Chapter 182 Year-End Summary

The open-pit mining went very smoothly. Richard mobilized hundreds of strong slaves and could mine 500 tons of coal a day.

It was difficult to transport coal to castles such as the military station fort, Sophia Castle, Vick Castle, and Iron Mountain Castle.

Richard could only cross mountains and ridges with a wheelbarrow. Fortunately, the farthest distance between these castles and the coal mine was only 60 to 70 kilometers, which was not too far.

Despite this, the transportation cost was quite considerable.

Because the threshold for coal mining was very low, in order to prevent private mining, Richard formulated strict laws. Anyone found to be mining illegally would be fined ten times.

If you don't have money, you have to sign a contract and become a contract slave to pay back the money.

The income from the coal mine is part of the fiscal revenue of the territory. Anyone who dares to poach from it will make things difficult for Richard.

Time passed slowly and entered December.

Richard once again summoned officials in the territory to make a year-end summary.

In addition to last year's participants, there were also two newcomers, Flora and Otto, who attended this year's meeting.

Flora is in charge of the territory's education and serves as the principal of Riverbank Primary School.

Otto is the judge of the territory. He is followed by several underage students who learn law from Otto, recite the code, and are assistant judges around Otto.

Most of the laws of the Harland territory follow the Grant Kingdom Code.

However, Richard believes that many laws in the Grant Kingdom Code have problems. The management of citizens is too lenient and too strict, and the enforcement is selective, which is not fair at all.

The state is a tool of the ruling class, the army is a violent machine of the ruling class, and the law is the embodiment of the will of the ruling class.

Richard knew this when he was in middle school.

And Otto studied law for thirty years before he gradually figured out the mystery behind the law.

Because he was more lenient in governing the people, Otto was also more tolerant when judging, and would not copy the code and execute people who made mistakes for minor crimes.

In the cases judged by Otto, except for vicious cases such as murder, injury, robbery, and rape, the death penalty will be imposed.

Generally, for minor cases such as theft, fighting, and property damage, a fine will be chosen.

If there is no money, you will be sentenced to sign a short-term slave contract until the compensation is paid off.

Otto is responsible for managing the law, and his younger brother Roger was appointed by Richard as the civil affairs officer of the territory, responsible for managing most of the civil affairs of the territory.

Because the fruit wine sells well, the industry managed by Mrs. Ola has a net profit of 1,200 gold coins this year, which is a little more than last year.

Although the fruit wine has only been brewed for more than three months, it has brought a lot of profit. Together with the liquor industry, this year's income is 13,000.

The output value of the brown sugar plantation this year has exceeded 500 gold coins. Sales are far from saturated and are still developing rapidly. The output value next year will exceed 800 gold coins.

Brick kilns, lime kilns, wood distillation kilns, and coke kilns do not have many orders this year. The territory does not sell cement and coke to the outside world. This year, the income and expenditure are barely balanced, and there is not much money made.

The glass kiln has developed well. It not only competes with the glass kiln controlled by Viscount Romen for the market, but also opens up new markets by manufacturing high-end fruit wine. This year's net profit has reached 400 gold coins.

As the technology of glass burning in the territory continues to improve, Richard decided to end the excess profit next year, reduce the price of glass by half, continue to compete with Viscount Romen for the market, and open a fruit canning factory in the summer to manufacture new products and promote new industries.

Even if the canned fruit just produced has no market, Richard will stabilize the order through military procurement contracts to support the development of this new industry.

Coal mining is a new industry in the territory this year. After only three months of coal mining, the output value has reached 600 gold coins. As the population increases and the free people become richer and richer, this industry will continue to develop.

The Zitou Peak industry in the territory has restored the heyday of the Stopa family this year. The output value of honey has reached 2,000 and royal jelly has reached 1,000.

Zitou Peak royal jelly is one of the main materials for refining second-level healing potions.

Richard exchanged the formula of the second-level healing potion from the Dawn Church, and after giving it to Sofia, he successfully refined a batch of healing potions.

Richard did not exchange this year's royal jelly for gold coins.

He even spent the money from selling honey to buy other materials for refining healing potions, and gave them to Sofia to refine healing potions.

This batch of healing potions was basically used to treat the wounded.

In addition to liquor, the largest industries in the territory are food and steel.

This year's steel production is still increasing. Because of the war, the steel business is particularly good, and the annual net profit has reached 18,000 gold coins, almost double that of last year.

The reason why Richard was able to expand ten squadrons of recruits in one go is entirely because he has money this year.

The recruits have not made any military achievements, and they are still contract slaves for the time being, so they don't need to be paid. But the clothes worn by the recruits, the weapons and armor they use, and the golden drums and flags in the barracks all cost money.

Eating, drinking, defecating, and daily training also cost money.

Most of the soldiers in the ten old infantry squadrons and cavalry battalions in the territory have made military achievements this year and become free citizens.

There are nearly 1,500 veterans, and together with officers, the annual salary exceeds 15,000.

In addition, the hundreds of soldiers who were disabled or killed in battle need pensions, and this year's pension expenditure, including supplies, has reached 2,000.

The food expenses for more than 3,000 soldiers are also a lot of money.

Because the training is intense, it is also necessary to repair the breathing method, and nutrition cannot be lacking.

A soldier needs two kilograms of food and one kilogram of meat every day on average, plus the cost of fuel, salt, condiments, and pickles. The food he eats is much better than that of ordinary people, and it costs three copper coins a day.

That's three silver coins a month, and three gold coins for twelve months a year.

Of course, you can also cut costs on food, but soldiers with malnutrition simply cannot practice breathing techniques or exercise every day.

The Mad Lion Corps, where Richard once served, spent two gold coins and four silver coins on food for each soldier every year.

Even if there is some embezzlement in logistics, it is basically not much different.

The soldiers in the Harland Territory eat better than the main legion, and there is no shortage of meat every day. The lambs saved by thousands of sheep-headed people are all cheap for the rough men in the army.

Although the new recruits have been in the army for less than a year, the investment in supporting the army this year has exceeded 10,000 gold coins.

This year's grain harvest is still good. Although it has experienced war, there has been no war in the Harland Territory.

Last year, the population that poured into the territory opened up 12,000 hectares of dry land this year, which is equivalent to 180,000 mu.

Even though dry land depends on the weather for food, this year the goddess of dawn has given a reward, and the territory's grain output has reached 18,000 tons.

If all this grain is sold, it can earn 36,000 gold coins.

It is impossible to sell the grain. More than 50,000 people need to be fed, which requires 12,000 tons of grain.

The remaining 6,000 tons of grain need to be brewed into liquor and used as reserve grain to prevent disasters.

Because there are more than 3,000 soldiers and the army is a gold-eating beast, although this year's income is very high, exceeding 30,000 gold coins, which can be called explosive growth, Richard still does not have much cash in his hands.

The surplus at the end of the year is less than 3,000 gold coins, just enough to pay off Mrs. Aura's debt.

There will be no war next year, and steel sales will definitely drop sharply, and the army's expenditure will increase. If Richard wants to avoid a deficit, he must find a way to continue to make money.