Chapter 25

The news that Tang En revealed was so attractive to dwarves that one could tell from Brian's reaction.

Although Tang En didn't say anything specific, the little bit he mentioned in passing was enough to open a new world for Brian.

Originally planning to leave the next day, Brian suddenly changed his mind. He felt that instead of traveling to other places, he might as well stay in Ellington.

Who knows, Tang En might give him other surprises!

"Stay and help me?"

Tang En looked surprised, then waved his hands repeatedly, "How could I let you do that? No need, really, no need! You are a dwarf... uh, yes, a dwarf! Ellington has a blacksmith; I can find him if I need anything, it's the same."

What a sly little guy!

Brian cursed in his heart, taking advantage of the situation and still putting on a show!

"How could it be the same!?"

Brian pointed to himself, proudly saying, "Not to boast, but my forging skills are among the best even among dwarves! As long as you can describe it, I can forge it for you! And the quality will be top-notch!"

In fact, Brian wasn't boasting. A dwarf blacksmith is always highly sought after, so his willingness to stay in Ellington was a great deal for Tang En.

It was just that this guy didn't bite at first, and Tang En had to dangle some real bait to get him interested, which made Tang En a bit annoyed, so he deliberately played with his appetite.

For a race passionate about forging, nothing is more attractive than a new, more durable material.

So Tang En was very confident he could keep Brian.

"Really?" Tang En looked at Brian with great doubt.

Brian patted his chest, "Of course it's true!"

"I hope you don't regret it later."

Tang En had a strange expression, indicating he accepted Brian.

Many of the things he had in mind couldn't be made now because this world lacked the most basic industrial system, and everything had to start from scratch. Brian's forging skills, combined with his alchemy techniques, were the foundation of everything.

He would start from zero, defining units and standards, and here he would be the founder of everything.

The next day, after getting up, Tang En stood in front of the washbasin, looking very conflicted.

It was the third day since he arrived in Plandar, and he hadn't brushed his teeth for two days...

This world had no toothbrushes, no soap, and washing the face was just rinsing with water. There was no difference between nobles and commoners; some might add petals to the water for luxury.

Fortunately, the people of Plandar weren't like those in medieval Europe, who might go months or even a lifetime without bathing. The people here were quite clean, and with the clear Emerald River nearby, they could always get fresh, sweet water, so the people of Ellington didn't have any unpleasant odors.

"I'll make toothbrushes, toothpaste, and soap in the next two days... I remember that horsetail can be used to make toothbrushes, and toothpaste can be made by mixing gypsum, fat, and salt. For soap, I vaguely remember that boiling animal fat with wood ash works... Well, I have a general idea, so I should be able to make them."

After washing his face and having the maid bring some salt for rinsing his mouth, he tidied up a bit and went downstairs.

"Big brother!"

As soon as he went downstairs, he heard the clear voice of the little girl. Tang En was taken aback and smiled, "Ilia is here."

Tang En had a deep impression of Ilia. This little girl was a rare magic affinity, and if she were nurtured, she would definitely become a powerful mage. Tang En wouldn't let such talent go.

"Lord."

Elsa said apologetically, "Ilia insisted on coming to thank you for saving her. Did she disturb your rest?"

"No, no."

Tang En waved his hand, squatted down, and picked up Ilia, smiling, "The bad guys are gone now, so you don't need to be afraid anymore, right?"

"Uh-huh!"

Ilia happily put a grass ring on Tang En's head, "Big brother, I made this. It smells really good, I'm giving it to you."

"Hmm... this smell?"

Tang En was taken aback. Wasn't this mint? Did Ellington produce mint?

"Ilia, don't be silly, how can the lord wear such a thing!"

Elsa was worried that Ilia might upset Tang En and quickly stopped her.

"No, it's fine, I'm very happy."

Tang En smiled, "Ilia, where did you find this mint?"

"Mint?"

Ilia was confused for a moment, then realized when Tang En pointed to the grass ring, "Oh, so this grass is called mint. It's by the river, there's a lot of it."

"Mint?"

Elsa was also taken aback. She had seen this grass before; it had a unique smell, but it didn't seem to have a name. Adventurers had once called it "eye-catching grass," but it was forgotten later.

"Can you show me?"

Seeing the mint, Tang En instantly had many ideas. Mint had many uses, not only as a flavoring additive but also for food and medicine. The toothpaste and soap he wanted to make could also have some mint essence added to make the smell more fragrant.

Ilia nodded without hesitation.

Elsa and Ilia had already eaten breakfast. When Tang En finished his breakfast and was about to go out, Fiona appeared in front of him.

"You're going out?"

Fiona frowned, "There's a pile of things waiting for you to decide at the lord's residence. Why are you going out?"

Tang En said with a sense of righteousness, "Of course, for the future of Ellington. If I don't know my own territory, how can I talk about development?"

"That makes sense."

Fiona nodded, "Then I'll go with you. I can check the farmland of Ellington while we're out."

So Fiona joined the group.

After instructing the maid to collect some horsetail, they walked out of the door and headed directly to the outskirts of the town. Along the way, Tang En kept observing the surroundings, shaking his head and sighing.

Although he hadn't studied urban planning, he knew that the layout of Ellington was terrible. The buildings were haphazard, with no unified plan, and there was no underground drainage system or public lighting.

Tang En planned to completely rebuild Ellington—since the current scale of buildings was not large, the cost of reconstruction would be low and within acceptable limits.

Moreover, as the lord, his orders would be followed by everyone, and he didn't have to worry about opposition.

Rebuilding Ellington could also inject vitality into the town and give everyone something to do.

In short, it was a win-win situation.

After silently re-planning Ellington in his mind, the group had already reached the edge of the farmland.

"The farmland of Ellington is not small, but due to the influence of Bak and others, a large part of it has been abandoned and not cultivated. If we mobilize the people, we can still make use of this land and catch up with the harvest."

Tang En thought for a moment and said, "Then we'll mobilize them. I'll announce that anyone who cultivates new farmland will be exempt from taxes on the new land's harvest this year, and the tax will be halved next year. I believe they will be very willing to do it."

Fiona gave Tang En a look. This guy was waving the tax reduction flag again, but since he had already decided, Fiona could only note it down.

"Lord!"

The farmers in the fields stopped their work and bowed to Tang En when they saw him.

Tang En nodded, his gaze falling on the farming tools beside them, and he couldn't help but frown, "Fiona, do the farmers in the empire use these tools?"

The farming tools they used to manage the fields were all made of wood.

"From what I remember, they do. What's wrong?"

"Why not use iron tools?"

"Iron tools?"

Fiona widened her eyes, "Iron is so important, of course, it's used to make weapons and armor to protect the country. How can it be used to make farming tools?"

Tang En looked up at the sky speechlessly, then said after a moment, "Fiona, what do you think is the foundation of a country's stability?"

"The foundation of stability?"

Fiona clearly hadn't thought about this question. After thinking for a moment, she tentatively said, "The combat capability of the army?"

"I think it's powerful experts," Elsa offered a different opinion, "If there are legendary-level experts, the country will be much more stable."

"Right, but not entirely," Tang En shook his head, "You haven't seen the root of the matter. Whether it's the army or legendary experts, they are all people."

"A country is based on its people, and people are based on food. The food problem is not only the most basic need for human survival but also a constant theme for national stability and social development."

"If the people of a country can't even get enough to eat and are always worried about the next meal, how can the country be strong? How can it not be chaotic? Conversely, if everyone in a country can eat enough and doesn't have to worry about hunger, then people will naturally think about other things, such as making money, training combat skills and magic, and enhancing combat power, making the country stronger."

"So, a strong agricultural foundation is the foundation of a country's stability."

At this point, Tang En suddenly asked, "Where is Brian?"

"Earlier, I arranged a house for him. He said he wanted to set it up to at least look like a blacksmith's workshop."

"Hmm."

Tang En hadn't initially realized that one of the main reasons for the low grain yield here was the lack of proper tools. This was no joke; iron tools were a must! He would have to discuss it with Brian when he got back.

Once he had a better understanding of this world and figured out the magic power, perhaps he could even develop agricultural machinery like plows, seeders, and combine harvesters?

Tang En rubbed his chin and smiled strangely.

At this moment, Tang En was taken aback, "Why is the soil so dry?"

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