did not need to provide military service. They were mainly distributed in coastal areas and provided financial and tax revenue.

The next day, Isaac appointed Prince Makusum of the Hafsid family as the Sultan of Bisrak and asked him to take all Muslims who were willing to leave the vicinity of Carthage and move to the city of Bisrak in the Atlas Mountains to continue the rule of the Hafsid family.

After Isaac defeated the Hafsid dynasty and the nomadic tribes, many nomadic tribes fled deep into the Atlas Mountains and competed with the original tribes for territory and water sources. The fighting was fierce and the whole place was in chaos.

These Berber nomads were very stubborn and difficult to wipe out. Even the French in later generations could not do it. Isaac did not want to do so either. He just wanted them to continue to weaken.

Perhaps in five or ten years, the nomads will gradually wake up from the blow dealt by Isaac, begin to covet the territory at the foot of the mountain again, launch attacks on the towns at the foot of the mountain, and try to regain their homeland.

By then, I'm afraid it will be bloody again.

But by then, Isaac will only be more powerful.

On July 1456, 7, Ferdinand led his army from Annaba and continued to march westward along the coastline.

With the help of Isaac, these great nobles will take back cities such as Bejaia, establish independent Crusader principalities and counties, and only pledge allegiance to Isaac in name.

At this point, Isaac had basically established the administrative structure of the newly occupied areas. He drew a line from Carthage to Gafsa, directly governed the east, and established a region and administrative district similar to Cyrenaica. He divided the west into fiefdoms and distributed the territory to vassals of different religions and cultures. The types of vassals were also different.

On July 1456, 7, Isaac led his troops south, joined the remaining troops, surrounded the city of Kairouan, and started religious negotiations with the Grand Mufti.

The map is being made, don't worry, if anyone is interested, you can try it first

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(End of this chapter)