Munitions Empire

Moist air carried the fragrance of the earth. Across the fields, busy figures bustled about.

Although a few months ago it had been a continuous drizzle, this year turned out to be a good one for many places.

Harvest. To a farmer, that meant happiness. To have worked hard all year and then to reap the rewards from the ridges of the fields signified a beautiful beginning to everything.

If one only looked here, one might believe the world was completely at peace. If one only looked here, it seemed as if war had long since faded away.

Owing to its early rise as an Industrial Nation, the agriculture in Tang Country grew even more advanced. Not only were there no burdensome taxes or miscellaneous levies here, but there were also considerable agricultural subsidies.

With the absence of the landlord class and the nobility to exploit them, the farmers of Tang Country earned significantly more than their counterparts in other countries. This encouraged an unprecedented enthusiasm for farming among them, fulfilling self-sufficiency.

Vast lands brought their own advantages. Although certain areas of Tang Country suffered disasters, others benefited from unprecedented harvests thanks to the moist seasons of spring and summer.

The agricultural technology of Tang Country, especially in grain breeding and chemical fertilizers, was unmatched by any other country, which naturally led to an increase in food production.

With the introduction of chemical fertilizers like urea, increased per acre yields were an inevitable outcome. Paired with improved seed varieties, the people of Tang no longer depended entirely on the whim of the weather for their sustenance.

So even if many places in the Southern Region experienced crop failures, the grain production in the Northern Region of Tang Country still ensured the entire nation's food security remained unaffected.

The farmers of the Northern Region, who already received food subsidies, lived very prosperously this year, which further solidified their support for the Great Tang Kingdom that had only ruled here for three years.

Compared to the former Qi Country, Tang Country was better in every respect, and the populace, having enjoyed the benefits, made the most pragmatic decision.

Over fields brimming with golden wheat ears, a train loaded with oil barrels traveled slowly northward. Its destination was Beiyuan City. Recently, there had been many such tankers, and the local farmers were no longer surprised by them.

A young official walked barefoot in the fields, wearing a straw hat that made him look no different from the farmers beside him.

But the locals all knew that he was an administrative official, a "big officer" in charge of several nearby villages.

It was this official who had brought new varieties of seeds that allowed everyone to increase their incomes and have a good year just last year.

Poor families that used to live on debt now had a little in savings. Everyone gratefully addressed the young man as "Your Honor."

"Make sure to accurately count the number of ducks and chickens in each household. This part is tax-exempt, so there's no need to conceal anything!" the young man instructed as he walked along the field ridges, addressing the village chief who followed him.

He was here on inspection. As an administrative official, he needed to understand the grain production and details of the people's livelihood in his jurisdiction; otherwise, he wouldn't pass the annual assessment.

Mediocre officials had no future in the Great Tang Kingdom. Anyone with even minimal expectations for their career would not be content merely sitting in their office, reading reports that sung praises.

"Yes, I understand," the village chief responded with great respect for the administrative official. Even though he had once been an official in Zheng Country, the young man in front of him was much more professional in local governance.

The gap between the Old Bureaucrats and the new officials was immense, with stark differences in their selection systems and educational content. In the eyes of the Old Bureaucrats, the modern administrative officials of Tang Country seemed more like clerks than high-ranking officers.

These young officials had been trained in highly mechanized, targeted governance approaches: they knew the tricks of borrowing money for road construction, increasing land output, and enhancing the happiness of the people—belonging to the hands-on, industrious faction.

Their methods of managing the populace were simple and direct: those who complied received benefits and money, while those who didn't were left behind, forced to watch others become prosperous.

These theories, combined with the resettlement of cautious and nervous migrant peasant refugees from afar, forged the orderly society at the grass-roots level of Great Tang today.

Destitute refugees from afar, without any background, had to comply with the arrangements of Tang officials in order to be settled and receive basic living supplies, making obedience a necessity.

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Then, because of their obedience to commands, they reaped benefits and became prosperous—so they became even more convinced by the officials who commanded them and more supportive of the Kingdom.

This created a virtuous cycle; as two or three years passed, with living standards continually improving, the people increasingly conformed to the management system of Tang Country.

Because they trusted the officials, the people almost unconditionally cooperated with the officials' policies, and with the collective effort and concerted action, the outcomes of the officials' plans and decisions improved significantly.

Because of their support for the nation, the people were even willing to temporarily forsake their immediate interests, choosing to trust their country and wait for the better promises it would give them.

Therefore, when they heard about disasters occurring in the Southern Region, the Northern Region immediately provided massive amounts of food supplies to support their brothers.

It was also because these common folks identified with their identity as Tang People that they enthusiastically enlisted in the military when war broke out, suddenly increasing the military strength of Tang Country from several hundred thousand to the million-level.

"The pastoral areas in the North have also seen an increase in cattle and sheep yields this year, so the prices should fluctuate downwards. If there is a surplus, we can make some purchases to improve everyone's meals," the executive official bent down, touched the full grains, and nodded in satisfaction.

"How could that be?" remarked the village chief, taken aback by the young man's words, then hurriedly waved his hands to explain, "Sir, instead of that, why not distribute the surplus to let each family manage their own expenses?"

"Wouldn't collective purchase be cheaper? This way, we could distribute quite a bit more…" The young man paused, apparently realizing something, then continued, asking, "Is there something wrong with my idea?"

"The subordinate does not dare to criticize your decision, sir. However, the subordinate believes that such a bountiful harvest is rare. If we do not save some, I fear in the event of a disaster like what happened in the South, the people might…" The village chief quickly explained.

The young man nodded, realizing his idea had been a bit too idealistic—although procuring a batch of cattle and sheep meat would allow the people to celebrate a good year, indeed, distributing money might be more tangible.

Immediately he accepted the village chief's suggestion, after all, the Zheng Country officials were indeed mediocre, but in terms of living through hard times and being down-to-earth, they were far better than himself, a parachuted executive official: "You're right, distributing the surplus is the correct approach."

"Purchasing should still be focused on salt, initially satisfying people's hunger. With a surplus, only then can we stabilize the public's heart," he said, praising the village chief who followed behind, "I heard you used to be a City Lord, you have a lot more experience than me."

"Your subordinate wasted many years and never cared for the common folk, truly shameful. Now, being able to work under your excellency is a redemption for past wrongdoings. Your subordinate doesn't seek to benefit the community… just to live the rest of my life without guilt…" The village chief, who was certainly past fifty, said with a look of shame.

"Recognizing and correcting mistakes is what matters. Cherish this opportunity and do not make the same mistakes. Because next time, you won't be an official of Zheng Country. You've studied the standards of punishment for Tang Country officials," the young executive warned, then continued, "Your evaluation for this year is roughly Grade A-Four, which is quite good. Keep it up."

"Your subordinate is ashamed; your subordinate thanks you, my lord," the village chief, his face lighting up with joy, immediately expressed his gratitude.

You must know that obtaining a Grade-A official evaluation isn't easy. For a local official, an evaluation like this is an affirmation, with corresponding rewards at the end of the year.

"You really should thank me... I'm only a Grade B-One!" laughed the young executive as he continued forward, "Didn't you say the village just dug a new fishpond? That's good news! Let's go and take a look!"

"Yes! Your subordinate will lead the way for you right away! Speaking of that Liu Laosi who dug the fishpond, he's a clever one. He saw others doing it on his travels and thought to give it a try..." The village chief promptly quickened his steps and led the way.

"Good initiative! If the common people are willing to think innovatively, we must support them! For technical matters, consult the agricultural aid team often; we absolutely cannot let those daring to experiment end up losing everything," the executive official instructed from behind.

"Absolutely! Of course! Speaking of that, your subordinate really admires those officials in the aid team; they seem to understand everything. They helped design Liu Laosi's fishpond and even sourced fry for him. One person even moved in beside the fishpond, watching over the fry day and night, more diligently than Liu Laosi himself," the village chief said with a hint of admiration in his voice.

"I bet by next year, Liu Laosi will be the wealthiest household in your village," the executive official said, familiar with this process and somewhat wistful.

Naturally, he had experience in this area; whether in Brunas or on Dragon Island, those first to abandon traditional farming would become richer faster. With a desire for change and the technical support of Tang Country officials, they could avoid most risks and naturally profit more.

"Then next year our entire village will dig fishponds..." the village chief resolved immediately.

"Slow down! You have to ensure your village meets grain production targets; otherwise, even if you let every household in your village buy a car, the highest evaluation you can get is still Grade B!" the young executive promptly warned, "I'm putting it out there, if you don't meet next year's targets, your A-Four will drop to B-Four!"

"How could that be, how could that be!" The village chief, embarrassed, scratched his head and continued to lead the way with a smile.

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