Chapter 54

Covered in blood, Rogers proudly reported to Tang En, "My Lord! The Brussels iron mine, with a total of 580 miners, has been gathered!"

"I know, but what about these bodies?"

"Baron Duvier's overseers and mine guards have all been killed!"

Rogers said with a fierce look, "They were the lowest of the maggots, helping Rex exploit the workers. They don't deserve to live!"

"Hmm... what about this person?"

Tang En pointed to the half-dead miner beside Rogers, whose attitude suggested he was not a comrade.

"This person..."

Rogers said angrily, "I considered him a brother, but it was he who betrayed me!"

"Spare me, Rogers! I know I was wrong! I shouldn't have informed Lord Druhm! Please spare me!"

The man begged desperately, only hoping to save his life.

"Spare you? If it weren't for Lord Tang En and his men coming to save me, I would have already met the Grim Reaper. How could I spare you? Who would spare me!?"

Rogers shouted fiercely, "Today, I will show everyone the fate of traitors!"

Rogers beheaded the man with one stroke, holding up his head and roaring, "From now on, in the Brussels iron mine, if there are any more traitors, Martin will be the example!"

The miners cheered loudly. Some of the older, weaker miners, who had not seen the sky for a long time, knelt on the ground, tears streaming down their faces, overwhelmed with emotion at seeing the light of day again.

Baron Duvier didn't care about the miners' lives, treating them like slaves, forcing them to work in the mines without any hope of leaving. They ate and slept in the mines, and if they didn't meet the daily quota, they would be beaten and tortured. Many were on the brink of death, carried out by their fellow workers.

Tang En frowned and said to Elsa, "Give water to the weak and injured miners."

Elsa understood that Tang En meant water mixed with the blood of the goddess, so she immediately arranged for it. Soon, the guards began to feed water to each miner.

After drinking the water mixed with the blood of the goddess, the miners' strength quickly recovered, and their injuries healed rapidly. They were all amazed, exclaiming about the miracle.

"This is not a miracle!"

Elsa shouted, "This is the blood of the goddess, bestowed by the kind Lord. Thanks to Lord Tang En, you have been saved and gained your freedom. You should thank Lord Tang En!"

It was a gift from Lord Tang En!?

"Long live Lord Tang En!"

"Long live Lord Tang En!"

"Long live Lord Tang En!"

Cheers echoed, and in just a moment, Tang En had completely won their hearts, becoming the undisputed Lord of Ellington.

Tang En stepped forward, raised his hand, and the surroundings immediately quieted down.

"Today, Baron Duvier's lackeys have all been eliminated. The Brussels iron mine has returned to Ellington. This will be sacred and inviolable territory of Ellington, and no one can occupy it!"

Tang En's voice reached everyone's ears, and he scanned the crowd. "You have suffered for many years!"

The word "suffer" brought a flood of emotions to their minds. How many people, once they entered the mine, were separated from their families forever, never to see them again? How many people left their lives here?

The miners began to sob softly.

"First, I have a few announcements to make."

"From today, the miners serving in the Brussels iron mine will be considered my employees. Each person who digs ten kilograms of ore per day will receive one gold coin per month. Twenty kilograms per day will earn two gold coins, and thirty kilograms will earn three gold coins. The more you work, the more you earn. If you can't dig ten kilograms a day, you will receive a base salary of ten silver coins."

"Kilograms are a new unit of weight I have established, and you will soon learn how to measure it."

If Fiona were here, she would probably complain about Tang En's reckless spending. These people were residents of Ellington, and serving the lord was unpaid, part of the price of living here. There was no need to pay them, but Tang En was spending money again...

"Ten kilograms of ore per day? One gold coin per month!? Did I hear that right!? I doubt one kilogram is light!"

"Is Lord Tang En serious!?"

"Heavens! We can actually earn a salary!?"

The miners, who had been crying, were stunned. Their faces, still wet with tears, now showed surprise and joy, making their expressions very strange.

"This is just the base salary. In addition, for every kilogram of ore you dig, you will receive one copper coin. This will be calculated daily and settled at the end of the month."

"By the gods! Here, we can earn a salary and a share of the profits!?"

"One kilogram of ore earns one copper coin. Thirty kilograms a day is thirty copper coins, and nine hundred a month. By the light of the god of light, in addition to three gold coins, we can earn nine silver coins more!?"

"Kind Lord! How can I praise you! You must be the son of a god!"

"Miners will also receive two days off each month, which you can use as you see fit. Apply to Rogers, but leave must not affect the normal operation of the mine."

"Employees injured on the job will have their medical expenses covered by the lord's house. Outstanding employees can receive paid leave. If you want better treatment, work hard for me. I never mistreat my employees."

With just a few policies, Tang En transformed the mine from a job everyone avoided to a desirable position. Previously, they had no income from mining—by imperial law, they should have received some basic wages, but no lord ever paid them.

"However, in addition to these, there is a new rule. From today, the mine will no longer employ anyone under eighteen or over fifty. These people can now end their service and return to Ellington. Ellington is about to start new construction, and I believe there will be places for you to contribute."

Tang En paused and continued, "Additionally, due to Druhm's cruel actions, I am giving everyone three days off. Use this time to rest in Ellington. After three days, Rogers will lead you back to the mine to continue working."

"From now on, Rogers will be the new overseer of the Brussels iron mine."

Tang En finished speaking, and the crowd immediately cheered, moved by his generosity and kindness. Three days off might not mean much to others, but to them, it was very important.

So many people here had not seen their families in a long time, and they all wanted to go home, but they had been too embarrassed to ask.

But Lord Tang En had thought of it for them.

Lord Tang En was truly too kind!

The miners vowed in their hearts to work hard after the holiday, to earn more gold to take home.

Seeing the excited crowd, Tang En felt a bit strange. Although he knew the mining industry relied on exploiting these people's labor, he couldn't bear to be too harsh.

He actually wanted to set the salary higher, but a ton of iron ore only cost 100 gold coins. If the salary was too high, the mine would lose its value. So, the current price was just right.

If a person worked hard and dug thirty kilograms a day, that would be 900 kilograms a month, almost a ton. He would only need to pay three gold coins and nine silver coins, and the profit margin was astonishing.

No wonder Baron Duvier dared to defy the world and seize this iron mine.

"Now, everyone, clean up and escort these prisoners back home."

At Tang En's command, the people immediately got to work, removing the shackles from the miners and tying up Duvier's soldiers, then herding them like ducks on the road.

On their way back, they also cleared the road as Tang En had requested. This road would be an important channel for transporting iron ore to Ellington, so it needed to be wide and flat.

By the time they cleared the road and returned to Ellington, it was already midnight.

"Who's there!?"

As they approached Ellington, the sentry issued a warning.

"Aaron, it's me, Elsa!"

"Oh! It's Lord Tang En and Captain Elsa, they're back—Hey!?"

The sentry exclaimed, "Lord, those soldiers..."

"Don't worry, they are prisoners. Open the gate."

Tang En looked at the simple fence and gate and shook his head. This fence could only defend against wild animals, not people.

He had the guards send the prisoners to the prison and dismissed the miners, then returned to the lord's house.

Worried about disturbing others' sleep, Tang En teleported directly to his room.

"Phew, finally, I can rest."

Tang En didn't bother to wash his face, just took off his clothes and fell onto the bed, then he was stunned.

The bed was soft, and he could feel a warm, soft sensation in his hands.

"Ah!?"

A scream made Tang En dumbfounded. "Dina!?"

"L-Lord!?"

Dina's face turned red, and she panicked, "S-Sorry! I waited for you too long and fell asleep!"

No, no, no, the key is why you're in my bed!?

Before Tang En could speak, Dina said nervously, "Lord, dinner has cooled down. I'll heat it up for you!"

She tried to slip away, feeling guilty.

"Wait!"

Tang En suddenly called her back.

Dina froze, her heart pounding.

What will Lord say?

What will he do?

Could it be...

Tang En smiled and said, "I'm not hungry. You can go back and rest."

"O-Oh, o-okay!"

Dina covered her face and ran away.

Tang En lay back on the bed, still smelling the scent of a woman, which made him relax.

"This Dina... really, does she not have her own bed?"

Tang En shook his head and fell into a deep sleep. ===PS: Voting and favoriting is a good habit, thank you for your support! This book is published on Qidian, support the official version.===

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