1444, Byzantium Resurrects

"Dean Marcel, what is this?"

At Narcissus Medical School, Isaac picked up a sticky mass and examined it curiously.

"A mixture of liver and heart, and maybe some intestines too."

Marcel, a Shiite medical scholar from Baghdad, fiddled with a bloodstained manuscript without looking up.

Slap!

Isaac quickly threw the unknown object in his hand away.

"This is all your subjects' fault, Your Majesty."

"They are all ignorant, uneducated believers, not students with a thirst for knowledge."

"These people have no understanding of the importance of anatomy, and they don't want to distinguish between different organs properly."

Dean Marcel did not spare Isaac's feelings, openly expressing his dissatisfaction with the students he had recommended.

Isaac could only smile helplessly.

Talented people were hard to come by, and there wasn't a single fully qualified doctor in the whole of the Christian world at that time.

The winds of the Renaissance had only just begun to blow, and the Church's authority had not yet been completely lost. Currently, there were no professional doctors, and most were part-time. People in various places still relied on prayer to cure diseases.

The Muslim world was much better off. They had a long tradition of medicine, and the famous Persian physician Avicenna had left them a rich legacy.

In a few decades, Isaac might be able to recruit Vesalius, but he couldn't wait that long.

If he started training people now, he might be able to enjoy the benefits of a medical revolution in five or ten years.

"Dean Marcel, anatomy can wait. But how are they doing with the most important subject of all, surgery?"

Most of the students Isaac recommended were Orthodox Christians, many of whom were sons of the imperial guard.

While these people may have been deeply influenced by the Church, their loyalty was guaranteed.

"The surgical students are mediocre. They all want to learn simple battlefield bandaging as quickly as possible, and not a single one of them is seriously studying the theory!"

Marcel was clearly very angry and slammed his manuscript shut.

Isaac could only smile and agree with him.

"Did you carefully read the document I gave you last time?"

"Yes, I extracted it according to your method, and the results are good."

Marcel's expression softened slightly as he took a small glass bottle from the cabinet and shook it in front of Isaac.

The bottle contained a pale yellow viscous liquid.

Allicin was one of the few benefits that Isaac had gained from travelling through time.

It was very easy to make. Before travelling through time, Isaac had made it once at home using alcohol.

Although it was not very pure, it was better than nothing.

Allicin has good antibacterial and disinfecting properties, and can be used on the battlefield and in horse feed.

After bidding farewell to Dean Marcel, Isaac went to a secluded corner of Narcissus Medical College.

The guards at the door recognized him and saluted.

"Is Mendot here?"

"He's inside, Your Majesty."

Isaac nodded and walked into the dark room.

This was the medicine manufacturing bureau that Isaac had established. Access was strictly controlled, and workers and managers were not allowed to leave without permission.

Currently, the bureau only produced one type of medicine.

"Mendot, how many doses of sea medicine can you produce per day?"

Sea medicine was specially formulated by Isaac for long-distance voyages and was highly profitable.

The complicated formula involved adding a little of everything, but the only effective ingredient was citrus juice.

In those days, sailors faced many challenges on long voyages, and while scurvy was not the most dangerous, it was certainly the most frustrating.

This disease had been around since the time of the Greek colonies, but there had never been an effective treatment.

Superstitious sailors used to believe that this disease, which struck after being away from land for too long, was a curse from the sea god and that the only thing they could do was pray to God for protection.

If this "miracle drug" could be popularized, it would indirectly promote ocean navigation and bring a fortune to its creator.

The complex and confusing formula was merely a cover created by Isaac to keep the real formula secret.

"Your Majesty, this concoction is not complicated; we can produce about fifty bottles a day."

Mendot, leaning on his cane, limped towards Isaac.

A member of Isaac's old guard, he had lost his foot in the Battle of the Great Wall of Corinth but survived by luck. He was then hired by Isaac to supervise the drug manufacturing bureau.

Isaac nodded. In the short term, this production scale was the most appropriate.

"First, provide these drugs to our Mediterranean fleet. Once the sailors have used them, they will naturally advertise this miracle drug."

"Let's build up its reputation first, then we can expand production."

Having said this, Isaac handed the documents and glass bottles containing garlic extract to Mendot.

"The manufacturing process for this new medicine is not complicated. Contact Dean Marcel and try to get the finished product ready as soon as possible."

...

"Honorable Lord Fidel, this is our sincerity."

At the port of Bilinchi, a large paddle-sail warship stood proudly.

After more than a month of negotiations, Cyrenaica, Montferrat and Genoa had reached a preliminary joint trade agreement.

The agreement stipulated that the Republic of Genoa would invest 20,000 ducats in the Montferrat Trading Company, accounting for 10% of its shares.

In return, Genoa would grant Isaac the right to purchase new warships and allow the Cyrenaica Mediterranean fleet to dock and replenish supplies in its ports.

In return, Cyrenaica would open the cities of Aulon and Beda as trade bases for Genoa, where Genoese merchants would enjoy partial trade privileges for certain goods.

Additionally, Isaac requested that the Doge of Genoa hand over some of the captured pirates to him to be employed as instructors at the Naval Academy and as sailors on privateers.

"What a beautiful ship. What's her name?"

Captain Fidel looked at the tall ship's hull, his eyes lighting up.

"The Grand Doge."

"This warship was built for coastal combat. Its hull is agile and elegant, well suited to the challenging sea conditions off the coasts of Anatolia and Tunisia."

"At His Majesty's request, we designed the ship's hull to be very high, effectively countering the Muslims' favorite tactic of boarding."

Fidel nodded, walked onto the deck and looked around as though he were a young man who had been single for twenty years and had just seen the woman of his dreams.

"My lord, we have brought some old pirates with us. Their loyalty cannot be guaranteed, but when it comes to looting and killing, no one is more skilled than them."

"Very good. When His Majesty returns from his tour of the West, we will formally sign the agreement."

"Now, let's go and see these pirates you say are so evil."

...

On 26 March 1449, Isaac finished his journey to the west and returned to Bilinchi City.

Currently, the situation in the whole of the Sult region is relatively stable. The proportion of immigrants is increasing, and the local natives are either waiting to be assimilated or sold.

The kingdom's chancellor, Isult, was already planning to relocate the government from the increasingly overburdened city of Sult to Bilinchi.

According to Isaac's plan, Sult would become the center of livestock breeding and trade in the territory — a role it would continue to play in later generations.

The ecological environment here could not support a large capital city.

Following the Slave Decree, the tribal forces in the Sult and Jufra regions declined further. While enjoying the benefits of the Joint Chamber of Commerce, these tribal sheikhs gradually lost their ability to survive independently.

Herders used to raise horses, sheep and camels and grow dates in areas with more water, leading self-sufficient lives.

Now, things are very different. The United Chamber of Commerce now firmly controls the finances of the tribal people.

Wool is expensive? Then I'll just raise sheep.

Camel calves are expensive? Then I'll breed more female camels.

You say no one breeds horses or trains male camels? What happens in war? What does that have to do with me?

When I have free time, I have to work at the wool factory in the city.

The tribal people have been liberated from their independent systems and turned into cogs in the social machine.

While Isaac's repeated bloodletting severely weakened the tribal forces, the specialization and standardization of animal husbandry were the final nail in the coffin for the small tribes. Some small tribes attempted to resist, but were swiftly crushed by local sheriffs and their city guards. Their members were uprooted and sold to several Muslim countries to the west.

Meanwhile, Granada was locked in a bitter struggle with Castile, while the Marin and Hafs dynasties were engaged in internal strife. These Muslim slaves had no trouble finding buyers.

Consequently, the self-sufficient tribal economy of North Africa gradually collapsed under the impact of the foreign commodity economy. The remaining large tribes had to consider transformation or disappear into the dust of history.

The winds of reform were blowing stronger and stronger, and naturally, some people were able to ride the wave of change. Count Adnan, who worked hard to govern the ancient city of Uhud, was one of the best of these people.

Seeing that Isaac was slow to start building roads, he took the prisoners he had captured from King Abdullah and began building a road to the city of Jufra himself.

The changes in the tribes had both positive and negative effects. On the positive side, society as a whole became more stable and the restless elements in the region were swept away. The remaining large tribes gathered tightly around the cities and no one dared to challenge Isaac's absolute authority in the Surt region.

On the negative side, the tribesmen were certainly not as strong under the new system, and it would be difficult to recruit sufficiently skilled warriors in future.

Upon returning to Bilinchi City, Isaac wasted no time in immediately summoning his chancellor, Isult, and his finance minister, Riddle.

"Gentlemen, it's been a long time. Why do you both look so thin?"

Isaac was somewhat gloating.

The Kingdom of Cyrenaica had recently been established, and military control was gradually being withdrawn from local areas, with political affairs being handed over to the newly formed local government.

This alone was enough to keep the two busy, not to mention the immigration matters of the Egyptian Copts and Armenians.

Following the coronation ceremony, Albert, head of espionage, and Anderson, foreign minister, were dispatched on missions by Isaac, leaving only the two of them to handle these tasks.

They rolled their eyes and ignored Isaac completely.

After spending a long time with him, they discovered that their monarch was not a high-and-mighty ruler, but actually quite amiable most of the time.

He trusted his subordinates, was generous, made wise decisions and lived a simple life. Where could they find a superior like this?

Isult shook his head and sighed.

"Your Majesty, if there is anything you need, please let me know. I still have to negotiate with Priest Pirni shortly."

"I still need to discuss trade taxes with Urda, the Executive President."

Riddle, standing nearby, immediately chimed in.

Isaac's court had already begun to form factions, one led by Chancellor Isult and the other by the Minister of Commerce, Andre. Ridel was one of the chancellor's supporters.

Isaac had always turned a blind eye to these factional struggles, provided they did not involve military power.

"Two things. After I'm done, send someone to carry them out."

Isaac's smile faded and he became serious.

"First, send surveyors to map important trade routes and establish relay stations at key water sources to convey royal orders and strengthen control over the provinces."

"The personnel at the relay stations should be selected from among retired veterans who are loyal to us, so that they can continue to serve the kingdom."

If used properly, the relay station system can convey the policies and orders of the central government to local areas quickly, greatly strengthening centralized authority.

Ancient Rome, the Persian Empire, the Mongol Empire and the Timurid Empire all had well-established relay station systems. All of these vast empires, which comprised numerous ethnic groups, had a well-established relay station system that connected all parts of the empire tightly together like a large net.

Isaac's current territory is a melting pot of ethnic groups, with the Greek ethnic group holding a dominant position in only some regions. Local cohesion is weak and the regime relies almost entirely on brute force to suppress local factions.

Religion can resolve some conflicts, but it cannot ensure long-term stability.

Isaac did not want to find himself leading his troops in a fierce battle with Mehmed II in the Balkans while his homeland in North Africa was engulfed in war.

Therefore, establishing a relay station system that could coordinate the entire country was imperative.

"It's about time."

Isult nodded and took notes.

"Secondly, based on the established relay stations, we will build roads."

"During my western tour, I considered the situation in various regions and came up with a rough plan."

Isaac handed a document to Isult.

"We will divide the roads into three categories for the different sections."

Isult read it aloud softly.

"The first class can accommodate two carriages driving side by side, and will mainly be used for commercial routes and military strongholds in the north."

"The second class can accommodate carriages and will be used in areas that are more important but severely decertified, such as the Jufra region."

"The third class..."

"That's it?"

Isult had lots of questions.

"The third class has no requirements. The central government will not provide funding, so local organizations will be responsible for construction. As long as people can travel on them, that's enough."

"Sprinkle coarse salt on them. If there is no coarse salt, use seawater, then cover them with gravel to prevent weeds from growing."

"The necessary funds for the post stations and roads will be provided by financial institutions. If that is not enough, ask me."

Riddle nodded.

"We gained a lot of wealth in the last War, so that should be enough for the short term."

...

Just after seeing off the two administrative officials, Isa was greeted by Captain Fidel.

Dong, dong, dong! The heavy knocking was unmistakable.

"Come in."

Isaac was lying on the table, furious.

The administration of the entire country had just got back on track when there was a talent shortage. Many local officials were adept at carrying out tasks, but without Isaac's guidance, they were completely adrift.

The constant travelling and exhausting horseback riding had really taken their toll on Isaac.

Just as he was about to rest, Fidel arrived to disturb his peace!

"Fidel, if you..."

"Your Highness, I've come to introduce someone to you."

Fidel's face showed his excitement.

"I won't see him."

"Your Highness, this person knows a lot about the sea and is an outstanding leader. He would be a valuable addition to the Marine Corps. Haven't you always wanted to establish such a force?"

"I won't see him."

"He's already here. At least meet him."

"Tell him to come in."

Isaac had no choice but to get up, get dressed, and adopt a respectful expression.

Moments later, Fidel dragged a man dressed in prison clothes and sporting a beard into the room.

The man walked crookedly, a habit peculiar to those who had spent many years at sea.

The corners of his mouth curved into a faint smile. His bronze-colored skin sparkled with intelligence as he sized up Isaac.

The man pulled a cross from his chest and kissed it.

"Thank you, almighty Lord, for giving me my freedom back."

Passionate, determined and devout — that was Isaac's first impression of him.

Isaac felt a sudden pang in his heart.

"What is your name?"

"You may call me Giovanni, Your Majesty, the great crusader."

The man bowed deeply.

"Giovanni Giustiniani."

"Your deeds reached the prison where I was held captive. Your devotion is admirable, so I have volunteered to join your cause and contribute to your holy war."

Giovanni looked at Isaac with a confident smile.

"Please join my team!"

Isaac stepped forward quickly and grasped his hands.

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