Hamburg really gives the Blue Fox a bad impression. If most cities in Frankfurt are like this, how can they claim to have strong capital?
They seem to be like a broken house, which will collapse as soon as you step on it.
The buildings in Hamburg are all made of wood, and a few buildings are made of stone.
The Hamburg Abbey is mostly built of stone, with a layer of mortar on the surface. The decoration inside the house is also simple. There are some gold objects on the podium where there is no cross.
Blue Fox is sponsored in the priest's dormitory attached to the monastery. He is a special person who enjoys a separate room.
The early morning bell brought dawn, and the lazy blue fox had to get up. In the dim light of the morning, he couldn't help complaining: "How can they endure such a miserable life? They have to chase the beauty. Paradise, I don’t want to enjoy it now.”
Complaining is complaining, the blue fox must get up, if he can’t catch up, he won’t be able to eat the black bread this morning. That kind of food was not delicious, but he had no choice. Moreover, these priests were extremely self-disciplined and would not provide food outside of meal times.
Under the eaves, he could only lower his head and look forward to meeting the local earl.
Eskir completed all his work in the morning. His eyes were bloodshot because he stayed up late at night listening to the dictations of his subordinates and flipping through documents recorded on parchments.
His mental state was slightly poor, and he did not pull himself together until he was about to go to the Earl's mansion.
He doesn't need many attendants, or Blue Fox and Slavic Vardi are enough.
The three of them were all dressed in black robes. They were walking slowly with their hands in front of their stomachs and their heads raised in awe.
Earl Robert did not attach great importance to this meeting. What could the priest say? After leaving the monastery and entering his official residence, no matter how noble a priest is, he should follow a secular life.
In this era, the Roman Pope had not yet acquired huge secular power in Western Europe. The three Frankish princes naturally respected the Pope, but they still regarded the Pope's mediation resolution as nonsense.
Prince Ludwig had such an attitude. As a subordinate, Robert consciously showed his importance by receiving "the master and apprentice of the north" and Bishop Eskil of Hamburg at home.
No soldiers dared to stop the priests. They opened the door to welcome Saint Eskil, and then whispered.
Unlike the Earl, the Countess takes her very seriously.
The countess and her maid greeted him in the courtyard of the mansion and offered her best wishes.
The blue fox always squinted his eyes. Even though he was tilting his head, he still glanced at these women inadvertently.
"Are Frank's women like this? The most noble countess is actually an old woman. These maids are quite interesting..."
Esquier didn't care about the blue fox's attitude and learned that The count was on the second floor of the mansion, so he had to go upstairs.
At this moment, Earl Robert is waiting here. He knows very wellBecause of the way of life of those priests, there is no need to prepare to write about snacks and water purification during this meeting. Just talk about any major issues, and there is no need to discuss other miscellaneous matters in detail.
He dismissed his servants, and three priests were waiting in his dining room.
A number of wooden tables are put together to form a large wooden table, with a layer of plain white linen laid on it. Overall, it looks quite neat. There is a bronze lamp holder placed on the table, which does not need to be lit during the day. There are also sterling silver dinner plates on the table. They are indeed the tableware of the nobles. The purpose of placing them now is nothing more than to support the count's face.
The Earl was sitting in the most distinguished position at the table. Seeing the arrival of the priests, he first stood up and bowed slightly, then said he could sit down wherever he wanted.
This was not the first time for Esquier to come to this building. He looked around and was sure that the furnishings of the restaurant had not changed, as if time had frozen. He motioned with his eyes to his two followers to sit down wherever they pleased, implying that they should not act rashly.
Robert shrugged and tapped the table to break the awkwardness of the encounter.
"Saint Eskilde, I've been waiting for you. What a big thing it is, please come and visit me personally."
"But there is one big thing, it is very important." Ace This time, Kil came prepared. He opened his robe and placed the cloth bag in his pocket on the table, and took out a piece of parchment folded like a handkerchief.
"What is this? Could it be a letter?"
"My lord, your guess is very correct. This is the new king of Denmark, a man named Horik Klarsson The man's handwritten letter hopes that I will be delivered to Prince Ludwig as a messenger or intermediary." "What happened?" In just one sentence, Earl Robert already understood. The seriousness of the situation.
"How?" Esquier raised his old and wise head, his eyes already giving hints.
"You... hope that I will be the middleman to deliver the letter to the prince?"
"Are you willing? However, I would rather see the prince in person, except for this letter Apart from the letter, I have other things I want to inform the prince."
Hearing this, the Earl who was on pins and needles did not reply immediately. He was very curious about the content of the letter, especially the letter writer was Horry. Gram, then you must be more vigilant.
The Earl asked simply and carelessly: "I want to know the content of the letter. I am directly responsible for His Royal Highness, and there must be no mistakes in anything that passes through my hands."
"You There is nothing wrong with reading the letter in advance."
The entire parchment letter was thrust into the earl's hands, and the important information written in it made earl Robert instinctively vigilant. Can a thin piece of parchment carry a man's ambition? A domesticated hound actually dares to negotiate terms with its owner? !
Putting down his trembling hands, Robert first noticed that there was a threat to the peaceful life in his territory.
He sighed: "I know that Horik, a Western gangster and a wolf on the sea, stole Durist and called himself Count of Flanders. He and hisThe gangsters surrendered to His Highness the Prince and were not punished. I did hear that the Prince arranged for Horik to return to Denmark to seize power. The Prince even wrote me a letter. ”
“Oh? Eskil, who was in his turn now, was startled: "So it turns out that Horik's coming to Denmark was planned by His Highness the Prince?" "
"It was the prince who did it, but the situation should not be like this. Horik can call himself king, but the prince can at most make him an earl, and the whole of Denmark should also submit to the prince. Horik actually said that Denmark and we have a country-to-country relationship. Once the prince finds out, he is afraid that war will start again! "At the end of the sentence, Robert's lips were already trembling a little, and his expression fully demonstrated that he was afraid of and hated war.
How could Robert not hate war? If he had sufficient troops, it wouldn't matter. Although the Earldom of Hamburg is in the north, and the Danes, Oberlitids, and Pomeranians are active in the border area, these foreign races seem to be peaceful on weekdays. If a military operation is launched, only It is impossible to suppress it with its own troops. Now that danger signals have appeared, who can guarantee that Denmark will not bite its master because the pirate leader Horik has usurped power?
“Maybe a war has broken out. "Eskil tapped the table with his fingers, his eyes were trembling, and rare tears flowed down.
"Padra...you actually cried? "
"Damn Horik, our monastery in Hedeby was destroyed! I was supposed to stay at Hedeby this year, but Horik evicted me. The war in the North has broken out, and Horik is killing dissenters! ”
“But didn’t he convert? ! "
"He is a hateful traitor. He betrayed the Lord and went to the barbarian gods. He also used human blood to sacrifice the devil. Lord, please send down thunder and lightning to punish this rebellion..." As he said that, Esquier led Lei and kept crossing himself on his chest.
This is the level of description. , Earl Robert was completely afraid of the war and was trembling. He was stunned for a while before he squeezed out a question: "The villain who made a deal with the devil will definitely not cross the Great Wall to attack me now. "
"I don't know. I just want to see the prince as soon as possible and explain everything I experienced in the north. ”
The Earl nodded. He was sure that his comfortable and boring days were over. No one likes war. When a real threat of war arises, the nobles of the kingdom must step forward.
"The prince is scheduled to stay in Regensburg, and I will personally escort you there. "
"Is this true? What a good thing. "There was an unexpected breakthrough in the matter, and Eskil replied very decisively.
The count confirmed that his words were not spoken out of his mouth, and even clasped his fingers and muttered something, the so-called retrograde route along the Elbe River and then overland. How long does it take to arrive at the residence of the Duke of Bavaria, Prince Ludwig's Regensburg Fortress?
It seems that the big thing to talk about today is this matter. Obviously, Count Robert can see that the matter is not over yet.
Esquier has two priests who follow him, one is plain and the other is as big as a drum.
Seeing that the count was interested, Eskil ceremoniously pushed the blue fox to the front desk.
Blue Fox took off the hat of his burqa, revealing a typical priest's hairstyle, which also made his face clearer.
"The fat priest in the North? Padra, you once said that this person is very important to me. Is he a believer you recovered from the North?"
"Exactly. Joseph The conversion was not long ago, and he was also a victim of Horik's atrocities. And..."
The count didn't wait for Esquier to finish his words, and then asked: "Is he a Dane or a Saxon? ? Looking at the blond hair, he must not be a Pomeranian. At least he must not be a Thuringian. ”
"Russian? What is that?"
At this moment, Eskil regretted that Blue Fox could not speak Saxon very well, let alone Frankish. It happened that Count Robert only spoke Saxon and Frankish, but not Latin.
The count cannot communicate directly with the blue fox, and there must be an interpreter standing in the middle.
Eskil is willing to do such a translation, and now it is finally Blue Fox’s turn to use his mouth to explain his ideas as the special envoy of the Principality of Ross.
Everything the Blue Fox said was novel. The Earl only knew that the Danes were a threat, and he also believed that the north to the nameless depths of the world was the territory of the Danes. Unexpectedly, the sea at the end of the world exists. There are other people living there, the Svealans and the Rus, who are enemies of Denmark.
Blue Fox knows very well that he has passively represented the entire Ross outside. I am afraid that this is the first time the principality has contacted the Frankish Kingdom. Youdao is that the feeling of meeting for the first time will largely determine the future relationship. In the face of success or failure, he used the respectful manner of a businessman to give a brief introduction to the Principality of Rus to a local nobleman.
In this restaurant, he briefly discussed with Esquier in Latin, and suddenly understood Earl Robert's concerns about the security of the earldom.
Prescribe the right medicine to the problem, and pick out what the earl likes to hear.
For example, the Principality of Rus can mobilize 10,000 troops. The Principality hopes to do business with the Frankish Kingdom and can export a large amount of leather to the Kingdom. Although the prince of the principality has not converted, he is very interested in the sacred faith. Students of Saint Eskil already have a monastery in the principality of Ross...
As expected, this fat man is an outsider, a strange and strange person. A sincere Russian and a priest.
Although Earl Robert believed that the description of "Russian troops with ten thousand soldiers" was an extreme exaggeration, the Earl did learn about the clues about the Russians.
"My viscount guarding the border gate paid me a batch of wonderful squirrel skins, which are said to be made by Danish traders. It is not simple to think about this. Joseph, could this be the leather trafficked by you Russians?? ”
After being translated by Eskil, Blue Fox responded decisively. Through his own eyes, he could see the Frankish soldiers on the border flocking to high-quality leather. Looking at the simple furnishings of this house, he thought... There is actually a huge demand market here in Hamburg.
Blue Fox simply made up some words to express a very low profile on behalf of Prince Rurik. After all, he was doing business to make money and was not shabby. .
“Our young prince admires Frank and we hope to get opportunities for trade. If everything is peaceful, there will be a lot of good leather, good iron, shipped to Frank in the future, and even to your Hamburg in the first place. But the hateful Horik put an end to all this. He killed the merchants of Rus, killed the converts, looted the leather that was supposed to be shipped to Frank, and captured people to sacrifice their blood to the evil god. Your house should be made magnificent, when a bear's head shows your majesty. We were going to sell some bear skins that should be your decorations this winter. However, all these returned items were snatched away by Horik, which is a huge loss to us. Moreover, the trade routes between Rus and Frank will be almost interrupted in the future..."
At least they will not have trouble with wealth!
Eskil translated very hard and the vocabulary was very good. It's also very accurate.
There is a kind of hatred that is lost because of the sudden attack of Cheng Yaojin. This is the current anger of Earl Robert. Robert was doubtful about Fox's description, but it was a fact that they brought the leather.
Seeing the mixed emotions of hatred and friendship in the count's eyes, Blue Fox was convinced that his approach was initially successful. Deliberately showing the cross on his chest showed that he was actually a devout convert, and having the Saint-Eskilde platform beside him further deepened this feeling.
Of course, the Blue Fox wanted to see the Franks. The great noble has always been prepared!
He and the Slav Vadi both have steel swords for self-defense. The difference is that his sword is inlaid with gems and gold, while Vadi's sword is made purely for actual combat. .
Wadi's sword is a complete combat weapon, while Blue Fox's sword is more about self-defense and showing wealth.
A long sword is hidden in the priest's robe. , the scabbard has holes, and the leather and hemp rope can be worn as a strap and carried on the body.
Vadi, who had been silent, was ordered to remove the steel sword, and it was suddenly placed on the table like magic, which really surprised the count. I was shocked.
“You actually entered my residence with weapons. You are priests, and you hide the weapons of soldiers? "
Eskil hurriedly reconciled: "Of course this is wrong according to the regulations, but the Lord is angry! My child, this sword should belong to you! I dare say that this is the best sword you have ever seen in your life. The Lord asked the messenger of Ross to send it to you. The Lord asks you to protect the people, protect peace and fight against rebellion. ”
In fact, this is a steel sword commonly used by the Russians. It seems ordinary but it is extremely sharp.block.
The Count liked what Esquier said very much. He picked up the scabbard and quickly pulled out the sword. He only heard a low buzzing sound, and a bright white sword actually trembled in his hand. It was actually bright white, completely different from his own gray iron sword.
In fact, this sword seems to be incredibly flexible.
Based on the color alone, he felt that this was indeed a good sword. As Blue Fox said, "It is soft and strong, it can cut off your sword." Based on his own knowledge, the earl felt that this was ridiculous. It was impossible for one sword to cut off another sword, unless he wielded a big axe. Smash.
Blue Fox said emphatically, saying that the sword represented the sincerity of the Ross messenger, and it would be his own shame if he could not cut off any iron sword.
The count acted decisively, placing his sword on the table, and slashed at it bravely with the new sword in one hand. The sword broke with a sound, and the steel sword also hit the table, splitting the tablecloth, and the oak table. Leaves deep marks on it. The earl was overjoyed. He pointed his new sword at the window, facing the sunlight without seeing the slightest curl of the sword's blade.
“Ah! The sword is actually in my hand!”
The Russians are still extremely mysterious. Obviously, they have a great deal of interest in Denmark because of their great sincerity. Hatred, Ross will definitely not be Frank's enemy, let alone his own enemy of the Earl of Hamburg. On the contrary, the earl got a steel sword, which was a great benefit. This was ten thousand times better than the flattering words of the blue fox to Rose.
The Earl even personally apologized for his rudeness to Fatty Blue Fox. Naturally, Blue Fox readily accepted the apology. Strike while the iron is hot illustrates the possibility of business. The so-called Russian merchants may be able to bypass Denmark and travel from the Elbe River to Denmark. Go upstream from the estuary and enter Hamburg, unload the precious leather directly, exchange it for local rye and other useful materials and transport it away.
Business exchanges seemed possible, but this put Robert in a dilemma.
Without him, Count Robert would stay in his own territory and would not go out unless there was an important matter. As a great vassal of the kingdom, he went to visit the Elbe Estuary on his own in case of important events such as weddings and funerals. The Count of Flanders is inappropriate and may even be considered a threat by the other party. Robert's understanding of geographical concepts is very poor, but it is possible to rely on waterways and oceans to directly communicate with the Russians, which is a good thing after all.
There has been a breakthrough in commercial operations. Earl Robert has made a verbal decision to welcome direct transactions from Ross merchants. As for the official establishment of a trade treaty, Prince Ludwig's approval is actually needed. Only when Ludwig recognized the Principality of Rus as a country could the two sides have completely legal trade.