Chapter 23

---- Pov Count Pyort

A few days after the coronation, Prime Minister Count Pyotr found himself in yet another diplomatic meeting on behalf of the newly crowned Tsar. 

The meeting was scheduled with Patriarch Filaret, the highest religious authority in the empire, the Patriarch held great affection for the new Tsar, appreciating his fervent devotion to the faith. 

The people's admiration for the emperor was also evident, owing to his benevolent actions such as the liberation of many serfs, support for housing construction and employment, and notably, the establishment of the state's grain storage program, and this initiative aimed to eliminate spikes of famine in the country between harvests or in the event of a disaster affecting the nobles' crops, who also helped worked to stabilize food prices during periods of high demand and insufficient supply.

The Patriarch was already aware of the recent agreement I had negotiated on behalf of the emperor with the Ottomans, and this visit was intended to ease tensions, yet the patriarch's aged countenance demosted his dissatisfaction with the empire's reluctance to aid its fellow believers and engage in commercial trade with what he considered the greatest enemy of the Orthodox faith. After all the introductions and mutual flattery, the patriarch began to address the main topic of this meeting.

"Lord Minister, I would like to inquire about the emperor's stance regarding our Greek brethren. They have endured the yoke of the unbelievers for far too long, and his open rebellion presents a significant opportunity for the liberation of our brothers," the Patriarch said.

"Your Holiness, I will be honest. The Tsar does not intend to antagonize the sick man at this time, and the coalition war in Europe is still too fresh. a conflict between two giants on the continent would attract everyone's attention, and we have information that this rebellion was orchestrated by others, and they will be the ones reaping the benefits. The bear is still hibernating, but when it awakens, all will know who is the king of the woods, and the sick man will die of natural causes. The Tsar supports our brothers from afar; they will achieve their freedom on their own," said the count.

"It's reassuring to see that our emperor has a grand plan for the liberation of our brethren, lord minister, despite the delay it's good to see that faith plays a role in the empire's plans," said the patriarch.

"Great plans, Your Holiness. The emperor has ambitions in other countries, and in the entourage departing in a few months with Grand Duke Michael, we want some priests and evangelists to accompany them to evangelize the natives," the count said.

The patriarch immediately became excited at the prospect of evangelizing the world, akin to what the Catholics have been doing for centuries in the New World, it would be an opportunity for the Orthodox faith to expand globally, and the development of the lands could be smoother by leveraging the vast resources of the faith. The patriarch was so receptive to the idea that he was considering establishing a religious military order for the protection of the evangelists in the lands of the natives.

During the meeting, I also addressed the matter of having the Patriarchate of Moscow assume greater influence and authority in the religious sphere. 

Despite the decentralized nature of the Orthodox faith with various branches, the Patriarchate of Constantinople still holds significant sway in decision-making, making it susceptible to Ottoman influence to avoid a potential religious persecution. 

I persuaded the patriarch to undermine the authority of Constantinople with the other branches and initiate a gradual process of centralization. This would be crucial for the emperor's future plans, and it seemed the perfect time to begin this takeover, considering that the faith is currently represented by the Patriarchates of Moscow and Constantinople, the Coptic Church of Ethiopia, and the Apostolic Church of the Armenian people.

--- pov Miguel Nikolaevich of Russia, the Grand Duke of Russia

"My stay in this land has come to an end, and it's a pity as this is the best vacation spot I've ever been to, the beaches here are incredible. 

I hope the place my brother has chosen for me is as amazing as this land, Brazil this place will surely stay in my memories, my stay here from December 1826 until the end of January 1827 has been wonderful, the little work I had involved signing the trade agreement with Don Peter and organizing the establishment of the company in this country."

"The establishment of the company proceeded smoothly with the support of the ruler of this land, he was eager to employ the mercenaries from the company and spent the month of January preparing his entourage and the 10,000 hired mercenaries to set sail for Portugal. 

His uncle was already trying to consolidate his power, and no one raised had to contested his legitimacy, and this battle would serve as the stage for the introduction of the Blackwater Company to the world."

"Some commanders from the company had already been sent to the front lines of the Cisplatine Rebellion, and their efficiency was greatly appreciated by the Brazilian emperor, and in a few months, the rebellion would be completely suppressed, only if the Republic of La Plata actually entered in the war, could the rebels prevail, but within a few months, the world would witness the seriousness of the Russian-Portuguese alliance."

"With the company now well-established, it begins to operate without my interference as the managers are running it at full throttle. One of my brother's plans is to reduce the influence of the major English market in Russian territories. 

Gradually, national industries are taking over the domestic market for industrial products, however the English, with their various colonies, have access to products with high demand and significant profit margins, such as spices from India, tea, and high-quality porcelain from the Far East. 

My brother aims to diminish this influence by replacing tea with Brazilian coffee, and newspapers and the new and famous gossip columns of the upper class have already reported that, for the Tsar, coffee is the beverage that best suits the strong and energetic personality of the Russian people, more so than tea, which is too English for his taste."

"The company also sent a large expedition to the Amazon rainforest, the manager told me it was to try to find the legendary city of gold, El Dorado, but I didn't believe him much, this is just an old fable, if this city really existed, the Spanish and Portuguese would have found it by now, as they have been in the New World for almost 300 years. 

I don't know what they are looking for there, but they are well-prepared for a major expedition, with even the knights of the order accompanying them. 

What intrigues me as well is that half of the priests and evangelists will stay here in this land, and the rest will continue to accompany me. 

However, they didn't want to settle here in the capital, some joined the expedition, but the rest headed to the southern region of this country. 

It's hard to guess what my brother promised the patriarch for him to lend such great support to this journey, even as we engage in trade with the Ottomans. I suppose not even the patriarch can compete with my brother's popularity in the country."

The end of the month has arrived, and I bid farewell to the country, from my ship, I can see Don Peter's entourage heading to Portugal. My scouts left last week to notify my next destination, in the early months of 1827, my next stop for replenishing supplies will be at the British colony of the Cape in the south of the African continent.