1444, Byzantium Resurrects

Chapter 381 Golden Guard
Carlosburg is a mining city built on the banks of a hilly river. Although it is a city, it still cannot be compared with several large cities in the Eastern Roman Empire. Even if the villagers in the affiliated villages and towns and the Saracen slaves in the nearby mines are counted, the population is only about 8,000.

Carlosburg is divided into two cities, the inner and outer cities. The inner city is a stone castle located on the top of a low hill. The city defense fortifications were contracted and built by the Golden Horn Construction Group. It is a typical Eastern Roman bastion. Some fortresses use concrete structures. Military stations, armories, artillery positions, crossbows and small catapults are set up on the walls of the castle. The open space around the castle has been specially dug into slopes, which can greatly increase the hit rate of muskets and artillery. It can be said that it is armed to the teeth.

The outer city is the residential area, warehouse area and market area. There is also a small port on the river bank. For the time being, there is only a wooden fence as a defensive fortification. The houses are mainly made of wood and mud. If foreign enemies invade, the residents of the outer city will tear down the houses and hide in the inner city.

The Kalimius River that runs through the city provides Carlosburg with irrigation and shipping benefits. The city's main economic model also revolves around agriculture, animal husbandry and mining. The Cossacks built many wooden forts and villages around Carlosburg, mainly planting grain crops such as wheat, rye, potatoes and sweet potatoes, and raising large livestock such as horses, cattle and sheep to provide daily necessities for the city and mining area.

Compared to the self-sufficient agriculture and animal husbandry, the mining industry is the mainstay of Carlosburg. A large amount of high-quality coal is mined from various mining areas, transported to the south through rivers in spring and summer, and loaded onto larger ships in Victoria Harbor.

Due to its close distance and the advantage of shipping, Port Victoria became the first beneficiary in the Donbass mining area. The coal price here is only slightly higher than that of Carlosberg, three-quarters of that of Constantine on the Don and half of that of Constantinople. The high-quality iron ore near Port Victoria undoubtedly made the coal more useful. The first large-scale iron smelting workshop in the Cossack Kingdom was located here, and the supporting workshop area could also produce some agricultural and animal husbandry equipment and simple weapons.

Compared to the more prosperous and peaceful Victoria Harbor, Carlosburg seems much more gloomy and indifferent. The dawn of civilization of the Eastern Roman Empire has not yet shone on this mining town. The large amount of labor required for the mining industry has made Carlosburg a vortex that swallows up lives. Justinian's great development of Donbass did not take the Saracens into consideration at all, and used human lives to pile up more and more mines and higher and higher coal production.

Here, a large number of Saracen slaves are transported to the mines every month, and a large number of corpses are hastily buried in mass graves near the mines every month. Water seepage, lack of oxygen, collapse, disease... Under the prosperous empire that shines brightly, there is an unknown darkness hidden.

Every mine is a monster that devours lives, using people's blood and sweat to lubricate the gears of the machine.

At this point in time, the Eastern Roman Empire was originally a coal-poor country. If it was allowed to develop naturally, energy prices in big cities would remain high, which would not provide the soil for the Industrial Revolution at all. It had to "be the early bird".

In this context, there is actually very little Isaac can do. He can only try his best to avoid letting the huge rock called "price" fall on his compatriots.

On March 3, the Cossack King Justinian came to Carlosburg and met the Grand Hetman Timur Tash who was waiting there. He learned some information from him and told him his three plans truthfully.

First, continue to develop the mining industry, mainly focusing on coal. The Eastern Roman Minister of Mines Gustavo and several envoys brought by Justinian will formulate development policies and introduce advanced technologies based on the specific conditions of the Donbass coalfield.

Justinian did not care about the plight of the Saracen slaves, nor did he make much of an issue of assimilation. Under such high-intensity and harsh labor, ordinary people could not survive for more than a few years and were basically cheap commodities that were thrown away after use.

What he cared about was still coal production. In addition to promising to negotiate with the Gattilusio family to continue to introduce more Saracen slaves, he also asked Gustavo and personnel from the mining department to apply the advanced mining technology in the Eastern Roman Empire to the Donbass coalfield. From Archimedes pumps to black powder and simple explosives, all were included in the terms of technology introduction.

Second, vigorously develop horse management. Justinian believed that since the Cossacks were a nation of horsemen, they naturally needed high-quality horses. They must be bred as early as possible and could no longer be left to their own devices. Bloodline registration and selection at all levels were necessary.

Justinian planned to set up three horse farms in the Cossack Kingdom, namely Zaporizhia Horse Farm, Don Horse Farm and Kuban Horse Farm, corresponding to the three Cossack tribes one by one. At the same time, he allowed horse breeding families within the empire to come and enclose land to raise horses and pay taxes.

During wartime, bred war horses showed overwhelming advantages over unbred native horses. The braver and more majestic horses were not only more adaptable to the sounds of gunfire, but also outsmarted the opponent's horses in momentum and even scared the opponent's mounts so much that they could not run.

There are real records of this happening in history.

Third, Justinian asked Timur Tash to prepare for war and use the money earned from selling coal to once again update the weapons and equipment of the Cossack Corps.

During the years when Justinian was away, Timur Tash ensured the stability of the Cossack Kingdom, restrained local conflicts among the Cossacks, and mediated the contradictions between the Cossack tribes and the Eastern Roman capitalists, allowing them to extend their exploitative hands to the Saracens. He also provided all possible assistance to the Donbas development plan, and his contribution was very great.

He may not have much talent in military affairs, but he has some skills in governance and maintaining stability. In recognition of his contribution, Justinian transferred 5% of the shares of the Donbass Mining Company to him and allowed his family to build a new city in the northeast of Carlosburg.

However, the Cossack Kingdom expanded too quickly. A large amount of new land had not yet been marked by Justinian, and a large number of new immigrants had never seen this legendary king. It was impossible for Timur Tash to sort out everything, and various problems naturally existed.

Time passed quickly, and the Hetmans and Akmans of the three major Cossack tribes gradually arrived at Carlosburg, bringing with them many young and brave men from their own settlements. The Kalimius River also gradually thawed, and ships from Victoria Port brought here all kinds of supplies prepared by Justinian, and a grand banquet was held in Carlosburg.

Contrary to what the Cossacks thought, the king did not make any arrangements for military and political affairs, nor did he put some of the unruly Ackerman on trial as expected. Instead, he directly dragged them to the palace and held banquets one after another.

The ice and snow outside the city gradually disappeared, and Justinian ordered the construction of temporary hippodrome and trial grounds for the Cossacks to compete in martial arts.

In the stands of the stadium, Justinian sat at the head, and on his left and right sat the two highest officials of the Cossack Kingdom, Grand Hetman Timur Tash and Archbishop Gudzhak.

After the previous archbishop died of illness, the Patriarch of Constantinople sent a Russian priest, Gudzhak, as the new archbishop to the Cossack Kingdom. He was very satisfied with the "theocracy" model implemented by Justinian in the Cossack Kingdom. He traveled around the grasslands to spread Orthodoxy. At the same time, he also required Cossacks with multiple children to dedicate one of their children to God, and either send them to manage the numerous church properties, or recruit them into the ascetic corps to fight to defend their faith.

With Justinian's tacit approval, Gudzhak and Timur Tash vigorously promoted the theories of "personality worship" and "divine right of kings" in the Cossack Kingdom, believing that Justinian was undoubtedly the bravest and freest First Cossack, and that he and his descendants were authorized by God to become kings of the Cossacks for generations and lead them to conquer the world.

This was the method that Timur Tash decided to promote after racking his brains for many years. The Cossacks loved freedom and were not subject to regulation. They actually had some inexplicable hostility towards the monarchs and nobles. The only thing that could restrain them was their fanatical and ignorant beliefs. There was really no other way.

The most crucial thing is that due to the insufficient population of the Eastern Roman Empire, there are too many places that need to be filled, and this wild grassland really has to rely on these barbaric but loyal Cossack heroes.

Next to the archbishop was the senior clergyman, and next to Timur-Tash was the Hetman of the Don Cossacks, Brahman, also an old follower of Justinian.

Among the three major Cossack tribes, the Kuban Cossacks have the longest history, the Don Cossacks have developed rapidly, and the Zaporizhia Cossacks have always been lukewarm. Since Zaporizhia is close to Poland and Lithuania, there are many new Cossacks, and it is also the most disobedient place. Some little Cossacks will even flirt with the Lithuanians.

When they were still fugitive slaves, the noble lords of Poland and Lithuania were of course mortal enemies, but the situation would change after they came to power.

For the Cossacks, a group of escaped slaves, they naturally hated the Polish and Lithuanian nobles, but for the senior Cossacks, everything could be exchanged for benefits.

"Where is the Hetman of Zaporizhia? Has he not come yet?"

Justinian whispered to Timur Tash.

"Logically, he should have arrived a long time ago."

"The news came this morning that he died of illness."

Timur Tash said simply.

"The position of Hetman in Zaporizhia changes frequently. During the years when you were away, several were replaced. They were not very obedient and were not willing to allow the church to expand there. Some Cossacks would ignore our ban and serve as mercenaries for the Lithuanian lords."

"The report I gave you has already recorded the detailed analysis of the situation in Zaporizhia. Some Ackerman who secretly colluded with the Lithuanians have been targeted by us."

"Well, I've read the report. Your work is very good."

Justinian nodded, his eyes flickering as he looked at the bustling racecourse.

Among the three major Cossacks, the Kuban Cossacks were Justinian's old subordinates, ruled by the Grand Hetman, and had the highest loyalty. The Don Cossacks also made a fortune from the development of Donbass and loved Justinian very much. The Zaporizhia Cossacks were far inferior.

"Haha, although the Zaporizhia Cossacks are somewhat rebellious, from what I've seen on the visiting list, most of the Ackermans are here, and many of them are bringing their children with them."

Justinian's lips curled up into a smile.

"It seems that they still don't dare to rebel openly."

"Your Majesty, don't worry. There are also some Cossack Akmans in the Zaporizhia region who moved there from the Don River and Kuban. These people are your staunch supporters."

Timur Tash whispered.

"The Zaporizhia Cossacks were the poorest and the worst equipped, and they didn't have the guts to rebel."

"Very good. Although I, Justinian, have no talent in government affairs, I have always had a good vision."

Justinian poured a glass of wine for Timur Tash, who did not refuse and drank it all.

"Since we are going to fight a war, these things must be dealt with clearly. Let's wait and see."

"Do you need me to notify the foreign legion stationed outside the city?"

Timur Tash asked.

"No, they are just here for training and will become an important force in defending the mining area in the future. But unless it is absolutely necessary, I will never use the power of the Eastern Empire to consolidate my rule. The Cossacks hate this the most."

Justinian shook his head and looked at the arena.

The competition was entering a white-hot stage. The Cossacks were racing horses, wrestling, and fighting with swords, not caring about the still cold weather.

"By the way, after I finish dealing with these things, I have to go to Circassia. They haven't seen me for a long time."

Justinian said.

"I was planning to send the Circassian army to the Iberian battlefield, but they didn't seem to adapt to the dry and hot environment, so I let them go after defeating Granada."

Timur Tash nodded and thought for a moment.

"Is it because of the Holy King's matter?"

"Holy King? You mean Alexios?"

Justinian was stunned for a moment, then he grinned.

"What a nice nickname, tsk tsk ..."

"Alexios is such a troublesome guy, I don't want to say more. Father is ready to help him defeat the local nobles in Georgia, and the first batch of troops has arrived in Trebizond."

"Then the Circassians will certainly have to make some moves as well."

Timur Tash also smiled and shook his head and said nothing more.

Ever since Alexios led the Knights of St. Andrew to launch a war against the princes of Georgia, the situation in Georgia has been full of twists and turns. Alexios relied on his excellent reputation and theological retro ideas of "Christian Commune" to gain the support of the grassroots Orthodox Christians. Along the way, he liberated serfs, tried cruel nobles and illegal priests, and the number of knights expanded rapidly. The city of Tbilisi could not hold out for long under the bombardment of artillery.

However, just as Alexios was preparing to be crowned king and continue his westward march, the long-dormant Aries King Uzonkhasan suddenly led his army northward to plunder the country, hoping to resolve the increasingly serious threat of the Knights in the north of the country while he was still alive.

Almost at the same time, King Shirvan and the Safavid Order quickly joined the offensive. For a while, the Georgian border was filled with smoke.

After hesitating for a moment, Alexios rejected the advice of his wife and senior knights and did not take the crown immediately. Instead, he decided to stop the civil war, unite against foreign enemies, and call on Orthodox Christians to unite against the invasion of Muslim extremists.

Thus, a long border war began. Alexius led the Knights of St. Andrew and the communal militia to put out fires everywhere, and even ran for three days just to rescue a critical fortress in the Lesser Caucasus Mountains, even though the lord of this fortress had always been Alexius's most staunch opponent.

Since the Eastern Roman Empire had been busy with western affairs, Alexios did not receive much support from the Eastern Roman Empire. He relied almost entirely on his personal charm and devout faith to unite the fragmented Georgian coalition step by step. The lower-class people regarded him as a savior sent by God, and some noble lords who had once opposed him were also influenced and were willing to make him their king and lead Georgia to revival.

Alexius was not against the nobility. On the contrary, he believed that the existence of the nobility was God's will. However, he always hated those land nobles who were greedy for life and afraid of death and extravagant. He advocated weakening the nobility's absolute control over the people. He believed that treating the people well was the highest morality of the nobility, and charging forward was the highest responsibility given to the nobility by God. If they failed to do these, God would naturally punish them.

Of course, although Alexios' personal martial power was the strongest among the descendants of Palaiologos, his military talent was only average. He could not achieve as impressive a record as Belisarius or Gonzalo. Even when he had superior weapons and morale, he was still controlled by others on many battlefields. On several occasions, he almost lost his life because of Uzum Hassan's tricks.

However, despite losing many border castles, Alexios was able to stabilize the situation and prevented Uzungar Hasan from conquering most of Georgia as easily as in the original history, which continued to erode the morale of the Aries people.

Compared with the original time and space, the Aq Qoyunlu Dynasty was weaker at this time. The loss of the central elite made Uzung Hassan no longer have such strong control over the subordinate tribes. The massive betrayal of his eldest son Ugulu also exhausted him. If the Safavid Order had not successfully linked up a group of local forces that advocated war against the Knights, he would not have wanted to do it at all.

This border war was equally difficult for the Aq Qoyunlu.

After nearly two years of intermittent and arduous fighting, things finally took a turn for the better. At the end of 1476, the Aries people suddenly retreated like a tide, and even destroyed all the castles they had occupied, and it seemed that they had no intention of staying there.

However, this was not because the Eastern Roman Empire withdrew its troops, but because there was a problem with the Aries themselves - Uzum Hasan was seriously ill.

For a while, the eyes of the entire Aries Dynasty were firmly fixed on the old king. The domestic situation was turbulent, and various forces were fighting for supremacy. No one was willing to fight to the death with the united Knights.

Although Alexios could not be said to have won a great victory in this war, he successfully established a network of loyalty centered on the Knights Templar. From the common people to the brave men and some ambitious small nobles, everyone praised Alexios's good name and called him "Holy King" Alexios.

After the border war, Alexios returned to Tbilisi and decided to continue eliminating local princes who oppressed the people. Only when the country was at peace would he wear the supreme crown of the country of mountains.

Although Justinian did not like the way his brother handled things, he generally admired him. If it were him, he would not do anything like "punishing the criminals to punish the people", but would choose to compromise with the great nobles, get the crown first, then slowly accumulate his own strength, and use various diplomatic conspiracies and military intimidation to force the great nobles into a desperate situation step by step, and finally realize his absolute authority.

However, Justinian was also very satisfied with Alexios because he never participated in the fight for the throne and honestly obeyed the orders of his grandfather Constantine XI, thus avoiding the common fratricide in the Eastern Roman royal family.

Shaking his head, suppressing his thoughts, Justinian focused his attention back on the arena.

The competition was over, the winners cheered, and the losers lay on the side panting with laughter, vowing to win back the next competition. This was the lovable side of the Cossacks, even though they were barbaric and cruel, but generous and enthusiastic. As long as you could gain their loyalty and friendship, it would be a lifelong thing.

Justinian stood up and walked to the center of the arena with several Hetmans.

Following his instructions, the referees had arranged the top fifty Cossacks in the competition into several columns according to their ranking, with the top three standing at the front.

Justinian looked around at his warriors, many of whom he was very familiar with, as they were all sons of Hetman and Ackerman.

There is no way around it. These Russian escaped slaves have only been living a good life for less than a generation. Most of the Cossacks fled here after suffering hardships in their hometowns. Many of them grew up in an environment of long-term malnutrition when they were young, let alone training in martial arts. The children of high-ranking officials from well-off families already have a very obvious first-mover advantage in height, weight and martial arts training.

Justinian continued to watch and stopped with some joy when he discovered that the top-ranked warrior was not the son of a high-ranking official.

"Child, what is your name? Where are you from? Who are your parents?"

Justinian asked gently in Rus' language.

"Your Majesty, my name is Shilko. I come from the village of Koryev in Zaporizhia. I have no parents and am an orphan."

Hilco responded loudly and cheerfully.

"But since everyone says you are the 'little father' of the Cossacks, I suppose I am not an orphan."

"Besides, the Cossacks are a collective, and we are all brothers."

"Well said! Haha!"

Justinian laughed and punched Hilco's chest hard.

"Very good, you are a good boy, I will reward you!"

Justinian waved his hand, and a group of servants brought fifty horses and several large wooden boxes, which were filled with fine scimitars.

This horse is golden in color, with beautiful muscle lines, and looks very strong.

The scimitar was carved with alum, showing a dark gold color. There was a terrifying blood groove on the blade, and the handle was engraved with a double-headed eagle emblem and flame pattern, which was the symbol of the Cossack Kingdom.

Seeing that everyone's eyes were fixed on the golden horse, Justinian smiled and spoke.

"This is a military warhorse specially customized for the Cossacks at Larissa Horse Farm. The project was launched fifteen years ago, and my father personally formulated the breeding process. It has the bloodlines of Mongolian horses, Turkmen horses, and Arabian horses. It is hardworking, brave and fearless. This is all we have for now!"

Justinian said loudly.

"My father named it the 'Don Horse', believing that it was a warhorse that belonged exclusively to the Cossacks, and that it could only exert its strongest combat power in the hands of the Cossacks!"

The Don Horse, a world-renowned horse breed, is golden in color and is the representative horse of the Cossack cavalry in the original time and space. It has strong adaptability and was one of the first war horses bred at the Larissa Stables at the request of Isaac.

Compared with those carefully selected racehorses, the early Don horses in the original time and space were actually formed gradually through natural hybridization, and only later did they begin to be bred in an organized manner.

Of course, due to the short breeding time, Isaac's "Don Horses" are just called this name, and their genetic traits have not yet been fully stabilized, so the Cossacks still need to carry out long-term independent breeding.

"In the future, I will build more horse farms in the three major Cossack tribes, and breed Don horses according to the instructions given by my father, so that the Cossack cavalry in every household can ride the most majestic war horses to the battlefield!"

Justinian continued.

"And these scimitars are also excellent weapons from the Constantinople Arsenal. I named them "Cossack Swords" and they were designed with the habits and combat methods of the Cossack cavalry in mind."

"And now, I will give all these fine horses and swords to the bravest warriors, and besides that -"

Justinian clapped his hands, and his attendants brought up the tallest Don horse, which was Justinian's own mount.

"This horse is a gift from my father. It is the most powerful Don horse of this generation. I named it 'King of the Don'."

Justinian stroked the horse and handed the reins to Silco.

"Kid, you're number one, this is yours."

While Shilko was stunned, Justinian took off the gold-plated Cossack scimitar from his waist and hung it around Shilko's waist along with the scabbard.

"This is yours too."

The judges distributed the Don horses and Cossacks to the top fifty warriors one after another, while Shilko was at a loss holding the reins.

"Your Majesty, you have given us the best horses and the best swords, so what should you do?"

Hilco asked, and the other warriors looked over.

"A warhorse has a price, a sword has a price, but a warrior is priceless."

Justinian said calmly.

"From now on, you will become my strongest warhorse and sharpest scimitar."

"I will swear my loyalty till death!"

Hilco's blood boiled and he knelt down heavily, and the other warriors also knelt down.

"I swear in the name of God that I will be forever loyal to His Majesty and his descendants, from now until eternity!"

“From Now and Forever!”

The warriors roared in unison and beat their chests.

Justinian helped Silco up and nodded slightly.

The competition ended quickly. The warriors who got the horses and swords talked excitedly, while the others looked envious.

Justinian and Timur Tash walked side by side on the road back to the castle, their eyes looking deep.

"Your Majesty, you really know the Cossacks very well. This is a great gift."

Timur Tash laughed.

"Before the game started, my son kept clamoring to come, but he was too young, so I didn't agree."

"I'm afraid he's starting to complain about me again now."

"Haha, your son will get more than just these in the future. Maybe he will be my second Great Hetman?"

Justinian smiled.

"You have to teach him all your skills!"

"This... Your Majesty, the Grand Hetman is elected, how can it be hereditary..."

Although Timur Tash was very surprised, he still declined politely.

"Maybe, but of course it's still the election."

Justinian said noncommittally, looking at his old subordinate who had been with him for more than ten years.

"But I will leave my vote for you."

Timur Tash could no longer suppress the smile on his face and pounded his chest heavily.

"Don't worry, as long as your direct descendants are still around, our family will never be loyal to any monarch other than him!"

Justinian nodded, his expression gradually became serious, and he looked at the crowd who were reveling.

"These small favors are definitely not enough. Go and gather the nearby Cossacks who are absolutely loyal to me."

"Enough of banquets and martial arts competitions. It's time to get down to business."

"Tomorrow morning, seal off the entire city and notify all Hetman and Ackerman to come to the castle for a meeting. Anyone who disobeys this order will be executed."

Justinian said this indifferently, asked for a horse, and galloped back to the palace.

……

On March 1477, 3, Justinian convened a high-level meeting of Cossack officials in Carlosburg. He first announced his administrative arrangements and military plans, and rewarded the Cossack officials who had been loyal to their duties in the past few years. Everyone was very happy, and the initial doubts disappeared.

Then, Justinian changed the subject and asked Timur Tash to read out a series of trial lists, convicting them of treason for disregarding the laws of the kingdom, disregarding the privileges of the church, disregarding the free will of the majority of the lower-class Cossacks, colluding with foreign enemies, flirting with the Poles and Lithuanians, and obstructing the mining of the Donbass coalfield. Nearly one-third of the traitors with serious circumstances were executed along with their entire families, and the rest were allowed to make meritorious contributions while serving their sentences.

In addition, Justinian also asked each ackerman to "voluntarily" send his heirs to him to form a "Young Cossack", and would provide these people with the best equipment, the best horses and the most opportunities for growth.

After obtaining huge profits from the Donbass coalfields, Justinian had enough capital to train a standing army for the Cossack Kingdom, and he did so.

Afterwards, Justinian continued to expand the size of the "Young Cossacks". Most of the warriors who had received gifts in the arena the day before chose to join. They were organized into personal guards, and Shilko, who ranked first, became the captain of the personal guards.

Because these soldiers used dark gold scimitars and rode golden horses, and Justinian used his favorite golden tree as their emblem, many people gave them a very noble name:
Golden Guard.

After dealing with the miscellaneous matters in Carlosberg, Justinian immediately summoned all the troops he could mobilize and marched into Zaporizhia in large numbers, demanding that the Cossacks from all over the country swear allegiance to him, relocating some of his old subordinates here, and moving the newly established Cossack communities to the Don River and Kuban regions. Volunteers were rewarded, while rebels were severely punished.

In order to teach a profound lesson to the Polish and Lithuanian people who were sowing discord on the other side of the Dnieper River, Justinian also wrote a letter to the port of Bangkok, ordering the Black Sea Fleet to enter the Dnieper River and lead the Cossacks to launch a series of counterattacks against Poland and Lithuania. They used their absolute advantage on the water to catch them off guard, killed the nobles, liberated the serfs, brought them back to Zaporizhia, and then organized them into a new Cossack tribe to stabilize the situation on the border.

In addition, Justinian officially wrote "A Letter from the Cossacks to the King of Poland and Lithuania" in neat ancient Latin, stamped it with his own seal, and asked a noble captive to take it to King Casimir. This move greatly increased the Cossacks' favor for the king and they thought he was a "fellow traveler."

After returning to Carlosburg, Justinian took the lead in further standardizing the cooperative relationship between Eastern Roman capitalists and Cossack tribes, allowing the Cossacks to benefit from the mining craze and the development of horse politics.

Through a series of measures, Justinian successfully stabilized the situation in the southern Russian steppes and further enhanced his prestige. The crucial Donbass coalfield once again ushered in a period of explosive mining, and several major horse farms also began to operate.

The Eastern Roman capitalists were happy because the obstacles to their advance into the Donbass mining and Don horse industry no longer existed, and the Cossacks would not harm their interests but would provide them with protection.

The Cossacks were very happy because not only did they teach the damned Poland and Lithuania a lesson, but they could also gain tangible benefits from mineral mining and horse breeding. As the infrastructure continued to improve, the Eastern Roman goods from the Black Sea would naturally become more and more abundant.

The Governor-General's Office of Crimea and the Governor-General's Office of Azov were also happy because the mining boom had led to a revival of the Black Sea slave trade, from which they could also get a piece of the action.

The Poles, Lithuanians and Saracens were very unhappy, but Justinian didn't care about their thoughts at all and they came to fight.

In April 1477, spring arrived in the northern hemisphere and the economy of the Eastern Roman Empire continued to develop rapidly. However, the Aries King Uzung Hasan across Anatolia was bedridden, apparently seriously ill and unable to recover.

Some countries are young but already old, while some countries are old but already thriving.

(End of this chapter)