HCB Chapter 319 Taking Office as Forest Leader
Chapter 319 Taking Office as Forest Leader
Autumn 1453
On the dirt road in the forest in autumn, an ancient carriage was driving slowly. The carriage was made of solid wood, and the body was carved with complex and exquisite patterns, showing a simple and elegant atmosphere.
The horses pulling the carts were strong and powerful, their hair shining in the sun, and white mist coming out of their nostrils from time to time. It was obvious that they were struggling to cope with the coolness of autumn.
On both sides of the dirt road, the trees stand tall, their branches and leaves swaying gently in the autumn wind. As the autumn wind blows, the fiery red leaves fall from the branches one by one, and they either fall lightly on the roof of the carriage or drift away with the wind.
The curtains in the carriage were opened, and a middle-aged man in gorgeous clothes looked out the window. His clothes were complicated and exquisite, and the golden patterns embroidered on his robe sparkled in the sun. At this time, an autumn breeze blew across his face, making him feel extremely comfortable.
The interior of the carriage was covered with soft satin cushions, emitting a faint fragrance. After the middle-aged man closed the curtains, he sighed:
"As expected, when people get older they should go out for walks more often."
After sighing, the middle-aged man looked at a man sitting opposite him who looked similar to him but younger and said:
"You too, stop hanging out with your bad friends every day. Even if you don't go to school, at least you should stay healthy."
The young man opposite was wearing an exquisite robe, which was well-cut and had smooth lines, outlining his slender figure. He said with an impatient look on his face:
"I know. You've said this so many times. I'm here with you."
The young man was also very annoyed when he talked about this. He didn't want to go in the first place, but Xia Lang forced him to go by cutting off his living expenses. Without the living expenses, who would want to play with him?
"To be honest, you might as well go back to being the mayor. I heard that although the Forest Territory is not at war with the Yoda people now, it is not far from the front line. The previous governor has already spent all his money on military expansion, and I guess the tax revenue won't be much."
"That's why my title changed from Mayor of Sharan to Governor of Sharan."
This middle-aged man named Sharan is the king's newly appointed forest governor. Although it took only one month from the time he received the appointment letter to the time he met the king and then set off to take up the post, he is still quite confident in his governance abilities.
In his opinion, border areas like this usually have underdeveloped commerce, backward infrastructure, and a large number of ignorant and stupid civilians.
However, this is where he sees opportunities. As long as he can deeply understand the local conditions and grasp the needs and potential of these areas, he can formulate corresponding development plans.
He believed that through reasonable planning, the funds originally used for military purposes could be transferred to the field of commercial development, thus driving the rapid development of local business. Within a year, the area would undergo earth-shaking changes and become a prosperous commercial district.
In this way, not only can the territory's income be increased, but also jobs can be provided for local civilians, thus reducing the instability caused by unemployment. As the promoter of this change, he can not only obtain tangible benefits, but also be rewarded by the king for his outstanding performance.
Thinking of this, a smile appeared on the corner of his mouth, and then he was interrupted by the snoring of his son in his sleep.
Looking at this good-for-nothing son, Xia Lang felt a little regretful. He should have sent him directly to the army to serve for a few years, and then sent him to Windham's school to study seriously for a few years, so that maybe he could take over his job.
But it was too late to say anything now. Because his son often went out to play with those rich kids in the Free City College, he had been tainted with some maliciousness. That was why Xia Lang took him with him to take up the post, hoping that his son could broaden his horizons after leaving his original environment, or at least be able to take care of himself in a strange place.
Thinking of this, Sharan couldn't help but think of John, the former governor of the Forest Territory. John was often mentioned by the old nobles, and they would often compare him with their own children as "someone else's son", but the result was usually that they would beat their chests and stamp their feet, because there was no comparison at all.
Apart from being the second son of a knight, which made John's initial status slightly inferior to those noble heirs born with a silver spoon in their mouths, in terms of other titles, he was the highest earl below the King of Midland. In terms of ability, he was able to manage the territory under his rule in an orderly manner. In terms of military strength, the number of troops John led this time was enough to crush all the earls of Midland. In terms of status beside the king, John was the first person the king thought of every time he had a military problem.
In short, if his son had one percent of John's ability, Sharon would be relieved.
Just as Xia Lang was daydreaming, there was another scene in Logronia, thousands of miles away.
"Sir, after Lord Hoss's investigation over the past few days, apart from the supplies in the warehouse being moved away by the Lana people, there is not much damage to the buildings."
After listening to the messenger's report, John said:
"Then let Lord Hoss's army move in first, and we will just stay behind."
After the messenger left, John received a letter from Frasso. The letter was written with a feather pen, and the handwriting was neat and clear. John opened the envelope and read every word carefully.
In the letter, Frasor reported to John in detail about the grain harvest in the area under his jurisdiction. He mentioned that this year's harvest was very good, exceeding expectations, and could meet the needs of the army and have surplus food stored. This news made John feel relieved, because sufficient food supply was crucial to maintaining the morale of the army.
However, the following content made John frown. In the letter, Fraso told John that he had tried to incite the villages near Logronia to rebel, but all failed. These villages were hostile to the Mitrans and refused to cooperate with them.
At the end of the letter, Frasso also reminded John to pay attention to the strong resistance to the Mitlanese in Logronia and its surrounding villages. He warned that the people in these places might organize a resistance army among the people to hinder the Mitlanese offensive.
John put down the letter and thought for a moment. He once thought about driving the Lana people out of their village and letting the Midlan people move in, but this might make the local Lana people more determined to support the Lana army.
At the same time, if this apparently inhumane behavior is spread by some people, it will also cause fear among the people of other neighboring countries. By then, the Midland army will have more than just Rana as a hostile country in the southwest peninsula.