1444, Byzantium Resurrects

Chapter 237 Black Soil Granary
The city of Drasta on the south bank of the Danube.

The city of Drasta is located on the south bank of the Danube. It is the largest city in northern Bulgaria and has a long history. It was once the largest frontier fortress of the Eastern Roman Empire in the northern border. The castles, towers, churches and ancient architectural ruins complement each other and have a very strong medieval style.

During the Ottoman occupation, a large number of Turks moved to the city of Drasta, and the Akh Brotherhood also built branches here to engage in handicrafts and commerce.

After the Battle of Varna, the lower-class Bulgarian Orthodox Christians began to revolt. Since Mahmud had almost withdrawn all the military forces of the Turkish nobles in Drasta, they knew they could not hold the city in the face of internal and external troubles, so they decided to abandon the city, allowed their soldiers to plunder and burn the city, and forced thousands of people to cross the Danube and seek refuge in Wallachia before the arrival of the Eastern Roman Empire army.

When Conte led the Northeast Front Army to the city, it had already turned into ruins. The fire had been extinguished, and charred corpses were everywhere. Wild dogs were searching for food among the broken walls, and the people who had lost their loved ones were crying bitterly on the ruins.

After leaving some soldiers to guard the city walls and repair the city, Conte continued to lead his troops westward, capturing towns and villages south of the Danube and north of the Stara Mountains.

At the same time, Isaac ended his inspection of the central lowlands, handed over the preliminary work of the Rose Valley to his younger brother Manuel, crossed the Shipka Pass, entered the lower Danube plain, and rode at full speed to the city of Drasta.

On the ruined walls of Drasta, Isaac and Bishop Maxim walked side by side, looking at the ruined city.

The debris on the streets has been cleared away, and the bodies of people and animals have been sent to the cemetery outside the city for burial. Outside the charred church, local priests and soldiers of the Eastern Roman Empire have set up a simple relief station. Ragged people line up in long queues, staring at the bubbling pot, waiting to receive a ration.

"All Turks should go to hell."

Maxim looked at the city that was almost in ruins with a cold expression.

"When I last came here, there were more than 20,000 people in Drasta and its affiliated villages. In just a few years, there are less than 3,000 refugees left."

"When the Black Death was at its worst, there were 10,000 people in Drasta."

Isaac smiled but said nothing.

According to him, the Ottoman commander in charge of guarding the city of Drasta was from the Devshirme clan. His mother, sister and wife were all Bulgarian Orthodox Christians. He was quite nice to Bulgarian civilians who were also Orthodox Christians and never interfered with their normal religious activities.

It was not the Ottoman governor but the local Bulgarian tax farmers who actually proposed to sack the city and burn it.

Not only did they forcibly requisition grain and plunder the people in the name of war taxes, they also forced the Ottoman governors to open the ports and allow them to cross the Danube and seek refuge in Wallachia.

"Maxim, Patriarch Isidore has agreed to appoint you as the Metropolitan of Bulgaria. The Bulgarian diocese is nominally subordinate to the Patriarchate of Constantinople, but you can elect priests from various places on your own and submit a report to Constantinople."

"Thank you, Your Majesty. I heard that there is a younger generation in your family who is serving as a priest at the Holy Apostles Church. He is devout in faith and has high moral standards. I would like to invite him to serve in the Bulgarian Metropolitan Diocese and serve as the vice-president of the Constanta Seminary, in charge of personnel promotions."

Maxim bowed slightly, his icy look softened a little, and he looked at Isaac with a smile.

Isaac looked at Maxim with some surprise and nodded slightly to him.

"Okay, then I'll thank you on behalf of Andronica the Younger."

"His father was also named Andronikos. He was the executive dean of the Royal Knights Academy. His two elder brothers served in the military. After the elder Andronikos passed away, he became a priest at the Church of the Holy Apostles."

"This child is well educated. He is familiar with military affairs because of his father's relationship. You can let him take charge of the military department of the seminary."

"However, he is still young after all and needs to grow up."

Maxim nodded and agreed to this matter.

"Has the seminary started construction?"

Isaac asked.

"It has already started. A wealthy man in Constanta was very happy when he heard that we were going to build a seminary. He directly gave us an unused manor. It is surrounded by mountains and rivers and has a lot of space. The armory, granary, study and training ground are all ready-made. We can use them after a little modification."

"Very good. Go tell him that from now on, he will automatically obtain a first-class license for all ports in the empire and can do business freely. Tolls will be collected at the lowest standard."

"I will also send an official letter to the business department to inform them."

Isaac nodded with some relief.

Different methods should be used to treat different people. When dealing with the Bulgarians, if Isaac asked them to contribute to the country in the name of Rome, I am afraid no one would pay attention. But if he asked them to contribute to the church in the name of God, they would be much more receptive and might even take the initiative to donate.

"Then I would like to thank you for your generosity on behalf of that devout believer. May God bless you and him."

Maxim laughed.

Isaac nodded and pondered for a moment.

"It will take some time to build the seminary. During this period, you can travel back and forth between the major towns in Bulgaria, on the one hand to spread the authority of the Metropolitan Church, and on the other hand to help me manage the reconstruction of the destroyed cities."

"Drasta City is a rare large city. It will serve as the capital of the Drasta Region in the future. The reconstruction of this city must be given top priority. I will also call on wealthy businessmen in the country to provide funds to help our Orthodox brothers tide over the difficulties."

Isaac pointed to the ruined church.

"I will personally pay for the reconstruction of this church. This will be my gift to the citizens of Drasta."

“As for the Akinganos, I agreed to their terms and allowed them to roam around major cities. Officials will not drive them away or kill them at will.”

Isaac looked at Maxim.

"However, as a condition of loyalty, we will supervise the Ajingano tribe to a certain extent. I will send a priest to each large tribe with more than 50 people. Later on, these priests will also be provided by the seminary."

"I understand, Your Majesty. I will ask the seminary to pay attention to this."

Maxim nodded.

The two talked for a while, and then a guard ran up to Isaac, knelt on one knee, and presented him a letter with a black bird emblem on it.

"Your Majesty, just now, a Wallachian priest brought this letter, which should be from Grand Duke Vlad III of Wallachia."

Isaac nodded, took the letter, flipped through it casually, and handed it to Maxim beside him.

"Vlad III is ready to negotiate peace. What do you think?"

Maxim looked at it and returned the letter to Isaac.

"Bulgaria has not yet been completely pacified, and Vlad III is unable to fight again. Negotiation is a good option for both sides."

"His tone is quite polite. If you don't want to start another dispute, you might as well accept it."

Isaac thought about it and prepared to agree to Vlad III's request.

"I'm afraid Vlad III is also in a state of panic. Thousands of Ottoman soldiers were stranded in Wallachia during the previous war, and now a large number of Turks have crossed the Danube to seek Vlad III's asylum."

"It will take Vlad III a while just to solve these problems. He will not be able to go south in a short time."

"Your Majesty, if Vlad III succeeds in gaining the loyalty of the remnants of the Janissaries, will his power increase too quickly and pose a threat to us?"

Maxim asked.

"It's not that easy. The cost of maintaining the Janissaries is not low. Mahmud has a high prestige. He can unite them with hatred and his status as Grand Vizier, which can make them endure a life of lack of food and clothing for a while. But Vlad III obviously doesn't have this condition."

Isaac shook his head in disdain.

"If I were Vlad III, I would probably let the Janissaries who didn't want to stay return directly to Anatolia to avoid any trouble."

"With his financial situation, he cannot afford to support such an expensive army."

"However, many Bulgarian landlords and merchants took their money and serfs to Wallachia for refuge. These people are also Orthodox Christians and should be accepted by Wallachia."

"Walachia's strength will certainly grow, but it won't be enough to pose any threat to us."

"Once the Danube Navy is established, they will not be able to move south at will."

Isaac felt a pang of pain when he thought of the large number of wealthy Bulgarians who had fled.

Before leaving, these landlords and wealthy merchants exploited the land and almost plundered northern Bulgaria. Nearly one-tenth of the population was forced to cross the Danube by them.

They worked hard to defeat the Ottomans, but all they got in return was a territory with a declining people's livelihood. Apart from the land, nearly one-sixth of the wealth was taken to Wallachia, and another one-sixth was looted by the Cumans. When the army reaches Sofia, more population and wealth will flow out of Bulgaria.

However, the decline of people's livelihood also meant that a lot of work needed to be done, and the large tracts of vacant land provided a good foundation for Isaac's immigration plan.

Another personal soldier came to report and handed a short message to Isaac.

Isaac recognized the handwriting on the letter; it was from his second son, Alexios.

"Okay, I have something else to do. You go and preside over the reconstruction of the city."

Isaac said to Maxim, then he pulled away, hurried down the city wall, mounted his horse, and galloped out of the city.

In an abandoned village not far from the city of Drasta, the preliminary survey team of the Royal Reclamation Corps was setting up camp. The children of nobles gathered together to chat, complain about the environment here, and imagine the better life after returning to Constantinople.

Their servants were responsible for all mundane chores, including fetching water, cooking, chopping wood, and patrolling... Every noble had his own confidants who he had grown up with. When they grew up, they would often serve as the master's butlers, clerks, and guards.

Here were not only the descendants of the Palaiologos royal family, but also the descendants of the side branches of the big families such as Komnenos, Angelos, Cantacuzenus, Sfrangis, etc. They were all invited to join the royal reclamation team led by Prince Alexios.

The carriages of princes and nobles were parked at the entrance of the village. Hundreds of carriages of various types crowded the entrance of the village. The proud family emblems on the carriages seemed out of place with the dark land around them.

In a dilapidated hut on the edge of the village, Marinos and Marcian were chopping wood in the yard, their sister was fetching water to cook, and their driver was busy repairing the house. The fire was blazing, the smoke was curling, and it was quite warm.

Although Marcian's family background was very ordinary, he did not have to do any work himself. After swinging the axe a few times, he was so tired that he was panting. He quickly took out a handkerchief and wiped the sweat off his face.

"Marinos, how long are we going to stay in this damn place?"

Marcian looked at Marinos who was busy chopping wood and couldn't help but ask.

"I don't know. Maybe a few days, maybe a few weeks. It depends on what His Royal Highness wants."

The axe in Marinos's hand flew up and down, and he seemed very relaxed.

"Maybe, we will settle down here in the future."

"What! I don't want to stay in this wild place."

Marcian dropped his axe and sat down on the stump.

"Are there any other relatives in your family?"

When the wood was almost chopped, Marinus put down his axe and sat next to Marcian.

"No, I am the only man, I have two younger sisters and a widowed aunt."

Marcian shook his head.

"I do have quite a few distant uncles, but they probably don't count. They also want to represent their families to join the Royal Reclamation Group."

"That's it. You have to stay here in the future. If you don't cultivate qualified land, you won't be able to keep the tax reduction privileges for your family's industry."

Marinos chuckled.

"In my opinion, this place is not as wild as you say. If we manage it well, it may become a family business that can be passed down to our descendants."

"I heard from His Royal Highness that we can exchange our land at home for the land here, one for three, and we can also buy serfs and farm tools at a low price, which is a good offer."

Seeing that Marcian didn't say anything, Marinus reached out, grabbed a handful of soil and put it in front of him.

"guess, what is this?"

"Isn't this just dirt? Take it away!"

Marcian waved his hand in disdain.

"This is no ordinary mud,"

Malinos didn't care, he put his nose into the soil and sniffed it gently.

"This is black soil, one of the most suitable soils for growing crops."

"Before my father died, he bought me an official position in the Department of Agriculture and took me to travel all over North Africa and the Balkans. I also learned a lot from several agricultural experts."

"Every kind of soil has crops that are suitable for growing. This black soil is the most suitable for growing food. In my opinion, the black soil here is better than other places."

"According to you, are there other places with this kind of black soil?"

Marcin asked curiously.

"Yes, last year, an old friend of my father's from the Agricultural Bureau went to the Crimean Governorate for an inspection. The black soil there is even larger, almost entirely black soil." "However, Eastern Europe is too far north, with too little sunlight and many swamps and wetlands. Although the black soil there is fertile, it contains too much water and is not suitable for today's agricultural model."

Marinos said with a smile.

"The letter said that if Eastern Europe could be properly tidied up, the swamps could be drained, the forests cut down, and then renovated with a large amount of labor, it would definitely become a world-class granary."

"However, our current agricultural level is obviously not up to par, and we cannot systematically develop the Great Plains of East Europe. This is probably one of the reasons why they still adopt semi-nomadic and semi-agricultural practices."

"If we switch to farming, floods, dark clouds, waterlogging, and any misfortune will cause famine on the Great Plains of Eastern Europe. Compared with farming, nomadic herding is more resistant to natural disasters."

Marinos threw aside the black soil and looked at Marcian.

"If Your Majesty can provide sufficient serfs, livestock, and tools, I intend to sell the land and mill in Thessaly and move my family here."

"Why don't you move here too? We can try to arrange our land together so we can take care of each other."

"Do I have a choice? I have to move here whether I want to or not."

Marcian smiled bitterly.

"I have two manors at home. Let's sell the smaller one. The larger one was given to me by Emperor Michael himself. I don't want to sell it."

"When we become neighbors, you, as an agricultural expert, must help me."

"Don't worry. Since His Majesty has even brought in the royal family, he will certainly not abandon us. There will definitely be follow-up assistance."

Marinos was very happy and patted Marcian on the shoulder.

"We are a benchmark set by His Majesty, which clearly shows that Bulgaria will be managed as a core region. Only when we, the pioneers, succeed, will the people feel at ease to follow the immigrants."

"Alas, I'm not worried about that. It's okay to suffer a little. I'm just afraid that the northern barbarians will come south to plunder. That would cost me my life."

Marcian sighed.

"The royal family is guarding the border. I haven't seen them for many years."

Marinos stood up and swung the axe in his hand.

"Haha, everyone says that our family is good at strategy and is good at all kinds of conspiracies and tricks, but our family also has many iron-blooded and good fighters. If the empire needs me, I am willing to be at the forefront."

As the two were talking, Selina ran over and invited everyone to eat together.

Although the two ladies were considered noble ladies, their family had fallen into poverty and they had learned some cooking skills. The meals were simple but delicious, and the family gathered together, talking and laughing until the sun set.

……

At the same time, Alexios brought several important nobles to a manor outside the city and met Isaac in the house.

The table was piled with drawings, and Isaac was surrounded by a group of engineers, several of whom were talking in French.

"Alexios, you are here. I am busy. Please wait for a moment."

Isaac touched Alexios' head and nodded to the nobles, signaling them to stay calm.

After a while, several engineers bowed and said goodbye and went back to rest. Isaac waved to the nobles and led them out of the manor.

After going around a hillside, several people looked at the huge building in front of them with their eyes wide open.

"Dutch windmill. Some engineers and I were just discussing this."

"This is the largest windmill ever built. Four architects and dozens of workers worked overtime to build it in just half a month."

Isaac pointed at the humming windmill and looked at everyone with a smile.

"This windmill is very useful. It can not only grind grain, drain stagnant water, roll wool and press oil, but also regulate flooding and protect farmland by constantly pumping and draining water."

"It can be said that it was with this large windmill that the Dutch were able to reclaim land from swamp forests and low-lying wetlands and build their homes."

Isaac pointed to the roof of the windmill.

"The canopy of the Dutch windmill can rotate, which allows it to fully absorb wind energy from all directions. On the one hand, it is not easy to be damaged by wind force in the opposite direction, and on the other hand, it can ensure that it can rotate all year round."

"Your Majesty, I have been to the Netherlands when I traveled around the continent. From what I have observed, the Netherlands is located on the Atlantic coast and has strong westerly winds all year round. I'm afraid Bulgaria doesn't have this condition, right?"

A young man asked.

"Yes, Thanos, it's good that you can observe and think while traveling."

Isaac gave Thanos an encouraging smile.

Thanos is the second son of Theophilus and is Isaac's cousin in terms of seniority.

"The Netherlands is low-lying and has limited water resources, but abundant wind resources, and their windmills are designed for this purpose."

"We took this into consideration and made some improvements to the original Dutch windmills. Simply put, we referenced the German region and installed water-powered wheel groups on the windmills to reduce their dependence on wind power."

Isaac said.

"In the lower Danube plain, the wind blows from the north in winter, with strong winds and weak currents, and in summer, the wind blows from the west, with weaker winds but strong currents."

"The rainfall here is very even throughout the year, but the four seasons are distinct. In summer, the sunlight is strong and the evaporation is large, so we don't have to worry about water accumulation. We can use the water-powered wheel group to grind flour and squeeze oil."

"In winter, the sunlight is weak and the evaporation is low, but the wind is strong, so we can make full use of the north wind to drain the swamps and continue to grind flour."

"Although it snows here in winter, rivers and puddles generally do not freeze. Draining the accumulated water at this time will also help us prevent possible flooding next year."

Seeing that the nobles had no interest in this, Isaac simply stopped explaining.

"This type of windmill will only be used in certain areas. When you come here to open up new land, you will inevitably have to deal with these things, so you will understand."

"Come with me. I have something else to show you."

Isaac brought a few people to the stable of the manor, where a group of sturdy horses were eating hay.

"Suffolk, Flemish, Shire."

Isaac pointed at the horses and introduced them one by one.

"These are heavy horses, native to England and Flanders, and I had a lot of trouble bringing them here."

"Both the Shire and the Flemish Horse are heavy draft horses, hardy, docile, hardworking and well suited for hauling heavy loads, as well as for plowing fields and building ditches and draining swamps."

"The Suffolk horse is better and more economical. It eats much less than the first two types of horses, has a long lifespan, is easy to keep, is suitable for farming and hauling goods, and can be said to be a specialized 'farming machine'."

"I plan to introduce these heavy horses to the lower Danube plain to help reclaim the wasteland."

Isaac walked to the fence and patted a sleeping Suffolk horse, telling it to get up and eat.

"Don't underestimate these details. If you use the right method, you can often achieve twice the result with half the effort."

"These horses are much stronger than ordinary oxen. They can plow fields, travel, and fight. Flemish horses are the main source of war horses in the area."

Compared with Eastern civilization, Europe generally adopted draft horses rather than oxen after the 12th century. This is related to the nature of the land, natural conditions and cultural heritage. Horses are more expensive than cows, but horses are also an important military material. Their role in transportation and warfare is not comparable to that of oxen, and their overall value is higher.

"The plains in the lower reaches of the Danube are suitable for both grazing and farming. It is difficult to reclaim large tracts of land in a short period of time. We must adopt a development model that combines farming and animal husbandry. Later, I will also introduce Boer goats from South Africa here, so that you will have another way to make money."

"Your Majesty has thought it through, and we really admire it."

Thanos said sincerely.

Isaac smiled and shook his head.

"You are all my beloved relatives, friends, brothers, and I brought you here to open up the land so that you can get some training, not as a punishment."

"Okay, I brought you to see these things just to boost your confidence. The Royal Reclamation Corps still needs your help. The land division and purchase standards, farm tools, serfs and livestock subsidy policies will also be issued in the near future. You can walk around first and try to discover the extraordinaryness of this land."

After they said goodbye and left, Isaac and Alexios continued walking on the ridges of the fields near the manor.

The Lower Danube Plain, also known as the Wallachian Plain, is located in the Ukrainian Black Soil Belt and has very good agricultural potential.

Of course, in the 15th century, the world's three major black soil belts had not been systematically developed and were still covered with swamps, puddles and forests, which was not conducive to human habitation and food cultivation.

"Father, you haven't had enough rest these past few days. Even if you have a lot to do, you must take care of yourself!"

Alexios said with some concern when he saw Isaac looked haggard.

"Don't worry. I will return to Carthage to rest as soon as I have settled the matter here. Bulgaria has not been completely pacified yet, and the Ottomans are on the alert. We still have to take a long time to plan the attack on Anatolia."

Isaac held his son's hand.

"Why do you value this plain so much?"

Isaac glanced at him.

That's even a question, because the empire has very few large plains suitable for farming.

"This is black soil. If we can cultivate it, we can harvest a lot of food every year and feed a large population."

Alexius tilted his head and thought about it.

"Father, I heard from Justinian that Eastern Europe also has black soil. Can we turn it into our granary in the future?"

“It’s difficult. Very difficult.”

Isaac shook his head slowly.

"The difficulty of reclaiming the East European Great Plain is much higher than that of the lower Danube Plain. The temperature is too low, the sunlight is insufficient, and the rivers, lakes, swamps, vast meadows and dense forests are everywhere. It's daunting to look at them. I don't know where to start."

"The black soil there is more extensive and more fertile, but it is difficult to cultivate."

Isaac smiled.

"The natural conditions there are quite harsh. Even though they have the most fertile land, famine often occurs. This is not something that can be solved by human or animal power."

"Perhaps one day, new machines will bring new power. Only then can the Great Plain of East Europe be truly developed. However, we will never see that day."

Isaac picked up a handful of black soil and rubbed it between his fingertips.

"The lower Danube plain is close to the south, with better sunlight conditions, and the winter temperature is not too low. There are not as many swamps and wetlands as in Eastern Europe, so it can be reclaimed through our efforts."

There are also differences in black soil. The black soil in the lower Danube plain is mostly chernozem and chestnut soil. Its fertility is slightly lower than that of the black soil in Eastern Europe, but it contains less water, is looser, and is easier to plow.

"Okay, let's go back. Since you volunteered to lead the Royal Reclamation Corps, you have to spend more time on me."

Isaac knocked Alexios on the head.

"I will leave tomorrow. The rest is up to you. If you run into any trouble, try to figure it out yourself. If you can't figure it out, ask the helpers I left for you."

"I will, Father."

Alexius nodded.

"You're leaving? In such a hurry?"

"Is there a war in North Africa?"

Alexius asked rapidly.

"No, it's not a war, it's a good thing."

Isaac said mysteriously.

"Da Gama's fleet is back."

(End of this chapter)