Rise of Rurik

The coldest month of January is almost over, and the daily daylight hours are also growing significantly.

Grass seeds sprout quietly in the snow-covered soil, and mortals feel that the north wind is no longer so aggressive.

All signs indicate the recovery of the earth, and it’s finally time for people who have been away for a year to go home!

The Elbe River will not thaw until at least the end of February, but this is just an estimate made by the Russian people based on their own experience.

The Great Freeze of the Elbe River in the winter of 840 was very abnormal. Its ice layer was enough to support tens of thousands of people fighting on the ice. Now it is slowly thinning without people noticing.

The Russians have a custom of digging into the ice for fishing. Soldiers carry iron picks and forest axes to constantly break the ice. They cut square holes in the ice and then throw the fishhook down, hoping that the perch will bite the bait. They did catch a lot of hungry fish, and along the way they also discovered the secret of the thin edge of the ice.

Even at the extremes of the dry season, the Elbe's channel in Hamburg is still very wide. The fisherman discovered that the ice in the center of the river had become no wider than the palm of his hand. Although it could carry people without any problem, it might not last more than a few days.

After the long cold spell in January, winter seems to have exerted its last strength, and the days after are full of sunshine.

A large number of Russian soldiers wearing sunglasses now have huge black eyes. In the eyes of the local Saxons, these foreign Normans are too weird. They are already preparing to go home, and countless people are eager to retreat as soon as the rivers and seas thaw.

Each soldier is counting his trophies. Most of the metal utensils, leather and food captured in the long war have been consumed or turned into valuable equivalents - coins.

Everyone's pockets were full of jingling copper and silver coins, and everyone also changed their clothes.

The composition of the Russian army is very mixed, and it is filled with a large number of poor people. Because of their poverty, they are very determined to get rich by participating in the war. Now their wishes have basically been satisfied.

A large number of iron rings are strung together to form chain armor. It is very effective against ordinary swords and axes, and also has a defensive effect against ordinary arrow clusters. However, in terms of actual combat effects, when Ross began to produce riveted iron plate armor more efficiently, the past process of producing chain mail had been abandoned.

But the vast majority of soldiers did not even have a chance to get a piece of metal armor. For example, the Slavs and Finns were not picky. They searched the corpses of Frank soldiers everywhere on the battlefield, peeled off the blood-stained chain armor, and washed it. If it is clean, it belongs to you.

The intact chain armor is worn directly, and the damaged one is cut and hung on the iron helmet to protect the face and neck.

Before the war began, Rurik was unable to provide armor to his troops, and only his direct troops wore armor. Nowadays, the entire army is covered with metal armor, and iron helmets are also widely used. However, this new outfit is too Frankish.

Of the mountains of swords that were collected, most of them were shipped to Rus' ships, except for some that were given to the Saxon allies.

There is still a surplus of military rations, and the cabins are filled with metal utensils and trophies.

However, many Russian soldiers died on the banks of the Elbe River. Their ashes were put into wooden boxes and marked with the soldiers' names and place of origin. The deceased will not be buried here, and Rurik will not perform a water burial for the deceased. The ashes of the deceased will be handed over to the family first, and then the family will take the deceased's belongings as funerary objects and bury them in a designated cemetery immediately. On a stone tablet.

Most soldiers temporarily ignore the grief of their comrades who died in battle. They will not be grateful that they survived, nor will they reflect on the destruction caused by this war.

They didn't feel any guilt. Everyone felt that they had created a miracle. The young people who went to the battlefield for the first time completed their coming of age ceremony in such a crazy way. Everyone can show off their huge trophies to the villagers when they return to their hometown and tell the story of the war for seven days and seven nights.

They still long for war, but a war lasting for one year is beyond personal awareness. Many people need to calm down their emotions. After getting enough rest, they will resolutely respond to the king's call and fight again.

In the concept of all Vikings, war is legal plunder. They live in a world of the jungle and the strong, and they firmly believe that the law "If I don't rob you, you will rob me" is true. Unless there is a recognized strong man who formulates a set of rules that everyone must recognize, in fact, they do not want to live in such difficult conditions. Now King Rurik is such an arbitrator, and the era of mutual robbery in the northern world may be over. Come to an end.

Since everyone legally no longer robs each other, no one thinks there is a problem with robbery. Just go and rob others! Robbery is an important way of life for northerners. If you don't do it for a month, you will feel itchy.

No one knows this better than Rurik. To put it bluntly, the rise of Russia is based on ten years of continuous plundering wars to earn enough original capital. Now that Russia is strong, it is still necessary to regard robbery as a national behavior.

Allies cannot be robbed, at least not openly. Attacking the opponent is free to do whatever one wants. According to the signed covenant, it is an obligation for Ross to rob the Kingdom in the future. In this case, Rurik is determined to carry out this obligation in a short time.

Rurik secretly sent a note to Count Blue Fox of Gothenburg in the Ross military camp.

There are only two people in the quiet house.

"Your Majesty, you must have something big to do with me." Blue Fox sat cross-legged, his round face full of uncertain longing for the outside world.

"You've gained weight these days." Rurik pouted.

"That's true. Our entire army is like a hibernating bear. Now that the wind and snow have finally passed, I have the opportunity to come out and stretch my muscles."

"Of course." Rurik patted his belly mockingly, "I have also gained some weight. If you don't move your muscles, you are destined to gain weight! I still like your slimming down. You probably already know the news about your arrangements. "

"I heard the news, Your Majesty, are you serious?"

"Of course you are serious. You..." Rurik composed himself, "There is no surprise on your face. Are you actually satisfied with my arrangement?"

"That's natural. I am essentially a businessman. I travel to distant places to discover business opportunities. This is the custom of the Gould family."

"Really? Then I'm relieved. I want you to lead your army and escort this guy Ludwig back to his Mainz. I know you actually went to Frankfurt Mainz. Why? We must raise cross flags along the way and disguise ourselves as Frankish troops. If another general were to handle this matter, there might be great resistance, but I know that only you can handle this matter well."

"Of course." Blue Fox subconsciously showed the sterling silver cross on his chest, "It's because I believe in their god."

"You?" Rurik couldn't help laughing arrogantly, "Do you believe this? I know your Gould family very well, just like the name of your family refers directly to gold. As for the gold and silver you believe in, Which god you believe in depends on circumstances."

"Haha, your Majesty's wise eyes."

"You are very smart, and I know you want your family to grow. You have two brothers, how are they doing?"

"Red Fox and Black Fox? Not only them, but also my sister and her children. By the way, there are also my own children. I hope my family can develop further."

"That's necessary." Rurik knew it well, and now he spoke frankly about the situation: "Henry Nassau is going to move his family to the Netherlands, and he has almost a power vacuum in the inland Nassau village. In principle, it is still the fiefdom of the Nassau family, but there may be other people who actually hold the power. We want to open the family shop in Nassau Village, just like you did in Heideby. You are very experienced in this! "

"Huh? Does your Majesty plan to temporarily place me there for a while?"

"I think you'd love to."

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for the arrangement." Blue Fox kept slapping his thighs, "I still don't want to just be a noble in Gothenburg, even though the geographical location is very important. I want to explore the inland area for Your Majesty, and that Ludwig , I still hate him."

"Hate that he neglected you?"

"He made me suffer so much!"

"Times have changed, and he may ask you to do something in the future. I want you to build the shop in Nassau Village first, and remember to build it into a fortress. You have to convince the soldiers you have to go, and you can rob as you like. If you want to make a fortune by plundering the villages and noble territories of the Kingdom, you must continue to spy on me. We also have a stronghold at Rotterstad at the mouth of the Rhine River. When the news reaches here, it will be sent back to the north. You can rest assured, Your title of Earl of Gothenburg is permanent and will be inherited by your descendants."

Lan Hu immediately understood Wang's arrangement and hurriedly thanked him.

He added: "Then our shop in Nassau Village will eventually be handed over to someone the king can trust."

"That's natural. Why don't you give someone a choice?"

"My younger brother, Red Fox or Black Fox, they should also have a chance to develop. Your Majesty has met them, and now they have grown up."

When Blue Fox asked Rurik, he immediately remembered. Of course, it was not that those two men had done any great feats. In fact, the old Gould named all his sons after "fox". The so-called businessmen should have foxes. As cunning as a person, he has a strange name that is really memorable. What's more, the blue fox in this family is a big weirdo. Only blue fox has lost weight due to his crazy adventure and suffered a lot. The other guys named Gould are all fat, regardless of gender.

Red Fox and Black Fox are both little fat guys. Are these people really reliable? Maybe.

Rurik nodded: "There are only four men in your Gould family. I know the business layout of old Gould, and this is also admitted by me. Your eldest brother Bai Hu is responsible for the North Baltic Sea, and you yourself are responsible for Denmark. I am not responsible for the Eastern Baltic Sea. Your family is open, and it is perfectly fine for your two younger brothers to explore the southern market. You brothers support each other, and I am very satisfied with this matter. Okay, I will meet with Red Fox first when I go back. I hope this boy supports your opinion. "

"Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty."

As a result, Blue Fox fully understood his new mission.

The war is over, and for Blue Fox this is the beginning of a new era.

He secretly made up his mind to build an extremely strong stronghold in the village of Nassau, which he had never met before. It must be a fortress to ensure that it could hold on for more than half a year in the face of future wars.

After all, Blue Fox is not a simple person. He believes that the arrogant guy Ludwig is surrendering now because he is giving in tactically. Of course, when that guy returns to his hometown, he will endure it for a long time because his strength is seriously weakened.

He felt that he would achieve greater things, and just collecting gold and silver wealth could no longer satisfy his personal ambitions.

To this end, the Blue Fox will command a special squadron of armed freighters and longships. The longboats were responsible for rowing and towing the larger ships upstream on the Rhine, and then setting sail once the wind was favorable.

He expected that he could assemble a team of 500 people, all of whom were villagers from the Onkras tribe from his ancestral homeland, as well as followers of the Götalans who had recovered Gothenburg. Most of the people who have been able to fight with the army until now still want to continue to make profits. As for those who are thoughtful and eager, let them leave. There should be no shortage of manpower, especially those who desire to make a fortune.

The Saxons in the Hamburg area were so poor that some of them took advantage of it and only needed 500 people to meet the king's requirements.

So while the Russian army and the Danish army were busy preparing to return home, the fact that General Blue Fox led the squadron to station in Nassau Village began to be publicized with great fanfare.

The squadron increased the mission of the cruise ships, and Henry Nassau, Ludwig and Hardbold, and even a large number of freed Franks, would all return to their homes in this downwind fleet.

There was no need for the Blue Fox to hide his future arrangements. He was recruiting high-profile recruits in Hamburg.

"A man who feels powerful! A man who wants to make a fortune! Come with me now! I will take you to the south to make a fortune."

People are so poor that they have no other options. Since this Russian with a cross on his chest has converted, following this man should be able to survive.

Blue Fox easily recruited fifty people. Most of these Saxon villagers also had families, but they were obviously more powerful. They had fought with spears in the war before, and the experience of participating in decisive battles and fighting side by side was their common memory. Blue Fox trusts these people, and maybe these people will be merciful when they rob villages in the Middle Kingdom in the future.

Those who insisted on going home were eliminated, and the blue fox did not stop them. In this way, more than 300 people were determined to go to the south to see the world and make a fortune through robbery, and then grab a beautiful girl to solve their marriage problems. . The Saxons who were also recruited into the group during the recruitment work for many consecutive days also had similar simple and extremely barbaric dreams.

Nowadays, it is no different than in the past. With the mountains of weapons and armor seized, Blue Fox can easily arm his own people.

The leather helmet is equipped with chain mail, and a piece of cowhide riveted iron armor can be put on the outer body.

Everyone has leather boots sewn with cowhide, as well as good cowhide armed belts.

Swords and axes are essential weapons, and the lightweight wooden-armed crossbow is a specialty.

It's just that they used equipment captured from the Frankish heavy infantry on a large scale, and now they have transformed like the dead heavy infantry resurrected. They looked too much like the Frankish army. It was not until everyone showed off their huge round shields in full Viking style and skillfully built up a shield wall that they clearly proved their identity.

The Ross flag is unique, with a square white cloth sewn with blue strips on the diagonal, which is intended to refer to the snow and an abstract pair of oars. The totem of the Ross tribe has been like this since ancient times, and Rurik just simplified and improved its abstraction.

However, there can be multiple explanations for this flag. Even Archbishop Hadbold of Cologne considered that Russian ships would often visit his city of Cologne on the Rhine in the future. The war should be over, and the Russians would need some measures to move around in Cologne in the future. Reasonable endorsement.

Hardbold did not believe that the Russians would always display the cross flag, but their own flag was too similar to the cross flag. This should not be just a coincidence, and it could clearly make a big fuss.

He met with Rurik in person and explained his special understanding of the flag.

"Legend has it that our saint Andrew was crucified on an You shouldn’t feel intimidated.”

Rurik tried hard not to laugh when he heard it. In the final analysis, this flag was originally Ross's naval flag. His original design was to implement a history. Of course, the naval flag is essentially the "St. Andre's Cross".

Hardbold would also return to Hamburg on a squadron ship. This person's sudden visit was to ask Ross to fulfill his agreement and not plunder Cologne in the future. He also emphasized that no matter what Ross did in the future, as long as it did not harm the Archdiocese of Cologne, interests, Cologne will remain silent.

What else could Rurik say about this. He was very pleased with the old man's pragmatic spirit and said smoothly: "You make a statement and point out that our flag is a symbol of Saint Andrew, as if we Russians have converted to your faith. Are you doing this? To deceive your people is to give yourself some comfort. But I am very satisfied with this statement."

Hardbold had nothing to say to this, so he could only smile bitterly in return.

He came to meet privately, essentially hoping that Rurik would continue to make guarantees. This meeting was an additional success, even if it was only a verbal prospect of cooperation.

After all, there will be more than 10,000 people living in Cologne during peacetime. The city is not only the seat of the bishop, nor is its wealth simply obtained by collecting tithes from farmers.

How much can you earn from agricultural taxes alone? Cologne is a small city, but there are many textile workshops in the city. A large amount of wool from Flanders and the Middle Kingdom arrived in Cologne. The Cologne people devoted themselves to wool processing and linen weaving during their slack farming time. Textiles were a major source of money and tax collection, and the nobility and their retainers were the main consumers.

Hardbold was not simply a devout believer; he was certainly a devout man who was flexible in his interpretation of his faith. He discovered that the Russians were not just butchers. Since the monarchs of the entire northern world had vowed not to kill each other due to some treaties, and had signed very clear commercial treaties, Cologne should not miss this opportunity.

The Cologne defense found a new big buyer, and a very stable one. The wool felt, woolen clothing, and linen cloth made in the future can be sold directly to the Russians who display the "Saint Andre's Cross Flag". If anyone questions, they can use "Saint Andre's" to prevaricate.