Knight Lord: Start with Daily Intelligence.

Chapter 182 Four Extraordinary Farms and Spices Worth Gold
The territory's pesticide fields are still relatively limited in scale now, but Su Li can assert that this will be the territory's true industrial pillar and economic core in the future.

This spiritual medicine farm is where Su Li, with the help of the intelligence system, collected and cultivated fantastic spiritual medicines. This allowed many rare medicines and valuable materials that could only be found occasionally in the wild to be mass-produced in Heisen Territory.

Furthermore, this also concerns a territory's crucial industry: pharmaceutical production. In any world, medical treatment and drug production are highly advanced and highly profitable industries.

A single Earthblood Potion was worth 100 Gold Crowns, a standard Stamina Potion cost 50 Silver Coins, and a single Healing Potion easily cost more than a Gold Crown.

High-level potions like Blood of the Earth have annual production limits and require divine grace to produce, but ordinary healing potions can generally be produced continuously as long as there are sufficient medicinal materials.

So after Fandral's report, Su Li asked with concern: "How many people in the territory are capable of making potions now?"

Minister Lawn replied, "Including the members of the Hospitaller Order, there are currently 17 clergymen in the territory capable of crafting potions, and 6 pharmacists capable of making common potions. Of these 23 capable pharmacists, 4 are capable of crafting the advanced potions Blood of the Earth and Tears of Mercy. Not counting additional divine favors, 8 advanced potions can be crafted each year just for festivals and grand celebrations."

Su Li smiled and nodded. It turned out that the most important wealth of a territory was talent. Only with all kinds of talents could one continuously earn high wealth.

The basic potions they can make each year alone are worth 800 gold crowns, but in reality, how is it possible that the territory does not receive additional divine favor?

The Hessen Territory, aided by a daily intelligence system, was able to seize every opportunity for divine favor. Over the course of a year, it wasn't impossible for the output of high-level potions to reach 1600 gold crowns.

With the harvest of so many spiritual herbs, they could make a large number of ordinary potions. The income from pharmaceutical production alone could easily exceed 3000 gold crowns.

Moreover, this will not only increase the wealth of the Hessen Territory, but will also significantly enhance the military strength of the Hessen Territory.

The Demi-Griffin Knights of the Vengeful Sun, each knight is fully armed, equipped with a monster mount, vibranium rune armor, rune rings, amulets, rune swords, magic shields, and even a high-level potion. How could their combat effectiveness be low?

With the powerful defense, even if the dragon sweeps them away, they can rely on the recovery ability of the blood of the earth to get up again and continue to fight the dragon to the end.

All of this was bought by Su Li with his wealth. As a half-griffin cavalryman, his outfit alone is worth more than 4000 gold crowns. How could his combat effectiveness be low?
As long as they are devout in their faith, fight bravely, and never abandon their honor or flee in fear, they will be the absolute ace troops on the battlefield and can easily penetrate the defenses of a large number of monsters.

So Su Li asked with concern: "How many bottles of Blood of the Earth and Tears of Mercy potions do we have now?"

Laun immediately replied, listing them all off. "These high-level potions are rarely sold after we craft them. They're currently stored in the treasury of Hesseburg. There are seven Blood of the Earth potions and three Tears of Mercy potions."

"This Tears of Mercy potion was crafted by the elite knights of the Hospitaller Order. It's also crafted with the grace of the goddess of mercy and healing, Shalya. It's said that her statues shed sacred tears. As the deity of healing and mercy, her tears possess powerful magical powers and are essential ingredients for crafting this potion."

"This potion, mixed with other healing herbs, can quickly heal wounds and eliminate or mitigate the negative effects of magic, curses, and other abilities on the knight. After taking it, the user will feel calm for a period of time, reducing psychological fear and physical pain, and providing some protection against mental attacks."

After hearing this, Su Li's eyes lit up. Although this potion and the Blood of the Earth potion are both healing potions, their healing properties are exactly opposite.

The short-term healing effect of the Blood of the Earth potion is not significant. Its main feature is the long-lasting effect. As long as you stand on the ground, it can slowly restore the knight's life and heal the knight.

Tears of Mercy, on the other hand, lacked a long-lasting effect, prioritizing a momentary burst. However, this brief burst, despite lacking sustained healing power, was incredibly powerful, not only rapidly healing wounds but also providing various purification, protection, and fear relief effects.

In the future, if the Hessen Territory becomes strong enough, it can allow soldiers to carry two bottles of this potion to ensure their survival rate.

However, what made Su Li's eyes light up and feel most delighted was not the powerful effect of this potion.

It was the current savings of the territory's treasury! After so much development, Su Li's treasury was finally empty again.

Like other lords, dragons, warlords, etc., he has his own treasury, which stores a wide variety of high-level treasures, precious potions, powerful armor, etc.

These 10 potions alone can ensure that he can pull out a reliable army anytime and anywhere to fight, quell rebellions, etc.

And there is much more in the treasury than these. Advanced armor, vibranium rune armor, advanced weapons, rune swords, rune hammers, and the most sacred relics of glory are not distributed directly to the knights, but remain in the treasury, arsenal, and armory of Hesse Castle.

Knights usually only wear fine-grade training armor and carry their own weapons.

Those high-killing weapons and armors with mild effects are all under the management of the high-ranking attendant general Hildrede. She manages everything in the castle and distributes those powerful forbidden equipment to the knights before the war.

In fact, this is not a perfect and sound system. The High-level Chief Attendant already manages hundreds of elite attendants. Letting her manage the strongest weapons and equipment means that she can easily raise a fully armed army within the scope of her authority, and other armies have almost no way to resist.

But who made Hildesbrook the chief high-ranking attendant?
When Su Li sleeps, Hildur can guard him with a sword.

This trust is unique.

Su Li believed that even if anyone betrayed him, Hildreth would not.

This is the caring person who is willing to accompany Su Li to travel around the world and make a comeback even after he has lost everything.

If his closest person, Hildreth, the confidant he had cultivated bit by bit from scratch, was not trustworthy, then he would truly be left alone.

However, human hearts cannot withstand tests and trials, and Su Li did not want to deliberately challenge human nature, just to test how loyal Hildreth was to him.

After finding suitable candidates, Su Li will separately appoint several persons in charge of the armory, treasure house, and armory.

Su Li felt that Fandral was a good choice. First, he held no military power, and second, his interests aligned with Su Li's. Su Li's role as lord of the territory was in his best interest. Because Su Li preferred to take a leisurely approach, he essentially handed over the development of the territory's farming to the Church of Dawn. This was highly beneficial to the Church's development.

Moreover, Su Li's governance philosophy is very consistent with the teachings of the goddess of the dawn, Rhea. He attaches great importance to farming, which is of unparalleled significance to the development of the Rhea Church.

Fandral couldn't find anyone more in line with the interests of the Church of the Dawn Goddess than Su Li as lord. Even if Fandral himself usurped the throne, it wouldn't be as bad as the current situation. After all, if he usurped the throne, he would have to face many knights who were dissatisfied and rebellious.

It is precisely because Su Li’s current rule is extremely beneficial to their Church of the Goddess of Dawn that Fandral is very concerned about his work.

As soon as Su Li digested the news, he started a new report.

"The extraordinary farm I just mentioned is mainly located on the north side of Hesse Castle. Even part of the spiritual medicine field is inside the castle, located in the open space between the outermost city wall and the castle. Its main function is to serve as a training ground, and it also serves as the protection of the Lion's Mane Mushroom."

"The second extraordinary farm is at the Starlight Pond in the Holy Land of the Church of the Dawn Goddess. Following our church's request, the Provincial Council, after consultation with His Excellency the Marshal, agreed to station the Vengeful Sun Demi-Griffin Knights there to guard our holy land and the Rose Dew Farm."

"The Church of Dawn has two official nuns stationed here. In addition to guarding the church's holy ground, they are also grafting Rose Dew fruit trees. This grafting isn't the usual fruit farmer grafting; instead, they cut off a Rose Dew branch and plant it in the ground or on other fruit trees. Then, the official nuns guide the Wind of Girón to promote the rapid growth of the branches, thus cultivating new fruit trees."

"Then, at the appropriate time, water from Lake Rafflin and Starlight Pond will be poured into the plant to increase its fertility and promote its growth."

"This process is slow, but the costs are enormous. Whether it's the vitality potions that replenish the magic power of the formal nuns or the transportation of water from Lake Ravellin, it will consume a huge amount of wealth. We will strive to expand the cultivated area to 20 mu before the fruit trees mature next year. By then, assuming a yield of 5000 jin per mu, we can harvest 10 jin of rose water, which is a considerable profit of 50 gold crowns."

Perhaps because people have heard too much about projects with hundreds or thousands of dollars in revenue, this farm with only 50 gold crowns is unlikely to attract people's interest.

But Su Li knew very well that this farm was the true source of specialties for the territory, and it was an important plant that could lead the territory to prosperity and strength.

Because Rose Dew apples can be grown on a large scale, they can even be planted for dozens of miles around the holy sanctuary of the Goddess of Dawn, replicating the great project of Bjorn's Shallow Bay.

And once this variety matures, ordinary farmers can take care of an orchard.

Bjorn Shallow Bay was built with all the efforts of the entire territory, and the cultivated area is only a few dozen miles.

If the Xinghui Pool could also be planted with orchards covering dozens of miles, with an orchard covering tens of thousands of acres of land, every citizen in the territory would have a lot of wealth.

Ten thousand acres of farmland was unimaginable to ordinary citizens, but the freemen would probably rush to build a ten-acre orchard.

By then, an ordinary farmer will have an income of 50 gold crowns, and this rose water as a specialty will truly benefit thousands of households in the territory.

There is no doubt that this requires the help of a large number of Dawn Church nuns, and they cannot be ordinary nuns.

Otherwise, their spiritual energy would not be able to keep up, and ordinary people would not have enough wealth to ask these extraordinary nuns to help them transplant and graft in their orchards.

Su Li needs to expand the scale of the Dawn Church and at the same time enhance the strength of the Dawn Church pastors.

Su Li then said, "The Autumnal Equinox is approaching. When the territory's Ji Lun winds converge, an invisible magical rain will fall. This magical power will fall to the ground like raindrops, forming pools that only Master Jingliang and Master Ji Lun can see." "Your Dawn Church should send someone to cooperate with the Master Engineer to lead these magical pools to the Dawn Church's holy land, and then gather all the nuns to pray devoutly there. I hope your monks will achieve many breakthroughs through this prayer."

Upon hearing this crucial information, the wrinkles on Fandral's old face blossomed into a smile, and he immediately assured her, "Don't worry, my lord. We will pray with utmost devotion. Rhea is an exceptionally generous deity. I believe we will be very effective in spreading our teachings, and we're sure to achieve significant breakthroughs this time."

Su Li nodded slightly. This was the best situation.

If the strength of the priests of the Church of Dawn increases, all undertakings in the territory will achieve rapid development.

Fandral continued, "The next farm is also related to the worship of the Church of Dawn. It's the Amethyst Grape Farm north of Bauhinia Manor. It's managed by the Pure Sisters of the Church of Dawn. Although it's only a little over an acre of vineyard now, I asked Sister Melian, and she said that these 4000 kilograms of grapes alone can produce about 100 to 160 bottles of Golden Amethyst Brandy. It's worth 2000 gold crowns."

Unlike the previous farm which had a promising future, the effect of this wine farm was a bit too dramatic!
The wealth created by a nun and a brewing wizard is as high as more than 2000 gold crowns. This profit share is really too high.

This is pure luxury profiteering! Not to mention that one bottle of brandy is equivalent to a farmer's annual output, in Hesse, it's equivalent to the output of more than 2000 farmers!
Even though this model is extremely difficult to promote, it is not a big problem for the Hessen Territory.

The beautiful nun Hessen can spend any amount of money, and 10 nuns taking care of 10 acres of vineyards? That's also 20000 gold crowns.

This is equivalent to the wealth produced by 20000 farmers.

Given the current size of Hesse Territory, it may take several years of development to reach a population of 20000!

This is something the Church of Dawn must devote all its efforts to, and Su Li is personally in charge of the winemaking industry, so Fandral didn't say anything more.

He continued, "Besides these three farms, the final extraordinary farm is the hot spring village on the east side of the Emerald Valley. We've developed a hot spring bathhouse here. The spring water is very effective in purifying corrosion, restoring physical strength, and curing illness. It attracts a large number of nobles, knights, and merchants. The specific profits here will be reported to His Excellency Lawn, the Minister of the Seal."

"The hot spring water I'm talking about flows down from the mountain and is then diverted by hydraulic engineers to the water conservancy project in Hot Spring Village at the foot of the mountain to irrigate local farmland. After research by the Provincial Council, we decided not to grow crops in this important area, but instead to plant precious herbs."

"vanilla?"

"vanilla?"

Fandral's report immediately attracted the attention of all the ministers in the hall.

This is indeed a corner that most people in the territory have not paid attention to. The main reason is that it is far away from the prosperous town of the territory. It is in the northeast corner of the green hills and is very remote.

Only a few people remember that an earthquake occurred here, and then the lord specially ordered the construction of a hot spring bath here.

However, due to inconvenient transportation and insufficient manpower in the territory to build a dirt road dozens of miles long, few people have ever been to this remote corner except for the dwarves and the people of the Church of Dawn.

I didn’t expect that the Dawn Church had quietly built such a valuable farm here!

Vanilla, the most sought-after plant in the empire, is used for more than just developing leisure and tourism farms, extracting vanilla essential oil, and making perfume.

More importantly, this is the most sought-after spice in the empire and an indispensable luxury item for the imperial nobles in their kitchens, daily lives, social interactions, and other activities!

Some people rumored that this was because the imperial men, especially the knights, had very strong body odor that needed to be covered up with vanilla.

But whether the rumors are true or not, there is no doubt that the empire is filled with a thirst for vanilla from top to bottom.

However, vanilla is rarely produced in the empire. This kind of branches and leaves are fragrant all year round and remain even when they are withered. It is called the "natural perfume bottle" that smells fragrant all year round. It is worth as much as gold in the empire!

A pound of vanilla can be exchanged for a pound of gold.

The main way for the empire to obtain vanilla is to go out to sea, cross the terrible gray fog sea and then cross the vast storm ocean to reach the far east, in the distant country where tiger people roam, buy their precious vanilla, and then cross countless ocean storms, avoid countless dark arks and vampire pirates to bring this precious vanilla back to the empire for the nobles to enjoy.

And within the empire, every territory that can produce vanilla is rich.

Therefore, the military commander Orstein was immediately excited when he learned that the hot spring village in the territory could produce spices. The larger the planting area of ​​the spice garden, the larger the army that the territory would form.

He immediately asked with concern, "How large is the territory's current spice farm? How much spices can it produce?"

Fandral replied calmly, "Currently, we are mainly growing vanilla orchids. The main part of this spice is the pods it produces, which can be widely used in cooking, baking, desserts, and beverages."

"Currently, the nuns of the Dawn Church in the territory can already make vanilla pods. When making beverages, fruit tea, and milk tea, they split the vanilla pods in half and scrape out the vanilla seeds inside, which are the main source of the fragrance. They then add these seeds to the brewed hot black tea."

"The vanilla pod shell also has a scent and can be dipped into hot black tea to enhance the aroma. Steep for about 5 minutes and then remove it. The vanilla pod shell can be reused 2-3 times until the scent is completely gone."

"As I said, you can all sense how expensive this natural spice is. A pound of vanilla seeds can cost as much as 1000 gold crowns."

"Even if I sell the vanilla pods in their shells to Maraisburg, I think I can earn 50 to 60 gold crowns per pound."

"At present, the vanilla orchids we planted artificially are not yet mature. Only one acre of natural hot spring vanilla orchids have matured, and the yield per acre is only a little over two kilograms."

After hearing Fandral's report, Su Li took a deep breath.

Only two kilograms of vanilla per acre? And that's the result of the various bonuses from the territory.

If it is cultivated naturally, the yield per mu would be only a little over one kilogram, right?

No wonder it's said to be worth the same as gold. A pound of vanilla pods can actually be exchanged for a pound of gold.

This means that the cup of fruit tea he drinks in the morning may cost close to 1 gold coin.

He instantly understood why people said that the lives of the nobles were extravagant and licentious.

The price of the fruit, milk, hot tea, herbs and spices in one of his cups of tea is equal to a farmer’s annual income!

He drank up all the fruits of the farmers' hard work for a year with just a gulp of his head tilted back.

Which farmer wouldn’t be jealous?
However, Su Li quickly put the guilt behind him.

It’s just a cup of vanilla fruit tea. Who on earth hasn’t tasted this?

What Su Li wants is for the entire territory to prosper and develop together, not for everyone to be equally poor!

All the current contradictions are simply due to the insufficient level of development.

When the territory had achieved great development and spices became available to every household, what he drank was just an ordinary drink.

Problems encountered in development can only be solved through development!

This is also the meaning of his extensive farming.

So Su Li immediately asked with concern: "Can the scale of this vanilla cultivation be increased? Has your Dawn Church expanded the area of ​​this vanilla cultivation?"

Fandral quickly replied, "My Lord, we in the Church of Dawn have already conducted research on this. Unlike elixirs and amethyst grapes, which require special care from the nuns of the Church of Dawn, vanilla orchids can grow simply by being watered by the hot spring water from the Green Hills. This valuable spice doesn't require any special value to be sold well both within and outside the empire. Therefore, the people of the territory can cultivate this spice near the hot spring village and establish a spice garden."

"We have already planted three mu (approximately 3 acres) of vanilla, but we're running out of vanilla seeds, so we're working hard to buy more. We're aiming to expand this to 10 mu (approximately 50 acres) next year and mu (approximately acres) the year after."

Su Li said decisively: "Select a group of smart and loyal slaves and go over. I want to expand the area of ​​vanilla as soon as possible."

"In addition, I will allocate 300 gold crowns to you to purchase vanilla orchid seeds. I hope you will expand the planting area to 50 acres as quickly as possible."

This was different from brandy, which still required Su Li to build its reputation. As long as vanilla pods were produced, they would never have trouble finding a market. Every caravan and noble in the empire was willing to pay an enticing price for them.

(End of this chapter)