During this crop growth cycle, Roman focused all his energy on production, leaving the banditry in the Riverlands to Old Jessy.
"My lord, there have been more and more bandits in the Riverlands recently, many of whom only came because they heard about our harvest."
Old Jessy reported the recent situation at Harrenhal to Roman on the road.
Because Harrenhal had been in the spotlight recently, not only were the common folk flocking to join, but even the bandits of the Riverlands were coming here to try their luck.
However, because Roman had previously conducted militia training, even a single village had a militia unit, so the bandits could not gain any advantage at all.
As for the areas where Strongholds had already been built, it was even less likely; without specialized siege equipment, there was no way to break the defenses.
Moreover, the road network within the Harrenhal territory had been initially completed, allowing intelligence and troops to move quickly.
If there were few bandits, the militia was enough to handle them.
If the bandits gathered to attack a Stronghold, Harrenhal's cavalry would soon charge over and send them all to heaven one by one.
"Drillmaster Jessy, passive defense is not the answer. To eradicate the banditry, we need our regular army to handle it."
"I intend to take this opportunity to sweep the territory and eliminate all the bandits, which will also create conditions for future development."
Old Jessy supported this decision, and the two went to the stables of Harrenhal to inspect the warhorses.
Every part of Harrenhal was large, including the stables. Roman had once read in the original work that the stables of Harrenhal could accommodate 1000 horses.
He previously thought it was fake, but seeing it today, he realized that the original work had actually underestimated it.
These 1000-horse stables were specifically prepared for warhorses; Harrenhal also had places for plow horses, pack horses, and other horses to live.
However, due to the scarcity of talent in Harrenhal, there were only 300 usable warhorses now, and even this was considered one of the best among the nobility in the Riverlands.
Roman's mouth twitched. He knew warhorses were hard to come by, but he was still a bit disappointed.
"Forget it, 300 is 300. We will use these 300 warhorses to form a Light Cavalry, and we can still crush that group of bandits!"
Old Jessy nodded and soon assembled the 300 cavalrymen.
These riders were all wearing new-style light lamellar armor, with scimitars at their waists and horse bows in their hands.
Old Jessy's ability to train soldiers was truly impeccable. The cavalrymen were all strong and robust, bearing the marks of various training regimens, and they coordinated orderly when assembling, forming ranks, and mounting their horses.
The soldiers looked at Roman. They felt very honored to be able to go on an expedition with this lord who had beaten Jaime Lannister. Because of anticipation and nervousness, the soldiers' faces were flushed, as if they were holding their breath, waiting for Roman to speak.
Roman mounted his horse and inspected them, revealing a satisfied smile.
"Soldiers, why did you become soldiers?"
This abrupt question left everyone confused. They wanted to say it was for a living, but they were afraid of Roman's blame, so they avoided talking about it.
Roman didn't wait for them to find any excuses, and immediately answered his own question: "I know, you came to join the army because you wanted to have enough to eat, or because your families needed money."
"So I don't intend to beat around the bush with you. Drillmaster Jessy, read out the new regulations."
After bowing, Old Jessy took out a large piece of paper and began to read the requirements and guidelines for the standing army.
This included daily training requirements, military obligations, salary levels, tax reduction benefits, as well as treatment for disability and retirement.
Harrenhal was in decline, and there were barely any landed knights. This was a big problem in the context of the feudal manor economy in Westeros.
But for Roman, this actually gave him room to maneuver. Without the constraints of the middle class, Roman could implement his policies directly to the bottom.
When Old Jessy's loud voice stopped, the 300 cavalrymen in front were still stunned, unable to believe that Roman would actually give them such treatment.
After all, they were originally conscripted farmers. They just had good luck, and the Seven had given them strong bodies, so they stayed.
But now, the standing army treatment provided by Roman could no longer be described as just a blessing from the Seven.
In their eyes, Roman was now the embodiment of the Seven, a spokesperson walking on the earth.
"Long live Lord Roman!!!"
"Long live the Hean Family!!!"
The soldiers expressed their gratitude to Roman and the Hean Family with something close to a roar. The sound even reached the five towers, scaring people into thinking something had happened.
After the cheering subsided, Roman stopped the soldiers and looked at the crowd in front of him solemnly.
"Are you willing to stay in the army?"
"Yes!!!"
"Good! Since you are willing, I must also talk about the conduct of our army."
Roman cleared his throat: "I provide you with such high treatment, not only to ensure your true loyalty to me and the Hean Family, but also to ensure you keep the interests of everyone in the territory at heart."
"Who are you? You were farmers, workers, or wanderers before; your food, clothing, and expenses are all provided by the people in the territory. So, do not forget where you came from. Whoever dares to infringe upon the interests of the people in the future will be dealt with by military law!"
Roman said a lot about the requirements for this army: no looting, paying for items, not bullying men or women, and helping people when they are in difficulty...
For this world, these requirements were considered harsh, but Roman did not compromise at all.
"I've said so much; if you are unwilling, leave now. I won't punish you, but if anyone stays and violates military discipline, you know the consequences."
There was no shouting, no noise. No soldiers left the field; instead, they clenched their fists and kept beating their chests, the sound of armor plates clashing was deafening.
"Good!" Roman mounted his horse. "In that case, follow me and let's go kill bandits!"
A Light Cavalry unit galloped out of Harrenhal, heading straight for the target location.
Roman and Old Jessy led the way, while the rest of the troops followed closely behind. The group galloped in an orderly fashion along the main road.
Marching on the specially built "highway," Roman arrived at the nearest affected village in less than half a day.
After some inquiries, Roman locked onto a low-lying area located at the edge of the Harrenhal territory, surrounded by low shrubs and hills.
But none of this could escape Roman's eyes. Under his White Flame Vision, Roman accurately saw the location of the bandits.
The bandits were resting on the spot, imagining how they would plunder next, when suddenly they felt the ground shaking.
When someone shouted "cavalry" in panic, Roman had already led his troops charging down from the hillside.
Like a god descending to earth, a single charge crushed the morale of the bandits. They began to flee for their lives, without any defensive formation.
But Light Cavalry was famous for its mobility and pursuit, and these dozens of bandits were quickly caught up with and killed.
After counting the numbers, Roman had people dispose of the bodies, and then he led the army to continue patrolling again.
And this group of soldiers did not disappoint Roman. They indeed followed military regulations and did not commit any offenses against the common people.
Roman then led the cavalry to suppress bandits while also working for the villages where they stayed temporarily.
Sometimes when the bandits didn't show up for a long time, Roman would stay in the village and dig ditches, dig wells, and lay bricks with the soldiers.
During this period, Roman also took the opportunity to understand the living conditions of the residents in the remote areas.
"May the Seven bless you, my lord! Our lives are very good. After paying taxes this harvest, our days are easier, and now we can eat meat three times a week at home!"
"My lord, thanks to you, I earned enough money while working at Harrenhal, and now I live in a house with red brick walls!"
"Thank you, my lord! This is the first time I've seen an army stay in our village and pay money. You are truly the embodiment of the Seven!"
...
In this process, the 300 soldiers were also greatly shocked. It was the first time they knew that soldiers could also receive respect from people.
Listening to the gratitude from people in different regions, the soldiers' personal dignity was greatly satisfied.
Materially, Roman gave them almost luxurious treatment; spiritually, they gained the admiration of the people within the Harrenhal territory through repeated actions.
Roman also secretly sponsored Minstrels, letting them create ballads based on the heroic deeds of the soldiers.
When the Minstrels intended to include him as well, Roman decisively refused: "This is their story; I won't steal the spotlight."