The World Online

Back inside the manor, Ouyang Shuo headed into the administrative offices on the east side.

He first handed the five building blueprints he had just purchased to Zhao Dewang at the Construction Division. He told him to get some people while the walls were being built to go and upgrade these five buildings.

Then, he looked for Gu Xiuwen, asking him to come to his office, he had something to arrange.

Gu Xiuwen had just been told he was being transferred from the Household Registration Office this morning. Hearing Ouyang Shuo calls for him, he knew that he was being given a new task.

At the mayor’s office, Ouyang Shuo had Xiuwen sit down and smiled at him. “Xiuwen, you have had a very good performance during this time of difficulty with the errands you have done. I have seen all this, and now I have a more difficult task to give you, do you have the confidence?”

“Whatever the lord commands, I will make sure it is done!”

Ouyang Shuo nodded with satisfaction, exclaiming, “Well, there is a need for such boldness! That matter is thus: Since the village has upgraded to a township, you can build an affiliated village. The area of the territory has expanded, the mountains to the north are now formally a part of the territory. This will provide the salt pans workers a safe place, and save them from coming back and forth between Shanhai and the fields. I have decided that this first subsidiary village will be built near the salt pans and will be dedicated to the salt field workers.”

“The lord is generous, any questions the salt workers have about your grace have been answered!” Gu Xiuwen said earnestly.

Ouyang Shuo waved his hand. “The northern salt pans will be the golden industry of the territory for a very long time. The salt workers spend all day in the wind and sun, continuing to create benefits for the territory which gives them a stable home. This is the meaning of the new village! I need a responsible village head. I intend to recommend you. Are you willing to suffer living on the beach?”

Although his heart was prepared, Gu Xiuwen was still very excited, saying rather incoherently, “It is an honor to serve under your lead, Xiuwen will even die without a word.”

“I am ready to name the village the Beihai Village, mainly to serve as our northern branch and cater to the salt fields. However, the absolute role of Beihai Village is not limited to this. In the future, it will be the only port city of the territory, the window of our territorial trade, and so its importance cannot be underestimated,” Ouyang Shuo explained firmly.

Gu Xiuwen nodded his head, feeling the responsibility coming down on him, and said, “For this Beihai Village, does the lord have any starting orders?”

“My first thought is that Beihai Village will be built in direct accordance with grade 3 village standards. As for the population, all 250 existing salt workers will be under its jurisdiction. In addition, every Shanhai division will deploy one or two low-level officials to help you build the administrative structure of Beihai, and all the talents of Shanhai should send at least one apprentice there to get started. Shanhai has four blacksmiths, one should be sent over to you. Finally, the territory will supply you enough basic materials to deal with the materials needed for construction,” Ouyang Shuo told him, dispelling any of Xiuwen’s concerns.

The conditions of Beihai Village were not the same as Shanhai, which was basically built by pioneering tactics. This was the advantage of a subsidiary village. With early support and administrators, it could develop very quickly. More importantly, as long as the base town had buildings, there was no need for building blueprints in the affiliated villages. That saved a ton of money.

With these promises from Ouyang Shuo, Xiuwen was emboldened. He said firmly, “With such unique conditions, we are sure to build a Beihai Village worthy of the lord’s confidence.”

“You have to remember your long-term plan for construction of the port location, where to build the village, it is better to be located somewhere suitable for a big port.” Ouyang Shuo told him.

“In addition, although the salt pans have not been affected by bandits or pirates, we will have to prevent that. After we begin, I am not just concerned about the people’s livelihood, but also forming a defense force as soon as possible. I will be deploying a sergeant from the cavalry squadron to help you.”

Xiuwen nodded, motioning to himself to remember this.

With this general situation almost done, Ouyang Shuo rose and smiled at Xiuwen. “Come, go with me to get the Village Creation Token.”

Ouyang Shuo went with a puzzled-looking Gu Xiuwen into the central meeting hall. There was a hum as the golden heartstone of the Township rose from the floor, its flat front facing Ouyang Shuo.

He put his hand on the face of the stone, in his heart mentioning the affiliated village, and the system prompts sounded immediately.

“System Notice: Shanhai Town belongs to a Grade 1 Township, and has a quota for 1 affiliated village. Would you like to use it?”

“Yes!”

“System Notice: Shanhai Town was built using a gold level token, affiliated villages will use a build token one level lower, a silver token. Dispense now?”

“Yes!”

The white light flashed on the golden heartstone, slowly congealing and falling into the hands of Ouyang Shuo, turning into a silver village token.

Ouyang Shuo took the opportunity to check the properties of the Silver Village Creation Token.

Name: Village Creation Token (Silver)

Features: 50% increase in attracting immigrants; 16% increase in attracting special talents; 40% increase in crop production; 16% increase in skilled worker productivity; 16% increase in military promotion.

Evaluation: A unique item, cannot be dropped, untradeable.

The characteristics of a silver village were only 80% of a gold village, with fewer exclusive features. Even so, it was still a very rare village token. In all of China, including the Six Tyrants of Handan, there were no more than ten silver villages.

In accordance with the system’s rules, building an affiliated village automatically reduced the new village by 1 grade, and each territory could have up to three affiliated villages. Of course, occupying the territories of other Lords was not part of this limit.

When subordinate villages were upgraded to townships, each of them can have three of their own subsidiary villages. Of course, in order to do so, the main territory would have to be upgraded to a grade 1 city. Similarly, the grade of the subsidiary villages of the affiliated towns would also drop a grade, and so on and so forth, down to the bronze level, where they would drop no further.

In other words, Shanhai Town had three silver village tokens. Out of those villages, when they became towns they could set up nine black-iron grade villages.

The power of Shanhai being gold ranked could be seen to have a far-reaching impact. He had the only one in China, a gold level token built the town of Shanhai, and it would have a deep effect on the heritage of the rest.

Ouyang Shuo nodded with satisfaction at all of this and handed the token over to Gu Xiuwen with a smile. “I have created the conditions for you. In the end, what becomes of Beihai Village will depend on you! Do not let me down.”

Xiuwen nodded silently as he received the token, choking as he said, “Sire, you can rest assured!”

“As for the selection of which government officers, talents and skilled apprentices to take, you served a long time as the Household Registration Officer, you should be more clear on them than I, and directly hold my hand to pick people! I will go with you to the Material Reserves Department and barracks tomorrow to coordinate things, you can start with the rest now!” Ouyang Shuo patted Xiuwen’s shoulder, speaking easily.

Watching Xiuwen walking out of the chamber with the token in his hand, Ouyang Shuo muttered, “Xiuwen, perhaps you do not even know what kind of opportunity this is, do not let me down on this!”

After that, Ouyang Shuo called Tian Wenjing and Du Xiaolan to his office. “Perhaps you have heard that the former Household Registration Officer Gu Xiuwen is about to go to the northern salt pans to open up a new village for the territory. Therefore, I have two matters.

“After the establishment of Beihai Village, the salt pans will accept the dual leadership of the Salt Pan Division and Beihai Village. All existing salt workers will be transferred into Beihai villagers and new salt workers will be placed on the preferred list for Beihai Village. Prior to this, I think it is necessary to have a clear definition of both of your duties.

“Beihai Village is mainly responsible for the protection and lives of the salt workers, while the Salt Pan Division is mainly responsible for salt production planning and salt storage, transportation, sale, and so forth. I hope that the Salt Pan Division and Beihai Village will work in coordination, with mutual help, not infighting.

“In addition, the Finance Department has also proposed expanding the scale of the salt pans in the morning meeting. I agree with this proposal. I suggest beginning the third phase of this project, using a month to scale up to two thousand mu.

“The second thing is regarding on helping out with the building of Beihai village. The Material Reserves Department needs to do two things well. Firstly, open the meat shops, grain shops, and garment shops over at Beihai village as early as possible so that residents can buy their living supplies conveniently. Next, prepare a large amount of wood, stone, and iron ore, and transport it by boat to Beihai to support the construction of the village. Beihai is out by the sea, and there is no wood there. They may be able to slowly and independently mine stone and iron, but they will need support in wood resources to meet the needs of the grade 3 village upgrade requirements.”

Tian Wenjing nodded and said, “Sire, rest assured that the Material Reserves Department will cooperate with the village head to increase the strength of the territory. In addition, at this time the Material Reserves Department will also arrange for effective government officials to go to Beihai and establish a Material Reserves Department to work with the village head there.”

“You have eased my worries!” Ouyang Shuo nodded, getting up and sending them off.