1444, Byzantium Resurrects

Chapter 252 Conquering Heaven
In the last few months of 1466, the Eastern Roman Empire continued construction projects, recuperated, and developed production.

The joyful atmosphere brought by the Mediterranean wedding gradually faded with the passage of time. After a brief boom, the business atmosphere in major cities began to enter a period of slow growth. The sales of handicrafts and luxury goods became more extensive, and wealth from Europe, Asia and Africa began to gather in Carthage and Constantinople.

Apennine Peninsula, Free City of La Spezia.

Six years ago, the city of La Spezia broke away from the jurisdiction of the Republic of Genoa and pledged allegiance to the Eastern Roman Emperor, becoming the first free city in the Eastern Roman Empire.

In six years, the city of La Spezia emerged as a powerful force by leveraging its own advantages, becoming an important window for the Eastern Roman Empire's import and export trade with Italy, successfully occupying a place in the Mediterranean trade, and its population gradually became dense and its business gradually prospered.

Because the Free City of La Spezia was nominally loyal to the emperor, Isaac granted them a certain degree of tax reduction privileges, and the tariffs on Eastern Roman goods entering the port of La Spezia were much lower than those of other city-states.

Eastern Roman goods that were subject to a 50 percent tariff in Pisa and Genoa were only subject to 30 percent or even less here.

With this privilege, La Spezia became the most important ocean-going commodity trading port and silk trading port in Italy within six years. Large amounts of sugar, coffee, ivory, silk and cotton fabrics flowed into central and northern Italy through this port, and then into the more distant German region.

At present, the North Italian Customs Union, organized by Di Marco, the governor of the Free City of La Spezia and recognized by the Eastern Empire, has grown into a behemoth. Four important states including the Free City of La Spezia, the Duchy of Parma, the Duchy of Ferrara and the Republic of Lucca and many scattered city-states have joined the Customs Union to get a share of the ocean trade and Mediterranean trade.

Of course, the Northern Italian Customs Union does not target all goods. Only goods that cannot be produced in Italy, such as sugar, coffee, ivory and diamonds, will be included in the protection scope of the customs union by various states.

They can only be middlemen, there is no such thing as protecting domestic products.

As for other commodities that Italy has the ability to produce independently, the states will certainly not allow foreign goods to flow in in large quantities without restriction, and will of course set up tariff barriers.

What to do? Roll it up.

In this era, countries' control over the market is far from that deep. As long as the quality of your products is good enough, the quantity is large enough, and the price is cheap enough, it is easy to break down the trade barriers set up by other countries and ultimately force them to lower tax rates.

If they insist on going their own way, the large amount of smuggling activities among the people alone will be enough to make the government's legal provisions meaningless, which will not be worth the cost.

As long as the profits are high enough, businessmen dare to trample on all written and unwritten laws.

At present, after more than ten years of encouragement and support, the handicraft industry of the Eastern Roman Empire has changed a lot. Several major cities have established their own main industries and future development guidelines. Handicraft workshops have sprung up like mushrooms after a rain, and the output of industrial products has increased year by year.

However, in the production of high-end luxury goods, the Eastern Roman Empire still had a certain gap with the Italian countries. Apart from traditional silk fabrics, emerging cotton fabrics, and ivory and diamond crafts that Italy could not produce, other high-end luxury goods had not yet been able to penetrate the Italian market. Demand mainly came from the domestic market, major colonies and semi-colonies.

Luxury goods are more or less related to literature and art. In terms of these alone, Italians do have enough talent.

However, the handicraft products of the Eastern Roman Empire focused on "large quantity and sufficient supply", making up for the lack of quality by increasing quantity, and gradually occupied major markets from the bottom up.

As a trade window, the Free City of La Spezia has reaped all the benefits in recent years, but there are hidden worries beneath the prosperity. Unlike other Italian city-states, La Spezia has almost no handicraft system of its own and not much independent production capacity. It is completely dependent on import and export trade, and has been deeply bound to the commodity market of the Eastern Roman Empire and is inseparable from it.

As long as the Council of La Spezia dared to resist the authority of the Eastern Roman Empire, the merchants in the city would be the first to rise up in rebellion.

Of course, all of this is clearly seen by people with discerning eyes, but there is nothing that can be done about it, and there is no need to do so.

Businessmen are the most realistic people. As long as their wallets are satisfied, they don’t care about nationality or religion.

In a tavern near the dock, drinkers were drinking happily. Two middle-aged men in elegant clothes pushed open the wooden door, found an empty seat, sat down, and ordered a few bottles of mid-range wine and some food.

The bald middle-aged man looked around, shook his head and pouted in dissatisfaction.

"This is a far cry from the tavern I had in Provence, isn't it, Bock?"

"Okay, Alan, you always say this every time we go to the pub. Now that you've become a high-ranking official, you still miss your pub?"

Bock looked at Alan jokingly.

"How about this, you resign to His Majesty and the Boss, and go back to being the owner of your tavern, how about that?"

"That won't work!"

Alan shook his head vigorously and tugged at the precious silk on his body.

"Look, I'm wearing this!"

As they were talking, the owner came over with a wine glass in hand and placed it in front of the two of them.

"Your wine—eh?"

When the shop owner saw the emblems on Alan and Bock's clothes, his eyes narrowed and then a smile immediately appeared on his face.

"My dear guests, this is the drink you just ordered. It's wine from the city of Annaba in North Africa. Usually, not many people order it, so it took some time. Please forgive me."

"It's okay, we're not in a hurry."

Bock smiled, picked up the wine glass and took a sip.

There were many customers in the store, but the owner did not leave immediately. Instead, he called a waitress, gave her a few instructions, and asked her to serve the customers. Then he returned to the two people and sat opposite them.

"You two adults are coming from the south?"

"Ah."

Bock nodded.

"La Spezia is also the emperor's territory, so we should be fine here, right?"

"Of course it's no problem. I was just a little surprised when I saw the patterns on your clothes."

The shop owner waved his hands quickly, staring at the emblems on the two men's chests.

"Roaring Boar, I guess this gentleman is from the Western Border Region and works under Earl Abel. His official position is not low, right?"

The shopkeeper looked at Alan.

"As for you..."

The owner turned to Bock.

"The Traveler's Cross. I remember it being the new emblem of the Southern Border."

"After Earl Abel was transferred from the South to the West, he brought the wild boar emblem with him. The newly appointed governor of the South, Hussein, chose the St. Julian's Cross as the new emblem of the South Border Region, and at the same time, St. Julian, the patron saint of travelers and pilgrims, as the patron saint of the South."

"You have good eyesight."

Bock was a little surprised.

"The changes in the pattern represent the changes in officials. It's been less than a year, and you've already figured it all out."

"However, there will be no such troubles in the future. His Majesty has announced that the Roaring Boar and the Cross of Saint Julian will be permanently retained as the emblems of the Western Border and the Southern Border."

"My Lords, I run a hotel and I come into contact with countless guests, so I am naturally well-informed."

The shop owner patted his chest with some pride.

"I wonder what positions the two distinguished guests hold now?"

"I am the deputy minister of the Southern Border Region, in charge of military affairs, and this bald guy is the chief of logistics of the Western Border Region, in charge of military supplies and warehouses."

Bock said.

"We were ordered to come to La Spezia. Our main purpose is to recruit refugees. There is nothing to hide."

As he said, both of them were local officials in the Eastern Roman Empire. Bock was Abel's adjutant and participated in the Battle of Constantinople. Alan was originally the owner of a tavern and was trusted by Abel to serve as his quartermaster.

More than a decade has passed, and the little-known man back then has long since become a well-known official, and even has a front seat at the Queen's annual year-end dinner.

The owner's smile grew even more intense. He made a gesture to wait, ran to the bar, and took out his treasured wine.

"My two distinguished guests, my shop is small. It stands to reason that high-ranking officials like you usually don't come here, but since you are here, I will definitely do my best to make sure you enjoy your drinks."

"We are all rough people, starting from the bottom. We can't get along with you elegant congressmen. We just like to go to pubs like yours."

Alan snorted coldly when he thought of the congressmen's condescending and pretentious attitude.

"Look, I just stayed in their fragrant house for a long time. I was almost suffocated. I didn't even have time to change my clothes. I quickly ran to the tavern to relax."

"But don't worry, we are not soldiers and we won't let you suffer any loss. We will pay for your wine and meals."

The owner quickly poured better wine for the two of them and also poured himself half a glass.

"Gentlemen, this is the finest Athenian aniseed wine. During the last ecumenical council, many priests praised this wine highly."

Bock nodded slightly, took a sip of the light yellow wine, and was a little surprised.

"It is indeed a fine wine, not as strong as vodka or whiskey, but much stronger than ordinary wine, and it has a special flavor."

"Haha, if you want to drink, I can take you to find a familiar merchant, but the price is not cheap."

The owner laughed.

"This wine requires fennel seeds, which can be grown in many places, but only the fennel around Athens can make the best fennel wine."

"In the past, various places used the traditional model of small farms to make wine, but aniseed wine is also an industrial product and needs to be distilled, so the output has always been small and the price is not very cheap."

"Recently, it seems that a new ouzo workshop has been built in Athens. It's an industrialization effort. I believe it will become cheaper and cheaper in the future."

Bock smiled and drank the wine in one gulp, and the owner quickly refilled his glass.

Bock thought for a moment and spoke.

"La Spezia is located in the north-central part of Italy, close to northern Italy and France. We plan to use it as a transit point to attract refugees. Nearby Italians and French people can gather here and go to the two border areas to reclaim wasteland and obtain their own land in accordance with the Homestead Law."

"I think your tavern can be used as one of the gathering points. If any refugees ask about it in the future, you can introduce them to our camp outside the city."

“Our flyers are still being printed, and we’ll post a copy here later.”

"No problem! No problem at all!"

The shop owner said with a smile.

"You guys help me gain popularity, I'd love to have you."

"My Lords, your choice of La Spezia as a transit point is absolutely correct."

"Oh? Why do you say that?"

Bock asked curiously.

"La Spezia is mainly a commercial city, with many people coming and going. News from here can spread throughout Italy and the French coast through merchants within half a month." "Furthermore, as you said, it is close to the Po River and southern France, so it is convenient for immigrants to come here."

The owner said.

"In the past few months, many Italians and French people who were eager for a large piece of land have passed through here to the south. They often come from the same place, and they share the travel and boat fares."

At this point, the shop owner laughed.

"From what I understand, some people deliberately find someone to piece together their family so as to save a registration fee."

"Well, it's nothing. Both the Western Border and the Southern Border are short of people. The more people come, the better."

Bock said.

According to the Homestead Act, registration fees were paid on a household basis: ten solidus for one person and ten solidus for ten persons, but the land was divided according to the number of able-bodied males.

Everyone can see the loopholes in this system, which was deliberately set up to attract a large number of immigrants.

A person might not be able to afford the "huge sum" of ten solidus, so it was natural for him to call on his friends and share the registration fee.

"I remember that Christians who used the Eastern Rite only had to pay a registration fee of one solidus. Has no one tried to switch to the Eastern Rite?"

Alan asked suddenly.

After the Council of La Spezia, the Eastern and Western Churches continued to maintain unity. Everyone was a devout believer. There was no distinction between heresies, only differences in rituals.

"This... is still relatively rare. After all, it is a custom. Many people have been using Western etiquette since childhood, and it will take some time to change."

The shopkeeper scratched his head.

"Never mind, it's not important. When facing Saracens, etiquette doesn't matter."

Bock said.

The owner nodded and approached the two men mysteriously.

"My Lords, there is one more thing that may interest you."

"what's up?"

Bock asked.

"Not long ago, Francesco Sforza, Duke of Milan, died, and his eldest son, Galeazzo Sforza, succeeded him as Duke."

"I know this. It's no secret."

Bock responded.

"And what do you know of this Duke of Galeazzo?"

The owner asked again.

“It seems to have a bad reputation.”

Bock thought about it and seemed to have heard of this rumor.

"It's more than just a bad reputation, sir."

The shop owner had a look of disgust on his face.

"He is simply a devil. He was a dissolute young man, living a luxurious life and indulging himself in pleasure."

"He became a duke in the spotlight, but he had no intention of bringing a good life to the people. He only cared about amassing wealth and satisfying his extravagant life."

"As soon as he came to power, he enacted new tax laws, competed with the people for profits, and sentenced opponents to death, which greatly disappointed the citizens."

"Of course, this trend spreads from the top down. If the monarch dares to collect one gold coin, the butler will dare to collect five, and the tax collectors below will dare to collect ten."

"He was also ambitious and spent all his money on building palaces, castles and gardens. He not only extorted money, but also conscripted civilians to work for him. He would severely suppress any dissatisfaction, and many people died because of this."

"Tell me, how can such a monarch be supported by the people? If those people who have lost everything have a chance, how can they not want to escape?"

Bock listened and nodded.

"Speaking of large-scale construction, our empire is engaged in large-scale construction. There are construction sites everywhere in Carthage and Constantinople. It's so noisy."

Alan was a little drunk and spoke with a slurred tongue.

"Sir, you can't compare like that."

The owner waved his hands quickly.

"The funds for the empire's construction came from overseas and from the emperor's wallet, and the projects built were all beneficial to the people's livelihood."

"In Milan, it was the opposite. The money for construction came from the people's wallets, but what was built was only to satisfy the monarch's selfish interests."

"These things are clearly seen by the people."

The owner smiled.

"Besides, how can Milan compare with the Empire, and how can Galeazzo compare with our emperor? Sooner or later, he will squander all the grace left by his father."

"Haha, good point."

Bock laughed and patted Alan's bald head.

"Don't apply your quartermaster's calculative ways to state affairs. Gold loses its value if you keep it in your hands. You have to spend it on something useful."

"On this point, you are not as open-minded as this shop owner."

"Haha, please don't praise me, sir. I just met a lot of people and heard it from them."

The owner laughed.

"The empire is flourishing, so why not start some civil engineering?"

"Galeazzo has no military achievements, no political achievements, and no means of making money. He only relies on robbing the common people. Sooner or later, he will be deserted by his friends and relatives."

"This is an opportunity. Milan will decline further and further under the leadership of Duke Galeazzo. Although Your Majesty probably won't mobilize troops against them, we can take this opportunity to attract the Milanese peasants who have been cornered by Galeazzo."

Bock groaned.

"Although Galeazzo is cruel, the previous Duke Sforza is a rare talent. With the prestige accumulated by his father, his rule will not be easily overthrown. He is a descendant of the Sforza and Visconti families. The people of Milan still have some feelings for these two families."

"However, if tyranny continues for a long time, even the most generous favors will be diluted by repeated exploitation and oppression. In the future, more and more people will flee."

Thinking of this, Bock stood up, pulled Alan up, and nodded to the owner.

"We usually focus on the conquest of North Africa and don't know much about these Italian affairs. Thank you very much this time."

"I told you to come to the tavern to look around, so you can find out some things that have been overlooked by the higher-ups, but you didn't listen..."

Alan leaned on Bok's shoulder and yelled drunkenly.

"My Lords, I have no credit for anything. This is something that will soon spread. You will know about it sooner or later."

The owner also stood up and looked at Bock ingratiatingly.

Bock thought for a moment, untied the purse and threw it on the table.

"If you have any news in the future, you can write to us and the extra money will be considered as your reward."

After saying that, Bock dragged Alan and turned away.

"Sir, are you leaving now? We have exciting shows tonight."

The shop owner ran out the door, shouting.

"We have invited a bard to sing an opera written by the royal historian, Lord Lake. I heard that it tells the story of the ancestors of the Paleologian family who went to Northern Europe to slay dragons..."

Bock's eyes went dark, he waved his hands, and disappeared into the dusk street with Alan.

……

In the autumn of 1466, Francesco Sforza, Italy's most legendary mercenary leader and a great hero, died of illness in his family castle in Milan at the age of .

In his early years, Sforza worked as a mercenary leader on various battlefields and accumulated a lot of wealth and prestige in wars. After the death of the old Duke of Milan, Visconti, he claimed the title of Duke through his marriage, overthrew the republic established by the Milan Parliament, and ascended the throne of Milan.

During his reign, the Duchy of Milan recovered from the shadow of war and quickly embarked on a path of rapid development. It had enlightened administration, fair laws, proper policies, stable and prosperous people, and booming business.

Under his governance, Milan became one of the most important cities on the Apennine Peninsula, slightly inferior to Venice, and on par with Florence, Rome and Naples, each with its own merits.

Under his enlightened rule, Milan became one of the birthplaces of the Renaissance, with writers, artists and architects constantly emerging, and new ideas and new technologies being exchanged and collided here.

He was an illegitimate child, born into a humble family, and had been at war for years. Because of this, he could better understand the suffering of the people. He treated foreign enemies with rather brutal means, but treated his own people with kindness and openness.

Sforza pursued for his life but never received a formal title. However, he won the support of the people with his actions and earned their respect and loyalty. He was not born with noble blood, but he was more like a true aristocrat than those greedy and decadent princes and grandchildren of the emperor.

Sforza is dead, Galeazzo is on the throne, and the Duchy of Milan has a new helmsman. Where will it go? No one knows.

……

At the same time, on a small island at the edge of the world, an expedition that will go down in history enters the final stages of preparation.

After more than a month of sailing, the West Indian exploration fleet led by Christopher Columbus arrived at the Governorate of St. Nicholas, the westernmost territory of the Eastern Roman Empire. It was a deserted archipelago with few residents. There was only a port town of 300 people to provide the most common supplies and repairs for the ships passing by.

After a short rest, on a calm morning, the West India Exploration Fleet left the port and headed for the vast ocean.

On December 1466, 12, Christopher Columbus led a West Indian exploration fleet consisting of five caravels and a small caravel, and set sail towards the unknown distance with the help of ocean currents.

The plan to explore the West had been formulated several years ago, but was delayed for various reasons. It was not until the war stopped and the East Indian fleet brought rich profits that the Eastern Roman Empire had enough time and enough spare money to put this plan into practice.

This plan, destined to become an eternal legend, was personally formulated by Isaac, the co-ruling emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire. He made all the preliminary preparations and gave it a catchy name.

Conquer heaven.

(End of this chapter)