Mountain and Forest Kingdom

In November of the seventh year of the New Calendar, the upper reaches of the Agama Mountains began to cool down significantly.

The ice and snow accumulated on the mountains all year round no longer melt, causing the streams downstream to dry up.

The waterwheels in Ironforge and the Manor began to cease operation, and were replaced by new windmills.

Ironforge will now make more gears and pulleys in addition to farm tools, which can be used in ships and everyday buildings.

Lawrence often travels between Ironforge and the shipyard, or goes to Pumexiu Town to resolve matters. He rarely goes to Flying Fish Port in the west and Nanzhen and Sidel Territory in the south.

After all, time is limited, and we usually have to enjoy life, so how can we have so much time to run around.

If the territory is larger, then there will only be more things.

Ironforge is an area where blacksmiths and craftsmen gather, and it has developed its own cultural atmosphere over the years.

The leader here was not appointed by Lawrence, but the man with the best skills, who was also older and stronger, and was responsible for the repair and maintenance of Lawrence's weapons.

The Great Forge is currently managed by Querrey, a short but strong southern blacksmith.

Lawrence is also satisfied with Querrey, who can accept other people's opinions and consider whether various opinions are reasonable.

Being the person in charge of Ironforge does not require many other skills, as long as you can lead and coordinate the craftsmen.

It was steaming inside Ironforge. Lawrence and Lathander stood thirty meters away from the big iron furnace wearing black masks, looking at the newly baked pot of molten iron.

Normal molten iron would be poured into molds to make agricultural tools and weapons. Today's molten iron is mainly used to make more delicate objects.

Blacksmiths use a long heat-resistant pole to push a thick iron hook into the container of molten iron. By pulling the height of the iron hook, the pot of molten iron begins to tilt.

When the molten iron flows down the special mold, the first thing to come down is the flowing molten iron liquid.

The workers quickly used tie rods to fix the head end of the molten iron.

The pull rod is a long tool similar to pliers. Both sides of the jaws are specially machined with tooth marks to grip high-temperature metals more stably.

One end fixes the high-temperature metal, and the other end is fixed on the wire drawing device with a hook lock structure.

The wire drawing machine is a fixed rope and a disc-type wire drawing machine that is quickly rotated by workers in the distance.

The molten iron that began to cool down was stretched outward by the pull rod, and silk threads of different thicknesses were quickly pulled out.

This is not the first time that workers here have produced this kind of iron wire. Although it is currently impossible to make the thickness of the iron wire consistent, they already know how fast and hard to pull the wire to prevent the wire from breaking.

In order to pull out all the red-hot iron wire before the molten iron solidifies, workers must risk high temperatures and risks to seize these tight minutes. And as more and more molten iron is poured out of the container, this process will Lasts more than half an hour.

Lathander will slightly heat the molten iron to a certain extent, extending the active time of the molten iron.

Lawrence quickly left here and went to the next door room to check the harvest.

In the workshop next door, a group of people are forging and cutting the wire harvested ten minutes ago.

The long iron wire was divided into a large number of finger-long iron bars. The thick ones were thrown into one box, and the thin ones were thrown into another box.

Thick ones can be made into iron nails. Whether it is a shipyard or a construction team, a large number of iron nails are needed. Even in foreign countries, iron nails are a best-seller and can sometimes be used as weapons.

The thin ones are more useful and can be processed into iron needles.

Both fish bone needles and animal bone needles have a big problem, that is, they are too large and not suitable for delicate needlework, and they are also easily damaged.

Using bone needles, you can only sew simple animal skin clothes. Usually, such clothes are easily damaged because the openings are too large.

Iron needles are a luxury product and a necessity for many families. Every household is willing to exchange grain and eggs for iron needles.

The craftsmen's technology in this era was backward, which made the production of iron wire sheets very difficult, even more troublesome than making iron cannons.

Traditional wire production is carried out by forging. First, the iron ore needs to be smelted into an iron block, then the iron block is heated to an appropriate temperature, and then a hammer is used to forge it into a flat iron sheet.

The high-temperature iron sheets are then drawn into thin iron wires. This process requires a lot of manpower and material resources, so iron wires are relatively precious and are mostly used to make fine crafts and weapons and equipment.

After watching for a while, Lawrence went out to chat with the craftsmen who had finished.

"Winter has arrived this year. Making clothes and bedding requires a lot of iron needles. We will make another batch tomorrow."

Lawrence added an additional task to Querrey. This was already the twentieth pot of wire made this year.

Querrey looked troubled and said, "The water wheel cannot be used recently. Although we people here are strong, turning things will definitely not be as good as the water wheel."

Lawrence understood that these blacksmiths were better at making delicate and detailed work, and were not good at the quick and quick reaction things that machines could do.

"You can try the wind or steam engine, and make another furnace tomorrow. It won't be needed for the time being. Next, I will take you to make iron sheets."

Lawrence is not in a hurry to improve his technology too much. Now he can produce iron nails and needles in batches, which is already very good.

Querrey knew about the iron sheet. There was a huge stone outside Ironforge. Lawrence thought that the square stone could be used to stamp the molten iron just out of the furnace to make thinner iron sheet.

Querrey asked: "Prophet, are we making iron sheets to fight?"

Lawrence smiled and said: "Not entirely. In addition to the iron sheets used on ships, they are also used to make iron pots, iron knives, iron cans, can lids and other things. In short, they have many uses."

Querrey wasn't that anxious when he saw things. "We may not have enough people here. If there is a war, we can capture more slaves."

Querrey provided valuable input.

The Kingdom of Stars has a very high level of support for war. Basically, most people support external expansion, killing external enemies, and capturing the people there and returning them as slaves.

The men were captured to work in the fields, and the women were given to the prophet.

It is a war to build a country. In addition, war can occupy more territory and capture more people. It is the safest investment method for the people of the Kingdom of Stars.

Dead people are not important at all, even if it means killing their own family members, everyone is still willing to fight!

When a man kills his wife and children during a war, a woman kills her husband and children, and a child kills his parents, this is not a big deal in the Kingdom of the Stars. It is an act recognized by the parties concerned.

From the managers to the servants of merchants and all kinds of slave laborers, they all supported the external attack.

Everyone believes that war can bring huge benefits and solve various problems.

Only Lawrence himself wants to live a luxurious, leisurely and comfortable retirement life.

"Take your time and next year will be much better."

Lawrence smiled confidently, "Now the children in the town have grown up one after another. They can help their families work, take care of their younger brothers and sisters, and go to school to learn languages ​​and writing."

"In a year or two, our place will be even more lively."

Querrey didn't get a solution to the problem, "But we are short of people here now."

The current 50,000 people are simply not enough. Lawrence also understands this difficulty, "It's almost winter, and more people will come outside next year."

"This year, Ironforge also needs to be expanded. This winter, in addition to thinking about technology, you can lead people to see where the machinery and equipment need to be improved, and how to produce faster and more stable production."

"Keep going for another half month, then stop and rest for a while, then focus on studying."

Querrey knew he could only wait until next year, "Yes, the prophet of wisdom."

Lawrence quickly reunited with Lathander, made arrangements for the expansion of Ironforge, and went to the manor to feed the dogs to increase the intimacy and majesty impression before returning to Oak City.

On the way, Lathander, who was riding a reindeer, expressed his opinion.

"I'm more anxious about iron needles and nails, but not so anxious about iron pots. There are bakeries outside and not many people cook at home."

Lawrence said: "That's right. Nowadays, many places still use traditional baking methods for cooking, and they make a lot of bread at one time, which can be eaten for two or three days."

There are dried fish and pickled vegetables in Feiyu Port, and there are also many fresh vegetables that can be washed and eaten. With bread and water, the problem of eating can be solved.

Because wheat and rye are the main ingredients, most breads won’t go bad even if kept for a day or two, so you won’t have a problem filling your stomach.

Lathander thought about the valley, "Have you been to the valley recently?"

"I have been there." Lawrence replied: "I harvested some saltpeter again. I kept part of it as a spare, and the remaining part was given to the people at the Military Academy and the Saint's Academy for research."

Lathander looked at the mountain road in the distance, "It seems there are not many wizards outside. During this period, only the beekeeping witch came."

"If not, then I won't." Lawrence didn't force the matter, and even smiled.

Lathander noticed Lawrence's cheerful tone, "You look happy?"

"Really?" Lawrence said with a smile: "I'm going to be a father this winter. In addition, the beekeeping witch can increase the production of honey, and the beets in the manor also produce very good quality white sugar."

"This year's food production has increased a lot compared to last year, and there are a lot more people. More and more tools can be made in Ironforge, including weapons, armor, and daily kitchen tools and agricultural tools."

"You see there are so many things to be happy about, why do we always care about troublesome things that have little to do with us?"

"Anyway, I don't want to leave here, and I don't want to go outside and deal with the trouble caused by others."

Lawrence expressed his opinion that he just wanted to live a stable life and enjoy the present while gently advancing the progress of civilization.

I won’t be that busy, and I won’t just do things like electricity directly. That would be too fast and too tiring.

Lathander thought thoughtfully and said, "You look a little different from before."

Lawrence didn't like that. "I've always been like that."

"In the past, there were constant crises, but now the crises have been lifted. This kind of peaceful life is what we have always wanted."

Lathander agreed: "You're right, it's very good now."

The two returned to Oak City, where people were busy with various life matters.

From the outside, it looks like there are only some people transporting supplies into the ring building. In fact, there are schools, canteens, hospitals, factories, workshops, residential areas, shops, libraries and other facilities inside.

Lawrence walked into the atrium through the somewhat dim tunnel.

The ring building will be used as the outer wall of the castle in the future. Now the residents in the ring building have begun to be resettled, so that some people can live together and have central heating.

Sophia and Salil are busy in the nearby open space. There are only some lawns near the big oak tree. The rest of the place has roads and gardens, as well as places where people usually work and dry food.

Salil and several maids are carrying coal blocks. These honeycomb-like coal blocks will replace firewood and charcoal at home.

"Master!" Sophia quickly spotted Lawrence and ran over to say hello.

Lawrence looked at Sophia's clean little hands, got closer and said, "You have become more and more lazy recently, and you don't do anything."

Sofia was not as obedient as she was when she was a child. She smiled coquettishly and said, "Master, I have been practicing dancing and learning musical instruments recently. Today I made a new hair style. Do you think it looks beautiful?"

In addition to double ponytails, single ponytails, and loose hair, Sofia will also choose beautiful hairstyles to change.

Today is the exquisite hairstyle of a female aristocrat. She spent time tying her hair into small braids and braided the ends of her hair on both sides into knots and combed them behind her head.

Lawrence said: "Well, it's not bad, but I still like the twin ponytails."

Sofia nodded, "Then I'll change it back tonight."

Saryl came out of the house and saw Lawrence back.

"Lawrence, can these briquettes last all winter? It looks like too little."

Lawrence walked to the cart and looked at the cinders on the cart. "There are still a lot of coal in Dumu Port, and the Kingdom of Glen will keep sending coal over."

"In the future, when burning wood in the fireplace, just use these coals for cooking. This way there will be much less smoke."

Salil said happily: "Well! The kitchen looks like it should be renovated. The stoves there are all wood-burning. We will definitely need a new stove to burn this kind of coal in the future!"

Lawrence looked at Salil, whose face and clothes were dirty in her hands, and smiled: "Go and wash your hands. I brought back some needles and nails, and asked the tailor to make a few more clothes this year."

"Okay!" Salil quickly clapped her hands and ran in to wash her hands and change clothes.

Lawrence, who was well fed and well-fed, quickly started chatting about this year's events at Saint Lady's College.

"How did you choose the maid at home?"

Lawrence brought up the subject of maids at the dinner table.

Emma replied: "From spring to now, we have been asking the women who originally followed us to come and work. Now we have also inspected some women from the monastery and the Saint's College, and roughly selected 20 people, all of whom are young. Beautiful woman."

There are still too few people in Lawrence's family, and there are many things that need many people to do.

After hearing Emma's words, Lawrence also knew that many people outside had various problems.

"They don't all need to be young and beautiful. Beauty is a scarce resource, let alone beautiful, sensible and smart people."

"For example, kitchens and laundry rooms, guards, cleaners, etc. can be selected from the families of soldiers and craftsmen in the territory, or from the families of nobles."

Emma knew the general scope, "Yes, Master."

At this time, Bull took the initiative and said: "Master, I heard Kenny talk about something. The Beilu people in Dumu Port sold a child to the Pumixiu people."

Lawrence frowned, "This kind of thing is not allowed. All slaves are my slaves, including their children."

"The child that was brought to us, was it a boy or a girl?" Lawrence asked Bull.

Bull replied: "It's a boy."

When Lawrence knew it was a boy, he said: "I will arrange for him to study and grow up in a monastery. His parents are not worthy of continuing to educate this child!"

"Take his parents away from me! Get out of the Kingdom of the Stars! Leave the rest of their children in the monastery in Port Dum, and let Edi take care of those children!"

Lawrence strictly prohibited human trafficking. He raised his own children. If he couldn't support them, he could send them to a monastery, but trafficking was prohibited.

"Yes, Master." Bull agreed respectfully.

Lawrence quickly decided to give more subsidies to families with more children. In addition to food, they would also provide some clothing and fuel to prevent some people from treating the children they gave birth to as a burden.

Only the Kingdom of Stars purchases slaves from outside, and outsiders are absolutely not allowed to purchase the population of the Kingdom of Stars. At the same time, private human trafficking is also prohibited.

Emma didn't know about this matter. Seeing that Lawrence didn't participate in such troublesome things after making the decision, she talked about another matter.

"Master, Kenny is seven years old. Should we continue to let him grow up here, or should we let him go back to Durila?"

Kenny is Bull's child, named Kenny like his father.

Bull chose the name very casually, and he was also very casual when he got together with Kenny's father, but when he gave birth to the child, he was very determined and protected the child from growing up smoothly as a mother.

Lawrence looked at Bull. He had known Bull's thoughts about the child a long time ago, but the child might not like going to strange places.

"I want him to go back to where his father grew up," Buell insisted.

Lawrence said no more, "Maybe he can serve as a translator. After a few years, we will arrange for him to learn business with the people in Dumu Port. There are many Duruila people there."

Bull thought this was okay and respected Lawrence's decision.

The first blizzard arrived soon. Under the biting cold wind, many outdoor work could not be continued.

This year was another good harvest year. Lawrence took out grain and wine and distributed it to the craftsmen, blacksmiths, soldiers and guards who had worked hard for a year.

Even the families of women whose men died last year and in previous years also received a reward.

Although these women had already married other men with their children, Lawrence was not stingy with this reward. They were all warriors who had fought to the death for themselves, so no more would be too much.

The Kingdom of the Stars has a smaller population than foreign countries, but its combat effectiveness is actually not weak, especially its average physical fitness far exceeds that of any other country.

It’s not that they have a special constitution, it’s that this area attracted healthy people from the beginning.

There are basically no people born with disabilities or deformities here.

Disabled people and bad genes have been completely eliminated since the last generation, which means that this country was founded on the feet of a group of normal people, even strong people.

Although healthy people will also give birth to some people with recessive genetic diseases and some people who are atavistic, the probability is dozens of times healthier than in feudal countries with close relatives.

This benefit, along with the marriage system presided over by Lawrence, can bless more than a dozen generations.

Even though Lawrence did not launch a war this year, the combat effectiveness of the Kingdom of Stars is still getting stronger day by day.

The physical fitness of the soldiers here in the north now far exceeds that of the regular knight corps in the south. With the addition of weapons, equipment and tactics, they can completely launch a war to destroy the country.

If this kind of soldier quality is placed in the hands of other monarchs, it means that they will go out to explore the road. Only in the hands of Lawrence can they continue to farm and develop with peace of mind.

Unless the outside world wants to provoke 50,000 people in the far north, Lawrence's character will not be able to fight easily. (End of chapter)