Chapter 600
"Thank you, Lord Burcos, for your explanation!" The Asistes continued, "Actually, if Lord Creru were to investigate in Enona, he would realize that we only cut down the trees that grew on the plains. We didn't cut down any trees in the mountains.
Why did we cut down the trees on the plains? After Enona was occupied by the Sammonae, they didn't reclaim the land, causing the forest to extend all the way to the sea. The Sammonae are used to living in the mountains and forests, but we, the people of Diónia, can't. We need arable land to grow crops. If we don't cut down the trees and clear the wasteland, there won't be any arable land in Enona. We can't rely on livestock to feed the growing population of Enona. If we buy crops from outside, the price will be high, and the lives of the people will be greatly affected. Would they still be willing to live in Enona when there are plenty of arable land in other parts of the kingdom? In that case, to maintain our presence in Enona, the kingdom has to pay a high price, and it's not worth it!
Besides, Enona is close to the Sauron Peninsula, and its territory is mainly in the south, dozens of miles away from Poseidonia. If there's no land road connecting it, it's not convenient to connect it to the port by sea. Building a road also requires cutting down the trees. More importantly — "
The Asistes looked around and said in a low voice, "Although the Sammonae were defeated by us in the war ten years ago and had no choice but to become an ally of the kingdom, we can't let our guard down. Recently, I heard that the Kautini have started to attack the Campanian Alliance again. Enona is far from the center of the kingdom, and it's in an unfamiliar land. We must ensure that transportation is convenient. If there's an accident, our army can arrive in time. Our soldiers are better at displaying their power on the plains, while the Sammonae are good at fighting in the mountains and forests. Cutting down the trees on the plains is also to ensure the safety of Enona … "
After the Asistes finished speaking, the elders began to whisper to each other. The news of the Kautini attacking the Campanian Alliance had been reported to Turií by a Neapolitan envoy a few days ago. Although the elders did not think that the Sammonae would dare to break the treaty and declare war on the kingdom, they were still satisfied with the Asistes' proactive approach. Creru had nothing to say.
Devers nodded slightly. After so many years of training, Asistes had indeed grown up.
At this moment, Marigi stood up and said politely, "I have a question. Of course, it's not within your authority, Lord Asistes, but I still want to consult you. With your six years of experience in Enona, I hope you can give me some suggestions on how to break Carthage's trade monopoly on Sardinia and Corsica."
There was a commotion in the venue. Clearly, this question was a bit too much.
But looking at Marigi's eager eyes, Asistes turned around and looked at the Devers, who were sitting steadily on the chair. The Devers nodded at him.
Asistes knew that he could not refuse this question. So, he pondered for a while before saying, "I remember that the agreement we signed with Carthage states that 'Diónia's merchant ships are not allowed to trade on the southern Iberian Peninsula, Sardinia and Corsica …' The best way to change Carthage's monopoly on the trade of these two large islands and obtain a large amount of precious metals is to revise the agreement with Carthage and let them agree to us trading with these two islands.
But I think this is basically impossible, because the trade between the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula and these two islands are the two most important trade markets that support Carthage's prosperity. The Carthage will never give up on them. A hundred years ago, Carthage took the initiative to launch two naval wars because the Greeks coveted Sardinia and won both times. If we don't have the intention to tear up the agreement and start a war with Carthage, it's better not to provoke it. "
After Asistes finished his warning, everyone shook their heads in disappointment. This answer was no different from the answers of the other elders in the past.
Then, Asistes changed the topic. "However, although Carthage has an agreement with us and has similar requirements for the Phoenicians in Sardinia and Corsica, no matter how developed Carthage's goods are, it is impossible for them to produce everything to meet the needs of the Phoenicians on these two islands. For example, I heard that the Sardinians prefer the pottery of Athens to the pottery of Carthage, so Carthage buys the pottery of Athens and then resells it to the Sardinians. Naturally, the price is higher. Moreover, many goods are transported from Carthage to Sardinia and Corsica. The longer distance causes the transportation costs to increase, and the price of the goods also increases. If we sell the same goods that they need in the markets of Enona, Poseidonia, and Picossis at a more suitable price, I believe that it will attract the Phoenician merchants of the two islands to buy them.
Now, they can occasionally be seen in the market of Enona, and I believe that this will attract more people. However, even if it can be achieved, it will not be a large-scale trade, especially when it comes to precious metals. After all, the Phoenician cities on these islands rely heavily on Carthage, and it is impossible for them to do anything that will harm the interests of Carthage … "
"Thank you for your answer." Marigi sat down with a happy expression. Asistes's suggestion confirmed his thoughts.
After him, a few other elders raised questions, and Asistes smoothly answered them one by one. Since Asistes was a mercenary and married a Lucanian, and his uncle Antonios was one of the leaders of the elders in Sicily, the Asistes had connections with several large groups of the elders. Therefore, the elders would not make things difficult for him and set up obstacles for him to report his work.
Seeing that the questions were coming to an end, Asistes was about to heave a sigh of relief when a familiar voice came from behind him. "I have a question for you."
Asistes's heart tightened. He quickly turned around and said respectfully, "Your Majesty, please ask!"
The elders in the hall pricked up their ears.
The Devers asked casually, "What do the Campanians think of the people of Rome?"
The people of Rome? Only a few elders were unfamiliar with this name.
Antonios heaved a sigh of relief when he heard that. It seemed that the Devers did not deliberately target Asistes.
Although he quarreled with his nephew last night, Asistes's words still reminded him, so he began to pay attention to the Devers's every move today. He also began to avoid arousing suspicion and did not ask Asistes questions.
"Your Majesty, in my contact with the Campanians, they rarely talk about this Latin city-state in the north. After all, there are Volsci and other Latin city-states between Rome and Campania. Moreover, Rome's sea trade is not developed, and there are very few trade contacts with the Tampanians. From this, it can be seen that they do not know much about this city-state, nor do they attach much importance to it. However, when they occasionally mention Rome, the two words' barbaric 'and' belligerent 'are inseparable. I can sense that the Campanians despise and are somewhat afraid of Rome. This may have something to do with the fact that Rome defeated the Celts who invaded Etruria and the Latins in the third year of the kingdom (390 BC). Over the years, Rome has conquered many Etrurian city-states and other Latin city-states … "The Asistes had been in power in Enona for six years, but he had never come into contact with the people of Rome. However, three years ago, when he was elected for the second time as the governor of Enona, the Asistes had mentioned Rome when they invited him to a banquet and sent him off. He had been paying attention to it, so he was fully prepared to answer this question.
The Devers had sent people to collect intelligence about Rome. He knew Rome far better than the senators present. The reason why he asked this question was because he was curious about the Campanians' attitude toward the people of Rome. In the history of the previous life, the Campanians were invaded by the Samonians and finally chose to ask for help from Rome. Perhaps it was because there was no other force in the surrounding area that could help them except for Rome. In fact, I'm afraid that they have the same thoughts as the Campanians in this life. However, they have a stronger backer now. With the help of Diónia, the Samonians dare not invade them again, so they probably won't turn to Rome for help … The Devers' mind was filled with thoughts, but his face was calm as he nodded at the Asistes.
After the Devers asked the question, no one else in the hall raised any more questions.
The rotating chairman, Cornelus, invited the Asistes to return to his seat.
Next, the five senators of the Kingdom's Officials Management Committee would grade the Asistes based on his performance in the three years he had been in power in Enona. Judging from the Asistes' performance, he could at least be rated as "good." Of course, this score was not made public. After it was reviewed by the King of the Devers, it would be archived by the committee as an important proof of appointment for the Asistes in the future.
"The next item on the agenda …" Cornelus said loudly, "Elect the new governor of Enona."
At this point, he turned around and asked, "Your Majesty, do you have a candidate in mind?"
This was not Cornelus's flattery. It was the custom of the Senate to elect a senior official. They first had to confirm whether the king had a candidate in mind. If there was, they would bring it up for discussion. If everyone thought that the candidate was suitable, then it would be decided. If most people thought that the candidate was not suitable, the king could be replaced.
This was the privilege of the King of Diónia, but the Devers rarely used it. They knew that if they always acted alone, they would be hated by others. Besides, they could privately inform the Malians to achieve their goal. There was no need to be so obvious.
"I do not have a candidate." The Devers tapped his fingers on the armrest and said seriously, "However, the requirements for the position of governor of Enona are different from those of other cities. As the northernmost city in the kingdom, on one hand, the successor needs to be able to handle the relationship with the Campanians and Samonians, and continue to increase their goodwill toward the kingdom. At the same time, the successor needs to continue to develop Enona into the hub of the kingdom's maritime trade with central and northern Italy.
"In addition, due to the complicated origins of the people in Enona, due to the different customs and habits, conflicts and disputes are not uncommon. This is a test of the successor's governance ability. The senators who wish to apply to be a candidate, as well as the senators who are in charge of the election, must consider carefully before making a decision!"
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