Rise of Rurik

Not long after his birth, he quickly assumed the identity of the King of Mercia. This identity was affirmed by the Pope of Rome, and naturally was also affirmed by the archbishops of various regions in the West.

Reglaf grew up with this identity, and he was baptized at a young age, even though he was Rurik's son.

He was like a guest in the Kingdom of Ross. He had no mother's love at all after he was born, and the father's love he received was extremely limited.

He is the first grandson of Old Otto, but he is not a warrior of Odin.

For such a grandson, the Ottonias have a complicated attitude. Sun Tzu believes in the gods of the Franks, and is also the heir to the throne of a small kingdom on a distant island. Although he has the blood of the Russian royal family, he is a guest to the Russian royal family, to the entire Scandinavia, and to the huge Baltic Sea. .

Reglaf seemed to have become a rootless person.

Once upon a time, little Charles of the Franks was deprived of all his fiefdoms by force by his half-brothers. He traveled around a lot before arriving in Aquitaine, and it took nearly two years for him to become the little king of Aquitaine. His hair was long and smooth, and he was ridiculed as "bald" by the imperial nobles because he had a title but no crown.

Reglaf's situation is clearly worse.

In the homeland of the Kingdom of Mercia, local petty nobles were vying for power. If it hadn't been for the three-way buffer zone between Wessex, the reduced Northumbria, and the Viking Kingdom of York under the rule of the Norwegians, it would have been completely carved up by its neighboring countries.

All the minor nobles who were related by blood to the previous generation of nobles jumped out and claimed the throne. Even if the local church had learned that there was a young exiled king on the European continent, it was also looking forward to the king's return to rectify the chaos.

Reglaf, who was in exile in the Frankish Neustria region, now only had a hundred brothers who dared to fight.

More of his men died of acclimatized diseases or in wars, but most of the soldiers survived and have adapted to the humid environment of the Loire region.

Regrave had had enough of the harsh experience of being dependent on others. So far, the throne was virtual, but the barony of Shannon was real.

It is not uncomfortable for you to be a vassal of Turbo Kingdom because you are a king. Even if it is uncomfortable, it is only a little bit.

In the Saxon or Anglo context, "king" means "the largest landowner".

In the Frankish context it is baron. This word represents the personal bodyguard of the great lord, and the smart Regraf can immediately think of another word -.

Bjorn and Boyar, these two words are barons in the context of the Kingdom of Rus, and they also refer to the personal bodyguards of the great lords.

Knowing Latin and some Frankish, Reglaf also learned from his father some of the unbelievable outrages of nobles in this era. The so-called northerners, Franks, Gauls, ancient Romans and Slavs were all one family thousands of years ago.

There are many brothers in a family. When they divide and continue to multiply, one day they will forget that their family had the same father a long time ago.

They migrated to different regions and were blessed by different gods. In Frankia, it was God and the angels. In Rus and the whole of Scandinavia, it was Odin, Thor and the Valkyries.

That's where Regraf's studies ended.

Faith is the footnote of economic life. If everyone focused on believing in God, and nobles, priests, and civilians all treated the world with kindness, there would be no war. That is just the heaven on earth imagined by the priests! In Regrave, I saw that Robert and the cavalry composed of lower-level nobles in Tours under his command actively participated in the burning, killing and looting in Le Mans and Orleans. They then denounced the Norman looting, and all the abuse became It's extremely hypocritical.

Regrave needed a base for his rise, and that was Shannon.

He also has some ideas on how to govern it.

Now he couldn't wait to kneel in front of little Hugo and declare his allegiance.

In recent days, the north wind has become stronger, indicating that a cold wave and snowstorm are approaching.

The continuous warmth came to an abrupt end. It would be better if it snowed. If the cold autumn rain continued, everyone could only resist. Even the nobles, it was difficult for them to talk about the quality of life in late autumn and early winter.

Once the autumn rain continues, the cold and mud will prevent everyone from traveling.

If there are elderly or sick people at home, such an environment is very likely to kill them.

Little Hugo knew that his end was approaching. He did not expect to see the flowers blooming in spring next year. Regarding death, he just wanted to leave quietly in a quiet night, although this was also a luxury.

Shivering and twitching, coughing up blood, and convulsing all over the body... As the temperature continues to turn colder, its impact on tuberculosis has been very serious.

It was difficult for him to eat. He would vomit bread when he swallowed it, and he would vomit it when he drank the holy oil sent by the priest.

Archbishop Vivian frowned and said regretfully: "Our little earl will die before Christmas."

But little Hugo felt that the archbishop was still too optimistic. Not to mention surviving until Halloween, it might be difficult for him to survive another ten days.

He felt that he had to make arrangements for his funeral suddenly.

Word had spread, including that the Baron of Blois had also received an invitation. Regarding the gift of the Shannon area to the exiled King of Mercia, this matter was a big deal. The seriously ill Earl gave a piece of land directly under his jurisdiction to an outsider!

What surprised this group of lower-level nobles even more was that the entire Benedictine Order of Tours was defending such a decision.

Barons, knights, and the nobles in the Tour territory received invitations. Whether they come to the city of Tours to support the knighthood ceremony depends on the conscience of the nobles.

Those lower-level nobles knew very well what kind of person Reglaf was. After all, they were all friendly forces who fought side by side in 843. To be fair, those Norman warriors really dared to fight.

Not long after the knights returned to their fiefs, they received letters. Things were obviously abnormal. Some smart people couldn't help but speculate that their Earl might be dying soon.

Well, now we return to the city of Tours to witness the birth of the new Baron Shannon, and then inquire about the specific situation of the little earl, and then see Robert's attitude towards a series of events.

The little earl's appointment as a new baron was of course very important, but what was most important was that he was replaced by Robert after his death.

At that time, everyone must renew their allegiance to the new earl.

One after another, knights began to arrive in Tours with their entourage, and the whole city gradually became noisy.

There were not many vacant houses in the city, so the knights set up tents outside the city, and even paid to rent a room in an underground village under the jurisdiction of the church. Since they were given real money, the church was happy to serve this kind of temporary inn. Lehehe agreed.

On this day, Robert, who couldn't hold it any longer, boldly went to the Earl's mansion alone.

He was not afraid of little Hugo himself, but what he was afraid of was the curse that the child carried. But this time, to show her sincerity, she could no longer talk to him through the curtain. Instead, she had to face little Hugo directly and ask about the boy's death in person.

There is also a sense of coercion in practice - you must declare me the next Count of Tours.

In order to obtain the real power to become a titular and full-power earl, he suppressed his inner fear of the "curse" and led a group of horseback entourage to park under the earl's mansion in a very high-profile manner.

When they saw Lord Robert, the guards did not stop him in any way. They were so well-behaved that they immediately knelt down.

After getting off his horse, Robert looked around.

"Our Earl, are you feeling better now?" he asked politely.

The guards all said it was still the same.

"I want to see you face to face to see if it's the same as before. Go and inform the count and tell me, Robert, if you want to see me in detail."

"As ordered." A guard hurriedly climbed the stairs.

The guard hurriedly approached little Hugo's bedroom and knelt down on one knee through the curtain: "Sir, Sir Robert... has something to see you."

At the other end of the curtain, the depressed little Hugo suddenly became alert. He opened his eyes wide and guessed what Robert wanted. After a violent cough, he ordered: "Let him come in to see me!"

"As you command!"

"Also. Open my curtain and help me up."

After he finished speaking, he waited for a moment but found that there was no movement on the curtain.

"What's going on? Are you still afraid that the curse on me will be passed on to you? How about you draw your sword and kill me immediately, so that you can serve your new master Robert."

Soon, the curtain was opened, and the embarrassed guards reluctantly straightened the stooped Hugo, and then put him in fur clothes and a big hat, using thick clothes to keep out the cold and at the same time cover his shrunken body.

What Hugo said just now was indeed angry. He was sitting by the bed waiting for Robert to arrive. As he began to hear heavy footsteps, he mustered up the strength to straighten his body.

A tall, middle-aged man appeared. When he took off his hat, he could see his brown hair and beard. He had deep crow's feet and nasolabial folds. He was Robert. Although he was far from senile, his aging was clearly visible on his face.

Since the two of them had talked through a curtain before, little Hugo now also understood deeply that Robert was no longer young and strong.

Robert was not really an old man. He had been rushing from one battlefield to another over the years. Frequent wars were very depleting on a middle-aged man's energy and energy.

"You're here. Now you're finally willing to face me. Do you...do you want something important?"

Robert also didn't expect that little Hugo had already been prepared. He calmed down and said, "In this case, I will speak frankly."

"Wait a minute." Hugo tried to calm down: "I know what you are thinking. I am about to confer Regrave as Baron Shannon, and you...are very concerned about whether you can inherit my title."

Hugo paused deliberately and saw the abnormal tremor in Robert's eyes.

He asked back: "Are you that anxious? Anyway, I can announce you as the new Count of Tours. I have learned that many nobles have arrived in Tours. When the canonization ceremony is held, I will announce one more thing. When I die After that, you will automatically become the new Earl of Tours and have all the powers that the Earl has. What do you think?"

Little Hugo has already shown his cards. Although this is very much in line with his own wishes, the tone of his words is obviously harsh.

Robert didn't want to get angry with a sick man. He wished for such a personnel arrangement. "I agree."

"Okay. I feel like I'm going to die. If you inherit the title, Lothair will definitely not agree. It doesn't matter anymore. In the future, Charles will approve you as the Count of Tours. Before that, you can already have the military power of Tours. I think If you want war, go for it! No one will interfere with you at all."

"I will do it."

"But, there is only one thing." Hugo raised his head with difficulty.

"Anything I can do, I will do it for you."

"I want to believe you. Reglaf, after I make him a baron, you should not have any thoughts about his Shannon. Even after you become an earl, Reglaf does not have to kneel down to you anymore. He must be a special case. !”

“…”

"You hesitated?"

"I...don't know what to say. According to the process..." Robert, who was once so high-spirited, couldn't help but struggle with this.

"Regrave is my friend. He said he is willing to kneel down to accept my canonization, but I am not sure about the others. He is the king of Mercia, and behind him is the king of the Normans. If he feels that he When humiliated, Tour...will turn into **** on earth. Robert, I am afraid no one knows those Normans better than you."

During the battle, he had taken advantage of Reglaf, and he also thought that he would continue to command this boy's team as a vanguard in the future after becoming an earl. The former always runs the risk of dying first in a battle and charge. Let Regrave and his Normans fight first, and they will lose nothing if they die.

After learning that Reglaf would become a baron, Robert calmed down and hoped to see a group of nobles half-kneeling and swearing allegiance to him when he was a count, including Reglaf.

He was defeated by King Rus and his entire army was wiped out. The guy was suddenly kind and spared his life. What happened next...

Robert felt that he had been given alms and forced to compromise. He wanted to see Rurik's son kneel down and pledge allegiance to him in order to gain a huge psychological victory. Unexpectedly, Xiao Yuguo, who was about to die of illness, even pointed out this behavior. horrific consequences.

"Are you willing to agree to my last request?" Hugo asked.

Robert thought for a moment and lowered his head: "I will."

"So, are you satisfied? I think you have no other requirements."

"Indeed no more."

"Okay. You can leave."

Robert didn't speak any more, nodded and turned around to leave. As soon as he walked down the stairs, he heard violent coughing behind him. "Hugo IV, you are really going to die. It's better if you die, you don't have to endure the pain anymore."

After receiving the promise, Robert no longer had any fear of the curse. He was very lucky that his brother-in-law was a sick boy. If Hugo had been a healthy boy, he might not have had the chance to stand out. Thanks to Hugo being a sick boy, the boy's wisdom and calculation are about to disappear with the collapse of his body.

As for the return of Shannon to Regrave, although there is no formal ceremony, it is a done deal. Robert is convinced that the priests are already making arrangements in advance, because the Benedictine order must separate a minor order in the Shannon area, and the church's diocesan administrative adjustments must be ahead of the curve. .

On the appointed day, a large number of summer nobles gathered at the residence of the Count of Tours.

They include the local nobles of Tours as well as foreigners.

Bruno, the eldest son of the Duke of Saxony, Vibert, the second son of the Count of Nantes, Adelaide and his son Robert Jr., Bodie, the Baron of Blois, and the most important man, Robert. They were all standing in the bedroom of the count's house, next to little Hugo's bed.

These high-level nobles put on their best armors one after another, with swords hanging on their waists. Adelaide put on the clothes of a Frankish noblewoman. Her long robe scratched the stone floor directly, and her clothes were also covered with gems.

Archbishop Vivian stood here with a group of Benedictine priests. They put on black robes. Vivian himself put on a bishop's hat full of jewels. Only his black robes were decorated with gold threads. with gems. The subordinate abbots from all over the diocese, who could successfully reach Tours, each wore a high hat. Unlike the archbishop, these hats were not decorated.

A batch of sacred vessels were also brought by the priests from the cathedral in advance to facilitate inspection by the entire order during the ceremony.

Little Hugo also put on his most beautiful clothes, which was already a very difficult thing for him.

On his right hand was a Frankish broad-bladed sword, which was his late father's sword. The huge weighted ball on the hilt was inlaid with a large ruby.

Robert stood aside and couldn't help but glance at the sword a few times, thinking that when the boy died, he would be the owner of the sword. There was also some concern that the boy would have difficulty grasping it.

There were all high-ranking nobles standing in the bedroom, the hall was crowded with knights participating in the ceremony, and even the city square had a large number of knights wandering outside because they could not squeeze in. There were also a large number of people who came to watch and comment on the excitement.

Only the local villagers of Shannon came to see what happened to the baron who would decide their fate in the future.

The ceremony began.

Under the auspices of Archbishop Vivian, everything was carried out according to procedures until the most critical moment.

Little Hugo used his greatest strength to lift his father's sword with his thin arms, and patted Reglaf, who was half-kneeling, on his left and right shoulders and on the top of his head. With each pat, the archbishop would say something calmly in Latin. .

In fact, everyone was watching nervously, fearing that little Hugo might not pay attention and let the sharp sword cut Reglaf's neck.

In the end, the ceremony ended without any danger, and Regrave officially became the Earl of Shannon.

At this moment, only his friends were jumping for joy, while the majority of the local nobles in Tours just watched the end of it all calmly. UU Reading www.uｕａnshu.net

But the matter is not over at all.

"There is another big thing! I have decided to announce it now!" Little Hugo opened his hands with great courage and perseverance to draw everyone's attention. Then he asked Robert to stand in front of him.

"I have decided that when I die, Robert Robertia de Rheingau will be the new count."

Although the words were simple, and Hugo still called Robert by his old identity, this decision was undoubtedly breaking news.

Although everyone already knew that this was bound to happen, most people never imagined that the little count would declare the legality of this inheritance relationship while he was still alive. You must know that everyone originally hoped to let the people who stayed in Aquitaine "Bald" Charles canonized Robert.

There were dozens of knights present, and they basically represented the entire lower-level aristocratic group of the Earl of Tours. They were also the cavalry officers commanded by Robert in the battle this year. They developed a good friendship with Robert during the war.

Yes, friendship. Robert had the same style as he did on the Rheingau. When cavalry was needed to fight, he took the lead in charging every time, so that all the knights had to lead the charge with their retinues, and they built a comradeship with each other.

Little Hugo had made such a decision, and the knights who heard the news were excited! They drew their swords and pointed them at the sky, shouting to welcome Robert as the new earl.

Seeing this scene, what else could little Hugo do? He lowered his head silently, showing a wry smile.

He knew that his time was over.

He also caught a glimpse of little Robert out of the corner of his eye. This boy, who was a few years younger than him, was staring blankly at the jubilant adults.

What does the future hold for Tour? Little Robert will also be the Count of Tours in the future. He is at least his father's grandson and at least his nephew.