Chapter 416 The Emperor’s Rise Again
"But."
He wanted to say something more, but was stopped by Gion. The policy from above has been decided, and what they have to do is to pacify the West as soon as possible.
"The Romagna army has taken control of Verona. This is our opportunity. Even if the place becomes a place without survivors, we must pacify it."
His Majesty the Emperor's order is clear: do not be lenient to rebellion. These armies can rob, they can kill, they can do anything as long as they can win.
The army began to advance toward the rebel areas, advancing by land and water, with vehicles and boats traveling in parallel. Scrooge began to feel the pressure and kept asking for help from Venice and Ljubljana, and also issued threatening words, meaning that if I lose it, you will be next.
The gentry in Ljubljana are angry. You, a peasant with a mud-legged background, dare to intimidate them, the nobles. I really don’t want to live anymore.
Now they also regret being independent. Their rights were recognized in Rome, but now they have directly become rebels. Such a huge psychological gap makes them unbearable.
Austria, who is timid, must have no feelings for them at all. It would be better to return to Rome, at least their interests would not be lost.
However, their credibility in front of the emperor is now negative. If you really want to join him again, you need something else.
In order to delay time, Venice also released news of negotiations with Rome. They said that the Roman officials oppressed them too hard, and they were forced to rise up because they were helpless. If the imperial government could agree to their request, they would still be loyal to him.
The requirements include but are not limited to: recognizing the existence of the Venetian Parliament, and the imperial government's decrees must be approved by the Parliament before they can be implemented; without the approval of the Parliament, the imperial government cannot carry out policies such as conscription and tax increases; the candidate for the governor of Venice cannot be recommended by the emperor...
Although there were other conditions, it was impossible for the emperor to agree to these three. If you want it so much, then go play somewhere else. People leave, but the land stays.
Mircea returned to his previous diligent state. He began to deal with a large number of affairs and had a clear division of labor with Peter. Even travel has been postponed.
"Don't be soft on rebellion. Anyone who has property in the local area will be arrested and exiled."
The clerk recorded the emperor's order and sent it to the front line. Mircea was also very cruel. This punishment was definitely the most severe since he took office.
"His Majesty"
The High Steward knelt and kissed Mircea's robe, and then said: "Lord Listerine is here."
"Okay, let him go to the garden and wait. I still have something to do."
"yes"
The emperor looked at the letter from the King of England to him and sent it urgently. It said how deep the friendship between the two countries was, and he hoped that Rome would not join the French war. He did not want to see Rome lose its lives as a result.
"Hmph, call me if you can, and don't use such threatening words."
Henry IV also forgot that Rome was already a large country rather than a city-state. Rome could not end the war personally, but he did not say anything about supporting agents. It’s true that I can’t do this anymore.
Listerine was already eager to share the results with the emperor, but it took him a lot of effort to accomplish this.
"Your Majesty has arrived"
Seeing Mircea approaching, Listerine quickly knelt down and kissed the robe. This was already a necessary etiquette for ministers to see the emperor, unless the other party was older and would not allow it.
"Your Majesty, the road from Ancyra to Antioch has been constructed. It only takes a week to complete this journey."
This was Listerine's first achievement and an important project for the empire in the east. The connections between the new territories will be even closer, and if I, the Prime Minister, had not been coordinating them, it would have taken even longer to complete.
"Okay, Prime Minister, this is not the only thing you are here for, right?"
"I have other things to report to Your Majesty. The Sultan of Granada has sent three letters in a row expressing his willingness to convert to Orthodoxy and be loyal to Your Majesty. I consider this matter urgent and ask Your Majesty to make a decision."
Granada is a pagan country in southern Iberia. They had previously sent envoys to express their submission, but the emperor did not agree. However, they kept an eye on it, brought a few missionaries back, and taught them Orthodox doctrine every day, ready to convert at any time. Even the imams in the mosques were preparing to convert in order to survive. Compared with Castile and Aragon, Rome was considered moderate.
"If we agree to them, will it be good or bad for the empire?"
Mircea asked the question, and Listerine had already given the answer he had thought of.
"I believe that Granada has an important location and fertile land. If we acquire it, we can not only increase our strength, but also return to Iberia."
"But Granada is also a pagan country. Castile and Aragon have fought with it for hundreds of years. If you accept it rashly, it will easily lead to enmity with the two countries. Of course, your Majesty must decide the details."
It's really prime minister material, otherwise it would be a pity.
"In that case, let more people discuss it together."
The emperor included this matter in the next meeting of the Senate. Listerine went on to talk about other situations within the empire, such as increased grain production, pacification of unrest, etc. Of course, the most important thing was the land situation across the country.
"Your Majesty, today 25 members of the House of Commons jointly petitioned your Majesty to inventory the land across the country, pay taxes based on the land, and reduce or reduce the head tax."
This is the first time I have seen them. After all, these members are also famous local landowners. Why do they suddenly request an inventory of their land?
He immediately knew that these people were all members of the Blue Faction. Most of their businesses are in industry, commerce and shipping, and land only accounts for a small part of their income. Of course there is nothing to lose. But the landowners were in dire straits, especially in inland areas. They relied on land and caravans for income. If the land was remeasured, it would be impossible to hide taxes.
In addition, this matter also has the support of some officials. They are all young people who have just entered the officialdom. They are eager to make big political achievements and establish an upright image in front of the people. So the activity of inventorying the land is naturally accepted. welcome.
"I really underestimate them, but there is a way. The population is insufficient, so naturally we need to reduce the burden. Are there any other suggestions?"
"Yes, there are also those that increase taxes on industry and commerce, increase tariffs, and I guess border immigration, there are basically people who support it."
It seems that the political demands of the House of Commons are so high that they are even more powerful than the Estates-General. The emperor has always wanted to close the parliament, but he always felt that this would cause an earthquake, and the nobles and gentry across the country would have to rebel. In this case, it is better to focus on sparing them and guiding them, which is also a compromise. Now it seems that it is indeed good.