Resettling 300,000 refugees within a few months was an incredible feat. Amy and Eric made tremendous efforts for this purpose.
A few years ago, every inch of land near Lion City was owned by an owner, and there were noble manors everywhere.
But now the areas around Lion City and Deerheart Lake are severely damaged. The continuous wars and disasters once caused all the noble manors in this area to be empty.
After Amy returned to Lion City, he has been working to restore agricultural planting in this area.
At the beginning, some nobles came back desperately, intending to claim back their properties and mansions.
But Amy has only one reply to this - get lost.
A noble who chooses to run away when the war comes and is unable to protect his people will be regarded as giving up his territory automatically. Instead, if he dies in battle, Noble Council will help him find an heir. This is a common rule of the Pande Continent.
Amy was being very polite by telling them to get out, and if they were replaced by Li Ang, they would probably send these nobles to the Yaxing village next to Xingar, and provide them with a job that is not easy to lose their jobs - Li Ang has a large iron mine there, and the work of mining ore was contracted by Ramon to the slave traders...
Eric's approach is relatively low-key - Eric is now the person in charge of Noble Council, and more nobles come to Eric than to Amy directly.
But I don't know why, all the nobles who go to Noble Council to find Eric to retrieve the surrounding territories of Lion City and Deerheart Lake will basically disappear mysteriously within a few days...
Eric expressed regret for this. He even used Noble Council's funds to open a "Noble Orphanage", which took in many aristocratic orphans who had become helpless due to the disappearance of their parents. Due to limited funds, only children under five years old and whose parents had died were temporarily admitted.
Ever since the orphanage was built, no blind nobles have ever wanted to claim back their original territory.
Therefore, there are currently very few noble lords in the Lion City area. Only members of the city guard and their families still retain their territories - these people are the former Royal City Guard members.
Most of the members of the city guard are illegitimate sons or second sons of small noble families who have no inheritance rights. Although they have a family behind them, they actually have no property of their own.
Amy once made all their core members above the squad leader official knights, thereby gaining their allegiance.
Now, they have become Amy's grassroots staff for managing the refugees, and they have all become a new generation of manor owners.
The manor assigned to them by Amy is actually the original manor and farm of those nobles who "disappeared for no reason".
This can be regarded as allocating territories to the knights, but these territories do not belong to the members of the city guard, only the houses belong to them.
--Amy gave the property to the city guards and the fields to the farmers.
The members of the city guard who participated in the resettlement of the refugees were able to obtain the real estate of the original noble manor. This was a reward and reward for them, and it was also a strategy to win over the morale of the army. However, they did not get the fields in the manor, only the houses were owned by them.
There are nearly a thousand manors, which is almost enough.
The cultivated fields will belong entirely to the farmers, and they will be able to obtain a variety of crops. Each acre of land will only need to hand over one hundred pounds of grain each harvest season.
Based on these farms and using the simple and easy-to-understand policy of "after the land is reclaimed, the property belongs to the cultivator", Amy successively attracted more than 300,000 refugees from various places in Lion Territory, and cultivated almost two million acres of fields around Lion City.
This is a huge project.
The reason why a fixed quota per acre is used to set tax standards is to allow people to plant high-yielding crops as much as possible or to open up wasteland as much as possible - no matter whether they grow wheat or corn, they only collect a tax of one hundred pounds per acre, and the rest belongs to themselves. People will naturally calculate the accounts and make choices based on their actual situation.
The land around Lion City is fertile. If high-yielding crops are grown, the grain tax of one hundred pounds per acre is actually very low. Of course, everyone will try to plant as much land as possible.
If it weren't for the fact that the land suitable for planting around Lion City and Deerheart Lake totaled only more than two million acres, they might have been able to cultivate more fields.
If calculated by household, there are nearly 100,000 households among these 300,000 people, and each household has an average of about 20 acres of land.
Most of these refugees used to be tenant farmers or indentured servants of the nobles, but now they have become property owners. Of course they are overjoyed, and they also respect Amy from the bottom of their hearts.
The city guards were also full of joy. Of course, the city guards did not know how to farm... After all, they were children of the nobility, and they had learned how to fight and communicate with others since they were young.
However, the members of the city guard generally have small families, and the properties in noble manors are relatively large, which they cannot use up. They will renovate the houses, rent the extra houses to farmers, and become landlords of the farmers - for them, this is a good benefit, simple and easy, and does not affect their own work at all.
However, after the next year's harvest, these landless landlords will have to buy food from farmers - this can be regarded as a mutual restriction.
Amy's method is very reliable. It not only bribes the city guards but also the farmers, and it can also provide enough farmland resources for the entire country.
Speaking of which, these people are now considered property owners. Each household has twenty acres, the per capita farmland is close to seven acres, and the grain tax is low. This is definitely enough to live on.
But they will indeed be in abject poverty in the short term - although they have land, they will have nothing until the food is harvested.
In other words, until April next year, they will need to rely on Li Ang's "Farmer Assistance Loan" to live.
Use the loan to buy food and seeds from the directly-operated grain store from Lion City, and use the loan to rent the houses owned by the city guards - there is no traditional charity relief, because the agricultural loan is interest-free for one year, and the loan itself is the best relief.
Pure charity relief can only appear when a disaster occurs and should not be maintained for a long time. Amy and Li Ang are both clear about this.
Providing fields to the extremely poor is to give them hope for the future; providing them with loans is actually reviving the overall market in the region and driving farmers to continue their efforts.
After all, we cannot just provide farmers with food and allow them to consume, so that urban residents can rely on industry and commerce to make a living, and the entire region can function.
Revitalizing the overall economy is the key to solving the poverty problem. If we only rescue the poor but not the market, we can only provide relief every year.
These 300,000 refugees lack everything. If they want to live in the Lion City area, they have to buy a lot of things - this will generate a lot of demand, and they are all rigid needs related to food, clothing, housing and transportation. This can promote the rapid recovery of basic industry and commerce near Lion City.
At the same time, this will also allow a large number of flexible-minded people to stop staring at the land, and people will have the opportunity to choose life - to make money in the way they are good at.
There is absolutely no problem with Amy's business methods. In addition, the flexible Eric is also in Lion City. As long as commodity prices and food supply can be stabilized, Lion City's surroundings will change drastically in one year's time.
But, but.
In order to accommodate these people and provide seeds, all the grains Li Ang brought from Bax have been exhausted, and there are only three types of grains and seeds - wheat, corn, and potatoes.
In other words, the types of crops are too concentrated!
This is not a small or medium-scale cultivation, this is two million acres of land. Some countries do not have this much land in the entire country!
By next year's harvest season, if everything goes well, the entire New Kingdom of Pendor will have sufficient food, which is indeed beneficial to the country.
But the problem is that because of the single type of crops, everyone who grows the land must not make money - it is difficult to sell the crops.
These 300,000 people have to rent houses, eat, and purchase necessary labor tools in these months. They have to keep a season of grain after next year's harvest, pay taxes, and repay agricultural loans...
The loans in farmers' hands should barely last until next year's harvest, but by next year's harvest season, they will still be extremely poor - they are overdrafting their consumption, but even if there is a bumper harvest next year, it will still be difficult for them to obtain cash and they will not be able to make up for the overdraft.
In fact, this is the biggest dilemma for farmers throughout the ages - not having enough to eat in bad years, and cheap food in good years...
Even if they obtain seeds of other cash crops, it is still difficult to convert agricultural products into money because they do not have the ability to sell and transport them.
Agricultural production is also production, and they can be regarded as self-employed production enterprises. Only by monetizing their output can they truly escape poverty.
But it is difficult for the farmers themselves to sell no matter how much surplus grain they have, because there is simply not enough market demand near them - they are surrounded by farmers like themselves, and they all have land. Who will sell the grain to?
The poverty problem among agricultural people actually lies at the commercial level.
In other words, the Lion City area actually faces two problems.
First, the entire country has no excess grain reserves and must rely on the land around Lion City next year. This means that these two million acres of land must be harvested next year. If something unexpected happens during this period, the entire country will be completely ruined.
From December to April next year, during this period, there must be no wars destroying farmland around Lion City, no extreme weather, no plagues, no internal problems, and stability must be maintained...
Second, the vast majority of the population in this area is agricultural. This year's planting is extremely monotonous. Even if the harvest is successful next year, they will not be able to cash in, which will cause them to remain poor.
Although you won't starve to death, if you have nothing but food, it is actually a state of abject poverty...
In order to solve these two problems, Li Ang has been very busy recently.
The first issue is actually maintaining stability.
Lion City is located in the hinterland, and the risk of war is not high. There should be no fighting extending to Lion City in a few months.
Another good news is that transactions over Gatu people have become more and more frequent recently, and their demand for 'Fushou Gao' is increasing significantly.
According to the news sent back by Forster, it is said that Gatu people robbed several towns in the east of Raven Territory, stole countless sheep, and then immediately rushed to Fletcher to exchange for Fushou Gao...
The supply of mutton will be increasing.
In fact, it is definitely not enough to rely on mutton, but a sufficient supply of meat can greatly reduce the consumption of basic food - if a person consumes one pound of meat per week, he can reduce the consumption of staple food by three to five pounds.
It should not be a big problem to maintain the overall grain reserves until April to May next year.
The biggest problem is how to make these months pass smoothly.
Li Ang's strategy is to ensure its own domestic stability by making other countries unstable...
Fieltzwe and Raven Territory are already fighting a civil war - King Vidis is dealing with the 'Vanskery Alliance' led by Lord Hakon; Ursula is fighting a tug-of-war with Gregory IV. These are great opportunities...
Of course, this opportunity does not mean that Li Ang intends to participate in the war.
But I intend to make them a little more chaotic.
Fieltzwe was already short of food. Although Li Ang didn't know that Vidis was about to go bankrupt, he could tell that Fieltzwe's overall economy must have collapsed long ago - otherwise there wouldn't be so many Fieltzwe people coming to Long River City to make a living.
So Li Ang asked Lesley to take Long River Express's people to Mistveil City.
That's a place both Lesley and Li Ang are familiar with.
And Li Ang asked her to find an acquaintance - the arena owner, fat man Andrew.
Li Ang is preparing to develop Andrew into a franchisee of Wheat Fragrance International.
But Li Ang did not intend to enter the sports competition industry. He asked Lesley to invest money as an "investor". He only wanted to find Andrew so that Lesley could successfully enter the circle of big businessmen.
Li Ang asked her to pretend to be a wealthy person, and to acquire all the industries she could acquire in a high-profile manner - no matter what industry, as long as she is willing to sell, she will take it.
At present, Mistveil City's economy is bleak, and many people are willing to sell off the industry. Moreover, it is basically a bargain-hunting acquisition, which is not complicated to talk about.
Most businesses must have some background - either related to King Vidis, or related to a certain Fieltzwe lord.
But Li Ang told Lesley not to look for any lord, as long as he continued to acquire, all the big businessmen who acquired Mistveil City would hang around Lesley, the big financier.
At present, Lesley is continuing to spend money, and the results will be seen in about ten days and a half.
The second question is more complicated.
Li Ang plans to set up grain purchase stations in various villages and towns before April next year, that is, before the first harvest season. The state will purchase grain at standard prices as strategic reserves, so that farmers can smoothly turn their output into cash.
Anyway, there is never too much grain reserve, as long as malicious underpricing can be avoided.
This is indeed a good approach, but it is not the best approach.
Because the state purchases grain reserves, it must only be able to harvest basic grains such as wheat and corn that can be stored for a long time.
This will lock farmers into these basic crops - if they grow other things, the country won't harvest them, and they can't sell them themselves, then they will never plant other crops next season, and the next season.
If everyone grows basic crops, everyone's income will not be too high, which will not solve their overdraft consumption.
Because the country wants to maintain food prices stably, the purchase price of basic crops cannot be too high.
In addition, the weather is not smooth every year, and there are always natural disasters occasionally. Even if the per capita land is six or seven acres, it will still be impossible to escape poverty for many years.
The real way to solve the problem is through commercialization and logistics.
That is 'Fortress of Wealth' which is under construction.
What is absolutely indispensable near the core agricultural base is the trading and logistics transfer center.
Many agricultural products are not storable, so they must be quickly cashed and transported with little loss to achieve high returns.
Farmers do not have sales and transportation capabilities, but Long River Express of Li Ang does, and Wheat Fragrance International of Li Ang can purchase many things directly, and there is no need to find other investors to build the market.
However, the bulk trading and logistics gathering place for the transshipment of agricultural products is not suitable to be placed in Lion City, so Li Ang will build it in a place with the most convenient transportation near Lion City.
This is the reason why Fortress of Wealth was built at the Seven Forks Fortress site.
Fortress of Wealth will be built into a bulk trading market and a comprehensive wholesale market - Li Ang will allow businessmen to drive farmers to make money.
Farmers can quickly cash in their agricultural products at Fortress of Wealth, then explore business opportunities at Fortress of Wealth's comprehensive market, and use the newly exchanged money to purchase production materials and tools they are better at.
--They are refugees who became farmers in order to survive when they were homeless. They may not necessarily be good at farming; those who are good at farming may not necessarily grow food.
Moreover, merchants will take the initiative to contact farmers or local managers to create more supply and demand relationships - merchants need raw materials, and they are not just here to sell goods. When selling products, they may also persuade farmers to try to grow something else... such as fruits or other cash crops with higher unit prices.
After all, every farmer here has land.
The role of the market is not just to buy and sell on the spot, but also to allow people who are good at communication to settle in and find business opportunities for themselves, while also bringing opportunities to people who are not good at selling.
In addition, agricultural product trading and comprehensive markets will create many new jobs, which will further solve the problem of food and clothing for more people.
When transshipment markets for agricultural products are nearby and many people begin to establish supply and demand relationships with merchants, farmers can grow whatever the entire continent needs, rather than relying solely on basic grains.
Many of them will start planting cash crops, and even let their families engage in commerce and transportation, or find tools in the market and start engaging in other handicrafts - the overall market environment around Lion City will become active, and production and transactions will become diversified.
Diversified production and operations will allow most people to make money.
Everyone has something they are good at, but most people don't have the chance to change careers.
Li Ang wants to give them this opportunity. This is not only an opportunity for people to get out of poverty, but also an opportunity to bring wealth to the rulers.
Because there are 300,000 people gathered in the agricultural base, this is the ready-made terminal consumer group that can digest Long River City products. Long River City businessmen trust Li Ang the most. Of course, Li Ang must let them get rich first - they are the main force in paying taxes.
The construction work of Fortress of Wealth was given to Charles because he was obedient and reliable.
Li Ang gave him a planning diagram, and Charles started implementing it without asking any questions.
As for Li Ang himself, he was thinking about where he could find work every day.
After winter arrives, the demand for work decreases, Long River City's houses are not enough, and there are many homeless people in the city. Li Ang wants to give them something to do.
For example, now, Li Ang brings a group of unemployed people who have not found a job in Long River City and goes to Lake Alaclay in Noldo Forest to knock ice cubes and clean up the garbage.
It can not only help the Noldos solve the things they are not good at, but also allow these unemployed people to earn a living expenses. It can also promote cooperation between humans and Noldo Elves, and it can also take the opportunity to popularize New Currency...
Cleaning ice does not require any skills, as long as you are willing to work hard, and thin people and even lighter women sometimes have an advantage - they can work on thinner ice.
But such a simple task caused a big problem.