Rise of Rurik

There was also a lot of delicious food in his stomach, and Otto mentioned the most critical business to be implemented in the future: "I will soon go to Novgorod to collect tribute. Rurik, we can agree, I can Take at least 10,000 pounds of wheat to the East. You know, in the future, the new Fortress that we build is going to be more and more important."

"10,000 pounds is enough?" Rurik shrugged. "There are a thousand people living there! They are all our people! In my opinion, it would be more appropriate to bring 50,000 pounds of wheat."

"This...too much." Otto was a little surprised.

"I think so. Originally, the people who lived in Roseburg usually eat fish in winter. We have more fishing boats this year, and we have caught more fish. Give us a batch of food for our tribesmen who are pioneering in the east, they are the most in need. of."

"Really?" Otto felt that his son's expression was still a deep meaning, and he said with a little joking: "You gave your servant very good food, which is no different from what we eat now. I also I thought you didn't care much about ordinary people."

"Dad, are you scolding me?"

"I didn't. I just wanted to say. You're a little too kind to the servants."

"Those people are my servants after all." Rurik emphasized, "I give them good food, and they work for me. As for our tribesmen in the east, how much assistance is given to them depends on the leader's intentions. We can't get anything from them right now, and I'm a little sorry. If we're not the leader, we don't need to pay attention to what they're eating this year. But we're the leader."

Otto nodded: "I am the leader, I must pay attention to them. Rurik, your words are not correct. If there is a war, the brothers in the East must participate. We are all Russ."

"That's true. I am afraid that now our clansmen have only the obligation to participate in the war unconditionally. Because we have even cancelled the collective interest dividends of the clan. I have some doubts, whether those people who are usually not benefiting during the war, whether Will work hard."

Whether or not what Rurik mentioned was good or bad, Otto couldn't really say.

Judging from the current situation, the former tribal system has been permanently ended. Today, the spoils of war and the tributes obtained are shared by the participating families. The gains are also unprecedented. If you don't participate, you can't get it, but if you don't participate, you still have to defend the Ross tribe in times of crisis.

There is no possibility of being attacked in the core area of ​​the current Rus.

It's Rurik who thinks with his toes, the meeting of the powerful one-vote guys within the Ross clan last year,

Everyone paid more attention to the distribution of interests, but never thought that it was attacking the cohesion of the tribe.

A catastrophe really comes, and those families who do not enjoy dividends on weekdays must not choose "self-exile"?

Pooh! When a catastrophe comes, those who have eaten dividends may fight in a group. Others will not get any benefits on weekdays, but they must not run away. People, after all, only when one's own interests are attacked will they fight back crazily!

In this regard, Rurik has his own opinion: "Dad, I bought the food, and the ownership is owned by our family. We give the food to the clansmen over there, which should be financed in the name of the leader. They can't eat us for nothing. food for the family."

"Huh?" Otto frowned; "Do you have any ideas?"

"If they can accept our food, they have to pay the price."

"The price? What price?"

"The grain is lent to them, and they will pay it back next year. They can cultivate some land, and the grain they produce will be returned to us. We are merciful. As much as they borrowed, they will at least pay back the amount next autumn."

Otto suddenly realized that something was wrong with his son's words: "Wait! Did it finally become, we collect tribute from our tribe?"

"That's right. Is there anything wrong with that?" Rurik replied sternly.

"This...I always feel a little..."

"Dad, do you think it's inappropriate? Times have changed! Are you going to give them food for nothing? Why? Just because it's difficult for them to settle in New Roseburg for the first time?"

Otto's original intention was to give part of the tribute collected from Novgorod to the settlers of Novgorod. His purpose was very simple, that is, to let the tribesmen there survive the first winter. He never imagined that he would get any practical benefits from the clansmen over there, but he was just going to help them through the difficulties based on the responsibility of the leader.

He really could not have imagined that his son Rurik, the future great leader, would actually calculate the gains and losses for the clan.

Otto didn't know whether it was good or bad to do that, so the words came out of his son's mouth, I'm afraid it would be a good thing in the end.

Otto spoke out his idea of ​​giving food, and Rurik immediately asked: "Dad, we collect tribute from Novgorod every year, do we have to support the settlers in Novgorod forever in the future? Since the tribute has changed Only successful participants have the right to share. Do participants want to? Does living in New Roseburg mean sitting on the table? Why?!”

"Ah? I really didn't think so much, Rurik, what should we do?" Otto asked tentatively.

"I still collect tribute." Rurik emphasized, "Dad, you are the leader, and you have the power to distribute the tribute. If I were the leader, the people of Novgorod would still give us a batch of tribute, which is a large amount of tribute. Wheat. I will store the wheat and not give it to Sorgon's army, but pay them money.

In this way, the people who took our wheat this year will return the same amount of wheat next year. The tribute of the Novgorod people should also be controlled by us.

I have a big cash box now, and I want a big warehouse for food.

Then, those grains are not tribute, but taxes (the English word for tax is said).

My purpose is that in the end, every member of the tribe will hand over a part of the property, and I will take care of it on my behalf. I'm not greedy, because these treasures will be used for the construction of our tribe. It's like I will control a lot of food. If our tribe encounters a disaster, so that ordinary people can't get food and go hungry, the food I control will be distributed to everyone, so that everyone will get through the difficulties. "

Rurik talked a lot, but it was too difficult for Otto to immediately understand the purpose and meaning of "taxes".

Otto understands a little bit, since last year's meeting of the tribes was discussing the principle of "no hard work shall not eat", thus completely revising the tribe's tradition of tribal dividends.

Since most people think it's the right thing to do, that's fine! There are no truly unrewarded gifts, and those who receive them should give positive feedback.

Otto slapped his thigh: "Yes. The people of New Roseburg must clear the land and plant wheat next year. You are right, the 200,000 pounds of wheat belong to our family, even if it is over there. People, this year we give them a pound of wheat, and next year they have to give back two pounds. As long as they accept the gift, they must give back next year."

"Also, the food must belong to our family. Dad, you are the leader after all. According to the far-flung Franks, you are our king!" Rurik deliberately complimented.

Being lifted up by his son, Otto's mind was said to be beautiful.

Since we talked about the issue of land reclamation, after all, it is not that the Rus people do not know how to farm, but their ability to plant is limited by the barren and cold natural environment of Roseburg.

Otto said excitedly: "Since it's land reclamation, they still need some tools. But we don't even have a wooden plow. It seems that we still need a batch of plows from the Novgorods."

"No need." Rurik shook his head and talked about the plow, one of the tools he had planned to make: "What kind of wooden plow do you want. We can make a better one."

Otto was startled: "You can make a plow? Can you plant? My child."

"I don't know how to farm! I just know how to make plows anyway. Dad, didn't you say that Novgorod still has a loyal dog (referring to White Tree Manor)? The high yield of people's grain, so that they can pay tribute and more wheat, isn't it good? The plow I made will definitely help our people in New Roseburg, and it is easy to cultivate a lot of land. In the end, the benefit is us!"

Otto's eyes widened, he knew that whatever his son mentioned, he had always done what he said.

"Is there still time? I'll be setting sail with my brothers soon."

"When are you leaving, Dad?"

"This year's situation...about ten days later. We are a little late this year."

"It's okay. I'll do it tomorrow!"

Rurik's power of action is of course nothing to say. After breakfast today, he led more than 100 brothers as always, and he held a wooden stick and a wooden shield on the hill to simulate a battle.

Military training lasted from spring to autumn, and now, the children obey Rurik's orders, and the team is fully able to retract and even make some complex queue changes. It is precisely because of the strong obedience and discipline of these queue changes that Rurik felt that when these children grew up, the combat power formed by them would definitely overwhelm other tribes.

Because the children's infantry tactics have reached the level of a "hundred man", if they want to defeat such a huge group, at the current level of tribal warfare, Rurik believes that his men will be invincible.

Rurik has not yet made good use of the newly promoted mercenary captain Yevlo, and for the time being, he is using those people as lumberjacks.

In this regard, Rurik very much agrees with his father's arrangement.

Otto couldn't believe those mercenaries for a moment.

The loyalty of that group of people needs to be examined, not to mention, who is a gag and who is dedicated, and they can really show their attitude when they are logging.

Rurik felt that since Yevlo was an excellent fighter, waiting for next year, his more than 100 guys would be able to have a new teacher, Yevlo.

Until then, Rurik doesn't want Yevlo and other mercenaries to do what he calls "protecting the leader's safety".

Because of the safety of the leader, there is naturally a large group of cronies to protect him at all times. Those recruited mercenaries, until next spring, will be downright tool people, lumberjacks, builders, porters, etc., who take silver and grain.

If anyone declares that they can't stand it, then get out of the territory of the Ross tribe, and the guys who stay, Rurik believes that this group of talents are dedicated mercenaries who are truly willing to pay for things in any situation.

Rurik still needed the help of a professional blacksmith for making plows.

This afternoon, he first stayed in his new home, thinking about his own designs without stopping.

Since there was no paper yet, Rurik found a wooden board and used the tip of a knife to carve the shape of a plow on the board. This is his professional quality, so that it is just a drawing on a wooden board, and he tries his best to make it vivid.

After lunch the next day, Rurik took his own planks and headed straight to the smithy in Kravassen in high spirits.

The sun was just at noon, and an old guy with hairy arms was still beating the sword embryo with all his might.

Although it may be more profitable to make glassware, due to the narrow audience, Kravassen felt that it would be difficult to make money from his own people for glassware. He still needed to build a large number of steel swords to complete the previous orders. Live on your own reputation. And in the foreseeable future, making carbon steel weapons will always be his family's job.

The sudden appearance of Rurik, who came alone, was really abrupt, and the child's appearance in a white fox fur robe was really incompatible with the dirty and hot blacksmith shop.

"My little master, is there anything else important? I have already handed over the previous payment to you."

"Are we talking more about money?" Rurik asked casually, "Where is Lilia?"

"You're looking for her? She's in the house, working the loom."

"She can weave?!"

"Of course." Kravason was a little strange: "Most women know this skill, not to mention she is from Novgorod." Kravason smiled: "My Lilia can always get me something new. Pattern, you go and see, she is weaving a pattern of cloth."

Rurik had come to discuss with Lilia about the use of advanced plowshares to clear land in Novgorod. He fled into the inner hall of the blacksmith's shop. Rurik's sudden appearance frightened Kravasen's wife. , but Lilia was engrossed in her work, undisturbed.

She sat on a leather cushion, with hands and feet, a very rudimentary loom, too rudimentary to be a machine, but capable of weaving cloth.

"Brother, you're here. What's the matter?" Lilia spoke the Slavic language very peacefully, and sweat covered her forehead.

"Oh, it looks like you're weaving patterned cloth. Did you use new linen?"

"Of course, I also made moss printing on the new linen. You see." Lilia indicated with her eyes, "I can make a beautiful linen for my Kawi soon. By the way, you came to see me? "

"Hmm. There's one important thing I want to tell you in particular."

"Oh, then tell me." Lilia said so, still holding the loom with her hands and feet.

Rurik could see that she had no time to spare at all, and after some inquiries, he found out that Kawei led Kamnee again, pulling the blacksmith's two-wheeled cart, and ran to the nearby mountains to mine ore. It was not surprising to Rurik, but while the weather had not changed drastically, the blacksmith shop had to stock up on some ore and charcoal so that the workshop could continue to operate in the cold night.

The boring winter is boring to many tribes, and as a result, many women have puffed up their stomachs since the spring.

This is not the case in the blacksmith shop. Everyone knows that the steel sword is really useful. The steel axe is also an artifact for logging. Dry". It is too difficult to obtain ore in winter, and the strong Kawei has to try his best to get more ore to reserve.

Blacksmiths are more than willing to work hard, and not just for financial gain. It is also after the negotiation of the blacksmiths that they have to show their loyalty, reliability and importance to the current leader Otto and the future leader Rurik through high-intensity work.