1444, Byzantium Resurrects

Chapter 240 Eastern Lion
The city of Carthage, on the southern coast of the Mediterranean Sea.

September in Carthage is very comfortable. The breeze blows away the summer heat, and the drizzle brings the coolness of autumn. The farms and villages around the city begin to busy themselves with the sowing of winter wheat, and the workshops in the city are also constantly hammering and banging.

The beautiful and busy U-shaped port has been expanded again, with merchant ships coming and going in an endless stream. Cotton, ivory and gold from West Africa and South Africa are unloaded here and transported by carriage teams to workshops, markets and warehouses. Slaves from the Atlas Mountains are loaded here and transported to the Bilinchi slave port one ship after another.

In the bazaar of Carthage, you can buy wine from North Macedonia, fennel from Athens, silk from Mystras, and industrial products from Constantinople. You can see Russians and Goths from the Black Sea coast, Pontic and Georgian people from Asia Minor, well-dressed Italian merchants and Iberian nobles. If you are lucky, you can even run into Congolese and Khoisan priests who come to give speeches in the cathedral.

Mediterranean whites hate the natives, and priests are no exception, but everyone maintains superficial respect and hides the discrimination and prejudice in their hearts.

Carthage is an immigrant city, more open than Constantinople. The Berber natives during the Hafsid dynasty have long since become a minority, and immigrants of all ethnic groups from all over the world live together in various districts of the city. In order to facilitate daily communication, most of them can speak a few words of broken Greek.

After nearly ten years of missionary work and immigration, the towns and villages around Carthage have basically converted to Eastern Orthodoxy, but the ethnic composition is still mixed. In terms of ancestry, Greek immigrants and Greek-American mixed-race people only account for two-fifths.

Of course, on the registers, everyone was defined as a full-fledged Roman, whether they wanted to or not.

In the past decade, the Muslim community that was once active around Carthage has greatly decreased. Some shallow believers converted to Orthodoxy in order to avoid double taxes, and those who were determined not to convert were either sent to various serfdom estates in North Africa and the Balkans, or fled to the depths of the Atlas Mountains in the southwest.

In the past two years, with the ongoing Karaman War and the continued unrest on the northern coast of the Black Sea, a large number of Armenian Orthodox and Slavic Orthodox Christians arrived in North Africa, continuing to squeeze the living space of Muslims. The remaining Muslim communities began to gather in the Holy City of Kairu to seek the protection of the Grand Mufti.

The Kairouan Region is the most special of the first-level administrative regions in the Eastern Roman Empire. The Grand Mufti has considerable autonomy here and can participate in administrative and religious management. The Holy City of Kairouan has basically remained the same as it was during the Hafsid Dynasty, and the number of foreign immigrants has never exceeded one thousand.

The Orthodox immigrants nearby all knew that Kairouan was a reservation reserved by the emperor for Muslims, and the government did not intervene much and always adopted a laissez-faire attitude.

Many Muslims who were unwilling to convert regarded Kairouan as their last home. Some devout people who regarded the Kairouan sect as heresy used it as a temporary resting place, ready to go to the mountains in the west, and then to the Zayanid Dynasty in Tlemcen and the Marinid Dynasty in Morocco.

This has also led to an increasing number of Muslim communities around the Holy City of Kairou, and the population is very dense. The city has long been overcrowded. The originally holy white city has become the largest crime center in North Africa, with skinny homeless people everywhere, and sewage and mountains of domestic garbage everywhere.

Kairouan is a religious city with no valuable specialties, not much fertile land, and almost zero handicraft output. In order to make a living, the residents of the city either go to the more chaotic mountains or go to the Eastern Roman Empire's archery camp outside the city.

Many criminal leaders even colluded with slave traders from the Eastern Roman Empire, deliberately selling Muslim vagrants around the city to them at extremely low prices. Since the base was large enough, the leaders could still make a lot of wealth and live a life without worries about food and clothing.

It's not that they didn't think about resisting, but the extreme lack of weapons and equipment and the weakness caused by long-term hunger meant that their hastily organized rebel army was no match for the elite soldiers of the Eastern Roman Empire. Every uprising ended in failure and only brought more tragic damage.

The shooting corps of Kairouan has been stationed in the east of the city for a long time. The priests have built a small wooden church here. There are no flowers or grass outside the church, only rows of large stew pots with delicious food cooked in them. The fragrance drifts along the breeze, into the city and into everyone's nostrils.

Heaven and hell are often only a short distance apart.

From time to time, hungry Muslims would forget the instructions of the Ulema and move mechanically, driven by the instinct for survival, to the side of the church.

Be baptized, take the oath, register, eat, learn a few simple Greek sentences for daily life, and congratulations, you are now a complete Roman. You can freely go to any city in the empire, pray and worship like the Orthodox Christians, no longer have to pay heavy taxes, and no longer have to endure harassment from slave-hunting groups.

Since their previous values ​​have completely collapsed, the Berbers who have joined Orthodox Christianity in this way often become very radical and more hostile to their former Muslim compatriots. Many of them are even unwilling to farm and spontaneously organize slave-hunting teams to engage in a bloody livelihood.

The darkness and bloodiness of the inland fed the serfdom estates along the northern coast. The serfdom estates along the coast in turn sent grain and low-level agricultural and pastoral products to the big cities. Together with the equally bloody overseas colonial industry, they fed the prosperity and prosperity of the city of Carthage.

At this time, the city of Carthage was holding a grand festival to celebrate the return of the East India exploration fleet. Everyone had a proud smile on their face and a big glass of beer in their hands. The spices piled up in the market attracted merchants and nobles from all over the Mediterranean. Everyone marveled at the wealth of India, talked about the East India Company and the East India Fleet that was being formed, and were indulging in the vision of a prosperous future.

The news of the discovery of India created a short-lived wave in the Mediterranean world, which gradually subsided with the passage of time. European countries were still busy with their own work and had no spare energy to turn their attention to the distant East.

As the first power in Europe, the situation in the Kingdom of France was not peaceful. The centralization of power by King Louis XI soon aroused the dissatisfaction of the major feudal lords. Charles the Bold of the Duchy of Burgundy won over the major vassals and established a "Public Welfare Alliance". He engaged in a protracted struggle with Louis XI, and conflicts and wars continued.

The War of the Roses in the Kingdom of England has not yet ended. The House of York has temporarily gained the upper hand, the Lancaster Party has dispersed, Queen Margaret has fled to France, and King Henry VI has been imprisoned in the Tower of London, facing the black walls and living a difficult life.

On the distant southern shore of the Baltic Sea, the Thirteen Years' War between the Kingdom of Poland and the Teutonic Knights was drawing to a close. The Teutonic Knights had completely lost their ability to resist, and the German states were powerless and could only watch their fellow Germans fall into the clutches of the Poles.

On the northern shore of the Baltic Sea, the Kalmar Union was caught in an ongoing internal conflict. The contradictions between the Danish and Swedish nobles gradually intensified. Christian I and Charles VIII fought fiercely for the Swedish throne. The central authority fell to the bottom, and various noble families seized power one after another. Anyone could see that the Nordic Federation integrated by Queen Margaret was basically dead in name only and was rapidly approaching the end of its life.

On the steppes of East Europe, the Russian people who emerged from the ice and snow welcomed the first ray of hope for revival. The young Ivan III married Princess Zoe from Constantinople, held a grand wedding for her on the outskirts of Moscow, and signed an alliance treaty with the Eastern Roman Empire.

With the help of Princess Zoe, Ivan III began to reform the Grand Duchy of Moscow. Various rules and etiquette were improved, and the court system was copied from the Eastern Roman Empire, gradually moving towards civilization and enlightenment.

At the same time, the Grand Duchy of Moscow grew increasingly powerful, gaining an overwhelming advantage over the rest of the Russian states. It was no longer completely powerless against the nomadic peoples, and the Tatar yoke was rapidly crumbling.

The ambitious Ivan III was no longer satisfied with the title of Grand Duke of Moscow. He began to call himself "Monarch of All Russia" in accordance with the tradition of the Rurik family and the legitimacy of his Eastern Roman in-laws, trying to reunite the Russian states and rekindle the glory of his ancestors.

Long before the arrival of the Mongols, the sovereignty of the Russian state had been transferred from the Grand Duchy of Kiev to the Grand Duchy of Vladimir, and later transferred to Vladimir's successor, the Grand Duchy of Moscow, by the famous national hero Dmitry Donskoy. In terms of orthodoxy alone, Ivan III was indeed far superior to the other Russian princes.

Of course, this claim was not recognized by many people. Since Ivan III refused to recognize the Council of Florence and refused to return the Moscow Church to the Patriarchate of Constantinople, the Eastern Roman Empire also did not comment on Ivan III's "Monarch of All Russia".

In the midsummer of 1465, Princess Zoe gave birth to a son in Moscow. Ivan III named the baby Vasily in memory of his father.

However, when the baby was born, Ivan III immediately announced that he would make his son Ivan with his ex-wife the crown prince. Zoe remained silent and did not take any action.

The situation in Central Europe was equally complicated. The preferential treatment of the Hussites by King Jiří Poděbrad of Bohemia aroused strong dissatisfaction from the Roman Catholic Church. King Matthias I of Hungary had just ended his war against Dalmatia and launched a war against Bohemia in the name of eliminating heresy. The two sides confronted each other in the border area.

Emperor Frederick III of the Holy Roman Empire lived a leisurely and comfortable life as usual. He occasionally showed up at court, scolding the Hussites in Bohemia and the expansion of France and the Eastern Roman Empire in northern Italy. Apart from that, he educated his eldest son and filled Maximilian's childhood with love and companionship.

The Kingdom of Portugal continued its conquest of North Africa under the leadership of Alfonso V. After obtaining a batch of loans from the Eastern Roman Empire, it finally defeated the local Muslim forces and occupied Anfa, the largest port on the West African coast, and renamed it Casablanca.

Alfonso V quickly repaid his loans with gold and slaves obtained from inland Morocco, and raised funds from the landed nobles to purchase shares in the East India Company.

However, the victory of the Kingdom of Portugal in North Africa failed to add much color to the chaotic situation on the Iberian Peninsula. The United Kingdom of Castile was gradually falling into the abyss of civil war under the rule of Henry IV the Fool.

Ever since Enrique IV's wife Queen Joanna gave birth to Princess Juana, many great nobles have been skeptical about the princess's true bloodline, believing that she was Queen Joanna's illegitimate daughter and demanded that Enrique IV abolish her inheritance rights.

However, Enrique IV insisted on his own way and claimed that Juana was his biological daughter. The conflict between the two sides became more and more serious and finally broke out not long ago.

In June 1465, the opposition nobles held a meeting and unilaterally deposed Henry IV, demanding that Alfonso, Henry IV's half-brother and Princess Isabella's full brother, be made king instead.

When Henry IV received the news, he was furious and refused to obey. He immediately announced the mobilization of troops, imprisoned his sister Isabella, and sent troops to fight the rebels. The civil war began.

The scale of this civil war was not too large, and neither side wanted to make things worse, leaving room for negotiations.

But everyone knows that this is just the tide before the tsunami. As the struggle for succession rights enters a white-hot stage, a real storm is brewing.

However, Isaac had no time to care about the Latin affairs at this time. In the past few months, he had been traveling back and forth between Carthage and Constantinople, busy with the establishment of the East India Company and the Constantinople Stock Exchange.

The first batch of spices has been snapped up by merchants from all over the country. The huge profits have filled Isaac's empty wallet again. The livelihood projects and cultural undertakings that were originally stopped due to the war can finally be restarted. The Carthage shipyard has once again ushered in expansion. The workers are busy hammering around the hull, and large sailing ships are gradually taking shape.

In the Carthage shipyard, Isaac was leading a delegation from Portugal and Naples through the docks to visit the huge fleet he was building.

Isaac walked toward a large ship and patted its heavy hull.

"Gentlemen, this is the first large military and commercial sailing ship we built specifically for ocean voyages. It is larger than a caravel and smaller than a carrack, but has better cargo capacity and maneuverability than a carrack."

"This ship will be completed soon. I have already incorporated it into the East India Fleet. It is just waiting for the subsequent launching and sea trials."

Isaac said with a smile towards the visiting delegations from both countries.

The Portuguese delegation was quite interested, but the Naples delegation was not very interested. They had no investment in the navy at all, and even if they did, it would mainly be in galleys for near-shore operations.

"Your Majesty, this is a great idea. We have also recently been reforming the existing caravels. However, as you know, our funding is not as abundant as yours, so our progress is limited."

The Portuguese envoy Paline said with a smile.

"I wonder if you could sell us the design of this ship for the sake of the friendship between our two countries?"

"Of course, this is not a great technological advancement, just a small improvement."

Isaac nodded and agreed immediately.

This ship was designed by Mansreti three years ago, based on several ships commonly used by the Hanseatic League. It is not very advanced.

Can I give you the real good things so easily?
"Your Majesty, what name do you plan to give this ship?"

asked Ercole, the Neapolitan envoy.

Ercole was a direct descendant of the House of Este, heir to Modena, Ferrara and Reggio, and an important ally of the Eastern Roman Empire in north-central Italy.

Ercole studied at the Naples court in his early years, and established good relationships with both Leonor and Ferdinand, and could be considered a staunch supporter of Ferdinand.

During the establishment of the East India Company, the Ester family was also allowed to invest in shares and participate in dividends.

They wanted to enrich their pockets through Isaac, and Isaac wanted to tie them to his chariot, and the two sides cooperated happily and each got what they needed.

"My wife is pregnant, and I plan to name the ship after the newborn."

Isaac was all smiles.

"If it's a boy, he'll be called Astanasius, and if it's a girl, she'll be called Irina."

Everyone was stunned, and then hurriedly congratulated him.

Isaac thought about it and called a few people to the largest dock.

In the dock, a huge ship is being built. The keel has been completed and the workers are installing the upper wooden boards.

"Cairo's Star, my flagship from now on."

Isaac pointed to the massive outline.

"Your Majesty, this... you really scared us."

Palinya recovered from his shock, looked at Isaac and forced a smile.

"Will this great ship also join the East India Fleet?"

"Maybe, but in the short term, this giant ship will not go to India, but will serve as my maritime command center, specifically responsible for the war in the Mediterranean and the Atlantic."

Isaac faced the envoys of the two countries with an unpredictable expression. "Your Majesty, when your huge ship is officially launched, I'm afraid no country in the entire Mediterranean will dare to challenge your maritime hegemony, right?"

Ercole exclaimed with heartfelt admiration.

"Maybe. My trade routes are too long, so I have to put more effort into the navy."

Isaac smiled.

Palinya on the side was obviously a little absent-minded. He looked at the huge ship with a smile on his face.

"You don't have to worry about it. This huge ship will only point to my enemies."

"This giant ship is not yet completed, and many of its components are still in the experimental stage. If the plan goes well in the future, it may not be impossible to share the blueprints with you."

Isaac looked at Palinya's expression and said with a smile.

"Then I wish your Majesty a successful experiment. In recent years, we have been busy with the North African War and have fallen behind in the ocean."

Palinea said.

Isaac nodded but said nothing.

Building ships is not an easy task, especially such large warships. With the national strength of one million people of the Kingdom of Portugal, after losing the opportunity to discover the East Indies, it has no way to engage in a long-term maritime hegemony with itself. Isaac is not too worried.

Taking them to see this huge ship under construction was also to declare his authority as the overlord of the ocean, so as to prevent them from having some inappropriate thoughts after seeing the huge profits in East India.

"Okay, the tour ends here. I've ordered someone to prepare a banquet. Tonight, we won't leave until we're drunk."

Isaac waved his hand and prepared to lead everyone away.

"Your Majesty, I have some questions that I would like you to answer."

Just as they were about to leave, a young man from the Portuguese delegation called out to Isaac.

"What's your question? Tell me, kid."

Isaac looked at him tenderly.

"Your Majesty, in my opinion, this giant warship is probably not suitable for future ocean exploration. If we only consider the East Indian naval battle, our main enemy is the Arabs. We should continue to raise the ship's side and even install multiple layers of cannons instead of simple single-layer broadside guns."

The boy looked at the giant ship and thought.

"Moreover, you can continue to expand the ship's cabin to carry more sailors and goods."

Isaac raised an eyebrow, a little surprised.

"Well said, child."

Isaac gave him an encouraging smile.

"In fact, the ship was originally from the Venetians, with a lot of old-fashioned thinking mixed in."

"What you said is exactly our main direction of improvement at present."

The young man wanted to say more, but was stopped by Palinya.

"Your Majesty, this child is very young and is eager to see the world. I am sorry to cause you trouble."

"It doesn't matter. I think this kid is pretty good."

Isaac smiled and looked at the boy.

"What's your name?"

The boy broke free from Palinya's hand, raised his head and looked at Isaac.

"My name is Alfonso."

"Alfonso de Albuquerque."

Isaac was startled, then burst into laughter.

"Yes, Albuquerque, I like that name."

Isaac reached out and patted Albuquerque on the shoulder.

"I heard that your family has a close relationship with the Avish family. You are a relative of my wife, right?"

"Yes, Your Majesty, I...we are illegitimate children of the Avish family."

Albuquerque blushed.

"Since we are relatives and you are almost an adult, why don't you become my godson and work for me? I will give you the best education and the best resources. What do you think?"

Isaac stared into Albuquerque's bright eyes.

"Here……"

Albuquerque looked surprised, looking at Isaac and then at Palinha.

"Hurry up and agree to it. Your Majesty is one of the most noble monarchs in all of Christendom!"

Paline was also a little surprised, and then whispered in Albuquerque's ear.

"But...what about His Majesty the King? He has done nothing wrong to my father and me..."

Albuquerque's heart was a little moved, and his voice became smaller and smaller.

"That's all right. King Alfonso and I have had many letters together, and he won't say anything if I ask for someone."

Isaac soothed, turning to Palinya.

"Mr. Palinha, this kid and I get along really well, and it makes me very happy today. The drawing of the Cairo Star is my gift to King Alfonso to celebrate his victory in Casablanca and to commemorate our everlasting friendship."

Isaac immediately took out the blueprint and handed it to Palinya.

This is indeed the blueprint of the Star of Cairo, and it is absolutely authentic, but it is an unimproved first-generation version with a lot of loopholes deliberately left by the Venetians. Isaac and Mansreti spent a lot of time and energy to understand the blueprint.

Even if this blueprint was given to the Portuguese, they would not be able to make any technological progress from it in the short term.

"Thank you, Your Majesty. I will set off immediately and report this good news to the King!"

Palinha was overjoyed, and fearing that Isaac would change his mind, he took the blueprint and immediately pushed Albuquerque towards Isaac.

Isaac nodded and looked at the boy with a smile.

"Then it's settled. You will stay with me from now on. My eldest son Justinian is coming back soon. You are about the same age as him, so we can talk more."

"Thank you so much, Godfather!"

Albuquerque bowed.

Isaac took a ring off his finger and handed it to the boy.

"Take this ring and go to the dock and choose any ship that is about to be launched. This will be my gift to you."

"Also, I see that you seem to be very interested in India. You can also take up a position in my Indian Affairs Office in the future."

Albuquerque's eyes narrowed and he danced with excitement.

"Your Majesty, you are so kind to me. I really don't know how to repay you..."

“This is all the will of the Holy Father.”

Isaac said mysteriously.

"In the name of God, I swear to be loyal to the Godfather, and I will go through fire and water without hesitation!"

Albuquerque drew his sword and spoke in a sonorous voice.

Isaac was in a very good mood and immediately took everyone back to the royal palace in Carthage, and let Leonor meet his new godson.

Albuquerque was originally a relative of the Avis family and had a close blood relationship with Leonor. When she learned that her husband loved her people so much, she was very happy and immediately gave the young man a huge gem.

The dinner was held in a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere. Albuquerque jumped from a marginal figure to the focus of everyone. People who usually did not know him also came to congratulate him, which made him a little flattered. There was a little more admiration and gratitude in his eyes when he looked at Isaac and Leonor.

Isaac took a sip of wine and was about to speak when a servant beside him hurried over, put his mouth close to Isaac's ear and whispered a report.

"Your Majesty, the eldest prince has returned, alone and in a hurry. He is outside now, anxious to see you."

Isaac nodded slightly, his expression becoming serious.

"Tell him to wait in my study. I'll be there soon!"

(End of this chapter)