"Master, are you planning to relocate the cities?" Mina asked, looking at the icons drawn on the map in astonishment.
"This is a good place to build a city." Lucas nodded, looking at the several points circled on the map. These were the places the future railway lines would pass through.
If the railway were to connect to other cities, it would have to take at least a few detours. They really couldn't afford to waste resources like that in the early stages; it would be much more practical to just relocate the surrounding small cities.
Moreover, the terrain of the surrounding small cities was extremely barren, not a good place for development.
The circled areas for city-building were suitable for large-scale grain cultivation and would become important granaries in the future. In a few years, they could feed at least several million people.
Lucas estimated the current population of the Siacan Kingdom to be only around ten million. Compared to the massive landmass of the entire kingdom, this could be considered extremely sparse.
A large granary capable of feeding millions was enough for Lucas to start laying out his plans now. The transportation network definitely needed to be smooth so that the grain could be transported across the whole country.
"Will the commoners be willing to move there?" Mina asked hesitantly. Building a city required a massive population; a city couldn't be built without people.
"If there are benefits, people will be willing to move." Lucas planned to slowly attract people by setting up markets.
Besides, the road he had people building led right there. When traveling merchants took this route, there were no places for them to rest nearby. He would set up a relay station for people to rest, and then reclaim wasteland for farming around it. Signs of human habitation would naturally draw people in.
"Are we starting now?" Mina asked.
"There's no rush. Let's wait until the road is built to that point," Lucas shook his head. The population was still too small.
The next step of the plan was just beginning. Those nobles were just starting to take the bait, and he still couldn't completely control them. He had to wait a while until he had them firmly under his thumb before he could let loose and implement major reforms.
Furthermore, grain was still too scarce. Once the autumn harvest arrived, he could use grain to attract people to help with the work, just like in Sedona City last autumn—paying wages with grain.
"Master, Master..."
Suddenly, Annie's loud shouts and cries echoed from outside the study.
The study door was violently pushed open. Annie rushed in, her face smudged with dirt, clutching a bamboo basket in her arms.
"What's wrong?" Lucas looked at the rushing fox-eared girl in astonishment.
"Master, the potatoes yield over 44,400 lbs per acre!" Annie shouted loudly.
"Uh..." Lucas blanked for a moment before reacting and asking, "The potatoes have been dug up?"
"We've only dug up about 1.65 acres for now." Annie set down the bamboo basket, taking out two potatoes with her left and right hands. Her fox ears twitched as she asked, "Master, can this really be eaten?"
This morning, following the Master's instructions, she had gone out to dig potatoes. She hadn't expected to be so shocked by the harvest. Who would dare believe that from digging 1.65 acres of land, the average yield of potatoes per 44,400 lbs per acre? This was vastly more than planting wheat.
With a yield like this, once potatoes were promoted, it meant people would no longer have to starve to death.
"Of course it can. At noon, have Nicole whip up a few dishes to try," Lucas said softly.
A yield of around 44,400 lbs per acre was entirely expected. If it weren't for the lack of fertilizer, the yield could have been pushed even higher.
"Master, when do we plant the second season?" Annie asked eagerly. Digging up the potatoes would only take a few days. If they planted the second season, they could harvest again in the autumn.
This year's grain supply, relying solely on potatoes, would be enough to comfortably survive a good winter, not to mention they also had sweet potatoes, rice, wheat, and corn.
"That potato patch will be replanted with corn. We can't plant potatoes there again," Lucas shook his head.
The climate in the western lands was extremely suitable for growing grain. If it weren't for the cold currents in winter, they could even harvest three crops a year.
"Ah? We're not planting potatoes anymore? When the yield is this huge?" Annie was a bit bewildered.
"We'll plant them, just in a different place," Lucas said softly. How could they possibly stop planting potatoes?
Potatoes were a crucial crop he planned to heavily promote in the future. He could lack anything, but he absolutely could not lack potatoes.
"Plant in a different place?" Annie blinked her brown eyes.
"Yes, this entire area can be planted with potatoes," Lucas pointed at the map.
The area he had circled happened to encompass Riverden City as well, and the water source there was sufficient.
"Riverden City?" Annie looked down at the map, lost in thought. After a good while, she finally said, "Master, are we rolling out the potatoes that quickly?"
She had thought of many implications. If the potatoes were leaked and acquired by hostile factions, it would cause them a lot of trouble.
"It's about time. After the autumn harvest, winter will arrive. If others want to plant them, they'll have to wait until next year. By then, it won't matter anymore," Lucas said dismissively.
With his current confidentiality measures, he wasn't afraid of the potato yields leaking out. For now, to some people, this was just another type of food; they wouldn't think of it as being better than wheat.
Moreover, by next year, Lucas would be the one calling the shots in the Siacan Kingdom. At that time, he would take the initiative to promote them himself. A comprehensive nationwide rollout would take at least a few years anyway.
"That makes sense," Annie suddenly realized.
"I will give you a thousand men. The only requirement is to reclaim wasteland and farm the land," Lucas said seriously. The majority of this first batch of potatoes would be kept as seeds; they wouldn't be eaten entirely.
"Are we starting from Moth City as the origin point?" Annie looked at the map and asked.
"No, about ten kilometers offset from Moth City. We'll start from this section. The road has already been built up to here, so it's perfect for building a resting relay station," Lucas pointed to a spot on the map several dozen kilometers away from Sedona City.
The distance was exactly the furthest point the soldiers of Sedona City patrolled. There was no longer any need for Moth City to exist. The place Lucas pointed to could eventually develop into a small town.
And the thousand people reclaiming the wasteland would also settle down there in the future.
Lucas's current actions were subtly adjusting the population distribution and redrawing the living territories of the commoners.
"Understood." Annie nodded, seemingly understanding but not completely.
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