Chapter 24: Pressing Forward Step by Step

The winter of 1184 was not particularly cold, but for the citizens of Dublin, the entire city felt icy. Soldiers patrolled the streets, and many nobles were hung on poles.

The Irish and Norwegian nobles, without any support, were physically eliminated by John, while the Norman nobles fared relatively better. Aside from Odo's household being plundered, most other nobles were merely hung on poles.

Though John seemed cruel, only a few dozen nobles were actually eliminated. However, the downfall of these few dozen nobles suddenly gave John vast expanses of land.

It wasn't until now that John realized why Ireland's economy had failed to develop. These nobles held vast stretches of coastline and forests but prevented their subjects from developing them.

"It makes me angry just thinking about it. I thought the Irish were lazy, but it turns out it was for this reason," John said, massaging his temples. "How many acres of forest are there here? Developing these areas could turn them into farmland."

Silvio nodded, his thoughts unclear.

John continued, seeming to vent his frustrations. "Even leasing out these lands could fetch a hefty rent, but these guys let these prime lands go to waste. It's..."

"But, Your Highness, we seem to lack the manpower to develop those lands," Silvio suddenly interjected.

True, there was a shortage of labor. Hearing Silvio's remark, John deflated. Local Irish people were unreliable, and migrants from Anjou, Aquitaine, and other parts of France were unlikely to move here.

If they looked to England for migrants, that might not be enough either. After all, England itself didn't have many people, and their backgrounds were unclear.

After William the Conqueror became king of England, he killed many Anglo-Saxons, necessitating the import of large numbers of immigrants from Normandy and France to fill the population gap.

And who knew if the Anglo-Saxons might suddenly rebel again, considering what the Norman Conqueror had done.

John fell silent, tapping his fingers lightly on the wooden table. The crisp sound echoed in the hall, each tap hitting Silvio's heart like a hammer.

"The most suitable place for immigration is Normandy. There, the population is abundant, and they are trustworthy," Silvio suggested, not without reason. Normandy had long been an area of population outflow, but over the years, it seemed that the outflow had slowed down.

However, John had no other choice but to say, "Then let's start by bringing in immigrants from Normandy. At least we need to get two or three thousand people here to fill up these vacancies. It's outrageous how these nobles have messed things up here."

Listening to the prince's tone, Silvio felt that the prince seemed a bit obsessed with the idea of farming. Though he couldn't say why, he knew following the prince's lead was the right move.

With this thought in mind, Silvio brought up another matter. "Your Highness, do you remember your plan to establish a military camp? Engineer Adriano has surveyed the land outside Dublin according to your vision and has selected a suitable site west of the city for the camp."

Silvio placed the draft and sketches on the table, pushing them toward John.

John naturally took them and examined them for a moment. After looking them over, he set the drawings down and stroked his chin.

"To be honest, it seems like you Italians are better at handling these matters than we are," John remarked. "If the engineer thinks it's feasible, then let him proceed with the construction. Make sure he has enough manpower assigned to him."

Seeing Silvio's deferential demeanor and the large number of deeds on the table, John felt a bit resigned. He picked up one, which was a deed for land located south of the city, originally belonging to a Norwegian minor lord who was now hung on a pole, and his family's estate had been heavily taxed.

This was extorted from their family.

John handed the deed he'd taken out to Silvio. "This is a reward for you and your Italian friends. Build whatever you want on it, and all the proceeds will be yours."

Suddenly faced with such a large gift, Silvio couldn't help but tense up. He chuckled twice but then realized he was sitting in front of a prince and needed to maintain his composure.

"What's with the act? Just be happy," John shrugged. "This land is a reward for you. I hope you make good use of it."

Encouraged, Silvio naturally became more enthusiastic and quickly replied, "Of course, of course. We will absolutely do our utmost to serve you, Your Highness... And if you think it's necessary, I can even help bring in some people from Salerno."

"Forget it, forget it. The people from Salerno get along too well with the Normans in the south. I'm afraid of them."

Seeing the prince in such a good mood and joking with him, Silvio could confirm that the prince was in a very good mood now.

Therefore, seizing the opportunity, he asked, "So, Your Highness, do you have any specific plans for the next three months or half a year?"

"Of course, I do. They've been set for a while," John leaned back in his chair. "To be honest, these days are so boring. I wish winter would pass quickly so I could have something to do."

As an Italian, Silvio didn't understand John's bellicose attitude. But John was his employer, so he respected him nonetheless.

Silvio continued to probe, "So, are you planning to attack somewhere?"

"Not exactly. Haven't you noticed that you haven't seen Jacques around these days?" John raised an eyebrow slightly, as if everything was under control, leaving Silvio puzzled.

Seeing his lack of response, John explained, "Jacques, the boy who escaped from the monastery with William."

"I see, Your Highness. But why has he disappeared?" Silvio was a bit unclear on the situation.

John reached for the goblet beside him, drank the wine in one gulp, and then slammed the goblet back onto the table. The moment he placed it down, Silvio was a little startled.

"I sent Jacques to Westmeath. The lord there is an Irishman named Caiman. I sent Jacques to persuade him to submit."

Watching John's extreme confidence, Silvio was half doubtful.

Who knew if the other party would actually submit?

Only John himself knew the truth of this matter. The lord of Westmeath, Caiman, was different from most Irishmen. He was more stubborn and cared more about "dignity."

Trying to make him submit was impossible; this guy didn't submit to anyone.

The key issue was that, no matter how rebellious the lord of Westmeath was, his overlord was the High King, Roderick. John sent Jacques to contact Caiman to provoke this local lord.

If there was a conflict with Caiman, then John could lure the serpent out of its hole.

Due to the bond between the lord and his overlord, the High King Roderick would have to bring his army to help Caiman. If the High King Roderick didn't act much, his credibility would greatly diminish.

In simple terms, John wanted to force a confrontation between the High King Roderick and himself.