Being a lord in another world begins with farming

Chapter 341 Arms and food

In the underground armament warehouse in Beicheng, a large number of shiny standard muskets were neatly packed in boxes, fixed by wooden strips, and beside them were custom-made ammunition and maintenance kits that had already been boxed.

These were to be sent to Ferrier and Solari, together with small-caliber artillery and a large number of civilian muskets, the former for personal use and the latter for sale.

Originally, Owen had many concerns and did not dare to sell large quantities of firearms, but after the empire and his party, he found that the empire was divided, and the real upper class never cared about firearms, and those who cared often had no right to change anything.

Taking Academy City as an example, if you want, you can complete the initial industrialization within half a year, and upgrade the technology to the 60s and [-]s within a year, and some technologies can even reach the level of science fiction movies.

At that time, let alone guns, aircraft, tanks and rockets can be manufactured. The only problem is how much the cost of mass production will be.

Manufacturing and energy production are two different things. The former requires a laboratory, while the latter requires a complete industrial system, which is not an order of magnitude at all.

However, Owen dare not underestimate the empire. Just the accumulation of thousands of years in the academy city does not know how deep the foundation is.

The strength of the empire is the reason why Owen dared to sell firearms to the entire Northland, because the real rulers don't care.

Of course, it’s just firearms. If Owen really dares to produce aircraft, tanks, missiles and satellites on a large scale, the Empire will definitely not let him go, because this level of equipment can already pose a huge threat to the Empire. Sitting in town, that is the level of a confidant.

Firearms are now another key product that Beicheng sells outside of food and iron, and the profits are very high.

The reason is very simple, because although most of the lords of the Northland have people behind them, it is impossible to get the full support of the other party.

Although they were all launched by the forces behind them, whoever doesn't want to be independent will naturally be wary.

At the same time, the chaotic and fierce competition environment in the Northland makes it difficult for them to have a lot of time to train professional soldiers, so training short-formed and fast musketeers has become their best choice. Under normal circumstances, the chances of winning against ordinary troops are very high, so even if the cost is a little higher, they are willing to pay.

Ferrier and Solari are also facing the same problem. Before the mining industry has really formed or made a lot of profits, their monopoly of fur and livestock is the two most valuable industries in the Northland, so the challengers they face are even more There are many, so they must improve their strength in the shortest time, otherwise they will face the fate of being eliminated.

Even the two of them had prepared for the worst. If the territory could not be held, they would choose to completely rely on Owen. Although they could not retain the earl's title, what would they do with the title if the territory was gone.

Owen was well aware of the plans of the two, but he didn't mean to force them. Instead, he strongly supported the two to expand their strength.

The reason for this is that Irving did not only see immediate benefits.

After the empire and his party, he knew very well that in the absence of foreign enemies, the empire is his biggest enemy. Even if there is no conflict now, it does not mean that there will be peace in the future. Therefore, in addition to the town of Mara, he also needs to establish a border on the border of the empire. As for the buffer zone, it is obvious that Ferrier and Solari are very suitable, so unless necessary, he will not interfere, and will vigorously support the development of the two.

Before the end of autumn, there was another snowfall in the north. Compared with the first layer of tulle, the snow was thicker this time, and the temperature did not rise much after the snow stopped. There is a tendency to gradually decrease, and a large cloud of dark clouds has gathered over the Northland, and it feels like it will be pressed down at any time, which makes Owen feel a little heavy, because he knows what this means.

Not only did Owen see the hidden crisis, but some smart northern nobles also noticed something. Especially with the arrival of the second snow, they not only accelerated the harvest of the crops in the territory, but also placed a lot of food orders for the caravan.

Beicheng, as the only place in the Northland that can export grain, has also received a lot of orders, but whether to sell in large quantities depends on Owen's decision, which even Maya cannot replace him in making decisions.

Holding the material reserve data sent by Maya, Owen fell into deep thought.

Even if the food in the territory is sold every year, it is still in a state of surplus. First, the amount sold each year is actually limited. Second, there is also the super farmland in Lusha Town, so the food production is beyond the imagination of ordinary people.

Some of these grains are used as war reserves, some are sold, and some are used to make wine. They can be accumulated for several years, and the inventory is still amazing. Many early grain stocks are already at a critical point.

"This year's new grain production has been reduced by three levels. It seems that other nobles will have a hard time in the future." Owen rubbed his chin and said.

Beicheng has perfect planting technology and water conservancy facilities, and can even use steam machinery to cultivate and harvest. Even if this is the case, the production will be reduced by three floors and replaced by other northern nobles. Even if the territory is closer to the south and the temperature is higher, the autumn harvest has been halved. It's a foregone conclusion, and some even can't even get the seeds back.

In this case, survival is a problem. After all, most of the northern nobles are newcomers who have not yet gained a firm foothold in the northern land. Most of their consumption depends on the assistance of the internal forces of the empire. They have no reserves and can only rely on Buy.

"The new grain is used as a reserve, and the old grain that is approaching the expiration date is sold, and the grain price increases by [-]%. Anyway, they have no room to be picky." Owen doesn't care about this profit, but he has to do it, because the Northland, no, is the whole The empire cannot tolerate a benevolent lord, because benevolence means weakness and hesitation, so he can be cruel and greedy, but he can't be kind or merciful, even if he knows that restricting the sale of grain will kill many people.

"In addition, tell them that they can exchange population for food, give them some discounts, and encourage them to do so." In the end, Owen let go, allowing those northern nobles to exchange life-saving food for the people who could not support them. Sure enough, he Still too kind.

Owen's labeling himself kind is not to put gold on his own face, because those northern nobles really think that he is a kind person, because the grain they buy from other places is not as good as that bought in North City.

Most of the grain sold by the caravan to the north comes from warehouses on the border of the empire. They are old grains that have been stored for many years. Due to poor preservation, it is common for them to become moldy and spoiled. It was very expensive, and the northern nobles who bought it were full of complaints.

Of course they don't eat this kind of food, but the people who eat this kind of food will not only have difficulty getting enough nutrition, but will also greatly increase the chance of getting sick, and getting sick in the cold winter means death.

In the sparsely populated Northland, the population is not as cheap as the already saturated empire, so these Northland lords feel distressed.

In contrast, although the grains sold in Beicheng are also old grains, except for the poor taste, they are very well preserved, and because they are very dry, they are easier to store than new grains, so they are more popular.

(End of this chapter)