Lord of the Frozen Winter: Starting with Daily Intelligence Reports

The morning light from outside the window pierced through the thick clouds, casting a ray of light that landed precisely on the large map on the table, as if responding to Bradley's words.

Louis glanced at the light and chuckled, "The sun? That's a bit of an exaggeration."

"I'm merely repeating what the people of the territory say," Bradley said, bowing slightly, his tone exceptionally firm.

After a brief moment of silence, Louis did not dwell on it further, simply closing the report in his hand.

He leaned back in his chair, his gaze sweeping over the piles of documents on the table, a sense of satisfaction rising within him.

During his absence from Red Tide, the administration had continued to function smoothly. Whether it was urban construction, granaries, or population management, everything had grown faster than expected.

This indicated that the administrative system he had established had begun to operate on its own, no longer requiring his direct involvement.

Moreover, the results had far exceeded one hundred percent of the territories in the North, and were even better than eighty percent of the territories in the Empire.

Yet, even so, he still felt it wasn't enough.

"You've done very well," Louis began, his tone unhurried, "even exceeding my expectations."

Bradley smiled faintly but did not take credit, merely bowing.

"But regarding administration, I have an idea," Louis said calmly. "Please speak, my Lord," Bradley quickly pulled out his personal notebook, ready to record every word.

"First," Louis began slowly, "we must completely restructure Red Tide's governmental framework. There will be a two-tiered division of central and local authority."

"Two-tiered?" Bradley frowned.

"Yes, the central authority will be in Red Tide Main City," Louis said, pointing to the map on the table. "I will directly govern the entire territory, with all military, political, and financial power centralized. All decrees will be issued from here and swiftly delivered, allowing for no dissent.

As for the local level, officials will be directly appointed. They will only be responsible for executing central decrees and will have no legislative power whatsoever. Every grain of food, every road, every soldier must be controlled by the central authority."

Bradley couldn't help but murmur in admiration, "This way, the hidden danger of chaotic governance can indeed be completely eradicated."

"Exactly," Louis's tone was stern. "The people of the territory will obey Red Tide itself, not the local officials."

"Second," Louis let out a soft breath, changing the subject, "I want to centralize and subdivide the administrative affairs."

Bradley quickly picked up his pen: "Please elaborate, my Lord."

"For example, the Agricultural Affairs Department, the Artisans Department, the Commerce Department, the Education Department, the Defense Department, the Civil Affairs Department, the Health Department, etc.," Louis rattled off seven names, which he had long conceived in his mind.

Bradley looked up: "My Lord, this is similar to the Empire's departmental system—"

"No, it's not," Louis shook his head. "The Empire's decay lies # Nоvеlight # in its division of labor without accountability, having titles but no one truly responsible.

I demand that each department must manage a specific practical matter and establish an assessment mechanism.

The Agricultural Affairs Department will oversee cultivation and granaries.

Spring plowing, autumn harvest, distribution of seeds and farm tools, construction of irrigation canals and greenhouses, ensuring that the common people have food to eat all four seasons of the year.

So, their test will be whether they can feed more people.

The Artisans Department will manage workshops and handicrafts.

Blacksmiths, carpenters, alchemists, etc., will all be under it, responsible for armor, weapons, farm tools, machinery, as well as the construction of city walls and bridges, and inventions.

All production and craftsmanship will be managed by this department.

If anyone cuts corners, they will surely be punished. And whoever can create new tools or new methods will be heavily rewarded.

The Commerce Department will oversee trade and the circulation of goods.

Market taxes, merchant caravans, road outposts will all be maintained by them, ensuring smooth flow of goods between Red Tide and the north and south.

The Education Department will be responsible for enlightenment and nurturing talent, cultivating individuals for Red Tide.

It will establish schools to teach children literacy and arithmetic, train clerks who can read and write, filling the talent gap in Red Tide Territory.

It will also promulgate laws, making the common people aware of the rules, and when the time is ripe, it will popularize literacy.

The Defense Department will be responsible for defense and public order. This will be managed by the army, and I will have Lambert arrange it.

It will be responsible for the training of ordinary soldiers and Apprentice Knights, urban patrols, suppression of bandits, and border defense against minor crises, ensuring order within Red Tide.

The Civil Affairs Department will record household registrations and allocate land.

It will receive displaced people, arrange housing, collect reasonable taxes, and ensure that everyone has a registered household and a place to live.

The Health Department will be in charge of epidemic prevention and territorial sanitation.

It will manage medicinal materials, liaise with physicians, and establish epidemic prevention stations. If an epidemic breaks out, it will immediately isolate and treat the affected, safeguarding the lifeline of Red Tide's people."

Bradley wrote furiously, recording every word Louis spoke without error.

Although his mind hadn't fully grasped it yet, he understood that it was extremely important, the result of Louis's deep contemplation.

Louis continued, unhurriedly: "And they must submit monthly briefings to me and be assessed annually.

Those who fail will be demoted and punished, while those with merit will be rewarded and promoted. The order of Red Tide allows no room for slackness.

Of course, the central authority is merely the backbone; without the local hands and feet to execute, even the best policies are just empty words. The local system must also be established."

Louis did not give Bradley any chance to catch his breath, continuing: "Each subordinate territory must have a supervisor, who is the highest local official appointed by the Lord.

They must absolutely execute central decrees, such as maintaining public order and collecting taxes. They will also be accompanied by an assistant supervisor, who can act in their stead when necessary."

He paused, his fingertip tracing over Wheatwave, Starforge, and other places on the map: "Under them, there will be other subordinate officials, corresponding to the affairs of the seven departments.

The Agricultural Affairs Officer will monitor cultivation and harvests, inspectors will maintain local public order, and tax collectors will be responsible for taxes and trade.

All these people will be appointed by the central authority, allowing no private appointments or transfers locally."

Bradley nodded slightly, his pen scratching on the parchment.

"Decrees must flow smoothly," Louis's voice was low. "They must be delivered on time; every decree must be transmitted to the local areas by a Knight as soon as possible.

Supervisors must also submit monthly administrative briefings, clearly detailing food, taxes, public order, and so on.

Moreover, every quarter, they must personally come to Red Tide to report on their territory's administration, leaving no room for ambiguity."

The morning light outside the window shone on Louis's profile, outlining a sharp curve.

"Each central department must send people to inspect, and the Supervision Department must also conduct independent inspections, a double oversight, so no one can slip through."

Bradley softly replied, "My Lord, you truly intend to extend Red Tide's hand to every inch of land."

Louis's tone was cold: "Only in this way will the order I establish not be easily shaken."

"But how will these be supervised?"

Louis slowly curled his lips, uttering three words: "Supervision Department."

Bradley's mouth slightly opened, as if he understood something.

"The Supervision Department will report directly to me. Its director will be my most trusted person. Furthermore, all supervisors will not serve in their local areas and will be rotated regularly.

They are my eyes and ears; they can report any official at any time. No one, regardless of rank, who dares to be corrupt or derelict in duty, will be immediately dismissed, or even directly beheaded."

After listening, Bradley's palms sweated slightly.

He knew, of course, that the Empire also had a similar supervision system, but for nearly a hundred years, it had been a mere formality, largely superficial, allowing local magnates to bribe their way through, ultimately becoming a tool for corruption.

But Louis's approach was different.

The Supervision Department he envisioned was not a mere ornament, but a knife-edged system: directly subordinate to the Lord, not serving in local areas, regularly rotated, and completely free from any entanglement of local interests.

More importantly, immediate reporting and immediate dismissal.

This meant that once someone reached out for ill-gotten gains, there would be no need for Reporting at all levels (layer-by-layer reporting), no need to wait for lengthy approvals; they could be dismissed on the spot.

A complex emotion surged in Bradley's heart.

This young Lord's thinking was far stricter and more executable than the old imperial system.

It was not just a paper tiger, but more like a sharp sword constantly hanging over the heads of officials.

Compared to the Empire's loose and crude supervision, this was truly the means to rein in all officials.

"My Lord is truly a talent for governing the world—"

He murmured in his heart, looking at the young man behind the table, feeling immensely fortunate to be able to follow such a Lord in his lifetime.

Just as Bradley was still immersed in shock, Louis's tone shifted: "There's one more thing you should note."

The old man immediately picked up his pen, leaning slightly forward, afraid to miss a single word.

"Once all departments are properly arranged and the framework is built, I want them to submit a five-year plan."

Bradley paused, his pen tip hovering over the parchment, seemingly not understanding.

Louis ignored his expression and continued, "Short-term measures can at best alleviate immediate difficulties, but they cannot lay a long-term foundation.

For Red Tide to go further, there must be a blueprint, so that the people of the territory know what needs to be done and where to go in the next five years."

Louis paused, then mused, "For example, how many acres of land agriculture needs to expand, how much capacity granaries need to expand, how many workshops need to be built, how much the population will increase, how many clerks schools can train, and how much the army can expand.

And the necessity of doing so, you should understand: if we only focus on yearly and seasonal harvests, Red Tide will forever remain just a survival outpost in the northern wilderness.

If we have a long-term plan, even if the wind and snow are heavy, we can still see the direction of the future."

At this moment, Bradley understood. At this moment, Louis's thoughts and plans were those of a king, writing the future for Red Tide, and even for the entire North.

And Louis leaned back in his chair, his voice unhurried: "I'm only suggesting directions; the specific goals still need to be proposed by each department.

But they must be set after investigation, not arbitrarily concocted to exaggerate achievements. Of course, the final step will be my review."

There was not a hint of exaggeration in his tone, only a practical approach that commanded trust.

Bradley bowed his head slightly: "I understand."

A complex emotion surged in the old man's heart. This young Lord not only possessed extraordinary foresight but also understood not to rush for success, ensuring that decrees would not become empty words.

Then Bradley was silent for a moment, as if carefully choosing his words.

"My Lord," he leaned forward slightly, his tone tentative, "besides administrative integration and the five-year plan, there's another matter worth considering: the annexation of the territories of surrounding minor nobles."

Louis heard this and scoffed dismissively: "Indeed, although we already control most of the Southeast's territories, they are still scattered and cannot connect our own territories.

Many minor noble factions are already hollowed out. The insect plague and war have consumed nearly half of their labor and land.

Granaries are empty, mines have collapsed, and seven or eight out of ten Knight orders have been annihilated.

What little they can barely maintain now is not due to their own strength, but our Red Tide's support.

In other words, they appear independent, but in reality, they are already pockets tied to our waist; whatever we want, we just need to reach out and take it.

And once these strategic locations are brought into our possession, Red Tide can form a complete, unified area.

Then, this chaotic Southeast will be completely transformed into an integrated core of order, and by then, we will have the ability to swallow the entire North, becoming the true Lord of the North."

His tone was calm, yet it carried a chilling resolve: "Red Tide Territory should take the initiative to gradually annex them through exchange, cooperation, or even force."

He then began to elaborate on the methods, as if meticulously describing a guaranteed victory: "We can use some peripheral territories and resources to exchange for their strategic locations."

Louis's fingertip lightly traced over several areas on the map, "Or propose joint development and shared territory construction, making them see profit, thereby willingly surrendering their authority."

Louis pondered for a moment, then continued, "First supply, then restrict. Once they lack rations for their Knights and retainers, raw materials for their workshops, and iron for their military equipment, and become entirely dependent on Red Tide—they will no longer be able to struggle."

"Of course, there will also be stubborn old-timers who cling to their ancestral lands and refuse to cooperate," Louis's eyes narrowed slightly.

"For these stubborn factions, we must strike hard. We can provoke a border skirmish, or send troops to suppress them under the guise of 'bandit suppression.' Taking down one will be enough to shake the rest."

As his voice faded, the Red Tide marker on the map flickered slightly in the firelight.

Bradley was silent for a moment, then slowly exhaled, his brows relaxing.

"My Lord—I understand," he bowed. "Divide first, then integrate. Use both soft and hard tactics, leaving them no way out."

Louis nodded slightly, his expression unwavering, as if all of this was simply as it should be.

"Red Tide's territory and influence must expand in the shortest possible time," his voice was steady and calm. "We need to actively shape the situation, not passively react."

Bradley responded, his tone now devoid of earlier hesitation, instead showing a hint of eagerness: "This is the most direct and effective method.

I will arrange it immediately, having intelligence gathered first to assess which minor nobles are suitable for cooperation and which need to be dealt with."

Louis did not look up, simply uttering two words: "Very good."

Those two short words fell like a hammer.

The minor noble territories still marked on the map were now like chess pieces, to be moved at will.

Simply because of a few words from the young Lord, their future had been clearly laid out.