I, the prince in distress, send money

Chapter 371 Everything is in need of rebuilding
Before summer arrived, Chris quickly completed the deal with the Retelians, and the Bagnian Defence Force—a newly rotated corps—successfully took over the provinces of Dur and Chivelevka in the Kingdom of Minesia.

Before taking over the fortress at the border between the province of Chivelevka and the Retelian Empire, the Retelian army also handed over the last batch of warhorses to Chris, including 2,400 stallions, not one more and not one less.

Healthy and whole.

Chris admired Seba's punctuality and integrity. He was the kind of person who would respond better to gentle persuasion than force. Since the other party was so trustworthy, Chris would not be stingy and would hand over everything in the transaction intact.

Chris now stands on the walls of the border fortress of the Civelevka province, overlooking the land where the double-headed eagle flag has just been planted.

The hot summer breeze carried the scent of grass and trees, as well as a faint, lingering smell of burnt wood from the war.

In the distance, an envoy from the Reteria Empire, led by the alchemist Alfred, was being "escorted" by a squad of elite Bagnian infantrymen as they made their way inland along a dusty road, their destination the vast and formidable saltpeter fields in the heart of Bagnia.

Chris smiled slightly; this move was the right one.

Seba's integrity earned him his "generosity," but behind this "generosity" lies a naked display of power.

Chris planned to send the Retalians to Anvil Fortress first, and then have them enter the country by steam train.

If you have something good, you should show it off. If you don't let others know your abilities, they will look down on you.

Showing the Retalians Bagnia's war potential, making them more cautious and less restless as they lick their wounds, is crucial for him to consolidate his new territory.

Beneath the city wall, a group of Reteria nobles, who had been detained for a long time, were climbing onto a carriage with ruddy complexions and some were even noticeably overweight.

They were fed and cared for for half a spring, and now Chris has finally kept his promise and released them back into the wild.

Chris watched as they rode back to the border of Retalia in a carriage, their emotions a complex mix of relief at surviving a disaster, humiliation at being captured, and uncertainty about the future. His eyes remained calm.

In addition, there are more than 5,000 Retalian soldiers, 3,000 of whom are prisoners of war from the player's attack on Camp One. Their crimes are not serious, so they can be released now without ransom.

These people were "add-ons" that Seba kept his word, part of maintaining a facade of "respectability." Letting them go back might calm down some of the restless revenge faction in Retelia... At least, Chris sent out enough "goodwill" signals.

"Your Highness."

Alex, a young official recently transferred from the country, climbed the city wall, saluted, and reported.

"The newly appointed governor of the Tavitsky Province sent an urgent report: spring planting has been fully completed, the training of the newly recruited 'Blue Banner Army' auxiliary corps is progressing smoothly, local security is good, and tax collection has begun normally. The governor requests instructions on the next steps."

Chris nodded, unsurprised by the news.

Tavitsky was the first province he conquered, and he had the entire winter and spring to digest it. With the Blue Banner Army, an armed force composed of locals but loyal to Bagnia, serving as the grassroots force, he had already begun to complete the transition from military occupation to effective rule.

It is no longer a burden, but a forward base and a secure rear for Bagnia as it extends into the heart of Minicia.

"Order Governor Tavitsky."

Chris spoke slowly, but with an undeniable authority.

"The main force of the Blue Flag Army was moved to the eastern border of the Duer Province to assist the defense forces in maintaining order."

At the same time, at least 30% of the local tax collectors, sheriffs and agricultural officials should be transferred from the country and sent to Dur and Chivelevka immediately. We need manpower. Tavitsky's successful experience needs to be quickly replicated in the new provinces, especially those two messes.

As for Tavitsky's agricultural tax... let's waive it for now, for three years.

The provinces of Dur and Chivelevka were a mess, and in fact, Tavitsky wasn't much better off. They said they were restoring normal production, but in Chris's opinion, it was just so-so.

Why bother with an agricultural tax now? Not only will it not generate much tax revenue, but it will also dampen the production enthusiasm of the Blue Flag Army.
Chris doesn't need the agricultural tax; if he's short of food, he can simply buy it. There's no need to haggle over such a small amount.

His gaze must be directed to a wider, more distant horizon.

Moreover, government spending money on the lower classes is beneficial to the economic cycle, while not spending a penny can lead to the disadvantage of uneven wealth distribution.

Worse than Tavitsky was undoubtedly the province of Chivelevka, which bordered Reteria and was one of the main battlegrounds of the protracted war throughout the winter and spring.

Although the Retalians had withdrawn, they left behind a scene of devastation. Villages were burned down, farmland was overgrown with weeds, and the roadsides were crowded with emaciated, listless refugees and rotting corpses.

They lost their homes and food supplies, wandering around like headless flies, becoming a huge destabilizing factor. Restoring production, resettling refugees, and rebuilding order are all urgent tasks.

Although Civilevka was in a terrible state, at least the main structures of the city and port remained, and the foundation for reconstruction was still there.

And the province of Duer… Chris frowned deeply at the thought of that name; this was the true “scorched earth.”

The province of Dur, especially its coastal port cities, was once one of the wealthiest regions in the Kingdom of Miniscia.

However, in early spring, the Minisian fleet first subjected the area to a devastating bombardment, and then when the Leterian cavalry retaliated, it was burned to the ground...

When the smoke cleared, what appeared before the Bagnya receiving troops was a scene where the city and port had been almost completely erased from the map.

The ruins stretch endlessly, with charred beams leaning precariously among the rubble. The once bustling port is now reduced to a twisted dock frame and the masts of sunken ships.

The air was thick with the smell of burning and the salty tang of the sea, and there were likely still bodies buried under the rubble that had not been cleared away in time.

Farmland? It had long since been reduced to hardened, barren wasteland by repeated tug-of-war battles and the trampling and burning by the army.

The number of refugees was no less than that of Chivelevka, and their situation was even more desperate... They couldn't even find a single intact wall to shelter them from the wind and rain.

This is no longer a simple case of "being harmed," but a complete "leveling."

Rebuilding Durr is not about patching things up, but about rebuilding a province from the ruins!
Its difficulty and resource consumption will far exceed those of Chivelevka, and may even drag down the finances and energy of the entire Bagnya.

However, Chris said he didn't care.

"Send word to Major General Marlowe, the frontline commander of the Duer Province: his primary task is to clear the ruins, dig up the bodies, and burn and bury them in a concentrated manner to prevent the plague!"

Meanwhile, large refugee camps were established in higher, relatively safer areas surrounding the ruins, with temporary shelters erected. Food, medicine, and tents were transported from Tavitsky and the rest of the country to help these people survive, even if only barely.

He paused.

"In addition, the port of Tours is a strategic location and must be rebuilt."

But not now. Order the engineering corps to first survey the ruins, find relatively intact deep-water areas, and establish a small, temporary military dock and supply depot. The reconstruction of the large commercial port is included in the three-year plan; for now… leave Marlowe alone, that's not his job.”

"General, that land..."

Alex asked cautiously.

According to the simple-minded view of Alex, the young clerk who is only twenty years old this year, without farmland there is no food, no tax revenue, and no foundation.

"The land..."

Chris took a deep breath.

"The area of ​​the Dur province near Tavitsky was relatively less damaged. The defense forces and combat group members were ordered to assist the local farmers who could still be found in clearing obstacles, craters and bodies from the fields."

Then, local militia and Blue Flag Army units were formed on the spot, and the disaster relief crop seeds we brought from the country were distributed. They were encouraged to plant as many as they could, even if it was only enough to feed themselves, in areas near the coast and the core ruins..."

A cold, pragmatic glint flashed in his eyes.

"The area was designated as a military-controlled zone, and the restoration of farmland was temporarily abandoned. The able-bodied young laborers among the refugees were organized to participate in work relief, such as clearing the ruins, repairing roads, and building temporary camps."

Tell them, "You have to work to eat."

The coastline was abandoned, which was unavoidable because the Minisian Kingdom's fleet still existed. Whenever they wanted, they could land on the shore, plunder and destroy the area before the player arrived, and then calmly board their ships and slip away.

Therefore, let's temporarily abandon the coastline, concentrate our efforts on rebuilding the port first, and then build the kingdom's fleet.

Meanwhile, Civelevka's reconstruction plan quickly took shape in his mind.

"Civelevka, the refugees should be resettled in their original villages... no, or rather, the Blue Banner Army should be formed, and basic rations and seeds should be distributed to the soldiers and peasants under its command, and assistance should be provided in rebuilding houses and restoring production."

At the same time, I reinforced the Chivelevka border fortress beneath my feet and closely monitored the direction of Retalia.

At the same time, supply and marketing cooperatives should be established as soon as possible in these two provinces, allowing labor to be exchanged for small-scale transactions of daily necessities, alleviating the pressure on supplies, and also giving those refugees a way to survive.

"Then, will our country be allowed to engage in private trade with the Retelia Empire?"

Alex asked.

"Three days ago, the Retalia Empire submitted a private trade permit to our country..."

Chris pondered for a moment, then nodded vigorously.

"allow."

There's nothing that can be done about it, because players need horses, whether they're warhorses or just ordinary working horses, and they're in short supply.

Not only are players short of them, but Chris is also short of them. He's short of all kinds of big animals, which is something he can't buy in large quantities on online shopping platforms. Buying in small batches is not very meaningful.

Previously, there was no other way. The Retalia Empire, from the government to the people, looked down on the barbarians in the mountains, so you couldn't trade with them.

Now that we've had a battle and know each other's strengths, private trade can actually resume.

In this matter, whether Chris encourages or forbids it, he will do business as long as players have demand. The difference lies in whether it is smuggling or doing it openly.

Therefore, let's open a small loophole and then implement controls.

This move carries both risks and opportunities. It could alleviate pressure, but it could also make it easier for the other side to infiltrate with spies. However, Chris believes that under absolute surveillance, the benefits outweigh the drawbacks.

After arranging all this, Chris felt exhausted, but even more so, he felt excited about facing such a huge challenge. Tavitsky was an agricultural production base, Chivelevka was a frontline fortress in dire need of repair, and Duer... was a testing ground full of thorns and opportunities that needed to be started from scratch.

Let's do it.

(End of this chapter)