Rise of Rurik

Blue Fox estimated that he was taking a boat to Nassau at this time, and Count Ingo and his family must have been tired of waiting.

"Come here! Hang up the cross flag! Our faith is pure!"

Blue Fox, who returned to Rose's Shop, pretended to be domineering. Of course, he almost laughed when he said these words, which made everyone laugh.

For this guy, there is no need to talk about betraying the gods. The blue fox has always been a free fox. The fat on his body has shrunk greatly, and his ambition has expanded greatly.

Going to Nassau, Blue Fox only brought five boats and 150 warriors to guard a noble person like him. There were as many as five other boats that were vacant and connected to the former with cables.

He deliberately brought some treasures, especially high-end farm tools, just to support his younger brother in continuing to open up wasteland in the settlement. He deliberately brought the huge amount of cash he promised, after all, the Robert family was unwilling to leave without the money.

The voyage was supposed to be uneventful, but it encountered precipitation midway. As a last resort, everyone had to find a forest on the shore to rest.

The early summer rain was accompanied by thunder and lightning. Some people said that this was the wrath of the thunder god, because the flags everyone hung were in flattery to the Frankish god.

The blue fox thought it was meaningless, but on the other side of the river, with a loud noise, everyone saw a tree cracking in the rain.

This frightened him.

"That's not true! Has your power extended to this place? Isn't this a place governed by God?"

Blue Fox hurriedly took out the many pendants on his chest, found the small sterling silver hammer, and kissed them together, trying to appease the god's anger with a temporary attitude.

It was just a summer thunderstorm. Northerners were extremely reverent about thunder. Most of the warriors present still maintained their old beliefs. At least for now, they would not convert to other gods for the sake of wealth.

The rain made everyone wet. It rained heavily for a day, and the weather was not good in the following days.

The voyage continued despite the continuous light rain, and a total of ten long boats moved forward bravely on the river that became turbulent. They went all the way back to Cologne, and then finally found a suitable foothold.

Hearing that Ross's fleet was coming, Archbishop Hudbold felt as if he had been stabbed in the chest. He kept crossing himself, hoping that these guys would still come in a peaceful manner.

The Russian fleet docked directly in the drizzle. No one was willing to hang out at the dock outside the city in such bad weather.

Stepping onto the muddy ground and enduring the cold rain, everyone hoped to eat hot meals and dry their clothes over a bonfire.

The archbishop, who did not have to wait long and did not dare to neglect, personally led a group of young priests out of the closed door in the drizzle.

Even though the weather was bad, Blue Fox still saw those guys in black.

He gave an order to the brothers behind him: "Put your weapons away and don't cause any misunderstanding. Get in line and let a group of guys who have never seen the world see the most powerful warrior in the north."

Then he specifically told Reglaf and Bruno who were following them: "When you see the senior priest, be sure to state your name. This is related to whether we can have a good rest tonight."

Regrave wasn't sure, but Bruno nodded.

Especially Bruno: "I wish I could see the Archbishop, because he is my baptizer."

"What? Your baptizer? Hudbold?" Blue Fox frowned suddenly, slowly laughed again, and cursed secretly: "Liudov, you are not a good person either! Why didn't you tell me earlier? I am the baptizer of your son."

On second thought, even if his son's baptizer was an archbishop, Liudov would not have shown any mercy on the battlefield two years ago.

Since there is this level of relationship, Blue Fox is looking forward to tonight.

He hoped that the archbishop would come in person instead of sending a cardinal to make things happen. Sure enough, a fat old guy wearing a small round hat appeared surrounded by many black-robed priests. This man gently lifted up his huge black cloak with gold trim. , showing off his huge sterling silver cross.

"Is this Hardbold, your baptizer?" the blue fox asked Bruno.

"Yes."

"What do you think? Are you going to say hello? Maybe we can go together."

Blue Fox decisively put on a business-like smile unique to a businessman, and gently opened his arms to make the sword at his waist swing back and forth with his walking legs.

The two young men were dressed as warriors, and the gemstones, gold and silver ornaments they wore proclaimed their dignity. The two of them are indeed very noble. Unsurprisingly, one is a king and the other is a duke. They are both top nobles with extraordinary names.

But now he can only be Lan Fox's follower.

Even if he loses weight, his slightly chubby face is still a bit bulging, and the beard that has been deliberately extended makes the visual sense even more heavy.

Everything is fine. If Blue Fox puts on a robe, he will look like a rich man.

He deliberately took out the cross from his chest, and the moment he formally saw the archbishop, he hurriedly made the sign of the cross on his chest with his right hand.

The tension and embarrassment disappeared with this move.

"Ah! Welcome, Joseph! Welcome to our Cologne. God bless you, peace...men of peace."

"Oh? It seems that you are still wary of us? Why bother? Come on, distinguished bishop." Before he finished speaking, Blue Fox pushed the two special followers in front of him: "These two are young and noble, even , you know some of them."

Almost all the people who were baptized by Archbishop Hadbold were nobles. The lowest level was the knight, and the highest level was probably Bruno in front of him.

The young man in front of him didn't seem to lose, but when he listened to his story, the archbishop suddenly realized and trembled with excitement.

Looking at the younger Reglaf, since he was baptized by the Archbishop of the North and was a former king of Mercia in Rome, Hardbold naturally treated him with courtesy.

Does the presence of two noble Christian nobles among a group of barbarians indicate that those barbarians too will be quickly converted? Perhaps, they came here to convert collectively.

The Archbishop, who had suffered a lot, could only think about it. He looked at the hazy sky and felt that these people also needed shelter from the rain.

After some pleasantries, the door was finally opened to the Russians. The "army" with weapons entered the city of Cologne directly, lying down like a fat sheep, with its soft belly facing the fangs of a hungry wolf.

If it was still the same as in the past, Blue Fox would simply launch an army to plunder.

He did this in an extremely low-key manner this time. After covering all the cargo with canvas, the accompanying soldiers sheathed their swords and carried bucklers on their backs. They all wore the cloth robes of the Russian army, so that the Cologne people who quietly opened the wooden windows could recognize them at a glance. identity.

No, the few citizens who took a peek watched the Ross soldiers entering the city go directly to Cologne's cathedral under the leadership of the archbishop himself.

The fact that the archbishop will not preach the gospel publicly does not mean that he cannot do some subtle actions.

Sitting in the stone cathedral were a large number of wet Rus warriors, all of whom were temporarily selected from the standing army. Of course, there were also several members of Reglaf's guard.

The elite warriors all have their own solid beliefs. While they believe in Odin, they are not ignorant of Catholicism. Most of the people spoke some Latin, especially phrases useful in daily life, as well as some purely religious terms, in order to show themselves to the Frankish priests.

The most critical thing is psychological construction. Precisely because they have a certain understanding of Catholicism, at this moment they don't feel that there is anything sacred about this huge preaching hall.

Bishop Hardbold's impression was a wishful thinking. This was just a place for the Vikings to wring out their wet clothes and even clean the mud from their boots on the spot, regardless of the fact that it would stain the hall.

But in another small room, the blue fox facilitated the archbishop to talk secretly.

The room is not shabby at all. It is deliberately decorated with gold and silver, especially the many gilded crosses hanging on the wall, and even the base of the oil lamp is gilded. This is the archbishop's personal office, where he also conducts a review of the Gospels. It is also a very private place for private meetings with distinguished guests.

After another brief exchange of greetings, the Archbishop shut up.

"Let's talk about the business carefully! I am here to bring King Reglaf of Mercia with me on the order of King Rus. The Duke of Saxony brought Bruno. These measures are all because I want to fulfill the promise I made last year."

"I understand." The Archbishop slapped his forehead: "Are you going to Nassau and taking Count Ingol's family with you?"

"Exactly."

"Ah! Even after a winter of thinking, your thoughts remain unchanged."

"I am like that." Blue Fox shrugged: "I hope Robert is like that too. I brought a large amount of cash with me, and the deal between me and him must be implemented."

"Tul. I understand. But..."

"how?"

"Ah! Until now, I can be sure that Lord Ludwig is still in the dark."

"It doesn't matter whether he knows it or not." Blue Fox smiled with an indifferent attitude.

"But I'm afraid he won't admit that the Robert family sold their land in Liingau. You spent a lot of money to buy it, but in the end you may only get an empty promise."

"So? Are you worried that I will lose a lot of money? You! You are actually a businessman." Blue Fox couldn't help but raise his head: "Maybe, you should repent to the Lord."

"I will. Maybe I shouldn't be obsessed with gaining wealth, but the people of Cologne have to live a life, and the priests can be more modest. Every year's mass costs money. I..."

The archbishop meant what he said, because now is an excellent opportunity.

Even if Cologne gains the entire Westphalia, faced with the situation of people leaving the villages empty, what Cologne will gain is simply a vast forest. Most of the nobles in the fief took their families and went to the north to join their old master Liudofu. After all, Liudov was promoted to a duke. Why should those old subordinates of the fief have the status of knights anymore? Most of them have already lived a new life as barons in the north of the Elbe River.

Obtaining an empty piece of land will not bring any more benefits except that it can place some tenant farmers to cultivate the abandoned fields in Westphalia.

As Bruno's godfather, it was here that he specifically reiterated this friendship for the purpose of closer economic ties between Cologne and Hamburg in the future.

Facing the real King of Mercia, the Archbishop clutched his chest and emphasized that the Diocese of Cologne fully recognized Reglaf's throne.

This is actually very important to Reglaf. The current Diocese of Cologne is a large diocese, a political entity that is loosely armed but relatively economically developed. With its support, the international situation Reglaf faces will be more favorable to him.

What is commonplace is still the issue of trade. In Flanders and the Netherlands, and even the Viking settlements at the mouth of the Rhine River, local materials must be transported inland through Cologne, and Cologne, Bonn and a large number of nearby villages all It is a huge consumer market. In the same way, once Nassau completes its complete control of the Lyingau region, Cologne will have a very large neighbor in the eastern region. For this reason, the archbishop must establish a very good relationship with the newly established Baron of Nassau, who is vaguely in Ross. .

They had a meaningful conversation here, and God was always on their lips.

The Archbishop will deliberately hide some things, and take advantage of the opportunity to explain some things. The most critical thing is safety considerations.

"I actually know that you will definitely succeed, just because you have the army. In my opinion, Ludwig will not send people to fight for Ingau with you. He is not willing to lose any more troops, and I will not help him anymore. …”

Cologne's attitude was that the diocese could lend Ludwig money and food for military expenses, but it was impossible to organize mercenaries to help fight the war. The diocese maintains friendly business relations with the northern nobles. If Ludwig intends to attack the north, Cologne will cut off all economic support.

Having said that, Cologne did not want to see the Russians being arrogant towards Ludwig, and wanted to maintain the status quo.

The archbishop gave advice: "I'm sure Ludwig will be furious! But...if your brother declares his loyalty to Ludwig after capturing Ingau and publicly declares to fight for him, that man will calm down. .Remember, it must be the real Baron of Nassau.”

"Thank you for your kindness. It was my suggestion to my sister-in-law, Sophia. I hope Ludwig can just accept the existence of a new countess."

What about the Countess? The reason why the so-called countess retains this title must be because her son has full inheritance rights, and the mother is named countess because her son is noble.

This is the case for Sophia Nassau, and as the ruling Black Fox, she is not a baron in the strict sense, and is loyal to King Rurik of Rus.

This time, the Franks' emphasis on red tape once again forced the Blue Fox to use its brain.

He and Archbishop Hadbold reached many agreements, one of which was that the ship carrying Robert's family should rest in Cologne, and then get some supplies before continuing its journey.

He gave the archbishop a reminder: "Robert will not leave until he sees the money first. This time I brought a huge sum of money, and the suitcase I carried was even temporarily stored in the cathedral. Robert will get it This is a huge sum of money, and he will immediately buy new clothes, new military weapons, and even some food and delicacies from you. You will make a lot of money for this!"

My heart flutters when I mention Archbishop Qian.

It was the Russians who defrauded Cologne of a huge sum of 5,000 pounds of silver two years ago. Thanks to the old silver coins at the bottom of the box, they were not circulated in the market on weekdays. The Diocese of Cologne has accumulated wealth for five hundred years. How can it become poor with just one extortion? Priests of all generations have paid more attention to accumulating wealth, and the same is true for Hadbold of this generation.

Whatever Lan Hu said, he listened attentively, without any objection at the moment.

The Archbishop did not dare to object, for he had also received a letter from the Archbishop of Trier. The Vikings attacked Trier, and the instigator is right in front of you!

Hadbold knew the situation better than Esquier, so he naturally regretted that the church members had suffered so much, and after learning from the experience, he pretended that nothing had happened. He also refused to talk about it, and he didn't even want to know about Blue Fox's military intentions.

What's the point of asking more? The nobles in the civil war are divided, and the Viking army is involved in the situation. The situation is even more chaotic. In this era of great turmoil, it is enough for the Diocese of Cologne to maintain the stability of its territory.

He was quite looking forward to the arrival of Robert's family, and it happened that Cologne had a good chat with Al, the second young lady of the Tour family. Cologne is far from Tours, but not really far. After all, the deceased old earl was Lothair's father-in-law, and his successor was also a cousin of Lothair himself. This doesn't mean anything. It's just the Carolingian royal family's inherent bad habit of killing each other. Now it's normal for the three princes to fight each other.

The new generation of earls still oppose Lothair, and Cologne no longer has the qualifications to be neutral if he wants to be neutral. Cologne must win more allies for himself, even if they are not allies, they should not be enemies.

In this room, Bishop Hardbold has made his stance clear to all parties: neutrality.

What is neutrality? Although it has gone through the military era, the city of Cologne has expanded its armed forces by as many as a thousand people, including 800 city militiamen. They continue daily life and organize them when there is a war. There are another 200 paid mercenaries. They are off work for safety. Their daily job is to maintain law and order in Cologne City. In case of war, they are standing troops.

The armed force of one thousand people is already a force. Cologne has no intention of competing for hegemony. It is quite strange that there are no military nobles in the huge diocese. This army is really self-protection. Of course, they have the conditions to expand their military, because the nature of their existence determines that they should be demilitarized. Their security must rely on the security commitments of external military powers, and they must maintain limited neutrality in this regard.

Neutrality means not taking the initiative to send troops to fight, nor helping allies fight.

As for transporting food, selling weapons to make armor, and selling ready-made clothes, these are all commercial activities.

"It's people who kill, not weapons. If a villain wants to kill, he doesn't need an iron sword. It's the same as a stone, and he will go to hell."

The Diocese of Cologne has its own explanation. Even transporting war supplies is not participating in the war, it is just business!

Even when doing business, the diocese sends envoys to implement the transaction. With a layer in between, the priests can say: "We are just servants of God and are not doing business."

No, the Russians were sleeping soundly in the cathedral. They ate hot bread and drank vegetable soup with condensed milk. The smell of food permeated the church for a long time.

Ironically, the "True Cross", which is actually a fake, still stands in a conspicuous place, and the arrow hole that was once shot by the Ross cavalry is now inlaid with a larger ruby.

Without basic discipline, all the gold and silverware in this church would have been taken away.

Don't they dare? !

Hardbold himself was betting. He imagined that the group of people would be summoned by angels in their sleep, and when they woke up, everyone would kneel on the ground and ask for conversion and baptism.

His fantasy was just a fantasy after all. The Russian army had to feast here again after a night's rest.

He was very happy that the gold and silverware that was deliberately not put away seemed to be intact. This meant that the Russians had changed and were no longer greedy robbers?

When they gave up, the priests who cleaned up the mess complained that the cleaned area was covered with mud, and that many of the benches where the lectures were held were damaged.

The worst thing is the loss of some small gold and silver items. It seems that the items are intact, but the parts have been broken off.

What else could the archbishop do? He is indeed not a robber, but is still a thief. As for truly becoming a good person, he may still need some happiness.

He could only turn a blind eye and tolerate it: "Let them go! We won't send them off. We are lucky that there is no trouble in the city now. We still have to make preparations and come to Earl Inga soon. almost there."