Chapter 838 Banquet

Osborne was sleeping quietly. He didn't know anything. For the time being, he could only rely on the instinct of a baby to get close to his mother.

He has experienced long winter journeys since his birth. Although his powerful body has been protected by warm swaddling clothes, people say that the young prince has been able to overcome the severe cold like his father and grandfather.

He just slept quietly, unaware that the entire Novgorod was cheering for his birth.

The Slavs on the shores of Lake Ilmen, especially the people of White Tree Manor, are simply not satisfied with a girl of their own race, Svetlana, seeking benefits for all Slavic people as a queen. .

Now Osborn was born, and the identity of the baby was soon announced as his father Rurik got out of the sleigh in front of the whole city.

The spokesperson for all Slavs, or the bloodline of the Slavs on Lake Ilmen, was born, and it was him, Osborne Slav.

The joyful atmosphere in the entire city of Novgorod was like a grand festival, and people talked all about the prince.

Some people say that the child will stand on the side of the Slavs and seek more benefits for everyone.

Some people said that the child was born extraordinary, and even swore that they had good eyesight, and happened to see the child's appearance clearly, so they made a judgment.

People are full of complimentary words, especially since spring is not far away. Who wouldn’t be happy to have such great joy more than a month before spring plowing?

Speaking of happiness, Old Ligus fainted when he saw his grandson Osborne, just as Rurik expected. After the old guy barely regained consciousness, he took the initiative to tease his grandson. Although her father loved his children, Svetlana was so frightened that she hurriedly protected her father from accidentally injuring her children due to excessive intimacy.

Of course Osborne is not the first grandson of Rigus, but he is the most distinguished grandson.

Slavs naturally do not have the custom of confinement, but Svetlana has actually returned to her parents' home with the child in her arms, and there will be no reason to leave here for a long time to come. Her biggest task is naturally to take care of her son, and by the way, she can also cultivate her body for a long time, which is equivalent to confinement.

The family took care of the mother and son with the best resources, and Rurik was completely relieved about this.

Because compared to themselves, purely out of political considerations, no force among the Ilmenslavs around the lake would oppose such a half-blood prince. The people of Novgorod were the most supportive and would take it. Provide various resources to ensure the healthy growth of Osborne.

But Rurik will not place all his hopes on Osborne.

My wife is very young, and her extremely smooth childbirth process also proves that she is in excellent physical condition. She is such a healthy woman, it makes no sense not to have more children in the future.

The long journey of the sled team has come to an end, and nearly a thousand people who are tired from traveling and traveling need a good life.

Those who were selectedThe young men who came out were immediately incorporated into Rurik's cavalry, even though these people had never even petted a horse?

The cavalry replacement and the mercenary guard replacement entered the reserved house in Novgorod city on the spot. From this day on, they were the people who were eating the emperor's salary and must report to Liuli. Ke and the prince's family allegiance.

They took a sauna, hot water and rain on a cold day, and then put on new uniform clothes. They were organized as soon as possible, and the cavalry replacement immediately stayed in the centralized dormitory of the cavalry team, under the supervision of cavalry veterans. The fifty selected young mercenaries began to receive training from Captain Grund on the next day.

What awaits them is a beautiful and exciting future. This is a shortcut to becoming a brave warrior, but it also means that they are likely to die in a fierce battle. Everyone's life is short, and those who have a long life are saints chosen by the gods, such as the old priest Vilia of the Rus. After the long life ends, his soul directly becomes the Valkyrie.

They firmly believed in this, and they all figured it out during the long journey of ice and snow. Whether it is voluntarily or at the request of their parents, the brothers are now the confidants of Prince Rurik. Everyone must accept this fate and use it as a lifelong creed.

At night, the palace of Prince Rus in Novgorod is brilliantly lit!

"Here's to the prince! Here's to the heroes who defeated the King of Denmark!" The one cheering with a glass of wine in the air was none other than Governor Medved.

This strong Slavic man named after the bear became more and more happy because of the birth of his nephew Osborne. He drank several glasses of strong wine, and his face turned red after drinking.

He raised his head, and everyone else raised their glasses.

This is a feast for men. Since they are all relatives, in-laws and sworn brothers, and even distinguished guests who have come from thousands of miles away, their behavior is even more casual now that there is no red tape. .

Rurik held the wine glass high, and the transparent glass was shaking with honey and nectar. The room was warm enough due to the matrix of fireplaces and oil lamps, so he wore a plain white shirt, which he freely tied with a few slits, exposing some of the golden chest hair on his chest.

Others behaved similarly. We are all men, and now is a good time to have a drink.

"Cheers! The glory belongs to us! We will not get drunk today!" Rurik said happily.

Barrels of hopless ale and kvass were gradually brought into the house, as well as carefully packaged spirits and mead for people to enjoy.

Rurik was so happy tonight. He blushed from drinking, talking and laughing to his old father and father-in-law, and winking at his old friends. Although there was no culture of persuading people to drink, Rurik, who was in high spirits, frequently raised his wine glass and asked everyone to have a drink with the prince. Who dares not to give face to the prince, even old Otto, he would not have thought that his grown-up son could drink so well. This is one of the beauties of a real man, and he must accompany his old bones.

PoorKagan was forced to drink more than ten drinks in a row, including spirits but mainly ale.

Bitter ale with an endless aftertaste is a delicacy on the grassland. As a son of the prairie, he also brought some prairie kumiss this time. Although most of them were sold, he specially kept a barrel for the current occasion.

The drunken Kagan had already had enough to drink. Although exquisite cakes and barbecue were served, he only ate some dried raspberries and sliced ​​meat as a side dish. He really couldn't eat other delicious meals.

Kagan’s head was still half awake, but the people who looked at the entire supply were really blushing, and many men took off their shirts due to the heat and alcohol.

Look at these strong men from the north. Their fair skin has turned red like cooked crabs. Everyone is laughing and drinking, chatting in Norse.

Kagan slammed the table suddenly, and the movement was quite large due to the strength of the wine.

Rurik had been paying attention to Kagan for a long time, and he felt quite happy to see him drinking with everyone.

Why is this guy banging the table now?

Kagan, who was naturally short in stature, slowly stood up and explained to everyone in extremely broken Norse: "I have brought kumiss from my hometown, and now let my people enter." "Bring it over."

"Is it kumiss? Come on, bring it over." After saying this, Rurik also started knocking on the table, and others started to cheer.

Some turbid and whitish kumiss also exudes a rich milk aroma in addition to the alcohol smell. Rurik poured a little honey into the cup and stirred it evenly to create a wonderful concoction. He slowly tasted the flavor, and saw Kagan already holding the wine glass, swaying towards him.

Kagan sat in front of the Rurik square table, raising the wine glass high with his single right arm as if performing a ritual.

"Rurik! He is my good brother! My father said that he will betroth my little sister to my brother Rurik! Brother, what do you think?! My sister , to be your concubine! This year, you can’t shirk it anymore!”

Kagan’s movements were very large, and because he knew a little bit about Norse, he could barely put together these words.

"Your sister? Okay! It's... an honor for me to marry your sister."

"Oh? You won't shirk anymore?"

"I am about to discuss it with you. Come on!" After that, Ka Gan put down the wine glass and knocked three times on the table in front of Rurik: "Cheers to our friendship!"

This banquet after the wind and dust seemed to be a simple friendship.

What was very strange about the meeting was that although King Bjorn of Sweden and other Swedish nobles were involved, they had no chance to talk.

Today, during the day, Bjorn saw the huge city of Novgorod and the large number of people in the city.I noticed a huge lake area and subconsciously felt that this place was indeed quite similar to my hometown of Lake Malaren. But night fell so quickly that he and other Swedish nobles or envoys had no chance to take a closer look at the city.

But everyone was so proud of themselves at this banquet that they stared at Otto's face.

"The warriors of the past are now old. Your son is now a real man. He has taken your place and done better." Sadness floated in Bjorn's heart.

But when it comes to sadness, isn’t Ungreave of Unclas even more sad? No matter how you look at Otto, he is no longer the heroic warrior he used to be, but an old man covered in white hair and unable to hide his age spots. Otto was dying, and his own condition was just as bad.

Also present were the eldest and second eldest son of the Gould family, who were born in Oncras. Not to mention the fat white fox, the other man who is only slightly fat is actually the second son, Blue Fox? It is said that the Gould family even bought the slave girl as a thin person and turned into a fat woman within a few months. This statement is certainly an exaggeration. Everyone in their family should be as fat as an elephant seal. How can they have a strong one? A person who is not fat.

Swedish King Bjorn did not dare to say anything, and others were busy echoing the Ross nobles and drinking heavily. They were all observing quietly, such as watching the noble from the distant southern grasslands.

Kagan wanted to seize the opportunity and negotiated the horse purchase with Rurik without hesitation. As a result, everyone was busy drinking and eating meat. In the end, they all drank to pieces, and the matter could only be postponed for the time being. Set aside.

A luxurious and enjoyable banquet really allowed everyone to vent their anger. Rurik slept through the whole day the next day. When he really planned to do something, it was already the third day after his return.

The rulers of the north and the great heroes of the southern grasslands gathered together.

After a fun banquet, Kagan vented the pain of waiting. Both he and Rurik's spirits recovered, and both men stopped procrastinating. They gathered today just to properly handle the horse transaction.

First of all, it was Kagan who acted as a guide, taking his sworn brothers to visit the dense herd of horses that were temporarily kept in captivity.

Before he reached the place, Rurik heard the neighing of horses.

“Haha, this is one of the pens where I keep reindeer, and now all the horses are housed?!”

The accompanying deer herder’s attendants hurriedly introduced the reindeer to the prince. The proficiency of the horses sent by the Chenegs and the state of their keeping during this period.

"No need to report in detail, you did a good job." He signaled to his subordinates to be quiet for the time being.

The entourage reported the key information. The steppe people and the Kiev people sent a total of more than 600 horses, of which the largest number were mares. The horses to be sold have already been assigned to the treasury of the Principality of Rus, so the horses have been given a daily quota of oats and kept in good condition according to the regulations set by the prince himself.

Suddenly there were 600 more horses. Unlike reindeer that could graze in winter, they had a huge appetite for wheat. butEverything will be fine during the Spring Festival, because the prairie people, either out of wit, goodwill or even political flattery, drive a large number of mares to be pregnant in the spring, and then they can graze freely.

The fence was opened, and Rurik, who entered the pen, stroked the prairie horses one by one.

"Very good, they are all good horses."

Kagan took the opportunity to speak: "They are all horses carefully selected by our tribal alliance. The nobles have discussed it, and the mare Ten pounds of silver coins, five pounds of silver coins for the stallion."

Rurik nodded: "I completely accept it."

"Oh? I'm worried that you might think it's a bit expensive. I have seen the prosperity of the Principality of Ross, and anyone who doubts your financial strength is stupid."

"Of course." Rurik shrugged. The price was within his expectations, and he did not bargain. necessary.

Because silver coins are a natural medium of exchange after removing their precious metal properties. It is the pricing standard for commodities, so as long as the pricing is negotiated, the two parties to the transaction can bypass the real silver coins and use the actual virtual silver coins as the medium to complete the transaction through barter exchange.

All you have to do is exchange goods of equal value for the six hundred horses.

Rurik inspected the goods carefully. Every horse he touched seemed docile. There are also some horses here that are obviously inferior and shorter in stature. Over there are horses sold by the Kiev people. Because of their relative disadvantage, the Kiev people offer a 20% discount.

The Kiev Horseman is a horse seller appointed by the people of Kiev with full authority. He follows Kagan. When it comes to selling horses, this steppe nobleman is better at trading.

"They are all good horses. I want to trade them immediately." Rurik looked down at Kagan. Not only was it only a year ago, his stature was taller, making Kagan even shorter. "I know you brought other things besides horses. How about the recurve bows I need?"

"There are a hundred."

"Well, there are a few missing. . ”

“It’s a bit missing. Brothers, it takes some time to make good bows in our grassland. Every bow is very good, so it’s just right to exchange it for your crossbow.”

Kagan realized that there was no need to hide it, so he laughed naively. He confessed: "It is true. We Pechenegs face too many enemies. We have a small population and we need good weapons. With your assistance in the future, we will be safe."

" So you need to buy more goods, and the goods you exchange with me are naturally not limited to horses and recurve bows, as well as some koumiss and cheese."

"There are also some prisoners," Kagan said. With obvious pride.

"Prisoner? What is going on? Do you wantSell ​​me a slave? ”

“Already sold. If those women are slaves..."

"Oh? What's going on? "

As soon as Rurik had questions, Maksakye, who kept quiet, immediately explained: "When we came, we attacked several Smolensk villages and captured some women. ”

“They were all bought by people here? ”

“Exactly. I heard that the Ilmen came to have friction with the Smolensk people. Once the men from both sides came into contact, there was a fight. I am a native of Kiev and am indifferent to their fight, but you Varangians dominate the Ilmen, and I think you are also hostile to Smolensk. Those female prisoners were all bought by the Ilmen nobles. "

Things have become quite complicated, and Rurik asked again: "What is your price?" ”

Kagan hurriedly explained: “I inquired about your slave situation, even though it seems that there is no slave trade here. The female prisoners were all young and they were given half a pound of silver each, which was a good deal. ”

“It’s really cost-effective. It's just that... you are provoking the Smolensk people by doing this. "Thinking of this, Rurik sighed: "I'm a little worried that you are making yourself uncomfortable. They may send troops to intercept and kill you. "

Hearing this, Kagan looked up to the sky and laughed fearlessly: "Even those farmers are no match for my cavalry. Brother, I brought 200 cavalry this time, each of whom is our Pecheneg elite. In my opinion, those Smolensk people are very weak. You... you should be able to defeat them easily if you send troops. ”

Listen to Kagan’s words, he seems to be encouraging Ross to send troops to the south.

Sending troops to conquer Smolensk was already in Rurik’s plan, but he just felt that the time was not right. Maturity is put aside for the time being. Because there have been rumors that the rebels in the Ilmen Lake area have not been completely eliminated, and some people have fled to Smolensk. Continuing to go south to eliminate the remnants is a perfect excuse to conquer Smolensk, and the local area Most of the Ilmen people are not emotionally opposed to fighting south, because the Smolensk people covet the fertile lakeside soil of the Ilmen Lake area for farming, and they have always intended to go north to annex it. The disciples can go south.

This matter can be discussed in detail, but Rurik has this intention: "Kagan, and you, Sakhi. Please tell me carefully what happened to you in Smolensk, and we can get together and have a small meeting. Now come with me and show you the goods I have brought. Please wipe your eyes well, stay calm, and don’t be so happy that you faint..."