Chapter 357 Bringing things to order
Rome recovered a large area of lost territory, and local government affairs became more and more important. Peter had to deal with government affairs as well as military matters.
Peter initially announced that the reconquered parts of Anatolia would be exempted from taxes for one to two years, while simultaneously redistributing land and rewarding soldiers. Then he began to use the Armenian Church and asked his father to send several Armenian bishops to help appease him.
Among the ethnic groups recognized by Rome, many emperors had Armenian ancestry. They are also an important presence in eastern Anatolia, a resource that the empire needs to exploit.
Peter's move to regain the land not only frightened the Mamluks, but also envied Michael. He was the first to receive the news that his father appointed him governor of Trebizond, but there has been no further action so far, which made him bored.
However, he would still have it if he went to war. Seeing that his eldest brother is regaining more and more land, he also wants to open up territory for the empire. I feel sorry for Georgia in the east.
When King Alexander of Georgia heard that Trebizond was occupied by the Romans, he felt that something was wrong. He stationed his army in Taos to prevent the Roman army. He also prepared to go to Constantinople to explain to the emperor, hoping to survive.
But it is obvious that the king's thoughts are different from those below. Joseph, who proclaimed himself the king of Imereti, obviously had other thoughts. Not only did he not obey Tbilisi's command, he also blocked Alexander from sending envoys, hoping to fish in troubled waters.
In their vast homeland, there are still some Turks hiding in Tibet. But they were all caught.
"Caught him, there's a kid."
"That's great. It's a good thing to send him to the monastery quickly."
The villagers were talking about it, while the Turkic woman in the middle cried while holding her child. She didn't expect that her family would be ruined in just a few months, and even her own children would have to leave her. How could this be allowed?
"Please, let the child go, he is still young."
The woman begged the villagers in harsh Armenian to give the child a way to live, and some soft-hearted people said to her.
"Now is not the time for you to be arrogant and domineering. Everything depends on God's will."
In contrast to the tragic experience of the Turks, there is the joy of the slaves who have been freed. They regained their freedom and were given land and houses, which made them loyal to the empire. Their children also had the opportunity to serve as officials, and the local unrest soon disappeared.
At the beginning, Muhammad boasted that he would take Constantinople in two months, but now the two months are up, Constantinople has not been gained, and Konya has been lost.
At this moment, Muhammad's eyes no longer had the arrogance of the past, but were replaced by the gloominess often seen in dying old men.
Sitting on the horse, he looked at the desperate scene in front of him, enduring the torture of stomach pain. He was like a skinny monkey riding on the horse.
In the village in front of them, countless soldiers were robbing the villagers of their last rations. The crying villagers knelt on the ground and begged, but all they got in return was the soldiers' heavy blows.
The girl's desperate shouting came through the room. Even a fool would know what was happening there!
But he can no longer see all this, or he doesn't want to see it at all. It is already a miracle that the army can barely maintain its organization at this moment, let alone military discipline!
All the areas where the army marched were as if they were plagued by locusts. Everything that could be eaten and carried was taken away, and all livestock were requisitioned by the army. For a time, the places they passed became a hell on earth.
Now he still has to retreat, and he also wants to fight to the death, but his remaining reason tells him that this will leave him without a place to die. He had to run next, to the city of Van, and if necessary, cross the Zagros Mountains to join Timur.
Within the Timur Empire, a large-scale clan rebellion was underway. Timur's sons and grandsons are all involved. The third son Miransha was excluded because of mental illness. Now the most powerful one is Timur's fourth son Shaharul.
Kara Yusuf of the Black Sheep Dynasty took the opportunity to attack Mirashah stationed in Azerbaijan, and at the same time captured the surrounding cities. He also had to observe the situation in the Roman Empire.
Ahmed of the Jalali Dynasty also raised troops in Baghdad and moved south to capture Basra. He also wanted to coexist harmoniously with the two great powers of Rome and the Mamluks to avoid fighting on two fronts, so he sent envoys to Cairo and Constantinople.
The Mamluk envoy came to Constantinople again. This time he faced not the "easy-talking" Caesar, but the emperor, whose coercion was even more powerful than their sultan.
"I have met the emperor of the Roman Empire, and I have come to discuss with your country the border between the two countries on the order of the Sultan of Egypt."
Mircea is waiting for this. The two countries are not next to each other at the moment. But with Rome's eastward advance and Timur's death, it was only a matter of time. At present, Rome has occupied Antioch and Aleppo, while the Mamluks have also recovered Jerusalem, and Mecca in the south has also surrendered to the Mamluks. Things are looking great.
However, the most important Ashkelon was not recovered. Because this place was originally destroyed by Saladin, the Crusader leader Richard I later built a base in the ruins. With this foundation, Roman businessmen invested here, and it finally looked like a town.
There were many Romans on pilgrimage to Jerusalem through here, and the pilgrimage economy drove the local recovery. In a town of 1,800 people, Romans accounted for more than 1,500 people. The previous massacre of the Romans was finally suppressed, and the Sultan did not want another bigger one. Therefore, we will bypass here and capture Tiberias first.
"The two countries can coexist peacefully and conduct friendly trade. Regarding land, I think your country is not willing to have a third country take advantage of it."
After hearing this, Mircea sneered and said, "Even if there is a third country, I will destroy it, just like Venice."
The envoy retorted: "But how long can your country hold on? Anatolia is already in your pocket. Can you really swallow more if it wants more?"
Not knowing why they still despised the empire so much, Mircea thought about the worst outcome. They had already formed an alliance with a certain country and were preparing to attack Rome.
Who could it be? Poland, Austria, Genoa, the Papal States, in short, Mircea was suspicious of everyone. However, the battle on the front line should not be replaced by negotiations. Whoever gets more will be able to occupy this land. If anything, since ancient times, all of Europe has belonged to Rome, including Egypt.
If the political construction was not still following up, would you have the opportunity to speak nonsense here? Next, we have to see whether the front line can work. Fighting is the best bargaining chip in negotiations.