1444, Byzantium Resurrects

Chapter 273 Winter is coming
In the south of the Iberian Peninsula, at Cape Europa, the British Fortress.

The weather was perfect. Isaac stood halfway up the Rock of Gibraltar and looked around.

There was vast ocean on three sides, the European continent to the north, and looking far to the south, Isaac could vaguely see the outline of the North African continent.

Nearly four months had passed since the Eastern Roman Empire's naval and land forces captured Gibraltar. Due to the narrow land and sparse population at Cape Europa, Isaac did not use violence against local Muslims. Instead, he gave them two choices: either convert and stay, or go north.

At present, the small Cape of Europa accommodates more than 6,000 people. Except for a small number of local residents, the rest are soldiers brought by Isaac and craftsmen responsible for building the fortress.

The British Fortress stands at the junction of Cape Europa and the Iberian Peninsula. After four months of construction, the fortress has taken shape, and the internal processing will take a long time.

The British Fortress is an irregular polygonal prism with four protrusions on the north side, one each on the east and west sides. It extends towards the coast, blocking all roads leading to the cape from the European continent.

Each protrusion is a sturdy tower divided into several floors. The lower part is a military station and warehouse, the middle part is full of loopholes, and the top is a gun platform loaded with cannons and crossbows.

The fortress's command center is located in a cave on the Rock of Gibraltar and is connected to various combat units by passages. After the interior decoration is completed, the passages will be very wide, large enough to accommodate horses running, ensuring that the commander's orders can be transmitted to the front lines of the war as quickly as possible.

The slave sailors in the fleet who were responsible for rowing were temporarily used by Isaac as workers. They were to modify the terrain to the north of the British Fortress and build an inclined slope that was parallel to the trajectories of the muskets and cannons on the fortress.

In this way, the fortress garrison's target changed from point to line, which could greatly increase the hit rate of firearms.

In addition, Isaac will also equip the fortress with rolling logs and boulders. On the slope, these city defense tools can also exert their greatest power.

The fortress has no main gate, and all supplies and commercial trade rely on sea routes. There is a secret side door on each side. If the army outside the city cannot capture the city after a long siege and its morale is low, the cavalry of the British Fortress can break out from the side door and attack the enemy camp at night.

In Isaac's plan, the entire Cape of Europe was mainly composed of the naval port area and the fortress area. The remaining scattered land was designated as farmland, which would be cultivated by the families of soldiers and could also provide some insignificant food for the soldiers and sailors.

Not long ago, Isaac officially established the Special District of Gibraltar, which was directly under the emperor's jurisdiction. A standing garrison of 2,000 people and a squadron of the Western Mediterranean Fleet will be stationed here. The residents of the peninsula are mainly engaged in the service industry, providing various services to merchant ships coming and going and soldiers stationed here.

The garrison of the British Fortress was recruited directly from the regular army brought by Isaac, paid according to regular army standards, and trained according to the regular army model.

Isaac turned his head and looked at the naval port on the west side.

The Port of Gibraltar is a deep-water port and the last transit point from the Mediterranean world to the Atlantic Ocean. It has both important military and commercial value.

Isaac would keep a fleet in Gibraltar with sufficient influence to launch attacks on North African Muslims in the south at any time, declaring the absolute authority of the Eastern Empire in the Mediterranean.

"Your Majesty, the Prince and Princess have already left. They will arrive in Lisbon soon to attend the Portuguese royal wedding."

Bartholomew, the deputy commander of the fortress in the Gibraltar Special District, came over and reported to Isaac.

Bartholomew was a clergyman who graduated from the Military Department of the Constanta Seminary and had a lot of insights into fortress engineering.

"Very good, let them have a good time. I have already reached an agreement with the Kingdom of Portugal. Alfonso will treat them well."

Isaac nodded and turned his eyes to the envelope in Bartholomew's hand.

"Anything else?"

Isaac asked.

"This is a letter that has just arrived at the port. It is from your son, His Majesty Justinian."

Bartholomew handed the letter to Isaac.

Isaac opened the letter and glanced over it.

The letter was not long, and Justinian mainly reported two things.

First, the situation in the Near East was in turmoil again. Bu Sa'in of the Timurid Kingdom led an army to personally attack the Aq Qoyunlu Dynasty, but he was too hasty to ensure the supply of food and grass, and suffered a lot when facing the scorched earth policy of the Aq Qoyunlu King Uzond Hasan.

When Busayin reached the Karabakh region, the army was already exhausted and the soldiers dispersed before they could engage the enemy. Busayin fled in a hurry. The Aries King Uzon Hassan took advantage of the victory to pursue him, captured Busayin and several of his sons alive, and on the advice of his ministers, handed Busayin over to his enemy.

In the spring of 1469, the last capable king of the Timurid Empire died in the city of Karabakh in unclear circumstances, and the "revival" of the Timurid Empire collapsed.

After Busayn's death, civil strife broke out again in Timur's family. The princes and grandsons of the kings established their own territories and attacked each other.

Busayin's stupidity not only killed himself, but also killed Hassan Ali of the Black Sheep Dynasty. The two big families lost their backbone at the same time, and there was no force in the entire Persian region that could resist the massive expansion of the White Sheep Dynasty.

In just a few years, the Aq Qoyunlu Kingdom leapt from a local regime hidden in the eastern part of Asia Minor to a vast empire. It was later recognized as the orthodox dynasty of Persia. It is truly a legend.

Isaac saw this and smiled slightly.

The White Sheep King Uzung Hassan was a proud and arrogant ruler who believed that he was the only monarch in the entire Islamic world. He dared to make enemies with the Ottoman Empire even before he rose to power. After he resolved the chaos in Persia, his next target would definitely be the Ottoman Empire in the west.

By then, the Eastern Roman Empire and the Aq Qoyunlu would be natural allies, even though the two countries had never had a deep friendship and even though there would never be permanent peace between the two countries.

Isaac turned the letter to the next page.

The second thing was that Justinian pointed out that the envoys from the Circassian tribes had already toured Constantinople and they would convene a tribal meeting to discuss matters of allegiance.

Justinian was going to hand over government affairs to his mother Leonor and make another trip to Circassia to win the support of more tribes.

Isaac folded up the letters and thought silently.

The Circassians are the indigenous people of the Caucasus. They had contact with the Roman Empire very early on and believed in Eastern Orthodoxy, but they retained some of their own ethnic characteristics. They tend toward Europe in terms of beliefs, and toward Asia in terms of language and culture.

At present, the Circassians mainly live on the northern foothills of the Greater Caucasus Mountains, leading a semi-nomadic and semi-agricultural life. Each tribe has its own prince, and there are conflicts and contradictions at ordinary times, but when encountering national events, they will hold meetings to discuss countermeasures together.

Circassian men were brave and good at fighting, and were once the main source of the Mamluks. Circassian women were beautiful and fair, and many monarchs loved Circassian female slaves very much, especially the Ottoman Sultan in the original time and space. Several consecutive sultans married Circassian female slaves as concubines and gave them high status and great power.

The key point is that the Circassian tribes have not yet been converted to Islam by Muslim forces from all directions, and most of them still believe in Orthodox Christianity. Muslims from the Tatar steppes and the eastern Caucasus have been looting the Circassian tribes, causing them to suffer terribly, which provides an excellent opportunity for the Eastern Roman Empire.

In the original time and space, when the Circassians, who were almost orphans of Orthodoxy, asked for help from their cousins ​​in the north, the Grand Duchy of Moscow, the Russians turned a deaf ear and believed that this place was "worthless."

Hundreds of years passed, Moscow changed its name, Circassians changed their religion, and the powerful Tsarist Russia suddenly believed that Circassians had "some value" and began to invade the land where they had lived for generations. Even the Circassian tribes that converted back to Orthodoxy were denounced as aliens, causing countless killings here, and eventually forcing a large number of Circassians to move south to the Ottoman Empire, where they were displaced all the way.

Isaac was not planning to bring the Circassian tribes under his direct jurisdiction, nor was he planning to use too much force here. Isaac had a lot of land, so there was no need to waste time and energy on a Circassian territory that had little economic value but was extremely powerful.

Of course, there are many minerals in the Caucasus Mountains, including several small gold mines, but the natural conditions there are too harsh and ordinary people cannot withstand it. Isaac plans to incorporate the Circassian tribes into the Eastern Roman trade market and exchange Eastern Roman clothing, food and handicrafts for their minerals and slaves.

The Circassian slave trade would not be cut off because of Isaac's "protection". They implemented a strict four-class system, and the lowest-class slaves were originally items of trade between tribes and were also important exports.

If Isaac issued an order prohibiting the Circassian slave trade, the first to oppose it would be themselves.

Moreover, the Circassian slaves did not feel ashamed of their identity. During the heyday of the Mamluks, many Circassian slaves who became high-ranking officials in Egypt would return to their hometown in glory to show off. This led to many slaves vying to be chosen by the slave owners and to go to Egypt to be slaves, thus crossing the class line.

Circassian war slaves and female slaves were very popular commodities, and Isaac was prepared to let things develop without interfering.

Sell, sell. You send a large number of Orthodox people to me, and I will sell you your favorite luxury goods. Everyone will have a bright future.

Before we knew it, we were back on Ottoman’s old path.

However, Isaac did not have to worry about Circassian slave girls entering the palace. The Christian world practiced monogamy and had very strict requirements on bloodline and family. No matter how foolish the subsequent emperors were, they could not marry Circassian slave girls as openly as the Ottoman Sultan did.

Thinking of this, Isaac smiled and looked at Bartholomew.

"I'm ready to go back. The basic framework of the Gibraltar Special District has been built. No one will attack the fortress in the short term. You stay here and try to complete all the facilities within two years."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Bartholomew bowed.

"If you find any problems during the construction process, you can find ways to modify them. The drawings designed by me and the engineers are not perfect. There are definitely areas for improvement."

"Don't worry, Your Majesty. After graduation, I served as a military chaplain in the engineering corps, so I have some understanding of these military engineering projects."

Bartholomew smiled.

"Very well, I'll leave tomorrow morning."

Isaac nodded.

On March 1469, 3, Isaac ended his several-month journey to Iberia, left two thousand guards and a squadron at the British Fortress, and sailed east on the Cairo Star directly to Constantinople.

……

Northeastern coast of the Sea of ​​Azov, mouth of the Don River, Constantine-na-Don.

Over a period of more than half a year, an engineering team from the Eastern Roman Empire built the fortress on the ruins of a Genoese trading post, and forced the Tatar captives to dig a moat and divert water from the Don River into the ditch to enhance the fortress's defenses.

At present, all the Cossacks in the Crimean Peninsula have moved here, and eight thousand-man teams are engaged in farming and animal husbandry around Constantine on the Don River.

It is worth mentioning that although Constantine-on-Don is not large in size, it has a magnificent monastery that is seriously inconsistent with its size. It was built with donations from the Fugger family. Each Cossack family would send a male son to practice asceticism in the church, receive theological and Greek education, and lay a solid foundation for future missionary work on the grasslands.

The Marić River basin further east was granted by Justinian to Antoninus, who had both the Palaiologos and Genghis Khan family bloodlines, and he was encouraged to recruit tribesmen to expand his power.

Of course, Antoninus was a real Constantinople native who could not even speak Turkish well. He had been a Christian since childhood and only had an unclear identity as a member of the Golden Family. His achievements were not great, and no major tribe was willing to pledge allegiance to him.

The gate of the fortress slowly opened, and two brave and strong Cossacks walked in front holding the flag of a double-headed eagle of blood and fire, followed by the majestic Cossack Corps, and Justinian and Gonzalo walked in the middle.

Justinian looked at the towering snow-capped mountains looming in the distance, his eyes narrowed slightly.

Gonzalo was smoking an exquisitely crafted pipe, with puffs of smoke wafting from the bowl.

"Gonzalo, I didn't give you the pipe and tobacco so that you would smoke all day long."

Justinian frowned as he looked at Gonzalo who seemed to be enjoying himself.

"Father said smoking is harmful to your health, so you'd better smoke less."

"I know. This is the last bucket of the day. You've only given me so much. There's no more to smoke if you want to."

Gonzalo chuckled.

"How did His Majesty Isaac discover this good thing? If the production volume increases in the future, it will probably be a very good cash crop."

"And the pipe, such a convenient tool, was it invented by your father?"

"No, they're all Cuban stuff."

Justinian shook his head.

"However, tobacco is indeed a very good cash crop. Father said that the Black Sea coast is suitable for cultivation. After we eliminate Crimea, we can try to grow some."

Gonzalo nodded, took a drag on his cigarette, and exhaled light blue smoke.

"Are you sure you can persuade the Circassian tribes to pledge allegiance to the Empire?"

"There are some, just take what you need."

Justinian thought.

“Since we banned the Mamluks from buying Circassian slaves, we have become the largest buyers of Circassian white slaves.”

"Not long ago, a delegation from the Circassian tribes visited Constantinople. I gave them many precious luxury goods. They were all amazed at the wealth of Constantinople and the excellence of Eastern Roman goods." "From an economic point of view, it is only a matter of time before we include them in the imperial market."

"Then there's the faith and military. They've suffered from the Saracens' plunder and they're Orthodox Christians like us, so they naturally feel close to us."

Justinian shrugged.

"My father has told me about his diplomatic policy regarding the Circassian tribes. We will not interfere too much in the internal affairs of the Circassian tribes. We will just establish a relationship between protectors and the protected."

"Yeah, that sounds feasible."

Gonzalo nodded.

"It's a long process, but you seem to be in a hurry."

Gonzalo winked at Justinian.

"You don't want to taste the taste of a Circassian slave girl, do you?"

Justinian raised his eyebrows.

"You are so disrespectful, what nonsense are you talking about."

"I'm your uncle!"

"Didn't you ask me to be little Constantine's godfather? That way, we'll be of the same generation."

Gonzalo pouted.

"Why, are you afraid that the Queen will find out?"

"Humph, I am the grandson of Saint Constantine and the eldest son of Isaac the Great. I was born in the Purple Room and am born noble. How can I let a slave defile me?"

Justinian raised his head slightly.

After a moment of silence, he slowly spoke again.

"My brother Alexios is in trouble in the south. He is very stubborn. Even if he encounters an army several times larger than his own, he will probably choose to fight to the end for the so-called honor."

"Father wrote to ask him to come back, but he wouldn't listen. He wanted to protect the civilians."

"If I can wear the Circassian crown, I can pull out a cavalry composed mainly of Cossacks and Circassians. We can plunder the core areas of Shirvan in the east and force them to retreat."

"You have to save your own brothers. If it were you, I would make the same choice."

Justinian looked at Gonzalo.

"Why, do you want to come with me?"

Gonzalo was stunned and nodded vigorously.

"Everything I have is given by you. I will follow you for the rest of my life. No matter where you want me to hit, I won't hesitate at all!"

"Okay! Follow me, and I will never owe you anything."

Justinian patted Gonzalo on the shoulder.

"I know that Constantine-on-Don is too deserted and you don't like it very much. When you get to Circassia, they will offer you the most beautiful women and the best wine."

"Of course that's good."

Gonzalo's face was full of longing.

"But will they treat us well? We don't have enough soldiers."

"No, they certainly will."

Justinian smiled.

“If you want to tame a wild horse, the most important thing is to understand it.”

“Last year, I visited the Adygea Chiefdom. The chiefdom’s prince was fighting in the east, so I didn’t see many nobles.”

"But I have spent a long time investigating the Circassian people and have basically figured out the character of this ethnic group."

Justinian recalled.

"They are proud, but friendly; they are wild, but very particular about guest etiquette."

"We are invited to the feast and are their guests, and the hosts will share bread and salt with the guests under the same roof."

"Moreover, when their delegation went to Constantinople, I gave them the warmest welcome and the highest level of treatment, and they cried bitterly at the banquet."

"They said they had never been treated so well in their lives."

"They said that from that day on, I was the most distinguished guest of their tribe and that they could visit me at any time and I would receive the best hospitality at any time."

"They are just such a group of simple and warlike nomadic mountain people."

After listening to this, Gonzalo felt a little emotional.

"Are they willing to make you their king?"

“Maybe, but it requires operation.”

Justinian smiled confidently.

"The Circassians are made up of twelve large tribes and a number of smaller tribes. I can say with certainty that the easternmost Kabarda chiefdom will certainly be willing to accept our protection."

"Kabarda is located at the junction of Saracen and Christian forces. Every year, Turkmen tribes from the Caspian Sea coast raid them, stealing food and women and killing men and the elderly."

"Especially the Safavid sect. The former leader Zhunaid and Shirvan were in cahoots with each other and plundered all day long. Georgia and Circassia were both victims of their murderous hands."

Justinian gnashed his teeth in hatred.

"The influence of the Safavid sect is so great that even Anatolia has its followers."

"And Sylvan will be attacked by the Safavids sooner or later."

"If I can convince Circassia to join forces with us and give the Shirvan Kingdom a hard time, then my prestige will be very high, and it will be much easier for them to accept me as their king."

Gonzalo nodded and thought about it.

"What about Batu Sarai's Jochi Ulus? Will they launch a surprise attack while we are advancing eastward?"

"No, from what I know, Aham Khan of Batu Sarai is in trouble, with rebels at home and powerful enemies outside."

Justinian smiled contemptuously.

"Recently, the Kazan people and the Nogai people have joined forces to invade Batu Sarai's pastures and plundered them."

"Ahem Khan has no troops to spare."

"That's right, no wonder he didn't take the opportunity to intervene in the Crimea situation."

Gonzalo finished smoking, emptied his pipe and put it in his pocket.

"What's going on recently? Why are people from Kazan heading south?"

Justinian said nothing and pointed to the river in the distance.

"What did you see?"

"A small tributary of the Don River, what's wrong with that?"

Gonzalo looked at Justinian in confusion.

"Decades ago, this area was also the Circassian people's range of activities. Their legendary hero Inar was born in this area."

Justinian spoke slowly.

"I have heard their songs, and they say that Emperor Inar the Great swam in this river with his soldiers at the end of February to prove his bravery."

Justinian looked toward the river.

"However, it's already April and the river has just thawed, there are still ice blocks floating on the river surface, and the snow nearby has not yet melted."

“At the end of last year, an old Circassian man told me that the weather has been getting colder in recent decades.”

Justinian stared at Gonzalo.

"I wrote to my father and asked him about it. He said that the old Circassian man was right. It will get colder and colder in the future. Large areas of grassland in the north will become barren and cattle and sheep will starve to death."

“That’s why the Kazanites started looting.”

"Winter is coming."

Gonzalo silently looked at the river mixed with ice, took off his leather gloves, and felt the cold wind on the grassland.

“Is this a good thing for us?”

"It's hard to say for now. The north and mountainous areas will feel the effects very clearly. North Africa will probably benefit from this, and the Balkans will probably suffer some disasters."

Justinian pondered.

"However, my father started preparing a long time ago. After the coke technology from the East was introduced, the empire began to mine coal on a large scale for heating."

"And Circassia. As far as I know, the temperature has dropped significantly in the northern foothills of the Caucasus. The cold winds have been blocked and gathered there."

"They suffered a disaster last winter, which caused a huge loss of crop yields and the death of a large number of livestock."

"I have ordered the grain to be loaded onto the ship, which is now anchored off the coast of Adygea."

"In the eyes of the Circassians, assistance in times of distress is worth paying with one's life, and they will be very grateful."

"I feel much more relieved when you say that."

Gonzalo laughed.

"Then hurry up and let's go meet these bold and brave Caucasian men!"

Justinian urged his horses, and the cavalry began to speed up and gallop towards the mountains in the distance.

(End of this chapter)