Pioneer Lord: A Leisurely Imperial Life

Chapter 327 The Return Date is Set

In September, the sun in the Eastern Territory was still scorching.

The entire Eastern Territory is in chaos right now, with all sorts of rumors circulating, making it impossible to distinguish between truth and falsehood.

Richard had no interest in knowing.

After resolving the water supply issue in Red Sand Territory, he began planning his return. Winter in the North waits for no one, and he had to return to Chiffon before the first snow fell.

The dry, barren East is nowhere near as comfortable as the cool, refreshing North.

Not only were there a lot of things at home waiting for his decision, but he also missed home and Lina and the others.

He felt a little guilty that he was only focusing on Nia every day. If she stayed any longer, he figured she would know more moves than Xueyue.

However, before that, we must first arrange things properly in the Red Sand Territory, and try our best not to leave any loose ends for Anthony.

First, there's the road.

The trade route from Chisha Territory to Hanhai Territory needs to be built. It's over a hundred kilometers long, and heading east through the Scorching Desert leads directly to the western gate of Hanhai Territory.

Once repaired, this road will definitely become a popular trade route connecting the stars and the demons.

The desert ground is flat and soft; it can be leveled with just a few shovelfuls.

Then we'll get a few more monitor lizards to pull iron rollers to compact the roadbed, and then lay down stone flooring, and that'll be it.

A huge amount of stone flooring has been prepared in the mine, so there is no need to worry about the materials.

However, this is a large undertaking.

The main problem is that sand monitor lizards aren't as convenient as rock crabs; attaching their two large pincers to a shovel bucket saves a lot of trouble.

Richard hadn't known if the rock crabs could adapt to the environment here, and was worried they'd be scalded into salt and pepper crabs, so he hadn't brought them over.

Since there's no road, we have to let the camel caravan transport supplies back and forth for now. The two hundred hired Red Sand people have already been organized into teams and are being personally supervised by Anthony.

If the trade route can be repaired before winter, that would be a victory. If it can't be repaired, it doesn't matter, since the camels are already running.

Richard also built a cluster of stone houses on both sides of the road to serve as post stations, providing a place for caravans to rest when they traveled back and forth.

These roadside inns will also serve as outposts for the soldiers in the future, since many monsters roam the Scorching Desert, and the safety of the caravan must be ensured.

Richard would do his best to take care of his own people's working environment and personal safety so that they would work diligently.

Next is the field.

The oasis in Chisha Territory originally had several thousand acres of farmland, which had all been abandoned before. Now that there is water, it certainly cannot be wasted.

However, there are few people here, so Richard doesn't plan to engage in large-scale planting; transforming twenty acres of fields will suffice.

With winter still a month away, we can still plant some vegetables and grapes to provide a stable food source for the citizens who are away on business.

When you come here, you should definitely take pictures of some local plants, such as dates, sea buckthorn, and poplar trees.

Dates are a good thing in the desert. They are drought-resistant and can grow in poor soil. The fruits they produce are very sweet and have a high sugar content.

Besides dates, coconut from the chiffon cake is also a must.

In the desert, coconuts are like pure natural mineral water. The coconut meat is edible and also provides nutrition. Selling one for two copper coins is really not expensive.

Moreover, coconuts can be used as a calling card for the Red Sand Territory, which is sure to attract many adventurers and traveling merchants.

Of course, these twenty acres of fields cannot be approached casually.

If it's discovered that his system's field is the same as the Elven race's natural growth magic, then things will get really messed up.

Richard then instructed Anthony to set up several additional outposts around the oasis, which were then manned by the Imperial Guard and the city's garrison in rotation.

No outsiders are allowed to approach the fields, not even the inhabitants of Chisha territory.

As for the work in the fields, five people were selected from the two hundred chiffon citizens to be specifically responsible for tending to them.

Five people and twenty acres of land are enough.

In addition to the system's farmland, Richard also had Anthony cultivate 500 acres of real farmland on the edge of the oasis.

Firstly, we can cultivate herbs adapted to hot climates, such as *Heliotropium indicum* and *Firevine*. If this can be done on a large scale, we can produce cold-resistant herbs ourselves.

Secondly, we need a "cover field".

He told Lawrence that he came to the East to conduct agricultural experiments. What if he didn't even have a test field and someone found out?

With 500 acres of actual farmland right there, anyone who comes to ask can point to it and say, "Look, this is the result of my research here."

Whether the crops are grown well or not can be entirely attributed to technical issues.

Richard had one last thing to do: build a chicken coop and a livestock shed next to the fields to provide meat for the soldiers stationed in Red Sand Territory.

Write a letter to Earl Hanhai!

He wanted to ask the other party for a favor: to send someone to the Universal Star Library to bring his sister Freya back.

Although the Universal Library was forced to close due to the turmoil, Earl of the Vast Ocean had just made a great contribution and was enjoying great success.

Tell him to speak to the Demon Spirit Royal Family and ask them to secretly pick someone up from the palace; it's just a matter of a few words.

Once the royal family intervenes, no one can stop them.

They'll definitely be able to bring her back, because Richard also wrote a letter to Freya.

In the letter, he said that he was cursed by the power of light and did not have much time left. He wanted to see his sister one last time before he died.

That was obviously a lie, but I guarantee that once she saw the letter, even if no one was sent to pick her up, she would be able to climb over the wall herself.

There was no other way; in this urgent situation, one must act expediently. If Richard had gone in person, given her personality, she might not have wanted to leave and would have insisted on staying to continue researching light magic.

As for whether she'll be angry after she finds out the truth, let's talk about that later. At worst, let her punch me a couple of times to vent her anger.

With everything arranged, Richard summoned Anthony to the Lord's Hall and told him about the Adventurers' Guild and the bounty on cattle, horses, and monsters.

After the conversation, Anthony hesitated for a moment and said, "Sir, I'm worried that I lack management experience. Could you send a group of clerks from the Chiffon City Hall to help me? Even two or three would be fine."

Richard thought for a moment, shook his head, stepped forward and patted him on the shoulder, his tone full of expectation: "You Qifeng Nine Guards are the people I trust the most. I hope that you can all grow up and take charge on your own. Chisha Territory is the best training ground for your political affairs."

"Don't be afraid, just go for it boldly. No matter what happens, I'll take full responsibility for you."

"If you encounter a problem that you really can't solve, contact Im and I will come over to help you as soon as possible."

These words deeply moved Anthony.

Just as he was about to say something, Im, who was beside him, suddenly chuckled.

Richard looked at him, puzzled, and asked, "What are you laughing at?"

Im coughed a few times and glanced at Anthony: "Sir, do you know what kind of good deed Anthony did a few days ago?"

Anthony's expression changed, and he quickly raised his hand to stop him: "Im, shut up!"

Im ignored him and laughed loudly to himself, "He trusted that old steward Cook and sent him to buy camels. Guess what happened? That old geezer took five gold coins and ran off overnight!"

Richard was taken aback: "They ran away?"

"He ran away!" Im laughed so hard his shoulders shook. "Anthony was so stupid, waiting for him for three days, and only realized he'd been tricked when he never showed up!"

Anthony's face was as black as the bottom of a pot.

"I've already commissioned adventurers to capture him and bring him back; he's being whipped and hung up in the oasis!"

After saying that, he glared at Im through gritted teeth and said, "Could you please stop revealing my secrets in front of the adults?"

Richard couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Five gold coins are nothing, but being swindled out of them by a steward is indeed a bit embarrassing.

However, this also shows that Anthony really lacked experience. After all, he only started learning to read when the inner city walls were being built.

Richard laughed and said, "Alright, when I get back, I'll have Wendy pick a few clerks to send over. You'll have to learn a bit on your own too; relying on others all the time isn't a long-term solution."

Anthony breathed a sigh of relief and nodded quickly.

After saying that, Richard brought up another matter.

"By the way, keep an eye out for pretty girls and hire them as maids. Take as many as you want. Train them at Red Sand Fortress first, then send them all to Sword Pavilion."

Upon hearing this, Anthony and Im exchanged a glance and fell silent.

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