novelSusiti Chapter 60 Daniel
Chapter 60 Daniel
The city-states of Northern Italy, led by cities such as Venice, Genoa, Pisa, and Milan, were different from the feudal kingdoms that were prevalent in Eurasia at that time. They were essentially merchant-aristocratic oligarchy republics.
Venice's social hierarchy can be broadly divided into hereditary nobles, citizens, commoners, and non-citizens. Hereditary noble status stemmed from the core families who invested in Venice's early maritime endeavors—in other words, the so-called "old guard." They monopolized almost all high-ranking official positions and council seats; only noble members could participate in the Great Council.
The Venetian Grand Council, the highest legislative and electoral body, has several thousand members, but it has shown a trend of shrinking and solidifying into a hereditary aristocracy. The Senate, elected by the Grand Council, is responsible for foreign, financial, and maritime policy. Supreme executive power rests with the Doge of Venice, but this power is checked and balanced by the Senate and numerous committees.
Initially, the Doge of Venice wielded relatively considerable power. This position was monopolized for over sixty years in the 12th century by the hereditary noble family of Vital-Michel and their in-laws. However, in 1172, Vital-Michel, then Doge of Venice, lost a war against the Eastern Roman Empire, sparking discontent among the populace and other nobles. Upon returning home, he was assassinated. From then on, constrained by the new administrative structure, the Doge of Venice gradually lost his privileges as a monarch and became a figurehead.
Secondly, there were the citizens. They were the backbone of Venice, including doctors, lawyers, notaries, high-ranking sailors, low-ranking government officials, and leaders of local craft guilds. Most importantly, they could engage in commerce, form chambers of commerce, and own merchant ships, though they could not command large fleets like the nobles.
Robert was born in Milan, Lombardy. Although he had been doing business and had close ties with Venice for many years, he did not settle in Venice or pay taxes there regularly, so he was not considered a formal citizen of Venice.
Then there were the common people, such as ordinary citizens, artisans, sailors, and laborers. They were usually guild members, engaged in local production and retail, or worked as employees for nobles and citizen merchants. Their political rights were limited, but they retained certain interests.
Finally, there were non-citizens, including merchants and slaves who resided there temporarily, who had almost no rights.
Daniel originally belonged to this social class.
His great-grandfather was a renowned Jewish merchant in Jerusalem, whose caravans traversed the spice routes to Persia and India. In 1087, the Seljuk Turks shattered the peace of Jerusalem, and the family, in their haste, managed to take only their valuables, abandoning most of their real estate and caravan assets behind. They fled south, eventually finding a foothold in Alexandria, Egypt.
Leveraging their remaining business connections and linguistic talents, the family painstakingly rebuilt their fortunes in Egypt. They primarily engaged in the Mediterranean triangular trade: selling spices from the East to Italian merchants and transporting Egyptian grain to Constantinople, while also running a highly profitable but risky money lending business. Wealth accumulated rapidly again, but so did enemies. Around 1150, rivals falsely accused them of "colluding with the Normans of Sicily in espionage," and the Fatimid court used this as a pretext to confiscate most of the family's property and expel them from the country.
The family eventually settled in Venice. Although it was a commercial paradise, core trade was firmly controlled by hereditary nobles, and Jews were strictly excluded from the circle of power. They could only rely on their meager savings to barely survive in marginal businesses such as the slave trade and short-term usury, lying low in obscurity.
The one who changed all of this was Daniel. Today, he is the consul of the influential St. Mark's Chamber of Commerce in the heart of Venice, primarily responsible for the lucrative luxury goods trade and ship leasing business.
However, Daniel was not happy at all at this moment.
He was sitting in the meeting room on the second floor of the St. Mark's Chamber of Commerce. The room was furnished with both commercial functionality and understated luxury. The heavy oak tables were polished to a mirror shine, and the air was filled with the mixed scents of aged parchment, ink, and oriental spices wafting from the warehouse downstairs. Large nautical charts and maps of the Venetian Lagoon hung on the walls, and cabinets in the corners displayed samples of exotic porcelain and silverware.
Daniel wore a dark, round-topped hat and a fine, understated dark brown robe, the collar and cuffs embroidered with delicate Hebrew patterns—refined and sophisticated. At this moment, his brow was furrowed, his fingers tapping unconsciously on the table, his face filled with worry.
The businessmen sitting around him were all impeccably dressed, wearing well-tailored wool coats. They exchanged puzzled glances, and one of them cautiously spoke up: "Chairman, you seem... troubled these past few days?"
Daniel snapped out of his reverie, his gaze shifting from the ships passing by on the canal outside the window. He sighed, "Just anxious. I'm waiting for news of that Saracen pirate."
"That pirate? And that Robert the Lombard Beard?" The merchants exchanged glances. Another tried to reassure him, "We should have news soon, guild master. We haven't seen Robert's fleet in the port for over a month. The pirate must have needed time to process the cargo after his success, which caused the delay."
"Sigh!" Daniel leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table, and gritted his teeth. "You should understand that for a true businessman, seeing a competitor make money is a hundred times more painful than losing money yourself."
The merchants nodded in agreement: "That's true, but how could that bearded man from Lombardy possibly out-earn you?"
"Exactly! Your vision, Chairman, has been tested by countless trials! Ten years ago, so many people were optimistic about Governor Vital Michel, placing all their bets on his plan to strengthen the fleet. And what happened? They were utterly defeated by the Romans, and many lost everything! Only you, with your discerning eye, forged connections with Senator Sebastiano and his faction early on. Later, Lord Sebastiano indeed became our new governor!"
Daniel waved his hand, his words humble but his expression revealing his inner satisfaction: "Sebastiano? Just luck, a meager gain. Since the Michel family's downfall, the governor's power has diminished considerably. Cultivating good relations with the senators is the proper course of action."
"You're right, that's exactly what you did!" another merchant immediately flattered. "You made a precise investment in Lord Mastropier Orio, partnering with him, investing everything you had, even taking out daring loans, to stockpile a massive amount of Transylvanian pig iron in advance. When the war between the Alliance and the Redbeard began, the profits you made made all the merchants in Venice green with envy!"
"Now that Lord Mastropelle is the Doge, who in the Merchant Guild, and indeed all of Venice, does not sincerely admire your foresight and wisdom?"
"Robert might be a big deal in Milan, but in Venice, he's no threat to you at all."
A string of flattery almost dispelled most of the gloom in Daniel's heart, but upon hearing the last two words, "Robert" and "Milan," his brows, which had just relaxed, furrowed again, and he interrupted unhappily, "Robert... it's not that simple. I can't, and I don't want to, openly clash with him. You may not know, but during the Battle of Legnano, there was a highly decorated figure who had a close relationship with him, and I don't want to provoke that person."
"Who?" The merchants' curiosity was piqued, and they asked in unison.
A clear look of apprehension crossed Daniel's face as he lowered his voice and said, "Alberto da Giuzano, the commander of a mercenary force in Milan, who performed great service in Legnano."