Victor sat on the main seat in the living room, with Nicole and Anthony sitting on either side of him. The butler Joffrey stood respectfully below, waiting for Victor's questions. As a butler of a feudal noble, he must defend

The dignity of the master, even a high-ranking noble cannot overshadow the master. Sitting in the position of the master like Victor is an extremely serious provocation. But neither Nicole, Anthony nor Qiao Frei raised any objections. It seemed that this

It's natural. On the one hand, this is a villa rather than a castle, and it is an informal occasion. On the other hand, it also shows that the Anthony family regards Victor as the male host here.

Anthony was very satisfied with Joffrey's respectful attitude, or he was very satisfied with the current situation. After Nicole was promoted to knight, there was an endless stream of people who came to propose marriage, including the second son of Count Terlandon. As long as Nicole

But she promised him to become a baroness immediately. However, no matter how her parents persuaded her, Nicole refused. Nicole refused to become a baroness and insisted on becoming Victor's mistress. Anthony was very confused and depressed about this.

The situation is different now. Nicole is completely devoted to Victor and has become a lord again. This is perfect for Anthony's family. Anthony knows very well that the moon elf bloodline is notoriously difficult to have children.

It would be great to have one or two heirs. Even if Nicole and Victor have children, they will inherit Victor's family business, and most of Nicole's territory will be inherited by her natal heirs, maybe Anthony's own.

Descendants. Therefore, Anthony's family hopes that Nicole and Victor will just go on like this.

Victor knew nothing about Anthony's little thoughts. Now he just wanted to figure out how to manage these 10,000 people.

"Butler Joffrey, what do the common people mainly eat? How is the food provided and how is it distributed?"

"Sir, the main food for common people is black bread, wheat porridge and a small amount of beans. They can also eat broth every few days. We have built several warehouses to store food. The food is collected and distributed by Caitou every half month.

, the family’s fleet will transport the grain and store it in the warehouse.”

Victor asked curiously: "What kind of grain is green wheat?"

Anthony explained: "Green wheat is a unique crop in the north. Its yield is three times that of ordinary wheat, and it is harvested twice a year. The grain reserves of the Sasan Empire are very abundant, just because of the green wheat. The green wheat of the Sasan Empire also

The sale of our three kingdoms is only because of mutual hostility. The green wheat trade can only be carried out secretly. Your wife... um." After saying that, Nicole glanced over, and Anthony changed his words: "Sofia Marquis

She is the largest grain merchant. These green wheat are sold to us by her caravan to the York family. It is said that the taste of green wheat is not bad, but the price is not cheap. One pound of green wheat sells for 4 copper soles on the market.

, the green wheat provided to us by Marquis Sophia also costs 2 copper soles per pound. We nobles generally do not eat wheat porridge, and we rarely even eat bread. You don't know that green wheat is also normal."

Nobles mainly eat meat, eggs, milk, vegetables and fruits, and almost no wheat. Some big nobles will place white bread slices on the plates. After the meal, these slices of bread will be distributed to the common people. Victor in the Marquis Palace

Living such a luxurious and uneducated life, Anthony was afraid that Victor would be embarrassed, so he followed the temptation. But Victor had no time to pay attention to these details. He asked eagerly: "Can green wheat be grown here?"

?”

"There is no way." Anthony shook his head and said: "For thousands of years, the church and the lords have been trying to transplant green wheat. They have tried countless methods, but they have all failed."

"That's such a pity." Victor felt disappointed, but then he felt relieved. If the green wheat could be transplanted to the south, the human country would not be what it is now. He cheered up and asked again: "Butler Joffrey, now we have

How many civilians are there? How much food is consumed every day?”

"This..." Qiao Frei thought for a while and said awkwardly: "Sir, I really don't know this. I'm afraid I have to ask the foreman and Caitou."

Victor frowned and asked, "Where are they?"

"Sir, the foreman Dennis and the foreman Pabo are waiting for your summons outside. Do you want to call them in now?" Joffrey bowed and asked.

Victor nodded slightly, and Joffrey turned around and went out. A moment later, he walked in with two sturdy middle-aged men. The two men were wearing brand new short linen robes, their hair was still wet, and they had obviously just taken a shower.

.After they saluted Victor, Nicole and Anthony respectively, they stood aside solemnly.

Victor asked them: "Can any of you tell me how many people are there in total? How many young people are there? How much food are consumed every day?"

The two looked at each other, and Dennis, the foreman, said questioningly: "Sir, we don't know either."

"Ha! Don't know? Then what do you know?" Victor asked with a sneer.

Dennis gritted his teeth and said: "Sir, there are more than 500 people from the Stonemasons Guild. I have 30 big foremen and more than 100 small foremen. I can't know everyone." Victor turned his attention to the vegetables.

Pabo, Pabo said quickly: "Sir, I have 23 men, each with about ten people, responsible for a camp. I have to ask them for the exact number of people. However, there must be more than 10,000 people here, many

People come here with their families to earn a living. Those who can't do heavy work wash and cook under Caitou to earn a little money to survive."

Then, Victor asked many more questions, and gradually understood the operating mode of these young people.

Anthony is the chief designer of the project. After he led more than ten apprentices to complete the design, he handed over the construction task to the chief foreman Dennis. Dennis appeared to be a free citizen, but in fact he was a son of a vassal family and had very rich construction experience.

He even had the ability to supervise the construction of a standard castle. He decomposed the construction plan to the big foreman below, who then assigned the construction tasks to the small foreman, who led the young men to carry out the construction, while Anthony's apprentice and the general foreman Dennis jointly supervised

.

Pabo was the chief in charge of logistics work. His Caitou led a group of people and hired civilians to do laundry, cooking, and cleaning. They applied to Pabo for food, supplies, and commissions every day, while Pabo asked the housekeeper, Joe Frey.

Withdrawal. As for how to distribute the commission, Pabo pondered for a long time before saying that the commission was distributed every ten days, and each camp was 10 gold soles per month. He didn’t care how the following vegetables were distributed. The Masons’ Association was paid every month.

A commission is issued, and each foreman receives 40 gold soles, which are also distributed by themselves.

"I want to know how many people there are in total? How many young people are there in each camp? How many old people and children? How many people are in the hands of the Masons? How many people are in Caitou's hands? You go back, check these things out, and then report them to me

Butler. In addition, if you have any other requests, you can make them now." Victor said to the two persons in charge.

"Sir, we must get the people below to move as soon as possible, otherwise there will be trouble." Dennis, the chief foreman, said honestly.

Pabo rolled his eyes and said, "Sir, I want to lead people to reclaim some wasteland and grow some vegetables."

"I understand, go down." Victor ordered calmly.

After the two of them retreated, Nicole asked in confusion: "Victor, why do you want to ask about these things? Can't you just leave it to them? Do you have other ideas?"

"No! I don't plan to change anything. I just want to settle accounts." Victor sighed.

"Settling accounts?"

"Isn't it just settling accounts?" Victor smiled and said: "I am an outsider in construction, but this project is a rare opportunity. I want to figure out the costs and see where I can save some money. In the future, Randall will lead the construction project."

When building a canal, will I know how much material is needed? How much? I am not as rich and wealthy as your York family, so I must prepare it in advance to avoid problems."

Anthony said: "Our York family is also in a difficult situation now. We recently borrowed a large sum of money from the Duke of Nimes. We have done our best to build the control gate and reservoir this time."

"That's why we have to settle accounts." Victor looked serious and asked: "Sir Anthony, you should know about the artificial canal plan, right?"

Anthony nodded and said, "I heard from Teacher Edwin that this is a great plan."

"Although the plan is great, it costs a lot of money. If we can't budget carefully and reduce costs, I'm afraid the artificial canal will always be just a plan." Victor said coldly: "So, this time the project must not only be completed, but also what

The local government can cut costs. At present, there are two costs, one is materials and the other is labor. I would rather pay more wages than waste materials. Blackburg Town is almost 400 kilometers away from here, and the transportation cost of materials is quite high.

If we find a way to save this, the overall cost can be reduced a lot."

"This time, I don't plan to let Caitou and the foreman fool around like this again. First of all, make sure the number of people is clear, and don't let people eat empty wages. Secondly, confirm the number of people in each camp, and distribute materials according to quotas. Caitou

You can no longer apply for supplies at will. In addition, foremen and foremen are all talented people, and they should get more benefits. However, the benefits must be paid in an obvious way. In the form of currency, give each foreman and foreman subsidies and bonuses.

, so that we won’t worry about them not working hard.”

"Haha, speaking of which, Pappo Caitou is also a smart man. He knew that I would strictly check the supplies and came up with a good idea in advance." Victor smiled and said, "It will take a long time to build the artificial canal this time. If necessary,

Materials can be partially provided in the territory, and the logistical pressure will be much less. Nicole, although your farmland is relatively small, it is still no problem to grow vegetables and raise pigs. Let Caitou lead people to open up wasteland to grow vegetables, cut grass and raise pigs, and then start again

Selling the output to the family at a discount will not only reduce the cost of material transportation, but after the project is completed, you can also obtain farmland, breeding farms, cottages and funds, and maybe a group of citizens to work for you."

"Isn't this good?" Nicole said uneasily: "I didn't contribute anything, how could I get so many benefits? Isn't this harming the interests of the family?"

"No! No! No! This is very good! Very good!" Anthony stood up and said excitedly: "Victor, Teacher Edwin said you are a real genius. Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't think so before, but now I

Convinced!"

"Nicole, listen, you are the lord here, and the output of the territory belongs to you. If you sell the output to the family, it is natural for the family to give you money. This can also greatly reduce the cost of building reservoirs and

The cost of the fortress! Yes, including the fortress! These young men not only have to build a reservoir here but also a fortress. They stay here not for two years, but for four years. The more complete the infrastructure here, the more output, the family

The happier I am! When the reservoir is built, those vegetable fields can be converted into cultivated land. Breeding farms are also very important. Wild boars are far easier to raise than cattle and sheep. Using wild boars instead of cattle and sheep can save a lot of money. By the way, the cottage

It will also be built. In two years, more young and strong people will come here to build fortresses. With cottages, they can be accommodated. As for the more than 10,000 people here, they have built their homes, and most of them are willing to stay here and become

Leader of the people. Four years later, the fortress’s troop sources were available and the logistical problems were solved. What a brilliant idea!”

Nicole stared at the excited Anthony with her mouth open, while Victor said: "Sir Anthony, we will discuss these details later. Now I see the person who repaired the control gate, but where are the stones? And yours

Can you talk to me about the construction plans?”

"Yes, sir." Anthony straightened his collar and regained his elegance: "The stone materials for building the fortress are provided by the kingdom. We can appropriate some of them to build the control gate. The stone materials have been transported to Chebman Territory and can be used at any time.

Transport it here. Before that, we have to build a stone bridge."

The Black River flows from north to south, dividing Victor's territory into two. Chebman's territory is on the east side of the Black River, and Nicole's territory is on the west side. Although the Black River is relatively shallow, it cannot be crossed by an oxcart. Building bridges and paving roads is

Necessary work.

"The Black River is shallow, so the stone bridge is not difficult to build. However, you need to build a camp on the east bank of the river first to facilitate the reception of stones. That is your territory. So..."

"No problem. Please continue."

"Before the stones are transported, I plan to build a giant brick kiln to digest the clay produced by excavating reservoirs and ditches, and the fired green bricks will be used to lay the bottom of artificial ditches. We have already built 5 giant brick kilns, which can be completed in a month at most.

It can be built, and my disciples can complete it independently. Then, I will lead people to build the control gate. The control gate is just a special city gate. Teacher Edwin has already drawn a sketch. It is very simple. I estimate it will take two months.

It can be built." Anthony paused and said tactfully: "Sir, there is no difficulty in the wall, canal, and reservoir behind. My disciples are fully capable of doing this work. I hope that after the control gate is completed, you can

Agree with me to leave here. You know, there are not many opportunities to observe the construction of giant fortresses, especially the design of Teacher Edwin."

Victor smiled happily. It was certainly one thing that Anthony wanted to learn how to build a giant fortress. The bait thrown by Victor was also the reason why he chose to avoid suspicion. In short, the last obstacle was gone, and the huge manpower and material resources were completely fell into

into Victor's hands.
Chapter completed!