The Eagle of Eastern Europe

Passing the Danube and the Black Sea, Peter quickly returned to Constantinople. Sophia had already raised her child in peace in a manor near Constantinople. After meeting his wife, he went to the Grand Palace of Constantinople to meet Mircea.

The Royal Palace is located at the southeastern tip of the peninsula, in the area between the Arena of Constantinople and Hagia Sophia. The total area reached 20,000 square meters. When the Grand Palace of Constantinople fell during the Fourth Crusade, the soldiers of Boniface I sacked the Grand Palace of Constantinople. The Latin Empire still used the Grand Palace, but lacked the funds to maintain it. The last Latin emperor, Baldwin II, even demolished the main roof of the palace.

After Mircea took over, he spent money to renovate the place. Although it cannot be compared with the period of Justinian, it is much better than before, and normal residence and government affairs can be carried out. When Peter arrived, Mircea was enjoying pastries from Genoa.

"My dear child, come and try this, a snack from Genoa."

"Good father"

Peter took a piece of pastry to taste. The Genoese people were really willing to use sugar. It was so sweet that it made their teeth hurt. Who would dare to be so extravagant unless they were rich?

"I heard that you sponsored a fleet to go to the East?"

Mircea asked about the Eastern Fleet, and Peter knew he couldn't keep it secret, so he simply told everything.

"Yes, father, most of the trade in the Eastern Mediterranean is occupied by Venice. If the empire wants to gain a foothold, it must explore new trade routes, so..."

"So you sponsor a fleet. It's a good idea. Let's see what surprises he can bring back."

Mircea approved of Peter's move. Rome could not be choked by Venice, and the navy and fleet must be developed.

"Ansella has been captured, Adrian is also progressing smoothly, and it will only be a matter of time before Anatolia is captured."

"This is all due to my father."

Peter complimented his father, which was very helpful to Mircea. Maybe he really thought too much. How could Peter rebel? Really.

"Father, Hungary is already our ally. We don't have to worry about those Western countries for the time being. Isn't it time to deal with the two disobedient ones?"

"you mean…"

Mircea continued to listen to Peter's words. He dipped his hand in water and wrote two places: Croatia and Bosnia.

"Our war in the East is not over yet. Is this really good in the West now?" Mircea hesitated.

"They won't say that Hungary is an alliance with us. Venice... has some troubles, but it's not a big problem. The only resistance is the people and nobles of the country."

Peter gave Mircea an analysis. Currently, the three major obstacles are to deal with Croatia and Bosnia, Venice, the Pope and the nobles of their countries. However, Venice is not interested in the territory. The Pope does not know whether it is Rome or Avignon. If the nobles say it, they will be chopped off. In this way, the three major obstacles are gone.

"These two are not dancing at all, so it is a good choice to take this opportunity to clean up."

Mircea acknowledged Peter's idea, but he also hinted that the imperial government was currently fully engaged in dealing with the Ottomans in the east, and its support for him was very limited, so he had to provide the main force. This played right into Peter's hands, it was what he needed so that he could have a reason to move his army in Anatolia to the Balkans.

After Peter thanked Mircea, he left the room, and in the corridor he met his friend.

"Meet His Highness"

"Stanisa, long time no see. How are you doing lately?"

As the hostage sent to the Castle by Duke Castrioti, Peter has always regarded the eldest son of the Duke as a good friend. They competed together, studied together, and now he has become an officer.

Duke Castelliotti was also a loyal subordinate of Mircea. He took the lead in many battles and was rewarded by Mircea with a lot of property. The entire family also served the emperor and became a famous nobleman.

"God is merciful. Everything is fine at home, but I can't kill pagans, and I have lost the opportunity to gain experience."

Seeing that he was a little disappointed, Peter couldn't bear it and asked him if he could go to his regiment to practice. Stanissa readily agreed.

"May I ask, Your Highness, are you going to fight Karaman or Lithuania this time?"

"No, they are two small countries in the west."

"Ximian? Small country?"

Stanissa searched for the coordinates in his mind, and found only two that matched the description, and he immediately spoke them out.

"Well, that's very smart. We just want to go there. It's not too late for you to regret it now."

Peter provoked Stanissa with a provocative method, but the young man still couldn't keep calm. He immediately came out and said that if he gave him 10,000 men, he could take Croatia immediately.

"Be well prepared and set off as soon as the army arrives."

Peter smiled and walked away, leaving Stanissa standing there.

Now that we have decided to deal with these two countries in one fell swoop, we still need to make a careful plan. The terrain of the two countries is high in the south and low in the north. More than 70% of the land is mainly mountainous. It is difficult to move artillery and supplies. Once they hide in the mountains, it will take a lot of effort to calm them down.

Bosnia may still be a little more submissive, but Croatia is a complete rebel. They believe in Catholicism. Their previous king often communicated enthusiastically with the Eastern Romans. It can be said that they are naturally rebellious. Even the powerful Hungary will not They just formed a common confederacy with Croatia. They still have their own parliament, currency and army. How is this different from Austria-Hungary's Hungary?

In order to turn Croatia into a province of Rome, its superstructure must be completely destroyed. The nobility, citizens, merchants, culture, and religion must be reshuffled and then re-embedded into Roman culture, so that it can be considered stable.

Peter sent a message to Constantine in Anatolia. All the troops needed to withdraw from Anatolia and come to the Balkans. They were also fully prepared to continue to expand the army from 18,000 to 30,000. Military factories also needed It has been expanded, otherwise the weapons and ammunition produced cannot keep up with the consumption.

Some people may question whether Peter wanted to be like Manuel I, who did not want to please both ends and cause trouble at both ends. But the current situation is something Manuel does not have. First of all, Hungary is an ally of Rome, and then all the countries in the east have no time to take care of it for various reasons of their own. This interregnum is a good time for expansion.

The newly reformed military system has also adapted to the continuous wars. A large amount of land and property are for soldiers and officers to compete for. Potential believers are exclusive to the church. Goods and markets are greedy for businessmen. The enthusiasm of all classes is mobilized to join together. to the Roman conquest.