The Impact of the Project

A week later, the rebellion gradually subsided.

Thanks to the Nile River Railway, troops stationed in various regions were able to be mobilized at an extremely rapid pace. The ten hereditary lords involved in the rebellion were either killed or fled, and their territories were all captured by the Rome army.

Varro's earlier guess was correct; the rebellion was launched hastily.

The most widely circulated story is that the rebels' original plan was to wait for the French Army reinforcements, and then coordinate an attack from within to secede Egypt from the Eastern Roman Empire.

Regardless of what others think, Varro believes the rumor.

He took out his notebook, which contained many clippings cut from newspapers.

One of the news items came from a France newspaper, which strongly condemned the Eastern Roman Empire canal project in Egypt, claiming that it disrupted the natural order and endangered the survival of marine life.

After the Second Italian Wars ended, the various countries realized that the peninsula had declined and the gains were limited. In the following decades, the conflict between France and the Eastern Roman Empire in the Mediterranean Sea eased, and no large-scale war broke out.

However, both sides also face a source of conflict in the Indian Ocean.

After Vitus reconquered Egypt, the construction of the Suez Canal became an obsession for the navy. Once the canal was completed, the main force of the Rome fleet would not hesitate to break out of the Red Sea and enter the ocean.

This would completely disrupt the existing power structure in the Indian Ocean.

As the current beneficiary, the Bourbon royal family has ample reason to interfere.

Varro believed the plan was feasible. If implemented, the enemy might capture cities like Alexander, thus separating Egypt from the Eastern Roman Empire. If all went well, it could even trigger a chain reaction of collapses in North Africa and the Levant.

However, this plot was thwarted by Oustrati, who was undoubtedly the greatest contributor to the success.

On September 15th, the emperor's edict arrived in Pelusium.

The ten lords who participated in the rebellion were stripped of their lands, their core members were all executed, and their families and minor members were exiled.

Oustrati was posthumously awarded honorary titles, his family received a large reward, and his family's territory doubled in size.

Then comes the relevant personnel arrangements.

The Central Administration sent a new Governor and Finance, and those who had contributed to suppressing the rebellion were promoted, including Joseph and Varro.

The two men heard the name of the rebel leader that Oustrati had uttered before his death, and then rushed to Suez to report the news, thus playing a certain role.

Varro served in the Court, and the emperor promoted him to First-Class Court Attendant.

The current administrative hierarchy has fourteen levels, with the first-class attendant ranking at the tenth level. His annual salary is sixty Hyperpyron, and his salary comes from the Court treasury, not the national treasury.

As a wealthy member of the Imperial Clan, sixty Hyperpyron was insignificant; even if the amount were increased tenfold, it wouldn't cover the family's expenses for a single quarter.

He thought to himself, "It's really not a big deal; we'll still build the canal."

After hearing the emperor's edict, the crowd dispersed.

Varro arrived at the brewery on the construction site to inspect a newly brewed batch of wine.

For some, alcohol is a necessity. Soldiers in the military frequently brew their own alcohol, a practice that persists despite repeated prohibitions.

The construction team also needed alcohol, but sorghum had a poor taste, Varro used some of the sorghum for brewing to meet the workers' needs.

This process references Abyssinia techniques, resulting in a low-alcohol sorghum liquor that is cloudy and has a slightly sour taste.

Someone suggested distilling it to obtain high-purity spirits, Varro immediately rebuked, "What are you thinking? They'll start fighting when they're drunk, how can we give them high-proof liquor? Just make do with this stuff."

Recently, construction has begun on the middle section, the Timsah section, and the southern section of the canal, causing project costs to soar. Joseph specifically issued a document requiring all departments to pay attention to costs, stating that providing sorghum liquor is already Varro's bottom line.

At the same time, on the northern shore of the Sea of Azov, in Fort Kalmius.

The port has a dedicated coal railway that connects to the Tarol Coalfield, 100 kilometers to the north.

With the help of port tugboats, a steamship docked at the pier.

The port officer came to register him, and upon seeing Nikephoros's appearance, his expression turned solemn. "Despot? The war isn't over yet, what brings you here?"

Realizing the other person had recognized him, Nikephoros replied, "Of course, I'm here to inspect the coal mine."

In the summer, the main force of Ryazan was defeated by an army of 70,000 men, including the Tuna and Sakarya Legions, and retreated in panic to their own border.

The House of Habsburgs have already withdrawn from the war, and there's no point in continuing to hold out in Ryazan; they will most likely take the initiative to negotiate peace.

Once the war ends, the expansion of coal mines and the exploitation of Iron Mines in the west will need to be put on the agenda.

Nikephoros's trip to the Northern Black Sea Coast had two purposes: first, to inspect the coal mines, and second, to conduct on-site exploration of the Iron Mine to the west.

He and his entourage boarded the train. The scenery along the way was monotonous, with endless barren Steppe outside the window, and the sky was high and the clouds were vast. Villages and farmland were rarely seen.

Eastern Thrace is densely populated and emphasizes intensive farming.

The population density here is very low, and land is not valuable. Each family cultivates at least 100 Stremma (150 acres) of land, practicing a two-field system: half of the land is sown in spring and harvested in autumn, while the other half is left fallow for grazing.

The cold wave has significantly reduced grain production here, to only 50-70% of normal levels.

In years of extreme cold, the grain yield in a Stremma is only a dozen kilograms, with a crop-to-harvest ratio of less than 2:1, which is insufficient to meet the farmers' survival needs.

Therefore, the proportion of potatoes planted in the north is higher than in the local area. Potatoes take less than four months from planting to maturity, perfectly avoiding frost, which is the most feared hazard to crops.

"Without potatoes, I wonder how many people would starve to death?"

Nikephoros disliked potatoes, yet he acknowledged their importance to the Eastern Roman Empire. Without this crop, famine would ensue among the lower classes, sparking repeated rebellions and ultimately crippling the entire empire.

At 2 p. m., the train entered the Tarol region, and scattered traces of coal mining could be seen outside the window.

The coal seams here are very shallow. In the early days, some Rus farmers and Cossacks mined on their own, and the mining area appeared chaotic.

Subsequently, the Outer Tauris Province divided the mining areas among different mining companies, and the scale of mining gradually expanded.

In 1610, the Nikephoros Coal Mining Company alone produced 10,000 tons of coal. As railways proliferated and the demand for iron increased, the price of coal needed for iron smelting also rose.

Gradually, the train began to slow down.

Chirp~

With a loud hiss of steam being released, the train came to a stop at the platform in Tarol.

The railway track layout here is complex. This is because the major coal mines have funded the extension of their tracks here, saving on coal transportation costs.

The Nikephoros coal mine is located eight kilometers to the east of the city, and a railway line runs directly to the mine.

The group traveled in Railway Carriage. The mining area was surrounded by barren Steppe. In the distance, the most striking feature was a brick factory building with a steam engine inside, its chimney constantly spewing out black smoke.

Coal piles were scattered on the north side of the factory, while the boiler room and five rows of low Miners' dwellings were on the south side.

To the east was a makeshift ditch, from which water pumped from the mine by the steam engine flowed along the ditch toward the depression to the southeast.

"Hopefully, this time, the coal mine's accounts won't have any problems."

Ignoring the Miners along the way, Nikephoros strode into the manager's office and demanded an audit.

Because the employer's visit was unexpected, the mining area was caught off guard and there were many suspicious points in the ledgers.

Nikephoros was furious and immediately dismissed the supervisor, appointing someone else to replace him.

"We've won a victory at the front, and we expect a batch of prisoners of war to be sent over. With the increased labor force, next year's output should increase by at least 20%, otherwise I'll have to replace the supervisor again!"

Having dealt with the management issues, Nikephoros walked towards the mine shaft and peered down from the edge.

Another function of the steam engine was to lift heavy objects, transporting coal from below to the surface, saving the labor required to crank the wheels.

For some reason, he was born with a dislike for dark and cramped environments, so he gave up the idea of going down into the well to observe.

Just then, a shout came from below, "The crane is full."

The steam engine started operating, slowly hoisting the coal from the bottom of the mine to the outside, where nearby Miners gathered to unload it.

Currently, 30% of the mine's employees are prisoners of war, who are subject to strict supervision but have very low operating costs.

The remaining Miners came from nearby villages, and most of them worked part-time.

They usually come to help during the off-season for farming. The wages of coal miners are commensurate with their output; the higher the output, the higher the wages.

Nikephoros flipped through the payroll; last month, most workers earned four Hyperpyron, far exceeding their income from farming.

However, the high salary comes at the cost of high risk and a harsh working environment. The overall wage level in Tarol is around this price, so he didn't...

There was no need to make adjustments rashly.

"Dinner's ready!"

The cook rang the food bell, signaling the Miners to come and eat.

Tarol is located inland, and the only meat they eat is salted fish. Their staple food is potatoes or black bread, and their beverage is pale beer.

High-proof spirits like vodka were not provided to prevent Miners from getting into fights while drunk.

Nikephoros stayed at the coal mine for two days before returning to the town of Tarol.

The town was in chaos; prostitutes openly solicited business on the streets, and the excited shouts of gamblers echoed from the depths of the alleys.

Without a doubt, the biggest consumer group for these businesses is Miners.

"The wages they worked so hard to earn from mining coal, just like that, gone. A bunch of poor wretches."

At the crossroads ahead, several men are chasing a Miner covered in coal dust.

Soon, they saw what Nikephoros looked like and the more than twenty followers surrounding him. Their fierce expressions vanished instantly, and they dared not offend this stranger with a powerful background.

Nikephoros did not interfere in the local disputes and continued along the street until he arrived at the military camp in the north of the city.

The town was garrisoned by a garrison battalion and a Dragoons. The lieutenant colonel recognized him and respectfully lit a cigarette for him. "Your Highness, are you here to handle matters at the coal mine?"

"Right."

The chair creaked under the weight of Nikephoros as he sat down. "The newspapers say the fighting is going well at the front, is that true? Have the Cossacks near the mines been wiped out?"

The lieutenant colonel nodded solemnly, claiming that progress at the front was going well and that two thousand prisoners of war would be sent next week. Everything had returned to normal since the Dragoons were brought in.

"You continue with your work, I won't bother you anymore."

Nikephoros didn't want to stay in this chaotic town any longer; he had discerning tastes and genuinely looked down on the low-class entertainment here.

During his stay at the coal mine, his entourage purchased horses and related luggage.

Before winter arrived, the group left Tarol and headed west along the country dirt roads.

The large-scale Iron Mine is located on the west bank of the Dnieper River, 300 kilometers from Tarol. The area is sparsely populated, and it takes a long time to encounter a village.

"Sir, the village ahead has been looted by Cossacks cavalry, and the wells are blocked with corpses. We cannot go in."

Upon hearing the scout's report, Nikephoros cursed under his breath, "What's the value of a village like this? They're practically desperate for money."

Two days later, an autumn rain interrupted their journey. After the rain, the country roads became muddy, and the horses slowed down noticeably.

"The logistical burden of marching on this land is immense."

Nikephoros, also a Military Academy graduate, understood that logistics were key to warfare. The muddy roads were unsuitable for supply wagons, forcing the use of horses for transport, which drastically reduced logistical capacity.

"If I were in command, I would focus on the cavalry, using more than twice the number of cavalry to overwhelm the enemy, loot their villages, and burn their crops."

When Nikephoros was a teenager, he enrolled in the Military Academy and chose the most prestigious and glamorous cavalry department.

As time went by, he grew taller and heavier, significantly increasing the burden on his horse, which resulted in lower training performance. After graduating, he did not join the army but instead began learning how to do business.

On September 25th, they arrived at the Dnieper River crossing.

The small town on the west coast belongs to the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Trade between the two sides is frequent, with goods piled up at the docks waiting to be shipped, and flocks of swallows gliding close to the water's surface.

Arriving on the west bank by ferry, Nikephoros and his party, carrying muskets and horses, were subjected to heavy guard by the local troops.

Note.

"Don't be nervous," he said, producing a letter from a Lithuania nobleman. "I've already spoken with your Province governor about coming to explore for Iron Mine. This is his letter."

After reading the letter, the guard's attitude became respectful. "Your Highness, would you like me to assign a guide?"

Nikephoros agreed.

This inspection trip was a normal business activity, and there was nothing shameful about it.

The entire route from the riverbank to the Krivoy Rog Iron Mine is 100 kilometers long, and the scenery is similar to that on the east bank of the river.

The farmland near the road has been harvested, revealing a large expanse of flat, bare black soil, with vast, desolate Steppe and forests in the distance.

He acknowledged that the soil here is of good quality, but the climate is too harsh, which has kept agricultural productivity low and resulted in a low population density.

Upon entering the Krivoy Rog region, the accompanying prospector took out his binoculars and stared incredulously at the small patch of red soil exposed on the surface. "Is this Iron Mine? The ore layer is so shallow?"

The guide explained, "Long ago, farmers here smelted iron, but the scale of mining was small. Five years ago, prospectors determined that this was a large, widely distributed Iron Mine, and the area began to attract attention."

The information provided by the guide was of little value; Nikephoros, being from the upper class, possessed far more comprehensive information.

The Eastern Roman Empire and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth have reached a mining development agreement that allows Eastern Roman Empire merchants to invest in Iron Mines here, stipulating tax rates and related conditions.

Once the war ends, a large number of merchants will surely come to claim land. Nikephoros set off ahead of time with the aim of securing a prime piece of territory.

In the future, he plans to open a new large-scale iron smelting plant, using his own coal and Iron Mine to smelt iron, and then supply it to his own steel mill and machinery factory.

"Using our own products will definitely lower costs than our competitors. Then, I want to start a railway company..."

The thought of a steady stream of income and ever-increasing assets filled Nikephoros with immense joy; this was undoubtedly the greatest pleasure in life. In comparison, gourmet food, fine wine, and beautiful women were merely minor pleasures.