Promotion and Appointment

In the early hours of the 19th, the thick fog common in autumn and winter enveloped the Blackwater River waterway. Victor, along with Ron and Steward Boon, stood at the dock in Linshui Town, extending their gaze along the riverbank to the fog-shrouded waterway.

Looking at the thick fog in front of them, Victor said to Levant, who was standing behind them, "Levant, will this weather this morning affect the fleet's departure?"

Levant patted his chest and said to Victor.

"Your Excellency, rest assured, my men are very familiar with the hydrological conditions around our dock. They could steer ships out of the port with their eyes closed."

Then Levant shouted, and soon the lighthouse on the dock lit up, and a group of dock guards held lanterns and pushed several small boats into the water.

These small boats, carrying the guards, sailed to the vicinity of the pier and began guiding the ships moored nearby to leave. Meanwhile, the Dockworkers on the pier began using pushers and tow ropes to help the ships leave the pier.

Soon, the shouts of the boatmen pulling the boats began to rise and fall. Victor looked at the suddenly bustling dock and nodded. Levant had indeed done a good job. Whether it was completing the loading of serfs and cargo in less than a day or coordinating the departure of the fleet, he had managed the entire dock in an orderly manner.

Victor whispered to Steward Boon beside him, "The Golden Sunflower Territory has just annexed the Green Oak Territory and the Red Ginseng Territory, and the area of the entire territory has more than doubled. And this is just the land."

If we include the population, even without the serfs I took with me, the territory's population has increased to [number] people. If you complete the next stage of ransom negotiations with the Olive Territory and the White Asparagus Territory, I estimate that the two territories will have at least [number] more serfs in total.

I suspect many tasks within the territory are currently difficult to manage. Boon, you could adjust the division of labor and assign more suitable personnel to more important tasks.

Steward Boon understood what Victor meant and nodded, saying, "Yes, Your Excellency, we have already transferred a lot of people from the Golden Sunflower Territory to the Two Rivers Territory. There were not many managers to begin with, and now many stewards are holding multiple positions."

If possible, I plan to promote a group of people to become the new managers, Levant is one of the options.

Boon truly lived up to his title as steward of the territory; he was astute in both political affairs and human relationships as possible. Victor was satisfied with Steward Boon's statement.

Levant was originally a veteran of the territory. He was chosen by Victor to be the manager of the docks in Linshui Town and was considered one of Victor's old guard. If possible, Victor also hoped that he would have better development.

Moreover, Levant is doing an excellent job right now, and Victor has every reason to promote him. Now that Steward Boon made such a clear statement, it has saved Victor a lot of trouble.

Victor then remembered something else, "Steward Boon, you know the manager of Green Water Farm over in Red Ginseng Territory, right?"

"You mean Kallio? He's also an old man from the territory. Although he's not very old, he served as the deputy manager of a large farm for several years."

The reason I sent him to the Red Ginseng Territory was because he was the right age and had the necessary qualifications. However, I really don't know much about his abilities, since there are many farms in the territory, and the number of managers and deputy managers combined is no less than forty or fifty people.

To be honest, Steward Boon didn't really know Kallio well. He had sent him to Red Ginseng Territory for management purposes, and Kallio was a good fit. Actually, it wouldn't have mattered who he sent; he just didn't know how Victor had come to know him.

Victor nodded. He appreciated Steward Boon's honesty, after all, he had served him and his father for two generations, and he didn't think Steward Boon would lie to him about this.

However, given this, Kallio's deliberate performance in front of him was probably to leave an impression on the lord. Victor did not dislike such behavior, and although it was short, his interactions with Kallio made Victor realize that the man was indeed quite talented.

"Boon, Red Ginseng Territory has just gone through war, but the basic conditions are still good. You can't let it be abandoned like this. If possible, you should pick up the original farms. It's such a waste to leave such good farmland uncultivated."

If you can't manage it yourself, you can delegate it to a suitable person. You just need to grasp the general direction; I believe you can do it.

Boon now understood Victor's meaning; it seemed that the Viscount was going to take this Kallio seriously.

He quickly said, "Sir, you are right. Now that we have merged the two territories, there is a lot of work to do, especially the infrastructure projects you proposed. Just planning roads and dredging waterways will consume a lot of my energy."

It's time to find a few people to help me out. I'll temporarily put Kallio in charge of the farming work across the entire Red Ginseng Territory. If he performs well, he can officially take over.

Victor was very satisfied with Boon's answer, "Good. Starting next year, if everything goes smoothly, the Golden Sunflower Territory and the Two Rivers Territory will continue to expand. The territories need talent right now. Boon, you can promote some temporary managers and put them in some less important positions as an assessment. If they pass the assessment, they can take on more responsibilities."

"Your Excellency is very thoughtful. I will begin this work immediately."

After Victor and Boon reached an agreement on personnel promotion, he looked at Ron and said, "The troops in the territory are in your hands. There is only one requirement: do not engage in reckless battles. Defending the territory is the top priority."

Ron patted his chest and assured him, "Don't worry, there won't be any problems with the territory."