Three more votes

__________________________________

"You are not wrong, I will try to collect as much food and seed as I can after the fall, and send some detachments to recover Paphlagonia and Anatolia that belong to the Romans." George forgave Diognis for his agitation and recklessness again, and then he handed a sealed document to the herald beside him, "Of course, I will also ask His Majesty in the imperial capital for help, on the first day of this year, I hope that His Majesty's salary assistance will arrive in full, and our soldiers have reached the annual or triennial round of pay date, and we cannot delay any longer." ”

The first day of the year is the new year of the Byzantine Roman chronology, that is, the first day of September, and the reason why this date was chosen as the beginning of the year is because the Emperor of Constantinople began the assessment and taxation of property throughout the country on this day, and the tax was the most important thing for Byzantium anyway.

And even so, the amount of food, cloth and money requisitioned by the emperor to pay the mercenaries and ordinary soldiers was also tight, so the mercenaries within the emperor's army were usually paid once a year, (the inner palace guards like the Red Hand Guards were paid once a month or three months), while the soldiers recruited at the lower levels may not be able to receive a military salary until three years, and if there is still a shortfall, it can only be resisted by granting land property and tax exemption.

The herald stepped out of the tent with the sealed paper in hand, and then quickly mounted his horse and galloped away in the direction of Abydos.

Gao Wen, who was playing the wooden fence, saw this scene and was silent for a long time.

About a month and a half later, the letter arrived in the Imperial Capital of Brachna, and the first to open it was the Grand Governor of the Imperial Court, Nick Demia, who was illiterate, so he asked his attendants to read it for him, and then he hurriedly sent an urgent letter to Beriel, the Imperial Governor and Grand Comptroller, the Mayor of Constantinople, inviting him to the palace to discuss matters.

The speed of the messenger in the arrow path of the palace was extremely fast, and when Beriel was summoned from the palace into the palace, only an hour had passed (Byzantine time statistics were similar to China's, dividing the day and night into twelve hours, with the sun rising, that is, about six o'clock in the morning as the first hour).

"Does His Majesty the Emperor know about this letter from Chief George Stable?" This was the first thing Berriel asked the eunuch after reading it.

Nikdemia shook his head, "I invite you to come first, I just want you to assess how much pressure the Warden's request will put on the Empire?" If it is very small, then there is no need to hand it over to the emperor for cut, I can operate myself; If the pressure is great, we must get the emperor's approval. ”

Beriel was a nobleman of about fifty years of age, very dignified in stature and appearance, he was originally a disciple of the previous emperor, and was later promoted to the most noble position of chief assistant, and was the ruler of the bureaucracy of the entire capital, after hearing the words of the great eunuch, he smiled bitterly and walked to the corner of the palace colonnade.

The knowing Nicodemia came after him, and Berriel spun around for a half-time, and then said in unquestionable words, "The treasury is empty. ”

"What about the Emperor's private treasury?"

"Hmph, you're the head of the Imperial Property Division, and you're going to ask me?" Burriel chuckled.

"It is true that the contemptible man is honored to hold this office, but it is well known that His Majesty's private treasury is divided into three, Sakelion, Vestiarium, and Eidikon, the first two of which are from the market taxes and customs duties of Constantinople, and the other from the income of the royal estates, all of which are in your hands. The contemptible Imperial Property Division, Eidikon, is just the income from the collection of monetary taxes throughout the country. ”

"It's been an empty shelf for a long time!" Berriel put his hands behind his back and looked at the royal gardens outside, "The market tax and customs tariff could have been collected in about 300,000 Solid gold coins a year, but where is there now?" The emperor granted Venice, Pisa, Amalfi, ** these Italian cities duty-free and unlimited trade privileges, and now they are like filthy frogs jumping out of the swamp, covering the ports and shipping routes of the entire empire. Don't you know that the most beautiful women in the entire imperial capital today are proud to marry a wealthy Venetian merchant instead of a glorious Roman nobleman? After saying that, Burriel looked at Nick Demia and felt that the other party couldn't feel the question just now, so he couldn't help but put on a spicy expression.

But the little bird Nikdemia was not at all annoyed, he just kept agreeing, and then humbly continued to ask Vestiarium if he might squeeze out some money, because the temporary reward for the Emperor's expedition was usually taken from Vestiarium.

"It's gone." Beriel was not angry, "All of them have been sent to build this magnificent palace in front of you and me." ”

At this time, Nicodemia was also full of disappointment, he sighed and stood side by side with Beriel, and said a little sadly, "Is there nothing to be done now?" ”

"Can you still have no money for the Imperial Property Division you manage? Everyone knows that this currency reform has helped His Majesty amass a considerable amount of money. ”

"It's useless." The little bird dragged a long sigh, "Part of it is to fund His Majesty to build the Cathedral of the Holy Apostles, and part of it is to pay for the military salaries that were accumulated some time ago, the gold reserves of the empire are getting smaller and smaller, and most of them are used as mercenary expenses, which go to other countries, and the rest are donated to the church, like mercury, there is no trace." The fineness of the coins is also getting lower and lower, and the accumulation of some money is at the expense of overdrawing the royal credit. To tell you the truth, I've been serving the court for decades, and now I really feel like I can't turn around. ”

These words also aroused Zaisuke's anxiety, and he also sighed, "It's not impossible now. ”

"You mean to pay George's soldiers the land and wasteland of the regions of Asia Minor in lieu of money?"

Zaisuke nodded, "It's not like I haven't done this before. ”

"This time is different from the past, even if you can get the golden edict signed by the emperor, it will be difficult to convince the public." After Nikdemia used the word "many", Zaisuke laughed when he heard it, "I understand, His Majesty the Emperor himself is from Xiaoya, of course I understand. ”

At this moment, beads of sweat oozed from the forehead of the little bird, and the thin old man simply gritted his teeth, and then he looked up and said to Zaifu, "I am willing to give up my life to persuade the Emperor to adopt your advice." ”

"No, don't say it's my advice!" Beriel stretched out his palm in refusal, and then he shook his head, indicating that he would not be involved in the matter, and turned away, and walked out of the zigzag palace, and disappeared at the end of the cloister, and in the eyes of Nicodemia.

"Old fox." "Then let those who are truly loyal to the royal family and the empire do it." ”