Rise of Rurik

Rurik's fleet finally returned to Hamburg. The large ships rushed directly into the main channel of the Elbe River and quickly arrived at the city of Hamburg, dragged by a large number of rowing boats.

Those with a discerning eye noticed that these large ships had unusual drafts, and the cabins were obviously filled with cargo.

The fleet anchored near the shore, and then dropped the cable to be pulled by people waiting on the shore, and finally fixed to the wooden piles on the shore.

Once the ships were secured, the work of unloading important supplies began non-stop.

In fact, when Rurik saw two large ships moored at the mouth of the Elbe River, with a special flag flying on the mast of one of them, he knew that the person he invited in his letter had arrived.

"Biyongni, how are you after all these years?" Asking himself, Rurik felt that he was actually very sorry for this brother.

King Ross returned as fast as lightning. The deep draft of the ship and the continuous unloading of supplies from the net to the barge fully proved that their operation in Flanders was a great success.

However, there was no sign of King Ragnar of Denmark here.

The majority of Rus' warriors did not pay much attention to the Danes. They were most concerned about how much supplies their king had plundered and how much intelligence they had discovered.

A poor middle-aged man had his hands and feet tied all the time, and no one would untie him even when he went to the toilet.

He was Count Baudouin of Flanders. I don't know how many days had passed. His mouth was stuffed with cloth, and occasionally he would get some unknown food to satisfy his hunger. After he was captured, he was stuffed into the cabin and his eyes were tied tightly with cloth strips. He seemed to be blind.

He was carried on the deck like cargo, and Rurik himself removed the man's blindfold.

"Baudouin. Look at all this! This is not your Flanders, this is the Saxon Hamburg."

Suddenly bidding farewell to the darkness, Baudoin subconsciously squinted his eyes to resist the dazzling light. It took him some time to get used to it, and finally he saw the situation clearly.

Hamburger? Is this a burger? A Saxon town? Isn't it a Frankish town?

As the ropes binding his hands and feet were untied and the cloth gagged his mouth was removed, he could finally stand up like a normal person.

"Is this a burger?" he muttered shakily.

Rurik didn't want to talk to him, but ordered his subordinates: "Find some spare clothes and put them on for this man. He is a great nobleman and will be of great use in the future."

Indeed, the sexy clothes were not good enough. Baudouin changed his clothes, and the paraphernalia that could prove his identity was finally stuffed back on him.

He had just regained the ability to walk and needed some time to adapt. No, once he got ashore, he could only obey the craftsmanship of the tall and strong Ross warriors and be lifted up and run towards the walled city of Hamburg.

…

As a result, a large number of high-ranking nobles gathered in the simple palace of the Principality of Saxony.

They are the nobles of the northern world. It is up to them to choose whether this area is peaceful or wary.

Now, everyone must conform to a new order whether they are happy with it or not.

Rurik reunited with the King of York, his old brother Biyoni Magnusson, and his little old friend Floki Magnusson. They exchanged cordial greetings and reminisced about the past, and were very satisfied with the current situation.

Their biological sister, Nolen, now has difficulty walking with her huge belly. She must participate in this collective meeting among the northern nobles, not because she is one of Rurik's wives, but because as the Earl of Narvik, she has the qualifications and reasons to participate in this meeting.

Now that Nolen has joined in, Pecheneg Princess Beyahil, who is also pregnant and can no longer ride a horse, will of course also be involved as a senior noble. She has already expressed her support for Liudov's Saxony Principality on behalf of the Pecheneg Khanate.

So for Liudov, although he didn't understand what kind of country the Pecheneg Khanate was, he heard that everyone in his tribe was good at riding horses, and most of them were small men with black hair and yellow faces. He immediately thought of the Arabs who had been defeated by Charlemagne. The Var Khanate and the Pecheneg Khanate are similar. The more support from a country in the far east, the better. I'm afraid this won't be purely moral support. Once the trade network with the Russians is completed in the future, it will be feasible to import horses from the far east, even if it costs more.

Then came King Earnred of Northumbria and Crown Prince Ella, who were dressed in orange-yellow tones.

The arrival of these two people was indeed welcomed by all parties. With this opportunity, Rurik also took a good look at what the legendary Ella, who was finally made into a blood eagle, looked like.

"A young man of fifteen or sixteen years old? It doesn't seem like he will accomplish much."

When Eynred arrived, it was natural that Reglaf, the true legitimate heir to the throne of the Kingdom of Mercia, was also indispensable.

Reglaf is Rurik's de facto eldest son, but at this moment, this son is participating in the noble meeting as the king of Mercia. He deliberately hung a sterling silver cross on his chest to prove that he was actually a Christian.

This dreamy situation really satisfied Eynred, so he also arranged for his prince Ella to have a good chat with Reglaf.

This conversation didn't matter. As Reglaf learned that the throne of Mercia, which he urgently wanted to inherit, became a treasure that many local nobles were vying for, Wessex in the south was ready to make a move. He has already started making plans to solve the problem through military means.

As for the fact that King Ragnar of Denmark happily went along the Rhine River to rob the Frankish hinterland, everyone was quite surprised that he would not participate in this important meeting, but his absence today is not a big problem.

Many big nobles gathered here, making Robert, the real Count of Hamburg, quite embarrassed.

Henry Nassau was not embarrassed. He had already called himself Count of the Netherlands, and this title must be recognized by the monarch Liudolf. He also needs more countries to recognize the legitimacy of the so-called Netherlands and lay a diplomatic foundation for future peaceful trade.

The poor Count of Flanders participated in this meeting of nobles in an extremely embarrassing capacity.

There are a large number of great Norman nobles, who are either earls or governors, as well as two Norman kings.

Some nobles who believed in Christianity even came across the sea to recognize the legitimacy of Saxony. How much shame did this give to Liudov? To make matters worse, standing here were the future kings of two British kingdoms, Northumbria and Mercia, which were geographically just across the sea from Flanders.

In terms of personal friendship, Count Baudoin of Flanders knew Liudolf, now Duke of Saxony.

Being a prisoner now seems to have relieved the persecution. He is very low-key as he is well aware of the risks involved.

Baudoin was captured alive by King Rurik! Are the two armies still fighting in Antwerp? !

Although this result was unexpected, Liudov was really happy to see it.

The high stone room that was originally used as a banquet hall had all the wooden tables removed and replaced by wooden benches placed in a circle.

It is like a round table meeting in disguise, and what stands out is the fairness among the nobles.

In fact, this is not the case. It is really conducive for Rurik to stand in the middle and preach to everyone, and the words can accurately reach everyone's ears.

Now Baudouin had changed his clothes and even put on the scabbard of his iron sword. He was forced to participate in the meeting as the Count of Flanders, and now he behaved like a student and obeyed.

Rurik is the one who attracts the most attention, the head of all the northern nobles!

He is tall and wears a white cloak made of polar bear skin. His blond hair is styled into a ponytail and decorated with a Greek-style gold laurel crown.

There is more than one king and one grand duke sitting here, but only Rurik has an overwhelming advantage in all aspects.

Perhaps the arrangement of important affairs can be postponed for a while, so that it can take some time to organize the language and write documents, and privately understand the demands of the nobles from all parties to negotiate first.

Rurik really couldn't wait any longer, because the war had continued to expand to its current level. It has finally evolved into a war to "shape the new northern order", and now it is time to prepare for its end.

Everyone stared at his majestic appearance and listened to his eloquent speeches.

"Almost all the northern nobles are here! If we decide to go to war, we will fight with bruises and each other seriously injured. If we decide to make peace, everyone will become rich from trade exchanges, and everyone will gain glory. Peace or War?! Peace of course.

So, this year! In 840, Rus mobilized the entire north to launch a huge war.

Rus owned all of Scandinavia and captured all of Denmark. The endless internal strife that has plagued us Vikings for hundreds of years has finally come to an end this year. Awaiting us is safe Baltic shipping, and we will make a fortune from trade.

However, the Franks could not see all this. When the entire north rises, it erodes the living space of the Franks.

The Frankish Kingdom is the source of all evil! "

Rurik had already reached the point where he was excited. He suddenly pointed at Baudouin, who was pretending to be a salty fish: "You! Count Baudouin of Flanders. Your country was originally a free country, but it was annexed by Frankish forces. Are you willing to Be their vassal? You should get rid of Frank."

So he immediately praised Liudov's wisdom: "Saxons do not want to be slaves. Liudov, a descendant of the great hero Vidukind, has led all Saxons to rebuild their country. I am very happy that everyone here supports Saxony. I Rus is willing to be an ally with Saxony. What is an ally? If someone attacks Saxony, it is equivalent to attacking Rus."

When Rurik explained the meaning of "ally", Liudov stood up suddenly under strong mental excitement.

"King Ross, what you solemnly stated...is everything true?"

"Of course it's true."

"Okay. We will always be allies."

Rurik clapped his hands with satisfaction while smiling. What he wanted was not the mutual alliance between Rus and Saxony. The alliance between the two parties had been planned for a long time, but Liudoff could not have imagined that at this moment when most of the northern nobles were gathered here, Rurik could publicly make such a commitment, which was really touching.

"So, I decided to expand the meaning of alliance. I want to create a safe north. Only when we, the nobles of the north, sit together can it be possible to create a larger alliance. This alliance does not involve any beliefs, only It is to maintain peaceful trade and national security of all parties to the alliance. All parties to the alliance must ensure that they do not attack each other. They are all obliged to ensure trade security. If a foreign enemy invades any allied country, it will be regarded as an attack on everyone.

I call on all of you to join me in the covenant I have made. "

Creating a covenant to stop it seemed natural to Rurik. After all, the Kingdom of Rus has theoretically expanded its sphere of influence southward to the Weser River. It is impossible for Rus to give up the strategic results of this year's expansion and engage in strategic contraction.

Of course he hoped to directly control the vast area and follow the general trend of history to create a "Rome of the North", an Eastern-style country where the king centralized power and the civil service system managed the country.

Rurik cannot do this, at least not in the current era.

Then the next best thing is to organize a national alliance.

"I have decided to call it the Northern Alliance. You will all join it so that we will not invade each other and defend each other. We will further establish the same tariffs and we will welcome each other's merchants. We will not be hostile to each other because of our differences in beliefs, and we will do our best to each other with peace of mind. Business. It’s perfect!”

Rurik was immersed in his own self-movation. He was convinced that he would create another "NATO organization". Of course, this organization was indeed under the control of Ross to suppress the aggressive Frank.

He temporarily ignored the conflicts existing among the countries interested in joining the covenant.

No, the broken-armed Eynred of Northumbria immediately spoke: "You claim that this is a fair covenant. How can I believe you? If you abolish the 300,000 pounds that our country pays you as tribute to Rus every year. Wheat means that you have sufficient sincerity."

Abolition? Rurik felt that he had been defeated.

He noticed that pairs of eyes were staring at him. This was the way all parties were making inquiries with their eyes.

At one time, three hundred thousand pounds of wheat were extremely important to Ross. However, times have changed. Ross has been opening up wasteland in the eastern world every year. The self-produced wheat has been able to meet the consumption of the current population, and has even begun to produce a large surplus, so that the women under the rule are giving birth to a large number of children.

Rurik calmed down and said: "Okay! If you join the Northern Alliance, this year will be your last tribute. Starting next year, all your tribute behaviors will be abolished. From now on, there will only be normal trade between us."

Eynred never expected Rurik to answer so freely, fearing that it was just a whim. He replied in a low voice: "If this is true, I will join your covenant."

Rurik could see Eynred's suspicion. Indeed, it is quite strange that countries that believe in Odin and countries that believe in God have become allies for the sake of national defense, security, and peaceful trade.

"I don't ask you to agree with my proposal immediately." Rurik added, "Today I am just proposing this initiative to you. You can take some time to discuss it carefully, and we will hold a meeting in three days, and you will Decide whether to join our covenant."

To create a "Northern Alliance organization", Rurik is really confident.

Today's Ross has a strong military strength, and the country's stamina is sufficient.

Rurik had the confidence to create this alliance organization, and even in a sense, it was to consolidate the existing alliance treaties into a larger alliance.

The Rus-Danish League, the Rus-York League, the Rus-Pecheneg League, the Union of Rus-Novgorod, the Rus-Saxony League, and the Rus-Netherlands League. In this way, from the far eastern steppes to the vast Valdai plains of Northeastern Europe, to the entire Scandinavia excluding Bergen, and even to central Britain, these regions have ushered in peace with each other. Ross and all parties are allies of each other, so there is a basis for continuing to expand the alliance.

Although they are all aligned with Ross, they are somewhat contradictory to each other. Once all become allies, these conflicts must be resolved with Ross as the mediator and arbiter.

Rurik knew that this arrangement would inevitably bring heavy workload to him, and Ross would have to pay for the actions of some allies and would be dragged down by them.

So what can be done? If Rus expands further, it will become the Northern Rome that turns the entire Baltic Sea into a lake.

Times no longer allow Rose to live his own life behind closed doors.

Moreover, establishing a huge alliance means a huge market, and Russia's metallurgy, handicrafts, and various foods can be widely dumped. High-quality ironware is especially a top product. With it, you can peacefully seize the primary products of your allies. Not only will you make wealth, but you will also get the smiles of your allies. Why not?

Obviously, Frank's top nobles would definitely oppose such an alliance.

In this way, Ross will have sufficient casus belli.

After all, Rurik was unwilling to let his majestic master bear the name of a pirate.

The nobles had enough time to discuss. Even Baudouin, Count of Flanders, was moved by these words. He really needed to think carefully about whether he was a coward and whether he was trying to get both sides between the Central and Eastern Frankish Kingdoms. Create another way to flatter the Russians. In short, we can't defeat them. Our northern region has been separated and there must be no way to take it back. He comforted himself that Friesland and Utrecht in the north were relatively poor, so they would be lost if they were lost.

If we have close contact with the Rus, we can prevent all Normans from invading our southern territory in the future, which is a good thing. As for his brother-in-law's blood feud, he might just have to keep it in his heart. Because this is politics, and politics is about compromise. This is not the first time that Flanders has given in. It would not be shameful to give in again this year.

The nobles from all parties were actively discussing, and Rurik had probably figured out the demands of all parties. So one after another, Rurik had to personally come forward as the mediator and guarantor to supplement the clauses.

As a result, Rurik learned about the current chaos in Mercia and the imminent move of Wessex. All this caused the severely shrunken Northumbria to be worried about the future. At the same time, he was also worried about the neighboring Viking Kingdom of York and the Piedmont in the north. The Ket suddenly invaded.

With the mediation of Ruric, Eynred was fully determined to join the Covenant.

This benefits both parties. "Wessex? If you dare to invade Mercia, I will seek justice for my son." Rurik secretly made up his mind.

The meeting three days after the initial meeting was to implement the results of the alliance. Before that, Rurik had already completed discussions with the nobles except Baudouin, Count of Flanders.

This guy Baudouin has an ambiguous attitude, and he's just doing Tai Chi.

Rurik undoubtedly forced him to agree. Obviously this guy still had illusions about the so-called Frank army destroying such an alliance.

Baudouin just wants to get benefits, and this kind of thinking is understandable.

Rurik also hopes to have a decisive battle with Frank, but looking at the current situation, I am afraid there will be no new battles this year. He has already begun planning for a temporary withdrawal of troops. Most of the main forces will be withdrawn to Denmark for rest and recuperation. In principle, if something happens in the south, they can rush to help quickly.

Three days later, a piece of rough paper was spread out.

It is the Treaty of the Northern Alliance.

The terms of the alliance are written in sacred Latin. They are actually two core terms: not to be enemies of each other, and to defend against foreign humiliation.

The so-called content of the document really pleased the northern saint Eskil, so the northern archbishop Eskil himself witnessed it.

Each nobleman solemnly wrote his name and the title of the nobleman with a quill pen.

Even Eskil signed his name, which was equivalent to his recognition of the legitimacy of the alliance treaty on behalf of the Catholic Church.

Sacrilege? No! Eskil thought that if the huge alliance under Ross's rule were completely at peace with each other, his missionary work would be unimpeded. After all, the treaty was clearly written, and he could even send people to spread the gospel to the end of the north. In the future, he would no longer have to worry about nobles taking his life, nor would he have to worry about another war that would devastate people.

However, as Rurik estimated, Count Baudouin of Flanders did not sign his name after all. I skipped the meeting on the pretext of having a stomachache.

Rurik has no intention of sanctioning this kind of person, and it doesn't matter whether he has diarrhea or not. After all, this guy will have to make some kind of decision in the future.

The County of Flanders was composed of two parts: Bilichka and Friesland. Henry Nassau occupied the northern Friesland and renamed it the Netherlands. In the future, the worst case scenario would be to arrange for Nassau to occupy the southern territory as well. This would be more beneficial to Ross in importing local wool, and would be more beneficial to Ross in selling steel equipment to the local area.