Chapter 362: Get To Work...

The sunset hung in the sky like a beautiful dancing gown.

In the red glow, Brambleford City looked unusually beautiful. After enjoying a hearty dinner in the castle, Simon returned to his bedroom and immediately fell asleep.

He didn’t wake up until noon the next day.

The days of struggle still had to continue, but now that the reavers were gone from the city, Simon felt much more relaxed.

With this new calm, he could finally focus on developing his land without the constant pressure of threats from the reavers. And, of course, his territory now included West Ham as well.

After getting cleaned up, Simon was informed that Baldwin was waiting for him in the main hall.

Simon was a bit surprised. In the past, Baldwin would have woken him up outside the door, but now he was being so considerate. It felt like the sun was rising from the west.

"My Lord." Baldwin greeted, smiling faintly. When Simon entered, he respectfully bowed. Today, he had intentionally not disturbed Simon’s rest. The past three months of war had left Simon constantly on the move, so Baldwin didn’t want to add to his exhaustion.

Baldwin had followed Simon every step of the way, watching him go from a carefree prince to someone who had successfully driven the reavers out of the empire. This transformation had made Baldwin truly admire Simon. Over time, he had also stopped being as cynical and bitter as before.

Now, what he wanted was finally becoming a reality. Simon was no longer someone who needed his supervision.

"You came at the perfect time. I was about to come find you." Simon said as he sat down in a chair, and a maid placed a cup of tea in front of him.

"I’m sure you’re talking about West Ham," Baldwin replied. He already knew about the commotion outside the castle, with the merchants waiting for Simon.

Simon nodded. "The battle in Preston was the first step, and now we’ve reclaimed West Ham. During this time, many merchants provided supplies for the northern campaign. It’s time to repay them. If I want to gather more funds for the next battle, I can’t go back on my word. Without trust, no one will stand by me."

Baldwin, who had been awake for several nights due to the conquest of the Sixteen Cities, said. "My Lord, I’ve been thinking about this since you left for Snake Pass. The spoils of war, such as war horses, cattle, and the captured reaver goods, shouldn’t go to the merchants. These things are too valuable for us. Instead, I think we should give them grasslands and require them to raise horses there."

He paused before continuing. "The reavers have conquered the world with their cavalry, something the Eldorian Empire has always struggled with. After losing the Sixteen Cities, we no longer have enough good horses. This is because we lack quality grasslands. Your Highness, this is the perfect opportunity to develop West Ham into a major horse-breeding region. The reavers have been driven out, but their power remains strong. We can’t let our guard down."

Simon nodded slowly. Baldwin’s words had hit the mark.

"You’re right. The Silk Road is still in the hands of the reavers, and we’re stuck inside. Without enough cavalry, it’s hard to completely defeat the reavers. As long as they remain, the north will remain a constant threat."

"Exactly." Baldwin smiled. "Besides the grasslands, Your Highness can also move some disaster victims to West Ham to grow potatoes, peanuts, corn, and chili peppers. The people of Brambleford don’t want to grow potatoes, but the displaced people have no land. They’ll definitely agree to farm if they get land."

"People refuse to grow potatoes?" Simon was surprised and suddenly remembered that it was indeed time to plant potatoes.

Baldwin nodded. "I was planning to force the people to set aside some land for potatoes, since potatoes are so high-yielding. They could feed even more people. But now that we have over 500,000 displaced people from Preston and a vast land in West Ham, we can give them the land to farm. Otherwise, we could force the people to grow potatoes, but that might cause some unrest."

Simon chuckled.

It reminded him of when potatoes were first introduced to Europe and were initially rejected. They were considered an unlucky crop, and farmers were unwilling to risk planting them. But during a great famine in France, a doctor who loved potatoes promoted them as highly productive and delicious, which led to the French eventually embracing them, saving many lives.

Simon now faced a similar challenge. But since he came from the future, he knew the importance of potatoes to his land.

"Alright, let’s send some of the displaced people to West Ham to clear the land. West Ham itself has 200,000 residents, so we’ll have enough people. Once the first crop of potatoes is ready, I’ll make sure the people will eagerly plant them next year."

"West Ham still has 200,000 displaced people?" Baldwin asked in surprise.

"Exactly. So I want you to go to West Ham, set up the government office, and distribute the land to the people."

Now that West Ham was his, Simon intended to extend his control there.

"Understood, My Lord. This is my specialty." Baldwin said with a smile.

Now that Simon’s territory had doubled in size, it was no surprise that Baldwin was thrilled.

"Since you’ll be handling the displaced people and West Ham’s affairs, I’ll gather the merchants tomorrow to discuss the grasslands," Simon said.

He then asked. "By the way, how is the situation with the displaced soldiers who were captured in the war?"

Baldwin’s expression became serious. "Those who broke the law have been executed. The rest are innocent civilians with families."

Simon nodded. "The King is still on the run, so we must ensure these displaced people are properly managed. We can’t let any loyalists to the King stir up trouble."

Simon wasn’t being cold-hearted; after all, this matter involved the safety of his territory. If anyone with bad intentions caused chaos, it would be the innocent people who suffered.

Baldwin nodded solemnly.

The two of them discussed West Ham and the displaced people, as well as some other affairs concerning the territory, before Baldwin finally left, satisfied.

Simon, meanwhile, was already planning his discussion with the merchants about West Ham’s grasslands.

The grasslands in West Ham were vast. Not only would he provide land to the merchants, but he also planned to sell some of it to them. He had a rough idea to focus on developing agricultural and pastoral industries there.

Just as he was thinking, Ysabeau suddenly entered, saying. "My Lord, someone from the Oxford Academy is here. They say they’ve created a hydrogen balloon."