Mountain and Forest Kingdom

Dum Port Cathedral

Lawrence listened carefully to Eze's description of the more western countries.

After listening for half an hour, he lost interest. The more western countries are still in a very backward stage.

There are city-states with a population of one million, wizards who can call the wind and rain, and some strange orcs and monsters.

Lawrence was not interested in these. After listening for a while, he stopped listening and simply gave Eze some rewards and asked him to bring back some goods and commodities.

After Eze left, Sariel, who had gradually become sensible, expressed his doubts.

"Lawrence, don't you have any ideas about conquering those more western countries?"

"No." Lawrence felt that Sariel's thoughts were still too simple, and said casually and perfunctorily: "What we need now is to recuperate, not foreign wars."

Sariel still felt very concerned about this matter, and said to Lawrence: "But I feel that you don't want this at all."

"Yes, I don't want to." Lawrence admitted that he had no idea.

Salier asked, "But isn't the doctrine of the Kingdom of Stars about conquering the stars and the sea?"

"I feel like you're not the only one who doesn't want to go out and see the world, and you don't like others to go out and see the world either."

Lawrence looked at Salier, "I don't mean to not fight, but what I need now is to recuperate. Without enough accumulation, I can't run long."

"Just like the cows raised by Jifeng and Yubao, without the usual accumulation, they can't run that fast during the competition."

"People and animals are the same. Most of the time they spend eating, resting and strengthening themselves. There aren't that many times when they really fight and make progress."

Sariel nodded and said with a smile, "Is that so? That's fine."

Lawrence didn't understand why Salier was so happy. Did this woman feel that she was living too comfortably and deliberately found something to remind her?

It's really not good to be too idle, and Lawrence didn't want Salier to have nothing to do all day.

"Sariel, why don't you care about the martial arts training of the female guards and female students?"

Sariel heard this and said blankly: "Isn't this the responsibility of Deren and the others?"

"Deren is also in charge." Lawrence gradually remembered some things.

Some things are not specific to a certain person, and many people have other things to do, so they are often ignored.

"Before, everyone's responsibilities were a bit confusing. It seems necessary to reorganize and determine the specific person in charge."

Sariel heard Lawrence say this and felt that this was Lawrence's problem.

"It's all because you often change your mind, asking us to do this and that, so you don't have time to deal with things when you are busy."

Lawrence showed a funny expression, "Why don't you blame me for giving you too much food? You think I'm not good when you work, but you know how good I am when you eat, right?"

Sariel shook his head quickly, "I haven't thought about it that way. Don't talk about me. I won't quarrel with you."

Seeing Sariel like this, Lawrence was too lazy to argue with her.

"Okay, no quarreling, then after we go back, we will make sure what everyone should do. Recently, we have a lot of free time, so it's time to deal with government affairs."

Sariel asked curiously: "How do you have time? Aren't Catherine and Cassandra choosing beautiful women for you? Have you forgotten this good thing?"

"Take your time, take a look if there is one, and accept it if it's suitable." Lawrence was no longer hypocritical, and said very frankly: "I like clean girls, and I also like sensible and obedient women. Now there are many."

Sariel just said casually, and quickly stood up and patted her skirt after sitting for a long time, "It's time to go home. I want to spend the summer in the castle. I don't want to go out. There's nothing interesting outside."

Lawrence also felt that it was more comfortable at home. Although Dum Port was prosperous, he preferred to lie at home and blow the wind if he had time.

"Let's go home."

Lawrence took his family back with him, and he had enough time to think about things on the long road.

The steam engine should be started as soon as possible to save daily commuting time.

Steam engines are also needed for maritime transportation, especially for ships carrying a large amount of ore, where sails alone are not enough.

The same is true for land transportation. In the future, materials will not only be food and cloth, but also heavy things such as ore and metal.

At the very least, steam engines and rails must be developed, especially rails must be laid out as soon as possible.

First, in places such as mines, and then on transportation roads dedicated to transporting materials, such as Oak Castle, Dum Port, and Pumixiu Town.

Steam engines still need some time. At present, building steamships alone has delayed a lot of time.

With the first one, the second and third will be much faster, and a large number of experienced craftsmen will quickly promote the development of steam technology.

However, the road must be taken step by step, and the most practical one at present is rails.

Metal rails are not needed. Just lay a section of rails with wood. When the labor force increases significantly in two years, the role of rail transportation will become more and more obvious.

Lawrence looked at the road ahead and imagined the problems that might be encountered in laying rails.

"We don't need to worry too much about theft and sabotage. We just need to form a railway maintenance team. We have a large number of carpenters available here."

"Destroying and stealing railways is a capital crime. It's hard to say in other places. I am a place where most people can have enough to eat. If someone dares to damage the road I walk every day after I issue the order, it will definitely be a capital crime!" "

Lawrence discovered that one of his strengths was savagery!

Sometimes there is no need to be reasonable or civilized, and no one will criticize oneself for being cruel and unkind. There are many things that can be implemented as long as one wants to do so.

Most of the people here are still slaves of the prophet's family. No one can control the prophet, neither trade nor law.

All people's thoughts have not entered the civilized era, but remain in the barbaric period.

Even though everyone's living standards have improved now, the improvement of morality and some concepts is only reflected in the care and tolerance towards businessmen and one's own people.

Today's barbarians will not pick up an ax and prepare to fight as they did in the past, nor will they kill people casually and treat captured slaves as prey like they did in the past.

They know how to wear clothes and bathe regularly. Although only a small number of people have such hygiene habits, it is indeed an improvement.

In the past, barbarians basically would not share food with old, young, women and children. Now that there is more food, some weak people are allowed to eat under the benevolent influence of the prophet.

There are many areas where progress has been made, and there are also many areas where progress has not been made, such as the recognition of slave status.

Anyone who dares to liberate their slave status and give them the freedom to go out will definitely be hacked to death by them as an enemy.

All people in the Ice Lands submit to the rule of the Great Prophet.

Even if you are unwilling or disrespectful in your heart, you must obey on the surface, otherwise the problem will be huge.

People from outside risked being killed to sneak over and become slaves.

In this case, the use of harsh punishments does not provoke resistance from those below.

Lawrence found that his rule was already very stable, with stable rule, stable taxation, stable salary payment, and an equally stable and clear promotion mechanism.

This is especially important for a stable and clear promotion mechanism with low thresholds.

The promotion mechanism in Ice Land has always been a two-way street.

One is the most common military exploit.

Seravan, Beow, Fleiss, Akda, Suleiman, Crete...these all obtained noble titles based on their many military exploits.

The more battles you participate in, the more enemies you kill, and the first to rush into the enemy's position, you will get the promotion you deserve.

Even those young people who graduated from the military academy have gone to the battlefield, killed people and elves, or killed bandits.

The trade routes and sea routes in the Ice Land are not without enemies. Over the years, Lawrence's warships and troops have maintained stability everywhere.

It is basically impossible for people who have never been on the battlefield to become a noble.

Including logistics troops and reconnaissance teams, these all belong to the combat merit system.

The second article is the contribution system.

Artisans and scholars provided advanced techniques for agriculture and industrial fishing, as well as tool making.

This kind is slower, and at most you can only become a Lord. Currently, the one who has contributed the most is Querrey, the blacksmith of Ironforge, but he only has the title of Lord and no territory.

People like Heidi and Sophia are not part of the system. To be precise, they are recommended by Lawrence. They should be regarded as the third promotion system that is not clear yet.

After Lawrence returned to Oak City, he called Kellyon, who was the manager in Oak City.

"Kailion, you go to the Kingdom of Gran and take charge of the agriculture and industry there. Let Alexmu and Daraos come back. I have something to arrange for them."

Kelion knew that he was going to send himself out for training, just like Seravan.

There is also a clear procedure for the promotion of internal affairs officers. First, they learn from the prophet, and then they are sent to the grassroots level for experience, and they lead the team and are responsible for some things.

Then he was in charge of the village alone, and then he entered the army to learn some logistics and fortification matters, and also participated in military decision-making.

Then there is the matter of accumulating experience and doing things. When the prophet feels that it is enough, he will be sent to stand alone.

Seravan is like this, Beow is like this, Dalaos is like this.

"Yes! Master!" Kellyon quickly agreed, knowing that this was a major matter that he had to take seriously.

Lawrence continued: "Koda and a few young people will also follow you. They will be in charge of the army, but you will still be the leader. You are more stable than them. Don't let them do things according to their temper. Regarding discipline, discipline them well on my behalf.”

Kellyon said quickly: "Yes! Master!"

Lawrence thought about his arrangements again, "That's it. If you have anything, just contact me. If you encounter something you're not sure about, if it's an emergency, make your own decision first, and you can talk to me later."

"Don't be timid and focus on maintaining stability, but don't lose our dignity."

"Yes! Master!" Kellyon has followed Lawrence for more than ten years and roughly understands what Lawrence means.

Lawrence nodded and asked Kelly to go down and do the work.

After Kellyon left, Lawrence called in several Holy Legion managers who had followed him for many years and arranged some things respectively.

In addition to the affairs of Gran, there are some things that need to be arranged in advance on Saadi Island, Io and the Wave Province.

In the next few years, the focus will still be on developing the Ice Land, but the land outside is more fertile and wider, so it is impossible to ignore it.

The food in the Ice Land comes from Io Province. Only the outer parts of this region are mountainous, and most of the interior areas are fertile fields with many rivers and waterways, which are very suitable for the development of agriculture.

At that time, the Kingdom of Gran did not fight much, only the nobles of the kingdom near the coast.

The Kingdom of Ao has been cleaned up relatively thoroughly, and coupled with the loyalty of Awenla and other noble witches, its dominance over this land is currently increasing.

Every year, a large number of pots, pans, towels and other daily necessities are transported to the frozen land in exchange for cheap food there.

In the past few years, there have been no thieves or exploitation by nobles. Coupled with the increase in food production and the reclamation of a large amount of farmland, the price of food has become lower and lower.

Having a full meal is not a luxury, but if you want to live a good life and eat a meal of meat, it is still very difficult.

Lawrence needs to continue to improve productivity and increase the number of cattle in the area ten to twenty times so that there will be more food to support industrial development.

The protection and promotion of farm cattle are still continuing. This kind of thing needs to be done slowly, and it will take several years to slowly bear fruit.

Lawrence quickly issued a work order and decided to select healthy and strong men and women from those smuggled refugees to work.

The job involves transporting wood, cutting and processing wood, and processing the wood into long pieces of wood suitable for laying railroad tracks. At the same time, hiring people to maintain the long roads and clear the stones and branches.

Use wooden tracks and carriages similar to miner's carts to solve part of the transportation problem.

The production of the carriages requires the craftsmen of Ironforge. The craftsmen of this period happened to be relatively idle, so making several iron carriages was not a troublesome matter.

Moreover, this kind of thing is not very dangerous and can also be left to apprentices.

This summer, Lawrence has been busy with traffic and roads.

This summer, Lawrence also had more than forty children.

Lawrence, who already had more than ninety children, quickly drove the elf who gave birth to his children to live in Snow Mountain Castle.

The more children he had, the more indifferent Lawrence became to their mother.

Just like Lathander said, family is family, and the mother of a child is the mother of a child. Lawrence's small group is still the same group of people who endured hardship together in the beginning, rather than the wood elves who came to enjoy the blessings later. (End of chapter)