The bustling port is full of people coming and going, and business travelers are everywhere passing by. It is hard to imagine that this place was still in a depression just a few months ago.

"Is this Ilovan Castle? I remember that a year ago this place was desolate, but it turned out to be just like the rumors!" Phillips shouted in surprise. He had left Constantinople before.

After that, he went to the Black Sea and did business in Crimea. When he came back, he learned that his mother country had a new trade transit station here, so he came over.

But he clearly remembered that he passed through this place when he went to Agrinion a year ago. It could be said to be barren, but now it is completely different.

Across the towering mountains, the Ilovan Castle on the seaside appeared in everyone's sight. The sun had already set in the west, but the merchants who were constantly coming and going were busy transferring goods. Nowadays, the relationship between Genoa and the Venetians has deteriorated.

They only have a few reliable transit points. If you want to go to the East, you must stop here. Although you still need to pay taxes, it is much cheaper, and it is better than the Venetian card payment.

Passing through the villages near Ilovan Castle, many Roman farmers were sweating profusely and working very diligently, harvesting patches of barley. They had to farm for a while while it was still dark, because after all, this was their own land.

Land. Many of them lost their property and became refugees in other places, but they received generous subsidies from the lords of Ilovanburg here.

Unlike those overbearing military commanders, this lord did not have any requirement for the refugees to become his slave farmers, which made everyone call him "Moses" lovingly. In their view, the favor done by that man was no less than the pioneering work.

The Red Sea led God's chosen people to Canaan.

"It's incredible!" Phillips subconsciously exclaimed. Maybe it's not too prosperous here, but this kind of lively feeling is not found in ordinary villages and towns.

Arriving at the city gate, the Genoese merchants immediately noticed the few Roman soldiers guarding the door.

It's not that they have never seen the Roman army, but a year ago, they knew how vulnerable the imperial army was. Facing the Crusaders with only tens of thousands of people, Alexius III led 70,000 people without fighting.

Escape. According to the records of the people at the time, even the Roman soldiers guarding Constantinople were equipped with weapons, the navy was disbanded, and even elites such as the Varangian Guards were in arrears with military pay. One can only imagine how corrupt they had become.

situation.

But the Roman guards standing in front of them at this moment had a completely different look. They had brand new Anatolian scale armor, conical helmets, Greek shields and spears. They were definitely a man full of fighting spirit.

The appearance of an elite soldier.

This in itself is not surprising, but what is strange is that it is very miraculous that such a thing exists in such a small place. Since the fields in the military area have been plundered by the officer class, it is logical that soldiers of yeoman origin cannot afford to equip such weapons and armor.

At this moment, several principals of Ilovan Castle saw a group of Genoese business travelers coming and immediately came to greet them enthusiastically. The huge profits in the past few months made the treasury of Ilovan Castle full for the first time.

It can be said that when these old men saw the Genoese coming, they thought they were like shining gold.

"Welcome to Ilovan Castle, our Genoese friends!"

Looking at such friendly Romans, Philips had to admire the cunning of these people. In fact, since the destruction of Western Rome, the differences between the eastern and western Christian worlds have become wider and wider. In the eyes of the Franks, the Greeks in the east are

Cunning, insidious, and smooth, and even Italians who are good at business think so. One second, the Greeks can scream and kill to expel the Latins, and the next second they are doing business with them.

But these words can only be kept in my heart. Phillips also said with a smile on his face: "Thank you very much."

Following the person in charge, Phillips and his party walked into Ilovan Castle. It was also very different inside. It had been obviously renovated. Although the scale was still as small as before, the streets were much tidier, and some Roman vendors were also present.

Start a business, after all, Genoese people also need daily necessities, and it is more convenient to buy them here.

"I really didn't expect this place to be completely brand new. It seems that the new lord you are talking about is really awesome!" Phillips once again couldn't help but admired. He was also curious about who could make this remote and remote place look brand new.

.

"That all depends on Lord Justinian. Although he is a young man, if it weren't for him, we old bones might not be able to see what we are doing now."

"Justinian? Oh, it would be great if I could be lucky enough to meet him." Although he was slightly stunned, Phillips did not think of the lord here having contact with the young man he helped to smuggle. He sighed and talked with a few

The person in charge is very close.

"That's really unfortunate. Lord Justinian probably won't be able to come back from his inspection in the countryside for a while. Sometimes he will stay there for a night." Several old people laughed.

.

"Oh my, that's such an unfortunate coincidence."

…

At the same time, in the countryside, Justinian drove a carriage alone with his escort and entourage. He looked at the busy villagers in the village and greeted everyone with a smile. The enthusiastic villagers all brought out wine and food for him.

The group of people rested and enjoyed themselves, and Justinian accepted them generously without refusing.

He could feel the heartfelt love these people had for him.

It can be said that Justinian is now very grateful to Mikhail for giving him this place. With so many wheat fields, farms, and woodlands in the mountains, he can support many people. Coupled with the trade with the Genoese, he believes in himself even more.

You can rely on this to rise step by step.

There is no need to pay too much tax on the land. There is already quite a surplus in taxation. However, sooner or later Justinian will expand his army, so it is only a matter of time before he goes to distant places to expand territory. But now, to a certain extent, Cha

Stinian has completed the restoration of the military district system within its own territory. There are no military nobles or monastic landowners here, and no one is in danger of being robbed of their land.

However, he still had to be vigilant. One day, the greed caused by the accumulation of wealth would cause people to annex more and more communal lands, and at that time, the foundation he had re-established would be in danger of being corrupted.

At this moment, the rapid sound of horse hooves suddenly came over, and a messenger was seen hurried over on horseback.

"Is this the commander of Ilovan Castle, His Excellency Justinian?" the soldier asked unceremoniously, without even getting off his horse.

"It's me." Looking at the other party's clothes, Justinian recognized at a glance that he was not his subordinate. After being slightly startled, he nodded and replied, not knowing what was going on.
Chapter completed!