eastern european eagle

Chapter 577 Old Friend
The guests had a great time that night. Mason also felt the warmth of a big family, although his father was not around and his sister had gone to Smyrna with her husband's family. But he was very satisfied with this.

He slept well that night and had no dreams.

When Mason got up in the morning, he saw that the sky outside was clear, which meant there must be good news.

"Master, I'm ready."

"Then let's go"

Mason got on the carriage to the palace. He looked out the window and saw the faces of the citizens were all filled with smiles. There were all kinds of hawking sounds coming from all over the place, as well as merchants and tourists from other countries. Constantinople was indeed changing very quickly.

At the gate of the Constantinople Palace, the Grand Chamberlain had been waiting for a long time. When he saw the carriage, he asked the other eunuchs to get ready to welcome it.

Although Mason had never seen the butler, he had heard of his name. After all, he was someone close to the emperor, and it would be difficult to get things done without building a good relationship with him. In the East, he saw a eunuch who was responsible for guarding the emperor's door dared to ask for money blatantly, and of course it was the same here.

As soon as Mason got out of the car, he hurried to the butler to say hello.

"You must be Lord Mason. His Majesty has been waiting for you for a long time."

"Thank you very much"

Mason took out a small bag from his pocket, which was full of gold coins. The butler happily accepted it, and of course he also revealed some information.

"Your Majesty has been in a good mood recently, but the situation in the west and east has disturbed Your Majesty. Please pay attention."

"Thank you, butler."

After learning some news from the butler, Mason walked into the palace. But he felt that the air pressure here was a little low.

Peter listened to Luca's report in the study with a heavy face, and Alexander did not speak beside him. Although restarting the war was certain, it was unexpected that Tunisia would fire the first shot.

Tunisian pirates repeatedly plundered Sicily and Roman merchant ships along the way, and Ladislaus also sent troops several times, but with little success. The Tunisian Sultan actually wrote directly to Ladislaus and Peter, asking them to cede Sicily and Crete to him, in exchange he would eliminate the pirates and ensure the safety of their ships.

"This is blackmail, unprecedented blackmail!" Peter said in a low voice.

"How could Tunisia, a small country, suddenly ask us to cede the island? I'm afraid there are other countries backing it up."

"Your Highness is right. According to the news we received, the number of ships from Carthage, Genoa, and Egypt has suddenly increased, and there are also ships from Burgundy."

Hearing this, Peter quickly asked: "Are you sure it's Friesland?"

"I am quite certain that it is the flag of Burgundy."

Now that Burgundy had joined the fight in the Mediterranean, Peter had to take it seriously in advance. Now it seems that this alliance has more members than he imagined, from Portugal to the Black Sheep, Catholics and Sunnis have united.

"I thought there would be some peace and quiet within ten years, but after just a few years they are back to war. It seems that there will be no peace and quiet unless they are completely defeated this time."

The emperor looked a little angry, and Luca quickly said, "Your Majesty, the current situation is actually quite favorable to us. England and Brandenburg are holding back a lot of forces for us. Sigismund is now overwhelmed by the affairs of Bohemia, and King Charles of France is seriously ill and doesn't have much time left. As for Poland, they are still in their own chaos and have not recovered. It should be said that the current situation is favorable to us."

Peter thought about it and decided that since Tunisia was the first to attack, they would not have time to deal with Rome. This was because their allies in the east could not attack at the same time, which meant there was a time difference.

"It just so happens that the King of England and the Elector of Brandenburg are coming to Constantinople. I will discuss this with them in person." At this time, the butler came in. "Your Majesty, Lord Mason is here."

The butler's words interrupted the current discussion. Peter waved his hand and Luca withdrew, along with the crown prince. At the door, Mason met the two.

"Your Highness, Lord Luca."

"It turns out to be a high-ranking official. His Majesty is summoning you. Come in quickly."

Alexander spoke to Mason, and then left with the Foreign Minister. Mason hurried into the study.

"His Majesty."

"Oh, dear Andrew, how have you been these last few years?"

"Thank God, everything is fine, Your Majesty. I have filled up the lake in Venice and built many houses on it."

Mason quickly told the emperor about his achievements, and Peter was very happy. "I already know about this matter. You did a good job. Among the western provinces, Dalmatia is the province that pays the highest taxes. I believe you must have put a lot of thought into it."

Last year, the tax paid from Dalmatia was 19 lei, and this was after it had been plundered twice by Rome.

"I am willing to sacrifice my life to serve your majesty."

"Ha ha ha ha"

The steward served tea, which was authentic tea from the Ming Dynasty. Although it was bitter, you had to savor it carefully to taste the sweetness.

"Your Majesty summoned me here. Is there something?"

Peter did not hide too much in front of his old friend. "You should know that the relationship between the Empire and other countries has not been good recently."

"I know that Burgundy and Bavaria have never recovered from the defeat, and France is also frightened by the power of the empire. In general, there is no country in the entire continent that does not oppose it."

Mason directly stated the current situation. Whether it was the major countries or the minor countries, they were all afraid of the power of Rome. They could only unite and face Rome and its evil allies together.

"Now is the time for the Empire to prepare for war against the pagans. If a war breaks out in the West, it will disrupt the deployment. Now is a critical time. The Prime Minister has not been in good health recently."

The news that the prime minister was in poor health came from the emperor's mouth. Doesn't this mean that he will be replaced? Does His Majesty want him to be the prime minister? Then they will have great power in the court. It is really God's blessing.

But then I thought about it again and felt that it was impossible. The empire selected officials based on their assessments and promotions. There were almost no parachuted officials. Although I had been a high-ranking official, it was obviously unrealistic to directly become the prime minister of the empire, so I had better give up the fantasy.

Seeing the other party's expression, Peter knew that he had wrong ideas. "The Prime Minister is unwell and has submitted his resignation to me a few days ago. He proposed that Baptiste take his place, and I have granted his approval."

Mason felt a little disappointed when he heard the news, but it was his fault because he didn't have enough qualifications.

"However, the Prime Minister told me that the Dalmatian official is very good and recommended him to me to serve as the Minister of Finance. I wonder if you are willing?"

(End of this chapter)