Game of Thrones: Kings in the North

Chapter 18 Road Construction and Port Planning

In the study, architect Downes enthusiastically presents Ed and Klare with his plans for a new castle.

"With the King's Road outside Winterfell as the center, we can build three castles. I have already named them. They are called Spring City, Summer City, and Golden Autumn City. Lord Ed, as long as you give me enough manpower and Wood, stone, these castles will be as great as Winterfell."

Ed smiled awkwardly, "Downs, Winterfell is enough for me and my family to live in, and it is also enough for my vassals to come here to attend the banquet. I want to expand the winter town, not build a castle. "

Downs said solemnly: "Master Ed, what is the language of your Stark family? Winter is coming! In other words, life is short. We should leave more miracles in our short life For posterity. What's the use of building log cabins in winter towns?"

The financial advisor Clare smiled and said, "Do you know how much your plan will cost? Where did Duke Ed get so much money?"

Downs said: "I'm just an architect, and I just want to leave behind majestic castles and projects. As for money, it's not my consideration."

Ed said: "You have to think about it. If 'City Builder' Brandon didn't care about the cost back then, he wouldn't be able to leave miracles like the Great Wall and Winterfell at all. If the cost was not counted, the Eagle's Nest City of the Ayrin family might be rotten At the end, House Baratheon's Storm's End may only be half built."

"Downs, I can see that you are a young man with talent and dreams. You have a wild imagination, but you lack the practical spirit of being down-to-earth. The North is a harsh place. If you want to work for me, you must be pragmatic. I don't know how to do projects that cost people and money, do you have any projects that are beneficial to the economy?"

"Yes, my talent is not only reflected in building castles."

Downs collected the blueprint of the castle and pulled out another blueprint from his sleeve.After unfolding, Ed found that it was a map of the Seven Kingdoms, and Downs had planned several roads in the northern region above.

"Lord Ed, the northern border is vast but poor. Why? Because there are too few roads in the northern border. There is only one king's road in the north-south direction. Look, there is a golden road in the territory of the Lannister family in the western border , The Tyrell family in the Reach has the Coastal Avenue, the Rose Avenue, and the Riverland has the River Avenue, so their trade is smooth and the economy is prosperous."

"If we build roads in the north, we will build a coastal road on the east coast and west coast. The west coast starts from Deepwood Castle, connects Torun's Square City, passes through the stream, and meets the King's Road at Barren Hill. The west coast starts from Kahuo Departing from the city, passing through the Dreadfort, the Rams Gate, and the Old Mountain to White Harbor, and another road will be built in White Harbor to connect to Winterfell."

Clare said disdainfully: "Dance, you haven't seen heavy snow in the northern border, have you? When winter comes and the ground is frozen, what's the use of roads?"

Downs retorted coldly: "When the land is frozen, the farmland in the north is basically abandoned. Don't you plant the land in other seasons? Once my road is built, it will be possible to turn the deserted villages, White Harbor and Winterfell into land. Connect and radiate the entire northern border."

Ed noted that while Towns' plan seemed far-fetched and unrealistic today, it could be possible in the future.

"Downs, your idea of ​​building roads is much better than castles. What I want is this kind of project that makes money and enriches the people. Do you have any other ideas?"

Downs pointed to the long west coast of the northern border on the map, "Master Ed, have you noticed? The northern border has no decent ports on the west coast, not even one. May I ask Deepwood Castle, Bear Island, and Streamland, how to trade with the south? Woolen cloth?"

Ed looked at the map, "The stream land basically chooses to take the king's road, and the Rythwell family has a lot of horses. As for Deepwood Castle, the timber of Deepwood Castle can only be transported to Winterfell, and then transferred to White Harbor for trade. The animal skins of Bear Island , wood, shipped to Ice Bay, and then transported all the way to White Harbor."

Downs said: "The goods in the north rely too much on White Harbor. Why not take the goods directly from Deepwood Castle or Streamland to the south for sale? There are densely populated towns in the Riverlands, and there is Casterly Rock in Lannisport in the west. The gold of the river and the wealth of the West, and the old town of the Reach is full of melons, fruits, wine and wine."

Ed sighed, "The Northern Territory has tried many times to open up sea routes to the west coast, but the fucking Ironmen are in the way. The Ironmen are born pirates. They often plunder the fishing villages in the Northern Territory. Our fishing boats dare not leave the sea too far." Fishing far away."

Some ironborn longships would come to Deepwood Motte and the fishing villages on the Stony Coast to trade and buy timber from the north, after all, the Iron Islands used a staggering amount of wood to build ships.But since there is no customs on the west coast, most of this kind of trade is smuggling, and the captain of the Ironborn will give some money to the local lord in order to ask the lord to allow the trade.Winterfell cannot receive taxes.

Downs said: "Pirates are everywhere, and the Ironmen have at least surrendered on the surface. The Stone Step Islands across the Narrow Sea are lawless, but the Swan Ships in the Summer Islands, the Iban Whaling Ships, the Braavosi Ships, the old The ships of Town, the ships of King's Landing, still venture through every day."

"Lord Ed, with all due respect, people in the north are too afraid of the sea. You are the descendants of the ancestors. When the ancestors arrived in Westeros, they walked on the arm of Dorne. Now the arm of Dorne has been shaken by an earthquake. Torn apart and turned into Broken Arm Point and Stone Step Islands, the fear of the sea in the north seems to have not changed at all."

"Because of a small group of Ironborn pirates, I gave up shipping on the west coast. What's the difference between this and refusing to eat for fear of choking to death? When I was in Seagull Town and King's Landing, I often chatted with some captains and sailors. They told I, when they went to the Reach and the Western Territory for trade, they would go as far north as Sea Front City and King's Harbor in the Iron Islands, and then turn around and head south, because there is no decent port further north."

Downs looked at the map and his eyes stayed on the barren mound.

"I think it should be here. This is the Huangzhong River. The river flows south from the mountain tombs in the Huangzhongdi, and flows into Mingyan Bay. The upper reaches of the Huangzhong River is Huangzhongtun, which is the most densely populated area in the north. One. If we build wharves and docks at the mouth of the Barren Mound River, goods from the Winter Town, Barren Mound Village, and even White Harbor can go directly south of Bright Flame Bay to Lannisport and trade in the old town."

"Of course, the estuary of the Xianmin River in the stream land also flows into Bright Flame Bay. This estuary also has the potential to develop into a port town. I have never been here, but Lord Ed, look at the map, there are so many tributaries in the stream land. After entering the Xianmin River, the shipping value of this river cannot be wrong."

Under normal circumstances, wool, animal skins, timber and other goods in the northern border are transported to White Harbor through the White Knife River. If ships from the northern border want to trade in Lannisport, they have to go to Bite Bay, all the way south, after frequent storms Shipwreck Bay, bypassing the thousands of miles of Dorne's desolate desert coast, passing through Redwyne Strait, passing through the old town and heading north all the way to Lannisport.

If the port town planned by Downs really develops, ships from the northern border can directly leave Bright Flame Bay and go south to Lannisport for trading, and the voyage will be reduced by [-]%.In addition, Downs' plan will undoubtedly strengthen coastal defense.

There are two great fortresses in the north, the Impassable Wall in the north and Kalin Bay in the south. Kalin Bay has never been breached by enemies from the south in history.

However, the Heatang River on the west side of Kalin Bay flows into the sea. Once the enemy ships use the narrow and narrow bay to penetrate into the northern bay and go up the Heatwave River, it is easy to threaten Kalin Bay from the west.

Nowadays, whether it is the estuary of the Huangzhong River or the estuary of the Xianmin River, there is Ed's Yantun Arrow Tower, but the population is small, and only some fishing villages are scattered by the sea. If these estuaries can be developed, the economy of the northern border will be boosted. , the defense against foreign enemies will also be greatly enhanced.

Downs rolled up the map, "Lord Ed, if I were you, I would immediately discuss the development of the estuary with the vassals of the stream land in the deserted village."

The lord of Barrowton is Lady Barbaret Dustin, the widow, and the lord of Streamland is Barbaret's father, Earl Roderick Rythwell. These two vassals have not been very enthusiastic about the orders of Winterfell, even And flirting with Roose Bolton of the Dreadfort.

Fortunately, Ed adopted Domilik Bolton, the heir of the Dreadfort, as his adopted son. Domilik is Ballet's nephew and the grandson of the Earl of Laswell.In the future, Winterfell has a plan to build a port on the west coast, and Ed believes that Ballet and Earl Lathwell will cooperate.

Ed looked at Downs with admiration.

"Downs, many of your plans cost people and money, and some of them may take many years to bear fruit, but you have a strategic vision, and you deserve a place in the think tank of Winterfell. From now on, you will be the leader of Winterfell and the North Chief Architect! I have an important project for you."

Downs' eyes brightened, "What mission?"

"Go build a warehouse next to the pigsty in Winterfell."

(End of this chapter)