I was a lord farming, how did I become an emperor?

Chapter 5 Dream Takes Flight
early morning.

The sun had not yet risen, and the sky was just beginning to lighten.

The northern border was still bitterly cold in early spring.

Durant leaned on a wooden tub filled with hot water, letting out a long, comfortable sigh.

After sitting there for a while, he finally put the towel into the hot water, ready to properly wipe his face.

As soon as he looked up, he saw Rod open the door and come out, and his hand holding the towel paused noticeably.

"You actually got up so early..."

Most noble children began to enjoy life after receiving their lands, especially those who were strictly controlled by their families.

Illegitimate children like Rhodes were even more extravagant, often buying up female slaves, servants, and jewelry to make up for everything they didn't have before.

Durant didn't expect that Rod hadn't even taken a nap.

He didn't know that Rhodes didn't not want to sleep; he simply couldn't fall asleep.

At Tulip Castle, I was forced to get up and work every day. The steward would urge me to fetch water, chop wood, feed the horses, and shovel horse manure. I was always thinking about how to get out of there.

But here, Rhodes is consciously awake.

Because Black Pine Ridge is Rhodes' own territory, everything he does contributes to his own cause.

Having finally gotten a chance to turn things around, Rhodes wanted to hold onto it every single moment.

How could I possibly sleep in late?
Good morning, Your Excellency.

Durant stepped forward and bowed respectfully.

Roland nodded slightly and asked, "Did you catch anyone last night?"

"As you expected, the guards reported that four townspeople who had fled with their property were apprehended last night and await your judgment," Durant replied.

"All their property was confiscated, they were hung up, whipped, and reduced to slavery."

Rod added, "Let the militia do it."

Paying 30% less tax means taking on more responsibility; Rhodes plans to hand over these hate-inducing tasks to the militia in the future.

Rhodes could only feel comfortable using the militia when there were conflicts between them and the townspeople.

"Yes, Your Excellency."

Durant responded and continued, "Last night, Gunle's mercenaries reported that the captured bandits said they were villagers from Luanshi Village."

"They're all bandits, there are no villagers."

Luanshi Village is not part of Heisongling; it belongs to a different territory.

But Rhodes didn't care about the villagers of Luanshi Village; robbing caravans in his territory was considered banditry.

Spring planting season is fast approaching, and Rhodes will not let any laborer go.

"Go and wake Lawrence up to have breakfast together. We have a lot to do today."

Lord Rhodes has already gotten up, so there's no reason for anyone else to stay in bed.

Durant woke everyone up and pulled the people Rod was looking for to the dining table.

Breakfast was prepared by three slaves of Matt's household, and Durant let them taste it first before serving it to them.

Mushroom and chicken soup, two fried eggs, and five slices of toasted rye bread.

Only the bread on Rod's plate is normal white bread; you won't find a grain of sand in it after taking a bite.

It seems that even the food at the mayor's house is not as good as what Rhodes ate in Tulip Castle.

Compared to the refined lifestyle of the nobility, life in the North was indeed more difficult.

However, after studying the map carefully last night, Rod realized that Black Pine Ridge still has great potential.

Surrounded by mountains on three sides, there is only one main road leading to the depths of the northern border; the rest are narrow, winding paths.

Shuangye Town is located in the southwest of the center of Heisongling, and its terrain is mostly plains and low hills. There is also a large river not far to the northeast.

With the protection of bandits and outlaws, and the clearing away of wild beasts, this is the ideal place for Rod to farm.

Only by accumulating ample grain can one become king.

Once we develop using this land and have an army, will we still have to live a hard life?
Rod quickly finished all the food, even scraping the soup scraps from the bowl into his mouth with bread.

Then he wiped his mouth and looked at Lawrence: "Where's the list of goods?" "It's all tallied up: 3,000 catties of rye, 500 catties of wheat, 1,500 catties of rye seeds, 200 catties of wheat seeds, 50 bolts of coarse linen, and 100 catties of common spices."

Lawrence unfolded a piece of parchment and presented it to Rhodes with a beaming smile. "There are also some miscellaneous daily necessities here. Please take a look."

Rod glanced at it briefly and casually asked, "What are you going to take back with you all this stuff you brought here?"

"Ore, animal hides, herbs, and sometimes smoked meat."

Lawrence's answer was similar to what Rhodes had expected.

Much of the Northern Wasteland remains in a primitive era, where bartering is the norm and currency has no real value, making it difficult to circulate.

"How much profit can you make by transporting these three truckloads of goods back home?"

Lawrence chuckled twice and quietly extended his hand to Rhodes.

Four fingers represent forty gold coins.

so much?
Rhodes remained outwardly calm, but inwardly he was utterly astonished.

Lawrence's trip alone was almost equivalent to two months' worth of taxes for some ordinary barons and lords!

You should know that the land of an ordinary baron in the empire is often only a quarter the size of Black Pine Ridge, and the annual income is only two to five hundred gold coins!
It seems we still have to keep this caravan going!

Of course, Rhodes doesn't have the means to produce any right now; he has to keep the food and seeds for his own use.

Only after hunting and mining can one acquire the resources to establish a caravan.

Rhodes' mind is still on the territory.

"With such high profits, you should hire a more powerful security team."

If it were Gunle's mercenary group, those bandits would have been wiped out long ago.

"The expenses are huge, Baron. Everything requires gold coins!" Lawrence said with a bitter expression.

Rod dismissed the suggestion and turned to Durant: "Store all the goods properly and keep a close watch on them."

Then he instructed Lawrence: "Today you continue to collect taxes for me, and at the same time, compile information on the town's population, occupations, family relationships, etc., and give it to me. I'll only give you three days."

"If you do these things well, I'll charge you less ransom."

"Yes, Your Excellency Baron."

Lawrence readily agreed.

Even without Rhodes's later statement, Lawrence would have been happy to do it.

Yesterday evening, while collecting taxes at a wealthy farmer's house, Lawrence experienced a thrill he had never felt before.

No goods needed to be exchanged; they could simply wave their hands and take whatever they wanted, and the rich peasants dared not utter a single complaint.

Even though what you get doesn't belong to you, the pleasure you get from the process is truly addictive.

Then Rod instructed Durant, "Find someone who is good at drawing and have him draw a layout map of the town for me, and then label each and every house."

"Let all the idle people in town go out to work, cut down timber and transport it back, this place needs to be properly repaired."

The dream of a castle is too far away, but a lord's manor is still something to have.

"Also, thoroughly inspect the fences around the town and carefully repair any damaged parts."

"While you're at it, see if there's a blacksmith shop in town. Get Hamo a job there, and also arrange a female assistant for him."

Durant nodded repeatedly and wrote down all of Rod's instructions on the wooden board with charcoal.

He is now the person Rhodes trusts most, and all sorts of trivial matters come to him like a tidal wave.

But Durant wasn't annoyed at all; on the contrary, he enjoyed the feeling.

The feeling of being reused again.

"My lord, what shall we do today?"

After Rod finished arranging things, Gunle, who was squatting on the stool, asked.

"Carry your axe and follow me; you'll be responsible for my safety."

Rhodes stood up.
"Now let's find a clever rich farmer and have him take us to see the farmland in Frostleaf Town."

(End of this chapter)