I, the heir of the great Eastern nation

Within days of being given the surname, York and Simon seemed like completely different people.

York was already incredibly hardworking, but now he's spending all his time on the training field, training his thirty soldiers to the point of screaming with excitement.

Simon was even more outrageous. During the day, he followed Roth to oversee the project's progress, and at night he would go to Priest Richie to learn to read.

He said that as a member of the prestigious Zhang family, they could not bring shame upon His Highness.

Liu Zhao saw this and naturally smiled and offered him a few more words of encouragement.

Then, something he had anticipated happened.

Old John brought several unfamiliar faces to see Liu Zhao. They said they were farmers from Viscount Kevin's territory next door. They had heard that the land rent in Blackstone Territory was only 20%, so they rushed over the mountains overnight.

"Your Highness, shall we accept it or not?"

Those people knelt on the ground, not daring to lift their heads.

Liu Zhao glanced at them.

"Get up. Kneeling is not allowed in Blackstone Territory. Russell, take them to register, settle down, and get land. Seeds can be borrowed first. Join the land reclamation team and they will be provided with meals every day."

"Yes, Your Highness!"

The group of people stood there, stunned, for a long time before they could react.

So you've settled down here?

Seeds can be borrowed? And meals are provided for the work?

Russell urged them several times before they finally took the person away.

Then, it was like a floodgate being opened.

Every now and then, refugees would flock to Hongguo Village, Baishui Village, and the area surrounding Heishi Town.

It started with Viscount Kevin's territory, but later people from even more distant baronies came with their families.

Liu Zhao's attitude can be summed up in one word: withdraw.

We accept anyone who comes, and once they arrive, they can settle down. Once settled, they are allocated land, and we lend them seeds. They also provide meals every day for those who participate in the joint production and land reclamation program.

He lacks nothing except people.

The workshops were short of workers, the roads were short of workers, and the land reclamation was short of workers. These new laborers were just the right people to fill the gaps.

In just over a month, the population of Blackstone Territory surged from just over two thousand to more than three thousand.

Then the trouble started.

That afternoon, Liu Zhao was watching the waterwheel test run next to the newly built mill when Russell jogged over.

"Your Highness, a few people have arrived at the town entrance. They say they are the lords of the nearby territories and wish to see you."

"several?"

"Three: one baron and two knight lords."

Liu Zhao chuckled.

"Okay, let them wait, I'll finish up here."

Russell paused for a moment.

Then his eyes began to light up.

Yes, Lord, you are a descendant of royalty, so it's only right that we make you wait!

Suddenly, he felt a sense of pride.

Then, he turned around and ran back.

By the time Liu Zhao leisurely walked to the entrance of the town, three middle-aged men had been standing in the sun for almost half an hour.

Their faces turned ashen, yet they dared not lash out.

They had inquired before they arrived that this Blackrock Lord had summoned legendary spirits at the Hero's Altar, won the championship in front of the old king at the Four Great Academies Exchange Conference, and was even publicly endorsed by a candidate saintess of the Holy Light Church.

Any one of their identities would be enough for them to ponder for a long time, let's just let the three of them go... Oh well, let them go if they want.

"What do you three want with me?"

Liu Zhao walked over, but didn't invite anyone into the house; he just stood at the town entrance and talked.

The leading baron cupped his hands in a respectful gesture, his tone fairly polite.

"Your Excellency Baron Golden Flame, I am Bart, the lord of Graystone Territory in the north, and these two are the knight lords of Oak Territory in the west and River Bend Territory in the south. We have come here today to discuss something with you."

"explain."

Baron Baron cleared his throat.

"It's like this, recently quite a few farmers from several of our territories have illegally entered your land. These people are all contracted subjects, so in principle..."

"Logically speaking, what should we say?"

Liu Zhao interrupted him.

"Logically, aren't they your private property? Shouldn't you arrest those who ran away?"

Baron Baron's expression changed slightly, but he still managed a forced smile.

"Your Excellency, you can't put it that way. The territorial contract is clearly stipulated in the kingdom's laws. They have fled without permission, and we have the right to bring them back. We are not here to cause trouble; we just hope you can understand..."

"No."

"Your Mightiness……"

I said, no.

Liu Zhao leaned against the stone wall behind him, his smile unchanged.

"I have just one question for you: what kind of life are those people living on your territory?"

How much land rent did you collect from them? Did you arbitrarily increase taxes? Did the sheriffs break down doors and steal grain in the middle of the night? Did you lock people in cellars and sell them like livestock?

"This...this is impossible!"

"Oh, then you must have treated them very well?"

Liu Zhao smiled.

"If they were treated so well, why did they run away?"

Baron Bart's face froze completely.

The knight lord of the nearby River Bend couldn't hold back any longer, raising his voice by half a beat: "Sir, what do you mean by that?"

"The meaning is very simple."

Liu Zhao's smile faded, and his gaze swept over the three of them one by one.

"Commoners are not your slaves. They have legs and they go wherever they want, which is not up to you. If you can't keep people, don't blame them for choosing to attach themselves to stronger people."

"you!"

The lord clenched his fist.

"What about me?"

Liu Zhao took half a step forward, neither releasing magic nor lighting a fire, but simply staring into the eyes of the knight lord.

The other person took a half step back, loosened their fingers, and dared not clench their fist any longer.

Baron Baron gritted his teeth and took a deep breath.

"Baron Golden Flame, are you saying this is beyond negotiation?"

"There's room for discussion."

Liu Zhao shrugged.

"Go back and manage your territories well, lower the land rent, improve public security, and make the people in your territories reluctant to leave. Wouldn't that solve the problem?"

"Are you trying to teach us how to govern our territory?"

Liu Zhao smiled.

"I'm just stating a fact. By the way, if any of you disagree, you're welcome to complain to the next higher-ranking noble. I'll be waiting."

Baron Bart's expression changed several times before he finally stormed off.

Halfway there, the knight lord of the River Reach couldn't help but curse, "That kid's too arrogant! Lord Bart, let's go straight to Viscount Kevin!"

Baron Bart glanced back at the gates of Blackrock Town and remained silent for a long time.

"Viscount Kevin? You think he'd dare touch this kid?"

"But……"

"This kid has the Holy Light Church, Cardinal Amora, the Leilo Merchant Guild, and the Lance family backing him. His Majesty the King even praised him publicly at the Hero's Altar last time. What makes you think Viscount Kevin can touch him?"

The knight lord of the River Bend opened his mouth, then fell silent.

"Let's go, let's just let this go."

The three mounted their horses and slunk away at the end of the official road.

A few days after they left, several minor lords, unwilling to give up, bypassed Liu Zhao and went directly to the higher-ranking nobles.

But those nobles were all incredibly shrewd.

Who would be so foolish as to provoke a newly favored nobleman?

Moreover, Liu Zhao's territory already pays almost twice as much tax as other lords of similar size. His Majesty the King is overjoyed. Why would he complain about him now?

He's mentally ill.

And so the matter was left unresolved.

The people of Blackstone Territory accepted them without hesitation.

In the third month, Liu Zhao had the household registration counted, and the result startled Luo Te, the deputy chief steward and clerk in charge of registration.

"Your Highness, the population of our territory has now exceeded four thousand."

"four thousand?"

Liu Zhao was taken aback.

When he first arrived, Blackstone Territory had just over two thousand inhabitants; now it has doubled.

"How's the land clearing going?"

Roth handed him a map from the side, which was densely marked with newly reclaimed farmland.

"As Your Highness said, all usable land along both banks of the river all the way to the foot of the mountain to the north has been cleared. The red fruit forest has now expanded to three times its original size, the wheat fields have increased fivefold, and six irrigation canals have been built. The new drainage ditches have not yet been included in the count."

Liu Zhao looked at the large area marked as "developed" on the map, and the corners of his mouth slowly curled up.

"Well done."

"Your Highness, we have something else to report to you."

Christine walked in from outside, carrying a stack of account books.

"This is the fiscal revenue and expenditure for this month."

Liu Zhao took it, flipped through it, and raised an eyebrow.

"That's another 30% increase compared to last month?"

"It's a steamed bun."

Christine's words were concise and to the point.

"Your newly built watermill grinds wheat flour that's ridiculously fine, and the steamed buns made from it are a hundred times tastier than dark bread. Right now, all five surrounding territories are ordering our goods, and Charlie's caravan is already booked until next week."

This story begins last month.

After the watermill was repaired, the flour in Blackstone Territory did indeed become much finer.

But Liu Zhao felt it wasn't enough. With only fine flour, the resulting food was still just hard, unpalatable dough, far inferior to modern noodles.

So he locked himself in and experimented for several days, using honey water to knead the dough and repeatedly adjusting the fermentation time and temperature. Finally, one afternoon, he figured out the correct yeast recipe and successfully steamed the first batch of steamed buns.

Although the final color and appearance weren't great due to issues with the quality of the wheat flour, it still managed to take the basic shape of a steamed bun.

Simon happened to come to report on his work that day, and Liu Zhao casually tossed him one.

After taking a bite, the child stood frozen in place for a full five seconds.

"Your Highness, what is this?"

"It's a steamed bun."

"Steamed buns? This is the best thing I've ever eaten in my life... no, second only to the instant noodles you used to make for me at home!"

Before long, word spread like wildfire, and the steamed buns became famous much faster than Liu Zhao had anticipated.

When Charlie, the manager of the Lei Luo Chamber of Commerce, arrived after hearing the news, Liu Zhao pushed a basket of steamed buns directly in front of him.

Charlie took a bite and remained silent for three seconds.

This was the first time Liu Zhao had ever seen this businessman, who always calculated profits, show such a shocked expression.

"Your Highness, this stuff tastes even better than the white bread baked in the best bakery in the capital."

"Nonsense, white bread is hard and dry, this stuff is soft and sweet, how can you compare them?"

How much?

"How about exchanging a basket of steamed buns for a bag of wheat?"

"I think we can exchange it for two bags."

"Is it really that valuable?"

"I even think I lowered my expectations."

"Very good, then let's sell it at this price!"

And so, the white flour steamed buns from Blackstone Territory stormed into the market.

The caravans hauled the goods out cage by cage; the goods they took out were as soft as clouds, and the goods they brought back piled up like mountains.

Taking advantage of the situation, Liu Zhao opened several steamed bun shops, hiring nearby women to steam the buns, which also created a number of jobs.

……

That evening, Liu Zhao stood at the entrance of Blackstone Town and looked to both sides.

Three months ago, this was a muddy road lined with dilapidated wooden huts on both sides. And now?

The stone-paved road is neat and orderly, stretching from the entrance of the town all the way to the square.

The houses on both sides are all newly built stone slab houses, very sturdy, and the facades are uniformly painted white, making them look clean and neat.

Long queues formed outside several steamed bun shops, merchants haggled over prices at the nearby general store, the waterwheel of the mill turned in the distance, and a group of children chased each other along the roadside.

Damn, now that's a place a person should live in.

Liu Zhao mentally gave himself a thumbs up.

As he was reflecting on this, he suddenly felt a slight warmth on the title above his head.

He was all too familiar with this kind of fluctuation; it happened every few days since the new policies were implemented.

The words "relatives of the Han imperial family" flickered quietly deep within his consciousness.

He could clearly feel that his magic reserves were thicker than they were three months ago.

Before, my Guardian Spirit would be almost depleted in three minutes, but now it only takes four minutes without me even blushing.

The power of the Fire element is also increasing in tandem; a small fireball thrown casually is almost as powerful as the previous fire dragon.

The most crucial factor is physical strength.

Liu Zhao himself hadn't expected that the blessing would also strengthen his body. He could now hold his own against a bronze-level knight using only his physical strength, without any magical enhancements—and that was a conservative estimate.

He tried to summon his guardian spirit once.

The phantom images of Guan Yu and Zhang Fei appeared simultaneously in the courtyard, their swords and spears clashing, their momentum overwhelming.

One second, two seconds... it held on until the sixth minute before the phantom started to become unstable.

"Six minutes."

Liu Zhao extinguished the flames and quickly calculated in his mind.

The simultaneous summoning of two Heroic Spirits within six minutes is beyond the comprehension of ordinary players at the Silver rank.

Liu Zhao took a deep breath.

not enough.

The territory is large enough, but the military strength is not sufficient.

We have enough money, but not enough high-end combat power.

Viscount Kevin's letters are still locked in his drawer; the eldest prince will stab him again sooner or later.

……

A few days later, one afternoon, Christine broke through to the Silver level in her room.

There was no earth-shattering noise, just a cool magical fluctuation suddenly emanated from her room, making the air in the entire corridor cooler.

Immediately afterwards, a shout came from upstairs, which was deliberately lowered but still couldn't be suppressed.

Roth was the first to run up, knock on the door, and then stood there stunned for several seconds.

"What's going on? Our family doesn't have any magical bloodline, how did you manage to advance so smoothly?"

Christine, beaming with delight, went straight to Liu Zhao's study and told him the news.

"I've been promoted."

Liu Zhao raised his head and chuckled.

"Congratulations! How's it going?"

"Feel……"

Christine thought for a moment, then looked at him seriously.

"I feel that deciding to cooperate with you was the best decision I've ever made in my life."

Liu Zhao laughed heartily.

"This is nothing. There are many more good days ahead. Just wait, I will help you become a legendary mage sooner or later."

……

Two days later, Liu Zhao summoned Priest Richie to his study.

"Priest, there is something I would like to ask you."

"Please speak, Your Highness."

"Now there are more people in Blackrock Territory, and the land has been developed to a near-complete extent, but to be honest, the efficiency of farming is still too low."

From planting to harvest, the success of a wheat field depends entirely on the weather. A drought, flood, or pest infestation can wipe out all the work. That's what I wanted to ask.

He leaned forward.

"Does your church have any supernatural powers that can help increase crop yields?"

Priest Richie thought for a moment, then his eyes suddenly lit up.

"Your Highness, you've come to the right person. The Church of Holy Light specializes in healing and purification, and agricultural productivity is certainly not our area of ​​expertise. However..."

"But what?"

"The priests of the Church of Abundance are particularly skilled in this."

"The Church of Abundance?"

"Yes." Priest Richie nodded.

"They worship the Earth Mother Goddess, and several goddesses of abundance under her command possess divine arts that promote plant growth."

For them, things like accelerating crop maturity, improving soil fertility, and controlling pests are all basic skills.

However, the Church of Abundance's influence is mainly concentrated in several southern kingdoms. Within our Kingdom of Os, there are only a few small chapels of theirs, not large in scale, but they do exist.

Liu Zhao's eyes lit up.

"Could you help me get in touch with them?"

"I can give it a try."

Priest Richie pondered for a moment.

"I happen to know a colleague from the Church of Abundance. If Your Highness is interested, I can write a letter to inquire about it."

"Then I'll have to trouble you."

"Your Highness is too kind."

Priest Richie stood up, walked to the door, then turned back and smiled.

"To be honest, among the nobles I know, you are the first one who spends all his time thinking about how to make the crops produce more grain."

Liu Zhao leaned back in his chair and grinned.

"There's no other way; food is the most important thing for people."