"Your Majesty, this ...... After all, the nobles of Kastoria are now under the rule of the Empire, and if they act impulsively, they may have some bad effects. It was ...... in Constantine's Square"

"Giovanni, let me tell you, don't mention the knife in the square with me, the nature of these two things is completely different!" John's anger still did not subside, "I can tell you very clearly that since the empire gained a new territory, so far, more than sixty percent of the local nobles in the empire, especially those who were once under the rule of the Ottomans, are all a bunch of rubbish who eat and wait to die!" As for the Balkans, except for Fort Hadrian, the Ottomans' attitude has always been that as long as the taxes are collected, I will not care about you. Think about it, this group of uncles who are usually used to being comfortable, in the face of the rule of the empire, can you expect them to be loyal well? ”

"It is precisely because of the current tension between the royal family and the aristocracy that we should seek ways to ease the situation, and such a military suppression may bring immeasurable trouble! It could even lead to a huge noble rebellion......"

"What rebellion are they taking?" John glanced up at Giovanni, "The first thing we did was to strip away the relationship between these old nobles and commoners. Before I am named a new nobleman, it is best to clean up this bunch of crumbs for me. Still want to engage in the republican city-states of Greece? They are touching the bottom line of the empire and shaking the foundation of the empire's rule. Giovanni, this matter can indeed be small, but it must not be small, do you know what I mean? ”

"Your Highness's meaning ......"

"The problem of Kastoria, if the empire is a little relieved, the local nobles in other regions will take turns to uncover, and the empire can only run for its life. The empire must intervene in this matter. The more you don't interfere, the more he'll dance, and if he continues to develop, Kastoria will not only become more difficult to rule, but the bad influence will spread quickly to the surrounding areas! John kept his eyes on the Kastoria region on the map, "Gather all our troops"

"General Giovanni, you really don't need a rat thrower, this matter is completely incomparable with the group of soldiers in Constantine's Square." Jeffrey shook his head slightly.

The whole thing happened suddenly, but it made sense, and the Empire had to make a decision as soon as possible. It is impossible for these nobles to stand up alone to accuse and resist, and they will inevitably use the local commoners as a shield to agitate first.

"The so-called demands of the people, the aristocratic class only expresses them on their behalf, which is their consistent interface. This group of nobles, who have eaten all day and have nothing to do, are incapable of fighting abroad, useless to the rule of the empire and corrupt the foundation. It is not only necessary to deal with this group of rebellious nobles, but also to counteract against the adverse matters related to the nobility that may occur in the future. Jeffrey thought for a moment, then continued, "At present, these so-called local nobles can no longer provide any troops for the empire. The royal family already has almost all the military power in its hands. Except for new nobles with strong personal abilities like General Latius, some of the so-called descendants of famous families are really tasteless to chew......"

Hearing this, John seemed to be very interested, and he immediately turned his gaze to Jeffrey and asked, "Mr. Jeffrey, I believe you have a new idea, say it!" ”

Some of John's words didn't even have the courage to say it, but Jeffrey's words had already made John faintly smell the smell of change.

The old aristocracy has poisoned the empire for thousands of years, and it is time to find an opportunity to change the face of this class, and even ......

Jeffrey, on the other hand, only glanced at John meaningfully: "You are the co-emperor of the empire, and I am just a small counselor of this Gombrineri. Can His Majesty John understand this? ”

"I don't understand." John stared at Jeffrey. He needed someone to open his mouth, not the royal family to stand up directly and stand on the opposite side of the empire, which were completely different in nature and very different in terms of resistance to the empire's direct involvement in the aristocratic class.

"I'm sorry Your Majesty, I don't understand it for the time being." Jeffrey smiled and shook his head, "The first thing Your Majesty should do now, first of all, is indeed to pacify the nobles of Kastoria. If the time is ripe, even if I don't say it, thousands of people will stand up and say it, and Your Majesty won't have to worry about any name issues. ”

What kind of turmoil the empire can withstand at this time, Jeffrey's eyes can actually see very clearly. It may seem that the form of the empire is indeed very good, but in reality, it is only a ruin built on the appearance of a prosperous revival. Even if the Ottomans were driven out, the autocracy of the local aristocracy did not change, and even the rebellion of the bureaucratic aristocracy against the imperial rule intensified, and the tax situation did not improve, and they had to spend more military money to quell the rebellion.

"General Giovanni, there is no problem with His Majesty's judgment in this matter. You should listen to Your Majesty. Jeffrey stood up from his position with his cane in his hand, "If this matter is seen by the Imperial Council, I am afraid that the qualitative situation will be even more serious." It's just that His Majesty Constantine was too busy dealing with religious issues with the Patriarch to manage the Southern Balkans. ”

"Mr. Jeffrey, you ...... too"

"You have come all the way from Genoa, and I am afraid you have not been able to deeply understand how strong the imperial family's hatred of these local nobles is...... You'll soon get the idea, though. The Phoenix Legion is the only armed force that His Majesty John can handle right now, and I hope you don't question His Majesty's judgment too much. ”

The food and salary of the Phoenix Legion, according to the previous agreement with Constantine XI, the direct subsidy of the empire will only become less and less. More will be attacked by the taxes of Epirus and Kastoria. The meaning of Constantine XI is actually obvious, the future legion is different from the Praetorian Guard, John's real descendant army. Terrifying combat effectiveness, comprehensive means of warfare, as long as the Phoenix Legion is equipped with heavy firearms in the future, it will be the most powerful army in the old world.

"General Giovanni, let's go. There is no need for us to show mercy to the local aristocracy. ”

"Your Majesty...... In the future, will the empire use the same means against all the nobles? As a general, maybe I shouldn't comment on it, but ......"

"I don't know much about politics, and even Sophia knows more than I do. But I can tell you one thing very clearly - anyone who dares to shake the rule of the Empire, whoever it is, has only one ending. ”