1444, Byzantium Resurrects

Chapter 367 Dick Tudor
A light rain began to fall from the sky, washing away the bloodstains on the battlefield. Stepping on the mixture of mud and blood, Justinian rode his horse to the Talavera ferry where the war had ended.

The infrastructure of the ferry was completely destroyed by Fernando's army who fled in panic, and ruins were everywhere. Fernando's soldiers who had not yet withdrawn stayed dejectedly in the fence, and the remnants of the nobles' private army who came out of the fortress collected the relics and bodies of the feudal lords and colleagues and handed them over to the priest who was holding a simple prayer.

Seeing Justinian and Gonzalo both arriving, several nobles who had escaped the disaster swarmed up and told them their difficulties in a variety of ways.

"Your Majesty, it's not that we are incompetent, it's just that Fernando is too cunning. We fought hard, but there is really no way..."

"Yes! It's all Baron Jose's fault. As the commander, he let Fernando's men in so easily. No one has made a decision yet..."

"Your Majesty, our family suffered heavy casualties this time. Three of the five knights died. You must ask King Carlos to compensate us..."

"Yes, my uncle died, his castle—"

The panic after neglecting their duties, the greed after achieving victory, the scramble to shirk responsibility... this is the true portrayal of this group of Spanish nobles.

Gonzalo turned his head to the side and curled his lips in mockery.

"Haha, don't worry, everyone. Carlos sees everything you do."

Justinian did not say it clearly, but just put on a kind smile.

"Since the war has been won, King Carlos will certainly not treat his meritorious officials unfairly."

"If you have any opinions or ideas, please feel free to speak up."

Seeing that Justinian had a good attitude, the nobles immediately breathed a sigh of relief and began to praise Gonzalo's wisdom and the strength of the Eastern Roman army, while exaggerating their own sacrifices in this war and the compensation they desired.

Justinian listened patiently to their requests and flattery, nodded frequently, and seemed very satisfied.

"Finished?"

Seeing that they stopped talking, Justinian spoke softly, looking at Baron Jose who remained silent.

"Jose, don't you have any ideas?"

Baron Jose was stunned for a moment, walked forward and sighed.

"Your Majesty, as the commander of Talavera, I have failed your trust. No matter what, I am the first person responsible. Please punish me."

Justinian nodded, quite satisfied.

He waved his hand and Gonzalo handed him a scroll.

"Blessed be you, King of León, Castile and Granada, Sovereign of Biscay and Asturias, Lord of Madrid, Segovia, Salamanca and Toledo, Charles I of the House of Vallejo:"

"Due to the clumsy behavior of the Talavera camp during the war, the traitor Fernando succeeded in sneaking across the border with only a very small number of troops, and the situation on the front line almost collapsed. The rewards and punishments are hereby announced as follows:"

"Baron Russell, Baron Pedri, Count Robert, Count Osuna, you neglected your duties during the war. The Supreme Court has sentenced you to treason. You will be deprived of all your fiefdoms and properties, and all family members will be relocated to Granada."

Justinian glanced at the four nobles, still smiling.

"What you have done really deserves this outcome."

"His Majesty--"

"It's decided. Come, arrest them!"

Justinian waved his hand, and Gonzalo drew his sword and placed it across the neck of a count.

"Why? We are hereditary nobles, you have no right to arrest us!"

"You don't have the legal process to trample on our traditions so recklessly!"

"I demand trial by combat—"

The soldiers didn't care about them. They rushed up like wolves and tigers and tied up the remaining nobles.

They managed to escape the Aragonese's slaughter, but still paid the price for their dereliction of duty.

Baron Jose was stunned and couldn't help but speak out to stop it.

"Your Majesty...is this a bit—"

"Baron Jose has done his best to maintain the most basic order on his own and prevented the army from completely collapsing. His merits outweigh his faults."

Justinian looked at Jose.

"King Carlos heard about your wisdom and praised you highly. He decided to give you the Castle of Bagno, east of Ciudad Real, along with the three villages and a mill belonging to the castle."

"Asshole, that's mine!"

A noble struggled and roared, and a tall and strong Eastern Roman soldier hit him on the neck with a hammer, knocking him unconscious.

"Your Majesty, that's not what I meant..."

Baron Jose was about to speak.

"King Carlos has also decided to grant you the title of Viscount of Real, and to give you full authority to handle all matters concerning Real City."

Justinian continued.

"It's decided. Viscount Jose, you must serve King Carlos faithfully!"

"This……"

Jose looked at Justinian, then looked at the nobles who were like drowned dogs, sighed, and nodded.

Unlike those stubborn and narrow-minded nobles, he had a clearer view of the current situation. After defeating Fernando, the victory of the Carlists had become unstoppable. Justinian no longer needed those reactionary nobles who were wavering between two sides. The Kingdom of Castile was about to undergo a major reshuffle.

If he continues to refuse, the outcome will not be good.

Then, Justinian selected some minor nobles who had some military achievements, granted them titles and fiefs in the name of Carlos, and promised all the territories of the "traitors" to them.

These people were not from prominent families, and after suddenly coming to power, in order to protect their own interests, they could only stand on the side of King Carlos who represented them.

Those who received the imperial decree were naturally overjoyed, while those who lost everything did not dare to continue cursing and closed their eyes in pain and despair.

"Okay, that's all."

Justinian handed the scroll to his attendant.

"This is just an initial review. When the war is completely over, the criminals will be formally tried by the Kingdom's Supreme Court, but the result will not change."

"Until then, you will be detained in a manner consistent with your status."

The soldiers took the traitorous nobles to prison, while Justinian called Gonzalo aside.

"Your Majesty, what is it?"

Gonzalo asked.

"Two things."

Justinian paced.

"First, my father defeated the Aragonese army in Sicily. The cities of Catania and Messina are under our control. The Sicilian army is marching towards Palermo along the northern coast."

"Second, the Swiss Confederation's troops have all entered the Duchy of Lorraine. According to my prediction, they will have a major war with Charles the Bold in a few months, and the battlefield will most likely be between Grant and Morat."

Justinian said slowly.

"Charles the Bold has stopped caring and won't listen to anyone's opinions. No matter how the war ends, this is a major event for all of Western Europe. France will definitely be involved, and Aragon is about to lose its most important ally."

"I plan to take this opportunity to completely resolve the Iberian war, and I have decided to go to the city of Toledo in person and talk to some of the leaders of the Juana faction."

"Furthermore, I will ask the Western Mediterranean Fleet to use Almeria in Granada as its home port and launch strategic attacks on Fernando's coastal cities such as Valencia and Barcelona, ​​in an effort to force Fernando to sit at the negotiation table."

"During this period, you have to guard several ferry crossings. If the situation is good, you can also send some small forces to the north bank to make Fernando feel more and more pressure."

"The soldiers of the Knights, the remaining nobles' private armies, and our own central army are all at your disposal."

"I understand."

Gonzalo nodded.

"Don't worry, leave this to me!"

Justinian nodded slightly and patted Gonzalo on the shoulder.

"The war is almost over. What reward do you want?"

Gonzalo thought about it, smiled and shook his head.

"From a second son without inheritance rights to the current earl and general, everything I have is given by you. We are still young, and we will talk about rewards later."

"Your father is too powerful and too rational. He is a monarch who puts his own interests above all else. I can see that he intervened in Iberia not for his grandson Carlos. Otherwise, he would not have gone to such great lengths to introduce the corrupt and greedy power of the Church into Iberia, and would not have used the name of religion to completely destroy important parts of the city's industry and commerce. This is destroying the foundation of the royal power of Castile!"

Gonzalo's eyes were a little dazed and he sighed.

"Such a monarch is worthy of admiration and respect, but people are afraid to get close to him. People rack their brains but still can't find the most appropriate adjective, but you are different."

"You still care a lot about relationships, family and friends. People who love you compare you to the sun. As long as we stand with you, the future will be bright."

Justinian smiled, picked up a glass of wine from the table beside him, handed it to Gonzalo, and picked up a glass for himself.

"Then I wish you good health, future Grand Marshal of the Empire!"

"I wish you good health, too, the future Sun Emperor!"

Gonzalo took the glass and drank it all.

……

It was the middle of winter, 1475 finally passed and history entered the beginning of 1476. The Sicilian army of the Eastern Roman Empire spent another Christmas on this island.

After Operation Flood, the Spanish army in the eastern half of Sicily collapsed completely. In the past few months, the Sicilian expeditionary force of the Eastern Roman Empire successively captured the cities of Catania and Messina, and marched westward along the northern coast, heading straight for the city of Palermo.

Palermo is the largest city in Sicily and the absolute ruling center of the Kingdom of Aragon in Sicily. The city is located in a basin, with several mountains to the south and the Bay of Palermo of the Tyrrhenian Sea to the north. It is a natural harbor with a strategic location.

It has a large population, fertile land, prosperous agriculture, and produces a lot of low-end agricultural products such as wheat, lemons, citrus and olives. For this reason, it is also called the "Golden Basin" of Sicily.

The Tyrrhenian Sea north of Sicily has been a prosperous sea of ​​commerce since ancient times. The developed maritime trade routes and numerous offshore islands naturally attracted countless speculators and lawbreakers. As early as the ancient Roman period, this place was one of the five major pirate dens. Because it was too close to the city of Rome, this group of pirates once caused headaches for the Roman citizens at that time.

After the establishment of the League of Barcelona, ​​pirates from France and Aragon naturally set their sights on the Tyrrhenian Sea. Since the Eastern Roman Navy did not regard this area as a place of significant interest, the trade route between Carthage and La Spezia was almost cut off.

After the Free City of La Spezia was occupied by the Duke of Milan, Florence also withdrew from the war due to civil unrest and stopped sheltering Latin pirates. The looting situation in the Tyrrhenian Sea then improved slightly.

After the Sicilian Vespers Uprising broke out, the Eastern Roman Navy began to enter the Southern Tyrrhenian Sea in large numbers, blockaded the Port of Palermo and other major Sicilian ports, and cleared out the pirate forces in the area.

With nothing to rob and having to face severe attacks from the Imperial Navy, naturally many people changed their minds. Some pirates even couldn't stop and set their sights on Italian countries such as Naples, Florence, and Lucca, which were also Catholic countries.

On the hillside southeast of Palermo, the military camp of the Eastern Roman Empire was in good order. Ibrahim, the Minister of the Army who was in charge of military affairs, might lack strategic vision, but he was very rigorous in details. During the march, the Eastern Roman army basically had no trouble.

Next to the Eastern Roman military camp, the Sicilian Free Army also arrived here. These were ordinary militiamen gathered by local forces in Sicily, and their combat effectiveness was very poor.

After the Vespers Uprising, the Sicilian Free Army was unable to stir up any more trouble. After looting several granaries and plundering several small villages, the Spanish mercenaries of the Marquis of Gatiss directly defeated them and drove them into the central mountains.

Now, seeing that the victory of the Eastern Roman Empire was in sight, they swarmed over again, wanting to become familiar with the monarch and get more in the subsequent distribution of benefits.

At a position, Isaac set up a telescope and stared at the city of Palermo below the mountain.

Palermo is an ancient city with a history of more than 2,000 years. It was first established by the Phoenicians and then ruled by the Romans, Arabs, Normans, French and Spaniards, leaving behind many cultural relics.

Due to historical reasons, this city has a unique aesthetic of fusion of cultures. Next to the ancient Roman ruins may be a Byzantine church, and near the Arab mansion may be a Norman-style palace. Although the people here are Catholics and speak Latin, they are similar to other Sicilian residents and are quite different from the Italians in the north. From their appearance to their living habits, they all have distinct local cultural characteristics.

"This is the most beautiful Muslim city I have ever seen," said the great writer Dante. Although Palermo is close to the coast, it is still a very strong city, surrounded by mountains on three sides and facing the sea to the north. Successive rulers built many military buildings here, including extremely strong city walls, castles controlling the pass, and a large number of reservoirs and granaries.

Among all the rulers in history, the Romans had the longest rule, but perhaps the Normans represented by the Hauteville family made the greatest contribution to the city. The Kingdom of the Two Sicilies they ruled once included Naples and Sicily, but placed the capital in Palermo, ending Sicily's long period of economic downturn and civil unrest and pushing it to a new peak.

If we put aside their positions, the Hauteville family is truly full of talented people. The founder, Robert, was a talented military strategist and conqueror. During his lifetime, he waged wars everywhere, defeated the emperors of the Eastern Roman Empire and the Holy Roman Empire, and looted the city of Rome, which belonged to the Vatican. At the same time, he left behind a large amount of territory and unruly local nobles for future generations.

Among Robert's successors, Roger I was the most talented. Although he was not as good as his brother in military achievements, he was a very qualified ruler. He restrained the nobles, suppressed rebellions, adopted a ruling approach of cultural tolerance and religious harmony, vigorously developed the economy, promoted trade, encouraged farming and weaving, and built buildings. The golden age of Palermo quietly arrived.

Roger I's successors certainly struggled constantly, but the policy of openness and inclusiveness was basically continued until the end of the dynasty. Because the dynasty was not long, nationalism had not yet sprouted, and the root cause of the disaster was not visible for the time being, but prosperity and development were fully reflected.

The most barbaric Normans implemented the most civilized ruling ideas. Although this was due to objective conditions, it is also worth remembering by future generations.

At that time, Sicily was the light of Christian civilization. Whether Normans, Italians, Eastern Roman remnants or Arab Muslims, they could all find their own place in Palermo, develop their own unique culture without much hindrance, and perform the religious ceremonies they wanted. A large number of economic buildings and defense facilities sprang up within a few decades, and a large number of merchant ships came here, carrying rare goods from half the world.

In the city of Palermo that Isaac currently sees, nearly half of the landmark buildings are relics from the Norman period.

During the reign of the Norman and Hohenstaufen dynasties, the monarchs and nobles renovated the city's fortifications several times. The port area and the main city area were divided into two parts by carefully designed fortresses, houses and palace walls. This made it impossible for the Eastern Roman Empire's navy to capture the city directly by naval landing, and both siege warfare and street fighting were necessary.

After the Eastern Roman Empire conquered the surrounding settlements, the Marquis of Gatis, who fled back to Palermo, gathered the remaining troops in the city and demolished many houses, making the already maze-like city of Palermo even more complicated. He then combined it with a large number of buildings from the Norman period, trying to hold out and wait for help.

The most conspicuous things in the city are the Norman palace and several cathedrals built in the Norman period. The Marquis of Gatiss even installed cannons and crossbows on the palace, and installed stone-throwing machines next to the church near the coast.

Isaac put away the telescope, his eyes looked a little gloomy.

"Damn Otteville, even if he has no descendants, he will still cause trouble for the Romans!"

At present, there are more than 8,000 soldiers in Palermo, including more than 3,000 Spanish mercenaries and more than 4,000 conscripted militiamen. Their equipment may not be sophisticated and their training level is not high, but in city defense battles and street fighting, the gap in equipment and training will be greatly reduced.

In this kind of war, the Eastern Roman army could not deploy in a large square formation, and the slow-loading matchlock muskets would be greatly restricted in street fighting. If Isaac wanted to capture the city in a short period of time, he could only send his precious soldiers to break into the city by force, fighting for every block and every fortress with blood and life.

Of course, Isaac could also use blockade and bribery to make them collapse without a fight. If it dragged on for a year or two, their supplies would be exhausted, the morale of the mercenaries would drop significantly, and the unruly Sicilians might even raise the banner of rebellion again.

However, Isaac really didn't want to wait that long. The war had been going on for several years. There were too many affairs that needed to be sorted out and too many things that had not been sorted out. The storm that would erupt in the next few years would be no less severe than that in the past few years. The Eastern Roman Empire had to recuperate for a period of time, and Isaac also had to think carefully about the next strategic approach and diplomatic focus, and strive to obtain the greatest benefits for the Eastern Roman Empire.

"Ibrahim, what do you think?"

Isaac handed the telescope to Ibrahim who was standing nearby.

"If I give you one month, can you take over the city of Palermo?"

Ibrahim did not answer, but watched carefully.

"I'm afraid that's a little difficult, Your Majesty."

Ibrahim shook his head regretfully.

"Since the Grand Phalanx Reform, our soldiers have made great progress in field battles and anti-cavalry operations, but have regressed in siege operations, especially in cities with dangerous terrain like this."

"The Marquis of Gatiss was decisive. He used almost half of the city's houses to set up defenses. Several main roads were littered with collapsed rocks."

Ibrahim frowned, looked at the gentle slope ahead, and continued.

"Moreover, the terrain here is narrow and the slope is not good. It may be difficult for us to deploy dozens of artillery pieces. I estimate that we can only deploy a dozen or so pieces, and even if we do, they may not be able to threaten the core area of ​​Palermo."

"However, if you give me four or five months, I am absolutely sure that I can capture the city!"

"oh, I understand now."

Isaac nodded and looked towards the mountain not far away.

"Have you ever thought about setting up an artillery position on the top of the mountain and directly bombing the military camp and the royal palace in the main city of Palermo?"

"Uh……"

Ibrahim was stunned.

"I'm afraid the range is not enough? The shells will fall directly in the middle of the journey."

"Okay, you go and take charge of the military affairs, and everything will be normal."

Isaac patted Ibrahim on the shoulder without saying anything.

"It won't take that long. I'm already prepared."

After bidding farewell to Ibrahim, Isaac rode his horse, accompanied by his personal guards, up the winding mountain road. After some twists and turns, he arrived at a flat platform on a high place.

The view here is wide, with no jungle trees blocking the view. Looking northwest, the city of Palermo is right at your feet.

A camp has been built on the table. Cavalrymen on guard are patrolling back and forth. A makeshift blast furnace is spewing black smoke, and knocking sounds can be heard from the camp from time to time.

A special flag was flying above the camp. It had a black background with crossed torches and cannon barrels painted in the center, and golden olive tassels around it.

The Gallipoli Artillery School, the only professional artillery school in the Eastern Roman Empire, was founded under the guidance of Burgundian artillery instructors. Since its establishment, it has contributed more than one hundred skilled artillery officers, many of whom have participated in several large-scale battles.

Seeing Isaac coming, the soldiers performed the Roman salute, and several soldiers took him deep into the camp.

Deep in the tent, an incomparable cannon sat on the gun platform. The cannon was made of steel, and its long muzzle pointed directly to the northeast. It looked extremely ferocious. Below the gun platform was a greased iron wheel, and below the iron wheel was a section of hardwood track.

A gray-haired old man walked around the giant cannon in high spirits, directing the apprentices to survey the parameters. His leather apron was covered in oil, but his cloudy eyes were filled with unusual joy.

Isaac looked at the old man quietly, with a hint of remembrance and recollection in his eyes.

"Urbain, long time no see."

Isaac stepped forward, took off his cloak, and tied it around Urban.

"We are not young anymore. It is winter now and it is cold in the mountains. We need to be more careful."

Urban turned around, his eyes filled with emotion, and wrapped Isaac's cloak around him.

"Your Majesty, you are finally here."

"I can't help it. It has been raining for the past few days and I was busy taking care of the supplies."

Isaac waved his hand and stood next to Urban.

Long before the Battle of Constantinople broke out, Urban came to Constantinople to seek a job. Unlike the original history, Isaac kept him with a high salary and did not let him run away to the Ottoman Empire. He then let him preside over the casting of the Spartan cannon, formally establishing the first professional artillery of the Eastern Roman Empire.

More than 20 years have passed in the blink of an eye. This artillery expert from Hungary has entered the twilight of his life. In the past few decades, he first served as the chief gunsmith at the Constantinople Arsenal, and then retired to the second line due to age restrictions. He went to the Gallipoli Artillery Academy to teach students the principles of artillery structure. He has a happy family with both sons and daughters. His son Urban the Younger became a skilled gunsmith, and his daughter married a wealthy businessman in Constantinople.

However, Isaac knew very well that although Urban's life was happy, he was not happy. He always had an ideal. He wanted to use all his life's skills to forge an unparalleled cannon and let his name shine in the history books of future generations.

Due to material limitations, Isaac did not pursue powerful cannons as fanatically as Mehmed II for a long time. Instead, he chose the path of his father Murad II, pursuing mobility and disassembly, so that cannons were no longer limited to sieges and could be pulled onto field battlefields.

However, today, the Eastern Roman Empire, with its footprints spread across the world, has acquired advanced technology and rare materials from all over the world and has the ability to cast giant cannons.

Cast iron technology and coke technology came from East Asia, high-quality iron was purchased from India, fluorite used for iron smelting and high-quality saltpeter to enhance the power of gunpowder came from New Thrace, and the highest quality sulfur was a specialty of Sicily. With this series of material and technical support, a great plan began to be implemented.

The project was named by Isaac, Dick Tudor.

Dictator, an ancient Roman name, means a dictator who has the power of life and death.

As early as when the second batch of East India merchant ships returned, the "Dictaduo" project had been launched. Although Isaac had the Oriental blast furnace technology at that time, it still experienced many failures and the plan was once terminated.

It was not until last autumn that the first New Thracian merchant ship loaded with fluorite ore arrived at the port of Carthage. The ironworks in Constantinople began to try adding fluorite to the blast furnace and immediately discovered the benefits of doing so. Appropriate fluorite can act as a flux, which can greatly improve the flow rate of the slag, allowing the ironworks' production efficiency and product quality to improve by leaps and bounds. The finished products produced have fewer impurities, and some products smelted from high-quality iron ore are already close to steel.

This is one of the benefits of a colonial empire, which is to obtain technology and specialties from all over the world. In the whole of Europe, only Britain and Spain have large reserves of fluorite, and mining is quite difficult. But after acquiring South Africa and Mexico, 40% of the world's fluorite belonged to the Eastern Roman Empire.

After obtaining high-quality steel, the "Dick Tudor" project was restarted. Since steel has much better plasticity than iron, the first batch of steel gun barrels were quickly cast. Before the experiment was completely successful, Isaac's transfer order posed a problem for the plan's executors.

They had to rush to the Sicily military camp immediately. Isaac had prepared all kinds of raw materials, and their task was to cast the first "Dictato" cannon from scratch.

Just when they were worried, Urban, who learned the news, volunteered to lead some students from the Gallipoli Artillery Academy here to build furnaces and make molds on this high platform. He firmly carried out Isaac's orders with a fanatical attitude and fulfilled his own ideals.

All existing steel is shipped in packages by sea. The melting point of steel is about 1,500 degrees Celsius, and ordinary charcoal cannot provide such a high temperature. However, after acquiring coke technology, the high temperature of 2,300 degrees Celsius is enough to support the continued operation of the plan.

This giant cannon had extremely strong recoil. In order to solve this problem, Isaac wrote to the staff, asking them to try using tracks and rollers to carry the cannon, which would not only alleviate the recoil but also share the pressure.

Rail transportation was not invented by Isaac. As early as the ancient Greek and Egyptian periods, people had begun to use hardwood and stone to build tracks. The most famous are the stone tracks that cross the Isthmus of Corinth and the wooden tracks used to build pyramids. Until today, the ingenuity of our ancestors has finally found its place.

Isaac did not interfere too much in the construction of the track, but only put forward some of his own suggestions, such as the sleepers laid under the track, and the crushed stone and gravel under the sleepers.

Of course, this short track is still not the train track that is familiar to later generations. It is mainly made of hardwood and is not strong enough. Under the heavy pressure of the cannon, it is almost a disposable product.

Historically, the first groundbreaking track in Europe appeared in England and Germany in the 16th century, also using wood as the main material. Isaac only advanced it by a few decades.

"Your Majesty, it's almost finished. The materials and ideas you provided are very good. I am very satisfied with the construction."

Urban said cheerfully.

"Back then, when we were casting cannons, we had to find all the materials ourselves, which took a long time. But now, the iron smelting capitalists in your country have direct production capabilities. All we have to do is place an order for whatever we want. Give me another month, and I can cast two more identical cannons!"

"Haha, let's talk about it later."

Isaac smiled, took off his gloves, and stroked the cold barrel of the gun as if it were smooth silk.

"Your Majesty, there is still a lot of moisture in the sky. When it clears up, shall we fire a cannon?"

Urban suggested excitedly.

"These artillery boys have all learned the ballistics you wrote, and they know how to make the shells fly farther!"

In fact, there is nothing special about the ballistics textbooks written by the Isaacs. They are all the experience of experienced gunners rather than the precise calculations of mathematicians. They do not need to understand free fall and parabolas. They only need to try a few more times to clearly understand the basic laws of parabolas - due to air resistance, the shells fly farthest when fired at slightly less than forty-five degrees.

Of course, ballistics is a subject that has existed since ancient Greece. Its progress must rely on the progress of mathematics and physics. In the days to come, the existing textbooks will continue to be revised and updated.

"Okay, you guys carry out debugging and maintenance first, and when the weather gets better, immediately fire at the center of Palermo!"

"The hot oil used to maintain the barrel, the felt used to remove gunpowder residue, the safety measures for the gunner when firing... You are a professional, and I don't need to remind you of these things."

Isaac instructed.

"It's winter now, so the cooling time is even faster. You need to fire at least three times a day. Under the premise of ensuring that the barrel is intact, you must fire day and night. Go straight past their defense line and bomb the military camp in Palermo into ruins. This will scare them to death and force them to surrender!"

"Yes!"

Urban roared so loudly that his gray beard trembled.

The historical Urban cannon had a range of 1.6 kilometers. Isaac's "Dictato" cannon was built directly on a mountain platform and had the bonus of ballistics. Its range would be even longer and its falling power would be even greater. Although the falling shells were solid shells, the heat generated by friction would make their temperatures extremely high, enough to ignite wooden buildings around the landing point.

Isaac turned around and looked down at the city of Palermo below the mountain, with the corners of his mouth slightly raised.

War is mankind's best teacher. In Isaac's opinion, this statement is true. Through the "Dictato" plan, the Eastern Roman Empire's cannon foundry industry and ballistics not only got a valuable opportunity to learn and innovate, but the iron and steel industries could also make great progress in the process.

Most importantly, the reuse of the tracks may allow many mine owners to see some opportunities. There will definitely be profit-seeking people who will apply the track transportation model to the mining industry, just like the Germans and English decades later in the original time and space.

The widespread use of wooden tracks will naturally make people discover its drawbacks, and profit-seekers or dreamers will naturally seek ways to improve them. The accumulation of technology from generation to generation may seem long, but it is the only way to success.

Later, Isaac might also build the first public rail transit in the Eastern Roman Empire in the city of Constantinople, using the model of horse-drawn carts to better connect the increasingly larger areas and allow the citizens of the empire to experience the better life brought by technological progress.

After Isaac's reforms, the Eastern Roman Empire today is quite different from the Eastern Roman Empire hundreds of years ago. Many citizens, after having eaten their fill, find something to do in their spare time, such as giving speeches or writing articles. They believe that the imperial government has lost the traditions of their ancestors and has mixed too much of the Ottoman, Portuguese and Italian systems into its ruling philosophy. It should be based on small farming and free village communities, just as it was hundreds of years ago.

However, Isaac was very clear that what he wanted to take was not the traditional Eastern Roman road, nor the Ottoman road, the Portuguese road or the Italian road, but a broad road leading to modernization and industrialization. This road was destined to be full of thorns, but Isaac always believed that everything depends on human efforts.

Colonization, capital, industry, and technology, these four things complement each other and spiral upward, and will only push the chariot of the empire called Rome to rumble forward, break through all dark clouds and haze, break through all thorns and obstacles, and reach the pinnacle of world hegemony.

Just like the shells from the Dick Tudo cannon, with its indomitable and domineering spirit, it swept away all the remaining enemies in front of it.

On January 1476, 1, the haze covering Sicily temporarily dissipated, and the sky was clear and cloudless.

(End of this chapter)