Game of Thrones: Kings in the North

Chapter 17 Yantun Harvest
The pigsty of the winter shelter town was built in the small town, ten times larger than the pigsty of Winterfell. The pigsty manager Ji Wen squatted on the ground to deliver the sows.

Catelyn held Rickon and looked at the pigsty.

"Such a big pigsty is a waste! The wild boars in the wolf forest can't be eaten up, so build a pigsty to raise pigs? Ed, I don't know what you think?"

Ed smiled, "Ma'am, there are so many people in the winter shelter town who want to eat, do you want to open up the wolf forest and let people go hunting? That's a good relationship, and the wild boars in the wolf forest will be killed soon. Pigs Bars can feed people."

Of course, Ed has other uses for raising pigs, and he doesn't want to share the plan with Caitlin just yet.

Ji Wen was recommended by Greatjon to serve in Winterfell. He is over 50 years old this year, with a bald head and short beard, a round beer belly, and kind eyes.He is not only good at treating pigs, but also treats small animal diseases such as rabbits, chickens, ducks and geese.

The sow howled and brought the piglet to the world, when Ji Wen brought the piglet over, Bran and Arya's eyes widened, Bran reached out and stroked the piglet, "How long will it take for the piglet to grow up? "

Ji Wen put the little pig on the ground, and the little pig stumbled away.

"Ten months!"

Bran was surprised: "So fast? Pigs grow so fast!"

Ji Wen shrugged, "Ten months later, he will walk on people's dining table and finish his life."

Arya said depressedly: "Do you have to kill them? Such cute little pigs."

Ji Wen said: "Some piglets can be kept as breeding pigs when they grow up, and new piglets can be bred, but there are very few such pigs."

In the distance, people from the stream land brought three carts of salt.Ed's plan for the salt settlements has already yielded results. The salt settlements by the sea have been sending salt one after another, and a lot of salt has been stored in the warehouse of Winterfell.

At the beginning, the vassal agreed to invest in Ed's Yantun, spend money to build arrow towers by the sea, and garrison troops to reclaim sea salt, because Ed promised the vassal that Winterfell would recycle the salt produced in Yantun according to the market price.

The head of Winterfell, Vayon Poole, counted the bags of salt, and began to take out the silver deer to pay the driver who transported the salt. The driver thanked him again and again, and ran to Ed and Caitlin to thank him.

"Lord Ed, my two sons serve as soldiers in Yantun, Streamland, and they are paid every day. The income from Yantun has made our lives better, and we can also resist the Ironborn. This is a gift from Winterfell .”

Caitlin watched the coachman leave with a smile, and her smile faded.

"The salt is almost filling up the warehouse. Are you planning to eat only salt in winter? Or do you want to starve us to death and then eat it salted?"

Ed said: "I remember last winter, you were still complaining about the high price of salt."

"Yeah, salt was too expensive back then. There were crates of golden dragons and silver stags in Winterfell. Now you buy so much salt with real money. You're so stupid!"

Rickon began to cry, and Catelyn rushed to comfort the child.

"You and that Braavosi Kral will bankrupt us, and winter is coming, but I'm afraid we'll starve if we don't make it through."

Ed said indifferently: "You don't have to worry, you can't lose money if you sell the salt in Bai Harbor, everyone needs salt."

Ji Wen leaned over, "Ma'am, Lord Ed is right. In fact, not only people need salt, but animals also need salt. Without salt, the pigs in the pigsty will get sick, and the war horses will get sick too. Animal breeding is inseparable." Salt."

Caitlin said depressedly: "If this is the case, sell it quickly! I feel sick when I see these salts." Caitlin hugged Rickon and left, followed by Bran and Arya.

Ed turned to Ji Wen, "Apart from pigs, what other short-term animals can be raised?"

Ji Wen thought for a while, "The shortest thing is the chicken. Rabbits are also good. A litter of rabbits can give birth to many cubs. However, rabbits can make holes. If Lord Ed wants to raise them, the ground must be hardened, otherwise they will make holes and escape from prison. "

"No matter what you raise, I would advise Lord Ed to make a good reserve of green fodder. Otherwise, in winter, the ground will be frozen and we can't find leaves and grass to feed livestock and poultry. We can only watch them starve to death. I used to be in Amber Domestic pigs, my pigs are basically starved to death in winter, although the starved pigs also have meat, but it is a waste!"

Ed suddenly realized that now there are green leaves and grass everywhere, which can just store feed.

After returning to Winterfell, Ed called Klar to the study.

"Kral, I plan to build pig pens, cow pens, and most importantly stables in the winter town. These are all inseparable from green fodder. I want you to arrange a fund and send people to buy leaves and grass. Enough is enough. After that, it is cut into pieces and stored in the warehouse."

Krall smiled, "It's a good plan, and the farmers should be happy. Anyway, when they reclaim the wasteland, the first step is to pull out the weeds. But the problem is that the warehouses in Winterfell are becoming more and more tense, and many warehouses are full of salt. .”

Ed said: "Pull the salt to White Harbor and sell it. Anyway, there will be a steady stream of salt coming from the King's Road. By the way, you tell Master Luwin to send a letter to the princes on the east coast, and their salt will be sent directly to you." Take it to White Harbor, settle the settlement with Earl Wyman, record it in the account of Winterfell, and offset it from the tax of White Harbor next month."

Now the sea salt on the west coast is enough for Ed to carry out his plan. If the salt from White Harbor, Old Town, Widow's Hope, and Dreadfort are also sent to Winterfell, and then transferred to White Harbor for sale, the money will only be wasted on transportation costs. .

Krall said: "Lord Ed, your Yantun plan is good, but there is a loophole. If there are vassals and merchants colluding to buy salt from the people at a low price, mix it into the salt in Yantun, and earn the difference." , the Yantun project will become an invincible cave.”

Ed thought for a while, "Salt Village is to defend against the iron people, I believe my vassals will not maliciously mix in the salt of the people."

Clare said with a smirk: "Master Ed, the salt villages lack supervision, who knows how much salt each salt village produces? Anyway, if it was me, I would use my bad idea on this loophole. Why not make money? Sooner or later, someone from your vassals will fish for money from Yantun."

Ed was absent-minded, "I'll pay attention."

"Even if the salt is transported away, today's warehouses are not enough to stockpile green fodder on a large scale," Krall said.

Ed said: "You don't have to worry, the artisans have already started construction."

The stonemasons of the Vale of Arryn sent by the former Prime Minister Jon Arryn arrived in the winter shelter town. They have joined the construction army in the north, and the blacksmiths and craftsmen of King's Landing are still on their way.In addition, Jon Arryn generously sent three ships of high-quality stone from the Three Sisters Islands to White Harbor, on the way to the winter town.

To Ed's delight, Balon Greyjoy of the Iron Islands finally replied to Theon after a long silence and sent ten blacksmith apprentices.

"Apprentice blacksmiths are useless," Mikken complained at the time.

Ed comforted: "Baron didn't send the dying old man, we should be content! After all, apprentices still have hope to become blacksmiths, and the old man only has a grave." Then Mikken angrily ordered these apprentices to hit horseshoes and sickles.

A few days later, Downs, the architect recommended by Jon Arryn, arrived together with the artisans of King's Landing.

Downs was handsome, 28 years old, with black hair and eyes like blue lakes. He was wearing a brown-yellow linen jacket, a sky-blue cloak hung on his shoulders, dotted with stars, and the Crescent Falcon crest of House Arryn on his chest.

"Lord Ed, it is an honor to serve you. I am Downs Arryn. I have worked as an architect on the other side of the narrow sea for many years. Luxurious courtyard. The most famous brothel in Rees was designed by me."

Ed looked at Downs, "Are you from the Arryn family? What's your relationship with Jon Arryn?"

In Jon Arryn's letter, he didn't mention that Downs was from the Aylin family. Could it be that Jon Arryn recommended someone of his own for Ed?However, Jon mentioned in the letter that Downs often proposed to Robert some unrealistic plans in Robert's court, such as widening the King's Road, rebuilding the Midsummer Hall, and building a new city in King's Landing. After being wasted money by the architect, he sent Downs to the north.

If Ed knew that Downs was a relative of Jon Arryn, he would have written a letter not to let him come.

Downs paused, "The Prime Minister and I both have the surname Ayrin, that's the relationship. Lord Ed, I am not from the Ayrin family of the Eagle's Nest City, but the Ayrin family of Seagull Town. I am happy to talk to the Prime Minister. Marriage, but in fact, we are relatives who cannot be separated."

Ed was relieved.The Arryn family in Seagull Town is a distant relative of the Arryn family in Eagle's Nest City. When Ed was the adopted son of Jon Arryn in the valley, he often heard Jon Arryn mention that a relative of their family settled in Seagull Town. The Aylin family in the town made a fortune by marrying wealthy businessmen, but they were looked down upon by other branches of the Aylin family in the valley, thinking that the eagle's combination with the common people for money was a self-defeating status.

Downs rubbed his hands together, "Master Ayrin, I saw that the winter town is in full swing, and houses are being built everywhere. Is there any majestic project for me?"

Clare came over and looked at Downs, and Downs took out a blueprint from his sleeve.

"Lord Ed, I have a preliminary idea on the way. To expand the town, we must build more castles. We can rely on Winterfell and build a few more."

(End of this chapter)