There is a saying that Li Jia Shu heard many times during his lifetime.
"If you don't do it, others will."
Civil engineering requires a lot of manpower to complete.
But not everyone can work on a construction site.
The feudal lords had a "good idea". According to the custom, they allowed serfs and free people (small craftsmen, yeoman farmers, etc.) to perform corvee service at the call of the noble lords. They did not need to pay wages and were responsible for food.
However, asking the old, weak, sick and disabled to carry bricks is definitely not as efficient as a healthy labor force.
How do you define ‘robust’?
Secondly, even if you use the standard feudal spirit and only pay for food without paying wages, civil engineering is a long-term intensive production activity, and the labor force's hard demand for food is an unavoidable black hole for saving.
Moreover, it is best not to feed workers with wood bran and Guanyin soil. Meat, eggs, and milk are the source of energy.
So, on a large island isolated overseas, with changeable weather and declining feudal lord families, are the reserves of strong labor force and high-quality rations enough?
Perhaps, we can rely on some unique local heritage?
...
Inside the castle tower.
Li Jia Shu looked out the window, overlooking the seaports, towns and villages located four or five kilometers away under the dim clouds and rain.
The territory of Chuyang Fredesh was this entire island, but the only one that was actually inhabited was the "Gus City" that Li Jiasu saw.
It is said to be a city, but in fact it is just a building cluster of seaports, fishing villages, port towns, and farms.
Oh, and you have to include the lord's castle.
The castle in Chuyang is located on a relatively higher ground, on the edge of the central valley of the island, and can take in all the harbor, towns and villages.
Although it was already 6 o'clock in the morning, there was still no sunshine in Gusi City. Large black clouds were billowing over the harbor and the ocean beyond. There was no lightning or thunder, only a light drizzle.
dim.
However, Li Jiasu has a pair of devil's eyes.
With the dark vision that comes with his devil blood, Li Jiasu clearly saw three medium-sized ships and one large ship sailing into the port in the dark clouds and rain...
Wait, that large ship seems to be equipped with artillery? And there are blood stains on the deck?
Maybe it was the pirates that Chu Yang mentioned last night who chose to come to Gusi City to relay supplies.
Chuyang's territory is very poor and backward, but the situation is actually also very complicated.
The complexity of the situation also means that there are opportunities.
Boom boom boom. Someone came up the stairs.
"Lord Messenger, the mask and cloak you requested are ready."
It was the middle-aged guard from last night. He held a wooden box in his hand, lowered his head, and handed it to Li Jiasu respectfully.
"Yes." Li Jiasu reached out to take the wooden box and asked, "Has Chuyang gotten up yet?"
The middle-aged guard replied: "Master..."
"Last night, I had a long conversation with you, my lord, and I took a late rest. Maybe I was tired and hadn't woken up yet."
"Sir, do you need me to wake you up?" the guard asked in a low voice.
Li Jiasu thought for a while, calculated the time, and said:
"No need to wake him up, let him continue to sleep. Oh, if he hasn't woken up at 10 a.m., go ahead and wake him up."
Try to get enough sleep for 8 hours, but don’t stay in bed.
"Okay, sir." The middle-aged guard said, "If you don't have anything else to do, I will withdraw?"
Li Jia Shu: "...Look up and let me see your face. And, your name?"
The middle-aged guard trembled, then raised his head carefully to avoid offending the devil in front of him.
He looked to be in his 40s, with carefully trimmed tan stubble, and his face was far from handsome. It could even be said that because of the pitted wrinkles and scars, he was the opposite of "little fresh meat".
He had dark circles under his eyes because he stayed up late.
"Sir, the villain's name is Hamo."
"Well, Hammer, how many people are in your family? How long have you been a lord's guard?"
"My lord, there are four people in our family. My wife works as a washer in the castle, and my youngest daughter helps in the kitchen."
The middle-aged man paused and said, "The eldest son works as a waiter in a tavern at the port and does not live with us."
"As for how long you have been the lord's guard..."
"Actually, I am not a native of Gus City. When I was young, I worked as a bandit in the Kingdom of Spain. Later, Lord Wuyue saved my life, so I washed my hands in a golden basin and followed Lord Wuyue to come here.
On this island, I got married, had children, and served the Frederic family to this day."
Li Jia Shu scratched his chin with his paw, "Master Wuyue? Do you mean the former lord?"
Guard Hammer nodded, "Yes."
"Well, Hamo, I heard Chu Yang mention last night that his father died of illness last week." Li Jia Shu asked, "What disease did the former lord contract? Didn't the doctors and priests cure him?"
Guard Hammer shook his head, "Master Wuyue passed away very suddenly. In just three weeks, his organ functions declined. Large areas of his skin were black and blue, and he could not walk on the ground."
"The doctor said he couldn't tell what the disease was, and it didn't seem to be contagious. I took some herbal medicine, but it didn't work. Alas."
"As for the priest... Sir, although there is a dilapidated church of [Holy Atonement Lord] in the port town on our island, there is no permanent priest of [Holy Atonement Lord] on this island, cough.
, they only come here when they collect the tithe every year.”
"Moreover, Mr. Wuyue is usually very cold towards the atonement priest. Even when he is sick, he does not let us servants go to the kingdom to seek help from the atonement priest."
Li Jiasu raised his eyebrows slightly (even devils have eyebrows).
"The skin is black and blue, and the organ function is declining...Hammer, let me ask you."
"Wrigley Federesh, has he ever studied, um, alchemy or something like that in his daily life?"
Guard Hamo looked at Li Jiasu with surprise.
Listening to the devil's messenger's words, it seems that Master Chuyang did not tell the devil's messenger the secret of the former lord's study of alchemy?
But the mysterious devil messenger guessed the secret?
"Yes, yes, Lord Messenger." Hammer swallowed his saliva and quickly replied: "Master Wuyue studies alchemy and black magic on weekdays. Only the housekeeper, I, and Master Chuyang know about this.
"
"Master Chuyang, oh no, master, he must have been too tired last night, so he forgot to tell you this."
Hammer added.
Good guy.
Li Jiasu thought to himself, it seems that Party A confessed to him last night, but not completely.
The water in Goose City is quite shallow.
I have not forgotten that this is a low-demon world.
Alchemy and black magic might actually create something.
In addition to objective material and social laws, factors and risks of supernatural forces must also be taken into consideration.
Sighing, Li Jiasu gently patted Hamo's shoulder. The latter staggered.
"Well, Chuyang is young, and it's normal for him to be distracted and forget one or two things." He said, "The dark circles under your eyes are a bit heavy. Go and have a good rest. Hammer, you have worked hard."
The middle-aged guard was taken aback for a moment, and then replied respectfully: "Thank you, sir, then I will take my leave."
Thump thump thump. He went downstairs.
Li Jia Shu looked out the window. Some lights were already on in the seaports, towns and villages in the distance.
He lowered his head and opened the wooden box in his hand.
From the box, he took out a large linen cloak and a brass mask.
This large-sized cloak and mask were made by Li Jiashu last night after he ordered Chu Yang to have the craftsmen in the castle work overnight.
The cloak is used to hide the devilish features on the body (horns, tail, wings, red skin).
The mask hides the true face of the devil.
After all, I need to conduct on-the-spot investigation at the grassroots level, and it would be bad if I scare people.
Although his height of 2.1 meters is already extremely conspicuous.
After stuffing the cloak and mask into the dimensional bag, Li Jiasu jumped out of the window.
The wings spread out, and in the soft drizzle, they glided away towards the dim but bright harbor.
Without investigation, there is no right to speak, right?