After a brief casual conversation, John's eyes focused on the still renovated Eubius Radiance, the flagship of the Phoenix fleet, not far away.

The Navy and Army are under the same organization, which is a special case of the Phoenix Legion. Moreover, the naval strength of the Phoenix fleet accounts for almost forty percent of the entire empire, and the renovation of the Ebius Radiance alone is enough to maintain five to seven large Clark galleons.

In addition to the fleet admiral Francisco, the empire also lent Venice several talents who were proficient in ship improvement and maintenance, and it can be said that the entire Phoenix fleet is the guarantee of the entire empire's sea power in the next fifty years, and it is also the biggest bargaining chip that can fight with the Ottomans at sea.

"Your Highness."

At the moment, Francisco is in the port area, because the renovation work is in its final stages, and he is no longer as busy as he was two or three months ago.

"I haven't been to the Golden Horn for a few months. How's it going, and when will I be able to get back into the water? ”

"After the arrival of spring, there will be no problem."

Francisco looked at Ebius Radiance with some pride. He can be quite sure that this ship is qualified to be the flagship of any fleet in the world.

Because the Radiance is now quite large, in the Mediterranean, he can maintain absolute stability, and the modification of the bottom of the ship makes this ship resistant to strong winds, so that it will not be easily overturned by strong winds like other large warships. Coupled with the specially treated side flaps and multi-decks, the whole ship can be called a true unsinkable ship.

Not only that, but thanks to the increased space in the hull of the ship, the Ebius Radiance could carry a larger caliber of heavy guns, the side-by-side guns on the side guns were fully equipped, and the two main guns were still being built in an orderly manner in the Venetian arsenal.

"With the firepower of the Ottoman fleet, it is difficult to inflict fatal damage on Ebius Radiance. Perhaps in the not-too-distant future, we have the opportunity to make the Ottoman navy submit to us. ”

Francisco looked wistfully at the sailors who were still busy on deck.

"In the future, I will ask my father to allocate more funds to support the Empire's navy. My father had always attached great importance to the navy. John said with emotion, "How many years ago, the Imperial fleet dominated the Eastern Mediterranean with its Greek fire and unique fleet composition...... I think anyone will miss those days and hope that the Empire's fleet will return to its glory. ”

"That's enough, Your Highness." Francisco politely rejected John's suggestion, "The finances of the empire are well known, and such a fleet is an absolute luxury for the empire. Besides, I don't want to turn against General Giovanni. ”

"Hahahaha, if the empire can take one step further towards the supremacy of the sea, I believe Giovanni will definitely make concessions."

In addition to the Ebius Radiance, the ships of the other Phoenix fleets have also been improved to varying degrees. However, the empire is currently completely unable to support the construction of such a large number of heavy artillery, so most of the other ships are only reinforced hulls.

In John's memory, today's naval warfare is transforming from close-fitting bows and arrows to artillery bombardment, and equipment such as ramming horns has been phased out and replaced by a black Grim Reaper mounted on a door.

"According to His Highness's requirements, except for the flagship Ebius Radiance, the other ships have completed sea trials under the escort of the First Fleet, and their performance is not bad. The only problem of the fleet at the moment is that both the number of sailors and the number of shells are somewhat stretched. ”

"There is no way to do this for a sailor's training cycle, which is much longer than that of an ordinary soldier. I'll talk to Duke Latius about it. Let him help us train more sailors in Athens. ”

"As for the shells...... Our only source of ammunition is the ammunition factory that the Venetians have just built, and the merchant nature is like this, and if you give enough money, the ammunition will soon be replenished. We owe this to our Treasurer. ”

"The smuggler from the East?"

John nodded, "His mastery of trade is even more terrifying than I thought. The silk industry in Thebes and Thessaloniki had just recovered, and production and tax revenues had reached the average of the empire's heyday. He and Agrippa the Elder secured a large number of trade orders for the empire in the Western world. Coupled with the existence of a peace treaty, the Ottomans could no longer block the route from the Golden Horn to the Sea of Marmara, and the economy of Constantinople was recovering rapidly, and the food problem had eased. Right now, everything is looking for good. ”

"God Bless the Empire ......"

"So you don't have to worry too much about the Empire's current financial situation. If there is a request, the father should try to agree. ”

"What if I say I'd like a few more galleys?" Francisco asked tentatively.

……

Although the navy was less than half the size of the main Ottoman fleet on paper, John was confident that the fleet was strong enough to fight the Ottomans on an even footing scale.

John ...... It's so late, why don't you go to Sophia, what are you doing here? ”

"Father, does the treasury still have extra funds to supply the army?"

"Why do you ask this?" Constantine XI was a little displeased.

To be sure, the vast majority of monarchs, even crown princes, would not allow their heirs to interfere in national politics. It was a miracle that John was able to participate in the Imperial Council, and even have a large fleet and army at his disposal.

"Ah, nothing. Today I went to the Golden Horn. ”

"Huh?" Constantine looked up, John's robe was indeed a little messy by the sea breeze, "What are you doing at the sea wall?" ”

"Went to see the Empire's fleet."

"The Navy's military spending is already overspending, and a lot of manpower has been used. The Empire's First Fleet also needs to be maintained, and the Holy See Guard you have created for me still needs a lot of money to build equipment and armor, and all the blacksmith shops in Constantinople have been busy lately. If you're thinking about adding two more ships to your Phoenix fleet, you can go back first. The treasury cannot withstand such a fuss. ”

"One?"

"Not a single one." Constantine flatly refused, "It's not a matter of numbers, John. You still have a lot to learn. I can admit that there is indeed some surplus in the treasury, but as a monarch, even the distribution of funds must not be arbitrary. ”

"There's a lot of interest involved. If the navy has too much money, the army will be dissatisfied; If the clergy are subsidized too much, the nobility will be dissatisfied, and the various classes need a balance to support them...... If you want to govern a country, you can't achieve it by relying on dreams. ”