King

After arranging the relevant work, Hudson's first reaction was to rush to buy food, but then gave up the idea.

The urgent message from the Governor's Mansion was sent out at the same time, so given the location of the Mountain Territory, it was almost the last to receive it.

I went to rush to buy food at this time. I don’t know if there is still food for sale. Anyway, the price has already reached the sky.

Once the locust plague spreads to the southeastern provinces, the food ordering contracts originally signed with various companies will definitely be invalidated.

Fortunately, Hudson has the habit of storing grain. With the inventory in the territory and the recovered grain, there should be no big problem until the spring of next year.

But the prerequisite is that the locust plague ends as soon as possible and cannot harm the autumn harvest or affect the next season's food planting.

If even autumn plowing is disrupted by locusts, we will be in big trouble.

As a major grain-producing province, the impact of a locust plague on the southeastern province itself is not serious. Even if food production is significantly reduced, the nobles can still tide over the crisis with their own reserves.

The real crisis is faced by the northern Xinjiang provinces that rely heavily on food supplies from other provinces in the kingdom.

The scope of the locust plague this time is not small. The southeastern province is only an early warning, and large-scale disasters have already occurred in nearby provinces. These provinces in the south happen to be the main food producing areas of the Alpha Kingdom.

It is just a reduction or no harvest in autumn grain. For the sake of the overall situation, everyone gritted their teeth and will not reduce the grain supply to northern Xinjiang.

But once autumn plowing is affected and next year's spring grain is directly destroyed by locusts, there is nothing we can do.

When things got to that point, noble lords everywhere also had to face food shortages. At that time, they will have too much time to take care of themselves, let alone spend a lot of food to support Northern Xinjiang.

Rubbing his forehead, Hudson suddenly realized that he was thinking too much. These issues are considered by big people, why should small people like him worry about them.

The Alpha Kingdom has existed for so many years, and this is not the first time it has encountered a famine. It has been able to survive it in the past, so there is no reason why it would suddenly fail this time.

In the farming era, everyone had the habit of storing grain to prepare for shortages. If it was only for personal use, the grain reserves of the small nobles could survive two years of famine.

Taking some special measures can make it last longer. But any noble with some inheritance has no lack of experience in this aspect.

The food reserves of the great nobles will only become more abundant. The five major families in the northern Xinjiang region are dominant, which was originally a disadvantage for defense, but now it has become a good thing.

Hudson didn't believe that the five major families were not prepared at all. If there really are only a few months of food reserves on the surface, why would the Orc Empire go and rob them?

Zooming in on the entire continent, even if the Alpha Kingdom encounters a famine, it does not mean that all the human nations are suffering from a famine.

As the goalkeepers of various human nations, we can’t just sit back and ignore them when we reach out for help in times of crisis, right?

At the very least, the nearby neighbors would not dare to watch the Alpha Kingdom collapse.

After careful analysis, Hudson found that the situation in the kingdom was still okay, but the real crisis was in the Mountain Territory, or Wright and Wyton counties.

As a newly developed territory, apart from harvesting one spring crop, the rest is still in the fields. The locust plague is about to strike, and even if we can grab some of the harvest, a reduction in production is inevitable.

The wheat seedlings are all green, and now they are being harvested. They are not so much grain as they are silage fodder. This year’s summer grain production will definitely be significantly reduced.

If you don’t have enough reserves, you will definitely not be able to sustain this little harvest from the bare land for long.

The local nobles can still rely on their own families for support, while the northern nobles can only sadly spend money to buy "sky-high price grain".

It's okay to have money in your pocket, but if you don't have money and food, what will happen next, Hudson doesn't dare to think about.

In short, the land between the two counties will become unstable, and it will even affect the adjacent areas.

"Bandits" and "bandits", these criminal gangs that have just been exterminated, will reappear in the shortest possible time.

It seems that the arms business is about to usher in a new wave of market conditions, but this is not what Hudson wants. He needs food more than orders now.

Relatively speaking, the impact on mountainous areas has been relatively small. At the very least, the mung beans, peas, and sesame seeds grown... will most likely escape the disaster.

Unfortunately, these things are not cultivated in large quantities, only a few thousand acres. The main crops are rye, potatoes, and soybeans, all of which are within the locust diet.

…

The same locust plague, the same troubles. After receiving the news, all the noble lords rushed into fighting the locust plague as quickly as possible.

If you can, harvest it quickly. Even if you harvest it at this time and can only use it as fodder to feed livestock, that is better than losing all your money.

Even the Sith Baron, who was about to settle a score with Hudson, gave up his hatred at this moment. After issuing an order prohibiting the transportation of food out of the city, he led the team straight to Beida City to buy food.

There was no way, other lords were working hard to farm, but he was working hard to repair Dadir City, and the area of ​​land cultivated was not much.

The effect was also very significant. Dadir City, which had regained some of its vitality, soon became the commercial center of the two counties.

The income earned is no less than farming. You can also make money by buying food directly, and you don’t need to worry about land problems.

However, Dadil City, which relies heavily on outsourcing, has to face the problem of "food shortage" caused by the locust plague.

I originally thought that after the autumn grain harvest, I would purchase a large amount of cheap grain at one time as a year's grain reserve. I didn't expect that I didn't take advantage of it, but instead received this bad news.

Looking at the prices given by various grain stores, Baron Sith almost vomited blood.

Before receiving the news of the "locust plague", the price of rye in the city was only 3.5 copper coins per pound. There were discounts for large-scale purchases, but it was only slightly more expensive than buying it directly from the noble lords.

Now that the sky is rising, the sky-high price of rye is ten copper coins per pound, and there is no bargaining. The Sith Baron really has no way to start.

I’ve seen prices rise, but I’ve never seen such a crazy rise. The locust plague is coming. It's just a news, but they haven't actually come yet?

What if all the insect kings are killed and the locust plague is controlled?

Unfortunately, the entire market has gone crazy amid the panic.

The food grabbing operation has long spread in the city. Just looking at the free people lined up in a row, you can tell how anxious everyone is feeling at the moment.

In the face of famine, free people who were not doing well in the first place were not as able to withstand risks as serfs.

At least in the face of crisis, serfs and noble lords are running in front. Unless absolutely necessary, we will not let the serfs under our control starve to death.

The most vulnerable group of people, once they fall into bankruptcy, will face a fate worse than that of serfs. They were either starved to death or sold into slavery.

Panic buying is often linked to price increases, especially after a group of grain merchants learned that the lords of Wright and Wyton counties wanted to purchase grain on a large scale, it stimulated the grain merchants' enthusiasm for price increases.

The grain merchants in the city have collectively raised prices. If they don't want to bear the sky-high price, they can only go directly to the homes of noble lords to buy it.

Before that, maybe you can give it a try. Among all the noble lords who have received news of the locust plague, who would not hold back their food and be reluctant to sell it?

Even if there is excess food for sale, people must give priority to protecting "their own people". Unless they can offer a sky-high price that is irresistible, it will be difficult for outsiders like them to purchase enough food.

Including these grain merchants, if they were not worried about holding a large amount of grain in a disaster year, attracting the prying eyes of nobles, and their lives were not guaranteed, they would not take action so quickly.

“Master, purchase as quickly as possible!

Don't worry about the price. While we can still buy food, we can buy as much as we can. After a while, it will be difficult to buy food even if you have money.

Once the grain in the hands of these grain merchants is sold out, it will be difficult for a second batch to appear in the next few months.

The locust plague is coming fiercely. If an extreme situation occurs, the Governor's Office may not be able to take care of us. "

Fearon hurriedly persuaded.

As a housekeeper, he was also worried. Dadir City finally got on the right track, and then encountered this kind of thing. I really don’t know what to say about this luck.

"shopping!"

The Sith Baron said while holding back the pain.

If you don’t have enough money, you won’t care. If you don’t have food, you will really starve to death. As a qualified lord, if a large number of people under his command starved to death, he would be drowned by spitting stars.

…

Luoye Town also received news of the locust plague outbreak. Baron Caillaux was much calmer, as if nothing had happened.

He picked up a bowl of boiling tea, breathed out gently, and said calmly: "It seems that the Lord of the Morning is looking after me.

The locust plague actually arrived on our doorstep, so there was no need to continue with the original plan. "

Who wants to be a villain if he can be a gentleman?

Being able to legitimately control Wyton County, Baron Cayo did not want to engage in intrigues or conspiracies to attract public attention.

Once famine breaks out, whoever has food in hand will be the boss in the county. Even if other careerists compete with each other, they must be able to satisfy everyone.

Looking at the entire Wyton County, except for Baron Cayo who relied on the Dalton family to solve the problem of food shortage, which other lord dared to be so heroic?

At that time, as long as we use a little more tactics, everyone will have no choice but to give in. Who is allowed to eat other people's food and become short-tempered?

No matter how unconvinced I was, I was too embarrassed to come out and compete with Baron Caillaux because I owed such a huge favor. Otherwise, the outside world can teach you how to be a good person.

"Master, just a piece of news is not enough. It is best if the Locust team really attacks Wyton County to put enough pressure on all parties.

You can also piggyback on Wright County if you'd like. In the face of this kind of natural disaster, both the son of the Grand Duke and the chosen one had to bow their heads. "

The old housekeeper on the side suggested.

If a person is not ruthless, he cannot stand firm.

Nobles everywhere are organizing manpower to intercept the locusts. However, in the face of the overwhelming army of locusts, how many can be left?

All everyone can do is just kill the leading insect king. As for the small shrimps below, there is really nothing I can do.

Without the Insect King leading the insect swarm, they are just headless flies scurrying around, no matter where they go.

The threat is relatively small, but that's just a few. Ranging to any place will be a devastating blow to the local ecology.

In big cities, magicians can be organized and magic circles can be arranged for protection, but in the vast countryside, there is really no other way.

If locusts were deliberately introduced into the two counties, it is conceivable that the noble lords of Wright and Wyton counties would be severely hit economically.

"Let's wait and see. After all, locusts are uncontrollable. It's best to intercept them outside the southeastern province.

If the interception fails, then there will be a flow of locusts to the two southern counties, and I think everyone can accept it.

Don't take action yet, wait until you discuss it with your uncle before making a decision. As a magician, I will answer the kingdom's call and participate in the fight against the locust plague.

The next affairs in the territory will be left to you, Uncle Fu. Everything should be stable, and other minor issues can be put aside for now. "

Baron Cayo said slightly hesitantly.

It can be seen that he is very conflicted in his heart. From the standpoint of the Dalton family, intercepting the locusts outside the Southeast Province is undoubtedly the best option.

Otherwise, if the locust plague breaks out, the Dalton family, which has the largest land area, will bear the heaviest losses.

Under the aristocratic system, the land belongs to the nobles, and they cannot take advantage of the opportunity to annex the land.

Not to mention that the losses were all their own, as the boss of the Southeast Province, the Dalton family also had the obligation to save the younger brothers below.

I don’t care about the specific stage of rescue, but just sitting idly by and ignoring it will definitely not work.

Heavy bleeding is inevitable. Starving to death a few serfs is not a big problem, but starving to death a nobleman would be big news that would shock the whole country.

But from his own point of view, Baron Cayo really hopes that this locust plague will become a big problem. Only when trouble breaks out can he appear as a savior.

By taking his relief grain, not only did the feud over the lord come to an end, but he was also able to take the opportunity to create a tall image for himself, a typical example of both fame and fortune.

…

Beda City was the first time he entered the administrative center of the Southeast Province, but Hudson had no intention of paying attention to this big city.

As a "magician", Hudson was also recruited by the Governor's Mansion. To be precise, it was his bear that the Governor-General wanted to recruit.

This can be seen from the treatment. Although he was obviously just a young mage, Hudson directly enjoyed the treatment at the level of a magister.

The extremely high salary made Hudson very desperate. This treatment is the outside world's assessment of Bear Stearns' strength, but the actual strength of Bear Stearns is purely a confused account.

It's all due to the laziness of the Earth Bear clan, who directly divide their strength based on body size and completely ignore exceptions.

Without reference objects and reasonable evaluation standards, it would be a mess to determine the strength of the cub.

I originally thought that I would create a vague image and let the outside world guess for themselves. Unexpectedly, Bear Stearns had to go to the front desk.

Sighing secretly, Hudson began to enjoy it with peace of mind. The high salary offered was provided by the Governor's Mansion, not requested by him.

If Bear Stearns is not as powerful as the Magister, it will only prove that the people in the Governor's Mansion are not doing things well, and it has nothing to do with Mr. Hudson.

Rights and obligations are equal. If you accept this wave of recruitment, your military service tasks for the next three years will be considered completed.

Everything is theoretical. If there is an emergency, regardless of whether there is a military service mission, those who should be drafted will still be drafted.

For example, this locust plague is a mandatory recruitment mission. Every magician in the entire southeastern province has been recruited by the Governor's Mansion.

Some knights with Warcraft mounts were also included in the recruitment scope. On the contrary, ordinary knights were excluded from the recruitment range because their lethality against locusts was too small.

More than 150 magicians + more than 20 knights, all gathered together. If the scene was not preparation for war, no one would believe it.

They were all unfamiliar faces. Occasionally, I encountered a few familiar faces. That was because Hudson knew the others, but they did not know him.

Without interest, Hudson looked for acquaintances among the crowd and directly chose to sit down in a corner, enjoying the food alone, as if he was out of tune with the banquet.

There is no way, it's not that he doesn't want to blend in. It is true that the group of mages is too exclusive, and it is difficult for a guy like him who doesn't have half a bucket of water to join the conversation.

The Cavaliers are relatively easy to deal with, but that's only relative. Among all the knights present, Hudson was the only weakling.

The worst for others is to start as a big knight and cannot be any weaker. Knights who lack strength become "poo" in the process of obtaining Warcraft mounts.

If these guys are not cultivating lunatics, they are almost cultivating lunatics. Most of the discussions were about cultivation-related topics, but Hudson still couldn't join in.

None of the aristocratic ladies and ladies that I had imagined appeared at this banquet. Occasionally there are a few magician ladies, but those are not something that Hudson can get close to.

Being a little transparent also has the advantage of being a little transparent, that is, you don’t have to go out to socialize. As long as your skin is thick enough, you can eat and drink as much as you want.

The so-called aristocratic etiquette is very regrettable. This is not the home of pretenders. All the strong men present were from the bold and unrestrained faction, and they all did whatever they liked.

For example, the burly knight opposite Hudson was discussing with his companions how to kill the insect king while gnawing on a leg of lamb.

Although the image of the people around him is slightly better, it is not much better overall. When I pick up the cup, I often feel stuffy.

Rules, everyone's habits are rules. As strong men, they no longer need to take into account worldly opinions.

Relatively speaking, those guys who are polite and have a good image are at the bottom of the food chain at the banquet.

Not only did he not despise the way he eats, but he kept complimenting him from the sidelines. His status is obvious to anyone who meets him.

No wonder ladies are not allowed to participate in this kind of banquet. The scene in front of them is really far from the aristocratic life in their eyes.

But it is this group of imageless guys who stand at the top of the food chain in the Southeast Province. Perhaps many of them are not well-known and rarely appear in the outside world, but they are definitely the core of a family.

No one cared about image, and Hudson followed suit. Although he is a strong man, there is still no scene where he is pretending to be a slap in the face.

Being able to participate in this banquet is itself a symbol of status and strength. The younger generation has long been told countless times by their parents to be content, content, and content.

He is too arrogant, and if he offends someone with a strong quirk, he will die without knowing why.

Eating in a low-key manner and eavesdropping on people's conversations, everything was fine. With Bear Stearns' laziness, Hudson became the center of the banquet.

Realizing that the cub was in trouble, he glanced at Hudson sheepishly and started shopping for goods.

He picked up the plate and poured it into his mouth. He was so angry that he wanted to kick this guy out. It was so embarrassing that he, the owner, didn't let the bear have enough to eat.

Although the normal food is not up to this level, it is still a big meal and the bear is not hungry at all!

As if it was the beginning, the scene of the banquet suddenly took a turn for the worse. All kinds of monsters jumped out and joined the banquet.

Seeing this scene, Hudson, who was originally prepared to die in society, immediately calmed down.

It's not enough that his own bear is embarrassed alone. Since everyone's monsters have jumped out, it's equivalent to how the banquet should proceed.

Looking at the embarrassed expressions of all the guests, Hudson secretly breathed a sigh of relief. It turns out that he is far from the only one who can't control his own monsters.

Perhaps in order to keep the Warcraft calm at the banquet, these guys had promised a lot of conditions in advance. But the temptation of delicious food was too great, and the bear made another bad start.

It is unrealistic to stop it. Everyone has signed an equal contract with Warcraft, and both parties must give each other enough respect.

Maybe in order to get Warcraft to agree to be a Demon Pet, many people secretly promised additional conditions.

After all, the IQs of Warcraft are not low, and without enough benefits, it is difficult to get them to agree to sign a contract.

"Bear of the Earth!"