For safety reasons, Winters should not have face-to-face contact with any enemy. However, Baishan County's messenger has a special status, and Winters has to make an exception - Bald Geza sent a direct squad leader of Winters, Balaz Yusa.

S.

The last time the two met was at the senior's investiture ceremony. Time flew by and three years passed in the blink of an eye.

After a brief exchange of greetings, the senior explained his purpose: "Colonel Gesa wants his horse back."

"No." Winters replied simply.

"You probably don't know." The senior sighed helplessly: "I, the principal, also like money."

"Also?" Winters could smell a hint of regional discrimination.

"No one dislikes money, so I'm not here to ask for it for nothing." The senior said in an understatement, and solemnly told Winters: "For the horse you have, Colonel Geza can exchange it for supplies - as long as you agree."

"Secret agreement?" Winters thought.

"Of course it's secret."

"What can I give in exchange for it?"

"What do you want?" the senior asked.

"What do you have?" Winters returned the exact words.

The two sides could not trust each other, and the conversation reached a deadlock for a while.

"Okay. We don't need to continue testing." The senior said readily: "Let me tell you the truth, it is impossible for Baishan County to exchange military supplies such as food, weapons, and ammunition with you for horses. But we have one thing that you need very much."

Winters was noncommittal.

Seeing that Winters didn't respond, the senior didn't do any charades: "It's not anything else, it's salt. People can live without horses, but people will die if they don't eat salt. Without enough salt, you can't raise these horses well."

Baishan County will continue to block the Anya River, and Tiefeng County will not receive any salt supply from normal channels. But we can provide salt to you separately. The salt you take can be used as hard currency in Tiefeng County."

Winters was surprised, but he didn't show it: "What else?"

"If you want anything else, we can discuss it later. If you want money, that's not impossible."

"The horse farm of the New Reclamation Corps." Winters said with a chuckle: "The Corps hasn't come to me for it yet, but Colonel Geza is very anxious."

Senior Balazs did not answer the call.

"Let me think about it." Winters stood up and said goodbye: "You will stay in Gevaudan for a few days first."

"Is Second Lieutenant Worthington still alive?" the senior asked suddenly.

Worthington was the White Mountain County officer who led a hundred men to chase Winters, but was captured instead.

Winters answered truthfully: "He is alive and well, don't worry."

…

After leaving Senior Balazs' place, Winters went straight to his residence - the townhouse of a single officer.

At Catherine's exclamation, Winters walked straight into Anna's bedroom.

In the first sentence of the meeting, Winters asked: "Is there no salt at home?"

"Huh?" Anna was woken up from her nap and was still in a state of confusion. After faintly recognizing who the person beside the bed was, Anna happily stretched out her arms: "You're back!"

At this moment, Anna is as cute as a kitten that has not yet been weaned. Compared with her usual calm and reserved nature, the contrast is too strong, and anyone can be inspired to have an infinite desire to protect her.

Winters couldn't help but pick up the kitten and asked again: "Is there really no salt in the house?"

"I don't know." Anna leaned on Winters' shoulder and rubbed her eyes gently, complaining in a low voice: "You haven't said you miss me yet."

Catherine saw this scene at the door and turned away in shame.

The matter still had to be found by the relevant person, so Winters called the cook in the officer's quarters and asked directly: "Is there any salt in the kitchen?"

"Yes, sir." The cook, a very strong woman, replied dully: "How many more cans are there?"

"Is salt still available on the market?" Winters asked, "What's the price?"

"You can still buy it, but the price keeps going up." The cook was very strong, with a round face, broad shoulders, and a thick waist, but her voice became quieter as she spoke.

Anna quietly touched Winters' boots.

With a clear understanding, Winters smiled as much as possible: "When did it start to rise? How much has it risen?"

"The price started to increase not long ago." The employer's expression suddenly changed, leaving the cook a little confused: "I don't know how much the increase will be... I bought several cans in advance."

Continuing to ask nothing more useful, Anna opened the jewelry box and took out a silver ring to thank the cook, who left happily.

Winters' mood became depressed. He held his forehead and frowned unconsciously: "I still have to go to the street to see for myself."

"What's the matter?" Anna took Winters' hand.

Winters told Anna about Baishan County and salt.

"There is no salt? I...I don't know." Anna was also surprised. She said seriously: "You really should go to the streets and ask the salt buyers and salt sellers face to face."

"I'll go right away." Winters grabbed his coat and sword.

"Salt is a big business, I don't understand it." When sending Winters out, Anna hesitantly reminded her lover: "But if everyone is afraid of rising prices and running out of supplies and rush to buy salt, how much salt is there in the store?

They will all be robbed.”

"I know the seriousness. Don't worry, there will be a solution." Winters gently shook his lover's hand and walked out.

…

Later that day, Winters met with Mason, Andre, and Moritz in the garrison's conference room.

Bard is settling the refugees outside, and Don Juan has not returned from hunting. There are currently only four of them left in the [Resolution Meeting].

Winters informed his companions of Hakusan County's proposal.

"Threatening us?" Andre was furious: "It would be better if he didn't sell! Gather the army during the winter break and fight across the Anya River! I want to see what the bald guy is capable of!"

"Robbing is also a way, just keep it in the record first." Winters said with a smile: "In fact, compared to exchanging salt for horses, the fact that Baishan County is willing to 'exchange' is the most interesting thing.

It seems that the New Reclamation Corps itself is not monolithic. It is probably General Adams’s clumsy attitude that has caused the counties to become somewhat alienated from him.”

Moritz glanced at Winters casually, only to find that Winters was also looking at him.

Winters spread his hands and explained helplessly to the old chief: "There is really no other way but to rob...like the Hurd tribe did."

"I'm just a little curious." Moritz chuckled: "Ignore me, just talk about business."

Before the meeting, Winters first found the old Priskin and summoned the Gevaudan salt merchants through the old Priskin to investigate. He already had a general understanding of the salt matter:

It is true that Tiefeng County does not produce salt, and all salt needs to be bought from the neighboring Baishan County. Although the two counties are only separated by the Anya River, their natural endowments are very different.

Tiefeng County only has what some farmers refer to as "salty land." The soil quality of the salty land is not good, and it cannot grow crops or boil salt. Its greatest use is that you can bring your livestock there to "lick the land" during slack periods.

Baishan County is home to high-quality salt wells, and the well salt produced in Brinshui Town supplies the entire New Reclamation Province. Salt is called white gold, and Baishan is the mountain of white gold.

After a brief explanation, Winters concluded: "The White Mountain County side is indeed threatening us nakedly."

"Not only that." Senior Mason, who had been silent all this time, suddenly spoke up: "The newly cultivated land is a province under military control, and the salt is also under military control. Salt merchants must first pay taxes to Maple Stone City, and then they can buy salt in Bittern Town. In fact, it is a disguised form of smuggling people's heads.

Tax."

"Can't we buy salt from outside?" Andre asked anxiously.

"The Legion does not allow outside salt to enter the newly cultivated land." Mason sighed longly: "There were many private salt dealers in the working ranch I used to manage. The most lenient sentence would lose an arm - salt is not only salt, it is also a Legion

money bag."

"Then we have to beat him even more!" Andre slapped the table and stared at Winters: "Do it! If you don't stop doing it, we will take down Baishan County as well!"

Mason sighed again: "No."

"Why not?" Andre glared at the senior again.

"There is no food." Mason also opened his book and said with a gloomy face: "Most of the warehouses in Gevaudan are given to Bard to resettle the refugees. The remaining reserves in the granary - according to my calculations - are not enough to last until the end of the year.

Harvest next summer.”

Andre was stunned.

Mason asked Andre: "Do you know what 'green and yellow' means?"

Andre shook his head.

"It's okay." Mason patted his junior on the shoulder: "You'll know in a few months."

"Didn't you say before that maintaining the 'minimum food supply' will last until next year when food comes out?" Winters was also a little surprised: "Why is there not enough anymore?"

Senior Mason answered slowly: "It was barely enough before, but it won't be enough if we add more than 1,300 mouths."

Winters suddenly realized that he was a prisoner, a prisoner from Wargne County.

…

The underlying logic of agriculture is very simple—you will reap what you sow.

Although there is no statistical data to support it, Winters dares to conclude that the large number of hired workers and the flight of tenant farmers have caused the total grain output of the newly cultivated land to plummet.

The current situation can still be maintained, firstly, because the farmers generally still hold on to the land; secondly, because the manor mainly grows cash crops; thirdly, because the grain reserves from the previous quarter have not been used up.

Continuing along this road, the great famine is waiting not far ahead. The famine will further intensify the turmoil, and by then the farmers will have to flee, and then there will be an even greater famine... It will be so dark that no light can be seen.
To be continued...