Rise of Rurik

The climate is getting colder and colder, and the Russian soldiers stationed in Hamburg are becoming more and more homesick.

In principle, those Danes who are still stranded here are waiting for news from King Ragnar. The waiting process is getting more and more boring. It is definitely not a good idea to stay in the Saxon territory for the winter. They want to return to Zealand and Families unite.

The Danes secretly communicated that once the first snow falls, the brothers can return home.

The situation is also very bad for the Russian army.

The Russian army includes Russians, Finns, Slavs, and a small number of Swedish and Götaland warriors. Arik, Jevlo and Medvet, unit generals can keep well-trained warriors in check. But the war started this spring and has been fought all the way from the far north. Will the war continue as winter enters?

Especially the Slavic warriors, everyone whispered to each other in their hometown language, saying that they might not be able to return to their hometown this winter.

If you are a lonely warrior in your prime, it will not be a pity to have a family all over the world.

They all have parents, wives and children, and they have a strong obsession with farming. Even though the king has been very stable in terms of food supply, they are still extremely worried about the situation of their relatives back home.

Your Majesty, it is a good policy for your Majesty to exempt taxes this year. Brothers have all gained spoils from this war.

So, is the golden autumn grain harvest going smoothly? If I, as a strong laborer, do not return, will there be obstacles to next year's spring plowing?

Everyone lives in Hamburg with mixed emotions.

They are actively producing, especially building a salt boiling workshop at the estuary, and choosing a good land as a temporary dock and ship berth to allow the Atlantic cod and herring caught by trawling to be processed immediately on the shore.

Because of the alliance, both the Russian army and the Danish army kept a distance from the Saxons.

After the victory against the Frankish cavalry, the Saxon armed forces upgraded their weapons. Duke Liudolf received real support from most of the local nobles. The latter were worried about the Franks' retaliation afterwards. A large number of villagers dragged their families and moved to the vicinity of Hamburg under the leadership of the noble nobles despite the cold late autumn.

In this way, Liudov pulled out more militia fighters and selected some who were strong enough to become elite sergeants.

Hamburg became a symbol of resistance and freedom, and the Saxon population in this area quickly exceeded 50,000.

The newly arrived Saxons came from the area south of the Elbe River. They crossed the river in small boats and moved to Hamburg. The nobles declared their allegiance, and Liudolf immediately ordered them to open up wasteland to build new villages, and also ordered them to transform the newly reclaimed land into fertile farmland. , I will live here from now on.

The so-called exchange means that after paying this year's "tribute to the Normans", these nobles and their dependents who adapt to the current situation will be tax-free for many years.

Tax exemption is a good thing, but what they urgently need is safety. At this point, with the rebel flag raised across Saxony, any village that is left alone will have a high probability of encountering terrorist reprisals from the Franks. The only way to stay together is to stay together.

What's more, the Russian army is still stationed here. The Hamburg area is very close to the Great Wall on the Danish border. The Saxon-Danish Alliance has lifted the siege to protect each other. Obviously this place is already very safe.

Liudov is very satisfied with the current situation and he can conclude that more people will move to the Hamburg area in the future.

When a country has a huge territory but a small population, the monarch must give priority to controlling the people in the territory and avoid spreading settlements widely. Instead, he should set up some key cities and settle a large number of people in designated places.

Even if Liudolf is in charge of tax collection, military conscription, and religious affairs in the future, he still needs to try his best to attract people to the Hamburg area.

He has already done this, and naturally he has special worries.

"I don't have any more capital. If Ludwig launches a large-scale crusade against me, once defeated, it will be the destruction of the entire Saxony. I must win."

Without saying anything, he also hoped that Rurik would quickly bring back the army that had looted from the southern expedition. The young king was good at fighting. Without him to command the allies, Liudoff was really afraid of Ludwig.

Even because of the recruitment of strong men, the nominal army of the Principality of Saxony has expanded to 10,000 people.

Because a large number of iron tools were seized, the blacksmith softened the iron in various shapes and smashed it into a broad-leaf spear head, which was matched with an oak shaft to make a spear. There were Saxon spearmen everywhere. This was not only the only way to quickly arm the army, but also proved on the battlefield that gathering spearmen could indeed contain the impact of Frankish heavy cavalry.

These armies still did not give him confidence.

He looked forward to more reinforcements and the coming of winter.

Will the Franks still launch strong attacks in winter?

At least there is no news proving that there is a Frankish army rushing over with overwhelming force. Like a miracle, Liudov has a special ally.

A large ship came from the west, its main mast flying a strangely patterned crow flag.

This is an Aurora-class sailing cruiser, which is actually a major modification of the Caravel-type sailing ship. It has seaworthiness beyond the times, but it has been in the water for many years and has lacked maintenance in the hands of owners.

There are a lot of strange marks on the oak hull, which prove that this ship has actually traveled to many places.

There were two people standing on the towering bow of the ship. They both had weird braided beards and bald heads that were completely inappropriate for their age.

Another large ship, almost identical to hers, followed her, except that the official Ross flag was flying on the mast.

Flying the raven flag is the naval flagship Balmok from the Viking Kingdom of York, and standing on the bow are King Biyoni and his brother Floki.

But there were two father and son who were suffering from seasickness sitting in the captain's lounge of this ship.

The father and son were very well-dressed, with loose felt jackets tied firmly with leather belts, and boots made of blackened cowhide.

The father has slightly curly hair and wears a gold crown. His left side was completely empty, proving that his left arm had disappeared.

The son is thinner and taller than his father. He looks weak and dull.

They are King Aenred of Northumbria and Prince Ella.

The little boy he once was has grown up, but the glorious era of Northumbria has ended.

Ella is the only heir to the throne. If her father dies, she will naturally go very smoothly. Then will she continue to submit to the Rus and the Norwegians in the Kingdom of York and cooperate with her? Of course he hopes to restore the great achievements that have been lost, but all he can inherit in the future is a very small kingdom. Perhaps the only thing that can change is to end the annual tribute of 300,000 pounds of wheat to the Russians.

It has been eight years since the kingdom suffered a major defeat in 832 and humiliated peace with Rus.

The large loss of population caused the shrinking Northumbria to languish in strength, and the annual tribute curbed the kingdom's development. Mercia in the south was also in chaos. The nobles fought for the throne and killed each other, which directly led to the stupid movement in Wessex further south.

Surrendering to Ross is a helpless thing. As the king, what Eynred needs to do now is to try his best to maintain the power of his family and to keep Northumbria as a country in the increasingly treacherous situation. .

He himself has a good personal relationship with Spyut, a Russian explorer, royal pirate, and de facto leader of the diplomatic mission. This time when he asked for tribute, he produced an invitation letter written by the King of Rus, which undoubtedly moved his heart. Thoughts on going to Europe.

Then he took the big ship of the Kingdom of York next door and crossed the sea to the east. It didn't take long to cross the North Sea and rush directly to the mouth of the Elbe River in an almost straight direction.

This move is unimaginable to both Eynred and Ella! In the past, when British nobles wanted to go to Europe, they usually arrived in Frankfurt through the narrow Pas de Calais. The strait was so narrow that you could see the other side at a glance, and perhaps strong men could swim directly across. This route is very short, and a small boat can successfully cross the sea.

This was Eynred's first time on a Viking ship. Soon after boarding the ship, he became exhausted due to the rough sea surface. Now that it was finally anchored, he couldn't wait to get ashore.

So when the king and his son stepped out of the cabin, they looked around and saw an astonishing scene.

"Dad, there are Viking ships everywhere here! Do they seem to be fishing? They are all warriors." Ella was cautious and timid, so she could only whisper.

"Yes...I can see it. I haven't seen it for many years, but the Russians are already so cruel? Isn't this the territory of the Saxons? I was obviously invited by the Duke of Saxony."

Compared to these two, brothers Biyongni and Floki are simply high-spirited. The two of them had a lot to talk about with Rurik, and they couldn't wait to see their biological sister Nolen.

The two of them knew exactly what this time point meant.

My sister Nolen is about to become a mother or has already become a mother, and the two of them are going to be uncles, which is really a happy event.

Of course, an old friend was waiting for them at the mouth of the river.

Arik stayed here, not that he received any information to respond to Biyoni and his party. He supervised the work of boiling salt here, especially the hired Saxon labor force, to prevent them from being lazy.

The big ship anchored at the mouth of the river and released the small boat, and people completed the landing one after another.

It had been eight years since Biyongni had seen him, and since fighting side by side in the past on the battlefield was still fresh in Biyoni's memory, he still caught a glimpse of Arik in his prime.

"It's you! Arik! I know you!" Biyongni laughed and pointed his middle finger at his old comrade. He didn't care about the majesty of the king, and walked towards him with open arms.

This move once surprised Arik, but seeing the flag flying on the mast and the overly conspicuous blue-and-blue patterned bald head of the guy coming towards him, some ancient memories were awakened.

"You? You can't really be the Biyongni brothers, right?"

"It's me! Why should you be careful when you speak?!"

Two men of similar age first punched each other in the chest, then hugged each other.

The two were not only comrades-in-arms in the past, but also relatives now. After slapping the old man on the back hard, Biyongni immediately asked: "Where is my brother Rurik? How is my sister Nolen? I heard that she is going to be a mother. Is the child safe?" He rarely asked As he chatted, questions kept coming one after another, and Arik had to answer them as best he could.

In this way, Biyoni felt a little regretful: "Rurik went to attack the Flanders along the coastline. Why didn't you call me for such a good thing? Forget it, I'd better see my sister first."

Biyonni indeed had a thousand things to say to Rurik, especially about some of his governance actions in Britain as the King of York, including taking complete control of the Shetland Islands and even overcoming the Norwegians in the Bergen area. Come to deeper and deeper connections. As well as the conflict with Thorgis, the Viking leader entrenched in Ireland, and then non-aggression.

Floki also wanted to talk to Rurik about another matter, an extremely crucial matter, and even that was a secret between himself and Rurik.

It is said that the island in the far north that was "predicted" by Rurik has been discovered by him!

Arik patted the old man on the back again: "Our army's camps are all in Saxon Hamburg, and the local nobles have written to you. You should know that all the northerners declared war on Frank this year and were once enslaved. The Saxons are also revolting. There are opportunities everywhere here, so please get to Hamburg as soon as possible."

"Very good! All I need is some challenges." Suddenly, Biyongni lowered his head and asked with a wicked smile: "Those Franks should be very rich, right?"

"Of course." Aric said without thinking.

"Very good, I will rest on the shore for a while. Also, I will introduce two more people to you."

Aric knew that the letter also invited the king of Northumbria, but he did not expect that both the king and the prince came.

A defeated king was richly dressed and even had some guards with him. The guards were all dressed in orange and held a red-orange flag, which showed that their appearance was very regular.

How could a mere little king who was defeated and surrendered have such a pomp? !

Arik didn't give Eynred and his son any good looks. After all, they were guests, and he didn't bother to talk to them after making a few casual remarks.

It just so happened that Eynred didn't want to yell too much with the Ross nobles except Rurik, even if the man in front of him was Rurik's eldest brother.

Although Eynred had no idea that Ross had expanded into a giant in Northern Europe over the years. The so-called Northern Europe except for the Bergen area was either Ross' territory or sphere of influence. Seeing that there were a large number of Ross troops entrenched at the mouth of the river, he subconsciously remained calm. I was impressed by the size of the Ross Army and the surprising number of young faces among them.

He suddenly remembered Rurik's threat many years ago, saying that women in Rus were giving birth in large numbers, and that all people in Rus were soldiers, and their children would grow up to be warriors. Now, those young children in the past have grown up, and Ross really has a steady supply of soldiers, but what he sees now may still be only a small part of his army.

From now on it was time to take a rowing boat straight to Hamburg, and Eynred and his son watched everything around them warily. They knew that the Duke of Saxony was essentially the Count of Westphalia. Even if he had the blood of the great hero of Saxony, Widukind, he had betrayed Frank. It can be said that this is a vicious betrayal, but from another perspective, it is a feat of fighting for freedom from slavery.

Why doesn't his Northumbria want to get rid of the tribute from the Rus? To be fair, Eynred admired Liudov's life-threatening rebellion, but he still had to discuss whether to recognize his dukedom as invited by the letter.

Some ancient memories cannot be forgotten, even if they have passed three hundred years ago.

But is three hundred years really ancient?

This area of ​​Hamburg was the territory of the Anglos three hundred years ago, and later it was just a matter of the whole family crossing the sea. The Anglo-Saxons were neighbors when they were on the European continent. Later, they crossed the sea and established a relationship in Britain and continued to be neighbors. Although they are neighbors, wars with each other continue one after another.

A large number of Saxons have not left at all. Now they are launching a war of restoration. Eynred supports it from the bottom of his heart. He has to observe more out of political caution, but it is necessary to talk about history after meeting Liudov.

The deeper they went into the river, the more they saw a large number of settlements. Almost all of those houses appeared on the north bank of the Elbe River. Eynred realized that something was wrong.

Finally, a city with vast wooden walls and an iron pontoon bridge appeared!

On the outskirts of the city are a series of wooden sheds, with a large number of wooden poles on the ground, and the Ross flag with white background and blue stripes flying everywhere.

There are Russians and Saxons everywhere here. Hamburg has become a mixed existence?

Eynred set foot in Saxon territory for the first time in his life. His cloak was red and orange, the guards were dressed in orange and yellowish clothes, and the flag was also a combination of red and orange blocks. Together with his golden crown, it became a very eye-catching presence.

Liudov stood on the high ground and recognized at a glance that this must be a foreign nobleman, so he personally led the guards out of the city to greet him.

Just then, Duke Liudolf of Saxony brought the king and prince of Northumbria, as well as Biyongni, the king of the Viking Kingdom of York.

The bald King of York believed in Odin, so that was no problem. After all, the Franks raised a butcher knife against the Saxons who also believed in God. Faith was indeed not the reason for launching a war of conquest.

At the first moment of the meeting, Liudov expressed his hope that the Viking Kingdom of York would recognize the Principality of Saxony. Such an abrupt request made Biyoni feel that someone was teaching him how to do things.

Biyongni did not answer, and even refused to deal with the Duke's finances. He asked bluntly in Norse: "Nothing can be done until my brother Rurik comes back. Whatever he wants, I will do the same. Now I just want to find my sister Nolen!"

Isn't Biyongni's answer clear?

Liudov was not angry, and with a secretly happy attitude, he arranged to personally lead Biyongni and others to visit Rurik's wife Nolen in the city.

His attitude towards the Northumbrian king and the prince was extremely friendly, and there was no language barrier between them.

Liudov was still respectful to Eynred, who had lost his arm. After a while, an old man wearing a black robe came over holding a wooden staff inlaid with a cross.

Eskil, the Saint of the North, showed his identity directly, which really shocked Eynred.

Eynred hurriedly knelt down and asked Ella to do as he asked. He kissed the back of Eskil's withered hand and said "pada" bluntly.

"Arise, my child. You are a king from Britain who has never lost your glorious faith in any hardship. God is with you."

After all, there are not many bishoprics in Frank. Eskil manages the entire northern region, or north of the Cologne bishopric, belongs to the northern bishopric. Eskil's status surpasses all the bishops in Britain, and he even has a chance to be promoted to the pope. Of course, this chance has become extremely slim.

The fact that Eskil can stand here is tantamount to supporting the restoration of Saxony.

Liu Doufu originally wanted to think about it carefully, but he already understood the attitude of the bishop, and his hesitation was meaningless.

The King of York and his Vikings didn't bother to talk in the tower, so Liudolf had a good chat with Eynred.

The two parties talked a lot, even late into the night.

This free talk has achieved sufficient results - both sides recognize the legitimacy of each other's rule.

The Kingdom of Northumbria recognizes the Duchy of Saxony! Oppose the Frankish invasion of the Principality of Saxony!

Even the results of the negotiations were engraved on a wooden board in advance, and the northern saint Eskil served as a witness, giving him legal benefits.

Indeed, Eynred's first reaction when he saw Eskil, an old man, was to kneel down, because this old guy's identity has huge appeal and power.

But he said that this Eskil can completely transform the city where his cathedral is located into a military fortress like the Archbishop of Cologne. He can recruit and support a group of mercenaries, and can directly control the people like a great noble. The so-called military, finance, and faith are firmly in his hands, and he can become the ruler of Saxony, just like the Archbishop of Cologne did in the past.

Esquier has a very big plan, which can be said to be paranoid. He plans to spend his life spreading his faith to the end of the world. Worldly fame and wealth are a blasphemy to his faith. He just wants to be an ascetic.

It is undeniable that he has positioned Hamburg as the cathedral, which will be the future center of faith in the north.

Although he is unwilling to participate in the war between nobles, war is inevitable now.

It seems that this is a wrestling match between the northern world and the Frankish world, with both sides pulling their allies over to show off.

How come the priests of the third-party forces are outsiders sitting on the mountain watching the fight between tigers and tigers?

Eskil is not a mediator now. He has his own position, and he is becoming more stubborn as he gets older. He believed that all nobles should comply with the strategic demands of the Russians. From then on, the northern world and the Frankish world would have the Duchy of Saxony as a buffer. If they did not border each other, the world would be peaceful. And when the world is at peace, it will be a situation that is conducive to the actions of the priests.