Chapter 243 Bureaucrats and Nobles

In Nicosia, Mihaly was excited every day after learning that he was named Duke of Ukraine. He couldn't wait to see what the land he ruled was like.

According to others, this is a land several times larger than Cepulus, bordering Lithuania and the Mongols, and it is difficult to rule it well.

But Mihaly likes adventure, and this land of opportunity is also his experience, and the time to test him has come.

After dealing with the two Italian relatives, Peter left Genoa and went to France. Milan and Naples both started their own performances. Laszlo began to kill the nobles in the country, whether it was poisoning or accidents, and he used all the methods he could. He was also preparing to expand outward, and the first to bear the brunt was the Papal States.

King Martin of Aragon kept an eye on Naples at all times. Sicily, which he ruled, was only separated by a strait. If Laszlo was ready to go south, this would be a good target. His navy was on standby at all times and could block the strait when necessary.

Due to the turmoil in southern Italy, the routes in the eastern Mediterranean have been affected to a certain extent. Western ports such as Dyrrachium have been significantly affected. Merchant ships have to bypass Sicily to reach other Western European countries.

In fact, they can also let Venice do it for them, but the commission required by the other party is too high, which makes many merchants follow their example to form shipping companies and use the power of others to open up routes. The goods produced in Rome are also squeezing the market of Italian countries, especially textiles.

Thessaloniki has become an important cotton trade and transshipment port in the Roman Empire. Half of the cotton raw materials and finished products in the entire country are exported from here. The exquisite finished products have suppressed the exports of many Italian regions and also made the pockets of many merchants bulge.

The textile industry in Central European cities such as Florence and Augsburg has suffered varying degrees of blows. The finished products from the East are not only exquisite, but also low in price, completely exceeding the products in the Italian region. Driven by the Chamber of Commerce, the sales of textiles are still expanding.

The Greek region is the largest cotton producing area in Rome. Due to the large demand for textiles, the cotton planting area continues to expand. The cotton textile industry soon surpassed the linen textile industry, but it has not surpassed the wool textile industry due to raw material reasons. If we get Andalusia and Syria, we should be able to surpass them.

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At the University of Constanta, the annual list release has begun. More than 700 people are competing for 100 places. The competition is fierce.

"Nikopol, have you found your name?"

"Not yet, but I saw your name, Alphonse."

Under the list, many people wanted to close their eyes for fear of missing any. And some nobles and businessmen are also looking for people on the list, intending to make friends with them.

This list has been going on for several years, and people have long been accustomed to such days. This way, they can not only gain popularity, but also get investors.

Nobles and businessmen have begun to look for people suitable for investment. In their view, these are potential future senior officials. If the investment is successful, it will be a great benefit to the family.

Alphonse saw his name and jumped up happily. This is the starting point for their family to rise. As long as they are on the list, they can enter the bureaucracy. Although their status is low at the beginning, they can also rise.

The examination enriched the bureaucracy. Not only Constanta, but also cities with universities such as Bucuriesti, Iasi, and Sofia are showing surprises. Most of these people come from small and medium nobles and citizen landlords. They do not have the strength of the great nobles. They basically support the imperial power, and the emperor also relies on these future bureaucrats to control every inch of land.

Mircea's control over the government is getting stronger and stronger, which makes Angel, the prime minister who has worked with him for ten years, feel tired. This emperor likes to expand the army too much. If the treasury has money, it’s okay, but the annual income and expenditure are roughly equal. At this time, expanding the army will burden yourself.

It’s another day of arguing with the emperor, Angel thought in his heart.

"Father is back." Angel's son Emilian stepped forward.

"Well", Angel didn't want to talk at this time. At the meeting today, Mircea directly proposed to continue the war in the future, and it was controlled by persuasion.

In the original Kemplong coup, thanks to Angel who always stood on Mircea's side, the family survived, and he also became the prime minister who was above one person and ten thousand people. But in the past ten years, he felt that this position was more and more difficult to do, especially after the Grand Duke was crowned as emperor, countless political affairs and orders to expand the army disturbed him all the time.

"Your Majesty has always been enthusiastic about the army. If there was no armistice agreement with the Ottomans, he would still be fighting now."

Angel also wanted to declare war on the pagans, but there were a lot of things to deal with within the empire at the moment, including the governance of new territories, diplomacy with European countries, and meeting the needs of the emperor. He was really tired as a prime minister.

"Father, why don't you dissuade your Majesty from suspending the expansion of the army?" Emilian asked.

"You don't understand," Angel paused and continued, "Ten years ago, your Majesty started the war against the Ottomans, and the spoils obtained by the empire were enough for the lives of the subjects of the country for several years. Your Majesty will not give up such a harvest, and the pagans still occupy a large area of ​​land."

Angel analyzed Mircea's ambition to his son. This monarch probably wanted to restore the glory and territory of Justinian the Great, plus the sacred mission of the Orthodox Church, so he was keen on expanding the army.

However, the rapid expansion of land is inconsistent with the developing national strength. What is needed most now is to recuperate. For this reason, Angel repeatedly dissuaded the emperor at the meeting. Fortunately, Mircea was still able to listen to his advice, so he did not continue to insist.

Moreover, in recent years, he has also seen that Peter's reputation has also risen, and even threatened Mircea. The original harmony between father and son is about to be unsustainable. This is why Peter volunteered to go to the West to do diplomatic work. Avoid suspicion.

"Although your majesty requires the expansion of the army, fortunately, there is still your highness's persuasion for the government to operate stably." Emilian suddenly interjected. After all, he served in the New Wallachia Yamen controlled by Peter, and he was also a subordinate of Caesar.

"Well, fortunately, God has given the empire a calm and wise crown prince."

Angel also agreed with his son's statement. In recent years, Peter has also made a lot of efforts in the construction of the empire. And he also persuaded Mircea to cool down when he was a little fanatical, and he is a qualified heir to the empire.

If Angel wants to continue the family heritage, he must establish good relations with the next emperor and other members of the royal family, because he has to take all factors into consideration and cannot put all his eggs in one basket.