"In that case, we need to change our thinking. In the past, we used to learn from the Venetians, trying to build shops and even run cities in various places. But here, it's probably not a good choice. ”

Without a moment of grief for the Persian annihilation, Joanna immediately began to think about how to deal with the situation.

"Yes. Also, there are some things that ......" Odosia hesitated: "I don't know whether to say it or not, but I still hope you can listen to it." ”

"You say, you say." Joanna was very humble and immediately said that she was willing to listen.

"I see that you have been dealing with those merchants before, trying to get them to form a closer alliance with you. But I don't think the gains outweigh the losses. "There are two main problems here. ”

"First of all, these people aren't necessarily partners worth wooing. They are simply a mess, and it takes a lot of energy and a lot of practical benefits to appease them to unite. At these costs, more can be done. Even if they are willing to form an alliance, they will certainly go their own way for the sake of profit. When the time comes, give them more if there is good; They provoked something, but they want you, the leader, to clean up the mess. This is certainly inappropriate. ”

"You also know that the Venetians are the most successful at sea. But think about it, what is the root of their success? She asked.

"Because they're the most united." Joanna understood what she meant.

"Yes, Venice is the least commercial city-state of all the commercial city-states." Eudosia explains: "Almost all of the merchant ships in Venice were produced by their great armory. Therefore, the ownership of these ships also belongs to the Republic of Venice. In normal times, they would be contracted by large and small commercial aristocrats, and then distributed to various captains and leased to them for operation. But at a critical moment, the republic has the power to forcibly recall all ships, organize them in a unified group, and direct them to participate in naval battles. ”

In this way, their advantages over other commercial city-states are obvious: first, they can concentrate on the construction of ships. I've heard that they already have a unified standard for everything from ships to all kinds of equipment and weapons, which means that they have figured out the right way of thinking. ”

"The Arsenal of Venice has always been kept strictly secret. How did you know so much about these process things? Joanna asked curiously, "Moreover, why is it the right way of thinking, and how is it determined?" ”

"It's not what I said, it's what those Han people said." "They have always been interested in the countries around them and how production is organized," Odosia affirms. ”

"The process of ordnance production in Venice, though kept as secret as possible, can be immediately judged by a knowledgeable person looking at their policies, their organization, and the various things that flowed out." "Because the Han people themselves started doing this more than a thousand years ago, when they were called the pre-Qin dynasty," she said. They are also better organized than the Venetians. These people must be able to see through the little secrets of the Venetians at a glance. ”

"I see......"

Although they all say that Rome was the closest Qin-like state, Rome in Constantinople had completely declined before the establishment of the Khanate. The production method of the Venetians is the closest to Qin. Odosia shook her head and said, "Compared to the scattered dockyards of other city-states, their advantage is too great. How can they compete with them if they really fight with this production efficiency? ”

"With such material conditions, of course, their other organizations are much more efficient. In your city-state, the great families are always fighting among themselves. Although it is possible to form guilds and try to form a consensus with the outside world, this kind of organization is too loose to compare with the kind of industry that is directly run by the state. ”

"Understood. We still have to refer to the most successful Venetian at the moment. Joanna nodded.

"Not really. This brings me to the second question. Eudosia shook her head and said, "The Venetian style is now outdated. ”

"Huh?" The other party's sudden change of attitude made Joanna not react for a while.

"Because Venice is, after all, a commercial city-state. They are more organized than other city-states, but there is a limit to how much they can improve their efficiency and the way they are governed. Odosia said, "They only have some aspects, and they have adopted a system similar to that of Qin. When encountering a large empire that is more similar to Qin, it is completely powerless to resist. ”

"You should be able to see how the situation has changed over the years. In the face of a powerful country like Hungary back then and Alemanni now, the Venetians had no power to fight back. Even if he competes peacefully, don't you see that he is on the side of the Roman Khanate, and he will shrink very quickly? ”

"That's right. They had always been the traditional allies of the Roman Khanate. But when you think about it, it seems that the Venetians have been losing ground. Their colonies in the Crimea, in the Aegean, and even in the capitals were largely annexed by Rome. Joanna thought for a moment, "But they don't seem to say anything, and they're still trying to maintain a relationship......

"They are too vulnerable. From the second half of the 12th century onwards, the great powers in this region were weakened and divided, and in this environment, they were able to hold out for a while by virtue of their own advantages. But this vacancy cannot always exist, and there will always be someone to fill the position of a strong country. Odosia said: "Because of their own reasons, they cannot catch up with the land powers, so in the end they have to settle for the next best." At the very least, Rome is still willing to do business with them, and it is better than those who directly rob them. ”

"Venice is like this, what can you do?" She persuaded: "I am still trying to follow the old path, and if I want to circle a sphere of influence, I will definitely fail." ”

This is what I just said: the Roman Khanate has always been excellent in the theory of statecraft, but what it lacked was the ability to execute in certain areas. But as their strength grows, they take deeper and deeper roots here, and what they haven't done before will gradually make up for it now. ”

"The son of the Guo family began to act against the Rus, whether he did it intentionally or unintentionally, which shows that with the gradual increase in the control of the Roman Khanate, the management of the imperial court has collided and clashed with the local Rus' organization." "In that case, there's no need for you to drill into the blocked streets," she analyzed. ”

"Unlike me, you are in a position to bargain with them and negotiate business seriously. In my opinion, don't think about this, think about it as soon as possible, how to cooperate to achieve the greatest benefits. Now, that's probably the only thing we can do. She looked a little pessimistic and said slowly.

(End of chapter)