Chapter 297 Plunder

The Roman army entered Venice and began to transform it into a primitive era. Various looting and arrests were carried out. Glass craftsmen from Murano were captured and became royal craftsmen, as were various luxury craftsmen.

Others, such as carpenters, stonemasons, blacksmiths, leather workers, and textile workers, in short, as long as they had skills, would be taken to the Roman Empire as slaves, and they would play their own role in the empire's economy.

As for the others, they would be taken back and handed over to the emperor for decision. Whether exile or execution, they would not be given freedom.

Those things that were robbed from Constantinople were returned to their original owners. After 200 years of being robbed, they finally returned home.

The soldiers dismantled every house and took away the decorations and artworks inside. These will all be shipped back as spoils of war.

Of course, the most important thing is to find money. Venice is known as the number one trader in the Mediterranean, how could it be without money. However, the merchants' reinvestment was obviously forgotten, and most of the money was exchanged for factories and other things, so it was also taken down by Rome to be sold and used.

"Your Highness, we received a total of 2.03 million ducats in cash from Venice."

"What, so little?" Peter was a little unconvinced. After all, Venice had dominated the Eastern Mediterranean for decades. Even if it had fought a war with Genoa, it shouldn't have had so little.

"Your Highness, we have searched Venice thoroughly. There is really nothing left."

It was much less than expected, but it was enough for Rome's fiscal revenue for a year. Other things could also be sold for some gold coins.

"Everything here must be shipped back. There can be no delay."

All the cultural relics, books, gold, silver, population and other things in Venice were transported to Constantinople. This was the greatest victory Rome had achieved.

St. Mark's Basilica was demolished beyond recognition, leaving only stones, stones, and stones. Because there were so many things, it took more than ten days to transport them all.

Such looting frightened Francesco. He didn't know if Genoa would encounter the same situation. But Peter comforted him, saying that if the peace treaty was reached, he would let them go. This comforted him a little, and then he immediately went back to persuade the parliament to give more peace terms.

Peter reduced some of the conditions he gave him, but the most important compensation and tributary rights remained unchanged, which was enough for the parliament to discuss for a while. Now, his target is Milan and the Papal States.

The news of Rome's victory over Venice in the naval battle and the capture of Venice spread at an alarming speed, and all the Italian states were shocked. The whole of northern Italy was in fear of Rome.

Venice was gone, and the Venice Alliance was naturally going to disband. But they didn't know whether Rome would retaliate against them. Their troops were all gone in the last battle. Now they could only try their best not to be captured by the other side. There was no way to deal with looting.

Rome should stop, but before that, it had to be deterred. After Peter handed the affairs of Venice to Constantine, he assembled part of the army and killed Rome.

————Dividing line————

Osman's Muhammad was relieved when he heard that Venice was destroyed. He was a little tempted by the plan to attack Rome with Venice before. Now it seems fortunate that he did not join, otherwise Rome would have to destroy him.

Osman now needs to recuperate, and will defeat Rome in the future to avenge his father.

Trebizond and Georgia sent envoys to Constantinople to express their submission, and the Grand Duchy of Moscow sent people to send gifts to celebrate Rome's victory.

The East India Company also sent people to send gifts, including ivory obtained from East Africa, spices from India, and porcelain from the far east. These are the results of Mason's continuous creation.

After reaching an agreement with the East African king, the company began to expel local forces, and the company obtained the right to do business locally by providing firearms and mercenaries. Later, the king went a step further and directly announced that the East India Company had obtained the right to do business nationwide and enjoyed the lowest preferential tax.

If you get the first one, you can naturally get the second one. Rome obtained its first colony in India, and obtained seven islands and a small piece of land from the Sultan of the Kingdom of Gujarat as a rest stop and trading point. The company built fortresses, churches, markets here, and prepared to go deep inland.

Because the islands in the south were in a state of political chaos, the company naturally occupied a large area of ​​land. It's just that the inland is forested, so progress is slow.

Rome now has the exclusive right to the maritime trade in the East, and a large amount of profits go directly into their pockets. In addition to handing over a part, the rest is used for expansion and missionary work.

The spread of the Orthodox Church in the East is somewhat unsuccessful. There are not only local indigenous religions, but also the Crescent Church and the heresy separated from the previous Ecumenical Council. However, after several years of development, it has gained a firm foothold, with more than 2,000 converts in East Africa, nearly 500 in the Arab region, and more than 1,000 in India.

The order sent priests to increase the missionary efforts. As the population increased, with the approval of the Patriarch of Constantinople, it was decided to establish an Eastern diocese and set up a patriarch. The headquarters was temporarily located in Aden, together with the company's headquarters.

The Orthodox Church took root here. They built churches and monasteries, and also built the first church school in Andronikos Port. Half of the company's income was used to build colonies, but fortunately the result was worth it.

There has been progress in both the East and the West, and Rome has not been so powerful for a long time. The decorative artworks and industrial machinery looted from Venice are favored by some businessmen, who want to buy them to decorate their homes.

Egypt did not say it would help Venice. First, Venice was gone. Second, Egypt benefited greatly from Rome's control of the Eastern trade. The Sultan did not want to send troops. He just wanted to make money.

The Roman army continued to attack in northern Italy. Bologna, Ravenna, Ferrara, and San Marino fell one after another. Every time Rome went to a place, it captured and transported the local excellent craftsmen back. The local treasury was plundered, and the gold and silver treasures became Rome's fiscal revenue.

As the Roman army approached, the Republic of Florence changed dramatically. The local people overthrew the rule of the Obici family, and John Mason served as the standard bearer of justice to negotiate with Rome. This was the father of Mason, the governor of the East.

"I am not sure that the Roman Empire can let Florence go, but even if the hope is slim, I will try. I hope that the citizens of Florence can unite and face the upcoming enemy together."

John was ready. After all, the army that could easily destroy Venice would definitely pay a high price to withdraw. But when destruction comes, these costs seem less important. He hopes to protect Florence, which is the so-called social responsibility.