Rise of Rurik

One very quiet night, Rurik invited the blue fox into his palace bedroom, he even ordered all the servants to retire, only the two talked secretly through the oil lamp.

The blue fox really needed a private place to come back. He was a little cautious at first, but when Rurik took the lead in asking the question, he immediately made a surprising speech.

"Prince! Our great enemy is indeed Denmark, but the Franks are a big fat sheep. We should loot them."

"Huh?" Indeed, such remarks are indeed inappropriate to point out in the presence of Esquill.

"You don't have to be surprised. From what I have observed, since our fleet can expedition to Britain, we will bypass Jutland and go directly to the cities called Hamburg and Bremen along the river. Those are the cities on the river, our The fleet can go directly deep, and when we finish looting, we can leave quickly with the treasure."

Rurik was really tempted, his cautious forehead slackened, and he asked quietly, "Did you do some reconnaissance and know them well?"

"Of course! Even now we have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Their armies are attacking Denmark, and Bremen is empty, with only a bunch of honest peasants and no army at all. Now is a good time to loot."

"Oh? Are you urging me to fight?"

"Yes!" Blue Fox said decisively, "I know Bremen very well, there is a very rich city surrounded by wooden walls, and a lot of wool is traded in the city square. We should loot the local area!"

"It's actually like this? You can only fight? I... I didn't plan for this year's war action."

The blue fox shook his head: "They also put forward very strict conditions, we must let us believe in their gods and pay high taxes, so that we can do business with the count of Frank. As for that Prince Ludwig, he Don't even bother to see me. Esquil says their prince thinks we're just a tribe, as humble as ants."

"Ridiculous!" Rurik slammed his fist on the ground, and he laughed again after a moment: "Okay, Lanhu, you are using aggressive tactics. Listen, I am a prince, and only I have the right to arrange whether to send troops."

"But their provocation is real. They're also rich... don't you want a lot of wool?"

These words really stopped Rurik. War cannot be done hastily, let alone get into it with good news.

Rurik thought about it for a while, but he couldn't justify it if he wasn't moved.

Just because of practical considerations, if you get a lot of wool, your own garment factory can produce clothes and felt products with more stable efficiency.

It is unrealistic to expect the Ostara people to provide a large amount of wool in a short period of time. After all, Carlota gave birth to a child not long ago, and her Ostara people did not breed a large flock of sheep.

The arrogance of the Franks is not a major reason for the crusade, but the looting of materials. Of course, their provocation and arrogance can be very legitimate reasons.

The blue fox caught sight of the prince's wavering mentality, and immediately pointed out: "I learned a lot in Frank, the expelled Danish king Harald Clark was that prince's mercenary, and the prince also arranged for Horrick to be the new king of Denmark. Our shop was destroyed, and there was a Frankish conspiracy behind it. As for the Danes fighting the Franks again, that's another story. You are the greatest prince, and your interests in Denmark are damaged, considering your authority , even if they send two hundred people, they will attack the Franks while they are empty behind."

In an instant, Rurik suddenly realized.

He slapped his thigh: "That's right! How could I forget that I can send a small unit for action. What I always think about is to dispatch the Six Flags team to fight the National War!"

The blue fox immediately laughed: "So, you are determined to take revenge this year? The time is still in our favor."

"You..." Looking at the blue fox again, Rurik shook his head with a smile: "You have become thinner and your mentality is crazy. Are you going to be a warrior? Well, I'll give you this chance. You proposed If you are crusade, I will give you this opportunity, you must join the crusade, and you must be responsible for your own words."

"Absolutely. I am even willing to be a soldier, willing to go through fire and water for the prince." Lanhu replied very decisively.

Rurik was willing to believe that the Franks were extremely arrogant towards the Duchy of Rus.

How can a great country look down on a foreign country?

Frank knew almost nothing about Ross, but Rurik, the prince, knew a lot about Frank. Not to mention Charlemagne, who is a household name and has already passed away, after the division of this great country, two main bodies, France and Germany, were formed. Now Frank and Germany do not exist, and the two brand-new countries cannot be said to be completely non-existent. They are like twins in a pregnant woman's womb and are developing rapidly.

In other words, it was the East Frankish part that took an arrogant attitude towards the Principality of Ross. In all fairness, Rurik was more willing to call these guys Germans.

The concept of Germany has existed since ancient times, and now it is not used as an official country name.

Since Bremen is a commercial city, it is feasible to take the opportunity to loot.

Chatting with the thin blue fox, although the senses are very strange, the reward emotion revealed by that guy is easy to perceive.

After some logical derivation, the Russ shop in Hazelby was destroyed, and the mastermind behind it was Prince Ludwig of East Frank. As for why that man had a fight with the Danes, why should the Rus pay attention? Ross's interests have been damaged, and the culprits behind the scenes have been identified, so they should be bled!

Rurik tossed and turned on the bed. He ordered Svetlana not to sleep tonight, occupying the entire bed by himself and thinking about important matters.

He made a major decision, and the next day he began to convene his staff to announce an ocean-going mission that would take into account both looting and crusade.

These days, the Spuuts have lived a comfortable and comfortable life in Novgorod. They ate and drank ale, changed into new clothes, and lived comfortably. If there is no plan to loot, the brothers may continue to enjoy it.

On the other hand, the Salmon Chief has also been overhauled, and those torsion slingshots have been inspected. Worn parts were replaced and consumed weapons were replenished.

As for the old fellow Eskil, he came to the small monastery housed in Novgorod. Look at John Ingvar, the boy was moved to tears when he saw the teacher.

It was in this monastery that John Invall received the people from the Archbishop of Reims, who became legitimate priests and qualified for baptism.

In a section, the little priest was upgraded and became the grassroots personnel of the Holy See management system. He became a pastor at a young age, and then with his qualifications and missionary achievements, he could gradually rise in rank, and theoretically it is also possible to become a cardinal. The reason why he got the position is because the Principality of Ross is full of confused lambs, and naturally this is in the context of the priests. John Ingvar was young, he had a lot of time to spread his faith, and Esquill, as a teacher, could only stay here for a winter.

Christians gathered in the Novgorod region for various reasons welcomed the saints of the North, and for them almost everything was full of hope.

However, Rurik was always vigilant. They were watched by eyeliners. As for missionary behavior, they were immediately arrested if they were discovered. As early as the time of the meeting, Esquil was "vaccinated". The so-called investigation of any missionary behavior, of course, will not be punished by flesh and blood, and this winter can only be spent in prison again. Year expelled. This decree has long existed. It was originally restricted to genuine clergymen like John Ingvar, and now there is one more "Northern Saint", and it is required to follow this set of forms.

It was also here that Esquil finally met the young Regraf, who had been granted the right to the throne of Mercia just like his biological father's golden retriever. The boy always haunted his grandfather and grandmother, the old couple who were the old chiefs of the Rus and the first princes. Eskil maintained the utmost restraint, he did not dare to tease the child, he respectfully explained that this child had a noble identity recognized by the Holy See, and then he left by himself after speaking to the child in Latin.

Eskil's movements were so bad that he could travel in and out of Novgorod under the escort of mercenaries, and he could see the rural life of the principality. He could write a report, and Rurik was willing to provide paper, quills, and ink.

Because Rurik never denied the possibility of peaceful trade with the Franks. Crusades to combat their arrogance are one thing, trade is another. According to his understanding of the Hanseatic League, that business alliance could not have popped out of the cracks of stones, it represented the inherent merchant class in the Frankish kingdom, merchants and small industrialists even rebelled against the king for trade privileges and succeeded. Arrogance belongs to the nobility, and Frankish merchants will never refuse goods and opportunities to make money from Rus! After all, Novgorod is on the list of the Hanseatic League.

Esquil was authorized to write some notes on paper. This person saw a material that was very convenient for writing like cloth and wood, but it was definitely not parchment. The kind of excited attitude that Rurik could think of. The old fellow was itching all over after a few days of traveling, because here he saw an idyllic scene that resembled the Frankish interior.

The Rus among the Normans are actually farmers? The stereotype of the hero of the sea has been greatly rewritten.

Of course, the records written by this person can only be taken after Rurik personally reviewed them. If there are fields that slander the Principality, they must be deleted, and those fields that may involve important secrets of the Principality must also be deleted.

Esquill is still under house arrest in a sense.

In recent days, Spuut has always seen Eskil in a black robe walking on the pavement full of gravel and pottery slag, and even running on the main road made of bricks.

A guy asked Speuter: "Boss, I'm very worried that this person is a meticulous work, he is too flamboyant."

"Xiaozuo? There is an armed brother behind, this person dare not mess around. This is an old guy who may not be able to walk in a few years."

Spuut was busy buying Novgorod's characteristic Slavic Daliba, a loaf of loaves deliberately added with crushed oak wood, which quickly became extremely dry when baked, making it a smashable loaf. Hanhan "stone", but this extremely storable food is very suitable for long-term sailing life.

Just as they were busy buying supplies, the prince's summoning order suddenly came down.

The Spuyote pirate gang gathered urgently, and at the same time, there were Arik from the First Flag Team and a capable soldier who seemed to have a hundred troops.

The men of the first flag team turned into fish madmen, and the guys who were recruited this time were all the guys who were boating on Lake Ilmen nearby.

Arik and his men were in high spirits, knowing that the assembly was related to a special expedition, and categorically put aside the Maharaja's so-called "no troops this year".

"Boy, your hands are itchy when you don't fight, I like it very much." Arik sighed inwardly.

A group of troops entered the city, causing a stir among the people, and some remarks about the war spread like wildfire. Especially the most populous Slavic people, their attitude towards war is generally supportive, but according to rumors, this time the prince will not call any Slavic warriors?

After all, this is a battle that belongs only to the Varyags? Who are their enemies?

The Ros Duma parliamentary court was very long, and Rurik simply ordered a total of 150 people to lead it into the longhouse of the parliament.

This rectangular confined space is very suitable for preaching. Rurik stood on the podium and opened his mouth to point out the "truth".

He pointed out with rage that the Franks were behind everything: "Our Rus shop was destroyed by the Frankish army, and the Danes were their lackeys. The Franks said that it is okay to do business with them, but they must pay huge tributes. And they have to believe in their gods. I thought the Danes were the worst enemies, but now the Franks seem to be the most insidious..."

He even used aggressive methods to confuse a Frankish nobleman, pointing out that the Rus were regarded as the barbarians of the north, as humble as ants.

As expected, the people were provoked, and Arik shouted hoarsely: "We really should cut off their nonsense heads!"

They are angry and hateful, still trying to figure out their predatory desires.

Rurik pointed directly to the first target of the operation - Bremen.

In his words, it was a Frankish city with a lot of silver coins, as well as granaries and wool warehouses. The first flag team had robbed Lindisfarne Abbey, and the gold and silverware inside was swept away. Coincidentally, there is also a cathedral in Bremen, and the blue fox visited and lived in the cathedral, and the first-hand information he has obtained indicates that there are really a lot of gold and silverware inside.

Anger and greed are intertwined, and this long-distance robbery is a must.

The people who were chosen by Prince Rurik and sat in Ros Dumane are very fortunate that a good opportunity to make a fortune is in front of them, although there are some risks, which can be ignored in the face of a lot of wealth.

A plan to plunder Bremen was written down on paper.

According to the plan, the Principality will dispatch a centenarian team of local elites, led by the captain of the first flag, Aric.

The businessman Lanhu was incorporated into the army as a warrior. Rather than fighting, his main job was to serve as a combat advisor, guiding the army to siege and loot.

Spuut led the current pirate gang to battle, and brought another group of people on Saaremaa.

The Finns in the Finnish region must also participate in the war, and Count Yevlo must take part in the battle with no less than fifty archers, who must participate in person.

Since the purpose of the action is pure plunder, the force must not be too large, and it must not be entangled after encountering the Frankish army.

The size of the team must be guaranteed to be between 300 and 400 people. If the city of Bremen cannot be captured well, they will harvest their wheat on a large scale around the city and loot the village granary.

Arik is a strong general, and the overall realization is that bravery is better than wisdom, so he needs to stay in Finland to lead his troops to check and balance. And Yevluo's existence is just as important. As a de facto vassal, he no longer serves as the captain of the mercenary. With his noble status, he must fulfill the obligation to send troops to help the prince, which is also a means of monitoring him.

Rurik was still not very at ease with his cousin, and he had to warn again: "Brother! Most of the brothers listened to you this time, and you are very good at leading two or three hundred people to loot the stronghold of thousands of people. I just hope you don’t be too impulsive, and learn to take it with moderation. We robbed the wealth and filled the transport ship before withdrawing. At most, you are a torch to burn Bremen, and you must not resist the main force of the Franks.”

"Really?" Arik stood up and slammed his chest with a smile: "I should kill a lot of Franks and let them know the price of humiliating Ross. I really hope to fight their main force."

Rurik immediately frowned, slapped his face in the face, and continued: "They have a lot of cavalry! There may be a thousand! This is what Blue Fox saw with his own eyes! Think about the encounter we met in Northumbria. When it comes, the Frankish cavalry is more vicious than theirs, you don't want to fight hard, we have to fight smartly."

The encounter with the cavalry in Britain that time made Arik feel uncomfortable, and the Ross Balmerk coalition suffered a lot for this.

My brother mentioned the businessman Lanhu, who is still playing as a warrior?

Arik couldn't help asking: "Is Blue Fox's investigative intelligence reliable? He has traveled in Frank for a whole year, and he has seen a lot. Will he exaggerate them. Besides, why didn't I see him there?"

In fact, the blue fox was always there.

I saw a man who could only say that his face was a little fatter, who had just started to grow his beard, stood up. He was dressed in a capable brown leather jacket and had a belt tied around his waist. No matter how he looked, he was dressed as a warrior.

"I am the blue fox, and I swear to Odin, to Frey, to the gods, that what I see is the truth."

"You? That's the blue fox? Isn't the blue fox a fat man like a seal?" Arik smiled impolitely, and the others also appeared to be a thin man who called himself a fat blue fox.

What else can the blue fox do? He could only laugh apologetically, and then his face turned cold: "I killed a Danish soldier, and I even almost saw the Frankish prince. I was greatly humiliated in Denmark, and I wanted to kill the prince to kill him at the cost of my life. Ninety brothers take revenge. Now that I'm thinner, I can kill the enemy better. Arik, I'm not much weaker than you."

Such wild words made Arik's curiosity again: "Oh? It seems that you are indeed a blue fox. You are very confident? Why don't we go outside and see who is better at hitting people."

"Fighting? I'm not good at fighting. My strength lies in my understanding of the Franks." The blue fox said with a sullen face: "No one knows the Franks better than me, and no one knows their army better than me. Only I can tell Where are your warehouses, where are their gold and silver, and which villages are the best solution to our rations."

"Oh! You are indeed better than me in this regard." Arik didn't want to quarrel, he shrugged and borrowed the donkey directly. A madman bullies a professional businessman aspiring to be a fighter, is this a decent thing?

The Rus Principality started preparations in Novgorod. Considering the existence of a fairly solid wooden wall in Bremen, it was time to prepare some siege tools in advance. Rurik wanted to build a large-scale counterweight trebuchet, but considering the actual time cost, it was very unrealistic. The focus is still on the production of siege rams that crash into the door. It is impossible to transport a ram on a big ship, and the key parts can be transported away, and then temporarily find wood to assemble it when you arrive at the local area. There is also a very violent and straightforward method, using a steel logging axe to cut down and sweep part of the city wall with dozens of people working together. After all, the wooden city wall is not indestructible.

The number of men in the raiding fleet was fixed, and the number of ships was arranged by Rurik.

Considering that there is a high probability of encountering the regular Frankish army, especially the cavalry, the Principality needs to focus on the advantage of the navy and use enough ships to transport the various materials that have been grabbed.

Salmon Chief and Grey Squirrel were called up, along with four planetary sailing destroyers Venus, Maas, Saturn and Ubit, and four standard armed cargo ships launched in recent years. Accompanying number four. With ten ships participating, the scale of the operation is already quite large. If the simple sailors recruited were brought along, there would be 500 people in all of them.

However, only in this military operation Rurik was not given rations and fresh water supplies.

The expedition personnel can pay their own pockets to get enough supplies in Novgorod, and finally complete the naval assembly on Tombstone Island, as well as the weapons used.

In exchange, the wealth they looted was divided between the princes and princes, which was enough to promote the brothers' fanatical fighting will.

It seems that Bremen, who is the target, is already a big fat sheep that is bundled up.