eastern european eagle

Chapter 539 Marble Mine
Hus's escape caused a commotion. Everyone didn't know what to do. Sigismund had experienced more turmoil. He hurriedly asked someone to bring a message to Bohemia and arrested Hus after he entered Prague. , he knew that Hus would definitely return to Bohemia.

The most important thing now is to quickly complete the Ecumenical Council so that the Catholic Church can be reunited. They must be quick.

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"Beep! Beep! Beep!..." In the early morning, the manic copper whistle sounded in the Uxhall slave camp.

At the urging of the foreman, the slaves quickly got up, washed, and then lined up into the canteen for breakfast.

They smelled the aroma of food in the air, but did not rush forward in a crowd. They still lined up in a long line and walked to the steaming window in order. You must know that these slaves were not so disciplined at first. They only learned to understand the rules after many severe punishments.

More than half of these slaves came from the Western Mediterranean War a year ago. They originally believed in Catholicism, but under the long-term influence of other slaves and the environment in the camp, most of them began to believe in Orthodox Christianity.

Roman slaves basically came from trade and war prisoners in Abyssinia. They were engaged in various mining or heavy labor, but the empire's regulations on slave management were fairly relaxed. According to regulations, slaves who have worked in government-controlled mines for half a year can be paid a certain amount of salary every month based on their work performance. Although the salary paid is far lower than the salary of normal employees in the market, it is also very high. It greatly promoted the enthusiasm of slaves at work and reduced their sense of resistance.

After eating, they began their day's work. This mine is surrounded by towering mountains. Their green lichens have been stripped cleanly, exposing rocky mountains as white as snow. The part closest to the valley has been carved into square and straight shapes due to years of mining. Under the rays of the morning sun, the mountain walls reflect soft white light.

This was the local marble mine, and the marble excavated from it was regarded as the main stone most suitable for building churches.

At this time, several people came from outside, led by a middle-aged man who was tall and handsome. Unfortunately, he was missing his left hand, which was quite regrettable. The bodies of the several people behind him were somewhat mutilated, but none of the foremen dared to show contempt, and instead greeted them respectfully.

Prozov is the name of this man. He was once a farmer in Wallachia. He later joined the Roman Empire army and participated in two Balkan campaigns against the Ottomans and the expedition to Egypt. However, after landing in Palestine and fighting with the pagan army After a fierce battle in Jerusalem, he was seriously injured. Fortunately, he survived under the rescue of doctors. However, his left hand was amputated and he was naturally unable to serve in the army.

However, with the rewards and pensions he received, he could buy a few more slaves and farm at home, so his life would not be too bad. Of course, if he wants to live a better life, he can also write to the government and apply for a job in the Legion weapons factory. This was established at Peter's suggestion. After repairing and modifying the weapons, armor and other trophies obtained on the battlefield, they will be sold on the market. Part of the profits will be used to provide pensions for dead and wounded soldiers. Solve the problem of future livelihood for some disabled soldiers.

But Protsov made a difficult choice - to start a business. He chose the industry he once worked in - quarrying. He asked his comrades to raise money, and brought several disabled soldiers who were willing to work with him to the Senate, hoping to contract a quarry. Before taking control of Constantinople, the Senate passed a resolution: Minerals in the territory could not be sold to merchants, they could only be contracted. Not only were important mines subject to bidding, but also after obtaining the mines , people will be sent to supervise it within the specified period of time, and its output will not be allowed to be too low, nor will it be over-exploited, so as to ensure that the share it pays to the kingdom every year is constant.

In view of the perseverance of these disabled soldiers and the support of many MPs, the Senate finally agreed to let them contract a stone mine in Moldova, not because he was a disabled soldier and should be taken care of, but because the stone mine was located in a mountain range Among them, transportation is inconvenient, the output is not abundant, and it is a limestone mine. No businessmen are willing to take over it, so the Ministry of Commerce let it contract at a lower price and only gave it a one-year contract, just with the mentality of giving it a try.

Unexpectedly, after Protsov took over, he overcame many difficulties and not only increased the output of stone mines, but also sold them at a good price. Because of the increased demand for churches and the need for marble for other buildings, there was a lot of money to be made. As a result, he gained a lot of wealth and won the trust of the Senate. Based on this, and using disabled soldiers as the backbone, he became a well-known local stone merchant.

At this time, Protsov gave a military salute to the soldiers escorting the slaves. He said seriously: "Thank you for your hard work" and then asked the foremen: "How many slaves did you bring?"

"A total of 100, they are all here."

After the confirmation, the foremen took the slaves into the mine. Prozov stood at the entrance chatting with the team officer while waiting for the subsequent slaves to enter, until it was confirmed that all the slaves had arrived and the number of slaves met. Then he said to his men: "Go and bring in our slaves and pack cars."

"Okay, boss"

After they transported the slaves, the stone piled at the entrance to the mine was also removed. Selling stones is different from selling other metal ores. Few mine owners sell newly mined stones directly to buyers. Instead, they must provide relatively shaped stones according to the buyers' requirements. For example, at this time, they are responsible for the construction of St. Andrew's. As an assistant sent to the quarry by the craftsmen of Martyr Cathedral, he arrived here after early morning as usual, and based on the construction progress of the church, what types of stones were requested from the quarry to the church? How many quantities are required for each style? …

There are mainly three types of shaped stones needed to build a church: one is square stones, which will become the stone bricks for building the church; the other is round stones, which will become the supporting columns; There is also a thinner slate, which is used for laying the floor.

Hundreds of slave craftsmen here hold iron pliers, iron chisels, iron drills, metal wire and other tools to carefully shape the quarried stones. Not only do they wear linen clothes, but they also wear masks. And turbans, this is because they use metal tools to chisel stones, and stone chips fly, which can easily cause injuries. This is a kind of protection for slaves. The imperial slaves who mine stone are basically naked except for the scarves that protect their lower bodies. Because they basically do not use metal tools, they have no worries in this regard, and they are not burdened by clothes, making it easier to move and use force. They do not need to worry. The main danger is sudden falling rocks.

(End of this chapter)