The King

  Chapter 74

  With food on hand and mines at home, I don’t panic.

  According to the current cleaning speed, production can resume as soon as next month. It is a pity that there are fewer young and strong labor forces in the territory, and it is difficult to increase production capacity.

  Thick blue smoke rose and fell into Hudson's eyes, which was particularly pleasing to the eye. This is a necessary prerequisite to resume mine production, making charcoal.

  I saw the miners skillfully put the cut wood into the charcoal kiln in an orderly manner, covered it with soil to leave an opening for ignition, and then poured the burning charcoal into it.

  There are two workers next to them, fanning the wind with huge zong leaves.

   It can be seen that in the era of existing productivity, the charcoal production process has matured.

  The air supply method is primitive, that's because it used magic technology, a device similar to a blower.

  Because of the war, it was destroyed, and a substitute could not be found for a while, which directly caused the air supply mode to return to the original era.

  Magic technology is useless, and it will not be available for a while. Hudson could only choose the next best thing and replace it with a bellows.

  He has explained the process of the manual bellows, and arranged for people to make it. However, the process is not yet mature, and the practicability of the product needs to be improved.

   If there is no accident, it will be difficult for mines to use magical black technology for a long time in the future.

  Everything comes from cost. Compared with expensive magic devices, labor is really too cheap.

   Installing one alchemy version of the blower is enough to buy ten young and strong slaves. The most pitiful thing is that this thing still needs magic spar to drive, but what Hudson lacks most is magic spar.

   As far as the baron’s quota is concerned, it’s not enough to provide for his own cultivation, so how can it be wasted here?

   The lower the efficiency, the lower it is. Anyway, the labor cost is cheap enough, and it can be economically cheaper to use human bellows instead.

   Without time for further planning, Hudson received news from the family that the officials who demarcated the border had already set off and would arrive in Wright County soon.

  First of all, I don’t know where to start, and I’m not sure when I will arrive in my own territory. The only thing I can do is to stay at home honestly and don’t run around.

  In case someone comes and the owner is not at home, it will be a lot of fun. With the bureaucratic style of the governor's mansion, they will not wait for the master to come back. If the owner is not at home, they can do the work on the map.

  As for the parties concerned, whether they are satisfied with the result has never been in their consideration.

  If you have a strong network, you can also find the relationship and re-divide it again. Those who have no connections, no background, and no strength can only admit to themselves.

  Although Hudson is not a member of the Sanwu, he is not so awesome. There is indeed some background in personal connections, but it is not enough for people from the Governor's Mansion to go alone.

   As for strength, it is purely a business blow. Hudson was able to start the name of "Knight of the Bow", mainly due to the hard publicity of his teammates.

  In order to realize his military achievements, his achievements are exaggerated as much as possible. Especially in the battle of annihilating the cavalry of the Holy See, which obviously killed 500 people, it was blown up to 3,000 by everyone.

   It may be too exaggerated, but no one believes it. In the end, they gave a supplementary explanation: wipe out 1,000 elite cavalry of the Holy See and 2,000 main rebels.

  The so-called "use of soldiers like gods" is purely based on the fact that the command ability of the rebel army is too useless.

   If he is as awesome as the rumors say, then he stomps on Hudson, and the southeast province will tremble three times.

   There is no doubt that the southeastern province where the Dalton family is in charge does not allow such a powerful creature to exist. Once it appears, it is either incorporated or strangled.

  The fact that Hudson can still live such a carefree life is enough to prove how watery the rumors are. It's okay to scare the middle and small nobles, but it can't scare the people in the Governor's Mansion at all.

  …

   "Uncle Sikorari, Uncle Baggins, Uncle Xiludi..."

   A series of uncles called down, and Hudson's scalp was a little numb. He didn't think it was a coincidence that the people who came to preside over the division of fiefs were all friends of the Koslow family.

   Either the Governor's Office is engaged in fishing law enforcement; or the Governor's Office deliberately creates opportunities for them to favoritism in the division of fiefdoms.

   After a little thought, Hudson quickly made a judgment.

  Fishing law enforcement is not like that. As a privileged nobleman, it is not a serious crime at all to just favoritism in the division of fiefdoms.

  The most serious consequence is nothing more than resigning from office and redrawing the boundary line.

  If you are more cautious and leave no obvious loopholes in the procedure, you won't even be punished.

   Unless the brain is flooded, no one will spend so much effort on the layout, just to get a punishment that is neither painful nor itchy.

  If it is the latter, it is estimated that the future of the two counties of Wright and Wyton may not be peaceful. Neighbors are prone to conflicts, and there is a governor who concentrates on digging holes and laying mines, so it is no wonder that there are no disputes.

  The welcome banquet was very shabby. Although Hudson tried his best, the food in the territory was too simple, and even the banquet was placed in the open air.

   There is no way, the mining area is too remote, and it is not valued by the previous lord at all, and there are no decent buildings nearby.

   The few stone houses are still stacked with food and pig iron, which are not worthy of the status of nobility at all.

  Fortunately, those who come here are considered "our own people", otherwise they would have to be put on little shoes just for this treatment.

   They were old acquaintances who had dealt with each other before. After a few glasses of wine, everyone let go more and more.

   "Hudson, your territory is too remote, why don't you choose a rich and big town?"

   Baron Sikolari asked suspiciously.

   This is also the question of many people in the aristocratic circle. Everyone has only two impressions of the Salam Mountains—barren land and mines.

   Having a mine is indeed an advantage, but it cannot make up for the disadvantage of poor land. Also engaged in agricultural production, the yield per mu in the Salam Mountains is only 70% of that in the plains.

  The amount of labor input is the same, maybe even more, and the output gap is still so huge, the cost performance of growing grain is obviously not high.

  It is only the income from mining, which is an advantage in the short term, but it is a disadvantage in the long run.

  Once the mine is mined, the surrounding land is almost polluted. I'm afraid it will be difficult to keep even 70% of the grain output by then.

  For nobles who are accustomed to permanently rooting in one place, they must consider the long-term development of the territory. In order to maintain sustainable agricultural production, some nobles would not mine even if they knew there were mines underground.

   "Uncle Sikorari, the Salam Mountains are indeed a little remote, and the grain output is also low, but the advantage lies in the large area!

   Except for the mining area marked on the map, there are only three outer knights leading the map, and the remaining hundreds of hills are unclaimed land, and the area is almost as large as half of Wright County.

  Although the cost of development is relatively high and the cost performance is not very good, it still has development value after all. If it is fully developed, relying on quantity to replenish quality will definitely not lose money.

  Of course, this requires too much manpower, material and financial resources. Without decades of long-term investment, it's hard to see results.

   What really made me choose the Salam Mountains was the situation in Wright and Wyton Counties.

  Northern nobles did not hesitate to offend the Dalton family in order to go south. Obviously, not a few baronies can satisfy their appetite.

   Koslow is just a small family. Once there is a conflict with these northern military nobles, it will be difficult to take advantage of force.

  Although a prosperous central town is good, it must be able to be maintained. If the family behind them continues to increase their stakes, I can't consume them. "

   Half-truths, half-false explanations are the most convincing. After all, they are following the governor. In terms of information control, these people in front of them are still better.

  Earl Pierce's fear of the nobles in the northern Xinjiang was nakedly shown, and they, younger brothers, naturally did not dare to take it lightly.

  The more you know, the more you know the awe. No one was surprised by Hudson's remarks.

   After all, the Koslow family also originated from the North. It is normal to have some understanding of the strength of the northern Xinjiang nobles.

   "Indeed, although those guys in the north are annoying, the strength in their hands is still amazing.

  If they are allowed to gain a firm foothold, not only the two counties of Wright and Wyton will not be stable, but the entire southeastern province may be very difficult to be peaceful.

   But Hudson, you are too cautious. Even if the guys from Beijiang came to make trouble, they would not attack your Koslow family first.

  As the most prosperous family in the kingdom, the combined strength of your many branches is not weak, and you also have the support of the local nobles in the southeastern province.

   If a conflict breaks out between the two sides, it is not certain who will lose and who will gain in the end! "

   Baron Sikolari said with a smile.

   Just tell Hudson directly, feel free to do it boldly, the Governor's Palace will support you.

  Of course, it's useless to say it. The Koslow family is not stupid. Wars will kill people. Fighting against the northern nobles who went south will only waste the family's human, financial and material resources, and benefit the fisherman on the side.

   If you win the war, you can charge a little ransom at most, not even enough for war funds. Relying on his family background, dealing with the aftermath is not a problem at all.

   Losing is even worse, not to mention the heavy casualties, maybe even the foundation will lose it.

  Normal people would not touch a business destined to lose money.

  (end of this chapter)