Douluo V: Daily Intelligence - I Want All of Tang San's Opportunities

Su Yuntao reined in his horse, glanced back at the two men, and said, "Let's part ways here."

The master nodded without saying anything more. Tang San waved to Su Yuntao, "Brother Su, remember to write to me when you get there."

Su Yuntao responded, pulled on the reins, and the horse turned to the road to the south, the sound of hooves gradually fading away on the dirt road.

After traveling south for about a day and a half, the farmland on both sides of the official road gradually became sparser, the intervals between villages became longer and longer, and the road changed from a smooth dirt road to an old road half-covered by weeds.

By the afternoon of the second day, the terrain suddenly opened up, and a gentle hilly area appeared at the horizon. Scattered across the hillside were a few farmhouses with gray tiled roofs, and a stream meandered through the distance.

Su Yuntao gazed into the distance from his horse for a moment, then looked down at the document in his hand bearing the seal of the Kingdom of Barak. He checked the location against the map; this was his nominal territory.

He was walking down the gentle slope when he saw several figures appearing in the distance on the path ahead. As he got closer, he realized that it was Steward Zhou leading several guards to greet him.

Butler Zhou was wearing a worn gray robe, and his face still bore the dust of his journey, but he looked to be in good spirits.

Seeing Su Yuntao dismount, he quickly stepped forward and cupped his hands in greeting: "Second Young Master, you've finally arrived!"

His tone clearly conveyed a sense of relief.

Su Yuntao handed the reins to the guard beside him and followed Steward Zhou deeper into the territory.

Butler Zhou led the way while explaining the situation to Su Yuntao:

"The situation here is better than I expected. Although the territory is not large, it is not bad. After I arrived, I first settled down my accommodation and then went to the surrounding area a few times. I have already gotten a general idea of ​​the situation."

He led Su Yuntao across a newly turned field, past a few old elm trees, and ahead came a small courtyard with three sections. The courtyard had blue bricks and gray tiles, and the walls were not high but were very neatly built. The stone steps at the entrance of the courtyard were newly paved, and the soil on both sides still showed signs of being turned over.

Butler Zhou pushed open the courtyard gate and stepped aside:

"The Viscountry was newly granted by King Barak. There was no existing Viscount's mansion. We bought this courtyard temporarily after we arrived. It is simple, but it is still quite spacious. The main house and the east and west wing rooms can be lived in. There are also a few empty rooms in the backyard that can be converted into storerooms or servants' quarters."

Su Yuntao walked into the courtyard and looked around. The courtyard was not big, but it was very clean. There was a clump of bamboo planted in the corner of the wall. Although it had not yet grown, several new branches had already sprouted.

In the main hall, there was an old wooden table and a few chairs, on which lay a stack of neatly organized account books and several rolls of maps.

Su Yuntao sat down at the table, and Steward Zhou followed suit, explaining the situation of the territory from beginning to end.

"The territory has a small population, with about two thousand registered households, mostly local farmers from the Kingdom of Barak who have made a living by farming for generations. Although they were a little nervous after the change of lord, they became much more at ease when they saw us starting to build workshops and repair roads, and they didn't cause any trouble."

He paused, then continued:

"As you instructed, the family's blacksmiths were not brought back to the territory directly. I bought two blacksmith shops in Barak City and temporarily settled them there. This way, they are both hidden and protected by the guards of Barak City, which is more secure than leaving them here directly."

Su Yuntao nodded, signaling him to continue.

Butler Zhou opened another map and pointed to a marked area on the eastern side of the territory:

"There is an iron mine here. The Kingdom of Barak has been mining it for a while. It's not a large-scale mine, but the vein hasn't been depleted yet. If we take over and mine it ourselves, we won't have to transport iron materials for the Zhuge Divine Crossbow from outside anymore, which will save a lot of expenses. However, we don't have enough manpower right now, so we can't officially start mining here yet."

Su Yuntao looked down at the location of the mineral vein marked on the map, then looked up at the gentle slopes and hills outside the window, and thought for a moment before saying:

"If there's a shortage of manpower, aren't there more than two thousand farming households in the territory? You can directly recruit them in the name of the Viscount's Mansion. As for the specific number, just take one in ten."

"One in ten?" Butler Zhou quickly calculated in his mind, then nodded. "Two hundred people should be enough for the short term."

He had naturally considered the simple and effective method of conscripting people, but some things were beyond the control of a steward like himself.

However, since Su Yuntao has spoken, then there's no problem.

"I'll post the notice in the next couple of days and make the rules clear so they won't feel like they're being forcibly requisitioned."

Su Yuntao nodded, signaling him to continue.

Butler Zhou closed the map and opened another booklet:

"The other matter concerns the Viscount's mansion. This small courtyard is merely a temporary residence and cannot be considered a true Viscount's mansion. You are a legitimate Viscount, officially granted the title by the kingdom, and your residence cannot continue to be a makeshift one. I would like to ask what your requirements are for the Viscount's mansion? Do you wish to build it in this vicinity, or would you prefer a different location?"

Su Yuntao leaned back in his chair and thought for a moment, reviewing the situation of the territory again.

His main purpose in coming to the Viscount's territory this time was to check on the production progress of the Zhuge Divine Crossbow parts.

Steward Zhou temporarily settled the blacksmiths in Barak City, which served both to hide them and ensure their safety. This temporary arrangement was not a major problem.

The iron ore within the territory is an unexpected bonus. If mining can proceed smoothly, the cost of iron will drop significantly, saving a large amount of money on the supply chain of Zhuge Divine Crossbow.

Therefore, the commencement of iron ore production will become one of the core matters of their viscountry.

As for territory management, he doesn't want to make any major changes for the time being; his current focus is on increasing the production of Zhuge Divine Crossbows.

As for the Viscount's mansion.

Su Yuntao carefully recalled the introduction that the steward had given to the Viscount's territory last week.

The entire viscountry had neither decent defensive facilities nor a fortress that could be garrisoned for a long time.

If the production of Zhuge Divine Crossbows increases in the future, the forging workshop will inevitably have to be moved back to the territory from Barak City.

As the number of artisans and resources within the territory increases, a sufficiently strong central stronghold is still needed.

Su Yuntao looked up at Steward Zhou: "Are there any suitable locations within the territory for building a city?"

Butler Zhou was taken aback, clearly not expecting Su Yuntao to suddenly bring up this idea.

He put down the booklet in his hand and hesitated for a moment:

"Build a city? Second Young Master, that's no small sum. You've only recently acquired this viscountry, with a population of just two thousand households. You haven't even built the viscount's mansion yet. Isn't building a city a bit...?"

Su Yuntao shook his head:

"My viscount territory is near the Star Dou Great Forest, where soul beasts could emerge at any time. Our current defenses consist of a few mud-brick houses and a few low walls. If we were to encounter a large-scale attack by soul beasts, we wouldn't even have a place to hide. A simple viscount's mansion is definitely not enough. We need a stronghold that can accommodate our people and supplies. Only in this way can we attract more people to our territory."

He paused, then added:

"Moreover, building a city doesn't necessarily mean losing money. Our territory is close to the Star Dou Great Forest, which is dangerous but also represents opportunities. As long as we manage it properly, we won't have to worry about people entering the Star Dou Great Forest from our side. With more people, there will naturally be corresponding profits."