1444, Byzantium Resurrects

Chapter 235: City of Roses
After bidding farewell to Bishop Maximus, Isaac rode away from Constanta at full speed and headed southwest.

After taking a short rest in the city of Sliven and meeting with local priests and merchant representatives, Isaac continued his journey westward.

The convoy traveled on a dirt road. To the north was the endless Stara Mountains, to the south was the undulating Densa River, and to the south of the Densa River was the remnant of the Stara Mountains.

The Denza River originates near the Botev Peak in the middle section of the Stara Mountains, meanders eastward along the southern foot of the Stara Mountains, turns south near the city of Yambol, and flows into the Maritsa River in Adrianople. It is the most important tributary of the Maritsa River.

The Densa River is not suitable for navigation but is suitable for irrigation. There are many iron mines in the lower reaches, and the water in the upper reaches is relatively turbulent, rushing through the mountain canyons.

Isaac looked out the window, gazing at the rolling Stara Mountains. The snow on the peaks had not yet melted, but the halfway up the mountain was already green. The sound of deer could be heard in the forest, and occasionally a few wild rabbits would jump out on the roadside.

Just as he was thinking about his worries, the convoy slowly stopped. Before Isaac could ask any questions, his younger brother Manuel lifted the curtain from outside.

"Brother, we are about to enter the valley. There is a Slaves cavalry patrolling ahead. Do you want to meet them?"

"Let them come."

Isaac said.

After a while, Slavice captain Afif came to the outside of the carriage with several Slavice cavalrymen, knelt on one knee and saluted Isaac.

"The 6,000th Slaves Legion salutes you, Your Majesty."

Isaac jumped out of the carriage and helped Afif up.

"Long time no see, dear Afif, I didn't expect you to be stationed here."

Isaac took a look at Afif's bronze face and muscular body and patted his shoulder in appreciation.

"Yes, Your Majesty. Although there are not many residents in this valley, the Shipka Pass in the north is a strategic location. General Ibrahim sent us here to guard it."

Isaac waved his hand, signaling the Slaves cavalry to stand up.

The Slaves Corps was Isaac's private army, with its own pastures, settlements, hospitals and schools. Its members were all Berber herders who converted to Orthodoxy.

In principle, they reported directly to Isaac personally and did not obey the command of the imperial government. Their nomadic territories did not belong to the local administrative departments but were coordinated by Isaac's personal steward.

With the expansion of the North African territory, the Slaves Legion's pastures have also undergone several expansions and have now expanded to a size of eight thousand-man teams.

Isaac's purpose has always been very clear, using what method in what place. Some lands are not suitable for farming or establishing villages, so the only way to govern them is to adopt a nomadic model.

Most of the Slaves pastures are arid and cannot grow crops, but they can grow grass. If Isaac leaves it alone, other Berber tribes will always come to those places.

Since nomadic tribes are bound to appear here, why can't they be nomadic tribes that are loyal to themselves?
However, the output of these pastures is very limited, not enough for the entire Slaves Legion to live a good life. If Isaac simply leaves them there, they will naturally feel resentful when they see the prosperity of the farming areas in the north. Over time, their loyalty will weaken and hostility will grow.

In order to solve this problem and to increase their centripetal force towards the empire, Isaac mainly adopted two methods.

During wartime, Isaac would drag them onto the battlefield and distribute the spoils to them. This way, their strength would not grow too quickly, and the war money would ensure that they could live a comfortable life.

If you have money, you have to spend it. The settlements of Slaves obviously cannot produce precious goods, so they have to buy things produced in big cities. Over time, they will be tied to the chariot of the empire.

In peacetime, Isaac promoted the "rotational garrison" system, sending some of the Slaves' thousand-man teams to major cities and border areas to perform garrison missions. The teams were rotated every six months, with subsidies shared by the central and local governments. At the same time, they were allowed to cross the border and plunder hostile towns and villages.

The captain Afif in front of him was one of the few senior officers in the Slaves Legion who could write Greek. He grew up in the wave of Hellenization in Cyrenaica. From language to religion to conversation, there was no trace of the native Berbers left.

It was precisely because of this that he received a lot of preferential treatment from Isaac. Not only was his team of a thousand men allocated better pastures, but he was also appointed by Isaac to be the first to go to Constantinople for rotation.

"Are you the only team of 1,000 people?"

Isaac asked.

"No, Your Majesty, there is a detachment of shooting troops that has just arrived from Billinge. They are stationed at Shipka Pass."

Afif said.

"Oh? Has Bilinchi's shooting corps been formed?"

Isaac was a little surprised.

"Yes, Your Majesty. Bilinchi is a slave transportation hub. The city guards there are more than in other places, and it is much easier to recruit black slaves than in other places."

"This time they sent a thousand-man army, of which three hundred were regular shooters and seven hundred were temporarily recruited West African slaves."

Afif scratched his head.

"Those West African natives were smoothed over by their slave owners and are now simple and honest. I sent them to repair fortifications and build camps at the mountain pass."

"Well, you did a good job."

Isaac nodded, took the reins from Manuel, and climbed on the horse.

Afif and several Slaves cavalrymen also mounted their barb horses to lead Isaac.

"I haven't visited you guys for a few years. How are you guys doing lately?"

On the way to the valley, Isaac looked at Afif.

"Everything is fine. I just hope to fight. Fighting brings quick money."

Afif said with a smile.

"Oh? What if I lose?"

"How can I lose if I follow you?"

Afif shook his head disapprovingly.

"Besides, if we lose, there will be a lot of free pastureland, and the pressure of survival will be reduced."

"It's not like we Slaves cavalry haven't been defeated before. At this time two years ago, a Slaves cavalry of a thousand men was stationed in Constantina and went to the Atlas Mountains to rob slaves. They were ambushed and less than three hundred men escaped."

"The warriors did die, but their sons and brothers took over their fathers' horses and scimitars and continued to fight for you."

"If there are no sons, the grassland will be taken over by the Thousand Man Team and distributed to soldiers who have made meritorious contributions."

Afif smiled at Isaac.

"Children on the grassland are used to seeing life and death, and have long been accustomed to such things. They won't harbor any resentment for it."

"The Slaves Legion has been established for more than a decade, and the second generation of Slaves has begun to enter the legion. Many of them have spoken Greek since childhood, and some of them can't even speak Berber very well."

"But none of them like to read or write. The only thing many of them can write is your name and the names of several princes."

Isaac nodded and smiled.

According to Isaac's regulations, the pasture of the Slaves Legion belonged to the thousand-man team. When a cavalryman became old and weak, he could pay a sum of money and pass on his original pasture and house to his children, forming a de facto inheritance.

This method certainly has its pros and cons. The biggest advantage is that the children of the older generation of cavalry have received education from the Thousand Man Team since childhood, and are more loyal to Isaac and have a stronger centripetal force towards the Slaves group.

As for combat effectiveness… in border areas, kind and gentle people simply cannot survive.

"Among the children of Slaves, is there a high percentage who rejoin the Legion?"

Isaac asked again.

“It’s quite high, but it’s not all.”

Afif said with a smile.

"Some old cavalrymen have become wealthy and have seen the prosperity of big cities. They don't want to stay in the frontier any longer, nor do they want their children to continue to fight on the battlefield. They often leave the legion with their families and settle in big cities."

"Most of these people went to Carthage to settle down. They all lived together and formed a caravan together to transport supplies for the legion."

"Some old cavalrymen had too many children and not enough pasture to share, so the eldest son stayed in the regiment and the other children went out to make a living."

"Why don't you go to Constantinople? It's more prosperous than Carthage."

Isaac asked casually.

"We would like to go, but housing in Constantinople is too expensive and the citizens don't like us very much, so why bother ourselves?"

Afif shook his head.

"Some residents were unwilling to accept us and kept calling us barbarians and criticizing our accents. Over time, no one wanted to go."

Isaac frowned slightly when he heard this.

"It doesn't matter. They are not targeting you. Even if the pure Romans from Trebizond went to Constantinople, they would be called "Pontic"."

"There are more than 200,000 people in Constantinople now, and less than half are local indigenous people. In the future, there will be fewer and fewer people who retain old ideas."

"By the way, how is your family doing lately? I heard from other Slaves officers that your family is doing well lately."

Afif smiled reservedly.

"With the blessing of the Holy Father, everything is fine."

"My younger brother went to school for a few years and later became a businessman, engaged in ocean trade. My mother lived with him."

"My eldest son is nine years old and is receiving military education in the Thousand-Man Corps. My second son is six years old and was recently invited by the Queen to go to Carthage to study with the prince."

"I also have a newborn daughter. I hope she can marry into a good family in the future."

Isaac nodded, feeling very happy. The horse team quickened their pace and in a blink of an eye they arrived at the center of the valley. The town ahead was in sight.

"Your Majesty, ahead is the largest settlement here, Kazanlak Town. We still have patrol missions to perform, so we will send you there."

Afif stopped his horse and bowed to Isaac.

"Okay, we brought your supplies, remember to come back tonight and get some rest."

After the Slaves cavalry left, the convoy began to enter the town. Priests and elders came out of the city to greet them. Manuel commanded the transport team to unload food, weapons and other supplies.

After chatting casually with the local dignitaries for a while, Isaac took Manuel and several personal guards and walked in the countryside, relaxing and looking for things he wanted to see.

"Manuel, in your opinion, is my handling of the Slaves Corps right or wrong?"

Isaac groaned.

"Why do you ask that, brother?"

Manuel was stunned for a moment and looked at Isaac.

"Since the establishment of the Slaves Corps, many officials have raised objections and advised me not to give them such a special status to avoid it becoming too powerful to be removed."

"Among these people, there are priests, ministers, and officers. They all have concerns about this private army that only obeys me."

"I would like to hear your views."

Manuel thought about it.

"In my opinion, there is no risk of rebellion from the Slaves Legion in the short term. Your prestige is high enough, and your pace of expansion will not stop. War after war consumes their strength, fills their pockets, and also makes the economic ties between them and the empire closer. They have no reason to rebel."

"North Africa needs such a force to maintain its rule, occupy pastures, and drive out the remaining Berber tribes, thereby indirectly protecting the coastal farming areas."

"However, these places cannot be completely brought under the control of the empire. It is also difficult for the desert nomads to completely accept our culture. At most, they can be consistent with us in language and religion."

"When the expansion of the empire stops, they will lose their economic source and inevitably become dissatisfied. They are likely to go north to plunder and return to their old business as nomadic tribes."

"Of course, this happened a long time ago, and no one can tell."

Manuel thought about it.

"If you think from the perspective of the family, I suggest you don't listen to the ministers' advice. Keeping a military force independent of the empire will help consolidate the authority of our family."

"The Varangian Guard, the Cuman Rangers, the Pecheneg Rangers, your Slavic Cavalry and Justinian's Cossack Cavalry are all special creatures of this kind."

"The people, ministers and even officers don't like them, but this does not prevent the monarch from loving them." Isaac nodded slightly.

"Don't worry. In the next two hundred years, we will continue to expand and there will be no shortage of wars. As long as our descendants don't mess around, their loyalty will not decrease."

"Two hundred years from now, with the advancement of technology, they will become able to sing and dance."

"Brother, in my opinion, you should consider slowing down the pace of expansion and consolidating the existing territory."

Manuel said.

"Why do you say that?"

Isaac's expression remained unchanged.

“Several teachers said that continuous wars would cause great damage to society, people’s livelihood projects would stagnate, and cultural dissemination would be slow.”

"Furthermore, war will create a large number of military nobles. The source of their power is also war, and they will unconsciously desire to continue to expand. In this way, the entire country will inevitably turn into a chariot, rushing forward regardless of anything. When a war stops, they will be eager for the next one, until the treasury is emptied and people's livelihood is in decline."

"When the monarchs realize their mistake and want to stop the war and recuperate, they will become the biggest obstacle."

Manuel repeated the words of several teachers.

"I think what they said makes sense. You can slow down the pace of the war and take some time to build and recuperate."

"What you said is true, but it is too one-sided and narrow-minded."

Isaac was silent for a moment, then spoke.

"But I am very pleased that you can tell me these things. Many ministers dare not tell me directly."

"It's too early to talk about this now. Wait a few years and you'll understand why I keep expanding and why I don't want to stop."

"I can say very clearly that I hope that the next few monarchs will also have this enterprising spirit, rather than just defending the status quo."

Isaac shook his head and quickened his pace.

In his opinion, Manuel and his colleagues were ultimately unable to break out of the framework of the times, their vision was limited, and they were indeed somewhat confined.

The next two hundred years will be the most important era of great change in human history. During these two hundred years, there will be many opportunities, but they will all be fleeting. Many countries will rise suddenly, while many countries will continue to weaken.

This era was later called the Age of Discovery.

Ultimately, this is an era of exploration, discovery, plunder and colonial expansion, an era full of opportunities and blood, in which there is only one truth.

Strength is better than hard work.

Robbing from the Indians once is equivalent to a hundred years of business.

From a population perspective, even if Isaac reclaimed all available arable land, the benefits would not be as great as bringing potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn and cassava from America, thereby making full use of the idle land in the mountains and hills.

From an economic perspective, no matter how well wine and olive oil sell, they will never be able to outsell tobacco, coffee, sugar, diamonds and American cotton.

Not to mention the large amounts of precious metals and cheap labor in America and Africa, which are countless wealth.

Continuous expansion will promote the invention and application of new technologies, making the strong stronger and the weak weaker.

Many things are disposable and will be gone once they are snatched away. If future generations do not have sufficient enterprising spirit, it will be difficult to seize such a great opportunity.

The profits of colonial expansion are compounded, and when others have divided up all the land under the sun, it becomes extremely difficult to squeeze in.

Seeing that Manuel was a little depressed, Isaac smiled and touched his head.

"Wars must be fought, land must be fought for, but construction cannot stop there. If done properly, the three are not incompatible, but can complement each other."

Isaac squatted down and picked a budding flower from the roadside.

"Here, I found it."

Isaac handed the flowers to Manuel.

Manuel sniffed gently, and a rich fragrance came to his face.

"Rose?"

"Yes, to be precise, this is the Turkic rose, also known as the Damascus rose."

Isaac broke off a flower bud, put it in his mouth, and felt the refreshing fragrance.

"Taste it?"

Isaac handed another bud to Manuel.

Manuel thought about it, put it in his mouth, and immediately widened his eyes.

"It's very good. There's an indescribable good feeling."

"Haha, this kind of rose is more than just edible. If handled properly, it can be another cash cow for us in the future."

Isaac looked at a small rose bush on the side of the road with a smile on his face.

Rosa tamasca, a plant native to Asia Minor, was later transplanted to Damascus and widely cultivated, and was called "Damask Rose".

Later, the plant was transplanted to Bulgaria, where it flourished brilliantly and the reputation of "Bulgarian Rose" spread throughout the world.

Bulgarian rose has a huge yield and a very high oil yield. It is the best variety for producing rose essential oil and rose hydrosol and has very high economic value.

This flower has a wide range of uses. It can not only be used in food and medicine, but can also be made into excellent quality perfumes, essential oils and spices, and is deeply loved by the nobility.

European aristocrats have long loved perfumes and spices, but their own production capacity is extremely limited and they are very dependent on supplies from the Islamic world.

The flower industry also has a long history. The Levant was once the flower production center of the entire Mediterranean world. Medieval European nobles flocked to these things and spent a lot of money on them, but the best flower perfumes were still in short supply and were called "liquid gold."

The Turkic rose was introduced to the Balkan region across the sea very early, but it has never been widely produced and systematically cultivated. In the original time and space, Bulgaria's rose industry originated during the reign of Ottoman Sultan Murad III. In order to meet the needs of the court, he began to send people to look for land suitable for growing roses in the country.

Eventually, Murad III's gardener walked into Bulgaria, into this valley, into Kazanlak.

Thus, the legendary story of the Bulgarian rose officially began. In the following centuries, the rose industry in Kazanlak became more and more prosperous and enjoyed a high reputation throughout the world.

Later, Kazanlak was called the "Rose City" and the valley was also called the "Rose Valley".

It is located in the valley on the southern foot of the central Stara Mountains. To the north, the majestic Stara Mountains block the cold wind blowing from the north. To the south, the warm current of the Mediterranean flows through the canyon along the Denza River, bringing warm and humid air.

The unique climatic conditions and sandy soil suitable for rose growth make this place the world's only producer of oil roses and rose oil. Bulgaria is therefore known as "God's Back Garden".

Isaac played with the thorny stem in his hand, a smile on his face.

"I have always believed that every piece of land has its own unique value, and roses are Bulgaria's greatest economic value."

"Brother, are you planning to promote rose cultivation here?"

Manuel asked.

"It's not just about growing roses. I want to build a whole rose industry, including a perfume factory, a spice workshop, and a food workshop that mainly produces roses."

"Believe me, if we can expand the scale of production, we can definitely make a fortune from Bulgarian roses. We can also improve the living standards of the lower classes and increase their centripetal force towards the empire."

Isaac took out a knife, cut off a piece of the stem at an angle, removed the green leaves, and stuck it into the soil again.

"I plan to focus on developing this valley and relocate all the scattered flower growers nearby. I will also arrange for the Minister of Agriculture to come and inspect, divide the land, and promote planting techniques."

"For example, what I just did is called cuttings, which has the advantages of simple operation, low cost, and short propagation cycle. It is a very simple change, but it can greatly improve production efficiency."

"If there is aloe vera here, I can also apply aloe vera juice to the place where the stem enters the soil to improve the rooting rate."

Isaac looked around and saw no trace of aloe vera, feeling a little disappointed.

"In the future, I will write some detailed tips on rose cultivation. They don't require any advanced technology, but they are all very useful."

"After the industry is concentrated, new technologies will surely continue to emerge, which is an advantage that the traditional model does not have."

Isaac opened the water bag and watered the rose cuttings.

"Then there is the perfume industry, which is really lucrative. The European population is increasing year by year, and the number of wealthy people is also increasing year by year. The roses produced in Syria can no longer meet the market demand. This is a good time for us to make efforts."

"What about the skilled craftsmen? There aren't many people in Bulgaria who know how to make perfume."

Manuel asked.

"That's true."

Isaac nodded.

"The perfume industry is an industry that involves many fields. Technology, talent, and facilities are all indispensable."

"Since we can't solve these problems by ourselves in a short period of time, we might as well look abroad."

“I will write to the governor of Damascus and ask him to allow me to recruit skilled flower growers and perfume craftsmen in Syria and purchase professional distillation facilities.”

"What if he doesn't want to?"

Manuel was a little worried.

"The rose industry is also his cash cow. I guess he doesn't want another competitor, right?"

"Humph, that's not up to him."

Isaac snorted.

"Writing to him is a sign of respect for him. If he dares not agree, I will just snatch it away."

"There are many bandits in Syria. At worst, I can use my money to support them and let them tie the flower growers and perfume craftsmen directly to my ship, along with their families."

"As for the equipment, we can just steal the blueprints. Our manual manufacturing capabilities are ahead of many countries, and are only slightly behind Northern Italy."

"Besides, there are many factions in Syria, and different towns are controlled by different lords. The governor of Damascus cannot rule deeply into the grassroots. I am recruiting talents with high salaries and generous benefits, and there will definitely be people who are tempted."

"Just wait and see. When it comes to growing Bulgarian roses, no place in the world can compare to Kazanlak. In a few years, the entire European rose market will be filled with our products."

Isaac looked at Manuel.

"You are good at logistics. I will leave the early operations of Rose Valley to you. You don't have to worry about technology, talent, and facilities. You only need to coordinate the supply of materials."

"There will be a big construction here soon. The town will be expanded, the roads will be renovated, and the land will be cleared."

"But don't worry too much. I will send the housekeeper to assist you."

"Thank you for your trust, my brother. I will try my best to complete it!"

Manuel was thrilled.

Isaac thought about it and continued.

"Rose perfume is a big industry. Once the perfume craft matures, we can also enter other fields, such as lavender perfume, citrus perfume, ambergris and so on."

"I'm going to set up a company. If you think this is a good idea, you can ask your mother to invest some money. I guarantee that it will be profitable."

"After this, there will be many similar companies, and the investment doors will be open to you."

"If you want to be a good Grand Duke of Serbia and stop being a figurehead for the nobles, you can't be without money in your pocket. You must have a source of funds independent of the nobles, and you must also have an army independent of the nobles."

"I understand. I will persuade my mother."

Manuel nodded heavily.

(End of this chapter)