In the bright and spacious teaching hall of the parish school in the wooden castle in the valley, thirty-two special training apprentices of different ages sat quietly on the low stools behind the wooden table.
Some of them are already full of beards, some have just sprouted stubble on their chins, some are tall and some are thin, some are the descendants of declining nobles, and more are the sons of businessmen, squires and citizens.
The origins of these people are also relatively complicated. Except for a dozen or so good people from Tyniec County, most of them are refugees from various places in the north escaping from the war. Of course, among them are also the children of the "original" people's families in the valley.
The wooden tables in front of them were neatly placed with birch bark and charcoal sticks.
In addition to the apprentices undergoing training, sitting in the teaching hall were some middle- and high-level figures from the civil affairs in the valley. After learning that Art would personally come to the school to teach the apprentices, many officials from the civil affairs stepped aside to listen. It was of course extremely honorable to receive personal advice from the viscount.
Several adjutants and stewards of the civil affairs left-behind wooden castle will naturally not be absent. Valley priest Hamish, valley doctor Farnaz, parish school steward and assistant to the civil affairs officer Guy, two left-behind teachers A first-term apprentice professor at the parish school...even Viscountess Lottie was invited to attend, because Lottie herself was also one of the professors at the parish school, and she would occasionally go to the school to teach the apprentices the secrets of financial calculations.
Standing in front of a large wooden board in front of the teaching hall, Art was dressed somewhat grandly. The viscount dress that the palace awarded him when he was awarded the title of Viscount made him look particularly dazzling. This dress has not been used since he got it. Wearing it today also shows the importance he attaches to these specially trained apprentices.
Literal arithmetic and the "Territory Code" were usually taught by professors at the parish school, but Art had no intention of teaching them.
He picked up a hardwood charcoal stick and wrote the word "Management Skills" on the big wooden board.
"I am from a down-and-out noble family. In order to escape vendetta, I survived as a hunter in this deserted valley and dense forest. I was accompanied by wolves and wild beasts all day long. The wooden castle you are sitting in now was only a low hunter's cabin. The place you can see when you look up was once an uninhabited land of wild forests and valleys." Art began his opening remarks.
"You must be curious about how such a barren valley turned into a paradise."
Matt paused for a moment, "The answer lies in the word "management". "
"My father-in-law, who is now Lord Viscount Galvin, the deputy finance minister of the County of Burgundy, is jokingly called "the noble merchant" because he only wants to make money and does not want to fight for the lord. However, in my opinion, he is a wise man who is very good at business management. "
"I once discussed the mysteries of business management with him, and he told me a very simple story."
"It is said that there was a farmer who only had twenty eggs left at home, but the farmer was very ambitious and hoped to turn these eggs into a working cow, because a strong working cow symbolizes a rich and beautiful life to the farmer. The most important thing is that he really did it two years later." After Art finished speaking, everyone in the hall whispered, thinking it was impossible.
After everyone became quiet, Art started again, "How did those eggs become cattle?"
"According to common sense, these eggs can only be sold for three copper pfennigs at most, and a cattle, even a calf, costs two hundred pfennigs. Obviously, this basket of eggs cannot be exchanged for a cattle."
"However, the farmer in the story is a lively person. He did not take the eggs directly to the free market in the market town. Instead, he spent a little money and went to the market to sell a little paint to paint twenty eggs into colorful eggs with different eyes. Then he waited patiently, and soon, on the day before Easter, The farmer took action. He walked straight into the church in the market town and prayed devoutly to God. Then he walked out of the church and stood at the door of the church loudly selling these eggs that had been blessed by God and would become a symbol of Jesus' resurrection on Easter tomorrow. Each egg was sold for one and a half pfennigs."
“Since the next day is Easter, there are always rich people in the market town who like holy things and are willing to spend money on those beautiful eggs. An ordinary egg is not valuable, but a painted egg is worth twice as much, and a painted egg that enters the church and receives the holy light is worth twice as much. The value of an Easter egg that appeared at the door of the church and received God's blessing increased several times."
"In this way, a basket of eggs worth two or three pfennigs was sold by the farmer for a high price of thirty pfennigs, and was quickly robbed. People like holy miracles."
“With these thirty pfennigs as a basis, the farmer went to the free market and bought five egg-laying hens. The hens laid a lot of eggs for the farmer. On the day before Easter the next year, he sold the eggs again in the same way as last year. Of course, there were not many people in the market town who could buy eggs, so he hired a few guys from the same village to sell the eggs further away..."
"When all the eggs were sold the next year, the money he earned could already buy a calf, but he did not sell the calf. He used the money to buy hundreds of chickens and hired two old peasant women to raise them. By the third Easter, he no longer had to buy eggs, because the money from the eggs his hens laid was enough to buy a strong cattle."
"This story was obviously made up by my father-in-law to inspire me. However, the principle of turning a basket of eggs into an ox is real."
"The art of management is a very mysterious word, and we cannot summarize its full meaning in one or two sentences. However, this magical thing of management is always around us."
"The farmer inserts a few wheat seeds into the farmland, and then waits until autumn. A few wheat seeds turned into hundreds of grains. In the process of turning wheat seeds into grains, farmers need to plow the fields, water and fertilize them. This process is business. "
"The businessman exchanged two silver coins for Burgundy. A barrel of Bordeaux wine was then exchanged for five silver coins in southern Lombardy. In the process of converting two coins into five coins, the merchant needed to purchase, transport, and negotiate with the buyer. This process is business. "
“The so-called business, by its very nature, is “tossing”. If the farmer had just stuck to the old rules and honestly exchanged two or three copper pfennig at the beginning, he would never have been able to transform a working cow in his life. It was because he was tossing around with those eggs that he got back a working cow. "
"You apprentices will be appointed as herdsmen officers in various parts of the county in the near future. I need you to continuously reclaim wasteland, increase food taxes, and prosper the territory. This process is actually a toss."
"Some places are already doing well, and the citizens feel that there is no need to bother to open up wasteland. But you must remember not to stare at those eggs worth a few copper coins. What you need is the working cow that symbolizes the identity of the farmer."
"For me, if I manage it well, my territory will be prosperous, my barn will be filled day by day, and my treasury will be full day by day." Continuous promotions and salary increases, deputy steward, steward, adjutant, chief officer, and even becoming a nobleman like your civil affairs officer Cooper..."
"However, the "tossing" in my words is by no means a random act. You need to be familiar with the strength of the population in your jurisdiction, the flat and rugged terrain, and whether the land is fertile or barren. You need to learn how to arrange the steps for land reclamation. You need to know how to plow in the spring and harvest in the autumn, how to store and replenish in the winter, how to register the residents, how to cooperate with the tax officials in collecting food taxes, how to support the army in wartime, and how to appease the residents in daily life. "
"The most important thing is that you have to think about how to deal with the local lords and squires. Tyniec is my fief, but I can't act rashly on the lords in the county who have already been granted territories and have surrendered to the new monarch. This is what the palace has instructed."
"Step by step, you will become the stewards of the various territories and my assistants in actual control of the territories."
"You must always remember that behind you is me, the Viscount of the Border of Burgundy, the real master of Tyniec County, and the commander of the Wells Army and the Southern Border Guard Army. Anyone who dares to be an enemy to you is my enemy. I and the sharp sword in my hand will clear all obstacles for you!"
"...I am here to give you a task today." I am afraid that it will be difficult to promote the entire county. Therefore, the task given to you is to revise a set of "Temporary Ordinances" based on the "Territorial Code" and issue it to the entire county. I have handed over this matter to the civil affairs, and you apprentices also participated in the compilation and revision..."
…
On the second floor of the Lord's Mansion, Viscountess Lottie's belly began to swell slightly again. He went out to fight every year, but his wife's belly never rested year after year. If he hadn't been able to pinch it, Art would have really taken off his hat to see the color.
"Dear, the story you told in school today about the eggs turning into cattle was really told to you by your father?" Lottie gently rubbed Art's shoulders and asked with a pout.
Art smiled, "Everything that doesn't exist is all made up by me. I used my father-in-law's reputation to make everyone believe it more."
"No wonder, my father won't tell such ridiculous stories. It took two years for eggs to turn into cattle. If it were so easy, we would sell Easter eggs every day." Lottie guessed that it was Art's fabricated story.
Matt straightened his body and retorted: "Although the story is a little false, the truth is still true. Isn't the so-called business just about constant tossing? Think about it, if I hadn't kept tossing over the years, we would have the power we have now?"
"I don't want you to toss all day long now~ It's really good to guard this valley and be a quiet little lord~" Lottie said and couldn't help but touch her belly.
"It's pretty good to think about it, but now I still have lost the opportunity to be a quiet little lord. Not only me, but also my father and Felix can't be a quiet little lord. Being involved in this whirlpool is not something we can leave if we want to..."
Att stood up holding on to the armrest of the lounge chair, walked to the balcony outside the bedroom, leaned on the railing with his hands, and looked at the peace and tranquility of the wooden castle in the entire valley.
Suddenly, a figure on horseback galloping towards him appeared on the dense forest road to the north.
At turned to Lottie and shrugged, "Look, the messenger from the county is here. It must be an order from the palace of Besançon..."