Free Web NovelChapter 75: Prince Simon
After leading the ox for about an acre’s distance, Simon returned the ox to the soldier. By then, he was drenched in sweat. Primitive agriculture without modern machinery made both spring ploughing and autumn harvesting exhausting tasks.
Lancelot walked over, laughing heartily. "My Lord, I thought you were only skilled in archery and horsemanship. I didn’t expect you to be so adept at farm work, too." freewebnovel.cσ๓
Simon almost blurted out. "I used to do this often as a child." But caught himself and instead said. "What’s so difficult about it? I just learned from the soldiers."
Recalling his childhood in his previous life, Simon felt a pang of sadness. He had never known who his parents were and had grown up with the elderly woman who raised him. Sadly, she passed away a year after he started working.
It was perhaps because of this that he had little attachment to his past life and quickly adapted to this new world.
"Even so, Your Highness is probably the first prince in the Eldorian Empire to know how to plough a field." Lancelot chuckled, then changed the subject. "My Lord, the construction corps is doing well with farming during the agricultural season, but we also need to train during the off-season. What about the armour for the Brambleford army..."
Lancelot had been hesitant to bring this up earlier, but now he finally did.
Simon replied. "I’ll keep my promise. By the end of next month, the first batch of plate armour, crossbows, and long sabre will arrive at the army camp."
"Long sabre? Crossbows? Why not bows?" Lancelot was puzzled. Simon had promised to equip the Brambleford army, but the specifics were still unclear to him.
"It’s getting late today. Tomorrow, I’ll take you to see what a long sabre is." Simon said.
Lancelot’s face lit up with excitement. "Thank you, Your Highness!" The Brambleford army had been impoverished for so long that the mere mention of weapons and equipment made them as excited as wolves spotting prey.
After washing the mud off his legs in the Fjord River, Simon prepared to leave. As he stood up, he caught sight of a large shadow darting through the water.
Upon closer inspection, it was a massive carp. Following the carp was a large school of fish. The unpolluted natural environment allowed the fish population to thrive, evoking in Simon a sense of idyllic tranquillity, like the ’old man in a straw-hat fishing alone on a boat.’
Though he had been busy lately, Simon realized that some leisure was necessary. He wondered if he should ask Fjord to make him a fishing hook.
As he walked back to the castle, Simon pondered the importance of agriculture and animal husbandry. While farming was crucial, animal husbandry was an equally vital part of agriculture that had long been neglected.
Some argued that the lack of warhorses was due to the loss of horse-breeding lands, but the chaotic horse administration of the empire was also to blame.
From the recent incident of purchasing oxen, Simon also recognised the importance of animal husbandry.
Therefore, after farming, his next task for the production teams in each prefecture would be animal husbandry, cattle, sheep, mules, horses, chickens, fish, and pigs. None could be neglected.
Upon returning to the castle, Simon had a simple meal and was about to draft a policy on animal husbandry when Ysabeau approached him.
"My Lord, while you were away this afternoon, someone from prince Gerad arrived at the residence. They asked me to inform you that Prince Gerad will arrive in Brambleford in five days to pay you a visit."
"Prince Gerad is coming to visit me?" Simon felt as if he had just heard the biggest joke of his life.
This ’Uncle Gerad’ had never provided him with any substantial help since his arrival. Even three years ago, he had acted just like the local powerful families, gathering troops to defend his own borders without sending a single soldier to Simon’s domain.
Moreover, during the oxen purchase incident, he had played Simon for a fool, driving up the price and causing him to lose over a hundred thousand caps of silver.
Now, he was actually coming to visit?
After some thought, Simon realised that Prince Gerad’s visit was likely not as simple as it seemed. The merchant Lancelot had captured in Dunmere was still in the Brambleford prison.
The fact that Prince Gerad was arriving so quickly suggested that the merchant had a lot of valuable information. It was necessary to interrogate him.
Putting down his brush, Simon immediately sent someone to fetch Lancelot. They would interrogate the merchant that very night.
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Brambleford Prison
Located on a street adjacent to the army barracks, the Brambleford prison was under the jurisdiction of the Brambleford government office. Usually, criminals caught by the city’s constables were held here.
Because it was next to the Brambleford army’s garrison, few ever dared to plot jailbreaks. That was why Lancelot had dared to imprison the merchant here.
"My Lord, this is the merchant." The dim lantern light flickered in the damp corridor, filling the air with the stench of rot, spoiled food, and human waste.
Darrel was locked in the innermost cell. Unlike the other prisoners’ despondent looks, he appeared quite at ease, almost as if he could leave whenever he pleased.
"Darrel, you’re certainly enjoying yourself." Hearing Lancelot’s shout, Darrel slowly rose from his reclining position, walked to the cell door, and glanced at both Lancelot and Simon.
He cupped his hands in mock deference. "You must be Prince Simon. This humble merchant, Darrel, pays respects to Your Highness."
Simon studied him with interest. "How did you know I was Prince Simon?"
"In Brambleford City, there’s only one person that Captain Lancelot would follow so obediently, none other than Prince Simon."
Simon’s lips curled. "You have sharp eyes. Since you’re such a clever man, I’ll get straight to the point, are you smuggling warhorses under Prince Gerad’s orders? What exactly is Prince Gerad’s intention behind this operation?"
Darrel burst into laughter. "Your Highness, do you really think I’d risk offending Prince Gerad to tell you anything?"
"And you’re not afraid of offending me?"
"Forgive me for speaking bluntly, Your Highness, but do you truly believe, in His Majesty’s heart, you’re more important than Prince Gerad? If the emperor had to choose between you and Prince Gerad, who do you think he’d let live, the prince with wealth and soldiers, or the prince with a worthless domain?"
The hidden scorn in Darrel’s eyes was unmistakable. His arrogance enraged Lancelot, who lashed out with his whip, striking Darrel across the face. Blood trickled down his cheek.
"You dog! How dare you speak to His Highness like that? Even if your Gerad had three heads and six arms, I’d still cut him down!" Lancelot raised his whip for another strike, but Simon stopped him.
Darrel’s words were harsh, but not without truth. Alaric, the emperor, always prioritised profit. If Simon ever became a liability, his father wouldn’t hesitate to abandon him.
By mentioning the emperor, Darrel had already exposed the deeper scheme behind this smuggling ring.
"So, this horse-smuggling operation is secretly authorised by my father, isn’t it?"
