The King

  Chapter 155 Hot Potato = Opportunity

  Dadir City, the atmosphere of war has permeated every corner of the city.

  Unknowingly, prices in the city have started to rise quietly, especially the prices of daily necessities that are just needed soar the fastest.

  The Sheriff's Office has repeatedly issued documents to stabilize prices, but driven by intimidation, the market has long lost its rationality.

   Coupled with the fuel of greedy businessmen, the price soared even faster.

  The most affected are the northern Xinjiang soldiers who followed the Sith to the south.

  Being away from home for so long, I feel homesick. Now that the war is about to break out, and the family members are still on the front line in northern Xinjiang, this emotion is further amplified.

   In order to appease the morale of the army, Sith also made a lot of efforts. Most of the soldiers have formed families here, with wives and children.

   After taking root, the nostalgia for the homeland is still firmly imprinted in everyone's hearts.

  Including Viscount Sith himself, the time to look north has increased recently. Obviously, he still has nostalgia for his hometown.

  …

   "Master, are you giving up your tax right?"

   Butler Faerun asked in panic.

  For county magistrates, the right to collect taxes is undoubtedly the most important power, which is equivalent to financial power.

  The sheriff who has lost financial power will inevitably have a greatly reduced voice in the affairs of the county.

   "It's too late! The war is about to break out, and everything has to give way to the war.

  The strongest in Wright County is the mountain leader. Before that, I could use the rules of the game to fight against him, but now it's too late.

  Without the cooperation of local nobles, it would be very difficult for us to raise enough strategic materials on time. When it comes to the safety of the front line, this kind of thing cannot be delayed.

   What's more, there was a war in Wright County first, and then a plague of locusts, and the economy has not yet recovered.

  Many territories barely managed to achieve a balance of income and expenditure, and were simply unable to provide enough supplies. It was not easy to complete the tasks assigned by the above as required.

   You can’t really kill people, can you?

  This hot potato can be thrown to Hudson.

  The Koslow family has relatives and friends everywhere, which turned out to be his biggest advantage, but now it has become his biggest disadvantage.

   Guessing that the tax package task fell on him, not only would he not make any money, but he might have to pay a lot of supplies for others.

  Usually, it's just a matter of selling favors. During the war, if any accident happens, these will become dead debts. "

  Sith said with a sneer.

   It's just the unwillingness between the brows, betraying his true inner thoughts.

  Risk and benefit are always directly proportional.

   Tucao is risky, and it is not a kind of self-comfort under the helplessness.

  …

   Mountain Territory

  The opponent lay flat, and Hudson, who became the winner of this round of power struggle, did not show the joy that the winner should have.

   Except for the 1,000 soldiers who were assembled in the shortest time. Both the war tax and the task of raising materials have encountered obstacles.

   There is an endless stream of people who come here every day to cry about poverty.

   Those who have no friendship can be forcibly executed, but Hudson really can't do it with old relatives and old friends.

   On the side of the Governor's Mansion, Hudson has fought for it as much as possible.

  Earl Pierce did not deliberately make things difficult on this issue. The tasks undertaken by the nobles of Wyton and Wright counties were only 80% of those of nobles in other regions.

  Although the care was not enough, it was still taken care of. This kind of thing can't be perfect.

   Kingdom missions are divided by province. If some counties produce less materials, other counties must produce more, and the total amount must be enough.

  …

  Looking at the people in the hall who kept complaining, Hudson angrily reprimanded: "Enough!

  I invite you here today to discuss solutions, not to listen to your complaints.

   Fighting against the invasion of orcs is the responsibility of everyone in the Alpha Kingdom. We raised supplies in the rear because someone was fighting for us in the front.

  If you think it is unfair, you can choose to sign up for the war. As long as you take the army to the front line, you don't need to worry about money and food!

  You all know the total amount of money and food that needs to be raised in Wright County. I think everyone knows whether the number I allocated is fair and reasonable.

  Don't try to hide by crying a few times. The assigned task is a dead order, and the quota must be made up.

   If you fail to fulfill your noble duties, and your territory is taken back and your noble status is taken away, you will have no regrets at that time! "

  Crying children have milk, and that is at home. Outside, no one is obliged to accommodate them.

  If making a fuss can solve the problem, then everyone ran to make a fuss, what should the front line do?

  According to past practice, nobles from all over the world contributed money and effort. The only exception is the northern nobles, who only need to fight on the front line.

   All is fair.

  This mobilization mode is because the noble private armies of various provinces participated in the war, and they adopted a rotation combat mode. After a period of time, they would come down to rest and replace them with others.

  As a northern noble who is responsible for guarding the land, he does not have this kind of treatment. As long as the war breaks out, they can only keep fighting on the front line until the end of the war.

   To defend their own land, the nobles of the Northland have already used all their strength to expand their armies and prepare for war. All of them are militaristic masters, and all the money and food in the territory are invested in the army, and there is no need for the kingdom to send people to urge them.

   "Dear Viscount Hudson, it's not that we don't want to fulfill our noble duties. But now the territory can't make ends meet, and we really can't afford the expense."

   Knight Handel said in frustration.

   From the helpless expression on his face, it can be seen that this guy is really helpless, and he is ready to be completely messed up.

  If you can’t do it, you can’t do it. Even if you are forced to go to the front line in advance, you still can’t get enough money and food.

   Especially strategic materials, not only will be released now, but will be released every month in the future. And this number, there is a high probability that it will continue to increase.

  For some impoverished nobles, it may not be difficult to gather supplies for a month or two, but the year-round consumption is really unbearable.

   "Knight Handel, I am also aware of your situation. Providing money and food for the front line for a long time does put a lot of pressure on you.

   But rules are rules, and you and I are not qualified to change this. The king's order must be fulfilled without compromise.

  Wright County, the nobles facing the same predicament are not just one or two families. It can even be said that most nobles have certain difficulties.

   We are all adults and have the ability to take responsibility for our own actions. No matter what decision you make, I respect your choice.

   It’s okay if you don’t want to spend money and food, just fill out the registration form, take the army to the front line with the food delivery team, and participate in the Kingdom Defense War.

  I would like to remind you: blocking the invasion of orcs is not as easy as suppressing the rebellion of skeletons.

  According to the experience of previous wars, the earlier you participate in the war, the lower the probability of coming back alive. Whether you want to take a risk or not, you should think it through before making a decision.

  I personally suggest that you first raise materials as much as possible and complete the tasks explained above. In the end, there was really no other way, and I took the army to serve in the front-line army.

  Money and food, after all, are belongings outside the body. Even if the family property is exhausted now, it can be accumulated again in the future.

  Fate, but his own.

  Especially for some families with few heirs, once you die on the front line, the family property you have worked so hard to accumulate can only be cheaper for others. "

   Hudson said earnestly and earnestly.

  If the gap is small, you can help advance the payment. But the current situation is obviously not right, and someone actually messed up as soon as they came up.

   Then there is no other way but to follow the rules. Fighting the orcs is everyone's responsibility. If you have money, you will pay for it, if you have food, you will pay for it. If you have nothing, you will die.

  The atmosphere in the ceremony suddenly became tense. The nobles who originally wanted to win over suddenly realized that the reason they had prepared was so ridiculous.

   Difficulties are indeed worthy of sympathy. But the problem is that everyone is in trouble now. It is difficult for the nobles who are responsible for raising supplies, and it is even more difficult for the nobles who are fighting on the front line.

   "Dear Viscount Hudson, the supplies in our hands won't last long at all. We can't just let the people starve in order to complete the mission!

   I wonder if you have any countermeasures that can help us tide over the difficulties? "

   Baron Sanchez asked expectantly.

   After such a reminder, everyone realized that today's meeting is to discuss countermeasures and tide over difficulties together.

   Facing the expectant eyes of everyone, Hudson shook his head directly, pretending to be helpless and said: "So I only know that everyone has difficulties, but I didn't expect the difficulties to be so difficult.

  To tell you the truth, it is extremely difficult for the mountain leaders to complete the task, and I have to find a way to fill the hole.

  The mountainous areas lack food, and among all kinds of strategic materials, only iron has a good output. According to regulations, one hundred and fifty thousand pounds of good iron needs to be provided every month to complete the task.

   I think you all know that even if calculated according to the prices in normal times, the value of so much good iron is more than 5,000 gold coins.

  At this time, it is not surprising that the price doubles if it is sold outside.

  The cost of iron smelting has always been high. Even if the cost of ore and coal is not counted, the food and drink of thousands of miners is a huge expense.

  I can't bear such a heavy financial burden. In order to reduce expenses, we can only undertake some forging tasks to reduce some expenses.

  The situation in the mountainous territory is special, and it is impossible for everyone to follow suit. But everyone can also develop some side jobs that can be completed according to their actual situation.

  For example: the lords along the river and along the river can catch some fish, and after being smoked and dried, one pound can be worth four pounds of rye.

  If you have the conditions, it would be even better to raise some fast-growing aquatic products yourself.

  Territory with plenty of prey, capture some prey, and use it to make up for it after it is dried.

  Even if it is wild vegetables in the field, they will be harvested after drying. You can also plant some fast-maturing crops according to the actual situation.

  Wright County is only a hundred and eighty miles away from the sea. If you have a good network, you can get a boat and organize people to go fishing. It is also a way out.

  If none of these can be done, then my mountainous region lacks labor, so blacksmiths, miners, farmers, shoemakers... can all come here.

  Employment price is calculated according to actual capacity. For specific details, you can send someone to discuss with the manager below.

   How to do it specifically depends on your actual situation. Even if the materials raised are just a drop in the bucket, it is better than doing nothing. "

  Whether it is making dried fish, dried meat, or dried vegetables, it is a typical bad idea. It's not that there is a problem with the countermeasures, the key is that they are divorced from reality.

  They are all well-developed cooked lands. The fish and shrimps in the river are often patronized by the residents along the coast; the beasts in the mountains and forests often appear on the dining table of the nobles.

   Wild vegetables are also food. For serfs, wild vegetables can be regarded as half of the staple food. It is almost a must-have for meals, and it is not enough for home-cooked food. Where is there any excess, it is used to make dried vegetables.

   Going out to sea to fish is even more nonsense. Even if there is a real connection to get the boat, it is not a reliable thing to let a group of landlubbers go fishing.

   Besides, the sea in the magical world is not flat. In the vast sea, there are countless dangerous creatures.

   Fishermen have always been one of the highest-risk occupations. Being able to farm with peace of mind, almost no one wants to take the risk of going out to sea to fish.

  The real way to point out to everyone is to rent labor. Materials such as food and cloth cannot be grown in a day or two, but the output of the mine can be increased in a short period of time.

  During the war, iron was a hard commodity. Whether it is the raw iron produced or the forged weapons, they can be handed over to the Governor's Mansion.

   After a pause, Hudson added again: "If all these are done, it still cannot meet the needs.

  You can also consider becoming mercenaries and completing military service for wealthy nobles in neighboring provinces in exchange for generous rewards.

  If there are many applicants, I can propose to the Governor's Office to stagger your military service time. To prevent you from being recruited by the province during your service.

   Also went to the battlefield, followed the provincial troops to the front line, and could come back to rest every once in a while. The security is far higher than entering the standing army and fighting until the end of the war.

  According to the usual practice, the kingdom will not recruit nobles from our southeastern provinces to the front line on a large scale until the critical moment.

  Theoretically speaking, as long as the provinces coordinate well, they can still be staggered. "

   It's not that Hudson is fooling people, but there is really such a need. Some aristocrats who are wealthy and happen to be in the infancy stage have the need to hire someone to serve on their behalf.

  The mercenaries' fighting will is not high, and they are reluctant to perform the task of defending the city. Once lost in the field, it is easy to desert.

  In principle, the kingdom prohibits this kind of behavior of hiring people to serve as soldiers, but legal principles are nothing more than human feelings, and there are always exceptions.

  For example: the last time the Skull and Bones Society rebelled, some of the heirs of the families in the two counties were still milk babies.

   You can't let people carry these doll lords to the battlefield, right?

  At such times, the officials in charge of the specific implementation will turn a blind eye, close one eye, and acquiesce in their use of mercenaries.

  There are also risks in this. If the mercenary serving on his behalf has a problem, the employer must also be held accountable.

  Under normal circumstances, everyone likes to ask nobles to do it for them. They are all existences who know the basics, and the priest can't run away from the church if he can run away.

   In addition to this, there is another situation—obligation swap.

   To put it simply, nobles in different provinces exchange their obligations. You go to my province to fulfill your obligations, and I go to your province to perform your obligations.

   Only limited to nobles with comparable status and overall strength. And the approval of the governors of the two provinces is also required.

   This kind of situation mostly happens in big families.

  Large families have many members, and it is normal for collateral descendants to be distributed in other provinces. During the war, if you don't feel at ease following others to the battlefield, you can exchange them back in this way.

  Generally speaking, as long as you apply, there will be no problems. Anyway, there are people to complete the tasks, everyone takes what they need, gives convenience to each other, and can also leave a favor.

  The number of children in the big family varies, and the actual situation is also different. This kind of exchange cannot be just made up, and if there is a difference, compensation needs to be given.

   It can be supplies, or people can be sent to serve in the past. The specific situation still depends on the actual coordination situation.

   If the situation is urgent, it is too late to coordinate. Then transfer the obligations directly. Simply put, these nobles enter another province to perform their obligations, and their obligations are directly transferred to the province.

  After countless times of gameplay, everyone has a wealth of experience, and no one can take advantage of this aspect.

   They were all forced out by orcs. During the long years of war, the pressure of life and death forced the top leaders of the Alpha Kingdom to make continuous progress.

   In response to various unexpected situations, corresponding countermeasures were formulated early on. For the little nobles below, it doesn't matter who they follow on the battlefield, what matters is the obligations that should be fulfilled, and none of them can be missed.

   "Dear Viscount Hudson, if we send all the young and strong to work in the mountains, can military training also be carried out here?"

   Baron Kettley asked bravely.

  The local nobles have difficulties, and the northern nobles are also not easy. Except for a few wealthy nobles, most of the northern nobles also cannot afford it.

   Originally Kettler was ready to go to the battlefield, but now he suddenly found that he was still struggling, so naturally he had to ask.

   "Of course! But it's limited to reserve forces, and daily basic military training will be carried out according to one exercise per ten days.

   You are still responsible for the specific training, I only provide the venue.

   During the busy farming season, you can also let the young and strong return to the territory to work. Prioritize food production in the territory.

  Don't rush to be happy, you have to be mentally prepared. Mountain collars only employ surplus labor during the slack season, so the price will not be too high. "

   While speaking, Hudson deliberately glanced at Viscount Sith with a livid face. If it wasn't for this guy lying flat and throwing all the troubles at him, there would be no such opportunity to take advantage of it.

  If it weren't for this special period, it would be almost impossible to get the entire county's labor force to come and work.

  Even if the lords can lower their faces and let their subordinates come to work, Hudson can't afford the wages.

   After all, the market is affected by the relationship between supply and demand, blindly increasing production capacity will only lead to price collapse.

  Only during the war period, when the demand for iron reaches its peak, can the production capacity be exploded regardless of everything.

   With the huge profits brought about by the explosive production capacity, the development cost of the territory will naturally come out.

  Obviously aware of Hudson's sinister intentions, but this is a naked conspiracy, and Viscount Sith can't do anything about it.

  Even if you say it, it can't stop everyone's enthusiasm for joining. From the moment he chose to lie flat, Wright County's dominance fell into the hands of Hudson.

   "Sabotage?"

   As soon as this idea was born, it was suppressed by Sith himself. Increasing iron production is entirely in the interests of the Alpha Kingdom.

  In the king's order, it was clearly proposed to increase iron production everywhere. In order to be able to forge more weapons and arm more troops to fight the orcs.

  Already at a disadvantage, jumping out to go against the general trend, maybe the last popularity among the nobles in the north will be tossed in.

  Glancing at the expressions of everyone, and then to the north, Viscount Sith slowly stood up and said with a smile:

   "The Viscount Hudson's arrangement is very reasonable. As long as the iron production in the Mountain Territory increases, everyone's material crisis will be solved.

  Even if there is a shortage, everyone can borrow money! Our proud Viscount Hudson is not a stingy person.

  But everyone is engaged in production, and military training must not be neglected. Every time the orcs invaded in an all-round way, blood would flow into rivers in the end.

  It’s only practiced once every ten days, I’m afraid..."

  (end of this chapter)