Chapter 362 The favorable diplomatic environment
Mason witnessed the influence of the Ming Dynasty with his own eyes, and many kings were conferred along the way. The local chiefs who fought against them also came to meet the Ming Dynasty's envoys in person with gifts.
Such a huge influence made Mason both impressed and worried. If the Ming Dynasty develops towards the sea, there will definitely be business disputes with Rome.
Originally, he had not had this idea until Zheng He enthroned King Srivijaya's deputy and Nanyang businessman Shi Jinqing as the Xuanwei Envoy of Old Port. When he established the Xuanwei Department of Old Port, he discovered that the Ming Dynasty decided to advance at sea, and the company must increase its efforts to maintain the existing sphere of influence.
The biggest obstacle between Rome and the East was Egypt. As long as the canal was not dug, the Mamluks could cut off this fragile connection by virtue of their geographical advantages.
Peter also planned the newly conquered land, which was divided into seven provinces: Konya, Antioch, Western Armenia, Eastern Armenia, Yerevan, Van, and Trebizond. The central government will send officials and allocate funds for governance, but Peter needs to work hard before that.
Peter met Mikhail in Yerevan, where the four brothers gathered together. At the same time, he also met Alexander. The Georgian king was respectful when he saw Peter.
"I heard that the King of Komnenos is your relative?"
Peter launched an attack as soon as he opened his mouth, so Alexander had to be prepared. His mother is my aunt, but I tried to persuade him many times to no avail. He is entirely to blame for his current fate. "
This statement has passed the first level, but the second level is coming again. "But when he sent troops, your country also sent troops to assist him."
"That's just to prevent infidels."
Peter was about to laugh out loud at Alexander's behavior. There are no pagans in the west. Why do you want to rebel against Tiangang?
"So that's the case, then I have to thank your country."
Alexander didn't care what to say about Peter's weirdness. What he wanted most now was Peter's guarantee that Rome would not go to war with Georgia.
"I wish you to go to Constantinople, for only the emperor can conclude an entente of friendship between the two countries."
Under the threat of Peter's army, Alexander quickly compromised. He would personally take the embassy to Constantinople to meet the emperor and then leave Yerevan.
The emperor's instructions reached Peter by sea and land, along with religious personnel from the Armenian Apostolic Church and the Orthodox Church. Their arrival stabilized the local people.
The army also found a lot of trophies here. The most valuable thing for most nomads was livestock. A large number of livestock became Peter's most valuable trophies. Hundreds of thousands of cattle, horses, and sheep were waiting to be divided by the army. A huge trading market was opened in various places, and the money obtained was distributed to the soldiers.
As for the other one, it was the gold and silver they had hidden in religious places. Those noble businessmen were afraid that their property would be turned over, so they hid it in religious places in advance. But they did not expect that the other party would come so quickly, and they were all tied up and exiled. These things became Peter’s.
There are hundreds of temples in Eastern Anatolia. Although Peter wanted to be Saladin, the hatred of pagans in the country was too deep, so he could only tolerate a few heresies in paganism, and the others were demolished.
Peter also discussed his thoughts with Mihai. From sending troops to uniting the Circassians, everything was good. Mihai has grown into a qualified ruler.
In this case, you can consider the location of Moscow. Peter also considered whether to use poison or something. After all, this guy was so alive that he had to wait more than 20 years.
And Vlad can take office immediately, and Jobst can transfer Brandenburg to him at any time. But Vlad's army hasn't taken shape yet, so we'll have to wait.
Although the expansion of territory makes people happy, a lot of management costs also come with it. In recent years, taxes have been lighter than during the Komnenos dynasty, and people's productivity has also improved a lot. The Balkans are also recovering faster than Anatolia, and nearly 60% of tax revenue is collected in the Balkans.
A unified large market and a stable social environment allowed the economy to recover, and conquering Venice would firmly control the Eastern Mediterranean in its own hands. The economic recovery has been very rapid, surpassing that of most European countries in less than four years.
Mircea learned from the lessons of previous warlords, returned all administrative power to the central government, and implemented a civilian system to centralize local power through rotating governance. It also promotes the perception of national unity.
In order to retaliate against the West, but also to protect its own industry. Mircea issued a decree: imposing high tariffs on wine, textiles, wool and other commodities from Milan, Florence, Savoy, Aragon, and Austria. Subsequently, Hungary, Naples, and Romagna followed suit. All of a sudden, their Trade was in panic, even though their trade direction was to the west.
Then Genoa also added insult to injury, increasing transportation costs a lot. If someone wants to attack him, then I will go directly to Rome, and I control the trade in the Western Mediterranean. They will not do that.
Florence's finances became increasingly difficult, and the city government had to continue borrowing. At the same time, they also set their sights on neighboring Pisa, intending to annex it.
The Duke of Romagna had completely eliminated local obstacles, and with the emperor's permission, the Republic of Emilia, which had been established less than a year ago, was also placed under his rule. He quickly grew into a powerful power in the Apennine peninsula. Francesco wanted more than his current status. He wanted to become a despot like Theodore.
To achieve this goal, he must unify Northern Italy. Only in this way will he be valued by Constantinople and then join the empire, thus ensuring the longevity of the family.
Of course he also thought about independence, but maintaining the kingdom after independence was not that easy. Especially on the Apennine Peninsula, which one of Lombardy, Ostrogothic, and Italy will last longer, it is best to join the empire, so as to ensure the interests of the family. After all, the emperor also needs them who understand the local conditions to govern.
At this time, the place he ruled had a population of about 500,000, which was quite a lot. But facing other countries, Milan and Savoy are both bigger than him. The Papal State's reasons for the war to regain its homeland will also cause trouble for him, and if they pull aid to deal with him, they will be in trouble. Although he has Roma behind him, it does not mean that Roma will help him regardless of his own life.
Francisco looked at the map on the wall and decided to take Lucca westward first to open up a passage to the Western Mediterranean. He also established good relations with the southern power Naples, granted Roman merchants some privileges, and borrowed money from banks to form a powerful army.