After Art left Sap with the Sentinel Cavalry, he did not go back directly to the Valley Knight Leader. Instead, after leaving the mountainous area, he ran south towards the border outpost.
In early spring, the snow melted, and the north-south trade road was extremely muddy. Underneath everyone were soldiers who could barely challenge the horses. They were unable to speed up on the muddy road. It was only on the evening of the second day after leaving Sap that everyone saw the border outpost in the wilderness.
As the only place with military garrison for a hundred miles on the border of the wilderness, a small temporary settlement has actually begun to form here.
Since the outpost was basically completed last autumn, refugees and transit traders between Provence and Burgundy have set up small tents around the outpost to repair. There was even a shrewd Provence refugee vendor who built a temporary shack in the open space next to the border outpost, cooked some wheat paste and sold it to passers-by. Of course, this shack was approved by Simon and paid taxes.
Many of the southern refugees who fled to Burgundy last winter stayed near the outpost. Just after the harsh winter, some of them had already set off to beg for food further north, while those refugees who still had some rations in their hands were still here, waiting for the weather to get warmer before heading north to survive. Because compared to the long and dangerous journey to the north, at least there were soldiers stationed at this outpost, and there were no bandits around.
If there was no land for farming here, they would even want to stay here as farmers... "Sir, I thought you would have to wait until the spring plowing is over before you can come to the outpost for inspection. I didn't expect you to come now." Simon and Benjamin, the commanders of the border outpost, came out of the outpost to greet Art, who came to inspect.
"We have just returned from the Sap bandit suppression. This is my territory, and I am very concerned about the situation of this outpost. Come on, Simon, arrange food and lodging for us. We have been jostling on the horse for two days. We need to take a good rest and eat some hot food." Art handed the reins to Simon and walked straight into the outpost.
The border outpost was built according to Art's idea on a small mound next to the north road of the stream bridge. The mound was surrounded by a twenty-foot-high pointed wooden fence. A sentry tower stood at the highest point of the mound. There were two houses and a warehouse around the sentry tower, and a military horse ate hay in the stable. There is a soldier holding a spear guarding the gate of the outpost, and there is also a soldier holding a crossbow and wearing a horn on the guard tower. There is a row of wooden barriers on the commercial road fifty feet in front of the main entrance of the outpost. When passing by, pedestrians in the convoy must stop in front of the barrier to be interrogated and then move away from the barrier before they can pass smoothly. "
There are seven or eight simple tents made of tattered linen and felt under the wooden fence of the outpost. There are piles of bonfires in front of the simple tents, and some refugees sit around the bonfires to keep warm.
Simon glanced at several refugee camps outside the outpost fence when he saw Art coming in, and took the initiative to mention to Art: "Sir, the camps and shacks outside the outpost were all temporarily built by passing refugees. These people were carefully checked and I only allowed them to stay after confirming that there was no danger."
As Art walked towards the house in the outpost, he said to Simon: "You are right to do this. This place is my territory. Since it is a territory, it needs citizens. In the future, this will be the first pass from the east of Provence to the Burgundy County. In addition to wanting to turn this place into a border outpost and tax card, I also want to slowly build it up." A transit place for goods from the north and the south. In the future, whether it is spices, raw silk, porcelain, silk satin and other southern goods coming from the south, or northern goods such as fur, grain, velvet and so on passing through the north, I hope they can trade here. If possible, I want this checkpoint to become a town to replace Tyniec's position in the north-south trade."
"So now, if there is a chance to make this place prosperous, as long as it does not threaten the safety of the outpost, you can do it boldly. I just saw a small shack selling food next to the fence. They are allowed to build shacks like this, as long as they pay taxes and obey the regulations." One will also be assigned. If there are any refugees who really want to stay in the outpost for a long time, they can become my subjects and accept my protection after being checked and registered by you. There is no land suitable for farming in the outpost, so it is best for the residents to choose those who can do business, even if they are grocers, they can find a way out without relying on the land. "
Simon nodded in agreement.
"You can start trying to do this. I see that there are a dozen refugees around the outpost, and they are idle anyway. When the weather is better in two days, you can draw a flat piece of land next to the outpost and let these refugees cut down trees and build a fence to build a small free market. If there are passing merchants who want to sell goods on the spot, You can enter the fence to trade, and your outpost is responsible for managing the market. In addition, you can let passers-by spread the news that a small free trade market has been built in the border area. "When the free market is really established, we can slowly control the trade of southern goods through this free market!" Yat said more and more excitedly.
Simon didn’t understand the mystery for the moment. He seemed to understand and asked: "Sir, if this place becomes a prosperous free market or even a trading town, those guys with evil intentions will start to make plans here~"
Matt smiled easily and replied: "Simon, don't forget that we still have an army in our hands. My army is not just for showing off. If anyone dares to do anything wrong with my territory, I will definitely let him taste me. The sword is powerful. Moreover, you must remember that this place is our own territory. In our own territory, everything is decided by ourselves. If you are worried about the outpost being attacked later, I will select soldiers from the new army to guard the outpost.
"As for the task of recruiting refugees previously set for the border outpost, we can temporarily stop it, because there are already a lot of residents in the valley, and it will take time for the reclaimed and wasteland to produce food. I also want to focus more money and energy on the army and caravans. If I continue to recruit refugees to cultivate the land, I am afraid that I will not be able to bear it. However, ordinary refugees will no longer be recruited. If there are craftsmen, merchants, doctors, literate people and other skilled people, they can continue to be recruited into the valley. "
“There are two major things that your outpost must do. One is to continue to collect entry taxes from passing caravans. I have asked the caravans to engrave the Howling Wolf seal. In the future, all caravans passing by the outpost must pay the tax according to the rules before they can be issued. I will send people to inspect the documents with seals from the outpost all the way to Tyniec. If it is found that the caravan does not have the tax payment documents issued by the border outpost, I will confiscate all the goods and double the punishment. Secondly, I will give you a secret. Mission, from now on, all goods related to the Dean family will be intercepted by me when passing through the outpost and charged a heavy tax of 51 cents. If you dare not to seize the goods from the place, you will say that they are the lord of this land, the palace guard knight, Tignes According to the order issued by Art, the security patrol officer of the Cinan Territory, if they dare to be aggressive, you can let it go for the time being, and then report back to the valley on Pegasus. From now on, I will slowly tighten the throat of the Dean family's southern goods trade!"
Simon nodded lightly, but he was worried and said: "Sir, from last autumn to now, I have only seen the caravans under the banner of the Dean family on this trade road three times. Each time they brought a large number of caravan guards. If we fight with them head-on, we are afraid~"
"Simon, I know what you are worried about. I just said, you have to remember this land. This is our own territory, and I don’t care about other places. As long as the caravans related to the Dean family pass by here, we cannot let them pass easily. If you can handle it by yourself, if you can’t handle it by yourself, report it to me immediately. I will not rob the Dean family caravan, but it is more than a hundred miles from the border post to Tinets, and there are quite a lot of bandits along the way~~"
Simon showed a clear look and said firmly: "Don't worry, sir. With you and the army as my backers, I won't be afraid."
Matt nodded in approval and changed the subject: "Of course, the matter that strangles the Dean family's neck is just a trivial matter. The main tasks of the border outpost are to collect commercial taxes, purchase southern goods, maintain public security, and develop free markets. You must also grasp these major things. "Simon, remember, treat your friends as warm as the sun, and treat your enemies as cold as winter~"
"It's my lord, I remember it!"
Art stood up from a low stool in the outpost house and said: "Okay, Simon, come with me to see your food supplies and weapons reserves..."
As he spoke, Art, accompanied by Simon, took another look at the warehouse in the outpost to learn about the food and clothing expenses of the soldiers, and promised to send someone to deliver a batch of weapons, armor, and clothing supplies to the outpost after returning to the valley.
In the evening, the border post held a simple banquet for Art Angus and Ron. At the banquet, Art also gave some rewards to the guards at the outpost, and everyone was happy...
The next day, Art led Angus and the cavalry of the sentry team on a fifty-mile patrol up and down the stream in front of the outpost. After reading it over, they had only one purpose, to demolish all the bridges up and down the stream that could pass pedestrians, to ensure that there was only one road from Provence to Burgundy, and Art ordered the outpost to warn passing travelers and merchants that in the future, any pedestrians or merchants who enter the County of Burgundy without passing through the outpost will be regarded as trespassing, and once caught, they will be severely punished!
After inspecting the border outpost and giving a face-to-face briefing to the two commanders Simon Benjamin and establishing the general direction of the outpost's development, Art left the border outpost with his entourage, heading north and east, heading towards the new patrol station at the boulder pile next to the trade road south of Lane Manor...