Some small traders fled with Xinrou in an emergency, and the wooden shacks they left behind lost their owners.
Stad led his troops to easily occupy this place, and from now on the brothers no longer had to sleep in the woods. The horses were tied up on the spot, and some soldiers went to cut the grass to guard them. Others took the money and forcibly sold the farmers' surplus grain to feed the horses and eat for themselves.
They raised the raven flag to make their presence known in Hedebe.
So far, Stade's mission has been largely completed. Although the mission has not gone satisfactorily, Hedeby has begun to slowly recover from the sudden depression.
The strange confrontation with the Ross armed merchants really made him feel worried. King Horik did not want to fight an untimely war before he became strong. Stade actually knew that his king would not use force against Ross. I don’t even want to turn against East Frank. However, the public anger is hard to quell, and the attitude of the Danish tribes outside Hedeby is still hostile to Ross.
Is that the attitude of the Russians? We are clearly on the side with fewer people, but we would rather fight than compromise?
"If I do well, the king will make me the Earl of Hedeby, right? If I can't solve the problem of the Ross merchants, the Earl will not think about anything." He couldn't help but mutter, but he couldn't help but Dare to actually use the knife, at least not now.
Life has entered a strange calm, and the disappeared traders have begun to appear. The city of Hedebe has indeed changed. King Horik’s envoy army has completed their move in, and the trading activities of merchants and people have begun. Under the watchful eye of the messenger.
The vast majority of people rely on this trading stronghold to live. Even if King Horik comes, everyone can only pay taxes honestly in order to survive.
Ordinary people have no right to choose a ruler or a king. They can only adapt to changes by remaining unchanged.
That was not the case for the big businessmen. As the story of the confrontation between the envoy and the Ross businessman spread quickly, the businessmen couldn't help but worry about the life of the fat man, and they also began to worry that the stubbornness of the Ross people would affect others.
A business meeting without the participation of the Russian people was quietly held again.
The businessmen were still dressed gorgeously, because some of them had already gone to Frank with the goods they bought, and there were only a dozen big businessmen present at the meeting.
These people can already represent the entire Heideby business community. They gather together, each and every one of them is worried.
Someone was the first to speak: "I have thought about it, we must pay this tax. If we don't pay it, we will die."
This is an inappropriate but important question. The businessmen looked at each other in confusion, but in fact, most of them had the answer in their minds.
Of course there are still people trying to argue: "Why? I just want to ask why? A man who comes from nowhere claims to be the city lord. If you give him money and he runs away, there will be another one in the future. The man jumped out and claimed that he is the real grandson of Godfrey. Do you still want to pay?"
This is another very pointed question.
Some people’s mood became sad and angry: “That man’s demands are too high.One hundred pounds of silver, that's crazy. ”
“But if we don’t give it, it will be trouble. "
"Why? I think the Russians are fighting to the death to resist taxes, but that fat man is actually a fighter. They can be tough and we can only be weak? "
Most businessmen cannot be infected by such words. Some people shook their heads: "Horik has soldiers! Our private military strength is extremely small. "
"In my opinion, the Russians did it on purpose. They are converting shops into fortresses with the goal of fighting to the death for the new king. "A wise man analyzed it.
But having said that, when it comes to business, don't be afraid of being cowarded, as long as you can make money, it's easy.
That wise man seemed to understand After understanding everything, he immediately lowered his head and his voice became quiet, attracting everyone to gather around: "In my opinion, all this is the conspiracy of the prince of Ross. "
"Conspiracy? How can you see it? "
The smart man continued: "That fat blue fox seems to be planning to use his own death to provoke a war. Oh no, the war between Rus and Denmark has never stopped, it has only been suspended in recent years. Think about it, if Horik takes over Hedebe, will the Russians still be able to do business? We are buying a lot of their leather, and we can't make a fortune if we can't buy it from them. "
"So, once Horik does this, our brothers' interests will be harmed. If Horik extorts us a hundred pounds of silver every year, we will all be poor in five years. "Someone described it like this, and everyone began to get angry, but it was incompetent and furious.
After hearing these words, the wise man felt that his speculation was close to the truth. "In this case, who do you think can do it if a war breaks out? win? ”
No one has any doubts about this issue. After contacting the Ross merchants, everyone learned a lot of news from the East, and they knew the actual situation of the Ross Principality and all the remaining Danish lords.
Great wisdom Continues: "In my opinion the Rus will win, their navy is very strong, and they can also lead an expedition to the east. It is said that some Norwegian chiefs were friends of the princes of Rus. Besides, the Swedes will definitely help Rose. Any split is bullshit. Ross and Sweden are one family, and I don’t think Horik, an outsider, will gather all the strength of Denmark to fight them. ”
At the beginning, someone had an epiphany: “So Horik needs money? ”
“Yes! A lot of money! Only by buying off those lords with money could Horik complete his rule. Where does he get the money from, he can only blackmail us. "
"So we run away quickly? "Someone shivered.
"Bah! Our money, wives, concubines, and slaves are all here, where will they go if they run away? "
"Maybe we go directly to the Rus? "
"Design to Ross? Who of you knows the way? To put it lightly. "
The businessmen started to quarrel until the wise man stood up and organized the quarrel.
"Okay! Friends, we should think about what to do in the future, instead of just quarreling here boringly, quarreling can scare away that HuoRick? ”
“Do you have any ideas? "Someone asked with anger.
"Yes! It's just that this method is a bit dirty. "
"Dirty? Someone else shouted: "Come anytime, it will save us less losses, and it doesn't matter if it's dirty." ”
“Okay. Then if you come together again, you must swear that according to this method, you are not allowed to reveal it to anyone. "
The great cleverness gathered the businessmen, and he began to plan a conspiracy, and a plan came into being that seeks benevolence and gets benevolence to use strength.
"Fat Blue Fox plans to use Die Mingzhi, he definitely doesn't want Rose to suffer losses. Horik must be just trying to make money. As long as they fight, as long as Blue Fox dies and the shops are destroyed, the Russian people will be furious. We must promote this result immediately. When Horik is beaten to the point of vomiting blood and loses his advantage, he dares to say no if we refuse to pay tribute? Presumably all the Danish lords will also expel him, so that Hedeby will still be free. I'm just afraid that the Russians won't call. ”
The methods are really vicious. He sacrificed a good business partner for his own interests. He obviously bought a huge amount of squirrel skins from him a few days ago and even signed a futures contract. Everyone was holding wooden documents.
The businessmen looked at each other, and they had a unified answer.
Someone sighed: "That fat man. He's not afraid of death, is he still a businessman? ”
“Who knows? It is said that there are many men in their family, and if one dies, the other brothers can continue to live. And dying like this can be considered a hero and can bring honor to the family. "
"I would rather die for the sake of family honor. What a ruthless person..."
It is not easy for businessmen to meet Blue Fox now. They already feel that Blue Fox is dead. .
The big businessmen wanted to see Horik die suddenly, and they were conservative out of their own interests. After a meeting, the businessmen started their own actions.
To facilitate an immediate battle, Horik's men must be given a huge temptation.
The wise man hurried to Stad's current residence with a few businessman friends after the meeting.
When they entered the actual military camp, they suddenly saw naked women running around, followed by shirtless soldiers running like herdsmen chasing sheep.
“Did they actually capture some women? I just say that these people are greedy, and those claims are all lies to us. "
Da Congming shook his head: "Now that the matter has come to a point, we can only bite the bullet and say it. ”
The businessman’s visit was unexpected. When the soldiers saw the well-dressed uninvited guest coming, they immediately greeted him and asked for a bribe.
After getting some silver coins, they began to ask where the visitor was.
The wise man said respectfully: "We are all wealthy businessmen and want to meet Mr. Stade. "
"Want to see us adults? The Lord is busy with his new wife and concubineDoing business..." It seemed like he was about to refuse the visitor? But the soldier kept winking.
He was really smart. He hurriedly stuffed some more silver coins, and felt even more angry.
The soldier was satisfied: "You guys just wait, I'll report it right away. ”
The soldier was still arrogant just now, so he had to be cautious when entering the house.
He saw his master pressing down on a poor peasant girl. The girl was captured on the spot, and when Stade saw that she was pretty, he kept her for himself. Although he allowed her to be his wife and concubine, he was just going to crush her to death
"grown ups. There is..."
"Get out! Didn't you see that I was busy? ”
“My lord. The soldier said cautiously: "It's those big businessmen. They seem to come with good intentions." ”
“Oh? Are you here to give me money? Okay, let them wait a moment, I will change my clothes and receive them again. ”
Stard immediately waved his hand and asked the two women who were hiding to take the almost unconscious peasant girl away. He was very elegant, and when he first came to Haizeby, he used the peasants’ resistance to taxes as an excuse. Looking for women in nearby villages, he chose three himself, and his subordinates also got something. He did this deliberately. The brothers who were almost crazy should indulge themselves to maintain their morale. At the same time, he also announced to Hedebe and the nearby Saxon villages. The real master of Denmark arrived.
Soon, it was still the same room. Stader, who had put on his jersey, received the five big businessmen with a cheerful expression. He was still overjoyed and just wanted to settle the matter and move on. Go to Kuaihuo.
The businessman just entered the house and he asked first: "Are you giving me money? "
"Yes! That's right. "The wise man had already planned something, and he gave everyone five packs of silver coins with a wink.
As soon as Stade saw the large number of silver coins, his joy became even stronger, and he couldn't help but sigh: "They all say Haizebei is rich. You big businessmen are really rich. It seems you will do well to give our Lord Horik the money. "
The wise man had an idea and deliberately complimented: "Sir, you are also a noble person. We will need your protection in doing business in the future. "
This is a good flattery, Stade was delighted: "Let me tell you, the king must have appointed me as Earl of Hedeby, and of course I will protect you. Give enough to the king, give enough to me, and the rest is yours. I will protect you and do business safely. ”
It sounded like nonsense. This person’s words were different from what he had publicly announced before. The businessmen were even more convinced that as long as this person gained power, more intense exploitation would be inevitable.
The smart representative said that everyone had to smile on the face: "Since this is the case, we can feel at ease. But it seems that there are still some people who are dissatisfied with the king and your rule. "
"I know, they are from Russia! Stade smiled with anger and said evilly: "When the king's navy arrives, kill all the Russians." "
"Ah! The Russians do deserve to die, it’s just that..."
"Why?Already? "Seeing the smart man pretending to be surprised, Stad suddenly felt that there was something fishy.
"Sir, the Russians will definitely be defeated. It is a fact that they have few people. Even though we all noticed they were building forts, the result was death. But the glory of victory belongs to the king, and the thousand pounds of silver coins inside also belong to the king..."
"What? How many silver coins? ! "Stade noticed the details and instantly seemed like a cat with a hairy hair.
"One thousand pounds of silver coins. "
"Huh? Is this true? ! "
"This..." Da Mingming pretended to be confused, "it was revealed by the fat man, claiming to be very rich. He said that his shop had a thousand pounds of silver coins and many gold and precious stones. Denmark's wealth is being plundered by him. Maybe there is a mountain of silver in that fortress. ”
“It’s actually true? ”
The wise man hesitated again: “It should be quite a lot.” But if the king wins, you can't get rich. If you win, hand over some to the king and the rest will be yours, right? ”
When Stade heard this, he was immediately excited. He knew that the Russians were building the shops into fortresses, so that if they attacked the brothers, there would be casualties.
He hated the fat man very much and was cautious. Soldiers under his command. He doesn't want to take risks unless the benefits are huge enough.
But there are many problems with the merchants' descriptions! , but would rather die to resist?
The temptation of huge wealth has made Stade a fool. He has never seen a thousand pounds of silver coins in his life.
This is a businessman. Come to announce the good news, and at the end, Stad summoned all his subordinates to explain the matter. The temptation of wealth made everyone ecstatic.
Of course, some people felt that there was something fishy in it, but the voices of doubt were completely drowned out by the ecstasy.
What is a fortress? What does it mean if the enemy is strong? The brothers have not lost in Flanders, and they still attack when they encounter strong enemies.
However, everyone will become rich instantly. Happy, the three women were so tortured by Stad that they could no longer walk for the time being. He himself finally settled down after being overly happy and could seriously think about how to destroy the Ross Fortress that contained treasures. < /p>
The biggest problem is the lack of soldiers.
But a dramatic scene happened soon, and another group of people came to see them, but most of them were bald and had scars on their bodies, the soldier thought. They refused to give bribes at all.
These strong men did not want to be violent, but they immediately shouted to sacrifice their lives for Stade.
Is that true? .
This team of gang leaders led by Gray Wolf Carl united to find Studby Pier, or they hoped to become King Horik's subordinates through this relationship.
Karl the Gray Wolf is the biggest leader, claiming to be the biggest gangster in Hedebe, with three hundred brothers under his command. Although this sounds like bragging, Karl bluntly says that he respects Stade as his eldest brother, and all his brothers listen to his orders., asking the eldest brother to also ensure that the brothers can participate in public activities in the future.
A group of rats in the gutter crawled into the ground. The rats wanted to become tigers.
Stade was short of manpower, and he never thought that new manpower would come uninvited. He fully agreed to the other party's request, but they also had to submit a certificate of investment.
The gray wolf Karl noticed that Stad was hesitant and couldn't help but misunderstood, so he decisively played the Ross card: "The Ross merchants are very rich. We observed them unloading goods at the dock, and the fine leather piled up in mountains. We It’s hard to get, sir, you will definitely get a lot of money.”
Doesn’t this statement further confirm the merchants’ description? Ross Store is ready!
Stad pretended to be serious: "So, you want me to lead troops to attack them? That's fine. You plan to be my soldiers, so naturally you have to show it. I want you to join me in launching an attack. The attack proves his credibility."
"Dare!" Gray Wolf Karl was extremely decisive: "Some of my brothers were killed by the Ross, but we have long wanted to take revenge. A true commander, I see your lord's army is glorious. You lead us to victory. I will bring all my brothers to the battle."
"Very well. I have some warriors in the north. I am the king. My generals, I can accept my fate as centurions, and I will be the Earl of Hedeby, and you will be my soldiers from now on."
The rogue bandits became lords. Soldiers, so many things that are not on the table can be done openly.
The situation progressed far beyond Karl and others' expectations. As for the petition to attack Ross's store, this must be done. Suffer losses for this? That's okay too. There are many poor people in Hedeby. It is not difficult to recruit new subordinates. It doesn't hurt to kill some. In the end, you and the gang can make huge profits.
There is really an undercurrent. For the sake of a legend of "countless gold, silver and gems", businessmen, gangs, and foreign armies all regard Ross Shop as a must-have. They all felt that the other party could be used, so they kept repeating lies, and everyone actually believed that the fortress was full of gold and silver.
Blue Fox is unaware of all these conspiracies, but he has no illusions about the future. He actually didn't want to die to express his ambition, but his goal was achieved by guarding the fortress and killing some enemies. As for the opponent's delay in attacking, he would take his brothers and escape at night on the first day of August. There would be nothing left in the shops before, so he could just abandon them. Then he would grab three long boats and paddle away in the harbor.