A long-running war appears to have come to an end.
Rurik was a little worried about the future. It was undeniable that the Russian army was indeed killing people on Gotland. The army did not want to fight a rout from the beginning, nor did they intend to turn around and leave without asking for ransom.
Adhering to Clausewitz's set of ideas, Gotland was washed away like a swarm of insects by the Ross army. The island's population was not large, and now it is almost a no-man's land.
That’s not necessarily the case. A new group of immigrants lived among the ruins of Visby. The survivors of the old Gotlanders fled into the woods, and the Mellaren settlers took over the living space.
The huge Ross fleet left Gould Island almost in the extreme cold.
On the lake covered with thin ice floes, a group of large ships gathered together, and the huge triangular sails raised showed the might of the Russians.
Every cargo ship is packed to the brim, and the Russians have purchased more food and vegetables than ever before. With a population of over 10,000, they will surely have an extremely comfortable winter.
Some people are happy while others are worried. For the ordinary people of the Melalen tribe, they have been full of joy in the past year, looking forward to a good harvest, and hoping to share some dividends from victory in the war.
They died in battle, their wheat was taken away by the powerful, they lost their lives and wealth, and their emotions of sadness and anger continued to ferment in the cold wind. But King Karl was not in a good mood at all. He stood on the shore and watched the huge Ross fleet leave, and with extreme anxiety looked at a group of local merchants who followed the Ross people away.
“Such a powerful fleet. The Aurora, such a big ship! Unfortunately, if I also have such a fleet, I don’t have to worry about who dares to covet my throne. I can also directly Go south and destroy the Danish army..."
It is very realistic that organizing such a fleet requires a lot of money.
The Russians became the final big winners in the entire warm season war. They had already made a lot of money through trade in the past few years, and now they have looted a lot and become richer.
He sighed and didn't care too much, just because the rebel forces within the tribe were ready to move, and the emerging Bjorn had become the most deadly threat. It is unlikely that the Danes can reach Lake Mälaren in one go. Bjorn and others have the ability to assemble a group of armed farmers and knock down the wooden walls of their homes.
"We have to find a way to get rid of them! I have to take action first."
The Russian fleet is getting further and further away, gradually disappearing into the tens of thousands at the mouth of the lake in the small island sandbank.
The cold wind was like a knife, and Karl waved his lack of ability followers back with a sad mood.
He is brewing a plan, a plan similar to the Hongmen Banquet, to behead the leaders of the big families and kill all the doubters with this violent method. It seems that only this can ensure the safety of his king. Identity is solid.
......
The Ross fleet arrived at Tombstone Island and some supplies were unloaded, especially the key wheat. This was to protect this stronghold.Get through the long winter safely.
Not long ago, the Åland Islands were an uninhabited land, and the large number of offshore reefs made it full of dangers.
The Russians took possession of this place, and a trading stronghold and military fortress rose from the ground, becoming a sea pass into the Gulf of Bothnia.
After Tombstone Island is the huge Gulf of Bothnia. Even if the cold wind blows, you can still see a group of herring fishing boats scattered on the sea.
Russian fishing boats are everywhere. The soldiers temporarily withdraw their armor and resume active operations as fishermen. They tied blue and white strips of cloth to the top of the fishing boat's mast to identify themselves.
The huge Ross fleet is back!
The huge Avora is the pride of the people. She leads all the ships and rides the turbulent waves against the north wind in the north wind.
She is an unsinkable warrior in the ice sea and an elegant Valkyrie. The Ross flag flying on the mast attracts nearby fishing boats to come closer.
The return voyage is under Rurik's control, although the waves have become rough, and any fully loaded ship is rising and falling in the waves.
The structure of the cargo ship is extremely strong, and the deck design blocks most of the seawater from splashing in. It was a group of people in the cabin, the women and children of Mälaren who had passively immigrated. They were tortured until they were "dying" in the constant vomiting.
The multi-day voyage came to fruition. A stone hill appeared in the distance. As the fleet approached, the stone hill turned into a stone mountain range.
Rossberg is in the fjord under this stone mountain. The boulders block most of the cold wind, and the fjord is the best shelter.
All the cargo ships docked smoothly at the trestle pier. People on the shore hurriedly took the cables and fixed the ships firmly, and then moved the goods in an nervous and orderly manner.
The following merchant ships rushed directly to the sandy beach as usual and deliberately ran aground. The people on the ship disembarked with the cables, knocked out wooden stakes on the sandy ground and tied them to the cables, and firmly fixed the long ship. .
For the local residents of Roseburg, the return of the huge commercial fleet means that the end of the warm period is completely over.
The north wind seems to be getting stronger day by day. It is like a knife, forcing people working outdoors to cover their whole bodies with leather.
What made the people extremely gratified was that as a large amount of grain was transported to the warehouse, the Duke soon set up a market to openly sell the latest wheat.
It is still the old rule. The Rus people bring steel-stamped wooden vouchers and silver coins issued in advance to buy wheat. They have to be restricted by the purchase restriction order. When the wheat they buy is eaten, they can only Wait until the market opens again next month and continue to buy cheap food from the Duke.
Rurik established the "food-based constitution" of the Principality of Ross. At least in Rossburg, this policy must be implemented steadily for a long time. One silver coin was exchanged for ten pounds of wheat, and this price was always the same no matter in good years or bad years.
Rurik, he used mythological stories to explain his nobility and the legitimacy of his rule.sex, with the most basic economic measures to stabilize people's hearts.
Russian warriors were civilians during peacetime, and the rope-topped backpacks made of burlap used in battle have now become excellent food sacks.
They happily returned home carrying a sack of wheat, so that the newly married wives and concubines could share a feast of wheat porridge that night.
Silver coins only make sense if they are exchanged for the daily necessities that soldiers need most. For the most ordinary warriors, participating in the war is equivalent to meritorious service. Meritorious service means receiving a large amount of silver coins, and everyone can exchange silver coins for wheat. . The Duke is fair, and each person can exchange a limited amount of wheat each month. They held the newly cooked wheat porridge in earthenware bowls and looked forward to the Duke's new war order.
Otto finally enjoyed the long-lost peace. He lay on his warm bed, thinking that he had completely defeated the Gotlanders and that his life was complete.
He turned into a puddle of mud for a moment, looking forward to the newly arrived ordinary ale being continuously distilled into spirits, and then being enjoyed by himself.
But my son Rurik, this kid’s energy seems to have no limit!
The days are getting shorter and shorter, and the temperature continues to drop. The north wind blew the sky into a dark blue, and Rurik did not leave his young men idle in this cold state.
The boys and girls who went to war told their friends who stayed in their hometown about the battle, and the victory stimulated them to scream.
They don’t seem to know the horror of war, they only know the joy after victory?
Rurik no longer cares, because most of these children are people who deserve to die. What is human nature? Giving the weak a meal and a piece of clothing to keep out the cold is the greatest humanity in this barbaric era.
Most of them died as a result of the war or natural disasters.
They are also lucky. Rurik prides himself on being a great benefactor. He not only provides them with food, clothing and shelter, but also promises them a bright future.
The Melalen children who got off the boat immediately joined the group, and the number of boys and girls over the age of six and under twelve in Rossburg directly exceeded 1,000.
Facts have proved that in ten years a thousand children will surely become the brave soldiers of the Principality of Ross. People naturally have doubts about the strength of female warriors, but no one will deny that their participation in the war will bring very positive effects.
It’s just that before they grow up, the cost of supporting them is almost paid by the Duke of Ross!
And this is just the beginning!
Because those Slavic women who were married in the past few years, as well as women obtained through other channels, their childbirth is equivalent to completely becoming Russians recognized by the tribe. This group, together with the native Russian women, , as their living conditions have greatly improved, they are desperately trying to have children.
In this era, there are almost no automatic machines. The operation of the country relies entirely on manpower, and the population size determines it to a great extent.The upper limit of a powerful power's strength.
Rurik, who returned to his hometown, seemed to Otto to be very busy indeed. He must have an estimate of the population directly controlled by the Principality of Rus. He hasn't done a detailed census yet, but he has basically figured out the population structure of the principality.
Currently, there is a group of children with a population of 2,000 in the four strongholds of Roseburg, Ellenburg, New Roseburg and Tombstone Island under the Principality of Rose. Looking forward to the long term, in the future This group will expand rapidly in the next ten years.
After all, during the conquest of Gotland, most of the Russian men in their prime were given at least two young women. Based on his understanding of men, Rurik was completely convinced that these women would all be pregnant next spring.
When a boy or girl is born, Rurik plans to give them a small reward to emotionally show the Duke's attention.
When these children grow up, they can no longer be left alone as in the past. They must be taken care of by the elite of the principality, both men and women, to discipline their daily lives and provide education.
The distant stronghold of Rurik cannot be well controlled for the time being, such as Konuson, who is responsible for the construction of the city of New Roseburg. This person's behavior is simply the "Governor of New Roseburg".
Rurik gave his children a very simple order, that is, to go to a remote place for large-scale logging, and to organize a group of self-proclaimed boys to dig iron ore in the stone mountains.
How much food does a child need for a day? Rurik estimated that half a pound of oats and one pound of fish a day would be enough for a long boy, while girls would need even less. He is so stipulated, but what about reality? Just such an extreme level of food is much better than before!
In the past, none of the children of the Ross tribe were hungry and full. Rurik asked himself, and he was even forced to eat very unpalatable shark meat to survive. There is no way. In the past, the Russian people ate everything. It is only now that their living conditions have improved that they have the right to say no to some weird foods.
Even if there are three thousand children, Rurik can raise them until they reach adulthood at the age of twelve with his own financial resources.
In this era, there is no concept of "children", only "non-adults". No matter how young children are, they are a kind of labor force, and Rurik needs them to work as hard as they can.
Just exercise in logging and mining! Practice your skills in woodland hunting!
It is already the end of October, the clear sky is gone, and dark clouds cover the whole world like a blanket.
In fact, at this time, the fjord where Fort Ross is located has been covered with a thin layer of ice, and those who went out to fish have completely finished their operations.
Especially the people who went to the Aylon River (Kemi River) and the Oulu River to fish for salmon, most of them have returned with boatloads of salmon and bass that were as frozen as sticks.
Everyone knows that it is going to snow, and the world will completely change after this snowfall.
Before the snowfall, the whole world had fallen below freezing point. People no longer worried that the stored food would spoil. Outside the fisherman’s house, a large number of frozen fish with their guts disemboweled were piled up like bricks. wall. Indoors, a large amount of cured meats and smoked meats, as well as vegetables and wheat purchased in limited quantities from the Duke, hang in the thick wood-carved storage room.
They didn’t have to worry about the lack of firewood for their fireplaces, because the children under Rurik’s command completely destroyed a pine tree not far from Roseburg with axes and two-person saws. Forest! Even children can become the craziest woodcutter after mastering new tools. They produced a large amount of firewood, which was used as heating fuel in their own dormitories and sold to various Ross families to earn a small amount of money to support their lives.
Even if a large number of people suddenly entered Roseburg, the various buildings can indeed accommodate so many people, but everyone has to squeeze in for daily rest.
The snow finally fell!
First there was Snow, then endless snowflakes. Large clumps of snowflakes quickly cling to everything in the north wind. Although no one likes it, a bad snowstorm hits the entire Nordic world!
A cold current from the Arctic penetrated through the geographical gap between the central mountains of Scandinavia and the Murmansk Highlands. It directly swept across the Russian fort of Eron-Olava, and then Sweeping across Fort Ross, followed by the entire Gulf of Bothnia, Lake Mälaren, the entire Svealand Plain, and finally rushed directly to the Rhine River, its remaining power was blocked by the towering Alps.
Trapped in the blizzard, Liurik was naturally worried about the safety of other residents of Roseburg. Unfortunately, the wind outside was like a tomahawk, and the air was so cold that it seemed to freeze everything.
"Maybe the temperature at night is already minus 20 degrees. The Nordic world is cold, but fortunately Mukoleng is really warm." Rurik can only place his hope on the rise of the entire Roseburg in the past few years. With the massive construction projects, a large number of wood-cut ridges rising from the ground can replace the traditional mud-wood longhouses and bring ultimate warmth.
Those craftsmen who earned rewards and made money for their military exploits followed the trend and built new houses. Thick logs are stacked with mortise and tenon, covered with a layer of moss soil on the outside, and then stacked with a layer of logs. The matching stone fireplace and stone chimney make heating comfortable.
It takes a lot of effort to build this kind of house. Fortunately, the Russians simply help each other, and the strongest men have completely improved their houses.
As for the people who still live in the old houses, they...
Although this is cruel, a group of poor and weak people are likely to die in their sleep on a cold night. They are all aging people. In warm times, Rurik required these old people to work hard and get some life-extending rewards. But now in the snowstorm, he really can't help.
No one will complain or even feel sorry for this.
The thunder is Thor’s divine power, then the blizzard is the descending force of Odin.The test! Those who cannot withstand the test will naturally be frozen to death.
The cold wind whistled outside, and the snow had covered the thick doors. A large number of people wrapped in animal skins were crowded into each wooden carving. Before the snowstorm ended, they could only Go on.
This snow can’t last for a month, right?
Rurik believed that when the snow stopped, it would already be November in the Julian calendar, and the snowstorm was likely to hit twice.
In a warm and calm room, Rurik gathered with his family and the closest women.
Rumia, Carlotta, Ella, and Saipolava surrounded Rurik. They, Otto, and Niya sat around the square table placed in front of the fireplace.
As if hiding in a safe cave, they have lost track of time. Life became extremely boring, and Rurik had no choice but to do something related to mathematics to let his women develop their IQs.
Of course, this year is just like previous years, and some very critical things still need to be discussed.
In the warm home, Rurik and Otto had already discussed the formal resettlement method for the captured people.
It is necessary to increase immigration to New Roseburg. Some of the native men in their prime must take their families to move to the warmer New Roseburg and open up new farmland to settle.
Especially those debt slaves. The Duke of Ross controls the creditor's rights and has the right to arrange their future. Those debt slaves, almost all women and their children, had to immigrate to New Roseburg. As for marrying a new husband, Rurik remembered a group of 400 Slavic men who betrayed his farm and immigrated to New Roseburg. They had already made meritorious service in the war, and perhaps just a few silver coins and iron tools were too little. , then wouldn’t it be nice to reward them with a group of Varyag women as wives?
But the price is that generations must pay agricultural taxes and accept military conscription.
Otto did not object to these plans of Rurik, but he did not explicitly support them either. This was because Otto was quite irritable now. It was clear that spirits were still being distilled, and due to the extreme outdoor climate, the wine It just can't be transported.
Otto is still worried about one thing: "Rurik, we have to go to Ironburg when the snow stops."
"Winter hunting, I understand! We will Make another fortune for this, and the wood."
"Not only these. There are also merchants in Balmok, maybe they are already in the warm house of Ironburg."< /p>
Balmok people? ! Rurik slapped his forehead and suddenly remembered the business trip of the Balmok tribe of Norwegian visitors from Narvik Port.
"Their salt is very good. We should fully trade with them. There is also a new batch of mast wood. The quality of the northern fir is excellent. I was originally worried that the mast of the Avrola was fragile. , Now it seems that I am worrying too much. There are still two large ships that have completed the construction of the hull, and only one mast is missing!"
Otto smiled: "I am indeed very concerned about this, haha. , next year we willThere are three Auroras. "
"No! One of them has been named the Gouldot, and she was built at Gould's expense. The name of the other vessel is yet to be determined. "
"Oh, you have to think of a good name then. Otto subconsciously looked at the closed air door again and patted his old face, which was heated by the campfire: "The Covin people from Ellenburg and the Covin people from the Oulu River have all completed their tributes." I, now just want to go bear hunting again. Listen, the bear-skin warrior actually scared Carl. Looks like we need to organize a bears-skin berserker. ”
“This is not difficult. " Rurik shrugged. He was reminded by his father, and he also had a strong idea of hunting bears.
The snowstorm also ended on November 3rd of the Julian calendar. So far, it has It has been raging in Roseburg for more than a week!
The world has changed, because the water in the Gulf of Bothnia has completely frozen, and ice packs bulging due to sea surface tension have suddenly appeared.
In 831, a new winter came.