Rise of Rurik

Days of snowfall suspended the war, and both sides of the fierce battle waited in the cold.

The wide-area snow has gradually covered people's knees, and the straight Roman avenue also seems difficult to walk.

It hasn't reached snowpocalyptic proportions yet, but anyone who wanders around in this weather in peacetime is either a true snow hunter or a fool.

Such snowfall is not a serious problem for the Russians and other northerners, who often encounter more serious snow and freezing conditions every winter. The severe cold of ice and snow is absolutely ineffective for them, just because they have seen a lot and know how to live a "winter life".

The snowfall finally stopped, and it actually lasted a full week since it started.

The winter in Saxony is not as cold as in Scandinavia, and its low temperature conditions are not extreme, but the Elbe River is still frozen on a large scale.

The disappeared sun returned, and the sunlight shone on the vast snowy field. The Russian soldiers who carried sunglasses decisively assembled the wooden-framed sunglasses and wore them to protect their eyes.

All the people who were in passive hibernation climbed out of their shacks and began to clean up the snow on their own initiative. They kept lamenting the impermanence of the world.

The wooden fence became an excellent barrier, especially the north side of the fence, which can be said to be facing the wind. There was a snow slope here, and the snow was so thick that it seemed that the fence could be knocked down.

Rurik and many nobles were always paying attention to the progress of the snow. When the sky was still gray, they all noticed that the ice of the Elbe River outside the city was rapidly expanding.

Although it is not as cold as a day, it has been frozen for more than a week, and it looks like it is really frozen.

In order to take a good look at the world around him, Rurik climbed to the highest point in Hamburg.

The wood-and-stone structure of the fortress was not high, and the platform at the top was quite cramped. Even someone as tall as Rurik had to stand carefully holding on to the wooden railings.

Wearing a thick white velvet hat and a polar bear fur coat, he looked completely white.

The sharp and clear wind hit his face, forcing him to cover his face with his sleeves to avoid the cold.

"Damn it. It's completely frozen."

A quick glance at Rurik is all it takes to get the conclusion. A silver-white zigzag streamer looks particularly blinking on the white earth. The sun shines on it and reflects violently. The entire Elbe River is frozen as far as the eye can see.

Not only the Elbe River, but also the circular artificial river dug to protect the city of Hamburg is frozen even more solidly.

There were dark figures inside and outside the city, and the hidden Saxon people came out of various shacks.

Rurik looked at his Ross military camp from a distance, where intensive personnel activities also began to emerge.

The excitement that had been stifled by the cold is back, and the Hamburg region continues its winter life.

However, the wide Elbe River natural moat is frozen, and the so-called "natural moat" has disappeared.

Rurik came down from the heights and immediately summoned all the nobles to hold a military meeting after the snow.

King Rus is holding a meeting, and the purpose of his meeting is self-evident.

A large number of nobles gathered in the stone room, and everyone wore furs to protect their bodies. The open wooden windows made the room bright and the temperature also dropped to freezing point.

Rurik's breathing was fierce. He curled his hands into his clothes and kept pacing around the room.

"I sent people to dig out the ice to explore. Even in the center of the river, the ice there is enough for armored warriors to walk. The ice is very thick!" As he said that, he stretched out his right hand: "Thicker than my index finger. Much thicker.”

"This has happened in the past." Robert, the real Count of Hamburg, said bluntly: "In this case, we will no longer be protected by the river, and Ludwig's army will come back. Unless... they don't know that the river has frozen."

"They will definitely know." Liudov added nervously, then looked at Rurik's face and asked with a solemn expression: "When will they launch a new attack? Based on my understanding of Ludwig, That man probably led the charge."

"Haha? Lead the charge! Is it really possible?"

"He is no mediocre nobleman, for he is first and foremost a warrior."

Liudov spoke highly of Ludwig, and the Blue Fox who was also present also made similar comments. After all, the core of East Frankish rule was Regensburg in the east, which was a huge barracks. Controlling a large barracks, Ludwig can indeed launch a military campaign. In fact, he is doing just that.

"Then Ludwig might give up and evacuate?" Rurik couldn't help but ask, "I arranged for the squadron to persecute their retreat and continue to destroy Bremen, a key transportation hub. Is the Weser River frozen? If it is frozen , Ludwig will be able to evacuate quickly."

"I don't think he will withdraw. Assembling an army takes a lot of time and energy. Besides, he can't just sit back and watch us Saxons regain our former power. And..." As he said that, Liudov's eyes drifted towards the people present. One unlucky guy.

Poor Baudouin, Count of Flanders, had not been ill-treated since his capture. After all, this is a guy who has both sides. He has no greater pursuit. The first thing is to preserve the wealth of himself and his family, and to preserve his status as a great noble in Europe. It is okay to sell some interests for this purpose.

Baudouin was dragged into this meeting, and he was able to know the truth about everything. Unfortunately, these truths were too shocking. Because of shame and embarrassment, he really wanted to avoid this unfortunate meeting.

Liudolf specifically mentioned the captured nobleman and shouted arrogantly: "It doesn't matter whether Flanders made a choice, but the current situation is enough to make Ludwig believe that Flanders has already Rebellion. As a result, excluding the self-administered Bishopric of Cologne, their control of East Frankia was limited to Alemannia (Frankfurt, Mainz and Rheingau), Bavaria and Osteria (Austria). Also There is a semi-independent Thuringia, haha, maybe the Thuringians are also planning to regain their independence."

"Ludwig will never accept this result." Rurik added again.

"Yes. Otherwise, he would not insist on the winter expedition. In the end, we and them will continue to fight. Maybe the decisive battle will be in a few days."

Rurik and Liudov's chorus was simply repeated for pre-war analysis. Their inadvertent retelling actually reiterated the grand strategy for the nobles present.

"Since they will definitely know how to fight, we can just deal with it directly. Our army does not need to take the initiative to reorganize our forces in Hamburg." Rurik still gave orders as a military commander, and he also pointed out a major shortcoming of his own side. .

"However, after a long battle, even us Rus are very tired. My troops are not enough, and the next decisive battle may require you Saxons to fight hard."

"Ah? Is it possible that even if we are as powerful as you, our troops will be exhausted?"

Inadvertently, there was a hint of teasing in Liu Doufu's eyes when he spoke, and the man seemed to be in a sarcastic mood.

After all, Liudov is not a tamed dog after defeat. He has his own great ambitions. The current alliance with Ross and Denmark is for profit. After all, he still wants to be the real master of all Saxony.

Rurik noticed this special meaning, and then shrugged with a thoughtful look. He threatened: "If the war is delayed until the warm period, everything will be extremely beneficial to our Kingdom of Rus. I can order the second large fleet in the east, A new 10,000 troops will be transported here one after another. However, this requires the ice sea to thaw, and my disadvantage is only in the next hundred days."

Rurik's words were an exaggerated description. Liudov couldn't believe it, and immediately put his tail between his legs.

Ragnar knew the inside story, and he didn't care about the Rurik brothers' boastful words. After all, it was not a complete boast.

"Temporarily short of troops?" King Ragnar of Denmark, who had been listening for a while, became excited. "I can summon a group of Danish warriors to quickly go south immediately. Fighting in winter is not a problem. Denmark and Saxony are neighboring countries."

"The current strength should be enough." Rurik shook his head and continued to look at Liudov, "In the final analysis, this is the founding battle of your Principality of Saxony. We, Rus and Denmark, will fulfill our alliance obligations to help you fight. In the end, you are still the one who wants to fight. It takes a lot of effort. I! Will try my best to give you advice and even command your army."

"Command my army? Forget it." Liudof smiled awkwardly. "I am still in charge of my army, but I will refer to your suggestions and requests."

"Very good." Rurik nodded with satisfaction: "Since Ludwig may lead the charge, I will try to capture him alive. We don't have to kill him afterwards, just make him sign some treaties. Everything will continue as planned. There is no need for us to completely break up with East Frankfurt."

At the end of the meeting, all the military nobles once again strengthened and unified their thinking, which was to immediately enter a state of combat alert, so that all armed men could immediately enter the battle.

The main force of the Ross fleet is now very sadly imprisoned by the ice of the Elbe River. This is not a big problem. After all, the fleet is stationed at the Kronstadt moorings, and the ships can be imprisoned by the ice until April of next year.

The higher side of the battleship can be used as a tactical commanding height. If the glacier is used as a battlefield, the ice battleship can be used as "permanent turrets".

That's what Rurik thought.

The current temperature is heading towards the lowest value of the whole year, and the ice on the frozen Elbe River will further thicken. By then, Frankish cavalry will be able to run wildly on the ice.

Ice battles are not unthinkable, Ross has had many ice battles with his enemies in the past era.

Rurik even knew about the Battle of Lake Chud. It was a battle in another time, space, and era, but the fighting party was a large army composed of Swedish immigrants and Slavs in the Novgorod area. Under the leadership of Grand Duke Nevsky, they fought with the Teutonic people on the frozen lake. The Knights fought and won.

The direction of history has been deflected. The Ross of 840 AD and the Ross of 1140 AD are facing two different worlds.

But they both come from the same bloodline and can also make some similar moves.

Rurik knew that if his bloodline continued, a huge group of nobles would rise in Northern and Eastern Europe.

Then let’s have a battle on the Elbe Glacier!

The coalition forces began large-scale training after the snowfall, and the army actively prepared for the decisive battle.

Rurik did not know the situation of the squadron he sent out, and he had already lost contact with the cavalry. They are all madmen who have experienced hundreds of battles. Unfortunately, without their return, Rurik is indeed worried about future battles.

Without the longbowmen and some ferocious berserkers, when the battle enters a state of fighting, the coalition will be unable to exert sufficient strength.

Maybe even the victory is just a miserable victory.

However, Rurik noticed that people who slipped on the ice would obviously fall if they moved quickly and accidentally. Such a fall is serious, especially if a person wearing heavy armor may not be able to get up because the ice is too slippery.

How to avoid slipping when walking on ice? The problem isn't the walking pattern, it's the boots.

Walkers can use skis to glide on the ice, or use spike shoes.

"Yes! Spikes!"

No matter whether the decisive battle is on ice or snow, as long as there is ice and snow, it is easy to slip. Only spikes are a universal anti-slip force. The Frankish army would never be able to make spikes, but the Allied forces could make them quickly.

So, Rurik issued this order: "Each of the warriors will receive eight old arrow clusters, find out when wooden boards are nailed on them, and use them as a pair of spiked shoes, and tie them to your leather boots with ropes."

This move will undoubtedly consume a lot of arrows. Fortunately, Rurik is very well prepared for war and always focuses on recovering arrows after a war. There is no essential difference between mass-produced arrow clusters and mass-produced nails, except that the former undergoes more heat treatment.

Transforming old arrow clusters into spikes can quickly arm Rurik's existing Russian army of less than 3,500 people.

The Russian army has suffered a lot of losses in the past half year of the war, and now the Slavic Banner Corps has transformed from a reserve force into the main force.

Those Saaremaa pirates became the elite, and the Jotalans recruited from Gothenburg also became the Rus elite.

Each flag force has suffered considerable losses. However, the soul of the flag force is still there, and a variety of personnel have been added to it, barely leaving each flag force with enough fighting strength.

According to northern common sense, a Viking army of 3,500 people is already a very powerful team.

But the Frankish army was even more powerful. Due to its large population, it could theoretically mobilize an army of tens of thousands.

These 3,500 members of the Ross Army stationed in Hamburg are busy making spikes, and when they are finished, they can perform on the ice and run wildly.

Such a move was refreshing, and Liudov immediately began to follow suit, even though he didn't have many nails.

The solution to the problem was not difficult, which was to order the Saxon blacksmith to dismantle the captured Frank armor, remove the iron pieces embedded in the leather, and shape them into the shape of nails to create wooden spike shoes. This process takes time, and Liu Dofu can only equip a small number of the elites he selected as much as possible.

The Saxon Army has an absolute manpower advantage. In theory, they still have 10,000 soldiers. They are equipped with simple spears on a large scale, most of the personnel have no armor, and their individual combat capabilities are worrying due to a serious lack of training. On the contrary, they can hold their spears together and form a hedgehog formation to advance and retreat together.

Regarding this group of armed peasants, Liu Dou himself knew nothing about tactics. He only knew the so-called "the theory of invincibility of courage". He led his troops in a reckless move to scare the enemy's morale and defeat them, and then fought to determine the outcome. It wasn't until he saw Rurik's dazzling tactical arrangements of multiple arms that he realized that there were still "tactics" in the world.

It's a pity that he is a fool and his soldiers are not smart either. It is absolutely impossible to expect the peasant soldiers to carry out complex actions. What they can do is still gather together as a group to build their reputation by shouting, and then launch a dense formation group charge.

However, if a large-scale battle broke out, he could only order his men to launch a spear assault.

Actual combat has proven that the spear-hedgehog formation is possible. They are imitating the thousand ruthless men holding long-handled halberds in Rurik's Slavic Flag Team.

In the riverside battle before the blizzard, the coalition casualties reached 1,500 people. The casualties mainly came from the Saxons. Most of the wounded died later. On the contrary, the Ross-Danish army fighting on the front line suffered little losses due to the large amount of armor.

The Saxons still had a considerable number of soldiers. Due to their previous victory, the local nobles in the distance also organized militia to come to support after receiving reports from Liudov's messenger.

Because they saw Liudov's victory, they were even more afraid of Ludwig's future revenge. Unless everyone joins forces to beat Ludwig completely.

As a result, the total strength of Hamburg has been slowly increasing, and the new troops are actually better than nothing, and their political significance is extremely huge. At least the Saxon nobles living nearby brought people here in person, even if they brought ten retinues.

As a result, the morale of the coalition forces gradually increased, and as another army formed a neat team and walked upstream from the lower reaches of the frozen river, the morale of the coalition forces became even stronger.

Because the troops who suddenly appeared were holding high wooden poles with inspiring flags flying on them.

It was the Ross flag, and the visitor turned out to be the missing squadron.

After experiencing heavy losses caused by the storm at sea, Arik's squadron began the difficult final journey with more than 800 healthy men.

The large ships, most of the loot, and some left-behind personnel are still at the mouth of the river, where the waters have not yet frozen but the water is bitingly cold.

The people who survived more than 800 catastrophes include the Old Rus, the Malarens, the Balmoks, the Finns, and the Saxons.

Encountering a storm at sea was an unpredictable disaster. Arik could completely evade it, but he regretted seeing a large number of his own personnel falling into the sea and drowning.

Perhaps, transporting some very important loot back to Hamburg can be a reluctant hedge against the morale caused by the natural disaster encountered by the Ichiban squadron. These more than 800 people, regardless of their ethnic origin, all made a surprise attack after the snowfall stopped to build a small sled that could be towed by one person and load a bag of grain or a batch of bundled captured iron weapons.

They had to walk back, and for this reason they stopped abruptly for two days on the way before finally returning to Hamburg.

At this point, Arik can finally report to his brother, who is the king, that he has indeed completed his mission...