1444, Byzantium Resurrects

Chapter 300 Twilight of the Gods

Marmara Coast, Port of Askania.

A few months ago, the navy and land forces of the Eastern Roman Empire made rapid progress, recaptured the Nicaea Basin, and formally established the first region of the Eastern Roman Empire on the Anatolian Peninsula, the Bithynia Region, with Nicaea as its capital, and under its jurisdiction important cities such as Nicaea, Ascania, and Nicomedia.

As a city surrounded by mountains, the communication between Nicaea and the Eastern Roman Empire was mainly through the port of Ascania in the west. As early as the Ottoman rule, the development momentum of this port city had already surpassed that of the inland city of Nicaea.

After the Eastern Roman Empire recaptured Nicaea, it enslaved all the Turkic Muslims who had originally lived there, gathered Orthodox refugees from all over the country, and allocated fields and houses to them, aiming to turn the Nicaea Basin into a Christian fortress in northwestern Anatolia.

At present, the entire Nicea region has a total of more than 80,000 Orthodox people, some of whom are native Romans from Anatolia, and others are immigrants from the Balkans.

Despite being in a war zone, the Balkan immigrants were not worried at all. They never thought that their emperor would be defeated by the dying Ottoman Sultanate, nor did they think that the said brave Uzung Hasan had the ability to reach Nicaea.

Tens of thousands of troops gathered here, and a large amount of farmland was left unattended. This was a rare opportunity for the poor people and wealthy nobles in the Balkans.

During these decades of war and colonization, the Eastern Roman Empire had gradually adapted to the emperor's expansion ideas. Wherever the army went, merchants followed closely. The army brought the laws of the empire, and the merchants brought prosperity and vitality. Next came immigration to reclaim wasteland, occupy the living space of the locals, and divide up their heritage.

The improvement of agricultural technology, the improvement of the medical system, the prosperity of the commodity market and decades of light taxes and levies have brought about a series of rapid population increases in the Eastern Roman Empire. From common people to nobles, everyone is immersed in the beauty and glory brought by the prosperity and there is no need to worry about not being able to raise children.

So far, after regaining part of the Anatolian territory, the population of the Eastern Roman Empire has exceeded 6.6 million, making it the third most populous country in the entire Christian world.

This population of 6.6 million also covers a series of affiliated forces, including two major border regions, two free cities, the United Kingdom of Cossacks and Circassians and the Grand Duchy of Serbia, so there is quite a lot of water in it.

Of course, since the entire Eastern Roman Empire maintained a large number of pagan slaves without citizenship, the manpower available was far more than this, and the commodity market was far more than this size.

In the busy harbor, a sailboat slowly approached the shore. The pilot guided the ship and the guards surrounded it.

Nearly 30,000 Eastern Roman troops were stationed in the Nicaea Basin. The presence of these troops soon brought morbid and deformed prosperity to the city of Nicaea and the port of Ascania. Merchants and civilians mainly developed the service industry, and production and life revolved around the army.

Craftsmen who repair ships, dock workers who carry goods, blacksmiths who repair weapons and armor, prostitutes who work in the sex industry...

Due to Isaac's high welfare and strict restrictions, the Eastern Roman army was forbidden to harass Orthodox civilians, rob and rape, and they had to pay for food, drink and entertainment. The people were not very afraid of the emperor's soldiers and regarded them as their protectors and cash cows.

Of course, this rule only applies to Orthodox Christians and can be expanded to all Christians when necessary. It does not apply to Muslims because they do not pledge allegiance to the emperor, and the emperor is not a good person, so there is no reason for him to protect them.

"Your Excellency Prime Minister, we can only send you here."

On the deck, the captain looked respectfully at the old prime minister in black.

"The Askania River is being widened. It can't accommodate large ships until it's completed. You'll have to use a small boat."

Isurte nodded slightly, walked down the deck without saying a word, ignored the flattery and invitations of the port officials, and walked straight to the downstream ferry of the Ascania River accompanied by the guards.

The boat was ready. Isurte climbed onto the swaying deck, brought a chair and sat on it.

"Mr. Prime Minister, the wind is against the current, and the water level is low in summer. We have to use trackers downstream, so it may be a bit slow..."

The captain came over cautiously and reported in a low voice.

"up to you."

Isurt said stiffly.

The boat trackers on the Askania River sang heroic slogans, whipped the donkeys and mules, and dragged the boats step by step upstream.

On both sides of the river, Isurt could occasionally see groups of slaves digging the river. They were shirtless and waving the tools in their hands under the scorching sun.

Isult knew that the Ascania Canal was the first large-scale project implemented by the emperor in the Nicaea region. It aimed to expand and widen the original Ascania River as much as possible and connect the city of Nicaea with the Sea of ​​Marmara.

Because there were so many slaves and the Ascania River was in its dry season, the project went relatively smoothly and already looked somewhat as expected.

However, Isurte was not happy. His face became more gloomy and his mottled eyebrows were tightly furrowed.

Since the outbreak of the Great Turkish War, the old prime minister has become the busiest person in all of Constantinople. The empire is too large, there are too many things to do, and the development of capitalism and the preparation of war materials have brought great pressure to the administrative department. He has been busy for more than half a year, and his hair and eyebrows have become a little paler.

The most crucial thing is that both emperors were busy with wars, the nominal regent, Prince Constantine, was only a four-year-old child, and Queen Leonor's talents were mainly reflected in diplomacy. She had neither the ability nor the interest in domestic affairs.

Queen Isabella did have some political talent, but as a pure-blooded Greek aristocrat from Constantinople, Isult was always wary of her and refused to let her govern the country independently. She had to handle all military and political affairs personally.

When Justinian returned, Isurte immediately pulled him out of Queen Isabella's room and asked him to assume the responsibilities of co-emperor and not run around.

Military and political work was secondary. After decades of governing, Isurte had long been accustomed to it. He continued to maintain the administrative structure of the entire empire and put the emperor's plans and ideas into practice as always.

For him, being able to witness the revival of an ancient empire and the legend of an era is a great fortune. Moreover, he has already reached the highest position in the country and his family is prosperous, which is worth it to fight for.

What really worried him was the empire's finances. The Great Turkish War was the largest and most costly war the Eastern Roman Empire had experienced in recent decades. From the expansion of the army to the innovation of the system, from the improvement of weapons to the pensions of military dependents, from the supply of military supplies to the maintenance of stability in the occupied areas, all of this required huge wealth.

Not long ago, he had written to the emperor, requesting the collection of war taxes and the suspension of most livelihood projects to cope with the increasingly huge military expenditures, but was still rejected.

He knew that the emperor did not want to increase the burden on the people and wanted them to develop freely, have more children, and stimulate a larger market so that the development momentum of the entire country would not be hindered.

According to Isult's statistics, the finances of the Eastern Roman Empire had experienced two crises after the war, which were alleviated by the return of the East Indian Fleet and the establishment of the City of Black Gold. Even so, the emperor still did not increase taxes on the people and did not stop the construction of people's livelihood projects. The finances of the Eastern Roman Empire were about to face the third crisis.

The development of pottery in North Africa, the widening of the Ascanian Canal, the construction of a new city in Constantinople, the subsidization of Sunday schools and imperial orphanages...

What made him most angry was that the emperor actually provided a large sum of funds to the Royal Academy of Sciences despite the pressure to support research on clock machinery, cinchona bark and Brazilian rubber. This was simply nonsense!

Although the emperor's private treasury was not under the management of the administrative department, the emperor did not hide it and he could inquire about it at any time.

He speculated that if the war continued like this, the emperor's treasury would be completely exhausted within half a year, and he would not even be able to wait for the next round of East India merchant ships to return.

In order to raise as much funds as possible under the constraints of the emperor, Isult was very worried. Every time he passed by the Monument to the Heroes of Seafaring, his eyes would even be fixed on the golden box, wishing he could tear it apart and sell it for money.

The more Isurt thought about it, the angrier he became, and he slapped his thigh.

Not long ago, the emperor once again issued a decree to expand the army, expanding the Purple Guard by two legions, mainly composed of Turks who converted to Orthodox Christianity.

At the same time, he also ordered the construction of six new Portuguese-style light gunboats, which were incorporated into the Western Mediterranean Fleet and the Black Sea Fleet respectively.

When Isult received the report, he couldn't even eat. He rushed over angrily and wanted to ask the emperor for clarification.

The boat left the shallows and sailed into the middle reaches. The wind direction improved a little, the captain raised the sail, and the slave rowers also rowed hard.

The canyon scenery on both sides was very beautiful, and the accompanying guards could not help but admire it, but Isult was obviously not in the mood. He walked into the cabin and closed his eyes to rest.

After a while, the boat finally sailed into the lake. The blue Lake Askania was as flat as a mirror, reflecting the blue sky and white clouds.

"Your Excellency, Prime Minister, there is a small town that has recently emerged on the south bank of the Great Lake. The emperor once hosted a banquet for his soldiers there. The shawarma there is very famous, and many people come here to try it. Would you like to go and try it?"

The captain came over tentatively.

"I'm not in the mood. Tell your men to speed up!"

Iseult waved his hand in annoyance.

The captain retreated reluctantly. After a while, the sound of whipping was heard and the speed of the boat suddenly increased.

After a quick dinner on the boat, the city of Nicaea came into view. In the afterglow of the setting sun, the dilapidated city revealed a prosperous vitality.

Isurt walked to the deck, feeling a little calmer, and came to the captain's side, scaring him so much that he almost dropped the cheap pipe in his mouth.

"Your Excellency the Prime Minister, we'll be here soon!"

The captain said repeatedly.

"Well, that's right, you'll get double the pay."

Iseult said calmly.

"Thank you, sir!"

The captain was overjoyed.

"I am a native local. It is said that my ancestors served as soldiers for the Lascaris family. If you need anything, I can take you for a walk around the lake."

When the captain saw that Isurt's mood had improved, he immediately started bragging about his hometown.

"Nicaea is a good place. Everything can be grown there. The cold currents are blocked by the mountains and cannot blow in. It is warm like spring all year round..."

"Haha, it is said that the emperor plans to develop the ceramics industry in Nicaea. This is incredible. The clay in Nicaea is very good. I am planning to open a ceramics workshop in partnership with someone..."

Iseult listened in silence, saying nothing.

"Our Majesty is truly a saint. Not only has he not collected taxes for three years, he has also—ah, here we are."

The captain stopped chattering, smiled apologetically at Isurte, and asked the boatman to dock.

"Sir, you——"

Isurt threw a full purse to the captain, walked towards the dock, and stopped beside the captain.

"The emperor is merciful. Don't let him down."

Iseult said in a low voice.

"Don't worry, sir, we will always remember it,"

The captain restrained his smile and bowed slightly.

"Rome never forgets."

Isurte nodded, walked towards the port, and got into the carriage with the royal emblem.

Nicea was not big, and Iseult leaned on the soft cushion, feeling a little drowsy for a moment.

"Sir, here we are."

Isurte woke up, opened his eyes, rubbed his tired eyes, straightened his clothes, and stepped into the palace gate.

This palace is quite old. It was once the royal palace of the Empire of Nicaea. It was destroyed during the invasion of the Ottomans and most of it was abandoned. A small part of it was used as the governor's palace for Ottoman officials.

Isurte walked through the ancient corridor and, under the guidance of the guards, came to Isaac's study, took a deep breath, and opened the door.

The study is not big, but the interior decoration is very warm and it has all the necessary facilities.

Apparently, the Ottoman official who once lived here was a man who knew how to enjoy life.

The aroma of fruit wood wafts out from the stove and the aroma of coffee hits you in the face.

"Isurt, you are here."

Isaac was not surprised by Isurt's arrival and offered him a cup of coffee.

"Why go through all this trouble?"

Isaac looked at Isurt's white hair and dark circles under his eyes, feeling a little emotional for a moment.

Isurte snorted, hung his coat on the hanger, took the coffee, and sat down in his seat.

"Your Majesty, I think that you may have been blinded by the victories of more than 20 years, and your understanding of the empire's national strength may be slightly wrong. As your chancellor, it is my responsibility to sound the alarm for you."

Isaac looked at the serious Isurte and didn't know whether to laugh or cry for a moment.

"What happened? Why are you so anxious?" Isaac picked up his coffee.

"The world is peaceful, the country is prosperous, the people are happy, and the army is well-trained."

"I can't figure out what mistake I made."

When Isurt heard this, he was speechless for a moment.

"You...you are too confident in yourself. You want to fight a war but don't want to waste the people's manpower. This is unrealistic!"

Isurt said seriously.

"If you don't want to collect the taxes yourself, I can issue the decree for you!"

"Let the people suffer, and I will bear the blame!"

"Why worry about the infamy?"

Isaac smiled and shook his head.

“I admit that the Great Turkish War was the first full-scale war we faced, and it cost money like water.”

“But there’s a big reason for this.”

Isaac stood up and handed Isurt the military improvements he had proposed.

"In my opinion, a large-scale war is also an excellent opportunity to train our troops, not to mention that our enemy is the Ottomans, who have a mature military system."

"In this war, we fully realized our shortcomings and made corresponding supplements."

"The establishment of the Gallipoli Artillery School, the creation of a Grenadier Company, the improvement of the Engineer Corps, the establishment of the Bosporus Military Band, the running-in of the Shooting Corps and the Grand Square..."

"These are things that cannot be learned on the training ground."

Isurt glanced at Isaac's plan, pursed his lips, and put it aside.

"Then how long do you plan to fight?"

Isaac was silent for a moment, then spoke slowly.

"The first phase of the war mission has been successfully achieved, and the second phase of the mission is being carried out in an orderly manner."

"The Ottomans' southwestern region is already quite empty. I am planning a landing and surprise attack to open up a second battlefield."

"Expanding the army is necessary. I have to put enough pressure on the front battlefield to prevent the Ottoman army in Bursa from withdrawing its troops to defend."

"Then you should increase revenue and reduce expenditure!"

Iseult stood up.

“Is it necessary to provide so much pension to disabled and dead soldiers? Is it necessary to carry out livelihood projects during war? Can’t the research of the Royal Academy of Sciences be suspended?”

"Last time you relied on the tax revenue from Black Gold City to lend money to merchants. What are you going to rely on this time?"

"People say that dying for you is an honor, because the pension you provide can guarantee that the whole family can live in peace and security for twenty years!"

Iseult roared angrily.

"And your Constantinople Bank has been providing low-interest loans to artisans, almost giving them your money to encourage them to open workshops. Even if they can't sell their products, you will bring your powerful ships and guns to the colonies to force them to buy and sell."

"I'm not saying there's anything wrong with doing this, but this is a time of war after all. It's time for all the Romans to contribute to the country!"

Isaac drained his coffee and sighed.

"It is meaningless to keep gold in the vault. It must be circulated to make wealth flow."

"I gave my gold to the people in various ways, making them rich and keeping the wealth among the people."

"After five years, you will understand the benefits of doing this. It is definitely worth it."

Isaac shrugged.

"Increasing taxes, raising prices, draining the pond to catch fish, and competing with the people for profits, those who can do this are either short-sighted fools, or countries like the Ottoman Empire that are desperate."

"I know all that."

Iseult rubbed his eyebrows in annoyance.

"But...but how are you going to make up for the deficit in your treasury?"

"Don't worry about that. I know my situation very well. I'm not as confused as you think."

Isaac smiled.

"I read your letter. It's been more than half a year. In fact, I plan to increase funding for the Ottoman rebels to create opportunities for our surprise attack."

"However, I have my own methods. After all these years, do you still not trust me?"

Under Isaac's sincere gaze, Isurte was defeated, smiled bitterly and shook his head.

"Okay... since you said so, I still believe you."

"So, what about the previous development plan?"

Isurt said.

"The quarry on Marmara Island?"

"Build it as planned."

"The second phase of the new city of Constantinople?"

"Build it as planned."

"The iron smelting workshop and hot spring sanatorium in Sofia City?"

"Just build it."

"The School of Athens—"

"Everything is as normal, no need to worry."

Isaac stood up and patted Iseult on the shoulder.

"Go take a rest. We are not young anymore. We can't keep running around and working hard."

Isurt opened his mouth, but hesitated to speak.

"Well, I will stay in Nicaea for a few days to recuperate. I hope you can keep your promise and solve our financial crisis."

Iseult picked up his coat, said goodbye and left.

When he reached the door, he stopped.

"His Majesty."

"Ok?"

Isaac looked at him.

"In fact, we don't have any financial crisis at all. If it really doesn't work, we can just collect taxes. From the common people to the nobles, everyone is willing to contribute their own strength to our Rome."

Iseult stared into Isaac's brown eyes.

"I see."

Isaac said.

"But I have a better idea."

Isurte nodded, bowed and left.

After the old prime minister left, Isaac closed the door, poured himself a refill of coffee, and sat back at the table.

The city outside the window was bustling with noise. Soldiers on leave and civilians in the city were laughing and talking happily. Their eyes were filled with longing for the future and absolute confidence in victory.

Isaac quietly looked at the scene of the city and the great lake in the distance, on which the fishing boats, fully loaded, were returning.

Isaac collected his thoughts and focused.

Isaac picked up the candle and pulled out a thick stack of reports from the bookshelf.

At the top of the report was a piece of parchment with mountains, rivers and large cities depicted on it. It was obviously a map.

Isaac unfolded the map and spread it flat on the desk.

The map is very elegant, with not only the cartographer's marks but also Isaac's annotations.

The coastline on the map showed a beautiful curve, which suddenly turned up at the tail, like a mermaid, lying diagonally in the bay marked with the word "Cannibal".

On the land west of the bay, the cartographer marked the names of various city-states, the most prominent of which was located in the middle of the map, with the font in dazzling gold.

Aztec.

This map came from the explorers' collection and Isaac's personal memory, and basically marked the approximate locations of major city-states in the entire Mexican region.

On the table next to the map, all known information about the Aztec city-states was gathered on Isaac's desk, piled into a thick stack.

Isaac found a page of paper from the intelligence, which was filled with rows of plans, all of which were written by Isaac. It covered the entire process from winning over and dividing to military conquest to subsequent governance, with every detail being extremely detailed.

Isaac compared his plans to the Aztec map and looked over them one last time, his lips curled up slightly.

No problem, it refers to the conquest ideas of the famous conqueror Cortes, and also mixes in Isaac's own experience.

The only downside is that this grand plan has yet to get a name.

Isaac thought about it and scanned the map.

On the map, around each city-state are drawn some of the representative gods they mainly believe in. The most famous is the Quetzalcoatl, a mythical beast full of special beauty and unique charm.

Isaac suddenly smiled and shook his head.

The so-called crusades have a legitimate cause. What could be more just than the Crusades?

Isaac pulled out his knife and stabbed it hard on the dot marking Tenochtitlan, picked up his quill, dipped it in ink, and wrote a line of Greek words right above the plan.

Ragnarok.

(End of this chapter)