Less than a week after Golden Horde Said made such a statement, the Golden Horde, in order to prevent Crimea from breaking away from its rule, directly dispatched a large army to the Crimea region on the pretext of recovering its core territory.
Haji Giray, relying on the reinforcements from Lithuania, was not to be outdone and directly clashed with the Golden Horde army.
Around the same time that Haji Giray declared the independence of the Crimean Khanate, Alexius also sent his youngest daughter, Maria, Manuel's sister, to the Empire of Trebizond to marry its crown prince, David Komnenos, to solidify the relationship between the two nations.
This had been decided long ago; she should have been married off in mid-1427, but at that time, due to preparations for war with Genoa and her being too young, it was only an engagement.
Now Maria was 12 years old, old enough to be married, and with the heightened tensions on the border between the Principality and the Crimean Khanate, a ready-made ally could not be ignored.
The only drawback was that Manuel was still on his way back home when Maria got married, so the siblings couldn't see each other one last time before her departure.
Fortunately, in a few years, when Manuel arrived in Trabzon, the siblings would be able to see each other many more times.
By the time Manuel returned to Theodoro, it was mid-January 1430.
As he reported his gains from the trip to Lithuania to Alexius in Mangup, he also learned of several major events that had occurred during this period: the elevation of Lithuania, the independence of Crimea, and his sister Maria's marriage…
Finally, Alexius asked him, "Manuel, are you ready? Have you decided? Do you think it's time now?"
Manuel nodded solemnly, "Father, the dice are about to be cast; to back out now would be a disservice to all the careful preparations made over these days.
However," he paused deliberately, "in my humble opinion, it is not yet time for us to act."
Alexius agreed with him and tentatively asked, "Then, my child, when do you think would be a good time for us to make our move?"
"When Vytautas dies, the Lithuanian expeditionary forces withdraw, and Crimea and the Golden Horde are still locked in fierce battle," Manuel stated his plan clearly.
"What if Vytautas remains securely on the throne of Lithuania until the war ends?" Alexius pressed sternly.
"Then let's just consider all our efforts during this time to have been in vain, Father.
There's no such thing as a guaranteed successful gamble in this world; you taught me that," Manuel Said, shrugging helplessly.
Alexius pondered for a moment, then nodded approvingly.
After a general discussion about the methods and timing of intervening in Crimea affairs, Manuel finally returned to Theodosia, which he had been away from for four or five months.
"Theodosia, I'm finally back," Manuel thought with emotion.
Upon his return to the Theodosia palace, he eagerly sought to know the results of the final reform he had left behind before his departure.
After learning the details from Barbara, he couldn't help but beam with joy, clapping his hands and laughing heartily, "Good! With this, the reforms in Theodosia can be considered perfectly concluded.
Next, we need to compile a code of law to formalize these reforms, and then we can calmly deal with potential conflicts."
Everyone agreed, with no one objecting.
Seeing this, Manuel, after a day of rest, summoned several reliable and capable civil officials who had been previously selected to assist him in compiling the code of law.
After weeks of diligent work, this code, covering all aspects of Theodosia, including all previous reforms, was finally completed in early February 1430.
The code primarily referenced the administrative regulations previously established by Genoa in the city, the routine laws of the Principality of Theodoro over the years, and was supplemented by various reforms and suggestions made after Manuel took over the city, making it arguably the most comprehensive code of law on the northern Black Sea coast at the time.
On the evening the first draft of the code was completed, Manuel eagerly pulled Barbara over to review the draft with him.
Seeing him so excited he was almost jumping to the ceiling, Barbara secretly smiled and took the draft to read carefully.
Although she was also curious about the specific content of the code, she couldn't help but wonder anxiously, looking at Manuel's excited expression, "Will my Little husband prefer writing texts to being with me?"
After she quickly skimmed through it, she rubbed her sore eyes in surprise and praised, "It's very comprehensive, with a beauty as if Leo VI himself had compiled it."
"Leo 'the Wise'? This... I suppose it's a compliment," Manuel thought with some embarrassment, recalling that legal emperor of the Macedonian Dynasty. ①
A few days later, after several rounds of review and re-editing, the theodosian code was officially promulgated, with its most important provisions as follows:
First, the code, on its first page, stipulated three "unforgivable grave sins" that would lead to "the offender entering hellfire and never being able to enter heaven": lèse-majesté, treason, and blasphemy.
Violators were to receive "the most severe punishment," namely, capital punishment;
Second, the code stipulated that all previously enacted reform measures were legal and valid, "this being a system in accordance with theology," and any violations would be punished according to the crime, while those who voluntarily complied would receive a certain degree of leniency during future quantitative assessments;
Third, the code also listed various penalties, for example, under capital punishment, there were the three traditional methods of hanging, beheading, and burning, and a new form of capital punishment was also established: cannon execution, which involved tying the condemned to the mouth of a cannon and firing the cannon, blowing the condemned to pieces at the same time, "to deter those who disrespect the Holy Father monarch."
However, the code also abolished most corporal punishments and forms of capital punishment, and simultaneously declared private lynchings illegal;
Fourth, the code reaffirmed the dominant position of the orthodox faith in Theodosia, "as stated in the Gospels: 'Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.'"
But it also emphasized that even the Church must not violate the basic principles stipulated in the Code, "just as Christ Said, 'Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's.'"
Although the new code was detailed in every aspect, it did not overly define all public behaviors within the framework of law, but rather left some room for interpretation.
This was a deliberate decision made by Manuel after considering the opinions of various factions and the scribes who assisted him in its compilation.
"It's better to be a bit lenient; after all, an old saying from the Eastern Dynasty goes, 'Harsh government is fiercer than tigers.'
If the code is too detailed, it will oppress the lower classes too much."
At the end of the code compilation work, he considered this aspect and deliberately left some blank spaces.
After this theodosian code was compiled, it was immediately implemented in Theodosia after receiving permission from Mangup.
Since most of the opposition had been purged during previous reforms, this code did not encounter much resistance within Theodosia.
However, in Mangup, Alexius, seeing the impressive achievements of his eldest son, also planned to use this opportunity to implement this code throughout the entire Principality.
But due to the opposition of the old nobles, coupled with the critical situation, Alexius had to abandon this idea.
But this was temporarily none of Manuel's concern; he was currently happily preparing for his wedding.
Meanwhile, in Morea, Eastern Roman Empire—
"Brother, are you going to attend our Little sister's wedding?" Thomas Palaiologos, the co-Despot of Morea, asked with surprise, "The Latins in Achaea are still stubbornly resisting."
"Thomas, if I'm not here, you should still be able to defeat these Latins, right?" Constantine Palaiologos, the Despot of Morea, did not answer him directly but instead asked a rhetorical question.
"Yes, right now they are completely relying on the city walls and fortresses to hold out; without support, they are at the end of their tether," Thomas Said decisively.
"That's good," Constantine Said with a reassuring smile, "Don't worry, I'll be back right after the wedding; it won't delay important matters.
After all, if we, as older brothers, aren't even willing to attend our Little sister's wedding, it would be too unfair to her, wouldn't it?"