Chess Mage of Faerûn

Chapter 430 Development Plan
After hearing praises like "Master is benevolent" and "His magical powers are boundless" for several days, a few discordant notes suddenly appeared amidst the flood of flattery.

"Thanks to the lord, we can even save on livestock."

"I knew it! The lord is a legendary archmage, one man is worth hundreds of mules."

Such sincere and unpretentious praise made their lord's face darken. He suddenly realized that it was not appropriate for him to be so close to the people's livelihood. In addition, he had many other matters to attend to, so he simply let go and let the druids organize the successors.

When you're busy, time flies by, and before you know it, everyone has spent their first month in High Cliff Territory.

As the hands of time passed from the stormy month to the snow-melting month of spring dawn, the completion of spring plowing brought with it the good news that the third earthen building was about to be completed and the first earthen building was already ready for occupancy.

This is a big deal!

The three-story, nearly ten-meter-high earthen building had exceeded the most extravagant expectations and imaginations of these refugees. In their eyes, this earthen building was not much different from the castles of knights and lords.

On the day the first group of refugees moved in, the crowds of visitors were so large that Zhang Yuan was quite surprised.

That makes sense. It's no secret that such large earthen buildings were built and stood tall on the territory. No one could hide it from them. The villagers, having finished their busy farming season, all came to watch with great curiosity and a certain expectation.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Master Zhang held a move-in ceremony and announced a comprehensive plan for the future development of the territory.

The first step is the construction of new housing. Currently, those with surplus labor can submit a joint application to build earthen buildings.

They were absolutely willing to agree, especially after visiting the interior of the Tulou. The spacious living area, complete facilities, and the impregnable outer walls gave them an indescribable sense of security!
The indigenous people could no longer describe their envy as simply admiration for the migrants who had the opportunity to live in such dwellings.

Although there had been rumors beforehand, the cheers that erupted when it was officially confirmed were deafening.

Secondly, the promulgation of agricultural guidelines also went very smoothly. What these farmers have seen, heard, and experienced this month has completely convinced them, so they have no doubts about the manual promulgated by the lord and promoted by the druids.

Next, our Lord Zhang reiterated the good news that the territory would be exempt from taxes for a year, which was met with cheers from the crowd. It is a benevolent policy, after all, so it must be emphasized from time to time. Otherwise, how can we show the kindness of Lord Zhang?

The fourth issue was hygiene. In the first few days after arriving in the territory, Master Zhang was quite approachable and set up his tent not far from the locals. However, he soon smelled the pleasant fragrance of night-blooming jasmine and saw the locals casually venturing into the grass to apply farmyard manure several times. In the end, he decisively led his team to find a few abandoned houses to live in.

It's not that we didn't want to make changes, but given the living conditions back then, it was impossible to know where to start. Now that the new house is completed, it's only natural that new regulations would be introduced.

Each floor of the Tulou is designed with several public toilets and bathrooms. They are simple but convenient. All excretion must be done in the toilet. There are people responsible for patrolling from time to time. Violators will be warned once and fined if they violate the rules again.

As for the third time?
If you don't cherish the new place the lord has bestowed upon you, then you can get out and set up your own tent.

As for the others, they were also required to dump their waste at designated locations, with designated personnel responsible for collecting and disposing of it. Those who violated the rules would be warned, and those who repeatedly failed to correct their behavior would be punished with caning and placed at the end of the waiting line.

The reason is simple: it's called "adapting to the rules of the new housing in advance."

The hygiene and cleanliness are one aspect, but another closely guarded reason is the production of nitrates. Given that nitric acid is basically not involved in the general production process of gold refining products, relying on market procurement is not feasible, and the fact that Gaoyaling has not yet conducted a comprehensive exploration cannot confirm whether there are nitrate deposits available for mining.

The only resources available right now are all obtained through the hard work of mages casting spells and rituals. This can't go on forever, can it? How can a dignified mage lord end up as a tool for making saltpeter?

In view of this, composting and nitrate collection is imperative.

The fifth measure encourages childbirth. In view of the compensation for mothers as laborers in the family, families with newborns can receive a certain share of land tax exemption in the current year.

This is a summary of what Master Zhang announced to hundreds of people at the inauguration ceremony. It's not that he didn't want to "say a few more words," but in fact, he had many more laws and regulations he wanted to promulgate and implement.

However, the time is not yet right.

For example, the training of reserve militia and the establishment of a regular army are, in Zhang Yuan’s view, an inevitable path for a power to become stronger. His territory certainly cannot bypass this step. However, given the current socio-economic foundation of Gaoya, which is difficult to support even those of working age, he is still struggling.

What a joke! Even a powerful mage wouldn't want to torment the people under his rule like this.

Ten years of building up resources and ten years of learning lessons. It is relatively easy to change the financial strength of a territory, but to reverse its weak foundation is by no means something that can be accomplished in a year or two.

Perhaps, I can…

The monk couldn't help but recall his previous idea of ​​helping certain disadvantaged groups find new employment; after all, he, a great philanthropist, couldn't bear to see people suffering.

As their thoughts raced, the inauguration ceremony came to an end. Most of the residents had satisfied their curiosity and, filled with anticipation and longing, walked home in small groups, whispering and chattering.

The monk, along with his team, ascended the steps amidst the joyful crowds of the residents who had moved into their new homes, and leisurely settled into the brightest rooms on the third floor.

After working hard as a contractor for a month or two, what's wrong with me enjoying myself a little?
The mage has been like a tightly wound spring for the past month, his spell list is packed full, and there isn't even enough spell slot in Leomon's Sanctuary. Even when he was traveling in the wild, he had never stayed in a tent for this long.

Without Mr. Zhang having to lift a finger, Sir thoughtfully tidied up the rooms, making them spotless. The man, acting like a big shot, simply moved in with his bags.

That night, the ladies were all around, but there was no romantic sentimentality. In the main hall, the monk and several Canaanite members gathered to listen to the reconnaissance report from Viconia.

Oh, by the way, ever since he put Viconia in charge of those Underworld captives, this exile has been very concerned about his duties and authority, treating them like precious treasures.

And you know what? After more than a month, she managed to train those slaves and prisoners quite well.

Thank you to Qingdi Changsheng Yuwanwu, Eric Jin, Fighting Ordinary People, and Zhuxia Shen for your monthly ticket support!

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(End of this chapter)