Autumn harvest is the most important season of the year. From the nobles to the serfs, they all played with the spirit of twelve.

The aftermath of the locust plague did not dissipate after a one-year gap. There were still many small-scale insect plagues in various places, but they were quickly extinguished by the local noble lords.

Lucky for Lytteshire, most of the noble lords hired Bear Stearns last year to get rid of the locusts quickly.

The bear who received the money is still very reliable. Not only did the locusts be exterminated, but the eggs were also cleaned up in the ground.

There are no larvae hatching, just a few grasshoppers from outside, and it adds a dish to everyone's table. Food production remained at a normal level and was hardly affected by locust infestations.

The lords who saved money were confused, and last year's cost of exterminating locusts was saved, but the price was a reduction in grain production this year.

Lost or earned, only they know.

It was a bumper year for the mountain collars. Most of the wasteland that was cleared up last year was grown with food.

Hudson, in particular, was pleasantly surprised by the yield of the swamps. Although the yield of rice is slightly higher than that of rye, it is still a surprise that it can reach 300 pounds per acre. (1 pound is about 0.45 kilograms, which can be regarded as a catty)

Extensive farming, this kind of yield is already very good. If it is intensively cultivated, the yield will increase significantly.

It's just that there is no need, Lord Hudson does not lack land, what he lacks is labor to reclaim land.

Mines and wasteland, and castles still need manpower. Even though the total population of the territory approached 90,000, Hudson still felt that it was not enough.

The main reason is that the proportion of orc slaves is too high, and the labor efficiency is far inferior to that of humans. The problem of racial talent is not something that can be easily reversed.

The autumn grain was put into storage, and the grain pressure on the mountain collar was greatly relieved. In addition, some customers who use grain to offset their payment for goods finally do not have to pay for grain this year.

After taking stock of the accounts, Hudson was surprised to find that he had changed from a debtor to a creditor.

Of course, this is the result of adding last year's income to the cubs. But it doesn't matter, the money of the partnership bear is Hudson's money.

The Earth Bear is not a dragon, and does not have the habit of sleeping with gold coins in his arms. As long as the accounts are clear, let Bear Stearns see that the money is on the project account.

Just thinking of the imminent outbreak of war, Hudson's good mood was instantly gone. No matter how rich the family is, it can't withstand the squandering of the war.

For the aristocracy, the risk of war was not only life and death, but also a return to poverty.

The risk of dying in war is a matter of probability, and the financial deficit caused by war is something that everyone must face.

Nominally, the kingdom will bear most of the cost of the war, but the money doesn't fall from the sky. In addition to the support of various countries, it is mainly necessary to find a way to do it yourself.

Merchants and freedmen are certainly the key targets of taxation, but the proportion of the population of these two groups is too small, and the pockets are not rich enough.

The First Cause of All Worlds

More of it will be shared by the noble lords.

Fortunately, the kingdom does not blindly levy cash, and all kinds of strategic materials can be offset. Basically, it's all based on the actual situation, what's going on.

For a long time, the southeastern provinces have played a role in large grain and grass households. This time it is estimated that there will be a slight change, and most of the military industry in the mountain territory will be included in the mobilization system.

In times of war, weapons are never enough. Not only do disposable ordnance need to be replenished, but also broken weapons and armor need to be replaced.

How to coordinate it exactly, that is the task of the Governor's Palace. Usually, the province is the unit for internal coordination, and then the national coordination and deployment.

With the existing productive forces, the combat readiness system of the Alpha Kingdom was able to develop to this point, and the credit of the Orc Empire was definitely the greatest.

Without the pressure of life and death, it was almost impossible to mobilize a million troops to fight in the feudal era.

If it weren't for the fact that the orcs were too ferocious, they wouldn't have been able to make a group of nobles empty their families and cooperate with the mobilization.

Perhaps because of the unfavorable year, the southern provinces, which suffered from a severe drought last year, ushered in another round of heavy rainfall this year.

The autumn grain that has just been harvested has not yet had time to be fully stored, and it has encountered the rainy season.

When it was soaked by the rain, many grains began to mold, or took root again, making the noble lords miserable.

The mountain collar was no exception, looking at the grain that had not yet been dried, Hudson also frowned.

Wherever grain can be spread, it is covered with grain. Even his lord's mansion was full of food as far as the eye could see, leaving only a narrow road.

Even so, the fate of moldy grain cannot be avoided. As a last resort, he could only order the serfs to fry the grain with water.

It is better to store one more day than to immediately grow mold and spoil. Anyway, there are many people in the mountains, and the food is consumed quickly.

If you really can't store it, let the people, slaves, and animals eat it with an open belly.

Fighting back to the pain, Hudson walked into the lab and walked out of the lab again.

Needless to say, another day of failure.

The life stock solution has not been made, but the quality of the bear feed pills is getting better and better.

Sugar, honey, and animal milk are naturally not added, but it does not affect Bear Stearns' subsequent self-processing. Put the feed pills in the animal milk with added sugar and honey and drink them directly.

Taste and efficacy are all provided together. According to Bear Stearns, one feed pill can withstand a day's normal cultivation.

Uncle Xiong likes to eat, which is also a good thing, which means that Hudson's experiment has a financier to pay.

There is only one buyer, and there is no hope of making money, but the breakeven is still barely achieved.

It's a pity for the various animals that have been reduced to test subjects, and the better the quality of the feed pills, the faster they will die.

Even if Hudson lowered the concentration, these ordinary creatures still had no resistance under the supernatural energy.

The only success was to cultivate a "strong cow". As the only cow to get out of the laboratory alive, its strength is several times greater than that of ordinary cattle, and it is a neat way to plow the ground.

Maybe it's because of genetics, or maybe it's a detail that you don't notice, but you only succeed once.

Originally, he wanted to test the war horse, but after considering the cost, Hudson decisively chose to give up.

There is nothing to be disappointed about, magic alchemy is like doing scientific research, it is a process of trial and error.

Failure is normal, success is accidental.

……

"Father, you are in such a hurry to come, but what happened?"

Looking at Baron Redman, who suddenly appeared, Hudson asked suspiciously.

The aristocratic lords do not have the habit of traveling in the rain, unless there is something important, under normal circumstances, everyone does not go out in the rainy season.

It seems that nothing major has happened lately, but I have to say that there is: that is, a group of unlucky nobles who are jealous of the wind and jealous, and they were forcibly included in the first batch of expeditions by Governor Pierce.

These had little to do with the Coslow family, and the younger generation of children were training in the mountains at the time, so they didn't have the opportunity to join in the fun.

The older generation of aristocrats has long been mentally mature. But for the sake of a few singers, he will leave his territorial affairs alone and run hundreds of miles to Beida City to see the excitement.

"The marriage of your two brothers is betrothed. This time, it's mainly about your marriage.

Originally, there was no need to be in such a hurry, but the pace of the war is getting closer and closer, and no one knows how long this war will last.

You are also a big family now, and once you lead the troops to the battle, the stability of the rear will be a big problem.

In order to stabilize people's hearts, you must get married as soon as possible, and try to get your wife pregnant before you go on the expedition. ”

Baron Redman said slowly.

Pity the hearts of parents all over the world.

Even if it is an aristocrat, once it involves its children, it is not much different from ordinary parents.

In just two or three months, the marriage of the two brothers was quickly finalized and arranged for Hudson, and it was obvious that Baron Redman was not less busy.

In recent times, it has also been the peak period of marriage between nobles. No one knows what will happen next, and each additional ally increases the chance of survival.

Even if you are unfortunate enough to die in battle, leaving a descendant to inherit the family business, that is good.

Compared with the previous two brothers, Hudson has a significantly heavier voice on the issue of personal life events.

It can be seen from the fact that Baron Redman personally came to ask for advice. On the two brothers, I'm afraid it's just a notice.

The children of the nobility, while enjoying the convenience brought by the power of the family, also inevitably have to bear the corresponding obligations.

There is no rush to refuse, the current mountain collar really needs a hostess, and even more needs an heir.

"Father, it's too hasty to start preparing now. Or does the family already have a candidate, and even both parties have communicated? ”

Hudson asked rationally.

With his current status, it is not difficult to find a wife who is the right person, and the key is still in politics.

At this point, Hudson's marriage is no longer just a personal problem, but a common problem for the entire Coslow family.

"Yes, regarding the question of the mountain collar hostess, the family has already begun to look for candidates.

You're not too old, so you didn't need to be in such a hurry. It's just that the current situation is changing too quickly, and the Coslow family has just returned to the ranks of the middle nobility when they catch up with this war.

The Mountain Lord's strength is good, especially since you have a lot of allies to pull together. But if you want to survive this war, it is not enough.

Although the family inheritance is not short, it has been far away from the political center for many years, and we have fallen behind in many ways.

Now you need the support of your wife clan so that you can keep abreast of the high-level movements of the kingdom and integrate into the center of power as soon as possible.

Time is running out and there aren't many options left for you right now.

There are five nobles who are in the interests of the family and are interested in marrying you, and you can choose one of them.

We have to complete the communication as soon as possible, and if someone else preempts it too late, it will be troublesome. ”

Baron Redman said solemnly.

Taking the parchment and looking at the information recorded on it, Hudson was surprised to find that three of the five nobles were actually outside the province.

If you think about it carefully, it seems that this is also a normal situation. There were not many middle nobles, and even fewer had women of appropriate age.

Now in such a hurry, those younger candidates can naturally only be excluded.

If the target is limited to the province, then the choice is too small.

Generally speaking, the circle of in-laws of the minor nobles is a few hundred miles nearby.

A thriving person like the Coslow family can turn all their neighbors into their own relatives.

Once it crossed over to the middle aristocracy, the choice of marriage was greatly reduced, and the scope of expansion became inevitable.

The circle of choice of the great nobles is narrower, and in addition to marriages within the kingdom, many large families have in-laws abroad.

Judging by the candidate profiles on the parchment, in addition to the middle nobility, there were also side branches of the great nobility.

Obviously, Hudson's performance has entered the eyes of the big guys and has a certain value of wooing.

Fortunately, they are all collateral, if a certain nobleman is willing to take out the marriage of his daughter, it is estimated that the Coslow family will not hesitate at all, so he directly agreed.

"Then the Holliser family!"

Hudson said in a surging voice.

For no other reason, purely familiarity. Of the five noble ladies above, Hudson had only seen Melissa of the Holliser family.

The other four may be stunningly beautiful, or they may be outrageously ugly.

It was a lifelong problem, and Hudson didn't dare to gamble.

It's good to settle down in advance, so that after you go to the royal capital, other accidents will happen.

As the elite of the younger generation, Hudson is not only interested in local powerhouses, but also the elites in the royal capital who don't mind having more in-laws with potential stocks.

If it is in peacetime, it is also a good choice to marry the magnates of the royal capital.

But now is the war years, and in the war the so-called power is all empty. Only the strength in the hand is real.

If it really encounters a great change and ushers in troubled times, the fiefdom nobles with armies will definitely be stronger than the nobles who are attached to the royal power.

"The Holliser family, is also a good choice.

Although it is now in decline, the ancestor is one of the great nobles of the kingdom, and his background is one of the best among the middle nobles.

Even now, it is still the second largest family in the southeastern province, and its strength is by no means comparable to our Coslow family.

Viscount Orlan is also a promising lord, and the Holliser family has developed well in recent years, and there are some signs of returning to the ranks of the great nobles.

There is only one thing you have to think clearly, once you marry the Holliser family, you will inevitably be jealous of the Dalton family, and may even be suppressed. ”

Baron Redman cautioned cautiously.

"Father, this kind of thing is destined to be unavoidable, so there is no need to worry too much.

The Mountain Lords were able to have smooth sailing before, and that was because the Dalton family needed us to contain the Northland nobles.

Now that the situation has changed, and the nobles of the Northlands who have been badly injured have been suppressed by me, the threat of the Mountain Territory has become prominent.

It was not deliberately aimed at the mountain territory, it was because the situation in the northern frontier was tense, the war was about to break out, and there was no room for internal friction in the kingdom.

Forced by the overall situation, the Dalton family should not do anything on the surface. Estimating Governor Pierce, it is likely that he is planning to use this war to consume our strength.

It is not only our family that is facing this pressure, but also several powerful middle nobles in the province will be under the focus of the Dalton family.

The restriction of the middle nobles in their own sphere of influence by the great nobles is purely motivated by interests. No matter who you marry, you can't change this essence. ”

Hudson said indifferently.

If you have too much debt, you won't be pressured. From the day of refusal of Earl Pierce's wooing, the two sides were destined to be not all the way.

It's useless to make compromises. Unless the strength of the mountain territory does not continue to grow, sooner or later the two sides will have contradictions.

The fact that a tense situation only delays the conflict between the two sides does not mean that the conflict does not exist.

……