Chapter 703 The Western Sea Wolf is in Action

The division of the great Franks was destined, and Charlemagne made a will to divide the kingdom among his three sons. However, his two sons died before him, and his only surviving legitimate son, Louis the Pious, succeeded him.

Louis had three sons, Lothair, Pepin, and Ludwig.

The division of the kingdom had major internal factors. Charlemagne’s crazy expansion during his lifetime made it difficult for the Royal City of Aachen to command the entire huge kingdom. At this time, it must be the best choice to divide the kingdom into several pieces and distribute them to the sons. In this way, they will all benefit. It is expected that the conflicts between the brothers will be eliminated, and based on the bond of blood, they can also fight against foreign enemies together.

Charlemagne had drawn up a blueprint for dividing the kingdom, and Louis, who succeeded him, had to carry it out at the request of his three sons.

The eldest son, Lothair, held the largest territory and was the successor king of the Franks and Italy.

The second son, Pepin, led Aquitaine and became the king of the southern part of the kingdom.

The third son, Ludwig, led the west and north of the kingdom and was the king of Bavaria and Saxony.

Louis the Pious made a plan to divide the kingdom early. His sons have lived their own lives in their respective territories, and the fighting between them has subsided a lot. If this continues, Louis can live the rest of his life peacefully as a de facto king.

Until the birth of that child.

The younger son Charlie was born. It is a great blessing to have a son in old age. At first, the three brothers didn't think there was anything special about their fourth brother, until the king's father decided on a whim to add a title to the fourth brother, and give part of the territory originally allocated to other sons to Charlie.

The balance of power among the three sons was broken, and the father personally tore up the blueprint for separation he had set. The power of the brothers was weakened. Who can guarantee that the old father will not continue to cut territory on a whim?

Could my little brother still be the biggest threat to everyone?

The civil war resumed, and the three sons imprisoned their father and younger brother Charles, and the war between each other's armies continued.

In order to gain more results on the battlefield and gain confidence at the negotiating table, they are actually looking for external reinforcements.

But when it comes to the civil war in the Frankish Kingdom, what does this have to do with the Baltic world in the north?

The relationship is too great.

In other words, attracting the Danes to join their own forces to increase their military strength. Even if it doesn't work, it can also affect the strength of other brothers. This is what Ludwig did. He was the king of Bavaria and Saxony, and he had both civil and military skills to win over Denmark.

Eskil did voluntarily go to Denmark and further places to spread his faith, but doing so required a lot of financial support. Otherwise, how could he have the money to build a monastery in Hedeby and raise and educate those slave children? Woolen cloth? The financial backer behind him is Prince Ludwig, who has not yet become king.

If you conquer all the Danes with your faith, you will suddenly become the lord of all Denmark. At that time, you can recruit a brave army here and sweep away your brothers and become the lord of all Franks.The king is not impossible. Ludwig actually knew very well that the Danes were ferocious beasts that were difficult to tame, but as long as they were tamed, they would be excellent mercenaries in war.

This is a set of "literary" strategies, and you cannot rush for quick success.

Based on the letters sent back by Eskil, Ludwig suddenly learned of the existence of the "Principality of Rus".

"A rapidly rising principality, a very young duke, and a large army that left the Danes helpless. The young Duke of Ross killed the King of Denmark with his own hands, causing great chaos in Denmark..."

The content described in the letter was too bizarre. Ludwig felt that Eskil was bragging. He also claimed that the work of spreading faith in the far north was quite smooth, and claimed that the distance influenced the young Ross. The Duke is only one step away.

"Bah! This is a lack of money."

Ludwig was quite generous in providing funds to Eskil, and he learned that Denmark is indeed leaderless now. Things that were once difficult to do have become easier to do. For example, everything is going well at the monastery in Hedeby, and many Danish locals have been baptized.

However, it is still too slow to rely solely on "literary" strategies to win.

At this time, Harald Clark, the former Danish leader under his command, took the initiative to ask for help.

"Give me an army, and I will take my brothers back to my hometown. You make me Duke of Denmark, and I will respect you as king. I will make the whole of Denmark baptized and fight for you."

But Harald Clark is already old, and after losing power, he only brought dozens of cronies as mercenaries. Ludwig did not want to use this person. His reputation in Denmark was not good. Even if he were to be sent back, it would be tantamount to a Frankish act of war in the eyes of the Danes.

Ludwig's rejection was very decisive: "You are already old, but your nephew Horik Klarsson is in Flanders. He is more suitable to be the leader of Denmark than you. And he has such strength and willingness. The most important thing is that I don’t have to pay an extra silver coin. I only need to ask the earls in the north to provide all support except help.”

Indeed, Hara. Clark is already old, and a great lord has been reduced to a mercenary. Will he die silently in his sad old age? He had already worn the cross, and it no longer mattered how a soldier died. His master, Ludwig, had also given him the all-clear. He just wanted to go to a monastery to retire if he couldn't lift the ax anymore.

But Horik is young and powerful, and his old subordinates are also brave. He was canonized as Count of Friesland by Ludwig. Of course, this was only a nominal canonization. No one except Ludwig really took this title seriously.

Horrick is indeed not a real feudal noble, and the genuine Friesland Earl family exists safely. Horik's "Count Frisian" occupied the city of Durist, which was once an ordinary coastal town. Now it is run into a Viking city and a pirate's den for selling stolen goods. This is naturally the reason why. What Derwig wanted to see.

Because Horik, the "Queen Pirate"”, many of the things he robbed were his brother Lothair’s territory, and part of the looted property and military supplies would be provided to the master.

This young man with a round face and a plump face is much more sensible than his uncle.

What is extremely ironic is that this man is also a Christian

Horik is eager to take his brothers back to his hometown in Denmark.

“I was destined to be the King of Denmark, but I ended up where I am now. ”

How can you enjoy being the king of Denmark by serving as a nominal earl to the Frankish Prince Ludwig? Besides, why should Denmark accept the rule of the Franks?

Is there such a thing? The thought was not due to his unruly character, but to the memory that Charlemagne was about to annex Denmark when he expanded to the north thirty years ago. The Frankish army killed innocent people indiscriminately, and the neighboring Saxons suffered the most severe persecution. It has been rumored that the Danes could not recognize a man who surrendered to the Franks as their leader. The Danes were eager for revenge, and realistically speaking, they were also eager to rob the Franks of their wealth.

Horik has been working hard to help Ludwig. He wanted to attack his brother Lothair, but Ludwig didn't know his true inner thoughts

The news that Horik was about to return to Denmark had long been circulated, but nothing happened in two years. There is no news of action? Is it just a boring threat?

He is waiting for his master Ludwig's promise. He is sure that his master will not let go of the leaderless Denmark. He would definitely participate if he intervened.

He did not dare to act rashly, for fear that if he took his brothers north, his wealth and personnel in Durist would be accepted by Ludwig's army. < /p>

The next parchment document was quickly delivered to the coastal port of Durist. The mellow Horik unfolded the document himself, glanced at it and rolled it up happily.

Everything is ready! What Horik lacks is the prince. This promise.

A group of pirates who had been entrenched for a long time decided to leave. The local Flemish people noticed the strangeness of the Normans and were already secretly celebrating.

The Frankish nobles. We know about the Danes and some other tribes in the north, but the majority of the people have no idea about the outside world within a day's walk of the village.

The Flanders in the north of the kingdom have long been ruled by the expanding Franks. , they have all converted long ago. Although the culture, customs and language are very similar to those of the neighboring Saxons, their obedience is also visible to the Frankish king.

Now, Flanders (in the broad sense of the Netherlands) is Ludwig. The imprisoned Louis the Pious is the uncrowned king of the kingdom's northern and eastern borders.

A group of hungry wolves who have been raised for a long time are finally about to start a new era. activity, Horik's Viking army is already launching their longships, and by the wayGo straight north with the warm south.

When Ludwig's order was passed to Horik, the real Earl of Flanders, the Earl of Hamburg, and the Earl of Bremen, the great northern lords, got the news and accepted it. A very wonderful command.

The great nobles were ordered to stand still, and Horik, who would definitely take action, led his troops back to Denmark to fight for power.

Whether this is a stupid move or a clever trick, it is an arrow from the bow. Prince Ludwig issued a decree. He can only pray to God for this nominally very devout believer and a Danish man who has been exiled for many years. Horik, given the power, will continue to be a loyal hound.

A big drama is taking place in Durist Port. The so-called pious Horik actually wants to sacrifice the blood of slaves to Odin in accordance with Danish etiquette.

This round-faced and stocky leader has five hundred pirates under his command, all of whom are blood-lickers. The main targets of their attacks are merchant ships from the fiefdoms of Prince Lothair and Prince Pepin. This kind of thing is naturally supported by Prince Ludwig. Due to its geographical advantages, sneak attacks on the British Kingdom of Wessex have become more frequent in recent years. They have kidnapped many peasant women from the British Isles and turned them into toys.

The five hundred Viking warriors who frequently carry out raids are a formidable force in Northern Europe in this era. Of course, Horik is not the only one with this kind of wealth. He does not hesitate to use local resources. Some Flemish, Saxon, and Frankish people joined him.

Especially the Saxons, these people have realized that Chief Horik only pretended to convert, and this man did not really become a dog of the Franks.

A considerable number of Saxons were eager to get rid of the control of the Frankish nobility, and they could not forget Charlemagne's deliberate killing of his people. Open resistance had failed and large numbers of Saxons escaped across the Schleswig Wall into Denmark.

Some Saxons learned that the exiled Danish nobleman Horik had taken possession of Flanders, so they brought their families and surrendered.

Horik easily recruited up to 900 Saxon warriors because he publicly promised that the Saxon people under his command could start a new life in Denmark after the great cause was completed.

As for the handful of Franks in the team, they are pure villains, criminals in the kingdom, and simple bandits.

Horik has always been a royal pirate relying on the protection of Prince Ludwig. It is normal for him to have another group of bandit troops under his command.

A group of people were entrenched in Durist, and the nearby Flanders villages not only had to pay tithes to the orthodox earls, but also paid higher tributes to Horik. The former will imprison those who do not pay taxes, while the latter's method for villages that do not pay or default on tribute is to capture people as slaves.

No, an altar has been set up on the pier.

It was clear that the sea breeze was gentle, but five Flemish farmers were shivering and blindfolded and ordered to kneel down.

The altar was surrounded by armed men, many of them wearing iron helmets that covered their entire faces.Several people also had neck guards made of iron rings.

A large number of soldiers wore Frankish-style armor, which was based on locally available cowhide. After leather treatment, iron sheets were placed and fixed with rivets.

The defensive power of this kind of iron-leather armor is only adequate. The advantage is that its production cost is not expensive. The regular infantry of the Frankish Kingdom are widely equipped with it, especially the pirate troops. After living in this place for many years, a group of Danish bandits began to Frankize.

Similarly, their so-called "Norman" name also began to spread to the surrounding areas, especially the Flanders. When thinking of the Normans, they think of pirates and forest bandits.

Aplenty equipped with spears, swords, throwable hand axes, and bows, Horik's Viking brothers are a useful mercenary force.

It’s just that the equipment of the more numerous Saxons is much worse, and they are even more like the classic Vikings. Most of them wore burqas, a few wore cowhide as makeshift armor, and most had no armor. They are a group of light infantry, and if there is a battle, their numerical superiority can be relied upon to take advantage.

The Frankish and Flanders gangsters, the smallest in number, have a variety of equipment. One of the good things about them is that they have no wives and children, and they only want to be happy. They are ruthless in killing people and stealing goods.

No, when Horik decided to sacrifice five poor people to Odin, the executioner was a pure Frankish gangster.

After all, there is a sterling silver cross hanging on his chest. Horik is a little afraid and dare not do anything here. But this time they will land in Denmark, go straight to the Robard tribe, the overlord of the strait, control and conquer the whole of Denmark, and even exert their power over Norway. That is Odin's territory, and actions must be approved by the god Odin!

The round-faced Horik held his iron sword high and walked menacingly around the temporary altar.

He shouted directly in his native Danish: "We have had enough! Now all the conditions are ripe, Odin's warriors, raise the raven flag, and I will take you back to Denmark." , we will all become rich..."

People were shouting and cheering, banging their bucklers, and stamping their feet desperately.

In the midst of the extreme noise, Horik signaled to the Frank gangsters who were preparing to do something: "Odin needs blood! Take action!"

The ax suddenly fell, and the heads rolled cleanly to the ground. neat.

The madmen who licked blood from the edge of the knife loved this terrifying bright red the most, and their cheers reached their peak!

Horik gathered 1,700 adult warriors, many of whom were veteran pirates.

There are more than 200 young people in the order. What they have heard is the story of pirates going to sea to make money. There are no Christian monks preaching here in Durist, so the young people think that the outsider Lord Horik is Trustworthy. What they saw were pirates who made a lot of money and took revenge. If these people lived a happy life, they could follow suit.

Finally, a team of 2,000 soldiers gathered in the bay on more than 100 long boats.

A white cloth quilted abstract raven flag onHorik's flagship flutters.

Many old, young, women and children are still staying in Durist, and the strong men are out in force. Horik had already planned to take this group of mainly Saxon women and children to Denmark after the event was completed. After all, these people were already the basis of his future rule.

As for the loss of Durist Port because of this, it doesn’t matter if it is lost. Once the personnel and materials are evacuated, the port will not matter.

This port is already in decline, and everything will be better when it resumes its rule over Hedebi.

Overnight, the Norman pirate problem that troubled the real Count of Flanders ended? Maybe so.

The Count will abide by Prince Ludwig's orders, and the Count's army will guard the territory and remain stationary. He wished that the great pirate Horik would be killed in Denmark, but the priest hoped that Horik would succeed, thus making the Christianization of all Denmark possible.

The forces on all sides have evil intentions, and they all feel that they can use each other to achieve their wishes and gain huge benefits.

A group of western sea wolves are heading towards Denmark. Horik is fierce and the terrifying fleet continues to move north.

All the merchant ships that entered and exited the fjord and entered the inland city of Hamburg were hiding. The Earl of Hamburg ordered the merchant ships to enter the harbor to take shelter. Farmers were ordered to take refuge in the city, and the army set up a defensive posture outside the city.

The count did nothing else.

The earl cannot guarantee whether the pirate Horik, who holds a large army, will suddenly become a bad dog biting his master. As a military noble, defense is necessary.

The count watched helplessly as the fleet rushed towards the northernmost part of the Jutland Peninsula, and then he breathed a sigh of relief...