1444, Byzantium Resurrects

Isaac pacified the Jufra Oasis and established preliminary order.

He divided the oasis into three administrative districts, making Narcissus Fortress, Jufra City and Alagay City their respective centers.

These cities were under the direct jurisdiction of the duchy government and were governed by magistrates dispatched by the duchy.

Numerous tribes affiliated with Isaac were active outside these three large settlements.

The generals who had fought alongside Isaac in his campaigns were all granted their own fiefdoms.

Mikhail was made Count of Trisan, with his fiefdom located in the Trisan Oasis.

Conte formally declared his allegiance to Isaac and was made Baron of Shui, with his fiefdom at the Shui Well.

Commander Maruna also pledged allegiance to Isaac, becoming a vassal and being granted the title of Baron of Cherler.

Ibrahim and Mehmed were both granted the title of Baron.

Isaac encouraged them to invest in their fiefdoms, requiring them to use their own funds to relocate refugees and cultivate land.

In exchange, they could appoint family members to help manage their fiefdoms.

Everyone was delighted, and Mikhail, who had received the largest fiefdom, couldn't stop smiling for days.

As his son was not interested in military affairs, he could be sent to help manage the fiefdom.

After he passed away, his family would not decline.

Isaac also formed the Slave Legion, consisting of war slaves and captive women. Eldosh was its leader and its role was to graze livestock in the area around the Dafile Spring. The five springs and the nearby oasis belonged to them.

The Slave Legion was independent of the entire administrative system and not under the jurisdiction of any military commander, reporting directly to Isaac himself.

At this point, the entire duchy was divided into two large regions: one for the legion and the others for the fiefdoms.

The Surt Region included the capital city of Surt Port and the St Joseph Administrative District.

The Jufra Region comprised the Narcissus Fort Administrative District, the Jufra City Administrative District and the Alagay Administrative District.

"That's it for now."

Isult closed the plan and looked at Isaac, who was tasting desert honey wine.

"Not bad. Once you have confirmed the candidates for the magistrates and fiefdom administrators, I will interview them personally."

"In addition to administrative planning, there are a few other matters."

"Please proceed."

Isult straightened his collar and picked up a pen to take notes.

"First, coordinate with Urda to establish the Sult United Chamber of Commerce, and encourage all tribal sheikhs and nobles to join."

"The chamber will establish branches in several major cities. Goods from subordinate tribes will converge at several trading points and be directed to the capital port of Sult. They will then be connected with the Monferrato Trading Company to complete the export and import of goods."

"Don't underestimate the chamber of commerce. It is a rope that ties the tribal sheikhs to us. Once they start receiving dividends from the chamber every year, they will naturally develop a sense of loyalty to the state."

"Secondly, send diplomatic envoys to Fezzan to reach a ceasefire agreement as soon as possible. Once we have successfully absorbed the occupied territories, we will continue our southern campaign."

"Thirdly, allow Baron Maruna to travel to northern Italy to recruit mercenaries to bolster the Black Corps, bringing its strength up to 2,000 men."

"The Purple Guard will be stationed in Jufra City, the Imperial Guard in Narcissus Fortress, the Black Corps in Alagay City and the Oak Corps will return to defend the port of Sirte."

"Fourthly, we should begin to gradually form city guard forces in each city, prioritizing Greek Orthodox Christians who are fluent in Arabic for officer positions. At the same time, begin forming city councils in each city, using Surt Port as a reference."

Isaac watched Isult's pen scratch across the parchment. Looking at his reddened eyes and large dark circles, Isaac suddenly felt somewhat conflicted.

"Is that all, Your Highness?"

"Fifth... Get some rest, dear lord."

Isaac patted Isult on the shoulder and poured him a cup of honey wine.

After seeing Isult off, Isaac welcomed the Minister of Finance, Riddle.

He was a fat, bald, middle-aged man of Slavic descent who was said to have been a finance official for a nobleman of the Golden Horde.

He was dressed in luxurious clothes and wore a curved sword.

After the Battle of Saint Joseph, Isaac awarded 100 curved swords in total.

This time, the recipients were not limited to the military; civil servants who had made outstanding contributions were also eligible.

Due to their exquisite craftsmanship and fine quality, the swords were well received by the soldiers and became known as 'Isaac swords'. Owning an Isaac sword was a great honor for a soldier.

Owning an Isaac sword was a great honor for a soldier.

"What is it, my finance minister?"

"Your Highness, I regret to inform you that if you continue to wage war, you will be bankrupt next month."

Riddle spread out the financial report in his hand and showed Isaac the territory's income and expenditure.

His handwriting was as messy as a chicken pecking at rice, and Isaac couldn't make head nor tail of it.

"Explain it to me."

"I'll make it brief."

Last month, the Duchy of Surt only collected 500 ducats in taxes, and that was with the Montferrat Trading Company actively purchasing Surt slaves.

"Does that include the Jufra region?"

"No."

"What about other income?"

"The war booty is estimated at 10,000 ducats, but it is difficult to convert livestock and other supplies into cash."

"Captain Fidel's raids this month yielded a total of 6,000 ducats."

"The Roman printing press made a profit of 4,000 ducats."

"The Monferrato Trading Company's dividend was 3,000 ducats."

"Marquis John IV sent 2,000 ducats in arrears."

"Due to the war, tribal taxes have been suspended."

"The Greek Guinea Company has not yet sent a new batch of gold."

"And our expenses are..."

Seeing that Riddle was about to continue, Isaac hurriedly stopped him.

"Just tell me, what is the deficit?"

"This month's total deficit is 8,800 ducats, and there are currently 2,400 ducats left in the treasury."

"If you continue your conquests, you will have to borrow money from the merchants next month."

Riddle spread his hands.

"So much for military expenses?"

"These are the rules you set yourself. Rewards after the war, compensation for the dead and wounded, and regular wages all add up to a huge sum of money."

Isaac bit his lip.

He could treat himself badly, but he couldn't treat his soldiers badly.

"I have already sent envoys south, so there should be no more fighting. We need some time to digest this."

"Also, the palace you proposed last time can be postponed for now."

"Then, my dear prince, we can provide the funds requested by Lancelot and Albert, and civil engineering projects can begin. This will require..."

Riddle began to calculate.

"No need to come to a conclusion now. Just submit the financial reports to me for review every month. If other departments request them, please submit the materials to me for approval."

"Of course."

Riddle closed the accounts, bowed and left.

There would be battles this month, so finances would definitely be tight. However, once the Jufra region began to turn a profit and the Surt United Chamber of Commerce was established, the financial situation should improve.

It was time to take a break.

The next day, Isaac returned to Surt Port under the protection of the Occitan Corps.

The Minister of the Interior, Isult, and the Minister of Finance, Riddle, remained behind in Narcissus Fortress.

It was winter, and the dry grasslands were rejuvenated by the rain.

Around Surt Port, all the land next to the newly built villages that could be cultivated had been cultivated. Greeks and South Slavs from the Balkans and Goths and East Slavs from the Black Sea coast lived together on this arid land.

Isaac rode his horse and observed the farmers working in the fields from a distance.

They were very alert and each was armed with a machete; there were also lookouts on high ground.

When they saw his flag, the farmers relaxed and waved to him.

Isaac turned his horse and rode straight towards a farmer.

He was a typical Greek farmer: weary and humble, and accustomed to bowing and scraping after years of oppression.

"Your Highness."

He knelt and bowed.

"What are you planting?"

Isaac pointed to the fields where green shoots were already sprouting, drawing moisture from the ground and growing upwards with all their might.

"Your Highness, I am planting rye, and there are some onions over there." "The agricultural official who came to help us sow last time said that the conditions here are not ideal for growing wheat or oats, but rye has a better chance of succeeding."

The onions were also planted under his guidance."

Isaac looked at the field. The rye seedlings were indeed growing poorly.

"Can you feed yourself?"

"It's okay, Your Highness. Although the land is poor, I was given a lot of it. This is the worst piece of land I have. All the good land has already been planted."

When the subject was land, the farmer's face lit up with joy.

"What's going on over there?"

Isaac pointed to a small patch of green fields and asked.

The farmer suddenly looked frightened.

He stood up, then knelt again.

"Your Highness, please forgive me. My son planted weeds there and contaminated your land."

"Alex!"

Hearing his father's call, a red-faced boy of about ten emerged from the grass.

"Quickly apologize to His Highness!"

Isaac stopped the boy.

"Alex, what did you plant?"

"Clover, Your Highness."

"Why did you plant these?"

Encouraged by Isaac, Alex explained why he had planted clover.

"I found that the soil becomes fertile when clover is planted.

"And sheep like to eat this grass."

"Most importantly, it can be grown in many places and is very resistant to sandy soil."

Excitedly, he dug up the soil where he had planted the clover and showed his discovery to Isaac.

Isaac looked at the little boy in amazement as he spoke, getting more and more excited.

There are many types of clover, and the one this little boy had planted was probably alfalfa.

Alfalfa is a legume suitable for sandy soil that is tolerant of cold, drought and salt, but not of waterlogging.

One disadvantage is that it is easily affected by weeds and has poor competitiveness.

Seeing his father's expression fall, Alex gradually fell silent.

"Alex, I think your discovery is very meaningful. Come with me and I'll give you a different job."

...

Isaac returned to Sult, this time focusing on investigating the surrounding agricultural areas.

The advantage was that all the usable land was being used.

The disadvantage was that the planting methods were crude and the land was not being used to its full potential.

Dong, dong, dong—

"Come in!"

The door opened and a middle-aged man walked in, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

"Your Highness, you wanted to see me?"

"Please, sit down, Mik."

Mik was one of the talents recommended to Isaac by George Sphranx. He had previously been the steward of an estate in Epirus and was knowledgeable about agriculture.

After establishing the duchy, Isaac hired him as an agricultural advisor to oversee land reclamation and division.

"This is Alex, a young man with a passion for learning about the land. In the future, he will become your assistant." "Your Highness, you mean..."

Miks's face lit up with surprise.

"I have decided to formally appoint you as Minister of Agriculture, in charge of land affairs."

"This Alex will assist you in your work."

"Take a look at this."

Isaac handed Miks the preliminary plan that he and Alex had worked on for an afternoon.

"Alex, explain it."

Alex stood up and greeted Mik.

"There are two necessary conditions for implementing our plan."

"Land and livestock."

"First, we will divide a piece of land into three parts."

"The first section will be used to grow alfalfa, which can be used to feed cattle and sheep once it has matured. After harvesting, the roots and stems of the alfalfa can be mixed into the soil to fertilize it."

"The second section will be used for composting: the alfalfa roots and stems will be mixed with cattle and sheep manure, which will then be applied to the soil to fertilize it."

"The third section will be used to grow grain crops, and the alfalfa and fertilizer will greatly increase the yield."

"After one cycle, the land is rotated so that the area previously used for grain crops is used for alfalfa, the area used for alfalfa is used for composting and the area that has been composted is used for grain crops."

"This plan will initially take two to three years to implement, and is currently in the experimental stage."

Mik looked at it for a long time and remained silent.

It was an agricultural reform plan formulated by Isaac based on Alex's discoveries and his own understanding of the future.

Isaac had really racked his brains to balance all the factors.

Some farmers were reluctant to mix manure directly into their grain crops, believing that this would anger God.

"Then I'll mix the manure with alfalfa. Is that okay?"

Some short-sighted farmers were unwilling to tend to alfalfa in the same way as they did their grain crops.

"Then I'll combine farming and animal husbandry, using alfalfa as feed for cattle and sheep. Is that OK?"

Isaac sipped his fruit wine and quietly watched Mix's expression.

"Your Highness, this plan still needs to be tested. If it is successful, it will have unlimited potential."

"I'll go and prepare the first experimental field right away."

Mik saluted and prepared to leave.

"The details of the plan still need to be refined. Alex, you'll accompany him."

"Don't be limited by the plan. Treat each situation as it arises."

"Of course."

Although Isaac had knowledge of agricultural reform from the 21st century, he didn't dare use it recklessly.

Land is complex, and you can't draw conclusions based on theory alone.

Every decision affects the livelihoods of countless farmers.

The curved plough, for example, which is widely used in countless novels, is completely unsuitable for the Mediterranean and temperate desert climates of North Africa.

Legumes fertilize the soil and manure increases yields. These principles apply to all land.

Farmers may not be very satisfied at first, but once they discover the benefits of crop rotation, they will adopt it on a large scale.

Time will prove everything.

Time passed, and in 1447, the Easter bells rang out in the church.

Orthodox immigrants from Europe celebrated their rebirth, and some Arab Orthodox Christians joined in the festivities.

They took to the streets and kissed each other.

"Jesus is reborn," they exclaimed joyfully.

Some were former slaves or serfs, while others had come to this new place in search of opportunities after being unable to make a living in their hometowns.

Inside the newly opened taverns in the port of Surt, people were packed in. The Montferrat Trading Company and the Surt Joint Chamber of Commerce had joined forces to open several new markets, supplying local residents with European and North African goods.

They sang hymns to celebrate the new year and new life.

Isaac was in his study, writing a letter.

"Dear George Castrioti Skanderbeg, I wish you good health. I will drink to your victory over the Ottomans..."

"As your loyal friend, I have some advice for you."

"It is not about the brutal Ottomans, but about those greedy Venetian merchants."

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