Knight Lord: Start with Daily Intelligence

After the summer solstice, the territory shifted its entire focus to the construction of Bjorn Cove.

The slaves sent by the Wester High Merchant Guild greatly assisted the territory's farming endeavors.

When the land reclamation here began, the population reached 1,000 people!

With such a large population, the territory reclaimed more than 7,000 acres of fertile land in just three days.

On average, each person could reclaim two acres of land per day!

This efficiency was undoubtedly astonishing, thanks to the widespread use of various agricultural tools in the territory.

In this cove area, the territory mobilized more than a hundred oxen and draft horses, using more than fifty heavy plows.

The feudal lord system was not without its merits; compared to the self-sufficient small-scale peasant economy, large farm owners were more willing to invest.

Especially since the large tracts of farmland here all belonged to Su Li, without a fixed land system, he could organize large-scale mechanized production.

It really was mechanized, no exaggeration.

The halflings sent three heavy plowing machines. These large machines, pulled by combat rams, were several times more efficient at plowing than the Nord heavy plows.

On the vast and fertile Bjorn Plains, they only needed to gallop forward. Even if they plowed an acre of land at a time, they didn't need to turn around.

These heavy plowing machines cleared all the dense roots and weeds on the plains in one go.

The bushes that could stop humans and oxen from advancing were like nothing in front of the heavy combat rams. Thorns, vines, and shrubs were all cut into pieces by the plow blades.

Then the serfs behind only needed to follow and clear the vegetation. They carried farm tools, and after clearing the vegetation, they quickly turned the soil, throwing out the underground stones and hard soil, and breaking up the clods to make the soil looser and easier to cultivate.

After that came the most pleasing part: after turning the soil, the serfs began to level the land, making thousands of acres of farmland flat and orderly.

On the third day, when Su Li stood on the high levee of Bjorn Cove and looked down, the ten thousand acres of fertile land had already taken preliminary shape.

On the blackened green plain, nearly ten thousand acres of loess-colored cultivated land platforms were vast, the ridges were neat and orderly, and between the woodland belts, fields crisscrossed and ditches were arranged. All of this constituted an idyllic picture full of vitality.

Each vast piece of farmland looked fertile and full of life, and the newly turned soil exuded a moist earthy smell as the serfs toiled diligently on it.

Su Li seemed to have already seen that in the near future, this land would be covered with verdant crops, the golden wheat waves rolling in the wind, and the heavy ears of wheat drooping, full of the joy of harvest.

As Su Li looked at this pleasing scenery, Agriculture Minister Fandal came to his side.

Su Li looked at him and immediately asked with concern: "My minister, tell me about the achievements of these days. When will we be able to achieve the feat of ten thousand acres of farmland?"

Fandal looked at the magnificent scenery below, with patches of farmland being reclaimed and formed, and fertile cultivated land stretching to the distance of the plain, smiling and said: "Lord, in fact, the scale of our newly reclaimed fertile land may have already exceeded ten thousand acres."

"Oh?" Su Li raised an eyebrow. This was good news.

The more land that was reclaimed, the more considerable the scale of cultivated land during the summer planting.

If there could be 20,000 acres of cultivated land, with a yield of 300 catties per acre, that would be 6 million catties of grain.

Enough for 3,000 people to eat for a year, and there might even be some reserves.

Even considering that some of it would be planted with cash crops such as flax, beets, olives, and soybeans, it would be enough for the territory to sustain itself for half a year, and also produce some beer to trade with the dwarves.

Fandal explained: "The development of our territory is not limited to this Bjorn Cove. In fact, our territory now has two affiliated territories, four villages, and seven farms!"

The two affiliated territories need no further explanation: the halfling's Baran Autonomous Territory and the Frederick family's Golden Lion Territory.

They all had their own people and serfs, and William also bought more than a dozen slaves from Su Li to graze and cultivate for their family.

On the fertile and vast Blood Highlands, their family could obtain good income even by relying on grazing.

The halfling's Baran Autonomous Territory actually had a considerable population. Including the Baran Thornborn family, they had a total of five families, with a population of nearly five hundred people.

Although most of them were engaged in professions such as commerce, servants, and traders outside, there were also two or three hundred people remaining in the territory.

The scale of farmland they reclaimed was also considerable.

They did not need to directly pay taxes to Su Li, but the mayor of their territory needed to pay feudal taxes to Su Li according to the proportion of last year's income.

This was an obligation that every territory and every free village in the Black Forest Territory needed to bear.

The territory's current free villages included Jiejiatzhuang, Iron Oak Village, Grey Stone Village, and Silver Spring Valley.

In addition to the slaves who had been released from slavery, there were also villages composed of migrated followers of the Radiant Sun Goddess, refugees from the Suland Province, and some refugees.

These villages had as few as thirty or forty people, and as many as thirty or forty households, with hundreds of people.

According to the original agreement, Su Li provided them with land free of charge for three years, and no rent was collected during these three years, but a high nineteen tax was still levied.

So these people were also desperately reclaiming farmland, striving to meet the tax quota.

The nobles of this world were not so easy to talk to.

Within the empire, if any farmer could not pay enough taxes, the cruel and ruthless tax collectors would seize all his wealth, including the identity of a free man.

Many slaves, vagrants, and peasant rioters lost their original class, identity, and wealth because they could not pay enough taxes.

Once they became slaves or vagrants, the probability of returning to normal society was very low.

The Border Prince Territory was the last piece of land where these people tried to gamble for a glimmer of hope.

These people worked hard to cultivate, and the scale was at least equivalent to one-third of the area near Bjorn Cove!

They were not actually small in number, but as free people and farming families, their cultivation scale and technical level were far inferior to Bjorn Cove, which Su Li fully supported.

Their greatest advantage was greater enthusiasm and intensive cultivation.

Su Li then asked with concern: "How is the enthusiasm of the serfs?"

Speaking of this, Fandal was a little solemn and dignified, and said: "The enthusiasm of the new serfs is undoubtedly very high. With the existence of the 'Encouragement of Agriculture Law,' they dare not slack off in the slightest."

"But the enthusiasm of the previous batches of serfs was not so high. They had a season's harvest, and it was basically impossible to be in the bottom position, so some of them had already begun to be lazy and slippery."

Su Li nodded, which was within his expectation.

No law can solve the problem once and for all.

Moreover, the 'Encouragement of Agriculture Law' was said to be cruel, but only the bottom three were beheaded.

When there were only a hundred or even a few hundred serfs, the deterrent was still relatively high.

But when the number of serfs reached thousands, the deterrent was greatly reduced.

What is the concept of a three-thousandth probability?

Under the current medical conditions, the mortality rate of childbirth is higher than this.

The mortality rate of any disease is higher than the punishment rate of the Encouragement of Agriculture Law.

So Su Li thought for a while and said: "Let the court expand the scope of coverage of the 'Encouragement of Agriculture Law', increase the number of people rewarded to twenty, and increase the number of people punished to ten."

Rewarding filial piety and encouraging agriculture is the most effective method of farming and warfare.

However, in this fantasy world, rewarding agriculture can only be regarded as the most conventional method. If you want to improve productivity, you still have to rely on some strange abilities.

Su Li asked with interest: "My minister, does your Church of the Morning Light have any means to improve farming?"

Fandal shook his head and said: "The main ability of our church is to increase the output of farmland and grains after the farmland has been reclaimed."

"For example, the ability of our new sisters [Rhea's Abundance] can sing the glory of midsummer and the goddess in summer, bringing abundance and clearing all filth. The food in storage and uncooked raw materials will slowly expand and divide into two, doubling the quantity of everything they touch. Mildew, pests, insects, and other sources of spoilage will disappear, and long-stored food will be fresh again. Each round can touch a bucket, a box, or a basket of food."

"But in terms of reclaiming wasteland, we don't have any special divine arts. It requires believers to do it themselves, and only after a certain amount of effort will Rhea's divine grace descend."

"However, I think you might be able to discuss this matter with the dwarves."

"Dwarves?" Su Li raised an eyebrow.

"That's right." Fandal nodded and said: "Their engineers can help the halflings make more engineering equipment, such as harvesters and plowing machines. If there is enough equipment, the farmland that can be reclaimed on our vast farmland will definitely be very considerable."

Speaking of dwarves, Su Li remembered that Dogrin and the others should be back too.

Dogrin promised to return within one cycle. It had been three days since they left until the summer solstice, and three days had passed since the summer solstice.

Calculating the schedule, they should not be far from the territory.

Dwarven engineers are best at building water conservancy facilities and some powerful machines, such as catapults, crossbow beds, cannons, and even helicopters.

Of course, their helicopter is not the human helicopter, but a steel product like a land ship and an accordion cannon, rough and heavy, more like a flying iron lump.

They have unparalleled talent in engineering creations. If they can help the halflings build a batch of plowing machines, it will naturally greatly improve farming efficiency.

These chariot-like machines pulled by combat rams are indeed far more efficient than ordinary human serfs.

This is a special unit of the halflings, a bit like a Goblin Wolf Rider Chariot, with unparalleled value.

Su Li was thinking about this when, in the evening, Laun came to Bjorn Cove and said: "Lord, the Redbeard Clan has arrived. And they have come with a huge army!"