However, when Manuel, in the afternoon a week later, meticulously and repeatedly read through the document on the necessary conditions for establishing a bank, which Carlo de' Medici had submitted to him in his office at Bangup Palace, he felt quite troubled.
What Carlo had mentioned last time, about Bosporus also having the capability to establish a bank, was indeed true. But according to the document he had carefully written for Manuel this time, with Bosporus' current economic level, the scale of the banking industry that could be developed, while sufficient to reach the level of private banks in Western Europe, was far from what Manuel had expected.
"This kind of small to medium-sized bank is only good at lending. No, if such a bank were to become a semi-official department, wouldn't that be too low-end? If a bank is only good at lending, it would be better to let the white gloves controlled by the Gavras Family handle loans as before. Although they can also pull off some Ponzi schemes, it's not worth using state credit or family credit to do such things. Not worth it at all." Manuel thought with a frown after reading.
Since this was the case, the plan for Bosporus' bank construction could only be temporarily shelved. However, this did not mean that Manuel would completely abandon the development of the banking industry. After annotating the document with "To be discussed again," he immediately added a line with his pen, "But matters of the banking industry still need preparation. Therefore, I hereby appoint His Excellency Carlo to be fully responsible for this matter under my rule."
There was nothing he could do. His greatest understanding of the banking industry came from his previous life, but he knew that banks in the medieval period must be significantly different from those in his past life. Rather than forcibly intervening in unfamiliar matters, it was better to entrust them to professionals.
The Bosporus Bank thus came to a temporary halt. After having the annotated document sent back to Carlo, Manuel first briefly slumped in his chair, then regained his spirits and pulled out a recent report on the activities of the Dark Department in Trabzon from his desk.
After a quick read, he put it back in its place somewhat dejectedly and complained in a low murmur, "Seriously, will John Komnenos make a move or not? It's such a good opportunity, don't let it all be for nothing in the end."
However, he knew that no amount of complaining would help. Although it was frustrating, the prerequisites for the plan were indeed not in his hands. And to implement that risky and uncertain plan, he had to wait for Trabzon's reaction. What Manuel could do was to try his best to secretly induce the other party to act according to his expectations. This process was not easy for him to endure; at least when he was in a bad mood, he really wanted to personally lead an army of four or five thousand and violently bombard Trabzon from the sea.
What's more, his wife, Barbara, was currently pregnant and undergoing long-term conditioning in the city, unable to comfort and encourage him as usual. Thinking of this, Manuel began to try to calm himself down and imagine the appearance, talents, and name of his first child. When he was overwhelmed by state affairs, the imagination of a potentially beautiful future was like the most effective tranquilizer.
After recovering his mood slightly, Manuel immediately snapped back to reality and continued to deal with the tasks at hand.
This kind of day continued until early January of next year, 1433, when the delegation led by Mana returned from Vilnius.
After personally hearing from Mana about his diplomatic achievements in Lithuania, Manuel praised him with great satisfaction. At the end of their conversation, Mana casually asked, "By the way, Your Majesty, where is His Excellency Serenus? I remember he was sent by Your Majesty to the Golden Horde, he should have returned to the country by now."
"Oh, him," Manuel explained calmly, "Besides the mission to the Golden Horde, I have other arrangements for him. Just wait patiently."
"I see." Although his expression remained normal, Mana couldn't help but feel a little regretful. To be honest, deep down he hoped that this young man from Morea would make some small mistakes that would displease Manuel. If so, perhaps he would have a chance to prove to his respected Majesty that he was more qualified for the position of Chief Secretary of the Cabinet than that man.
But if it couldn't be helped, then so be it. After all, if he were to bring down that person using dishonorable means, based on Mana's understanding of Manuel, he would definitely be politically condemned to death.
Fortunately, Manuel was unaware of Mana's little thoughts. He was currently pondering the various impacts of the surrounding diplomatic landscape on his upcoming actions, in order to cope with possible situations.
By the time the delegation led by Serenus returned, it was already the end of January. After a simple welcome banquet, Manuel summoned Serenus to his office that night to inquire about the results of his mission.
Facing Manuel's inquiry, Serenus first reported in detail the diplomatic achievements in the Golden Horde. Manuel listened, nodded with satisfaction, and thought, "Good, good. It seems the Autocratic State's border is temporarily stable. By then, I can fully commit my military power to Anatolia."
After praising him a few times, Manuel quickly asked about the special task entrusted to him, "Did you gain anything in Georgia?"
Indeed, the special task Manuel entrusted to him was to visit the Kingdom of Georgia in the South Caucasus on his way back to inquire about its king's attitude towards the Bosphorus Despotate and the local political situation.
Serenus bowed and reported, "Reporting to Your Majesty, the Kingdom of Georgia should now be in a serious state of fragmentation. At least during my diplomatic visit there, I found that although King Alexander, residing in Tbilisi, had the authority and ability to command his vassals, the feudal principalities within the kingdom were already acting independently. While Georgia in this state can defend itself, it is no longer capable of hindering us."
Manuel nodded in approval. If he remembered correctly, in official history, Georgia began to disintegrate shortly after this king's death, eventually breaking into three Grand Duchies after a series of integrations and collapses by the end of the 15th century.
Having understood this, Manuel, no longer having any worries, finally decided to act against the surrounding targets soon. "Let's start with Adyghe, after all, Muhammad Khan has already recognized our special status in the area. It would be too hurtful if we didn't accept his kindness." He smiled amiably, although his eyes were fixed on Serenus, the subject of his conversation was himself, which made Serenus feel a little unnerved.
The next morning, Manuel summoned Badars to this room to confirm the current operational status of Bosporus in the Adyghe Principality.
After confirming that Adyghe's internal affairs had indeed been controlled by Bosporus, Manuel smiled approvingly, clapping his hands gently, and casually asked, "I remember there was a young Adyghe elder who tried to assassinate Serenus, right? That reckless fellow shouldn't have been left alive, should he?"
"Naturally not, Your Majesty. That reckless Circassian barbarian was immediately stripped of his elder title after that day, and less than a week later, he was sentenced to hanging by the Council of Elders. Before the execution, we even had his tongue cut out to prevent him from spouting nonsense and inciting people. But Your Majesty, wasn't this reported to you last year?"
Manuel's heart skipped a beat. He then remembered that before Christmas last year, Aniza of Adyghe and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had sent him relevant reports, but at that time he was troubled by Trabzon and his wife, and within a few days, he had completely forgotten about such a minor figure.
But to state such a truth directly in front of his subordinate, his career as Caesar would surely end. Considering this, Manuel lightly coughed, "Of course it was. I was just confirming whether the matter was true from your mouth. Alright, next, we need to completely bring Adyghe under our control."
So that's what Your Majesty was thinking, was His Majesty testing him just now? Badars was startled. Fortunately, he had just reported the truth directly, otherwise, he might very well have lost His Majesty's favor and subsequently his position. Moreover, His Majesty even cared about such a small matter; this was a wise ruler, a wise ruler indeed.
At this point in his thoughts, Badars couldn't help but exclaim in his heart, "Truly worthy of Your Majesty!" And his gaze towards Manuel seemed to radiate the fervor of loyalty, making Manuel feel an inexplicable sense of dread.
Five days later, after thorough preparations, at the Council of Elders in Adyghe, a meeting secretly manipulated by Bosporus unanimously passed the agenda for Adyghe to become a vassal of Bosporus. From then on, the Adyghe Principality officially became a vassal state of the Bosphorus Despotate.