Chapter 115 The Battle Ends
In mid-March, preparations for this year's spring plowing are proceeding in an orderly manner.
Jagabu was flipping through the remeasured arable land areas of all the farming estates.
After two years of reclamation, each manor now has more than 500 acres of arable land and an average of 80 tenant farmers.
There are also ten mules, five donkeys, and four low-quality horses, all of which are used to plow the fields and pull the millstones. With these animals, spring plowing will be faster, and manure can be used at any time.
The total land area is about 5,500 acres, and with the 2,000 acres overseas, the total area is 7,500 acres.
The population of tenant farmers is also very accurate. According to the latest census conducted by the Household Registration Department last month, there are a total of 926 tenant farmers, accounting for one-seventh of the current total population.
Although the city's population is growing rapidly now, it is estimated that it will be one-eighth of the total population next month.
With so many high-yield crops in hand, Jagabu is not worried about not being able to feed the population.
His plan this year is to plant staple foods on 5,500 acres of land in Eindhoven, with 1,000 acres each of wheat, potatoes, and corn.
This is at least 1.3 million pounds of food, which is enough to supply the army, nine-department staff, and tenant farmers in the region for a year. The people within this system are the cornerstone of the regime.
Of the remaining 2,500 acres, 1,000 acres are planted with various beans to be used as livestock feed. Due to the large-scale planting of cotton, only 700 acres of hemp are planted.
The remaining 800 acres are used to grow various vegetables and fruits to supply operations.
As for the 2,000 acres of land in the overseas plantations, due to the suitable temperature, two crops can be grown in a year.
In this regard, Jagbu had already made plans. The planting period for all first crops is from February to July, and the second crop is from August to January of the following year.
In the first half of this year, 600 acres of the 2,000 acres of land were allocated to plant cotton, and another 1,000 acres were allocated to plant spring wheat.
The remaining 400 acres are fixed fruit tree areas, mainly olives, cocoa beans, and lemons. Since the seedlings are purchased from the south, there can be some output.
In the second half of the year, he plans to plant 1,000 acres of winter wheat and 600 acres of southern fruits and vegetables on the plantation, so that they can be transported to the north in winter to fill the gap of having no vegetables to eat in the north.
In the nearby plantation of several thousand acres of land owned by Moni Anwadi, Jagbu was consulted to help design how to plant crops.
Moni rents land for business purposes, growing cash crops such as fruits, citrus and pomegranates, grapes and figs.
Or it could be olives for oil, cocoa which is just beginning to become popular among northerners, or various southern spices.
When these things were ripe, he usually hired the islanders to process them into olive oil, red wine, and various jams, or he would bring them fresh and then ship them north, all of which entered the port of Einweiden.
During the period after the war in the south, a large number of southerners fled to the north in the cold wind and snow, and most of them were heading for the port city that was rumored to be the safest.
Eindhoven, which had been suffering from a shortage of labor, naturally opened its doors wide and welcomed these refugees to participate in the construction.
At first, most of the refugees were not well adapted to the northern climate, but fortunately they all fled from the richest places in the south, such as the area near the royal capital.
Moreover, most of those who were able to escape had some money and assets.
They used to be the middle class who relied on the old regime for survival, and what they fear most is that their assets and lives will be deprived by the new forces.
The poorest and most miserable people are already barefoot. Even if there is war, they will not suffer any losses. They can just change jobs for different bosses and usually will not bother to immigrate.
When these urban middle-class people fled, they took their assets with them, and some even came on donkey carts.
Among them were a large number of small craftsmen from the south, women who knew how to weave, and various small vendors.
It was also quite easy for them to find a decent job in the north. Those who had skills or had worked as minor officials in the north and could read and write could all make a living.
The outsiders who come to Eindhoven are usually well-informed. They know where the latest prosperous areas in Alta are and where overseas goods are entering the northern continent.
Moreover, they have all heard of the reputation of the lord here.
As common people in troubled times, what we yearn for is such a capable lord who can protect the order and security of the territory.
In fact, after the largest war started by Caesar, many southern lords were eager to come to Einweiden to avoid danger.
These barons living around the royal capital have not experienced large-scale wars for a long time. Most of their territories are inherited through blood and are not very large.
The intensity of the soldiers' training in a year under the rule of the southern nobles was often less than that of a month for the soldiers on the northern border who ate raw meat and drank blood.
This is already the case with soldiers, not to mention other types of troops and knights.
Olivia saw clearly on the map that it only took Caesar half a day to open the gate of the royal capital.
This was the pass that the Duke of Valois and his men had been attacking for ten days and a half month but had failed to capture.
After breaching the city gate, the Knights stormed through the entire royal capital in half.
This is the largest city in the northern continent. It has a garrison of tens of thousands of people led by the queen. But it was easily ripped open by ten thousand people. The war in the city lasted for a full ten days.
On the first day of April, the spring rain continued in the north and the air was damp. Olivia received several urgent military reports in one day.
On that day, she was out with a large group of entourage and family members, going to the church to attend a prayer ceremony for spring plowing.
On the way, several military newspapers were delivered to me.
After the capital was captured, within just two or three days, all the camps of the princes and dukes around the capital were destroyed, most of their troops fled on the spot, and small resistances were wiped out after a whole day.
This war was as fast as lightning. Caesar did not hold the capital after conquering it as he had done in the past. Instead, he stormed the camp in the middle of the night while the surrounding forces relaxed their vigilance and thought he would rest.
The soldiers in the camps of various forces watched as the cavalry, their armor stained red with blood, rushed to them in an instant in the dark night and were caught off guard.
Caesar's goal was very clear. He led several thousand of his most elite men and rushed precisely to the main tents of the lords of various forces. He only killed the lords and their attendants, and then moved on to the next one without any lingering fight.
After a few trips back and forth, the several camps were in chaos, some fled, some surrendered.
However, as everyone waited for him to move on to the next step, Caesar made a big announcement that he was injured.
If Olivia hadn't seen his health index showing no loss of any blood, she would have believed this man's lies.
However, since Caesar himself said that he was injured, the Grand Duke had no other choice but to stop here. He was temporarily satisfied with occupying the entire royal capital, Valeu County.
That night, in the bedroom of the fortress, Olivia looked at the map, estimated how many days it would take for Caesar to return, and slept soundly.
Unexpectedly, early in the morning, before it was fully light, she just opened her eyes and saw Caesar sitting beside her bed, stroking her calf with his hand.
Olivia immediately kicked him, sulking sleepily.
"Didn't you say you were injured? Where was it injured? Aren't you afraid that I will really believe it?"
Caesar grabbed her feet, his face intoxicated, and with a hint of grievance, he said: "But I miss you so much. If I don't say this, they won't let me come back."
Olivia choked for a moment, but was immediately comforted by his appearance.
Seeing that her expression had eased, Caesar lifted the quilt and leaned over to her. He still smelled of soap, and his beard was still unshaved. He rubbed her neck repeatedly and bit it gently.
Even though it was so heavy that she couldn't breathe, Olivia hurriedly raised her legs and pulled the curtain closed.
...
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