Rise of Rurik

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Although it is a cold winter, the market in Roseburg is very lively.

It was a cold morning, and the sun had just cast its first rays of light over the frozen bay.

The ice floes in most of the waters of the Gulf of Bothnia have been connected together, and Roseburg is located to the north, and now the ice in the fjord is enough to carry strong men wandering around.

A crowd of five thousand gathered on the frozen seashore, which was full of boats, and they were all notified, bringing their money and sacks of sackcloth, cheering for the sale of the Duke's public market.

Behold, plenty of burlap pockets are already standing on the ice.

Many people saw someone else coming pulling a sled full of sacks.

Soon, the long-awaited sale finally began. The Rus were restrained into regular ranks and began to buy food for the month.

Many people are very surprised, because the wheat sold this month, which is October, is different. It should be wheat, but it looks much shorter and thicker than oatmeal.

It is said that this is wheat, a brand-new term, and an important trophy for the army's expedition.

But its price was unpleasant, and Rurik's official guide price was nine pounds for one silver coin.

Unfortunately, the Duke sold it this month, and everyone had to accept it reluctantly.

Until they bought this month's wheat home and cooked it in Tao Weng according to the prescribed quota, everyone understood why the wheat was expensive because of its soft and glutinous taste different from oatmeal.

Only when people are absolutely poor will people be hungry. Now Rus people generally have a lot of wealth. In terms of eating, they are increasingly pursuing taste.

There are also women who grind the purchased wheat into coarse powder with traditional stone grinding rods and small stone slabs. They all plan to make oatmeal cakes that lack stickiness and are very shelf-stable, like processed oatmeal, to enjoy slowly in the extreme cold.

Today, after processing new grains, women are stunned that the mash is sticking to their hands, and the coarse wheat powder is lumped into a ball after adding water.

One family after another was pleasantly surprised, because the pancake finally looked like a pancake.

Firewood heats the slate,

The wheat flour cakes are quickly cooked on the kang when they are attached to it. The noodle cake is eaten in the mouth, the soft and glutinous taste is really amazing, chewing carefully and there is a sweet aftertaste!

The same thing happened at Rurik's palace.

In fact, he really regretted that he didn't excavate well in Tamworth. If the local stone mill was brought back, he would not have to order those maids to fiddle with the stone mill.

Rurik still ate the baked bread, but the processing method was more refined than ordinary people. For example, the fine flour should be sieved with a gauze sieve for further processing. Making bread with such flour is different from the traditional one in terms of the taste after baking. The naan in the concept is also similar. At least this taste is more than ten times better than boiled oatmeal.

So, what about noodles?

To make noodles, you can't do it without tools.

The purpose of development is to make Duke Ross stronger. She has already risen in the Baltic world surrounded by powerful enemies. She is still far from unifying this small world. At least she is enough to make others fearful and avoid it.

The strength of Rus lies in the continuous improvement of the living standards of the Rus, and as a ruler, he must make a big fuss about the issue of the people's food.

Ross needs multiple mills, whether it's processing oats or wheat, and people need to efficiently use the energy contained in these grains.

On this matter, he has planned to discuss with the blacksmiths. Perhaps the cost of obtaining materials for rotary stone mills or large stone mills is low, but after mastering the current situation of pig iron casting, he feels that making small steel mills is more cost-effective.

It has been some time since Rurik's triumph, and the time is also the end of October.

He wants to make Rus' basic industry develop more rapidly. For this purpose, a large number of people must work.

When it comes to hiring labor, Roseburg now has plenty of able-bodied people. As for more women, their physical strength is naturally not as strong as that of strong men, but they have a very large population, and they can make a huge contribution by relying on absolute numbers.

But hiring this group of people costs money.

Put the people into corvée? This was taken for granted in the East, but also in feudal Franks and Britain. But Ross's situation is quite special. Even today's tax collection is mainly aimed at contract farmers, contract fishermen and merchants.

A large number of ordinary Rus and new immigrants wanted to unite them well, and Rurik was convinced that he was very dependent on the power of money.

Unless they are slaves, they can get their labor for free.

But the status quo of Ross, the sense of existence of the slave group is very weak! This is not Rurik's benevolence, but an irony in essence, a ruler who intends to be benevolent, and what he does is called barbaric.

Rurik, who pursued the principle of Clausewitz's war, may be too advanced in his view of war in contemporary Europe, because the wars launched by Ross are all prepared wars of annihilation. The males of the hostile forces were always almost wiped out, and the living women were all absorbed into the wives and concubines of the Rus and allies.

But according to the generally accepted tradition, even if a woman absorbed from a hostile force gives birth to a Roth man, she will automatically become a Roth woman, enjoy all the powers of a Roth woman, and should be protected.

As a result, the strength of the Principality expanded rapidly, and there were almost no slave groups in the general sense, and there were a lot of servants.

and many more! Those five hundred Tavastian women to be given to the Balmers, aren't they still unemployed?

Rurik blamed himself for simply forgetting them, and what was worse, he didn't mention it, and no one told him about the women's living conditions.

It was already November, and Rurik remembered it and asked his father.

Otto once said haha: "I don't think many of those women have died. In the past few months, your Rumia has been guiding them to do something..." Otto actually didn't want to talk about it, those women can't become Ross people, why pay attention?

Rurik sounded displeased.

How many died? Do people still die for various reasons? This...was a huge waste of labor and a shame.

Now that Rumia was acquainted, Rurik questioned her, and successfully learned what had happened to the Tavastian woman in the past few months.

Originally, the labor force of those people had already been used, but they were a group of women who lost their country, and it might be a bit reluctant to expect them to work for the conquerors with peace of mind.

Rumia instructed them to do some simple tasks, such as sorting furs and slapping hemp poles.

They are to be handed over to the captives of the Balmers, and it is inappropriate for them to do too many things, not to mention that if they get sharp tools to do some delicate work, who can guarantee that they will not use the sharp tools at hand to cause trouble?

While Rurik was there, many Russ would not object to his arrangements for these women.

The most elite Rus army started a new expedition, and later, Rumia was busy with her own affairs, and those who had the right to speak all simply left the group of prisoners on the grounds that Rurik was absent and Otto went to the east to collect tribute. .

During that period, it was unrealistic to expect Harrodson, the old guy who was instructed to manage the Roseburg area, to expect him to treat a group of captives to be given to allies.

When Rurik came back, how to settle them and then let them decide, this was Harrodson's idea.

Therefore, during that time, they couldn't even do simple work, just like birds and beasts in a cage, those who tried to escape were driven back. When the weather turned cold, they all huddled in the warehouse, and I don't know how long these meaningless days would last.

This is a waste of labor! Gould, who came back with the goods, or Fodgen, who raised many slaves and actually started a "garment processing factory", hoped to make use of these idle people. Unfortunately, they are not legally under Ross's control, and their temporary owner, Rurik, has not returned yet.

Rumia felt pity for those women, but after all, she was only a high priest, and she couldn't do anything else. The various sacrifices of the Rus people, as well as taking care of their daughters, have already made her time very full, and they are powerless to think about improving the lives of those captives.

Although there are still a small number of Tavastian women who have become the wives and concubines of the Rus, they intend to help these sisters of the same clan, but the sisters are locked in the heavily guarded granary area, and they have no willpower, not to mention that they are locked up by men. Control, and many are pregnant, which further restricts walking.

Of course there is also a large group of Suomi women who entered Rus' society through normal means, who just want to live their own lives and care little about the once hostile Tavastiya captives.

It was not until after hearing Rumia's regrettable description that Rurik realized that he had set a meaningless prison for them.

What's worse is that although they ended up being sheep in captivity, they have been providing food for them all the time, and the food is not much every day, but the accumulated cost of food for 500 idlers for more than three months is not small.

According to this, the expenses are not small, and their life is not good.

Rurik hurriedly rushed to the big barn in the barn area where the captives lived. As he approached the barn, a bad premonition came to his mind.

Because this area is the small mound where Rurik used to train his children, and because of the high terrain, this place is an excellent granary.

However, this is not a traditional residential area, and many buildings are rising from the ground, but unfortunately it is not destined to be lively.

It's too quiet here.

He casually said to his entourage Yevlo: "Rosburg is obviously very noisy, and it's frighteningly quiet here."

"The granary area is understandably quiet. My lord, is that big granary really occupied? I also feel that there is a lack of life here. What I saw before is not the case at all."

"They must be hiding in the house. I don't blame them, I ordered them not to walk around."

This place has always been guarded by old soldiers with weapons. When the Duke came, they also stepped forward to compliment.

"Sir, have you finally come to see these women?" A white-bearded old man with age spots greeted him.

"How are they?"

"It should still satisfy you."

But Rurik heard sobbing from the quarters of the old guards.

"Let's go and have a look." Rurik shook his neck and hurried away with Yevlo and the others.

The old guards were stunned, and some people shouted: "Sir, there is nothing to see in my house."

However, Rurik still saw the black-haired woman who was locked up, and when he saw his appearance, he subconsciously curled up into the soft deerskin blanket again.

"What's the matter?" Rurik asked casually.

The old guard who lived here hesitated and said why for a long time.

"I see. As slaves for your enjoyment? These women are the spoils of Balmer's allies. You..."

"My lord. I..." The old guard said bravely, "I am old, my wife has already died, and my son died in the expedition to the East. Thank you for this errand, but I still hope to keep one offspring."

"So, then..." Rurik was really taken aback, but after thinking about it, the old guy had a reason.

He smiled, "You really know how to pick, this woman is quite beautiful. You have this purpose, why lock her up?"

The old guard smiled again embarrassedly, "These women are like a pack of forest she-wolves, they are not easy to control."

"It's absurd! Maybe she can't stand your aging bull. Tell the truth." Rurik added, "I heard that some women died, what's the situation? You can't say that you killed them. What? You are to blame for something like this."

At this moment, Rurik's entourage escorted the so-called "rescued" captives to him.

Apparently, the old guys ordered to guard control a "companion", and whatever their reason, they are illegally taking someone else's booty.

This is a matter of principle!

Rurik raised his head and said sternly: "I won't punish you, but these women must be released. You have no right to get these women! According to our tradition, those who plunder friends should be exiled!"

"Ah! Your lord, you can't do this." The old guy hurriedly got down on one knee.

"All get up. Your son has made a contribution to Ross, and you were all elite soldiers when you were young. Your credit has offset the crime, and now give you a chance, take out the money, and you will legally get a new partner. "

Is there such a good thing? Not only is there no punishment, but there is also a reward? Old guys serial warrior ceremony.

As for what kind of woman to give them, Rurik also thought about it. Because the food officer Paul is a Northumbrian, his men are such a group of old Ross.

Paul is a technocrat, and the real identity of this group of old guys is already a real grain official. Taking care of a group of prisoners is an additional task, and Rurik recruited these old guys, in essence, relying on their old age to prevent possible food theft.

Let an outsider manage them, so Paul must firmly stand in the Duke's position because he is weak. It is undeniable that he himself is not good at coordinating this group of subordinates.

For example, they have no fear of finding a prisoner among the women locked in the granary to be a de facto wife, which means that they don't think Paul has any privilege at all, but is just the Duke's dog.

If the old men's wives were Northumbrian women, things might have changed. Coincidentally, a group of captured cooks come to Ross, and they must have an exact identity to continue living.

But they still had to pay the price of a pound of silver for a legitimate wife. Their work is the duke's reward, if in previous times, they would have starved to death who were about to lose their labor. They lack the ability to be self-reliant. Apart from receiving a meager salary, how can they spend so much money?

Coincidentally, Rurik no longer intends to give them any money in silver and copper coins. The so-called salary is a fixed monthly share of wheat.

They had no choice but to agree.

"I arranged it like this. You better not tell me that because of your negligence, those prisoners hiding in the barn became corpses."

"It won't. Even their condition is not good." Said the honest old guard.

When the wooden door was opened, the apathetic prisoners probed. Rurik smelled a sour smell, followed by a warm.

In the end, it is complaining about heating, and the solid wood and airtight houses are basically locked in warmth.

But looking at their situation up close, Liu suddenly thought of many bad things.

Many of the prisoners, with their thin hands stretched out, muttered about food in the Old Finnish dialect, and came to Rurik begging for a meal.

"They're so skinny! What did I say then? Give them enough food every day! You guys are dereliction of duty!"

Rurik scolded loudly, the entourage cheered, and the guards paled in shock. He was actually scolding himself, because after the wooden door was opened, after a little inspection, he saw many people still wearing thin cloths, and under the single clothes there were one after another with thin bodies caused by chronic hunger.

It's no wonder that they can't hear their movements these days. Isn't this dress a large group of people getting together to report to the group to warm up? Wouldn't it be suicide to go outside so weak?

Those who died, I am afraid they all died of cold and sickness, or indeed they committed suicide by hanging out outdoors and relying on the cold.

"Their situation is a bit miserable." Yevlo couldn't bear to look directly.

"Someone is responsible for this!" Rurik bared his teeth.

"It's Harrodsen." An old guy said casually, "He said that these prisoners did nothing to eat, and since they were given very little food, they would not starve to death."

"Did he order it? I asked him to do it?"

These old guards were the same age as Harrodsson. Everyone knew each other for a long time. Seeing that the guy was prosperous in his later years, the old guys had such a bleak life, how could they be praised.

They described Harrodzuson as a miser, but Rurik could still hear it. Harrodzuson does things for a reason.

After all, it was the duke's treasury that paid for the various expenses of the captives. The Rus naturally despised the unearned, and Harrodsen himself and even Otto, deep down, regarded these captives as lowly slaves, or the very strange slaves of others who could not work for the Rus.

They didn't say it in front of themselves, but they did it with practical actions.

In the end, it is impossible for this group of prisoners to turn into Rose's women, and Rurik didn't want to pursue it any further.

"Damn. I still plan to use their labor force, and I have to take them on the ice road to Balmerk. Damn, damn it! You! Find them all, and I will arrange for them to change their winter clothes. In the next week, I'm going to give them a lot of food to replenish their bodies," he ordered.

"My lord, they are just prisoners given to allies. You still have to spend more money." Yevlo also kindly reminded.

"No! They have to pay. I want them to be strong and work for me, and I'll let them all go after I've created enough wealth for me."