CHAPTER 30
The prices throughout Florence began to change uncontrollably—much to the surprise of many people.
Some merchants had once exchanged gold and silver for pepper, hoping to sell it all at once when prices peaked. However, with the return of the fleets, over ten tons of pepper began to be supplied regularly, and in a variety of high-quality types.
The wealthy who had once enjoyed fortune found themselves destitute overnight, unable to sell the items stored in their cellars—at such low prices, selling them felt like literally cutting into their own flesh.
Meanwhile, some poor people started to rise up, accumulating more and more wealth.
The rise of tea culture led many nobles to follow the trend. Though most of Florence's nobles had a stable supply, enough to last them for two years, by that time, new shipments from China would likely have arrived.
Those with business acumen in the city began finding ways to buy and resell, purchasing tea at high prices from the black market or from servants of the nobles, then selling it at even more exorbitant prices to wealthy people in distant cities.
It was said that in Genoa alone, at least four noble families requested to exchange gold for tea.
Interestingly, the prices of timber and labor steadily increased, causing many young people to rush to the docks in search of work.
The nobles, having tasted the sweetness of long-distance trade, began to flatter and pledge allegiance to the Queen, expressing their willingness to invest in the establishment of fleets and the operation of commercial ventures.
The Italian Empire had long carried a heavy burden in military and maritime trade. If it weren’t for the large sum of money confiscated from the Roman Papacy’s ill-gotten gains, the government might have already faced a financial crisis.
This money was directly used to build the navy, and both the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Navy Department began operating in sync, planning to expand trade relations with more countries in the future.
The nobles couldn't find the elusive Queen, but they clearly knew where Prince Da Vinci was—
Mountains of gifts were sent to Da Vinci's former workshop and the Doge’s Palace, with some even trying to force their way through walls and windows.
A sea voyage not only offered exquisite and luxurious silk embroidery but also these uniquely Eastern tea leaves—such a bargain deal!
For this reason, the Ministry of Commerce was officially established, and related decrees were finally issued by the upper house—
The establishment of fleets was completely free, but to have them travel with the official fleet, they had to undergo qualification reviews and ship performance assessments, which were quite stringent.
Even with these increasingly tight regulations, the nobles eagerly pulled out large sums of gold and silver, rushing to acquire licenses and certificates.
Soon, from Genoa to Pesaro, deep-water ports across the southeast and west were in a frenzy of official and private shipbuilding, with rumors that the imperial fleet’s size had tripled from the original plan, and there were more than ten noble families behind the capital!
Timber such as paulownia began to be rapidly imported and traded, and gold was being spent everywhere to recruit sailors and shipbuilders.
The Venetians, who had once harbored rebellious sentiments, were happily hired away with large sums of money, guiding the construction of ships for various factions.
Foreign laborers and refugees also came inquiring, seeking a livelihood in this new country.
Interestingly, the empire was unusually kind and tolerant in this regard.
—Anyone who worked in Italy for over a year could obtain a residence permit for up to ten years.
And anyone who worked for five years without any criminal records could directly acquire the country’s citizenship, enjoying all the rights of an Italian citizen after registering their identity.
Everything was thriving, and even the captain and crew members who had returned from China were treated like victorious heroes, with poets and writers interviewing them for material to write numerous works recording this glorious moment.
Hedy had recently been distracted by spending time with her two children, also taking a break for a while.
She and Leonardo had agreed that they would take turns each month to spend time with the children, helping them learn to read and speak, no matter how busy the political affairs might be. They wouldn't miss out on the precious moments of their children's growth.
Leonardo originally wanted to stay with her and the children a little longer, but due to the development of the fleet moving far faster than anticipated, he needed to spend more time checking data records and reviewing related projects promptly.
The financial reports were always like a tangled mess, and no matter how much time he spent sorting them out, just a few seconds of focus could make his head spin.
Rubbing his brow, Leonardo flipped through reports from different regions and suddenly noticed something was off.
"Niccolo."
"Master, what is it?"
"Why are the timber prices on the west coast 10% higher than on the east coast?"
Niccolo, who had been helping him check other data, was momentarily stunned by this question. He leaned over to look at several reports side by side.
He was a bit confused too.
"If this is a fraudulent account to evade taxes, it shouldn't be so consistent…" The young man shook his head. "It's like there was an agreement with Genoa and Pisa ports. The types of timber differ, but the price increases are so uniformly matched."
"This doesn't seem right..." Leonardo tapped the sheet with his knuckles and looked up at him. "Has anyone recently returned from the west?"
"Bazzi! He just went to visit his family!" Niccolo quickly said. "I'll go get him right now!"
Bazzi was no longer the timid and easily bullied boy he once was.
He had been brought to Rome by Da Vinci's people, and after returning to Florence, he was given a minor official position. He worked diligently and with great care, quickly earning the respect and recognition of many people.
Though still young, Bazzi had grown into a more confident and independent person over the past two years of hard work and growth.
When Bazzi entered the office, he greeted Da Vinci with a bright smile: "Sir! What can I do for you?"
"Take a look at this." Da Vinci glanced at him and added, "You've grown quite a bit."
The young man chuckled and came over to examine the documents Da Vinci had pushed forward.
"Indeed, timber is more expensive on the west side, and the imported ones are not cheap either." Bazzi flipped through two pages and said, "If this were three or four years ago, the situation would be completely different."
"Why?" Niccolo wondered. "Wasn't Spain and France cutting down trees back then as well? Are they restricting exports to us now?"
"No," Leonardo shook his head. "The trade situation with these countries is normal."
"I heard that since the end of last year, Spain has been importing timber," Bazzi said as he sat down. "When I was at home resting, there were people in the tavern saying they shouldn't have sold so early. Now, after a few negotiations, it seems like it might just be enough for their dowries."
"Spain is importing timber?" Leonardo's expression turned alert. "What about France?"
"Both France and our country have some logging areas that supply timber to Spain," Bazzi said uncertainly. "Maybe it’s due to the war?"
Spain had been at war for over two hundred years, more troubled than both England and France.
Strictly speaking, it had been the Kingdom of Castile and the Kingdom of Aragon— but nineteen years ago, the Princess Isabella of Castile married Prince Ferdinand of Aragon, and in the following years, they ascended the throne, giving the country the title of the Kingdom of Spain.
Since 1479, the Kingdom of Spain had been rapidly developing in both order and scale, quietly encroaching on nearby weaker city-states.
"The people of Pisa, when they speak of Their Majesties, call them 'The Catholic Monarchs,'" Bazzi said, shaking his head slightly. "It's not a good place there—people have been secretly escaping by boat."
Leonardo, belatedly realizing this, understood that in recent years, they had been so caught up in their struggles with France and the Papal States that they had completely ignored this potential threat.
He gestured for Bazzi to step down and stand by, and signaled for Niccolo to bring a few people from the intelligence department upstairs.
Some things needed to be confirmed promptly... and hopefully, the situation was not as bad as he feared.
The official in charge of monitoring the western situation soon arrived and carefully explained what they had observed.
"France and Spain... indeed, their trade and contacts are very close, and it seems like there’s been a big business deal in the past year."
"Spain..." The official hesitated, glancing at Leonardo's expression, unsure how to begin. "Spain doesn't seem to show much respect to the Queen."
Niccolo's expression immediately darkened, and he stepped forward, asking, "Doesn't show respect? What exactly is going on?"
The officials had noticed these small details but were unsure of how much priority to assign to them—
After all, Spain wasn’t a major power at the moment, and there was a whole France between them and Italy, so there was no direct land connection.
That country had been causing some stirrings, but it was generally considered an internal matter. It wasn't exactly unfriendly to Italy, but neither was it very warm.
Such intelligence, reported vaguely, could easily lead to criticism from higher-ups—no commercial value, and nothing that seemed overtly hostile or displeased. It was a difficult situation to handle.
"Specifically..." the official lowered his gaze and stared at his feet. "They’re reviving the old faith."