In the Middle Ages, population was the most important resource, and Manuel understood this well.
But if a significant portion of that population were rebellious subjects who refused to obey, would they still be useful resources?
Clearly, not entirely.
Then they were destabilizing factors that would undermine his rule.
Since they posed a potential threat to stability, he had a responsibility to use all available means to completely remove them from his dominion to prevent a major disaster.
At least, that's how Manuel convinced himself.
After convincing himself, Manuel snapped back to reality.
Looking at Shilin's mangled corpse, and recalling his earlier arrogant boasts, Manuel felt a surge of anger.
Then, he walked directly to the dismembered body and stomped on it fiercely, "Weren't you so arrogant just now? You uncivilized brute." he cursed mockingly in his heart.
Orophin, the patriarch who had witnessed the scene firsthand, was filled with terror.
After estimating that his presence was no longer needed, Orophin nervously stroked his white beard, said his goodbyes, and immediately turned to leave.
"Your Grace, Patriarch, please don't be in such a hurry to leave; I have an important matter here that requires your permission." Manuel, with a forced smile, stopped the trembling Orophin, who was about to depart.
"Your Highness, rest assured, whatever your request, I will certainly grant it." Orophin stopped and turned back, attempting to force a fawning smile, but it looked worse than a cry.
"It's like this: the Inquisition can only deal with heretics in theological matters.
However, there are still a large number of pagans within the Principality, and it would be quite inconvenient to rely solely on the old institutions and systems."
"Therefore, I hope you will allow us to expand the functions of the Inquisition, to transform it into a Religious Tribunal.
What do you say?" At this point, Manuel's smile became gentle.
Orophin felt a chill run down his spine and immediately nodded frantically like a pecking chick, "Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, Your Highness is absolutely right."
"In that case, please sign your name here, Your Grace." Saying this, Manuel pulled out a previously prepared document from somewhere on his person, which detailed all matters concerning the expansion of the Inquisition into a Religious Tribunal.
Was it already prepared?
Was this banquet premeditated?
Orophin felt cold sweat breaking out all over his body; he now realized he couldn't fathom the thoughts of the young co-ruling Prince before him.
Yet, at the beginning of the year, His Highness had appeared so gentle and tolerant.
Did this civil war change his administrative policies?
But he had no time to delve deeper, because Manuel's smile clearly conveyed the consequences of his agreement or refusal.
That evening, Manuel gladly returned to his office in the palace with the document bearing the Metropolitan Archbishop's signature.
After putting away this important document, Manuel leaned back in his chair, recalling the morning three days prior, when he, Posadas, and Balin discussed how to deal with the Northern Crimea Tatars—
"Your Highness, ultimately, we still haven't killed enough." Posadas declared passionately.
Balin frowned, but due to his special status, he dared not say much.
However, Manuel did not miss his change in expression.
"Balin, what do you think?"
"Your Highness, although I do not recommend solving problems through slaughter, as a Tatar myself, I must admit that the 100,000 to 200,000 pagan Tatars currently within the Principality are indeed a destabilizing factor." Balin sighed, stating his view, "Therefore, using some extraordinary measures is understandable."
"Do you think they would willingly convert to orthodox Christianity?" Manuel asked.
"I can ensure my Tribe transitions smoothly, and those smaller Tribes willing to honor the Girey Family should also not be an issue if their children lead by example."
"But at least half of the nomads are hardliners; violence is indeed the only way to solve the problem, unless Shilin, who has incorporated most of the Muzars Tribe during the civil war, agrees to support us."
Manuel nodded to this; since Balin, a Tatar noble, said so, he had a rough idea.
"They will be given one last chance in three days; if they fail, I will prepare to forcibly remove them." He casually laid out the final plan, as if the Crescent Sect followers who had lived in Northern Crimea for generations were merely moving house.
After Manuel returned from his reverie, he casually took the report Balin had submitted to him today from the table.
The report stated that Balin's attempts to persuade Tatar nobles in Bakhchysarai to convert mostly ended in failure.
"Since that's the case, there's nothing more to discuss.
The Principality's war-hardened army is now under my command, and the Lithuania reinforcements haven't yet withdrawn from Northern Crimea.
This is the best time to deal with the Tatar problem." Murmuring this, he let out a long sigh, "Phew, what I'm about to do is the worst possible thing.
Heh, before that, I should settle my debts first, for the Lord." Talking to himself, he suddenly let out a somewhat sinister laugh.
The next morning, Manuel met early in a small castle on a family estate outside the city with four Jewish men who had been hounding him for debt since the end of the Crimean War; they were notorious moneylenders in South Tauris, or rather, infamous throughout South Tauris.
If he hadn't been genuinely strapped for cash at the time, Manuel would never have shamelessly borrowed from them at such high interest.
Lacking understanding of debt at the time, he initially thought repaying these Jewish loans would be similar to repaying the Venetians and ordinary Jewish merchants.
But when he tried to repay them before the civil war began, he was shocked to discover that the accumulated interest was already ten, or even nine, times the principal.
Of course, for a Principality supported by the slave trade, these debts were not unpayable.
However, timely repayment would significantly delay Manuel's various plans for Anatolia.
So, he had no choice but to drag out the repayment, even to the point where these Jewish men sent people openly to the palace to collect, and he could only give them the runaround.
Fortunately, the issue of debt could finally be brought to an end today.
"I humbly ask for a few more days, gentlemen.
I have only been co-ruling Prince for less than a month and am not yet familiar with the Principality's overall finances, so I cannot call upon the treasury on a large scale.
Once I fully take over the finances next month, I will certainly repay both principal and interest." Inside the castle, Manuel pleaded.
A greasy and plump Jewish merchant tapped him impatiently, "Your Highness Manuel, what did you say when you borrowed from us?
As a monarch, can you go back on your word?" With that, all the Jewish moneylenders present burst into laughter.
"Please reconsider, gentlemen!" Manuel lowered his head and pleaded repeatedly.
"Impossible!" the Jewish men present said in unison.
Just as expected, Manuel, with his head bowed, secretly sneered.
"Since that's the case, there's no more discussion.
Repay it now, but it will be you who repays." Manuel immediately looked up, clapped his hands with a gentle smile, and a team of fully armed soldiers immediately rushed out of the castle, pinning all the Jewish men to the ground.
"Your Highness Manuel, what are you trying to do?!" The fat Jewish man looked up and glared at him, demanding.
The other three also quickly glared at him, but remained silent.
Looking at these Jewish men glaring at him, as if they wanted to devour him, Manuel smiled innocently, "Don't look at me like that; I'm not a devil or anything.
"It's just that I suddenly realized, it's probably fine not to repay money owed to pagans.
After all, the descendants of Judah were born owing Christians 30 pieces of silver.①"
This statement directly shocked them.
The fat Jewish moneylender's face turned crimson, and he angrily rebuked him, "Faithless, you are unfit to be…"
Before he could finish, Manuel clapped his hands, and a soldier, understanding the signal, directly drew his sword and chopped off the fat Jewish man's head.
Without waiting for the other three to respond, Manuel clapped his hands three more times, and the three Jewish men were immediately killed on the spot by soldiers.
"To deal with creditors, one must learn from Philip IV." Looking at the corpses of these Jewish men, Manuel smiled gently.
However, he wasn't here today just to resolve the debt issue.
"Although deciding the future of the Crimean Tatars in a small castle isn't entirely above board, such a new decree isn't suitable to be issued directly from the palace.
Speaking of which, they should probably be arriving soon." He thought to himself as he directed the soldiers and servants to clean up the scene.
As he expected, around noon, several high-ranking officials of the Principality arrived at the small castle, mostly military and political officials he had cultivated since his time in Theodosia, and also including necessary religious personnel, such as His Grace, the Metropolitan Archbishop Orophin, who was as unlucky as could be.
Seeing that everyone had arrived, Manuel, after a brief exchange of pleasantries, directly stated the purpose of his summoning them, "To make a long story short, no matter how tolerant a policy I enacted, those pagan Tatars remained indifferent.
So now, I am going to change that utterly foolish policy of tolerance."
"Hereby I order that from now on, only Tatars who convert to the true faith will receive benevolent governance under our rule.
If they cling to their old beliefs, their old rights will no longer be protected by the Principality.
And to bring them to the right path," Manuel paused, "we have the right to use coercive measures, to do anything to them."
Hearing this, Posadas's eyes immediately lit up, "Really, Your Highness? Anything?"
"Yes, anything." Manuel affirmed repeatedly.
Orophin clearly understood the hidden meaning in Manuel's words, and out of his conscience as a clergyman, he couldn't help but warn Manuel, "Your Highness, this will cause a massacre.
If a massacre truly occurs, then this… this… this will be tyranny."
"Tyranny?" Manuel smiled gently, "This is clearly benevolent governance, isn't it?
For those Tatars who cling to their old beliefs, this is benevolent governance!
They used to only sleep eight to ten hours a day, but under our benevolent and enlightened rule, they can now sleep twenty-five hours a day.
What progress, what mercy this is!"