Closing the Net

After conducting an on-site investigation, the amateur Hudson still couldn't determine the Coal Mine's reserves. He could only rely on Beldens' animated gestures as a reference.

Judging from the mined products, they are mainly peat, with some lignite.

These are all common associated minerals in swampy areas; no miracles occurred.

Steelmaking is out of the question, but it's good as fuel. Producing low-quality iron isn't a big problem either.

You only realize how little you know when you need it.

Hudson had only heard of coal washing, but knew nothing about the specifics of how it was done.

Wash the coal in water?

This is just too much...

Who cares? We'll find out once we send someone to try it out.

As for coking, needless to say. A complete Little White like me would be better off buying a set of magical smelting equipment from the Mage Association than researching that technology.

It is said that using this equipment, the highest quality steel can be produced regardless of the fuel used.

Cost...

This is an awkward question.

If it were cheap, Ironware would have been dirt cheap long ago, and Hudson wouldn't have gotten rich.

Overall, the discovery of Coal Mine is a good thing.

The main function of peat is agriculture; it can be considered an enhanced version of "Swamp Brand fertilizer".

It has many other uses as well, but Hudson is currently unable to develop them.

The production of building materials, drilling stabilizers and diluents, and raw material modifiers for the ceramics industry... are not things that the technology of the Mountain Territory can produce.

Although lignite is not sufficiently carbonized, it can still be used as a substitute for charcoal in iron smelting.

The current constraint on the production capacity of iron ore in the Mountain Territory is the insufficient production capacity of charcoal. Although there is an abundance of wood these days, it cannot be wasted every day.

With lignite that can be directly mined and used, not only can production capacity be expanded, but smelting costs will also be further reduced.

As Hudson was engrossed in planning his blueprint, a bear paw appeared in front of him, waving back and forth.

"Beldens, what are you doing causing trouble? Can't you see I'm thinking about something? Even a bear should have some manners."

No sooner had he finished speaking than he was met with a disdainful look from a bear.

"That's good enough, we all know each other!"

If I hadn't reminded them, some people would have been drooling.

In front of so many slaves, you're not ashamed, but I am!

Without further ado, let me state that I deserve credit for discovering this Coal Mine.

If it weren't for..."

Hudson gave the Young Bear a disdainful look and then said heartily:

"Alright, you'll get your share."

Half of the Coal Mine's profits will be yours. Is that alright?

Beldens, when will you stop being so petty?

Don't forget, you're no longer that penniless bear.

As a bear with over a thousand cattle and sheep and nearly ten thousand acres of farmland, you must learn to be magnanimous.

Stop worrying about such trivial matters; it'll make you a laughingstock among the other bears.

It's really a case of "a pittance," and even mine owners can't necessarily win without effort.

The location of this Coal Mine makes it difficult to be profitable.

For hundreds of miles around, there's only one buyer, Hudson. Dream on if you think you can make money from him!

Of course, being a man of principle, Hudson wouldn't let the Coal Mine lose money.

At the very least, the annual dividends will definitely be enough for Xiong to enjoy some fruits and vegetables.

"Sir, a group of agents have come to visit us."

They say their goods were stolen while they were out there, and they'd like to ask for your help in recovering them.

Nick said expressionlessly.

It's clear that he didn't take the loss of his distributors seriously.

It was all a cash-and-carry transaction, and Lord Hudson's interests were not harmed, so there was absolutely no need to worry about it.

He wouldn't have reported this at this time if there hadn't been a lot of people coming and he hadn't been worried about losing customers and affecting business in his territory.

"Was it our iron products that were robbed, or their other businesses?"

Hudson asked with concern.

He's not a saint; doing business these days is inherently high-risk.

Having your business stolen is a minor issue; those with bad luck might even lose their lives.

If you're going to meddle in other people's business, you can never manage it all.

But if the stolen goods were iron products produced in the Mountain Territory, Hudson couldn't watch the show. That would affect his business.

Such a disrespectful act has not occurred since news of the Earth Bear reaching adulthood spread.

"We have them all!"

Upon hearing this answer, Hudson instantly understood what was going on.

A shrewd businessman wouldn't come knocking on your door without a reason.

The Northern Nobles were no fools either; they knew that Lord Hudson was not someone to be trifled with, yet they still took action against his business.

The only explanation is that some shrewd businessmen mixed the goods together, attempting to intimidate the robbers by leveraging Hudson's name.

Or perhaps someone is manipulating things behind the scenes, trying to provoke a conflict between him and the Northern Nobles, deliberately staging a good show.

Regardless of the outcome, he has to step in and resolve the issue. Otherwise, future business dealings will be impossible.

"Tell them to be patient. There will be results soon. In the meantime, they should not go out to deliver goods."

Hudson said expressionlessly.

Although we don't know what role these merchants played in this, it certainly wasn't just a simple accident.

It's normal for one family to be robbed by mistake, but it's ridiculous for a group of people to be robbed by mistake.

If it weren't for the fact that these guys are usually quick to pay and have never caused any trouble, he wouldn't even bother saying these words of reassurance.

In this life, it's rare to be muddleheaded.

In the business world, if the water is too clear, you won't be able to catch any fish.

If we delve deeper, then there will be no partners left. Honest partners will find it difficult to survive on the Aslant Continent.

What respectable person would get involved in arms dealing?

The fact that things have escalated to this point clearly indicates that the merchants were forced into a corner and came up with this terrible idea.

Perhaps it wasn't just him; powerful nobles in other provinces also had people acting as intermediaries.

From another perspective, it means the time to close the net is almost here.

Once the window paper is torn down, it won't just be the Nobles of the Two Counties with vested interests who will take action next; the local nobles of other regions will also exert their influence.

It's just unknown whether the Northern Nobles managed to scavenge enough food for the winter; otherwise, they would have suffered a huge loss.

At the Governor's Mansion, one magical Projection Stone after another appeared before Count Pierce as evidence.

Accompanying them were a group of officials from the Southeast Province. However, the overall atmosphere was somewhat unusual.

Seeing such sordid affairs within the nobility, the crowd, who should have been furious, instead laughed and chatted idly, occasionally commenting on the acting skills of the Northern Nobles.

If this scene were to get out, it would probably cause a huge uproar.

In the eyes of these old men, the result of everyone's painstaking planning and strategic maneuvering was nothing more than a grand drama to be judged.

"These merchants are really willing to spend a lot of money, even bringing out rare Projection Stone. It seems they've really been bullied badly."

The tax official said with a smile.

As a bureaucrat dispatched by the King to the Southeast Province, Count Simichi was not a native nobleman and was merely a spectator in this contest.

However, as an outsider, in order to collect the full amount of taxes every year, in addition to routinely selling the right to collect taxes to nobles, one also had to deal with merchants.

This process was clearly not pleasant.

Few businessmen like paying taxes, and tax evaders and tax collectors inevitably have to outwit each other.

Although being a tax official brought him a fortune, it didn't stop Count Simichi from hating these guys.

To be precise, most nobles looked down on merchants deep down.

Ninety-nine percent of the land in the Southeast Province was granted to noble lords, but some of the more prosperous cities were still under the control of the kingdom.

When the central government was strong, these areas were directly under the kingdom's jurisdiction; when it was weak, they were controlled by local powerful nobles.

Undoubtedly, when faced with a powerful monarch like Caesar III, tax collectors still wielded considerable influence in the localities.

"They've certainly had enough to suffer. But it's a good lesson to teach them a lesson, so they don't get too comfortable and forget who the masters of this world are."

The little ones down below have almost finished their commotion.

Almost all the Northern Nobles were recorded by the Projection Stone. The battle had already been decided, and there was no need to wait any longer.

The First Minister of the Ming Dynasty

"Count Simichi, why don't you pass this on to His King?"

Governor Pierce said with a complicated expression.

Without a doubt, the local aristocratic scions did a truly remarkable job this time. Aside from helping to suppress the news, the rest was all about instigating the merchants.

If nothing unexpected happens, the contents recorded by these Projection Stones will spread throughout the world in the shortest possible time.

The already bad reputation of the Northern Nobles will become even more infamous.

For many families, the loss of their reputation far outweighs the loss of a fiefdom.

This swift and decisive attack, while remaining behind the scenes, demonstrates a level of political sophistication that is truly remarkable.

It's a pity that none of the Dalton Family members appeared in such a wonderful performance.

For a large family, rise and fall are no longer limited to the gains and losses of a single city or region. What is more important is whether their descendants can produce outstanding talents.

Cayo, on whom high hopes were placed, has indeed demonstrated remarkable political acumen. Unfortunately, being able to see through things doesn't equate to being able to act on them.

He spoke eloquently and his analysis of problems was incisive, but unfortunately, his first practical experience ended in a disastrous failure.

Perhaps by learning from a few mistakes, one can grow stronger in the future, but that is ultimately just a possibility.

The problem of having high aspirations but low abilities is not so easy to overcome.

My nephew isn't up to the task, and my son is too young.

At the age of thirteen or fourteen, he was at the most immature and rebellious stage of his life, and Count Pierce dared not let him enter society so early.

The emergence of a talent gap among the direct descendants is not a good thing for a large family.

There was no other way; they had too few children. The previous generation had few offspring, and their only brother died young.

In this generation, Count Pierce toiled in the fields, but the outcome was even less pleasant. Not only was the harvest late, but the yield was also a single, wilted seedling.

If he had more sons, he wouldn't have bothered to raise his nephew.

As for collateral relatives, there's no shortage of them. As for their quality, most are of average ability.

If you're willing to invest heavily, there's still value in nurturing talent. If you're unwilling to invest heavily and pay the tuition, you'll only end up mediocre.

This is also one of the reasons why the Dalton Family is mindful of their behavior, tries to handle issues within the rules, and avoids making enemies everywhere.

With a small population, they can't withstand too much stress; if they get too carried away, problems can easily arise.

Even within the same family, Count Pierce was unwilling to see a collateral branch grow too powerful and the family business decline.

"Governor Excellency, you should handle this matter yourself! As a tax official, I cannot overstep my authority."

Count Simichi waved his hand and said.

He, Court Count, was too weak to participate in the conflicts between the nobles of the northern and southern fiefdoms.

Showing up at this time could easily offend people. What if the Northern Nobles hold him accountable? Wouldn't that be an injustice?

Upon seeing this, the local nobles exchanged knowing smiles. Though they didn't say it aloud, their disdain was undeniable.

Compared to court nobles, fiefdom nobles have a far greater advantage. Even though Count Simichi is now in a high position and wields great power, all his glory comes from the King.

Unless one performs an extraordinary feat, it's unlikely they can achieve a change in status. However, such a change would most likely result in a demotion.

Apart from the early years of the founding of the kingdom, every subsequent rise of a great noble family required not only sufficient strength but also the merit of saving the kingdom from peril.

These are all far from Count Simichi.

Rather than hoping for such a low-probability event, it's better to serve the King for generations and enjoy power and wealth through Royal Authority.

At the very least, Count Simichi is able to sit here and chat and laugh with everyone, and no matter what others are thinking, he will never show it on his face.

"Count Simichi, still so humble. Everyone knows you are the King's right-hand man, the one most trusted by His Majesty."

Since you don't like getting involved in these trivial matters, we won't force you.

Military officer, the task of capturing the murderer is entrusted to you.

Aside from those northern brats, arrest all the other robbers who appeared on the Projection Stone.

If necessary, we can summon local nobles to assist us. If these guys dare to resist, kill them on the spot!

As for how to deal with these rascals, let's wait for the Kingdom's Noble Council to decide!

"That's what Count Pierce said coldly."

The crime of robbing merchants was not fatal to nobles.

Especially when it comes to those troublesome guys from the North, it's even harder to take them down.

At the Noble Council, it will most likely just be another round of wrangling. Its only value is to embarrass the Northern Nobles, making them the best reason to refuse any future attempts to encroach on their territory.

Ultimately, everyone was mingling in aristocratic circles, and Count Pierce didn't want to push things too far.

By targeting these men's subordinates now, we are both weakening the power of the Northern Nobles in the Southeast Province and leaving them room to maneuver.

The lost face is gone forever. But if you're thick-skinned, you can still cover it up a bit.

Shifting the blame to these unfortunate souls, while somewhat unconvincing and hard to believe, is still better than directly admitting that it was their own people who led the operation.

Nobles are, by their very nature, a bunch of hypocrites.

Many times, even if you know it's self-deception, you still have to keep going.