Rise of Rurik

The Rus' navigators appeared in the port city of Riga. This was definitely not a deviation, but was actually the deliberate act of Count Spuyut of Saaremaa.

The voyager claimed that he was only doing trade. Sterkander, the spokesman for the Danish community in Riga, felt that the matter was not simple, but the other party claimed that as long as the cooperation was happy, he could guarantee that piracy in the ocean would end and ships in Riga port could fish freely. , you can also go to Saaremaa Island to do business in person.

In this way, Stekander had to think about whether this gratifying statement was true, and whether the Ross noble in front of him was credible. At least his clothes are very gorgeous, but they still can't hide his aging.

Speaking of Spyut, he knew nothing about the political situation in Riga and subconsciously felt that the Dane who called himself Stekander was the local leader.

After all, Rurik described the scene of Rus's transactions with people in the Gulf of Riga many years ago. Others don't care. The old navigator Spuyut now has a chance. He is getting older and wants to create some more achievements. Returning to seclusion, it is now the first year of the Viking Age of Peace. Isn't it a glorious achievement to include the people of the Gulf of Riga into the "Northern Alliance System" built by the Kingdom of Rus? ! Others don't have the opportunity, but he knows that he is the only one who has this opportunity and can take practical action.

Spuyut brought his sons with him. The eldest son was already young and strong and became an effective general under his command, while the younger son could also do odd jobs on the ship. He led his men and deliberately chose autumn when supplies were abundant to rush to the deepest part of the bay.

If it's just trade, Sterkander, the leader of the Danish community, really has no reason to refuse. Because the Russians brought linen, ironware, woolen textiles, salt, and some crystal vessels (glassware). Ironware is the most addictive thing!

And Spuyut is also trying to open the trade line with Riga. He is convinced that the autumn harvest in the Gulf of Riga is completed at this time, and he will trade grain with the locals at a low cost according to the goods. This will perfectly ensure that Saaremaa Island will survive the winter smoothly this year. . After all, Spuyut is a vassal of Rus. He has a fiefdom, has the power granted by the king, and is the guardian of the safety of navigation in the southern Baltic Sea.

The misunderstanding was resolved. Although the Russians made the residents of Riga very nervous, as the urgently needed supplies were unloaded at the dock one after another, and the trade of grain for iron began, the vigilance was quickly dissipated by peaceful transactions.

Now, Spuyut and most of his people are in the city of Riga. He brought conclusive news about the situation in Denmark, and countless news came that shocked the Danish community!

Originally, many people fled Denmark because some nobles in Jutland and Zealand converted to Frankish beliefs. Civil war broke out, and some people who could not bear the civil war fled to Riga. Now that the Frankish forces in Denmark have been expelled, everyone can theoretically return to their hometown. The reason for this happy ending is because of the large-scale war that started last year. Spyut naturally highly praised the achievements of King Rurik of Russia. The numerous war stories did not allow the locals to doubt, and even Stekander was deeply moved.

"Ah! I can't wait to join the warrior of the Stonewall tribe (referring to Ragnar), fight side by side with you Rus people, and restore the faith of Holy Odin."

Sipuyut was keenly aware that this might be an opportunity, and deliberately said tentatively: "It's not too late now. You admit that King Rus is the greatest leader. By then, the entire northern business will be open to you. Join King Rus." The Northern Alliance is very beneficial to you."

What he said was a fact, but Stekander was not naive. This old guy was keenly aware that if this happened, the trading city of Riga would naturally be controlled by the Russians.

Stekander was conflicted because of concerns about the uncertainty of the future, but he did not dare to say it openly. He admired the peaceful business visits of the Russian nobles, and various Latvian villages felt that they had made a lot of money by exchanging new wheat for iron tools. The perception of the Russians was full of "good businessmen".

As a result, a very strange understanding appeared in Riga at the same time. The so-called friendly traders of the Rus' people were another group of horse bandits who were ravaging the east and destroying the trade lines.

More than two hundred Russians from Saaremaa landed. People looked left and right, recalling their fathers' descriptions of the island.

Some even lived near Riga when they were young and had their fingers chopped off and expelled for crimes such as theft, or were forced to flee for worse deeds. Now that they are back with a new identity, they have no one to hold them accountable for their past sins, but they are restrained by more powerful forces.

Spyut knew very well who his men were. They were essentially a group of pirates who had been subdued and incorporated by the Russian army. This group of ruthless men was very useful when it came to attacking enemies, but in peacetime, more severe measures must be used. The rules prohibit them from messing around.

After negotiating with the Danish leader at the port of Riga, he issued an order on the ship: "I don't care what you have done in the past. Now that we are landing, you are not allowed to have trouble with any locals, and are not allowed to buy goods privately or make peace with others privately. Local women are running amok. As long as I get a complaint from a local, the person who caused the incident will be sent to the mine to dig out rocks."

In his opinion, even if the severe punishment of beheading is implemented, it is impossible to do such a thing in front of the Riga people out of the face of the Kingdom of Rus. So what if the criminal was sent to the mines? There are two major mining sites in Ross, one is mining iron ore in Ironburg, and the other is mining hard stone on the shores of Lake Onega. Both are bitter and cold places, and being sent there to be slaves is a life worse than death.

They were even more afraid of the life of a slave miner, where life was worse than death, so they all remained very calm after landing.

Still wanting to eliminate the possibility of the incident happening from the source, Spuyut set up a temporary settlement point for Ross merchants, and those who landed were not allowed to leave unless anything happened. They flew the Ross flag in their temporary residence, set up special shops, and continued to sell their products. It seemed that this group of people were just peaceful merchants, but the scale was a bit too big.

Anyone with a discerning eye can see that this group of Russians, who are sword-wielding merchants and own large ships, can instantly enter a state of alert and transform into two hundred soldiers who can form a formation to fight.

The Danish community is well aware that these neighbors who believe in Odin are actually a threat, and everyone is subconsciously vigilant when dealing with them.

But there has never been a full-power city lord in Riga, only local snakes of all sizes, Latvian village forces are intertwined in the city, and a Danish community that has always maintained a cooperative relationship with it.

It is of course a good thing for foreign merchants to bring a lot of supplies. The leading figures in the city are willing to have a good chat with the Ross noble Spuyut.

The absolute peace that lasted for many days gradually calmed people's vigilance. Those Russians were just doing business, and if they had done anything illegal, they should have done it long ago. Obviously, the Ross nobleman was not lying when he claimed that "we just want to do business."

By ox-drawn carts, pony carts, and even on human shoulders, shipping sacks of newly harvested oats arrived at the temporary Ross Store.

The two parties to the transaction have negotiated a price, one side is ironware mainly used for agriculture, and the other side is new wheat. The two parties have agreed on the price and now they are bartering.

The local Latvians smiled and poured the oats into the measuring tool provided by the Russians. This is a special wooden measuring tool used by the Russians to collect grain taxes. It is a kind of "bucket", but when filled, a bucket of grain can cost one hundred Romans. pound. Rus's own tax collection naturally had to be careful. Such a tool was "invented" by Rurik and guided the carpenters of Novgorod to build it, which greatly accelerated the efficiency of tax collection.

The people in Riga are not demanding about this. They did not bargain with each other at the transaction site, and they managed to hold the iron in one hand and harvest the wheat in the other.

Cast iron hoes, plowshares, hot-forged iron shovels, small sickles, spearheads, and harpoon heads are essentially agricultural tools and fishing tools, and they can also be used as weapons. Only the key parts are sold, and the installation of the wooden handle will be solved by the buyer. Spuyut actually sent ships directly to his hometown in Roseburg to import cheap goods, and then sold them to Riga at a higher price.

At night, this group of Russians were laughing from ear to ear, and everyone was talking about how the food they bought was enough for the entire Saaremaa Island people to eat wheat porridge for a whole winter.

Obviously trading can continue and everyone can continue to make money.

Spuyut felt that his trip was now worthwhile, and the situation had actually developed into the beginning of peaceful commercial relations between Rus and Riga. He wanted to strike while the iron was hot, so he might as well discuss with the Danish Stekander and buy a piece of land in the Danish community to set up a purely Ross store.

He didn't dare to make this request rashly, for fear of arousing the other party's suspicion.

He is an ambitious old guy, and if he has the opportunity to continue to make meritorious deeds, he must try. Now Spuyut's idea has developed into "complete control of Riga", and he even hopes that his eldest son will take over the count's mansion after inheriting the title in the future. Located in Riga, he became a great nobleman with a large territory in the Kingdom of Rus.

Such ambitions were too great, and Spuyut did not have the strength or courage to order the locals to transfer power, so he could only use the strategy of cannibalization.

Everything seemed to be peaceful and peaceful, and the bad things described by the merchants who had returned from the upper reaches were washed away by the joy brought by the good products of the Ross merchants.

Until, the refugees from the upper reaches of the village went crazy and hurriedly fled to Riga with their hearts almost exploding.

After all, the population of the entire Latvian tribe is only about 30,000, and the Danish community only has a population of more than 1,000 even with all the mixed-race people. Riga has a permanent population of nearly 3,000 people, half of which are from the Danish community. Now more people have fled here, the population quickly exceeded 6,000, and it was overcrowded for a while.

If not everyone is a fellow villager in each village, the entire tribe would be composed of these people, and all the leading families would know each other. The people asked each other and got extremely mixed information, but the most common theories pointed directly at the Semigalians on the other side of the river.

A group of prominent people gathered together urgently. They were the leaders of several villages, the big Latvian businessman in the city, Stekander, the boss of the Danish community, and even the Russian nobleman Spuyut.

In the event of a full-scale war, the leaders of each village would collectively vote for a general, who must be Latvian, and then invite strong men from the Danish community to join the army as mercenaries.

The situation this time was extremely urgent, and most of the villagers claimed that the visitors must be the Semigalians and other tribes they had coerced.

This statement was especially affirmed by the escaped village leaders who participated in the meeting.

An old guy was filled with righteous indignation: "We have just harvested food, and the guys on the other side of the river took the opportunity to launch a sneak attack. They want to steal my food. They have the ability and the motivation."

"Yes!" Another person said firmly: "If their harvest is not good, they will rob us, just like before."

"It's by no means that simple. Their ultimate goal is our city. They are eyeing Riga, and you can't be alone. Even you!" The village leader who spoke was anxious: "Russians, want to continue doing business with us, You must help us solve this crisis.”

Si Puyut was a little confused. Who are the Semigalians? Worth these guys going crazy?

It should be true that an army was rushing towards Riga. He didn't care at all about the identity of the enemy, only about his own goods. The current problem is actually quite difficult. The purchased grain will take some time to be shipped to the big ship. Once the Riga people cannot organize effective resistance, the grain they bought will not be preserved.

"Are you going to hire us? We are just businessmen." Si Puyut raised his head and whispered.

"Indeed." The speaker was Stekander, who then looked at the village leaders who seemed to have lost their souls: "I can help you fight, what's the benefit?"

At this point, there is no good solution. The Latvians present are all considered high-ranking nobles. Even though they have not expired, they still made a very bold decision to hire Stekander as a general.

The Danish community organized men to guard Riga, and the Latvian nobles paid real food after the war and ceded the right to dispose of most of the spoils after the war. Of course Latvians also organize militias, but not in large numbers. It seems that their economic powerhouse has suffered a devastating disaster. The Latvians seem unwilling to put more effort into defending themselves and pin their victory on the Danes who settled in Riga.

The Latvian tribe is not a coward, and it is also a reality that its military strength is not strong. For example, they do not even have a long-term leader.

It is only reasonable that the Semigalians feel that this tribe is weak and can be bullied. This is not the first time that the other party has attempted to launch an annexation operation. Because Semigalia has touched the door of the "feudal state", expansion has become an important means to maintain internal stability.

Stekander became a temporary general, who could theoretically command the entire assault force assembled at the Port of Riga, and would automatically lose power after the crisis was over.

So what should I do if this uncle doesn’t want to give up his power?

A question made these Latvian nobles think - why can there only be one general?

The Russians have used time to prove their friendliness, but no one is stupid enough to think that these guys are just simple businessmen and big fat sheep without force.

"Russian! We are also willing to hire you as a general." One person extended an invitation to Spuyut.

He was personally confused, and Stekander was quite surprised.

"Impossible? Two generals?"

I just heard an old man say: "There has never been a rule that there can only be one general. Besides, they are also Varyags, just like you. If the situation is not urgent, we cannot mobilize all of them, otherwise our villages will send out their best troops to defeat them on their own. Semigalian attack."

Stekander, who has lived here for a long time, did not want to complain. He had no intention of becoming the Lord of Riga. He just wanted to continue to develop the Danish community and have greater privileges among the entire Latvian tribe. That's all he thought, and he didn't want to be the king who ruled the Latvians at all.

From Spuyut's point of view, the status of a general is really rare. With this status, he can do without the physical rewards provided by the locals. But looking at the current situation, it is impossible to maintain his status as a general after the war.

He silently calculated in his mind: "These guys are not stupid at all. The two generals check and balance each other. I just came to do business, and now I am still fighting for them. The Latvians are so cunning..."

The Danish community can provide 300 people, the Russian merchants can provide 200 people, and the Port of Riga can urgently mobilize 1,000 men. There are enough 1,500 people to fight against the "Semigallian army of two thousand soldiers". From the perspective of numbers alone, Riga's side is at a serious disadvantage.

In fact, this is not the case. There are five hundred Varyag warriors among them, as well as an unheard-of large ship anchored in the port. They must be strong.

Some local old guys didn't have any doubts about the Russians, but they just cursed a lot. "Many of those people are pirates who have changed their identities. They killed our fishermen at sea, and now they help us fight the war to atone for their sins. I hope these ruthless people will show no mercy to Semigalia."

So, when the situation in Riga was in chaos, the Russians living in makeshift communities instinctively armed themselves in response to the threat of war.

After the meeting, Spuyut did not want to be excited or pessimistic. He returned with a calm face and announced to all his subordinates the fact that the Russians had become mercenaries.

He still calmly announced: "Now, an old enemy of the people here is coming to kill us. They will steal our goods. Now the whole of Riga is preparing for war urgently. The battle is likely to break out tomorrow. I order you to arm yourself immediately and prepare." Fight! This is not to defend the locals, but to surround our goods. Remember, there will be no mercy once war begins."

Suddenly, someone raised his hand ax high and looked at his friends and let out a Viking war cry, followed by everyone's shouts.

At this moment, Sipuyut's face didn't even tremble a bit, but his eldest son was roaring extremely fiercely.

Spuyut, who has experienced too much, has been able to face all kinds of battles calmly. He is very happy that his son is going crazy, just like his younger self.

He deliberately coughed twice: "Put on your costumes, get your flags ready, and check whether the chalk mud on your bucklers has fallen off and whether the paint has fallen off. Listen, there are many people fighting side by side with us. We are fighting against those stinking fish." Rotten shrimps are completely different. We want our friendly forces and enemies to see how powerful we are!"

Then there was another burst of crazy shouting.

This cry was so loud that the Danish community next door could not ignore it. Stekander also gathered his own people at the same time, but the gathering of only 300 people was already the best of the community.

"Listen to the momentum on the other side! Those Ross people are also Odin's warriors. I heard that Denmark and Ross have formed an alliance, and we and them are mutual allies. We can't lose the momentum in the new battle! You are not helping. While the next guy is fighting, you are protecting your community! Follow my orders."

The internal instructions of the two elected Varyag generals were surprisingly consistent. The slogans they raised internally as mercenaries were "self-preservation is the first priority." Helping Latvia end this autumn crisis seems to be just incidental. action.

At least these various people in Latvia felt reassured when they heard the rhythmic war cry of the Varyags.

But, is the enemy that is rushing towards us really the Semigalian army?