The idea of controlling "Yancheng" in your own hands is very tempting.
From the perspective of resource scale, the salt marsh near "Yan City" is huge and contains rich salt resources. If it is controlled, at least in the lifetime of the protagonist, there is no need to worry about the depletion of salt resources. If the salt production process can be improved, I believe there will be a breakthrough in output.
However, although salt is a good thing, there is no free trade in the ant world. The salt in the Big-headed Ant Kingdom is distributed to each nest for free. In this way, the economic value of the salt cannot be realized. Therefore, the protagonist benefits that can be obtained from "Yancheng" are very limited...
Although there are economic risks, the protagonist still wants to take "Salt City" into his pocket. At least for now, "Salt City" is still the only source of salt in the Big-headed Ant Kingdom. The strategic significance of controlling this place needs no introduction.
Of course, this kind of control cannot be a military action or similar forceful act. The protagonist does not want to completely break with the Big-headed Ant Kingdom. He can only seek a way to control it in a way that is acceptable to the peaceful Big-headed Ant Kingdom's King Conference.
The current salt crisis may be just the right time to intervene.
If the protagonist's guess is correct, due to the superposition of multiple factors, each nest, including the main nest, is more or less in a crisis of salt shortage, and the King's Council should also have received corresponding information.
At this time, if the protagonist can express at the king's meeting that God requires him to take over "Salt City", I believe he will gain many supporters.
Originally, the behavior of eating salt was regarded by ants as a religious behavior to pray to God. Because this kind of food cannot fill their stomachs, ants do not even dare to eat more. Ants who eat too much will suffer from various physical discomforts. However, licking a little salt every time can give the ants a sweet taste that is no less than sucking honeydew. What else can this be but a gift from God?
Therefore, isn’t it natural that the salt dedicated to God should be managed by the God’s Envoy King?
Moreover, salt itself is not food. Since there is no domestic trade or foreign trade, the production of salt cannot produce any economic benefits. Even "Yancheng" itself has been in a long-term food shortage because of the necessity to produce salt, and needs occasional assistance from the neighboring sub-nest.
It is precisely because in the eyes of the kings that "Salt City" lacks value, they will not strongly oppose the protagonist's control of this "barren land".
But as far as the protagonist is concerned, controlling "Yancheng" will not result in loss of money.
Take the most basic food as an example. The size of the ant colony in "Yancheng" is only two to three thousand ants. Simply establishing one or two breeding farms and farmland is enough to support them.
Most ants can be invested in salt production. The protagonist can completely improve the worker ants and upgrade the method of collecting natural salt crystals to actively drying salt, which can greatly increase the production and quality of salt.
Even though the salt still needs to be distributed to various nests in the Big-headed Ant Kingdom according to the original quota, the remaining amount is still considerable, not only enough to supply the consumption in the protagonist's territory, but also to make a lot of wealth.
What can you do with rich salt? The protagonist couldn't help but think of the way the Central Plains dynasty used salt, tea and iron to control ethnic minorities in the frontiers in previous lives.
Salt, tea and iron are all necessary for the lives of nomadic peoples and other frontier peoples. However, for a long historical period, the areas controlled by frontier peoples were unable to achieve self-sufficiency in these three materials.
At this time, the Central Plains dynasties would trade with the border peoples through mutual markets, trade and other methods. In addition to making a lot of money from monopolizing goods, this trade also comes with political strings attached.
Only friendly "neighbors" can gain trade qualifications, obtain more goods, and then become stronger. And "evil neighbors" with ulterior motives will have their trade restricted and allowed to decline. By utilizing the trade of salt and other materials, the Central Plains dynasties could also avoid frequent wars with border ethnic groups, or provoke continuous civil wars among border ethnic groups, thereby eliminating the pressure on national defense.
Salt, the strategic significance of this material in ancient times, is no less significant than the geopolitical significance of oil in the modern world.
Just as the Middle East is rich in oil, the United States, as the world's largest power, must maintain a military presence in the Middle East, and then indirectly control world trade by controlling important shipping routes around the world. Once a "thorn" appears, the United States will wield the big stick of "trade restrictions" and "sanctions."
If there is salt on hand, the protagonist feels that he can also play tricks in foreign negotiations, unlike now, where two ants of different races can only pinch each other as soon as they meet. Isn't it good to sit down and drink tea and eat salt?
The protagonist doesn't have a good impression of the ant species. There are both big-headed ants and pavement ants under his command, which is unimaginable in the eyes of other ants. But the protagonist is not satisfied yet. He also wants to include races such as the hunting ants and the black-headed sour ants under his command.
——I am the dividing line——
However, the protagonist's fantasy about salt can only come to an end temporarily.
The flying knights have brought a small amount of salt back to "Dongyang City", which is enough for a few days. The salt transport force is still on the way and will return in two days. They have gained a lot. At least for half a year, not only can the salt supply of "Dongyang City" be guaranteed, but also part of it can be allocated to support "Linshui City" and "Linshui City". Bridgehead".
However, the protagonist did not have time to wait for this batch of salt to be shipped back. Just now, he received an urgent report from the Flying Knight from "Linshui City" - "Bridgehead" discovered that there were abnormal military forces in the nearby pavement ant sub-nest. transfer.
What is supposed to come will still come.
After the beginning of spring, the protagonist is ready for a battle with the pavement ant barbarian army at the "Bridgehead". After all, the "Bridgehead" has a very important strategic significance. Together with the "Linshui City", one in the south and one in the north, it guards the two ends of the rope bridge across the river.
It is impossible for the pavement ant barbarians to watch a stronghold of the Big-headed Ant Kingdom hanging alone on the north bank of the river, extending into their own territory.
Therefore this war is inevitable.
After the beginning of spring, although the Angel King's army increased its patrols, it could not completely block the spying of the "bridgehead" by the pavement ant barbarian scouts.
The Pavement Ant barbarians already know the existence of the "Bridgehead", but have not launched a military awakening for a long time, leaving the protagonist with leisure to go to the north for reconnaissance, participate in the war of recapture, and return to "Dongyang City".
The protagonist once guessed that the ant barbarian army was fighting on three fronts, and he was not thinking about his body, so he did not find trouble with the "bridgehead".
But now, what is supposed to happen has come. The abnormal military mobilization of the Pavement Ant Barbarian sub-hive near the "Bridgehead" area cannot be unrelated to the "Bridgehead" and the Angel King's army.
The protagonist needs to return to the north immediately to take charge!
