Chapter 232: Gathering?
Under the crimson glow of the evening sky, everyone gathered to eat and drink.
From the kitchen came dish after dish of delicacies, the kind one would only find in modern times.
Though Simon had always focused on building hard power, he had never neglected soft power either. Aside from cuisine, he was also preparing for a revival in arts and culture; this was his way of launching a challenge against the entrenched religious feudal ideology.
Still, he didn’t dare act too boldly just yet. Even as a feudal prince, he couldn’t afford to make enemies of all the scholars in the empire. For now, he would continue strengthening the Oxford Academy’s prestige. Once the time was right, he would begin testing reforms in Brambleford.
After all, most scholars still saw becoming an official as their life’s ultimate goal, something that seriously hampered his ability to cultivate capable talent.
As they ate, the conversation naturally continued. Baldwin asked. "My Lord, the wine, soap, and perfume you launched are all seeing declining sales now. With your brilliance, haven’t you considered introducing a new product?"
This question hit the mark.
It had been a full year since the launch of Brambleford’s Finest liquor, soap, and perfume. The initial novelty had worn off. More importantly, the distribution rights for all three of those products had already been auctioned off. For a long while now, Simon has only been able to profit from direct sales.
And the merchants who had secured those rights were all major tycoons from various provinces, small-scale traders in the Eldorian Empire never got a taste of the pie.
At the time, Simon had prioritised raising funds to develop Brambleford rapidly. But now that he had stabilised the situation, a new problem had emerged: these monopolies were stifling commercial vitality.
That’s why he had been considering releasing a new product, something that would give the common people in his territory a fair shot at doing business.
And now, he had finally made his decision.
"I’ve got something." He said. "In the next couple of days, I’ll have the workshops produce a prototype or two. This time, I won’t be auctioning off the distribution rights. Any merchant will be able to purchase and sell it."
Baldwin’s eyes lit up. The Chamber of Commerce had been a bit lifeless lately, with few new merchants joining. A fresh product launch would surely reinvigorate the market.
No sooner had Baldwin finished speaking than Lancelot raised a concern: "My Lord, I have a request as well. Now that Liam’s artillery unit has its own academy, shouldn’t the rest of our troops get one too? Otherwise, the men may become resentful. After all, during the Battle of Dunmere, our regular infantry played a bigger role than the artillery."
Simon had actually thought about this earlier that day. He turned to Benjamin and said. "I’ve already reserved an academy for your forces. Old General, how much do you know about signal flags?"
"My Lord, I’m quite familiar with flag signals. Are you planning to assign some soldiers as signalers?" Benjamin asked.
"Not just that, we’ll also need drummers and buglers," Simon replied.
"Drummers and buglers?" Benjamin paused, lowering his cup and looking to Simon.
Simon explained. "The drummers are for future training, but the buglers can be used to issue various commands in battle: charge signals, wake-up calls, drills, assembly, emergency muster, rest, mealtime, you name it. They’re just as effective as flag signals. You might not know what a bugle is yet, but once the Machinery Department finishes producing a few, I’ll show them to you."
Benjamin nodded thoughtfully. It looked like the standardisation of the army was about to take another major step forward.
Since the gathering had already turned into a strategy session, Simon added. "There’s one more matter; this concerns everyone. We must standardise weights and measures."
He directed this comment at Baldwin, who looked surprised. "My Lord, haven’t weights and measures already been standardised since the emperor unified the Six States?"
"That’s true," Simon said. "But I’m referring to a different system. I’ll be drafting a new textbook specifically for it."
As industry grew increasingly precise, reforming the measurement system had become inevitable. Whether in chemistry or manufacturing, a scientific and standardised system of weights and measures was essential.
Tonight’s banquet was only meant to give everyone a heads-up. These reforms would be implemented step by step.
The banquet lasted for another full hour before everyone finally left, well-fed and slightly drunk.
Upon returning to his chamber, Simon immediately began writing the new instructional materials. The first would cover flag signals, bugle calls, drummer operations, and so on. The second would be the units of weights and measures.
But when he got to the second topic, he found himself a bit stuck. Listing the units was easy; the real challenge was crafting the actual measuring tools.
Take rulers, for instance. He needed to find a way to produce them with precise accuracy.
He worked late into the night before finally dozing off.
The next morning, Gius arrived at the castle bright and early.
He reported. "My Lord, since William left the castle, he’s been staying at the Goldwynd Family Restaurant and hasn’t left the city. The man named Steve who came with him has been in contact with merchants from the Ravencrest Clan here in Brambleford. We’re not sure what they’re plotting."
As Simon washed his face, he listened carefully. He had ordered Gius to give daily updates on the matter.
"Hmph, it’s definitely nothing good. If that’s the case, we’ll just bait the hook and wait. William clearly thinks he’s untouchable because Empress Gretchen is his aunt, but I won’t allow him to do as he pleases in Brambleford." Simon said coldly.
Gius nodded. "Understood. The rest day is almost here. I’ll alert the craftsmen to prepare."
"Good. Let’s get this over with. Once that guy’s out of Brambleford, I’ll finally be at ease." Simon said.
"Yes, My Lord." Gius bowed and quickly took his leave from the castle.
Back at the Secret Guard headquarters, Gius made his preparations and headed straight to the Machinery Department. There, he found the three craftsmen chosen to act as bait.
All three were Brambleford locals, with wives and children living nearby.
Though Simon had always been lenient toward craftsmen, the sensitive nature of Brambleford’s industrial secrets left him no choice but to exercise caution. All Machinery Department craftsmen had their families housed in a designated residential ward within the city. Officially, it was for better welfare and unified management, but it also served to ensure they wouldn’t leak state secrets.
The craftsmen all understood this, though they never spoke of it. Compared to how things used to be, this arrangement was already a great improvement.
"If anyone approaches you, pretend to offer them cannon technology. Secret Guard agents will be shadowing you the entire time. But stay alert, and don’t take any unnecessary risks." Gius instructed.
"Yes, we will follow Commander Gius’s orders." The craftsmen responded. Deep down, they were genuinely grateful to Simon.
Craftsmen were usually at the bottom of society in the Eldorian Empire. Yet Simon had not only given them dignity but also generous salaries and allowed their children to attend school for free.
They had nothing more to ask for.
Gius gave a firm nod. He had already mobilised the entire network of Secret Guards in the city. If they found solid evidence, Simon would have all the justification he needed to expel William.