Baldwin walked through the snow-covered courtyard; his shoulders dusted with white. When he reached Simon, he bowed and said, "My Lord."

"No need for formalities. Come warm yourself by the stove, Baldwin." Simon said.

Baldwin was dressed in thin garments, his face slightly purple from the cold. Unlike in modern times, where every household had padded coats and down jackets, warm clothing was a luxury in the empire. Baldwin, for one, could not afford it.

Shivering from the cold, he replied. "My Lord, rank must be observed. I shall stand."

Simon was already familiar with Simon’s rigid nature. Over the past month, every time Simon did something unconventional, Baldwin would sternly reprimand him without the slightest regard for the fact that he was a prince.

Curious about this, Simon had asked Ysabeau and Joan about him and finally understood.

It was simple. Before being assigned to Brambleford, Baldwin had been a censor in Eldora.

In other words, his official duty was to take a salary for doing nothing but scrutinizing others for mistakes. Censors were of low rank, but they had the authority to criticize anyone, from minor officials to grand ministers, even the emperor himself.

This was because of an unspoken rule passed down through dynasties, censors were not to be executed.

Any emperor who dared to kill a censor would be branded a tyrant.

With this moral safeguard, even emperors who despised censors had to tolerate them.

By sending Baldwin to Brambleford, Emperor Alaric had killed two birds with one stone. First, he had placed someone to keep an eye on Simon and prevent him from running amok. Second, he had rid himself of a bothersome critic in Eldora.

"Baldwin, there’s no need to be so rigid. You and I are both here in Brambleford, and according to Father’s wishes, neither of us will be returning to Eldora anytime soon. Given that, shouldn’t we support each other?" Simon said, testing the waters.

A flicker of emotion crossed Baldwin’s face. Like Simon, he had family in Eldora, yet in the past five years, he had only been allowed to return once.

And his chances of being recalled were slim.

Baldwin was a principled man, but he was not a fool. He understood that Alaric had sent him to Brambleford out of frustration.

"My Lord is a prince, and I am Brambleford’s chief attendant. Assisting you is my duty. As long as you govern diligently and does not act recklessly, I will have no reason to report against you to the emperor." Baldwin said firmly.

Stubborn as a mule! Simon cursed inwardly. Turning Baldwin into a personal ally was unlikely in the short term, as the man’s heart belonged to the empire.

Simon, on the other hand, was toiling for his domain. He had little attachment to the empire, and the emperor on the throne had nothing to do with him personally.

"Your words are fair, Baldwin. ’I will not lament past mistakes, but seek to correct the future. If I have not strayed too far, I can still return to the right path.’ In the past, I was ignorant and reckless. If I have offended you, I ask for your understanding. I summoned you today, despite the snow, to discuss agricultural matters." Simon leaned back in his chair, the warmth of the stove making his voice sound lazy.

Baldwin replied. "Since you issued the order to cultivate wastelands, the common people have been overjoyed. In just one month, the local governments have reported over 300,000 plots of newly registered farmland under the names of those who reclaimed it."

"Three hundred thousand plots?"

Simon considered the numbers.

According to Brambleford’s household registry, his domain had a population of around one million households. At a minimum of three people per household, that meant 3 million people. If each household averaged five people, that made it 5 million. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

He believed the 5-million figure to be more accurate. Given the high mortality rate of this era, most families had three to four children to ensure survival.

A population of 5 million was neither small nor large for the Eldorian Empire. Due to long periods of stability, the empire’s population had grown significantly, likely comparable to that of the Great Dynasty.

Seeing Simon’s dissatisfaction with the number, Baldwin added. "This cannot be helped. Wealthier families own oxen, allowing them to plow more land. Poorer households lack tools, so their progress is slower."

Simon nodded. "That is precisely why I called you here. I plan to establish production teams in villages across every county."

"Production teams?" Baldwin’s expression turned puzzled. He had never heard of such a term. Furthermore, Simon’s earlier poetic phrase. ’If I have not strayed too far, I can still return to the right path.’ Had surprised him.

The old Simon would never have spoken so eloquently.

Simon gestured for him to come closer. "This will take some time to explain. Baldwin, you might as well sit and warm yourself."

[Knowledge Transfer initiated...]

Just then, Joan ran in from the snowy courtyard, lifting her skirt slightly to avoid tripping. She hurried inside, grabbed a chair, and placed it beside the stove.

Flashing Simon a sweet smile, she rubbed her rosy cheeks before darting off to play with Ysabeau again.

Baldwin, already numb from the cold, hesitated. But upon hearing Simon says. "This will take some time." He knew he had no choice. If he stayed standing any longer, he might actually freeze.

Awkwardly, he took a seat by the coal stove.

As if to cover up his discomfort, he said. "So, this is the coal briquette stove Your Highness invented? Indeed, having one indoors during winter is excellent for warmth. I’ve heard that since winter began, the Chandlier family’s coal stove business has been booming."

"Naturally. The stove is convenient and practical, especially in winter, it’s a lifesaver." Simon said proudly. "But for every coin the Chandlier family earns, the Engineering Department profits as well. Right now, the Engineering Division is bringing in several hundred caps of silver per day."

Baldwin was slightly astonished.

The Engineering Department, once a financial burden, had now become a major source of income. Even more surprising was that coal briquettes, rather than the stoves, were the real moneymaker, with Simon taking a 30% cut from the Goldwynd family’s sales.

"In that case, I hope Your Highness will use this silver wisely and refrain from indulging in frivolities."

Baldwin’s old habit of scolding royalty had kicked in again. Simon was momentarily taken aback before chuckling helplessly. This man really couldn’t go three sentences without a reprimand.

"Rest assured, Baldwin. I haven’t wasted a single cap. In fact, I had Bjorn purchase a batch of oxen from Prince Gerad’s domain, along with newly forged farming tools."

"Oh?" This time, Baldwin was genuinely surprised.

Simon continued. "The production teams I mentioned earlier are directly related to these supplies. Because of wealth disparities, the amount of land each household can cultivate varies greatly. Under this new system, villagers will be grouped into production teams, each with an elected team leader. The government will provide oxen and tools, and the teams will manage their use collectively. This will greatly accelerate land reclamation and future planting efforts..."