Therefore, Hilde deliberately raised a question, hoping that Amintas could give him an answer. This was also a chance for Amintas to take the initiative to propose an initiative. In this way, as long as Hilde adopted it, Amintas would feel that he was still very useful, and his confidence would be further strengthened.
Hilde saw that Amyntas was eager to try.
I also felt relieved.
If it continues like this, it would be fine.
Soon, Hilde and his men returned to Byzantium.
The next day, Amyntas submitted a proposal, which detailed his various plans, including expanding the iron smelter and steel workshop, increasing the number of craftsmen, and producing more weapons and equipment for emergencies. At the same time, he also asked Hilde to open a new siege workshop to build weapons such as catapults and crossbows. These weapons obviously could not be used against the Scythians, but they would be very useful if sieges were needed in the future.
Amyntas's series of plans.
It can be said that the investment is very large.
But the benefits are also obvious.
Hilde himself knew very well that the army now had a size of 100,000 people. Among them, the First Legion was resting in Byzantium City, the Second Legion was stationed in Abydos, the Third Legion was in the vicinity of the New Byzantium City in the northern Upper Thrace Province, and the Fourth and Fifth Legions, one was being trained in Hildenenia and the other was being trained in the Hebros Province. Both were legions in the process of training.
Now, the Sixth Legion, the Seventh Legion and the Eighth Legion have also appeared.
Hilde's army suddenly had so many more legions.
They are still in the process of training.
This forced Hilde to slow down the pace of recruiting troops.
The quantity is basically enough, and now what is needed is quality. Therefore, the manufacture of various weapons and equipment, as well as the training of troops and officers, all take time. It just so happens that Hilde does not intend to take action against the Scythians in the north, so it is good to spend some time to build these workshops and mines according to Amyntas' plan to produce the necessary weapons and equipment.
Hilde made up her mind.
So he gave the task to Amyntas and Alcibiades.
Amyntas was the general manager, and Alcibiades was his assistant.
This is also in line with the relationship between two people.
After receiving the task, the two men stood in front of the map late at night, holding a candle and muttering to themselves.
"Where on earth are these workshops and such to be built?"
"There is not much space in the city. His Majesty said that the reserved land in the city needs to be left for the next city construction and cannot be used to build workshops. There are already enough workshops in Byzantium." Amyntas frowned in distress. "Ah, this kind of thing, I'm really not good at it."
"Lord General."
Alcibiades walked to the front of the map.
"Can you let me see it?"
"of course can."
Amyntas didn't think much about it and made way for Alcibiades.
He walked to the map and looked at it carefully.
The fifth tune, the fifth verse, the popular monarch
(This chapter is the opposite of the previous one. The software I used to write the chapters made a mistake, and I didn’t notice it when I updated it. I’m really sorry.)
"You want to be a general right away? You are too optimistic. If I want to send you to the army for training, the highest you can be is a centurion. You should know that Amyntas and his men are veteran soldiers who have been in many battles. They have followed me and made great contributions since the establishment of the Byzantine Kingdom. Only then did they get their current positions. You want to be a general right away. Do you really think your contribution will be greater than Amyntas and his men?"
"I'm sorry, Your Majesty..."
Alcibiades was scolded by Hilde.
I could only quickly lower my head to show my obedience.
There was nothing that could be done about it. Hilde was just like that. She actually gave Amyntas a face by saying this because she could see that Amyntas was not very satisfied or in a bad mood. Hilde knew that Amyntas was a simple-minded person with strong limbs and did not have so many random thoughts. So he was in a bad mood for only one reason, that is, he felt that he was too good to Alcibiades.
And Amyntas's statement just now was actually a persuasion to himself. Through such a statement, Amyntas not only showed Hilde his determination to live in harmony with Alcibiades, but also told himself that he must never have such an idea. Hilde saw all of Amyntas' efforts, so he criticized Alcibiades to make Amyntas feel better.
Although this might be a little unfair to Alcibiades, it was not a problem.
At the moment, these new soldiers from Ionia were looking at Hilde eagerly. They had never thought that the monarch of the Byzantine Kingdom was so beautiful. They only knew through rumors that Hilde, the monarch of the Byzantine Kingdom, was a beauty that could not be found in the whole of Ionia. But when they saw her with their own eyes, these soldiers felt that the rumors were still wrong, because Hilde was no longer a beauty strictly speaking, but more like a god.
Hilde's beauty gives people a very serious and sacred feeling. After seeing it, people will not think of some dirty things in their minds, but instead feel that their souls are purified. This very serious first impression is in sharp contrast to the way Hilde was talking to her subordinates with a smile just now.
Within this short period of time.
In the hearts of all the soldiers, the image of Hilde suddenly became very clear. She was a monarch with a halo of god, possessing the supreme power given to her by Lady Athena. She was very serious and rigorous in both work and life, but at the same time, she was also a good monarch who loved her people and her subordinates, and she was usually kind and pleasant, and not a difficult person to get along with.
Think about it, almost all the rulers of the city-states are a bunch of sour and smelly old men, or fat men. Those nobles are not only poor and annoying, but also always have a sour face, as if others deserve to be ruled by them. Look at Hilde again, not to mention Hilde's current state, even if she is really as cruel as some people say, these soldiers think they will accept it.
This gap is really too big.
The soldiers from Ionia all wished that the ruler of their city-state could be like Hilde. They didn't even think that it was possible for a woman to be a ruler of a man, and where would women get political rights? If there really was a woman like Hilde, they would definitely support her.
And after Hilde finished speaking.
He turned around and looked at the soldiers in front of him.
"Which city-states in Ionia are you all from?"
“Ephesus!”
"Lassus!"
"Corophon!"
These soldiers reported their hometowns one by one. After listening to them, Hilde roughly understood where they were. The places these soldiers were talking about were all city-states inhabited by Ionians, covering all Ionian city-states, whether it was the huge Ephesus or some small city-states with a sparse population. Every city-state that joined the New Ionian Alliance contributed part of its strength, even if it was only a hundred or even dozens of people.
These soldiers did come from different places, but they did not feel any alienation. After all, they were all Ionians, speaking the Ionian dialect of Greek. Although many of them did not live in the same city-state, they might be relatives. This kind of cultural and geographical affinity made it difficult for them to have the kind of conflicts that would arise in mixed armies. Hilde was very satisfied with this.
Although for the conquest of Ionia.
It is a long process.
But the difference is that all the people in Ionia are Greeks, who are completely different from the Thracians. Hildes rule them smoothly, and there is no need to spend time educating and enlightening them. As long as they can identify with her as a monarch, they will definitely offer their loyalty. This is the advantage of the Greeks. Hildes is also a Greek, so it is really a simple matter to rule these Greeks.
"You have come far away from your hometown to the distant city of Byzantium. I know you will miss your hometown, but please be clear about one thing. You came here as a Greek to fight against the Persians. From now on, you are no longer Ephesians or Colophonians. You are all Greeks and members of the Byzantine Empire's army!"
Hilde could see that some of the soldiers were confused.
So she responded loudly:
"When you set foot on this land, you have only one leader, and that is me! The oracle of Lady Athena, Queen Hilde of the Byzantine Kingdom! You must remember this fact firmly! When you fight on the battlefield, you must know that I, Hilde, am behind you. When you encounter difficulties that you cannot solve, you must also remember that your Queen will also help you, and all you have to pay is your loyalty!"
"Long live His Majesty Hilde!"
Amyntas suddenly raised his arms and shouted.
With Amyntas taking the lead, the soldiers reacted immediately.
"Long live His Majesty Hilde!!!"
"Long live His Majesty Hilde!!!"
Chapter 6: Construction of the Iron Workshop
When the Byzantine city was being built, many things were actually taken into consideration, but a city is a city after all, and there are many things that are actually not convenient to build in a city. The Byzantine city allowed for the construction of wine workshops and other workshops in the city, but a metallurgical workshop was a huge thing.
Therefore, it is absolutely impossible to build this thing in the city. Otherwise, it will take a while to deliver things like iron ore and charcoal to the city, and it will also have a great impact on the construction of the city. The original iron smelting workshop was opened on the outskirts of the city, but it is impossible to build another iron smelting workshop there.
So we need to choose another place.
This place needs convenient transportation.
It also needs to be close to the city, so that the finished products can be immediately transported to the city and handed over to the weapons workshop for production.
"Thrace is rich in iron ore. These high-quality iron ores are transported to us by land or sea. When His Majesty Hilde arrived in Thrace, he also attached great importance to these iron ores. In addition to iron ore, Thrace also has a lot of high-quality wood that can be used to make charcoal. Therefore, if we want to build a new iron smelting workshop next, we can consider using only iron ore and charcoal from Thrace in this workshop."
"That's okay too."
Amyntas nodded.
“So, when we choose the location of the workshop, we should not only consider whether these workshops will have an impact on the city, but also consider the source of these iron ore and charcoal. Since they are transported from Thrace, then this workshop must be built to the north of Byzantium, because the iron ore and charcoal transported from Thrace must pass through the north of Byzantium.”
"So what are we going to do?"
"It's very simple. I just said it's sea transportation. If it's sea transportation, then we have to choose a port that is convenient for ships to pass, dock and unload. If there are ships, the transportation of many things will become very convenient. There are only two places that are close to Byzantium and have enough space to build workshops."
Alcibiades placed his finger on the map.
"One is the Golden Horn to the north of Byzantium, and the other is Chalcedon to the east of Byzantium. The Golden Horn is now a military fortress used to protect the north of Byzantium and prevent the enemy's navy from landing from the north shore and entering the bay. His Majesty Hilde also plans to build a bridge here to pass through the Golden Horn and reach the north of Byzantium. If we build these workshops in the Golden Horn, on the one hand, it is very close to Byzantium, and a bridge will be built in the future. At that time, the communication of goods between the north and the south will become very convenient. On the other hand, this is also a fortress. If it is a fortress, everyone knows that there will be walls and troops to protect these workshops. Even if our Byzantium is attacked in the future, these military workshops will be protected."
"Isn't this place perfect?"
Amyntas was a little stunned.
Alcibiades smiled and shook his head.
"Although it sounds perfect, there are big problems with building our workshop in the Golden Horn. The main problem is that there is not enough land in the Golden Horn. The fortress of the Golden Horn is mainly to protect the northern part of Byzantium and form a horn with Byzantium. Therefore, this fortress is mainly for defense and does not take into account how many people work here. If we want to build a workshop here, it is necessary to reduce the scale of our workshop. At the same time, there is no large residential area here and there is a lack of sufficient population. If the bridge over the Golden Horn is not repaired, then where should the workers and slaves working in the workshop live?"
Just now Alcibiades described the Golden Horn as the most suitable place to build a workshop, but then he changed the subject and said that this place was extremely unsuitable for construction.
This made Amyntas a little confused.
So is this place suitable for construction?
"And what about Chalcedon?"
"Chalcedon has perfectly solved the problems encountered by the Golden Horn. First of all, it is a city with a population of about 2 people and lacks sufficient industries. The city's residents mainly engage in farming or serve as a transit station for goods. Therefore, Chalcedon has a very large port that can fully meet the demand for importing iron ore and charcoal from Thrace. Moreover, Chalcedon is a plain on the other side, and the city has not been fully developed. There is a lot of space. We can build a large workshop there, right next to the port. In this way, local people can also go to the workshop to work. There is enough land there, and it is enough for us to build a residential area."
"So what are the downsides?"
Amyntas had already guessed Alcibiades's speaking habits.
Hearing this, Alcibiades couldn't help laughing.
"Disadvantages? Of course there are disadvantages. First of all, although Chalcedon is also close to Byzantium, there is a strait in between. This makes the transportation between Chalcedon and Byzantium far less convenient than the Golden Horn. At the same time, Chalcedon is the eastern gate of Byzantium, but its defense capability and importance are far less than the Golden Horn. If one day, the Persian army really breaks off relations with us and starts to attack us, then our workshops in Chalcedon will inevitably face a huge threat."
"…So there's no such thing as perfect, right?"
"That's true. There is no such thing as having the best of both worlds in this world. Both of these are good choices, but I am too insignificant to make this decision."
Alcibiades smiled and looked at Amyntas.
"Please make the decision, General."
"You made it so difficult to choose between the two, and now you want me to decide which one to choose. Really, you are torturing me too much." Amyntas shook his head helplessly. "But you are right. Both places are indeed necessary. Building in the Golden Horn can guarantee its safety, but it cannot guarantee production. Building in Chalcedon can guarantee production, but it cannot guarantee safety."
"Indeed."
"Then I have an idea, build them all."
Amyntas' words almost choked Alcibiades.
"All built!??"
Chapter 5, Section 7: The Kingdom's Development Plan
Alcibiades nodded.
"Of course."
"But……"
"Since the advantages of these two places are complementary, I think there is no need to worry too much about some of the problems there. First of all, regarding the Golden Horn in the north, we can build a small iron smelting workshop and weapons workshop. In this way, if the Byzantine Kingdom is attacked one day and the city of Byzantium is in danger, then the production in the Golden Horn will help the city of Byzantium overcome the difficulties. And Chalcedon in the east is the main production site."
"Main area?"
"Yes, as I said just now, Chalcedon has a vast land area and has enough population and ports to support large-scale production. That is why we need to expand production mainly in Chalcedon. But we must be clear in our minds that once we really fall out with the Persians and the Persian army attacks Chalcedon, then all our production facilities in Chalcedon will likely suffer a major blow. We cannot let our productivity be threatened by the Persian attack. This is why we also have to build in the Golden Horn."
"Then I understand."
Amyntas nodded.
But the reasons are very good.
However, building an iron smelting center is a huge investment. Alcibiades' plan is obvious. He plans to build a small iron smelting workshop and weapons workshop in the Golden Horn in the north, and then build a large one in Chalcedon in the east as the main production. In this way, no matter what kind of danger the Byzantine Kingdom encounters, at least it will not cause the weapons production in the city to be affected and stopped.
“But how should we control our costs?”
"I know that the Byzantine Kingdom is very wealthy. I believe His Majesty Hilde will not be so stingy as to not even spend a penny on the construction of the Golden Horn. We must seize this opportunity and report our plan in detail to His Majesty Hilde so that he can accept our opinions. In addition, since our relationship with the Persians is relatively friendly now, we can start construction in Chalcedon first, and then start preparations on the Golden Horn side. When the iron smelting workshop in Chalcedon is almost completed, it will be in time to start construction from the Golden Horn."
"You mean in batches?"
"Indeed."
Amyntas nodded.
It has to be said that this method can greatly alleviate the current problem of manpower shortage in the Byzantine Kingdom. After all, workers are needed to build these workshops. Without workers, these constructions will become meaningless. Therefore, by carrying out these projects in batches, the problem of labor shortage can be avoided.
