Iron Harvest: When Farming Becomes Conquest-Chapter 352 - 25: Without Lips, Teeth Feel the Cold

No one expected the rainy season to last one hundred and fifty days.

From early spring to late spring, from early summer to midsummer,

the rare sunlight and the intermittent rain became many people’s nightmare.

The excessively damp moisture disrupted the soil composition, making crop rotation impossible.

The land was drenched with rain, all the roots of the crops rotted, the newly planted seeds couldn’t sprout, and even if they did sprout due to lack of sunlight, they couldn’t survive.

The capital of Black Iron Land is Black Castle, and the surrounding areas of Black Castle are directly under the Black Iron King.

Iolion attempted to push for agricultural reform, but due to lack of understanding and experience, it was not promoted widely. The Black Iron Crown ordered the agricultural minister to select multiple pilot sites.

This matter also caused considerable discussion within Black Castle.

Some fueled the flames, some secretly anticipated, and some were filled with doubts.

But the ruler in his prime ignored all resistance and forcefully pushed through the decree.

Last autumn, they sowed barley, oats, and other cold-resistant winter crops.

In theory, this harvest would yield results this spring and summer, and the outcome would be revealed.

However, things did not go as planned.

The prolonged rainy season came suddenly, nearly destroying all crops, leaving the land barren.

The destructive blow affected not only agricultural production but also the prestige of the Black Iron King.

This disaster caused his reputation among the people to plummet, with negative news sweeping over everything. freeweɓnovel.cøm

Beggars hated him, farmers cursed him, citizens scolded him, nobles were dissatisfied.

The pressure of food shortages followed.

Black Castle has a population of over a hundred thousand, making it one of the largest cities of its time, with a colossal daily consumption of food, incomparable even to Divine Mysterious’s Divine Castle and the Church Court’s Holy City.

Once the food runs out, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Iolion had no choice but to issue a food requisition order, taxing nobles across Black Iron Land for food.

He dispatched emissaries to various noble territories, and some responses were quite intriguing.

Some agreed outright but delayed action secretly;

Some were openly disrespectful, shutting their doors;

Some complained pitifully, saying they had no surplus grain at home.

This rainy season disaster was widespread, with so many people just in Black Castle, what about the surrounding areas?

Roman could boldly predict that the population affected by this disaster was at least in the millions—two million or three million was not clear.

...

By March, the food requisition order reached Fertile City, and the emissary came to meet Roman.

Natural disasters and man-made chaos are enormous challenges for any feudal kingdom.

Roman regarded it as a point in the dynasty cycle.

During this time, all kinds of demons and spirits would come forth, the land would be filled with chaos and the dance of devils.

Conqueror was the greatest hero of the Human Clan in centuries, but the rule of the Conqueror Dynasty showed signs of downfall.

Natural disasters could be endured, but there was no avoiding the man-made chaos attempting to overthrow Black Iron’s rule.

Roman learned from the Black Iron Envoy that the Church Court was inciting the starving masses to march, blaming the Black Iron King and the Blasphemers.

The Bishop claimed that the Blasphemers angered All Gods, and thus the gods brought down the punishing rain disaster.

All of this was the Blasphemers’ fault.

Although the blame did not directly point at the Black Iron King, the people were secretly pondering the relationship between the Blasphemers and the Black Iron King, were the latter and the Blasphemers in cahoots?

Subsequently, a series of revelations from the Court further deepened this impression.

Iao III was protecting the Blasphemers, willing to give a certain Black Iron Princess in marriage to the Blasphemer.

Thus, a storm of public opinion fully formed.

The Royal Faction loyal to the Black Iron King had to deploy the Black Castle Iron Guard to suppress the parades and turmoil, resulting in even stronger opposition from the Church Court and the public, now Black Castle was a total mess.

Chaos, it can be chaotic.

But it can’t start from Black Castle, that is the source of order.

Moreover, would Iolion easily collapse?

The Conqueror Family had more than the Black Castle Iron Guard, there were also some special high-rank units.

Roman knew he was not an incompetent person, having stood against Grand Duke Fury in the Royal Court for two years, he still hadn’t compromised, now he urgently needed external help.

Roman contemplated for a while, preparing to transport five million six hundred thousand pounds of grain to Black Castle.

He hoped Iao III could weather the storm, because that Black Iron King understood balance, could analyze pros and cons, and thus didn’t betray him.

Even if they had no matrimonial ties, they were de facto allies.

The Black Iron King weighed interests, considered the bigger picture, and didn’t view him as an enemy.

Now was the time to stand in line, Roman also had to show his stance, otherwise, it would be a let’s-see-it-go-down-together situation.

Roman had always been concerned about the grain issue, he had been counting grain to get by for years, once this several million pounds of grain was taken out, the remaining grain would only last him until summer—otherwise, only two or three months at most, until the summer harvest.

But transporting this grain, is it enough?

Also not enough.

He could only do his best.

"Lord, I entrust this matter to you." Said the eunuch chief named Tusos, he was pale without a beard, with loose skin, loyal to the Black Iron Royal Family.

Damian often mentioned that the River Valley King was difficult to get along with, but not without propriety. Yet Tusos, with his numerous experiences with people, knew that the more the expectations, the greater the disappointment, he never relied on others’ words for first impressions, now seeing for himself, he was greatly relieved.

Being able to produce so much grain at once, he could see that the River Valley King was also risking everything, the latter had only accepted the title for five years, unless All Gods descended, otherwise, this was accumulated hard work, any petty or not-so-petty noble surely couldn’t produce it.

The Blasphemer was also afraid of His Majesty leaning towards the Church Court... thought the old eunuch.

...

After Roman sent off the visitors, he immediately began arranging the grain transport team, while he also had to receive the population from Apple Town.

Not long ago, Aaron, with a force of twelve hundred, had decisively defeated the encircling army.

Roman didn’t know how many enemy troops there were, according to Aaron’s battle report, the mountains and plains were filled with enemies, he as the commander hadn’t even tallied them, and his phalanx began advancing, in one encounter over two hundred were stabbed to death. Heavy Equipment was holding the rear, and the enemy army began to retreat in defeat, toppling their front line in just over ten minutes.

The front line was in chaos, leading to the collapse of the rear battle formations.

And once the scene was in disarray, counting was even more impossible.

Heavy squads discarded their shields, drawing out fine steel long knives, each chasing down ten people.

The enemies fled, they pursued, wherever the enemy fled, they chased.

Chasing several kilometers in plate armor, each one thoroughly exhausted, nearly collapsing from fatigue. Then the enemy cavalry charged at this point.

Each Squad Leader and each Squadron Leader was shocked, urgently ordering the seated soldiers to quickly form ranks.

But due to muddy terrain, the charge speed of Conquest Knights greatly reduced, and seeing the Heavy Soldiers rapidly forming a phalanx, they mistook them for a group of indefatigable superhumans. Their morale immediately plummeted, they fled before even reaching close, else they might’ve given the heavy squad some damage.

Of course, the damage wouldn’t have been much, after all, the plate armor and Large Shields weren’t just for show.

After the battle, the Heavy Soldiers only lost a few dozen men.

This couldn’t be called an annihilation battle, it merely counted as a rout.

The enemy army could still regroup the routed soldiers, launching a second attack, performing even worse than the first, fleeing in panic upon sight of those rows of steel figures without proper engagement.

Aaron was certain that they had lost the will to fight, and began driving the slaves towards Fertile City, the path unimpeded as expected.