Over half a month has passed since the capture of Changge Fortress, and all the reinforcements and supplies from the five major families in the western frontier have now been fully delivered.
With the Ministry of Agriculture now established, the new year's spring plowing finally commenced—marking Roland's first step in mastering farming techniques. The serfs, seeing the promise of freedom, threw themselves into the work with fervor. The days of overseers wielding whips to enforce labor were nearly gone on the southern bank of the Chishui River. Some even found themselves unmonitored, as the municipal officials, armed with peculiar measuring tools, claimed the Lord cared little for the yield of a couple of acres. From now on, the serfs would cultivate for themselves, and the more they plowed, the more they earned.
It wasn't that the officials of the Ministry of Agriculture were exceptionally competent, having fully grasped the principle of distribution according to work. Rather, Roland insisted they repeatedly reiterate these messages to the serfs. To reinforce the indoctrination and align with Prince's personal sentiments, the banks of the Chishui River were adorned with red flags and banners bearing slogans like "Labor is the sole path to prosperity," "Labor is glorious," and "Labor leads to freedom, labor changes destiny."
Of course, these measures have not been without objections. For instance, Barov was the first to raise objections.
"Your Highness, this is utterly pointless. Most serfs are illiterate—they don't care what's written on the banners. These people are both ignorant and foolish; sometimes even a whip won't work, let alone some seemingly nonsensical text." Roland's response was equally straightforward: "Those banners weren't meant for them to see." "Then why are you doing this?" The Minister's Assistant's expression at the time appeared utterly perplexed.
"To create living role models." He never regarded serfs as unintelligent or unchangeable beings. Their lack of education did not mean they were devoid of thought. Even the most dull-witted are driven by desires and interests—this is human nature. The Ministry of Agriculture's repeated indoctrination may seem ineffective, but it plants seeds in their minds like trickling streams that will eventually converge. When the first serfs were granted freedom, when they exchanged bountiful harvests for money to buy fine clothes, exquisite food, and even sturdy, warm brick houses, the slogans they had repeated time and again suddenly became reality, etched deeply into their hearts.
The banners on the shore were meant for the townspeople who had received basic education.
Through hard work, you can lift yourself out of poverty, become a full member of Border Town, and even surpass your own potential as an indigenous person. This is the power of hard work.
Only by comparison can we feel the gap, and only by actively pursuing can we bring the individual's efficiency to the highest level.
...
Iron Head stood at the entrance of the mine, waiting for the next round of ore extraction.
Ever since his face was half-ruined by scalding steam during the Evil Demon's Moon, he never dared to stand near that black machine again.
Fortunately, Border Town had a kind-hearted Miss Nana Wa, angelic in nature. Ironhead touched his unscathed cheek, feeling deeply moved. He had doubted the man was Devil's henchman, which was a grave insult to her. After winter ended, he made a special trip to the Paine family, bringing two salted fish and a wild boar leg to apologize.
To his surprise, though a viscount, Tigu Pien showed no trace of Noble's habit of judging people by their noses, accepting his apology with remarkable candor. This was the first time Tie Tou realized that not all Nobles were cold and heartless.
"Old Iron," a miner with a face smeared in dust rushed out of the cave, "the rope's already secured." "Alright," he turned to the steam engine and shouted, "Everyone, clear! Frank, lift the green lever and press the red one! If you mess up, I'll screw off your head!" "Don't worry, Old Iron, I'll take care of it!" Frank yelled back.
After sending the nail to join the town's First Army, Ironhead replaced the operator of the steam engine. In the first few days, Flack kept messing up the lever sequence, causing the air supply pipe to burst and getting him a lot of beatings. Fortunately, Your Royal Highness didn't hold it against them—instead of sending someone to replace the damaged part or fining them, Ironhead had already prepared for a month's salary penalty.
As the intake valve opened, the steam engine spewed out a powerful plume of white steam. The main wheel began to rotate slowly, driving the winch to stretch the hemp rope taut.
"Get your act together! Keep your eyes on the rope and watch it closely!" the man with the iron head barked.
Nowadays, in addition to steam engines, the method of ore extraction from mines has also changed.
Your Royal Highness ordered the craftsmen to carve wooden sections into long strips, which were laid end-to-end across the mining area. Wooden blocks were then inserted between the strips, creating a structure that at first glance resembled a lattice of wooden blocks.
His Highness calls it the wooden rail transport system—a tongue-twisting name that seems simple at first glance. But when paired with specialized mining cars, hey! It's a real showstopper. What normally takes three to four days to haul up the ore can now be pulled out in one go by a steam engine, all powered by just a few mining cars.
Ironhead had closely observed this four-wheeled mine cart that ran on wooden rails. Its entire structure was made of iron, and even this single unit was worth a fortune. The key to its ability to move along narrow wooden tracks without falling off lay in its wheels—each small iron wheel had an enlarged flange on the inside, firmly anchoring the cart to the rails. A square iron basin was mounted on top of the wheels, with curved grooves on both the front and rear, allowing it to be strung together with hemp ropes.
I can't help but admire Your Royal Highness's ingenuity. This simple design has made ore transportation remarkably effortless. Before this innovation, hauling these massive, cumbersome ore blocks out of the mine was the most time-consuming and labor-intensive task.
However, the system wasn't flawless. For instance, within just five days of operation, two wooden rails were crushed, followed by several more breaking down over time. The situation only improved after Your Highness wrapped all the rail ends with a layer of iron sheeting.
Beyond this, the mine tunnel had once witnessed a hemp rope rupture incident that still sends shivers down the miner's spine when recalled. According to regulations, only four mine cars could be hauled out at a time. On the day of the accident, the miners, in a rush, connected all six cars together. Midway through the haul, the hemp rope—thick as a man's arm—suddenly snapped, and the rebounding end struck a worker standing beside the iron head, severing his arm in two and fracturing multiple ribs. The mine cars then slid down the tracks, knocking down two people and crushing the legs of one unfortunate victim.
Fortunately, Ironhead knew exactly how to handle such situations. He immediately mobilized a team to transport the injured to the residence of Count Tigu. As long as they didn't die on the spot, Miss Nanawa could ensure they were restored to their original state.
"Old Iron, the car is out!" shouted the man staring at the cave entrance.
"Frank, shut down the steam engine after ten breaths. Pay attention to the sequence!" Ironhead commanded loudly.
"Alright!" The four mine wagons pulled to a stop at the end of the wooden tracks. He walked over to log the shipment volume and types. The first two wagons carried reddish-brown ore—the most common product from the mine: iron ore. The third wagon's stones were grayish-yellow, likely copper ore. When he saw the fourth wagon, he froze in surprise. The previous records had never mentioned such stones: they were entirely dark brown, reflecting a dull metallic sheen under sunlight.
Another unknown mineral. Tie Tou shook his head. The northern slope's mine tunnels were crisscrossed, where oddities were often unearthed. He crossed his fingers on paper, ordering all the ore to be sent to the stockpile. Whether those black stones would ever reach the furnace was none of his concern.