Industrial Revolution of the Mage Lords

Chapter 409: Setting an Example
After the vigorous eastward expansion operation was officially launched, the restructured Central Administrative Office, at Harvey's request, officially promulgated the newly revised territory laws to all citizens.

The territory administrative team headed by Reiner and Asdalen immediately conducted a series of "retrospective" assessments on the three areas under Harvey's rule, namely the Pioneer Territory, the Grizzly Territory, and Fengyuan City - officials' past performance, anonymous satisfaction of the people, and annual financial revenue in the areas under their jurisdiction, etc. Through a series of hard indicators, it is easy to distinguish which people are suitable for relevant management positions and which people are of no value in training.

To Harvey's surprise, the more educated group of petty nobles actually lagged significantly behind the group of civilian officials who had been promoted earlier in the territory in terms of governance and economic development. After a round of evaluation, nearly half of the petty nobles were excluded and directly labeled as unqualified for engaging in territory government management.

"Logically speaking, I've already given these petty nobles ample opportunity to ride the last train of the territory's development..." Harvey expressed his helplessness when facing Earl Fagan, who came to complain to him. "Since their abilities aren't up to par, they'll naturally be eliminated... But at least they don't have to worry about their livelihoods. The dividends and shares they receive in exchange for their land are enough for them to live a stable and wealthy life under my rule. All they need to do is behave themselves."

Earl Fagan felt the same way. As the largest landed noble family in the border area, the Fagan family did not decline and fall into ruin after completely submitting to Harvey. On the contrary, after losing the power of fiefdom and military armament, the earl himself not only obtained the position of mayor of Grizzly Castle from Harvey, but the family also founded two "public-private partnership" assembly line textile factories with Harvey's support. The operating income of just one quarter actually exceeded the land tax collected in the past year, which almost made them laugh in their dreams.

The Fagan family had boarded this last train full of wealth and power with great difficulty... As for those small nobles who were eliminated, Earl Fagan could only pretend and say a few good words for them in front of Harvey.

"Sir, regarding the railway development plan in Grizzly Territory..." Earl Fagan asked cautiously. After all, this was the real focus of his meeting with Harvey this time.

Harvey narrowed his eyes, instantly seeing through the other man's subtle thoughts. He chuckled and said, "Why are you in such a hurry? The train's trial run has only just begun. Next quarter, when the railway company is officially established... you all have the opportunity to participate, exchanging your initial investment for dividend shares. This is a huge investment with huge returns. You might as well go back and think about raising more money."

Earl Fagan was waiting for Harvey to say this. Isn't the effect of "the one who is close to the water gets the moon first" reflected here? The accurate information revealed by the lord himself is enough to make his family's actions and reactions in business investment twice as fast as others.

After Earl Feigen happily left, Asdalen, who had been standing silently by his side, couldn't help but ask, "Sir, why do you give the Feigen family so many advantages? You've handed over the management of Grizzly Castle to them. Isn't that enough to make them loyal?"

Harvey rubbed his fingers together and said teasingly, "If I need to set up a [model]... wouldn't the Fagan family be the most suitable choice?"

Indeed, from the very beginning, when they had an armed conflict with Harvey... and even paid the heavy price of the death of an earl in the battle, and the entire family was almost overthrown in an instant, they chose to wisely submit to Harvey completely - and then they could be said to have come back to life. Not only did they retain their hereditary title and the power to manage the city, but their family wealth and industry were also thriving, making other nobles really jealous.

The price of resistance is complete destruction, while the benefits of surrender are too numerous to list, which makes any sane person choose not to choose the former.

The elite knights of the Fagan family are gone... but Lord Harvey's more powerful Northern Army will directly protect his wealth and property, and he doesn't have to spend a penny to support this professional army with terrifying combat power. No matter how you look at it, it's a huge bargain.

The Fagan family had lost their fiefdoms, passed down through generations... They had traded farmland, which required the hard work of numerous serfs, for shares in the "golden egg-laying" manufacturing plants held by Lord Harvey. They didn't have to worry about running and managing the business themselves, nor did they even have to worry about selling the goods. They could just sit back and collect the money on time until their hands were numb... Even if the future successor to the family was a complete loser with no business sense, they wouldn't have to worry about bankruptcy or decline. At this thought, the name of a young noble suddenly popped into Harvey's mind.

He turned his head to look at Asdalen and asked curiously, "That Knight Ross of the Ralph family... uh, the young man who took the initiative to follow me from Fengyuan City to the Northern Territory, did he really volunteer to become a resident of the territory and go to the Eastern Basin to open up the wasteland?"

"Are you asking about Knight Ross of the Frosthawk family?" Asdalen was silent for a moment, his tone somewhat incredulous. "Yes, he is indeed a young man with very...unique ideas and behavior. He joined the first pioneer group and took the train to the east three days ago."

Back in Fengyuan City, this young knight from the Ralph family behaved differently from other nobles. He treated Harvey with neither servility nor arrogance, and was extremely interested in the new order and the popularization of magic among civilians that Harvey described.

But I didn't expect that he would be so enthusiastic about going to the "grassroots" as soon as he arrived in the frontier territory. His ideological awareness and mental state really made Harvey admire him.

Asdalen said in a strange tone, "It's all because of what you said... My Lord, have you forgotten it yourself?"

"Huh?" Harvey was stunned, looking at his chief advisor with a puzzled look.

"You proposed... the so-called knights of the new era. They are not those who are blindly loyal to a certain noble, or who go along with them and suck the blood of the people. Instead, they should understand that they must fight for the people and practice true fairness and justice." Asdalen repeated Harvey's words verbatim. Although his tone was cold and rigid, Harvey felt a little ashamed when he heard it.

"This is... what I said when I was drunk at the dinner party in Fengyuan City." It sounded really a bit childish and hot-blooded. I didn't expect that it could actually fool those young noble knights.

"Of all the spellcasters I've ever met, you're the best at using speeches to deceive people..." Asdaren commented pertinently, "But I still don't quite understand the meaning of your last words that night."

Harvey covered his face and asked weakly, "What did I say last?"

Pierce just stepped in from the study and took over his mentor's words, repeating, "You said... only after drinking this bowl of chicken soup will they understand the true way of chivalry... My Lord, I'd also like to ask, what is the relationship between chicken soup and chivalry?"

(End of this chapter)