Rise of Rurik

Since ancient times, wanting to collect real taxes from commercial activities has tested a country's governance capabilities.

If you want those businessmen to obediently take money and pay taxes, you must either use force to force them, or create a good trading environment to force them to be willing to pay for this environment.

Even so, from big business families to small traders cruising around in boats, they can afford not to pay taxes.

However, they want to sell their goods stably, and selling them in the market is the optimal solution.

Surprise tax collection from all vendors in the markets that appeared spontaneously and those built by the kingdom, and imposing fines by personal control if they couldn't get the money. This is tax collection, and it feels more like asking for tribute.

For a long time, Rurik has relied on military intimidation and personal control threats to force traders from all walks of life to trade in Russia. This operation has been going on for more than ten years. People have gradually adapted to the habit. In order to avoid being disadvantageous to themselves, they Be willing to prepare the prepaid business tax before sailing every spring.

This commercial tax is more like a head tax. The tax paid by merchants has nothing to do with their sales volume, as if the money is just to purchase "trading rights in Russia."

In this way, the cost of collecting commercial taxes is low, and the total amount collected is not large.

As for taxes similar to customs duties, the Kingdom of Rus had already collected them many years ago.

In the Kingdom of Rus, the king now kneads some communities in the northern world together through military strength. The basic structure of the kingdom is still part of the Principality of Ross. Merchants in the principality are completely exempt from tariffs when doing trade. However, merchants from Sweden, such as merchants, who row into New Rossburg, the largest and rapidly expanding trade center, must pay berthing tax when their ships arrive at the port. , it has tariff significance.

When a foreign ship arrives at one's own port, it is only reasonable for the owner to ask for a sum of money.

If a port charges an exorbitant price for stopping a ship, businessmen will have to bleed a lot, which will also be a serious blow to future commercial activities. This is a matter of trade-offs. The owner of the port must make the optimal solution between collecting money and maintaining trade prosperity.

So who does a 1% tariff benefit?

Naturally, it is extremely beneficial to the Kingdom of Ross.

The principality part of the Kingdom of Rus is naturally controlled by the royal power of Rurik, and the Swedish part has a governor's palace to supervise it, which is equivalent to the customs of Rus.

The entire Götaland region was conquered, and Gothenburg was expanded into the region's economic core. The Count of Gothenburg had the power to collect customs duties, but had no power to tax merchant ships from the Rus' Principality. Merchant ships displaying the flag of the Earl of Gothenburg are also exempt from customs duties when trading in other ports within the kingdom.

The entire Swedish region with Lake Mälaren as its core is more like joining the kingdom as an ally on customs and tax issues, and is not regarded by Rurik as "a part of his own flesh and blood."

The customs tax issue can reveal the close relationship. For those allies who joined the "Northern Alliance", Ross and them are military allies and now they are also business alliances.

As the leader of the alliance, Ross can make concessions due to friendship. The biggest benefit is that the allies can charge 1% tariff!

Of course, there are many loopholes and problems in this. Considering the actual situation, the merchants who can conduct ocean-going trade all come from the Viking regime, and among them, the official Russian merchant ships have the ability to safely travel the ocean. Prosperous ocean-going trade among the people did not exist for a period of time, not to mention Rurik also decreed that many tribes would not pay any taxes for ten years.

The 1% tariff has huge benefits for the ocean trade directly commanded by the king. If it can be maintained for a long time, it must be maintained as much as possible. By the agreed date of 850 AD, many tax exemption clauses will expire, and the 1% tariff may be reset at the insistence of the customs of the allied countries.

However, in this treacherous world of Western Europe and Northern Europe, it is a miracle that a stable and peaceful alliance can exist for ten years.

The nobles solemnly signed the determination of this trade alliance. All nobles were willing to abide by a unified 1% tariff. At the same time, they also confirmed to each other that landowners had the obligation to build markets and protect the safety of merchants.

This business agreement, which can be called a very fair one, caused a man to think deeply.

It was a calm and cold night, and there was endless light snow like shards of ice outside. People overwintering, regardless of their ethnic origin, just wanted to stay in warm shacks.

Rurik lived in the Ross army camp outside Hamburg, and now a large area of ​​flat land along the river forms a dense wooden building. Even if the Russian army only stayed temporarily, they stayed temporarily for half a year or even longer, and everyone had to strengthen their houses.

The wood carvings pieced together from logs are still filled with a faint smell of rosin, and the smell is very calming. The war was over, and Rurik had personally written each item on rough paper regarding the terms of formal peace negotiations with Ludwig.

He could finally settle down, and now he would rather be alone and enjoy a few days of absolute peace.

And tonight, he will specially summon Henry Nassau, Earl of the Netherlands.

The wooden door opened, and the array of oil lamps in the room shook rapidly and violently.

The cold air blows in the face outdoors, and a large amount of broken ice breaks in with people entering the house.

Henry Nassau took off his leather coat that was covered with ice and hung it on the flange of the wooden wall at the door. Then he beat his chest with his right hand and saluted King Ross.

"No need to be formal, come quickly." Rurik, who was sitting cross-legged, waved.

Nassau hurriedly came over and sat down. Looking into Rurik's eyes, he was still very formal and subconsciously said some polite words.

"There's no need to say this! Let's not waste time, just tell us what you think. That's not right! I know that Eskil and you secretly talked about something, and this matter has something to do with the peace talks. Maybe the old guy thinks that something might be able to If you irritate me, I will choose to shut up. You... might as well have a chat with me."

Nassau was not surprised by this and said frankly: "It is indeed the case. King Ludwig of East Francia is revealing a piece of news."

"I've heard a little bit about it, it seems like it's not a rumor?"

"Yes. Ludwig has an incredible attitude of cooperation with our Northern Alliance."

"Is it an alliance? Ah, the fact that he can have such an idea shows that he is a smart person."

Nassau nodded deeply, "These are what Eskil said. They... hope to ask the king about your attitude through me."

"Why is it so complicated? Just let Ludwig have a private discussion with me in person! Solve some issues in advance to avoid endless discussions in the formal peace talks. We northerners don't want to talk nonsense."

"Yes... it should be a fact that Ludwig intends to form an alliance with us. And once this alliance is implemented, he will not only be the new allies of our Northern Alliance."

"Is there anyone else?" Rurik couldn't help but wonder.

"There is also the Archbishopric of Cologne. Eskil revealed to me that Ludwig decided to give all of Westphalia to Cologne. Archbishop Hardbold had jurisdiction here, and Liudolf lost the count of the place. title."

"Is there such a thing?" Rurik subconsciously poked his head out, thought for a moment and curled his lips, "That's true. Liudov betrayed him, so he took Westphalia back and transferred it to the seal. It’s also Ludwig’s power. Give a piece of territory to Cologne? Is he really willing to do so?”

"I don't know about this. But Cologne exists like a small kingdom. If Ludwig asks for an alliance, then Cologne will also form an alliance with us. In this way..."

"Oh!" Rurik slapped his thigh, his mind already realizing a perfect result. "In this way, I won't be able to rob the rich Cologne. In exchange, my ship can go up the Rhine to your village of Nassau?"

"Exactly!"

"In principle, my merchant ships will not be attacked by the Franks. This is exactly what I dream of."

"Yes. My Netherlands still enjoys the fiefdom of Nassau Village, so I promise the great King Rus that I fully invite you to build a shop and a military camp in my Nassau Village."

Henry Nassau actually made such a proactive request. This matter was really what Rurik wanted. He was very emotional, slapping his thigh happily and exclaiming that it was totally okay.

Nassau's sullen face then broke into a smile.

Rurik continued shouting with a smile: "Speaking of which, you also betrayed Ludwig. Your family was detained by him. Many men in your territory were recruited by him to participate in the war and most of them are now dead. He can take revenge on you. The family vented their anger. He didn’t?”

"Indeed not, maybe this is a sign of his sincerity. Your Majesty, even if we have different beliefs, you don't care about it. Although I now have a brand new fiefdom in the Netherlands, my military strength is too weak to manage it well. .I need the cooperation of the Ross army, and I must cooperate deeply with you."

"You're very witty."

Therefore, in this secret meeting between the two, Henry Nassau became a messenger for the defeated king Ludwig in a sense.

Ludwig was definitely not willing to negotiate a very dishonorable peace. He needed to find a way to find out the attitude of King Rus through the middle. If the other party disagreed with him, he could adjust his strategy.

Of course, Rurik refused to allow the defeated East Frankish Kingdom and the Archbishopric of Cologne to join the Northern Alliance led by Rus. The reason was extremely simple. A so-called comprehensive alliance could only allow one core.

Even if East Francia were defeated, would this defeat really destroy their base? Bavaria and Osteria still belong to Ludwig, and in principle this man's sphere of influence has moved south to the Adriatic Sea. He lost only the power in the northwest direction, but the southeast direction remained the same. It still has a huge population of Catholics and has a strong regenerative power. For this kind of person, either kill him or cooperate with him to a limited extent. Trying to control him is pure wishful thinking.

Killing Ludwig will only lead to a vacuum in the highest power of the Eastern Kingdom, and the godless nobles will recognize Lothair's power in an instant. The Frankish Civil War was caused by Lothair's determination to reduce the vassal state. Killing Ludwig would help Lothair unify the country!

Thinking along this line of thinking, Rurik had to imagine a possibility.

"This Ludwig lost his troops in the north, and I killed more than half of the elite. He will suffer a big loss in the future civil war, and maybe I will send troops to help him! If this guy is defeated by his elder brother, I will send troops to Western Europe No action in the hinterland can be carried out smoothly.”

Rurik felt that Ludwig's request for alliance was a conspiracy, just like Henry Nassau's request for Russian military protection on the table. The decent Ludwig did have this need, but it was difficult for him to understand. explain.

In this case, then increase the terms of the alliance, especially fill in the trade treaty with great color.

As for any taxes, including customs duties, only Ross collected Frank's, and Frank had no right to ask Ross for money.

The secret meeting between the two ended, and Henry Nassau completely got the attitude of Rurik himself.

After all, Nassau is not Ludwig's messenger. He needs to inform Eskil of King Rus's attitude, and finally the northern saint will inform Ludwig and Hardbold of the news.

This is indeed how things unfolded.

In this situation, conspiracy is meaningless. There is no need for both parties to conspire outside the negotiation table. It is precisely the highest level of wisdom that is conspiracy.

Ludwig was showing weakness in a sense, and his attitude towards the Normans was also extremely flexible. He actively participated in Danish world affairs, using missionaries as pioneers, and then instigated rebellion against Danish pirates and nobles. He learned from the experience and felt that his defeat today was largely because he underestimated the vastness of the northern world and the determination of the northerners. In particular, he did not expect that there were extremely fierce Normans like the "Russians" in the world.

Harald Clark and Horik, the former two great chiefs of Denmark, both worked for themselves, especially the Danish mercenary groups loyal to them also participated in this war.

That group of Danes longed for wealth and status, and Ludwig knew too well whether their belief in the barbarian god Odin was stable. "Wherever there is piety, those people are always willing to convert to God if it is for the wealth and status I provide."

The key is to let these tough mercenaries get money, so in a political sense, the Eastern Kingdom recruits troops from the Norman world, and King Ludwig has no absolute objection.

The rising Rus Kingdom is not easy to mess with. If Rurik really does not have greater expansion ambitions for the Eastern Kingdom, using them is an option.

So Eskil returned with newly acquired information.

The wind and snow outside are still there, and the continuous snowfall seems to have suspended everything in the world.

Formal peace negotiations should be held before Christmas and Hanukkah. A negotiated outcome that satisfies both sides can end the war. This is a tacit understanding of both sides.

The dark humor is that Ludwig is eager to end the war before Christmas, and things are developing towards his long-cherished wish.

In the warm house, Ludwig, dressed in simple clothes, still showed off his majesty as a king. Liudov still avoided him, but kept providing him with good food and wine.

Now his mood is getting better. Through his observations these days, the Russians are indeed different from the Norman pirates in his concept. They are not extremely vicious. Everything in Hamburg and the surrounding areas is now peaceful.

What Ludwig knew was that the large number of Frankish villagers who had been captured when the war broke out were still controlled by the Norman-Saxon coalition. Subjectively, they had no intention of killing these prisoners, nor did they intend to take them as slaves to the north. The prisoners had been used as bargaining chips, and he now received news that King Rus intended to release the remaining prisoners.

With this news, Ludwig also announced that he would recognize the Netherlands, pardon the entire village of Nassau, and would not deprive Nassau of its fiefdom in the Rheingau region.

After the war, both sides were making compromises, making it possible for peace talks to continue.

Now Eskil is back. He took off his hood to keep out the cold, revealing the old man's wrinkled smile under the dim oil lamp.

The two people in the room were Ludwig, the King of the Eastern Kingdom, and Hardbold, the Archbishop of Cologne.

Eskil couldn't wait to sit down. Facing the two expectant lords, he said excitedly and bluntly: "Rurik, King of Rus, finally revealed a lot of news to me. The attitude of the Rus' people basically agreed with the alliance request made by you two." of."

"Basically agree? Does this count as agreement?" Ludwig asked hurriedly.

"Yes. The Ross people intend to establish a camp in Nassau Village, and will not ask for anything more. They seem to just want to do business, and as long as you meet such requirements, Rurik, he..."

"How is he? Tell me quickly!" Hardbold asked urgently.

"He will guarantee that all Normans will not plunder along the Rhine in the future, as long as you meet their normal trade needs. Rurik only promised not to plunder the Eastern Kingdom, including Cologne, but for the Middle Kingdom, they I still intend to take action. This... is not what I want to see. I hope for peace." After saying that, Eskil crossed himself on his chest.

Hearing this, Ludwig and Hardbold were ecstatic. They simply stood up and walked around with smiles.

Their attitude has shown full support for this approach to the Covenant.

"Do they intend to grab the kingdom? Let them grab it! Let Lothair fight with them! I will watch them fight on the side. No! When they fight, I will help the Normans... Hahaha..."

Ludwig became more and more incoherent. He realized that the enemy of his enemy could be his ally. Since the Russians just wanted to stay in the village of Nassau, not far from their three military camps of Worms, Mainz and Frankfurt. If camps are established everywhere, then the Russians are really involved in this civil war.

The Norman mercenary group, which had lost the old Harald Clark, now immediately gained mercenaries from the Norman Rus Kingdom. The Russians are said to value commercial interests very much. In this case, they will fight tooth and nail to protect their business and the Middle Kingdom.

Ludwig felt that this kind of thing was also a conspiracy of King Rurik of Rus, and it seemed that this would not harm his own interests at all.

After all, the eldest brother Lothair has ignored brotherhood and is really implementing his plan to annex the entire Eastern Kingdom through war. The top priority is to resist the all-out war of the Middle Kingdom. The plan to use a large number of Norman troops to attack the Middle Kingdom is very hypothetical!

Please remember the first domain name of this book: . :