Chapter 857 Winter Food and the Skyrocketing Territory Population
Facts have proved that some people really want to die.
After Lu Xingshi refused to share the cake with the surrounding nobles, he naturally took action.
It did bring Lu Xingshi a lot of trouble, but it was all solved by Lu Xingshi.
The solution is very simple and crude, just flatter the other party.
There are too many people dying, so if you say you are not afraid, you must be lying.
It doesn't matter if you're not afraid, everyone is dead and the rest won't be a problem.
But such a large-scale death naturally attracted attention.
However, Lu Xingshi's actions were very covert, and there was no direct evidence. Instead, because the nobleman who was the backbone died, Lu Xingshi took this opportunity to eat away at a lot of interests and further strengthen the Black Earth Territory.
After that, Lu Xingshi sat firmly on Diaoyutai.
As for the new nobles who came to power after their father and mother died, they thought Lu Xingshi was the murderer.
Lu Xingshi just replied disdainfully. "Produce evidence. Otherwise, I will not only sue you for slander, but also have a duel to protect the honor of your nobles. Whoever loses will be stripped of his noble status."
As soon as these words came out, everyone naturally became silent.
Lu Xingshi is now not only an earl, but also a great knight of the kingdom. He has already possessed the seed of life and stepped into the transcendent world, which is simply not what they can compare with.
So they tolerated it on the surface, but secretly began to seek relationships with higher-ups. This matter will definitely never end.
Even now, there is still no movement, probably because Lu Xingshi's momentum is too strong, and few people are willing to offend Lu Xingshi for such a trivial matter.
The benefits of the right to develop can only be enjoyed by Lu Xingshi, the Earl of Langton, in the surrounding territories. In other words, there is no interest related. It is not worth offending the kingdom's knight just for the sake of three melons and two dates.
So now, basically the nobles around them have become honest. They are not honest themselves, but are forced to be honest.
Now there are two ways to retaliate and regain your lost interests. The first is to accept Lu Xingshi's honorary duel, but this is definitely not an option. Not all nobles will accept knight training, most of them are just a formality.
How dare they, they still know this.
The second point is even simpler, just send troops to defeat Lu Xingshi.
They dare not do this, because once they send troops to attack Lu Xingshi, it means that they have violated the laws of the kingdom. Lu Xingshi has the right to fight back and after victory, all the spoils will belong to Lu Xingshi.
Even if Lu Xingshi is defeated, he will be deprived of his title for violating the law and become a rebel.
What he faced next was the encirclement and suppression by the nobles who looked like wolves and tigers around him.
Therefore, the best way is to endure it honestly. Forget the lost profits. Anyway, the territory is still there, and it is not impossible to earn it back.
Lu Xingshi was not very proud of this. To put it bluntly, they were just a group of country rich people, who just had more knowledge.
In fact, it is not that difficult to deal with, especially since he uses force as his main method. If he is still stumped by the opponent, he really has to reflect on whether the person on the other side who stumps him is the protagonist.
When he was weak, he was given trouble by others, which was justified. But now that he is so strong, and this kind of thing happens to him, Lu Xingshi is fully qualified to ask why you are such an ant?
Oh, this is a trumpet, that’s okay.
"Winter is coming, how is the food situation in the territory?" Lu Xingshi asked.
The Black Earth Territory expanded to the outside world and recruited a large number of savages to become territorial citizens. Coupled with the craftsmen and people supported by the king, the population in the territory increased several times.
As for why the savages are willing to be naturalized? The reason is very simple. Lu Xingshi provided food, housing and wages. Not only did the living conditions not get worse, but they got better.
Of course, those savages who were unwilling to be naturalized died and were used by Lu Xingshi to kill chickens to scare monkeys.
The method is to use both kindness and power, rather than simply giving benefits. When the other party thinks you are weak and incompetent, they will try to fish in troubled waters or cause trouble and fights, which will be a headache.
It's better to let them understand who is the master here from the beginning.
"Sir, this is enough for our entire territory to survive this winter for the time being."
"It's just that if the pioneers continue to recruit savages to become territorial citizens, then the food will definitely not be enough." The steward said.
Even though the development of the Black Earth Territory is not progressing very fast, most of the areas they open up are more suitable places to live in the permafrost mountains. There must be savages in these places. Otherwise, if they are not suitable for habitation, where will they live?
Therefore, every expansion will definitely be accompanied by consolidation, which means that the food will not be enough for the entire black soil territory to survive the winter.
It's just that the butler spoke more tactfully and didn't say it directly.
"Go out and buy enough food as soon as possible." Lu Xingshi calculated the benefits and found that there were still many benefits from development.
It’s just that most of the profits need to be cashed out.
There is definitely no way to grow gold coins in the mountains.
"We have arranged for merchants to go to distant places to purchase goods, but it just takes time."
"And adults... may not be able to buy it." The butler was worried when he said this.
To a certain extent, food has more currency value than gold and silver coins.
At least if most items cannot be traded with gold and silver, they can be successfully traded with food.
Productivity issues have always been the lowest level issues.
"It's okay. You can buy as much as you can. We still have the king here." Lu Xingshi couldn't help but smile.
He has determined that the king wants to win over him, and he has expressed his sincerity. When the time comes to ask the king for something, the other party will definitely not refuse.
If he really refuses... then Lu Xingshi also has a solution.
When winter comes, the permafrost mountains in the north will block roads due to heavy snow. At that time, Lu Xingshi will directly take his people out to burn, kill and loot. Anyway, there are many noble territories around. When the winter is over, everyone will be dead. Who knew it was him. He is kind to his own people, but he is naturally as cruel as possible to his enemies.
This group of nobles who have offended him have been regarded as enemies by Lu Xingshimo. It is inappropriate not to take action now.
Besides, wouldn't it be better to keep it as a supply pack?
The housekeeper didn't know what Lu Xingshi's true thoughts were, but he felt much relieved when he heard that Lu Xingshi had an idea.
“The other thing is to find ways to bring in some refugees so we don’t have to worry about food issues.”
"Population is the biggest problem in our Black Territory." Lu Xingshi said.
"But sir, if too many people from outside the Black Territory join, their loyalty...cannot be guaranteed." The steward hesitated and expressed his worries.
The original population of the Black Earth people was indeed small, but they had basically been members of the Langton family for generations, and they were also very exclusive towards outsiders.
Nowadays, the foreign population is increasing and has squeezed the space of this group of indigenous people.
"It's very simple. Let the people who originally belonged to the Langton family become managers." Lu Xingshi knew that it was not that loyalty could not be guaranteed, but that there was an imbalance in his heart.
Why can outsiders be on an equal footing with them?
"Don't promote them all at once, promote them slowly and let them manage the people who have settled in the Black Territory from outside."
"We just have to supervise it well and we can't let them take the power and abuse it."
"Even if they were savages and refugees before, they have now become the citizens of the Black Earth Territory. They are my wealth and are not targets that they can attack at will." Lu Xingshi warned again.
He can actually communicate with the butler in another way, but the other party may not understand the butler's thinking.
If Lu Xingshi told him directly that the newly arrived citizens are also his wealth and you have to protect them, then according to his responsibilities and logic, he must protect them well.
Otherwise, according to the preference, he will definitely side with the original residents.
"Yes, sir." The housekeeper understood Lu Xingshi's words immediately: "I will protect your wealth from deliberate destruction."
In the eyes of housekeepers and territorial officials, the people in their territory are not considered people, but can only be regarded as Lu Xingshi's belongings.
They are human beings, but they belong to the slave stage.
Over the years and passed down from generation to generation, this idea has become deeply ingrained, and it is not easy to get rid of it.
However, Lu Xingshi has no intention of lifting it. This would be beneficial to him, so why should he do it?
I am a member of the feudal and decadent aristocratic class. If I don’t have enough means to use the knife in a position, I have to position myself well.
Instead of saying that everyone is equal, they actually enjoy privileges.
Lu Xingshi is not that hypocritical. He has already enjoyed himself, so there is no need to whitewash himself.
He naturally transferred the decadent nobles to the oppression of the people at the bottom. The problem was that he was incapable of solving it.
This is not the case in his territory or kingdom, but in the entire world.
Furthermore, it would be too much trouble for Lu Xingshi to make changes. It would be better to wait for his own body to come over and let the Yan army teach them how to behave with swords.
Don't change it then, just tear it down and start over.
Not only can it save trouble, but it also eliminates the need for Lu Xingshi to do anything.
Before the main body arrives, the best way is to follow the trend.
He doesn't cultivate immortality, so why should he shout against the will of heaven?
"It's good that you know." Lu Xingshi nodded. It can be seen from the butler's answer that his instructions were very effective.
"Sir, some scholars have recently come from the royal capital and want to seek a job with you."
"I have arranged for them, do you think... do you want to meet them?" the housekeeper asked.
When Lu Xingshi heard this, he was a little surprised: "There are actually scholars willing to come to my poor and remote place."
Scholar may sound like a very common profession, but in fact it is not common at all.
First of all, being able to read is probably enough to defeat 99% of people in this world. Secondly, you need to have enough knowledge, which is even harder.
Therefore, to become a scholar, you must not only have money, but also have a good background, otherwise you will not be able to read books.
The vast majority of scholars are actually the concubines and concubines of certain nobles, members of branch tribes, etc.
Of course, with the growth of the scholar group, unique forces such as scholar families and academic clans have also formed, which are free from the aristocratic class.
A companion group similar to the aristocracy.
They had no power, but gained it indirectly through the auxiliary nobles.
It's probably the Aristocratic Family, but because the development structure is different, it's not as good as the Aristocratic Family.
The nobility is the combination of aristocratic families and princes.
"Then let's meet. It just so happens that there is a shortage of educated people in the territory." Lu Xingshi naturally would not refuse.
The total number of literate people in the black soil territory is less than one slap.
(End of chapter)