Richard looked young, a young man of great talent and talent, and his mind was on his face.

In fact, Richard experienced two lifetimes, with a mental age of more than fifty years old, and was usually moody and invisible.

In recent years, he has been farming in the territory and has had very little contact with outsiders.

His character is not understood by outsiders at all.

Seeing that he couldn't hold down the price, Savile finally nodded and agreed to pay a sum of money in three days.

Jerram sent someone, carrying the first payment, to Vicburg.

The first payment was 12,000 gold coins.

As soon as the money arrived, Richard gave pensions to the casualties of the 6th Squadron.

The soldiers who participated in the battle were rewarded with a gold coin, and even the people who followed them received fifty kilograms of grain.

The Grant Kingdom Gold Coin, about fifty grams each, in addition to gold, also has some magic crystal powder incorporated into the gold coin.

At the normal market price, the price of gold is half that of a gold coin.

In the Kingdom of Grant, only the royal family had the right to mint gold coins.

No matter how big the nobleman is, as long as he dares to mint gold coins privately, the royal family will definitely send troops to fight.

It is clearly stated in the Code of the Kingdom of Grant that the right to mint money is equal to the royal power.

Duke-level nobles can set up a mint in their territory to mint silver and copper coins, but not gold coins.

Counts and Marquis can mint copper coins, but not silver or gold coins.

In terms of coinage, there was a clear hierarchy among the nobility.

Unless the system can be broken, even the big nobles will not dare to cross and challenge the royal power.

Richard received the first ransom, allowing Savile to meet with Howard.

Hearing that Jerram ransomed him with 30,000 gold coins, Howard directly swore that he was willing to be loyal to Jerram.

As for what he really thinks, who knows what?

Anyway, through observation, Richard found that this person was not shallow, and it was estimated that he had figured out the cause and effect, so he was deliberately captured in the battle.

As long as Howard is captured, the Holland family must pay a ransom to rescue him, especially Jerram, which is closely related to his future.

In that battle, if Howard had the will to die, Richard and the others might not have captured him alive.

Soon after the first payment was delivered, the second tranche of 8,000 gold coins arrived.

This time, Savile Butler told Richard that the final payment needed to be funded.

At the very least, after the autumn harvest, the Archon Jelam will receive a sum of money to pay it off.

"Jeram has a monopoly on the salt trade in the province of Geda, and the price of salt is nine times higher than that of the Duke of Jonathan. The 1.2 million people of Geda Province have provided for this moth, can't they still take out 30,000 gold coins in cash? ”

Seeing Richard speak sarcastically, and even insult his master. Savile was still neither humble nor arrogant, and calmly explained: "Baron Richard, you don't think that my master Jeram alone can monopolize the salt trade in a province.

There are also many big names in the royal capital who share the profits from this business. Mr. Richard should weigh the amount carefully and not sell the salt to other territories. ”

Richard knew in his heart that Jeram had used the lucrative salt monopoly to make money, weaving a group of interests for Prince Felix that supported him.

This interest group is mainly composed of the royal aristocracy, and many of them are branches of the royal family.

Although the political influence is not particularly large, it should not be underestimated.

The larger the number of people, the more well-informed this interest group is.

The windfall profits from salt in Geda Province are a very important source of income for Prince Felix.

Richard's purchase of salt has actually touched this interest group.

It's just that Richard pinched Jerram's handle and made them dare not move.

Having a conflict of interest with Prince Felix, who is behind Jeram, is politically very unfavorable for the Haaland family.

Especially when people are promoted to the title and obtain the territory, someone is making trouble in the royal capital, and it is difficult to ensure the interests of the Haaland family.

If Richard continued to buy salt from Jonathan's domain, he would sell it in Geda Province.

The conflict of interest between the two sides will also be more acute.

Although the Haaland family is not weak, it may not be able to withstand the attack of this interest group.

Even Viscount Rohman, the strongest in Geda Province, chose to back down from this interest group.

The strength of the Haaland family is less than one-third of that of Viscount Rohman, and Richard certainly will not compete with this interest group.

Now that Jeram can't afford it, Howard is locked up in a prison cell, not only does he need to be taken care of by a professional, but he also needs to be provided with exquisite food every day. Raising a person for nothing is of little use to the Haaland family.

Richard was going to ask Jerrah to write an IOU and release him.

After getting the IOU, Richard immediately fulfilled his promise and let Howard go.

Contracts were signed between nobles, which were executed most of the time.

If you want to develop in a region for a long time, credibility is actually very important.

Capricious aristocrats, although they can gain short-term benefits, but in the long run, they lose their reputation and lose their fundamentals.

Richard was not at all afraid of Jeram's debts now.

As long as Jeram pays the bill, Richard can take the opportunity to make a big deal about it, and Jeram finally presses this matter in Geda Province, as long as he still has money in his hand, he is never willing to let himself fall into a scandal.

Besides, Richard was already very happy to get a windfall of 20,000 gold coins.

Having obtained the gold coins, hiding them in the cellar is of little use to the development of the territory.

Only by spending the gold coins and exchanging them for various resources to invest in the construction of the territory can the Haaland family be strengthened.

Now the Haaland family has three territories, and the biggest weakness is the lack of people.

In recent years, through the purchase of slaves, the integration of homeless people, the rescue of slaves captured by the orcs, and the distribution of dead people's wealth, the total population of the three territories is just 20,000.

In addition, there are now more than 2,000 orc slaves in the territory, which are not included in the household registration statistics.

By tomorrow spring, the first slaves will become freedmen.

Once indentured slaves become freedmen, the oppression of them by the territory is reduced.

Free people cultivate farmland, and the tax revenue is only 30%.

Collect food from indentured slaves, just leave them rations.

However, in the long run, only the free people have the ability to consume, and only when there are more free people can there be a market, and only with the market can productivity be improved.

Even if the short-term gains were reduced, Richard would still enforce the indentured slavery decree and slowly convert the serfs into freemen.

With these 20,000 gold coins, Richard intends to buy the population.

20,000 gold coins in the kingdom of Grant can buy about 4,000 people.

Such a large quantity can only be provided by Nolan's slave market.

Richard had just offended the interests behind Jerram, who were extremely powerful in Nolan.

At this time, when you go to Nolan, you need to be on guard against these people at all times.

Secretly stared at by many people, you can get involved in trouble at any time.

In the three provinces of northern Xinjiang controlled by the royal family, the slave market is in Heihe Fort.

The slave market was small, and the total number of slaves in it was less than a thousand.

Moreover, there were many people behind the slave market, and Jeram, as the provincial consul, must have a share of it.

If Jeram takes the opportunity to arrange spies to mix in with the slaves, causing the advanced technology of Haaland's territory to leak, it will be more than worth the loss.

So Richard was not going to buy slaves in the Kingdom of Grant this time, but chose to go to the neighboring Grand Duchy of Starnik to avoid the eyes of others.

Before leaving, Richard was a little uneasy about the territory and spoke to Hayden in person.

"Jeram has paid the ransom, we've let Howard go, and I'm ready to use that money to buy the population. Neither the royal capital nor Heihe City is suitable to go, and this time I am afraid that I will have to travel far away. Elsewhere in the territory, counterintelligence is a top priority.

In particular, brick kilns, steel mills, wineries, brown sugar tree plantations, and Zitoufeng breeding farms must be patrolled by soldiers, and the arranged garrisons cannot be easily mobilized.

Any stranger who appears in the above places must be immediately arrested and sent to the mine for mining. You manage your own intelligence work, and you must always be vigilant against this kind of thing, and you must not relax your mind. ”

After explaining Hayden, Richard talked to Sophia again and asked her to manage the spring ploughing work in his place.

William, Bernie, and Ron are still in the army, Richard and Soros are ready to go out, Powell is staring at the construction of Sophia Castle, and the decision in the territory can only be made by his wife.

(End of chapter)