187. Can Trees Also Be Sold for Money?

To show his gratitude, Eddard Stark finally spoke. "Now that we've talked about Jon, please tell me why you are here, Mr. Jason."

"If there's anything I can do for you, please don't hesitate to ask! After all, you've not only given me and my family so many precious gifts but also helped me solve a troubling matter. So, please speak freely. As long as it is within my power, I will agree!"

After saying this, Eddard Stark straightened his posture, adopting the dignified expression of the Lord of Winterfell, the Warden of the North. His words were serious—he was a man of honor, and he meant what he said.

He may not have heard the saying that no one gives without expecting something in return, but he understood the principle well enough. The valuable gifts Jason Liu had sent were clearly not without purpose.

Looking at the gifts that had pleased his wife and children so much, and considering the new bond between the Stark family and Jason Liu's house through Jon, Eddard had already decided—unless the request was too outrageous, he would accept.

Being asked so directly by Eddard Stark about his intentions, Jason Liu felt slightly embarrassed, but he quickly regained his composure. Clearing his throat, he began, "Ahem... Lord Stark, I only have one request. And I assure you, it will be beneficial to both you and House Stark."

Ed0dard Stark's face remained unchanged, his grey eyes watching Jason Liu silently, waiting for him to continue.

Whether it would truly benefit him and House Stark was something he would judge for himself after hearing it. He would not believe it just because someone said so.

"I would like to rent several hundred acres of land from you, located less than ten kilometers south of Winterfell, near the edge of the Wolfswood, to build a logging camp."

As he spoke, Jason Liu carefully observed Eddard Stark's reaction. But the Warden of the North kept his expression serious, signaling him to continue.

Jason Liu had no choice but to go on. "I also hope you will allow me to buy some of the trees from the Wolfswood. I will pay you based on the size of each tree and will hire workers to cut them down myself."

"You won't need to do anything or spend a single coin. I will pay you for every tree cut, and you will only need to send someone to keep count."

Hearing this, Eddard Stark was truly surprised. Was there really such an easy way to make money? Just by allowing someone to cut trees, House Stark could earn gold?

He couldn't help but ask, "Lord Jason, you mean to buy trees from the Wolfswood outside Winterfell? How many do you need? If it's not too many, I can just give them to you."

"Ah… Lord Stark, you might have misunderstood. I intend to establish a large-scale logging operation—cutting down thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands, or even millions of trees."

Eddard Stark was taken aback. "Hundreds of thousands? Millions?"

He looked at Jason Liu with suspicion. "No offense, Lord Jason, but are you serious? That many trees is an enormous number. What would you even do with so much wood? For construction? Making furniture? Even if all of the North used wood, it wouldn't require that much."

Jason Liu pretended to be troubled, hesitating for a moment before saying, "Lord Stark, I apologize, but this is a business secret of my family. I cannot reveal the reason."

Eddard Stark was still skeptical. Jason Liu, noticing the hesitation, quickly emphasized his offer again.

"You only need to send men to count the trees being cut. The payment will be made accordingly. You don't have to worry about the logging site, the workers, or transportation—I will handle everything. House Stark simply needs to collect the money."

Jason Liu looked at Eddard Stark eagerly, waiting for his response.

Eddard was shocked by this unexpected opportunity. Could the vast Wolfswood, stretching for hundreds of kilometers, actually bring such wealth to House Stark?

In Westeros, forests were plentiful, and wood was not considered valuable. The cost of cutting trees, transporting them, and hiring carpenters made it difficult to profit from lumber.

Still, as the lord of Winterfell, it was his duty to consider the interests of his house. If Jason Liu's offer was too low, it might not be worth it.

"Lord Jason, what price do you propose for each tree? After all, trees come in different sizes, and the price must reflect that."

Jason Liu had already considered this and answered confidently. "We will only cut large trees. Any tree with a trunk diameter of at least 30 centimeters will be purchased. Trees with a diameter between 30 and 50 centimeters will be priced at one silver stag each. If the diameter exceeds 50 centimeters, we will pay two silver stags per tree."

After stating his offer, Jason Liu looked at Eddard Stark. "Lord Stark, what do you think of this price?"

Think? This was an incredible deal!

Eddard Stark, the Lord of Winterfell, was stunned by the high price being offered for simple trees.

At that moment, he looked at Jason Liu as if he were staring at a walking gold mine.

This confirmed something—Jason Liu's family from the East must be one of the wealthiest noble houses in their empire. Otherwise, how could he be so generous? Even as the Warden of the North, Eddard Stark was astounded by the sheer amount of wealth involved.

Could a single tree really be worth one to two silver stags?

If this was true, then Jason Liu could cut as many as he wanted!

Eddard Stark's heart pounded as he did the calculations. Selling a million trees would mean earning ten thousand gold dragons—a fortune equal to several months of House Stark's total income!

The North was vast but sparsely populated, with limited farmland. Even as one of the great noble houses, House Stark's annual income was only in the tens of thousands of gold dragons.

Now, with just a few simple agreements, they could earn a massive sum.

There was no reason to refuse!

"I have no objections, Lord Jason. We agree to the price you've set. I will have Catelyn and Steward Vayon oversee this matter."

With that, Eddard Stark sealed the deal, securing a new stream of wealth for House Stark.

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