King of The Wall

2021-01-06

Chapter 329 Help to say that it is difficult to borrow money

Westeros does not have construction groups, engineering companies and the like—— Organizations and people who rely on infrastructure for food.

The North aristocrats live in their ancestral castles. Basically, they have not moved their land for dozens or hundreds of years. They have been tinkering with each other for years. "New Stronghold" is a mission that has never been touched before, is likely to be troublesome and will lose a lot of money.

The Night's Watch logistics department is different. Under the leadership of Igor, they have established King's Landing Industrial Park, built Queenscrown from scratch, and renovated many new old fortresses along the Wall. The qualifications... Although it is not experienced, I have already experienced most of the mistakes that I can make and the detours I can take. North of The Neck is already a crane in a flock of chickens.

This is the fundamental reason why Igor easily won the project without encountering any resistance when he took the initiative to apply.

Everyone is happy to have someone willing to help, but it's not that easy to get them out of their pockets. The tone that Igor asked for funding barely fell, and the lobby of a frenzy who was discussing it just now fell cold. Everyone looked at me, I looked at you, and no one took the initiative to speak up.

Robb also frowned, pondered for a while, and shook his head: "Igor, we feel the kindness of Night's Watch Legion, but the establishment of the navy is North's military action against the Iron Islands, and it is not reasonable in every circumstance. The pressure on the Wall defenders should be increased. So, you make a list of all the construction costs of the port and its strongholds, and I will reimburse them all and distribute them reasonably to the North princes... labor and defenders, and even use the land rent on the land-grant coast. , will also consider compensation and remuneration as appropriate, and will never let the Night's Watch brothers lose a penny."

"As for the rest - you can see that, although you have won a lot of loot in the Westerlands before. , but we are still in a state of war, and the expenses are very huge. The economic situation of each family is different. It is really inappropriate for me to be the master of the adults, so let's discuss this matter in private after the meeting. , each family will provide support as much as possible based on their actual conditions and capabilities!”

……

I wanted to strike while the iron was hot, so I took the opportunity to get together most of the North nobles, so I didn’t have to worry about it. I ran all over the map to find one by one, but I didn't think about it but got no positive response.

But calm down and think about it, Robb's statement is reasonable - he is only the guardian of North, not the complete owner and emperor of North. With a big wave of impossible, he ordered all bannermen to take out family property and lend it to him. Night's Watch. In this matter, it is somewhat inappropriate for oneself to mention it in public.

Let's talk in private, the days when Night's Watch industry established Early-Stage's difficult fundraising are still vivid in my mind. I have personally participated in the battle and created such a big family business. Now my status and fame are now It's not like it used to be, is it still afraid of things?

But self-confidence is one thing. I really ran into trouble when I went to visit the major princes one by one to discuss loan matters after a break.

It's not that the North princes are stingy, but Igor, the 998th commander, was pitted by the previous 997 seniors:

Since its establishment, Night's Watch Legion relies on the help of the North lords to operate - when the land grant is not declining, the proportion of foreign help is small, and the land grant gradually becomes larger and larger... By the time Igor passed through, the productivity of the land grant was infinitely close to Zero, almost entirely North is "raising" the last Wall defender.

The Night's Watch Legion Lord Commander's word "borrow" = "want", this is a recognized attempt up and down the North.

Against wildlings - now Others of course, it's obviously much cheaper and easier to sponsor a professional army with protection money than oneself to summon and train peasants. And beyond the wall is the North, this money can only benefit the most directly to take the lead, not the other six countries.

So, if a black clothed person comes to ask for money, you will definitely get it, but don't expect to get it back, so don't be too generous - this is how North people borrow money from Night's Watch habitual attitude.

Igor raised funds when he was in King's Landing. As long as he explained to the Crownlands princes that oneself was "starting up a business", with Tyrion's guarantee and the evidence of actual products, those who were more daring would dare to invest. But now, as the Lord of the Wall, he came to the North nobles... He really wanted to borrow it, and decided that he would pay it back when he had the ability, but unfortunately the North nobles didn't believe it.

The latter often prefer to "send" him a hundred, rather than "borrow" him a thousand -- anyway, if they go out, they won't come back. What's the difference between the words?

The inherent impression that has been passed down from generation to generation for so many years is so unbreakable that Igor can't reverse it with just a few words, not to mention that in addition to this stereotype and convention, Igor also faces another problem: he can't explain what oneself wants. What do you do with so much money.

 …

Having raised the Night's Watch Legion for hundreds of years, the princes of the North knew exactly what it cost to guard the Wall. How much did it cost to arm 1,000 Night's Watches before, and now even if Igor were to count all the men of the right age in the land grant - tentatively assuming that 10,000 people were to be armed, it would only cost ten times the original cost.

With the grain loan from the Iron Vault and the income from the Night's Watch industry, you, Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, why do you need so much money to fill your own pockets...or rebel?

Igor can't always take out the gunpowder, and then said obediently and honestly - I'm trying to build an inter-era military-industrial system, hoping to put firearms into actual combat in batches. In the future, it can not only bombard Others, but maybe also use it to deal with the stone castles of the Seven Kingdoms nobles... But the cost is huge, and investment is required, right?

The North aristocrats who hold the financial power of their respective families are all heads of families who "know that firewood, rice, oil and salt are expensive". In the case of not wanting to tell the truth, Igor really can't kill how much money he has to borrow, he can only try his best.

Fortunately, the North nobles are not completely stingy: the nobles in the south - the nobles who have less dealings with Night's Watch, are subject to voluntary support, and it is enough to support dozens or hundreds; , directly protected by Night's Watch, of course, it has to be doubled. Those who have descendants who died in the war with the Ironmen, as well as House Stark, the lord of the North, will be more... After the stronghold is built, you can get reimbursed for another sum, and there is no go on an errand for nothing.

Among a large group of North nobles who are reluctant to join forces, share their share according to relatives and distance, family power and Fiefdom, and strive to get rid of the new commander Igor as soon as possible, only one person stands out from the crowd. different.

＊＊＊

After dark, Roose Bolton invited Igor to talk on the city wall of Deepwood Motte.

The blizzard that I caught while patrolling the Wall had long since ceased, and the moon flickered behind the wind-driven clouds, shedding its bright light on and off Wolfswood as far as the eye could see. Accompanied by the moonlight, there were bursts of crash-bang...like the sound of trees sighing, a subtle but grand and continuous sound of leaf waves.

The wind is strong, the sound of the leaves is louder, and the wind is quieter - just listening to this sound, you can understand why Deepwood Motte is always particularly vulnerable to sneak attack.

After a brief chat, the two walked side by side along the top edge of the wooden wall, and Igor thanked Bolton count first.

Old Flayer is vicious and merciless, ruthless, and most of the time, he has a secret heart for House Stark, and he also sowed seeds to create such a heinous and vicious thing as "Little Flayer". Fortunately, in this timeline, Ramsay Snow, who was disguised as a stinky guy, was decisively killed by Igor when he met Igor, so he didn't have time to harm the Quartet.

However, no matter what kind of person Roose Bolton is, he can't change the fact that he has spoken up many times and helped oneself a lot. To this person who had hardly dealt with before, who was obviously not an ally but was more than an ally, Igor really came from the bottom of his heart.

"Lord Commander, you're welcome." Even if he laughs, the Dread Castle count has a chilling coldness. If he travels to the modern world to play the villain, he will probably be able to take away a lot of trophies: "To tell the truth , I saw the Chief Logistics Officer of Night's Watch for the first time in King Robert's barracks outside Vale Bloody Gate, and I saw that you are no ordinary person. Sure enough, I haven't seen you for more than two years, and now even I have to call you my lord, I depend on you for protection."

"Mr. Bolton has won the award, thanks to the trust of the brothers and the support of the North families, so I have the opportunity to serve everyone as the commander. I must make an all-out effort, Keep North and the Seven Kingdoms safe."

"You're welcome." Bolton dismissed this mindless modesty, not disdain for Igor's cultural differences other than Westeros. "My view of this world is - people who have the ability, should be the best. Don't tell me that if you make Cotter Pyke or Ser Mallister the Lord Commander, you will be a subordinate and give up. Full of thoughts?"

......

The other party seemed to have completely forgotten the existence of his illegal child and the stinky guy, which was a relief. However, although he is grateful for the help of Old Flayer, Igor has not forgotten the fact that the guy in front of him is still a dangerous person... He will not be like a child who is not deep in the world, open his heart and talk about everything after a little favor.

He smiled and didn't answer.

"Of course, that assumption doesn't make sense right now, you've become Lord Commander as I hoped, taking over the Wall and the land grant." Bolton understands and likes Igor's caution: "Let's talk more. Let's be honest... You've come to borrow money this time. The princes of North can discuss spiritedly about this in private, and they all think you're profiting from somebody's misfortune. "

...

The North lords discussed it privately before oneself came to the door, which is mostly true, otherwise Impossible would give a neat and uniform donation as if it were an appointment. They were dissatisfied with Night's Watch asking for money, that's for sure, but Igor couldn't believe it if it was serious.

You can't have both, just like some strategy games that Igor played before he crossed - money, prestige, and character favorability, many of which can only focus on one. item. Now that he is short of money, then... as long as he doesn't irritate others to the extent that he has to deal with oneself, this thing can be thrown away if he can, and he doesn't need to take it seriously.

Igor wouldn't have such a domineering idea of taking other people's money without making them feel uncomfortable.

What does it mean for Roose Bolton to mention this specifically, to provoke the relationship between oneself and the princes of North? This method is too childish.

Igor didn't know how to reply for a while, and could only defend dryly: "The construction of land grants is not just to feed all the Night's Watches and residents, but also to find ways to make this land prosperous and strong. Self-sufficiency and the ability to hold on to resistance in case Others cross the Wall...and there's a long section of the road to get there. I can't make a full list of expenses, but it's definitely not It's in my pocket."

"I believe it." Bolton shrugged, his breath condensed into white mist in the air: "I'm even sure that as long as you give you enough time and resources, You can run the land grants into a force far stronger than any of the North, and you can train the Night's Watch Legion to be the most battle-strength army in the Westeros."

He turned his head to look at Igor, and he didn't. Give Igor a chance to interject: "But have you considered the long-term future? These people are willing to give money today, one is that you can help in the war against the Ironmen by building a navy, and the other is really seeing After passing the ghouls that Commander Mormont captured and showed, you know that Night's Watch is not cheating money. But what about the future? After defeating the Ironmen and surviving this winter, how will you continue to feed the 40,000 land-grant residents until then It will be the Night's Watch Legion with the largest standing martial power in the continent? Relying on the land grant to farm? Even if it can be done, would you be willing to do it?"

In the dark night, the eyes of the Dreadfort's count suddenly sharpened For a moment: "I think--you don't look like someone who can keep yourselves safe. There's a fire in the back of your eyes, and you cover it up well, but unfortunately--it's not good enough!"

——

(end of chapter)