1444, Byzantium Resurrects

Chapter 322: Black Sea Strategy
For the Eastern Roman Empire, 1472 AD was an unusual year. In this year, many major events happened one after another, which were unexpected and exciting.

In early 1472, the Eastern Roman Empire defeated the Aq Qoyunlu in Anatolia, shattering the last hope of the Muslim world. It established its hegemony in western Anatolia in one fell swoop, successfully destroyed its century-old enemy the Ottoman Empire, and gained a firm foothold in Anatolia.

Subsequently, the Recolonization Act was spread to every corner of the empire through the nationwide post station system. Land and wealth called upon the frustrated and the brave. Many poor people with little land began to arrive at the western coast of Anatolia in the form of armed reclamation groups under the organization of the government, expelling the Turks from the river valleys and occupying their villages and farmlands.

Outside the Mediterranean, the Eastern Roman Empire also achieved great results. The Canary Islands successfully grew the Gros Michel banana, which was delicious and easy to transport. Once released, it was quickly snapped up by the wealthy nobles in the Mediterranean world. The price continued to rise, and the United Fruit Company controlled by the emperor began to expand rapidly and its shares soared.

In order to grow as many Gros Michel bananas as possible, the United Fruit Company purchased a large number of slaves from the Birinchi slave market every month to make up for the deficit and divided nearly half of the Canary Islands into large and small banana plantations.

In order to speed up transportation, the Carthaginian shipyard also specially developed a new type of ship that could accommodate more slave rowers, greatly improving the speed in no wind or little wind.

Because this type of ship had extremely prominent shortcomings and poor stability, it could not sail into the Atlantic Ocean at all. The transportation of bananas adopted a relay system. Atlantic ships would transport Canary bananas to Gibraltar, and then this new type of ship would transport them to various ports in the Mediterranean.

In the New World across the Atlantic Ocean, the Aztec expeditionary force was ready to use absolute force to completely destroy the Aztec regime.

In the southernmost part of Africa, the New Thrace colony ushered in another round of expansion. With vast land and sparse population, immigrants established large farms and ranches here, gradually moving from the west coast to the east coast, and from the coastal plains into the inland plateau.

New Thrace was the first large colony of the Eastern Roman Empire and the only colony with a large population. Every year, batches of criminals were exiled here, ranging from thousands to hundreds. After fifteen years, the population exceeded 20,000. The first batch of Roman-Khoisan hybrids had grown up, and their numbers were increasing. They would become the backbone of the Eastern Roman Empire's rule in New Thrace, and even give back to their homeland.

Except for the political prisoners who were exiled with their families, most of the other criminals were adult men without families. If they wanted to start a family, they could only marry and have children with local Khoisan women. While increasing the population, it also accelerated the spread of religion and the process of ethnic integration.

Compared with the Kingdom of Spain and the Kingdom of Portugal in the original time and space, the colonial policy of the Eastern Roman Empire seemed relatively mild. At least it would not carry out large-scale massacres for short-term interests. This was not because the emperor was a good person, but because this method was actually inefficient, exhausting the resources, and meaningless.

Establish complete maritime trade routes, plunder raw materials and labor, export goods, religion and culture, and integrate various regions into the trade system of the Eastern Roman Empire.

The gems will be mined all day one day, and gold and silver will depreciate one day. To a certain extent, these things cannot bring about progress in productivity and cannot improve the overall national strength. They are just the key to prying open productivity and are catalysts for the development of capitalism and handicrafts.

Without people, goods cannot be sold and no one will mine raw materials. The Eastern Roman Empire already lacked population, so naturally it needed to work harder on assimilation.

Objectively speaking, the Eastern Roman Empire's Atlantic colonization brought improvements to the social system and productivity to the local people, although there were evil intentions behind this progress.

Over a period of more than ten years, many Khoisan people in New Thrace gradually moved from primitiveness to civilization, from the countryside to the city, and began to engage in farming and mining under the guidance of priests. They also avoided the fate of being massacred by Central African blacks in the original time and space.

The Taino people on the island of Cuba were also liberated from their primitive clans. The cassava eating guidelines from Constantinople freed their children from the vortex of mental retardation. The rice and starchy bananas from overseas saved many people from famine. Even though the yield was low, it was always better than before.

The Aztecs in New Rome converted to Christianity in large numbers. There were no more wars of glory and human sacrifices. Textiles and various handicrafts from the Old World began to arrive in Cuba, and then from Cuba to New Rome. The price was the massive extinction of native culture and local religion.

As for gold and silver, perhaps because there was too much gold and silver in the local area, or perhaps because the business system was too primitive, the Aztec Empire had no gold and silver currency. They used cocoa beans, cotton cloaks and copper knives as general equivalents. Gold and silver had basically no use other than decoration.

Of course, the essence of colonialism is still exploitation and oppression. The Eastern Roman Empire would not invest heavily in colonies like the late-developing powers such as the German Empire and the Kingdom of Italy in the original time and space, or even lose money in the mainland to build colonies and use taxpayers' money to provide welfare for others.

From a long-term perspective, the long-term goal of the Eastern Roman Empire was to tear apart the original production systems of each colony, making them unable to be self-sufficient and turning them into a single source of raw materials and a dumping area for products. At the same time, it should put more effort into culture and religion, destroy the old civilization and introduce the new one.

If they stayed in the Eastern Empire, their living standards might improve, but as soon as they were separated from the trade system, they would immediately be in chaos and even face famine.

In this way, even if they become independent in the future, they will be Greek-speaking Orthodox Christians, pro-Eastern Rome in religious sentiment, and dependent on Eastern Rome in national economy, and the maritime trade system can still be maintained.

For the European continent, 1472 was a relatively peaceful year. England was recuperating, Moscow was accumulating national strength, Hungary and Poland continued to dispute over the throne of Bohemia, and Portugal continued to use troops in North Africa to attack the Watas Dynasty.

The situation in France was slightly different, with Louis XI and the Public Alliance taking turns in 1472, competing politically, diplomatically and militarily.

In 1471, due to the repeated betrayals of King Louis XI of France and his misjudgment of the situation in England, Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, declared independence and no longer pledged allegiance to the French crown. He once again formed an anti-Louis alliance. This time the coalition was huge in scale and had crushed Louis XI in overall strength.

However, at the beginning of 1472, Louis XI's younger brother Charles died suddenly. The death of his rival for the throne made Louis XI's diplomatic situation unprecedentedly better. The Duke of Burgundy, who had always supported Charles, was furious, believing that Louis XI had murdered his brother, so he summoned his army and started a war.

Louis XI's military deployment was terrible, and he failed to assemble a strong army, but his diplomatic skills were indeed good. He used various methods to contain the Public Welfare Alliance and divide and win over the other parties.

Thus, with the exception of the more resolute Francis, Duke of Brittany, Charles the Bold received no help from any of his allies.

At this time, the Burgundian army was among the best in the entire European continent. After Charles the Bold and Francis joined forces, they began to punish Louis XI.

On June 6, the Burgundian army crossed the Somme River and arrived at Beauvais, the most important town north of Paris, attempting to storm into Paris, capture the king, and explain the consequences.

Louis XI's army was so slow that it failed to reach the city before the siege. The powerful army of Burgundy had an absolute upper hand, and the city of Beauvais soon became shaky.

However, just as the Burgundy soldiers were about to climb the city wall, a French girl named Jeanne Hachette rushed up with a battle axe in her hand, shouting and fighting, leading the women of Beauvais to defend their homes. She personally overturned the ladder, snatched the Burgundy flag from a soldier, and threw it down.

Inspired by Jeanne, people from all over the city fought bravely, including women, children, and the elderly... The Burgundians suffered more and more losses, but they were never able to capture the city.

When Louis XI's small reinforcements finally arrived, the Duke of Burgundy knew that his plan had failed, and he reluctantly withdrew his troops, burning, killing and looting along the way, turning many villages and towns in northern France into scorched earth.

The impact of this battle was enormous. The Kingdom of France was once again saved by a woman and avoided the end of division. Jeanne Hachette became famous and became a hero of Beauvais. The citizens of Beauvais have always been grateful to this brave girl from the 15th century to the 21st century.

The victory in the Siege of Beauvais greatly alleviated Louis XI's predicament. The situation began to turn around, and Louis XI sat firmly on his throne. He began to use his extraordinary diplomatic and conspiracy abilities to set traps step by step and tame the ferocious beast called Burgundy.

Of course, the intermittent Burgundy War also brought cruel disasters to the French people. Louis XI's heavy taxes made many people increasingly poor, and Charles the Bold's iron hoof also threatened their lives at all times. The peaceful days during the reign of Charles VII were gone forever.

However, no matter how chaotic the war was on the European continent, Constantinople on the Black Sea coast remained as stable as ever. The city had enjoyed nearly twenty years of peace, with a growing population, orderly development of industry and commerce, and improved infrastructure and advances in medical technology that put their living standards far ahead of any other city in the world. Not only did they not have to suffer from famine, they could also invest their excess wealth in real estate, and the urban bourgeoisie continued to expand.

In the Golden Horn of Constantinople, a sailboat slowly approached the shore. On the deck of the sailboat, a young nobleman wearing a top hat looked at the beauty of the city with great interest. There was a drawing board in front of him, and he waved the paintbrush in his hand, outlining the beautiful scenery of the Golden Horn.

A noblewoman in gorgeous dress stood quietly beside him, occasionally glancing at the canvas with an expressionless face. Although she was not wearing armor, she had a sharp sword at her waist and a gorgeous short-barreled spring-loaded rifle hanging from her waist, making her look heroic.

This is Charlotte Lusignan Gavras, a descendant of the Palaiologos family on the maternal side, the emperor's niece, once the eldest princess and heiress of the Kingdom of Cyprus, and now the governor-general of the Crimea and princess of Theodore.

“Elizel, do you really like painting?”

Charlotte sighed and patted her son's head.

"Yes, mother, I like painting, not fighting wars or handling government affairs."

Elizel did not stop writing and continued to sketch.

"How many times have you asked me this?"

"Every time I hope you'll change your mind."

Charlotte turned her head away in annoyance.

"Think about it carefully. Is painting something that people like us should do?"

"Everyone says that your father is an expert in government affairs, your mother is good at military strategy, and your brother is also learning how to lead the army and govern the country. But you, on the other hand, do nothing!"

"Don't forget, you are the descendant of the Crusaders!"

"So what?"

Elizel was absorbed in painting and answered casually.

"You are still half a French nobleman, and French nobles are proud of art."

"Besides, there can only be one governor and one prince. I am the second son anyway. If I stay away from military affairs early, I may be able to avoid disaster."

When Charlotte heard this, she frowned, thought about it, and sighed.

"Okay, it's up to you."

Charlotte said helplessly.

"However, when you grow up, I won't give you much property, let alone land. Go out and make your own way!"

"Sure! No problem at all!"

Elizel smiled and whistled.

"I'm only eleven years old, why bother with so much."

"Once I make a name for myself at the Imperial University of the Arts, you might even be proud of me!"

"As for poverty..."

Elizel smiled knowingly as if he had thought of something.

“I’ve heard that all great artists are poor, and that they can create better works when they are in adversity.”

Charlotte was still somewhat dissatisfied with her second son's excessive carefreeness and ignored him.

"It's almost time. Put your things away and follow me to see the emperor."

Charlotte looked at the bustling city getting closer and closer. She was amazed but also felt relieved. Her frown gradually relaxed.

She is now 29 years old, which is considered a middle-aged woman in Europe at that time. Since marrying Alexander of Theodore, they have had four children. The eldest son Peter is the designated heir, the eldest daughter Jelena has married Grand Duke Andreas of Constantina, the second son Eliezer is keen on painting and has no interest in military affairs, and the youngest daughter has just learned to walk.

Over the years, Charlotte has been staying in the Crimean Peninsula on the northern coast of the Black Sea. Together with her husband Alexander, she has developed trade and restored production while launching a war against the Crimean Khanate in the north to recover lost territory.

The civil strife in the Crimean Khanate had been going on for six years. During these six years, due to the interference of the two major governorates of the Eastern Roman Empire on the northern coast of the Black Sea, the war had never been decided. Hajigalai's eldest son Nurdaulat and second son Mingli each won over one tribe and started a bloody fight.

Nurdalat's territory was mainly distributed in the Crimean Peninsula, while Mingli used the steppes north of the peninsula as its base. Charlotte signed an agreement with Mingli to jointly attack Nurdalat.

Since the Crimean Khanate's base was located on the Crimean Peninsula and Nurdalat was the most orthodox Khan, Mingli did not have any advantage in the civil war. He was beaten away by his brother several times and took refuge in Theodore. He returned several times and continued to fight guerrilla warfare with his brother.

Nurdalat was not a very capable ruler, but there were too many Tatar tribes in Crimea. Charlotte spent several years doubling the territory, but still failed to capture Bakhchisarai, the capital of Crimea.

The establishment of the Cossack Kingdom relieved Charlotte's pressure to a certain extent, but the Cossacks were mainly active in the Don-Kuban region, and spent most of their time fighting outside, and also failed to reach the core area of ​​Crimea.

As for Gattilusio's Governorate of Azov, these Genoese only cared about their own interests and did not want the war to end as soon as possible. Only if the war continued could they obtain more low-priced slaves.

After the Great Turkish War, the Cossacks returned to the Don River, the Circassians returned to the northern foothills of the Caucasus, and the emperor's army was also liberated. Charlotte finally saw an opportunity. The construction of the academy happened to be completed. Charlotte brought her second son to Constantinople. While sending her son to school, she also visited the emperor to listen to his ideas.

The ship docked, the Gavras family's boatman handed the identity documents to the dock staff, the guards led down two war horses, and Charlotte led her son onto the land of Constantinople.

It was bustling with people and crowded with people. Elizel, who had just arrived in a big city, was amazed.

"Don't look at it, let's go to the palace first!"

Charlotte said, bringing a horse for her son.

Elizel's face suddenly fell when he saw the horse, although he had been in high spirits.

"Mother, I don't like riding!"

Elizel protested.

"It's winter now, and even though it hasn't snowed yet, it's already very cold!"

"Then what do you want to do?"

Charlotte looked at him with dismay.

"We came in such a hurry that the emperor probably didn't even know about it. How could he prepare a carriage for us?"

"What's wrong with riding a horse? It's the foundation of military nobility!"

"Your uncle Justinian can ride on horseback for two months straight, except for eating and sleeping!"

"I don't want to be an emperor, nor a soldier..."

Elizel muttered, and his eyes lit up when he saw the carriage park on the side.

"Let's go take a cab! I heard from the merchants that cabs are a specialty of Constantinople and we must take one!"

Charlotte thought about it and agreed to her son's request. She gave a few instructions to the guards, walked around the crowd, and headed towards the carriage by the port.

There were many horse-drawn carriages parked in the open space in the carriage shop, two-wheeled, four-wheeled, luxurious, simple... all kinds of them.

"Ma'am, you—"

The carriage dealer saw that Charlotte and her friend were dressed elegantly and followed by two mounted guards. He turned his eyes and saw the family crest on Charlotte's clothes and quickly changed his words.

"Your Highness, why are you here——"

"My son wants to ride in your car."

Charlotte said simply.

"I want the best one."

The car dealership owner bowed repeatedly, turned around and shouted loudly.

"Come here quickly!"

Charlotte looked and saw a young man leaning against the carriage, holding a book in his hands and muttering to himself.

"Hey! Hurry up!"

The young man finally reacted, put the book away, complained, and drove the carriage over.

"This is the latest product of the Royal Carriage Workshop. It is equipped with springs, sponge pads, velvet and rubber wheels. Look, it also has the registration number of the Carriage Union. This is the approval document..."

The car dealership owner kept talking, handing a piece of paper to Charlotte and smiling ingratiatingly.

Charlotte took a casual look at it and gave it back to the boss.

"Hurry up, we need to go to the Grand Palace."

"Don't worry, this carriage runs very fast."

The boss smiled and said a few more words to the young man.

The two men got into the carriage, and the young man fed both horses with sugar cubes and patted their heads affectionately.

The young man flicked the whip and the horse entered the main road and started running.

The road was smooth and the carriage was indeed going very fast. Charlotte was thinking quietly while Elizel was looking around with great interest.

“Is there any particularly beautiful place in Constantinople?”

Elizel asked the young man.

"The Golden Horn is great, the Grand Palace is magnificent, and the Roman Empire Museum has added a lot of new collections and is open to the public. You can go and have a look, but you have to buy a ticket."

The young man answered absentmindedly.

"These are simple, are there any others?"

Elizel demanded.

"There's a new statue of Xenophon in the Financial Street Square, and there's a lawn and pigeons. There's also a theater and a hippodrome in the Galata District. If you're interested, you can go and join in the fun."

The young man continued.

"There is also the city of learning on the lakeside in the suburbs. It is based on an original large castle. It is really beautiful. There are several universities, several middle schools, and supporting libraries and examination halls. Your Majesty seems to have invested more than 10,000 solidus... It is also very lively there now."

"As for the Academy, I will definitely go there."

Elizel grinned.

"Oh? Are you going to take the exam as well?"

The young man immediately became interested, thought about it, and scratched his head awkwardly.

"I'm sorry, sir, but it looks like you don't need to take the test."

"You were reading a book just now. Are you preparing for the exam?"

Charlotte asked.

"Yes, the civil service exam. But I've passed the first test and now I'm worried about the second test."

The young man replied.

"I am preparing to take the civil service exam for the Ministry of Transport, but it seems difficult to get into this ministry. The geography requirements of their exam paper are too high."

The young man sighed. "I looked at the sample questions they provided, and I found that they tested Eastern European geography."

"How to promote trade in Eastern Europe... Who could have thought of digging a canal to connect the Don River with the Volga River?"

"There is also the geography of Anatolia, which requires you to write down the ten important transportation nodes in Anatolia and their geographical advantages. I have never been out of Constantinople in my life, so how can I do this?"

The young man began to chatter.

"I read the newspaper and it seems that there is a big job shortage. As long as you pass the exam, you should be able to enter the administrative department."

Charlotte said.

"Yes, but unfortunately most of them are positions such as scribes, clerks, and some official positions in remote areas. I think they are good, but my father is unwilling to do so."

said the young man.

"He said that if I couldn't stay in Constantinople, I would have to go back and inherit his car dealership and not run around."

"It is better to be a milkman in Constantinople than to be an official in a remote city, those are his exact words."

The young man shrugged.

"That's really short-sighted."

"How old are you?"

Charlotte smiled and asked.

"19, almost 1453, born in ."

The young man replied.

"Born before the war? Or after the war?"

Elizel asked with interest.

"I heard from some of my uncles who were military officers that the people of Constantinople who were born after the war were useless and couldn't even hold a knife."

"Erizel!"

Charlotte was very unhappy with her son's words and slapped him on the head.

"It's nothing, your highness."

The young man smiled at Charlotte.

"I was born during the war. My father said that when my mother gave birth to me, Galata was on fire, so I was named Xioga, which means fire."

"It's true that citizens who grew up in peacetime are not as good at war, but we are still very talented in handicrafts and commerce. In the past few years, most of the people who have gone to various parts of the empire to do business and open factories are from Constantinople."

"That's just because you have money..."

Elizel whispered, rubbing his head.

"Young Master, have you read the newspaper? The latest issue of the Constantinople Weekly?"

Theoga's expression remained unchanged.

"The newspaper described the war in France, where the citizens of Beauvais spontaneously organized a militia to resist the invasion of the Burgundians."

"The newspaper also combined this battle with several similar battles in the Netherlands for analysis, arguing that the city militia had extremely strong fighting power and superb enthusiasm in defending their homes, which fully proved the national character and progressiveness of the urban bourgeoisie."

"The peasants have no concept of the country, but we are different. If one day Constantinople encounters a crisis again, the citizens will also take up swords and guns to defend their homes, although our emperor will definitely not let that happen again."

"Bourgeoisie? What is that?"

Elizel was stunned and looked at his mother, who also shook her head.

"Your Majesty's new vocabulary calls those who open factories and engage in large-scale trade capitalists. Now in Constantinople, everyone wants to be a capitalist and everyone wants to become a bourgeois."

Theoga explained.

"The key is that there are so many opportunities now that everyone has the hope of becoming a capitalist."

"Without sufficient funds, it would be difficult to open a workshop or establish a chamber of commerce, right?"

Charlotte nodded and asked.

"Your Majesty will. The Bank of Constantinople will provide low-interest loans, as long as you have decent collateral."

Theoga said with a smile.

"Good family members need very little collateral, but those who are alone need a lot, and some cannot even borrow money."

"Aren't you worried about losing money?"

Elizel asked.

"Of course there are people who lose money, but now there is a shortage of people everywhere. At worst, you can work as an apprentice and you can make a comeback in a few years."

Theoga said.

"Your Majesty's business system is so developed, and there are so many people buying things. To use the words in business textbooks, the market is far from saturated."

"The Egyptians, the Congolese, the West Africans, the Tainos and the Aztecs, if they don't buy our products, do they want to buy others'?"

Theoga raised an eyebrow.

"No matter how bad our products are, they will buy them. No matter how high the price is, they will buy them!"

Elizel had little interest in these things, and Charlotte didn't know much about them either, so they stopped talking. The carriage was moving fast, and the Grand Palace was right in front of them.

The mounted police on duty stopped the carriage, and Theoga also took the reins and slowly stopped.

"Your Highness, this is all we can do."

Charlotte nodded and handed a gold coin to Theoga.

"Your Highness, there are too many..."

"Please help me with something."

Charlotte said.

"what's up?"

Theoga nodded quickly.

"You say!"

"I will stay in Constantinople for a while. Please help me keep an eye on some students. If some students fail the exam and have nowhere to go, you can ask them to go to the Crimean Governorate's office in Constantinople and seek an official position with Theodore."

Charlotte ordered.

“Preferably an Aggie.”

"That may be difficult, but the rest is easy. Your Majesty attaches great importance to agricultural studies, and agricultural students generally have no shortage of positions."

Theoga was a little embarrassed.

"No problem, just do your best."

Summer solstice.

"If we carry out education widely now, there will be more and more talents in the future."

Charlotte took Elizel out of the carriage, and the guard who had been following behind the carriage handed the identification documents to the Royal Mounted Police.

The mounted police immediately brought two tall horses and took Charlotte and the other person to the palace.

Along the way, at Elizel's request, the mounted policemen patiently introduced him to the various palaces in the Grand Palace, including ancient monuments, new buildings, administrative palaces, and sleeping palaces. The Monument to the Heroes of Navigation and the Museum of the Roman Empire made Elizel marvel, and he even forgot about the fatigue of riding a horse.

The largest bedroom was right in front of them. Charlotte asked the mounted police to take Elizel to the side hall to rest, and she went up the stairs.

Led by her maid, Charlotte walked through the corridor and arrived at Isaac's study.

After knocking on the door, warm air blew in her face, mixed with the scent of pine and coffee. Charlotte sniffed hard and it was still the familiar smell.

Her biological father hated her and tried to kill her many times. Charlotte grew up with Isaac until she got married, and she knew Isaac's living habits very well.

In the study, Isaac and Justinian stood in front of the wall, pointing at the large map on the wall.

"Long time no see, Your Majesty, dear uncle."

A smile spread across Charlotte's face.

In Crimea, she had to put on a tough front, but here, she was still the little princess she once was.

"And you, dear Justinian."

"Why bother talking about this? Come, have a drink and warm yourself up."

Isaac walked up and hugged his niece whom he hadn't seen for a long time, while Justinian brought Charlotte a cup of coffee and winked at her.

Seeing the guests coming, Isaac and Justinian stopped talking about military affairs. The three of them sat down in front of the fireplace and chatted.

"Your Majesty, your territory is truly vast."

Charlotte looked at the large map carved into the wall and admired it.

"You are the only one who has such abundant financial resources to paint the land with mahogany pigment and outline the borders and rivers with gold and silver."

"You are probably the richest king in the world now, right?"

"Haha, my father is not as wealthy as the Aztec false king."

Justinian smiled proudly.

"So we are going to kill him."

"Okay, if you have anything to say, we can talk about it at the dinner table later."

Isaac interrupted their conversation.

"Charlotte, why did you rush here today?"

"First of all, it's about Elizel. He wants to study painting at the Imperial University of the Arts. Please take care of him."

Charlotte said, shaking her head helplessly.

"This child insists on learning painting and won't listen to any advice."

"Okay, it's good to have your own interests."

Isaac nodded.

"The admission age for the Imperial University of the Arts is twelve. He is barely old enough and can be admitted as an exception."

“Do you need a test?”

Charlotte asked.

"There are some exams, but there aren't many people studying art nowadays, so there are no such things as people failing the exams."

Isaac said.

"Some famous people from Italy will come to the Citadel to serve as professors, and Elizel can learn from them."

"Thank you very much, uncle."

Charlotte smiled and nodded.

"Sending Elizel to school is just a side job. This is not my main purpose for coming to Constantinople."

Charlotte grew serious, stood up, and bowed slightly.

"Your Majesty, according to our observations, the Tatar forces on the northern shore of the Black Sea have lost more than half of their strength in the years of civil war. The increasingly cold weather has forced them to consume a large number of people on the battlefield. Their military strength is already very weak."

"In the name of the Crimean Governor, Princess Theodora, and on behalf of my husband Alexander, I am seeking your support. I hope you can send troops to the Black Sea and completely eliminate the remaining Tatars on the steppe."

Charlotte looked at Isaac.

"Their existence has caused serious obstacles to the Black Sea trade. If we can eliminate them, our commercial exchanges with the Grand Duchy of Moscow will be much safer. We can even use this opportunity to contact the Grand Duchy of Kiev and buy goods from them to Poland and Lithuania."

"I think this is a sure win. You don't need to send too many troops. Their strength is far less than it was in the past."

Isaac nodded slightly, pondering.

In fact, he was indeed preparing to launch a major war along the Black Sea coast and turn the Black Sea into the back garden of the Eastern Roman Empire. The first to be hit would be the Crimean Khanate entrenched in the north of the Black Sea.

In fact, during the reign of Haji Giglai, the Crimean Khanate's comprehensive national strength was among the best among the Tatar khanates. It controlled the key trade routes of the Black Sea trade and the steppe trade, and its national strength was prosperous.

However, after Hajigelai's death, his sons fought for the throne, the country's strength continued to decline, and the Black Sea trade route was firmly controlled by the Eastern Roman Empire, making it difficult for them to continue to benefit from it.

In the original time and space, the Crimean Khanate survived until the end of the 18th century. It was one of the longest-lived countries established by the descendants of Genghis Khan. It had prosperous commerce and abundant martial virtues. Even at the end of the 16th century, it could occasionally burn Moscow.

However, in this dimension, there is no Ottoman Empire to provide them with blood transfusions, trade cannot be carried out normally, and advanced technology cannot be introduced in a timely manner. As the only Muslim orphans on the Black Sea coast, their fate has already been doomed.

"Well, you are right. We were just discussing sending troops."

Isaac looked at Charlotte.

"I don't plan to send too many regular troops this time. I will only be responsible for providing money and military supplies. The rest will be left to the two governorates and the Cossack Kingdom. What do you think?"

Charlotte thought for a moment and nodded heavily.

"That's enough. As long as we have money, we can convince many tribes to join us."

"What about the distribution after the war?"

Justinian asked.

"How about we follow the method we agreed on before, with the Crimean Peninsula going to the Governor-General's District and the northern steppes going to the Cossacks?"

Charlotte looked at Justinian.

"Okay, let's do it."

Justinian nodded.

The core area of ​​the Crimean Khanate is the Crimean Peninsula, which is suitable for farming. In terms of overall value alone, it even exceeds the sum of the rest of the area.

"Very good, since you have made your decision, I will not interfere too much."

Isaac nodded.

"Stay in Constantinople first. After winter is over, I will send a fleet to support your operations."

(End of this chapter)