1444, Byzantium Resurrects

Chapter 299 Cardinal
Time passed, and it was already midsummer of 1471, more than a month after the Battle of Nicomedia.

During this month or so, the war in Anatolia was intermittent, the Ottoman Empire continued to sink in ruin, and the Aq Qoyunlu was busy rectifying its internal affairs and gathering military supplies.

The Eastern Roman Empire did not launch a large-scale offensive, and the harassment of the city of Bursa continued, but the long-term fighting had exhausted the soldiers, and the military supplies had not yet been replenished. It would take some time to repair, train new recruits, replenish troops, and recast the damaged siege cannons.

The most disappointing thing was that the midsummer heat brought the Anatolia region, which is dominated by Mediterranean climate and semi-arid continental climate, into the dry season. The shortage of water resources and potential epidemics hindered the large-scale military assembly.

Up to now, due to the "non-resistance" strategy of Ottoman Prince Bayezid, the White Sheep Dynasty has swallowed up most of Asia Minor. Karaman, Adana, Germyan... a series of separatist forces have restored their countries, which are quite similar to what they were a hundred years ago.

Of course, Uzung Hassan was not a good man. These Bey states were divided into many hostile aristocratic territories, and important cities were also controlled by the Aq Qoyunlu Dynasty.

Uzungol Hassan was indeed a great man of his generation, but the White Sheep Dynasty was ultimately a loose tribal alliance. It was inferior to the Ottoman Empire in terms of political system and ruling methods, and it was unable to bring such a vast territory under direct jurisdiction.

The Turkic nobles on the Anatolian Plateau were not surprised by this, and even had some expectations for the arrival of the White Ayun Dynasty. This was one of the reasons why Uzung Hasan advanced so quickly.

The Mongol Empire, the Timurid Empire, the Aq Qoyunlu Empire...these nomadic powers coming from the East all adopted this ruling strategy when dealing with the Anatolia region.

This method has many advantages. It can make military operations proceed quickly, pacify the largest territory in the shortest time, and reap the greatest benefits.

Of course, there are many disadvantages, the biggest of which is that this method requires too high personal qualities of the ruler.

When a powerful monarch is in power, these vassals will bring troops, horses, money and food to serve the monarch without hesitation.

But when a powerful monarch loses his prestige or dies of old age, these vassals will immediately take advantage of the situation to seek independence or even turn against him.

In order to solve these problems and strengthen the family authority, Uzung Hasan moved his ruling methods in the Persian region to Anatolia, appointing his sons and relatives as governors of important towns, who could recruit tribes and beys within their jurisdiction in times of war.

However, even though Uzum Hassan was a legendary monarch, he could not change the old tradition of the Muslim world - fratricide.

The succession struggle in the Muslim world is much more serious than that in the Christian world. No matter whether you are a brother or a half-brother, as long as you block my way, you are an enemy. Since you are an enemy, you should be killed.

Uzung Hassan had many sons. The eldest son, Ugulu, had followed his father in battles for many years and was now serving as the governor of Fars. The second son, Khalil, was also a veteran of the battlefield. He had always been at odds with his eldest brother and was very indifferent to his other brothers.

Since Uguru's mother had passed away, his stepmother, for the sake of her own son, kept slandering her eldest son to Uzoung Hassan, causing Uguru to gradually lose the favor of Uzoung Hassan and gradually move further away from the right of inheritance.

The other sons of Uzon Hassan are not easy to deal with either. The third son Jacob is scheming and sullen, while Maksud, who has both Eastern Roman royal blood and ambition but little talent, has his own loyalists behind them, determined to divide up their father's inheritance.

At present, Uzung Hassan's second son Khalil has been appointed as the governor of Konya, in charge of Karaman, and the third son Jacob is the governor of Sivas, working with the Kandal Bey State in the north to fight against Gonzalo's northern army.

When Uzum Hassan was alive, their efforts were almost useless, but once Uzum Hassan passed away, these ambitious princes would immediately start fighting, rebellion, civil war, fratricide... This is the inevitable path for a great Muslim power.

The situation in the Persian region was equally grim. The Herat monarch Yadiger, whom Uzum Hassan had supported the year before, was incompetent and was defeated and killed by another Timurid king, Husin Baihara. The eastern expansion of the Aq Qoyunlu dynasty ended here.

Although Husimbahara was a relatively moderate monarch who was keen on construction and governance and repeatedly expressed his unwillingness to go to war with the White Sheep Dynasty, Uzungol Hassan still did not dare to concentrate all his main forces in Anatolia and still sent some troops to Tabriz to strengthen his control over the east.

Therefore, in various junction areas in Anatolia, the Eastern Roman Empire and the Aq Qoyunlu, which were busy accumulating strength, reached an unspoken consensus. No large-scale conflict broke out for the time being, and they were fully prepared for the subsequent decisive battle.

However, the Northern Legion of the Eastern Roman Empire, led by Gonzalo, fought more and more bravely, broke through many border towns of the Kandal Bey State, and once threatened the port of Sinop. Finally, under the pressure of the Aq Qoyunlu Kingdom, it returned to defend Samsun.

The Ottoman Empire, trapped in the southwestern corner of Anatolia, suffered greatly in this confrontation. Its capital city, Bursa, was constantly threatened by the Eastern Roman army, and Mehmed II had to transfer most of his soldiers to the vicinity of the capital to participate in the defense.

The finances were exhausted, the people were in panic, and the only source of money and food was hit by continuous rebellions and uprisings. The Ottoman Empire, which had been established for 200 years, was heading towards the end of its life.

Across the strait, the Eastern Roman Empire was thriving. Three years of cold and disaster befell the Eastern Roman people, but their lives were much better than those of the Ottoman people across the sea. The large-scale use of coke allowed most people to afford cheap heating, and the prosperity of the textile industry also enabled them to wear warm clothes. Wheat from Egypt was continuously shipped in, and although food prices rose, they were still within an acceptable range.

They did not have to bear high taxes and heavy corvee labor. The surplus grain and savings from previous years could help them tide over the difficulties. Even if they had nothing, the emperor would provide them with jobs, such as building roads, mining stones, building new cities or working in factories.

The liberal reforms of the Eastern Roman Empire brought vigorous vitality to the entire country. More usable land was developed by agricultural capitalists, more mines were leased and operated by mining giants, more handicraft workshops were built by factory owners, and more commodities flowed into the private sector.

At this time, there is no need to worry about overproduction. High-quality goods are always in short supply, and inferior goods will be snapped up by ordinary people. Even the inferior goods will be loaded onto large ships and shipped to economic colonies such as Egypt and Congo.

Twenty years of light taxes and levies finally had the desired effect. The population began to explode, the people had more and more spare money, the demand for goods became increasingly strong, and the desire to consume was very strong, which further promoted the prosperity of capitalism.

Isaac spent half his life nurturing and finally put the early capitalism of the Eastern Roman Empire on the right track. There was no need for excessive regulation or doing everything personally anymore, and people could trust the market and the "invisible hand" to a certain extent.

The summer sun shines on the sea, and there is an endless stream of ships coming and going with their sails raised.

The ships flying the double-headed eagle flag are the emperor's warships. They are carrying out their missions, either escorting military supplies or protecting trade routes.

Ships flying flags of various colors came from major chambers of commerce and nobles. They frequently traveled between the Balkans and North Africa, connecting the two places commercially.

They would also travel to endless distant places, sell off all the European handicrafts, bring back gold, diamonds, ivory and various commodities from the colonies to Europe, send them to workshops and markets, and complete a new cycle of wealth.

This is the Sea of ​​Marmara, the smallest sea in the world, the sea of ​​prosperity and wealth.

With the successful recovery of Nicomedia and Nicaea, the revived Eastern Roman Empire was about to have its first inland sea. The Ottoman Empire still controlled a small half of the Marmara coast, but their ports were in decay, with only a few ships huddled in the harbors, in stark contrast to the Eastern Roman ports across the way.

On the sea, a sailboat was sailing northwest. This medium-sized sailboat was painted red, and a golden oak emblem with a blue background was painted on its sails.

Passing sailboats saw the high-rise family crest, and some waved friendly and respectful flags to it, while others ignored it.

A year ago, many people had seen this family emblem on the sea. Compared to that time, the golden oak tree with a blue background looked more noble. It not only wore a crown, but also added gold and silver keys and red ribbons.

On the ship, the golden Latin words are particularly eye-catching:

Cardinal.

This galley is the latest product of the Thessalonica shipyard, which does not have the ability to build large warships and mainly builds civilian ships and light merchant ships with a certain degree of military power.

Not long ago, due to the squeeze from the Carthage Shipyard and the Constantinople Shipyard, the Thessalonica Shipyard announced that it would completely abandon the military track and take a different approach, trying to produce "luxury" ships, pursuing the ultimate luxury and comfort, and specifically selling them to various nobles and wealthy businessmen to decorate their storefronts.

The wealthy merchants and nobles of the Eastern Roman Empire were getting richer and richer. These people have always pursued enjoyment and often took their families on vacation to various places, going to Carthage in winter and to Constantinople in summer. Comfort is of course not to be ignored. This is a huge market and a good business opportunity.

With the support and encouragement of the emperor, the Thessalonica Shipyard soon received some good orders, and their yachts gradually gained favor among many people.

Apart from being comfortable and luxurious, this type of ship has all the shortcomings. Its combat capability and long-distance navigation capability are extremely poor. Once it leaves the calm Mediterranean Sea, it will immediately be knocked over by the huge waves of the Atlantic Ocean.

The "Cardinal" was a product of this background and was also the first foreign order received by the Thessalonica Shipyard. The identity of the person who placed the order was very prominent, coming from a well-known nouveau riche family on the Apennine Peninsula.

The Rovira family.

Not long ago, Pope Paul II passed away suddenly, and Cardinal Francesco from the Rovere family was elected as the new Pope, known as Sixtus IV.

Forty years ago, the Rovere family was just a small Italian family, poor and unknown. However, in just forty years, the patriarch Francesco became the highest spiritual leader of the Catholic world, full of legends and absurdities.

On the deck of the Cardinal that smelled of pine, 28-year-old Giuliano Della Rovere looked at Constantinople getting closer and closer, with a slight smile on his face.

After Sixtus IV was elected Pope, he immediately used his power to obtain benefits for his family. Nephews, nephews, illegitimate children, and relatives from the neighborhood... anyone who had any connection with the Rovere family was all well settled.

Yesterday's fisherman can become a cardinal today, and perhaps even the Pope in the future; yesterday's farmer can be a baron today, and may even be promoted to earl or even duke in the future; even a bandit who has committed a serious crime can become a captain of the guard and eat a share of the royal rations.

When one person succeeds, the whole family will benefit. This saying is fully reflected in the Rovere family.

The accession of Sixtus IV pushed the corruption and extravagance of the Roman Curia to a new climax. The confrontation between the Rovere family and the Borgia family also set off a storm of blood and conspiracy, which was about to sweep across the whole city of Rome and even Italy.

Of course, not all the relatives promoted by Sixtus IV were incompetent people who only knew how to enjoy luxury, such as his nephew and right-hand man, the ambitious new Cardinal Giuliano della Rovere, the future "War Pope" Julius II.

"Bishop, Constantinople is coming."

The captain came over, smoking a pipe.

"Well, I see. Let's get ready to dock."

Giuliano nodded and gazed at the bustling and noisy Constantinople.

"It's been a long time since we last met. Constantinople is really thriving."

"Is that their new urban area to the east? It's already taking shape."

Giuliano pointed to the new city of Chalcedon on the other side of the river.

"You go to the Grand Palace, then we..."

The captain showed no interest in Giuliano's sentiments and rubbed his hands excitedly.

"Let's go to Constantinople and enjoy the prosperity of a big city."

Giuliano nodded.

Although the captain's last name was not Rovere, he was a distant relative of their family and a beneficiary of Sixtus IV.

"Thank you, Bishop!"

The captain bowed joyfully and ordered his sailors to sail into the Golden Horn.

There were many cruise ships in the Golden Horn Bay. The Cardinal arrived at its berth under the guidance of the pilot boat.

The Varangian Guards, who had been waiting here early, lined up in a column to welcome Giuliano's arrival.

At the end of the Varangian line, a fat priest in a cassock came up and came to Giuliano with a smile on his face.

"Welcome, envoy of the Holy See, dear fellow brothers, I am Bastoni, the first bishop of the Western Church."

Bastoni raised his right hand, put his index finger, thumb and middle finger together, and tapped his forehead, chest, left shoulder and right shoulder in turn.

Obviously, this is a Latin cross.

Giuliano was a little surprised, then returned the greeting with a smile.

After the Council of La Spezia, the Eastern and Western dioceses reaffirmed the nominal unity of the church and prohibited mutual hostility at the official level. Everyone was a devout believer with only slight differences in rituals, and adopted the principle of equal treatment with mutual respect and non-interference.

In recent years, the people of Milan have suffered a double blow from natural disasters and man-made tyranny. More and more refugees have fled south. There are already several thousand Latin immigrants in the western border area, and they must be effectively managed.

So, Isaac followed the example of the Eastern Rites Department of the Catholic Church and standardized and legalized the Western Rites Department, which was specifically responsible for managing the Western Rites throughout the empire, especially the Latin-speaking Romans in the western border areas.

For Christians, religion is not only a belief but also a deeply rooted way of life. The Catholic world can accommodate a large number of Orthodox Christians, and Isaac does not have to be too harsh on the poor people who come here to make a living.

"The Crown Prince and the two queens are already prepared in the palace. Please follow me."

Bastoni said with a smile.

"After we finish our business, if you wish, I will also take you to visit the independent church of our Western Rite Church."

"Most definitely."

Giuliano nodded with a smile.

The two of them got on the royal carriage and drove on the wide stone road. The road surface was flat and the carriage was very comfortable.

"This carriage is really nice."

Giuliano pressed the cushion under the seat.

"Haha, this is a new product from the Royal Carriage Workshop. It's equipped with springs, sponges and velvet."

Brazilian Tony explained.

"It is said that His Majesty has also set a new topic for the Royal Academy of Sciences, requiring them to study the rubber produced in the Kingdom of Brazil and try to use it in carriages."

"If you are interested, once the research is successful, I will apply to His Majesty to customize a few for you and your uncle."

"Thank you very much."

Giuliano thanked.

"Is Emperor Isaac still fighting in the east?"

"Yes, His Majesty has not returned yet, but some troops have already gone to Constantinople for repairs. It is estimated that there will be no major war in the short term."

Bastoni nodded.

"Well, that's how you deal with Saracens. Kill them all."

Giuliano thought for a moment. "Where's the Crown Prince?"

"His Majesty Justinian returned not long ago and is currently inspecting Bulgaria. If you are not in a hurry, you can stay in Constantinople for the time being and wait for the two majesties to return to the palace."

"Okay, but I have a lot of things to do, so I probably won't be able to see them."

Giuliano sighed.

"It doesn't matter. Constantinople is very close to Anatolia, so we should be able to exchange letters in time."

Bastoni consoled.

"If it is an ordinary matter, the two queens are fully capable of making the decision."

Giuliano nodded slightly and looked out the window.

The carriage had already entered the imperial palace area. In the outer palaces, officials were coming and going, collecting pieces of intelligence and presenting them to the rulers in the palace.

"That's the Imperial Senate, next to it is the Imperial Administrative Palace, and connected to the Administrative Palace is the Prime Minister's Palace..."

Bastoni introduced.

Giuliano nodded repeatedly, but his eyes moved to the back, deeply attracted by a square.

The square is located outside the Grand Palace, with four tall statues standing around it and a monument in the middle. Golden boxes are distributed around the monument. The four statues hold scepters, look solemn and majestic, wear crowns on their heads, and face the center.

"This is the Cemetery of Seafaring Heroes. We call it the Four Emperors' Guards Coffin."

Bastoni stopped smiling.

"In recent years, President Giovanni and Governor Dinis have passed away one after another. Your Majesty decided to commemorate them and let future generations sing praises of their achievements. He allocated funds from his private treasury to build this mausoleum."

“The four figures do not refer to a particular emperor, but rather symbolize the Balkans, Anatolia, the Levant and Egypt.”

“This square is located right in the middle of the four churches and was built for a similar purpose.”

"Currently, only the hearts of two heroes, Giovanni and Dinis, are buried here. The other golden boxes are empty."

The carriage turned onto the avenue and Giuliano could see the Greek words on the monument.

In the name of God, the ocean will be our new continent.

Giuliano was silent for a moment and then crossed himself.

“May God have peace on their souls.”

The carriage continued to move forward, and the ancient and solemn palace came into view.

"My dear brother, I will take you here. The Crown Prince and the two queens are waiting for you."

Bastoni said goodbye with a smile, while Giuliano straightened his robe and walked into the hall.

The lights were on in the hall, and it was elegant and solemn.

Sitting on the throne symbolizing imperial power, the four-year-old Constantine was dressed in gorgeous attire, with the crown of Prince of Athens on his head and a gorgeously decorated scepter in his hand.

His scepter was also specially made, just enough to match the strength of a child. In addition to the coat of arms of the Palaiologos family and the emblem of the city of Athens, there was also a unique storm and lightning pattern on the scepter, showing the prince's uniqueness.

On both sides of the throne, Queen Leonor and Queen Isabella sat on the left and right, looking at Giuliano with smiles on their faces.

"Welcome, respected Cardinal Giuliano."

Little Constantine clutched the scepter tightly and nervously finished his lines.

"It is an honor to meet you, Your Royal Highness, Prince of Athens, may God bless you."

Giuliano bowed slightly.

"And you, the two queens."

"Your arrival was too sudden. Both emperors were unable to return in time. Please forgive me."

Leonor spoke up.

"It doesn't matter. I only represent the family, not the Holy See."

Giuliano smiled in response.

"Queen Isabella, how is little Carlos doing?"

Giuliano looked at Isabella.

"Thank God, everything is fine, but I just don't like to move and am always silent."

Isabella replied.

"We are very happy to hear that your uncle has been elected as the new Pope. We believe that he will not treat his godson unfairly."

"That's for sure, we will do our utmost to support Carlos the Younger's legitimate claim to the Crown of Castile."

Giuliano said firmly.

He knew that his uncle had long ago exchanged interests with the Eastern Roman Emperor, the most important of which was that if Carlos ascended the throne of Castile, he would designate one-third of the crown territory as bishoprics and obey the arrangements of the Roman See, allowing members of the Rovere family to serve as bishops of these dioceses.

"That's good. I hope you can keep your promise."

Isabella's smile faded, she hesitated to speak, and looked away.

In fact, although Enrique IV treated her very badly, she still had some feelings for her motherland and hoped that her son would inherit a unified and powerful Castile. She did not like these "traitorous treaties" very much.

Of course, she has always been a selfish political creature, and in the face of her son's power, the future of Castile had to be put on the back burner.

"What is your purpose in coming here from afar?"

Seeing that the atmosphere was tense, Leonor quickly started talking.

"First, on behalf of the Roman Catholic Church, I congratulate you on your great victory in the holy war. The Holy See intends to have the Eastern Church establish the date of the Battle of Nicomedia as a commemorative day."

Giuliano said.

"Thank you for your kindness. God will protect the souls of the heroes who died in the battle."

Leonor smiled faintly.

"Second, I represent the Rovere family."

Giuliano grew serious.

"The Rovere family has been your ally since a long time ago. We helped you open up the Italian trade market, and you provided us with a lot of low-interest loans, allowing us to have enough money to participate in the election and win over more parishes."

"Indeed, our covenant still stands."

Leonor affirmed.

"In this case, we hope to continue to receive your financial assistance so as to defeat our political opponents."

Giuliano raised his head and looked at Leonor.

"Who are your enemies?"

Leonor looked him in the eye calmly.

"The Borgias, those dirty Hebrews."

Giuliano looked gloomy.

"They still have a lot of power in Rome. They have grown rapidly in recent years and have surpassed several ancient families."

"Yes, I understand."

Leonor's eyes flickered.

"I'm afraid they're not the only ones."

"And the Medici family in Florence."

Giuliano pursed his lips.

"Our young Lorenzo is a complete tyrant and usurper. His goal has never changed. He always hopes to transform the whole of Florence into the hereditary territory of the Medici family."

"Before my uncle was elected, he deliberately abolished the power of the Citizens' Assembly, drove the loyalists we installed out of the city, and confiscated some of our property."

Giuliano sneered.

"We have secretly contacted the Medici family's opponents. They are a little hesitant, but Lorenzo's centralization of power will not stop. One day, they will be unable to tolerate it."

After a long silence, Leonor spoke slowly.

"Why do you think we are bound to interfere in Florence's internal affairs?"

"Of course it's for profit."

Giuliano said as a matter of course.

"Florence is an ally of the Venetians and the strongest competitor of the Eastern Empire in the Italian market. Their high-end handicrafts still firmly control half of Italy, and you have never been able to squeeze in."

"Besides, you don't need to be there in person. You can just provide low-interest loans as usual."

Giuliano chuckled.

"This is Italy, a place where if you have money you get soldiers."

The hall fell silent again, with only the breathing of a few people being heard.

"I think there is no problem, but it is a big deal after all, so we have to do it thoroughly."

Leonor said in a deep voice.

"In addition to money, there is a lot of support we can provide, but this requires Isaac's approval and long-term preparation."

"Thank you for your generosity. Our intelligence network is still being rebuilt, and it will take several years."

Giuliano's smile became much more intense.

"However, can I get a portion of the loan in advance? I plan to form a standing mercenary force directly under the Holy See, and I need some initial funds."

Giuliano waved his hand.

"You know, too, that my uncle has just been elected and needs money everywhere, and the treasury is already empty."

"I will explain this to the Emperor in detail."

Leonor said.

"Okay, thank you for your kindness then."

Giuliano was about to say goodbye and looked at little Constantine.

"Thank you too, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."

(End of this chapter)