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To whom it may concern,
I, Vladimir Pugachev, formally request the position of ambassador. Whilst I have some administrative knowledge, I feel I would be better suited to diplomatic situations.
Signed,
Vladimir Pugachev

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Senor Pugachev,

I could already decline your request as you don't know who it concerns - me, as Chancellor of Hispania - for nobody can represent a realm he doesn't know how it is structured. But there are other reasons that determine my decision even more. Now, how to put into good words... The kingdom of your origins and this very empire are not on friendly terms, and haven't been for ages now. Why should I appoint one of our enemies to represent Hispania in foreign lands? For the same reason I am not appointing a retired Lithuanian general as Marshal, for it would be a folly. And do not try to deny any connection to the kingdom. As you didn't hold any important position in Lithuania, you cannot share any precious information, while there would be a high risk that you divulge Hispanian diplomatic secrets. No. Senor, if you want to be a productive citizen in our tolerant empire, then I will not stop you, I encourage it. But any reasonable government, like the one I am directing for His Imperial Highness Joan, will never appoint a man with a high risk of being or becoming a spy with nothing to offer in return.
I wish you the best for your future,

Félicien Pierre de Montségur, Prime Minister and Chancellor of Hispania, Duke of Trinacria and Count of Calabria

__________________________________________________________________

-to the court-

It has been too long that the Grandmaster and the Grand Admiral have proposed conflicting plans. A situation that needs to be resolved as soon as possible. Seeing that the Grandmaster had already formulated his plan before the Admiral both times without the latter seeking to discuss their plan, I would advise Your Imperial Highness to dismiss Alexis Cyril de Saint-Pierre from the ministry. That it happens once may be excusable, but more than once prevents any reasonable plan for the navy. Perhaps it might be best if both offices were led by the same person.
Also, as member of the Cortz, this noble assembly needs a Chamberlain, neglected too long. I present Duke Nicolás de Alvaro for this prestigious office. House Alvaro has a long history of excellent service to the crown and I therefore have the utmost trust that he can represent the interests of the nobility as good as possible.

Félicien Pierre de Montségur, Prime Minister and Chancellor of Hispania, Duke of Trinacria and Count of Calabria
 
I must counter the desire of the Prime Minister. Good sir, It would be wise to allow the two men of the positions in conflict to try and meet an appropriate compromise between the two of them, It is unfair to choose a man who you feel at fault and to make him the one to take all the blame. If you are so quick to make a judgement, and not see the value of negotiatory terms, perhaps one should question your overall integrity in your roles. Forgive me if I sound too harsh, but I hope this reminds you of your duty as the leader of the government, and thus should respect the institution you head.

Furthermore, recall my friend that the office of Chamberlin is to be a decided factor between the Cortz, forgive me now if I am mistaken in thinking there are more in the Cortz than he, you have nominated.

Concerning my Vote
Restoration of the Papal State: Yes
Handling of Crime and Punishment Act: Yes
Misson: Canton, A base in China

Voting of HIH Caterina II de Trastamara née de Soneta, Empress Dowager of Hispania, Queen Dowager of Portugal, Dowager Caesarina of the new Western Roman Empire
 
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I do not believe it necessary to dismiss either the grandmaster or grand admiral at this time. While they have twice now neglected to coordinate with each other, they have at least been active in their duties. The conflicting plans are void either way, for the treasurer has already made it clear that neither shall receive funding unless the two reach some agreement. I encourage the two ministers to reach an agreement where both the navy and trade fleets receive equal attention.

- His Imperial Highness, Joan III de Trastámara, Emperor of Hispania, Caesar of Rome, & Protector of the Greeks

((I see there may be some confusion regarding ambassadors. If @jacobweller indeed wants to be an ambassador, then he would serve as a representative to one of our vassals or colonial nations, and thus it'd be up to the viceroy superior to appoint him, not the chancellor. If on the other hand he means diplomat, then indeed the chancellor would be the one deciding the appointment. I can see how the terms could get mixed up.

If another member of the Cortz does not present a nomination, Duke Nicolás de Alvaro will be the next Chamberlain.))
 
Sancho got angry. Once more the Admiral paid no attention on his plans. He had to work together with somebody who never looked to the other Minister. Sancho already offered to work together, but the second time the Admiral should offer it. He wouldn't do it, he wouldn't talk to such an ignorant person who refused his offer already once. He wouldn't do that
 
((Right, we changed the title from viceroy to ambassador. My bad.:oops: Still, as Prime Minister I would object to such an appointment then.))

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Your Highness Caterina, forgive me if I answer in the same way. It may sound a bit harsh, but our definitions of 'quick action' seem to diverge. It has been years that the problem came into existence. If I have made a mistake in that case, than it is to have waited that long. But it seems that His Imperial Majesty will give them more time to sort out their differences.
As for the Chamberlain, I never claimed to just appoint Duke Alvaro. All I did was to present a candidate for me and my fellow members of the Cortz to vote upon.
I do hope You choose Your words more carefully when dealing with Hispania's subjects, or I can no longer entrust You with the office of Viceroy Superior. Perhaps Your Highness ought to question Her own integrity before questioning mine.

Félicien Pierre de Montségur, Prime Minister and Chancellor of Hispania, Duke of Trinacria and Count of Calabria
 
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My fellow court,

I humbly accept the nomination of Chamberlain, and will continue to diligently serve Hispania and her interests.

Nicloás de Alvaro, Duke of Sardinia and Corsica and Chamberlain of the Cortz
Lux Tenebris Vincet
 
((The vote is at an end. Here are the results.

The Restoration of the Papal State Act: No
The Handling of Crime and Punishment Act: Yes
Mission: Canton

See as no one else was nominated, Robban204 is now chamberlain. I hope this will not turn into one of those missions that sits around for 20+ years and never is completed. :p

Also, the new crime law made me realize a flaw in our crime system, mainly that people were automatically found guilty if caught, turning the trial into a process to decide a punishment rather than a chance to proclaim innocence. Seeing as this new law allows the Small Council to decide whether someone is guilty, I feel with the current system this will make it blatantly obvious that ministers who are proclaiming people innocent are doing it for political reasons. I'm thus making a change to the crime system. There is now a small chance that someone innocent will be implicated when a crime is committed, and players may now choose to frame others for a crime. This will make it so that not everyone who is discovered is actually guilty, making a trial necessary and less politically motivated. I will extend this to assassinations, although coups might need some work since they're special in that if you're successful, no one can really go after you even if you are guilty.

On another note, the update may be delayed, seeing as I might have some work to do today.))
 
Private letter to Chancellor de Montségur.
Chancellor de Montségur,
I wish to serve my new country in any way possible. I fled Lithuania in disgrace, as I was suspected by many to be behind the fire that claimed the lives of my young family. I formally am still a citizen of Lithuania, but I no longer consider myself Lithuanian.
I hope you will reconsider your previous decision.
Vladimir Pugachev
 
1706-1710 – Tensions & Tragedies

Disagreement and discord was the sentiment of the court in early 1706. Crown Prince Pere was quite enraged when his proposal failed, while those supporting the annexation of Rome found themselves overpowered by those supporting expansion in the Far East. Even the ministers quarreled. Both the grandmaster and grand admiral proposed naval expansion that benefitted their own ministry, something many viewed as overburdening the navy, but both men refused to budge. Grandmaster Sancho de Burgundy-Ivrea-Orange was quite irate, for this was the second time he had devised a plan and the grand admiral did not account for it. As for Grand Admiral Alexis Cyril de Saint-Pierre, he remained silent on the matter. The conflict was temporarily resolved by Treasurer Andronicus Mandromenos, who declared that the treasury would fund neither plan until an agreement was reached. As such, naval expansion was put on hold for the meantime.

As several of the members of the Council butted heads, Prime Minister and Chancellor Félicien Pierre de Montségur turned his attention overseas. He sent instructions to Nova Hispania to take advantage of Mayan weakness to expand to the east. Upon receiving his instruction, Nova Hispania promptly declared war on Zapotec.

In February, the crown prince pushed a bit too hard against his brother. Letters were found written by Pere to various Catholic heads of state encouraging them to pressure Hispania into restoring the Papal State. While not quite treason, it was clear that the crown prince was working against the emperor. Wanting to avoid further scandal, Joan had his brother dismissed from court and sent back to his estates in Murcia, expending quite a bit of money from the treasury to ensure he stayed there.

Lucca’s war on Switzerland ended in a resounding success as they annexed their enemy. This also left only one small independent nation in Italy to be carved up by Hispania, Austria, and France. Interestingly enough, France’s Italian ambitions had died out after the end of Savoy, with their focus shifted further north and to their colonies. Austria, on the other hand, desired most of Lucca, although lacked the rightful claims to the land. ((It would appear that France not only has no claims, but no longer designates Italy as vital or strategic interests. Austria lost its claim on Mantua, but considers all but Parma vital interests.))

Nova Hispania’s war with Zapotec was a swift one. The native neighbour put up little resistance, allowing the colonial nation to claim Tochtepec. It was a bit of a disappointment that they did not annex the nation, but it was better than nothing. With that done, Nova Hispania was then given instructions to claim land from Kiche as well.



The colonial excursions of Nova Hispania were quite the talk of court. Noblemen and women who had never left Europe were riveted by Nova Hispania’s victory over Kiche’s army at Guatemala, where 9k savages were slaughtered with only 9 men lost. However, the mood changed when Nova Hispania immediately signed a peace, claiming Guatemala and only Guatemala, despite being isolated right in the middle of Kiche. The emperor was greatly displeased that the colonial nation had made such an idiotic decision. With the chancellor already supporting imperial intervention if need be, the emperor expressed his wish that the Exercit Africa should be deployed overseas to finish what Nova Hispania failed to complete.

In Europe, war still raged on in the Holy Roman Empire. Brandenburg, the former emperor, was outmatched by the enemy coalition and found itself annexed by Mainz.

Najd’s earlier gains were soon offset by Persian conquests. Persia had proven the stronger.

Hungary, wanting to take advantage of the weakened Bohemia, declared war claiming they were defending the rights of Catholics within the neighbouring nation. Faced with an already oversized coalition arrayed against them, Bohemia was in little condition to fend of this threat. Shortly after, Aachen declared war on Cologne to take advantage of their current war alongside Bohemia. Whether they could take on the larger nation before Cologne weaseled its way out of war with Austria and France was questionable.



At the start of 1707, the chancellor attempted to reach out to Morocco to hand over Mitidja or face war. What he received was an emphatic no. Not wanting to waste men and time on a war with Morocco, Emperor Joan intervened and called off the attempt to threaten land from the North African state. Perhaps in time, the old strategy would work again. ((Morocco had a huge negative modifier to accepting because we threatened them recently.))

When the Exercit Africa landed in Mexico, a declaration of war was sent with the intent of conquering all of Kiche. No half measures would be accepted this time.

In little under a month after declaring war, Kiche’s army was eliminated, with only three casualties on Hispania’s side.

Back in Europe, Cologne managed to get off easy from Austria, only paying war reparations. Aachen was in trouble now.

Austria’s war against Bohemia finally came to an end in massive success. They greatly crippled their northern neighbour, conquering their heartland and then forcing them to release Silesia to cut them apart and create a buffer with Poland. It seemed likely Bohemia would not recover from this one.



The death of Didac de Alagon saw an opening for an advisor, and the replacement was a shady character, one Garcia de Guimera.

The army saw the completion of a long series of reform. With Hispania flourishing, more investment was placed into the army, this time committed to providing more resources for supplies trains to better supply the soldiers. Each reform had added up, leading to a better supplied and more efficient army. After a review of the armed forces, it was estimated that Hispania could support over a hundred more regiments at this time. ((That +50% land force limit is huge. We now have 151 regiments and a force limit of 273. Probably time to expand that army. ;)))

Kiche’s capital fell just as Hispania managed to eclipse Lithuania. Relations had normalized over time, seeing as neither had much interest in the other, and open hostilities did little to aid either side.

Crown Prince Pere had not taken his dismissal from court well, but in the end there was little he could do about it. Confined to his estate, he languished in isolation, his fiery attitude dissipating as he found himself defeated. Eventually this spread to his physical health, with the crown prince unable to leave his bed. Upon hearing the news, Emperor Joan hired the finest doctor to care for his ailing brother, but it was not enough. On May 19, the heir to the throne and the emperor’s brother passed away. This left Pere’s son Alfons as heir. At 13, it was already clear that the boy was an incompetent idiot. He had already been caught stealing from his father several times, and was known for being a coward who thought he was a military genius. He also would spend hours alone, refusing to be around others during his “special time”. When Joan requested that the boy come to the capital so he could watch over him, Alfons refused, making wild claims about his health and familial duties. The emperor was miffed, but let it go since the boy’s father had just died. ((For some reason, whenever we get an heir with a zero stat, the game keeps changing it. If anyone knows why, please tell me. It’s kind of annoying.))



Despite the loss of the crown prince, affairs continued on. The Hispanian army proved more efficient than their colonial counterparts, allowing Hispania to completely annex Kiche for Nova Hispania. The colonial nation had grown greatly in size, all thanks to Hispania’s intervention.

With that colonial adventure complete, focus could be placed on Lucca. There was some confusion amongst the allies before the declaration of war. Prime Minister and Chancellor Montségur reached out to France to offer them Novara if they joined the war, since an agreement had been reached years ago for France to claim the former Savoyard land. To his surprise, not only did they reject Novara, but the French emperor gave formal approval for Hispania to claim Parma, which had also been a former territory of Savoy. As for Austria, with their recent conquests in Bohemia, there was some hesitance to promise them land. Montségur had showed a willingness to consider handing over Mantua, but nothing definite. It was decided that nothing would be promised for now. With that out of the way, war was declared.

The Exercit Napoli under General Louis de Soneta engaged Lucca’s army in Mantua, where with superior numbers and a better general, the enemy was outmatched. The whole country was wide open now. The Exercit Napoli focused on Mantua, while the Exercit Provence led by General Timur Shah split up to take the remaining provinces.

A large influx of timber was being shipped in from the colonies. While this lumber was perfect for shipbuilding, the current dispute between the grandmaster and grand admiral made it null.



Aachen’s bold attack on Cologne did not turn out as expected for them. Cologne turned the tide, instead reclaiming one of their old provinces from Aachen instead of the other way around.

The Luccans proved quite resistant to Hispania occupation. During the siege of Mantua, a raid by the defenders saw Louis de Soneta severely wounded. It was not fatal, but the general was out of the war due to a need to recover. ((The game killed him during a siege, but the RNG favoured him, so he lives for now.))

Morocco fended off Mali to the best of their ability, this time only forced to rescind a claim and pay a small indemnity, but otherwise avoiding territorial loss.

Speaking of other bold moves, Tyrone, all that remained of the Irish states, declared war on Great Britain while they fought Hungary. It seemed likely the Irish nation would not come out of this one unscathed.

Some apprentice of a French general showed up at court making wild claims that he arranged the marriage of a previous emperor, although there had never been a Philip V. He was ignored by most notables at court.

Novara fell at the start of 1708, leaving only Lucca’s capital. Austrian and French troops had swarmed the area, with over 200k men rampaging through Italy.

Despite not being in the war theatre, General Marti de Leon found himself relieved of command due to advanced age. He remained marshal for now, but he would not be leading any troops from now on. ((The game killed you off @zenphoenix, but you weren’t in enemy territory so you lived. He had to be retired for being over 80 though.))

Mainz continued to benefit thanks to their allies’ generosity. Now Hungary allowed them to annex Frankfurt.

By March, France had managed to occupy all of Alsace, Lucca’s only ally. France, although having expressed disinterest in Novara, made it clear that they held great interest in Elsass, considered of vital interest to France. Seeing as France had originally been offered Novara and turned it down, there was no quarrel over granting them Elsass instead, for it surely did not threaten Hispania’s interests.



The peace with Alsace coincided with the fall of Mantua. Peace with Lucca was not destined to be an expedient affair. Almost immediately after the capture of Mantua, Austria made it clear that they saw Novara, Cremona, and Mantua as vital to their nation’s interest. The archduke, Albrecht VIII, stated he would accept nothing less than those three provinces, and their acquisition by Hispania would be seen as a threat to Austrian interests. Any consideration of granting Austria land had been lukewarm to begin with, and although the only province Hispania had openly claimed was Parma, Emperor Joan took offense to Austria making such demands. Only the intervention of Emperor Henri II of France kept the two monarchs from escalating the conflict. He managed to convince the two others to agree to joint occupation of Lucca until a formal peace agreement could be reached that was accepted by all parties.

This conflict happened to coincide with a massive financial reform, leading to new innovations in investment designed to build up finances to better fund the army, navy, and administration. This saw the administration’s resources exhausted, and many speculated that Hispania was in no condition to even govern any land taken from Lucca until the process was complete. This also brought the prime minister and treasurer into conflict, for the former wanted focus to be placed on acquiring these new territories, while the latter thought it best to combat inflation first. ((I researched the next admin tech without thinking that I’d need the admin points for coring. This whole Austria conflict is my excuse for delaying, although it does fit with Austria wanting those provinces. The prime minister-treasurer conflict mostly has to do with the mutual need for admin points.))

Hungary proved a benevolent ally yet again as they forced Utrecht to hand over Holland to Munster.

With Austria stubbornly resisting any attempts at peace that did not see them granted land, Hispania returned to colonial expansion yet again. The Exercit Colonial was transported to Borneo, where it was to attack Brunei for control of the west coast of the island. Some questioned whether it was wise to seek more conquests when it was doubtful Hispania could manage Lucca’s territory. This also meant even more resources diverted away from trying to fight inflation.

Bohemia found itself the victim of Hungary next, forced to hand over what remained of their eastern lands to Hungary and another province to Bavaria. They were a mere shadow of their former self now.



As 1708 neared its end, Empress Helgi passed away. Some speculated it was from grief from losing another child, this time a young daughter born in 1706 who had died a year later.

At the start of 1709, the Exercit Colonial engaged Brunei’s army in Sibu. The Asians proved inferior in all respects, leading to an easy victory. Despite this, Buton, Brunei’s ally, managed to occupy the colony of Makassar. This was a minor loss for Hispania, who then occupied Brunei’s capital.

Hungary lived up to its name, proving hungry for more land. This time they declared war on Silesia, the new state broken away from Bohemia, using the excuse that they needed to help the Catholics there. Less than a month later, Poland pounced on Silesia, claiming that Polish citizens in Silesia needed to be protected. It was clear the two powers were vying for control of Silesia, but only time would tell which one would be victorious.

The Exercit Colonial landed in Kutai in July and dispatched the enemy army stationed there within a day. When the province fell, a hasty peace was signed, for there was no desire to prolong the conflict to seek retribution against Buton. Brunei was forced to give up Sibu and Kuching, their western provinces, thus securing more of Borneo for Hispania.

The HRE continued to be riddled with warfare as Pomerania attacked Lubeck in the name of nationalism.



The colony in Ivory Coast reached completion, with Colonist Sancho Villanova heading back to Australia for the Montségur family. As he arrived, he noticed French ships to the south, carrying settlers to Paredarerme or Tasmania. The French had yet again decided to colonize near Hispanian colonies.

On Christmas day in 1709, the royal family was faced with yet another tragedy. The heir to the throne, Alfons, had gone out into the forests of Murcia on his estate in the hopes of catching a game bird for Christmas dinner. As was his usual behaviour, he went alone. When he did not return by dinner, his family became worried. His horse was found wandering on the edges of the forest, and when approached, it led them to the body. The young heir appeared to have been shot, and had a white cloth draped over him. The state the body was found in screamed foul play, although no evidence pointed to any specific culprit, so the cause of death was stated as a hunting accident. Emperor Joan was not overly distraught by the boy’s death, for he had not been close to him and was for too focused on seeking a resolution with Austria. He did, however, offer Alfons’s brother, Jaume, a place at the palace, for by law he was the new heir. The young boy, only 11, came to live at the palace, where he could be close to his uncle. Two heirs to the throne had died with years of each other, and they could only serve as an example of the mortality of man, something that was surely on Joan’s mind.

While an heir died in Hispania, one was born in Byzantium. The Basileus finally sired a son, Ioannes. Seeing as the Basileus’s brother had passed away some time in 1708, it left the way for a new heir. They were much more fortunate than Sweden. Prince Knut Soop ((yes, that’s a real name)) passed away, leaving the king without an heir. There was speculation that if the Swedish king died, succession would pass through his sister Helgi, the late empress of Hispania, and thus a Trastámara would inherit the throne. ((Seeing as the only Trastámara married to a Soop is Joan III and seeing as it’d pass through the female line and thus females could inherit the Swedish throne, then Joan’s daughters would be the only logical Trastámaras to inherit.))

Even though another heir had been lost, the matter of peace with Lucca had to be decided, despite Austrian protests. Emperor Joan decided the matter would be brought before the court, who could hopefully help decide an appropriate peace. Emperor Henri II of France had already offered to serve as a mediator for negotiations with Archduke Albrecht VIII. The stage was set for an official negotiation.











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Presenting His Imperial Highness, Joan III de Trastámara, Emperor of Hispania, Caesar of Rome, and Protector of the Greeks.

I mourn greatly for the loss of my brother, my wife, and my nephew. While my brother and I did not see eye to eye, he was still dear to me and his loss wounds me. It is never a pleasant thing to live longer than your spouse. I feel as though I have lost part of myself. As for my nephew, the loss of anyone so young is a travesty. I can only hope that my nephew Jaume shall not meet such a fate and he shall one day ascend to the throne.

This matter must be resolved. The Austrians have proven a stubborn lot and desire Italy as much as we do. Thank God the French do not have interest in the same region as we do for once. We must resolve this, and I implore the court to assist with negotiations. I do not believe this will deteriorate further, for the French seem to be favouring us after we granted them Elsass, but I’d prefer that we keep on Austria’s good side if we can.

I also beseech our marshal to consider an expansion of the army, although at his advanced age it might be wise to step down to allow someone younger to take up the task. We have reached a point where we can support a much larger force and we should not allow any other nation to surpass us. I would also encourage our grandmaster and grand admiral to reach an agreement on the expansion of the navy. I tolerated this disagreement up until now, but if it is not resolved soon I will be forced to dismiss one or both of you, which I’m certain is a sentiment the prime minister can agree with me on.


((Turns out the work I thought I’d have to do today can be done tomorrow, so I got the update out in time. :)

Of course the game decides to kill off the two heirs that could have been the most fun to roleplay. Oh well. At least the 1/1/0 heir died, so I can’t complain. :p Anyway, the peace with Lucca will be our event this week. We’ll be trying to come up with a peace or agreement that will satisfy Austria. Keep in mind that they consider Novara, Cremona, and Mantua as vital interests, while we have a claim only on Parma. We should also keep in mind our low admin points. It’d take us almost 700 admin points to core all four provinces, while Parma alone is 165. Perhaps we should consider changing our national focus back to admin now that quantity ideas are done.

Other than that, ministers have until Tuesday at 12AM PST to post their plans, and players may propose laws in that time too. Make note that it says AM not PM, so it's 12 hours earlier than usual. I’m trying to push back to doing updates on Thursdays again, seeing as they work much better for me than Fridays.

Dying:
@zenphoenix
@Raboude))
 
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((Oh RNG, why do you favor us so? :())

Over the years, Timur became less interested in the military. He remembered his Triumvirate Administration Act, and he couldn't stop thinking about matters similar to it. He decided he would write down his thoughts. He collected these writings, and after he returned from Italy, a subject which he had opinions on as well, he published it under the title, Investigación Sobre la Estructura y la Fuente de la Prosperidad de las Naciones ((Google Translation: Investigation into the Structure and Source of the Prosperity of Nations)), or Prosperidad ((You can guess what that means)) for short.

Timur sent a copy of it to the prominent members of the court, who he hoped would discuss and debate it.
Dear Members of the Court,

I have recently returned from the war in Italy. The Austrians gave great aid in the war, that is true, but, in the end, it were the Hispanians like Louis de Soneta who took control of the territory. Therefore, I cannot support giving Austria three provinces in Italy. However, it remains that they have sacrificed. Therefore, I suggest we allow the Austrians to take Mantua.

Moving on to other matters. I have always been greatly interested in economics, and I believe it is related to the art of war, and important for a general to know. In this regard, I have published a book known as Investigación Sobre la Estructura y la Fuente de la Prosperidad de las Naciones ((Note the lack of Latin)). I sincerely wish for the dignified members of this grand court to reflect on the copy I have sent to them.

Humbly,
General Timur Shah

((I plan on posting excerpts of this book, which is the same as Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the |Wealth of Nations|, to give concrete points to agree or disagree with.))
 
Montségur couldn't say that he was mourning the loss of Prince Pere, although he officially did. The man had been his political enemy, and with him as Emperor Hispania would have been in great turmoil. He didn't know much of Alfons or of Jaume, so he reserved judgment for now. What was more on his mind was the death of his first son Vincent in the raid conducted by the Luccan defenders on Soneta's army he was a colonel in. All of Hispania had tragedies to endure in this time, and he was no different. But it did strengthen his resolve against Lucca.

He wondered what kind of governor was in charge of Nova Hispania to sign such rapid and small peaces. The land was wide open, no opposition left. That the empire had to intervene was not a good sign; the Dowager Empress would have to deal with that matter. The Moroccans needed to be given some more time, while Brunei was the little opposition he had expected. Austria was another matter. Just as the Lithuanian and the Indian. Work, work, work...
The strange figurine that arrived in a small box with a letter from Nouvelle-Orléans in French Louisiana was what he needed to calm down. Pure gold, a bearded young man with an axe in one hand and a pistol in another smiled victoriously. He recognized some facial features, but that was impossible. His father was nearly a century old, in the unlikely case he was even still alive, it couldn't be him. The letter seemed to be his writing. 'Second one found. Still looking, all fine.' But no, someone had to play a game with him. Somehow, this was relaxing. And the figurine was beautiful, he could look at it for hours.


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The war in Lucca is the matter that needs to be dealt with first and foremost. Our most loyal ally France has turned its attention out of Italy, and I am most pleased for that. With their expansion in Elsass, we do not have any more conflicting interests within Europe, what can only further solidify our relations. Archduke Albrecht's demands on the other hand are exaggerated. If the provinces were of so vital Austrian interest, then why didn't he attack Lucca or Switzerland earlier? No, we cannot accept these demands as they stand now. That doesn't mean we shall not find an agreeable compromise. I have already stated that Mantua could be ceded to Austria, and Novara to France. As France has no interest in Novara, I propose to leave it to the Austrians as well, while taking the rest of Lucca ourselves. Northern Italy will be split up between our three powers, and Albrecht will see that this compromise will suit all our interests the best.
Concerning Italy, I wish to renew my proposal to integrate Rome into the empire. With the late Prince Pere's letters, we have to resolve this matter once and for all. Rome is a part of the empire. The pope has long lost his sovereignty over the eternal city. It is time to end this separation that de facto doesn't exist and officially integrate Rome. If a Catholic nation feels that the pope needs to govern land of his own, they can offer him such land within their own realms. The papacy of Avignon has shown that he doesn't need to reside in Rome - and if he is elsewhere, nobody can claim that Hispania controls the pope.
The Integration of Rome Act
The vassal state in Rome is abolished and the city formally made part of the empire as crown province.

Félicien Pierre de Montségur, Prime Minister and Chancellor of Hispania, Duke of Trinacria and Count of Calabria

Senor,

I understand your desire, and encourage it. But of course, no spy would say anything else. There is just too high a risk, and I cannot give you any official government position. If you wish to serve Hispania, then you can do it in another way, one that doesn't involve the government. May I suggest to address a trade company? The crown's own in the East, the TATC - or the CTC. As I understand it, this company has lost all its leaders and might present a good chance to rise to its top. And it is beneficial to the crown to see its companies led efficiently, which is not the case here. ((The Hashems are gone, and the other founders as well, so it should be possible to take it over, or not?))
That is the only advice I can offer you. Don't try to convince me otherwise, I have more important matters to deal with. Best of luck.

Félicien Pierre de Montségur, Prime Minister and Chancellor of Hispania, Duke of Trinacria and Count of Calabria

Félicien also got the copy of the Indian's book, but didn't open it. The man had been in Europe only a few years. He has been appointed general almost immediately, he still wondered why, and now wrote a treatise on economy? In Castillian? Either he has stolen it somewhere, it isn't worth to be opened, a miracle or the man's a genius. Montségur doesn't believe in miracles, and the Triumvirate Administration Act showed no signs of genius.

((Now it'd be interesting if Jaume died as well...))
 
((why did mike have to make it so hard for married in royals to become queen, god dammit, i am in the country and Joan III's line is not, we could save soooo much time by adding the ailing and maddening Empress Dowager on the throne :p XD))
 
When his cousin heard of Hispania's total refusal of his demands, Pausanias became enraged, which was great enough to be talk in Athens. Andronicus knew that his cousin would not respond well to his dismissal.

When the Crown Prince was dismissed, he grew worried.

When he died he was fearful.

When his son died, he was convinced Pausanias was involved.

The fact that his cousin refused to respond to his inquiry didn't help.
 
Alexis sat in his office, musing about how much he disliked the grandmaster. Of course he knew that he had good intentions, but in the grand admiral's mind Sancho failed too see the fact that without a stron navy most of the trade ships will be hopeless. Besides with the attention given to the army in the last dacades the navy was sort of... Left behind. And under his guidance this would change. Or at least he hoped it would. But with this damn man in his way all his efforts came to a halt. And ALexis only saw 2 possible ways out of it. Either the grandmaster would allow the expansions of the navy to go through, or Hispania would have to find itself without a grandmaster.

So of course Alexis made it clear that he will not change his plan, and if the Grandmaster will not allow him to get his duty done then Sancho can forget about any chance of future co-operation.
 
Andronicus sat in his study in Valencia. For too long has the inflation problem gone unchecked. It was finally time to fix it. And now it was time to address the Naval Problem that developed last time the Court Met.

I will not concede on my Naval Stance. Whether the Grandmaster and Grand Admiral make a compromise within my stipulations or one surrenders is none of my concern. Should they decide to expand the Navy acceptably, I will fund it. Should they not, they will wait again.

((My Plan:

Reduce Inflation until under 1%
All previous policies still apply

Steward's Priorities:

B/U Tax Buildings in non-TCs
B/U Trade Buildings in TB Provinces
B/U Naval Force Limit Buildings
B/U Manpower Buildings in provinces with 3 MIL dev or higher non-TC
))

Also, I would like to suggest that we vote on increasing our focus on our Administrators. ((NF on ADM))
 
((Now it'd be interesting if Jaume died as well...))

((Jaume fortunately has younger brother, so we have one more male Trastámara closely related to Joan III. After that, we'd have to go all the way back to Prince Miquel's line, unless we opened the way for female heirs again.))

((why did mike have to make it so hard for married in royals to become queen, god dammit, i am in the country and Joan III's line is not, we could save soooo much time by adding the ailing and maddening Empress Dowager on the throne :p XD))

((It wouldn't make much sense for a 75-year-old woman to be put on the throne, especially since she's a woman and there are still legitimate heirs in line for the throne. You missed your chance when you were actually empress or could have ruled through your underage child. :p))
 
((not really, you know, one update and my husband dies... always knew this trastámaras were weak blooded :p ))

((RNGesus is surely cursing the Trastámaras for my indiscretions. He decided he was being too cruel nearly killing off the Palaiologoi and instead decided to turn their family into a sausage fest and kill off some Trastámaras. :p))