Mountain and Forest Kingdom

Wherever the sun shines, there are vibrant scenes everywhere.

Lawrence and a few of his cronies worked in the fields, growing ice soybeans that were suitable for the local climate and soil.

Ice soybeans are not a magic crop. Compared with ordinary soybeans, they require more water, softer soil and growing time.

It is sown in April in spring and harvested in October in autumn. The growth cycle is nearly twice as long as that of ordinary soybeans.

Ice beans are larger and have deeper roots, making it easier for them to provide nutrients for next year's crops.

Lawrence stepped on the wet and cold mud, and this time he was still responsible for the most troublesome things.

Planting ice beans is more difficult than other crops. Because of the growing conditions that ice beans prefer, the process of growing ice beans is several times more troublesome than growing wheat. Like growing rice, you need to stand in muddy water to transplant the rice.

This land is the land north of the great river in the north outside the manor, and it is also the XJ territory that was developed for the first time this year.

This time I actually traveled to the mountains to the west for more than ten days, but the symbolic meaning was very strong, and because of my identity, I had to express something.

Not only did Lathander personally lead the people to continue conquering the mountains, Lawrence also had to prove the significance of this trip to his men.

During this period when there was still a lot of developable land in the south and overseas, Lawrence took the lead in encouraging everyone to expand overseas and not crowd it all around a few towns and ports.

Regardless of whether they are willing or not, there are always people who want to come out. This kind of passive expansion is not uncommon in human history.

"It's so cold in spring mud." Lawrence sighed. He could still feel the normal cold, warm and itchy feeling even when he was not in combat mode or when he was not using special energy.

With his feet in the muddy water, Lawrence took the time to straighten up and look at the rushing streams and sparkling rivers in the distance, and then at the shimmering waterfalls further north.

Even though it was already April, the snow on the north side and overhead of the mountain continued to melt. The melting snow formed a continuous sound of water like firecrackers, falling from the steep rock-walled valley to form a curtain of water.

"I didn't think about the melting of snow before, and even if I thought about it, I didn't think it was such a big deal."

Lawrence found out the reason why Satis and others hadn't replied to the letter for so long. The roads he pointed out to them were all roads taken in winter. Many places were where streams must pass, and the water flow would definitely be very fast.

Coupled with the impact of water flow on the land, some flat roads that could be passed before may have become Hantan Valley.

What's more important is that they don't have a clear sense of direction and can easily get lost in the mountains.

Once you keep taking detours due to the stream, you will easily get lost even if you follow the direction of the stream. The direction of the water flow is always crooked.

Lawrence continued to bend down to work. Ice beans are easier to produce oil than ordinary soybeans. In autumn, this muddy-looking land will turn into a field of blue flowers.

The leaves and fruits of Hanbing soybean are blue, and the oil extracted is transparent white.

Khalan says there is nothing wrong with this oil and you can eat it.

Lawrence planned to plant the soybean oil for two or three years first, and then take the produced soybean oil to outside nobles for a taste. If there was no problem, he would promote it internally.

The priority now is to solve the problem of feeding a group of people under his command. These people have been observing the food standards of the Lawrence family for a long time, and the standards in their hearts are not the standards of slaves many years ago.

It doesn’t need to be now or next year, it just needs some good changes in the next few years. Everyone’s acceptance level is actually very high.

At present, Fleiss and some capable people still eat lard, or animal fats such as mutton and butter. The most commonly used oil is whale oil, but the taste is very poor. Most people still buy lard as long as their finances allow.

The oil yield of cabbage and rapeseed is too low. One acre of rapeseed can produce over 400 kilograms of rapeseed. The final extracted rapeseed oil is less than 60 kilograms. Now the output of one or two hundred acres of rapeseed is only enough for the Lawrence family. of.

Lawrence also thought about whether his life was too luxurious.

Not only does cooking and frying require a lot of oil, but also a variety of meats and grains, as well as the largest fuel and seasonings.

Clothes, fabrics, etc. are not included in the calculation, nor are labor, construction materials, and miscellaneous expenses.

Just thinking about normal consumption, it feels like spending money like water. No wonder those elves are stunned with envy.

After resting his limbs and working with his brain for a minute, Lawrence bent over and continued working without thinking about those troublesome things.

Saving is impossible, it is too difficult to save now.

What's more, the better my life is, the more nobles and extraordinary people outside will believe that this is a land given by God.

People outside will certainly not judge the country's living standards by the slaves at the bottom, but by the supreme ruler. Lawrence felt that he needed to show the country's wealth.

This is not a quibble. People like Kehalan, Delen, and others were more or less impressed by the material life here, and then they were willing to gradually understand it.

Facts have proven that showing off wealth is beneficial and can attract high-end talents, so there is no need to give up this successful experience.

Are there any benefits to being frugal? No! People outside will not think this place is good just because it is frugal, as long as they ensure that their own homes will not be eaten up by themselves.

Lawrence quickly stood up and walked to the edge of the field. He carefully held the bean sprouts in the wooden box in his hands and continued to plant rice in the paddy field.

The Kingdom of Stars will not be impoverished by the Lawrence family, but will be led by Lawrence to become bigger and stronger!

Ice beans are more suitable for use as oil than rapeseed and cabbage. Once the planting area is expanded, the oil and water problems of most people will soon be solved and the diet quality of the whole people will be improved.

In an era when meat was not available to everyone, oil crops became very precious.

Grains are guaranteed by several big outside countries, and some soldiers and nobles don't have to worry about eating meat. These ice beans are actually gifts to the lowest people.

Of course, it is not yet certain whether there is anything wrong with this bean. After all, it is a mutated bean.

After cultivating more than ten acres of paddy fields with some serfs, Lawrence handed the place over to Kellyon, the person in charge of the manor.

"This field is mine. Let me protect it and don't allow animals and people to damage it."

Kellyon responded quickly: "Yes, Prophet!"

Lawrence walked to the stream and washed his feet. The shallow water here had been warmed by the sun. Putting his feet down soon turned the originally clear stream into turbidity.

Lawrence casually scrubbed each other with his feet, and then explained: "I have sent people to contact the elves in the Green Forest Kingdom, and asked their wise men to come over to study the crop problem. If they arrive, they will be escorted directly to the castle."

Kellyon took note of this and took the initiative to hand Lawrence a towel.

Lawrence casually took the towel and thought about the crops.

When it comes to plants, Khalan doesn't even have a little knowledge. Those who really know it should be the wise men of the Elf Kingdom.

However, those wise men are more like various respectable people. They have knowledge and experience but no popular ideas, let alone strange thinking that can be used for farming.

Their serious idea is to cultivate various precious and rare medicinal materials for use in potion research.

Just like the alchemists who are valued by the emperor, it is impossible to study craftsmanship techniques that only they know. It is simply humiliation, humiliation, and punishment such as banishment.

Kehalan had suffered hardship for more than ten years in a remote mountainous area, doing whatever he was told.

The beekeeping witch is willing to keep bees obediently, mostly because Lawrence killed too many wizards. Most of the wizards who surrendered to Lawrence were brutally killed. So far, there are almost no wizards who have surrendered and survived.

Actually, not one.

This is also one of the reasons why many wizards dare not show their faces and Lawrence did not discover the extraordinary.

Lawrence had great respect for the knowledge of these extraordinary beings and would listen and think carefully about most of their advice.

In the early years, I had been convinced countless times, but later I gradually realized that what others said still made sense.

Lawrence, who was already twenty-five years old, respected the 150- and 250-year-old wise men in the Elf Kingdom, and wanted to hear their opinions on several cash crops.

On the contrary, he did not pay much attention to the matter of fighting. This matter had been handed over to his generals.

Whoever loses can come back and send people over when the time comes. Now the Kingdom of Stars has no shortage of soldiers, believers or funds.

More wars are still handled by several younger countries of the Star Alliance.

Although Lawrence did not care about the war, information about the war quickly reached Lawrence.

***

Pumihio town, monastery.

Lawrence received the latest battle report, and several nuns in the convent were waiting for Lawrence's arrangements.

Soon Lawrence put down the parchment and said to the others: "It's not a bad thing. Several countries have already sent troops to the Io defense line."

Safi asked: "How many people were dispatched in Haisenli this time?"

Lawrence smiled, "A lot of people were dispatched this time, and they all showed great enterprising spirit."

"King Ogudin of Hysenri led ten thousand men, King Signar of the Hokuriku Kingdom led eight thousand men, and King Sergio of Kogaco led fifteen thousand men."

“These are just the first batch of people, and many more people will join in after the autumn harvest.”

Lawrence said with a smile: "It's almost enough."

Safi felt something was wrong, "But these people are not brave and capable warriors from the Kingdom of Stars. With this alone, they are definitely no match for those pagans from the Church of the Dawn."

Lawrence still had an interesting smile on his face, "War does not happen in a day or two. After they win a battle and get the spoils of hard work, they will naturally have more motivation."

"We don't need to rush, and we don't need to worry about the gains and losses. We just need to defend our territory well."

Lawrence is not in a hurry about this matter. This war may last for more than ten years or decades.

This kind of faith-based battle itself is very tricky and has endless poison. It can allow the younger brothers to enter and consume it for decades. It is much easier than starting it yourself.

The land that the Church of the Dawn has occupied for a long time, especially the base camp area, needs a slow transformation process, so Lawrence never thought of occupying the other party's lair.

The hidden gold and silver jewelry there did not appeal to Lawrence, and allowing nobles from various countries who had previously believed in the Church of the Morning to make some money on the territory of the Church of the Morning would help break their reverence for the Church of the Morning.

It is not surprising that several kings personally went to war. Most of the military power in this era was in the hands of the king, and the king himself was the largest military noble.

Secondly, this time it was an honor to open up new territories, and the army of the Church of the Stars was supporting it.

After becoming a king, he must feel that he is different from others, that he is extraordinarily heroic and born noble. When conditions permit, most kings are willing to lead their own troops.

Leading troops personally to go on an expedition is a glorious thing in itself. In this era, martial arts were popular, and kings who could lead troops could more easily stabilize their dominance.

Lawrence also led military expeditions. Whether they were barbarians or Eastern and Westerners, men had this psychological need to show their status.

The biggest trouble with the imperial commander's personal expedition is the safety issue. In addition to the front problems, there are also the rear problems of his own home.

The Church of the Stars has helped solve the problems in the front and rear. There are legions stationed in the front and have established a fortress on the border of the Kingdom of Io, and the Church of the Stars’ allies and rules protect the rear. No matter which country has internal problems, Lawrence will send troops to suppress the rebellion and ensure that they The legal dominance of several individuals.

Several kingdoms are now under the protection of the Kingdom of Stars, so there is no need to worry about invasion by foreign enemies or rebellion by internal nobles.

The roads in several western countries have not yet been opened, and road construction has not begun in many places. However, during this period, many messengers rode Dom sheep to quickly deliver news.

When the kings of the three Star Alliance countries personally led their troops to go to war, the remaining Kingdoms of Durila and Deco hesitated for a few days before sending dukes and counts to lead their troops.

The Kingdom of Deco did not trust Lawrence. They sent people to assassinate Lawrence in the early years. Later, Lawrence conquered a territory during the expedition. Although there was peace for several years, they were hesitant about the Kingdom of Glen. As a result, they now always feel that Lawrence Will take revenge on them.

King Durila was once controlled by the Church of the Dawn. He was old and did not want to risk going out to fight, so he handed it over to a trustworthy noble.

The Green Forest Kingdom also hesitated for a while, but in the end the conservatives prevailed.

The Elf Queen, who was unwilling to go out to fight, finally agreed to send a few wise men to study plant issues outside the forest in order not to offend the kind-hearted and cruel Barbarian King.

The elf princess Tia soon found a doting queen.

"Mother! You want to send an envoy to Oak City, right? Let me go, I just went there last time!"

After Tia came back, she was thinking about when to go to Oak City again. After hearing about the decision of the queen and the elders from her friends, she quickly ran over and volunteered.

The queen frowned and looked at her unseemly daughter.

"Tia, you just went there, I can't let you go again this time."

The Queen tenderly refused, and inevitably sighed in her heart: This child was attracted to the outside world just after he went out for a while, and lost his original stability. As the heirs of the Elf clan, we often have to make careful decisions on various things and remain stable. Change is the best.

Tia didn't understand the queen's disappointment in her, and quickly retorted: "Why can't I go again? I am familiar with the people there, and I am also familiar with the generous prophet!"

The Queen said sternly: "This is the decision of the elders! You are not mature enough!"

The elves are still dominated by conservatives, and the Elf Queen is the biggest conservative, and the future queen must also be a conservative!