Rise of Rurik

The hot lead water is poured into the bronze mold, and after it cools down naturally, it is knocked out. The edges are then trimmed with carbon steel hairpins, and calipers are used to ensure that the bar-shaped lead ingots cast in batches have the same style.

The most critical thing is to carve out the letters of the alphabet on the lead ingot. Kamnier's big and thick hands were not qualified for this delicate and delicate work. He could learn it, but he felt that it was not suitable for a rough man to do this job.

There are indeed such talents in the blacksmith team. After all, not everyone can only engage in blacksmithing for their whole life. The ancestor of this group of people refers directly to the old blacksmith Klavason of Ross. Although this old guy has retired from the world, he has tried his best to teach future generations a variety of techniques.

Clavassen is a part-time gemstone craftsman, and his craft of carving rough amber and beeswax stones into gemstones can be used to carve metal without any problem.

Rurik's definition of words for Ross is based on

"Classical Roman alphabet", this set of letters depicts the church classics, which means that Ross directly applied the writing system of the Roman Empire.

Therefore, j, u, and w do not exist. Due to actual use requirements, u and w are absorbed, and j is not used.

Ross's text is divided into uppercase and lowercase letters. The two alphabet systems are basically the same in appearance. They only seem to be slightly different.

The production cost of lead movable type is low, and the outer layer of the lead ingot naturally forms an oxide film, which makes it extremely corrosion-resistant. As a printing core, it is the most cost-effective.

Kamnier actually received a big job. The more movable type Rurik asked for, the better. The capital letter version could be less, and the lower case version, each block of movable type should be at least five hundred, and the most commonly used five A vowel requires a thousand.

If he uses it carefully, he does not need to ask for too many movable type blocks. Considering the possibility of his subordinates' careless work and the impact and wear of the lead blocks, he should have as many spare lead blocks as possible.

Casting and carving take a little longer. After a large number of finished products are produced, they can be placed in batches on the wooden formwork, and a layer of rosin is brushed on the bottom of the formwork to make the trapezoid become a temporary fixed plate. For bulk printing of Rus Saga.

This matter cannot be completed in a month or two. The main job of Kamnier's team is to forge various carbon steel agricultural tools and weapons.

The work of carving lead blocks was not difficult in the hands of a few professionals, but the amount of work was really huge. Rurik had to pay these guys high salaries. News spread in the city that a group of people wanted to make quick money. The jeweler suddenly got the job.

Continue to wait in the capital? The king has the obligation to tour his territory to visit the people. The territory of Russia is torn apart by the Baltic Sea, so it is even more necessary for the king to conduct regular inspections.

What he saw in the capital was a prosperous scene. He saw the high priest going about his work step by step, and his eldest daughter Velika was there, and the little girl had grown taller.

Velika is the eldest sister of the royal family and has been promoted to the deputy priest of the First Temple. Noble bloodline and position require higher talents to match. Rurik had high expectations for his eldest daughter, but when he returned, he found that her Latin had not improved much, which was not good.

The capital is a peaceful and peaceful place for the people. Governor Konuson is a bit older. He can still move around freely with a wooden stick, but his voice is a little hoarse, although he claims that it is approaching autumn and he occasionally catches the wind and cold.

"It's obviously the warmest season. You... are still old." Looking at this old Russian, his father Otto's childhood playmate, even in summer, an inexplicable sadness arises.

"The old man can still serve the king. Fortunately, I have a successor, and my son can successfully take over the responsibility of governor." Konuson and his son said many beautiful words, and Rurik liked to hear them. He also saw that the capital was under his management. The country continued to prosper without any trouble.

Public security is good, and the main city's sanitation is also good. Because there are two markets in the Waiguo area, the local population is complicated, and the hygiene is messy and there is nothing we can do about it.

The so-called dirt does not mean that the ground is full of feces and urine. It is just that the vendors place their stalls in a disorderly manner in addition to ensuring that the main roads are smooth. There are some debris on the ground. The most criticized things are the scraped fish scales and kicked fish scales. The discarded animal meat was useless scraps, and even the merchants who came to sell onions from out of town left a lot of onion skins on the spot. No one thought it was dirty, not even Rurik.

It's like the seaside market in Roseburg's hometown, or the old Mälaren market, where everyone talks to each other.

Chacha Rurik felt that this was very pyrotechnics. The three-year tax exemption made businessmen more unscrupulous, and the market was also a symbol of prosperity.

The coastal sandbar acts as a tide-proof slope. After the Gulf of Finland converges to Kotlin Island, it has a trumpet-shaped structure. The tides are relatively strong every day.

Most of the merchant ships that come and go are traditional long boats. After entering the sandbar, the Neva River estuary has a trivial terrain, and they directly beach in the area close to the market. After paying a berthing fee, you can set up stalls and do business.

The parking fee actually includes customs taxes, and the Governor's Palace and the royal family each share half of it. Taking advantage of the opportunity, the Governor-General Conuson Jr. took over the accounts and gave the royal family's share of the income.

There are many documents that Konuson needs to report, including the status of parking fee income, deforestation and land expansion, the market prices of major commodities on the market, and the approximate population of settled and guest residents.

Overall, Rurik was quite satisfied with these reports. There was only one statistic that Konuson clearly did not count.

"The statistics are very good! I will give you another task, to count the number of settler men in the capital between the ages of twelve and twenty." Little Konuson had a keen sense of smell: "Your Majesty, are you planning to raise an army?"

"Prepare for future military operations. According to my king's plan, the next step is to further intervene in the Frankish Civil War, and we must give young people the opportunity to make contributions and make a fortune." Young Konuson smiled rudely, then tightened his lips and said seriously that he was absolutely Done.

The permanent population of New Roseburg and the surrounding areas has expanded to nearly 20,000 people. Faced with this figure, Rurik felt that although it was watery, he went to inspect the estimate himself and found that the population was indeed considerable.

Let’s say there are 20,000 people! The main city is protected by a solid wall. The people inside are mainly old Russians, while the settlers in the outer area are diverse.

The various Swedish related tribes from the Lake Mälaren area are one large category, and the Suomi people from Finland are another large category because of their proximity.

Although there are not many Slavic immigrants settling in the country, its population has been growing steadily. Of course, the settlers here had a large number of children. It is estimated that little Konuson tried his best to include the fetuses in the swaddle and belly when making statistics, and then came up with a very beautiful data to report.

Rurik will live in the capital until mid-August. He has arranged a timetable for himself. This autumn's sacrifices will not be held in the capital. When the wheat harvest begins in the capital area, he will set off for the Great Temple of Uppsala and then return to visit Rus. The castle's hometown, Ironburg in the north, rushed to inspect the production and life of the main settlements before the Gulf of Bothnia froze, and finally spent the winter in the capital.

It is now the end of July 1841, and the initial harvest has begun in the farmland near Fort New Rose. The first thing to harvest were only some vegetables. The varieties of vegetables were very limited, including cabbage, yellow root carrots, and onions.

There are also thyme and sage, which are ground into chips and sold. Smart sellers deliberately open vegetable gardens to grow only these herbs. After harvesting, they are dried, ground and sold, and they make some money.

When the formerly poor Russians gradually became richer, their first priority was always to satisfy their appetites. A dull diet is not advisable. It must be eaten with spices to make it more comfortable. If there is demand, it will be provided, and the corresponding market will be there.

The streets and lanes in the capital were structured like a harp, but Ross's old harp had long been damaged. Even when the harp was still intact, the priests had forgotten how to play it.

Now, Countess Nolen of Narvik is here. There are a group of Balmoks who settled in the city. They are the tribesmen of Nolen.

They make a living in the capital by fishing, and then sell their labor and all their hard-earned money to various employers. There are many strong men at the pier who deliberately shave their heads and wear golden braids on their temples. There will definitely be some blue tattoos on their bald heads to make them clearly identifiable.

The Balmoks of Narvik Port were the only Norwegians to be incorporated into the Rus' Kingdom, and the local ruler was Noren, one of Rurik's wives.

Obviously, she still loves her own hobbies more than governing her own people. The capital has better conditions. Here she can expand her musical interests and use local skilled workers to make new oak harps and recorders. This also takes time.

The palace attic, which has been cleaned and maintained, is indeed deserted when no one is living there. When the king comes back, the place becomes lively.

The ground floor was a place for banquets. Rurik, who had returned, spent several days entertaining his cronies in the capital.

After that, he summoned the wealthy businessmen in the city and asked them about their business situation while drinking. He relied on a little strategy to expect them to tell the truth after drinking, and he also wanted to learn some additional news.

The palace is not majestic and inaccessible. It is protected by walls and guards take turns standing guard. In a sense, Rurik feels that his palace is still a palace.

"Landlord's Courtyard". There is a standing army in the capital, which are all products of the military expansion after the war. The flag team is very young, with a considerable number of warriors only thirteen years old. Their life trajectory has been accompanied by the expansion of the kingdom. They have no idea of ​​the poverty of the past era. All they have seen in their short life is the expansion of the kingdom and the army moving from victory to new victory.

They have been eating wheat for a long time, and then a lot of fish and vegetables. Of course, they can eat a lot of vegetables.

They all received the most basic two years of cultural education and physical education. After being selected and entering the standing army, their daily tasks were military training and patrolling. They also enjoyed the guards and patrols of palaces, large temples, parliamentary chambers, and large granaries. Task.

These standing army soldiers are all infantry. Obviously, there are more than 300 peacetime troops. Their existence can only participate in maintaining law and order in the capital.

Mere infantry is simply not enough! Now the 300 cavalrymen of the Second Cavalry have arrived, and the same very young cavalrymen have arrived at the capital via a new inland river route. The new cavalrymen and the new journey are really eye-catching.

The garrison in the capital was greatly increased, and the cavalry was deliberately arranged to run in groups in Harvest Square to show off their force to the people, stimulating the enthusiasm of a large number of young people in uniform.

Rurik deliberately placed the Second Cavalry in the capital, so that the two major cities in the kingdom would have two standing army mobile units, one step and one cavalry. If there was an internal problem, the two armies could solve the problem.

This is not enough, the kingdom also needs a real navy. In the beginning, the Rus were all naval warriors.

The identities of fishermen, pirates, merchants, and soldiers are very rigid. As long as the leader gives the order, the warriors of the Ross tribe can jump on the long boat to pull out a fighting force.

Times have changed, and the tribal armed model that relies entirely on blood ties is completely unable to cope with the current situation.

The new generation of Rus' people are separated from the old Rus' people of the old era. In terms of their bloodline alone, a large number of the new generation of Rus' people are from Slavs and Finns. This population is now in the hundreds of thousands. In the future, There can only be more.

Ross has the prototype of a serious navy. It started from the professional sailors raised by the great businessman Gould in the old days.

In all the past combat operations of Ross, the Gould family contributed money and resources, and in the end its sailors were completely absorbed by the royal family.

Objectively speaking, Rurik's team of sailors has always acted as a professional navy. However, the kingdom needed victory and glory, and it was not until the expedition in 840 that those sailors were forced to admit that all armed sailors were also warriors due to lack of troops in the later period.

Without honor, they are just a group of paid official ship runners. Their daily task is to operate armed cargo ships to maintain communication between the capital and regular Baltic Sea trade points.

Rurik has a huge amount of internal affairs work to be implemented in front of him. Several years of war have delayed what should be done. He now feels that it will be too late if he does not start implementing it.

As a result, the two departments were established in early August of this year. Ross's battleship was parked at the mouth of the Neva River. Unless there was anything serious, it would always float, becoming a beautiful sight in the capital.

Sail destroyers and armed cargo ships are both responsible for transporting cargo, and the ships will not run out empty during every voyage.

Nails, leather, stones, rare woods, catches, and even hunted minke whales were also dragged back.

Each ship has the duties of captain, first mate, and ordinary sailor. Each ship corresponds to a team. On the shore, the traditional model of master leading apprentice is still implemented.

When young people become professional sailors, they get a king's salary, and they can definitely live a decent life with not much given. Even the sailor group follows the traditional Nordic system. The soul of professional sailors is the old Russian group. They are proud to serve the king and receive a stable salary. They elect the top talker to report the situation to the king and coordinate the work of each ship. Transportation, negotiating with governors and lords of various trading points.

However, they have no honor. Now Rurik himself gives them the honor! The wheat harvest in the Novorosberg region will be later. While the scythes have been sharpened in the Novgorod region, the wheat ears in the capital are still green.

The wheat harvest is about to begin. When the new wheat is put into storage, the fleet will also start transporting grain to various places. This was an opportunity, and when most of the professional sailors were gearing up on the shore, Rurik summoned them.

Old, young, blonde and brunette. The sailor team has the spiritual core of the old Russian people, and has also absorbed all kinds of people. In particular, the old sailor raised some orphans on the ship. They may be orphans from Sweden or Suomi people.

They stood together densely. Rurik, dressed in full attire, stood on a high platform made of wooden boxes, looking at his subordinates who received their salaries.

It was only when they had finished gathering that Rurik could visually see their numbers. He asked the person involved: "Is everyone here?"

"Yes. In addition to some brothers gathered on Tombstone Island, there are also a few floating on the sea, and most of them are here."

"Very good. You are the talker of this term, and everyone admires you. You are also the first to follow Gould, and you have joined me and served me very early."

"yes."

"Very high, Goldlund, I recognize you as the War Chief of the Sea!"

The term "war chief" is more commonly used in Rus. It is the title of Boyar's superior, which means military commander and earl.

The old Russians know the meaning of this name very well,

"Sea War Chief" means that this Gothlund was authorized to command all the battleships of Rus. Goldlund was overjoyed and kept beating his chest to declare his loyalty.

Rurik had to speak loudly enough, and with the cool sea breeze blowing in his face, he shouted out his ideas at the top of his lungs.

Goethelund became

The "Ocean War Chief" is authorized to command each warship for a three-year term. The captain of each battleship becomes

"Naval Boyar", which is divided into three levels, the captain who controls the warship is

"Superior Navy Boyar" is the one who controls the armed cargo ship.

"Lower Boyar". The status of boyars at all levels is not hereditary. They also have a three-year term. After the expiration of the term, there will be an internal election within the team. Whether a new person will be elected to succeed or be re-elected, the final result will be reported to the king for decision.

Of course, they can implement the traditional Nordic system, with Rurik holding the highest power, and he will ultimately decide who will take office.

This is still an act of decentralizing power, but it seems inappropriate. Considering that this model has been in operation for twelve years, and considering the operating costs and urgent future needs, Rurik feels that as long as Just tinkering with past traditions is enough.

Because all he promised to his subjects was that there would be no national war throughout 841, but next year would be different. The truce period would end in the spring of 842, and then he would further intervene in the Frankish civil war to gain profits.

The Ross Navy was officially established in this way, and the news spread in the city, as Rurik expected, without causing much discussion.

Public opinion claims that this is an honorary status given by the king to the sailors who have worked hard so that they can wear the uniforms of the Russian army and act in a high-profile manner.

They are not land soldiers. Their first priority is to win naval battles and overcome wind and waves. They must be dressed differently from Marines, and this major difference is reflected in their hats.

The three-cornered hat was originally a large sun hat worn by Yumberian sailors. The leather felt sun hat is folded out and becomes a three-cornered hat. As long as it is released, it becomes a good sun hat. There is no such hat in this era, but hats with brim are not uncommon.

Out of his own preference, Rurik still likes his navy to wear a leather felt tricorn hat with dyed feathers on it, which gives it a unique style.

Making a batch of leather felt hats was effortless. In just a few days, a number of leather tailoring workshops in the capital produced 500 finished hats.

When sailors of all sizes gathered together again, everyone was wearing a white robe with blue stripes, leather boots, waists tied with deerskin belts, and three-cornered hats on their heads.

Looking at their background, five sailing cruisers and four sailing destroyers were anchored in Steel, and there were a large number of single-masted armed cargo ships standing in a row.

All this made Rurik feel confused for a moment, as if this was not the ninth century, but the seventeenth century.