Rise of Rurik

Those boyar nobles were in a great mood after winning the beauty, and now they were sitting down to discuss the important matters related to the war.

For these people who have lived in the forest for generations, the distant world outside the forest certainly has vast space, but it is really unfamiliar to everyone.

Then, a large piece of rough paper was spread out, on which a unique picture was sketched with rough charcoal lines.

Ironically, the nobles who admired it failed to see that the picture was chill.

The paper was hung on the wall, and Rurik stood in front of it with his hands on his waist: "Do you recognize this picture?"

The boyars looked at each other.

"It seems that you really don't understand? Indeed! You need to understand the vastness of this world before you can willingly hand over your sons and your own people to fight for me." After saying that, Rurik stood aside and suddenly pulled out his hand. The buzzing sound of his own sword made everyone tremble.

He roughly sketched the geographical structure of the Baltic Sea. The overall outline of the ocean was clearly marked, and the land, important islands, and lakes were also specially marked with lines. Some black lines are the most unique, which represent the meaning of rivers.

Rurik pointed his sword directly at a circle: "This is our Lake Ilmen! Look at this black line, this is the Volkhov River!"

His sword pointed in turn to Novgorod, Novorosberg, until the goal of the war, the Götaland region at the southeastern tip of Scandinavia.

"You all should take a closer look. This place is Jotaland. It is the area we must conquer this year."

The nobles reluctantly made an abstract understanding. From the map alone, this military operation was indeed an expedition.

Then a noble asked weakly: "My son has become a cavalryman for you, Your Majesty. How long will it take... for him to reach the battlefield?"

"If the sea thaws, it will take ten days to travel day and night on the fastest ship."

Rurik's words were an understatement, but they deeply shocked everyone. It takes ten days to travel by the fastest ship, which also indicates from the side that the east-west depth of the current Rus Kingdom is very huge.

The boyar nobles felt that this battle was very risky, and what they feared most was the terrible distance of the expedition.

How could Rurik not know that there was an element of adventure here. Are we afraid of war because we have to take risks? Any war involves risks. At least the Russian army can predict many problems in advance and make preparations sooner or later.

Cinnabar was mixed with seal fat to form a bright red paste. Rurik pounded it with a wooden stick and placed a bright red mark on the location of the war target.

That is the fjord, the hometown of the Old Ostara tribe. This special label also explained one thing to the local nobles - the Varangians who have settled in the south, near their noses, in the new Ostara. Where did it come from.

"Any war has a reason." Rurik explained: "Although it is a far away place for you, now whether it is the west or the east, the people living there are the king's subjects. When an area of ​​the kingdom is attacked by enemies, All regions of the kingdom must send troops to participate in the war. The western region of the kingdom has been invaded by the Jotalans. This time we will fight over and completely defeat them to solve the problem."

He made the war very grand, but then again, what does this have to do with a group of Slavic tribes that have been living in the forests of Eastern Europe? It seems that this is a war between the Varyags and another Varyag.

The fact that the Slavs accepted the rule of King Rurik did not mean that all Slavic nobles were willing to send troops all the way to fight for the king.

There is always resistance in their hearts, and this emotion is expressed through their eyes.

Rurik lowered his face: "I see your doubts. However, you should also think about your future. I really only launched a war against the west. Soon, when I solved the problem in the west, the sharp sword will be Point to the south. People of Smolensk! How about the beauties that this king gave to you? They are all Smolensk beauties. Now there is sufficient intelligence to prove that Vadim, who led the rebellion in Pine Needle Manor, is not dead, but has escaped. An army of perhaps 10,000 soldiers was pulled out from Smolensk, ready to go north for revenge."

Many Boyars have never thought about this kind of thing. Now the nobles are here, and their reactions are varied.

Some people think that Russia's Varyag army is invincible and there is no need to be wary of Smolensk.

Such people are a minority.

The minds of more nobles were filled with worries. The king made it very clear that there were 10,000 warriors watching from the south. The enemy's strength may be weak, but no one can deny Vadim's determination. Back then, the brothers chose to sit back and watch the rebellion and watch the Russian army and allies massacre the traitors. It was a massacre that defined "catastrophe"!

If Vadim chooses to hate, he will hate everyone here.

The nobles began to repeatedly ask about the authenticity of the intelligence. When Rurik saw that the plan was successful, he patted his chest: "I swear on my honor the authenticity of the intelligence. Back then, our army failed to kill Vadim and left a disaster. Now, you, You don’t want your good days to be destroyed by the avengers and plunderers from the south! You don’t have to worry now. Since you are part of the kingdom, you are now sending your sons and brothers to follow me in the westward expedition. From now on, I will lead the Western Warlords. Liangge's army is coming, and we will join forces and go south to attack Smolensk."

This is like a transaction. The transaction is mutual. When the two parties have frequent transactions, they will become more trusting.

After gaining their approval, Rurik ordered them to launch a general mobilization in his farm.

Each farm must at least build some walls and build basic defense facilities to protect themselves in case of an unexpected event.

When they sensed danger, their life-preserving instincts took over, and at the same time there was a huge demand for weapons and equipment. As for weapons, Rurik is willing to sell a large number of weapons, mainly cheap forged spearheads, at a fair price. If he earns a fortune, he can also arm the militia.

Any Slavic farm tribes came from the Vistula River valley, and they opened settlements to the west, east and south as armed immigrants. Rurik does not need to emphasize the meaning of "building a stronghold to protect oneself" at all, because no one understands the meaning of self-protection better than these guys. They don't lack manpower now, but what they lack is a large number of iron weapons.

This meeting with the boyars eventually turned into a mobilization rally.

Twelve boyars who surrendered to the farm made a statement, so the village chiefs of as many as thirty other "opening villages" had to respond quickly after receiving the king's order and seeing the active actions of the nobles of the same clan.

Prepare for war, prepare for war, prepare for war since late autumn last year. No one could have imagined that Novgorod in the rear would face a military threat from the Smolensk people.

Rurik saw that all the men in each farm had picked up weapons, even if it was just a sharpened stick.

The cast iron spearhead is not suitable as a weapon at all, but is suitable for mixed casting to make iron with spearheads blasted and pieced together as a security fence. Rurik's so-called cast iron spearhead is this kind of object, which can be pieced together with a wooden stick to make a short spear, a long spear or even a simple throwing spear.

It is possible to make grooves in a clay-fired mold and cast twenty pieces at a time. This amount of product is distributed to men over twelve years old. According to the bottom line standard that one spear and one shield is one soldier, this object Molensk's explosion of 10,000 troops is not a problem at all.

But the Slavic warriors who really participated in the expedition had another piece of equipment.

Now, the Viking army, including the old Russians, was the first to assemble.

The veterans and replacement troops of the First Flag Force have returned to the full strength of 500 men. The so-called four hundred men and a flag force headquarters. In principle, Arik is still the flag captain of the First Flag Force, but now, it The general will also assume command of the Sixth Flag Force.

The Sixth Flag Team is composed entirely of young old Ross boys. They are extremely young, and their members are generally two or three years younger than Rurik himself. The flag captain was originally "Bald" Fisk, who was Rurik's close comrade-in-arms and became the current cavalry commander. valley

According to the plan, this is a national-level campaign. The First, Second and Sixth Banner Troops are all legions composed of descendants of the old Ross tribe and their nieces and nephews. The total strength of the army is exactly 1,500 people. This army also supports The infantry foundation for the rule of the Kingdom of Rus was established.

But their essential identity is citizen soldiers. In this battle, Rurik will also bring his own guard infantry and cavalry. These standing armies must achieve major results.

Three hundred standing cavalry are commanded by the confidant Fisk, and three hundred infantry guards are commanded by the mercenary leader Grund.

In Novgorod alone two thousand one hundred combat soldiers were mustered, and this was still only a part of the army.

They have uniform attire and armor, whether they are wearing high-end chainmail or cheap cowhide and iron riveted armor, and outside they all wear a layer of plain linen gown, with huge interlaced blue stitches stitched on the chest. Colored cloth strips.

The style of their leather helmets is very unified based on tradition. The difference is that some elite warriors' helmets are decorated with white bear leather. The old rule is that the number and color of the feathers on the helmets of the commanders of the captain (class), "ship" captain (platoon level), centurion (leveling) and flag captain (battalion level) are the same.

This move was originally done by Rurik to imitate the Roman legions. Actual combat proved that these moves were easy to command.

It was a sunny morning in late February. There had been a flurry of snowflakes not long ago, but the weather had not improved in any way since February.

Rurik's army gathered in Novgorod. They stood on the horse-walking wasteland outside the city. The soldiers lined up according to the flags they belonged to. The feeling of uniformity greatly shocked the onlookers.

The city walls were crowded with people, and there were thousands of onlookers outside the city.

The news of the army gathering attracted both Kagan and Sakhi. To be fair, they made a deal with Rurik and went to the south to rob. With their own strength, they could not say that they faced the vast sea of ​​Smolensk people. Be sure. It was also the first time that Kagan saw the large gathering of the Ross army. He opened his eyes and gave the most wonderful admiration in the world: "If it is the Roman army, it will be nothing more than this!"

Kagan was referring to the Eastern Roman Army. Although I had never seen a large gathering of the Roman Army in my life, I had some understanding of it through hearsay, such as the bragging of Roman businessmen in Crimea.

He had never seen the Roman army, but today he saw the Russian army clearly.

And this is only part of the force that Ross assembled in Novgorod. Not only were the surprising numbers of native Slavic men mobilized but not massed, but Kagan noticed that there were no "little men" among these troops.

My own Rurik brothers recruited all adults, and they were all very tall.

According to the laws of the grassland, a boy should ride a horse and join the war when he is ten years old. The blond and white-skinned ten-year-old boys of the Russians were still running around where they could be seen, and they did not participate in the war.

Here, Rurik reviewed his army on a horse, raising his sword amidst the roar of the sky.

Rurik has already made arrangements for the follow-up matters. A large number of men drove the frozen rivers and lakes in carriages to New Roseburg, the real assembly point. The army will leave soon after this small-scale assembly.

The departure of the men does not mean that the spring plowing has been abandoned. The task of spring plowing has been given to Governor Medved, who will lead his own people to sow the farmland directly owned by the king. As for the old Russian settlements such as Mstisk and Youth City, the wives and children of the soldiers are still stranded here. The solution is quite simple, that is, every family pays a sum of money to hire local people to sow the land for them.

This battle was fought by Rurik personally, and he was about to leave his loyal Novgorod temporarily.

The banquet before leaving was very luxurious. Considering his mental state when he left for the expedition, Rurik did not drink too much.

Governor Medved, on the other hand, was very drunk, or was so excited that he cried in pain.

The Slavic flag corps was expanded to two, and a single flag corps was adjusted to 500 people. The core idea of ​​​​the battle was to form a spear formation to attack the enemy. Medved will be responsible for the training of soldiers and subsequent command work. He will also leave his hometown to fight in the far west, which will happen after the spring plowing.

At first glance, it seemed that there was a power vacuum in the Novgorod region for a while, but this was not the case. The Slavs in the largest city, Novgorod, descended from the dragon early and have now integrated with the old Rus. The twelve native peasant boyars were pacified, which also stabilized the other Slavs.

In Novoostara, just south of Novgorod, Duchess Carlotta holds a powerful and highly mobile army. When necessary, all her people mount their horses, and suddenly more than 500 cavalry can be gathered safely. .

The question now is who will take over the duties of the Governor.

Is there anyone more suitable than Queen Svetlana? Although Rurik hopes that the acting governor will be a reliable man, he really has no better choice now.

A woman became the acting governor of Novgorod and the commander-in-chief of the local Varangians and Slavs. Although he will be the acting governor for a period of time, there is nothing that really requires Svetlana to make a decision. The parliamentary system of the Rus Duma is accepted by both the Varangians and the Slavs. It really has to face general problems and have a good reputation. The figures can be discussed at a meeting, and only matters such as war are decided by the governor.

Svetlana does not even have to decide on the war. Her sister, Princess Carlotta of Ostara, will be responsible for the entire Novgorod region after Medved leads troops to reinforce the Western Expedition King. defense. Carlotta is also a woman. She is a female general. The cavalry under her command are all men. No one can underestimate the power of these cavalry.

A large number of wives and concubines remained in Novgorod, and they had to do their own work.

This time Rurik brought two special wives and concubines.

Norun, who is good at music, how can this national war be without her? Although the flag force, which is purely composed of men from the Norwegian Balmok tribe from the port of Narvik, will join the Ross Army under the leadership of Hellafed, in terms of authority division, they largely belong to Narvik Earl's Army.

Who is the Earl of Narvik? It is Nolen, one of his beloved wives. With her around, the Balmoks will fight to the death to kill their enemies. But Nolen herself would not kill the enemy. She brought the entire band she had trained to serve as a guard of honor for the kingdom's army, and used drum music to increase the spiritual strength of the army. Yes, Ross had the world's first institutionalized military band.

Rurik's new wife, Pecheneg Princess Beyashil, will naturally also participate. She will directly participate in the battle as a cavalry to meet her own destiny.

Moreover, Rurik even brought one of his sons with him in this battle. Reglaf, the legal heir to the Kingdom of Mercia, and Rurik’s de facto eldest son. This boy revealed a naughty temperament, indicating that his energy was too strong. His son was old enough and it was time to see the world on the battlefield.

The army gathered on the frozen Volkhov River, and a large number of reindeer pulled sleighs waiting for passengers.

Each warrior is handsomely and gorgeously dressed, and their weapons and equipment are sophisticated and diverse.

The soldier was carrying a backpack with a cloth belt and the contents inside were mostly filled with raw oats. Curly leather blankets are tied to the sides of the backpack, and a large buckler hangs like a turtle shell from the bag. There is often a short-handled shovel hanging on the side. Their waists were all hung with steel swords, daggers and hand axes. The most heavy armor was all removed, and they tried their best to be as light as possible.

Other soldiers were more heavily equipped. They carried wooden-arm crossbows and heavier steel-arm crossbows. Thanks to the various arrows being sealed in boxes, they did not have to carry them around, so the soldiers were spared the pain of fatigue.

Even so, the weight of the army's personal equipment is already staggering. Fortunately, everyone will be sitting on the sled, and sufficient logistical material support will give everyone confidence in the expedition.

Even according to His Majesty the King's crazy decision, the army will always run wildly on the ice, especially across the frozen Gulf of Bothnia. Reindeer and horses will replace the fleet and rush to Stockholm, Sweden.

It was a crazy plan, and Ross also fielded the largest army ever assembled.

With the sound of the horn, the Novgorod troops of the Russian Army set off with a huge crowd!

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