The harvest season is the most fascinating. Looking at the wheat waves rolling in the wind, Hudson, who was holding his son, couldn't help but smile happily.

With this bumper harvest, the newly relocated serfs should also be at ease. For the people at the bottom, nothing is more reassuring than a good harvest.

After several years of hard work, the grain yield per mu in the territory has further increased, and the average yield per mu has exceeded 220 pounds.

Whether it is the effect of fertilizer, or the role of seed selection and breeding, or maybe both, Hudson is not sure.

But this is only a small problem, regardless of the specific reason, anyway, you have to grasp both hands.

The seeds should be of the highest quality, the swamp brand fertilizer must continue to be used, and the farm's composting technology cannot be ignored.

In fact, the yield per mu is also due to the fact that the yield per mu of newly developed mountainous areas is too low, which is dragging its feet. The most fertile swampy farmland yields even approached three hundred pounds per acre.

Of course, this data is only in the hands of the upper echelons of the territory. Ordinary people only know that the mountain has received a bumper harvest, and there is really no clear concept of the specific harvest to what extent.

Even if a spy spreads the news, everyone will only think that this is an example of a partial land harvest. It's not like something like this hasn't happened before.

For example, if two armies fight brutally on the battlefield, it will be easier to produce a good harvest of grain in the coming year.

Another example: heavy snow in winter will lead to higher grain production in the coming year.

……

It's just that everyone hasn't studied it in depth, lacks knowledge in related fields, and more attributed this extraordinary thing to - God blessed.

Hudson already had a lot of divine aura on him, and he didn't mind adding another one.

The name of "Divine Curling" doesn't need him to promote, and he has a bunch of tap fans to press on his head.

The most important thing is that the status is different.

When this kind of thing happened during the period of the small aristocracy, it was a matter of life and death, and the slightest carelessness would be the death of the clan.

At this point, at most, it will cause people to peep secretly. I won't send someone to rob it because of a rumor that is undecided.

There is no shortage of grain in the southeastern provinces, and the Dalton family may turn against the Coslow family for other reasons, but it is absolutely impossible to start an aristocratic war for the sake of a few dozen catties of grain per mu.

The Blood Moon Defense Line is currently being built, everyone has money to contribute, some people to contribute, and the Dalton family has food to contribute.

The fact that the Dalton family was able to provide food and drink for hundreds of thousands of laborers every day is enough to explain the problem.

Judging from the data released on the surface, the Dalton family controls more than 30,000 square kilometers of land, and the population under its rule is more than one million.

Even if the actual data is doubled, there is nothing surprising. Hudson hadn't forgotten that the Dalton family had islands overseas, and these territories were not under the jurisdiction of the kingdom.

With such a strong family foundation, it is naturally not a big problem to supply the rations of hundreds of thousands of laborers. It is nothing more than to take the grain that originally supported the northern Xinjiang to build a defensive line.

Without the burden of supplying materials to the north, the overall burden of the nobles in the southeastern provinces has been reduced a lot.

If it weren't for the collapse in food prices, the lack of enough buyers in the market, and the financial crisis of so many petty aristocrats.

If you dig deeper, you can still have something to do with Hudson.

Without the consumption of military grain in northern Xinjiang, the grain production capacity of the southeastern provinces was seriously overcapacity, and the mountain territory, which had always been the largest grain buyer in the southeastern provinces, suddenly stopped purchasing grain.

The twin crises collided, directly triggering a bloody collapse in food prices. Don't say that it is compared with the war period, and even before the war.

Hudson is also to blame on this issue. From another point of view, the mountain territory's large-scale reclamation plan is purely an increase in grain.

The increase in grain production capacity in the context of a slight decline in the overall population of the southeastern provinces is undoubtedly the main culprit of the crisis.

I know it, but Lord Hudson doesn't mean to worry about everyone. If it is unsalable, it will be unsalable, and he has no grain to sell now anyway.

The retail price of rye is now 2.5 copper coins per pound, which is 0.5 copper coins lower than the normal price before the outbreak of the war.

For food, such a price drop is already devastating. But this is meaningless, only one-sixth of the price has fallen, far from the time to be able to buy the bottom.

What's more, with Hudson's personality, he is not allowed to do anything to rob while the fire is hot. Even if they purchase grain reserves, they can only go according to the market price, and they cannot do anything to deliberately reduce the price.

Then simply wait, when the aristocracy's warehouses are full, it is often easier to discuss this issue.

Reserve grain, reserve grain, and most importantly - reserves!

No one stipulates that the grain reserves must be piled up in their own warehouses.

If conditions permit, it is also a good choice to temporarily put it in the neighbor's warehouse.

The core factor is caused by the immaturity of the market.

If there is overcapacity in the mature commodity market, the downstream industrial chain can also be extended, such as the development of aquaculture, winemaking, and food refining......

It's a pity that the more you build in these industries, the more you lose.

Under a self-sufficient economy, everyone can produce these products themselves. Except for those new aristocrats in the north who needed to purchase, there was no market to find at all.

It is a pity that transporting these products from the southeastern provinces to northern Xinjiang is a long distance, not to mention the long distance, and the tolls along the way alone can bankrupt people.

If you could go by sea, things might be better. You can do business in coastal cities, but unfortunately there are two ports in the north.

A port on the steppe, controlled by the kingdom of Farrant Wheel, one of the Seven Kingdoms of the Steppe; The other port was in the hands of Duke Hiro.

In the entire southeastern province, the only one who can do business is the Dalton family, but it is limited to the port.

If you want to go deep into the interior to do business, it is simply impossible. The two big forces that control the port are now counting on monopolies for huge profits.

……

"Your Excellency, the king has sent an official letter."

Tom's words interrupted Hudson's family fun. Turning around, he handed little Franz to Melissa, and took the official document and read it.

"What's the matter, Hudson, is something wrong again?"

Melissa asked with concern.

From the time the two met to the present, there have been no days of peace. Either they are fighting a war, or they are preparing for a war.

Even after the end of the war, there were a lot of problems that made everyone uneasy.

"Nothing big!

The Ministry of War planned to station two legions in the southeastern province in case of a Hessian invasion. This is in consultation with me. ”

He said it lightly, but deep down Hudson was not at all calm. Beware of the Hesses, this kind of excuse for the lake to make children, he is ten thousand unbelievable.

Even if war breaks out immediately, if the Hessian Kingdom wants to invade the southeastern provinces, it must first open the road to the Blackstone Mountains.

There is a natural buffer zone, which is enough to buy time for the kingdom to deploy troops, and there is no way to put two standing armies in the southeastern province.

With this low-end excuse, it is better to say: The grain price in the southeastern province is cheap, and the standing army can be purchased nearby, and military spending can be saved.

"You're going to refuse, aren't you?"

Melissa asked curiously.

Since childhood, I have heard and seen it, and I still have political sensitivity. It seems that it is nothing to put two standing armies in the southeastern province, but in fact, the central government is reaching out to the local government.

It's easy to please God, but it's hard to send God!

Once these two legions are let in, it will be difficult to drive people out.

"They didn't come at the right time, if it had been six months ago, I wouldn't have minded them coming over and mixing the water.

It's a pity not now!

It was only with great difficulty that we eased our relationship with the Dalton family and established a fragile balance, which was bound to be upset with a strong dragon inserting at this time.

The Dalton family has long regarded the Southeastern Province as their own back garden, and they will certainly not let people put their tentacles in it unless necessary. ”

Hudson said helplessly.

Caesar IV also reminded the nobles in the country to give up their prejudices and prepare for war wholeheartedly, and in the blink of an eye, the central government wanted to meddle in local affairs.

Of course, it cannot be ruled out that this is for the sake of the safety of the southeastern provinces, but the probability is too low.

……

Emerald Palace.

"Your Majesty, except for Count Calis and Count Martinez, everyone else has refused the Kingdom garrison."

The Minister of War, the Grand Duke Efiero, reported with a frown.

The conscience of heaven and earth, this time the Ministry of Military Affairs issued a document that sincerely aimed to strengthen border defense and reduce military spending by the way.

Compared with several large grain-producing provinces in the south, the price of grain in the royal capital, which needs to be transferred from other places, is seven or eight percent higher.

The large number of armies gathered near the royal capital was a burden to the kingdom. With limited military spending, the Ministry of Military Affairs had to find ways to cut expenditure.

How can I be painstaking, and I am not understood at all. With the exception of the provinces of Kovarsia and Obra, which were terrified by the Hesses, several other southern provinces did not buy it at all.

"Well, let them go! The path is their own choice, and the consequences are their own. In case of a future war, there will be a time for them to cry. ”

Caesar IV said angrily.

The local nobles were worried that he, the king, would meddle in local affairs with the help of the garrison, but he was really very restrained.

In a large province like the Southeast Province, there are only two corps garrisoned, and at most they will have a little right to speak, and how can they be qualified to compete for the decision-making power of local affairs!

It's a pity that no one will believe this. After all, the political credibility of him, the king, has not yet been established.

"Your Majesty, the garrison is only a minor issue. Since they can choose to refuse, it is naturally due to strength.

Compared to the great nobles in the north, the great nobles in the south are better at hiding their strength. It seems that they have done their best in all wars, but no one knows how much they have actually hidden.

For example, the Flowing Wind Family, everyone thought that after the entire army was destroyed, the Flowing Wind Family, which had been greatly damaged, would collapse, but their remaining strength still retained most of their interests.

If it weren't for the fact that the political influence was too bad and I needed to give everyone an explanation, I am afraid that even the position of the governor, Duke Liufeng would not give it up.

Nominally, they have declined into middle nobles, but the comprehensive strength in their hands is still the first family in Fengyun Province.

The situation of the Dalton family was similar, I thought that the Coslow family would challenge them after the war, but I didn't expect that nothing happened.

With Earl Hudson's methods, they all chose to be silent, which is enough to prove the strength of the Dalton family.

Nominally, the military strength of these great nobles in southern Xinjiang is far inferior to that of several families in northern Xinjiang, but the real gap may not be as wide as we imagined. ”

It's not that the nobles of Northern Xinjiang are honest, they are really beaten by orcs all year round, and they can't hide their strength at all.

In contrast, the great nobles of the south are different. In all wars, they have played the role of reinforcements, and the deeper they hide, the better it will be for the family.

Simply calculating the military strength on the surface, the strength of the Dalton family is only one-third of the weakest family among the five nobles in Northern Xinjiang, and the Liufeng family is only half of the weakest family of the five major families in Northern Xinjiang.

However, judging from the performance of the two major families, there is more than this strength at all.

After the loss of the army on the surface, it was able to restore the formation immediately. Even if the combat power has decreased, it is enough to prove that the family has a solid foundation.

From the standpoint of the kingdom, the strength of the great nobles in the country is undoubtedly a good thing.

But for the king, this is not necessarily the case. No monarch likes to hide his strength, and this hiding often means uncontrollable.

"Prime minister, don't worry, I'm not a person with a small belly. They have the confidence to stop the invasion of the Kingdom of Hesse, which is also a good thing for the Kingdom.

There is no need to mention the matter of the garrison. The next strategic focus of the kingdom is to recuperate and recover.

Except for the newly recovered seven provinces of the Northlands, which still need time to develop, and can not be required, the other provinces must make up for the noble private army within three years.

In particular, these border provinces should be urged to expand their armaments and warfare. The Military Affairs Department should grasp this work and make sure that everyone is ready for war at any time. ”

Caesar IV said with a calm face.

Obviously, Caesar IV, who said that he didn't care, was not really so generous. It can be seen from the content of the words that it is completely disgusting under the banner of "good for you".

The expansion of armaments is simple to say, but these preparations are all about money. Unlike the serf soldiers who served without pay, the official private army of the nobles also needed to be paid.

No matter how much you save, you have to be able to support your family. Otherwise, those wandering knights would not have come to run.

Let the private army be restored, the big nobles don't care. Originally, their establishment was complete, and the difference was limited to the reduction of combat effectiveness.

It was the petty nobles below who were really hurt. Theoretically, they had been recuperating for two years, and they should be relieved.

It's a pity that in the past two years, there has been an additional war repayment tax. This tax is not too much to be apportioned to individuals, but the tax is collected in pure cash and cannot be offset in kind.

For the nobles in the areas with convenient transportation and developed commerce, there is not much pressure, and they can just take the real estate and realize it.

But for some noble lords who are blocked by transportation, remote locations, and lack the means to monetize, this is a big trouble. If the big nobles are stuck, the problem will be even more serious.

It's not going to be easy, where is the spare strength to expand the armament war! It's good that the kingdom doesn't mention this issue, but if you urge it, it will be a heavy burden.

……

Bloodmoon County.

"Are you sure you're right, the demonic beasts in the Blackstone Mountains are converging?"

Governor Pierce asked with a solemn expression.

In recent days, the number of Demonic Beasts attacking the construction team has been rising, and in order to find out the situation, he had to send a master to go deep into the Blackstone Mountains to check the situation.

There is a problem with this investigation, according to past experience, a large number of demonic beasts gathered together, which often means that the beast tide is about to break out.

"Your Excellency, I have seen this with my own eyes. If it weren't for my Sound Splitter being fast enough, I would almost never have come back! ”

Magister Yuri said with a heartfelt heart.

After walking in the group of monsters, being able to come back intact is definitely blessed by the Lord of Dawn.

But if he is a little unlucky, he is targeted by a high-level demonic beast in the Black Rock Mountain Range, and his fate is to become poop.

】

"How big is the herd?"

Governor Pierce asked with concern.

There are also three, six, nine and so on, some small beast tides, and the small nobles in the countryside can cope with them; And it is not surprising that the Great Beast Tide Cutting County has broken the province.

The largest beast tide in history, and there is even a record of destroying the country.

"I don't know! Anyway, there are hundreds of demonic beasts I saw, and there are still demonic beasts converging on the road.

There are quite a few high-level demonic beasts living in the Blackstone Mountain Range, and ordinary people can't get close to them at all. If you want to know the specifics, you should ask Earl Hudson to check it out! ”

Magister Yuri suggested.

It's not that he wants to shake the pot, it's really that it's too dangerous to go deep into the Blackstone Mountains right now. On the way back, he saw a lot of mercenary groups, which had become snacks for Warcraft.

Don't say that the Magister was in danger in the past, even the Great Magus didn't dare to guarantee that he would be able to escape when he encountered these high-level Demon Beasts.

Even the legendary powerhouses of the Sanctuary have to run quickly when they encounter a herd of beasts. Once it is surrounded, it can also bury bones.

In the past years, there were not only one or two masters who died in the Blackstone Mountains.

The dragon knight was able to go over and check, not only because of the dragon's strong combat power, but also because of the dragon's speed.

Even high-level demonic beasts are rarely able to catch up with the dragon. Catching up doesn't mean being able to fight, after all, Warcraft is not omnipotent.

Gaining the advantage of speed, there are inevitably certain disadvantages in other aspects, and it is impossible to take advantage of all the talents.

"Don't bother the two masters, Yuri Magister has a lot to do with this matter, and it's not appropriate to leak it out now, so I'll bother you to go to the mountains to lead the way."

Governor Pierce said a little tiredly.

I was really tired, and I thought that I could take the opportunity of building the Blood Moon Defense Line to complete the further integration of the nobles in the province.

Unfortunately, the plan did not change quickly, and the construction of the defense line did not go smoothly, first the kingdom's debt crisis broke out, and then the international situation became tense again.

It seems to be far away from the southeastern provinces, but none of them are inseparable, and all of them have to be paid attention to by Governor Pierce.

He had just rejected the kingdom garrison, and now there were signs of a beast tide, which did not give him a chance to relax at all.

If he had known that there was a beast tide waiting here, and when the Ministry of Military Affairs proposed to garrison troops, he would not have refused so simply.

In the case of uncertainty about the scale of the beast tide, it is definitely a great thing to be able to have two more standing legions come over to fill the pit.

It's a pity that in politics, it's hard to get what you say. I just rejected the kingdom garrison, and I can't change my position immediately and invite people back.

"That's it, for the safety of millions of people in the southeast province, I'll just take a trip!"

After pretending to be forced, Magister Yuri turned around and walked out of the gate. Summons the Sound Splitter and heads straight for the mountain leader.

……