Chapter 502 Change
The war outside did not affect the capital of the empire. The port of Constantinople was still bustling, and merchant ships from the East and the Black Sea were constantly coming and going. Let's pay tribute to the Queen of Cities together.
"My Lord, when will the war end? The treasury will be empty again in a while."
Baptiste complained to Listerine that in addition to military expenses and daily expenses, it would cost a lot of money to build Jerusalem. Baptiste had never been so stressed.
"Wait a little longer. According to the news, Bavaria has already negotiated peace with the empire, and other countries are expected to do so soon. Moreover, the canal has resumed navigation, and the income will soon increase."
The growing territory of the empire has increased administrative costs. The southern and northern yamen have added personnel, the number of provinces has increased again, and there are various public facilities. The expenditure remains high.
"Now all parts of the country are asking for money. If it weren't for the gold and silver from the East and India, I don't know how embarrassing it would be."
Listerine naturally knew that the finances were difficult, but since the implementation of the tax-service integration policy, tax revenue is expected to increase significantly. The treasury can be more comfortable at the end of the year.
"Be patient, and you can breathe a sigh of relief when your majesty returns victorious."
The prime minister could only comfort him in this way. What he had to do now was to work hard to stabilize the country. Nothing harmful to society should happen.
"By the way, Donetsk is not only suitable for farming, but also has many mineral deposits. It is really a good place. In another ten years, it will be different here."
The Ukrainian area in the north has become the most important place. A large number of immigrants have reclaimed this virgin land, and grain and minerals have been continuously transported to other parts of the empire. Such a treasure place has been occupied by the Mongols and Lithuanians for two hundred years, and it has not been developed. This is a gift to them.
"This is a gift from God to Rome. The northern government has organized an expedition to explore across the Don River. If all goes well, the Volga River will also belong to the empire."
"May God bless!"
Rome's military expansion is also proceeding in an orderly manner, and fortresses are being built and new artillery units are being built. Many people signed up to join the army, which is faster than taking exams to get promoted. They only need to come back alive on the battlefield and make great contributions.
If you want to own your own property, go to overseas colonies or the north to open up land. After a few years of hard work, you can get a piece of land or a workshop, and then live the life you dream of.
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Fort Saint Andrew, the southernmost tip of the empire, has begun to take shape after reclamation. It exports logs, cloves and other things every year in exchange for food and daily necessities. And the route is familiar, and the number of merchant ships coming and going is gradually increasing. They not only carry goods, but also new immigrants.
All matters on the island are handled by the Mason family. Fortunately, His Majesty is kind and exempted this place from taxes for five years, so they have time to develop this place.
"My lord, a new batch of immigrants has arrived"
"Well, take them to register."
Since Andrew was transferred to a senior official in Dalmatia, the affairs here are handled by his deputy.
Like other colonies, this place also relies on the export of sugarcane as its main source of finance. A large number of sugarcane plantations have sprung up, causing a shortage of labor, so some people were captured from the inland as slaves for them to work.
The indigenous people in the inland areas could not bear it and launched several attacks, but they were all repelled. Instead, the people of Fort St. Andrew launched an expedition and turned more than 2,000 people into slaves and put them to work on plantations.
Relying on the exploitation of slaves, the finances turned from deficit to profit in the second year, and continued to invest in immigration expansion. Because their colonies were in the southernmost part, the Mason family was involved in the colonies on the southern route, including shipping, reclamation, planting and other industries.
John's bank has a department dedicated to the investment and construction of eastern colonies. And they obtained ivory and other things from the local natives and shipped them back for sale, and the price they paid was just a few barrels of wine and other cheap things.
Andrew married the daughter of the director of the East India Company and gained the convenience of going to India for trade, but the goods could only be sold to the East India Company. The family's goal began to turn to the Persian Gulf, purchasing pearls from the south coast and then selling them to Europe.
John decided to give part of the money obtained from the trade as a loan to the government and part as a donation to the royal family. He also asked his wife to go to the palace to talk to the queen mother more and build a good relationship with the royal family.
Relying on the emperor to make a fortune is indeed fast, not only in economy, but also in politics. John himself was changed from the Roman ambassador to Florence to the governor of Tuscany.
Sitting in the Florence Parliament, John was refreshed. Although some people wanted him to die, fortunately he was arrested immediately, and the property below began to be counted and stored.
"My rule relies on the emperor, and the emperor's will implements my policy, and God cannot change it."
John relied on Roman conventions to transform here. In his opinion, the reason for the decline of Florence was that political life occupied too much. People could not concentrate on production. They thought about parliamentary debates all day long, and even used majority violence to pass unfavorable bills. This so-called dictatorship was the fundamental reason.
The parliament was closed and changed into a secretariat, responsible for providing advice to the governor. In addition, the consuls and justice flag bearers were all abolished and changed into Roman-style government agencies.
Such a rough method attracted protests from local people, but John still did not change his policy. At most, he would kill everyone like Venice did.
The benefits of Tuscany joining Rome began to emerge. First, a large amount of cotton and wool entered, and the workshops began to produce at the fastest speed and at a lower cost. Of course, some textile factories were taken over by John.
After the goods were produced, they began to be sold within the Roman Empire. The huge market made Tuscany's sales smooth. Although it had to face competition from Thessaloniki and other places, it was much better than before.
John finally got his revenge. He put most of the families in Florence into jail. Including the families with roots in the local area, such as the Orbic family and the Medici family. The remaining families were also in danger and did not dare to plead for them.
As long as the emperor did not give up, the family could stand firm. He did not dare to be the most powerful family. He might lose his life one day, but the richest family was still okay.
And in order to maintain his good reputation, John contracted the construction of the famous landmark of Florence, the Basilica of Santa Maria del Fiore. He also used his own money to build a community for 100 poor households to live in for free. Coupled with Florence's economic recovery, public protests were much smaller than before.