Chapter 648: Time To Rebuild
In the newly established army headquarters in Svoge, Bulgaria, Julian sat absorbed in thought. The letter from Constantinople, penned by Emperor Antonius himself, lay open before him.
It was concise, with two main directives: to deport Radu back to his origin, mentioning about the recent mutual alliance between the new empire and the Hungarians, and to keep a vigilant eye on the Serbians, following a stern warning to their despot. But it was the accompanying personal note from Antonius that drew Julian’s attention now.
Julian read the note, and took a look at the figure before him standing in front of the candles, which is non other than our dear Giovanni Junior, who ventured all the way here, with a gigantic backup on his back totally disproportional to the back of the ten years old child, the hair and face has obviously been already tainted with dirt and dust from the long travel, a blade strapped to his waist signalling his readiness for adventure, with stars in his childish eyes obviously looking forward for the new life in a real army camp.
Julian sighed, rubbing his forehead.
He spoke with a mix of seriousness and warmth, "So emm... Giovanni."
"Yes! Lord Julian!"
"I must tell you, that army camps are not a place for enjoyment, nor is it a place described on those fantasy tales in your before sleep story books, you will move a lot, eat raw food, sleep very little especially during war times like now, do you still want to stay by my side?"
"Yes! Of course, Lord Julian!"
"Alright then." Julian massaged his forehead for the third time of the day, as he stood up, carried over the giant bag of Giovanni onto his shoulders, and led the boy out of the tent, before telling the group of royal guards who accompanied the kid here that they can report back for duty.
Julian is no simple military officer now, for he has been given a civil role – the Strategos of the military district of Bulgaria, in charge of both civil and military. Although more than half of the cities and towns in Bulgaria have surrendered their keys to the respective Roman forces and the troops have taken in possession of the borders, there still exist numerous surges of Ottoman scattered forces, bandits, pirates and nomads roaming around the woods and plains of Bulgaria hidden in the forests and mountains, giving blows onto the local townships and Roman forces on a timely basis, thus it is best to bring back the old system of military district, allowing the passing of information between the defense sector and the civil sector in order for better efficiency in dealing with internal threat.
The government’s experience in Epirus had provided a crucial lesson: while Alexios demonstrated remarkable acumen in revitalising the economy, integrating the region back into the Roman economic sphere as a governor, his skills fell short in handling the escalating threat of Venetian pirates along the Adriatic coast who constantly came to raid the coastal towns and cities, particularly with the strategic islands near Epirus still unsecured.
To address these challenges, the Military District of Bulgaria was established. Julian, known for his military prowess, was appointed as its head, with Silven as his base of operations. Bulgaria was reorganized into three provinces: Plovdiv, Sofia, and Constantia, each poised for enhanced governance and security, with each province capable of reinforcing one another when needed.
In Bulgaria, the remaining Pashas and Beys faced the consequences of their actions. The local populations, long under their rule of tyranny, began to revolt and sack the Ottoman properties before order is restored by the incoming Roman forces. Wave after wave of rogues started besieging the castles and fortresses of these lords that are illy defended. The wiser rulers had already fled with their wealth upon hearing of Abbas Pasha’s defeat, leaving only the less astute behind.
The geopolitical landscape shifted significantly: Hungary secured its desired territories in Wallachia, the Venetians withdrew to their islands surrounding the empire, and Genoa traded Galata in exchange for concessions. The Grand Prince of Moskva achieved his objectives, and both Serbia and the Ottomans refrained from further incursions. Notably, relations with the Mamluk Saracens were at an all-time high. After four centuries since the Komnenian Dynasty, the Byzantine Empire finally entered a period of peace and stability in its diplomatic relations with all surrounding states.
With external affairs stabilised, the focus now shifted towards internal development, signaling a new era of consolidation and growth for the empire.
On February 1st, a significant reshuffling of positions took place. Alexios, having proven his economic expertise in Epirus, was promoted to oversee the entire nation’s economy. His position as governor was filled by an experienced naval commander, vowing to put in all of his efforts to transform Epirus into a stronghold in the future engagement with the Venetians.
Apostolos, amid controversy and hatred from the mass public on his deeds, was removed from his office and stripped of his ranks as a form of punishment by the emperor. The intelligence agency he once led was divided into two distinct departments, and he was reassigned to assist Julian in Bulgaria, while numerous members of the service are sentenced in court to suppress public anger. This marked a significant shift in the power dynamics within Constantinople.
The Senate, a long-standing institution in Roman history, was dissolved and replaced by the ’ekklesia’ or ’assembly.’ This new body, inspired by Athenian democracy, was composed of a thousand members elected from towns and cities across the empire, alongside fixed representation from the military and educational institutions, as decided by the emperor, in charge of analysing the state situation, passing laws, assisting the emperor in making state decisions while fighting for rights for their constituencies.
Embracing the Codex Justinianus as its foundational law, the government updated it to meet current societal needs. The assembly’s first significant legislation was the Family and Agriculture Law, stirring some controversy. This law introduced a ten percent tax increase for childless families, while families with more than two children received a ten percent tax reduction for each additional child, along with local government subsidies. Theoretically, a family with ten children could be exempt from taxes entirely. The law also addressed land usage: households cultivating unused land for over three years could claim ownership, while lands left idle for more than two years would be reclaimed, a response to the extensive agricultural land waste and population loss.
Governors across the empire faced scrutiny and reallocation based on their performance. The governor of Athens, formerly the Duke of Athens Francesco II Acciaioli was lauded for surrendering willingly to the throne and putting in hard work to seamlessly integrating the city into the empire’s framework, while the governor of Larissa, accused of corruption, was placed under investigation. But before this inquiry could fully commence, an unexpected incident occurred, adding yet another layer of complexity to the empire’s evolving political landscape.
However, before the investigation could officially take place, an accident happened.
On a country road leading from Constantinople to Larissa, a cart ambled along. On it, three teenage soldiers, all from the same village and laden with battle rewards, chatted animatedly about numerous topics like their future and their developments in the army. They had fought bravely in the siege of Constantinople and the Battle of Rosen, earning the emperor’s praise and rewards for their deeds of bravery shown in the battles.
"Hey, Nicolaos," called out one of the older soldiers, a teasing glint in his eye, "What’s the plan once we’re back? Courting someone special?"
"Oh me?" Nicolaos, the youngest and most decorated among them, carrying the most amount of loots and rewards, flashed a shy smile, his face lighting up with hope. "I’ve got my heart set on marrying Sophia, the butcher’s daughter back home. Remember her?"
"The one who always speaks her mind?" another soldier laughed. "That lady is a fine lass by body shape, but she’s quite the character! You sure she’s the one?"
Nicolaos’s cheeks flushed with a mix of embarrassment and excitement. "Yeah, she’s spirited, but I’ve loved her since we were kids. I told her I wouldn’t come back until I made a name for myself with honours and wealth. She promised to wait, till the end of time, and of course I do intend to keep my promises."
Their laughter and teasing filled the cart, echoing the bond of brotherhood forged in battle. Stories and memories flowed, each man recounting tales of home and dreams for the future.
As they approached the outskirts of Larissa, their hometown finally in sight, the driver called out, "We’re nearly there, lads! Home sweet home!"
Their excitement was palpable until an unexpected encounter halted them. Riders, donning unfamiliar uniforms from theirs, emerged from the woods, their sudden appearance casting a shadow over the soldiers’ joy.
"Stop right there!" the lead rider commanded, his voice carrying the weight of authority. "We’re here on orders from Governor Elassona of Larissa!"
