1625 Winter(December)

‘Cough’

“F**k! It’s like a bottomless pit!”

I was buried with endless paperwork.

Well, I reap what I sow, since I was trying to implant every reform – obligating smallpox vaccination, establishing the medical university and vocational schools, introducing hiring test to pick up bureaucrats and reforms of the bureaucratic system, constructing manufacturing complex, setting up self-ruling parliament and regulating electoral districts, implementing national pension, changing the military system into the compulsory, draft system and setting up local reserve army system, etc - that I’ve conducted in Iberia, British Isles, and the Netherlands in such a short time in New East Roman Empire.

Of course, if I had more time, I would have tackled each reform’s side effects and the citizens’ objections, but there was no time for that. I was just pushing it, with improvising on the spot.

With no surprise, local landlords – Greek and Turk alike - objected to all these reforms, but I’ve crushed their objection with both absolute support I’ve attained from the Greeks after the Sack of Venice and the presence of aristocrats that immigrated from Iberian&Naples.

Adding icing on the cake, with 120,000 Iberian army – those from the 10th Crusade’s 3rd division - still being stationed at the Greece region, the local landlords didn’t dare to rebel, but just talked behind my back.

‘Tut’

“If those landlords have revolted, I would have burned them all and redistributed their lands to peasants. It’s a shame that I’ll miss that once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make things easier for Arthur!”

I had to let it go, since inciting fake rebels as a self-made play to seduce disloyal landlords might turn into a real one if I die while crushing it.

“It’s small comfort that no adversary is one my way, except for my ungrateful father-in-law!”

Currently, every nation in Europe is either the realm of the New East/West Roman Empire or its’ vassal state. Certainly, after my - and perhaps Richard and Arthur’s - death, they too will begin to express their own voice, but that won’t happen for at least 30 years, seeing this trend.

Why? The Roman Empire – both East and the West - was revived, which has both power and authority, that even France and Persia has to be conscious of it, instead of confronting it face to face.

Venice? I’ve just burned it thoroughly during the Sack of Venice!

The Eastern barbaric Tsardom of Rus(Russia), which still hasn’t become my vassal state? It’s currently in the hands of

Prussia.

During the last 3 years(*Prussia started a war with Russia in 1622 Summer. Refer ‘Family Reunion - The New Roman Empire 4’), Prussia has had the upper hand in the war against Russia – with the Tsar’s authority have been long down in the dumps.

The problem is that Prussia - John Sigismund, the current King of Prussia, and father of my 3rd wife, Hildegard, to be exact – has become too arrogant with recent victories, that it’s starting to stab me behind my back!

“Basileus, it seems that Prussia is compromising with Russia, rather than charging to Moscow.”

“What did you say?”

“The Prussian army avoids direct battles with Russian troops while continuing to station at Livonia!”

‘Grr’

“J...John Sigismund, my father-in-law, you’re now trying to bite the hand that feeds you?”

Without asking any permission from me – such as the enemy is far too strong for his army or isn’t it okay to compromise with Russia, etc – he was aiming to annex Livonia, the current territory of Polish-Lithuania Commonwealth(*Poland for short from now), while receiving my support!

Well, it’s good he was trying to make Prussia great again. Actually, I wanted him to do it – to a certain degree.

Blood is thicker than water, you know. Since John Sigmund is my father-in-law, that makes him my son Arthur’s grandfather, which can be helpful to Arthur after my death. Also, since Poland is an untrustworthy nation, it has to be Prussia to protect the New East Roman Empire from Russia’s eastern invasion.

But he was too arrogant. How dare he try to deceive the Basileus?

“Didn’t he learn anything from the Sack of Venice? Do I look like a rubber stamp, huh?”

“N...no, that’s not true, Basileus!”

“Well, he asked for it. Time to pay the price, John!”

I’ve immediately put pressure on the Bank of England, City of London, the Lloyd, East, and West India Company, Bank of Constantinople, the Mediterranean Company, and other major financial groups to cut all credit transactions with Prussia, making only cash - ￡ or gold – trade available. That sanction was not only applied to the Prussian royals but also entire merchants, craftsmen, and aristocrats in Prussia as well.

It took less than a month to come into effect. All Prussian merchants and craftsmen became bankrupt, while Junkers became too poor to pay their maids’ wages.

In the front lines against Russia, due to arrears of salary, mercenaries revolted against John Sigmund, and drafted soldiers deserted.