After leaving Sapp with the Sentinels, Art did not go directly back to the Valley Knights, but galloped south after leaving the mountains, heading towards the border outpost.

In the early spring, when the snow melted and the north-south trade route was muddy, and the army horses were barely able to pick up their horses, and they could not speed up on the muddy road, and the border post in the moor was only seen in the evening of the day after leaving Sapp.

As the only place with an army garrison for 100 miles on the frontier of the wasteland, a small temporary settlement began to form here.

Since the post was almost completed last autumn, displaced people and transit traders between Provence and Burgundy have set up small tents around the post to renovate their tents, and even a shrewd Provençal fleeing trader has built a makeshift shack in the open space next to the border post to cook some wheat paste and sell it to passers-by, of course, this small shack has been approved and paid by Simon.

Many of the southerners who had fled to Burgundy last winter had stayed near the outpost, and just after the harsh winter, some had already set off for the farther north to beg for food, while those who had some rations in their hands remained here to survive in the north when the weather warmed up, because the outpost was at least garrisoned by soldiers and there were no bandits around it compared to the long and dangerous journey to the north.

If it weren't for the fact that there was no land available for farming, they would even want to stay here as a farmer......

"My lord, I thought you would wait until the end of spring plowing before you can come to the outpost to inspect it, but I didn't expect you to come now." Simon and Benjamin, the commanders of the border outpost, come out of the outpost to greet Art.

"We've just returned from the Sapp Bandits, this is my territory, and I'm concerned about the outpost. Traveled Simon, arranged for us to be fed and lodging, and after two days of jolting on the horse, we needed a good rest and some hot food. Art handed Simon the reins and walked straight into the outpost.

The border post was built according to Art's idea on a small mound on the north side of the stream bridge, surrounded by a twenty-foot-high spired wooden fence, and at the top of the mound stood a watchtower with two houses, a storehouse, and a military horse grazing hay in the stable. The gate of the outpost was guarded by a soldier with a spear, and a soldier with a crossbow and a horn on his waist was stationed on the watchtower. Fifty feet in front of the main entrance of the outpost, there was a row of wooden barriers on the trade road to prevent horses, and when a convoy of pedestrians passed by, they had to stop in front of the horses and be checked before they could move away from the horse. ”

There were seven or eight simple tents made of broken linen felt cloth under the wooden fence of the outpost, and piles of bonfires were raised in front of the simple tents, and some homeless people sat around the campfires to keep warm.

When Simon saw Art enter the door, he glanced at several homeless camps outside the fence of the outpost, and took the initiative to mention to Art: "My lord, the tents and shacks outside the outpost were all temporarily built by the displaced people in the past, and I only allowed them to stay after careful investigation and confirmation that there was no danger. ”

Art walked towards the house in the outpost, and said to Simon: "You are right to do this, this place is my territory, since it is a territory, it needs people, and in the future, this will become the first checkpoint for eastern Provence to enter the Count of Burgundy, in addition to making this place a border post and a tax card, I also want to slowly build this place into a transit place for goods from north to south." In the future, whether it is spices, raw silk, porcelain, silk and other southern goods brought from the south, or northern goods such as furs, grain, velvet and other goods passing through the north, I hope that they will be able to trade here, and if possible, I want to make this outpost a town, and replace Tinetz's position in the north-south trade. ”

"So at the moment, if there is a chance to make this place prosperous, as long as it does not threaten the safety of the outpost, you can do it boldly, I just saw a small shack by the fence that sells food, and they can be allowed to build such a shack, as long as they pay taxes and obey the regulations, they are free to set it up."

"In addition, this time I have ordered the caravan to recruit a group of officials who can understand and calculate, and this outpost will also be assigned one, and if there are really displaced people who want to stay in this part of the outpost for a long time, as long as they are checked and registered by you, they can become my subjects and accept my protection. There is no land suitable for cultivation in this part of the outpost, so it is better for the garrison to choose someone who can do business, even if it is a grocer, and can make a living without relying on the land. ”

Simon nodded yes.

"You can start trying to do it. I see that there are more than a dozen homeless people around the outpost, they are idle anyway, and when the weather is a little better in two days, you can carve out a flat piece of land next to the outpost, and let these homeless people cut down trees and build a fence to build a tiny free market. In addition, passers-by can be used to spread the word that a small free trade market has been built in the border area. ”

"When the free market is really established, we can slowly control the trade of southern goods through this free market!" The more Art spoke, the more excited he became.

Simon didn't understand the mystery for a while, he didn't seem to understand, and asked: "My lord, if this place becomes a prosperous free market, or even a trading town, those guys with evil intentions should fight the idea of this place~"

Art smiled lightly and replied, "Simon, don't forget that we still have an army in our hands, my army is not for show, if anyone dares to try against my territory, I will definitely let him taste the power of my sword." And, you have to remember that this place is our own territory, and in our own territory, everything is up to us. If you're worried about an attack on the outpost, I'll pick up soldiers from the recruit squad to guard the outpost.

"As for the task of recruiting displaced people set for the border outposts, we can temporarily stop, because now there are many fort people in the valley, and it takes time for the reclaimed and wasteland to produce food, and I also have to focus more money and energy on the affairs of the army and caravans, if I continue to recruit displaced people to cultivate the land, I am afraid that I will not be able to bear it. However, ordinary homeless people are no longer recruited, and if there are craftsmen, merchants, healers, literate people, etc., who have a skill, they can continue to recruit into the valley. ”

"There are two other important things that your outpost must do, one is to continue to collect the entry tax of the past caravans, I have asked the caravan to carve the wolf seal, in the future, all the caravans of the passing outpost can only be issued with the sealed documents after paying the tax according to the rules, from the outpost to Tinets, I will send someone to inspect, if it is found that the caravan does not have the tax payment documents issued by the border outpost, I will confiscate the goods, double the punishment. Second, I have given you a secret mission, in the future, all the goods related to the Dean family, when passing through the outpost, you will intercept and collect a heavy tax of fifty cents for me, if you dare not detain the goods from the spot, it will be said that it is the order of the lord of this land, the knight of the palace guard, and the security patrol officer of the southern border of Tignaz, if they dare to come hard, you will let it go for the time being, and then Pegasus will return to the valley, and I will bring troops to deal with it. From now on, I will slowly choke the throat of the Dean family's southern goods trade! ”

Simon nodded slightly, but was worried, and said: "My lord, from last autumn to now, I have seen three caravans under the banner of the Dean family on this trade road, and each time they bring a large number of caravan guards, if we fight with them, we are afraid~"

"Simon, I know what you're worried about, I just said, you have to remember that this place is our own territory, I don't care about other places, but any caravan related to the Dean family passes here, you can't let them pass by easily, if you can dispose of it yourself, report it to me quickly, I won't do it if you rob the Dean family caravan, but from the border outpost to Tignets is a long way for more than 100 miles, there are really a lot of mountain bandits along the way~~"

Simon looked clear and said firmly: "Don't worry, my lord, with you and the army behind me, I won't be afraid."

Adam nodded a few words of approval, and the topic turned back: "Of course, the matter of choking the neck of the Dean family is only a trivial matter, and the main tasks of the border outpost are still the main things of collecting commercial taxes, purchasing southern goods, maintaining law and order, and developing a free market, and you must also grasp these main things to do."

"Simon, remember, treat your friends as warm as the sun, and treat your enemies as bitter as winter~"

"Yes, my lord, I remember!"

Art got up from a low stool in the outpost house and said, "Alright, Simon, you can accompany me to see your food supplies and weapons stockpile......"

Accompanied by Simon, Art visited the warehouse in the outpost, learned about the soldiers' food and clothing, and promised to send someone to bring a batch of weapons, armor, and bedding to the outpost when he returned to the valley.

In the evening, the border outpost held a simple banquet for Atte Angus and Ron, and Art also gave some rewards to the outpost guards at the banquet, and everyone was happy......

On the second day, Art and the cavalry of Angus and the Sentinel Cavalry made a tour of the stream in front of the outpost for twenty miles, and they had only one purpose, to remove all the bridges that could pass through the stream to Pedestrians and to ensure that there was only one road from Provence to Burgundy, and that Art ordered the outpost to warn passing pedestrians that any pedestrian caravans who entered the Count of Burgundy without passing through the outpost would be deemed to be trespassing, and that if caught, they would be severely punished!

After inspecting the border outpost and giving Simon Benjamin the two commanders a chance to establish the general direction of the outpost's development, Art and his attaché left the border outpost, and turned north and east, heading towards the new patrol station of the Boulder Pile located on the trade road south of Lane Manor......