I'm not a lord

Chapter 58: Factions Emerge
"We're going to get rich! This isn't an ordinary salt mine, but a high-purity salt mine. The deeper you dig, the purer the salt becomes. The two pieces I dug out are pure enough to be eaten directly!"

Leon held two pieces of salt ore in his hands and spun around happily like a child.

It’s like getting the candy you longed for most in childhood.

Then he rushed to Lin En and shouted excitedly:

"Sir, grant me the exclusive rights to sell this salt mine. My sister will be yours. All the supplies I provided in the past will be free of charge. In the future, I will also provide a large amount of ironware and iron ingots at a low price. I guarantee that the price of salt will satisfy you. How do you do it?"

Lynn smiled back, "Of course not, my friend."

No matter what era, businessmen naturally pursue monopoly.

The import of salt, grain, fur and most other commodities in the North are monopolized by a family or a guild.

For example, in the grain trade, small grain merchants in the north would rush to various territories to purchase grain in the autumn.

These grains will flow through the White River and its tributaries and eventually be gathered at the easternmost port city of the kingdom, Amber Harbor.

The grain guilds in Amber Harbor have grain trade privileges granted by the king, and only they can transport grain out of Amber Harbor and send it to the coastal ports in the south.

The purchase price of barley in White Bear Territory is 45 kilograms for one silver coin, and the price doubles when it is transported to the coastal cities in the southern border.

By monopolizing the export of grain, the wealthy merchants in the guild made a fortune, while the small merchants in charge of purchasing grain from all over the country could only get a small share.

Monopoly can maximize profits, save manpower and material resources, and also make it easier for the nobles to collect taxes and kickbacks.

It's just that the ordinary people on the consumer side will suffer.

But what does this have to do with Lynn?

Anyway, the people of White Bear Territory will no longer have to spend money on salt.

Because it was too dark, Lin En and his group of six slept at the foot of the salt mountain that night.

They lit a fire, pitched a few simple tents, and slept in animal skin sleeping bags they brought with them.

The fourth and fifth brothers and Leon's two guards took turns to keep watch and take good care of the horses to prepare for possible emergencies.

As long as you have a mount, you don't have to worry about the barbarians suddenly turning against you and launching a surprise attack.

Lynn and Leon slept in the same tent.

The latter was so excited that he lost all desire to sleep and kept forcing Lin En to chat.

"Sir, when can we officially start mining this salt mine?"

"July, until the road is completed."

"Oh, July, what a wonderful time! The Duke of Moor would be chewing bricks in the Crownlands by then! No one can stop us, no one!"

Leon had already seen countless gold coins pouring into his arms.

Lynn asked, "How long do you estimate this war will last?"

"Believe me, at least four years!"

Leon swore confidently, "It's said that the Duke of the Swamp has prepared an entire room full of gold coins for this war. All the mercenaries in the Duke's territory are loyal to him, and even the horse bandits have joined his army. Now the trade routes are even safer than the Duke's castle!"

Suddenly he realized something and asked quickly, "Wait, aren't you going to be called up too?"

Lin En replied: "I choose to pay the shield tax, one hundred gold coins."

"Wise choice!"

"You'll pay for this."

".I'll pay, I'll pay, isn't that okay?"

The next morning, the group packed up their bags and headed back.

Leon continued to chat with Lynn along the way, mainly he talking and Lynn listening.

"I've made up my mind. I need to set up a small trading post in White Bear Territory to manage the flow of goods in and out, and also facilitate communication. After all, I'll be based in Sanhe City and won't be able to come to White Bear Territory often." "Didn't you say you wanted to build a dock in the north of the territory? Then I might need to build two trading posts to be sufficient. During the flood season, it's best to transport salt by water. It's cheaper, more convenient, and easier to keep secret."

"Don't worry about the iron ingots. I can provide as many as you need. Mirror Iron Territory is just south of Sanhe City. There's plenty of high-quality iron ore there, and it's cheap and high-quality."

"We agreed on the price of salt last night: one silver coin for twenty kilograms. The final selling price is estimated to be around one silver coin for ten kilograms. We are going to drive down the price of salt throughout the North!"

"Oh, by the way, sir, you must quickly use the gold coins you earn to build a powerful army. Ideally, we can capture all five baronies between White Bear and Three Rivers City! That way, we will have full control over the land trade routes!"

"Also, you must take good care of my sister for me. I'll tell you a secret, even though she's young, she's actually smarter than I am. If you're shorthanded, you can ask her to help you with the accounts or the warehouse. I promise there will be a surprise!"

Leon has actually classified himself as a member of Lynn's camp and tried every means to increase his influence within the camp.

Of course, his starting point must be good.

All of this is to strengthen the overall strength of the camp.

It's just that in the process, he will consciously or unconsciously seize more power and benefits.

In Lynn's opinion, with Leon's joining, "factions" have gradually emerged under his command.

The horse bandits who followed him could be considered military commanders or aristocratic factions.

Leon and his soon-to-be sister Leah are considered to be the merchant faction + the in-law faction.

The managers and village heads headed by Old Albert can barely be considered a faction, but their influence is too low and can basically be ignored.

In fact, Yagna is also qualified to form a faction.

But when she married into the White Bear Territory, she had no dowry, not even a maid or a cook. It was difficult for her to make a living alone, which shows how much her stepmother oppressed her.

The barbarians who join the territory in the future can definitely be regarded as a faction, and their influence will definitely not be too low.

If White Bear Territory is considered a joint-stock company, Lin En is the chairman who holds the majority stake.

The other factions are powerful directors who have invested capital.

As the company continues to expand, various directors will join the company with capital in the future.

Lynn was happy to see this happen.

The more the merrier.

Although the development and growth of White Bear Territory depends on him alone, it is also inseparable from the help of heroes and talents from all walks of life.

In this process, he inevitably has to share power and interests.

For example, he had to share the main business interests with Leon.

Of course, the rewards he received were also amazing.

At this moment, in Lynn's sight, Leon's loyalty has risen to 85 points.

This businessman and the entire network of relationships behind him will be used by Lynn.

The illegal salt produced in the White Bear Territory will be sold to every corner of the Northern Kingdom without any hindrance.

Various goods and raw materials urgently needed in the territory will continue to flow in.

What's more, there is Leah as a bond and bridge between the two of them.

The alliance formed by gold coins and blood ties is as unbreakable as a brick and stone castle.

Where there are benefits, there are risks.

Lynn needs to try his best to maintain the balance among the various factions and ensure that he has unique authority.

Otherwise, he risks capsizing.

Thanks to Guangchao for the 300 points of support!

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(End of this chapter)