eastern european eagle

Chapter 533 Activities
All countries ceased fighting this winter because the weather was not suitable for marching. Moreover, these two years of war seem to have finished all the wars in the next twenty years, and Rome looks like it can fight for another five years. They cannot afford it.

Diplomacy therefore became very active, and ambassadors originating in Italy were used by every country. The ambassador to the Roman Empire became the most popular diplomatic position, and the land value of Constantinople suddenly increased a lot.

The prime minister's official residence is the busiest, with at least a dozen people coming every day. In addition to handling official duties, Listerine also had to deal with them, the special envoys and nobles, and he was simply too busy.

For these envoys, funds have become what they need most. Envoys from places like Burgundy and the Hanseatic League spend nearly 45000 lei here every year. Even the Palatinate spends 12000 lei. Everything here is the best, including the best food and the best clothing. The one with good accommodation and the best accommodation will of course have the highest consumption.

And these expenses are not just daily expenses. Giving gifts to various officials and holding salons all cost money. Of course, if you can’t stand spending money in Constantinople, you can also go to Adrian or Nicomedia, but the transportation costs are higher.

The ambassadors of Milan, Savoy, and Genoa gathered together. The consumption in Constantinople was higher than that in Genoa. In order to save money, the three of them basically shared a table for lunch.

Their three countries have experienced wars and other things, and for the time being they do not have enough money to act alone. They happened to be next to each other, so they acted together.

"Have you heard about the recent events?" Ambassador Milan asked the two friends.

"I heard that Lithuania will have to spit out a lot."

The news of Rome's victory over Lithuania has reached Constantinople, and everyone is numb. It's all news of victory. Peter is really more powerful than Hannibal.

"The current situation is that we rely on Constantinople for trade, but we also rely on Paris for protection. Both countries are very obsessed with territory. It is difficult to survive."

"It's better not to act rashly recently. If the emperor is like this, we must prevent him from continuing to operate in Italy. Otherwise, Venice's fate will be our fate."

Because of the Po River Plain, there should be no problem with Milan's agricultural output. However, agricultural income declined due to previous political unrest and Roman invasion. Not to mention Savoy, most of the land in the country is mountainous, and farming cannot satisfy the income, so industry and commerce have become their main source of income.

In order to boost the economy, the three countries began to discuss a free trade agreement. But because it was between France and France, there were many differences between them, so there was no progress.

Genoa's maritime trade was usurped a lot by Rome. In order to continue to maintain trade, they could only pay a tribute every year and get some business from them. The history of the Maritime Republic is over. If you want to survive, you can only follow Rome carefully.

After the treaty was signed, the three countries began to unite. Milan, Savoy, and Genoa provided money to jointly form an army to defend their territory. But in the face of Rome's aggressive posture, they can only continue to increase investment, but this has an impact on their finances.

Ambassador Savoy was right in discouraging the other two. They had no idea what to do with this behemoth and could only wait respectfully.

Look at Aragon, Sardinia is lost; look at HRE, Switzerland is gone; if they can keep it now, it is already blessed by God, what else can they expect?

"The past few years have been really confusing." The changes have been too rapid. They have lost power and regional hegemony inexplicably. Rome once again dominated the Mediterranean, and the Bartram family also dominated the major European countries. If they want to continue to live, they must either overthrow the Roman Empire or cling tightly to Rome's thighs.

The three of them started to eat lunch. Not to mention, the food in Rome was better than the food there.

Compared with these three, Charles, the envoy of Burgundy, is much better. He was recommended by the Earl of the Netherlands and was selected by John to become the envoy to Rome. He was active in Constantinople and successfully made some parliamentarians as friends.

Today Charlie is going to see Prime Minister Listerine. This is an opportunity he finally got. He prepared a gift, which cost him a lot of lei.

"The Prime Minister wants to see you, special envoy, please!"

Charlie hurried in. The decoration of the Prime Minister's Palace was much better than theirs. Even though they lived in the castle, it was very grand, but in fact it was cold and damp there. If it weren't for the furniture, they would have wished to live in the city every day.

Roman mansions not only had exquisite decorations, but also had well-tended gardens and countless servants. Crossing the garden, he finally met Listerine.

"Welcome, envoy." Listerine welcomed the other party's arrival, not only for diplomacy, but also for him to receive the gifts they brought. The emperor acquiesced in the gifts given by these officials and diplomatic envoys, as long as they did not harm the interests of the empire.

"What's the purpose of the special envoy's visit today?"

Charlie quickly took out the gift he had prepared, which was some gems. Listerine looked good and accepted it.

"My lord, please take care of Burgundy. The evil Orleans has done unimaginable evil to the people of Burgundy. Please persuade your majesty to mediate."

Listerine looked at these gifts and felt happy. "It's easy to talk, but His Majesty hasn't come back yet. I will definitely persuade His Majesty when he comes back."

The messenger left with satisfaction, and the prime minister asked people to put these things in the warehouse and write down his request. Every day, envoys came to ask for help or inquired about news, and he received many gifts. But some of them were sent to the palace. Only in this way can they be safe and keep their position as prime minister.

In addition to the special envoys, the number of spies in Constantinople also increased. Genoa, Aragon, Burgundy and other countries also began to use these people to inquire about the news of the empire.

Some people wanted to sneak into the palace, but the defense there was very tight, and the people serving were all black eunuchs. In addition, after the last incident, every eunuch had to be searched at night. Under such circumstances, no one dared to sneak in.

So they changed their approach and decided to go to the homes of ministers or congressmen. You can always steal one or two documents, such as deciding who to condemn, the report of today's meeting of the parliament, etc. The empire is also anti-espionage and has all the skill points filled up, for fear that confidential documents will be lost. These are the destiny of the empire, and the consequences of losing them are unpredictable.

(End of this chapter)