Chapter 128 Domestic Reform
It takes about ten days to get from Sofia to Bukur Yesti, and it would be even more if it weren’t for the station system.
After crossing the Danube, Peter came to Giurgiu, which was already a well-known silk and spice trading center. The income drawn from here was an important source of income for Wallachia.
At the same time, Jiurjiu is also a strong fortress. Responsible for defending the lower Danube area, its strength is comparable to that of the capital.
After passing through Gyurgi, it is Bukur Yesti. The new capital brought a large number of businessmen and scholars. The San Canito Cathedral under construction recruited a large number of workers from Constantinople. Architect Alexander Shbayev and mathematician Andrei Zaitsev were responsible for the design and construction of the building. And there are a large number of painters responsible for the murals and sculptors responsible for the statues, everything is the best.
As the only Northern Patriarch recognized by the Patriarch of Castel, the Wallachian Church must be located second only to Hagia Sophia, so there is still a certain amount of gold in the material.
The commercial activities in the new capital are also very active. Merchants trade and produce here. It is also very close to Constanta, and a large number of hotels and warehouses have been opened.
When Grand Duke Mircea saw Peter's noble flag flying in the air, he was filled with emotion. After eleven months, his son finally came back.
After Peter entered the castle, he turned over and dismounted, and then appeared in front of the Grand Duke.
"Welcome back, my boy."
Mircea didn't say much. In just one sentence, he expressed his longing for his son, and Peter also had many things to say to Mircea.
Before that, Peter also went to meet with Mrs. Maria. When she saw her son appearing in front of her, Maria cried. Seeing that her son was safe, she felt relieved.
As a dinner for the co-ruler was being prepared, Peter explained to his father what he had learned during his nearly year in Europe.
"The most economically developed places are Venice, Genoa, Florence, Pisa and Bohemia. Hungary has a vast territory and sufficient food and livestock. The development of other places is also better than Wallachia, except Morea."
Mircea looked at Peter's travel notes and listened to Peter's explanation. He understood that if they could not quickly learn advanced technology, Wallachia's prosperity would only be temporary. If it wanted to be permanently strong, it must become fundamentally stronger.
"Tell me what you think" Mircea asked Peter to see what he had to say about the current situation.
"Still the same, prepare the army for war, encourage reclamation, increase taxation, and reform politics."
Today's Wallachia has developed in the previous reforms. If it wants to continue to maintain it, it must intensify its reform efforts, and the previous treatment of the boyar nobles marked the second stage of the reform.
"Tell me the details. My father will always support you."
With the support of the Archduke, Peter was about to start boldly. Peter and Mircea discussed advanced industrial technology and the emergence of literature and art. Wallachia needs to learn advanced technology and develop productivity so that it can gain a foothold in Europe.
Mircea agreed with Peter that reform is the way out, and remaining stubborn will only lead to destruction. Only when you are strong can you win respect.
The next day, Peter appeared at the State Council. The ministers were a little surprised, but they soon stopped being surprised, because the Grand Duke of Mircea gave Peter the power to take charge of the department and was responsible for the conduct of the State Council while in Mircea. Peter's The Governor-General of Bulgaria remained unchanged, but only in name only.
And Peter finally began to transform Wallachia. After counting the treasury, it was found that there were still 3.5 million lei in it, and there was also a large amount of land confiscated from the boyar nobles.
Among the reforms, military reform is particularly important. Although Wallachia has begun to establish a standing army, its combat effectiveness is still too small compared with surrounding countries, so military training must continue.
Peter spread the rank list. Regardless of his origin, as long as he made meritorious service in battle, he could be promoted and receive corresponding rewards.
In addition to military ranks, weapons and training have not been left behind. Small troops and legions have become proficient in the use of firearms, and their power has been greatly improved due to the use of granular gunpowder.
After this, military transportation is also an important issue. If the army can arrive before its opponent, it can gain first-mover advantage. But this requires excellent transportation, and the construction of roads is essential.
Ordinary lords and villages and towns did not have the financial resources to build roads. Only the great lords and the wealthy city-states in northern Italy had enough money to build roads. The Grand Justice of Wallachia belongs to the class of super lords.
Roads connected major towns such as Bukur Yesti, Constanta, Iasi, and Tarvono, promoting social mobility and the development of trade.
Infrastructure must keep up, and urbanization is inevitable. With the increase in commerce and factories, the population of Bukur Yesti and Constanta continues to increase. Roads can no longer be the dirt roads of the past, but roads paved with stone. is stable.
"Your Highness, we can currently recruit 50,000 people to join the army. In addition, we can hire 7,000 soldiers for three months."
Military director Adrian reported to Peter the results of the army's construction in recent years. Wallachia's army has made a big leap in both quantity and quality. Moreover, Wallachia is the army equipped with the most artillery. Who can achieve such a military achievement?
Peter was very satisfied, because the large-scale use of firearms was a step ahead of Europe. Although it was still not good enough, it was still progress.
Then came the report from the Finance Office, which estimated that Wallachia's revenue this year would be 2.01 million lei, and its expenditure would be 1.8 million lei. After one addition and one subtraction, there is a surplus of 200,000 lei.
The bulk of the increase in revenue is trade surplus, and towns that have reached their tax-free date have also paid taxes for the first time. Moldova's three-year tax-free date has arrived. After three years of recovery, the economy has long been more prosperous than before.
If the economy and military are like this, then political reforms can begin. Although the monopoly of official positions by the nobility has been broken, the hierarchy of the clan remains unchanged. For this reason, Peter decided to formulate a hierarchy of official positions to promote the development of the country.
The Official Rank Table divides official positions into three types, namely court positions, civilian positions and military positions (divided into army and navy), each of which is divided into fourteen grades: palace positions range from ninth to second grade, with second grade being the highest; Civil service ranks range from the fourteenth-class civil servants to the first-class civil servants, with the first class being the highest. Officials of non-aristocratic origins can obtain the title of hereditary nobility when they reach the eighth-level official position.
Such a list of official ranks is not daring, because it directly digs into the roots of the nobles. As in the previous situation, there will definitely be a lot of opposition.