For the last two months, apart from administrative work, I returned to my writing career, or rather to plagiarize works known to me, my goal was two works of world literature "Dracula" by Bram Stoker and "Paradise Lost" by John Milton, in the case of the first novel I had to change the dates and historically unsuitable elements, and I also changed the ancestry of Abraham Van Helsing. However, it was Paradise Lost that caused me more problems, although I read it many times, but each time I sat down to put the words on paper, I fell asleep after writing a few sentences... but in the end I was victorious.
At the beginning of March, a messenger arrived in Jazłowiec with information that the last decorative works in the theater were finished and that it could be put into use... all I had to do was hire a couple of acting traveling troupes, which were many in every major city and my new propaganda machine could be set in motion. I assigned this task to Kowalski who, on my behalf, first went to Lviv, then Krakow, and finally to Warsaw. The same was the case with the bridge over the Vistula, although it was already finished, I waited until the opening of it until the end of winter and a final inspection to check how and if winter influenced its construction... its construction was expensive, but more important for me than the loss of money, was reputation... my reputation, a construction disaster would undoubtedly damage it... and with these two projects completed, I was now able to deploy all of my laborers to work on King Stephen Bathory's column, which would be my last investment in the capital for the next few years.
In the spring and at the beginning of summer, I noticed that my pact with the Ottomans began to bring the effects I hoped for, making Orthodoxy illegal and punishable, the number of emigrants coming to the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth increased. They were mainly Armenians, but there were also, to my surprise, many groups of Jews... not wanting to create separate Armenian enclaves, if I had the opportunity to do so, I sent them to various parts of the country, being alone or in small groups, they would be forced to assimilate faster... Jews who came to Podolia, I simply sent east to Prince Wiśniowiecki.
(Random POV)
"Where are you going?" (Maćko)
"Didn't you hear? Some time ago, Prince Jazłowiecki opened the theater, in the evening there are performances for the nobility, but during the day, everyone can go and you don't have to pay anything." (Jóżef)
"I don't have time to watch any acrobats or fire eaters, I've seen many of them at the market." (Maćko)
"This is not the kind of performance, the newspapers wrote that this month will be staged in the theater, the story of the Prince Popiel who was eaten by mice." (Jóżef)
"In the newspaper? But you can't read." (Maćko)
"But I can listen to others reading, but not only about the theater they wrote. There was also the story of Prince Jazłowiecki, how he was surrounded by Turks and how they cut his face." (Jóżef)
"Devil's sons... I do not know about war, but I know one thing, Prince Jazłowiecki ordered to build a bridge over the Vistula, one hen cost 15 pennys, now the price has dropped to 10 and it's not only the hen prices are cheaper, but everything." (Maćko)
"Yes, but the people who transported the goods by the river lost their source of income when the bridge was built." (Jóżef)
(End POV)
Unfortunately, in life it is only certain that you will die one day and it applies to everyone... in the middle of September, secretary Kowalski died unexpectedly in his sleep, maybe it was not unexpected, he was already old, and I did not spare him despite his old age.
There was something ironic about it, since I was born into this world and in these times, I saw hundreds if not thousands of deaths ... even after my father died, I felt nothing. But now, I felt something inside, it wasn't sadness or regret but something else, at least i think so... I knew Kowalski since I was a child, actually he and Sveta were the only people I knew from the day I was born... and now one of these people was dead.
I ordered his body to be placed in the Jazłowiecki family crypt, although he was a servant, he devoted his entire life to serving my family and at least that was what I could do for him... I have always valued loyalty above all else. The funeral ceremonies lasted two weeks, and the same local mourning ... I was surprised how many Jazłowiec residents came to say goodbye to Kowalski, it also testified to his character... I doubt whether there will be more than twenty people at my funeral.
With the onset of winter, I began to recruit local people to my army. They were provided with food, clothes, and after completing the training, each of them was to receive 5 ducats... the response turned out to be quite large, 2000 men signed up for my army.
"They don't have to be trained like Zaporozhian infantry or Janissaries, they have to be able to shoot, reload quickly. They have to be able to fortify and dig trenches, obey orders and be in good shape." (MC)
"What if I find any hidden talents?" (Rotmistrz Czarniecki)
"Then try to recruit them permanently, we need good cannoneers, sappers and engineers, but a good infantry squad will also be useful." (MC)
"If I am responsible for their training, I will need more people to help. Good officers and craftsmen." (Rotmistrz Czarniecki)
It was logical, Czarniecki was a good soldier and he knew that it was impossible to do something out of nothing, if I want to have an army I must have people who will train it for me.
"You have my full confidence and you can choose who you need." (MC)