1444, Byzantium Resurrects

Chapter 170: Long-term farming
"Is this your plan?"

In Constantinople, in the Palace of the Purple Nobles, Isaac and Prime Minister Isurt were sitting in the study.

"Yes, this is the revised second edition."

Isurt took a sip of the amber wine and smacked his lips at the spiciness.

"What kind of wine is this?"

"Oh, it's from Ireland, from County Cork, they call it whiskey."

Isaac didn't look up, still scanning the planning documents.

Right above the document, there is a line of large, clear characters.

The Plan for the Restoration of Constantinople.

"How about it?"

Iseult looked at Isaac eagerly.

"not so good."

Isaac said truthfully, putting the document down.

"I often say that Constantinople's geographical location and resource endowment are rare in the world, and it has the qualifications to become a world metropolis. It cannot be simply regarded as an agricultural and animal husbandry distribution center."

"Look at your plan. You have divided the entire Lycus Valley into agricultural land. You plan to move 3,000 people from North Africa and build ten large villages."

"But, this place was agricultural land before?"

Isurt's face was full of question marks.

"The past was the past, and the present is the present. The land near the capital is quite valuable, and we certainly cannot use it all for farming."

"If we grow wheat, the added value of the product is too low and the improvement of national strength is limited."

"I think that the Thracian plain between Constantinople and Adrianople was originally based on agricultural production, and the food produced was enough to meet the needs of the capital."

“We need to break out of the old framework and open up new ideas.”

"So what do you think we should do?"

Isurte closed the document angrily and clasped his hands.

"Ten villages are too many. Five are enough. The remaining land will be divided into workshop areas, focusing on iron forging, supplemented by glass and papermaking. Some textile workshops can also be established."

"Industry cannot be developed without sufficient water. Iron workshops need water power to drive forging hammers. The glass industry and papermaking industry also consume a lot of water resources."

“It is most appropriate to place these primitive industries in the Licas River Valley.”

Isaac unfolded a map of Constantinople and began to write and draw on it.

"The hydraulic forging hammer technology is now mature, but when I visited the Balkans, I found that most blacksmith shops still used the old-fashioned manual forging, which was inefficient."

"There are two main reasons for this phenomenon. One is the lack of awareness, and the other is that old rural blacksmith shops are not suitable for the research and use of new technologies."

"I will invite some experienced iron casting masters from Italy and ask them to open workshops in Constantinople to recruit apprentices and bring the latest thinking and technology here. This is one of them."

"Secondly, I am also going to encourage blacksmiths from all over the country to settle in big cities and concentrate industries. On the one hand, they can take advantage of the better infrastructure in big cities, and on the other hand, they can pool their wisdom and promote the birth of new technologies."

"In this way, metal ores mined from various mining areas can be directly loaded onto horse-drawn carriages and transported via national highways to workshops in various cities. The metal products produced in the workshops can then be sold in a centralized manner, greatly improving efficiency."

"Similarly, food processing, fur processing, cotton and linen textiles, and wine production can all refer to this idea to build a complete industrial chain."

Isaac drank the whiskey in his hand, feeling the fiery liquid sliding down his throat, with heat hidden in the coolness.

"For example, in the production of strong liquor, the barley produced in the fields outside the city of Thessalonica was harvested and directly sent to the city's winery. After multiple processes, it was differentiated according to the alcohol content and sent to major chambers of commerce, church hospitals or perfume workshops nearby. The upstream and downstream are clear, and everything from production to sales is done in one go."

"But, in fact, you are weakening the autonomous production capacity of the vast rural areas and concentrating wealth in the big cities. You are only using them as a supplier of raw materials and a seller of goods. The big cities take all the price difference."

Isult was indeed a top student at the University of Florence and he saw the essence of this policy at a glance.

"Why, they are not convinced?"

"Why do we need so much production capacity? Are we rebelling?"

Isaac snorted.

"Besides, the countryside also has its own advantages, and it is not impossible to get rich."

"This afternoon, you will take the Minister of Agriculture, the Minister of Engineering, and your subordinates with me to go on an autumn outing and inspect the countryside!"

The early autumn of 1459 was still hot. The scorching sun burned the earth and made people anxious and irritable.

Northwest of Constantinople, on the avenue leading to the Burgas region, the nearly forty-year-old Zeka welcomed a group of unexpected guests.

It was already afternoon, the red sun had lost some of its heat, but the village continued to be busy. The villagers called their friends, drove the oxen, carried baskets and farm tools, and went to the fields for autumn ploughing.

"Your Majesty, this is a silkworm, a magical little creature that feeds on mulberry leaves and spins silk to form pupae when it grows up. The silk they spin is the main raw material for silk."

In the shadow cast by the mulberry tree, old Zeka rubbed his hands awkwardly and introduced his property to Isaac and the ministers.

"Did you see that? The clothes you wear and the handkerchiefs you use to wipe the sweat on your hands are all vomited out by these little lives."

Isaac picked up a piece of mulberry leaf, held the plump white silkworm on it in the palm of his hand and showed it to the ministers.

"These should be autumn silkworms. They start breeding in September or October and form pupae two months later. The silk from the pupae can be processed by simple machines and then become pure white silk threads."

Isaac patted the ball of silk thread that old Zeka had brought.

"Yes, Your Majesty. The time for raising silkworms is different in different places. My in-laws live in Mystras, and they start raising silkworms in August..."

"What will you do with all this silk? Will you weave it yourself, or send it to the city?"

Prime Minister Isurt also touched the smooth and soft silk thread and looked at the sweaty old Zeka.

"It's all sent to the city, and the silk workshops in Constantinople will process the silk, bleaching and dyeing it. They are all done by them."

"I heard that Constantinople has also established a trade union for the silk industry. Every year when the harvest comes, they will come together to collect the silk, and the price is fair."

As old Zeka talked about his career, his original reserve gradually disappeared.

"In fact, the sericulture industry here is not very prosperous. The conditions in Mystras and Larissa are better. In recent years, every household there has started raising silkworms and reeling silk."

"Indeed, when Emperor Justinian the Great stole the silkworm breeding methods from the Persians and Indians, he established a considerable silk industry on both the east and west banks of the southern Aegean Sea. Although there have been many wars, there is still some heritage there."

Isaac spoke bluntly to his ministers.

"Your Majesty, this..."

Isurt looked a little embarrassed.

"There is nothing to hide. When evaluating whether a country is strong or not, morality is never considered. As long as the looted or stolen things can be transformed into strength, there is no problem."

"Silk is known as soft gold. Not only the Romans loved it, but also the nobles in Western and Central Europe. Now that the Silk Road has been cut off for a long time, and the Persian region, which is rich in silk and fabrics, is in constant war, it is a good time for us to make efforts."

"If we can expand and strengthen the silk industry and its supporting industries, we will have another way to supplement our finances."

"Look to your right again."

Isaac pointed to the pond on the right. There were many small fish and shrimps in the long pond, lying quietly at the bottom of the pond under the sunlight.

From time to time, a few silkworm feces fell from the mulberry trees on the shore, causing a commotion among the fish.

"Sangji Fishpond is an advanced agricultural production method that I am promoting recently. It has a strong economic effect."

"Mulberry leaves are used to feed silkworms, silkworm feces are used to feed fish, fish manure is used to fertilize the pond, and pond mud is used to grow mulberry trees."

"Combining sericulture and animal husbandry allows farmers to spend less time and gain greater benefits."

"Your Majesty, as you said, this mulberry fish pond is indeed extraordinary, but there is a problem that may be difficult to solve." Agriculture Minister Mix looked at the fish pond and put forward his own opinion.

"You said."

"These fish should all be carp. People don't really like to eat this kind of freshwater fish. They prefer marine fish. I'm afraid they won't sell for much."

Europeans actually also eat freshwater fish, but due to the single cooking method, there is no way to completely remove the earthy smell of freshwater fish, and they cannot afford the spices to remove the odor, so if they have a choice, they still prefer marine fish.

"This requires your help."

Isaac smiled.

"From today on, this freshwater carp is a special supply for the royal family. It will appear at all royal banquets in the future. You should also set an example and eat it once a week."

"I will also promote some basic industries related to freshwater fish cooking, such as the production of fruit vinegar and fish sauce."

"Always remember that you are the nobles of the empire. The daily lives of the people are closely related to you. Your habits can often change the fate of a region to a great extent and drive the development and prosperity of an industry."

Isaac paced back and forth, pointing at the expensive purple fabric on his body.

"For example, everyone in Europe knows that the Roman royal family prefers purple, so the price of murex used to extract high-grade purple dye is naturally high. Kythera Island in the southeast of Morea is one of its main production areas."

"I gave this island to the Navarra Mercenaries under my protection. They can also expand their strength with the huge profits brought by the murex industry. The size of the mercenary group has been expanding year by year, and they are about to be on par with the Catalan Mercenaries."

"Furthermore, I have designated the uniforms of the Purple Guards as blue-purple, and the flags of each legion will also use purple in many places. They will all use violet dye, which is a lower-level substitute for murex. A town outside Bilinchi will specialize in growing violet, and farmers will be able to earn a considerable amount of money in addition to harvesting food."

"This is one of the reasons why I am showing you around today. Do you understand?"

Isaac finished his long sermon and looked expectantly at the ministers he relied on.

"I understand somewhat."

Prime Minister Isult was the first to recover.

"You mean that we can lead the market to a certain extent, thereby changing the value of a commodity, driving the prosperity of an industry, and thus making people's lives better."

"That's the truth!"

Isaac patted his shoulder.

"So, you must drink the coffee I gave you, and use the dried dates and watermelon to entertain visitors. Remember to add the cane sugar produced in the St. William Islands."

Old Zeka, who was standing by, was confused and didn't want to find out more. He just watched the sky gradually darken and his stomach growled.

"Your Majesty, gentlemen, it is getting late. I have prepared some wine. I would like to invite you to my house for a short meal. How about that?"

Old Zeka's eyes were full of anticipation.

He knew very well that the value of wine in a village in the south had skyrocketed due to the praise of Prince Justinian, and there was an endless stream of travelers and poets coming to drink.

"Okay! I'll trouble you then. Remember to catch a few fish, pour some liquor on them, light them on fire and cook them. Add some lemon juice and they'll taste pretty good."

Isaac agreed immediately and asked his guards to go ahead and scout the way into the village.

"How are you doing now?"

Along the way, Isaac chatted with old Zeka.

"It's much better than before. More than half of the villagers joined the uprising, so we can reduce taxes for three years. Last year's harvest was a surplus, and the excess grain can be sent to the market to exchange for money to buy new clothes, replace farm tools, and buy livestock cubs."

"When the Ottomans occupied this place, they didn't allow us to raise pigs and closed down several smoked meat and fish workshops, saying that these things were unclean."

"In fact, there is nothing clean about living off the land. Aren't wheat and barley also grown with fertilizer?"

Old Zeka started chatting about family matters, and seeing that Isaac had a kind face, he also opened up and began to talk.

"The captain of the village militia is your soldier. He served in the Desert Fox Corps of the Guards for five years. One of his eyes was blinded by a stray arrow during the war. He was assigned here as the captain. He teaches the children archery all day long and takes them hunting in the woods. This has made them restless. They no longer want to be farmers and want to go out and make a living, serve you, and build a career..."

"After you drove away the landlords here, my cousin became the elder of the village community because he could read. Last year, he went to Constantinople with the parish priest to receive agricultural training. When he came back, he kept nagging about improving production methods. He vigorously promoted the mulberry-fish pond and the three-field crop rotation system..."

"A lot of new land has been reclaimed in the village, and it is just enough to be distributed to the serfs in the village. There are a total of fifteen men, eight women, and ten children. They have lost their former pride."

"The women were all promised to widowers in the village. Two of them are already pregnant. The Berber children have long been baptized and are learning to speak with the priest. They have been accepted as members of the village."

"The Berber men also had a hard life. We made an agreement with them that after they worked hard for five years and learned to speak, we would allow them to convert to Orthodox Christianity and join our village."

"Your Majesty, we are not the masters of Constantinople. We are not exclusive."

"Does every household in the village still have enough land? Will there not be enough to go around after the population explodes?"

Isaac asked with concern.

"Your Majesty, this place has been barren for too long. There are still many empty wastelands. Don't worry for now."

Old Zeka smiled.

"Just like that Desert Fox soldier said, even if there is not enough land to go around in the future, you will find a new home for the Romans."

"Of course I will."

Isaac was also in a very happy mood.

As the sun sets, a red glow appears on the horizon. The one-eyed militia captain of the nearby village sees Isaac coming, puts on his shiny old military uniform, and excitedly goes forward to greet him. Children run and jump with wooden swords. Villagers crowd into the square, holding baskets filled with carp and fruits. The parish priest stands quietly outside the church at the entrance of the village, making the sign of the cross on his chest.

What a beautiful rural scene with abundant fish and rice!

……

For the entire European continent, 1459 was a year of undercurrents. Various major forces were gearing up, accumulating strength, and salivating over the wealth of Italy.

It is precisely because of this that the people enjoyed the long-lost peace. They did not care about the love and hate of the monarch, the rise and fall of the country, as long as they had enough food and clothing, and had new children, it would be a happy year and they should thank God for it.

Under Isaac's planning, the three major parts of the territory each performed their duties and made progress together. The Black Sea trade began to recover, and Constantinople, which was on the only way, also ushered in the long-awaited dawn after years of darkness.

However, everyone knows that this peace and prosperity are all based on the mutual fear among the major forces. The reason why there is no large-scale fighting is simply because of insufficient strength, which requires time for coordination and planning.

On November 1459, 11, the fragile peace finally broke.

On this day, the Orsini family, a famous Angevin noble family in Naples, openly declared that King Ferdinand was not the biological son of Afonso V, launched an uprising, and invited the Angevin family to return to Naples.

The next day, the Medici family of Florence declared neutrality, but allowed the Angevin army to pass through their borders.

On December 1459, 12, René I of the House of Anjou sent his eldest son, John, Duke of Lorraine, into Florence to lead the army that had been lurking there to attack Naples in the south.

On December 12, as Pope Callixtus III was seriously ill, John, Duke of Lorraine reached a compromise with the College of Cardinals, led his army across the Papal Territory, joined forces with the rebel army of the Orsini family, and officially set foot on the land of southern Italy.

On the same day, King Charles VII of France formed an alliance with the House of Savoy and sent a large army to threaten the Republic of Genoa, demanding that the governor surrender to him.

On December 12, Isaac III, co-emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire, issued a notice in Carthage, which would guarantee the independence of the Kingdom of Naples and the Republic of Genoa and demand that French forces withdraw from the Apennine Peninsula.

King Charles VII of France ignored Isaac's warning and insisted on marching. The knights of the Imperial Order in distinctive armor appeared for the first time in the hills of northwestern Italy.

On December 12, under Isaac's watch, groups of ships set sail from the coast of North Africa and headed north to the western Mediterranean.

That evening, a transport fleet of the Kingdom of France was attacked by the Eastern Roman fleet in the waters south of Sardinia. The flagship Marcus Aurelius was running at full speed and directly rammed a French caravel in half.

On December 1459, 12, envoys from the Kingdom of France came to the court of Carthage and delivered a declaration of war to the Eastern Roman Empire.

The curtain was completely lifted and the war officially began.

If the military farms are cultivated for a long time, great achievements will be made.

Volume 5: The Tiger of the Balkans, Complete

Please look forward to Volume 6: Clash of Kings

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(End of this chapter)