At the beginning of February, the coldest season, this is especially true in Tyniec County on the edge of the southeastern mountainous area of Burgundy.
Behind the outer gate of Wincheston Manor, two soldiers wearing cotton armor robes and thick sheepskin jackets were leaning on short spears and gathered around the bonfire behind the gate to keep warm.
Two soldiers, one lean and one simple, were stomping their feet and breathing heavily, discussing something excitedly.
The lean soldier covered his frozen ears with warm hands and asked the honest soldier: "Man, this military reward has been distributed for a few days. Have you thought about how to use the money?"
"No, saving it will be of great use." The honest soldier replied with a white breath.
“You are a country bumpkin and you still don’t admit it. When you fight in the army, you put your head on the tip of a spear. No one knows when your head will fall to the ground. Why do you keep so many military rewards? Tomorrow is our turn to take a rest. Take your one hundred and fifty pfennig military reward with me to have a nice drink in the county tavern. God, find some girls to keep you company at night, and I guarantee that your face will be glowing all week long, sizzling ~ Those girls are *****..." The leaner soldiers happily presented pictures to the honest soldiers, depicting the graceful figure and superb skills of the bartender Lang at the Liberty Buffalo Tavern in the county.
The honest soldier's face was red as he listened to the lean soldier's description, and his mouth was almost watering.
The honest soldier's face suddenly darkened after he thought about it, and he spat into the bonfire, "Bah, you are such a bad bastard. It's obvious that you want me to spend money to treat you to have fun. I'm telling you that I will save the money and go back to the valley to build a wooden house and marry a woman. Don't bother with my money."
The honest soldier was not upset after seeing through his intention, and continued to persuade: "Repair a house? Do you know how much it costs to build a wooden house over at the wooden castle in the valley now?"
The honest soldier shook his head.
The lean soldier stretched out a finger and waved, "A whole thousand pfennigs! It costs five hundred pfennigs just to buy the land for building a house from the civil administration, and you also have to pay people to cut the wood and build wooden frames. Without a thousand pfennigs, you can't build a decent house."
The honest soldier was in trouble. He didn't know that the house price in the valley has now risen to thousands of pfennigs. "Well, then my money is not enough~"
The lean soldier continued to guide, "So, it's not enough anyway. Just spend it quickly to avoid worries. I didn't get the reward for killing the enemy. The only twenty pfennigs for participating in the war are all TM together with the remaining military pay from last month. We lost to those bastards from the baggage train team, and the few copper coins left in our purse are really not enough to go to the county town for a meal and a meal. Considering that we are guys in the same squadron, you, a gentleman, can take your brothers out for fun once in a while. "
Seeing that the honest soldier's face was getting longer and longer, the lean soldier immediately changed his words and said: "If not, you can lend me thirty pfennigs and I will pay you back when the military pay is paid next month."
The honest soldier didn't accept the call at all. "Since you gambled with the old guys in the baggage team, in which month have your military pay been in the money bag for more than three days? I lent you money, what will you give me back?"
The honest soldier looked disdainful, "If you were braver, the Dean private soldier who was chopped down by me was your merit in battle. Who the hell made you shrink your neck at the critical moment? Now that I have won the military reward, you are jealous again."
"Just wait, next time we fight, I will kill three enemies in one go, and I will definitely get more military rewards than you. Let's see who will be jealous then!" The lean soldier felt that his dignity had been trampled on, and threatened to avenge his shame in the next battle.
The lean soldier swore an oath and was in high spirits, but the honest soldier across from him suddenly stood up straight and stood silently. He kept silent and kept turning his eyes to wink at the lean soldier.
· Jingshou was startled, and he quietly turned his head to the right and glanced. He thought it was an officer patrolling, but there was no one behind him.
The lean soldier turned around and cursed: "You bastard, if you don't believe me, why are you still trying to scare people."
Before he finished speaking, the lean soldier was tapped on his left shoulder, which frightened him so much that he fell to the right and fell to the ground.
Dennis quickly stepped forward to help the soldier who fell to the ground, and brushed the snow foam off his body, "Look, why are you so careless."
"Si~ Sir Ideological Officer~" The lean soldier nodded and bowed in greeting.
Dennis took two steps back and showed a kind smile, "As I said, brothers, just call me Brother Dennis. Although the Baron has given you permission to light a bonfire to keep warm while on guard duty, you must concentrate on your duty. The brothers behind this door will trust you with their lives."
The two soldiers on duty lowered their heads in shame.
Dennis was neither a military commander nor a military judge. He was just a kind reminder. Seeing that the two of them were already looking ashamed, Dennis smiled again and said to the lean soldier: "I just heard you say that you want to kill the enemy and perform meritorious service to receive military rewards. Very good, we soldiers have to rely on killing the enemy and meritorious service to accumulate wealth and advance to status. This time your performance is not outstanding, but you will definitely be able to do it next time." Dennis encouraged the lean soldier.
The lean soldier only boasted when he was temporarily angered by the stinginess of his companions. He did not think that he would have the courage to pierce the spearhead into a living person next time.
Dennis encouraged the honest soldier and asked: "I just came out of the military camp outside the manor. Is the Baron in the mansion?"
The lean soldier immediately changed his words, "Deng, Sir Dennis, the Baron is inspecting the checkpoint construction site on the north road."
Dennis glanced at the road intersection on the north side, turned around and tugged the corner of the collar of the lean soldier, and said: "Remember, next time change "Sir" to "Brother". "
should be reported to the Baron. Said Dennis, patted his somewhat wrinkled cotton armor robe, turned around and walked towards the commercial road checkpoint north of Wincheston Manor...
The post under construction is designed according to the pattern of the southern border outpost. However, there is a fortress where troops are stationed next to the Wincheston Manor. The main function of the outpost is to intercept and interrogate passing business travelers, and the troops responsible for guarding the outpost can be stationed in the manor. Therefore, the outpost does not have high outer walls and fences, and there is no need to dig deep pit traps to defend against enemies. A wooden house is being built next to the road just to provide a shelter from the wind and rain for the soldiers guarding the border.
· Juma wooden fences have been installed on two sections of the road, which are usually closed. Pedestrians passing by can only pass after being interrogated and paying the transit tax in front of Juma.
There are ditches and ridges in the cultivated land on both sides of the road, and it is not easy to go around and avoid them.
Matt stood on a mound behind the outpost wooden house and looked at the construction site. Legion Adjutant Odo and Captain of Guard Ron were waiting beside him.
Odo pointed to the commercial road under the mound, "Sir, after the outpost is completed, five soldiers will be sent to the manor every day to guard the place and check the merchants and travelers. However, it is too close to the county. Most of the merchants have paid commercial taxes in other counties. If we impose another commercial tax, I am afraid those merchants will be resentful, and it will be difficult to talk to Viscount Pierre. "
Matt glanced in the direction of Tynets County in the north. During this period, many major events happened in Tynets County, but Pierre chose to turn a blind eye to them. This was a disguised support for Art. In addition, Pierre had never felt sorry for himself in these years, so Art had no intention of putting Viscount Pierre on the opposite side.
"Transit commercial tax must be collected, otherwise why would I build this outpost. However, the tax amount should be lower, and it should be collected according to the May Day standard of county commercial tax. These taxes are enough to support the outpost. As for Viscount Pierre, I will give him one-third of the tax, so that he will not resent it."
"As for those merchants, the business taxes collected by the Dean family in the past were not large at all, and after they paid the taxes to me, I ensured that they had a safe journey from Wincheston to the southern border. They have made money after saving the money they saved for the bandits. They are merchants and they still have some sense."
"Your Majesty is right."
"Have you received any reply from the garrison sent by Lane Manor?" Two days ago, Art took a short break to sort out everything in Wincheston Manor and then sent troops to garrison Lane Manor.
Lane Manor was originally the territory of Baron Bazell. After Bazell was attacked and killed by a "bandit" for no apparent reason, Lane Manor was temporarily taken over by a knight. Art asked Kazak to lead a flag team of soldiers to directly enter the Lane Manor. The knight did not dare to disobey at all, packed up his things and left in despair with a few soldiers.
"Sir, both Lane Manor and Southwest Farm have been controlled by us. Kazak replied and said that the land and farmers in Lane Manor are now being inventoried. In the past two years, that bastard Bazel has robbed many refugees as serfs. Lane Manor has been There are at least two thousand acres of cultivated land, but the land in Lane Manor is not as fertile as the land around Wincheston, let alone the fertile soil in our valleys. Even if the land in Lane Manor is fully cultivated, it can support about 150 farmers. "
"The farm in the southwest is slightly better. Although the land is less, it is relatively fertile, and there are streams passing through it for easy irrigation. If we use the method of retting the fertile soil, we should be able to feed about two hundred households." There are at least more than two thousand acres of cultivated fertile land, and there is a large lake with three streams to the east of the manor, and there is a dense forest hill five miles southwest of the manor..."
The territory of Wincheston Manor has mountains, water, and fertile land. It is indeed an excellent farming land, and it is not as closed as the Valley Barony, which is more attractive to people.
"If I could have this place~" Otto looked yearning for it.
Matt glanced at the north, then looked back at the Welsh Legion garrison outside the manor, and said with a smile: "This place already belongs to us!"