Students

The sheer size of the convoy Lady Eileen brought this time, with its abundance and variety of supplies, far exceeded Karl's initial expectations.

When Edgar and his men finished taking inventory, the list they presented filled Karl with surprise and excitement.

Most importantly, there's a whopping 10,000 gold coins in cash! That's a fortune that would make any border Lord envious. Although Karl now has 18,000 gold coins, who would complain about having too much money?

In addition, there were three hundred sets of finely crafted Chain Mail and one hundred sets of heavy breastplates for cavalry charge protection, three hundred brand-new Matchlock Rifle, and five thousand rounds of matching lead bullets.

For safety reasons, the convoy did not transport sensitive and dangerous Black Powder, but this solved the most critical weapons problem.

Gunpowder can be replenished from Fran City or trusted merchants, and this batch of firearms will greatly enhance the long-range firepower of the Carnford garrison.

Moreover, there were sufficient knives, swords, spears, and shields to fully arm a legion of a thousand men.

There is also a great deal of urgently needed production materials, including large quantities of sturdy Ploughshare, hoes, picks, and yokes and harnesses specifically designed for strong draft horses.

Carnford was at a critical stage of land reclamation. Although there were many refugees, there was a severe shortage of tools, which greatly limited the efficiency of land reclamation.

The arrival of these farm tools is like rain after a long drought, which can increase the speed of land reclamation several times over!

There were also a large quantity of seeds, 50,000 jin of rye, 5,000 jin of peas that could be used as a supplementary food or fertilizer, and thousands of jin of easily stored smoked meat.

This not only solved the seed problem for spring planting, but also greatly replenished the grain reserves. Although Karl purchased some through trade, having more reserves always gave him peace of mind.

Large quantities of thick cotton cloth, wool, and some silks symbolizing status, as well as various craftsmen's tools, such as hammers, chisels, and saws.

What surprised Karl the most and was strategically significant was his father's response to his specific request.

Those were three precision heavy-duty drilling machines, meticulously packaged and specifically designed for drilling musket barrels!

This was a crucial piece of equipment that Karl had specifically requested from his father in his letter, one that was essential for the territory's long-term military industrial self-sufficiency.

The fact that his father was able to obtain such excellent and expensive equipment shows that he truly took his request to heart and provided substantial and far-sighted support.

This made Karl's opinion of his usually strict father improve somewhat.

Of course, the showy items are also indispensable, such as ornate but bulky silver tableware, tapestries embroidered with intricate patterns, and large decorative candlesticks.

Clearly, this was prepared by the family in preparation for the upcoming Princess's wedding and to maintain the dignity befitting the "son of the Duke."

Karl wasn't particularly interested in this, but he understood his mother's intentions; at least it would make the interior of the castle look less like a pure military barracks.

Seeing the mountain of supplies, Karl immediately summoned his steward Edgar and began to issue instructions methodically.

"Edgar, immediately organize people to classify, count, and register all supplies, then distribute them according to need."

"First, there's the armaments," he said, pointing to the piles of weapons and armor. "All the muskets, swords, armor, and shields are temporarily stored in the reinforced armory inside the fortress, guarded day and night by designated personnel. They are regularly inspected and maintained to prevent dampness and rust. Currently, our expansion plan is suspended; our main focus is on consolidating our existing forces. This equipment serves as a strategic reserve for unforeseen circumstances."

"Grain and seeds are of paramount importance right now! Store them all in the granary, and make sure to take measures to prevent moisture and rodents. You will personally be in charge of the keys, and all expenditures must be strictly recorded to ensure that every grain of food is used effectively."

"These farm tools," Karl's gaze fell on the brand-new Ploughshare, hoes, and yokes, "Must be immediately distributed to the various Tunbao reclamation teams, but a rule must be established that each farm tool must be registered and issued by the team leader with his signature."

"Rough handling is strictly prohibited during use. These tools must be returned regularly for centralized maintenance. Anyone found to be in violation will be held accountable for any damage or loss! We must treat these production tools with the same care we would give to weapons!"

"As for these craftsmen's tools and those three drilling machines, let Hector take them. He should select the most reliable and skilled craftsmen to set up a formal military workshop, to make good use of and safeguard these precision machines, and to familiarize them with the operation of the drilling machines as soon as possible."

Edgar accepted the order and immediately set to work with swift and decisive action.

After the supplies were properly allocated, Karl began to consider his mother's "vanity project" of repairing the Shantytown Area and castle to welcome the Princess's procession.

This would indeed require a considerable expense, but now Karl has money. The 18,000 gold coins from selling the heads, plus the 30,000 gold coins his mother brought, add up to almost 50,000 gold coins.

Funding is no longer the main obstacle; the real challenge lies in manpower, especially core engineering design and command talent.

The only person in Carnford who is currently capable of taking on this important task Morr, who has just become Minister for Department of Public Welfare.

But at this moment he was fully focused on the construction of the first Tunbao, which was the strategic key to whether Carnford could establish itself on the plains. The construction period was tight and the task was heavy, and there was no time to waste.

After much deliberation, Karl sent someone to invite Morr. Morr arrived from the construction site, covered in mud, but his eyes remained focused and bright.

"Mr. Morr," Karl said directly, his tone consultative, "We now have the funds, and the Princess's procession is about to arrive. Let's quickly carry out the necessary repairs and renovations to the Shantytown Area at the foot of the mountain and the castle itself in preparation for the upcoming Princess procession."

"I know you are now fully committed to the construction of Tunbao, and the schedule is tight, but the situation here is also urgent."

To Karl's surprise, Morr did not show any distress on his face. Instead, he smiled calmly and said, "My Lord, you don't need to worry. Steward Edgar has already spoken with me about this matter."

He explained, "Thanks to the ' Organization Department ' examination and selection system you implemented, I tested several of my apprentices on engineering planning and organizational management. They all passed the tests, and after Mr. Edgar's review, I have promoted them to officials in the Organization Department to participate in the daily management and supervision of the Tunbao construction."

"They have a strong learning ability and are making rapid progress. The main construction of Tunbao is now on track, and they are fully capable of handling routine matters."

Morr confidently assured, "Therefore, it is entirely feasible to assign me to oversee the reorganization of the Shantytown Area and the repair of the castle. I can take this opportunity to delegate this relatively independent but equally planning-intensive work to those young people for specific execution, while I will handle the overall design and control."

"This is an excellent training opportunity for them, and it also ensures that the construction of the Tunbao) will not be greatly affected. It's a win-win situation!"

Hearing that Morr had already made such thorough considerations and personnel arrangements, Karl felt much more at ease, and at the same time, he was pleased with Edgar's ability to efficiently implement the new system.

He patted Morr on the shoulder and praised, "Good! Excellent! Mr. Morr, with you and Edgar around, I have so much less to worry about! It's settled then, you'll be fully responsible for the planning and design of the Shantytown Area redevelopment and the castle renovation! But try to save on materials and cash as much as possible, just make it look presentable on the surface."