1444, Byzantium Resurrects

Chapter 331 Imperial Highway

It is summer now. The sun is scorching hot in the vast North African continent, the sunlight is strong, it is dry and there is little rain. Only the breeze from the sea can bring a hint of coolness.

On the northern foot of the Taibessa Mountains, a convoy was moving slowly. The tires of the carriages were wrapped with vulcanized rubber, so crawling on the mountain roads was no longer difficult.

The guards rode on berble horses, and the cavalrymen wore cloaks and hoods, with veils over their faces, and their mounts were also covered with horsecloths with a blue and white wavy striped emblem outlined in expensive dye.

This is the coat of arms of the Tocco family, an Italian noble family who took advantage of the extinction of the Despotic Principality of Epirus a hundred years ago to enter the Balkan Peninsula and become the rulers of Epirus.

The Tocco family was not a descendant of the Crusaders, and their attitude towards the Eastern Roman Empire was generally good at the end of the empire. Princess Madeleine of the Tocco family had married the late Emperor Constantine XI and was his first wife. Although she did not give birth to any children, the two families still maintained a good relationship.

Later, the Eastern Roman Empire expelled the Turks from the Balkans. The Despotate of Epirus wisely pledged allegiance to Constantinople, converted to Eastern Orthodoxy, and entered into a marriage contract with the royal family. Carlo, the heir of the Tocco family, would marry Thessaloniki, the eldest princess of the Palaiologos family. From then on, Carlo followed the emperor and lived with the royal family as a prospective son-in-law.

In the luxurious carriage in the center of the team, Carlo Tocco tapped the carriage lightly with his slender fingers and looked around at the scenery outside the window anxiously.

At this time, Carlo was twenty years old and was already a mature aristocrat. He was in his prime, good at business, the head of the Toco family, a relative of the royal family, and the largest shareholder of the Saltpeter Company... It can be said that Carlo was in the prime of his life.

But Carlo was not having an easy time at this time. Not long ago, his brother Leonardo died of illness, leaving behind three unmarried daughters.

Leonardo Tocco, like his ancestors for several generations, was a nobleman who was good at socializing. He often mentioned his deceased aunt, believing that he was the nephew of the late queen and the nephew of Constantine XI. He used this marriage relationship to gain the favor and sympathy of Constantinople and tried to keep the Tocco family's hereditary territory.

Even though Constantine XI had no feelings for his first wife, he gave the Tocco family the greatest leniency before his death, allowing them to retain the land in Epirus, on the condition that the land could only be inherited by the descendants of Carlo and Thessalonica.

However, with the death of Leonardo and the reform of the imperial civil service system, the ministers prepared to take back the land of Epirus, divide it into the Epirus region, and belong to the province of Epirus.

Carlo knew that this was also the emperor's intention. He was not prepared to resist, nor could he resist. The people in Epirus were all Orthodox Greek-speaking Christians, and their obedience to the Tocco family largely came from their royal in-laws. Without these, they would be nothing.

Therefore, Carlo accepted all the arrangements made by the central government of the empire, incorporated Epirus into the central government, and then ran to North Africa without caring about anything else, and devoted himself to running his saltpeter company.

The era of gunpowder weapons had begun. Saltpeter, as a strategic material, would never be unsalable. The money Carlo earned from the saltpeter business had long exceeded the land output of Epirus.

Of course, a large part of Carlo's early funds came from his fiancée Thessaloniki. The smooth development was also due to his identity as the emperor's son-in-law. Thessaloniki was both the biggest backer and the largest shareholder of the Saltpeter Company.

Just when Carlo made up his mind to be a big capitalist for life, Thessaloniki came to North Africa to find him and took him to the city of Tebessa to meet the emperor.

"Can't you just stop for a while?"

Seeing that Carlo was a little annoyed, Thessalonika, who was sitting next to him, raised her head and gathered the hair covering her eyes.

The sunlight shone through the window lattice onto the girl's cheek, and her brown hair was stained with a layer of gold. Carlo was suddenly stunned.

"I never realized before that you are so beautiful."

Carlo muttered.

"As expected, she is Queen Leonor's biological daughter."

"Humph, it should be better looking than saltpeter."

Salonica was a little complacent about Carlo's praise and raised her swan-like neck proudly.

"As my fiancé, you should feel lucky that the young man who pursues me can line up from here to Constantinople."

"You are right... Why are we going to see His Majesty?"

Carlo looked away and asked apprehensively.

"I really don't want to continue to be the despot of Epirus. Merchants won't support me, and the people won't support me either. Your Majesty should be relieved, right?"

Salonika chuckled when he heard this.

"What did you expect? Eye gouging? Castration? A convent?"

Salonika patted Carlo on the head.

"Don't be afraid. Father is very pleased with you, no matter whether it's the matter of Epirus or the Saltpeter Company."

"That's good."

Carlo grunted.

"So what are we going to do?"

"marry."

Salonika said seriously.

"what?!"

Carlo's eyes widened.

"you--"

"Why? You don't want to marry me?"

Salonica glared at Carlo.

"If you don't want to marry me, just say so. I know an abbot. That abbey is beautiful and looks perfect for you."

"No no no,"

Carlo waved his hands quickly.

"Are you willing to get married?"

"I'm already 15 years old. If I don't get married soon, people will gossip about me."

Salonika sighed.

"But we are not going to meet the emperor for the purpose of getting married. Our wedding will be held next year."

"Father said he won't rush me. He'll marry me off when I want to get married. Next year will be fine. What do you think?"

"It's good, it's good."

Carlo laughed, and all his previous anxiety disappeared.

"Don't be too happy yet, I have something to show you."

Salonika interrupted Carlo's fantasy and threw the documents in his hand to him.

"Choose one."

Carlo took the document and flipped through it frantically.

"what is this?"

"Look at the registration book of the House of Mercenaries to see if there are any favored mercenary teams. We need to hire one."

Salonika explained.

"I've checked. The most expensive one is from Rosemary Mercenary Company. However, they have too many orders, and their best mercenary teams have already been hired."

"There are also the Violet Mercenaries. They are also good, but I heard they were hired by the Pazzi family in Italy."

Salonika continued.

"I prefer this one, the Black Fire Mercenary Corps. The leader is a veteran who once served in the Central Army. The main members are slave shooting troops from Carthage and Bilinchi. There are 400 people in total, including 200 cavalry, 100 musketeers, and 100 spear infantry. Their combat effectiveness is not bad."

"Central Army veteran..."

Carlo was a little confused.

"Don't they have very good retirement benefits? Why do they still want to become mercenaries?"

"His son gambled away all his family fortune and then committed suicide. He wanted to earn a decent dowry for his only remaining daughter before he died."

Salonika said simply.

"Most importantly, this veteran has followed my father in battles for half his life. He is loyal to our family and has good abilities."

"As long as you think it's good, I have no objection..."

Carlo nodded and returned the document to Salonika.

"Why would we hire soldiers, anyway?"

"You also know that the emperor is very satisfied with you and will not let you suffer any loss. Although Epirus is the inherent territory of the Eastern Empire, you were able to hand it over without reservation and did not burden the people. This is also a great achievement."

Salonika said slowly.

"It's the same as always. Father will exchange land with the Toko family and give you three options. One is located in Venezuela, one is located in Brazil, and one is located in North Africa. The total area of ​​each of them is larger than Epirus, and the resources are also quite good."

"I don't want to go to the New World, so I made the choice for you. It's North Africa."

"what?"

Carlo was a little surprised.

"where?"

"It's right below us, in the area of ​​Tebessa, including three towns and several castles."

Salonika shrugged.

"There are quite a few people here, but they are basically Saracens. On the one hand, we have to attract people from Italy, and on the other hand, we have to sign an agreement with the local Saracens and find a way to make them settle down, or at least not cause us any trouble."

"In order to rule effectively, you need a strong group of mercenaries to deal with the turmoil in the early stages of your rule."

“Why not appeal to the domestic public?”

Carlo asked.

“They should be easier to manage than the Italians.”

"If you have the ability, of course you can."

Salonika said.

"But I feel like it's hard for you to provide them with a better life."

"After all, the natural conditions here are not as good as those in China. It will be difficult for you to attract citizens of the Empire."

"Italians, Russians, and even Hispanics, their living conditions are countless times worse than those of Roman citizens. As long as you manage them well, some should be willing to come."

"As for management..."

Salonika shook her head.

"If a person is forced to leave his hometown and become displaced, do you still think they will have any centripetal force towards their former country?"

"The Saracens are difficult to manage, and the most important reason is that their lifestyle and way of thinking are too different from those of Christians. This is an important reason for their alienation, but it is not unsolvable."

"Um... well, can I not have this land?"

Toko asked tentatively.

“I feel like I’ll lose money.”

"Short-sighted!"

Salonika frowned.

"I have read many books in the past few years, but there is only one that touched me the most."

"The most precious things in the world are not gold or silver, not jade or jewelry, nor are they shares or dividends. These are only temporary benefits, not worth spending a lifetime pursuing."

"There is only one thing that is truly worth your life's work, and that is land!"

“Precious metals will depreciate, companies will collapse one day, but land will last forever. It is the greatest gift God has given us.”

Salonika winked at Carlo.

"Moreover, you must accept the canonization from your father, and you must guard this place firmly."

"We are nobles. Father allows us to enjoy privileges and be superior to others, but the prerequisite is that you must fulfill the obligations of a noble."

“If this land is lost, and if the central government finds that you have neglected your duties, then your privileges in the country will be revoked, and the company will not be able to reduce or exempt taxes.”

"Even if I am the emperor's daughter, even if you are the emperor's son-in-law, there is no way to escape this."

Carlo was silent for a moment and nodded.

"Okay, I will defend this place well and fight for Jesus Christ in the land of the Saracens. This is the honor of every Christian."

"Don't worry, you won't really lose money. Just wait and see."

Salonika seemed confident and ruffled her fiancé's blonde hair.

The convoy continued to move forward, passing by the dilapidated town of Tebessa and a busy construction site, but did not stop and went straight south.

Mount Tebessa runs east-west, the altitude is not too high, the mountain is not too steep, and the north-south span is not too wide. Carlo calmed down, walked and looked along the way, and his mood finally improved.

“There are still quite a few rivers, and most of them are year-round rivers.”

Carlo commented.

"We can develop agriculture here. The conditions on the northern foot of the mountain range are pretty good." "Yes, the weather has become colder in recent years, and the mountain springs are not so easy to dry up."

Salonika nodded.

As he was talking, the carriage suddenly drove onto a dark road. The previous bumps suddenly disappeared, and the flat touch made Carlo feel much more comfortable, and his mood improved.

"Okay, is this the road that Your Majesty built?"

Carlo pointed to the wide expanse of black pavement.

"It's really good, even better than the first-class national highway in Thrace!"

"what is this?"

"Well..."

Salonika also didn't quite understand.

"I don't know. It's probably another new thing that Father has created. We can ask him when we meet him later."

After walking on the black road for a while, the carriage gradually stopped. This was already the southern foot of the Taibessa Mountains. The military camps ahead were undulating and a mine was clearly visible.

The patrolling cavalry verified their identities, and Carlo and Salonika got off the carriage and followed the guards to the camp in the center.

In the camp, Isaac was handling official business. When he saw his daughter coming, he smiled, walked up to her and held her in his arms.

"How was it? Was the journey smooth?"

Isaac asked.

"It's good. It would be even better if this guy wasn't making noise on the side."

Salonika glanced at Carlo mischievously.

"Please sit down, what would you like to drink?"

Isaac returned to his seat and told the two men to sit down as well.

"Ouzo? Coffee? Rooibos? Hot cocoa?"

"Hot cocoa? What is that?"

Carlo asked.

"It's a New World drink made from a small fruit, but the quantity is too small. The Tlaxcalans used it as currency. We are looking for ways to cultivate it on a large scale."

Isaac said simply.

"You've never had it? Then try it."

Isaac ordered his maid to bring hot cocoa to the three of them, and the steaming aroma immediately filled the entire tent.

"Not bad right?"

Isaac raised an eyebrow at the two of them.

"In the future, there will be more cocoa products that are being invented by the Imperial Agricultural Research Institute."

"That's great, Father."

Salonika exclaimed.

“The things in the New World are really good.”

"Okay, let's get to the point."

Isaac waved his hand and looked at Carlo.

"Salonica told you everything on the way here, right?"

Isaac spread out a map and drew a circle on it.

"Since you are willing to give up the rule of Epirus, I will not be stingy. This land will be used as an exchange."

"This land is located north of the Southern Border Region, south of Constantina, and west of the Province of Africa. It includes the cities of Timgad, Hanshelai, and Tebessa. Although it is located in the mountains, I believe you have seen that the natural conditions are good. If managed properly, it can support 100,000 people."

Isaac stroked the map.

The natural conditions in this small mountainous area are indeed good. The average annual precipitation exceeds 450 mm, the maximum temperature does not exceed 30 degrees Celsius, and there are several small rivers flowing inland, which are sufficient to develop dryland agriculture.

"This place once belonged to a series of quarreling Berber tribes. I drove them away. I will build a castle here to guard the Africa region. The central government will pay for the castle, and you will pay for its subsequent maintenance."

"These escaped Berber tribes will definitely want to come back. You need to organize an army as soon as possible to resist their invasion."

"Whether to negotiate and compromise or to fight violence with violence, it is up to you to decide."

"This is our first step into the Atlas Mountains. It is also a step I have to take in order to keep Carthage away from the front line. You have to guard this place well."

Isaac stared at Carlo and drew his sword.

"I plan to follow the example of Emperor Trajan and Emperor Constantine and unify these towns into the Timgad Palace. You will serve as the Count of the Palace and enjoy the treatment of a prince, which will be hereditary."

"Carlo Tocco, would you?"

Carlo nodded, stood up and knelt on one knee.

"I am willing to accept this land, guard your palace, shelter your people, accept your orders, and offer eternal loyalty to you and your successors."

"I swear in the name of God!"

"very good."

Isaac nodded, placed the sword on Carlo's shoulder, and tapped it three times.

"I swear that you and your heirs will always have a seat by my hearth, drink at my table, and eat at my table. I swear to protect your hereditary rights in the name of God."

The contract was signed. Isaac helped Carlo up, walked back to his seat, and handed him a document from the table.

"You and Salonica will be married next year, and this is one of my gifts to you."

Carlo took the document and his eyes narrowed.

"Your Majesty, this is too precious."

"It doesn't matter. This is originally a product of the Timgad Palace Territory. The value of Epirus cannot be compared with the entire territory, but you are my son-in-law, and that is enough."

Isaac said.

"The phosphate mines in the Tebessa Mountains belong to you."

"Thank you, Father!"

Carlo was delighted.

"Don't worry, this is the only phosphate mine in the empire. I will definitely work hard to develop it!"

"You're welcome. I know your character. If there were nothing valuable in Timgad Palace, you might not take it too seriously."

Isaac smiled.

"It's human nature. I don't blame you."

"But if you fail to defend this territory and the province of Africa is in danger, I will take back the ownership of the phosphate mine."

Isaac looked at Carlo.

"Don't worry, I swear to God."

Carlo nodded quickly.

Isaac waved him to sit down.

In his plan, the core territory of the Eastern Roman Empire in North Africa would temporarily only extend to Carthage, while the territory west of Carthage would be divided into fiefdoms, which could be frontier regions, earldoms, grand duchies, or palaces.

Of course, the nobles of the Eastern Roman Empire were different from those of Western Europe. These powerful nobles were more like lords of Pronaia with hereditary rights, and the emperor still retained the supreme power to reclaim the territory.

It's not that this place is bad, it's just that there are too many Muslims and too many nomadic tribes in the mountains and inland. It's not worth it to bring it directly under government jurisdiction. It's enough to maintain control over the coastal ports.

History has proven that border guards can only unleash their strongest fighting power and the most resolute determination when defending their own property. This is also an important reason why Christian knights ultimately won the Reconquista.

As for the phosphate mines... sorry, Isaac has already found several others further west of Timgad, but he hasn't had time to announce them yet.

"Come on, let's go out. I have something to show you."

Isaac took his daughter and son-in-law out of the main camp and came to an open space on the edge of the camp. There were many wooden barrels on the open space. The barrels were full of black and sticky gelatinous substances, which gave off an unpleasant smell under the sun.

"You should have seen these things on your way to the mine, right?"

Isaac smiled at them.

"You mean... that stretch of road?"

Salonika understood a little.

“Is it paved with this stuff?”

“Yes, this is the most important raw material.”

Isaac nodded.

“This stuff is called asphalt.”

Asphalt is a very important building material. Roads paved with asphalt binder are smooth and durable, impermeable, grass-proof and highly stable. It is a very high-end road surface.

In the original time and space, most of the asphalt used in modern industry came from the petroleum industry or the coal industry, that is, petroleum asphalt and coal tar asphalt. The effect was good, but the prerequisite technologies were too many and too complicated, and the Eastern Roman Empire led by Isaac had no production capacity at all.

However, there is a third type of asphalt in the world, natural asphalt.

As the name suggests, natural asphalt can be produced under natural conditions and is divided into several types, such as rock asphalt, lake asphalt and submarine asphalt, which are generally distributed in oil producing areas.

A few months ago, the expedition team sent to the Viceroyalty of Venezuela returned to Carthage. They discovered a strange lake on the island of Trinidad and Tobago. There was not a drop of water in the lake, only a black and sticky gelatinous substance. They recorded it with a paintbrush and presented it to Isaac's desk.

In fact, this is natural asphalt. The natural asphalt lake located on Tobago Island is the largest asphalt lake in the world, Lake Peach.

Isaac suddenly had an inspiration and began to order people to look for natural asphalt in the oil-producing areas he remembered. Where this kind of thing exists, there are usually legends and stories about asphalt, so it is easy to find.

Eventually, the Eastern Roman Empire succeeded in finding natural rock asphalt in many places in Albania, but found nothing in other oil producing areas such as Libya and Algeria.

So Isaac set up several mining sites in Albania and sent people to collect natural asphalt in preparation for the large-scale paving of asphalt roads.

As for the natural asphalt in Lake Pitch, the quantity is indeed huge, but it is too far away and deep in the rainforest. Lake asphalt is not as suitable for paving as rock asphalt, so it can only be recorded in advance and left to future generations.

In fact, before Isaac, the Incas in South America had already begun using natural asphalt to pave asphalt gravel roads. This civilization's achievements in roads and communications were even ahead of most Old World civilizations, and they had opened up a great Inca road network between the mountains.

"Roads paved with asphalt and gravel are very effective. Because they are flat and smooth, they can allow large carriages to run at high speeds. They can be pulled by more horses and carry more cargo. I will have the Ministry of Transportation establish a 10-year paving plan to replace all important roads with asphalt and gravel roads to promote commercial exchanges and increase the speed of military mobilization."

Isaac said.

"You just passed through the first asphalt road in North Africa. The purpose is to speed up the transportation of phosphate ore. This road will be expanded and will go directly from the city of Tebessa to the city of Carthage."

"After this, Carthage's supplies and reinforcements can easily reach Thebessa, and Thebessa's food and minerals can also quickly reach Carthage."

"I will set up a large construction company in the near future. If you need it, you can place an order with the company to connect Timgad, Hanshelai, and Tebesa with asphalt gravel roads."

Isaac looked at Carlo.

"What you need to pay attention to is that you must first improve the defense system of Timgad Palace to prevent the nomadic tribes from rushing straight to Carthage along the highway."

"Don't worry, as long as we build castles at key locations, they won't be able to rush down the mountains."

Carlo nodded.

"The nomadic tribes have no muskets or artillery, their time is over."

"Indeed, you just need to pay attention. Our fortress group is not that easy to break through."

Isaac opened his arms and looked into the distance.

"The empire's maritime transportation is already very complete. Once my plan is realized, all the loopholes in road transportation will be filled. The entire empire will be connected as one. The army departing from Constantinople can ride on heavy carriages and easily reach every front line, spreading the empire's grace and power with horses and swords!"

“It’s a grand idea.”

Salonika nodded sincerely and took out the booklet he carried with him.

"What is the name of this plan? I will record it, and future generations will praise your feat."

"Name? No name yet."

Isaac thought about it and his eyes lit up.

"This type of road will greatly increase the speed of transportation, and the entire plan is centered around this type of highway."

"Imperial Highway. That's the name of the project."

(End of this chapter)