Volume 2 Chapter 17 Has to leave in the end
After the spring harvest was over, after the final count, on Viscount Leslie’s territory, adding up the harvest of the new twenty one hectares of land with the seven hectares that had been used before, the total amount of wheat had surpassed a hundred thousand pounds!
According to the conversion of fifteen mus in a hectare, each mu on Viscount Leslie’s land had harvested between two hundred forty and two hundred fifty pounds.
Although it couldn’t compare to the high yield of five hundred or even a thousand pounds on earth, it was very close to the yield on earth before technology had been developed.
Moreover for Viscount Leslie’s land, the production per mu wasn’t important, the important thing was the total amount.
Before this, Viscount Leslie used all the slaves and guards under him each year and at most could open up the seven hectares. At most he would gain no more than twenty thousand pounds each harvest.
But after using the agricultural magic machines to open up another twenty one hectare of land, his spring harvest had broken a hundred thousand pounds, which was four times higher than before!
Although people had prepared themselves for this result, when they heard the real number, they were still very shocked.
There was joy that followed this shock.
Since Viscount Leslie could achieve this large harvest using the agricultural magic machines to change his farmland, it meant that the others could do the same.
Among these people, the happiest person was naturally Seveni.
“Chairman Xu, once my royal father knows of this rich result, he will definitely be very happy.” Seeing the numbers in her hands, Seveni revealed a look of joy that couldn’t be suppressed, “Our Lampuri Kingdom doesn’t lack the land, we just lack manpower so much of the land is desolate. Now that your Frestech Chamber of Commerce’s agricultural magic machines have proven that it can save manpower in opening these lands, it means that the desolate lands in the kingdom can finally be used! Like this, the yield in the kingdom can be increased just like with Viscount Leslie’s territory. Perhaps in less than two years, no one in the kingdom will have to starve anymore!”
Xu Yi looked at Seveni who had lost herself in happiness and thought that if it wasn’t for the fact that he had starved for some time after transmigrating to this world, he wouldn’t be able to understand the joy in Seveni’s heart at all.
Thinking about it, Xu Yi said with a faint smile, “Honoured queen, why does it need two years? As long as we seize the chance during the spring harvest to change the land, then we just need to wait until this year’s fall harvest to see the results. Perhaps no one in the kingdom will need to starve this year.”
Seveni shook her head, “Of course I hope that it can happen as soon as possible, but it needs time to promote the magic machines in the kingdom and can’t be done that quickly. Not to mention…..” Seveni looked at Xu Yi with a slightly aggrieved look, “Can your Frestech Chamber of Commerce finish this by the spring planting season? Don’t forget, my request to produce the magic machines first was rejected by you.”
Xu Yi said with an awkward smile, “I don’t have a way to handle this since I have to consider our company’s development plan.”
“I’m not blaming you, I just have some hope in you. I hope that your company can give priority in finishing this order.” Seveni’s beautiful eyes were filled with sincerity looked right into Xu Yi’s eyes, “Chairman Xu, there are over half the people in the kingdom who can’t eat their fill. Whether we can solve this problem will depend on your Frestech Chamber of Commerce.”
Xu Yi rubbed his nose with a bitter smile, “Your highness queen, this puts a lot of pressure on me if you say it like this. Our Frestech Chamber of Commerce is just a small company, is there a need to give us such a large responsibility?”
Seveni revealed a faint smile, “With more power comes more responsibility. Wasn’t this what chairman Xu said to me before? Since your Frestech Chamber of Commerce has this ability, then you must take on this responsibility. Don’t you think that’s right, chairman Xu?”
Xu Yi could only give a bitter smile, “It’s very right, your highness.”
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After looking over the data from Viscount Leslie’s territory, Seveni immediately left Banta City.
According to what she said, with the shocking results from Viscount Leslie’s territory, it would definitely make it easier to move the other nobles with territory. It would also make it more convenient for the agricultural department to popularize the agricultural magic machines.
According to the agricultural department’s estimates, even if the Frestech Chamber of Commerce finished the agricultural department’s high order of thirty thousand agricultural magic machines, it wouldn’t be enough to satisfy the Lampuri Kingdom’s need.
In other words, it was likely they would make another large order of agricultural magic machines with the Frestech Chamber of Commerce.
Naturally Xu Yi welcomed this.
Selling agricultural magic machines was a very lucrative business, not to mention that if the agricultural magic machines became popular, it would become what Xu Yi wished for. Large amounts of workforce would be freed from the farms and they could enter the larger magic machine industry.
With Banta City, because they started last year, with most nobles in Banta City buying some agricultural magic machines and the Frestech Chamber of Commerce’s farmer support plan putting many agricultural magic machines in the hands of normal farmers, in most of the farms outside of Banta City, it was already normal to use agricultural magic machines.
For this year’s spring harvest, it took less than a week for most of the farms outside Banta City to be harvested.
After they were harvested, countless agricultural magic machines rolled over desolate land that couldn’t be used since there weren’t enough manpower and they began opening up more farmland.
According to data from the City Lord’s Manor, the current plan was to open three times more farmland outside Banta City!
If those farmlands could be planted during the spring planting, when it came to the fall harvest, Banta City’s harvest output would shock everyone.
Under the urging of Count Sean and Seveni, the «Banta Times» did many reports on the changes with Viscount Leslie’s land, which could be considered an advertisement for the plan to open more desolate land.
And in the next ten days, the «Banta Times» did a series of reports that showed the bustling scene outside Banta City to everyone.
To be able to do this, one had to accredit it to Baron Hannas who had just come back from Anvilmar City.
Although he was much more mature compared to before, once he came into contact with the newspaper, Baron Hannas immediately recovered his excited state of fervor from before.
When he came back to Banta City, he immediately ran to the «Banta Times» office and worked all day until it was dark.
During the time Baron Hannas left, the «Banta Times» wasn’t as excited and sharp was when he was here, becoming much more stable. But once he came back, it was like the «Banta Times» had been injected with steroids as its style changed immediately.
“This is Hannas’ charm.” Viscount Leslie looked at the «Banta Times» that came out today in his hands and said with a faint smile, “Perhaps it is because with his support, the «Banta Times» can become this sharp, daring to report on things that had noble involvement. I think that this fellow must be very happy because in Anvilmar City, even with the family behind him, there were many things he didn’t dare touch.”
“Of course, could it be that he dares to report on what colour of underwear the king was wearing today?” Xu Yi teased.
Viscount Leslie laughed, “Xu Yi, you’re wrong there. He actually dared to report on the daily matters of the king in the «Anvilmar Times» and even dared to report some scandals. But he was instructed to do so by the king, he wouldn’t have dared to do it on his own.”
“The king instructed him to do so?” Xu Yi considered it, “In order to make it seem like he was closer to the people?”
“Not bad, Xu Yi, you can understand this.” Viscount Leslie nodded. He looked at the «Banta Times» in his hand before throwing it onto the table. He gave a sigh and said while shaking his head, “It’s a pity that even with how happy Hannas is here, he has to return to Anvilmar City in a few days.”
Looking at Viscount Leslie’s slightly knit brows, Xu Yi couldn’t help asking, “You’re going back with him?”
Viscount Leslie looked at Xu Yi and didn’t reply immediately. First he took a slow sip of his tea, like he was considering how to respond to Xu Yi’s question.
Xu Yi didn’t urge him and silently waited in his chair.
After a while, Viscount Leslie put down his cup of tea and tapped his finger on the table. He looked at Xu Yi and gave a slow nod, “That’s right, I’m going back with him.”
“Then you won’t be coming back like you said last time?” Xu Yi asked again, “Why? Aren’t you doing quite well in Banta City?”
Viscount Leslie revealed a faint smile and shook his head, “Perhaps to you and most people, I’m living quite well in Banta City. But to my family, it isn’t good at all. As the eldest son of my family, these years of staying in a small place like Banta City enjoying myself is actually avoiding my responsibilities. The family needs me to become an important person, so they hope that I won’t stay in Banta City anymore. I could resist and avoid this before, but this time……I can’t keep avoiding them any longer. If nothing happens, I will enter the army after leaving Banta City and head to the northern borders, following my family’s plan for me to accumulate military accomplishments. If nothing else unexpected happens, I shouldn’t have the chance to return to Banta City.”
Xu Yi was silent.
This was Viscount Leslie’s responsibility for being born into a large family like the Stagg Family, he couldn’t question it at all.
But Viscount Leslie was a different kind of noble, being very open minded. He wasn’t proud like the other nobles, it was quite good cooperating with him and being his friend.
Once he left, Xu Yi would feel a bit disappointed in his heart.
“Xu Yi, inviting you here today, the first reason is to tell you as a friend that I’m leaving Banta City and to say goodbye. The other reason is to use my identity as your partner to give you a final request.” Viscount Leslie then said.
Xu Yi forced out a smile, “Please tell me what requests you have. As long as I and the Frestech Chamber of Commerce can accomplish it, we will definitely do it for you.”
Viscount Leslie nodded and said with a serious face, “Xu Yi, let me sell my stock.”