Chapter 754 The prince’s banquet

As for what kind of Slavic people live in Kiev in this time and space, the Rus Principality will conquer and incorporate them sooner or later. Compared to those residents, nothing is more important than the land around Kiev!

That is a large area of ​​black soil. Even without the use of farmyard fertilizer, it can maintain high yields in the current time and space. As for the fact that it is a naturally easy-to-defend but difficult-to-attack place for the Four Battles, it is nothing compared to the unprecedented benefits that can be obtained.

Horses are not worth such a high price. Rurik can also understand that the so-called price depends entirely on the horseman's mouth. These are indeed rare and good horses, but these merchants are from the Slavic people's groups in Kiev, and they can naturally tell a huge amount of information about the people in the south.

They are just traders, and the south is the era of Slavs and tribal alliances. There is no large national group in the south, so businessmen have nothing to be loyal to. In other words, the most loyal thing for businessmen is money. If they promise big benefits, or if they immediately feel that trade is profitable, they will Explain clearly what you know and hear.

Holding a banquet to entertain the horse guests is also to stabilize them. If they really have the status of the season, then it is even more necessary to win over them. It is extremely necessary to take the opportunity to get some rewards to whet their appetite.

It is necessary to squeeze out all the information known to Mark, and express the goodwill of the Rus Principality to the people in Kiev through their mouths.

After all, the strategy of making friends at a distance and attacking closely is a great wisdom.

After all, the Rus’ Principality wants to rule Kiev. It would be great if they can finally win it through relatively peaceful means. At least there is probably a lack of strategic opportunities now and in the next ten years. Naturally, they will have to trade safely with them in these years. , it would be great if Ross could get a lot of Pecheneg horses.

Makesakye and the others turned into honored guests. They had the honor to enter the palace of the Prince of Rus and have dinner with the prince and many other principal elites.

Of course, Medvet and Old Otto really felt that Rurik's etiquette was too much. They were involved in the whole process, and they only cared about eating and drinking themselves, and didn't care about the group of people who were like Nikeng. A bug that emerges from the earth and finds everything new.

The floor is flat and the table is also flat. There are crystal plates and crystal bowls on the table in front of everyone. Such tableware can carry many delicacies!

In fact, it was just some dried fruits and cold meat slices at the beginning, which was enough to make the horsemen tremble all over.

Sakhi stared at the glass plate, and he was muttering crazily in his heart: "I'm afraid I can't replace such a plate with just one horse. If I accidentally break a corner, my head will be damaged." They chopped him up."

Using too precious tableware made Sakhi nervous.

He very carefully picked out the dark red dried raspberries from the glass bowl and put it in his mouth, enjoying the sweetness that was extremely difficult to enjoy on weekdays.

Wait a minute, this dried fruit tastes extraordinary. It has definitely been soaked in honey and is an extremely sweet preserve.

There is also a large amount of dried meat on the plate, which seems to be beef or venison. They have just the right amount of salt. To be fair, this kind of dried meat is really an excellent dry food for travel.

The transparent cup contains brown ale, and the other cup also contains dark, slightly sweet kvass.

I saw the guests starting to move their hands. This Indian way of eating is really indecent.

Rurik deliberately knocked on the table: "Everyone, you must follow my rules in my territory. You...stop!"

The last words stopped the equestrians. behavior.

Sakhi quickly put on a smile and apologized: "Great prince, we...should be polite."

"Of course..." Rurik thought for a while , an idea came to him, "How about having a dinner with guests from far away in your hometown of Kiev?"

"We? Serve roasted basil and salt, and then have a roasted sheep by the campfire." ."

Bread and salt, this Slavic custom has been around since the ninth century?

Rurik shrugged: "If it were just bread and salt, you are about to taste it. What is in front of you now are just some snacks before the meal, and the perfect meal is yet to come. Then follow the instructions For our interests, raise your wine glasses high and drink the ale of our Russians, as well as the kvass that you Slavs like.”

Rurik took the lead in raising the ale, which means that the Russians in Northern Europe are the real ones. of rulers. Otto, Medved and others toasted with sullen faces.

Is this the etiquette of the Russians? If they like drinking very much, they are very willing to accompany them. Sakhi drank a glass of wine with great joy, and then watched Prince Rus raise another glass.

A delicious meal requires some time to wait, and while waiting is the best time to chat.

As the wine enters the stomach, alcohol eliminates a lot of restraints.

Rurik immediately asked about the people of Kiev, even those ethnic groups living nearby, and about Smolensk and Pskov.

Sakhi was in high spirits and had no idea that he had fallen into the scheme of Prince Rus. He completely ignored the existence of the beautiful and young Queen Svetlana of Rus. He only noticed that the woman was playing with a feather at her desk.

In fact, this is not the case. Svetlana is not moved by the snacks now and the big meal later. She has a noble status and it is normal for her to attend the banquet and sit next to her husband. She had paper, quill, and ink in front of her, and she was ordered to write down as much as possible of Thackeray's endless words. Rurik's request was not extreme. He only asked his wife to record as much as possible and sort out the key information from a large number of salivating written records. This is the responsibility of the prince.

Youdao means telling the truth after drinking. Listening to this, Rurik did hear some interesting and detailed descriptions from Sakye.

A very obvious fact lies before us: Kiev and Smolensk have a blood alliance in principle, but in the current era, this alliance has become quiteFragile.

Kiev, Smolensk, and Pskov all belong to the huge Krivi tribe alliance, and its meaning is just as its name describes, with a strong meaning of "blood-based alliance".

Brotherly tribes who are allied by blood will gradually split up in the coming years due to scattered development, which is normal in Eastern Europe where transportation is quite difficult. Besides, when it comes to ancient history, the Ilmenslavs also split from the Krivics.

Rurik had to suspect that it was this unauthorized division that caused the other party's jealousy.

Can’t hatred be eliminated in a hundred years? I am afraid that the hatred has long since dissipated, but this horseman categorically describes that the residents of Smolensk were not welcoming to the northern Ilmen.

The only thing Ma Ke is sure of is: "Our big leader hopes to go to the north to do business, but no one dares to take the risk. Countless pairs of eyes are staring at the success or failure of our brothers. Once we make a deal with the prince, Once completed, more Kiev merchants will go north. We are not afraid of the Smolensk people charging tolls, and our brothers have found another more difficult but safe route. If you need to sell goods, we are the merchants you can trust. "

Rurik was excited, but he still suppressed his excitement. He asked deliberately: "So you actually got the order from the leader."

"No, we. It was a spontaneous action, but the action was known to everyone. "Very good. Now I declare that your trade has been successful."

Sakye was very happy. For pleasure, he said carelessly: "That's half the battle. We want to buy..." Under the influence of alcohol, he poured a glass bowl of raspberry preserves into a glass plate with meat, held the bowl high and said : "I like this kind of tableware very much. It must be very expensive. Since we sold the horse, it would be a worthwhile trip to directly exchange for some of this crystal tableware."

"You...want this very much?" "Rurik was trembling with excitement, and his whole body leaned forward.

Seeing this, Sakhi misunderstood and thought that the prince was unwilling to sell, so he quickly persuaded him as a businessman: "We Kiev people often trade with the Pechenegs, exchanging wheat, linen, and slaves for them. Horses and iron. You like horses very much, and I also like this kind of crystal equipment. If you can please my leader, you will also get more horses."

Rurik suddenly narrowed his eyes: "You can still capture slaves?"

"The Mickeys, the Drevlians, and so on. We capture their men and sell them, and the women, hehe, naturally we keep them. Wife."

"The slaves were sold to the Pecheneg horsemen?"

"Exactly"

In fact, I heard these names. Rurik could tell that it was some other Slavic tribe. Although they are all Slavs, it is normal for the major tribal alliances to constantly fight. They were supposed to be a unified nation, but apparently they could only create a bunch of small emirates on their own.

If anyone can unify them, it is only Rose!

At this stage, the Rus' Principality lacks the strength to attack the Kiev Group. It has not had a deeper understanding of their situation until today. As for its southern neighbor Smolensk, it still knows very little. The Principality of Ross is already too big. Like a python swallowing a cow, it takes a long time to digest its prey. Reality forced the principality to seize the time to rectify its internal affairs. For a period of time, it would have to hide its capabilities and bide its time under the banner of avoiding war.

An extremely vicious situation was clearly placed in front of the principality.

The principality’s goods dumping station in Denmark was taken over by the enemy. How can it be cured without a stronghold to make money? If there are no big buyers, it will become "squirrel skin unsaleable help us" every spring. Who will help in the end? Who has the financial resources to help?

I'm afraid the Slavs in Kiev will be the saviors. Because Kiev residents themselves are not big buyers, they can transport the goods to the Pechenegs and even sell them to Eastern Rome. As long as they can make money as middlemen, they are willing to purchase goods from Ross.

Rurik immediately slammed the table, and the sound shocked everyone. Old Otto, who was shaking his head hurriedly, raised his head and looked at his son, complaining: "Why are you making such a loud noise!"

Rurik put on a serious face, stretched out his right hand and pointed directly at something. The confused Maksakye laughed out loud for a moment: "I like you! You want to do business with us, and I also want to trade with you. I appreciate that your leader has such desire. You can rest assured that you will I will return with a lot of goods. As for the glassware, I will sell it to you."

"Ah! What's the price?"

"The price of the glassware is not expensive? By the time you've passed out. If you're not satisfied after two drinks, we'll continue drinking."

According to Sakhi's self-report, gathering people to drink in Kiev is a way to build relationships. If this behavior is a means of bonding, it's clearly been discovered around the world.

Because the per capita grain storage in Ross is extremely high for special reasons, the cost of brewing has dropped, and every household has a jar to brew low-alcohol ale. Slavic families can't help but brew ale, and they also brew kvass.

Since there is an opportunity to drink together, one should drink deeply, so the wine is offered.

Rurik was slightly drunk. He had already thought about the grand event of selling goods to Kiev to earn a lot of horses, and he drank too much for the first time. Looking at Otto and Medved, they both talked about drinking, their sullen faces were all happy.

Rurik held up the glass vial, motioned to the ten horsemen whose eyes were shining, and shouted very loudly: "You! Look at what this is! Open the lid, this is the water of life!" It's the most perfect wine! Give it to me...drink!"

Her husband was already drunk, and Svetlana felt a little uncomfortable, but she frowned and didn't dare to stop him.

Rurik was so drunk that he simply poured the wine into a special glass goblet and looked at it.The wine is as clear as water. It seems to be really water? The strange smell of alcohol in the air doesn't lie.

Sakhi has never seen a scene where "the room is overflowing with wine", and the next scene has surpassed his understanding of the world.

The eyes of the ten horsemen were as wide as copper bells, and their eyeballs were one step away from collapsing.

Look at Prince Rurik of Rus, this young man’s wine glass has become a torch!

Holding the burning goblet high, Rurik muttered in a ritualistic manner: "Life is like a fire. In our limited life, we should all beat like flames. Slavs worship flames. You guys. Look, the strong wine in my hand is burning. I will drink it. I dare say that Peron, the god of fire you believe in, will protect me. I am indeed a great man."

His words were actually a bit arbitrary, and Rurik was indeed incoherent because he was in the mood.

When a bottle of vodka is poured into a tall glass, the temperature actually exceeds 50°. This is an Eastern European Erguotou brewed with wheat and oats, and the taste is naturally very exciting.

Rurik held the flaming liquor high and drank it in public. From the perspective of Sacchi and other horsemen, he undoubtedly saw a kind of magic.

That's all, Rurik burped deeply...

"Sir, are you... okay?" Sakhi said in shock.

"It's okay, I feel very warm in my stomach. You...you should try it too. If you want to do business with me, just follow my rules and don't live up to my expectations of you."

The ten horsemen resisted at first. Do they want to eat a ball of fire in their stomachs? Without the blessing of the God of Fire, wouldn't they be burned alive?

Wait a minute! The blond Prince Rurik of Russia is clearly a Varangian, but he himself has been blessed by the God of Fire. Isn't he a born king? If I have a good relationship with him, will the God of Fire also bless me?

Rurik took advantage of the situation and made the horsemen drink a glass of fire liquor as a sign of surrender.

Sakye did it with all his might. The fire liquor entered his stomach, but he didn't seem to feel crazy.

As for some people, they were quite unlucky. The burning wine burned off some of their beards, but luckily the fire was put out in time without any negative consequences.

Rurik nodded and said deliberately: "This is the most perfect wine in the world. It has the power of the God of Fire. It is an enjoyment that even your leader cannot experience. I am the benevolent prince. , since you have experienced the test of the Fire God by drinking the fire wine, I will reward you with the goblet and the bottle!"

Is Prince Rus so generous? Sakhi's head had not yet been eroded by the excessive amount of alcohol and he was drunk. He hurriedly shouted that the prince was a great saint, and even threatened to return to his hometown in Kiev to introduce the kindness of Prince Rus to the people in his hometown.

Indeed, Rurik’s oriental soul can’t help but pay attention to etiquette.contacts. On the surface, this is the case, but in fact, he still establishes his position as a patriarch. Subjects are all children under this philosophical system, and the prince is the father of everyone. Naturally, the father should reward his son more, even if he may cultivate a rebellious son.

These horsemen are unofficial envoys of the Kiev people, and they can even become official envoys of the Rus' Principality.

Rurik cannot be very aggressive and send a group of his own people directly to Kiev. After all, the Kiev horsemen have only been working for a day, and they still need to live in Novgorod for a while in the future. Make some observations and even make a business agreement after spring plowing. Because spring plowing is also a good show, let Ma Ke take a good look at the farming technology of the Principality of Ross. As a Slav of the Kiev community, a purely agricultural people, Rurik was sure that they would be interested in the curved shaft plow, and then there would be a peaceful sale.

Finally, the real hard dish completed all the complicated processing procedures.

This is a roasted deer. Before the venison is roasted, it is brushed with a layer of honey. However, the process of brushing honey is time-consuming and laborious.

The staple food is also baked large bread with Slavic characteristics. It is not used for rye bread. What is served are bread slices baked from high-gluten wheat of British cold-resistant varieties.

It is vulgar to tear meat and take bread with your hands. At least here in the Principality of Rus, Rurik ordered all the boys who eat the king's salary to observe and implement the three tableware principles of chopsticks, spoons and knives. Eating is described as having stiff hands, which by extension means being stupid. The brats who love to compete naturally don't want to lose to their partners, so they eat with chopsticks honestly. As a result, one or two of them have extremely nimble fingers after training for a while. As for eating with a knife, nothing else. This is the way of the ancestors of the Russian people, which is immutable and cannot be changed.

Everyone was busy drinking, and the final amount of spirits was about four taels, which converted into a hundred milliliters of pure alcohol.

For this group of horse riders who could only drink a small amount of low-alcohol ale on weekdays, they drank such a large amount of alcohol in one go and soon got drunk.

They ate the barbecue in a daze and tore into large pieces of soft bread frantically, swaying and even lying down one by one.

Looking at Otto and Medved, they also slowly lay on the floor with a bunch of silly smiles.

"Can I still continue to eat like this? I drank all of it!" Rurik thought this subjectively, but his body refused to obey his orders.

He muttered to his wife beside him: "This time I...really drank too much. Don't be afraid, I'm just drunk. Go...call someone. Get everyone back to sleep."

That’s all, he just rested his head on his wife’s lap. After a while, he started snoring, which made Svetlana speechless. She patted her husband’s face vigorously. Seeing that the snoring continued, she had to stand up and get busy. He ran to the entrance of the palace and asked the guards to move the people away. By the way, as the queen, she also ordered the guards present: "I don't care whether you have eaten dinner or not, I will reward you with this partially eaten roast deer. Remember not to waste food."