After temporarily settling Serenus, Manuel continued to work on his current tasks. After sending Serenus to an external diplomatic post, he turned his attention back to finalizing the disposition of the Tatars within the territory.
Honestly, although he had explicitly ordered the "Tauris Re-Baptism Movement" to continue until at least the end of this year on the afternoon of the day after his coronation, he knew deep down that this act of expulsion mixed with slaughter could not last. To govern the still large Tatar population under his command, reasonable policies were still needed.
In view of this, after careful consideration, he decided to follow the previously set tone: the entire Tauris Peninsula would be directly administered by the Autocratic State, while the mainland territories, which were easy to attack but difficult to defend and still underdeveloped, would be divided into three parts. The majority would be distributed to governors for management, and local taxes would also be outsourced to the governors and trusted local nobles. Anyway, these lands conventionally wouldn't yield much tax revenue, so it was better to hand them over to tax farmers; perhaps even more ducats could be squeezed out. As for the selection of governors, he already had a rough idea. However, despite saying this, he felt it was still necessary to gauge their attitudes.
The day after welcoming Serenus, Manuel invited Kristo Balin, the mother of the two surviving direct children of the Girey Family (who was also Haji Giray's sole surviving widow), and four tribal chiefs of smaller tribes who had firmly sided with him, to the Palace for a meeting.
Facing the Caesar's invitation, the two, who were still in the southern part of the Peninsula, dared not delay. They immediately accepted his invitation and arrived at Bangup Palace, dressed formally, on the morning of the third day, awaiting Manuel's summons.
Manuel was quite pleased with their conduct and immediately summoned them, setting a specific meeting location.
At noon that day, in an auxiliary manor of Bangup Palace, Manuel smiled gently as he had lunch with these Tatar nobles.
"Here, eat something. These are smoked lamb slices, hunted from the Tauris Mountains and smoked for several months. The spices have permeated the meat; you, as Tatars, should be very familiar with this kind of meat, as I personally also enjoy nomadic meat dishes. And this is a smoked fish platter, with smoked herring, smoked mackerel, smoked sea bream, smoked anchovies, and smoked tuna. Take whichever you like. If you feel the flavor isn't enough, you can add some caviar or honey to season it. Of course, sweet wine is also very good; at least according to the old customs of the Tauris Goth, sprinkling sweet wine on fish slices is a top delicacy. To say a few more words, based on personal experience, this is how to eat it.
"To accompany these savory dishes, I personally highly recommend soft and delicious wheat bread as the staple food. If you find white bread not to your liking, there are also many lamb-filled naan breads prepared here, cooked according to the preferences of Tatar nobles. Please enjoy them. And they are all cooked with excellent fish sauce oil and olive oil, so there's no need to worry about the taste.
"Oh, by the way, it's only normal to have some snacks and desserts after the meal, so we have prepared rice pudding and rose candy, which you will surely like, along with Machim sweet wine imported from the Peloponnese Peninsula, which pairs very well with them."
While introducing these delicacies, Manuel was in high spirits, constantly gesturing, "Please enjoy quickly; we'll discuss specific matters after we've eaten our fill." While entertaining them, he deliberately avoided religious terms to avoid provoking those who had recently converted.
Balin, who was already his loyal subordinate, saw this. After a slight bow in return, he respectfully expressed that it would be better to obey than to refuse and began to enjoy these sweet foods. The Giray widow, however, became secretly vigilant, fearing that the Caesar before them might do something out of line to her and her two children. But seeing the unproblematic behavior of the other participants at the banquet, she quickly relaxed and began to enjoy these Greek and Goth-style delicacies.
After everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, Manuel took the opportunity to open the topic, "Actually, the matter to be discussed today is neither big nor small—the mainland territories of the Autocratic State need three suitable governors to fill the positions."
As soon as he finished speaking, the Tatar nobles before him held their breath, awaiting his next words.
"So," Manuel said, gently stroking the glass wine cup beside him, looking at Balin, "I have decided to grant Balin the position of governor for most of the region of Lesser Cherson. By July, I will also bestow upon you an appropriate and suitable title. Afterward, I will also form a Tatar cavalry legion, and if all goes well, the most suitable person should be granted the position of legion commander." The Lesser Cherson region was what the Tatars called the Yedishkul region. During the "Tauris Re-Baptism Movement," Manuel took advantage of the de-Muslimization trend and deliberately renamed this area the Lesser Cherson region.
Balin, upon hearing this, prostrated himself publicly in gratitude, showing his loyalty, "I will not fail His Majesty's decision and trust."
Manuel smiled and nodded in approval. He then turned to the Giray widow and said politely and gently, "For the mainland territories of the Autocratic State north of the Peninsula, excluding Lesser Cherson, which is the Western Kizlyar region, I intend for Dauletiar and Haydar, these two children, to jointly serve as governors. Of course, I know they are still young, so for now, I ask Your Excellency to act as regent in their mother's name."
Although the Giray widow generally had no objections, she still had some questions. "Thank you for His Majesty's benevolence and wisdom. But they are still children after all. What if someone takes advantage of this to stir up trouble? And faith, that is also a very important matter."
Manuel nodded affirmatively. He already had a plan for the former, but the latter was indeed a problem. To win over the remaining members of the Girey Family, he not only concealed the deaths of Haji Giray, his two wives, and their children, but also allowed the direct descendants of the Girey Family under his rule, including his second wife, to retain their old faith. However, this was not a long-term solution. Perhaps now was a good opportunity?
Thinking of this, Manuel's smile grew even wider. "Don't worry, they are governors personally appointed by me. If problems arise in Western Kizlyar, the superior Autocratic State will intervene." He paused deliberately, "As for faith, that's true, so I have an idea: why don't I help nurture these two children, to make them people worthy of pride for Your Excellency and even their ancestors?"
"How exactly will they be nurtured?" the Giray widow asked nervously.
"You and your children will remain in Mangup until they are fourteen, receiving meticulous care. This way, they can build a solid foundation, and then they will be more competent as governors."
The air in the room gradually quieted down, with only Dauletiar and Haydar still playing as if no one else was there. After a while, the Giray widow finally made her decision. "His Majesty's words are very wise; let it be so." Ultimately, as Haji Giray's long-neglected second wife, she cared little for the Girey Family's reputation, prestige, or clan honor. She only cared about whether her children could grow up healthy. If becoming Eastern Orthodox could more securely achieve this, she didn't care much about other trivial matters.
After convincing the Giray widow, Manuel smiled contentedly and turned his gaze to the remaining tribal chiefs of the smaller tribes. "Next is the appointment of governors for the Kuba coastal region, with a slight difference: I plan to appoint a governor from Mangup, and you all will serve as co-consuls (consulares) in the Governor's Office to assist him. How does that sound?"
If these were chiefs of larger tribes, they would surely object to his resolution, either openly or covertly. Fortunately, they were only small tribes, and ones that had sided with Manuel during the civil war. Although they felt a slight, insignificant disappointment with this appointment, it was still a substantial gain. Therefore, when asked about their attitude, they, like Balin, repeatedly bowed and affirmed.
After informally resolving the disposition of most of the mainland territories, Manuel felt a sense of physical and mental relief. "Good, in a few days, I will formalize these decisions made privately today. They should be implemented by next month at the latest. If there are no other matters to report, then let's conclude."
That evening, after finishing dinner and returning to his chambers, Manuel, after bathing, relaxed on his wife's lap pillow and shared the afternoon's banquet as a meaningful and enjoyable event. After listening, she, with some doubts about Manuel's decision, curiously asked, "Is it really good to let children be governors?"
"Children are like soft clay, easy to mold, and those children from the Girey Family can still be utilized," Manuel rose and explained to his wife, "To stabilize the Tatars remaining within our borders, the prestigious Girey Family is a good benchmark. As long as these children stand with us, it can at least prevent anyone from using the 'Girey Family' name to harm them."
Barbara listened, thought for a moment, and then nodded in agreement. However, Manuel's next words surprised her. "Alas, if their father were still alive, I don't know how much suffering they would endure because of him. Fortunately, they are in our hands now."
"Isn't that a bit much to say? After all, Haji Giray was their father. If these two children grow up and learn the truth, they'll surely devour you alive," Barbara pouted, raising an objection.
"Huh? Will they?" Manuel retorted, surprised. "Although I killed their father, it was a matter of necessity. How could they resent me? They should be grateful to me for being able to receive a good education in Mangup now."
"Ha?" Barbara felt her mind was a bit slow and began to try hard to keep a straight face.
However, Manuel ignored her and continued to speak to himself, "Besides, they only lost their father, but don't they still have me? I can completely become their life guide, educate them in excellent Roman culture, and make them great Romans."
Barbara felt she couldn't hold back anymore. "No, listen to what you're saying?"
"Huh?" Manuel, still in an excited state, asked her back, "Did I say something wrong?"
"You," Barbara felt like she was laughing out of anger, "Holy Mother above, that's enough, stop being crazy here!"