1444, Byzantium Resurrects

Chapter 383 Pilgrimage Economy
Time passed, the clock ticked, spring turned to summer, flowers bloomed, the weather warmed up, the sky cleared, and the Mediterranean world welcomed the midsummer of 1477.

Ever since King Louis XI of France took over Burgundy and Franche-Comté in eastern France at lightning speed, the European continent has ushered in a long-awaited peace. The marriage of Prince Maximilian and Duchess Marie helped them stabilize the situation in the Netherlands. The Valois family and the Habsburg family divided the inheritance of Charles the Bold. Although they failed to reach a peace treaty, neither side had any plans to go to war immediately.

The assassination of the Duke of Milan plunged the most powerful country in northern Italy into turmoil, but the large-scale war was strangled in the cradle. The queen mother who was in charge of regent did not care about the matter of La Spezia. After the Milan garrison withdrew, the Second Latin Marine Regiment of the Eastern Roman Empire Foreign Legion landed in La Spezia. Mayor Dimarco took back his city, and the Carthage-La Spezia route gradually regained its past prosperity.

Although the Sforza family had not yet been crowned by the Holy Roman Emperor and was still a "tyrant duke", they still stabilized the situation in Milan. The young Duke Gian sat firmly on the throne with the assistance of several guardians, and his mother Bona Savoy drove out Ludovico Sforza, who had first shown his ambition for power, and temporarily eliminated the threat.

However, Ludovico Sforza still took various means to try to return to Milan. As the second son of Francesco Sforza, the uncle of the current Duke and a capable politician, he was undoubtedly qualified to serve as the Duke's guardian. If he had not acted too hastily and aroused everyone's vigilance, he would have had a share of the power pie in Milan.

In any case, the shadow of war that had lasted for many years seemed to have faded away, and the people of the Mediterranean world were enjoying the hard-earned peace.

During the past six months, the Eastern Roman Empire was also in a period of stable development. Various reforms were steadily advanced under the pressure of powerful countries, and various industries thrived under the stimulation of precious metals and markets. After breaking all the shackles leading to the Western market, a large number of Eastern Roman goods were either injected into Italy through the Free City of Ragusa and the Viceroyalty of Venice, or flowed into the Atlantic through the trade network of the Hanseatic League. The financial markets of Constantinople and Carthage were unprecedentedly prosperous.

During this half year, a major event also occurred in the Balkan Peninsula. Bartolomeo Colleoni, the Duke of Dalmatia who was born in the Republic of Venice and a mercenary marshal and compromised with the Eastern Roman Empire, died. This warlord leader had cheated a large amount of wealth from the Venetian government through embezzlement, smuggling and corruption. He took advantage of Venice's weakness and used the wealth to recruit soldiers and establish his own regime. He also used the wealth to stabilize the situation in Dalmatia. On the one hand, he was loyal to the Eastern Roman Empire, and on the other hand, he flirted with the Kingdom of Hungary, trying to retain his actual independence.

In a sense, Colleoni's plan was undoubtedly successful. The Eastern Roman Empire was not the Republic of Venice and had little interest in Dalmatia. The Kingdom of Hungary also focused on the struggle for hegemony in Central Europe. His vacillating behavior did not lead to an attack from either side, but instead saved some vitality for Dalmatia, although this narrow coastal territory was still much weaker than before due to the demise of Venice and the decline of Adriatic trade.

Since Colleoni was originally a mercenary leader, the group of "new nobles" who followed him to split Dalmatia were also mostly mercenaries. These people were unruly and lawless, and they sneered at the traditional feudal relations in Western Europe. Everyone had the ambition to occupy the land and become the king.

This tyrant, Sforza can do it, Colleoni can do it, why can't I?

So, after Colleoni's death, his designated heir died in the palace under unclear circumstances within a month. Dalmatia was in turmoil, and Colleoni's sons and subordinates promised money and land to the mercenary captain, competing for the "supreme" position of the Duke.

These people also had factional differences, some were pro-Eastern Roman Empire, some were pro-Hungarian Kingdom, but both powers had little interest in their request to send troops.

The city of Ragusa was loyal to the Eastern Roman Empire. Some of the territories south of Ragusa belonged to the Diocese of Cetinje. Some northern islands were ceded to the Kingdom of Hungary by Colleoni long ago. Some of the most valuable places had already been divided up once. The remaining Duchy of Dalmatia had a population of less than 100,000, which was no longer worth the enmity between the two countries.

However, Dalmatia has a winding coastline and some natural harbors, which naturally attracted the attention of some ambitious people.

On the winding mountain roads in the northwest of the Balkan Peninsula, a carriage convoy was moving slowly northward. The royal emblem of Palaeologus was painted on the carriages. The guards next to it were large in size and looked around eagerly, fearing that any accident would occur.

In a carriage, Field Marshal Royston of the Grand Duchy of Serbia turned his head and looked at the young man beside him.

"Your Highness Basil, the mountain road is bumpy. Are you used to it?"

"It will be here soon. The Grand Duke is waiting for you."

"Haha, although I'm not a soldier, I did some physical training when I was a child, so I'm not that delicate."

Basil adjusted his glasses and shook his head.

"I'm just passing through to go home and visit Uncle Manuel. You don't need to take it too seriously."

Royston nodded and said nothing more.

Royston was a collateral descendant of the Brankovic dynasty of the Grand Duchy of Serbia. After the demise of the Brankovic dynasty, he obtained part of the Brankovic family's estate from the new Grand Duke Manuel, was named count, and served as Serbia's Minister of Mines and Field Marshal. His status was second only to Constantine Dragaš, who served as Prime Minister.

The Grand Duchy of Serbia was the vassal state with the closest relationship to the Eastern Roman Empire. The nobles and wealthy businessmen of the two countries had frequent exchanges, and the common people of the two countries could also receive the highest treatment in each other's cities. Most of the citizens of Constantinople had some understanding of the political situation in Serbia and knew what the three major Serbian families were, namely the royal relative, Palaiologos of St. Helena, the royal distant relative Dragash, and the royal in-law Brankovic.

These three families are all descendants of the previous emperor Constantine XI. Palaiologos of Saint Helena is the youngest son of Constantine XI, Dragash is the maternal family of Constantine XI, and Branković is the wife's family.

Ten years ago, Serbia was in civil strife. With the support of Isaac, Manuel, the brother of the Eastern Roman Emperor, occupied southern Serbia and renamed the capital Niš as St. Helena, thus starting the rule of the Palaiologos dynasty of Serbia.

Over the course of ten years, Manuel gradually grew up. In order to curb the power of the feudal lords in Serbia, he purchased a large number of shares in various companies of the Eastern Roman royal family in his personal name, and earned a large fortune through colonial expansion and capital expansion. He used this wealth to invite German technicians to mine various mineral deposits in Serbia on a large scale, and sold them to Eastern Roman merchants by river or land transportation. The Grand Duke's wallet quickly swelled, and the gap between him and the other feudal lords in Serbia widened.

Manuel did not waste the money he earned on luxury and large-scale construction. Instead, he reorganized Serbia's military system and, following the example of the Eastern Roman Empire, established a national standing army directly under the monarch.

Manuel believed that although Serbia was located in mountainous areas, the strength of this nation was its cavalry. Serbia's light cavalry was very famous during the Eastern Roman rule, and the outstanding performance of the Serbian heavy cavalry in the Battle of Ankara also left a deep impression on the world. Serbia's regular troops could only be cavalry.

When preparing to form a standing army, Manuel was clearing out the bandits and robbers that had emerged in Serbia due to years of chaos. At that time, he did not have a real standing army, and could only rely on a large number of mercenaries and militias to gradually clear out the bandit dens. In the process, he deeply witnessed the superb riding skills and fearless fighting will of some bandits, and decided to recruit them instead of clearing them out. Instead of killing all the bandit cavalry, he used various means to bring them under his command, and used the bandits who were willing to surrender as instructors and captains, and formed a standing cavalry of 2,000 people.

These cavalrymen are all light cavalry, mainly using sabers, with fancy clothes and hats. They are savage and good at fighting, brave and manic, good at mountain guerrilla warfare, and their tactical style is quite similar to that of horse bandits.

Manuel had no objection to this and named this light cavalry "Hussars", which means "robbers" in Serbian.

Then, Manuel vigorously introduced Eastern Roman capital and technology, developed a large amount of mineral resources, and planted potatoes and sweet potatoes on the harsh land that was originally unable to grow wheat. The population of Serbia grew rapidly, and people's living standards improved. Manuel quickly got rid of his identity as an "outsider" and became a "wise king and holy lord" in the eyes of the people.

Money, soldiers, and people's hearts. When Manuel got all of this, he immediately began his own centralization. He took back a large amount of land from the feudal lords through money purchase and military coercion, and directly killed anyone who was dissatisfied.

He established a relatively complete central government, implemented "enlightened despotism", cracked down on corruption, reviewed church properties, granted the right to use and benefit from the land to the people, strictly prohibited the private occupation of public land, allowed the people to improve their lives through fishing and hunting, and allowed them to freely cultivate land and migrate.

However, Manuel was a selfish man. He did not bring liberation to the people, did not directly implement the administrative system and liberal reforms of the Eastern Roman Empire, and did not choose to completely destroy the feudal system in Serbia. Instead, he took back the land and population from the feudal lords through conventional means and converted them all into his own feudal territories and feudal subjects. Except for the landlords and the remaining nobles, other people had no land. In name, they were equivalent to Manuel's tenants, paying taxes on time, renting farmland, and enjoying the fruits of the labor. They only had the right to use and harvest, and this power could also be passed down from generation to generation, but there was no supreme ownership.

By the end of 1474, Manuel had become the largest feudal lord and capitalist in Serbia. Sixty percent of the country's land was concentrated in his hands, and percent of the people became his subjects.

In the Eastern Roman Empire, land was the private property of the peasants, and the peasants had the right to dispose of their land freely. Unless there was a national emergency, the government had no right to interfere. But in Manuel's territory, the land and people belonged to the Grand Duke, and all power was firmly in his hands.

Of course, since breaking away from the control of the Eastern Roman Empire, Serbia's feudal system has been deeply rooted for many years, and the people have long been accustomed to this set of policies. Manuel has a long-term vision. At least he will not be like those small feudal lords in the past who drained the pond and exploited the people at will. The people's living standards have indeed improved, and they are grateful to Manuel.

In addition, Manuel also cracked down on Bogomil Christians who advocated the abolition of the nobility and the church across the country, banned Italian republicans from setting foot on his land, and stood firmly on the side of conservatives in various meetings within the empire, advocating speech control, banning retro republican ideas, and restricting the study and admiration of the ancient Greek and Roman political systems.

Manuel did not have a vision that transcends his time, and he was very disdainful of the classical republic. He was just an ordinary ruler who was relatively wise and capable. He centralized power, promoted benefits and eliminated disadvantages, enriched the country and strengthened the military, and improved people's lives... The original intention of all these ruling policies was not for social progress, but for himself and his descendants.

By the beginning of 1475, Manuel's preliminary preparations were basically completed. Ambitious, he was no longer silent and started his own expansion plan.

After looking around the map, Manuel set his sights on Bosnia and Herzegovina in the west. There was really no other choice. To the north was Hungary, and to the east and south were territories of the Eastern Roman Empire. This was the only direction for him to expand.

Bosnia and Herzegovina is located between the Orthodox world and the Catholic world. It has always been influenced by both churches, but neither church has gained the upper hand. Folk beliefs are very mixed. The Bogomil sect that advocates the abolition of the nobility and the church has taken root here, and countless various Christian heresies have spread here, making the entire Bosnia and Herzegovina a "hotbed of heresy", a thorn in the eyes of the Vatican Pope, and a thorn in the flesh of the Patriarch of Constantinople.

This place is poor and backward, the land quality is very average, the usable land area is very small and has no special value. Except for a few chosen places, it basically cannot give birth to any big cities. The population of Bosnia and Herzegovina combined is less than 400,000. In addition, it is easy to defend but difficult to attack, and heresy is everywhere. Neither the Eastern Roman Empire nor the Kingdom of Hungary want to put in more effort here, as the gain will not outweigh the loss.

However, for Manuel, Bosnia was secondary, and Herzegovina was a territory that he had to fight for - he wanted a coastal port very much.

In Manuel's view, the reason why the Eastern Roman Empire was able to usher in a revival under the leadership of his brother Isaac was entirely because he successfully caught up with the trend of the great voyages. A large number of new things greatly promoted the development of productivity, and a large source of precious metals led to the rapid rise of the capitalist commodity economy. In Manuel's mind, if he wanted to achieve a rich and strong country, participating in the great voyages was the only way.

Before this, Manuel had already started his own seafaring journey. Although Serbia is a landlocked country, it has the Danube River port. Manuel's fleet can sail into the Black Sea through the Danube, and then sail to the distance with the help of the port chain of the Eastern Roman Empire. The expedition fleet he sent out has established a settlement of only dozens of people in the south of the Kingdom of Brazil. According to the name of the locals, it was named the Uruguay Colony.

However, the Danube route was too far and took too long, so Manuel's expedition did not bring much profit. In order to join in the feast of dividing the world, he had to seek a real coastal port.

Furthermore, Herzegovina and Bosnia have a large number of Serbian Orthodox Christians, who will be an excellent excuse and great support for Manuel's military operations.

After the Eastern Roman Empire expelled the Turks from the Balkans, the remaining Turkish tribes on the Balkan Peninsula either died or fled. After the Greek peninsula was liberated, they went to Serbia to plunder. Serbia was occupied by Manuel, and they went to the chaotic Bosnia and Herzegovina. These Turkic Muslims often revived the traditions of their ancestors and plundered everywhere like horse bandits, which further destroyed the local order in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Christian people suffered for a long time, but the nobles were fighting for power and profit. They could neither win nor want to fight.

In early 1475, a group of Serbian Orthodox Christians in Herzegovina, unable to bear the long-term religious conflicts and Turkish robbers, moved eastward into the territory of the Grand Duchy of Serbia to seek asylum from Manuel.

Ever since Manuel reorganized the country and stabilized the Grand Duchy of Serbia, this situation has become commonplace, and no one, including the Serbian refugees, takes it seriously.

However, the situation this time was different. To the refugees' great surprise, Manuel not only met them in person and provided them with food and clothing, but also patiently listened to their difficulties and asked them to tell their tragic experiences in detail to a newspaper reporter from Constantinople.

Soon after, several newspapers in Constantinople published the stories of the Serbian refugees, pointing out with great fanfare that the Turkic scourge in the Balkan Peninsula had not yet been completely eliminated, and that the chaotic situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina had given them the opportunity to cause chaos everywhere. They called on the Eastern Roman Empire, which best represented all Orthodox Christians, to send troops to protect their fellow Christians.

At that time, the Eastern Roman Empire was busy with disputes in the western Mediterranean and had no ability to pay attention to Balkan affairs. Manuel took this opportunity to make a statement, saying that as the Grand Duke of Serbia appointed by the emperor, he had the responsibility to share the emperor's worries and protect his people.

Then, Manuel gathered a large number of troops in Serbia and marched towards Herzegovina in the west, with his main target being the areas where Serbian Orthodox Christians gathered.

In fact, due to the complex terrain and rugged mountain roads, Herzegovina is quite difficult to conquer. The Ottoman Empire in the original time and space spent a lot of time here, and was unable to completely capture it until the end. The people of Cetinje relied on the too dangerous terrain and too poor land to maintain actual complete autonomy and became the only Orthodox Christian in Yugoslavia.

However, as early as during the Albanian War, the Eastern Roman Empire took the opportunity to oppose the Venetian colonists to obtain the allegiance of Bishop Alexander of Cetinje. The Cetinje Diocese actually became a relatively special territory of the Eastern Roman Empire. Due to their extreme poverty, they were in a completely autonomous state and only had to symbolically hand over some local specialty red wine to Constantinople every year.

Therefore, Manuel built up momentum in advance and used religion as an excuse to ask the Diocese of Cetinje to clear the road, allowing his army to pass through the most dangerous section of the mountain road and head straight into the heart of Herzegovina.

Although Bishop Alexander, who was deeply influenced by the Bogomils, had always disliked Manuel, a conservative, he was forced to agree to Manuel's request due to the situation. The Serbian army successfully bypassed the border fortress of the Herzegovinians and penetrated into their softest hinterland.

The following war was lackluster. Manuel traveled from one rebellious area to another, suppressing the unruly Bogomil followers and clearing out the Turkic horse bandits who came down the mountain to plunder. Starting from the inland, he advanced step by step towards the sea.

In order to avoid causing dissatisfaction among the Hungarians, Manuel's military actions were very cautious. After occupying some Serbian settlements on the small border between Herzegovina and Bosnia in the south, he did not continue to advance northward.

Two years later, all Bogomils who were unwilling to convert to Orthodoxy were expelled from the country, and Manuel's rule in Herzegovina had basically stabilized.

"Your Highness Basil, we are here."

Royston reminded softly.

"In front of us is Sarajevo, the capital of the Principality of Herzegovina designated by His Highness."

Basil nodded, poked his head out and looked at the city surrounded by mountains and rivers.

The city is not big and has a distinct Muslim style. The architectural planning is very careful. There are several villages outside the city, and the farmlands next to the villages are lush and green.

“This place has been inhabited for a long time, but the city was first built by the Ottomans.”

Royston explained.

"After Emperor Isaac expelled the Turks from the Balkans, a considerable number of Turkic remnants fled here. They occupied the land and requisitioned local people to build a small castle. After His Highness Manuel occupied this place, he spent a lot of effort to build it into a big city."

“Why should this city be the ruling center?”

Basil asked with some confusion.

“It doesn’t look like there are many people.”

"At first, Your Highness didn't know where to place the administrative center of Herzegovina, because this place is too poor and there is no decent city. We have to build it ourselves."

Royston shook his head helplessly.

"Later, His Highness wrote a letter to your father, asking for the title and asking for his opinion."

"It was the Emperor who designated this city. He believed that Sarajevo was the only settlement in the entire region that had the potential to become a large city, and he suggested that Your Highness put more effort into this place."

"Well, Father should be right."

Basil pursed his lips.

"But it seems that Uncle Manuel's efforts were not very effective."

"There's really nothing we can do. The population is too small. There are only about 80,000 people in the whole of Herzegovina. Nothing can be developed."

Royston sighed.

"Even in the coastal areas we have taken over, there is not even a decent port. It is really poor and destitute."

"Your Highness once invited port experts from Constantinople to inspect the coastline. They said that there was basically no qualification to build a large port there. The Dalmatian archipelago was across the coastline, making it very difficult for merchant ships to enter and exit."

"This time, there is civil unrest in the Principality of Dalmatia. Your Highness is preparing to send troops again to see if he can take these islands."

Basil was not interested in these things, and the two stopped talking. The carriages entered the city one after another, and Manuel's flag was flying on the top of the city.

A large church is being built next to a street in the center of the city. The engineers and workers seem to be very professional. In addition to the common bricks and stones, the building materials they use also include concrete.

"Golden Horn Construction Group, they are here too."

Basil recognized the emblem of a construction group funded by big capitalists in Constantinople, which was very knowledgeable in religious architecture.

As they were walking, they heard the sound of horse hooves in the front. The person leading the way was wearing a black coat with the Palaiologos family emblem embroidered on his chest.

Ten years in power have made Manuel grow a lot. He has grown a beard, become taller, and his eyes are bright. His face looks more and more like his grandfather Manuel II.

"Long time no see, dear Basil."

Manuel smiled slightly and dismounted.

"Why did you think of coming to me?"

"I'm getting ready to go home, so I came to see you on the way."

Basil also walked forward with a smile and bowed slightly to Manuel.

“It’s an honor to be in your city, dear Uncle Manuel.”

“Throughout the journey, Herzegovina is still very desolate, but at least the situation is stable. People may live in poverty, but they can see hope. This is thanks to you.”

Manuel sighed and waved his hand. "Let's not talk about that for now. What's wrong with you? I remember that you have been the governor of Venice for several years. Why do you suddenly want to go back?"

"The Doge's Office in Venice is now on track. I resign."

Basil paused.

"My father will send a new governor. I don't want to stay in the governor's palace doing nothing. I should go back to study."

"Reading... is fine too."

Manuel looked at Basil with some regret.

"Your eldest brother Justinian had already begun to expand his territory at this age, and your second brother Alexios also established his life goals early on."

"You're grown up now, what do you want to do in the future?"

Hearing this, Basil's eyes showed a trance and he was silent for a while.

"I can't fight, I don't have the talent to be a monarch, I don't want to pretend like Justinian, nor do I want to devote my life to God like Alexius."

"I will probably go back to finish my studies and then see if I can pass the exams to enter politics."

"During my time in Venice, I established correspondence with many Italian humanists. Many of them suggested that I travel around and gain knowledge. So I didn't take a boat, but came to visit your territory first."

"Well, this is your own business, I wish you success."

Manuel said.

"As for humanists, some are useful, but some are parasites of the country. Don't take their wishful thinking as the truth."

"However, since you are here, you will definitely receive the best hospitality. My wife and daughter are in St. Helena, and my son has been sent to Constantinople for education. I won't be able to see them this time."

Basil nodded and looked towards the cathedral being built.

He knew very well that since Manuel reorganized Serbia, his strength had increased rapidly. After conquering Herzegovina, he had the momentum to become the most powerful vassal of the empire. Some people with ulterior motives in Constantinople began to spread rumors and slander, trying to destroy the brotherly relationship.

Although Isaac did not make any comment on this, recognized Manuel's rule over Herzegovina, and allowed him to develop colonies with the help of the imperial ports, Manuel, despite his wife's opposition, took the initiative to send his three-year-old eldest son Leo to the Grand Palace and asked Isaac to provide him with the best education.

Basil has always been very annoyed by these seemingly subtle intrigues. Compared to these, he prefers to deal with humanists, talk about ancient classics, literature and art, and also talk about state governance.

"Uncle, did you send someone to build this church?"

Basil pointed to the cathedral in front of him.

"This kind of specification is probably not much different from the Carthage Cathedral."

"Yes, this is the Cathedral of Saint Sava, which was built with my personal funds to commemorate the Serbian saint, Saint Sava, who lived three hundred years ago."

Manuel said this with some pride.

"It is expected to take four years for the construction of Saint Sava Cathedral to be completed. Once completed, it will become the largest Orthodox church in the area."

"Four years... you really put your heart into it."

Basil estimated the cost of the construction.

Unlike Catholic churches, Orthodox churches do not have such high Gothic spires. The domes are mostly hemispherical, which takes less time and effort, and generally does not take hundreds of years to build like some Catholic churches.

The most famous first Orthodox temple, Hagia Sophia in Constantinople, was built in just five years with the strong support of Justinian the Great.

"Uncle, I know you made a lot of money through investment and mining, but..."

Basil chose his words carefully.

“Wouldn’t it be better to use this money to build water conservancy projects and improve people’s livelihood?”

"Alas, he has some love for the people, but it's still far less than my brother the Emperor."

Manuel smiled and shook his head.

"After I wrote to my brother about my plan, he immediately understood everything and thought that my idea was worth learning from and could be promoted throughout the empire."

Manuel pulled Basil over and pointed to a side hall that had been completed.

Outside the side hall, a group of pilgrims were worshipping. Judging from their attire, they were all Serbian Orthodox Christians and they looked very pious.

"Basil, among the children of my brother, you have read the most books and love reading the most. How much do you know about religious pilgrimage?"

Manuel looked at Basil.

"Or, what do you think of cities like Santiago and Canterbury?"

“I know a little bit about religious pilgrimages, but not a lot.”

Basil shrugged.

"Both Santiago and Canterbury were highly religious cities in Western Europe, Santiago being located in Galicia, Portugal, and Canterbury being located in the Kingdom of England."

"Well, you are right. Santiago and Canterbury are both religious cities. Their prosperity and wealth are almost entirely due to religion. It can be said that without religious pilgrimages, these two cities would still be desolate today."

Manuel said.

“When the cities were first built, Santiago and Canterbury were very poor places, with no advantageous industries, no large tracts of farmland, and no vital population. But it was because of the existence of St. James Cathedral and Canterbury Cathedral that these two cities attracted pilgrims from all over Europe, and the population gradually increased, the market gradually prospered, and gradually grew into what they are today.”

"Do they have any unique geographical advantages? No, but religion is their biggest advantage."

Manuel explained slowly.

"In addition to Western Europe, some cities in the Eastern Empire also benefited from religious pilgrimages, such as Constantinople, Ephesus, Jerusalem and Antioch in the past."

“The rulers of holy cities often vigorously attract pilgrims and build markets, taverns and inns around churches, thus promoting economic development and urban prosperity.”

"What a city needs most is population. Both permanent and floating population are indispensable to urban development. The religious pilgrimage industry can greatly promote the growth of permanent population and floating population."

Manuel looked at Basil who seemed thoughtful.

"Although it may sound a bit unethical, as your father once told me,"

Manuel paused and crossed himself.

“Religion is a business, faith is a commodity, grand and ancient churches are valuable exhibition stands, and prestigious priests are attentive waiters.”

"And this kind of commodity, if used properly, is often more valuable than regular commodities."

Manuel looked around at the small city.

"Now, there are about 1.2 million Serbian Orthodox Christians in the whole of Europe, of which less than two-thirds live in my two territories. There are also a large number of Serbian Orthodox Christians under the rule of the Kingdom of Bosnia and the Kingdom of Hungary, especially Hungary, where all the Serbian communities north of Belgrade are in their hands."

"King Matthias is holding on to Belgrade tightly and won't let go. My brother will not have a conflict with Hungary for the time being, and I don't want to anger the Raven King. If we want to increase the population as much as possible, we can only take other measures."

Manuel narrowed his eyes and looked at the crowd of pilgrims outside the side hall.

"I have ordered people to retrieve the remains of Saint Sava. In the future, a series of religious relics related to Saint Sava will be displayed in this church. I will build markets and hotels in the city to provide various services for pilgrims and persuade them to stay here and become citizens."

As he spoke, Manuel took out a letter from his pocket and handed it to Basil.

"This is a letter your father wrote to me recently. You can take a look at it."

"He believes that my ideas are worth learning from and promoting. Encouraging pilgrimages will not only help promote religion, but also enable the flow of population and wealth, and promote various cultures and technologies to all parts of the country more quickly."

Manuel continued.

"As Eastern Roman citizens become richer, they naturally need more spiritual food. Although the Orthodox Christians abroad are poor, they are also more pious and ignorant. Many of them will be willing to sell their property to organize a great pilgrimage. Many will also be willing to stay here after seeing the prosperity of the Eastern Empire. In the long run, this is very beneficial."

Manuel smiled.

"To be honest, after the construction of a side hall of Saint Sava Cathedral was completed, many Orthodox Christians began to come here for pilgrimage. In addition to white Orthodox Christians, I even saw some natives, including Elysium natives and Congo natives."

"Most of these people are wealthy locals who have come to the empire on a pilgrimage. For some reason, their enthusiasm is even greater than that of the locals."

"Saint Sava is only a saint from Serbia, but his influence is so great. Let alone the several holy places in the Eastern Empire, their appeal will be even stronger."

"Isabella should be the one organizing and formulating the specific policies to encourage religious pilgrimages. Your father has great faith in her abilities."

Manuel curled his lips but didn't say much.

"I see. It seems that what they said is right. If you want to acquire more knowledge, you can't just immerse yourself in books. You still have to go out more and broaden your horizons."

Basil said sincerely.

"People say you're conservative, but it seems like you're not actually conservative on most things."

"Haha, conservative? Am I more conservative, or are those who advocate restoring the political model of 2,000 years ago more conservative?"

Manuel snorted disdainfully.

"The Italians have wasted too long on the so-called republic. We must not allow this kind of thought to spread freely within the empire. We should not even allow those Italians with strong republican ideas to enter the empire at will!"

"The 'Athens Faction' organized by your teacher Balsamon is a purely anti-government organization. You should avoid associating with them in the future."

"Absolute monarchy is undoubtedly the best political system. Even Plato said so!"

"Uncle, that's not what Plato meant..."

Basil said helplessly, and was about to explain when Manuel waved his hand to interrupt him.

"Okay, you are a scholar, you will definitely side with that group of scholars, I won't argue with you."

Manuel directly rejected Basil's preaching.

"The Olympus Cathedral has been basically built, and the Olympic Games will be officially held soon. After I finish the work at hand, I will lead the team to participate in the competition and sell Serbian products along the way."

"You stay here first. I will assign someone to take care of your daily life. I have to go negotiate with the local forces in Dalmatia."

A gleam of determination flashed in Manuel's eyes.

"I must get a good port. The sea is the source of wealth, and Serbia also needs land under the sun!"

……

On August 1477, 8, the Eastern Roman Empire's grandson Constantine and two queens convened senior bishops of the patriarchate in the Grand Palace and promulgated the "Pilgrimage Economy Decree". The imperial government encouraged Orthodox Christians to prove their piety through religious pilgrimages under the guidance of priests. Seven major pilgrimage destinations would be planned, and local priests were required to provide reception and obey arrangements. Cities along the way must also repair roads, entertain pilgrims, promote pilgrimage culture, and develop a pilgrimage economy.

The seven major pilgrimage sites are Constantinople, the capital of the empire, Nicaea, the early Christian center, Ephesus, the place where the Virgin Mary lived in seclusion, Athos, the holy mountain in the Balkans, the Hanging Monastery of Meteora, the Bulgarian holy site of Rila, and Carthage, the "city of reconversion" of Christians in North Africa. It covers the three major territories of the Eastern Roman Empire, including large cities as well as remote monasteries.

Although some monastic priests opposed the inclusion of monasteries in the pilgrimage list, the imperial central government rejected their claims and insisted that they provide good reception for the people and develop pilgrimage tourism.

As a service industry worker, you should have adjusted your mindset long ago. Trying to hide in the mountains and forests and not want to participate in the social wealth cycle? Don’t even think about it.

Tourism is undoubtedly a very important industry. If developed properly, it can not only generate strong external cultural attraction, but also promote national integration, technology dissemination, cultural integration and national identity, and redistribute wealth from big cities to various regions along the travel route. At the end of the 15th century, scenic spots were often worthless, and the only feasible way was religious pilgrimage.

Religious pilgrimage is not only enjoyed by the rich, but also by the poor. A walking stick, a bag of coarse grains, a pair of strong legs and a pious heart are more than enough.

Let wealth flow, let the population move, let different groups of people spark ideas through interactions, science and technology and culture will naturally flourish, and the market economy will naturally thrive.

On August 1477, 8, Manuel, Grand Duke of Serbia and Herzegovina, successfully captured four islands and a peninsula that originally belonged to the Principality of Dalmatia through diplomatic negotiations and military coercion. The road to the ocean was completely opened. Manuel immediately ordered four caravels from the Carthage Shipyard and started his own journey of colonial exploration.

From then on, Manuel's Balkan expansion came to an end. Ten years of hard work allowed his strength to continue to grow. Although he finally only took over a small and not very rich land and a population of less than 100,000, this eventually turned Serbia from an inland country into a coastal country with a population of more than 800,000 and rich mineral reserves, solidifying its reputation as the most powerful vassal state in the empire.

(End of this chapter)