The Lord of the Rings: Lords of Middle-earth.

Chapter 1107 The Past of Charles

The Shire is a rich, idyllic pastoral land. Most of its land is cultivated. The banks of the Brandy River, in what's known as the "Marshlands," are ideal for growing mushrooms, a Hobbit delicacy. The southern Shire, especially the Long Valley, enjoys a warm and pleasant climate, perfect for pipeweed. Barley for brewing beer is grown in the North, while grapes from the vineyards in the South are used to make wine, such as the highly sought-after Old Cellars. But the Shire now faces a threat, the source of which is another matter…

The Shire was divided into four equal parts called "Districts": the North District, the South District, the East District, and the West District. Some districts were also named after families who had long resided there. The most famous was Tukland, the home of the Tuk family living around Takland in the West District; and there was also Stagland, located on the east bank of the Brandy River, between the river and the Old Forest, where the Brandy Deer family lived.

The Shire boasts a diverse landscape. The Green Hills stretch from the western part of the Tarklands to the northernmost point of the southern part, encompassing most of the eastern part. Scarry lies in the northern part of the eastern part, adjacent to the Brandy River, where numerous quarries are located. The western part includes the Distant Hills and the chalky White Hills.

Several smaller rivers flow into the Brandy River. These smaller rivers originate in the north (possibly the northern moors) and flow past Hobbiton and By the Water. The Shire, Thistle Creek, and Stock Creek all originate in the Green Hills.

The marshland includes the marshland, the River Crossing Marsh along the Brandy River in the South District, and the Rush Marsh along the small river northwest of Hobbiton in the West District. The woodland includes the Forest Tail at the easternmost edge of the Green Hills in the East District, and the Bundlewood Forest in the North District.

Whitehill's Great Cave Town is the Shire's primary town. Besides this, there are Taklen and Hobbiton in the west; Longcliff and Hardshaft in the north; Frogze, Stock Village, and White Plow in the east; and Long Valley in the south. Stag Town is the most important town in Stagland!
Before this land became the Shire, its farmland, vineyards, and woodlands belonged to the king, but with the disintegration of the Northern Kingdom, this land was gradually forgotten.

In 1601 of the Third Age, the hobbits first arrived in the Shire. The brothers Marco and Blanco, with the permission of King Argyleb II, settled between the River Brandyde and the Far Hills. They led a large caravan of hobbits westward from Bree across the River Brandyde and named the land they traversed the Shire, which is now known as Sza. The hobbits had an obligation to maintain the roads and bridges, and they were to be loyal to the king and ensure the unimpeded passage of his messengers. In 1630 of the Third Age, some strongmen from the Black Wildlands arrived in the Shire, which had by then become the home of the hobbits in Middle-earth.

In the Third Age 1975, the Hobbits sent a troop of archers to the Battle of Fornost, where the Wizard-King of Angmar was defeated and driven out of the North. The Northern Kingdoms thus came to an end, and in the Third Age 1979, the Hobbits elected a governor to assume power in the absence of a throne. Buka of the Swamp was the first governor of the Shire. The lord was also the chairman of the Shire Council and the commander-in-chief of the Shire militia and the Hobbit army. Because the Shire remained peaceful thereafter, the governor's hall became almost a mere formality.

In the end, only the mayor of Great Hole was the Shire's only elected official! The rest of the world was either autonomous or ruled by the various Hobbit families!

Roland's current task is to force those families and dominions to acknowledge Bilbo's title and status as Lord of the Shire! After all, Roland has truly removed the Shire's umbrella; if the Shire doesn't arm itself, it will be a wasteland by the time of the War of the Ring! (Bilbo's nephew, Frodo, eventually served as Mayor of the Shire.)

……

“Ready!” Caslo nodded to Roland.

"Bilbo! Sorry to bother you! Although it's your first day of marriage, we need to get going!" Roland knocked on Bilbo's bedroom door and said.

"Click!" The door was pushed open, and Bilbo walked out with a somewhat anxious look on his face.

"Are you serious?" Bilbo asked anxiously, grabbing Roland's hand.

“Of course! Thank you, madam! You must come too! Bilbo! Give your wife some space to change into something presentable! Today is your first day as Lord of the Shire! Your wife will be the Lord's wife!” Roland smiled at Anne Boleyn, then solemnly pulled Bilbo out and closed the door. “No, Roland! You know I don’t want this…” Bilbo’s hands were uneasy, and he looked very anxious. He had never been a greedy person; he only wanted to live a good life. Now that he had a wife, he preferred a peaceful and comfortable life. After all, this was a tough nut to crack, even after decades of trying to “convert” the One Ring!

“But what if you don’t come here?” Roland countered.

“The Bucks family…” Bilbo counted on his fingers for Roland, just as earnestly as when they first met.

"Come on! The reason we're choosing a lord for the Shard is that we want to consolidate the Shard's power so that it can protect itself in future wars instead of dragging the Alliance down! As for why it's you..." Roland shrugged.

“It’s purely because we know you!” Bard chimed in.

“That’s right! We are willing to fight for you, my friend! Just as you did for us!” Thorin nodded.

“Elves will not wield their swords for outsiders! Except for friends! If you are a woodland elf, you are willing to fight for this land!” Thranduil nodded.

"See? It's not that we're forced to choose you, it's that you're the only option!" Roland smiled. In the Shire, Bilbo was the only choice! After all, his heart had been tested and tempered by the Ring for many years! The lord of the Shire could only be Bilbo, and if not Bilbo, then Frodo! This uncle and nephew were practically gold cards officially certified by the Ring! The Hobbits had been saving up for so many years and only managed to pull out two!

"The army marches forth! To Dadong Town! Another cavalry unit delivers messages to the villages and towns in the Xiaer region! Tell them to send representatives! Tell them that the Xiaer lord has returned!" Roland ordered.

"Right! Tell the cavalry! The language can be tactful, but the attitude cannot be soft! If they dare to make a move, don't hold back! Just send the Knights to suppress them!" Roland's voice was cold, and Bilbo felt a chill run down his spine. He didn't try to persuade Roland, but could only pray that those hobbits were perceptive enough not to let their living father actually start a fight!

“Yes, Your Majesty!” Marquis Al-Tegran Franz said solemnly.

“Take note! You’ll be a lord someday! Your attitude will determine how your subordinates respond to you! Think of Anne! Think of your future children! You don’t want to be overthrown as lord, do you?” Roland said earnestly.

"Strike when the iron is hot; in chaotic times, harsh punishments are the only way! Your sword can't just cut down those who protect; it must also learn to intimidate!" Bai Yi nodded.

"Don't worry, Bilbo! The dwarves will leave some warriors here to help you! They can stay here and wait for dwarves from other places to guide them!" Thorin smiled. He knew Bilbo didn't have his own army, so he didn't mind lending him a dwarven army. In any case, the dwarves could stay here to support their compatriots in the Blue Mountains who hadn't moved yet!
(End of this chapter)