Chapter 225 Although smuggling, loan sharking and manipulating the black market are good girls
“So you didn’t go to the winter training camp just because you drank too much and lost track of time?”
Sitting in the countryside with legs crossed On the woolen cushions of the villa, Meliati looked at the knights standing in a row with a cold face.
In this early winter weather, there are faint signs of snow in the mountainous counties where the temperature is lower.
In this cold weather, Meliati's knights were shirtless, exposing their naked and fat tendon meat, and they were crowded together like a group of quails.
Knights with red faces and thick necks, you look at me, I look at you, you kick me, I elbow you, you keep making small movements with your hands, and finally you push someone out.
"We were wrong, we were guilty." The square-headed knight did not dare to look directly at the tall iron-masked woman in front of him.
"What's wrong?" Meliati asked in a deep voice.
“The fault is that the potato root wine is so delicious and cheap.”
“Who do you think studied this stuff?”
"It's soft and soft in the mouth, and flavored with a few drops of fruit wine and honey. The Holy Father will dance after drinking it..."
The drunken knights discussed it in all directions.
"Boom!"
Mliarty's iron glove hit the table hard, making a dent in the table.
“Ouch, my table——” The yelling knight saw the red light under Meliati’s iron-faced eyes and swallowed his complaint.
"Did I come to you here to hold a wine tasting meeting?" Meliati stood up and looked down at the square-headed knight Steve, "I taught you how to eat potato roots. Do you want to bring them to make wine? "
These knights are mountain knights special to the Qianhe River Valley. Since there is a lack of horse farms in the mountainous areas west of the Qianhe River Valley, even though they are knights, they still have to fight on foot.
Mountain knights are very different from normal knights. Their farms are not large, and often only one knight can lead six or seven households of farmers.
During the busy farming season, knights even had to work in the fields themselves. Sometimes, knights would even marry farm girls in their territories.
It is not so much the knights, but the six or seven families supporting one family of soldiers.
Due to the lack of land for planting in the mountainous areas, Meliati called for the authentic Big Fat Pig Movement when he first took office as Duke.
This movement allows knights to raise pigs and drive them into the woods to eat acorns.
After all, in mountainous areas, there is not much else but a lot of woods. People in the woods can’t poop after eating acorns, but pigs have no problem eating them.
So when Meliadi succeeded to the position of Duke of Hemastone, they were also called Boar Knights.
However, after Meliati led them over the mountains and carried out riding plunder in the territory of Cod Castle, no one would use that insulting title again.
After all, no one expected that Meliati would actually create a completely extraordinary army. The infantry of the entire Hema Stone Dukedom had at least two and as many as four levels of breathing skills, and there were long archers per capita.
Meliarty has five thousand such mountain infantry.
The Qianhe Valley Mountain Infantry can do this because the Grand Duchess provides them with an annuity of 10 gold pounds every year and a month of free winter training in breathing techniques.
As for where the annuity of 50,000 gold pounds comes from, the first is the Falls family's industry in the Kingdom of France, the second is the rich mines in the mountains of the Thousand River Valley, and the third is smuggling and black market trade. , slave trade, church robbery, and money obtained from loan sharking.
Of course, although Meliati smuggles, manipulates the black market, sells slaves, robs churches, and lends money, she is still a good girl.
"Okay, you guys, all go to the winter training camp for me. You are not allowed to drink even a drop of alcohol during the winter training camp. If you do, you will not only have to work hard for ten days, but also be whipped."
The sentence was pronounced on these people. The knights did not object much to the punishment of a group of knights who were late, and just left the knight hall of the farm obediently. "It's the drinking problem again." Fili emerged from the darkness.
"Yes." Meliati rubbed her neck with a headache.
The mountain knights under her are definitely excellent soldiers, but the problems such as rudeness and alcoholism caused in the children's training camp remain to this day.
Most of the mountain knights were squeezed out from the plains by the imperial nobles, and many even served as wandering knights or even robber knights for a period of time.
According to the old Duke's methods, the first generation of Qianhe Valley Knights cannot be used or put on the battlefield.
From the second generation onwards, all boys from knight families have received three years of rigorous sword-wielding military education in Cold Spring City.
From this generation onwards, it will be put into use and gradually occupy a place in the duke's administrative system.
“Why did you come to me?”
"The mountain knights in North County have agreed that they can gather 300 extraordinary knights, of which it is estimated that there are more than 200 servants and more than 50 square flags."
"Come to join forces or come together? Are you clear about your allegiance?"
"The knights of North are willing to be loyal to you. In addition, many knights in Lower River County who were originally from the Kush family are also prepared to be loyal to you."< br>
"Oh?" Meliati sat up straight, "Aren't they going to elect someone from the Kush family as their leader?"
As the intelligence chief, Fili laughed contemptuously. : "The one from Castle Joan has ruined his reputation. Then Constance took the little prostitute from Castle Joan around. Everyone said it was strange that he was still unmarried at such a young age..."
"That molester, have you confirmed his identity? Is he really the uncle of the leader of the Salvation Army?"
"No, he should be a scapegoat that the church dragged from nowhere, Gao Bao According to reports, Horn’s uncle ran away before he left the Black Bone Swamp.”
Fili looked up at Meliati, who was sitting upright, even though he couldn’t see her face. , but still felt that the duchess seemed a little absent-minded.
"Lord, are you very interested in the Salvation Army?"
"Yes." Meliaty nodded without hesitation, "There is news from Paslik, then The leader of the Salvation Army is a witch, but she is a man, which is so rare. ”
As an orphan adopted by the old Duke, Feili knew the identity of Meliati: "You think, bringing him here is..."
"A monster that can stably inherit the characteristics of a witch. This kind of Who wouldn’t be moved by the treasure?”
Feli suddenly felt a little pity and sympathy for the leader of the peasant rebel army whom he had never met before. If he fell into the hands of this ruthless duchess, he would probably have nothing to do with him for the rest of his life. Locked in the palace and bred.
"Isn't this good? He is the hero of Qianhe River Valley." Feili, who was also from Qianhe River Valley, said something on his behalf.
“Giving a prince a title that no one can fault, is there anything else?”
Anyway, he tried his best, and Fili quickly replied: "The dwarves of the Dragon Worship Cult have arrived at White Cedar Castle. They handed over a letter and looked forward to visiting you."
"They came quite quickly."
Nonsense, you used loan sharks to force a bunch of dwarves from the Longmian Mountains to work as hard labor in Cold Spring Castle. Are they too old to come here?
Of course Feili would not dare to say this to his face: "You offered to allow them to perform public sacrifices and build cities in the five mountainous counties. Of course they can't wait."
"Tell them I will We will meet with them within three days and will be notified in advance.”
(End of this chapter)