novelraw Chapter 122: Shipyard
Chapter 122: Shipyard
Ch 122: Shipyard
The high construction cost didn’t deter Vig. He walked toward Ragnar, surrounded by a crowd. Before he could speak, Pascal had already guessed his thoughts.
“Sir, the carrack represents the Royal Family’s glory. Nobles can imitate it, but each carrack must pay a specific shipbuilding tax, tentatively set at five pounds of silver.”
So expensive?
Noticing the Duke of Tyne’s surprise, Pascal handed him a document bearing the thunder symbol,
“Five pounds each, I’m not lying to you. By the way, Your Majesty mentioned that some of the artisans building the carracks are Berbers. They were originally Bjorn’s prisoners, so Bjorn can receive twenty percent of the Royal Shipyard’s profit.
Also, you proposed the idea of building new ships back then, and His Majesty hasn’t forgotten your merit. Your shipbuilding tax is exempted accordingly.”
Noticing the mischievous smile on Pascal’s face, Vig rolled his eyes. “Bored, you are actually teasing this poor man.”
Leaving the dock, he quickly rushed to the nearby Royal Shipyard, hiring two shipwrights at a high salary to work for him.
Half a month later, Vig returned to Tyne, ordering the expansion of the shipyard and the water-powered sawmill, planning to make a fortune while the technology was booming. Now, he had long since recognized one thing—agriculture could only guarantee a basic income, commerce was better for making big money.
Before officially starting work, Vig questioned the two shipwrights.
“Money, manpower, materials, the dry dock is complete, how long is the estimated completion time?”
The older shipwright was a Berber named Tanit. Out of caution, he didn’t give a clear construction period, requesting to inspect the air-dried timber.
Mentioning this, Vig didn’t mind, leading them to the northwest of Tyne Town. A large area was specifically designated here for storage, a wooden fence built on the edge to isolate the outside, inside were rows of neatly arranged warehouses.
To prevent snow from collapsing the roofs, the warehouses generally used a pointed-top design and also specially added lightning rods.
“This is the storage area for bulk goods, storing timber, wool, bricks, and other materials.”
Vig led the way, arriving at a warehouse where oak was stacked, enough to build more than ten carracks. “There are five warehouses like this. Remember, the North doesn’t lack timber, just go ahead and do it.”
Seeing so much ship timber, Tanit nodded silently, promising to build a replica similar to the Gothenburg within half a year.
Spending half a day inspecting, Tanit selected thirty workers from the original Tyne shipyard, then led them to lay the keel and assemble the planks.
Besides the shipyard itself, Tanit also required textile workers to sew sails. Vig roughly estimated the size; the sailcloth area was about eighty square meters, requiring more than half a month of construction time.
Meanwhile, other artisans were also involved:
Coopers made storage wooden barrels.
Ropemakers made a large amount of cables.
Carpenters were responsible for making stern rudders, oars, and various pulleys.
Blacksmiths were responsible for forging thousands of iron nails, as well as an iron anchor and a twenty-meter-long anchor chain.
To obtain enough tar to fill the crevice between the planks, Vig also invested in building a closed kiln for the shipyard’s exclusive use, dry distilling pine wood or resin, collecting the condensed tar.
“The industries involved are so widely spread, no wonder the shipbuilding cost is so high.”
To build the first carrack, Vig was indeed very tired, being called away every now and then to handle various miscellaneous tasks, busy until the last day of 849.
According to tradition, he and Herigifu held a council in the main hall, discussing the income and expenditure of the entire year.
When the core members had arrived, all the servants in the hall left. Vig looked at Herigifu sitting beside him and let her read the ledger.
Including the three Welsh tribes that migrated last year, Tyne County’s population expanded to twenty-eight thousand. The various incomes provided to the lord were worth four hundred and fifty pounds of silver. The yield from rural areas accounted for sixty percent, and the yield from Tyne Town accounted for forty percent, mainly from the textile and winemaking industries.
The remaining four northern counties belonged to newly conquered regions. The people had strong resistance, and taxes could not be collected in most areas. The Earls could only collect commercial taxes from towns and agricultural taxes from nearby areas, totaling fifty pounds of silver.
In addition, the iron mine and tin mine in Stirling County were operated by people sent by the Duke’s Mansion. After four months, the yield was exactly one hundred pounds of silver.
The newly appointed Barons and Knights were tax-exempt for two years, so there was no yield.
“Six hundred pounds of silver.”
Vig yawned and signaled his wife to read the expenditures.
The standing army formed in August; to date, equipment purchases and wage expenditures have consumed one hundred and fifty pounds （. It is estimated that next year’s military expenditure will be three hundred and sixty pounds ）.
Secondly, the expenses for the administrative system, schools, and temples, including salaries, were two hundred and fifty pounds.
The daily operation of Tyne, as well as the salaries of one hundred guards and various servants, one hundred and fifty pounds.
Then there were various miscellaneous expenditures, including purchasing warhorses, expanding workshops, reclaiming wasteland, and paying tribute to the King, three hundred pounds.
In summary, excluding war expenses, there was a financial deficit of two hundred and fifty pounds of silver this year.
When Herigifu finished reading, everyone was silent, only the crackling sound of the fireplaces on both sides and the faint whistling of the wind and snow outside.
Sighing, Vig got up and left his seat, pacing back and forth in the hall.
“Everyone, from the outside, Tyne looks bright and beautiful, but in fact, there are holes everywhere inside. For this war, the twelve hundred pounds of silver that were saved have been used up.
Helplessly, I borrowed four hundred pounds of silver from various families to barely maintain this situation. Sigh, I have to fight a war and worry about making money. There is probably no nobleman in the world who is harder working than me.”
After venting his frustrations, he continued to walk around the conference table, clarifying the work focus for 850.
“First, let’s talk about the four northern counties. Don’t bother collecting the agricultural tax from 849. Next year, we must collect some no matter what, and we must not let the locals develop a contemptuous attitude.
As for Stirling County, you must ensure the normal operation of the mining area. With the promotion of the heavy iron plow, Britain has a great demand for pig iron. Remember not to mess this up.”
Finally, Vig’s core of rule—Tyne County. He decided to increase investment and have prisoners of war repair water conservancy projects and drain swamps in the countryside. Tyne Town will focus on developing the four industries of textiles, brewing, ironworking, and shipbuilding. The North will be responsible for providing wool, grain, pig iron, and timber as raw materials.
In his opinion, after seizing the four northern counties, he controlled a population of over one hundred and eighty thousand. As long as the situation stabilizes, it is no problem to obtain an income of twelve hundred pounds annually.
The two-hour meeting was mostly Vig talking to himself. Considering that this guy has the nickname “Chosen One,” everyone was used to it, enduring the fatigue and getting through this annual meeting.