1444, Byzantium Resurrects

Chapter 352 Witch Hunting
The spring breeze is blowing across the earth, the damp and cold winter is about to come to an end, the snow-capped mountains and glaciers are beginning to thaw, and the wheat seedlings that have been dormant for a winter are beginning to grow wildly.

On the northern shore of the Adriatic Sea, in the Venetian Governorate of the Eastern Roman Empire, Prince Basil sat dully on the terrace of the Venetian Governor's Palace, reading a book and leisurely enjoying the warm spring sun.

After the Eastern Roman Empire destroyed the Venetian Republic, it joined forces with the Roman Curia and the Holy Roman Empire to demolish the Crusader raiders who called themselves "Three-eighths of Rome". Instead of advancing into the interior of northern Italy, it took over the Venetian lagoon and the Istrian Peninsula, established the Viceroyalties of Venice and Istria, and formally exercised administrative jurisdiction over them.

After the institution was established, under a document, the third prince Basil reluctantly ended his study career in Constantinople and came to Venice to serve as the first governor.

When it came to managing these remote but valuable new territories, the Eastern Roman Empire already had a mature plan, the most important of which was immigration.

In order to strengthen the confidence of his own immigrants and make them no longer afraid of the new territories on the front line, the emperor would often ask the royal family and nobles to take the lead, so that both the domestic people and foreign forces could realize the Eastern Roman Empire's firm determination to keep the new territories.

Even the princes and nobles have come to Venice, what else is there to worry about?
Therefore, the first group of Eastern Roman immigrants led by Prince Basil arrived in Venice two months after the signing of the treaty. They were mainly composed of children of nobles, officials of the Governorate and their families. They were administrative immigrants. Although the scale of more than 2,000 people was not large, their special status was enough to prove the Eastern Roman Empire's firm attitude towards controlling Venice.

Afterwards, the garrison of the Doge's District of Venice also arrived here, with a total of 1,500 people, mainly from the Central Army soldiers who were on the verge of retirement and the high-quality shooting army soldiers, plus their families, a total of nearly 6,000 people.

Furthermore, the Adriatic Squadron of the Eastern Roman Empire was officially established and affiliated with the Eastern Mediterranean Fleet. Its flagship was the Black Mandala, and the sailors' families were also settled in Venice, totaling more than 2,000 people.

Then, major facilities including the Venetian Arsenal, lumberyards, and markets were reopened, and another group of Greek immigrants came here, totaling nearly 5,000, most of whom were workers and businessmen from major Aegean cities.

Finally, there were ordinary immigrants. The infrastructure of Venice was already complete, and its industrial and commercial potential was extraordinary. With a series of policy encouragements and official guarantees, many Eastern Roman citizens saw the opportunity and came to this land of opportunity.

In order to maintain stability and avoid rebellion, the Eastern Roman Empire gave up temporary economic interests and took the former Venetian citizens away in batches as planned. Officials on the Adriatic coast rented more than 300 civilian ships. With the cooperation of the Eastern Mediterranean Fleet, it took three months to transport more than tens of thousands of Venetians to the mainland of the empire. They were divided into several levels according to their technical level and resettled in major cities on the Aegean Sea to help the development of handicraft industry.

Since Venice is a city surrounded by the sea, the authentic Venetians are basically citizens engaged in industry, commerce and service industries. They cannot hide everywhere like scattered farmers, and cannot avoid the pursuit of Eastern Roman soldiers in the remote mountains and plains. The migration plan went very smoothly and there were no problems.

At the beginning of the establishment of the Venetian Doge's Office, the Catholic world still criticized and questioned the migration policy of the Eastern Roman Empire, but the Eastern Roman Empire moved too fast and did not leave them any time to intervene. When several monks from various orders came to the door, most of the citizens of Venice had already been shipped away, and Venice became half-empty.

For this plan, the Eastern Roman Empire consumed more than 5,000 solidus, but fortunately the result was good. This difficult problem was solved in a quick and decisive way, and the resistance sentiment in Venice completely disappeared.

How do you calm a city where hatred is spreading so rapidly? Just transport all the citizens away.

As for the coastal belt of territory on the mainland within the Venetian Doge's District, the Eastern Roman Empire adopted the same approach, but the effect was obviously not as significant as that of the isolated city of Venice. Many farmers chose to flee inland and take refuge under the flag of the Republic of St. Mark.

However, no matter what, the Eastern Roman Empire's goal had been achieved. The citizens of Venice were the cornerstone of this republic. Without them, the remaining Republic of St. Mark would no longer pose much of a threat to the Eastern Roman Empire.

By April 1475, the Doge's District of Venice had four cities and a population of nearly 4, most of whom were Greek Orthodox Christians. Large tracts of houses were uninhabited, a large number of workshops fell into decline, and almost all farmland along the coast was abandoned.

The costly migration of the Eastern Roman Empire fundamentally solved the management problems of the Venetian Governorate and the hatred of the original Venetian citizens, and completely changed the place into a commercial port dominated by Greek Orthodox Christians.

However, the impact of this approach on Venice's economy was obvious. The Greek Orthodox Christians who moved here could not even fill the entire city area, and the resumption of production was nowhere in sight. The city has been in a state of net loss. Under the rule of the Eastern Roman Empire, the city may never return to its former prosperity.

Of course, the geographical location of the Doge's District in Venice is excellent, the infrastructure is well preserved, a large number of houses are uninhabited, and although workshops and markets have been shut down, they are only lacking in population rather than being completely destroyed.

As long as the Viceroyalty of Venice continues to be stable, this most important industrial and commercial base on the Adriatic Sea will surely continue to recover. As long as another 20,000 high-quality immigrants can arrive, the Viceroyalty will be able to get rid of the financial support from the central government and turn losses into profits.

The development prospects of Venice are well known to everyone. It is a land of opportunities. As long as the worries of immigrants are resolved, there will naturally be a steady stream of craftsmen and businessmen coming here.

In terms of its attractiveness to high-quality immigrants including craftsmen, service providers, merchants and capitalists, the Doge's District of Venice is certainly among the top of the major immigration destinations in Eastern Rome, and almost no other frontier area or colony can compare with it.

Of course, their targets are different. One is a serious and outstanding citizen, and the other is a frustrated person and adventurer.

After Basil became governor, he did not take any action. Just like before, at the age of thirteen, he was still a "rubber stamp". The emperor selected an excellent team for him, covering administration, military, industry and commerce. They were responsible for specific management, and Basil was only responsible for signing orders.

To be honest, Basil was not very satisfied with this "job". He always wanted to continue his studies in the prosperous Constantinople and prove his talents by passing exams.

But he also knew that as a member of the royal family, this was what he should do.

What made Basil feel gratified was that many of the officials his father sent to Venice had passed the examinations after the civil service reform and entered official careers. They were all outstanding people with rich knowledge reserves and cultivation qualities that were far beyond the ordinary "gifted officials". Basil also found a lot of fun in his interactions with them.

Reading, studying, asking questions, writing essays, holding meetings, signing and stamping documents, this was Basil's daily life in Venice.

The port in the distance was fairly busy, with quite a few ships coming and going, but it still seemed a bit deserted against the backdrop of the overly large dock.

A row of civilian ships flying the double-headed eagle flag left the port one after another. Each ship was packed with people. Their expressions were very complicated, including pain, anger, sadness, and despair.

This was the last batch of migration ships. The passengers on it came from the city of Mestre on the other side of the lagoon, which was a subordinate city of Venice and located on the Apennine Peninsula. After the war, it was ceded to the Eastern Roman Empire along with the city of Venice.

The sound of heavy military boots came from behind, and Basil turned around and looked at the person coming.

"Count Yergubai, you are here."

"Yes, Your Highness, there are some things I need to report to you."

Yeer Gubai nodded.

Due to his outstanding performance and loyalty, after the establishment of the Doge's Departure of Venice, Yergubai was promoted to the military commander of the Doge's Departure of Venice, in charge of the garrison and militia training of the Doge's Departure.

At present, the Doge's District of Venice was only recently established, and although there were not too few immigrants, most of them were administrative personnel, military soldiers, and families of fleet sailors, and they had little production capacity.

In order to make full use of these populations, the ruling and military personnel negotiated to solve this problem from two aspects.

First, Yergubai divided the garrison of the Venetian Governorate into several reclamation camps, and cultivated and reclaimed wasteland on the coastal plains across the lagoon to realize military reclamation. On the one hand, he restored production and reduced Venice's dependence on external food, and on the other hand, he guarded the fortress to prevent a possible counterattack from the Republic of St. Mark.

Second, administrators organized the families and provided them with jobs such as vendors, laborers, tavern owners, dock clerks... These jobs did not require any skills and even housewives and teenagers could do them. In their spare time, the families could accumulate wealth through labor and improve their living standards.

With the support of policies, the city of Venice recovered at a relatively good speed. The number of caravans passing through the city increased, and the handicraft industry that had almost come to a standstill began to slowly recover.

"Go on, count."

Basil nodded, still not looking up.

"Is it about the fortress group?"

"That's not the case. The construction of the fortress complex is going smoothly. The concrete buildings launched by the Royal Construction Group have greatly increased the speed of construction. If Your Majesty is willing to spend money, the entire fortress complex will be officially completed by the end of this year."

Yeer Gubai said.

Like the Republic of Venice, the defense system of the Doge's District of Venice was also divided into two parts: land and sea. Due to the poor geological conditions of Venice, the Eastern Roman Empire was also unable to build large fortifications in Venice and Lido Island. It could only turn its attention to the other side of the lagoon and prepare to build a group of fortresses on the coastal ring-shaped territory to block land attacks.

As for the sea, looking across the entire Mediterranean, no country has the ability to threaten the maritime hegemony of the Eastern Roman Empire.

"What's that about?"

Basil was stunned.

"For matters concerning reclamation, you can contact the government official; for matters concerning immigration, you can contact the Immigration Bureau; for matters concerning the economy, you can contact the Ministry of Finance."

"No, Your Highness, I suggest you listen to it. There is something strange about this matter."

Yergubai's expression was somewhat serious.

"According to intelligence, something happened in Trento, Italy, on Easter Sunday."

"Oh, what's the matter?"

Seeing that this matter had nothing to do with the city of Venice, Basil seemed to have no interest, sighed, and put down the book.

"It is said that on Easter Sunday, the body of a two-year-old boy named Simon was found in the home of a Hebrew. The local Christian community was outraged, believing that the Hebrews had killed Simon with a barbaric sacrificial ritual and demanded that all Hebrews be put on trial."

Yeer Gubai said.

"For some reason, the situation changed very quickly. The citizens of Trento immediately turned their attention to the entire Hebrew community. The situation got out of control, and the killing and persecution of the Hebrews had begun."

"Oh, so was it the Hebrews who did it?"

Basil asked.

"It's unclear, but what is certain is that the citizens have been grumbling for a long time, and this time they just found an outlet to vent."

Yergubai shook his head.

"Some Franciscan monks came to Trinidad. Under their instigation, the conflict was further intensified. All the local Hebrew men were killed, and surrounding cities also launched large-scale anti-Hebrew actions."

"I understand. They are just a bunch of clowns who are stirring up trouble under the pretext of religious conflicts."

Basil curled his lips.

“What does the Pope say?”

"His Holiness Sixtus originally maintained a neutral attitude, but the citizens of Trent were really crazy. They even spread rumors that Simon was the reincarnation of Jesus Christ and secretly canonized him. This completely angered the Pope."

Yeer Gubai said.

"In order to maintain his supreme right to interpret religion, His Majesty Sistus stood against the citizens of Trent and decided to conduct a thorough investigation, prohibit private trials, and promise to give the Hebrews justice."

"Okay, but what does this have to do with us?"

Basil shrugged.

"These stupid Latin people, nothing they do is surprising."

"Your Highness, not only that, we have also discovered that, perhaps due to the influence of the Inquisition, many cities have recently launched witch hunts to capture witches and conduct bloody trials."

"You also know that once a trial without fair laws begins, it will fall into the abyss of being out of control. Many high-level talents, such as doctors and alchemists, have been expelled and persecuted."

Yeer Gubai said.

"There have been many witch hunts in the Republic of San Marco, and some victims have come to us and sought our protection."

"Well, I see what you mean."

Basil nodded. "Witch hunting has existed since ancient times. As my elder brother Justinian said, these so-called judges are just a bunch of idle fools. If we send them to workshops and farms, there won't be any such trouble."

"What do you think?"

Ye Er Gubai asked.

"Me? Teacher Balsamon told me that when looking at a problem, we must look beyond the phenomenon to the essence."

Basil thought about it.

"We are living in an era of great change that has not happened in two thousand years. The manor system of the Dark Ages has been torn to pieces, the old values ​​have gradually collapsed, the commodity economy has developed rapidly, and capitalism has flourished."

"Society is changing too fast, and the vast majority of people are panicking, anxious, and at a loss. They don't know how to face a dark future, and can only turn to gods and faith for help."

"Against this backdrop, once a disaster occurs, such as a cold snap, drought, flood, or plague, ignorant people will turn their attention to marginalized groups, using bloodshed and violence to relieve their inner anxiety."

"These marginalized groups included so-called witches, pagans such as Hebrews and Muslims, and even doctors who stole bodies and alchemists who engaged in strange research."

"The accusations against them are ostensibly in the name of religion and justice, but in reality they are completely unreasonable. As long as you are identified as an alien, it is difficult for you to survive."

Basil smiled contemptuously.

"If you're accused of being a wizard, you better be one."

"Although I don't want to admit it, the series of actions taken by the Eastern Empire in Italy have undoubtedly exacerbated their social conflicts. Many workshops have gone bankrupt and a large number of workers have lost their jobs. When they wanted to return to the countryside and resume their previous lives, they found that everything had changed."

"These people who have lost their livelihoods and hope in life are wandering in a familiar yet strange world. They have nothing but orthodox blood and beliefs, and often become blind followers of such behavior. They are ignorant, but also sad."

"Although my brother doesn't like to study, his intuition is always accurate, and his evaluation of this kind of incident is also accurate. As he said, as long as there are jobs, as long as the living standard is high enough, as long as they can see hope, these things will not happen."

"When a person is full of hope and can improve his life with diligence and wisdom, who would be idle and accuse his neighbors?"

Basil looked at Yergubai with certainty.

“Hope, that’s something that’s important.”

"Well, I'm a rough man and don't understand these big principles."

Yeer Gubai said.

"So what are you going to do?"

After thinking for a while, Yeer Gubai spoke again.

"I have set up a refugee camp on the other side of the lagoon. Among the refugees, in addition to the so-called wizards, there are also many escaped doctors and alchemists. His Majesty has always favored these two types of people. He may be willing to accept them."

Basil thought about it and sighed.

"Okay, I'll go meet them."

The Venice Lagoon is not big. The Eastern Roman Empire has basically figured out several important waterways and put up signs on shallow swamps where ships are prone to running aground. Following these signs, Basil and Yergubai took a boat to the other side of the lagoon.

A double-headed eagle flag was hung high above the refugee camp, priests set up soup kitchens, and soldiers patrolled the periphery of the camp.

The boat docked and Basil jumped off the deck. On the beach, some children were chasing and playing.

"The hygiene conditions are pretty good, and the order is OK, Yergubai, you did a great job."

Basil glanced at the situation in the camp and nodded slightly.

"Let's go and meet them."

Uneasy eyes, sad expression, the pain of leaving home...

Basil gave a few instructions, and the refugees gathered around under the guidance of the soldiers. In addition to gratitude, there was fear and worry in their eyes.

"Most of them were women, Your Highness. The soldiers were about to rape them at first, but I stopped them."

Yergubai whispered in Greek.

"Very good, as I should."

Basil praised, looking at a woman with dim eyes.

"Where did it come from?"

Basil asked in Vulgar Latin.

"Verona, your Excellency..."

The woman's voice was filled with tears.

"Sir, please take me in. I am a widow with two sons. I used to be a laundry worker and can work for you..."

"What are you accused of?"

Basil asked.

"My husband... He had some contact with a Hussite before he died. Others regarded us as aliens. They said that after wearing the clothes I washed, they became seriously ill. They said it was the devil who possessed them..."

The woman was in tears.

"After I was accused, a kind old priest helped my mother and I. We followed the caravan and fled, and finally came here."

"Well, okay, stay here for now and wait for notification."

Basil nodded without surprise.

Widows are the group most vulnerable to persecution in the witch hunt. They have lost the breadwinners of their families, and many of them have children. Once they are accused, they have no way to escape.

Walking through the crowd, Basil came to a man dressed strangely.

"What do you do? Why are you being persecuted?"

"Uh... Sir, I was cooking urine at home and it accidentally exploded... They said I was possessed by the devil..."

The man said awkwardly.

"I heard that the alchemists in the Eastern Empire extracted some good things from urine, and I want to try it myself..."

"Haha, you are good. I think you will get the protection of the empire."

Basil chuckled.

"Sir! I am very popular in the alchemy circle! If you need anything, I can introduce you to other people!"

Seeing Basil's interest, the alchemist's eyes lit up.

"I feel like I'm only one step away from success. Give me a few years, and I can refine endless gold for you!"

"Oh? Sure. Tell those alchemists that if they are willing, they can come to the Eastern Empire at any time and we will accept them."

Basil patted the alchemist on the shoulder.

Next, Basil and Yergubai walked around the camp and talked to some refugees, most of whom were widows, but there were also quite a few alchemists and strange doctors.

"How about this, Yelugubai? I will write a letter to inform my father. Before that, you should work with the government officials to settle the refugees in Venice."

Basil instructed on the way back.

"Alchemists and doctors can be sent directly to Constantinople. Father will definitely accept them."

"My father values ​​profit and may not accept those innocent women accused of being witches, but I also have a certain degree of autonomy. I decided to give them a chance and let them become citizens of Venice. What do you think?"

Basil looked at Yergubai.

"They can wash clothes and cook, and their children will be more loyal to the empire because of our protection. Many soldiers are still unmarried. If they are willing, they can settle down here."

Unlike in the East, Westerners do not have too many taboos about marrying widows. The boys brought by widows are cheap labor and if trained properly, they can become capable assistants to their biological sons in the future.

Because of the ties of blood and family affection, and the fact that there is no need to worry about inheritance disputes, many Europeans have come to trust their maternal brothers very much, even more than their biological brothers.

"Your Highness is kind and virtuous. His Majesty will probably agree."

Yeer Gubai nodded.

"I think so. Although my father always puts national interests first, and sometimes even commits sins that are destined to be blamed by future generations, he is still happy to do such a harmless good thing that can be recorded in history."

Basil grinned.

"Let's go. I'll write the letter and you can communicate."

……

In the spring of 1475, affected by the international situation, Italy's economy declined, and a large number of cities fell into panic and anxiety. Persecution against marginalized groups in society suddenly broke out, and the famous witch-hunt movement began to enter its first climax. The Eastern Roman Empire also took this opportunity to continue implementing the Lighthouse Project, providing shelter for doctors, alchemists and other scientific talents who were not tolerated by the Catholic world, providing them with residences and laboratories, and injecting strong impetus into the development of science and technology.

(End of this chapter)