When Rurik arrived at the river dock, Arik had already taken people off the boat.
Kartenaika, the elderly female leader of Vips, determined the size of the Great Lake for the first time. She was on the south bank of the lake, entered a large river with the boat, and saw the towering walls along the river and the endless horizon to the west. aquatic world. It was the first time she saw a walled city. If it weren't for the activities of a large number of people, it would be difficult to believe that this was actually a human habitation.
She got off the boat with anxiety and curiosity, and felt uneasy when she stepped on solid ground.
Many blond women gathered around, many people wearing headscarves, and even many children running around laughing and joking to join in the fun.
This is the home of the Russians? Not all of them were strong warriors, but there were also a large number of women and children.
Kartenaika consciously lived for sixty years, but he didn’t know that such a powerful group existed in the south of the Great Lake. If you look carefully, they are not that scary.
The female leader knew nothing about the life of the Ross people. She immediately tried to get some news from Taravis, and then she tightened her grip on the young man's arm.
Telavis could feel the fear of the old lady: "This is the first time I met the Russians...the city of the Russians. It's normal for you to be afraid."
"I want to meet I want to have a good chat with your leader."
"Be careful, our young leader is here, don't be afraid, the leader is a young man."
Young man. The leader? Maybe a great young talent. If the leader of Ross is really a good man, and the Vips people can be peace of mind as servants in the future, life will be as stable as in the past. One of the main purposes of her coming was to ask the ruler of Rus how much peace and stability was worth.
The group of them waited near the shore first, and more and more people came to watch. The Ross soldiers who came back early were already chatting and laughing with the brothers stationed there.
The net bag hung by the human crane at the dock has been extended to the parked ship. Onlookers saw that a large amount of bundled leather was taken out of the cabin, thrown into the net bag and quickly landed on the shore.
It was all high-quality leather, and the long and plush tail proved that it was a bundle of fox skins.
The onlookers’ eyes were wide-eyed, and rationality controlled their minds. Everyone simply envied Arik’s victorious armed reconnaissance. No one dared to step forward to grab it. There was a buzz at the dock, and the onlookers were whispering to each other. It is claimed that Arik and his brothers have achieved a great victory, and even more exaggerated claims are also circulating, that is, the Karelia people have been directly defeated by the brave Arik.
Karelia was defeated, only partially.
Arik and Yevlo met, and they bumped into each other.
Yevro was still leaning on a piece of cloth with his forehead tied. He shook his black hair and said happily: "Haha, some brothers speculated that you have won. I saw your large captures, The Karelians have failed."
"They have failed., I destroyed their sacrificial center. ”
“Oh? And such a feat? "Yevluo was taken aback. To be honest, he was envious of such a victory and wished he could accomplish this feat himself.
"That's it. We also made significant seizures and discovered new minions. "Arik twisted his neck and signaled his men to push the female leader of the Vips people over.
The old lady was leaning on a cane. She glanced at a black-haired warrior cautiously, and an inexplicable sense of intimacy came over her.
"Is it her?" "Jevro asked.
"That's her, the leader of the Vips. Friend, I remember you are a Suomi, maybe you know. "
Jevro shrugged: "As you know, I was kidnapped by the Danes when I was a child. I am a Suomi, but... so be it..."
Although Yevro does not know the Vips, the latter knows the name of the Suomi.
The Suomi Not convinced by Karelia, the two sides have always fought. Kartenaka took the initiative to ask, and Javlo immediately responded in ancient Finnish. There was no communication between the Vips and the Suomi people, since the Karelia people were shared by both parties. enemies, the two sides now have the prerequisites for cooperation.
Jevro did not hesitate to clarify his status among the Suomi people. He is a top Suomi noble and a subordinate of Duke Ross. Close comrade-in-arms.
This explanation immediately calmed the anxiety of the female leader.
But things really made Yevluo feel strange. This was not the discovery of the Vips. He approached Arik and asked with a malicious smile: "People say you are a decisive person in killing, but you didn't wipe out the entire Vips tribe. You obviously can! ”
“Yes. However, their women are too passionate and their men are also loyal dogs. I'm not stupid enough to attack the servants. "Aric spoke with an awkward smile, and Yevro guessed that the matter was not that simple.
Telavis, who knew the whole story, simply did not participate in the chat between the two. He raised his head and followed the crowd. Looking at the sudden commotion, I saw Rurik himself arriving.
“It’s the Duke, he’s coming! "
Rurik is here. The young Duke's hands with rolled up sleeves are covered with dust, his forehead is covered with sweat, and the clothes on his body are still mixed with a lot of wheatgrass and bran.
The noble Duke personally participated in the autumn harvest. The conquered Slavs who settled in New Roseburg naturally felt that this was a close relationship with the people. Many people who were originally from the bottom of the Rus tribe also felt that Rurik cared about everyone the most, but there were still some problems. Few people think that noble dukes should not engage in such menial jobs. Noble people must be pampered.
Indeed, the Emperor Zhou must also act in accordance with the ritual and music system. Even if some actions can be described as being close to the people and caring for the lower nobles, The emperor has an unblasphemable glory, and doing these things is a self-denial of glory.
Ryurik does not want to isolate himself from the people. When the principality is founded, there are many obstacles to be solved, even if it is just a show. You also have to behave well in front of the public.Show off.
Rurik was indeed putting on a show, but in fact there was a reason to kill boredom.
He held the wooden flail high and pounded the stacked oat straws. Only by pounding continuously could the oat grains wrapped in the bark of the bent wheat ears be broken out. European leather Oats have this characteristic. If you want to eat new wheat, you have to work hard to thresh it first.
When he met the supreme leader of the Rus for the first time, Kartenaka couldn’t believe that the leader was actually the young man in front of him.
Arik chatted happily with his brother. First, he briefly described his conquest of the Vips and the attack on the Karelian Bear Altar. These things were said in a big way, and the gray-haired old lady in front of him immediately attracted Rurik's attention.
The dock is indeed not a place for discussion.
Rurik was surprised that his brother was actually soft-hearted now. No matter how soft-hearted it was, Ross would have an additional tribe of servants, which would not be helpful to the beauty of the principality.
Kartenaika was allowed to enter the walls of New Roseburg. She looked around and saw a large number of wooden houses, flat roads, and a particularly spacious piece of land with certificates!
Harvest Plaza is not big, in fact it is not small either.
Rurik designated an area nearly the size of a standard football field, which should be paved with stone floors or even a layer of cement to make it extremely flat.
The reality is that he cannot complete this feat within a few years. However, the entire site was pounded and the soft land was pounded hard, making it an unprecedented threshing floor.
This is Harvest Square, where thousands of people thresh grains. In the future, New Roseburg’s oats will be threshed and even dried here.
Kartenaika knew wheat, and when she was on the boat, she saw acres of farmland near the river. Unfortunately, the Vips do not have the ability to farm, so they can only live by raising deer, hunting, and fishing.
She is the literal meaning of Grandma Liu entering the Grand View Garden. A Nordic city continues to rise. The current scale of the city deeply shocked a female chief of a forest tribe.
She has already made her own judgment: the Russians are far better than the Karelians.
A huge wooden house stands in front of you. It is said that this is the place where the Russians discuss important matters?
The Karelia people also have similar buildings. Obviously in terms of scale and structure, the Russians are better.
The Ducal Palace of New Rossburg and the Ross Duma are too generously built, but this is fine. Standing under the massive and generous buildings, individual people will feel their own insignificance and naturally feel awe. feel.
Rurik actually wanted to build taller buildings, not only his own palace and the Rus Duma, which served as the parliamentary chamber. As New Roseburg continues to develop, the shipping business here will become more and more developed, which will require a particularly tall tower head, which will not only serve as an observation tower, but also set up an oil pan to be lit at night to serve as a lighthouse.
City construction still needs to be done. The Harvest Square needs to be paved with cement floors and wooden city walls to facilitateLocated in solid stone, this is still work for the future.
Who are the Vips?
Rurik wiped his face and washed his hair, changed his clothes, and wore jewelry, gold ornaments, and noble furs to meet his returning cousin and the female leader of the Vips.
In Ross Dumane, all the generals of the Ross army are here.
With so many tough people present, Kartenaka was uneasy and trembling all over.
Ryurik is not in a hurry to talk to this old woman, because everyone urgently needs to hear the report on the results of Arik's armed investigation.
This was a wonderful report, and Arik's words directly explained why there were so few people and ships returning. He really implemented the consistent style of the Principality of Ross, taking control of the new areas he conquered and developing them into new territories.
The name Bear Altar no longer exists, and her Norse name is Bjornvistad, the Bear Festival Town. According to the Slavs, it is Medvetramskoye.
The meaning of settlement has not changed. Since it is a place where bears are sacrificed, the Russians can also follow suit.
It’s just that the Rus people will sacrifice bears as sacrifices to Odin there.
Everyone reached a consensus in an instant. Rurik could not restrain the joy in his heart and praised: "Brother, your victory is too insulting to them, so they will definitely attack in groups. "
Arik smiled very proudly: "Isn't this what we all want? A decisive battle with the Karelia people, so that your heavy weapons can be used."< /p>
The generals are gearing up, and the decisive battle that everyone dreams of seems to be close at hand.
Three hundred brothers stayed at the Bear Altar to build a Bear Festival town and explore the surrounding environment. No one thought that they would be in danger. If the enemy couldn't stand the humiliation and suddenly invaded the border with a large army, the remaining troops could only take a boat to avoid it for the time being.
Arik reported a very interesting piece of information, that is, the Karelian people's water power is indeed poor. They are just some canoes. They are not qualified as fishing boats, so why talk about water warfare? The Russians had the advantage of ships, so they could advance, attack, retreat or defend.
However, the actual situation was more favorable to the Ross army. Regarding a waterway leading to an inland lake, the remaining troops only realized it after being attacked by Karelian scouts. Arik did not Uninformed.
The biggest result of the attack on the Bear Altar was the capture of an astonishing number of deer. A batch of deer were given to the Vips who led the way and participated in the battle. Rurik was very satisfied with his cousin's approach.
How many deer are there? Three thousand? !
Do the troops stationed at the Bear Altar still have 3,000 deer? !
When this number was brought out, Rurik and others were shocked, and then fell into ecstasy.
"Brother, I am not greedy. The high-quality leather and most of the deer are yours." Arik said in front of everyone.
Arik himself doesn’t care, Unexpectedly, these words really made Rurik a little embarrassed. Although the monarch has the right to get the most spoils, but...
The cousin also had good intentions. Rurik raised his head and loudly corrected him: "This is not just mine, it belongs to the Principality of Rus. Just like the city The central granary is the food for all of us! It was Odin who gave me the qualification to manage our wealth."
Aric shrugged: "As you wish, brother, this is my experience. , The brothers who stayed behind are still waiting for the army to arrive. Now, about the female leader of Vips."
The topic has changed, and Rurik is no longer entangled.
Although this is an old lady, since she is the female leader of Vips, she has obtained a formal surrender relationship. As the monarch, Ryuri should maintain the dignity that cannot be offended.
"Someone make her kneel down in front of me!" Rurik ordered.
In a moment, Kartenaika, who put down her crutches, knelt down and stated her servant's intention in her own language.
Everything up to this point was just a formality, and Rurik already regarded the Vips as his new servant force. But he was also surprised when he asked about the population of the other party.
Only six or seven hundred people? Just a few people? !
This kind of micro-tribe can only develop stably if it relies on strong people, but this kind of surrender will not be very loyal. They clearly follow each other, which is actually the wisdom of a small tribe to survive.
But they were really smart. Knowing that they could not defeat the Russian army, they surrendered instantly and used various means to serve the new conquerors.
Are they born slaves?
Not really. Used well, it is an excellent servant army and an excellent labor force. Since they have seen the power of the Russian army, they don't need the "big stick", but can use some "carrots" to make use of it.
Kartenaka was favored by Rurik to sit down, and the old lady immediately sat on a deerskin mat.
After all, she is an old lady whose days are numbered. No matter how stubborn she is, the chance of her life lasting another ten years is slim. The Vips should have a new leader, or rather a lord.
Who is suitable to be the lord of the Vips? The answer is already there.
Rurik motioned to Terravis to come to the stage and ask him to sit down.
"Telavis, your fate is that you will not be able to inherit the leader of the Gray Squirrel tribe, let alone be the governor of Ironburg. Saipolava's son will inherit these titles." Rurik deliberately To explain these things, Taravis already knew this.
Rurik changed the subject: "I just heard that the granddaughter of the leader of the Vips is already your woman. Is she a very good woman? Very good! You will be the leader of the Vips. , your heirs are hereditary. Do you have any other requirements? If so, I will try my best to satisfy you.”
Things were a little sudden, and after thinking about it, this was probably the best for him. destination.
He is not stupid and knows that he cannot mention anything inappropriate.Request, but there are some things I don’t say out loud because I feel really uncomfortable.
Ask yourself, he was the one who persuaded Arik not to kill first and then tell the story later. It was he who persuaded the Vips to surrender with his words. Now he himself is the hereditary leader of the Vips. It is really a good thing. There are some things that Tyravis will never tell Rurik in his heart. He is secretly happy with this arrangement.
There was only one request. He hesitated and said: "The suffix of Orava must be added to the name. Vips must add the suffix of Orava."
Rurik 1 He found it interesting and said with a smile: "You still can't forget the squirrel. Vipsarava. It's fine, whatever you want."
"The Duke is wise!"
"Very good Okay! Then when we defeat Karelia, we will go to Vips to live." Rurik turned and asked the female leader: "You can basically understand the language I speak, and I can also guess yours. Many customs. Do you have any objections to him becoming your new leader?"
Kartenaika was extremely excited: "I do! Taravis is the best boy."
"Very good. From now on, Terravis will be the hereditary leader, Earl Vips, and his descendants will be hereditary."
It is the best thing to arrange Terravis in this way, and everyone has no objections. . Rurik secretly rejoiced that he had solved a potential trouble. Terravis, the Kovin man, had become the noble leader of another tribe, so he would not covet the status of his sister's heirs in the future. Terravis will make a cut with the Corvin people, and will also lead the Vips people to develop quietly on the west coast of the great lake.
The Vips have surrendered, and the new nobles have also completed their canonization. The Principality of Ross has the obligation to ensure the safety of the Vips. Rurik has sworn that he will not oppress all the Vips, and the other party has the right to follow the rules of the Principality of Ross. The rules are to trade in the big city of New Roseburg, just like the rights enjoyed by other subjects.
So, what’s the cost?
The price is that when the Duke summons the army to carry out war, the Vips should send troops to join the war. The Vips were also required to pay tribute every year. Due to their population size, Rurik decided to ask for tribute based on the rules previously set for the Kovin people. That is, twenty fawns and a thousand squirrel skins every year are gone.
Based on the current production efficiency of the Vips, Rurik could not imagine what more wealth they could provide. This scale of tribute will continue for many years, and tax increases will be raised when the population expands.
Is that all? Kartenaka was quite surprised. Did the Russians not ask for slaves?
Since the young leader of the Ross people only had this request, she was afraid that her stupid question would arouse the other party's greed, so she just agreed and did not dare to ask anything else.
Rurik indeed had no intention of asking for slaves from the Vips, and even such "talking animals" almost did not exist in the Principality of Rus in the current era. Rurik tried his best to rule all the conquered tribes in a harmonious way, benefiting from regular taxes and tributes, and giving and selling advanced production and life.Tools to obtain more tax revenue in the future. The so-called development problems should be solved through development, and forcing those who surrender to be slaves is a waste of money in general rationality. Rurik did not want to force out a Khmelnytsky.
The appearance of the Vips was purely an accident. They should be rewarded for leading the way.
The old lady Kartenaka was dressed in rags. She was also a female leader after all. Rurik rewarded her with a beautiful Slavic-style patterned gown and also gave her a well-sewn white fox Leather hat.
These rewards and the "very small" tribute share, the past Karelia chiefs were greedy, and the young Duke of Ross was the good guy.
In the court of Ross Duma, the old lady was so moved that she secretly shed tears. She saw the majestic city, a large number of ships, an astonishing number of brave warriors, and the declaration of Duke Ross. She Convinced that he was about to witness the destruction of Karelia and the days of peace for the Vips. As for the tributes, they are nothing compared to what the Vips can get.