The army assembled in Harvest Square, and each flag team formed a neat queue according to its own organization. Each soldier put on his own washed clothes to show the heroic appearance of a soldier in the most gorgeous and mighty manner.
The Harvest Square is a large rammed earth flat ground. When the army gathered, there were so many people standing in the square that it seemed very small.
Although they were in formation, the soldiers were talking and laughing. Many people speculated that this year's expedition to Karelia was not over yet, and that the army would gather again and head north.
Some people are eager for a new expedition, hoping that they can really catch a lot of treasures.
Some people think that this year should end here, and the expedition will have to advance in ice and snow. Although it is not impossible, everyone still likes to take action in the warm summer.
The warm autumn sunshine brings a touch of warmth to all the soldiers. The bodies that gradually looked like rotten wood in the continuous rain are now dry and full of life.
The majority of the people did not understand the Duke’s true intention of gathering the army, and they did not dare to enter Harvest Square to find out what was going on. They stopped outside to watch, and even climbed up the city wall, the roof of their own house, or even Climb to the branch of the tree planted in front of the courtyard to find out.
The rumbling sound outside penetrated all the buildings. Rurik put on his gorgeous clothes and walked out of his palace in a white furry appearance.
A flag fluttered in the strong wind, and people who saw it whispering to each other held their breath.
Duke Rurik appears!
He was dressed in polar bear fur and a white fox fur hat, and his clothes were dotted with gold ornaments and glass beads. The leather boots are black and made of deerskin and felt. A gilt leather belt tied his waist, and a short sword hung on his body.
His golden ponytail hairstyle is quite obvious, and his fair face is beginning to be covered with golden hair, especially on his chin. Anyone with a discerning eye can see that the young Duke's beard is already quite bushy, just like his old father Austrian. Trust.
The old guys in the second flag team in the team, when they look at Rurik today, they think of Otto in the past. It is true that Otto is an old man. He was also a handsome man when he was young, and he was also a fierce fighter. He married the beautiful Niya in this way, and his friends did not dare to question it.
Inheriting his father's handsomeness and mother's beauty, Rurik's heroic appearance made everyone praise him.
The Duke is like this. The soldiers of the army look at themselves. Lord Rurik is naturally noble, and he is equally noble.
Beside Rurik stood a group of women dressed in plain clothes. They wore hooded linen gowns to cover their female postures. This minimalist dress was actually another kind of nobility, because these were Russian women. Clothing customarily worn by priests. Everyone knows that since the reform of the duchy's sacrificial system, the duke's female relatives have also started to work part-time as priests. On the surface, the most noble high priest is Rumia. In fact, the people in Rus' headquarters believe that Lord Rurik is indeed a divine. This Son of God could freely communicate with Odin out of his body, so that all priests were nothing more than auxiliaryRole.
The female relatives are all dressed in plain clothes, with white fox hats on their heads just like Rurik himself. They all highlighted their necklaces displayed on their chests.
The trumpet was blown, the leather drum was beaten, and in the solemn atmosphere everyone raised their heads to pay attention to Duke Rurik.
Ryurik stood on the rammed earth platform of the square and became the center of attention.
What he saw was a plain white army, with people wearing white robes everywhere. The fronts of the robes were all crossed with blue stripes. Their spearheads and helmets shone coldly in the sun, and the steel arms of the crossbows on their shoulders also shimmered.
Most of the round shields painted white with chalk mud are tied to the left arm. Such warriors can obviously fight.
Looking at his own army, Rurik felt inspired. It would be great if there was a loudspeaker at this time. Rurik could only rely on his own voice to preach to the army.
The army was solemn, and people were looking forward to the Duke announcing something big. They held their breath for a quiet moment, and the onlookers whispered under the somber scene.
Rurik held the hilt of his sword and held his chin high. He deliberately kept the army in the dark for a while to let them speculate, which aroused everyone's interest.
Finally, he spoke.
“Brothers, this is our first military parade in Novorossberg! This year, we put down the rebellion in Novgorod and severely damaged the Karelian forces! This year, our army killed With as many as 10,000 enemies, you have proven to Odin that you are a true warrior! The once proud Danes are no longer as noble as you, and our allies back home are not as noble as you. The Principality of Rus is the strongest now. , I want to take you to let the people of New Roseburg take a good look, and let everyone see the real warrior..."
Rurik got into a mood, and he talked at the top of his lungs for a while.
He was boasting about the bravery and fearlessness of the soldiers of Ross itself, and also boasting about the strength of other Viking tribes in the principality such as the Balmoks and the Melalens.
He also boasted about the loyalty of the Suomi servant army, and once again swore in ancient Finnish to this group of Suomi warriors who saw a large area of flat ground for the first time in their lives that the so-called Principality of Rus would abide by the suzerain. The obligation to protect and announce a major decision.
“The Suomi people have the right to voluntarily immigrate to New Roseburg, reclaim wasteland here to grow wheat, accept the management of the Governor of New Roseburg, and pay taxes every year to live their own lives.”
< p>This is an invitation to the Finnish people to come and open up wasteland on the banks of the Neva River. It is not aimed at the welfare of the Suomi people or all Finnish ethnic groups, but only opens up the qualifications to open up wasteland to them. All subjects under the rule of the Principality of Ross have the right to open up wasteland and cultivate land for the principality. The principality will protect the achievements of farmers in opening up wasteland, record the measured land area, and use it as a tax base.Most of the most elite labor force of the Suomi people are here. Rurik took advantage of this gathering opportunity to invite them. As for whether they are really willing to break away from the traditional Suomi community and move their household registration to SillaFort, this is what they do voluntarily.
In other words, the more Suomi people migrate, the better. The value of New Roseburg is the geographical node where the eastern inland waterway enters the Baltic Sea. She is a good port but not a large amount of land for farming. Currently, Novgo The area around Rhodes' lake is the principal granary.
Of course, the more food, the better, and the opportunity to open up wasteland for farming should not be wasted.
Rurik paid attention to the faces of the Suomi people. They seemed to have heard and understood his declaration. Many of them were shaking involuntarily, as if they were eager to try.
The preaching ended here. The soldiers who were looking forward to the war did not declare to continue the war in the winter.
The soldiers saw Rurik jumping off the pedestal, leading his female relatives and a group of capable guards directly to the first flag team.
Aric smiled maliciously: "I thought you were going to announce that the fleet was setting off again to Bear Festival Town. You just announced that anyone can come to open up wasteland and cultivate land? Is this a big deal?"
Rurik shrugged: "Brother, we are fighting for plunder. Only God knows how much material we can rob. But the wheat grains and flax stalks harvested from reclaiming wasteland and planting land are foreseeable."< /p>
"I still look forward to a war. Listen, brother, the war is still going on. I don't believe those Karelia people will give up."
"I don't believe it either. The war is going on. In the days to come, now we must develop our own strength, and let the people be filled with pride. Follow me! Let the people see how powerful the army is that protects them."
He invented the triumphal style, which was a parade-style military parade. Caesar took it to the extreme. The army circled the city of Rome to let everyone see the heroic appearance of Caesar's legions. Caesar also treated everyone to meals for a month.
It is not enough to ask the residents of New Roseburg to eat for free for a month, but Rurik urgently needs the army to circle the city two or three times around the road under the city wall.
As the greatest leader, Rurik walked in the front. The female relatives dressed as traditional priests took off their white fox hats and put their hoods on their heads, just to highlight a pure divinity. .
The guards carried the Duke's flag, and the drummers and buglers walked around playing music.
Each flag team marched forward with weapons, their steps were not completely in sync but full of murderous intent.
New Roseburg itself is not a big city, but it is not far to walk around the city.
At first, those who immigrated to the city were ordinary families from the Ross tribe. Not to mention the small number of people, there were more old and young people. When the settlement was established, Slavic immigrants from Novgorod left their hometown and Novorosberg was no longer a purely Russian city in the early days of its establishment. She is a melting pot, with Russians, immigrants from various Swedish tribes, and Slavic immigrants coming in one after another. The city's permanent population has exceeded 3,500 people (due to too many young babies and children, the population does not seem to be very large), and it is still growing rapidly. During the expansion, a new group of people began to appear from outside the city wall.The wooden house shows this, and it is time for New Roseburg to consider building another outer wall.
Taking this opportunity, Rurik looked at the city with his feet.
Some of the onlookers cheered, while others opened their jaws in silence.
This is the army of the principality. They are powerful and powerful, and the arrogant Pine Needle Manor was wiped out by them! The Slavs who immigrated here were the most excited. Men and women were happy that they had made the right choice.
People were cheering, and a group of naughty children were laughing and running around in front of Rurik. Some boys carried wooden sticks and pretended to be holding daggers, and a piece of wood as a shield, imitating the posture of the young soldiers of the First Flag Team. Now it is very clear in the mind of such a Slavic boy what a real man is, and the child has established his own goals.
And this armed parade, wasn’t it also a shock to the souls of the men of Suomi’s servant army?
Compared with the wooden sheds hidden in the hills, lakes and forests in their hometown, the cities of the Russians are really magnificent!
The Harvest Square is very flat, which is unimaginable in the Finnish Lake District. It was the first time they saw a large area of flat land. Later, during the armed parade around the city, they also walked on flat sand and gravel. It had rained continuously for more than half a month, but these roads were not muddy.
Of course, in Rurik’s opinion, the roads here are far from smooth, with many places filled with potholes.
The two sides have different expectations for the concept of "levelling". Suomi's servants think that Duke Ross not only gave them great face, but it was also a silent suggestion. The so-called After the Suomi returned to their homeland, they renovated their settlement in imitation of New Roseburg.
Is New Roseburg that grand?
The road around the city is paved with sand and gravel, and there are shallow ravines on both sides of the road. The city has a basic drainage system and plays its role in the continuous rainfall. These are not enough. The roads within the city must at least be paved with stone slabs. Finally, a large amount of cement must be made to pave the entire road system within the wall.
As for the buildings in the city, there are small exclusive courtyards everywhere. The economy of courtyard breeding is already running. The most obvious ones are the poultry running around the city and a group of captive rabbits. The residences are all Slavic-style wood carvings, and the single-story structure limits the use of space. At first glance, New Roseburg looks like a large rural area surrounded by city walls. It is obvious that it can build double-story or even three-story wooden buildings, so that The city is what it should be.
Especially the so-called palaces and the Rus Duma Council Court. These types of buildings related to public affairs should not be large longhouses that mix Viking tradition and Slavic style. They need to be built magnificently and give people a sense of oppression to highlight their sanctity. After all, they are built from the building on the other side of Rabbit Island, which is the main palace of the Winter Palace.
Is it appropriate to name a large longhouse the Winter Palace?
Rurik felt it was inappropriate.
New RoseburgIt must be expanded and made grand before it can properly serve as the capital of the Principality of Rus.
The parade seemed to have ended victoriously. The people cheered and the army, which had circled the city twice, returned to their respective residences to rest.
Rurik's face was not happy. He had announced a winter truce. The assembled army would be disbanded and each flag team would return to their respective homes. We will notify you when we will fight again. This seems to be a risky decision, but it does not mean that Ross has no troops to send in case of emergencies.
The woodland in the northern part of New Roseburg is currently a huge uninhabited land. It seems that only a small group of Vips have limited exploration of it. The rest of the vast forest is still home to wild animals. Many people in the First Flag Team did not go far away. After all, if there was no war in the winter, everyone would go hunting north of Fort Ellen with weapons when they returned to their hometown in Fort Ross. Since it's all about hunting, wouldn't it be possible to hunt an astonishing number of small animals by exploring an unexplored forest?
The First Flag Team had already tasted the sweetness during the armed investigation, and they voluntarily stayed and did it again. Everyone's decisions were put together and handed over to the flag captain Arik, but he said that he had already happily run to his second wife's mill. Here, with his wife Asraqi, his father-in-law Harald Harald, and his bastard Gustav, he could enjoy the joy of life to the fullest and even temporarily forgot about his eldest wife Peravina back home in Rossburg.
When his feet were tired from walking, he soaked in a wooden bucket of hot water to soothe and cleanse his body. When he got out of the bath, he held a piece of bread and bit into it until his stomach was bulging.
At night, lying on the soft bed, he patted his bulging belly and played with his beloved wife.
"I have decided to spend the winter here this year."
"Really?" Aslaqi was surprised and wary.
"Of course it's true. I've thought about it, my first flag team will stay here. Brothers are going to the north to hunt. There are too many squirrels there, and each squirrel skin is worth a silver coin. , brothers can make a fortune. Besides, if there is a crisis in the north of the Great Lakes, I can lead my brothers to kill the invading Karelia people."
"Well...I will. I thought you decided to accompany me."
"Of course I have to accompany you."
"Her? "Aslaqi couldn't hide the embarrassment in her heart, but fortunately she hid it deeply enough. "It's up to you."
"Aren't you happy?"
"How dare I? She helped me when I gave birth to the child."
"That's fine." Arik nodded, "The fleet will return to Fort Ross in October. As long as we move fast enough, Peravina can come by boat from there before the bay freezes. Then you sisters will be at your service. I'm the only one, it's great."
Aric thought so beautifully that he had no time to care about Aslaqi's jealous mood, and he didn't even care about her pouting lips, so he relaxed and exhaled. Sleep well...
Speaking of enjoyment, Rurik is indeed surrounded by a group of female relatives nowSurrounded. He walked around the city twice, and the soreness in his ankle made him unhappy. When he made a request, ten maids happily swarmed up to serve their master.
Rurik’s head was rubbed, as well as his shoulders and wrists. Especially a pair of feet, one person is really responsible for one.
From Anna to Yulia, the ten maids rarely have the opportunity to touch their master's body. They all know their fate. One day, they will be broken by this heroic man and become mothers. Become a feudal noble.
Looking at this intimate situation, Ella and Svetlana, who couldn’t stand it anymore, also walked over and joined in.
Only Carlotta was watching, and couldn't help complaining in her heart: "Aren't you women going the same way? You didn't care about the soreness of your own feet but you rubbed his feet."
p>Carlotta really couldn't stand and talk without pain in her back, but when she saw that the sisters were already trying to do something, she decided to join them.
Rurik became a kind of toy, but fortunately he ordered all the chattering women to settle down before things became more outrageous.
Under the oil lamp, Rurik dressed up and asked the group of them to behave well, pouting and shouting: "Have you had enough trouble? Are you all satisfied?"
" Not satisfied." Svetlana raised her delicate chin playfully.
"I can't take it anymore. Listen, we're going to Novgorod soon, starting in a few days. I'm glad that you sisters are so close, and may it stay that way throughout your lives. Soon I will take Nolen and Mary over and spend the winter in Novgorod this year!”
Rurik’s decision was sudden and his tone was quite firm. He has eleven female dependents who all come from Novgorod, and he is very happy out of reason.
Where is the whim? It’s no joke that Otto wants to retire in Novgorod, so his mother will also have to move here, and a group of servants will also have to move with him.
This is actually a big political change in the Principality of Rus, which means that the political center of the principality has moved eastward in a rather low-key manner.
The eastward move was originally part of the plan, but the biggest reason why Rurik decided to stay was still the follow-up calculation of farmland statistics. This was a huge calculation work that had never been done in the era of the Ross tribe. A major event is a major event that creates history. Rurik is really confident about Ella's work? How is that possible!
Except for Rumia and Xiao Lumi, who are in charge of the sacrificial work, who will stay in their hometown of Roseburg to guard the place, the other female relatives all have good mathematical knowledge and must all join in the calculation work, Ruri. Ke personally plays the role of supervision, verification and final calculation. After all, this matter was related to the principality's most important agricultural tax, and Rurik felt that it would be most appropriate to do it himself.
It’s just poor Rumia...
The high priest of the Principality of Rus is clearly destined to live like the old priest Vilia. She did inherit Vilia's mantle, but the Rose guarded by Vilia has changed.