Chapter 241: Trivial Matters
Fortunately, the place where Caesar is located is neither Francia nor England, but the Mediterranean region deeply influenced by Eastern civilization.
So even upon hearing that he wanted to promote the use of the decimal system, Dandolo would not be too surprised.
In human history, the application of number bases has been a difficult problem.
The decimal system may be the oldest counting method, because the decimal system has a quite simple advantage: people naturally have ten fingers.
When they need to count, they can simply extend or bend their own fingers to clearly correspond them to the digits.
But equally ancient is the sexagesimal system, developed by the Sumerians and Babylonians for astronomy and mathematical calculations.
Its origins are now unknown to people, but it is still in use in time and astronomy. For example, a minute has sixty seconds, and an hour has sixty minutes.
The vigesimal system originated from the Maya civilization, which is quite distant from both Europe and the Mediterranean region—at least Caesar has never heard of anyone here using the vigesimal system.
But the most prevalent in Europe is still the duodecimal system.
If an Indian were to look at it, the duodecimal system might be a counting method that is hard to understand.
But in the teachings of Heraclius and other teachers, twelve is considered a sacred number.
For example, Jesus Christ once had twelve disciples; the high priest’s breastplate has twelve gemstones; the future New Ayyarasa Road will have twelve gates, with twelve angels on the gates; in Old Testament times, there were twelve tribes, and so on.
Therefore, this number has rich spiritual significance in the Bible; it represents God’s chosen people, signifies the connection between the New Testament and the Old Testament, and embodies the completeness and perfection given by God to humanity.
But Heraclius also once said that to trace the number twelve, people can continue to turn back time even further.
For example, the Ancient Egyptians already divided day and night into twelve parts each, Ancient Rome divided the year into twelve months, Ancient Babylon divided all constellations into the twelve zodiac signs, or possibly because for even more ancient people, one hand not only has ten fingers but also three phalanges per finger（ excluding the thumb）, so they could also use phalanges instead of fingers for counting.
In the understanding of later generations, the duodecimal system is sometimes more practical than the decimal system because it is a highly composite number. Simply put, it can be divided by many numbers: two, three, four, six; while ten can only be divided by two and five, so merchants find the duodecimal system more convenient for transactions than the decimal system.
This calculation method used by merchants even extended to the conversion mechanisms for weights and currency, which later generations criticized the most—a pound equals twelve shillings, or the quantity of the same goods is a dozen（12）.
But Caesar’s intention to promote the decimal system is not merely out of nostalgia for the past, but more because his current situation forces him to do so.
The debate over the merits of the duodecimal and decimal systems still exists even centuries later. But as mentioned before, the greatest advantage of the decimal system is that it can be learned through physiological counting. In other words, even without any education, a child can gain mathematical enlightenment through finger-assisted understanding.
Moreover, unit conversions become simpler in the decimal system. Digits only need to go from zero to nine, without needing to use ‘a’ for ten and ‘b’ for eleven as in the duodecimal system.
This way, it becomes easier for the people to understand tax law.
He has already required that his taxation agency and all tax collectors dispatched to various cities and farms must proficiently master the decimal system and the digits used by the Saracens, and teach the decimal system and its digits to those craftsmen and farmers.
They may not be able to recite poetry or read scripture, but they must be able to accurately link their income and expenditure to those strange patterns.
Dandolo knew at once that Caesar was doing this to prevent tax collectors from using deceptive methods to increase taxes after he issued new tax rates.
He had seen how officials, priests, merchants, and even some craftsmen tricked those farmers who could not even count to ten clearly, and all they gained was just a few copper plates.
But if such methods were used in tax collection, the profits gained would be an astronomical figure.
He finally understood why those Venetians were complaining so much, especially since the decimal system was also new to them; their habitual methods could no longer be used, and even if used, they might be caught.
But this is certainly a good thing for Caesar as lord? No one embezzling or deceiving— even though Caesar has generously lowered tax rates and canceled some taxes, the tax revenue he can get from Cyprus will still be higher than that of any previous governor.
“I know many people are complaining to you about this,” Caesar said understandingly, “but please rest assured. In a few days, you will no longer hear these annoying noises.”
“How so?”
“My teacher, Patriarch Heraclius of Ayyarasa Road, recommended some people to me, and Baldwin also provided me with some low-level officials. I also plan to recruit some Cypriots.
Oh, by the way, Duke of Aquitaine Richard said he would find some people for me too, though they are a bit old. They once served his mother Eleanor of Aquitaine. At that time, they were still working in the Francia Court. After the marriage contract between Eleanor and Louis VII was declared invalid, and Eleanor took Aquitaine and married England’s Henry II, their situation became difficult.
Henry II was unwilling to use people once used by Louis VII, and Louis VII would not allow a former wife’s subject to remain in his court.
These people were driven out, quite embarrassingly. The original Duchess Eleanor had planned to establish a monastery university to allow them to make a living.
Now, if those people are willing or still have some ambition, they will arrive in Cyprus before Lent.”
Upon hearing this, Dandolo was silent for a moment. “How many people will there be?”
“Not many, and I prefer to trust you.”
“Trusting me isn’t trusting the Venetians?” Dandolo nearly rolled his eyes, but he finally had an excuse to fob off those naive and somewhat ridiculous guys.
The world is always like this. When a person is well-dressed, many people throw flowers and gold coins at him; but when a person is in rags, he is greeted with fists, cold stares, and spittle.
The new lord of Cyprus certainly does not belong to the latter, but nor to the former; he is in a subtle and awkward blank period. With his charm, means, and even persistence, it is probably only a matter of these few years before he becomes the true monarch here.
And the advantage held by the Venetians is also these few years. If they are willing to fully support Caesar, in Dandolo’s view, the return given by Caesar will absolutely not be small.
But if they take the opportunity to blackmail or even betray, Caesar probably will not show mercy.
He recalled the words he had warned his granddaughter about; it seemed he could say them to those people too. He knew there were still some who despised this unfamiliar Crusader knight; they only saw his inglorious past before age nine, forgetting that since age nine, he had become Baldwin’s most intimate attendant. Although he did not grow up in the castle, in those most crucial years, he received the same education as Baldwin.
These people are sometimes truly blind, but this is forgivable, after all—not to mention humans, even beasts will instinctively favor guesses beneficial to themselves.
“Then it’s settled,” Dandolo said frankly. “I accept and welcome it. I will also try to make them accept it, but…” He paused, put the ducat gold coin back in its place, and asked probingly: “Among the people you mentioned, does it include Isaacites?”
“Isaacites…” Caesar also threw the gold coin back into the money box, making a quite crisp clinking sound. “My posted notice did not restrict faith. Isaacites, Christians, Saracens—all can come to learn and take exams. If they can do it, I will not refuse to use them.”
“Do you have a prejudice against Isaacites?”
“Prejudice—it’s not exactly prejudice.” Caesar pondered and said, “You know, when a person is used to taking shortcuts, it won’t be easy to make him take a more rugged and difficult path. Isaacites have been tax collectors for over a thousand years; they are accustomed to beating the soles of the feet of the lower classes to take the last copper plate from their pockets, even a few peas from their fields.
I have also met a few Isaacites and even kept an Isaacite craftsman. When I met him in Fustat, only some Saracens were willing to pay his ransom money, not his fellow tribesmen.
In Damascus, he was even identified by his fellow tribesmen—he could have escaped originally, for a simple reason: he was unwilling to rebel with them…” Caesar said, smiling. “Of course, Isaacites do not consider this a despicable act.
For them, opportunism, calling a deer a horse, reversing black and white, using any means, are all praiseworthy terms.
They treat their own people like this; I cannot be sure that even after I have promulgated the law and clarified my intentions, whether they can control their greedy hearts and not do things that anger me.
At that time, I could certainly hang them all, and even their assets could become another gain for me, but the ones forced and harmed would still be the people of Cyprus, wouldn’t they?”
“They are neither Franks nor Christians.”
“Then let me put it another way.” Caesar said with a beaming smile, “As heretics, shouldn’t they pay me more taxes?”
Indeed, in Christian countries at this time, whether Antioch, Tripoli, Ayyarasa Road, or even former Edessa, the heathens in conquered areas had to pay three times the tax of Christians to maintain their original faith, making it one of the most important parts of the lord’s income, second only to pilgrims’ donations and merchants’ commerce taxes, and sometimes even equal.
If he used Isaacites, believers of the Orthodox Church would surely flee en masse, and Cyprus would decline day by day. But if following his method, he must ensure that Cyprus remains firmly in his hands for a long time—otherwise, it would be better to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs.
“Do you think you can rule here for a long time?”
If he cannot rule for a long time, what Caesar is doing now would become the folly of a clown.
“I don’t know, but I think as long as they are human, they will always be willing to walk toward the light.” Caesar had also considered whether to implement so urgently and hastily the new policies he had thought about countless times before.
He previously held Bethlehem, but Bethlehem is a small city; he had almost no income other than commerce taxes, donations, and poll taxes. Even so, the Isaacites there still gave him plenty of trouble.
Cyprus is undoubtedly broader, more diverse, and more important than Bethlehem. For the Cypriots now, the deterrence from the previous “seven days of mourning” still lingers somewhat; nothing could be better than implementing the new laws and tax rates at this time.
Dandolo thought the same, just like the new currency to be minted: although troublesome and tedious, possibly causing dissatisfaction from some, if truly implemented, it would only benefit future rulers, with no harm.
“How heavy do you plan to make the gold coins?”
Caesar was about to answer when he remembered that people now do not use grams. The Venetian ducat weighs about 3.56 grams; calculated by gold ounce at one ounce being 31.1 grams, minus impurities（gold content 99.7）, it’s about one-tenth of a gold ounce…
“According to the weight of the ducat.”
“Then, how many gold coins do you plan to mint?”
“Mint… ten thousand first.”
“A bit few… but no matter, we can see the reaction first.”
Because Caesar had such requirements, the new coins definitely could not be issued on a large scale.
Dandolo wanted to ask Caesar if he had decided on the design of the gold coins. The ruler’s portrait must appear on the gold coins, but he did not know whether to use front or side view, and whether to wear a crown.
Use the style of the Byzantine Empire or Francia? On the reverse, use the Cross or a holy image of Jesus Christ, and whether to engrave the proverb on the coat of arms?
Since the currency edges already had intricate patterns to prevent people from shaving, the proverb encircling it could perhaps be omitted; then, should the lord’s name be engraved?
But these were minor details; they discussed them casually while sipping hot tea.
The old man even thought that if Caesar and Boccia’s relationship was indeed as good as people said, whether he could contribute some gold on behalf of Boccia to mint some gold coins or silver coins for her.
This was very common in the periods of Ancient Rome and Ancient Greece; gold coins would have the emperor’s portrait as well as the empress’s portrait.
But while he was still mulling over the words, he heard the attendant outside the door report that Lady of the Manor Boccia’s handmaid had come to inquire if the lord had time to see her now.
Dandolo looked at Caesar and saw him just nod casually without giving a clear answer; the attendant then withdrew.
His granddaughter Boccia almost immediately walked in from outside; the whole process did not seem like an announcement, but rather a procedure that had to be gone through but could be abbreviated several times.
Boccia did not care, and Caesar cared even less.
Boccia walked up to them, curtsied to her husband and grandfather. Then she slightly lifted her chin, and the handmaid behind her placed a box on the table before withdrawing together with the attendant.
Dandolo habitually reached out his hand; in the past, Boccia would always snuggle beside her aged grandfather, supporting and loving each other mutually, but this time his hand met empty air.
He should have realized that now Boccia had another guardian. Boccia sat beside Caesar; seeing her grandfather’s meaningful gaze, she blushed slightly but then immediately puffed out her chest—just as her grandfather said, what is wrong with a wife loving her husband?
Moreover, her husband was very worthy of her love.
