The Eagle of Eastern Europe

On the rough sea, a Wallachian fleet sailed eastward, its destination was Atalaiya (its old name was restored after the recapture of Antalya). On this ship, there was a person in a rather special situation. He joined the army directly. The reason was not because he had an elder brother who was a governor and a father who was a co-ruling emperor.

Mihai finally got this opportunity, so of course he had to prepare well. He had a general understanding of the situation in Cyprus. Although it was a small place, there were many things. Illegitimate children and usurpations were commonplace. The conflicts between local farmers and Catholic nobles were also intensifying. In addition, the former king The Crusader expansion movement launched by Pierre I resulted in a serious shortage of Cyprus's army. This was the best time for Wallachia to regain it. This is also the reason why Peter placed Mihai in the expeditionary force, because the risk factor is low.

"Your Highness, we will arrive at Atalaiya soon." The officer next to him said to Mihai.

Mihai was excited when he saw the harbor. He needs to have a good sleep first. He has not had a good rest at sea these days. How can he complete his mission without a good rest? Well, the truth.

For this expedition to Cyprus, Peter gave 2,500 men and 15 artillery pieces. His highest requirement was to capture the port city of Famagusta in Cyprus or overthrow the local ruler. As for conquering the entire territory, there was still some It's unrealistic. An army with less than 3,000 people is really difficult to live with.

When the fleet was sailing, neither the Hospitallers nor Venice stopped them, probably because they needed Wallachia to stop the pagans, and when they couldn't hold on any longer, they would save them like divine soldiers descending from heaven.

The Hospitallers don't know what they think, but Venice certainly doesn't think so, because envoys have arrived in Constantinople to see Mircea.

As a show of sincerity, Venice also returned some of the art plundered in 1204, and then expressed to Mircea its desire to sign a treaty with Wallachia.

"Dear Master of the Empire, please allow me to express my congratulations to your country on behalf of the Republic of Venice. The Republic is willing to cooperate friendly with your country and hopes to jointly sign this treaty representing friendship."

Mircea thought about it carefully, Venice was definitely eyeing the market of Wallachia. It was true that he was afraid of Wallachia, and it was true that he was greedy for the trade between the two countries. It was this kind of fear and desire that The contradictions led to today's request for a non-aggression treaty.

"Wallachia knows Venice's request, and your country's love for peace can be understood. Fighting between the two countries can only lead to losses for both sides. Only cooperation can continue peace."

Mircea asked Prime Minister Angel to negotiate the agreement in detail with the Venetian envoys, while he took a break from his busy work, changed into citizen's clothes and walked around Constantinople.

Mircea gradually came to like this kind of walk. At this time, he was not the aloof ruler, but a member of the citizens. In this way, he can hear some things that he can't usually hear without having his meaning distorted by his subordinates.

Under the covert protection of his escort, Mircea approached a tavern in the port area. Not only are locally brewed wines available, but there are also Munich beers and Burgundy wines. Fire water produced in Wallachia is also sold here. I heard that the tavern owner had a hard time getting it.

When he walked into the tavern, the laughter and noise inside almost pushed him out. As the economy recovers, more and more people come here to drink, and the news becomes more and more comprehensive.

Mircea ordered a bottle of wine from Iasi, a piece of mutton, and a piece of cheese, and ate beside them. While eating, listen to what news is noteworthy recently.

"Many people from Naples and Genoa have come here recently. Do they see that life is better now and want a share of the pie?"

"It must be true. A hundred years ago, when they saw that the empire was strong, they just lay here sucking blood. As a result, at the worst time, they had to pawn items for daily expenses. Now that there is more trade, they have started to do the same thing again."

"Be careful, they are still watching us in Galata."

Constantinople undoubtedly hated the Western European city-states, but due to its previous embarrassing situation, it had to borrow large amounts from them.

It’s different now. With the addition of Wallachia, Constantinople is not only connected by land trade, but also reconnected with seaports such as Constanta, Ackerman, and Thessaloniki, relying on its own Due to its geographical location and tax-free policy, the market is much more active than before. Some merchants and nobles are investing in local factories that are under construction. This is another sign of the city's economic recovery.

"The great Basilius has exempted Constantinople from taxes for seven years, and we can finally take a breather. Have you noticed that there have been more merchant ships coming here recently."

This discovery made everyone speechless. Isn't this necessary? Not to mention merchant ships, there are more caravans on land. Half of the buildings built in the city are hotels and warehouses. This is to expand the number of caravans and Built for trade. Then they changed the topic and started talking about the situation in Anatolia and other places.

"But have you heard that the pagans in Anatolia have been beaten back steadily? I think it won't be long before towns like Nicaea and Nicomedia are recovered."

As soon as the Orthodox Church regained the lost territory, the group of businessmen cheered, not only because of their Orthodox Christians, but also because more business opportunities were waiting for them in the expanded land. You must know that now only Kizikus and Smyrna are the most important trading cities on the west coast. In addition to the recent recapture of Atalaiya, the land channel for trade with the Mamluks has been opened, and more profits are waving to them. .

"In addition to Anatolia, Crimea and Lithuania are also good choices. A friend of mine said that you can make a lot of money by doing business with Moscow and Novgorod."

"Really, but I heard that the trade routes were affected because Lithuania's rulers attacked the east. How much money can you make if you join now?"

"The impact of the war is only temporary. Don't forget that we are traveling long distances. We must not only be careful of bandits, but also be prepared for diseases and natural disasters. Of course, this war is one of them. My opinion is that without risks, those who are higher You won’t get the profit, so why not take a risk.”

Mircea listened to the conversation, and he became more and more interested in the vast land of Lithuania. Wallachia currently occupies Crimea, which can be used as a springboard to attack along the Dnieper River until Kiev is captured.

Moreover, whether the Grand Duke of Lithuania conquers the Golden Horde in the east, his strength will be damaged whether he loses or wins. This is the time for Wallachia to take advantage. Lithuania can take such a large land, but Wallachia can't?