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

Chapter 52 Aquaculture Planning
The refugees standing in front couldn't help but look back, and a young red-haired man stepped forward.

"Good day, Your Excellency Baron, I am Orr Finebranch from Greyfeather Village."

The young man bowed respectfully and said carefully, "My father was the village chief. After his death, I led everyone to escape here."

We are willing to cultivate your land; we hope you will take us in and grant us some food.

Do you have any craftsmen among you?

Rhodes's gaze swept across the crowd.

“I’m sorry, Baron, there are no craftsmen. You know… craftsmen often don’t need to flee,” Orl explained with a hint of bitterness.

Rod understood this principle, but he still couldn't help feeling a little regretful.

Without any craftsmen, Rhodes stopped wasting words and said bluntly, "I can provide you with food and shelter, but you must now work for me like slaves."

Three years from now, if you do well enough, you can live like free citizens.

"Thank you for your generosity!"

Orr bowed again, and the refugees happily followed suit.

For refugees who have run out of food, as long as they have food to eat and can survive, they don't care about anything else.

Rhodes was generous and had the guards give each of them a piece of black bread.

The refugees were overjoyed to see food so soon, tears streaming down their faces, and they knelt down to thank Rhodes.

"It seems that Falcon and White Deer fought very fiercely, otherwise these people wouldn't be in this state."

Looking at the destitute state of these refugees, Rhodes couldn't help but sigh, even the slaves he bought weren't like this.

Perhaps we could send people to patrol near the southern mountains; maybe we could take in more refugees that way?

Rhodes pondered and looked south, hoping the two nobles would fight even more fiercely.

As for whether it was truly intense, Rhodes couldn't see it. At this moment, he could only see large patches of dark clouds in the southeast sky, drifting in this direction and trying to swallow the sun.

"Quickly, speed up!"

Ignoring everyone else, Rhodes spurred his horse toward Frostleaf Town.

He didn't want to get soaked to the bone.

……

……

Early summer in the Northern Wastes, especially in June and July, often brings thunderstorms.

These thunderstorms usually come very suddenly, catching people off guard.

The rain is short-lived, falling rapidly within ten minutes or a few seconds, after which the sky clears up again.

Rhodes was the first to return to Frostleaf Town and escaped getting wet, but the refugees did get soaked.

Getting caught in the rain in your past life was a minor matter, but in this era, catching a cold can easily take your life.

Therefore, upon returning to town, Rod immediately instructed Lawrence to prepare to receive the refugees and ordered Martha to boil two large pots of ginger soup, while also lighting ten bonfires to keep everyone warm.

Then Rod called Durant to his side and told him about what was happening in the south and his own thoughts.

“You’re right, sir,”

Durant nodded in agreement, "That way we can not only get information about the refugees quickly, but also prevent some deserters from gathering and becoming bandits."

In real wars, it is rare for one side to completely annihilate the other. Usually, the enemy's formation is broken, their morale is shattered, and the enemy is defeated.

Humans are not machines after all; seeing their teammates fall one by one in pools of blood, it's easy for them to turn around and run away.

Unless it is a regular army with a strict supervisory team following behind, it is difficult to avoid desertion when at a disadvantage on the battlefield.

Deserters, often fearing retribution from their lords, dared not remain near their hometowns and would instead flee into the deep forests or become bandits and outlaws in other places.

“I selected two men from the patrol team in the northern wilderness, and together with three new recruits, we formed a new squad to patrol the southern mountains.”

"Yes, tell them to bring the refugees back to Frostleaf Town if they find any, but to come back and report if they find too many deserters."

Rhodes nodded in agreement, and after considering for a few seconds, said, "The efficiency of soldiers delivering messages is still too low. Let's buy some carrier pigeons instead."

Unfortunately, there is only one Vivian, so we still have to use traditional communication methods in this world.

There are no pigeon breeders in Frostleaf Town; if you want a homing pigeon, you have to go to the border town to buy one.

Since he wanted to develop the livestock industry, Rod also needed to buy some young livestock.

Aquaculture requires a lot of experience, and also some "talent".

This "talent" has nothing to do with magic, because Rhodes had witnessed it in his previous life.

It's no exaggeration to say that some people can raise anything and make it survive. They even take sickly stray cats home and raise them until they look like pigs.

Some people manage to kill everything they try to grow, even pothos and cacti.

Rod must find someone to take charge of the aquaculture industry.

"Durant, do you remember that widow Avril introduced to you?"

Rod's change of tone surprised Durant.

He hesitated before saying, "Her name is Til." "Your memory is quite good."

Rod laughed and said, "Go and call Til over."

……

……

When Durant came to see Thiel, Thiel was taking care of a doe that had just given birth and preparing to expand the rabbit hutch.

Thanks to her meticulous care, the five rabbits have grown into eleven, not counting the three baby rabbits that just gave birth.

"It's a pleasure to see you again, Mr. Durant."

Thiel was overjoyed to see the handsome and composed Durant Cavaliers come to find him.

Ever since he last saw Durant at the manor, Till had been hoping that the knight would come looking for him.

Although he is missing an arm, it does not diminish his charm in the slightest.

Durant, on the contrary, seemed somewhat indifferent, merely nodding slightly before conveying Rod's summons.

Then he took the bewildered Til to the manor.

"Good day, Your Excellency."

Till bowed respectfully, awaiting Rhodes's instructions.

Without any polite formalities, Rod asked directly, "I know you raise your livestock and poultry very well. Did you learn any knowledge or experience in animal husbandry from someone?"

“No, my lord, no one has taught me these things,” Til replied.

"So, do you have any tips?"

"A trick?"

Thiel lowered his head and thought for a long time before answering, "I'm sorry, Lord, I don't know the secret. I'm just happy to see them grow bigger and more numerous."

"I will remember their habits, what they like to eat, what will give them diarrhea, and what their personalities are like."

"My lord, you know that those animals, just like people, each have a different personality."

"..."

Before Rod could answer, Til began to ramble on, talking about her farming experiences.

She didn't have much modern knowledge, but Rod could tell that she knew a lot about the animals she kept.

This is the innate sacred body of cultivation.

“Alright, Till, I want to raise some livestock and poultry. I know you’re good at it, so I’ll hire you to take charge.”

Rod looked at Till and said, "The same number of work points as Orto."

Til was initially hesitant, but upon hearing about work points, his face immediately lit up. "No problem, Lord!"

Thiel didn't know exactly how many work points Orto had, but she had heard that Orto often ate meat instead!
"Okay, then you can start by raising rabbits."

Rhodes instructed, "I will have the hunting team catch some wild rabbits for you to raise in captivity. You can decide the specifics and the location."

"If you need anything, just ask Lawrence to arrange it. I've already told him in advance."

Although Thiel had raised them well before, the number was small, and it would take some time before he could actually take charge of the territory's livestock farming.

"Yes, sir."

Till responded excitedly, then added, "If there's nothing else, I'll go back and get ready!"

"There's another personal matter,"

Rhodes glanced at Durant beside him and asked, "What do you think of Durant as a knight?"

Thiel blushed slightly, pursed his lips, glanced at Durant, and said, "Handsome, composed, strong, and reliable. He seems like a very capable man."

Upon hearing this assessment, Rhodes became quite excited.

"Alright, I'll give you some extra supplies each month to hire you..."

"grown ups!"

Durant hurriedly stepped forward. "I'm so sorry to interrupt you, sir. I already spoke with Stella yesterday."

The voice behind Durant was barely audible, but Rod could still make it out.

Sure enough, you can only get a choice by forcing them.

Rod cleared his throat and said, "It's alright, Til, you can go back and get ready."

"Ok."

After bowing, Til left with a slightly disappointed look.

After everyone in the hall was gone, Rod looked at Durant, wanting to gossip about the specific details, but was interrupted by a guard who suddenly ran in.

"Your Excellency, the carpenter's daughter has come to report that your waterwheel is finished."

(End of this chapter)