Chapter 239： 239: Eat bugs

The development of Melo City is getting faster and faster, and taxation alone can no longer satisfy the construction of Melo City.

The sewer system and water conservancy channels all ate the bulk of Merlot's finances. If only relying on the industrial tax under the name of Aslan, it would not be able to meet such a huge expenditure.

At the same time, Aslan is also worried about the privatization of the military industry. One day if he is gone, some people will sell weapons to the enemy in order to make huge profits, it will make people desperate.

Some people may find it funny, but in the face of the desire for capital and wealth, everything is possible.

"Lord Lord, chaos is coming, shouldn't we continue to expand the army?" Goode raised his hand and asked like a curious baby.

Others nodded in agreement, even Essien and other civil servants were very supportive.

This time it was not only the original human officials of Melo City, but also the newly promoted foreign officials.

For example, Elijah of the Foreign Affairs Office, Winner, the newly-built Director of the Education Bureau, and Kuchurin, the deputy captain of the Cavaliers' Guard, all attended.

"What is the population of our Merlot city today?" Aslan asked lightly.

A half-elf secretary beside Essien stood up at his gesture and began to read.

"The new census has come out. The population of Merlot has reached 164,531 people, the population of Max Town is 56,232, and the total population of several other cities and towns has reached 4. Six hundred and eighty-five people, as well as 79,857 legal residents living in various farms. Last month, several villages were attached to the village, and the population of the outlying villages was 96,800. One hundred and thirty-one people, if the attached villages around the towns are still increasing."

The half-elf civil servants have confident expressions on their faces. This time the census almost caused their civil servants in the city hall to break their legs.

Now the Melo area has a population of more than half a million people, not counting the alien races in the Changfeng Plain.

"More than half a million people, how many troops does the Merlot area now have?" Aslan asked.

"Except for the main corps, there are 20,000 reserve troops, 10,000 city defense troops, and 10,000 construction corps." Gao Wen, the military chief who has taken over the city of Merlot, said without hesitation.

"Adding to the fact that the main army has nearly 50,000 troops, and there are more troops to expand, don't you need people for urban development and agricultural production?" Aslan sighed.

There was silence in the conference room.

Although the size of the army seems to be very large, considering that the reserve forces belong to the militia sequence, and they will only be concentrated in training during the slack season. Most of the time, they are the main force in agricultural production. Wars and movements have always been in the Merlot area. It has little impact on agricultural production between the Belize regions. Once the war is far away from the Merlot region, who will be responsible for the fields they are responsible for.

Not to mention women farming. In this era, women also need to go to the fields to grow the land.

"The city defense army also needs to maintain regional security, conduct daily patrols in the area, and the construction corps has enough projects for next year. The reserve forces are indeed the most stable source of troops, but they also have to bear the agricultural production in the Merlot area. You say we want Go there to conscript." Aslan said with a sigh.

"Do you all want to be militant?"

There was silence in the conference room.

"But what if the flames of war spread to the Merlot area?" Gut said subconsciously.

"From the next month, the lord will move to Dowstone Fortress, the lord guards the gate of the country and rejects the enemy!" Aslan said firmly.

Everyone was moved and ashamed.

"There is still a Billy area in front of us. It is difficult for the war to spread to the Merlot area, but in order to ensure that the war will not spread to the Merlot area, we must send the main army to participate in the war, and I will lead the army to expedition. , The affairs of the Merlot area will bother you." Aslan continued.

"Lord Lord! Never do it." Gao Wen was the first to stand up and stop.

Every time Aslan led an expedition, there was not a single time he could come back intact, and they absolutely couldn't let Aslan take this risk.

"Yes! Lord Lord is now the pillar of the Merlot area. If you have any shortcomings, the Merlot area will be over." Lai Anning also wanted to understand a lot of things in the case of Aslan's arrest.

Nowadays, many places in the Merlot area are not perfect, and they are completely supported by Aslan's prestige.

"I am the lord of the Merlot region and the teacher's disciple, and I personally lead the army, and no one dares to use the Merlot army as cannon fodder." Aslan said lightly.

The meeting room fell into weird silence for an instant.

Being treated as cannon fodder, the pressure contained in this sentence is so heavy that no one dares to refute it.

As Aslan said, if the leader of the Merlot army is not Aslan, if the battle is unfavorable, it is impossible to guarantee that the main force of the Belgian army will not be regarded as the queen force or the abandoned son will be thrown down to block the enemy.

In normal times or they dare not do this, but in a crisis, it is different. After all, the Billy Army is his own son compared to the nephew of the Merlot Army.

"In addition to armament and war preparations, this meeting is also about the locust plague on the Northern Wind Prairie." Aslan knew the seriousness of the matter, and did not continue to discuss this matter, and directly changed the subject.

The locust plague on the Northern Wind Prairie has long been no secret. Even some well-informed Billy City merchants know it. They only consider that the food will be transported to the Northern Wind Prairie and pass through a Changfeng Plain in the middle. Give up!

Otherwise, they would not let go of such an opportunity to make a fortune in disaster.

"I have already visited the site. This matter is not a trivial matter. Not surprisingly, starting next year, the locust plague will spread across the mainland, and our Merlot area will be more or less affected." Aslan said.

Everyone looked solemn, only Goode and Gut looked at Johnson with doubts.

"Johnson Order! Our Merlot area hasn't had a locust plague for many years."

When Johnson heard this, he also looked at Aslan speechlessly.

"It is recorded in the literature that the last locust plague occurred more than a hundred years ago. At that time, the locust plague broke out. There was not much vegetation to eat in the Merlot area, so a large area of ​​it starved to death. Later, the Merlot people were extremely hungry. It's boiled. Since then, the custom of eating locusts has been in the Merlot area."

Hearing Johnson's remarks, outsiders such as Gawain and Arthur suddenly took a breath.

"Eat bugs!"

Elijah was even more pale, and even Nomiri, who was standing behind Aslan, blinked, and was obviously disgusted.