I was a lord farming, how did I become an emperor?

Chapter 6 Knowledge of Fertile Soil
On the hillside east of Shuangye Town.

The whistling wind crept down his collar and into Rhodes' chest, making his already chilly heart even colder.

"Is this farmland?"

Rod couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.

Looking around, the pale yellow land is overgrown with weeds, their roots barely visible.

If it weren't for the tattered scarecrow standing in front, this would be a complete wasteland!
Rod frowned, bent down and grabbed a handful of yellow soil. His palm was full of clumps of soil, which turned into fine powder when he squeezed them hard.

"What a waste of land!"

Without needing any systematic knowledge, Rhodes could tell at a glance that this was due to the soil being barren from years of neglect of fertilization and fallowing.

Leaving aside the overgrown weeds, the soil has already begun to compact, which is no longer a question of fertility. If this continues, even if the land is converted back to forest, it will never return to its original state.

This group of people is really lazy and ignorant.

"So, the wasteland along the road below the town is also farmland, Otto?"

Otto was one of the seven wealthy farmers who had accumulated a considerable amount of land through years of hard work.

The family has four sons, and their wealth has surpassed that of the mayor who was hanged.

Of course, this was before Rhodes collected taxes.

"Yes, Lord."

Standing to the side, the rich farmer Ou Tuo nervously rubbed the hem of his clothes and answered cautiously.

From Rhodes's icy tone, Otto had already sensed the lord's displeasure, though he didn't know why.

OK OK.

Yesterday, as I walked along the road, I was wondering why there were crooked ditches and ridges in the wasteland.

It turned out to be farmland in the north.

What an eye-opener.

"Otto, how can you expect to have a good harvest on land like this?" Rod couldn't help but ask.

"It was alright a few years ago, but it's gotten worse and worse in the last two years."

Otto cautiously reported, "If we really can't get any crops, then we'll have to cultivate new farmland."

"Others plant for two years and then leave the land fallow, but you just abandon the land altogether."

Rhodes was so angry at these people that he laughed.

Even fools have their own methods.

Fortunately, the northern wastelands are vast, otherwise these people would surely have starved to death!
"My lord, what do you mean by fallow land?"

Rhodes had no interest in explaining things to these fools, so he asked directly, "Is all farmland like this?"

"You mean..."

"The compacted loess soil is overgrown with weeds, is it like this everywhere?"

“Some are not,” Otto replied.

"Now we're clearing a two-meter-wide clearing around the perimeter of this farmland, leaving no weeds on it except for soil."

Then start setting fires from all around, and burn all the weeds inside.

The ash produced after burning weeds can add natural fertilizer to the land and improve soil structure. At the same time, the flames can kill all the insect eggs hidden in the grass.

The two-meter-wide open space serves as a firebreak to prevent the fire from accidentally spreading into a wildfire while the ground is being burned.

However, if there is enough arable land, Rod does not plan to continue cultivating this land for the time being, but will let it rest for a year first.

"Not only this piece of land, but all the farmland in the town is being treated this way!"

Wood ash is a natural fertilizer, so Rod burned it regardless of whether the land was barren or not, to nourish it properly.

"My lord, please forgive my intrusion, but the reason I did this is..."

Seeing Rod's unfriendly gaze, the rich farmer quickly added, "I have no objection, but if all farmers are to do this, it would be best to have an explanation."

"explain?"

Rhodes gave a soft snort, his words icy.
"My land needs no explanation to anyone; whoever doesn't comply should die!"

How can you have the nerve to explain yourself after taking such poor care of the land?
A group of people whose knowledge is so poor that it has crossed the line of what is acceptable in this era, and they still want to explain?
Bah! If the farmers on Earth saw this, they'd smash their heads with hoes!

"Furthermore, immediately confiscate all seeds from everyone, and starting this year, all farmland will be subject to unified planning and cultivation!"

“Tell everyone that I will not let any of the people of Black Pine Ridge starve to death, and I guarantee it with the honor of the Tulip family.”

But anyone who dares to cultivate the land without permission, I will strangle them with my own hands!

Rhodes would certainly not easily strangle one of his subjects.

Rhodes also realized that what made the Northern Wasteland barren was not the land, but the minds of these people!

Therefore, Rhodes decided to stop trying to reason with them and instead manage them using the most primitive system!

We'll open up land leasing again when they've developed their senses.

Rod's angry voice silenced Otto, who could only shrink back and nod repeatedly.

His mind was filled with images of Matt, who had been hanged the night before, and the criminals hanging in town this morning, and he prayed that he would never become like them.

Especially when Rod said the next sentence, Otto's heart sank into an abyss of cold water.

"Now, take me to a piece of land that has never been cultivated."

"Your Excellency, the land around here has all been cultivated; the new land is a long way off..."

"what?"

Rhodes wanted to get angry, but there was nothing he could do about it given the current situation.

Now, in order to unlock the entry, he needs to cultivate an acre of farmland himself.

According to the game's rules, all farmland constructions built before his arrival are invalid; he needs to personally participate in their execution after his arrival to unlock the entries.

If that's the case, does that mean the original land was all wasteland?
Rod felt his guess was reasonable and ordered Otto to take him to a piece of land in the vicinity that looked pretty good.

Rod then had Otto find a dozen or so people to build a firebreak along the edge of the farmland, as instructed, and carefully burn the weeds.

Then, to everyone's astonishment, Rod spat twice, rubbed his hands together, and picked up a hoe to start digging.

"My lord, what are you doing?!"

Gunle was so frightened he almost dropped his axe!
Even if it were a mercenary like him digging the ground, it wouldn't be Lord Rhodes's place to do it!
"Is there any other explanation for my action besides turning over the soil?"

Rod straightened up and glanced at Gunle. "Do I look like I'm eating right now?"

After saying that, Rod continued to swing his hoe.

Rhodes was checking the progress of unlocking entries in the system just now.

The gray bar representing progress has already shown a tiny green sprout, proving that Rhodes's approach is correct.

All that's left is to get to work.

"What are you all standing there for? Hurry up and help the noble lord dig the ground!"

Gunle couldn't stand it any longer. He spat out the weeds in his mouth and tried to pick up a hoe, but Rod refused.

"You save your energy to protect my safety, and the rest of you go and burn the grass off the other farmland."

"In short, no one should touch the land under my jurisdiction."

"hiss……"

Gunle couldn't help but scratch his head, unable to understand what was going on.

But now no one dares to disobey Rhodes' orders, and they all obediently follow his instructions.

Cultivating land is more strenuous than imagined. You can't just swing a hoe and stick it into the ground; otherwise, you'll be exhausted after a few minutes of vigorous work.

Farming also requires experience. It requires maintaining a certain frequency, proceeding gradually, and stopping when you feel a little tired to rest for a while before continuing.

Rhodes, as an illegitimate child, had farmed in Tulip Castle, and since the land wasn't new, it was quite suitable.

There were no stones in the field, and the snow had just melted, so the soil was moist. It only took half a day to complete one acre of land.

[I have personally cultivated the first acre of farmland in my territory, unlocking the entry: Knowledge of Fertile Soil]

[Next entry: Collect two tons of manure fertilizer to unlock: Master of Humus]

(End of this chapter)