The Eagle of Eastern Europe

Peter has been with Sofia these days, and they are getting along well, just waiting for the wedding next year.

Sophia learned a lot about Wallachia, and Peter also learned a lot about ancient Greece and Rome. The two of them made progress together, and their relationship gradually deepened.

Lady Maria looked at the two men and felt very relieved. Now his son no longer has to take risks, and he will be able to have a grandson in a few years. Next up should be Mihai.

The princess and the dowry arrived, and Navlachia also sent the bride price. In addition to money, spices and silk, there were 10 cannons, 150 muskets and some gunpowder. These weapons can help Moria strengthen its armed forces.

Mircea continued to expand his army, and the small army would be expanded to 35,000 men. This ambition shocked the finance minister, which meant that military expenditures would have to be doubled.

Perhaps Mircea was also frightened by himself, so he revised the expanded army to 28,000 men. However, the number of artillery pieces was increased to 150. He believed that the strong long-range firepower could weaken the enemy to the greatest extent in close combat.

At the same time, Mircea is also improving the conscription system in various places. Both nobles and civilians must perform military service, and civilians are active in joining the army because they can climb up the ranks. The nobles also sent their second sons there, hoping to earn military merit for the family.

The civil service began to expand from Constanta to Wallachia and Moldova. As long as you passed the examination, you could obtain official positions and attracted intellectuals. Applications to the University of Constanta and Bukur Yesti University are already full, but there are still many people planning to join. Who makes taking exams from college the easiest.

The Dukes of Wallachia had never ruled over such a large area of ​​land before. Mircea has reached a peak that continues to grow.

However, the governance of the new territory still took a lot of energy from the Grand Duke. The meetings these days have been running very late, and he would have been too busy if it weren't for the help of Peter and the Senate.

Wallachia's international influence continues, and some small countries on the Balkan Peninsula have taken the initiative to make friends, such as the Principality of Epirus, which is huddled in the southwest corner.

After Constantinople was captured by the Crusaders in 1204, Michael Komnenos, an officer in the Asia Minor Peninsula who was originally the Byzantine Empire, pledged allegiance to the Kingdom of Thessaloniki, which was a Latin country at the time. However, soon after, Michael Komnenos left Thessaloniki and went to the Peloponnese, trying to establish his own rule, but failed. So, he finally made his way to Epirus. There he eventually established the principality of Epirus.

After the Nicaea Empire re-established the Byzantine Empire, the Principality of Epirus was forced to become part of the Byzantine Empire through marriage. However, at the same time, the Principality of Epirus still maintained an alliance with the Principalities of Athens and Achaia, which were hostile to the Byzantine Empire. Afterwards, the history of the principality was mired in a long period of aristocratic infighting, and the ambitions of Michael and Theodore Komnenos were long forgotten. Now it has been reduced to a state of survival.

Mircea received the envoy, and Epirus paid an annual tribute of 5,000 gold coins in exchange for Wallachia's promise not to annex Epirus. This is already the largest amount they can come up with. Mircea directly accepted it, after all, one more tribute would be fine.

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Wallachia's coercion affected other small Balkan countries, and they lined up to see him with gifts. Some people in Western Europe were dismissive, thinking that Wallachia was only strong for a while, like the Serbian Empire, and fell apart after the death of its ruler.

But people have already thought of this problem. According to the codes and decrees issued by the Grand Duke, local nobles can only enjoy some economic privileges and gift privileges, and other judicial and military powers have been cancelled. Press them firmly to the ground and never let them pose a threat.

But such a policy aroused the resentment of the local nobles. They thought that after driving away Osman, their good days would come back. As a result, a lot of power was taken away. I was originally a noble. How is this different from a rich country man?

Some dissatisfied Serbian nobles and Bulgarian nobles gathered together, and they were ready to plot big things. In their view, the long-term plan was not theirs, as long as they got their power back, they didn't care even if Osman took the opportunity to counterattack.

However, have they forgotten that Grand Duke Mircea once executed dozens of nobles in Wallachia on a large scale, but now they have neither soldiers nor foreign aid. Isn't this looking for death?

Moreover, Peter's sugar-coated bullets are indeed effective. Some nobles are already living in the city and engaged in industry and commerce. The power is gone, I just need to enjoy it.

The Orthodox Church also provides part of the grassroots governance functions. Bishops are responsible for managing the people in border areas and collecting taxes, and are also responsible for enlightenment and conversion. People who believed in Catholicism and Crescentism could only convert or pay an extra poll tax.

The revival of the Orthodox Church in the Balkans was something that the Catholic Church did not expect. The Popes did not sincerely aid the King's Castle, they just wanted to force the Orthodox Church to surrender. So when they learned that the scope of the Orthodox Church had expanded, Rome felt that it had to restrict it and let Hungary cause some trouble for them. This will force them to negotiate.

I have to say, it is a very naive idea, incredibly naive.

Wallachia has no time to deal with Western Europe. The East is the focus of their rule. There can be no mistakes.

The population statistics of the new territory are also being sent back one after another. According to the current data, the population of Wallachia has exceeded 2.7 million. It may eventually exceed 3 million people. This king's population can be compared with Lithuania in Eastern Europe.

With such a large population, Wallachia could do much more. More taxes, more levies, more food, all require population to produce. Land reclamation, industrial and commercial production, and mineral mining are the main labor forces in current economic activities. An increasing population will make this country more and more powerful, as long as the growth rate can continue.

Skopje and Adrian were two large cities in the south, and without Ottoman invasion and transformation, it might have been more difficult for Wallachia to control them. One is the gateway to the Fortress and the other is the center of the Macedonian region. The geographical locations are very important. Wallachia controls these two places at the same time, which shows that the overall situation of the Balkans has been decided. A brand new country is rising. There is always a chance. One day, his name will spread throughout Europe.