The Eagle of Eastern Europe

The emperor's entourage was huge, and it was different from the situation when Manuel went to various European countries before. The populace no longer despised the imperial trappings, but envied them.

But the emperor went on tour, which was very painful for Peter. He handled national affairs in Constantinople in the name of Caesar, causing him to face the ministers every day to discuss countermeasures, whether it was sending troops here or reducing taxes there, or diplomacy and the navy. The burdens on the rulers will only increase rather than decrease. This is also to prepare for their ability to rule a prosperous country in the future.

The big people are so busy, and the little people are also busy all day long. Farmers and workers are running around for three meals a day for themselves and their families, and businessmen are constantly looking for opportunities to expand their business territories.

In Thessaloniki, textile factory owners must purchase raw materials to maintain production, and most of the cotton here is monopolized by a Moldovan businessman named Laresh.

Laresh's ambitions gradually expanded after his success in the cotton business in Wallachia. He wanted to build a business empire of his own.

Laresh soon became Thessaloniki's top taxpayer by trading in cotton and textiles. Cotton and wool were purchased from various places in the Roman Empire, transported to textile factories in various places by mules and carriages, and then the textiles were transported to various places for sale.

What really allowed Laresh to achieve rapid rise was the exclusive import of cotton from Naples. Laszlo's financial resources were no match for Peter's, so in order to obtain military expenses, he packaged and auctioned the exclusive rights to cotton and other products. Laresh saw this opportunity and spent all his money to obtain the exclusive rights to distribute cotton at a cost of 160,000 florins. The textile industry in Naples required cotton, which made Laresh earn a lot of money.

In addition to cotton and wool, Laresh also purchased a large amount of cloth and silk clothing for Laszlo's court with an advance payment, and also organized a fleet to facilitate transportation. In order to manage industries and allocate funds in various places, Laresh followed the example of North Italian businessmen in setting up banks.

Laresh Taziu's name began to rise to prominence, and his wealth increased rapidly by engaging in the textile industry and banking. First the bank opened a branch in Constantinople, then in Constanta. Through currency exchange and loan sharking, Laresh had more funds to invest in industry.

In order to obtain more money and power, he resorted to a common method in Europe, marriage. Choose a family from the local nobles or wealthy businessmen that can form an alliance. Choose from time to time, and the new one is a good choice.

The Mason family came to the Empire from Florence with a total of 120,000 gold lei, and then stayed in Thessaloniki, gradually stabilizing their lives on the textile factory they purchased.

In addition to business expansion, social networking is also essential. Their whole family converted to Orthodox Christianity and actively learned Greek and Romanian. Although the local people were quite friendly, the upper class still couldn't blend in. John was also thinking about marriage, but he didn't know who to look for.

"Father, after considering the cost, this factory can earn 2,000 lei a year. Belgrade, Iasi, and Moscow are our main customers."

"The competition here is very fierce. If you want to avoid bankruptcy, you still have to go through some competition."

John looked at the factory with full power. The Roman Empire was relatively friendly to merchants, with developed shipping and transportation, and a lot of cotton and wool. Even these raw materials had to be purchased from one person.

"Today I am going to Mr. Laresh's mansion to discuss next year's cotton imports. You can follow me."

"good"

John took his son with him to the Scartili district, where Laresh lives.

"Master, they are here."

"Well, invite them in."

Laresh has been waiting for them for a long time, and he is bound to win this marriage.

John appeared in the courtyard with his son, and Laresh greeted them with a smile.

"Welcome you two to come here, I wonder what brought you two to come to me?"

Laresh invited the two of them to sit down and served them coffee. I heard that this was a newly popular drink in King's Castle and should be drunk with cane sugar and milk.

"Please try this. This is a drink from the East. It is said to be very popular in Constantinople."

John looked at the dark thing in front of him, put sugar in it, took a sip and found it quite delicious.

"I'm here this time to discuss the future cotton price with you."

John didn't make too many detours. He felt that this was a business transaction between both parties. But Laresh didn't directly talk about business, but became concerned about his family affairs.

"I heard that your Excellency is from Florence?"

"Yeah, I've been here for almost a year."

John doesn't mind chatting more, maybe he can give them some discounts when the other party is happy.

"How is Florence like this place?"

“I can’t describe it specifically, except to say you have to see it for yourself.”

John told Laresh that Florence was a beautiful city, but he didn't want to talk more about this sad place. Laresh looked at the situation and decided to show off.

"How are you living here? The local area may be somewhat hostile to Westerners."

John saw that Laresh cared about him, so he started to act miserable. He said how unfortunate he and his family were, that Florence was ostracizing him, and that Thessaloniki, although better, was still somewhat hostile. All I can say is that he is worthy of someone who has served on the city council. Even Laresh felt sorry for the performer. It was their loss that such a good person was squeezed out.

"I know your situation and I have ways to help you."

When John heard this, he quickly asked what it was.

"I have an adult son, and I heard that you have a daughter who is of the right age. If they can get married, it would be a good choice for our two families."

No wonder the other party had been talking to him for so long, it turned out that they wanted to marry him. This was what he wanted, and Laresh also promised to give them a certain discount on their cotton and wool after the marriage.

Although he was already ecstatic in his heart, his expression remained stable. John said he needed to think about it, and Laresh agreed.

When the other party left, the housekeeper was a little puzzled. "Master, they didn't agree immediately. Shouldn't they agree immediately?"

"You always have to give them some buffer, and they definitely need some time to think about it."

Laresh took a sip of coffee and said, "I never lose anything I want."

John had already agreed to the marriage proposal, but he needed to keep his face so that the other party wouldn't notice, and he didn't want to be looked down upon by his future in-laws. The next step is to discuss various matters related to marriage, and the opinions of the parties involved are not important at all. The role of women is to bring benefits to the family.