You were made to farm, and now you're the emperor of an empire?

Chapter 229 The Third Year

How to clear land in a swamp? Roman could only use a clumsy method.

Dig a big pit and divert the accumulated water.

Fill in the swamps and dig ditches and canals.

To build dams and construct water conservancy projects.

This project is enormous.

Concentrate all resources and integrate all strengths!
The benefits will be immeasurable in the future!

Firstly, the pits can be used to raise fish.

Fish raised naturally can still be considered a source of meat, and you can simply go out and catch them a few times every now and then. Even if you only catch tens of thousands of kilograms, you'll still make a profit.

Secondly, the filled-in swamps are best used for growing rice.

Most of this land is not suitable for growing rice, but not all of it is. It has a subtropical climate with warm temperatures and plenty of sunshine and rain.

Third, building dikes and dams can improve natural conditions.

The swamp itself is located in a low-lying area.

Every summer, torrential rains bring floods, mosquitoes breed, and the land is turned into a swamp.

It's time for this phenomenon to end.

How can we allow natural disasters to ravage a land set foot on?
Subdue it!
Subdue it just as Yu the Great subdued the Yellow River!

Of course, there's no need to stubbornly persist in exploring swamps that are impossible to cultivate.

Most of the low-lying marshes have very low water levels, only a few centimeters deep. Some are simply wetlands, intermittently covered by shallow water.

For this type of land, Roman only needs to dig irrigation ditches to drain the water and let the swamp silt dry out after the summer sun.

That's good farmland.

However, some swamps are very deep, several meters or even ten meters deep. These are not swamps at all, but lakes and marshes.

Roman kept his distance from such places.

The isolation zone can be created by piling up silt and stones to form a dike.

Cultivate what can be cultivated, build up soil where it cannot be cultivated, and then plant a large amount of soil-conserving pasture grass. The effect is excellent.

Roman estimated that once the project was completed, he would gain at least tens of thousands of acres of fertile land.

This is no ordinary land; it is fertile farmland with excellent soil quality.

We'll plant rice everywhere then.

Rice yields more than wheat, with a guaranteed minimum yield of 150 jin per mu. If you plant more for two years, it's easy to increase the yield to 300-400 jin per mu.

If properly cultivated and domesticated, rice should be able to be harvested twice a year.

It's important to know that winter wheat can only be harvested once a year; the other harvest requires planting other grains, such as legumes.

……

So Roman came here to survey the terrain.

He's the most suitable person in the entire Origin City.

Using the pixelated view of the manor on the large map, you can look down and see all the terrain at a glance, which makes planning very convenient.

All Roman had to do was draw lines, transforming a chaotic swamp into fertile fields.

This would consume a lot of manpower and resources.

But if no one is available, they will arrest all the lowly people from outside the area and bring them here to perform forced labor, such as digging ditches, excavating river channels, and dredging waterways.

Breakfast: pickled vegetables and tofu; lunch: meat soup and bread; dinner: rice and stew.

You'll be full!

Exploit them until they die!
Roman walked along the edge of the swamp, sometimes rowing a boat, using a stick to probe the water depth, and sketching maps on white paper.

It took about ten days to finish this task.

He was covered in dirt, with dried mud clinging to his trousers.

To save time, he slept outdoors during this period, and someone brought him food.

Fortunately, the knight was physically strong and did not encounter any major problems.

Winter is a good season for planning as mosquitoes hibernate, water levels drop, and there is even some thin ice.

He returned to Origin Manor, took a comfortable hot bath, and listened to the maid talk about what had happened recently—nothing major, except that Gale had declared war on him.

Roman changed his clothes, went to the hall for a meal, and called Morey over.

"Are you ready? I'll send you away now." It's not about kicking you out, but rather the arrival of spring.

A war is about to break out here, and it will be inconvenient for Morey to leave then.

"Thank you for taking care of me during this time," Morey said, bowing.

After the meal, Roman personally escorted Morey to the dock.

The ship was ready long ago, and the guards were ten veterans of Roman. They weren't particularly strong, but they were enough to kill a second-tier warrior knight.

These people were once slaves that Morey brought over, so they naturally have a goodwill factor with him and are unlikely to harm him.

"I won't ask you how you find the witch. Safety first, secrecy is key. If the witch refuses to come back with you, then you're on your own," Roman said, standing on the dock.
"In short, remember, come here if you encounter danger. Only on this land can I guarantee that no one can touch you."

A strong monarch always provides a great sense of security.

The ultimate human need is peace of mind; it's a genetic instinct.

In this turbulent era, the mere presence of this figure is enough to captivate others, for he exudes an extraordinary charm as powerful as a magnetic field, like a radiant sun to those in distress.

Morey felt an urge to kneel at his feet, like a newborn puppy begging for his protection.

Suppressing his heartache and tears of emotion, he boarded the ship and bowed to Roman once more.

Guards row the boats, drifting downstream into the distance.

As Morey watched the dock recede into the distance, his initial sense of security gradually vanished like sand in an hourglass.

At one point, he was suddenly overcome with intense anxiety and fear.

He clutched his sleeves in fear, like a drowning man grasping at a straw, his body trembling with dread.

His heart longed to return, but his body wouldn't move; a single sentence echoed in his mind.

Indecisiveness hinders great achievements!

“Father, I will not disgrace the life advice you gave me! If I’m serious, I will not lose to anyone!” Morey released his hand and opened his eyes.

The youthful face regained its composure.

Those dark brown eyes were now filled with unwavering resolve!

……

Roman watched Morey set sail.

He raised his head and gazed at the vast sky.

It looks like it won't snow this year.

This also means that this is his third year on this land.

He was reasonably satisfied with the pace of development last year.

This year, he has to do even more than last year.

He made a rudimentary plan for this—

For example, build two more towns, and in those towns, build five more large-scale farms.

The population of Origin City needs to exceed 70,000.

The number of troops was increased to 7000.

50,000 mu of farmland were reclaimed.

The prototype of the waterway network was constructed.

They planted all the crop seeds Albert had brought, in preparation for next year.

……

There are too many development goals to be written out in a single plan.

Roman turned around.

He gazed at the wide dock, with the market in the distance, but there were few merchants there at the moment, as commerce had not yet begun to recover.

For society, the economy never stops, but it does become expensive.

In this era of scarcity of resources and production shortages, the war exacerbated the shortages.

Roman knew.

They want to develop their businesses and they want to farm.

Only a stable order, a sound system, and a peaceful society can guarantee the interests of his people.

And some people... are destined not to be his people!
(End of this chapter)