The huge Ross fleet arrived at the mouth of Lake Mälaren, and the people living in the shallow waterways watched in horror as large ships with triangular sails drifted into the lake.
Each gray sail was sewn with huge interlaced blue strips, and a unified flag hung from the top of the mast.
The merchants around Lake Mälaren are looking forward to the arrival of the Ross caravan, and then follow the Ross fleet to arrive safely at Rossburg port.
It was already October. The defeat of the coalition forces and the heavy losses of the Melalen tribe had caused an obvious depression in the trade in the market.
Some powerful businessmen have heard a saying that the Russians defeated the Gotlanders and plundered a large amount of treasure.
More businessmen hope to try their luck in the north, even if they have to pay a tax burden.
They don't let go of eagles when they see rabbits, because legends are legends. Even the powerful Melalen tribe was defeated, and King Olegin was killed in the battle. How could the Russian He De really achieve a great victory with his own strength?
Only a few leather merchants spontaneously went north, while the vast majority of merchants were waiting and watching.
Of course, this year's Mälaren industrial merchants need to buy enough winter food on the market after the harvest season.
Buying food rations for the whole family is not a high expense, but something strange happened this year.
Because of those big families with private soldiers and large amounts of farmland, they teamed up with the new king Karl and almost bought up all the farmers' surplus grain.
More than twenty large and powerful families set crazy prices for grain purchases, forcing all the free farmers of the Melalen tribe to sell their surplus grain at low prices.
Whether they are businessmen selling timber, concentrated ores, jewelry, metals, leather and other industries, or even second-tier dealers who are not engaged in production, everyone has to find those big families who set up grain shops in the market. One silver coin can only buy ten pounds of wheat. ,Price is too high.
What's the price?
This is the price for a bad harvest year!
And the purchase price offered by the big families, one silver coin is enough to buy twenty pounds, and they will make double the profit.
Merchants could not buy food directly from farmers, so they had to buy it at high prices from big families.
The most powerful people in Mellaren have used force and teamed up to monopolize food prices.
This is not the end.
The trend of rising prices has permeated the entire Svealand region, especially the tribes around the Melalen people. They suffered a lot of losses in the war. In order to restore their strength as soon as possible, they need a lot of money.
Tribes welcome the increase in food prices, hoping that selling food will bring them more wealth.
The food in Melalen has been concentrated in the hands of major families, and farmers' families only have rations and seed grain left. Good harvest? What a travesty. The plunder of the great families was like a flood, another disaster that hit the people after the losses of the war.
As for the Yermalen people and the Onkras people, the local big families are not so barbaric, and their people can still make a fortune during the period of high food prices.
Also because the tribes were forced to obey the arrangements of the Melalen people, the Melalen family and the great king's family set prices that all tribes must abide by.
But the question is, who are the big buyers?
Merchants from all walks of life bought grain with their noses in their hands. Of course, they could not digest it with the success of a good harvest. What to do with the remaining food?
Various tribes are eyeing the Russians, and the Russians are the big buyers!
Each small tribe has its own ideas. If the Russians are good people and suffer losses to buy food, everyone will be happy. If they don't buy it, the food is just food. It's okay for the tribesmen to eat it slowly. Brewing wine is another option.
Especially the big families of Melalen, they hope that the Russians can be taken advantage of.
The Russians finally arrived.
The Aurora landed on Gould Island, and a group of elites including Rurik, Otto, and even Gould got off the ship.
Followed closely by hundreds of uniformly dressed Rus warriors.
The huge fleet docking at the port is really breathtaking. A large number of masts form a forest on the lake, and a large number of cargo ships make the fishing boats on the lake seem insignificant.
With the return of Arik's fleet, the Russians had no time to repair the ships, so they had to order these hard-working ships to assemble all forty cargo ships and rush to Lake Mälaren.
They didn't even have time to clean up a cabin of sheep dung eggs left behind when transporting sheep.
The modified cargo ship can carry up to twenty tons of cargo! It is also possible for the overloaded Aurora to carry forty tons of cargo.
The Ross fleet came prepared and bought one million pounds of wheat, equivalent to more than 300 tons. They did have enough ships to transport it back.
The long voyage made Rurik mentally exhausted, but a glass of low-alcohol wine that resembled grape juice stored on the island restored his energy a lot.
The Russians began to eat wheat cakes made from new wheat on the island and gnawed on newly caught grilled seabass.
"The food is very good. It seems that the rumors are true. The people of Malaren are celebrating a good harvest." Otto was in a good mood. He wolfed down his food and called Gould, "Big businessman, the next thing depends on is you."
"Of course, we are big buyers of grain. Lake Mälaren has a bumper harvest this year, so we will use a sum of money to buy more grain."
Gould was confident, Rurik nodded and pointed, "According to our plan, we need to give farmers more money. Our plan is to win over ordinary people and create conflicts between them and the Yaers (large landowner families). "
"Well, I think we'll make it."
Gould laughed out loud, but the eyes of the people staying on the island kept wandering, obviously they wanted to report something bad.
"You guys." Gould asked casually, "Has anything happened in Lake Malaren in the past few months? The Duke of Ross is here. Please report to the Duke immediately."
Those few people are deeply trusted by Gould, and each of them can serve as an excellent accountant. They looked at each other and reported the most important things.
Their introduction was surprising, followed by outrage!
Gould was stunned for a moment, then slammed the table: "Damn hungry wolf! Shameless rat! Despicable Karl!"
Arik drew his sword directly, "What a shame! If I had known I would have killed him in Visby! I never thought that this villain would dare to trick us over the food issue."
Otto's eyes were bloodshot, and his anger was reflected in the deformed silver cup he was holding in his hands.
Fortunately, Otto was not a firecracker that exploded at the first moment. He hurriedly turned to look at his son, "Rurik! A major test, Karl became a despicable person. What should we do? Just go ashore and chop him down?"
Otto was not polite at all, because the whole of Mälaren was saying that Karl was the initiator of the forced acquisition at a crazy low price and then the sales at an even crazier price.
Part of the truth is indeed true. Karl didn't think too much. He knew that he could use this method to establish his power as a deterrent. Just like a father can discipline his son at will, isn't his power, Karl, questioned? Now, the people have tasted the power of the tyrant, and he demonstrates his power in this way.
The situation had changed dramatically. Rurik closed his eyes gently and carefully considered the current situation to plan a new strategy.
Everyone is waiting for this young think tank to come up with a new plan.
The emotional situation was not in Rurik's prediction. Now that it was a done deal, his mind opened his eyes again after a high degree of calculation, and he thought of a new set of countermeasures.
"Our purpose is still to create confrontation among the Melalen tribe and to turn ordinary farmers against those powerful landowners. Therefore, we still have to buy food from farmers."
"You still want to buy farmers' grain?" Gould stretched out his fat head: "What my people investigated is true. Karl looted their wheat, and it is unlikely that they would take out their rations and sell them to us. .”
"No! They will. As long as we give them enough money."
"This...this is true." Gould closed his mouth speechlessly.
"Those farmers must save enough grain and rations. They have a lower limit. And we don't really want to take away their rations. I only buy one pound of wheat and pay them ten silver coins. "
As soon as this statement came out, who didn't think it was ridiculous?
Gould concluded that Rurik had a plan, but sadly he, a self-proclaimed business elite, could not figure it out immediately.
"Why?"
"I will send people to target each farmer and go door to door to buy them a pound of wheat. I will tell them that the people of Malaren lost a lot in the war, and this unequal sale is an emotional compensation for them. Yes. The Russians pity them.”
"Is that just that?" Gould shook his head with a sullen mouth: "Do you hope they owe you a favor? Do you expect them to oppose the leader of Melalen because of this? I don't think so. These farmers will feel that the silver coins given by the Russians That’s what they deserve.”
Otto also agreed with what Gould said: "Rurik, I think this is inappropriate. They are defeated, and a defeated person dares to ask for spoils? It's ridiculous."
Rurik shrugged: "I don't expect them to be grateful. I just hope that through this move, I can tell the most ordinary farmers that the Russians are rich and will give them money generously. Not all of them are farmers, and the husband wants to get rid of them." Debt will kill Olegin in the war. Now that his husband is dead, the family is still in debt. As long as we give such people a sum of money, the debt will disappear immediately. At this time, if we persuade them to immigrate, will it be very smooth? ?”
Gould thought for a while, and he felt that doing things this way would have a positive effect, but the final result was hard to say.
"Maybe the farmers will think carefully and not give up their existing land. They are not fools and know that the soil in Roseburg cannot grow a single wheat seedling."
Rurik said immediately: "They may not be willing to immigrate immediately. At least they know that if they can't survive, there is a new way to go to Russia."
"So, you still place hope on their own decision?" Gould thought of another thing and still expressed doubts: "Of course you give them money to subsidize their lives, and debtors can also repay their debts. But I I don’t have any expectations for Karl. I believe this person will give many reasons, such as inventing a new tax and forcibly taking away the silver coins from the farmer’s hands. In this way, the farmer is still in debt and his life is still the same. Also because of the failure of the war , the families of the dead men will not be reduced in debt, and their future life will be particularly difficult.”
"Oh! That would be great! Karl did a good thing for me!" Rurik's attitude seemed quite abnormal.
Otto immediately asked: "What good can a leader who abuses his tribe do?"
Rurik was about to laugh but stopped: "So you think they have nothing after their money is taken away?"
"Isn't it?" Gould asked.
"No! They are still disappointed with the leaders of Mellaren and the big landowners. Disappointment will turn into anger, and anger will turn into hatred. Unfortunately, they are just ordinary people and cannot oppose those big families. Their hatred is difficult to express, But they are really angry, and then they find themselves powerless. At this time, they will think of escaping from Malaren to find a new world to take root. These farmers and fishermen are the real power of the Malaren tribe, our New Roseburg and the vast area in the east. We can accommodate them. And what I have to do is to keep them alive and they will be supported."
Now Gould understood it, and Otto understood it more or less.
"How wonderful! No matter what Karl does, things will develop towards the goal we designed." Gould praised.
"This matter cannot be rushed. Melalen will not fall apart because of a defeat where the losses are not too big."
Otto nodded: "I will do as you say. Tomorrow, we will send people into the farmhouses living along the lake and give them silver coins."
That night, Rurik revised their old plan.
The ultimate goal of the Ross people is to take away as many civilians as possible from the Melalen tribe. The Russians will not take any violent measures. Even if there is violence, it is an act of killing with a borrowed knife.
Duke Rus had to act like a genuinely good guy, because Rurik didn't think the farmers had a lot of good intentions. If you give them money, you are a good person; if you steal their money, you are a bad person.
After Rurik was already eager to give money to the civilians, Karl sent troops to grab the money again.
The weather was getting colder and colder, and to make matters worse, an extremely cold light rain fell the day after the Ross caravan arrived.
The rain started at night. The rainfall itself was not heavy, but the temperature dropped to a very bad level.
Just this night, some poor and elderly Mälaren people froze to death in their sleep, but what does it matter to these big families who own vast farmland?
The huge Ross fleet surrounded the wooden castle on Gould Island, and the largest Avora looked like a floating island!
The extremely humid and cold weather was really not a good time to do business. On this day, the Melalen Market was supposed to be open to the Russians, but all the merchants closed their wooden doors. Based on their common experience, only lunatics would trade in the mud and rain, so the result of opening the business would be no customers and only cold and damp air.
After all, they didn't even invent umbrellas, not even ponchos to protect them from the rain. The so-called rainproof equipment is just leather.
The cold weather couldn't stop a brave man named Bjorn.
Bjorn took a small boat, rowed by his own private soldiers, and arrived at Gould Island in the rain in the early morning.
In the dim light, he wiped his face full of water and noticed that a group of small boats had also left Gould Island.
"Who is it? It can't be the leader of the Rus? Or a businessman negotiating to buy wheat?"
Responsible for the entrustment of many big families, Bjorn was elected as the negotiator between the big families and the Rus' people. He must try his best to facilitate the deal and sell the excess grain obtained by each family to the Rus' people. Make a fortune.
But what's going on with those boats? Why are there still boats heading to remote places?
Bjorn didn't think much about it. He hoped to see the Ross people who spoke with weight when he landed on the island. It would be best if the Duke of Ross himself was here, so that his work would be easier to handle.
He is also an ambitious man who hopes to gain the second power of the Melalen tribe. If Karl loses power, it's time for him, Bjorn, to take his place.
As long as you do this well, each family can make a lot of money, and your strength will be recognized by each family.
The arrival of an uninvited guest surprised the people hiding in the warm wooden castle.
The cold and damp made Otto not want to move, but what about Rurik? He just wants to sleep well.
Only the sailors and soldiers who were ordered to give money to the poor farmers of Mälaren worked the hardest. As long as they completed their work well, the benefits would be inevitable.
Now, the uninvited guests are coming. This man immediately claimed that he was "Bjorn, the representative of all the landowning families in Mälaren", and stated his position bluntly to the guard at the gate. He came this time to discuss the major issue of grain trading with the Russians.
Now Rurik had no right to sleep soundly. He stood up suddenly, intending to quickly discuss the matter of buying wheat with the representative of the "Malaren Landlord Class" named Bjorn, because the Russians always needed a lot of wheat.
There is another key point. Rurik needed to know what the attitude of the local big landowners was towards King Karl who succeeded to the throne. If it is doubt and hatred, it must be provoked immediately.
