Rise of Rurik

In Rotterstad, everything is calm again.

The port of Duriste has forever passed into history. The remains of the former town are covered by thick reeds and gradually buried by the mud washed down by the Rhine River.

A brand-new port city has replaced it. No northerner can ignore the superiority of this unique location. It is like a treasure given to everyone by the gods, but it has nothing to do with the Franks.

After all, the area at the mouth of the Inn River was originally the territory of the County of Flanders, and it was a helpless move for the County to surrender to Frank.

Count Baudouin was very aware of the fact that Blue Fox led the army south to attack Aachen. In other words, although he did not participate in the war, he was a real participant in the entire incident.

Rotterstad has completely become a paradise for the Normans. Danish free fishermen have been migrating here continuously. Not only them, but also Norwegians from many fjord areas, and even Götalanders and Swedes. They are in extremely difficult geographical environment. Their settlements began to be built on the trivial estuary islands.

For the first time, the huge fish resources in the North Sea began to be plundered by trawl fishing technology from the north. It is not an exaggeration to describe the "scraping" type of operation to salvage cod schools as a sweep.

No one thinks that the fish stocks can be fished out. The resources of the sea are inexhaustible. The extra fish caught are sold nearby to the locals in Utrecht to earn extra income. When not robbing, they make a living by fishing. Life is indeed Much better than the north.

Rotterstad is not a city, but a collective name for a port settlement. She has two large settlements, one is the increasingly populous Danish community next to the small tributary of the Rotter River, and the other is on the main river closer to the mouth of the sea, where Ross's shop is located.

Ross's Shop is centered around a military fortress with wooden walls, and around it are fishermen's dens that gradually prospered.

No one taxed fishermen, and because of the war dividends, these free fishermen had free access to Utrecht, Antwerp, and Ghent.

Are Danes still considered Danes after leaving their homeland in Denmark?

Compared with Henry Nassau's family who moved from inland Nassau to Utrecht to become Earl, the Earl of Flanders continues to work hard in his coastal fiefdom. Even though he has Frankish ancestry, it is only for the sake of his family's interests. He must also be tied to the interests of the large number of Gauls and Frisians in the territory.

Bilicka is the old name of Flanders.

Once something sets a precedent, it will be followed by a second and third instance until it becomes commonplace.

The earl, who was good at adapting to the situation, was not just anxious to send his daughter to the bed of Red Fox Gouldson, the governor of Roterstad in the Kingdom of Ross. He had already seen the commercial treaty signed with the Ross people. Benefits obtained.

There is a large area of ​​saline-alkali land in the coastal area of ​​Flanders. This land is not suitable for planting, but it is suitable for raising cattle and sheep and doing some work of boiling salt. Their fishing ability was far inferior to that of the Norman immigrants, and the huge people still needed wheat to feed them.

Brussels and Lille, one in the east and the other in the west, such fortresses cannot be lost. After all, those areas are already inland, free from the harm of salt and alkali, and the flat terrain is very suitable for growing crops.

Baudouin had already assembled an army in Brussels. He was unwilling to actually go to war with the Frankish army. The two sides always maintained a delicate balance.

He was waiting for an opportunity to get what he wanted to know from the returning Ross army.

The opportunity is now.

As for some detailed information conveyed by the messenger sent by the "permanent representative" at Ross's store, he was really surprised.

"Lotel's third daughter was actually captured? Didn't he bring the whole family to Strasbourg? This woman may be a fake. Whatever. Since those damn cavalry garrison suffered heavy losses, I should take action."

He thought so, and indeed changed the turtle tactics, and the Flanders Army, which was in a static state, finally began to take the initiative to send troops.

But Baudouin did not want to fight a decisive strategic battle with the Franks that would determine the rise or fall of the army, even though he knew very well that the purpose of Chen Bing's opponents on the border was just to contain him. As long as there is a Frankish army on the border, it is a sword that is always chosen over one's head.

Only when the enemy reached his doorstep would Baudouin lead his army to fight. In this kind of border war, he still uses the old and extremely thieves method - constant harassment by small groups of troops.

He just wanted the damn Frankish heavy cavalry to leave and bring peace to the border.

But this time, he had to think more.

"Now that Liège and Maastricht have been destroyed and burned, and the priests slain by the Normans, who will be the new master of all Maasgau? If Lothair suffers a great defeat this year, if I Masgao, who took advantage of the opportunity to occupy it, should admit the established fact."

At first he didn't want to be like this, but changes in the general environment made Mascot, who had just experienced a severe war, like a jar of honey in the eyes of some big nobles. Baudouin couldn't help but be tempted!

The loss of the area north of the Rhine River and the peace treaty signed with the Normans did bring about economic development, but it was indeed a loss of power and humiliation for the country. If I take advantage of this year's opportunity to capture the entire Masgao, wouldn't what I lost be regained from another aspect?

"I have to have a legitimate reason for the military action. Yes! Just march there on the grounds of rescuing Maastricht and expelling the bandits. After all, I am still a vassal of Frank."

Baudouin's new idea is logically, legally, and morally tenable.

He took action and personally rode his horse to the Brussels Fortress, where the army gathered to prepare for a massive attack.

If it had been left in the past, the Frankish general Tristan on the opposite side would have pulled the heavy cavalry out of the formation and stopped the outbreak of a full-scale war under the strong military deterrence.

But this time, the information obtained by the detective sent by Baudoin made him think about it in every possible way.

"The Franks and the Russians lost a lot of money in the deadly battle by the river, but they were not defeated, right? What happened to Tristan himself disappearing? That young Gilbert of Ramengau actually became a temporary general? Is it possible that Tristan Dead? If so, their fear would be justified."

Ghent is where Baudouin's palace is located, and its southern part is actually the essence of Flanders, with the main population here.

He thought of a cruel move. Launching an attack during the wheat harvest season was tantamount to suicide. The so-called wheat rotting in the field after missing the farming season basically equaled no harvest. However, today's Flanders Army is very different from before. The fishermen and herdsmen on the coast do not rely on farming to make a living. The count pulled some of the best from these people to form a militia, and organized it in his own farming area. Indebted farmers.

The most special thing is that he has a mercenary army with only more than 200 troops - the Danes.

The free fishermen of Denmark were not completely opposed to living in the Frankish world. These people spontaneously moved their families and settled in Antwerp. They simply converted to God on the spot in exchange for the right to travel directly and unimpeded to Ghent.

The locals were in awe of the ferocity of the Normans, but when they really saw the blond women and children of the Normans, and their collective conversion, people had to do some thinking.

The pragmatic Baudouin immediately recruited them. Although they were converted, they did not have to pay the church's tithe, nor did he need to pay the tithe of his lord. He did not go so far as to award knighthoods to all the converts, but gave the only knighthood to a man named "Rabbit Tooth" Sigfast.

Nicknamed "Rabbit Tooth" because Siegfast was born with large and long front teeth. Due to his protruding face with buck teeth, his appearance is not very good-looking, but he is very distinctive. In addition, he is in his prime and has been practicing fishing for a long time. A whole body of muscles. With such a peculiar appearance and sufficient strength, first-time viewers are all wary of it. Some people spontaneously gathered around him and fished with several families in Rotterstad. Now a group of people have gathered to immigrate directly to Flanders and establish their community in the rebuilt Antwerp.

With this powerful Danish mercenary, things seem to have returned to the time when his father was an earl.

At that time, the pirate king Horik was still in power in Port Durist. This man announced in a high profile that he was the real Count of Flanders. Baudoin was still a child at that time. A Danish pirate leader actually overran the territory, and the young Baudoin was already tempted to kill him. Fortunately, the guy was cooked alive as a "roasted pig" by the Russians, which gave him some relief.

It's really a turn of events, and he who is in power can also have an army of Danish mercenaries. It is not necessary to give them military pay, but only to allow them free rights of plunder in war.

So is the news from careful investigation true?

Baudouin ordered "Rabbit Tooth" Siegfast to lead his men in a surprise attack on an infantry station of the Frankish garrison in Brussels.

The style of this Danish mercenary was extremely traditional. Baudouin sent his trusted guide to show Siegfast the way, and also arranged for a small group of his own elite soldiers to cobble together a coalition of 300 people.

Three hundred people may not seem like much, but although the Frank Army was stationed in Brussels, the military camps of each department were relatively scattered. An infantry standard group (brigade) of four to five hundred people was stationed in a small fortress. For convenience of life, garrison fortresses must be built along the river. These fortresses with wooden walls are all on the right bank of the river.

The Brussels Fortress is essentially just a small city. Even if it is lost, Baudouin will have no loss.

The problem now is that the city is indeed in the hands of the Franks.

Winning the city is nothing more than a three lion flag representing Charlemagne's authority hanging on the top of the city. What else can it mean?

Outside the city is the opposing army of Flanders. Baudouin did not have a good solution in the past period. He took the initiative to give up control of the city of Brussels. Of course, he also took away all the local population. Well, what was thrown to the Frank army was an empty city without even supplies.

The two armies have been in confrontation since 841, and the confrontation reached its peak in 842.

The fact is that the two sides are along a small river called Senne. Although it is a small river, its average width is 40 meters. It is wide enough for long ships to sail normally. It is a tributary of the Scheldt River, so if you start from Antwerp, you can indeed go straight to Brussels by water.

Sigfast's Danish mercenaries were the main offensive force in this operation, and a centurion of Flanders elite soldiers accompanying the operation were cooperators and witnesses. The latter will personally observe whether the mercenaries really dare to fight, and their centurions will report detailed battle conditions to the count.

As a result, ten longships starting from Antwerp took the lead in breaking the deadlock between the two armies.

The huge paddles on the upper and lower ranges of the dragon-headed longboats were flying on the Seine River. They suddenly appeared from the thick fog in the summer morning, and they suddenly appeared as ferocious phantoms. To the Frankish infantry, they were like monsters coming!

The defenders blocking the attack? ! Doesn't exist at all.

The longboat hit the reed field by the river, and the oak keel was dug as deep as mud. Sigfast jumped off the longboat with his brothers.

"Let's go! Kill them! Take everything you want!"

He held his battle ax high, and the brothers beside him were either holding axes or harpoons. When it comes to armed capabilities, the level of this group of Danish mercenaries is far inferior to that of the Russian army, and the real Danish army of King Ragnar of Denmark is also far stronger than these people.

After all, they are ordinary Danish fishermen, and most of their weapons are tools for daily life. As for the armor, they are outstanding. The so-called open-air market in Rotterstad sells armor and armor obtained by heroes from other places. The style is basically that of Frank soldiers. As for the source, it must have been ripped from corpses.

But what kind of Frankish infantry were they fighting against?

General Tristan was stationed in Brussels with the order of King Lothair. The infantry troops were all from local farmers. If it were not for a relatively stable supply of military food, these people would have fled long ago.

It's a pity that Tristan is dead, the cavalry legion neither lost nor won, and the withdrawing Frank army brought back bad news. The two cavalry flag captains survived the disaster, but unfortunately all their subordinates suffered casualties. In addition, the holy city of Maastricht was engulfed in flames. The atmosphere in the military camp was clearly filled with the atmosphere of defeat. No hard-talking person could deny one fact—— General Tris has been killed.

Now, who is the commander-in-chief?

The bridge collapsed, the city as a hub for material transportation was burned, and the alternative Liege ended in a raging fire. What's bad is that the fertility of the land near the small town of Brussels is very low, and there are not many residents here during peacetime. Now because of the military confrontation that has lasted for more than a year, the nearby farmland with meager productivity has also been abandoned.

The military rations can still be maintained until the autumn harvest, but now it is the autumn harvest period. New wheat from other places may not be transported to Brussels in a short time. The Frank army stationed here is at great risk of running out of food!

After the death of General Tristan, the captains of the cavalry standard corps, which is still capable of fighting, made a decision that seemed rational but was actually extremely stupid!

It is said that after counting the existing food, the food was mainly distributed to the various cavalry units, so that there should not have been a food shortage crisis in a short period of time. However, six infantry flag teams were formed this year, and each soldier received only half of the wheat porridge in the past. .

Such an action was equivalent to announcing that the Franks had really suffered a defeat on the banks of the Meuse River. Most of the homes of ordinary infantry were in the Measgau area, which was an area very close to the battlefield where the Normans were raging.

The soldiers were homesick and worried that the defeated heavy cavalry could not guarantee the safety of their hometown. They were even more worried that their hometown would be plundered by the Normans and their wives and children would be taken away as slaves.

The soldiers were deeply puzzled by this boring confrontation. After all, the Flemish people were now showing an uncharacteristically offensive attitude, which made all teams nervous.

The biggest problem at hand is to cut the rations in hand into half. Even if the rations are cut in half, how long can they last? If we don’t eat enough, will everyone still have the strength to fight?

All infantry flag corps had a pessimistic attitude.

As for whether they are really pessimistic, the details sent by the messengers need to be verified by someone, so Siegfast and his Danish brothers came.

The low Nordic horn horns carried the dull sound into the distance. The fog covered everything and only the sound reached the ears of the newly defeated cavalry soldiers.

The cavalry soldiers were shocked. The horrific scenes on the banks of the Maas River were still fresh in their memories, and the familiar sound of horns sounded like sounds from hell. Could it be that the Normans are targeting Brussels again?

But the Frankish army camp was located at the infantry camp at the lower reaches of the Seine River. The local garrison first saw a large number of warriors holding round shields emerging from the fog.

"It's the Normans!" The soldiers standing in the simple wooden tower first sounded the alarm.

However, the entire military camp did not take action at all to urgently fight.

Already demoralized, they chose the wisest thing to do - escape.

Those soldiers who escaped late did not even take their weapons, and were hacked to death by the Danes who easily broke through the wooden door and entered the fortress barracks. Along with Sigfast's Danish mercenaries, a hundred-man Flanders elite also joined them. The battle was quickly completed. The fleeing enemies were all obscured by the mist, and the victor had no intention of pursuing them. .

The great escape of an infantry flag force immediately caused a bad chain reaction.

Only God knows how many Normans came, and fear spread. As a result, five infantry flags chose to flee. Even the rational flag captain was unable to reverse this decline.

The news quickly reached the ears of the cavalry regiment. Shrouded in a defeatist mood, they did not go to the area where the incident occurred. Instead, the cavalry flag corps made different choices.

A big opportunity suddenly appears in front of you!

Sigfast and his Danes appear to have achieved a major victory, and there appears to be a mass exodus from the Frankish camp across the Seine? !

Baudoin realized that this was a fighter opportunity given to him by God. He did not intend to launch a decisive battle, but he was itching in his heart!

Then take action! Bet a big one!

The Flanders army launched a full-scale attack, the soldiers were full of momentum, and Baudouin himself led the charge.

Under the absolute suppression of troops, the last Frankish cavalry that intended to resist chose to retreat.

The Lords of Flanders took back Brussels, which they had personally abandoned, and the city's defenders surrendered without a fight. Baudouin immediately pardoned the sins of these people. After learning that almost all of these people were farmers forcibly recruited from the Masgao area, and after hearing their complaints, he immediately announced: "Mascal will be my territory in Flanders! Wasn't Count Masgao cancelled? I am the new Count Masgao!"

A captured infantry standard unit turned into part of the Flanders Army!

No large-scale war broke out, and Flanders won a dramatic victory. Baudouin's actions are still continuing, and he has already begun to march towards the city of Maastricht, which will surely turn into scorched earth.

As for the fleeing Frankish heavy cavalry regiment, they were already exhausted by the battle. They withdrew into the Earl of Ramengau. They no longer cared about aristocratic etiquette and forcibly "invaded" the Earldom, but Count Gilbert could no longer care about his anger.

In Gilbert's opinion, he had suffered a defeat. He thought he had saved his life and fled back to his hometown in Namur just to resolutely protect his fiefdom. The heavy cavalry who have now escaped claim that the Brussels barracks have completely collapsed, as if the Flanders army and the Norman barbarians are fighting towards their fiefdom.

what to do? What to do?

Gilbert had no better way. After all, it was a threat to his core interests. As a young and energetic man, he was not willing to fight against evil enemies for the sake of his family and his princess wife. The natural premise is that they actually invaded Ramon High Territory.

This is where the Flemish thieves are. Baudouin strictly ordered his men not to threaten Ramengau. After the army stayed in the recovered Brussels, he personally led the elite to attack Maastricht...

However, all the actions of the Flemish people have nothing to do with the resting Russian coalition forces in Rotterstad. They are all private actions of Baudouin himself. The so-called Russian coalition forces muddied the water and he took the opportunity to fish. .

Even before Baudouin was about to take active action, the blue fox had already taken the princess Gisla, some gifts, and some vacant longships on the way up the Rhine River.

Blue Fox has a lot of things to do, including leaving the princess to her uncle Ludwig. The more important thing is actually to import a large amount of wine that is in high demand in the north from his brother Black Fox, who is the ruler of Nassau. .

After all, the family is a businessman, and doing business is engraved in their bones.