1444, Byzantium Resurrects

Chapter 372 The Perfect King
Time flies, and the northern hemisphere has entered the end of May when flowers are in full bloom. The warm weather has brought vitality.

For the Eastern Roman Empire, this was a peaceful and stable period. The conflict in the Western Mediterranean, which had begun to emerge in 1472, finally ended, and the peaceful Mediterranean returned to its former tranquility.

During this dispute, the emperor's second grandson Carlos wore the crowns of Castile and Granada, the Eastern Roman Empire recovered Sicily which had been lost for hundreds of years, the two industrial and commercial powers of Florence and Venice on the Italian peninsula both declined, and the wealth accumulated by the Italians for three hundred years was rapidly flowing to Africa and both sides of the Aegean Sea.

The two emperors ended their long journey and were returning to their hometown with their soldiers, while the ocean-going merchants in the two territories were doing the opposite, setting sail to all parts of the world.

The city of La Coruña, Galicia region, Kingdom of Portugal, in the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula.

La Coruña is an emerging coastal city located in the northwest corner of the Iberian Peninsula. The Lighthouse of Hercules was built in ancient Roman times, but it only became a large settlement in the late Middle Ages, less than two hundred years ago.

Although the history of La Coruña is not long, due to its unique geographical location, the city quickly became an important transit port from the Iberian Peninsula to the English Channel and the North Sea, with many industries such as textiles, shipbuilding and metal smelting.

Before the Iberian conflict, due to the exploitation of the church and the nobility, a vigorous uprising broke out in the Galicia region, which had always been on the edge of the Castilian royal rule. Castile, which was frequently plagued by internal strife, had no ability to quell the rebellion.

In the original time and space, because Alfonso V was engaged to his illegitimate daughter Juana, Enrique IV used this as an excuse to ask Portugal to send troops. Alfonso may have thought that this place would be included in his joint rule sooner or later, so he agreed, disregarding the wishes of the people of Galicia and helping to quell the uprising.

However, under the temptation of Isaac, the Kingdom of Portugal did not end up with nothing as in the original time and space. Crown Prince João led his army into Galicia and held friendly negotiations with the local rebels. After a round of coercion, inducement and promise of autonomy, the Galicians accepted the rule of the Kingdom of Portugal.

After the dispute ended, the city of La Coruña had the power to enact some laws and organize the municipal council. The interests of the citizen class were protected. The people of La Coruña no longer owed allegiance to the feudal nobility or the Knights Templar, but only paid taxes to the king.

Later, Galicia became the fief of Portuguese Prince João. This talented young man moved in with his wife and son and ambitiously formulated development plans for Galicia.

Galicia has abundant rain and heat, and its land is relatively fertile. Its winding coastline provides excellent ports and a large number of sailors. Several nearby mountains provide timber for shipbuilding. In João's view, Galicia's development prospects are very good.

The most important thing is that, unlike mainland Portugal, Galicia has almost no connection with the domestic nobles, and each city has obtained the right to autonomy. It is a "virgin land" that is urgently waiting to be developed, and he can do what he wants.

Prince João granted a large number of rights to the urban class in coastal cities, encouraged them to develop industry and commerce, and, following the example of the Palaiologos family, opened a textile workshop at his own expense to lead social trends.

In addition, Prince João also funded the reconstruction of Santiago's Cathedral and the Pilgrim's Way. This move greatly increased the favorability of the city's citizens and the Catholic Church. Santiago's pilgrimage economy recovered and the number of pilgrims gradually increased.

Religious pilgrimage was the only type of tourism that could bring in huge profits before the 20th century. Back then, the Kingdom of Galicia relied on pilgrims who traveled from all over Western Europe to gradually develop its economy, reclaim wasteland, and increase its population.

Prince João's reign was still short, but his reputation had begun to spread in the big cities of Galicia. In this era, even if nothing was done, as long as the shackles on the middle class could be broken, the citizens would naturally rise to the heights in the face of the trend of the times.

In addition to the economy, João also used money from the New World and Africa to renovate the La Coruña shipyard and opened the country's third navigation school here, trying to build it into a new navigation base connecting the North Sea and the Atlantic Ocean.

In a manor villa outside the city of La Coruña, Crown Prince João of Portugal sat at the table, signing his name swiftly on each document while casually chatting with several middle-aged men next to him.

Judging from their attire, the middle-aged men were divided into two groups. The two standing on Joao’s left were obviously merchants from the north, while the one standing on Joao’s right was wearing traditional Eastern Roman clothing.

"Everyone, I'm really sorry, my time is too tight, so I can only meet with you together. Wait for me to finish signing these..."

João's quill pen rustled across the paper. Although his face looked tired, his eyes were filled with excitement.

"Oh, I forgot, you don't know each other yet?"

Joao raised his head and looked at the three people.

"Mr. Ilkay, Mr. Valdemar, please allow me to introduce you."

João nodded to the two northern merchants and looked at the man wearing traditional Eastern Roman costume.

"This is Lord Ulrich of the Fugger family, Minister of Commerce in Constantinople and Emperor Isaac's favorite reformer."

"Lord Ulrich was originally in charge of business affairs in Almeria. He came to me not long ago to discuss trade cooperation between our two countries."

Ilkai and Waldemar looked at Ulrich in surprise, and any slight dissatisfaction they had before was instantly swept away.

They knew that this man was from Constantinople, but they never expected that this ugly bald man was the recently famous Minister of Commerce Ulrich.

"Haha, I've heard about Lord Ulrich's talents a long time ago. It's really an honor to meet you here."

Ilkay and Valdemar smiled and bowed to Ulrich.

Ulrich nodded and bowed slightly to the others.

"Ulrich, these two are your compatriots. They are both Germans. Ilkay is from Lübeck, and Waldemar is from Bremen."

"They are all envoys from the Hanseatic League, and they are also here to discuss trade cooperation matters."

João signed the last document and stood up.

"Okay, everyone, please take a seat. I have the best desserts, cigars, and wine here."

In the reception room, several people sat down as host and guest. The maids brought cakes and wine and lit cigars for them.

"Ilkay, you guys have inspected the city of La Coruña. How do you feel about it?"

João looked at Ilkay from Lübeck.

"If you still feel dissatisfied, I can show you the minutes of the first meeting of the city council and the city report I asked someone to compile."

"A city of fifteen thousand people, on the edge of the ocean, with a free government, I think it meets your requirements."

"No need, Your Majesty."

Ilkay shook his head.

“We’ve seen what we wanted to see.”

"The city's geographical conditions and trade potential are good enough to become a trade transit point for the Kingdom of Portugal to connect to the North Sea."

"If you have no objection, we will establish the first Hanseatic trading post in La Coruña in two months. We hope that you will give us the trade privileges..."

"No, you know I'm not into this."

Joao shook his head.

"I don't want you to think of La Coruña as an unnecessary trade port. I will develop a series of manufacturing industries here, which will focus on exports rather than imports."

"I can grant Hanseatic merchants some trade privileges, and I can also allow you to build your own trading posts and establish a trade network, but the premise is,"

Joao's expression turned serious.

"I hope that La Coruña can become a member of the Hanseatic League and enjoy the same treatment as other Hanseatic cities."

"Your Majesty, the conditions for joining the Hanseatic League are not harsh, but we are a free and fair merchant alliance. Although Lübeck, Bremen, and Hamburg are veteran members, we do not have the power to vote alone. All members must discuss and vote."

Valdemar said.

"La Coruna can submit an application to join the alliance to Lübeck, but I have to tell you that this proposal is likely to be opposed by members such as London, Cologne, and Danzig."

"You said you wanted to develop La Coruña into a manufacturing base. You should know exactly whose money you are robbing."

"Nothing but the Dutch."

Joao shrugged.

"But haven't you been engaged in a commercial struggle with the Dutch for decades and issued a trade ban on them?"

"Yes, that's true."

Ilkay took over the conversation.

"However, the Hanseatic League is only a commercial alliance. London and Cologne will not stop their wool and woolen cloth trade with the Netherlands because of a trade ban, and Novgorod and Danzig will not drive away Dutch merchants engaged in grain and leather exchanges because of our request."

"If you really want to challenge the Dutch in textiles, shipbuilding, iron smelting and furniture manufacturing, we certainly welcome you to export your goods directly to us, bypassing the Dutch."

Ilkay said.

"But you have to be prepared to be attacked by Dutch pirates, and perhaps even bear the wrath of the English."

João's eyes flickered and he thought for a moment.

"As long as La Coruna can join the alliance, these issues will naturally be resolved. I just hope that you North German city-states can do your best to pass the proposal. This will be beneficial to you."

"How about this? I will send Mr. Gomez to accompany you to Lübeck to formally apply for membership on behalf of the city of La Coruna. I hope you can make a decision as soon as possible."

Ilkay and Valdemar bowed and left the room, but Fugger stayed behind at João's signal.

"See?"

João took a sip of his wine and smiled sarcastically.

"The Hanseatic people are always like this. Even though they have declined to a great extent, they still like to haggle over small matters and fight among themselves."

"Haha, Your Majesty, the Hanseatic League is just a trade alliance. The interests of each member city are different, and of course they will not put the future of the alliance first."

Ulrich smiled.

"Are you planning to use the power of the Hanseatic League to promote ocean commerce and squeeze out the Dutch's trade space?"

"What else can we do? The Mediterranean has never been a major interest of Portugal. When Venice and Genoa were still around, we couldn't squeeze in. Now that you have risen, our products are even less competitive."

Joao looked at Ulrich.

"Emperor Isaac once said that demand and supply promote each other. Now that Portugal has the soil to develop handicrafts, I must find more sales outlets for my country's products to stimulate production."

"I admit that Portugal's production capacity is not as good as that of the Eastern Empire, or even that of Italy."

“But compared to the backward countries in the North Sea and Baltic Sea, Portuguese products are still very good.”

"The biggest obstacle is the Dutch."

João stood up, took a map of Europe from the bookshelf behind him, and spread it out on the table.

"Sir Ulrich, do you know anything about the Hanseatic League and the Dutch city-states?"

"As the business secretary, I naturally have some understanding of this."

Ulrich nodded.

"My purpose in coming to the West this time, in addition to discussing the terms of commercial cooperation with you, is to conduct research on the industrial and commercial conditions in the Netherlands, England, and the Hanseatic League."

"Is that so? Perhaps Emperor Isaac's ideas coincide with mine."

The young prince was thoughtful.

"Tell me what you think of the Hanseatic League."

"Hanseatic League... Ever since Duke Henry the Lion of Saxony sponsored the development of northern Germany, the trading cities on the northern coast of Germany have gradually prospered. Lübeck, Rostock, Stralsund... these emerging cities on the Baltic Sea quickly caught up with the old trading cities of Hamburg and Bremen."

"The two forces gradually improved their trade routes through competition and cooperation. They connected the North Sea where Hamburg and Bremen are located with the Baltic Sea where Lübeck and Rostock are located."

Ulrich said slowly.

"Since navigation technology was not well developed at the time and pirates were rampant, trade fleets had to rely on a series of offshore ports. Merchants in these port cities began to seek alliances, unify tariffs, eliminate trade barriers, and form a joint fleet to share costs and reduce risks. This was the prototype of the Hanseatic League."

"In the following hundred years, the trading cities in northern Germany continued to develop and gradually prospered, with more and more cities joining in." "In 1367, the Hanseatic League was formally established, with a leadership organization headed by the city of Lübeck. A meeting was held every three years to discuss various matters including trade, diplomacy and military affairs, but whether to come or not was entirely up to the members' own ideas."

Although João sounded a little impatient, Ulrich slowly explained the development history of the Hanseatic League while observing João's expression.

"Then, the Hanseatic League defeated the Kingdom of Denmark in 1370 and completely monopolized the Baltic trade. If the Danish king wanted to ascend the throne, he even had to obtain the approval of the Hanseatic League."

"Then came the golden age of the Hanseatic League. At its peak, there were more than 160 members, covering multiple countries and no longer limited to the Holy Roman Empire. For example, Visby of the Gotland Peasant Autonomous Region, Danzig and Königsberg of the Teutonic Knights, Krakow of the Poles, Pskov of the Russians, and Stockholm of the Swedes."

"It is worth mentioning that the Hanseatic League has large trading posts in some important cities. Although these cities have not joined the Hanseatic League, local merchants still have a certain say within the league and can be regarded as subordinate members, such as London in the Kingdom of England and Novgorod in Russia."

As Ulrich spoke, João circled the major cities of the Hanseatic League on the map.

"The Hanseatic League does not care about beliefs or which monarch you pledge allegiance to. They only require you to abide by the Hanseatic business philosophy, allow free trade, and eliminate tariff barriers."

Ulrich continued.

"However, the Hanseatic League's trade ideas were actually very common. They simply took advantage of the differences in production capacity between different regions. Roughly speaking, they mainly transported grain, furs, timber and minerals from the Baltic Sea to the North Sea, and transported clothes, furniture, ironware and various handicraft products from the North Sea to the Baltic Sea, earning the difference in price."

“Simple, but effective.”

Joao nodded.

"No, I have discussed with Emperor Isaac several mainstream trade ideas in the world today. His Majesty does not like the Hanseatic League model very much and used a very appropriate phrase to describe them."

Ulrich thought about it.

"The Hanseatic League does not produce wealth, they are just the carriers of wealth."

"Your Majesty said that in several major cities where the Hanseatic League is located, the big merchants have made a lot of money through transit trade, but the local handicraft industry has hardly developed at all. They are used to looking for the cheapest raw materials and the best handicrafts, but are always unwilling to produce them themselves."

"Under this model, ordinary citizens in Lübeck, Bremen and Hamburg have not benefited much, and the gap between the rich and the poor is extremely serious."

"Compared to the Hanseatic model, the emperor prefers the Florentine model, where finance, agriculture, animal husbandry, handicrafts, commerce...industries are complete and orderly, and culture, science, art, social welfare...the entire city is thriving, and the fruits of economic development can be popularized to all citizens to the greatest extent possible."

Ulrich paused.

"Of course, His Majesty also said that the Hanseatic League has made great contributions. It has connected cities of different beliefs, different nationalities, and loyalties to different monarchs, and has connected the production areas of raw materials with the manufacturing bases, objectively promoting the improvement of productivity."

Ulrich spread his hands in amusement.

"However, this promotion does not refer to themselves, but to the Dutch and French who have always provided high-end handicrafts to the Hanseatic League."

"Later, some insightful people discovered these problems, but after all, it was difficult to reverse the situation. After entering the 15th century, the Hanseatic League became worse and worse and became what it is today."

João knew exactly what happened next, and Ulrich didn't say much.

Since the 15th century, the once prosperous Hanseatic League has suffered severe blows, and the torrent of the times has turned into huge rocks pressing down on them.

The first is the progress in the shipping industry. Technological breakthroughs in the compass and sails mean that sailing ships no longer need to sail along the coast all the time, and their dependence on Hanseatic ports has become increasingly less. Dutch merchant ships can bypass Hanseatic cities and reach Prussia and Novgorod directly, eliminating the interference of middlemen.

The second is the change in the ruling model. Since the 15th century, except for the Holy Roman Empire, most Christian countries have embarked on their own path of centralization. Monarchs no longer hide in castles, and their desire to control big cities becomes stronger and stronger. The trade privileges granted to them are getting fewer and fewer. Under the influence of mercantilism, many countries imposed heavy taxes on foreign goods and engaged in "trade protection". The Hanseatic merchants went from being the "guests of honor" of the monarchs to being "thorns in the flesh".

The third is geopolitics. The Duke of Burgundy unified most of the Netherlands and abolished many Hanseatic trading posts there. The Dutch industrial and commercial consortium developed rapidly and was squeezing out the status of Hanseatic merchants. The Teutonic Knights were completely defeated by the Kingdom of Poland, and the Hanseatic League lost its most important ally in the Baltic Sea. The conflict between Denmark and Sweden intensified, and the North Sea and the Baltic Sea were no longer peaceful. The Grand Duchy of Moscow declared war on the Novgorod Republic, and the city of Novgorod was in danger...

Finally, there are the problems of the Hanseatic League itself. The loose confederation system laid the groundwork for its demise as early as its inception. There were often conflicts of interest between cities. When faced with the above difficulties, they could only blame each other and fight against each other, and could not unite at all.

"So why do you want La Coruña to join the Hanseatic League?"

Ulrich asked in confusion.

"Their decline is inevitable. We can just cooperate with them, but we don't have to join them."

"No, I have my reasons for doing this, and your emperor has his reasons for sending you to investigate the Netherlands and the Hanseatic League."

João pulled out a report and handed it to Ulrich.

"This is the data I collected about the development of the Netherlands' handicraft industry. Since the end of the Hundred Years' War, the wool imports of the Burgundian Netherlands have increased sixfold, the woolen exports have increased eightfold, and the number of textile workshops has tripled."

"In addition, the Netherlands has also made great progress in shipbuilding, iron smelting and other industries. As far as I know, some shipbuilders have designed Dutch galleons and learned blast furnace iron smelting technology from the East from Constantinople."

"Also, the population growth has led to a shortage of heating materials. The Dutch did not use the coal commonly used in the Eastern Empire. Instead, they used the peat in the swamps, turning waste into treasure."

Joao looked solemn.

"This shows two things. First, their population is growing very fast, not only because of the high fertility rate, but also because they are attracting a large number of Germans."

"Second, due to the loose political organization and great power of merchants and citizens, the Dutch are very fast in absorbing advanced technology, and most of it comes from spontaneous people, which is quite different from the deliberate learning model of France."

"If we allow the Dutch to develop, they will not only monopolize the trade in the North Sea and the Baltic Sea, but will also start ocean exploration for a wider market and more abundant raw materials. By then, Portugal will probably become a raw material transit trader, which is not what I want."

João stood up and looked at the blue sky outside the window.

"Times have changed. The decline of the Hanseatic League and the rise of the Netherlands are the best proof of this. Portugal's industrial and commercial system must also undergo profound reforms. What we want to export are high-end handicrafts, not simple grain and wool."

Ulrich closed the file and looked at João.

"You still haven't answered my question. There is no direct connection between developing handicrafts and joining the Hanseatic League."

“Haha, that’s the connection.”

Joao smiled.

"In my opinion, the Hanseatic League's 'free trade' concept is an opportunity for Portugal. If La Coruña can join the Hanseatic League, we will have the opportunity to obtain abundant raw materials and a broad trade market. Whether it is Lübeck, Bremen or Hamburg, their handicraft industries are not developed and will not compete with Portugal."

"As for the price difference, Portugal is not the Netherlands anyway, and it does not have the ability to connect directly to the Baltic Sea for the time being, so let the Hanseatic people make the money."

"So you want to replace the Dutch."

Ulrich understood.

“I’m afraid this will be greatly hindered.”

"Yes, that's the problem, but there is a solution. At least compared to a few years ago, I have obtained Galicia and an important port leading to the north."

The corners of Joao's mouth curled up slightly.

"The Dutch are not without weaknesses. They also have many states, mostly small and medium-sized chambers of commerce. Large monopoly industrial and commercial families like yours have not yet appeared."

"Through the combined fleet, pirates can be cracked down on, shipping routes can be opened up, and wool can be purchased from England and Castile at high prices through capital means, and the resulting textiles can be sold to the Hanseatic League at low prices. Although there will be a temporary loss, many small and medium-sized merchants in the Netherlands can be squeezed out."

"I've studied it. This is the most common tactic used by merchants from the Eastern Empire. It was this method that squeezed Venetian merchants out of Egypt and the Levant."

"The death of Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, will undoubtedly bring opportunities to the merchants of the Netherlands. They have begun to unite to put pressure on Mary and demand autonomous privileges. We must act as soon as possible."

"Then I wish you success."

Ulrich said no more and prepared to leave, taking with him several reports provided by João.

João was slightly stunned when he saw Ulrich leave so abruptly, and shook his head.

After a while, João's wife Donna came over, holding the couple's son, Alfonso, who was just one year old.

"he's gone?"

Donna asked.

"Um,"

João walked over and touched his son's head.

"Ulrich, a genius who pretends to be confused."

"I'm afraid he already knew what I meant, but he just wouldn't say it."

"After all, he is the Minister of Commerce favored by Emperor Isaac. He is definitely not as kind as he appears."

Donna said with some regret.

“Without the capital support of Constantinople, is it true that your plan cannot be realized?”

"Alas, the nobles in the country are in power and the capital is weak. I don't want to blame all these things on my father, but I have to say that he did a poor job in handling some things."

Joao sighed.

"The English Channel, the North Sea, the Baltic Sea, and a huge market of nearly 20 million people, how could we possibly take over? Without the support of Emperor Isaac, we would not be a match for the Dutch."

"You are speaking more and more like a 'capitalist' from Constantinople."

Donna smiled.

"A lot of the technical terms you learned from the business textbooks of the Eastern Empire, right?"

"It is always good to read more books. Knowledge is the source of wealth."

Joao pursed his lips and clenched his fists.

"Portugal is my homeland. We are located on the edge of Europe, but we also have great ambitions!"

"My plan will not fail. The Eastern Empire will support me. Ulrich has listened carefully for so long and even took my report. He will definitely give Emperor Isaac an answer that will satisfy both of us!"

"Well, I always believe in you, my dear Joao."

Donna nodded and stared into João's eyes which seemed to be burning with fire.

João didn't answer, but leaned over and kissed little Alfonso's forehead.

"I heard Queen Isabella is pregnant. If it's a girl, I'll ask for a hand in marriage for little Alfonso!"

……

It was already night. In an upscale hotel in La Coruña, Ulrich lit a whale oil lamp, put on gold-rimmed glasses, and read the documents on the table while spreading out paper and pen and opening the ink bottle.

Among these documents, some were obtained from Crown Prince João during today's meeting, and some came from Hermes, who was in charge of business in the intelligence department of the Eastern Roman Empire.

Ulrich dipped his pen in ink and pondered the topic.

"Supporting Portugal, reviving the Hanseatic League, and suppressing the Netherlands - A brief account of the development of industry and commerce in Portugal, England, the Netherlands, and the Hanseatic League, as well as the necessary arrangements for the Eastern Roman Empire."

Perhaps thinking it was too long, Ulrich shook his head and deleted the title.

After thinking for a while, he wrote a few big words right above it.

The Fugger Plan.

(End of this chapter)