Rise of Rurik

The black fox, who was wreaking havoc along the Saar River, returned to Koblenz with a large amount of loot.

The operation was very successful and the harvest was huge. Black Fox couldn't help but feel giddy. It seemed that as long as he had more troops, he could carry out larger-scale destruction, and what he could get might not be just wealth.

If there is a chance, can we get more land? After all, the further south you go, the warmer the climate becomes, which is as tempting to northerners as honey.

The Frankish ships that Black Fox knew were small sampans. It was not because of his ignorance. In fact, all he could see were small boats.

On the other hand, his longships can easily transport thirty or more warriors. Although the warriors can only launch plunder along the river, Frank's main cities are built along the river, which invisibly provides them with plundering opportunities.

"Perhaps, if I have more soldiers, I can loot Metz."

The young black fox is as fat as a fat seal. He didn't eat well or sleep well during this expedition. If he hadn't made a fortune, he would have complained a lot.

He was forced to lose some weight, and his keen-eyed subordinates noticed this. Especially for himself, the buckle of the wide belt that cinched his waist had to be pulled back to buckle it.

After returning, they celebrated their great victory in the village of Nassau, eating freshly slaughtered sheep and drinking real cider.

A large amount of loot was piled up in the village of Nassau. The local militiamen who followed the army on the expedition also moved into their homes with practical loot, and their families happily counted the money.

Priest Conrad, wearing a black robe, stood at the dock where the fleet landed with his subordinate priests.

He just watched quietly and whispered frankly: "The most pious people are also bewitched by them. Our countess and her baron husband have become robbers!"

His pessimism was naturally heard by the lower-level priests: "Then, will God punish them?"

"Punishment? Only God knows."

"But they were going to rob. If Rome knew about this, wouldn't they be excommunicated?"

"Excommunication?" Father Conrad smiled bitterly, "Do they really care? After all, they are Normans. Besides..."

Conrad's words came to an abrupt end. As the saying goes, there are things that can be known but cannot be stated. He knew from the beginning that it was true that Black Fox, a fat boy from the north, was robbing people, and that it was also true that he was working for King Ludwig.

It's fair to say that this guy works quickly, brutally, efficiently and with outstanding results.

Besides, the income from the church's tithe was deducted, and the monastery was in great need of the funds given by the countess to live on, which meant that Conrad and other priests passively enjoyed the dividends of plunder.

How to prove that you really destroyed the Saar River Bridge and gained a lot? Some tokens are enough to prove this.

Black Fox has been granted the title of Baron of Wiesbaden. To a large extent, he and Sophia Nassau have obtained Leingau in a geographical sense. The couple are de facto Counts of Leingau, but times have changed, and now some , is the Earl of Nassau with a larger territory.

A strong political and military force emerged in the small Lanhe River Valley, which was like acquiring a ferocious dog for Ludwig.

This ferocious dog can also easily injure its owner, but as long as it is controlled well, there will be no problem. Besides, even if there are some problems, they are not the current big problem.

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The autumn harvest season is now, and it is almost a tacit agreement between the two warring parties that there will be no fighting in the last two weeks of the autumn harvest period.

However, in the eyes of his elder brother, he was a must-kill person, so Ludwig decided not to practice martial ethics. In August of the autumn harvest, he wanted to take the initiative to launch an attack and hit Kaiserslautern along the Roman Avenue.

He did not know whether the "black hand troops" he sent actually destroyed the Saar River Bridge, but this matter was not very important to the entire war situation. It is best if the bridge collapses, even if it does not collapse, it will not delay the entire army's offensive.

A huge problem is plaguing Ludwig. There is a problem with too many soldiers. The number of soldiers has expanded to 30,000. Even though there are a large number of armed militia inside, 30,000 mouths need food every day!

Ludwig originally did not have such a large army. He had more than 20,000 troops directly under his command, and the rest of the troops were all allies of the great nobles.

Because the Duke of Saxony, Liudov, really came with an army of five thousand!

The Saxon army was all dressed in black, and the armor rate of the army was very low. However, the soldiers used spears on a large scale. They tried their best to form a neat procession, walking through Westphalia, the duke's old fiefdom, and walking along the existing Roman road in a very orderly manner close to the edge of the territory of the Margrave of Thuringia into Frankfurt, and then arrived at Mainz along the way. In Liudov's surprised eyes, his five thousand troops managed to successfully cross the Inn River relying on the Viking longships Ludwig had rented.

The five thousand Saxon troops carried limited supplies, and in the end they had to force Ludwig to spend money. The latter was able to ask for a batch of food and money from Cologne to support the army, but he could not last long. Without fighting in the winter, the Eastern Kingdom did not have the ability to support 30,000 troops stationed until next summer, and he also pinned his hopes on a great war. If he wins, he directly kills his eldest brother.

Thirty thousand troops might be enough! If the newly enthroned Earl of Coblenz-Nassau, the Norman nobleman Paul Black Fox, and his warriors go smoothly.

So is there a possibility?

"If I directly occupy the entire Saar region, can I directly besiege Strasbourg and capture the city this year? If Lothair is in the city, can I force him to sign an alliance under the city?"

In the final analysis, Ludwig did not want to deny his eldest brother's power, but he could not lose the power given to him by his father.

The nobles of the Eastern Kingdom are increasing their troops, and the Kingdom's army in Kaiserslautern is very aware of this.

Part of Count Metz's army, part of the standing army loyal to Lothair, and even a militia composed of men captured from local villages, they are in Kaiserslautern, a mountain col protected by two mountains, one large and one small. .

A large number of mountain passes in the Palatinate Mountains and the Northern Vosges Mountains can hide troops. The Lauter River flows through Kaiserslautern. There is a mountain pass with a width of only one kilometer to the north. Perhaps as long as both of the two mountain passes are blocked, the rest of the troops can be hidden. The army inside is like a turtle in a urn.

Ludwig thought of a good strategy. He needed to have a good chat with his nobles. It was at this time that Black Fox and his wife happily arrived in Mainz with trophies that could prove their achievements.

The ferry area is busy with shipping, and chartered longships are the main transportation force.

"Strange, are you very smart? I thought you were not good at rowing. Oh? What are those? Are they actually Saxons? Are they really here?"

Just floating on the river, I noticed the swell of Ludwig's army by looking left and right at Black Fox.

The flag of Ross is very obvious. At present, the County of Nassau has not designed its own flag. The Black Fox simply still regards itself as the Ross army.

Of course, he also had his own ideas. He was nicknamed Black Fox, and the nickname became his name. I'm afraid the nobles of the Eastern Kingdom would jokingly call him "Fox", right?

When the Earl of Nassau's troops, wearing blue-striped white robes, landed, the people on the pier avoided them one after another. After all, they are genuine Normans. A large number of soldiers from the Eastern Kingdom do not yet think that they are friendly forces. If you get too close to them, you may encounter bad luck.

"Ridiculous? Are you still hiding from us?" Wadi was angry and twisted his neck. He didn't want to delay any more, so he persuaded the black fox: "Let's not just stand here stupidly this time. Just walk through the city with the loot!"

"I think it will work. No one will dare to stop us."

The Ross flag was held high, and the assembly was completed on the trolley unloaded from the long ship. The wooden boxes on the trolley were filled with a large number of Frank-style helmets, and even tokens that should prove that Baron Sal was killed.

Just a piece of clothing is enough to force the guards at the gate to retreat in fear.

These Nordic men were as strong as giant bears, and the nobles they guarded were clad in jewels and jewels, and the helmets on those carts clearly recorded their killings.

Which soldier dares to stop it?

Entering the city, Mainz is still a dirty and chaotic scene. Although Archbishop Odegaard made Mainz Cathedral the seat of his bishop, all the priests at that time could not imagine that the city would become a huge military camp.

A large number of wooden sheds have appeared outside the city, and a large number of soldiers live in the sheds. Every day there is a bustle of people outdoors. The huge army stationed here not only feeds 30,000 mouths, but also causes huge harm to the local residents due to poor discipline.

Women in villages near Mainz were raped by soldiers from afar, who turned into robbers and stole.

Not only the army of the Margrave of Thuringia did this, but the newly arrived Duke of Saxony also protected the indulgence of its soldiers.

The people could not complain, and even if the news reached the ears of the Archbishop, Bishop Ortega could only act as if nothing happened without conscience.

Ortega can still be a bishop, which essentially means he has made a political deal with Ludwig himself. He wants to endorse all actions of the Eastern Kingdom Army.

As for the armies of the great nobles, Ludwig's attitude could be described as love-hate.

The palace guard hurriedly approached the door of Ludwig's palace and cautiously called a nobleman to request an audience.

Ludwig was awakened from his nap, and when he got up he was very angry. He cursed a few times before asking who was coming.

The guard's heart was pounding, and he said again: "It's a fox! It's a fox! They claim to have really destroyed the Saar River Bridge and killed the local nobles."

"What? The Saar River bridge collapsed?"

"Yes! That's what the fox said, and brought plenty of...helmets as proof."

Now Ludwig quickly woke up. He cleared his throat and roared: "How dare you, the Baron of Wiesbaden whom I have created, can be called a fox by a guard. You! Send a message to the fox... Ah, no. Let Wiesbaden be called a fox." Baron Baden comes to see me."

Obviously it was Ludwig who first called the fox a fox, and everyone started calling him a fox.

The black fox didn't think this was an insult. Since he had the king's permission, he put an arm around his wife's shoulders and the two of them walked directly into Ludwig's palace.

Perhaps a woman should not go to see the king, unless she is a high-ranking female noble.

Sophia of Nassau is the real countess. She can be called the daughter of the Lanhe River. She is also the link between the settlements in the Lanhe River Basin and the external Norman army.

No, two young men stood in front of Ludwig. According to his age, he was qualified to be their father.

Ludwig needs obedient nobles who can win the battle for him, and now Black Fox has proven with practical actions that he has full utilization value.

So, in the eyes of the black fox, what does the arrogant Ludwig mean now? A king? No! He's just a high-status noble, that's all.

Compared to Sophia's restraint, Black Fox is very open-minded. He just won the battle, and now he is arrogant.

"The guards told me that you really sabotaged Sarabrücken?" Ludwig asked calmly.

"Of course. After a great battle, I won!"

Looking at the boy's high chin, if there was sunshine now, his chin would be tanned.

Ludwig chuckled: "So, what can you do to prove that you really destroyed it?"

"What, are you questioning me?"

"Why do you ask that? Isn't it a normal suspicion? That is the only way for the southern army to go north, and you destroyed it so easily?"

"We fought some wars. This is not a problem." As he said that, Black Fox shook his head and said arrogantly: "You know that force is very important in this world. In fact, I don't need to defend myself at all. Let's talk about that. The bridge doesn’t matter to me either.”

"Oh? So what's important to you?"

"Wealth! What I want is wealth. This time we looted many monasteries, not only destroyed bridges, but also burned down cities and granaries. I took away all the food and wine that could be taken away. And you still have to give I’ll pay you a favor.”

The more confident he was, the clearer his explanation was, and Ludwig was secretly happy. "What do you want? Money? Land? The king has already made you Baron Wiesbaden. Isn't that enough?"

"I want more land."

"You? Greedy!" Ludwig had a smile on his face, but his eyelids were trembling with excitement: "You want me to make you a noble? Do you know that no one has openly asked me for a fief?"

"But I am not a Frank. I am a Ross." Black Fox beat his chest: "My loyalty to you is like betraying Ross. You must give me more rewards."

"You kid!" Ludwig not only bared his wolf-like fangs, "Listen, as the head of the nobility guarding the east of the empire, I only admire people who open up new territories. You want a fiefdom?" , then go fight it yourself, and I can approve the territory you fight."

"This is exactly what I want." Black Fox smiled secretly, "I already have a goal."

"where?"

"Salgao."

"Are you serious? That's not my territory."

Black Fox shook his head: "If the king wins the civil war, won't your brother's large fiefdoms belong to you? The nobles loyal to your brother were killed anyway, and I am loyal to you. I will be a noble in these empty areas. Is there any way? Isn’t it appropriate? Besides, I was the one who looted the Saar River, and I like it there very much!”

"You? Do you still want to be a great noble?"

"Am I not qualified?" Black Fox said casually: "I don't care, my wife is the real Earl of Nassau, and my son must also be the Earl of Nassau. We have contributed a lot to your civil war, and we deserve more. What a reward. Give me a treat! Let my wife also serve as Count Salgao."

Sofia had been listening, and when she heard her husband say this, she was so surprised that she kept trembling. She subconsciously felt something was wrong, and when she thought about it carefully she felt guilty. After all, the army that looted the Saar River was essentially the Nassau Army, and she asked Du Ze for the looting.

But Sophia has no interest in killing and will scream in shock when she sees a dead body.

Look at the surprised face of the little girl, her eyes seem to be resisting. Does resistance work? Ludwig pinched his beard and couldn't help but think about it. If the Black Fox group failed, they would not have thought of this. His delusion must be based on the annihilation of Count Salgao's family and their replacement by tenants. It is estimated that the Black Fox has really succeeded.

Besides, if the war ends with peace talks, the territory of the Eastern Kingdom must be expanded southward to the Saar River, and the entire Lainland region will serve as a strategic buffer. What will happen if the big nobles here are the Nassau family of Black Fox and Sophia?

Baron Sal was related to many nobles in the south, so Black Fox would offend too many people if he raised an army to kill him. There is a stupid boy who is willing to act as a shield, and there is such a good thing?

Ludwig didn't know whether this kid was really confident or cutely stupid, or if he had a conspiracy.

It doesn't matter, the army is about to go south, and now that a black fox has joined, he is even stronger.

Even before he had time to appreciate the trophies brought back by the black fox, Ludwig had already made a major decision, even if it was only verbal now.

"Okay, I'll make you Count Salgao. As long as you like it, you will naturally bear any risks."

"That's natural. If I didn't have this awareness, I wouldn't make such a request." Black Fox said.

It is said that Black Fox's move was not a whim. He did raise troops to plunder the Saar River. However, the local climate and scenery were better than Nassau. At that time, cider and cherry wine were abundant, and the environment was good enough to produce more. wine.

These wines can be exported to the north on a large scale. The black foxes who pursue wealth want to understand this and want to replace them. As for the local people who are indiscriminately killed, it doesn't matter. They can occupy the territory first and immigrate southward from the northern fiefdom in the future.

Black Fox just wanted to prove his abilities to his relatives and friends, and he would never let this opportunity pass him by.