Chapter 321 The Long Winter Night

The city of Harvest is carrying out infrastructure construction in winter, so Roman does not need to pay special attention to it.

But the so-called multi-faceted development is not enough to just focus on infrastructure construction.

Roman began to send fleets out again and began to absorb the population.

Those people could be brought from the north or from other noble territories.

There must be poor people at the bottom of some noble lands who cannot survive the winter. Instead of freezing to death outside, it is better to bring them to the City of Plenty to shine.

Roman gave him farm tools in exchange.

There was no need for those nobles to refuse.

Nobles are very independent. As long as the fire doesn't burn them, it doesn't matter. When the fire burns them to death, it doesn't matter.

The entire political system of the Black Iron Land is destined that they are not monolithic.

Based on this, not all nobles are hostile to the King of the River Valley. Roman's title was conferred by the Black Iron King himself. Although he is an enemy of the Holy See, he has no conflict of interest with most nobles - the vassals of the Split Armor series. except.

Secondly, there is beneficial cooperation between some nobles and Roman.

For example, the nobles who got cheap salt and iron.

The price of salt doesn't matter.

It is enough for other nobles to get their share of profits from the salt. Cheap salt will also create greater room for profit for them. Although Roman has trade privileges, the nobles only need to buy them all and then sell them back to the bottom. So can farmers. As long as they deliver enough, there will always be people at the bottom who will benefit.

The only ones who suffer are other salt farm owners, because they can't compete unless they engage in a business war or a price war, but that's another way of saying it.

And steel farm tools are very important.

They just don't know how to develop, they don't resist development.

Steel agricultural tools can improve labor efficiency and feed more knights in battle, but they will not pose a threat to the aristocratic class. They have no harm at all and no one will hate it.

It is feasible to exchange steel farm tools for population, especially for the northern front.

The disadvantage is that Roman is notorious, and those farmers may not accept the fact that their noble master sells them to the King of the River Valley. There must be a lot of resistance.

But as long as there is profit, difficulties can be overcome.

Roman's requirements are not high, just transport 10,000 more slaves before the end of this year, raising the population of Fenghuang City to 80,000.

The land carrying capacity of Fenghuo City is much stronger than that of Origin City.

The only disadvantage is that there is no natural danger and the door is wide open, so we can only fight tough battles.

But that's what he's least afraid of.

Roman sat by the fireplace, the roaring flame providing warmth, and the entire hall served as his office.

He opened the system interface and figured out who to add points to and who to bring to the dungeon today.

At this time, Shasta came over and put a cup of hot tea in Roman's hand, "Your Highness, you are still working, why don't you take a rest."

"I'm preparing plans for next year," Roman said.

The slave business is really troublesome, and the population obtained is not much, so it is better to rob the surrounding area.

As long as they are all killed, they all belong to him.

"But it's still too early for next year. People in the north say that winter nights are long and winter is coming."

"Oh, do you have any explanation?" Roman asked casually.

Shasta sat on the chair next to Roman. She said: "The northern land is vaster and more mysterious than the Black Iron Land. There is a saying that I don't know where it originated from: 'The people of Wandong are prisoners of that land, and the people of Wandong are prisoners of that land. The King of Winter is the biggest prisoner among them. I have been to the northern land, and the prophet ordered me to find a special witch who has the power to change the fate of all witches. I found her and brought her out of the north. Now her life or death is uncertain, and her people are trying to save her declining life..."

…

military camp.

Neat dormitories and flat school grounds.

Noncommissioned officers who have been in the army for two years take the recruits who have just joined the army to do basic training.

Depending on when you enlisted in the army, the training you do varies.

The first batch of recruits went through basic training with the team leader.

"One, two, one! One, two, one!... Stand! Set!"

Captain Gray of the 20th Brigade looked at the still somewhat messy phalanx in front of him. When he set off, there was a horizontal line. However, after only walking a hundred meters, the phalanx had a tendency to collapse, and the military posture of the soldiers also changed to a chest-covering posture. He looks like an old farmer with a hunched back, unable to stand straight, and uneven legs.

The squad leaders who followed the phalanx entered the queue, waved their pointers, and made corrections one by one.

"Stand up straight!" "Stand up your chest!" "Put your feet away!" "What about you!" "Lift your face!" "Where to put your hands!" "How dare you hide?! I'll let you hide!! "

Shouts came one after another, and each team leader came down. All the recruits were beaten, and the recruits who made no mistakes also received two symbolic canes.

The pointer swung heavily on the body parts they failed to do, making a dull sound.

The recruits all felt distressed, not for themselves, but for their uniforms.

This is the first time I have worn such good and thick clothes.

But no matter how thick they are, they can't withstand being whipped every day. If they get damaged, they'll be fine. But what if the clothes get damaged by being whipped? These are the enlistment gifts given to them by His Highness, and they are their clothes.

If it were the thin and light linen they used to wear, it would have torn apart after being whipped seven or eight times.

The high-quality military uniforms were not damaged. But recruits have a worrying nature and will subconsciously protect their clothes.

The consequence was that the recruits who made the most mistakes and dared to dodge were beaten the most.

None of these black-faced sergeants showed mercy. Knowing what they were afraid of, they deliberately beat them on their clothes. One recruit tried to take off his uniform and then get beaten. As a result, his squad leader got angry on the spot and pulled out a knife to cut the uniform in half. The good clothes were almost scrapped. After sewing them again, there was a crooked seam line, which was far less beautiful than when they were intact.

The faces of the recruits were bitter, and they could only try their best to reduce the mistakes in their military posture and formation, so as not to fall into that fate.

Captain Gray watched coldly. After the military posture of the recruits was corrected, he immediately shouted: "Everyone turn back!"

He waited for five seconds and saw the recruits turning around in a hurry. After a simple movement, the corrected military posture began to loosen again.

"March in step! One, two, one! One, two, one!"

After taking ten steps, the neat formation of recruits fell apart at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Gray shouted slogans, marched in step, and continued to lead the new recruits forward.

Seeing this situation, he sighed in his heart, but he couldn't say anything.

Who let these people just join the army for less than two months?

He also trained for two years before he could walk out of the standard military posture that His Highness barely recognized.

An infantry battalion has only 275 new recruits, and there are 25 squad leaders who have been in the army for more than a year to assist throughout the whole process. The training process is not difficult.

But this is only a microcosm of a corner of the military camp. There are also 12 new infantry battalions that are also receiving various training tasks. Some stand at attention, some run drills, and some new recruits are on duty in logistics under the leadership of veterans...

He trained the new recruits day after day, and suddenly felt a slight chill on his cheeks. He subconsciously looked up and saw thin snowflakes falling from the vast sky.

...