Chapter 127 A very difficult goal
Changhe Express's business has been very good since its inception.
After all, Godric's White Hart Castle and Leofric's Brave Shield Castle were both major shareholders of Maixiang International. Together with Charles and Ralph, these internal staff had a lot of business to do.
White Hart Castle had to transport food and weapons, Brave Shield Castle had to transport horses and war supplies, and Maixiang Territory had to transport food to its subordinate territories, and also had to go to Kwen Village to transport food collected from the noble estates...
These are obviously the direct initial sample business.
However, passenger transport has not yet been launched - the existing horse-drawn carriages are not suitable for transporting people, so the carpenters and blacksmiths in the territory must first work together to make a box-type carriage.
"Teacher, why did you spend a lot of money to buy so many carriages? Is the transportation business so profitable? Why do I feel like I might lose money..."
Amy was the one who was most concerned about the economy. She felt that her teacher's spending speed was too frightening - he had thrown out more than 100,000 dinars in five days. This was not spending money like water, because water doesn't flow that fast...
Now almost all the carriages in Changhe Town are marked with the griffin mark, and all the vehicles running on the road are from Changhe Express.
But paying salaries to more than 500 people and maintaining nearly 700 horses is obviously a huge expense - even the expenses of White Hart Castle are not that high.
This mode of operation seemed quite uneconomical in that era - a large number of carriages and draft horses were floating assets, and the people in the caravan were not subjects of Maixiang Territory and had not sworn allegiance.
In the eyes of the nobles of the continent of Pendor, this is the behavior of a prodigal.
Because land is the foundation of a lord.
One hundred thousand dinars is enough to buy ten thousand acres of fertile land, and even a few large manors and mansions - if there is a fool willing to sell.
"Amy, losses and profits cannot be measured simply by money... What kind of business do you think can allow a lord to gain strong comprehensive strength in the shortest time?"
The lord had just enjoyed the pleasure of spending a lot of money. He was riding on his horse, twirling a silver coin and looking around, and asked casually.
“What does comprehensive strength mean?”
Amy had never heard of the term.
"It refers to the comprehensive assessment of strength including money, food, population, technological level and war potential.
For example, your father, currently, in a normal year, he can earn more than 20,000 dinars a year, and he can also receive about 400,000 pounds of grain tax every harvest season.
There are more than fifty knight territories under the jurisdiction of Bailu Fort, and there are nearly ten thousand civilians in all the territories combined. Although the population is not large, most of the people in the border counties are young and strong.
Therefore, he can now mobilize a force of more than a thousand people at any time, and the equipment level and combat effectiveness of the troops are also quite good.
Even if we exclude his status as the Chief of Military Affairs, as a lord, his overall strength now ranks among the top four in the entire Sarleon Kingdom. Apart from King Ulric and Duke Brennus of Cliff Rock Bay, only the Horton family of Lion Lake City should be stronger than him. "
After Li Ang finished speaking, he counted his own assets and shook his head. "My territory has only a few hundred people and a little over a hundred troops. The grain tax is not even enough to feed the people. Even if we mobilize them fully, we can't even muster a 200-man army. In terms of comprehensive strength, I'm probably the last among the barons in the kingdom. If I lose a battle, I'll lose everything."
"Then you should cultivate more land and absorb more people. With your ability, you will surely become one of the most powerful nobles in ten or eight years!"
Amy still has confidence in her teacher's ability.
"The problem is that, using the traditional method, I have to develop slowly over many years - the population base is small, the territory is also small, and no matter how rich I am, I cannot develop a strong war potential in a short period of time. But I have too many powerful enemies..."
There was some worry in Li Ang's words.
Amy could understand that her teacher had offended a lot of people.
The Horton family will definitely deal with him after they have recovered, and the Three Prophets may also make a comeback. In addition, the two governors of the Bacchus Empire, Agasson and others may all retaliate against him.
And Amy also knew that no matter what, she would firmly stand on Leon's side - the teacher saved her twice...
In Amy's opinion, most of Leon's enemies are related to his saving himself, so his troubles are also her own troubles.
But Amy also knew that only in fantasy stories would there be a situation where a powerful enemy watched the protagonist develop slowly but never took the initiative to kill the protagonist.
In the real world, who would give the enemy time to develop? In less than a year, after those enemies have solved the troubles that Li Ang has caused them, they will start to retaliate.
Li Ang had been trying hard to gain time and space for himself. He offended so many people, not for Amy, but for himself. His enemies were far more than those on the surface.
And he only has half a year to a year at most.
"Amy, I must make myself as powerful as the Duke within a year. So now, the standard for measuring whether something is worthwhile is not whether it makes money, but whether it can achieve this goal."
Amy was stunned for a long time before she was sure that the teacher was not talking nonsense and was serious.
However, she felt that her teacher might still be a little too arrogant - look, what is he talking about?
To be on par with the Duke within a year?
Is this goal a bit too difficult?
Which duke did not develop through the continuous efforts of several generations and hundreds of years?
But thinking about her teacher's Maixiang Group, she felt that there seemed to be some possibility.
"So... you want to use this transportation business to achieve this goal? But this..."
Amy was a little confused. After all, she was only eighteen years old. No matter how talented she was, she couldn't think of more aspects.
In fact, it is possible to achieve this goal quickly in the transportation business.
Although there is a possibility of losses in the early stages - but the lord doesn't care. Even if he spends all the money, he will continue to do it!
How could they deliberately expand this business just for money...
With just this one business, you can get money, food, people and troops together.
Reality is not a game. You can't lead your team around the map to get money, people, and troops. You can only let the transport team run around the map on your behalf...
The food problem is actually a transportation problem. Of course, it all comes down to farming, but farming is slow to produce results, and it often takes several years, and you still have to rely on the weather for food. However, improving transportation can produce results quickly. As long as you have the ability to transport bulk commodities over long distances, you don’t have to rely on land in the short term. When you have to rely on land, there will be enough time for it to develop.
As for people - this not only refers to the population, but also other special talents, such as technicians.
Wherever Changhe Express's footprint can reach, that is where Li Ang's hand can reach, and that is where he can recruit people.
You can recruit people all over the continent, which is much more reliable than staying in the small Maixiang Territory and picking people from the people.
With a transportation company with footprints all over the continent, Li Ang can bring back more technical personnel and more advanced experience.
Some things are impossible for people who have never seen them to make directly, such as muskets. The lord cannot draw the blueprints - even if he can, he cannot actually make them.
You know, in a poor place where there is no standard scale even for rulers, even if you have precise longitudinal and cross-sectional structural drawings, it is impossible for ordinary blacksmiths who have never seen these things to make them by hand.
It's not as simple as just wanting to make it. It's a whole industrial line, starting from a standard vernier caliper...
It requires more precise measuring tools, qualified steel, reliable drills, lathes and boring tables, and finally it can be made by a skilled blacksmith.
This is a complete system, and even with the help of various professionals, it will take many years to build it.
In a place with neither industrial foundation nor industrial standards, where most people in the territory cannot even read, what should we do?
The only way is to send the transport team to the coastal commercial cities to buy them, or to get samples from Buckley or other technologically advanced areas, and then modify them in a similar way, so as to develop technical strength in a short period of time.
As for military strength, Changhe Express’s armed security personnel are a ready-made army, all of them are young and strong, and they all have experience.
Moreover, this is an army that will not attract attention. They are not in the territory and are not likely to be disrespected.
The Lord has already understood King Ulric's thinking - he will deal with whoever has the stronger military force and power... If he wants to have the strength of a duke, he will definitely be suppressed by the king.
After all, any king is eager to achieve centralization, and Ulrich is obviously paying attention to Leon - the appointment of Governor of Aire County is a warning to him not to form cliques and collude with each other.
The king would worry that his lords would have too many troops or form an alliance, but if the lords' troops were not strong enough, they would be bullied by others...
Therefore, Leon had to develop quietly. On the surface, he maintained the troops that were in line with the status of a baron. It wouldn't be taboo, right?
As for the fact that the company is a little bigger and has more employees - that is the legal property of the nobility and should be protected by the kingdom.
But the lord will not simply rely on a single business system, he has a backup plan.
"The transportation company's business is just a prerequisite. To achieve our goals, we need to control more rigid demands, such as grain trading. This is where your help is needed."
The lord pinched the center of the silver coin with two fingers, blew on the coin in his hand , and held it to his ear to listen.
The purity of the silver coin is quite high, and the buzzing sound is very pleasant.
"How can I help you?"
Amy perked up when she heard Leon say he needed her help.
She really hoped she could be of help - she actually felt a little guilty about the last time she had gotten into trouble with a swear word.
Although Leon was able to control the final result fairly well, he did make a big enemy because of it. She was actually more nervous than Leon and Godric.
"I need you to help negotiate some food procurement business. I want to ensure that we will never be short of food again in the future."
Leon threw the silver coin to Amy.
"That's exactly what we should do. Although we have enough food now, there is no guarantee that we won't run out of food in the future. We should stockpile more food."
Amy took the silver coin and nodded.
It was a Barclay dollar, a large one-ounce silver coin that was also a dinar, equivalent to the small gold coin of the continent of Pendor.
(In the troy system, one ounce weighs about 31 grams, equivalent to one tael of silver in the hexadecimal period of the Celestial Empire.)
The obverse of the silver dollar is the head of Emperor Buckley, with a circle of wheat ears on the edge. There are no holes or bubbles. It looks like it was pressed and polished again after casting, and the craftsmanship level is quite high.
This ear of wheat is probably used for anti-counterfeiting. The grains are very fine and it is difficult for ordinary small workshops to imitate it on a large scale.
"It's not just about stockpiling food, Amy... You may not understand it now, but you will soon."
In fact, Leon already has a lot of food, which will not be used up in a short time. Even if the hundreds of old people that Sir Roland will bring back are added, it will not be used up.
Most of Changhe Express’ employees travel frequently and do not need to be provided with meals.
And unless they swear allegiance to Li Ang, join Mai Xiangling, and become non-commissioned officers according to Mai Xiangling's requirements, there is no need to provide them with meals.
But for future planning, the lord still intends to make the Griffin Grain and Oil Company bigger and stronger.
If a lord wants to increase his strength, there are actually many ways to do it.
There are many paths to your goal, but the one that suits you best is definitely different from the one that others have taken.
The one chosen by the Lord was the most suitable for him. It also happened to match Amy's business talent.
The Duke of Alma is good at political intrigue, so he seeks to seize more territory and use power to control the jurisdiction. This is the normal way of thinking of the nobles.
Count Oden was good at fighting. He used the army and the knights to strengthen his strength and controlled the local areas by controlling the army. This was also a way.
Since Li Ang is good at making money, he will naturally take the commercial route and use commercial monopoly to hijack the entire region.
If Li Ang had money, food, soldiers, and the power to set food prices in the eastern region, and a monopoly on transportation...
So even if he was still a small country baron, who could do anything to him?
Unless he was assassinated, the king would not dare to touch him.
You don't have to have a lot of land and farmers to be called a powerful lord. You can also be a wealthy merchant lord.
After arranging the affairs of the transport company, the lord and Amy led a convoy to the village of Kwen - there were more than 200,000 pounds of grain waiting for him to receive.
That was the food that the nobles of Kwen pooled together to give to Leon as a token of gratitude. It would not be appropriate to send anyone else, as it was all free favors after all, and the lord had to show up in person.
Of course, if you want to discuss long-term business, you have to come in person.
He brought Amy with him specifically to deal with the nobles of Kwen - he wanted to negotiate all the surplus grain that Kwen Village would produce in the future.
Food is a strategic material and is controlled by the nobles. Le Ang already knew how troublesome it was to buy food last time, so he would not expect to become fat in one bite.
He could only take it slow, first taking Amy to negotiate deals with various villages and towns, and using contracts to take control of all future grain output.
In addition, they continue to reclaim large amounts of land and plant crops in their own territory to increase output.
Then, during the next harvest season, in the fall, he would see if he could establish himself as the largest grain merchant in the East.
The lord wants to take advantage of his ability to transport large quantities of grain and try to control the grain trade in the area.
It's not about controlling output, it's about controlling transactions.
The business negotiations in Kwen Village went smoothly. There was already a certain relationship foundation, and with the face of Amy's parents, the nobles were very polite and none of them refused.
Since Li Ang said that he would have the transport team come to the door to take charge of all the loading and delivery work, this would avoid causing trouble for the nobles, and there would naturally be no need to leave the excess output of the noble manors in the warehouse to mold.
A few days later, the grain business of 300,000 pounds for the next quarter was settled, and the settlement was very simple, even able to be recorded in the accounts.
Amy's reputation was still good, and those nobles would not care too much about her. In fact, many of the small gifts given to her by the old nobles were worth a hundred or so dinars - a girl with noble status, beautiful lively appearance, such a girl was always popular in front of the elderly.
The two men felt that this way of negotiating the acquisition would work, and their confidence increased greatly. They let the caravan deliver the food and return on their own, planning to cross the river to the north from the bridge in Kwen Village, and try to talk to other nobles in the north along the way.
After crossing the river, you are actually in the northern part of the kingdom, but the area near Tongtian River does not belong to the Horton family's sphere of influence. After all, it is too far away from Lion Lake City.
Although the location of any villages or towns is not marked on the map, there are actually quite a few aristocratic manors in this area.
The Tongtian River itself is dangerous with its fast-flowing water and high waves, but the fields near the river are quite fertile, especially the area around the gentle lake behind Changhe Town. The area across the lake from Changhe Town was where many pioneering nobles settled decades ago.
Now, most of those places are manors of small nobles, and they usually use boats to fish or cross the lake to travel to Changhe Town.
For Leon, the more grain deals that can be negotiated in advance, the better. The spirit of contract in the continent of Pendor is very strong, and the nobles will not break the contract publicly - because this is equivalent to breaking the oath, which is the greatest honor of the nobles.
If a person breaks an agreement even once, it means that his oaths and covenants are no longer trustworthy, and the king, his subordinates, and his allies will abandon him.
As long as there is a transaction contract in hand, even if the other party is short of food next season, they will find a way to gather enough food to complete the transaction.
If we can reach deals with more big manor owners, it will indeed be possible to quickly achieve the goal of becoming the largest grain merchant in Changhe Town. After all, the lord's offer is very generous.
Li Ang’s business philosophy has always been to monopolize if possible, but to take the lead if not possible. Only companies that can formulate their own industry rules can be considered successful.
The two men discussed how to be a reliable profiteer along the way, and gradually came to a large lakeside manor. There were at least several thousand acres of wheat fields around the manor, which had been harvested.
"Whose manor is this? Amy, do you know?"
"I've never been here...wait..."
Amy's expression changed drastically after just one look, and she even drew her sword: "Red Brotherhood?"
The lord looked at the manor in surprise.
There is a sign in front of the manor gate, but the lord doesn't know what it means.
It looked like a red cross, painted on the side of the stone arch at the entrance of the manor, as if it had been painted with blood.
A vertical black sword is drawn inside the cross.
"Teacher, this is the symbol of the Red Brotherhood... Is this manor their base? But for a manor of this size, it's not possible..."
