In the underground armaments warehouse in Beicheng, a large number of standard muskets with a glossy oil are neatly packed in boxes and fixed by wooden strips. Next to them are customized ammunition and maintenance packages that have already been packed in boxes.
These were to be sent to Ferrier and Solari, along with small-caliber artillery and a large number of civilian muskets, for the former's own use and the latter's for sale.
Originally, Owen had many concerns and did not dare to sell firearms in large quantities, but after traveling to the empire, he discovered that the empire was fragmented. The real upper class never cared about firearms issues, and those who cared often did not have the right to change anything.
Taking Academy City as an example, if you are willing, you can complete preliminary industrialization within half a year, upgrade technology to the 1950s and 1960s within a year, and some technologies can even reach the level of science fiction movies.
By then, not to mention guns and cannons, aircraft, tanks, and rockets will all be manufactured. The only question is how much will it cost to mass-produce.
Manufacturing and energy production are two different things. The former requires a laboratory, but the latter requires a complete industrial system. They are not of the same order of magnitude at all.
However, Irving never dared to underestimate the empire. With the accumulation of thousands of years in Academy City alone, he didn’t know how deep the foundation was.
The power of the empire is the reason why Owen dares to sell firearms to the entire Northland, because the real people in power don't care.
Of course, it's just a firearm. If Owen really dares to build airplanes, tanks, missiles, satellites, etc. on a large scale, the empire will definitely not let him go, because this level of equipment can already pose a huge threat to the empire, and with a bunch of legends
Sitting in charge is a serious problem.
Firearms are now another major product sold by Beicheng to the outside world besides food and ironware, and the profits are very high.
The reason is very simple, because although most of the northern lords have people behind them, it is impossible to get the other party's full support. Even if it is given to them, they dare not ask for it all, otherwise they will be completely ignored in minutes.
Although it is all pushed out by the forces behind it, anyone who does not want to be independent will naturally be wary.
At the same time, the chaotic and fierce competition environment in the North makes it difficult for them to have a lot of time to train professional soldiers. Therefore, training short-formed and fast musketeers has become their best choice. Once a large-scale army is formed, without professional interference,
Under such circumstances, the chance of winning against an ordinary army is very high, so even if the cost is higher, they are willing to pay.
Ferrier and Solari also faced the same problem. Before the mining industry really took shape or made a lot of profits, their monopoly of fur and livestock were the two most valuable industries in the North, so they faced more challenges.
There are many, so they must improve their strength in the shortest possible time, otherwise they will face the fate of being eliminated.
The two of them have even prepared for the worst. If the territory really cannot be defended, they will choose to completely surrender to Owen. Although they cannot retain the title of earl, what do they need the title if the territory is gone.
Owen was well aware of the two's plans, but he had no intention of forcing them. Instead, he strongly supported the two to expand their strength.
The reason for this is that Owen does not only see immediate benefits.
After traveling with the Empire, he knew very well that in the absence of foreign enemies, the Empire was his biggest enemy. Even if there was no conflict now, it did not mean that there would still be peace in the future. Therefore, in addition to Mara Town, he also needed to establish an empire on the border of the Empire.
In the buffer zone, Ferrier and Solari are obviously very suitable, so he will not interfere unless necessary and will strongly support their development.
Before autumn was over, it snowed again in the North. Compared with the first gauze-like shallow layer, this time the snow was thicker, and the temperature did not rise much after the snow stopped. On the contrary,
There was a tendency to gradually decrease, and large dark clouds gathered over the Northland, which seemed to be pressing down at any time, which made Owen feel a little heavy, because he knew what this meant.
Not only did Owen see the hidden crisis, some smart northern nobles also noticed something, especially with the arrival of the second snow. Not only did they speed up the harvest of crops in their territories, they also placed a lot of food orders for the caravans.
As the only place in the North that can export food, Beicheng has also received many orders, but whether to sell in large quantities depends on Owen's decision. Not even Maya can make the decision for him.
Taking the material reserve data sent by Maya, Owen fell into deep thought.
Even if the food in the territory is sold every year, it is still in a state of surplus. Firstly, the amount sold each year is actually limited, and secondly, there is super farmland in Green Shadow Town, so the food output is beyond ordinary people's imagination.
Some of these grains are used as war reserves, some are sold, and some are used to make wine. But after years of accumulation, the inventory is still very alarming, and many early grain stocks are already at the critical point.
"This year's new grain production has been reduced by three levels. It seems that other nobles will have a difficult time in the future." Owen said while rubbing his chin.
North City has complete planting technology and water conservancy facilities, and can even use steam machinery for farming and harvesting. Even so, the production will be reduced by three levels. If it were replaced by other northern nobles, even if the territory is closer to the south and the temperature is higher, the autumn harvest will be halved.
It's a foregone conclusion, and some even can't even harvest the seeds.
In this case, survival is a problem. After all, the vast majority of the Northland nobles are newcomers and have not yet established a foothold in the Northland. Most of their consumption depends on the assistance of internal forces in the empire. They have no reserves and can only rely on
Buy.
"New grain is used as a reserve, and the old grain that is approaching its expiration date is sold. The price of grain increases by 50%. Anyway, they have no room for pickiness." Owen doesn't care about this profit, but he must do this, because Northland, no, the entire
The empire cannot tolerate a benevolent lord, because mercy represents weakness and hesitation, so he can be cruel and greedy, but he cannot be kind or merciful, even if he knows that restricting food sales will kill many people.
"In addition, tell them that they can exchange people for food, give them some discounts, and encourage them to do so." In the end, Irving finally opened up, allowing the northern nobles to exchange the people who could not feed themselves for life-saving food. Sure enough, he
Still too kind.
Owen's labeling of himself as kind is not to put money on his face, because those northern nobles really think that he is a kind person, because the food they buy from other places is not as good as what they buy in the North City.
Most of the food sold by caravans to the North comes from warehouses on the border of the empire. It is old food that has been stored for many years. Due to poor preservation, mold and deterioration are common. It is not uncommon for the sand, gravel, and rat droppings to be mixed in more than the food. However, the price is still relatively low.
It was very expensive, and the northern nobles who bought it were full of complaints.
Of course they don't eat this stuff, but if the people eat this kind of food, not only will it be difficult for them to get enough nutrition, but they will also be more likely to get sick, and getting sick in the cold winter means death.
In the vast and sparsely populated Northland, the population is far less cheap than in the already saturated empire, so these northern lords feel distressed.
In contrast, although the grain sold in Beicheng is also old grain, except for the poorer taste, it is very well preserved, and because it is very dry, it is easier to store than new grain, so it is more popular.