806: Chapter 37: The Future of the Hometown (w words update, ask for monthly pass!)_2 806: Chapter 37: The Future of the Hometown (w words update, ask for monthly pass!)_2 If an invader defeats the lord and becomes the new lord, the original lord cannot blame his own domain residents.
Because no matter how the domain residents resist, it is futile—once the Sublimator leader of the enemy is eliminated, even half-barbarians like the Mountain People would not engage in guerrilla or street warfare to the end, because once the enemy is provoked, the Sublimators will truly dig three feet into the ground to find and eliminate all ‘enemies’ physically.
Moreover, it is only with such a system that lords are motivated to protect ‘their own’ possessions.
This is an odd custom that can only be concocted in the world of Sublimators.
“There’s no need for land reform at all!”
The land policy Ian wanted to implement was actually very simple; it was to consolidate fragmented farmland, reclaim wasteland, and connect as much arable land within the Xiawei Territory as possible, then allocate farmland according to the actual needs of each village and population, ensuring that everyone in need has their field to cultivate nearby.
However, ownership of the land would revert to the Lord’s Mansion.
The land could not be privately traded, and its use must conform to the arrangements of the Lord’s Mansion.
But everything was already —the farmers’ land was only nominally theirs, truly belonging to the lord.
One side is primitive feudal autocracy, and the other is advanced planning.
But the world originally progresses in a spiral; the primitive occasionally becomes advanced, and after confirming this, Ian couldn’t help but complain, “I’ve already borrowed five thousand Talles from Yisen!
Can I possibly even return it?”
Of course, he would not return.
Borrowed by skill, why return it?
At most, just not borrow a second time.
Ian invested these five thousand Talles into the development of the territory, bringing in several professional teams to explore the soil and terrain within the territory, and also surveyed a few mine areas in the Bison Mountain Range, and incidentally purchased a batch of advanced mining equipment powered by Alchemy Furnaces, in preparation for mining development.
Currently, the exploration teams are still surveying, but the reports that have come out are very inspiring: Three mine areas are rich mines with iron, copper, tin available, and what’s most heartening is the discovery of ‘Patterned Iron’ from the Gorge Mine District.
This is a naturally occurring mineral with part of the Origin Structure in it, having extremely regular patterns on the ore layers; common heavy iron, red steel, and Fluorine Copper are all refined and processed from Pattern Iron and its associated minerals.
The appearance of Patterned Iron implies that there is an even rarer Sublimated Metal ore vein inside the Gorge Mine District.
Although Ian was pleased, he wasn’t particularly surprised; after all, with the conditions of the Xiawei Territory, it wouldn’t be surprising even if a Mithril mine appeared.
Everything is steadily improving.
The year of 773 in the Era of Tara, December 1.
The first Tax Officer/Public Servant examination in the Xiawei Territory has begun.
“Dad, feeling a bit better?”
A young voice sounded in a room where the lights were off and the windows were tightly shut, and the response was the old man’s unclear murmur.
The former head steward of the Baron Leyan, Moda, groggily sat up from the bed, opened his eyes, and found his youngest son Roland holding a cup of medicine, looking at him with concern.
Silently taking the medicine, he drank it in one breath, and as the bitterness made him a bit more alert, the old man took a breath and then said, “Don’t look at me like that…
Didn’t I allow you to take the exam yesterday?”
“I was just worried about you.”
The young man rubbed his head, responding lively, “And you indeed didn’t take your medicine this morning, which is not good.”
The old man glanced at his son.
Steward Moda had never been very fond of this youngest son of his.
He was a rebellious fellow.
As the last son in the family, unable to inherit the steward’s position, he had always yearned for life in the big cities.
As soon as Roland came of age, he stole a sum of money from home and went to Nauman City; by the time Steward Moda and his people reached Nauman City, the fellow had already mixed into a merchant caravan and left the Golden Plains.
There was no possibility of catching up then.
Angry Moda returned home and swore to himself that he would regard this son as dead, so he wouldn’t be heartbroken.
But five years later, when his son returned to the doorstep with a smile and a diploma of Mechanical Alchemy Master, the initial sensation in the old man’s heart was still exhilaration.
Then he hung Roland up and gave him a severe whipping.
Steward Moda’s disapproval wasn’t because Roland was rebellious, but because he was always too adventurous.
For instance, when Steward Moda wanted to relocate his family to Nauman City, Roland did the opposite and insisted on staying in Xiawei Territory to work for the new lord.
“Dad, you served the old lord for a lifetime, so why can’t I try to become the tax officer for the new lord?”
These were Roland’s exact words, “And I think, with my knowledge in mechanical engineering and Inscriptions, I could certainly make a significant impact under this new lord—maybe even achieve greater things than you have!”
This thought made Moda Steward’s face look even worse.
—This foolish child simply doesn’t understand; our family has been the steward family for the previous lord.
A lordship brings a new set of officials, just look at the chairmen of the Old Leyan Territory’s trade guilds, the captains of the guard squads, and other stewards, weren’t they all displaced?
Celine’s head was even burnt!
Only Ambur, who was utterly disloyal and submerged himself in the lab day in and day out, was retained.
Yet even so, the new lord still parachuted a new Alchemy Steward in as the leader, someone young enough to be his grandson, and Ambur treated him with utmost respect and deference as a disciple every day.