Rise of Rurik

A longship carried news of Nassau up the Rhine River, and King Ludwig, who was finally entrenched in Mainz, learned of the attack on Trier.

This was a secret report. The messenger sent by the Blue Fox carried a piece of torn cardboard as a letter. On the paper was a simple sentence spelled out in Frankish: The attack on Trier was successful, we looted and burned, Archbishop Hutto Banished.

There is no other content.

After all, this kind of thing cannot be made public. Ludwig does not want the world to think that he secretly authorized this matter, and Baron Nassau cannot be responsible for the matter.

He silently received the letter, accepted Nassau's "tribute" of ten oak barrels of wine, and rewarded him with some wheat, then asked the Viking longship under the Nassau flag to leave.

On the surface, this is the tribute from the Normans entrenched in Nassau, which shows that King Ludwig has recovered this group of Normans.

Behind the scenes, Ludwig was having mixed feelings. This group of Normans from Ross are more mobile and more effective than the Danish mercenaries of Harald Clark in the old days. As long as they are assigned a task that can make them rich, this group of people will really go for it with an axe. The problem also arises. Keep the wolves close by, what if they bite you back?

Ludwig couldn't care too much. His last attempt at Kaiserslautern at the end of summer failed. The military operation made no progress and suffered heavy losses in troops. For now, he can only hold on in Mainz.

At least there was plenty of time. He felt that he could slowly mobilize troops from Bavaria in winter and spring, and the situation would be much better next year.

As for the results of the Norman attack and burning of Trier, Ludwig did not know, but his eldest brother Lothair would respond soon.

Now, the Moselle River Basin is in turmoil.

The city of Trier burst into flames, and people fled into the mountains. When the flames gradually extinguished, those who returned to the city were faced with the remains of stone that had been burnt black. The granary was reduced to black charcoal, and even the complex cellar system was overheated, leaving the underground granary in a mess.

The stone pillars of the church are still there, and the upper wooden building has disappeared without a trace. The emperor's palace became a dark place, empty inside, and the smell of burnt lake could not dissipate for a long time.

The priests of Trier suffered heavy casualties. Archbishop Hutto himself fled into the mountains and forests. When he was discovered, he suffered a severe mental and physical blow.

He became crazy and kept saying things like "This is divine punishment", "We suffered this fate because we were not pious enough", "Greed is the source of disaster" and so on. The people hiding in the mountains and forests are facing a gradually colder climate. The destruction of Trier means that many people have lost their homes and their property has been wiped out. They hoped that the bishop who miraculously escaped could give direction to the confused and desperate people, but as a result, the bishop became a holy fool-like existence.

No. He is not a fool, he is clearly simply crazy.

If you continue to survive in the mountains and forests, you won't be able to survive for long before you starve to death. The insane Archbishop Hutto has no meaning. At the critical moment, other lower-level priests who escaped from death began to turn the tide.

Trier is in ruins, the attackers are Normans, and the legends of the past have come true!

Since the residents of Zhucheng City could not take refuge in the villages, they could only continue to move upstream along the Moselle River.

The largest settlement in the upper reaches is Metz. With Metz as the center, there are densely packed villages and towns along the nearby river. The people imagined that as long as they got there, they would be able to get enough food, and since the archbishop was on the team, everyone would be able to get relief.

After a painful escape, thousands of people managed to reach Metz by begging along the way.

At this moment, Count Adalbert of Metz was still stationed in Kaiserslautern in the northeast with his army. His son was stationed in his hometown and unexpectedly encountered a large number of refugees.

The city of Metz is just the residence of the count. The city is not large in size. At least three thousand people suddenly arrived. The narrow alleys in the city cannot squeeze so many people. Rather than rescuing them, the count is worried that this group of people will Because of hunger, he turned into a bandit and harmed one party.

When it was discovered that the Archbishop of Trier was among the refugees, even if the whole person became crazy, any behavior by this person that was detrimental to the refugees would be interpreted as blasphemy.

Metz's granary released some food, and the refugees were collectively placed in the woods and allowed to freely build shelters for the winter. The food given out was enough for these people to recover. As for the future, the earl could not make up his mind.

The refugee problem is still secondary. The most dangerous thing is that Trier was deliberately destroyed and burned by the Normans.

The news spread quickly to Strasbourg and Kaiserslautern. By the time King Lothair received the news, it was already early October in early winter. It's not that the horse-riding messenger ran slowly, it was just that the refugee group wasted too much time on the way.

The terrible news shocked King Lothair to tear the parchment document into pieces, then paced around the palace cursing, scratching his head and head with anxiety and anger.

He urgently sent an envoy to Kaiserslautern to summon Count Adalbert to see him.

Adalbert also received news about his son. Thousands of refugees were entrenched in the city of Metz. The Archbishop of Trier became crazy and was still present. Dealing with this group of refugees and distressed priests was enough for him, but it was not appropriate for him to leave his current defense line.

Adalbert arrived at Strasbourg at high speed with a small number of followers, and went straight to the king's palace without rest.

The situation was urgent and complicated, and King Lothair did not consider any red tape. He even accepted the audience of the dusty earl in civilian clothes.

The tall tower had its wooden windows open, and the early winter wind felt a little desolate.

Lothair faced the cold wind with his hands behind his back. He had a long beard. As the boss of the royal family, he was no longer young. He was about to be fifty years old. This civil war was already the last effort to maintain the unity of the kingdom.

"You came."

"Yes. Your Majesty, I'm sorry for the rude way of meeting you."

Lothair turned around and was very satisfied to see that his armor and stomach were still intact.

"You came just in time. Now, the hateful Normans have attacked Trier. I already know the news. The situation in Trier is said to be in a mess."

"Yes. I also got the news. There are a large number of refugees outside the city of Metz. My son opened a warehouse to provide food for relief, and he also treated the Archbishop of Trier who fled kindly."

Lothair was a little surprised. He estimated that since the news came from Metz, they must have informed many people.

He looked solemn and thoughtful, and stated with an old face full of beard: "At the beginning, the Normans attacked Nijmegen, Duinsberg, Cologne, and Bonn. Aachen should beware of the Norman attacks. , and the Count of Flanders became a traitor and actually made peace with the Normans. At first, the Normans attacked my brother's territory (referring to the Eastern Kingdom), but in the end they attacked my subjects. I will eventually Restoring full rule will liquidate the traitors and also liquidate the sins of this group of Normans. I really can’t believe that the Normans would be so bold as to go all the way to Trier to burn, kill and loot. It’s incredible! My dear, what do you think?”

Adalbert was confused for a moment, hesitating and saying: "We should strike hard. We don't need any mercy against the Normans."

"That's right. The problem is obviously very complicated now. The Normans ignored my garrison in Coblenz and directly attacked Trier and succeeded. I don't believe this is the skill of the Normans. I'm afraid someone provided them with convenient."

"This...does your Majesty suspect a traitor?"

"He is indeed a traitor! But he is not in our camp. I am sure it must be Ludwig's conspiracy. He has Norman mercenaries in his hands, and some dirty actions were carried out by this group of mercenaries. He fought against the Normans last year Let’s fight, I heard we made some agreement.”

Earl Metz also knows some things. Since the civil war in the kingdom is a matter between the royal brothers, it is not appropriate for him to comment.

"Damn it, he launched a sneak attack during my most critical training period. He arranged for Norman mercenaries to do this. He thought that he could sit back and relax if he hid deeply. Do you think I am a fool? The problem is indeed difficult. I am really worried about Koblenz. They conveniently occupied it."

"Ah? Your Majesty, in fact, Coblenz has been..." Adalbert muttered in surprise, as if some of the information his son had given the king had been erased.

"What?!"

"Coblenz has been lost to Nassau."

"Taken away? Who? Nassau? The Baron? This is impossible! This..."

"It should be true, Nassau loyal to Ludwig."

Lothair still had some illusions, so he inquired in detail, and through Count Metz's words, he was finally convinced that the so-called lower Moselle area where the city of Trier is located is no longer firmly controlled by his own forces. He immediately realized the seriousness of the situation, so much so that Count Metz's victory in the defense of Kaiserslautern was no longer glorious. On a macro level, it all looked like Ludwig's dirty tactics.

"Damn it! You!" Lothair pointed his big hand straight to the north and cursed at his third brother Lothair from a distance: "You can't win a fair fight, so you use dirty means to cause destruction. The dioceses will not participate in our war. , you are breaking the agreement!" He immediately responded to his matter with a gust of north wind. This desolate feeling was like a curse word caught in the wind, which was uncomfortable.

Lothair was not relieved at all after the verbal abuse, and he had to make more significant adjustments. Originally, the purpose of bringing Count Metz back was to arrange a new task for him. However, after learning that Coblenz was occupied by the enemy, Adalbert's son actually suppressed such important news and did not tell him.

After all, Lothair has become much calmer as he gets older. After venting his anger with a few curses, he still needs to face the worsening mess rationally.

He issued this royal order: "Those Normans must be mercenaries raised by Ludwig. It may be that Ludwig's army was responsible for the destruction, but they were disguised as Normans. Trier is no longer a barrier , your Metz must strengthen its defense. You return to Kaiserslautern and lead your people to withdraw, and I will personally guard it..."

Upon hearing this, Adalbert's eyes were as wide as bells, and he stood like a statue in the palace tower. He neither spoke nor breathed, and his surprised face was not moved by the cold wind.

"What? Are you stupid? This is an order and you must carry it out."

"I……"

"Are there any other conditions? No, you can retreat. Listen, I want you to take back Trier and help me get Coblenz back. And I! My Louis is young and energetic and needs to be tempered. Let me He is stationed in Kaiserslautern, and Baron Saar is responsible for garrisoning the Salabrugga Bridge. Don't think you are at a loss. Listen!" Lothair paused, "Next year will be a full-scale counterattack! My king's army will Training completed! Next year we will deal with Ludwig, and then quickly resolve the issue of Aquitaine (referring to the Western Kingdom), and the kingdom will be unified! Don’t worry, as long as you contribute, Coblenz can give it to you, and Mainz can give it to you."

It sounds like a blank check. Compared with the king's promise, Adalbert still hopes that his army will directly capture Mainz next spring, so that he can gain de facto control of the fief.

It is hard to disobey the king's orders and his own Metz is indeed in big trouble. The local people must be panicked. It seems that only the Metz army can return to its hometown and let the villagers see the army can they feel reassured.

Lothair felt that he had made the best solution in the midst of trouble. Of course, the complexity of the civil war had exceeded his imagination.

Even if the Metz army withdraws from Kaiserslautern in early October, Mainz, which has a war-free card, can pretend that nothing has happened.

Ludwig felt secretly happy. He knew that his eldest brother was busy training troops. Although his side was far behind, as long as the troops from the rear continued to arrive, it would be risky to take the initiative to attack. He felt that he would have no problem with pure strategic defense. In principle, according to the treaty signed with the Kingdom of Rus, he could take the opportunity to invite a strong guest army from the King of Rus, or he could continue to ask Saxony, Thuringia, and Nassau in the Netherlands to fulfill their obligations of surrender. The so-called sending troops to assist in the war. . His strength is indeed not as good as before. The Margrave of Thuringia is an uncle invited by a man. There are various reasons for letting him go, including asking for allegiance but not coming. As for Saxony and Nassau in the Netherlands, as the loser in last year's large-scale conflict, it was really embarrassing for him to beg these two.

From this point of view, the current Baron of Nassau is really worthy of something!

They are clearly a group of Normans, which makes them the most loyal ministers.

Are you really a loyal minister? Ludwig was living in a sweet dream, but he didn't know that the Leingau area he occupied had been sold to Nassau by the Count of Leingau.

As the saying goes, Ludwig faced the rise of various princes in his territory. Lothair had to be wary of the rise of princes but had to use their strength to encourage them. As for King Charles of the Western Kingdom, he directly became the elected prince of the south. "Emperor of Righteousness".

The situation was treacherous, and Blue Fox could sense the complexity of the situation, so he had to resolutely get up and return home.

Nassau wines, regardless of their degree of fermentation, are shipped on cargo ships in as many as a hundred standard oak barrels (approximately the height of an adult man's waist). Apart from wine, Nassau really doesn’t have any specialties, but wine is the biggest specialty here.

Blue Fox can be sure that this batch of goods will be dumped instantly upon arrival in New Rossburg, and the Russians who are suffering from imported inflation will spend a lot of money on this sweet wine. You will earn a large amount of cash, which will be military expenditure for future operations.

Because Blue Fox had a hunch that his brother Black Fox's garrison in Nassau was too small. The attack on Trier will definitely cause a violent reaction from King Lothair, and more troops will be needed to protect the fruits of victory of the Ross forces.

Besides, it was King Rurik's wish to intervene intensively in the Frankish Civil War, and the reasons for the intervention were already sufficient.

At the Nassau Village Pier, the returning fleet has made preparations.

Although arrangements had been made, the blue fox at the dock had to say a few more words to the people stationed there.

He patted his old attendant Wadi on the shoulder: "You should indeed make a big difference. From now on, you are not my attendant, but my brother's subordinate. My brother needs your help, and your title and fiefdom will be indispensable in the future."

He once again told his brother Heihu: "Most of the brothers are in your hands. Take the time to train warriors this winter and don't slack off. I will meet with the king when I go back to report the situation. I will bring more troops next year."

"I understand." Black Fox nodded, "When you go back, say hello to my father and mother for me, say hello to the king for me, and explain everything about us truthfully."

"I understand." The blue fox softened his brother's head and stood in front of Sofia, who had bulging cheeks. He said calmly: "I will arrive in the Netherlands along the way and tell your father about your situation. I think next year you will Father will come back."

The little girl didn't understand war. He just wanted to see his parents again. When he heard that his father might return next year, he felt strong joy in his heart.

The number of followers that Blue Fox wanted to take away was only fifty, and among all the ships, there was only one armed cargo ship.

He was not worried about his loneliness at all. After finishing his chatter, he boarded the ship. With the dull and melodious sound of the horn, the Blue Fox's return journey began. But in his heart, he would not be alone. He believed that he would most likely encounter the returning fleet of his fourth brother Red Fox. There would definitely be a large amount of wool transported to New Roseburg by sea. He counted the days and the fleet would set off during this time. .

The best possibility is to meet each other on the road to Stade, or in worse cases, they can meet during the journey.

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Chapter 1117: The treacherous situation of the Frankish Civil War in the early winter of 841 is free to read.