Iron Powder and Spellcaster

Spending money makes Winters feel sincerely happy.

Because Montagne, with a stroke of his pen, banned the special taxes previously levied by the New Reclamation Corps at once, and also announced the postponement of agricultural taxes and poll taxes for the first half of the year;

Therefore, the Tiefeng County Army cannot expect to draw resources from Wargne County through tax collection in the short term - unless Lord Montagne intends to bid farewell to the honorific title of "Your Excellency" completely and change it to an even more unpleasant nickname.

However, the Tiefeng County Army, which was far away from the rear, really needed various resources from Wargne County.

From the first dozen deserters who hunted through the mountains and forests to feed themselves, to the capture of Jevaudan and the seizure of the warehouses of the garrison in Tiefeng County, to now taking control of one city and two counties, with General Adams's treasury under his control, Winters ·The distribution system adopted by Montagne's troops is the "supply system".

That is to say, the soldiers did not receive military pay, and all the spoils captured were returned to the public. Instead, the army took care of all the needs of the soldiers.

The emergence of this system is not due to intentional design, but occurs naturally.

When Winters led his men to set up camp in the primeval forest on the outskirts of Wolf Town, he had no more piece of meat or bowl of soup in his pot than the others.

At that time, his army - although there were only a dozen people - was like a primitive clan tribe, where all members ate and lived together, and all property was publicly owned and shared.

Each soldier gets no more than others, but he never gets less than others. Those officers selected from among the soldiers will not enjoy special privileges because of their status as officers.

This makes Winters' army naturally have a strong cohesion, borrowing the old marshal's judgment:

"If a commander is willing to share the same food and risks with his soldiers, then the soldiers will go through fire and water for him. Friendship, recognition and a common destiny motivate soldiers more than wealth and glory."

However, when the size of the Tiefeng County Army expanded to close to half of a standing army, the supply system gradually showed some drawbacks.

Thousands of soldiers and war horses are like a bottomless pit that cannot be filled, devouring all the resources they can get.

Food, fabrics, medicines, tools... there is almost nothing that the Tiefeng County Army does not need, and there is nothing that the Tiefeng County Army cannot use.

As the Tiefeng County Army achieved more and more "results," the needs of the soldiers were no longer limited to "fullness" and "warmth." They naturally began to have expectations for entertainment and material enjoyment.

As a result, tobacco and alcohol were listed as supplies, and the logistics department's purchase list became longer and longer.

Considering the loss of transportation from Tiefeng County and Maple Stone City, everything on the purchase list should be obtained from Warne County;

At the same time, in order to prepare for war, the Tiefeng County Army must also obtain as much resources as possible from Warne County.

Since there is demand and there is no intention to collect it for free, purchasing is the only feasible option.

Fortunately, Mr. Montagne now has "a lot of money" in his hands.

…

[Outside Artemis]

"looking at what?"

Sensing that Winters was looking at the Deer Mountain in the distance absently and that his mind was not on his explanation at all, Mason asked half angrily and half doubtfully:

“Still wondering why your plow truck is so unsaleable?”

Winters came back to his senses after being touched, coughed slightly, and replied solemnly: "Of course not - I was thinking about the fate and future of mankind."

Mason poured cold water on it in disgust: "Then please take some time to think about why no one buys your 'Montessori Plow'! After all, it still takes up a lot of space in the warehouse."

There was a brief giggle among the accompanying reserve officers.

Winters knew who it was without looking back. He coldly called the name of the guy who couldn't hold back his smile: "Hodel! Get out of the queue."

"Yes!" Hodel rushed forward in embarrassment.

"Why are you laughing?" Winters frowned and asked with his hands on his hips: "The fate and future of mankind are not worth spending time thinking about?"

The reserve officers who had just been excited about temporarily escaping from the literacy course suddenly shrank like eggplants beaten by frost.

Cold sweat broke out on Hodel's forehead, and he answered hesitantly: "This...that...the weather is very good today..."

"What?" Winters frowned more tightly and his tone became more stern.

Senior Mason lowered his head and sighed in shame and anger.

However, Hodel was completely unable to empathize with Tribune Mason. When he was stared at by the blood wolf's cold eyes, his heart stopped for a beat.

Hodel shivered subconsciously and replied loudly: "Report! I'm laughing because the weather is very good today!"

Winters didn't look satisfied with the answer. He stared at Holder in silence.

This time, not only the people in front of Winters, but also the war horses of the reserve officers stiffly folded their ears, almost touching their necks.

The birds in the sky seemed to sense the danger and flew into the distance without looking back.

"Go." Winters broke the silence, deliberately dragging his voice: "Go back to the city and ask Bard Tribune for me..."

The reserve officers couldn't help but prick up their ears, and Hodel's eyes widened.

Winters turned around, his back to the reserve officers, and sadly ordered: "How many plow trucks were sold today?"

The reserve officers burst into laughter.

Houdel was stunned for a moment, and then he fled towards the city of Artemis in a panic under the eyes of his peers who were either envious, jealous or gloating about his misfortune.

…

In fact, someone's happiness is just a by-product of planning.

The Tiefeng County Army purchased military supplies with great fanfare in Artemis. On the one hand, it was to avoid losses caused by transferring supplies from Gevaudan and "reduce the cost of maintaining a military presence in Wargne County."

On the other hand, it is also to lay a foundation of trust in the "new government" in the hearts of the people of Wargne County.

Trust is a wonderful emotion. It is difficult to plant the seeds, but once it grows into a towering tree, it can carry a heavy burden.

In the most critical and difficult step of "planting seeds", inducement is the fastest and least difficult strategy - Bud and Winters have already practiced this on Red Sulfur Island.

In addition, the reappearance of caravans on the road will not only promote the recovery of traffic, but also boost people's confidence in public security;

"The agricultural tax and head tax in newly reclaimed land provinces are nominally taxes in kind, but in fact they are mostly collected in the form of currency. Postponing the levy of these two taxes and releasing gold and silver on the market through public procurement should be able to alleviate the rise in gold and silver prices for ordinary people. The burden brought by the people." - This is how Anna explained to Winters in her letter.

"The rise in gold prices is also the time to buy." - Anna also told Winters in the letter.

In this grand plan formulated by Tribune Bard and Madame Montagne to kill two birds with one stone, the fatal amount of dopamine secreted by a certain gentleman due to the satisfaction of material desires is just an insignificant by-product—— Although it does make someone very happy.

Except for "buying" things in Wargne County. Bud and Anna also hope to "sell" things in Wargne County.

With the return of Balian, the addition of Steel Castle workers, and the utter despair of the Gévaudan Blacksmiths' Guild, the production capacity of the Gévaudan Ironworks is increasing day by day.

But no matter how much the ironworks factory increases its production capacity, the buyers are always the same two regular customers:

The refugee farms in Xia Tiefeng County mainly purchase farm tools; and the logistics department of Tiefeng County Army mainly purchase ordnance.

However, whether it is the refugee farm, the logistics department, or even the ironworks factory itself, they are actually three branches growing from one tree trunk.

The refugee farms and the Tiefeng County Army Logistics Department purchase from the iron factory, which is equivalent to taking money out of one pocket, taking away the production costs paid to craftsmen and miners, and putting it back into another pocket.

Shao Sha said in the letter that his old father-in-law remained silent all day long as he looked at the piles of shells in the warehouse.

The Jevaudan Ironworks Factory is currently in such a situation that "the ability to manufacture more complex ordnance is insufficient, and the simple agricultural tools to be sold lack sales. Not only has it failed to generate due economic benefits, but it has also seriously violated the old blacksmith's intention to restart the mine. original intention” embarrassing situation.

The massive military purchases by the Tiefeng County Army successfully attracted businessmen from various towns in Warne County and even the Maple Stone City Direct Area to Artemis.

There is no doubt that Artemis is not only a good place to buy things right now, but also a perfect place to sell things.

So Winters proudly showed off his most proud work in his life - a new plow truck.

Although the soil in the newly cultivated land is fertile, it is sticky and thick, and it must be cultivated with a heavy-duty two-wheeled plow.

Heavy plow trucks require strong, tall horses to pull them. Although oxen can also pull plows, they are rarely used by farmers who work extensively on new land because they plow the land slowly and miss the farming season.

Since the War of the Great Wasteland, conscription, plague, and unrest have resulted in the loss of a large number of livestock in the newly settled provinces, and draft horses are naturally among them.

Even because they were mainly draft animals, far more draft horses were taken away from farmers in newly cultivated lands than cattle, sheep and donkeys were eaten.

Although the current impact of the lack of draft horses is only reflected in the sharp increase in the price of large livestock;

But anyone who knows how important draft animals are to agricultural production must be tossing and turning and sleepless nights because of the foreseeable famine and unrest.

In order to stop the impending disaster, Winters' new plow truck came into being.

"Using lighter wood, reinforced with metal components. Not only is it lighter, but it's also stronger."

"Look at this clay flap, as smooth and delicate as a monk's rosary beads - made of applewood. I assure you it turns over grassy clay as easily as a ship's rudder cuts through the waves."

"The plow is made of first-class steel, which can be used to make weapons. The inclination angle of the plow was determined by me after many experiments - experiment!"

"The position of the wheels can be changed through the positioning pins, and the farming depth can be easily adjusted. There is no need to knock them off and knock them back up again. If you want to cultivate rocky wasteland, you can simply remove the wheels and use them however you like."

Winters suppressed his overflowing pride and deliberately let it slip. After enjoying the awed gaze of the Wargne County gentry for a moment, Winters proudly stated the greatest advantage of the new plow truck:

"The key is - it doesn't require heavy draft horses or oxen. It only needs two Hurd horses to pull it. If it is a farmland with loose soil, a Hurd horse can also easily drag it."

I don’t know who took the lead, but the ignorant gentry and women of Warne County clapped their hands sparsely.

"Please allow me to selfishly name it - Montessori plow." Facing the villagers and elders in Wargne County, Winters felt inexplicably emotional. He said emotionally: "Everyone, maybe one day in the future, The name of this plow is more popular than my name. If that day comes... I will regard it as the highest honor."

Seemingly moved by Xuelang's sincerity, the applause became even more enthusiastic. Several young ladies also shed a few tears in time to match the atmosphere.

Winters wiped the corners of his eyes, took a deep breath, and revealed his ultimate promotional secret.

"If you buy it now," he added enthusiastically, "you will get a pack of nails for free. The quantity is limited, so don't miss it."

…

[Outside Artemis]

"Why don't they buy it?" Wen Tesla pulled Mason and asked unacceptably: "Why don't they want to buy it?"

Senior Mason is being driven crazy.

The senior suppressed his anger, clenched his fists, turned his horse and looked at the reserve officers, and announced loudly: "You won't learn anything just by standing here watching and listening to what I tell you - you should be allowed to go to school in advance. A field trip lesson!”

The reserve officers were refreshed.

In front of the two tribunes and reserve officers - northwest of the city of Artemis, construction of a star-shaped fortress with a length and width of more than 300 steps has begun.

Thousands of builders were toiling in the fields, including captives, hired city poor, and day laborers from nearby villages and towns—even across the river.

As the soil was excavated, moved, and compacted, the shape of the trench, the main body of the fortress, and the six ledges could already be vaguely discerned.

"Go and observe it up close! Examine it!" Mason looked at the reserve officers with a smile in his eyes: "Think about how you will attack it! Then think about how you will use it! Then come back and tell me!"

Seeing that the reserve officers were quite cowed, Mason clapped his hands vigorously and encouraged: "Don't worry! Go and observe carefully! Imagine boldly! Then come back bravely and tell me! Go! Let's go!"

The reserve officers raised their hands in salute and left in groups.

Mason watched the young reserve officers galloping towards the fortress that had just been built. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, slowly waved his arms, and sketched on the dark canvas what the fortress would look like when it was completed:

It will have a perfectly symmetrical geometric shape, like a six-petaled flower;

It will have an open and good shooting perimeter, and the surrounding land will be leveled and trimmed so that the extension of every slope intersects the shooting opening;

It will prepare a sufficient number of artillery - artillery on wheels, so that the garrison commander can concentrate or distribute firepower at any time;

It will overlook the Anya River, control the artery from Artemis to the hinterland of Warne County, and guard the provincial road connecting Iron Peak County and Maplestone City;

It will serve as a fortress, supply warehouse and material transfer station for the Tiefeng County Army;

It will be the tip of the spear, the shield, and the shelter;

Most importantly - it will be the first work written by Richard Mason on earth.

"So..." Senior Mason muttered silently, "So..."

"So why don't they buy my plow truck?" Winters grabbed Senior Mason's collar and asked himself angrily: "Why would they rather spend money on nails than buy my plow truck?"

[Additional explanation: Horses are more delicate and more difficult to raise. Why do most farmers in new land still use horses to plow their land? Why not use cows? ]

[The answer given in "History of Technology" is that horses cultivate faster, so cattle are mostly used in small farmland farming near the Mediterranean; and after large forests and swamps in Central Europe were reclaimed, horses gradually became the main draft animals for farming (of course, Central European farmers also used them strong)]

[The author initially did not understand why [cultivation speed], a seemingly unimportant factor, could make farmers give up cattle that save more feed and are more hard-working. Although this setting was adopted in the new land, doubts always remain in my mind]

[Until the author watched "Clarkson's Farm", the farmer in the film originally had enough time to plow all the land. Unfortunately, when he just started working, it rained. And it lasted for a long time. In the end, there was only a few days left for him to plow the ground]

[And agricultural consultants told Jeremy Clarkson that every handful of seed planted a day late will ultimately reduce yields. In the end, Clarkson had no choice but to sow seeds directly without plowing the ground in advance]

[For agricultural models with small fields and intensive cultivation, the difference in cultivation speed cannot be reflected intuitively; but for agriculture with large fields and extensive planting, the difference in cultivation speed may be the difference between a good harvest and a poor harvest]

[Because [not missing the farming season] is really important, and [farming season] is also easy to miss]

[In addition, the newly cultivated land is vast and sparsely populated, so everyone has travel needs. Therefore, it is reasonable for farmers who are newly reclaiming land to mainly choose to use horses instead of oxen]