1444, Byzantium Resurrects

Chapter 312 Banana Craze
In early 1472, the weather in the northern hemisphere became increasingly cold. Snowflakes fluttered across the vast Eurasian continent, dyeing cities and countryside into pure silver white.

However, on the vast Atlantic island, the sunshine is still warm, the temperature is still suitable, the prevalence of the westerly winds brings abundant rainfall, various plants thrive, and the churches are making intensive preparations for the successive festivals at the beginning of each year.

This is the Canary Islands, the largest archipelago in the entire northwest African waters. It has a subtropical climate with suitable temperatures throughout the year, more rainfall in winter, and relatively dry summers.

Due to its excellent location, with the opening and prosperity of the Atlantic route, the strategic position of the Canary Islands has rapidly risen, and it has become a vital transit point for Mediterranean ships heading to the Atlantic Ocean. Many merchant fleets will use this place as the first supply station after leaving the Mediterranean, bringing prosperity and prosperity to this originally uninhabited volcanic archipelago.

Decades earlier, the Eastern Roman Empire bought the western half of the Canary Islands from the Canary Kingdom founded by French explorers and established the Viceroyalty of La Palma, with the fertile volcanic island of La Palma as its capital.

In the following decades, the Eastern Roman Empire made rapid progress in the Atlantic, and the Governorate of La Palma continued to develop along with it, with its system gradually improving, its rule of law gradually being strengthened, and its population increasing year by year.

Because it is very close to the Mediterranean world and the local indigenous people are relatively scarce, it can be influenced by Mediterranean civilization more quickly. The several seaports on the island are no different from other Orthodox cities.

Compared to the mostly deserted Governorate of St. Nicholas and the bloody and dark Governorate of Bijegos, this is the real civilized area.

A few years ago, the navy and army of the Eastern Roman Empire landed at Cape Europa in the southern part of the Iberian Peninsula. They spent a lot of money and successfully built the British Fortress in more than a year, successfully occupying a position in the Strait of Gibraltar.

After the establishment of the British Fortress, the piracy of the Marin Dynasty and the Emirate of Granada was restricted. The liberal reforms initiated by the emperor in Constantinople further enhanced the status of capitalist merchants. More and more private capital began to form joint-stock chambers of commerce and engage in Atlantic trade. There were more and more overseas goods on the market, and the docks of major shipyards were working day and night.

At that time, the old king of the Kingdom of the Canary Islands had died of illness, and his nephew succeeded to the crown, but the playboy had already incurred a large debt and was eager to sell his real estate for cash.

Against this backdrop, the emperor decided to take over the entire Canary Islands, outbid buyers from Castile and France with higher prices, and sent a powerful Atlantic fleet into the Canary Waters to intimidate foreign competitors.

The Playboy left happily with a huge sum of money, and the Viceroyalty of La Palma expanded by two times and was reorganized into the Viceroyalty of the Canary Islands, with its capital still being La Palma Island, which has a majority Orthodox population.

At this point, the Eastern Roman Empire's maritime layout was basically completed, from Constantinople to Thessalonica, from Thessalonica to Athens, and then to Birinci, Carthage, and Algiers in North Africa, from Algiers into the British Fortress, and then southwest to the Canary Governorate, rushing towards the vast ocean.

Ports formed a network of ocean trade routes that brought together half the world's wealth and flowed it to Carthage and Constantinople.

Now, the entire Canary Viceroyalty has a population of 80,000, including more than 10,000 Greek Orthodox Christians, more than 8,000 Latin Catholics and tens of thousands of black and white slaves, most of whom are located on large islands with better land such as La Palma and Gran Canaria.

On the sea cliff next to the port of La Palma, a marble statue bathes in the Atlantic breeze. The statue stands tall and straight, with a cloak behind it that is extremely lifelike, and a sword in its hand raised high, pointing to the ocean.

This is the statue of Emperor Isaac, which was funded by the Governor of La Palma five years ago. Twenty-seven years ago, the young emperor started from here, established immortal achievements, and began his legendary road to revival.

There is an inscription engraved on the base of the marble statue, which comes from the emperor's speech at that time.

In the name of God, expedition to the Black Territory.

To this day, ships of all sizes entering the port bask in the glory of the marble statue, and the sailors on the ships, no matter where they come from, take off their hats and pay their most sincere respects to the great pioneer.

There are special people responsible for the maintenance and supervision of this statue. Sailors who go out to sea and sailors who return victoriously always like to put a few gold coins under the statue to pray for victory and express gratitude and blessings.

On the smooth dirt road of La Palma Island, a horse-drawn carriage sped past, bypassing the prosperous port and heading towards the plantations outside the city.

In the carriage, a middle-aged man in gorgeous clothes was quietly gazing at the vast fields outside the window, the thriving sugarcane and coffee trees, the overseers holding whips on the ridges, and the slaves sweating profusely in the fields, with a calm expression.

His name is Lothar, the current governor of the Canary Governorate. He has been working diligently in this position for 27 years. He has witnessed the creation of the Governorate, the prosperity of the port and the thriving development of the plantations, and the huge power of private capital under the liberalization reforms.

Lothar was not of noble birth. His father Andrew was the emperor's personal butler. He died of old age a few years ago. According to his will, he was buried in Constantinople, next to the tomb of the late Queen Catherine.

Andrew was not of Greek descent, but of Genoa. He came to Constantinople as a servant of the Gattilusio family with Isaac's mother Catherine. After Catherine died in childbirth, he stayed with Isaac.

Later, when the emperor explored West Africa, Andrew sent his eldest son Lothar to his side to manage logistics.

After the emperor bought the island of La Palma, he established the Viceroyalty of La Palma, and the young Lothar was given high hopes and served as the first governor.

"Governor, we are approaching Queen Catherine's Castle. Do you want to go take a look?"

The driver turned and looked at Lothar.

"Forget it this time, let's go directly to the planting base in the west."

Lothaire said.

Castelo de la Catherine is the second city on the island of La Palma and the only one outside the port of La Palma. It was built to commemorate the late Queen Catherine Gattilúcio.

Queen Catherine was the benefactor of the Lothair family. She once rescued Andrew from the slave market in Genoa, made him a servant, and married her maid to him, directly changing the fate of the entire family.

Andre was always very grateful for his mistress's kindness, swore allegiance to her, and maintained this loyalty until the end of his life.

In the entire bureaucratic system of the Eastern Empire, Andre, who once served as the Minister of Commerce, was an outlier. Except for Isaac's branch, he was very cold to other Palaiologos members. Even the late Emperor Constantine was repeatedly treated coldly by Andre, but he always remained silent.

Queen Catherine died a miserable death. At that time, Constantine was pinned down in the south, and his brother Demetrius Palaiologos was raising an army and besieging Constantinople. Catherine was frightened, and in extreme panic and disappointment she gave birth to her eldest son, who ascended to heaven soon after.

Before she died, Catherine called Andre and young Lothar to her side and ordered them to protect her son.

"My father and brother threw me here, my husband won't come to see me, his brother wants to take my life, and the Greeks are busy fighting among themselves. I don't know who to trust."

Katherine murmured in sorrow.

"I'm dying soon. After I die, this child who has half my blood will be the only proof that I'm in this world."

"You must protect him."

Catherine died of blood loss, and Dmitry's conspiracy failed. Andrei always stayed by the young master's side, watching him step onto the throne step by step and turn the tide step by step.

Lothar remembered that before his old father died, he called Lothar back, and he, who was usually taciturn, actually spoke a long speech.

"Remember, we are not loyal to the Eastern Empire, nor to the entire Palaiologos family. We are only the descendants of the late queen."

Andre coughed and stared at his eldest son firmly.

"The political environment of the Eastern Empire is very bad. If one day, another rebel like Dmitri emerges, no matter what his last name is, our descendants will have to stand on the side of Emperor Isaac's descendants."

"No matter what position our descendants hold, they must abide by this oath. You must write it in the history of our family. I want you to swear to God!"

Lothar swore an oath, buried his father, returned to La Palma, and continued to fight for his monarch on the island on the edge of the empire.

He built ports here, standardized the system, strictly enforced taxation, cracked down on lawlessness, brought in refugees from various countries, funded Sunday schools, vigorously developed the plantation industry, and increased the taxes paid to Constantinople year by year.

During these twenty years, the governors of the Governorate of Saint Nicholas and the Governorate of Bijegos had changed several times, but only Lothar remained standing. The emperor believed in Lothar, and Lothar never let him down.

Now, Lothar is 46 years old, with more and more white hair. He has given birth to two sons and a daughter, and his family is happy.

Lothar adhered to the family creed. His eldest son grew up with the eldest prince, and his second son served as the emperor's attendant. He never participated in the political struggles within the empire, although with the combined effects of his personal efforts and the tide of the times, the Canary Governorate had become very prosperous, and if he wanted, he would have a considerable say.

In fact, the major colonies were royal property at the beginning of their development and were always under the name of the emperor. They had nothing to do with the imperial government. Even the Colonial Department was close to and distant from other departments.

The overseas development decrees formulated by the emperor also excluded government interference, and allowed private exploration, private construction, and private ownership. The Colonial Department was responsible for registration, and the emperor would select valuable colonies for acquisition.

Not long ago, several ministers contacted Lothar, believing that the Canary Governorate had been fully developed and was no different from the mainland of the empire. It was time to hand it over to the government and establish a region. They hoped that Lothar would take the lead in writing a letter, but he sternly refused.

In Lothar's view, when it comes to colonial vision alone, no one in the world is as good as the emperor. Handing over the colonies to the government is complete nonsense and will only lead to corruption, bribery and deficits.

Lothar had always disliked the scheming Greeks, even though his emperor was one of the best.

"Governor, we are here."

The coachman's words interrupted Lothar's memories.

"Well, you wait here."

Lothar collected his thoughts and got off the carriage.

What comes into view is a large piece of farmland, with crops growing vigorously on the fertile volcanic soil.

Lothar looked at these strange crops and walked towards the house nearby.

The house is built of logs and is rather crude, but the plaque on the house is very exquisite, obviously made by a master.

Imperial Agricultural Research Institute.

Lothar recognized the Greek words on the plaque.

In the past decade, with the prosperity of the great navigation movements, more and more new crops have come into the empire's vision, which has greatly improved the living standards of the people, greatly promoted productivity, and made their wallets fatter and fatter.

Agriculture is the foundation of a country. Industry and commerce without agricultural support are like rootless duckweed. The emperor is well aware of this truth and established the Imperial Agricultural Research Institute a long time ago, requiring them to make use of new plants to promote the development of imperial agriculture.

Growing wheat for a lifetime cannot prevent a cold wave, but cold-resistant crops from America can save countless people from starvation.

In addition to staple food, cash crops are equally important. The large-scale opening of sugarcane plantations allowed more people to afford sugar, the introduction of coffee and kola nuts helped people relieve fatigue, rubber trees provided important raw materials for the empire's vehicles, and the new varieties of cotton introduced from the Americas made the once Indian coarse cotton obsolete overnight, and the textile industry began a new round of boom.

Against this background, the Imperial Agricultural Research Institute received more and more funding and had its own branches in many places.

The Imperial Agricultural Research Institute was officially divided into three major departments a few years ago, which were engaged in research on agricultural tools, livestock and fish, and plant crops. The building in front of us belongs to the Crop Bureau, the bureau with the largest number of staff.

Not long ago, the South Atlantic Branch of the Crop Bureau successfully transplanted Brazilian rubber to the Kingdom of Congo. The emperor and Congolese compradors ordered the local indigenous people to plant rubber. The shares of the Royal Rubber Company skyrocketed overnight, and the reputation of the Agricultural Research Institute also rose. Many speculators were closely watching their every move.

"Governor Lothair, Researcher Modil is waiting for you. He has already produced some results."

In front of the institute, an apprentice stepped forward and saluted, excitement flashing in his eyes.

Lothar nodded and walked into the research institute.

The research institute is quite messy, with a distinct exotic atmosphere. There are not many researchers here, only two, but there are quite a few apprentices.

"Governor Lothair, you are finally here!"

A middle-aged man in simple clothes ran towards Lothar. His skin was yellowish with a hint of black, which was very different from the Mediterranean race.

This was an Indian, an oriental talent recruited by the Emperor's East India Fleet.

"I heard about your breakthrough last month, but I was busy with the administrative construction of several islands in the east before that. I just came here now."

Lothar said with a smile.

"Why, just you?"

"The Malacca guy has already escorted the finished product to Constantinople. He left last month and should have arrived by now."

Although Modil's Greek was crude, the joy in his eyes was almost tangible.

"You will be very happy when you see our new things."

"The archipelago under your jurisdiction will become the richest colony in the entire empire!"

Modil from India excitedly pulled Lothar to the back garden and showed him what he had grown.

The back garden is not big, and it also grows strange plants, but the crops in each square field are slightly different.

"It's a banana, my lord, the best of fruits!"

Modil pointed cheerfully to several experimental fields.

"In addition to fruits, some bananas can also be used as staple food. The indigenous people on the East African plateau use green bananas as their main food."

“You grew it on La Palma?”

Lothar walked forward and stroked the leaves and fruits of the banana tree.

"Yes, I was originally a banana farmer in Calicut. Because I was good at growing bananas, the emperor invited me here so that he could grow bananas in his territory!"

Modil rubbed his hands.

"We were planning to try growing bananas on both sides of the Mediterranean, but the emperor rejected the idea and divided us banana researchers into two groups. One group went to Cuba to grow bananas for staple food, and the other group came to the Canary Islands to grow fruit bananas."

"Guess what? It actually grew! The Canary Islands are good for growing bananas, especially La Palma."

Modil pulled out a crumpled notebook and handed it to Lothair.

"The emperor also described several kinds of bananas he wanted. We brought a lot of banana tubers from the East, all kinds of them. The emperor has plenty of funds, and we have made unremitting efforts here..."

Lothar flipped through it, but couldn't understand it at all.

"To make a long story short, I don't have that much time."

Lothair returned the notebook to Mordial.

"In short, we have successfully found the kind of banana the emperor wanted. Look, this is it."

Modil picked a bunch of bananas and handed them to the Governor.

Lothar took it and sniffed it. The charming and mellow fragrance made him salivate.

Lothar broke open a banana and observed.

“The skin is thick, the color is attractive, the aroma is fragrant, and there are no seeds, so it is suitable as a commodity.”

Lothair commented.

"Yes! You are right!"

Modil said happily.

"Bananas are not too expensive where we are, but there is no place on the Mediterranean coast suitable for growing bananas. In addition, bananas are too fragile and difficult to store, which means that European countries cannot eat bananas at all."

"This banana is the excellent variety that Your Majesty has been looking for. I remember that the Malacca man got it from the islands. In addition to its excellent taste, its biggest advantage is that its skin is thick and can be stored and transported. It can be shipped from here to the Mediterranean world."

Modil kept boasting about his achievements.

"Moreover, bananas grow very fast. Here, they can be grown all year round and mass production can be achieved."

"If the voyage goes smoothly, the half-ripe bananas we picked last month have arrived in Constantinople. They are now ripe and are probably on the emperor's table."

"nice one."

Lothar nodded, his lips curled into a smile.

"What is the name of this banana?"

"Originally there was no name, but your majesty gave it one."

Modil looked through his notes.

"It's pretty ugly."

The Indian frowned.

"Big Mike."

"Big Mike?"

Lothar shook his head.

"What a strange name, but it doesn't matter."

"Yes, His Majesty once said that bananas are very expensive in Europe. If we successfully introduce them, the Empire will have another cash cow."

Modil nodded.

"However, His Majesty asked us to isolate Big Mac's fields, and every worker must wash their whole body and disinfect the soles of their shoes with strong alcohol before entering. I don't know why." "Since His Majesty did this, there must be a reason."

Lothar groaned.

"Does anyone else know about Big Mike's news?"

"This...we have kept it secret, but you also know that since the successful trial planting of rubber in Congo, many people have come to secretly inquire about our affairs."

Modil recalled.

"A few days ago, a spy almost ran in. I recognized him. He has come here many times. He seems to be an employee of the United Fruit Company."

"No wonder, no wonder..."

Lothair muttered to himself.

"what happened?"

Modil asked curiously.

"This company owns a number of sugarcane plantations on your island. Is that not surprising?"

"No, it has nothing to do with sugarcane."

Lothar shook his head.

"The newspaper said that the emperor recently bought more than half of the shares of the United Fruit Company. It should be for this reason."

"Then you——"

Modil looked at the Governor.

"When the Emperor's order comes, I will allocate land and slaves to Big Mac."

Lothar thought.

"How long have you been in the Eastern Empire?"

"It's been more than two years. What happened?"

Modil was stunned.

"I suggest you use all your spare money to buy shares in the United Fruit Company. Believe me, if you don't, you will regret it for the rest of your life."

Lothar said seriously.

Modil thought about it, seemed to understand, and nodded quickly.

Lothar ignored him and walked out.

"Governor?"

"I'll buy it too!"

……

On the shores of the Black Sea, in the heart of the empire, Constantinople.

As winter approaches, the weather becomes colder and heavy snow falls over the city.

As the sky gradually darkened, inside the Grand Palace, the sound of horse hooves hitting the stone slabs made a pleasant sound.

"Who is riding a horse so wildly in this important place of the imperial city?"

The Varangian guard on duty vaguely saw a red figure through the snow, and hurriedly ran forward to stop the intruder.

The red knight took off his scarf and threw back his cloak, revealing a silver pocket watch on his chest.

"What, you don't recognize me anymore?"

"Your Majesty Justinian!"

The guard was stunned and bowed quickly.

"Welcome home!"

Justinian smiled and nodded, wrapped himself in his cloak, and ran towards the inner hall.

The royal chamber was right in front of him. Justinian drove his horse to the stable, patted the snow on his shoulders, and stepped onto the steps of the chamber.

The door opened, Justinian walked into the palace, took off his coat and handed it to the maid.

"Your Majesty, Emperor Isaac is having dinner, and the two queens and several princes are also here."

The maid reported.

"Okay, I'll go right away."

Justinian quickened his pace and headed towards the dining room.

The aroma of the food had not yet dissipated, and a warm fire was burning in the restaurant, making it look particularly cozy under the gray sky.

When Justinian stepped into the restaurant, his fatigue was instantly relieved and his tense nerves relaxed.

"came back?"

Above the dining table, Isaac looked at his eldest son who was growing older.

"Yeah, it's finally solved."

Justinian nodded and sat down at the table.

"What about the rest?"

"It's getting dark. I'm going to rest now, but I left some food for you."

Isaac said gently.

"Once you've filled your stomach, go see your mother, wife, and children. They're probably waiting for you."

Justinian nodded, picked up a piece of bread from the table, dipped it into the steaming beetroot and beef soup, and devoured it.

"Where's Alexios?"

"I took Maria to Carthage for vacation. This child has been too hard-working and should take a rest."

Justinian raised his head and looked at his father in surprise.

"You actually began to pity your children. It's rare."

"Old. Forty years old."

Isaac shook his head, his eyes calm.

"You ran out alone again this time. What did you get?"

"not bad."

Justinian finished a piece of bread and pulled three fried eggs towards himself.

"Constantine-on-Don is developing well, and the affairs of the Cossack Kingdom are arranged clearly."

"Let's talk about it in detail."

Isaac pushed another stack of bread toward his son.

"You know, whether it's the Cossacks or the Circassians, they were all conscripted and can't fight for a long time. I mainly arranged rotation work to get some fresh blood for Gonzalo."

Justinian said as he ate.

"Some Russians who were oppressed by the Lithuanians came to seek the protection of their brothers. I accepted them and took the opportunity to reorganize the Cossacks."

Justinian looked at Isaac with a smile.

"I divide them into three groups: Zaporizhia Cossacks, Don Cossacks and Kuban Cossacks. In the future, there may be Volga Cossacks."

"I gave them the freedom they deserved. Military and political officials were elected through self-election. Apart from me, the most important official in the kingdom was Timur Tash, whom I appointed as the Grand Hetman."

"Hetman? It's a Polish term, but it works."

Isaac thought about it.

"So how do you plan to achieve effective control? You attract them with freedom, but you can't be too loose."

"That's right. I plan to strengthen the authority of the clergy and appoint my bishop as the Grand Hetman's aide-de-camp, who will also handle military and political affairs."

Justinian said.

"Their military and political officials are elected by themselves, but the archbishop is appointed by Constantinople. I can't be too harsh on them for strengthening their power, but they can definitely use indirect means such as strengthening the authority of the clergy."

"Yes, I have some ideas. All these years have not been wasted."

Isaac smiled.

"The Crimeans won't survive much longer. I'll deal with them as soon as I finish the First Great Turkish War."

"Do you need my help?"

Justinian asked.

"After the spring, you will go to Anatolia with me. You won't need to command me much, but this is a good opportunity to enhance your prestige."

Isaac said.

"Okay, I'll go."

Justinian nodded, put down his knife and fork, and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Let's not talk about this anymore. Let's try some of the new fruits they've grown."

Isaac pushed a plate of yellow bananas toward Justinian.

“It’s shipped from La Palma Island. We’re the only ones in Europe that can eat it!”

Justinian broke open a Big Mac, took a bite, and immediately his eyes widened.

"Great stuff! I've never eaten such delicious fruit!"

Justinian was amazed.

Isaac saw that his reaction was identical to that of several other family members, and the corners of his mouth curled up.

In fact, even as a time traveler, this was Isaac's first time eating a Big Mac banana.

In the 21st century of the original time and space, this delicious banana has almost become extinct, and other bananas cannot compare to it at all, and are far inferior.

Banana is a fruit native to Southeast Asia. It was domesticated by humans very early. It entered various parts of the Indian Ocean with the great voyages of the Austronesian people and spread throughout the entire Indian Ocean coastal areas.

Bananas can produce triploids under natural conditions and are seedless under natural conditions. This can be said to be a gift from God.

Compared with common fruits, bananas are not woody plants but herbaceous plants. They do not have trunks. Their growth and ripening speeds are not comparable to those of apples and pears, and they have extremely high economic value.

As early as the beginning of the opening of the new route, Isaac began searching for various types of bananas throughout the Indian Ocean. He brought green bananas, which served as their staple food, to the Taino people of Cuba and introduced fruit bananas for cultivation, preparing to set off a banana craze in Europe.

In the original time and space, tropical and subtropical bananas were difficult to enter Europe and North America because they were too delicate and difficult to transport and store.

All these difficulties were resolved by a thick-skinned banana called "Big Mac". The famous United Fruit Company accumulated huge wealth thanks to Big Mac, but also shed a huge amount of blood.

However, a few decades after the Gross Mike flourished, a disease swept the world, and the Gross Mike came to an end, and by the 21st century it was basically extinct.

This kind of publicity would bring a huge amount of money to the country, and since it was bound to happen sooner or later, it would be up to Isaac to push it forward.

At this time, global transportation was not very convenient, and diseases from Southeast Asia were not easy to spread across the Atlantic. If Isaac had taken protective measures, perhaps Big Mac could have thrived longer.

Even if they were extinct in the future, so what? At least the Eastern Roman Empire had benefited from this round of dividends, and the lives of the people would get better and better.

Isaac plans to promote the cultivation of Gros Michel in the Canary Islands first. This area is located in the subtropics with sufficient water and heat. It is the banana producing area closest to Europe. It was the banana producing area of ​​the Spanish Empire in the original time and space, and it is also an important banana industry base in modern times.

The experience gained from previous lives could also help Eastern Roman plantation owners avoid many detours. The invention of cardboard boxes could make bananas more durable in transportation.

"Father, are you planning to grow bananas?"

Justinian immediately guessed what Isaac was thinking.

"Yes, I plan to establish a large number of banana plantations on La Palma Island and sell our bananas to Europe."

Isaac groaned.

"I will have people conduct experiments to see if Cuban bananas can be shipped to Europe with existing transportation technology. If it can be done, the profits will be much greater."

"It's a long journey, isn't it a bit difficult?"

Justinian finished eating the banana and wiped his hands.

"Yes, but I have solved the problem of bumps and scratches, and there are solutions to the problem of quality assurance."

Isaac looked at him.

"We can ship half-ripe bananas to Europe, and then put them together with apples and pears that are about to ripen in Europe to ripen them."

Isaac said.

“Of course the taste is not as good as the naturally grown ones, but it is enough to drive Europeans crazy.”

“The most important thing is that there are a lot of them.”

"The temperature is low this year, I think it should be feasible."

"I have already acquired most of the shares of the United Fruit Company. I suggest that you use your savings to acquire some shares. You can make more money."

"Good! You're never wrong anyway!"

Justinian laughed and stood up.

"Then go and rest quickly, don't keep them waiting."

Isaac smiled and waved his hand, sending his eldest son away.

(End of this chapter)