1444, Byzantium Resurrects

Chapter 257: Senate Estates
Constantinople on the Black Sea.

Torosi Notaras, dressed in military uniform, rode a horse and walked slowly on the bustling streets of Constantinople.

Next to him, the hunter Allen was also dressed in military uniform, riding a pony, with a scimitar at his waist and a short bow on his back.

After the end of the Bulgarian war, several chasseur regiments of the North Macedonian Military District were not disbanded but continued to be retained and are still active in the vast mountainous areas of the Balkans, belonging to the border guard sequence.

Torosi and Allen, who had made great contributions in the Bulgarian War, were naturally promoted. Torosi was transferred to Sofia to serve as the first commander of the 4th Guards Dragoon Regiment, and Allen was promoted to the commander of the 1st Chasseur Regiment of the North Macedonian Border Guard.

This time, they received an order from the central government of the empire to go to Constantinople to attend the Senate's three-level meeting as representatives of the North Macedonian Frontier Guards and the Guards Dragoons.

"Lord Torosi, you didn't lie to me before. Constantinople is really prosperous."

Alan, who was visiting a busy street for the first time, looked around with shining eyes.

"Of course. This is the most prosperous city in Europe, the Unfallen City of Constantinople."

Torosi smiled smugly.

He was a native of Constantinople and was naturally very proud of his hometown.

"By the way, have you packed your horse manure bags?"

Torossi turned around and looked at the horse under Alan's crotch.

"It's ready, sir. Big cities are troublesome."

Alan glanced at the manure bag on the horse's butt and saw it was half full.

"Haha, Constantinople is no different from other cities. It represents the glory and face of the empire. Merchants from all over the world who come here definitely don't want to see garbage and feces everywhere on the streets."

Torosi laughed.

"It is much stricter now than before. All horses entering Constantinople must be equipped with horse manure bags, and it is not allowed to throw horse manure on the roadside."

“Once the bag of horse manure is full, you can go to the collection station in the city and hand it over to them.”

"Sir, it's fine if they collect human and pig manure, but what's the use of horse manure? Are they going to use horse manure to fertilize the fields?"

Alan shook his head, feeling a little surprised.

"Horse manure cannot be used directly to fertilize the fields because it is too hot and will burn the seedlings. However, it is very good to use it together with pig manure and cow manure for composting and fermentation, which can increase the fermentation speed."

Torosi explained patiently.

"Besides, horse manure can be used as fuel after drying. It is not worthless waste."

"Don't underestimate these. I heard that some researchers from the Department of Agriculture are studying how to make the best use of various types of manure. The effects of mixing and composting different types of manure are very different."

Alan nodded and continued looking around.

Constantinople is very lively today, with a constant stream of carriages and horses on the streets. Various carriages with proud coats of arms and shields speed by. Among the people coming and going, there are many people wearing military uniforms and gorgeous clothes. Officials of all ranks and wealthy businessmen who are rarely seen in the countryside can be seen everywhere.

"Newspaper just printed! Anyone want to buy one?"

Beside the road, a little boy was holding a pile of newspapers and selling them loudly.

"The Constantinople Weekly, the Daily Chronicle, the Voice of the Navigator!"

"The workshop area of ​​Constantinople has entered its third round of expansion. The existing factories have been expanded, and a new amber workshop has been added! Is anyone interested?"

"First-hand intelligence on the Serbian War! The latest developments of the New Brdo Mining Company and the Royal Amber Company! Definitely worth a look!"

"The Senate's three-level meeting was urgently convened, and representatives from all over the country rushed to Constantinople. It was said that it was related to commercial reforms..."

"The Voice of the Navigator, published every six months, will keep you updated on the latest developments in the major colonies and explorations! Columbus's expedition and the second voyage of the East India merchant ship! You definitely can't miss it!"

Alan looked at the newspaper in the vendor's hand and felt it was very novel.

"Master Torosi, I didn't expect that there are so many newspapers in Constantinople besides the Daily Record."

"Yes, they have only appeared in recent years, and these newspapers only exist in Constantinople and Carthage. Other cities have small populations and many illiterate people, so there is no room for newspapers to survive."

"Most of the people who bought the newspaper were relatively wealthy citizens, and merchants and nobles even had one in their hands. The lower-class citizens could only go to the church to listen to the priests preaching the Daily Chronicle."

Torosi smiled.

"Anyway, I don't like reading these things. I don't do business or go on adventures. I don't understand the literary poems that are sometimes published."

"My Lord, is Constantinople usually this busy?"

Alan looked at Torossi.

"After the wedding, the number of merchants from various countries coming to Constantinople increased significantly, but it was not as busy as it is today."

Torossi looked around, but he wasn't surprised.

"I think this is still related to the upcoming Senate Level Three Meeting."

"Since we have been invited, officials, merchants, priests, tribal leaders and soldiers from all over the empire must have been invited as well. These people are relatively wealthy, and many of them bring a lot of servants and followers with them when they go out, so the flow of people will naturally increase."

"The Senate's Estates General? I've only heard of this name before, but I still don't understand what it is."

Alan was clearly interested.

"In fact, most of them have nothing to do with us. The few seats in the military are all for observers. We have no right to speak or vote. They are just to give us a sense of participation."

Torossi shook his head.

"The Senate's three-level parliament is the product of the merger of the Senate and the Imperial Parliament. The parliament is divided into the Senate and the House of Representatives."

"The title of elder in the Senate is an honorary title, divided into five levels, with level one being the highest and level five being the lowest. Each level is equipped with its own medal and sword, which is very gorgeous."

"Now, in addition to nobles, people who have made outstanding contributions in various fields can also become elders, such as agriculturists, entrepreneurs, natural philosophers, writers, missionaries and explorers."

"Of course, an honorary department will inevitably serve politics, and the leaders of dependent states and subordinate tribes will also be awarded the title of elder, such as the governors of the Free City of La Spezia and the Free City of Ragusa, Grand Duke Manuel of the Grand Duchy of Serbia, Emir Mzab of the Southern Border Region, and the leaders of the two major mercenary groups in Egypt, etc."

At this point, Torosi narrowed his eyes with some contempt.

"It is said that the next time the number of elders increases, the king of the Kingdom of Kongo and the great chief of the Akingano people will also be awarded the title of fourth-level elder. This is simply nonsense."

"It's unheard of that even black people can come to Constantinople to serve as senators."

Alan thought about it and couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"This scene is indeed somewhat ridiculous, but it is just a political tactic. Congo is so far away, it is impossible for the native king there to come to the empire for a meeting."

"And they don't seem to be completely unsociable beasts. I went to Hagia Sophia a few days ago to listen to a sermon. A Congolese priest gave a speech. It was quite interesting, with a standard Constantinople accent."

"Perhaps, but I don't think these barbarians are worthy of Your Majesty's winning over."

Torosi curled his lips in disbelief.

Alan looked at Torosi and his smile grew even wider.

“Sir, you said that elder is just an honorary title and has no real power, but you seem to care about it very much!”

"Well, of course I care. It's the highest honor for the Romans. When I walk down the street wearing the medal, I speak with more confidence!"

Torosi said with envy.

"Isn't your family one of the most powerful families in the empire? Didn't His Majesty give you a position as a senator?"

Alan asked.

"Of course! Two! One is my grandfather Lucas, the former chancellor and a first-class elder."

Torosi puffed out his chest with pride.

"Another one is a distant relative. He is a priest who took the initiative to go to New Thrace to preach. He converted three Khoisan tribes to Orthodox Christianity and taught many Khoisan nobles to speak Greek. He was also awarded the title of elder, but it is only level five."

"Then you didn't ask Archduke Lucas to give you the medal so that you can wear it for a few days?"

Alan asked jokingly.

When Archduke Lucas was mentioned, Torosi's eyes dimmed and he fell silent.

"He died two months ago, and the medal and sword were buried with him."

Torosi said softly.

"I'm sorry, my Lord, I just arrived in Constantinople and I don't know about this."

Torosi shook his head, but did not blame him. "My grandfather said before he died that before the descendants get the title of senator, they are not allowed to name their offspring Lucas, so as not to embarrass him."

Torossi couldn't help laughing when he thought of this.

"He was loyal throughout his life, but he had a very strange personality. He always opposed His Majesty Isaac's preferential treatment of merchants and yelled at him in person."

"However, before he died, he praised His Majesty highly, believing him to be the best emperor in the world. He established a family motto that required our Notaras family to be loyal to the Paleologian family and fight for the emperor for generations."

"Forget it, let's not talk about this anymore, let's get back to the Senate's three-level meeting that you are interested in."

Torosi shook his head and put his complicated thoughts behind him.

"The Senate does not hold real power and only goes through the motions when the emperor is crowned, but the House of Representatives has certain powers."

"The House of Representatives was once the Imperial Parliament, which is divided into the City Council and the Three-Level Council. The City Council's bills are mainly about the economy and development, while the Three-Level Council is mainly about politics, law and society. It has the right to propose, make suggestions and supervise. It does not belong to any administrative agency and is only responsible to the emperor."

"Skopje also has its own city councillor, but I remember that he was an old businessman who was very dissatisfied with the military-first policy of the military district government. I didn't have much friendship with him."

"The Senate has five meeting places, located in Constantinople, Thessalonica, Athens, Carthage and Birinci, and they are held every three years, rotating each time."

"In addition to the meetings that must be held every three years, the emperor also has the power to convene temporary meetings. It has only been a year since the last Athens Conference, and this time it was convened temporarily by Your Majesty."

"After the meeting begins, unless there are special circumstances, all members of the Senate and the House of Representatives must rush to the venue. In addition to the members of the parliament, His Majesty will also invite some people to listen. We soldiers are always in the audience, but it basically has nothing to do with us. We can just treat it as a tour."

Torosi shrugged.

"However, sometimes there are special circumstances. For example, at the Athens Conference a year ago, the Thessalonian senators exposed the scandal of the local archers. Some soldiers and officers colluded with each other and actually sold the imperial vodka that the emperor specially provided to them and started a business."

"As a result, His Majesty was very angry and beheaded the leading officer in public. The soldiers who participated in the reselling were exiled to New Thrace with their entire families."

"After this incident, His Majesty immediately issued a decree prohibiting regular troops from engaging in business, including the central army, border guards and garrison troops, but not militias and mercenaries."

"Yes, I know about this. It was a hot topic at the time, so much so that we hunters didn't dare to sell the prey we had hunted."

Allen smiled.

"That's nothing. I guess His Majesty just doesn't want the army to resell supplies. Our border guards already have their own public land, and the excess agricultural output must be sold. His Majesty doesn't forbid this."

Torosi looked around and saw that the two of them had already walked onto the most prosperous Golden Horn Avenue. Outside the sea wall was the famous Golden Horn, and across the Golden Horn was Galata City.

"This is the core area of ​​Constantinople, the most prosperous commercial district. Have you been here a few days ago?"

Torossi looked at Alan.

"No, I just found a random hotel to stay in a few days ago and visited all the churches in the city."

Alan replied.

"The priests said there are many brothels here, so we should avoid coming here."

"Humph, those weird old men only care about brothels. There are many entertainment facilities here, not just a few brothels."

Torossi snorted disdainfully.

"Taverns, teahouses, gambling houses, circuses, snack stands... In Constantinople, there is nothing that merchants cannot do, except what you can't think of."

"Besides, what's wrong with a brothel? I brought you out this time just to broaden your horizons. The brothels in the Golden Horn are the best in Europe. The women there can even recite a few verses of Dante's poems to you."

"There are certain restrictions here. They won't receive ordinary guests. If ordinary citizens want to have sex, they can only go to the shabby camps outside the city to find those Akingano women."

Torosi said nonchalantly.

"I won't go. The priest said it's not good."

Alan shook his head firmly.

Torosi raised an eyebrow and looked at young Alan with a smirk on his face.

"You don't have any special fetish, do you? Constantinople also has--"

Seeing Alan's face flushed, Torossi waved his hands and stopped teasing him.

"Okay, then I'll take you on a cruise. The Senate's three-level meeting will open tomorrow. We have to relax today."

"A cruise ship?"

Alan looked at the sea and saw several beautifully decorated cruise ships.

"Yes, it specializes in shipping and tourism. The Golden Horn has a gentle current, which is suitable for navigation and sightseeing. Citizens like to take a cruise from Constantinople to Galata, and then from Galata to Constantinople."

Torosi looked at the vague city of Galata in the distance.

"When Galata was rebuilt, in addition to the wine-making district, a number of entertainment venues were built, including a hippodrome, an arena and an opera house. The construction started three years ago and is almost complete this year."

"Why didn't they build it in Constantinople?"

Alan asked doubtfully.

"Land in Constantinople is so expensive, and land in Galata is cheap, so the archon placed these facilities in Galata."

Torosi and his companion arrived at the ferry, dismounted, and handed the horses to the servants.

"Cruise ships are more than just a means of transportation. They often sell seafood snacks, such as grilled oysters and grilled fish. They are all freshly caught. We will try some later."

Torossi pulled Alan past the crowd waiting for the boat and went straight to the person in charge. He showed his family crest and successfully entered the VIP waiting room.

"Sir, don't we have to wait in line?"

Alan looked at the magnificent wooden table in front of him and the cakes and wine on the table, and was stunned for a moment.

"Why are you queuing? This is my family's business."

Torosi laughed and drank the wine in the glass.

"Constantinople is a city of commerce and plenty. Take a good stroll around here. You will never forget it."

On the sea, a gorgeous cruise ship sailed over, and the guests cheered and were eager to try it out.

……

The journey of Torossi and Allen was just a microcosm. At that time, Constantinople gathered many senators and entourages from all over the empire. Although most of them were not coming for the first time, they were still shocked by the wealth of Constantinople. With the nourishment of industry, commerce and colonial trade, the city was full of vitality and quickly embarked on the road to prosperity.

On August 1467, 8, Isaac urgently convened a three-level meeting of the Senate in Constantinople, the capital of industry and commerce, and began talks on industrial and commercial reforms.

During the meeting, Isaac introduced the new Deputy Minister of Commerce Ulrich to the elders and parliamentarians, and asked him to share his business philosophy and reform ideas with everyone for reference.

Many people were deeply attracted by the magnificent blueprint constructed by Ulrich, but doubts still existed. Some people were too conservative, resistant to new things, and unwilling to make changes.

However, after Isaac expressed his attitude towards reform, they wisely chose to keep their mouths shut and did not dare to touch Isaac's majesty.

At the parliament, the proposal put forward by Isaac was passed unanimously, and the industrial and commercial reform of the Eastern Roman Empire officially began.

First, the Eastern Roman commercial market will be open to the world. The Eastern Roman Empire will remain open to all merchants and factory owners who are willing to go to the Eastern Roman Empire for business investment. Those who choose to join the Eastern Roman nationality can enjoy some preferential policies.

Second, except for some important mines, the remaining state-owned minerals will be leased or sold to major businessmen, who will be allowed to recruit workers and operate independently.

In fact, there are still many minerals in the Eastern Roman Empire that have not been mined. Either they are difficult to mine or their value is not very high. They nominally belong to the country, but have been abandoned.

The purpose of the second decree was to hand over these idle small mines to businessmen and mine owners and use them to increase mineral production.

The country may not look down on this amount of profit, but for individuals, it is already a good business.

Third, Isaac set an example by leasing most of his real estate and estates to agricultural capitalists in the form of leased farms, also in order to improve efficiency and expand output.

Fourth, merchants from all countries are allowed to explore for minerals in various parts of the empire. If a mineral vein is discovered, they can obtain priority purchase rights or priority lease rights. Mineral veins with different reserves can also obtain tax exemption periods of different lengths.

Fifth, merchants from all countries are allowed to open banks in the financial district of Constantinople and provide loan services. The higher the interest rate, the higher the tax.

Sixth, merchants from all countries were allowed to open factories in the Eastern Roman Empire, but they had to join local business unions and accept control by government departments.

Seventh, lower export tariffs and raise import tariffs to further enhance the competitiveness of Eastern Roman goods in the Mediterranean market, thereby opening up a larger trade market.

There are of course far more laws than these, a total of 19 articles, each of which is closely related to industry and commerce, and aims to clear obstacles for the budding of capitalism.

Of course, these laws are relatively general and only determine a basic national policy to support industry and commerce. When it comes to individual cases, various problems will certainly arise, and they need to be revised in constant practice until they are finally perfected.

On August 1467, 8, the "Nineteen Articles" were officially promulgated, which represented the ancient Eastern Roman Empire's transition from conservatism to openness and ushered in a new era of vigorous development of early capitalism.

(End of this chapter)