Steel, Explosives, and Spellcasters

Chapter 706 706 41 Salt and Iron_3

?Chapter 706: Chapter 41 Salt and Iron_3 Chapter 706: Chapter 41 Salt and Iron_3 Only when the new government truly began to collect grain taxes could this small, impoverished, but tenacious regime be considered on the right track.

But plans could never keep pace with changes. Juan had fought a delightful battle, thoroughly enjoying himself, yet inadvertently opened up more than a thousand tiny cuts under the grain storage.

Prisoners were people, too, and all of them were adult men capable of eating and drinking.

There wasn’t enough food.

…

The atmosphere in the meeting room immediately turned heavy, and even Moritz could not help but look worried.

“Why all the long faces?” Winters laughed heartily, “We are pushing back the waves with a tsunami bearing down on us. It is normal to face difficulties; it would be abnormal not to. The greater the challenge, the greater the reward! Come next year’s harvest, all of today’s troubles will be solved.”

Winters grinned widely, “Don’t frown. If we have stern faces and furrowed brows all day, what will the soldiers think? They will only worry more. So smile, we must not be anxious.”

Mason sighed helplessly but then smiled wryly.

Andre, however, didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, “You could stop smiling—your smile is scarier than your frown.”

“That being said, we still need to solve the lack of grain, and there’s also the issue of salt,” Mason said seriously, “Otherwise, when the time comes between planting and harvest, we’ll be forced to beg.”

“How to solve it? Isn’t that fucking obvious?” Andre said with a bared-teeth smile, “Steal!”

Moritz began coughing violently, thumping his chest hard.

“Don’t just dismiss what I’m saying! I’ve thought this through!” Andre protested, feeling wronged, “As long as we’re willing to steal, we can solve any problem. Besides, how quickly can we gain through theft? Working hard to accumulate… in the end, we’d only gather a couple of hundred horses. But to steal? You could get thousands in one go! Isn’t that easier and more satisfying than digging and farming?”

“Right, that’s correct!” Combing through the issues like grooming a fiery steed, Winters was very adept, “I’ll note that down—as a contingency plan.”

Andre sat down huffily.

Mason fiddled with his quill, pondering, “There are only two ways to address the food issue: increase income or reduce expenses. Reducing expenses is impossible—if we do, we’ll all starve to death.”

“We can still reduce expenses,” Winters determined, his decision firm, “After the autumn sowing, we’ll vet the prisoners from Vernge County. Release any who are too old, too young, or too weak, and let the New Reclamation Legion worry about them.”

“Release them?” Andre’s eyes widened, “I think it’s better to kill them all! They know our internal situation! If you release them now, they will come back with weapons to fight us next year!”

“There are pros and cons. If we kill them all, the enemies that come next year will fight even more desperately. Let’s just give each of them a bit of travel money and release them.”

“Give them travel money?” Andre said, incredulously laughing.

“Releasing prisoners doesn’t necessarily mean doing them a favor. Vernge County is short on food just the same; the old, weak, and sick might just starve even if they make it back there,” Winters sighed, “I suggest we put it to a vote.”

Andre was clearly impatient, “A vote? Why make it so complicated? If you say to release them, would I even object? Just let them go.”

But Winters insisted on a show of hands to vote.

The final result: Mystery Man A abstained, while Winters, Andre, and Mason all agreed. The matter was thus settled.

“As for increasing income,” Winters said with a pained expression, “Hunting, fishing—that’s what every military village and farm is doing. Winter is coming, and there’s little left to forage. When it comes down to it, we’ll still need to buy food.”

“Buy from where?” Mason asked, puzzled.

“From the independent farmers. Buy first from Iron Peak County, then from Vernge County,” Winters tapped the table lightly, “Samukin is doing quite well with that scheme.”

Winters explained in detail how Samukin organized prisoner labor to produce shoes, baskets, and traded them with the villages for food.

Did the independent farmers of Iron Peak County have any grain?

Yes!

After the autumn harvest, how could there not be any grain?

The harsher the old garrisons collected, the better the farmers hid their grain. Those who hadn’t hidden it well had already fled their homes, and the ones remaining inevitably had grain.

Winters was reluctant to impose levies, and he had no desire to do so. In the past year, the game of “hide and seek” between the collection teams and the farmers had pushed the cost of levying to unprecedented heights.

This autumn, many independent farmers didn’t even work their registered land, instead, they fled to desolate gullies to cultivate—having been driven to act like startled birds. Even though Winters had publicly stated he would not impose levies on the grain, the farmers did not believe him.

If they couldn’t impose levies, then they would have to trade. Farmers had many needs that they were willing to trade for.

“Salt and iron,” Winters said emphatically, “Farmers cannot produce these two things, so these are what they desire the most.”

“Salt?” Andre frowned, “Are you going to return the horses?”

“Of course not!” Winters laughed loudly, “Once it’s in my pocket, how could I possibly give it back? He can dream on! Trading horses for salt is like quenching thirst with poison. He thinks I’m desperate, then I must carve out a new path!”

“So what do we do?”

“If there’s no salt, our focus must turn to iron.”

“The Iron Peak Mine?”

“Exactly!” Winters looked at Senior Mason, his eyes burning with determination, “Senior, there’s no time like the present, let’s start smelting iron tomorrow. Regardless of the outcome, let’s strike the first hammer and see!”

“No problem, I’ll start preparing right away,” Mason, having quietly listened to the younger men’s conversation, could not help but remind, “But have you thought about how to resolve the salt issue? Iron Peak County doesn’t produce salt, after all.”