Page 397 of DATE
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 twopages 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."
