Knight Lord: Start with Daily Intelligence.

Chapter 246: The Iron-Blooded Chancellor's Methods and the Territory's Rapid Recovery

If there is anything meaningful and hopeful in this desperate and dark environment of this world, it is that after the war, there will inevitably be some improvement in experience and strength.

Bathed in the grace of the gods, many soldiers and knights were able to have their blood boil and gain considerable rewards.

This is also why the people of the empire love the battlefield. In a country where martial virtues flourish, military exploits can really change a person's destiny.

But after the good news, Dietrich began to report the tragic results: "My Lord, our losses in this battle are extremely heavy. Over 1600 soldiers were killed directly, and over 2000 soldiers, freedmen, and slaves died from injuries that were not treated."

He sighed, his Adam's apple rolling as he swallowed the bitterness. "My Lord," he said, "with so many dead in battle, we no longer have the means to properly bury their remains. The spirits of the Crusade Knights have been consecrated by the goddess. To prevent vampires and necromancers from desecrating their remains, over three thousand bodies are being purified in holy fire. Their ashes will be mixed into the mortar of the fortress walls. As the Doomsday Prayer says, flesh and blood build the Great Wall, and heroic spirits guard the border."

Su Li clenched his fists immediately. The brutality of this battle made his scalp tingle. His sorrowful voice seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth: "I swear by the Holy Emblem of the Fiery Sun, this string of numbers is soaked with the blood of too many people! Doesn't it mean that our territory lost half of its population in this battle? Every family is in mourning, every household is wearing sackcloth!"

Dietrich raised his head and comforted Su Li, "The situation isn't that dire. After all, this battle mobilized many freemen and dwarves, and many of the fallen soldiers were church knights and believers of the Sun Goddess."

Speaking of this, Su Li remembered that Silver Spring Valley had once faced a fierce siege from monsters.

It can be said that the church knights account for at least one-third of the Hessian army. Even if the believers and free militias in a broad sense are included, the size is close to half.

So don’t complain about the fact that religions and gods have a lot of say in the territory. After all, they have made real contributions.

Then Su Li looked at Oliver, the director of the Provincial Affairs Council, and asked, "How is the war in Silver Spring Valley?"

Oliver knocked the ground with his gilded scepter, startling the death-crows perched on the window lattice. The provincial secretary's face was like weathered granite, and the gear emblem etched on his brass eyes gleamed coldly. "It was tragic. The castle in Silver Spring Valley is relatively small, but the monsters used vines to attack from all sides, attacking day and night, causing heavy casualties to the church knights."

"But the weeping should be left to the choir, my lord. Every corpse saves us thirty pounds of rye—the pensions for the families of the fallen are seventy percent cheaper than the rations for the living."

Wow, he really is worthy of being called the Iron-Blooded Prime Minister.

While Su Li was still lamenting the casualties, he had already calculated that the food pressure would be relieved after the deaths.

A sudden silence fell beneath the sacred wisteria tree, the only sound being the north wind, carrying the ashes of the funeral pyre outside the city through the fortress. Su Li's fingertips caressed the golden hilt of the perfect rune sword, "Dusk Judgment," at his waist. This dark world tolerated no weakness.

In any case, the dwarves had several hundred troops, plus a group of free people and church believers, which did significantly reduce the casualties of the Hessian Territory.

Next, the top priority of the territory is undoubtedly to restore the territory’s population.

Su Li looked at Oliver and said, "My Lord Dean, what suggestions do you have regarding restoring the territory's population and farming?"

Oliver calmly replied, "My Lord, I have already developed a detailed plan with the Provincial Council. Now I just need your approval and funding."

"Please allow me to explain the core of this plan. I believe the territory has been too lax in its approach, and your Lordship has been focused on the development of Bjorn Bay. Consequently, the territory has lacked strong financial intervention and subsidies, failed to mobilize the active citizens, and failed to demonstrate the territory's appeal. More precisely, the territory's wealth is merely scrap metal stored in warehouses."

"The Provincial Council's plan is to increase financial investment, using territorial investment to attract more refugees to our territory, while also attracting local residents to open up more land."

Su Li frowned and asked, "Do we need to make additional financial investments? Is our territory going to have a fiscal deficit?"

Oliver immediately shook his head and said, "My Lord, you don't have to worry too much about the fiscal deficit. First of all, we have war reparations that can greatly meet our investment needs. If the territory wants to develop rapidly, it must have a large amount of capital as an initial investment. Otherwise, how could such a barren land become prosperous in just a few years?"

"As students of the Royal Griffin Military Academy of Mordheim and chosen by Her Majesty Verena, many of our scholars have debated within the academy and the Senate. Many believe that a major reason for the Empire's slow progress in expanding into the border princely territories is the lack of strong support from the great nobles and overlords."

"In fact, if the nobles of the empire could have a little foresight and invested 10 gold crowns in this land, after their territory was stabilized, they could earn 20, 30, or even 50 gold crowns in a few years."

"And short-term and long-term fiscal deficits are also a healthy state for the government, meaning we can develop and grow at a much faster pace than usual."

A short-term, controllable fiscal deficit and debt situation is a healthy one for the territory. Su Li felt a sense of sudden enlightenment after hearing this.

He has been thinking about this question. He wants to farm and develop. Besides the help of the Goddess of Dawn, what other means are there?
It looks like Oliver's proposed territory investment plan might be a good new growth engine.

Su Li asked: "What exactly do you plan to do?"

Oliver pulled a map of the territory inlaid with a troll scalp from his waist. He unfolded it and ran his finger over the cultivated area marked with ghoul grease. "The vibranium veins in the Blood Pine Forest and the Gray Mountains need fresh blood. Use spoils of war to lure refugees, use tax exemptions to tame serfs, and bribe miners with squireship. When the starving untouchables rush into the wilderness for bread, we can use their corpses to pave a bloody road to the gold mines."

"My Lord, it would be difficult for you to form a concrete impression just by listening to your words. Why don't we go to the city and take a look?"

Su Li thought about it for a while and nodded. He had been recuperating for so long, and today was the first day he got out of bed. It was time for him to go and see the situation in Heisen Territory.

Oliver was obviously planning a new round of policies. After getting Su Li's assurance that he would support his investment, Oliver took Su Li directly to the Carnival Square in the south of the city.

This was still the busiest area of ​​Hesse Town, with a large number of free people gathered here waiting for the territory's response. When the Keeper of the Seals, Lawn, and the political officials announced to them that the generous lord would share 30% of the spoils among them, the Carnival Square, just like its name, instantly fell into a sea of ​​carnival.

In addition to the members of the Free Militia, a large number of free people, refugees and farmers from the territory also gathered here. In addition to envy for these warriors, they also felt confused about the foreign life.

The invasion of the green dragon destroyed their village, and the traces of the raging war have not been cleaned up on the west side of the town, let alone their rural villages?
The Minister of Agriculture and the Church of Dawn were powerless to do anything about it. Fandral stayed under the consecrated wisteria tree. He needed to prioritize the survival of the extraordinary grains and extraordinary spiritual trees in the territory.

The nuns of the Church of Dawn also need to give priority to taking care of the fertile farmland of Lord Bjorn Shallow Bay. These disaster-stricken farmers dare not expect disaster relief from the lord, so where else can they go?

Just as everyone was lost and bewildered, in the square, where the morning mist had not yet dissipated, Oliver struck the bronze bell with his gilded scepter. As the dwarf engineer started the steam crane, thirty four-wheeled carriages laden with seeds slowly rolled out of the castle, leaving deep grooves on the cobblestone pavement. The flags of the Bauhinia family and the noble crest of the griffin were tacked to the shafts.

Seeing the officials in front of the carriage, the people immediately gathered around. The Heisen Territory's notice board was located south of Zijing Palace, east of the bridgehead connecting to Zijing Town. Important territory affairs, celebrations, and tax collection activities were all announced here.

All the refugees affected by the disaster and the civilians who lost their farmland urgently hope that the lord can show them some mercy and tolerance.

"In the name of the Bauhinia and the Twin-Tailed Comet!" the official unfurled a gilded proclamation: "Anyone who voluntarily relocates to the newly reclaimed area of ​​Blood Pine Forest will receive three bags of winter wheat seeds, two draft horses, and be exempt from paying 20% ​​of the 19% tax for five years!"

As he spoke, the gold-plated notice emitted a golden light. It was gold powder mixed with dragon blood burning in the morning light, which meant that this decree had been judged by the gods and would be effective for everyone equally.

The ragged freemen rioted and headed for the newly reclaimed area of ​​Blood Pine Forest! This was indeed a policy that had never existed before. Could it be that Blood Pine Forest had now become a safe area?
More importantly, the lord has exempted them from taxes, which means that as long as they can diligently cultivate the land this winter, there is a high probability that they can survive this Green Dragon war!

Su Li stood beneath the statue of the Sun Goddess, watching the cheering crowd. He raised his brows. He was well aware of the tax exemption. After all, it was a crucial way for him to gain virtue. Having just won the war against the Green Dragon, he had no shortage of money. Furthermore, since his subjects had suffered from the war, he had agreed to a proposal to refund them a larger percentage of their taxes to help them through the disaster and the cold winter.

But the investment for this project is not low, three bags of winter wheat seeds and two draft horses per person?

Su Li turned to look at Oliver and asked, "Such a generous investment? I feel that many families may not have so much assets."

As a lord, Su Li basically didn't ask about these details. After agreeing to Oliver's investment request, he directly gave him 15000 gold crowns, which was the largest amount of wealth he could currently use. After giving so much wealth to the Provincial Affairs Council, Su Li didn't care how they spent it, he just wanted results!
Before winter, the territory quickly healed the wounds of war, farming flourished, and the last round of grain harvest was a bumper harvest. Naturally, everything was good. He could continue to enjoy life, and the officials of the Provincial Council would receive a large year-end bonus. But if there was no effect, then don't blame Su Li for starting the reckoning!

Oliver calmly replied, "My Lord, our Provincial Council believes this is extremely necessary. First, only with such generous investment and subsidies can we attract a large number of refugees and immigrants to our territory. With the territory's population decimated, only by attracting a large number of refugees can we quickly recover."

"Secondly, although we have received the green dragon's assurance that it will not attack our Storm Shadow Fortress, a single pillar cannot build a temple, and a single peak cannot prevent floods. If only Blood Mist Hill stands alone in the Blood Pine Forest, it is difficult for us to truly control the thousands of miles of fertile land west of the Blood Pine Forest."

"Therefore, we must offer generous rewards to attract our subjects to the western part of the Bloodpine Forest to reclaim land. Only by establishing a large number of settlements and fortresses in close coordination, and by ensuring that a significant number of farm guards and free militias work together with the regular fortress garrisons, can we alleviate the pressure on both sides and strengthen our control over this area. Otherwise, our garrison may be attacked by monsters as soon as they step outside the fortress, and their mine carts may be looted as soon as they leave the mining area."

Hearing this, Su Li nodded slightly. What he said made sense.

But before he could respond, the civil servant in front of him loudly announced the next decree.

"Fifth Special Decree." The administrative officer's voice suddenly rose. "Any mining family that has served in the Gray Mountains Vibranium Mine for three years will have their eldest son qualified as a high-ranking direct attendant!"

As soon as this order was given, there was a burst of exclamations from the crowd.

High-ranking direct servants, this means that their descendants will wear griffin mosquito nets, their names will be engraved on the monument to heroes, and when the bell of doom is rung, they will ride on the raven chariot with the lord to the realm of eternal night guarded by Morr.

"High-ranking direct attendant qualifications? Praise the lord, praise the generosity of the provincial government!"

"Great, great! Goddess of the Fiery Sun, you have given us a bright future. I'm going home now and asking that stupid woman to pack her bags immediately."

"In the name of the Twin-Tailed Comet, I am willing to sacrifice my flesh and blood to expand my territory!"

Amidst the deafening cheers, Su Li noticed a one-armed veteran gnawing at two development orders with his teeth. His cloudy eyes flickered with a light more blazing than a vibranium vein. Perhaps when these lights faded, a few more graves bearing redbud flags would appear on the Black Forest Territory.

Perhaps when the territory's iron-blooded prime minister, Oliver, the president of the provincial council, formulated these policies, there was no warmth or light at all, and they were full of darkness and iron-blooded colors.

But the effect was immediate. Within five days of issuing the development order and concession, the refugees gathered in Hessen Town quickly cleared out. With the granaries in Hessen Castle and the livestock in the Suli nobles' ranch rapidly declining, these refugees now had the assets to explore the frontier.

Even those farmers who did not enter the mining area and the blood pine forest quickly returned to the village and tried their best to resume production, striving to plant another batch of winter wheat before the severe winter came.

Su Li was flying in the air on the Death Claw, and he could see the burnt black soil on the ground turning yellow again at a speed visible to the naked eye.

At the same time, the engineering masters from the dwarves are directing the ogre construction teams to rapidly build water conservancy projects, infrastructure and monastery temples all over the plains.

When Su Li was patrolling the sky on a griffin, he could see that every village and farm was repairing the houses, camps and most importantly, the monasteries that were destroyed by the green dragon's rampage.

With large-scale construction going on everywhere, the territory's demand for dwarves has further increased.

Population, population, what Su Li needs most right now is population.

Oliver's pioneering order could indeed attract a large number of immigrants to further arrive in Hesse, but it was difficult to cause a qualitative change in just five days.

Therefore, if the territory wants to mobilize as many people as possible now, there are only two ways. The first one is undoubtedly to try to treat the injured people in the war and arrange for a large number of wounded soldiers to retire and return to production.

The second is to send the Minister of Foreign Affairs to the Grey Mountains to recruit more dwarves.

Su Li thought about these things, and after inspecting the territory, he directly arrived at the Saint Shaerya Hessen Temple in the territory. This is the largest temple of the Shaerya Church in the Hessen Territory, and it is also the largest and most complete temple in the territory.

The hospital was thick with the aroma of herbs. After more than ten days of intensive rescue efforts, the wounded had been properly accommodated. Of course, in keeping with the usual dark ethos of this world, another way to put it was that the wounded who were beyond the medical standard were almost all dead, so the remaining ones were treated.

Su Li's old friend Doglin was lying on the hospital bed with bandages all over his body.

This champion dwarf ranger's bravery and ferocity in battle were praised by countless knights in the territory.

In the fierce battle for the Black Park Building, he fought to the death, standing at the stairs like an iron pillar without falling down from beginning to end.

At the end of the battle, his beard was corroded into strands of iron slag by the troll acid, and half of a chaos wood thorn was stuck in his right eye socket. It was a corrupted branch from the core of the dryad. Until he was taken to the hospital, this branch was still wriggling, trying to drill into the dwarf's brain.

By the time Su Li was healed, three piercing wounds still oozed emerald ichor beneath the dwarf's cracked vibranium breastplate, a legacy left by poisonous gnoll arrows blessed by a green dragon. The most fatal wound lay beneath the uncovered left shoulder armor, where dryad thorns had shattered his heavy armor and carved three ribs into the pattern of a broken holy emblem.

When Su Li came to visit him, he was already unconscious. There was only a line of dents on the hospital bed scratched by the dwarf's blood and the broken axe blade - "Mix my ashes with black powder."

Fortunately, pure tears flowed from the statue of Sharya, purifying the corrupted branch within Dogrin's corroded right eye socket. Of course, such a horrific injury was irreversible. As the price, or rather, the honor, of participating in this battle, this champion dwarf lost an eye forever, and would be forced to wear a brass eyepatch engraved with luxurious dwarven patterns.

Despite this, Dietrich was still furious with the stubborn dwarf. As soon as Su Li entered, he heard Dietrich's furious roar: "Dogrin, you bastard, idiot! If you dare to secretly teach the dwarves to use gunpowder to treat sepsis in the wounded again, I will replace all of your barley beer with Sharya absinthe juice!"

Originally, Su Li thought that yelling at Dogrin was a bit inhumane, but after hearing these things, he suddenly felt that yelling at this dwarf was not unreasonable.

Dogrin, however, still sneered stubbornly. His resounding voice shook the medicine jars. "Save your energy, big man! You effeminate monks, do you even know what healing is? See this claw mark of Khorne on my back? I burned it with a gunpowder branding iron. The dwarf's tough physique deserves to be treated with manly methods."

Hospital Knight Captain Dietrich furiously lifted the dwarf's veil, grabbed the dwarf's green linen robe, and roared, "So you taught those rookies to cauterize wounds with detonators? Four wounded dwarves died in the explosion!"

Su Li slapped his forehead helplessly. Wherever these stubborn dwarves were, there would always be a lot of trouble, even though they might have had good intentions at first.

If he doesn't go in now, this dwarf ranger will be ashamed to turn into a dwarf butcher.

So Su Li stepped forward and said to the two of them, "Forget it, stop arguing. We didn't have any medicine before, and the medical team is too busy. Using gunpowder to heal the wound is better than waiting to die on the spot."

Seeing Su Li, Doeglin and Dietrich, who were fighting with each other, immediately separated. Even so, they still glared at each other angrily.

"Grunny's hammer! I'm about to get mushrooms from lying on this broken iron bed!" Dogrin muttered. His broken beard was still stained with the dwarven barley wine he had secretly drunk last night. "The forges of Redbeard Keep won't wait for the wounded—unless you want the chief to think I'm a coward. My old friend, I think I've fully recovered and should return to Redbeard Keep. I've been away for several months, which is quite a long time. It'll also help me avoid being looked down upon by some annoying guys."

Dogrin is leaving?
Without a second thought, Su Li rejected the offer and said, "My friend, you came from Redbeard Hold with a full beard and two barrels of dwarven mead. Now you're going back wrapped in bandages. How can I explain this to the leader of the Redbeard clan? How can I ask him to continue helping me? The Redbeard clan will think that the sacred covenant of the Black Forest Territory was forged with scars."

The dwarf suddenly burst into thunderous laughter, making the glass bottles in the medicine cabinet clink. "Ha! Those old fogies are just waiting to see me laugh! But speaking of help, is there anything I can do for you, old friend?"

Su Li then took out a letter with a griffin emblem from the lining of his dragon hide cloak and handed it to Dogrin, saying, "I need you to send a team of rangers familiar with the route to deliver this letter to the respected Son of Granni. Our territory has a large amount of captured dwarven pledge gold, and we need a large number of dwarven engineers proficient in construction and forge masters skilled in blacksmithing."

"You know, we killed a lot of trolls in this battle. We made over 600 wine vessels out of troll skulls alone. These are the perfect vessels for drinking troll-brewed wine. I'm sure a lot of dwarves will be willing to settle in our territory! This is much more exciting than drinking some crappy beer!"

(End of this chapter)