@JOBSCAN_RECRUT THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT 🥺🥺.
.....
Kristof really was a talented person.
It was worth it for Elara to pull him out from prison. Now he had brought her such important news.
After Kristof left, Elara recalled the information System 92 had given her about Sargassum and Dahlia. It seemed there had been a note saying the two countries had deep ties for generations.
She hadn't thought much of it at the time. But now that she remembered... back when she first met Arieck, there was a man in green robes who called himself Mr. Yu and stood calmly beside him. Unless his status was extremely high, how could he show such ease in front of a prince?
Back then, Elara did consider it, but she only thought he was a noble with a fairly high status. She didn't expect that he wasn't just someone important. He was actually the "strongest royal" from the southwest corner of the continent.
System 92 had even emphasized it to her before, saying she might face him in the future. He was the crown prince of Dahlia, named Dahlia Yu.
Mr. Yu... Dahlia Yu... the alias really flowed naturally.
Elara smiled to herself, remembering how System 92 had once described the situation in the southwest. Dahlia was in a constant standoff with three other countries: Inferno, Gold, and Devotion. Border skirmishes happened from time to time.
Who would have thought that during such a tense time, the crown prince of Dahlia would go undercover in a small country using a fake name?
Still, since the strongest royal of this region had come right in front of her, Elara felt that if she didn't take hold of this opportunity, her two lifetimes of experience would have gone to waste.
As she thought about it, ideas about how to conquer Youtan slowly took shape in her mind.
But Elara didn't rush. After forming a rough plan, she continued with what she originally intended to do: checking the current state of Marigold County.
In the past half-month while she was gone, many parts of the county, including buildings, factories, and marketplaces, had recovered significantly. Even the abandoned land outside the city that had once been taken over was largely restored.
Elara looked around the city, then went outside to check on the farmland.
From afar, she saw many craftsmen in temporary uniforms standing in the fields and talking as they observed.
They had the word "farm" embroidered on the left side of their uniforms, showing they were from the Ministry of Agriculture and Labor.
Elara looked at their uniforms and remembered that during her inspections at the gate and inside the city, many workers from different departments had similar embroidered characters, like "build" for the Construction Division and "trade" for the Commerce Division. Her idea to divide the Ministry of Works into separate parts was finally taking shape.
At that moment, the craftsmen were studying the surrounding farmland and pointing at the blueprints in their hands, discussing something. In front of them stood a three-meter-tall wheel-shaped structure.
That was what caught Elara's eye.
A waterwheel.
In just over half a month, these craftsmen she had promoted had really managed to build one based on her simple suggestions about agriculture.
The waterwheel slowly turned while the others watched, lifting water and sending it into the fields. From what she could see, it was already a functioning machine.
However, the faces of the Ministry of Agriculture and Labor workers showed slight dissatisfaction. Clearly, the wheel hadn't yet reached their ideal standards.
Elara stood behind them, amazed. Human intelligence was truly limitless. Whether in ancient or modern times, she had only mentioned the idea briefly, yet they actually made it happen.
The craftsmen surrounded the waterwheel and discussed for a long time. Eventually, one of them noticed Elara watching them from not far away. They all jumped, quickly putting away their blueprints and preparing to kneel and greet her.
"No need. Don't mind me. Just send someone to tell me what results you've achieved this past half-month."
"Yes, yes..."
Like those in other departments, most of these craftsmen had been promoted by Elara after the civil exam more than half a month ago.
They all felt deep gratitude toward her. Though they had heard stories of the princess being ruthless, after interacting with Elara in person, they realized she was nothing like the rumors.
They respected her, but they were not afraid of her.
So, when Elara told them not to kneel, they didn't insist. They returned to discussing their earlier topics while keeping an eye on her in case she needed anything.
Elara told them to find anyone who was free, and they didn't delay. Soon, a young craftsman with muddy hands and feet rushed over from the fields, helped along by a few attendants.
"Your Highness, I'm sorry to keep you waiting. Please forgive me!"
The young man was in his twenties, with plain but pleasant features. His clothes were covered in dirt, clearly just back from working in the field. When Elara looked at him, he shrank back a little, embarrassed.
Elara remembered him. She had personally assigned him to his position because of his talent and quick thinking in agriculture. During the civil exam, he had scored the highest in that area. She made him the head of the Agriculture and Labor Department to see how he would do.
And now it seemed like he was doing a great job.
"Your name is Riyoni, right?"
Riyoni froze, stunned that she remembered him. Then his eyes lit up with joy. "Yes! I—I am Riyoni!"
The princess remembered his name. Riyoni was so excited that he forgot to feel embarrassed about his messy appearance.
Elara nodded at him and pointed to the restored fields. "Take me around."
"Yes!" Since Elara remembered him, Riyoni stopped feeling nervous and confidently walked with her, proudly explaining the progress they had made in the past few weeks.
"Your Highness, we've already cleared the abandoned fields around the city. After General Kalyan and General Hector led the army to clear out the rebels, the land around Marigold County expanded a lot. Altogether, we now have around two hundred thousand acres. But because we're short on people and each acre needs to be turned and plowed again, only about one-third of that land is usable right now."
While he spoke, Riyoni looked a little cautious, worried that Elara might be displeased with the slow progress. But he still told her the truth, knowing that such a huge area couldn't be handled in just a few days.
Elara understood. She already thought it was impressive they had restored tens of thousands of acres in just a few weeks.
They had also built waterwheels. She was very satisfied.
Elara ignored Riyoni's nervousness and lightly patted his shoulder. "Not bad. Keep it up."
Instead of scolding, she encouraged him. Riyoni's face lit up again, and he confidently shared all the department's recent achievements.
"Your Highness! Although only part of the land is usable right now, we've found that the soil here is very fertile. Based on your previous ideas, we teamed up with the Construction Division to dig irrigation canals around the fields. We also built manure pits near the public restrooms. And several waterwheels have already been made. The one you saw earlier was just the first test model. After we improve it, we'll set up more and more waterwheels in this whole area!"
Riyoni continued speaking with excitement as he led Elara forward. "With waterwheels, we won't need to worry about irrigation anymore. Soon, we'll have all the remaining land restored and ready for farming!"
"Your Highness, we also bought the seeds already! Scholar Fu and Kristof went to Zhaiyun Market and picked them out themselves! Hehe! We checked them. They're all high-quality seeds, and the price was cheap too!"
The land is fertile, and it's the summer season now. As long as nothing unexpected happens, once the seeds are planted, there will be a huge harvest next year.
With over two hundred thousand acres of land, the crops will be more than enough to feed the entire city of Marigold County.
By then, the people of the county won't have to suffer from hunger anymore.
After so many years of famine, the people would finally get to live full and stable lives.
Elara listened to Riyoni's excited voice and nodded slowly while calculating things in her mind.
---
According to Riyoni's calculations, over two hundred thousand mu of land had to feed more than a hundred thousand people in the city. In Elara's view, this number was still far from enough. Every aspect of it fell short.
Ancient agricultural production methods were backward. Even if she provided some modern concepts for industry and farming, and construction designs, it couldn't make up for the limitations of the era itself.
Besides, Elara wasn't a farming expert. What she could offer was only basic knowledge. Without the guidebook System 92 promised, "The Complete Beginner's Guide to Ancient Farming," the agriculture in Marigold County would not see great improvements. That much land could only produce average results at best, never anything outstanding or groundbreaking. Unless...
She could find a miracle crop like potatoes.
But the biology of this world was quite different from Earth's. She didn't know if potatoes even existed here. Even if they did, they might look different and go by another name.
She didn't have the time or energy to search for it right now. Two battles were about to begin. Planning for defense and counterattacks was her top priority. Everything else could wait.
Still, the work of the Ministry of Industry and Agriculture was worth recognition and praise. Thanks to their current efforts, Marigold County's agricultural base could grow stronger. Even Plumera's agricultural recovery would have a solid foundation and valuable experience to build on.
Thinking of this, Elara suddenly turned to Riyoni. "Don't plant the seeds you bought just yet. First, focus on reclaiming the land and improving the soil. If you have to plant something, pick crops with long growth cycles and bury the seeds deeper."
There was going to be war. The gates of Marigold County might be covered in flames. If seeds were planted now, they would likely be trampled by enemy forces.
Riyoni froze for a moment, the excitement on his face fading. "Why... why is that, Princess?"
Elara looked at him without replying.
Riyoni seemed to realize something. His face turned pale and his eyes showed fear.
He had grown up in Plumera, always caught in war and chaos. He had long been familiar with the pain and fear that came with it.
Elara raised her hand and patted his shoulder, giving him a small smile. "Don't jump to conclusions. I'm here, and I won't leave until Marigold County is truly safe. As long as I'm here, you don't have to worry. Marigold County won't fall. Plumera won't fall either."
Her voice was clear and gentle like a young girl's. But looking at the golden‑robed girl in front of him, who only reached his chest, and seeing the calm expression on her face, Riyoni felt like all his fear melted away. His tense emotions slowly eased.
"S‑sorry, Princess." He was already in his twenties, while the princess was only sixteen. Yet she was the one who stayed calm and steady. It was a little embarrassing.
His face flushed slightly, but at the same time, he felt more determined.
Since the princess came to Marigold County, everything had changed. Soldiers of the Francis Army now guarded the gates daily. Generals Egbert and Hector led a growing force. Within the county, life had started to return. People were gathering again. Everyone could feel it. Marigold County was truly changing. It wouldn't go back to how it used to be.
The princess was personally staying here now. No matter what happened, they would not repeat their past.
Just as Elara and Riyoni returned to the city gates after checking the farmland, they heard a distant thunder of galloping horses.
Elara looked up and saw the towering figures of Generals Egbert and Hector riding at the front, side by side. Behind them was a massive group charging forward in clouds of dust.
"Princess!"
"Princess!"
As they approached, Generals Egbert and Hector leapt off their horses and landed precisely in front of her, both kneeling with fists clasped.
Behind them, several vice‑generals quickly dismounted and knelt. Then the thousands of soldiers followed, all kneeling in unison, shouting loudly:
"We greet the Princess!"
The voices of thousands shook the gates. The entire area echoed with their shout. The momentum was overwhelming.
Riyoni, standing behind Elara, saw this and let go of the last of his worry. From a distance, he bowed respectfully.
Elara stepped forward and helped Generals Egbert and Hector to their feet. She told the other soldiers to get up and return to their duties before asking the two generals about their situation.
"Princess, we've gathered eight thousand soldiers. Five thousand are locals and refugees. The other three thousand were captured during our recent raids on rebel forces."
Earlier, Elara had heard from Kristof and Riyoni that Generals Egbert and Hector had been out suppressing rebel groups. She asked, "Sounds like you've done a good job. You've already trained this many new recruits for real combat?"
General Egbert scratched the back of his head, looking a bit shy. Hector smiled beside him. "You praise us too much. The refugees have all been through hardship. As long as they have enough to eat and drink, they're full of strength. Plus, the Princess issued several policies to motivate them. Even just the chance to earn freedom from slavery pushes them to train hard. As for the captured rebels, once they knew they had a chance to redeem themselves, they worked even harder."
Hector finished, and General Egbert bowed slightly. "Hector's right. And before you left, Princess, you told us to train with the Francis Army. That gave the new soldiers great practice."
"A few days ago, when we saw they had the basics down, we took them to clear out the remaining rebel forces. This helped us remove nearby threats, gather supplies, rescue oppressed civilians, and let the new recruits experience real combat. That's the best way for them to learn."
Real combat was indeed the best training.
The stronger rebel groups around Marigold County had mostly been wiped out by General Qi. The remaining ones were perfect for practice. It was a win on all sides.
"So, what are your results so far?"
Both of them smiled. "In the past few days, we cleared out several nearby mountains and all the rebels within fifty li of the city. We reclaimed over a hundred thousand mu of land. Just today, we destroyed three rebel camps and brought back several carts of silver, hundreds of jin of grain, over a hundred prisoners, and more than two hundred rescued civilians."
"Excellent. Keep it up."
Elara patted both their shoulders and told them to walk with her into the city while continuing to talk.
Military strength was what Elara cared about most right now.
She had clearly chosen well in Generals Egbert and Hector. They were excellent at leading and training troops. Even when she was away, they had gathered over eight thousand new recruits and trained them well. Soon, they could even form a true elite force.
Elara listened to their report as they entered the city. When they asked about her own trip, she didn't hold back. "Don't worry. We found the iron mine. In a few days, shipments will start arriving. The smelting factory will reopen, and we'll build more to produce iron weapons on a large scale."
Generals Egbert and Hector had been satisfied with everything so far, except for the lack of iron weapons due to the shortage of iron.
They knew the princess had gone out to search for this. Hearing her say it was successful, both of them were excited. "Yes! Thank you, Princess! With enough iron weapons, the strength of our army will multiply again!"