Lord of Winter: Beginning with Daily Intelligence - Chapter 421 - 274: The Red Tide’s Strategic Forge

Chapter 421: Chapter 274: The Red Tide’s Strategic Forge

Last night, the entire Mai Lang Valley was immersed in a true celebration of the harvesters.

Each village community lit bonfires in their own threshing grounds or village squares, set up long tables, slaughtered chickens and lambs, with hot soup bubbling away. Large chunks of meat and big bowls of wine were exchanged without count.

The liveliest place was the main celebration venue in the center of the valley, where more than a dozen of the most outstanding village communities held a joint feast, with dozens of pots of dishes coming out of the oven, their aroma drifting far away in the night breeze.

Under the night’s veil, the firelight illuminated people’s smiling faces, as the “Spring Plowing Performance Chart” was read out one by one and the awards were announced one by one.

“This year’s ’King of Plowing’ is Hall Sawn from the Thirteen Villages!”

Cheers erupted, shaking the sky, and Hall Sawn, with a flushed face, went on stage, trembling hands receiving the land contract stamped with the Red Tide Territory seal.

A piece of permanently high-quality private land, accompanied by the right to use a new iron plow and two oxen.

For this, he got up early and worked late into the night, proving to be the most diligent person in the Mai Lang Territory. Tonight, all his efforts became worthwhile, as his destiny changed because of it.

“The list of the Top Ten Households is as follows—Loy, Kayla, Bessie…”

Behind every name is the year’s hard work of a village community.

Villagers excitedly pushed their relatives and friends onto the stage to receive prizes, with children tugging at their parents’ clothes, loudly proclaiming, “That’s my dad!”

Some elderly folk received certificates with trembling hands, barely returning to their seats before being lifted high by the young.

The prizes included grain, cloth, iron tools, as well as land deeds and livestock.

For these farmers, whose feet tread the soil, this was more than just a reward; it was a form of recognition.

And right after the “Top Ten Households” list was announced, a group of young people were called out by village community representatives.

Most of them were around twenty, their shoulders not fully straightened, yet their eyes were already steadfast.

Green mentioned their names in a particularly solemn tone: “The above fifteen individuals, due to outstanding work performance, have been recommended to attend the primary management team training in the Red Tide Main Territory later this month. Upon completion, they will return to their homes to take priority positions as deputy leaders of community teams, assisting with agricultural coordination, logistics, and disaster preparedness.”

The villagers were astir, followed by another round of loud applause.

This was more than just praise; it was a gateway to higher realms.

These young people would no longer just be good laborers but were expected to become the backbone responsible for a village, a community, or even an entire territory.

In this Northern Territory valley, once filled with slaves and vagrants, at this moment, countless eyes looked upon them, with envy and hope.

And in one noisy corner, the main seating area appeared somewhat quieter.

Louis held a wine cup, nestled into his chair, his cloak warmed and reddened by the firelight.

He listened to the villagers’ laughter while half-closing his eyes, gazing at the stacks of grain.

The firelight occasionally danced across his face, making him seem less like a lord and more like a veteran soldier who had just won a battle, laying down his arms to catch his breath beside a campfire.

He said nothing, but his gaze spoke volumes.

It was not self-satisfaction, nor was it relaxation; it was a sense of grounding after prolonged travels.

He indeed didn’t drink much.

Emily glanced at him, smiled, shook her head, took his cup, poured herself half a glass of warm honey wine, and handed it back.

“You always do this,” she said softly, “when you should be enjoying yourself the most, you’re always thinking about tomorrow.”

“I have no choice; the two counties and thirteen territories of the Northern Territory rest on my shoulders. I dare not slack,” Louis replied with a smile.

His eyes held a glint of mischief, with a hint of self-mockery.

Emily said nothing, she simply leaned gently against his shoulder.

……

On the second day of the celebration, in the warm afternoon sun, Louis boarded the carriage back to the Red Tide Main Territory.

As he boarded, a command was given, and the entire convoy set off, unlike when they came, this time they departed with dozens of grain wagons.

On both sides of the carriage, fully armed Red Tide Cavalry escorted them in formation.

They were no strangers, as this was the third grain transport convoy.

The success of the previous two had made everyone more steady and skilled, familiar with the routes, defenses, and pace.

Hooves trod upon the ground, wheels pressed against the road, dust rising from the main road, the formation orderly.

This massive transport fleet strictly executed the “mainline transportation plan” previously laid down by Louis:

The main road led directly from the Mai Lang Territory to the warehouse of the Red Tide Main City, a journey of approximately five to seven days, with compressed stone roads laid along the way, suitable for large carts.

Three transfer points and fixed grain protection posts were established along the route, to guard against bandits and sudden magical beast attacks.

The convoy operated in a “ten carts per group, one group equipped with an escort calvary team” mode.

The transport tools included ox carts, mule carts, and newly crafted precision-cast iron wheeled carts, with loads ranging from five hundred to eight hundred kilograms, advancing continuously day and night.

To prevent loss, each bag of grain was lined with oil paper and labeled for processing status, with red stripes for “dried,” blue for “baked,” and yellow for “awaiting screening.”

Daily inspections were arranged to prevent sprouting, mold, and rat infestations.

A “temporary grain drying stack” was specially set up along the route for transfer during rain.

Originally, Louis had considered using the medium-sized river within Mai Lang for transporting grain via ship to Red Tide, saving manpower and vehicles.

However, the current shipbuilding technology was not yet mature, and with the Northern Territory’s early winter and fast-freezing rivers, implementation carried too high a risk.

For this, he personally wrote a letter to Duke Calvin requesting assistance, hoping to dispatch several shipbuilders north for support.

Especially as the Calvin Clan was famous for shipbuilding in the Empire, succeeding in this would not only solve inland transportation issues but would be a crucial step in building his future maritime trade network.

The slanting sun shone, illuminating the winding grain convoy, dust kicked up by hooves, floating like light smoke behind the fleet.