Rise of Rurik

The Ross fleet was heading north rapidly, and Rurik deliberately ordered the fleet to sail close to the east coast of the cucumber-like slender island of Oland, using the island as a landmark to avoid deviating.

As they passed this long island, another piece of coastline appeared due east.

This is another extremely important landmark, Gotland.

The vast sea is extremely empty, and the fleet, which was originally a giant, now looks extremely small.

This sea area has witnessed too many disputes, and the waters that should have been prosperous are now deserted.

It has been ten years since the war destroyed Gotland's inherent economic activity and killed 10,000 people, but the island has never recovered.

On the other hand, Visby remains the same. It is no longer the coastal trading town of the Gotlanders in the old days, but has become a colony of some Swedes. The most important people here are the Swedish Mälaren immigrants.

These people are legally subjects living in the Kingdom of Rus. The trip was in a hurry, and Rurik, as the king, undoubtedly visited this city.

But the sails of the fleet were too conspicuous. The triangular sails of the huge fleet were overall white with a large number of blue stripes. The white sails are extremely prominent in the early spring sunshine and can be clearly seen by fishermen preparing to go to sea.

Is late March a good time to go overseas?

Fishermen who are well versed in the hydrological data of the Central Baltic Sea have determined that there is no fishing season here yet, but just waiting for another half month is a good time to plunder the catch!

They spread out old nets on the shore and repaired the damage with their bare hands. Women and children are also involved in the work of compiling the new network. This is a very time-consuming task, and the labor force must participate as much as possible.

Men have a more important job, which is to carry tools to repair their own ships, repair and make tools such as harpoon hooks.

They would deliberately make some harpoons with huge barbs, and iron rings hung at the end of the wooden handles to tie the ropes.

This is a whaling spear used to kill belugas, minke whales, porpoises, and seals.

However, these Malaren fishermen did not deliberately hunt whales. As the Ross people's demand for whale oil increased, it became profitable to sell whale blubber and whale brain oil after whaling.

This is because they don’t know what the Ross people want for the whale blubber. They only know that whale meat and internal organs can be eaten for a long time (even if the smell is very fishy), and they can get a lot of it by selling the whale blubber to the Ross people’s Tombstone Island coastal market. nice one.

As long as it was fat, soap could be made, and eventually the fat would be transported to New Roseburg, where ordinary consumer soap would be produced in the kingdom's state-run workshops. It smells slightly but is very decontaminating. It is a consumer product that everyone can afford, and it continues to fill the national treasury.

Those fishermen made an accurate judgment - the king and the huge fleet from the expedition were back.

The remaining voyage only lasted three days, and the soldiers who sat in the cabin and endured the unpleasant smell became angry.

People were so willing to stay on the deck and look around that the overcrowding required sailors to drive them back to their cabins so they wouldn't interfere with their work.

The strong south wind seems to be driving away the cold, but the water is still bitingly cold.

In the distance, a large number of sparkling objects appeared on the sea. It's not the waves reflecting sunlight, but the broken ice covering the entire sea surface.

Large ships are completely indifferent to these broken ices, but traditional longships in the rear need to consider the risks.

"It won't happen at home, right?"

Rurik, who was taking the lead with his flagship, out of caution, ordered the semaphores to stand on the bow deck and issue orders to the entire fleet behind.

After some body language, all ships, large and small, understood the risks.

The Åland Islands are ahead, and the further north you go, the more ice floes there are.

The hard oak hull rattled, and the people in the cabin groaned in agony as they carried the boring noise. The ice floes are constantly being pushed away, and only large ships can resist the resistance of the densely packed ice floes. The major ships were arranged in a triangular attack array, like giant shields, constantly breaking the ice floes to protect the longships behind them.

It is such a fleet that no one can ignore their existence!

The old warning post placed by Bjorn, the leader of the Mellaren tribe, at the mouth of the lake still exists today. The post has a very obvious wooden building on the bare land. Unlike the lighthouse, it is also an obvious landmark. The sentinels are still there, but now they are completely under the command of the governor appointed by Rurik, White Fox Gouldson.

The sentries clearly saw the huge fleet and the unified flag on the mast. They immediately rowed into Lake Mälaren, which was also full of ice floes, and went straight to Stockholm, a city close to the mouth of the sea, to explain the matter to any people they could meet, especially Report to the Governor.

Rurik did not have time to enter Lake Mälaren, he was eager to anchor at the anchorage of Tombstone Island.

Now, the entire fleet entered a deep water channel full of ice floes. The surrounding area is surrounded by densely packed sandbars of all sizes, and several large islands come into view.

This place should be very familiar, but after returning today, an indescribable feeling of alienation arises spontaneously.

"I feel like I have been away from here for many years. What a bad illusion. Gould, how are you, old guy? Don't die." Rurik couldn't help but worry about the fat old man who had spent most of his life in good clothing and good food.

It has to be said that Gould made a great contribution to the rise of Ross, and his descendants are continuing to write brilliant stories.

So this return is not just as simple as taking a rest.

Blue Fox played a great role in the war, and it was more reasonable for him to support his two younger brothers. If nothing else, the red fox and the black fox are on Gould Island. They were two cubs whose age was only in single digits back then. Now they are at least sixteen years old.

The fleet appeared like thousands of heavenly soldiers descending from Asgard, and the entire Tombstone Island was shocked!

Just as the fleet passed from Gotland to the town of Visby, the people of Tombstone Island were making important preparations for setting sail for fishing.

The ice and snow forced most production and life work to suspend, but this island is a warm nest in the ice and snow.

Leather tanning work can also be carried out within the towering wooden walls, and fishermen can repair and depreciate their fishing nets in open areas everywhere.

There are many people who have settled on Tombstone Island for a long time, and people are still accustomed to the Nordic system since ancient times. Many things were discussed by everyone, but there was a governor arranged by Rurik.

Towering watchtowers observed the fleet's arrival, and the sudden return of the massive fleet was unexpected.

For a moment, the entire Tombstone Island was boiling. People stopped what they were doing and rushed to the dock. They made various noises or simply shouted to cheer for the returning troops.

The governor, Old Harald, was also old. He led everyone to gather in the dock area.

Old Gould, who was still fat, looked even more aged. His eyes were blurred, his hair and beard were pale, and his face was covered with age spots. Even so, the old man, who suddenly had difficulty even walking, had to go straight to the dock with the help of his attendants.

"My blue fox is back. The blue fox is back..."

He kept chanting the name of his second son, wanting to take a good look at how this son who had made great achievements was doing now. Because everyone who came back last year said that Blue Fox was canonized as a hereditary noble by the king because of his great achievements.

The two little fat guys were gorgeously dressed, with emerald green peacock feathers on their white velvet hats. The two are not too young, but the age gap between them and their father, Gould Sr., is really outrageous.

After all, Bai Hu's daughter and these two brothers are only three or four years younger.

They are the brothers Red Fox and Black Fox. Although they were born with good clothes and good food, they have not made any achievements. They are by no means mediocre. With their two older brothers as role models, they also aspire to make a difference.

Because Tombstone Island's two natural small bays are now densely packed with longships and cargo ships, the fleet can only anchor offshore.

The warships were lined up in a line, and they were majestic. The good guys were busy counting the number of ships, and found that they could not be counted with one pair of hands.

Some goods can be unloaded directly on Tombstone Island, such as some of the captured iron weapons, tools, and horse hides (stripped from Frankish horses).

The army's horses also had to be unloaded and rested here. For this purpose, the cargo ships carrying the horses had to force their way into the harbor, and the longships occupying the berths had to give way.

Rurik was in a great mood amid the roaring people everywhere on the shore. The majority of soldiers have now returned to their hometowns, and large-scale landings are now beginning.

The landing operation was chaotic at first. The soldiers who came ashore were eager for good food and wine, and the people who gathered around them couldn't wait to ask them about their war experiences.

To hell with messy logins! Anyway, large-scale unloading is not here! The soldiers and horses landed only for rest and recuperation. The landing soldiers did not cause any trouble, but immediately arrived at the old camp to rest and recuperate.

Rurik landed in a small boat with his trusted nobles, and Noren and Beyathil each held their sons in their arms.

They stepped onto the hard soil. As the king, Rurik showed his majesty as a king in a high-profile manner. He wore a golden laurel crown and accepted the half-kneeling salute of the people on the island.

"Everyone, get up! Brothers! The glory belongs to Ross! We have won!"

What people rejoice most is hearing the word "victory".

Governor Harald Old Harald's old face was full of enthusiasm, and he hurriedly took his cronies to further congratulate the king on the victory.

Therefore, a key question was raised impatiently: "How much loot will the king unload and sell on Tombstone Island?"

The question was abrupt and serious. Rurik didn't think much and said casually: "Are the merchants from Melalen ready to make a move? I can come up with a thousand pieces of horse leather and some iron tools. You can sell them. Remember to pay the tax when the time comes. Give me."

Horse leather? This was very depressing for those present.

An old man's ears were still intact. Old Gould chirped a few times, and the attendants quickly helped the old man squeeze out of the crowd and appeared in front of Rurik.

When I saw him today, Old Gould seemed like a completely different person. Rurik recognized him at a glance and was surprised by the decay of his old friend.

"You?!" He pointed with a big hand: "Gould! It's you!"

"Yes! It's me..." Old Gould's voice was very hoarse, and then he coughed for a while.

"you are sick?"

"At least he won't die this year. Your Majesty, where is my son Lan Hu? Oh... let's talk about the horse leather first. A thousand horse leather were given to Tombstone Island, thank you, Your Majesty!"

Rurik couldn't continue for a while. Before the war started, he was worried that Old Gould would suddenly suffer a stroke and die. After thinking about it, he continued: "It seems that God Frey has blessed you with a clear mind. You are a big businessman, how can I I can forget you and your family. I will discuss some things with you in detail. Now, I want to go to the city. You..." Rurik pointed at the governor, "You go and gather the merchants stationed on the island, and return There are those leather craftsmen. I will have a good chat with you tomorrow. I am tired now, and I want to go to the island to rest."

The governor knew full well what rest the king himself demanded.

The exhaustion of the boat trip caused Rurik's iron-like body to collapse. He had been holding on to his spirit, and now he finally soaked comfortably in a huge wooden barrel. This not only removed the mud and sweat stains all over his body, but also washed them away. The murderous spirit of a whole year of war. The tense muscles rested, and finally he lay down on a regular bed and fell into a sound sleep heartlessly.

The outdoor carnival was not for the king, and the soldiers who landed were paying crazily for drinking.

The use of hops to transform ale into beer, which is still a specialty of parts of southern Frankia today, did not spread. However, simple ale always becomes sour due to slight deterioration, which is called aceticization. Therefore, adding flower petals, pine buds, raspberries and other aromatics during brewing to improve the smell of ale is a traditional method, which is always ignored by people who indulge in heavy drinking.

Thousands of soldiers each have money, and they land just because they want to feast and drink. But where are there so many supplies on the island for them to squander?

Rurik and most of his trusted nobles did not need to join in the rush to buy scarce supplies. The governor did not have the guts to neglect these nobles. They were well fed and slept soundly.

Nolen and Beyahil lived in a quiet and warm place with their children, and slept peacefully with their children.

After some panic buying outdoors, the remaining merchants discovered that the returning warriors had made a fortune. After selling some of the ale in stock, they immediately raised the price of the remaining liquor, but even so, the warriors were still looting frantically.

Are they crazy? Maybe he is really crazy!

Senior smart businessmen can always see the weaknesses of human nature, and those nouveau riche will always spend a lot of money for temporary pleasure. What's more, when the merchants found out that these soldiers had been drifting on the sea intermittently for a month, the torture of such a voyage was no less than that of war. They will consume in revenge, and now is the opportunity to make money.

Therefore, old Gould, who had always been obsessed with money, could not ignore this opportunity. Completely out of instinct, he ordered that the wine he had hoarded must be sold.

Wait until spring for the shipment to arrive in Stockholm for sale? It is far less satisfying than selling it to the triumphant soldiers and making a lot of money.

After a crazy night, the drunken and tired warriors fell asleep in the old camp built when they went out for battle again.

Gould's two youngest sons, Black Fox and Red Fox, have made a great achievement.

The Gould family made a fortune again, and their stock of ale, even some vinegary wine, was sold out. But in this day and age, ale is no longer a luxury. The family deliberately raised the price, so they forced one hundred and fifty pounds of silver coins into the account. If you look carefully, each silver coin is engraved with Charlemagne's face. Are these actually the highest quality coins from Frank? !

Old Gould was very old and did not have Alzheimer's disease. He summoned his two sons and cheered up after a crazy night. He said this: "The king will definitely win a great victory in the south. I am already old. You brothers will hold a meeting tomorrow." Help me go. I won't talk much, you two are my mouth. This is the biggest opportunity for you two in this life, and maybe, this is the last thing I can do to you..."

He didn't need to explain it too thoroughly. The Gould family was both fat and smart, so they naturally understood the meaning.

As expected, the second brother Lan Hu did not return with the army, but the news he learned was that Lan Hu took hundreds of soldiers to the Frankish hinterland to open up new industries. The son of a businessman not only had the title of earl, but also actually had 500 armed supporters.

Ask yourself, Old Gould had at most more than 50 private soldiers in his life. He armed the sailors he supported, and at his best, he could assemble 200 armed men.

Because of tradition, the eldest white fox is eligible to inherit the main family business. Gould did not regret the second child that he may have mistreated. He felt that Blue Fox was not only his physical successor, but also a complete spiritual successor. He dreamed of entering the Frankish hinterland to look for business opportunities. Finally, only the second eldest son, Lan Hu, fulfilled his lifelong dream for his father.

Old Gould was certainly very disappointed when he failed to see his second son for the first time, but he felt relieved when he thought that this son had gone crazy enough to expand his business into the unknown far south. He was really the hero of the entire family.

The entourage also fully proves that the king attaches great importance to the entire Gould family, so all family members who have a pioneering spirit will have development opportunities.

The king is going to convene a meeting of all wealthy merchants and craftsmen on the island. This is a huge opportunity.