1444, Byzantium Resurrects

Chapter 61 Constantine
Mystras, the capital of the Principality of Morea.

Forty-four-year-old Constantine Palaiologos sat alone in the room, staring blankly at several opened letters on the table.

One of the letters came from Constantine's mentor, friend, and staunch supporter, George Sfrangis, who was then the foreign minister.

The letter mentioned that Emperor Ioannis VIII was seriously ill and it was unlikely that he would recover.

Over the years, Ioannis VIII had been in poor health. As Grand Duke Lucas Notaras, who served as prime minister, opposed the unification of the church and had been abstaining from responsibility, state affairs fell on Constantine, who served as regent, and Sfranchis, who served as foreign minister.

One of them is inside, the other is outside, and together they guard the aging empire.

In recent years, bad news has come one after another, and Osman has been so powerful that he has overwhelmed all opponents who dared to challenge him.

Sfranchis traveled to one Western European country after another, but all he got in return was sympathy.

All Christian states, including Venice and Genoa, did not want to see the fall of Constantinople, but they also did not want to make actual sacrifices.

The situation abroad is grim, and there are many contradictions at home. There are die-hards who constantly stir up public anger and oppose the unity of the church.

The only good news came from the south, from the good son Isaac who was expanding the territory in North Africa.

Thinking of his proud son, Constantine grinned, but halfway through his smile he seemed to think of something and became a little unhappy.

Constantine picked up the second letter.

"Your Majesty the Despot of Morea, Lord of Mystras, dear father Constantine..."

"With God's blessing, I have successfully conquered all areas of Cyrenaica, blocked the Mamluk counterattack, and officially established the Kingdom of Cyrenaica..."

Constantine threw the letter aside and sighed.

In recent years, his son Isaac has been doing better and better, and many people in the country are very jealous.

These parasites in Constantinople insisted that the new territories in North Africa belong to the Senate and the people, and demanded that Isaac, the Despot of Surt, hand over part of the fiscal revenue and proceeds from the West African expedition.

They also criticized Isaac's good relationship with the Pope and were almost sure to call him a traitor.

The incident became such a big fuss that it even reached the ears of the bedridden John VIII.

Faced with these discordant voices, Constantine tried his best to suppress them and prevent these gossips from interfering with his son's career.

In fact, these nobles from Constantinople had no actual influence on Isaac and could only express their dissatisfaction in this way.

Now it seems that this kid Isaac not only has a clear understanding of the situation in Constantinople, but he is also quite disgusted with these parasites and has developed a rebellious mentality.

Conquer Bilinchi and build your own kingdom...

Does this mean they want to set up their own regime and refuse to accept the jurisdiction of Constantinople?

Do you still want to inherit the Roman Empire?
Constantine was a little depressed.

In his opinion, Constantinople was the best city in the world, and all the cities in the world combined could not compare to it.

Not only him, almost all Roman nobles thought so.

But it is clear that Isaac was not so enthusiastic about Constantinople and the supreme authority it represented.

Every time I hear him mention the capital, I always feel a different kind of... regret?
Why is this?

Constantine didn't want to think about it.

He stood up and walked into the courtyard.

Whenever Constantine was in a bad mood, he would come to this small courtyard to take a walk and read books.

He picked up a famous book of Kievan Rus, "The Biography of Yaroslav", randomly opened a few pages, and read quietly, trying to calm his somewhat impatient heart.

"On July 1053, 7, the year of the Lord's incarnation, in a snowy storm, Yaroslav Vladimirovich Rurik the Wise died at the age of 27..."

A gust of wind blew, and a maple leaf fell on the book, covering the text behind it.

Constantine was a little unhappy. He closed the book and looked up at the Greek red maple in the yard as if he had sensed something.

"Brother Theodosius, what are you doing?"

"Plant trees."

“Why plant trees?”

"Don't worry!"

Little Thomas burst into tears and ran to his older brother, Ioannis.

Constantine remembered that this red maple tree came from his second brother, the former Grand Duke Theodosius of Morea.

At that time, the four brothers gathered in Morea and were preparing to recover the remaining lost territory on the peninsula.

Theodosius liked the red maple and thought it had a beautiful color.

"Thomas, red maple is a tree unique to our Moria region, and it symbolizes love and family affection..."

Ioannis was a man of great patience, and all the brothers, including the proud Theodosius and the surly Demetrios, respected him greatly.

After being comforted by Ioannis, Thomas wiped away his tears and giggled.

At that time, Constantine pretended to be mature and read a book aside, but he could not help listening to his elder brother's voice.

That was also the last reunion of the brothers.

Later, disputes, civil war, and the empire's difficulties destroyed their original family ties.

His most beloved elder brother, Ioannis, traveled frequently to various courts in Western Europe, begging for unnecessary reinforcements.

Doubts at home and ridicules abroad caused this young man, who used to always have a smile on his face, to gradually lose his original cheerfulness and become dull and taciturn.

Constantine saw it all, but could do nothing.

Just like the fate of this thousand-year-old empire, no matter how hard it tried, it could not change its end of decline.

In a rainstorm at the beginning of the year, the red maple leaves fell all over the ground.

The next day, news came that Theodosius, the despot of Mesembria, had died of illness.

And now...

The wind gradually grew stronger, masking the sound of footsteps and the sound of the door being pushed open.

"Your Highness! A letter has come from Constantinople that His Majesty Ioannis' soul has gone to the kingdom of God. Please accept my condolences!"

The messenger walked into the yard and was blinded by the strong wind.

No reply.

"Your Highness?"

The messenger looked up and saw Constantine standing under a bare tree with his back to him.

"understood."

Constantine's face was tense, and he strode out of the yard, leaving a trail of fallen leaves.

……

"I heard that you are now called the 'King Slayer'?"

In the palace of Bilinchi, Isaac sat in the seat that once belonged to Yusuf, looking at Marzia standing below.

Marzia nodded without saying a word.

The ten-year-old boy Yergubai was looking at Marzia, but there was no sadness on his face.

"Yergubai, it's great that you can turn back and embrace Jesus."

"Thank you, Your Highness."

Isaac nodded.

Before he was officially crowned King of Cyrenaica, Isaac allowed his ministers to continue addressing him as "Your Highness".

"I heard that there are still many people in the city who support you?"

Yeergubai suddenly panicked.

"Your Highness, they are all my father's former supporters. I..."

"If they cause trouble, Your Highness will handle it on your own. It has nothing to do with me!"

Isaac waved his hand, signaling him to relax.

Are you that terrible?

Isaac thought for a moment and asked someone to present the map. "I plan to arrange for you to be in this area."

Isaac took out a pen and drew a circle on the map.

East of Tobruk, west of Marsa Matruh, and north of the Kalashnikov Desert.

This place used to be quite good, but after being destroyed by Isaac, it became a restricted area for living beings.

After a few months, some of the polluted oases have recovered their ecology and some refugees have returned to live here.

This place is close to the coast and green mountains, with abundant groundwater resources. Wells can be drilled in many places to feed many herdsmen.

Although it is not as good as before, it is still pretty good.

Without waiting for Yergubai to respond, Isaac drew out his sword with a "swish".

"Yergu Baitingfeng!"

"At your command!"

Yeer Gubai knelt down on one knee.

"You have committed a heinous crime by resisting Rome. Considering that you have turned back and led the people to surrender, I will pardon your crime and give you a reward."

"I appoint Yelugubai Barsbey as the Count of Baildee, and all the lands east of Tobruk and north of Kalanshu are your fiefdoms."

"You are hereby authorized to recruit people who are willing to follow you in Bilinchi City and the surrounding tribes to become your subjects!"

"May you protect the borders and treat your people well!"

"I will follow your orders!"

Yelugubai was a little excited.

He had grown up in the shadow of his older brother Yusuf. His suspicious brother did not allow him to hold any position, and he had never truly experienced the taste of power.

Now, am I finally going to become a lord and have control over people's life and death?

"Marzia, listen to the seal!"

Isaac turned to Marzia, who was standing there at a loss.

"I appoint you as the Baron of Cambut and temporarily take charge of Earl Baildee's military and political affairs until Yeer Gubai comes of age."

Kambut, a small town located west of Bairdi.

The regicide was stunned for a moment, then knelt down to listen to the order.

Yergubai looked at Marzia who was kneeling down, and the disappointment could not be hidden on his little face.

"Yergubai, don't worry. You will follow me and learn military and political affairs. When you come of age, you can return to your fiefdom."

"I will also send people to supervise Baron Cambut to ensure that he delivers his annual pension to you."

Only then did Yelugubai feel somewhat happy.

Isaac took off his sword and handed it to Yelugubai who was kneeling on one knee.

"The sword of Balsby still belongs to the son of Balsby."

After the war, the sword was handed over to Isaac and now it is returned to Yelugubai.

Yeergubai was touched and quickly caught it.

The entire Green Mountain region has been ruled by the Balsbe family for nearly twenty years, and the people still have feelings for this family.

After hearing the news of Yusuf's death, many people who had surrendered and converted to Orthodoxy started to riot again, causing Isaac a lot of headaches.

What Isaac wanted was not a Cyrenaica that was only in name only.

In the end, Isaac simply pushed Yelugubai to the forefront, gave him a place, and let those old people who missed their old master follow him, so as to ease the opposition among the people.

The Earldom of Bairdi is located at the border between the two countries. Given the current reputation of Yargubai and Marzia, it is obviously impossible for them to coexist peacefully with the Mamluks.

This is just the right time for them to become the outer barrier of their core areas.

"The former guards of the traitor Yusuf and some Mamluks who are willing to surrender will all belong to you."

After Bilinchi changed hands, some of the Mamluks fled by boat, while others surrendered to Isaac.

Isaac didn't want these soldiers who had been spoiled by Yusuf for many years, so he simply gave them to Yergubai.

Allowing them to retain some strength will allow them to avoid being at a disadvantage when dealing with the Mamluk border tribes.

After seeing the two off, Isaac welcomed the smiling Minister of the Interior, Isurte.

"Your Highness, according to your request, the general framework of the administrative division has been basically completed."

"Currently, the entire Cyrenaica region is divided into four major regions, one military direct jurisdiction, and several fiefdoms."

“The Ajdabiya region includes the Ajdabiya Administrative District, the Jalu Administrative District and the Brega Administrative District.”

"The Birinchi region includes the Birinchi ruling area, the Zawiya ruling area, and the Marj ruling area."

"The Bayda region, including the Tangidair ruling area..."

"The Derna Region, including the Haulan Governing District..."

"Establish the Tobruk Military District, build a fortress in Tobruk, and arrange for Martinez to go to the city to cast cannons as a defense line in the east."

Isaac listened and nodded.

"good."

“Officials from various governing districts must be assembled as soon as possible to start work.”

"I don't care about the specific details, but there are a few general directions you must remember."

Isurt quickly took out a pen and paper.

"You say."

"First, the most important task at present is to maintain stability and stabilize the local people who are willing to accept our rule as much as possible so that they can start production as soon as possible."

"Second, the agricultural conditions in the Green Mountain region are extremely favorable. We can arrange for Greek people in the Sirte region to move to the Beida and Derna regions and grant or lease land according to the plan."

"Third, we will change the Surte United Chamber of Commerce to the Cyrenaica United Chamber of Commerce, invite local big businessmen to join, and quickly expand the trade network across the entire Green Mountain."

"This is extremely important. You need to coordinate with Urda carefully."

"Fourth, after arranging the local administrative structure, we can restart the migration of refugees. While the Ottoman army is still in the northwest, we can move the last batch of Dobruja Seljuks to the Green Mountain area and separate them from Guhes and his men."

"Remember, what we have been doing is actually population replacement, driving away most of the locals and moving in Greek Orthodox Christians and Panhellenic people who are loyal to us."

"I have already done the first step for you, and I have borne countless insults for it."

Isaac glared at Isurt's gloating smile.

"I hope you can figure out the situation before I come back."

"Where are you going?"

Isurt was a little worried.

As a Home Secretary, he really didn't want Isaac to wander around, especially to West Africa.

Isaac threw the letter to Iseult.

"have a look."

"Emperor Ioannis is dead."

Isurt read it quickly with a serious expression.

"How many troops will you bring?"

"Eight hundred people from the First Guards Legion, and one thousand two hundred people from the Slaves Legion."

Isurte nodded, that was enough.

"May you return safely, my dear prince."

On November 1448, 11, after Isaac had initially stabilized the situation in Cyrenaica, he boarded the warship Cara, Grand Duke of Morea, to Mystras to meet with Constantine.

Accompanying him on the trip were two thousand elite warriors.

(End of this chapter)