A long war seemed to be over.
Rurik was a little worried about the future. It was undeniable that the Russian army was indeed killing people on Gotland. The army did not want to fight a rout from the beginning, nor did they intend to turn around and leave without asking for ransom.
Adhering to Clausewitz's set of ideas, Gotland was washed away like a swarm by the Ross army. The island's population was not large, and now it is almost a no-man's land.
Not necessarily, a new group of immigrants lived among the ruins of Visby. The survivors of the old Gotlanders fled into the woods, and the Mellaren settlers took over the living space.
The huge Ross fleet left Gould's Island almost in the freezing cold.
On the lake covered with thin ice floes, a group of large ships gathered, and the huge triangular sails raised showed the might of the Russians.
Every cargo ship is packed to the brim, and the Russians have purchased more food and vegetables than ever before. With a population of over 10,000, they will surely have an extremely comfortable winter.
Some people are happy, while others are worried. For the ordinary people of the Melalen tribe, they have been full of joy in the past year, looking forward to a good harvest, and hoping to share some dividends from victory in the war.
They died in battle, their wheat was taken away by the powerful, they lost their lives and wealth, and their emotions of sadness and anger continued to ferment in the cold wind. But King Karl was not in a good mood at all. He stood on the shore and watched the huge Ross fleet leave, and with extreme anxiety looked at a group of local merchants who followed the Ross people away.
"Such a powerful fleet. The Avora, such a big ship! Unfortunately, if I also have such a fleet, I don't have to worry about who dares to covet my throne. I can also go south directly to destroy the Danish army..."
The very real thing is that organizing such a fleet requires a lot of money.
The Russians became the final big winners in the entire warm season war. They had already made a lot of money through trade in the previous years, and now they were plundering a lot and becoming richer.
He sighed and didn't care too much, just because of the rebel forces within the tribe that were ready to move, and the emerging Bjorn had become the most deadly threat. It is unlikely that the Danes can reach Lake Mälaren in one go. Bjorn and others have the ability to assemble a group of armed farmers and knock down the wooden walls of their homes.
"We have to find a way to get rid of them! I have to do it first."
The Russian fleet was getting further and further away, gradually disappearing among the tens of thousands of small islands and sandbanks at the mouth of the lake.
The cold wind was as sharp as a knife, and Karl beckoned his lack of ability followers to go back with a sad mood.
He is brewing a plan, a plan similar to the Hongmen Banquet, to behead the leaders of the big families and kill all the doubters with this violent method. It seems that only this can ensure the stability of his identity as the king.
…
The Ross fleet arrived at Tombstone Island and some supplies were unloaded, especially the key wheat? This was to ensure that this stronghold could survive the long winter safely.
Not long ago, the Åland Islands were an uninhabited land, full of dangers due to the large number of offshore rocks.
The Russians took possession of this place, and a trading stronghold and military fortress rose from the ground to become a sea pass into the Gulf of Bothnia.
After Tombstone Island is the huge Gulf of Bothnia? Even with the cold wind, there are still a group of herring fishing boats scattered on the sea.
There are Russian fishing boats everywhere? The soldiers temporarily withdraw their troops and resume active operations as fishermen. They tied blue and white strips of cloth to the top of the fishing boat's mast to identify themselves.
The massive Ross fleet is back!
The huge Avora is the pride of the people. She leads all the ships and sails against the wind in the north wind on the turbulent waves.
She is an unsinkable warrior in the ice sea and an elegant Valkyrie. The Ross flag fluttering on the mast attracts nearby fishing boats to come closer.
The return voyage was under Rurik's control. Although the waves had become rough, any fully loaded ship was rising and falling in the waves.
The structure of the cargo ship is extremely strong, and the deck design blocks most of the seawater splashing in. It was a group of people in the cabin, the women and children of Mälaren who had passively immigrated. They were tortured until they were "dying" in the constant vomiting.
The multi-day voyage came to fruition. A stone hill appeared in the distance. As the fleet approached, the stone hill turned into a stone mountain range.
Fort Ross is in the fjord under this stone mountain? The boulders block most of the cold wind, and the fjord is the best shelter.
All the cargo ships docked smoothly at the trestle pier. People on the shore hurriedly took over the cables and firmly fixed the ships. Then they moved the goods nervously and orderly.
The following merchant ships? They rushed directly to the sandy beach as usual and deliberately ran aground? The people on the ship disembarked with the cables, knocked out wooden stakes on the sandy ground and tied them with cables to secure the long ship.
For the local residents of Roseburg, the return of the huge commercial fleet means the end of the warm period.
The north wind seemed to be getting stronger day by day. It was like a knife, forcing people working outdoors to cover their bodies with leather.
What made the people extremely gratified was that as a large amount of grain was moved to the warehouse, the Duke soon set up a market to openly sell the latest wheat.
It is still the old rule. The Ruos people bring steel-stamped wooden vouchers and silver coins issued in advance to buy wheat. They have to be restricted by the purchase restriction order. Once the wheat they buy is eaten, they can only wait until the next month to clear the market. Open and continue to buy cheap food from the Duke.
Rurik established the "food-based constitution" of the Principality of Ross, and at least in Rossburg this policy must be implemented stably for a long time. One silver coin was exchanged for ten pounds of wheat, and this price was always the same no matter in good years or bad years.
Rurik used mythical stories to explain his nobility and the legitimacy of his rule, and used the most basic economic measures to stabilize people's hearts.
The Russian warriors were civilians during peacetime, and the rope-girdle backpacks made of burlap used in battle have now become excellent food bags.
They happily returned home carrying a sack of wheat, so that their newly married wives and concubines could share a feast of wheat porridge that night.
Silver coins only make sense if they are exchanged for the daily necessities that the soldiers need most. For the most ordinary warriors, participating in the war is tantamount to meritorious service. Meritorious service means receiving a large amount of silver coins, and everyone can exchange silver coins for wheat. The Duke is fair, and each person can exchange a limited amount of wheat each month. They held the newly cooked wheat porridge in earthenware bowls and looked forward to the Duke's new war order.
Otto finally enjoyed the long-lost peace. He lay on his warm bed at home, thinking that he had completely defeated the Gotlanders and that his life was complete.
He turned into a puddle of mud for a while, looking forward to the newly arrived ordinary ale being continuously distilled into spirits, and then being enjoyed by himself.
But my son Rurik, this kid’s energy seems to have no limit!
The days are getting shorter and the temperatures continue to drop. The north wind blew the sky into a dark blue, and Rurik did not leave his young men idle in this cold state.
The boys and girls who went to war told their friends who stayed in their hometown about the battle, and the victory stimulated them to scream.
They don't seem to know the horror of war, they only know the joy after victory?
Rurik no longer cares, because most of these children are people who deserve to die. What is human nature? Giving the weak a meal and a piece of clothing to keep out the cold is the greatest humanity in this barbaric era.
Most of them lost their parents due to war or natural disasters.
They were also lucky. Rurik claimed to be a great benefactor. He not only provided them with food, clothing and shelter, but also promised them a bright future.
The children of Melalen who got off the ship immediately joined the group, and the number of boys and girls aged above six and below twelve in Rossburg directly exceeded one thousand.
Facts have proved that in ten years, a thousand children will definitely become brave soldiers of the Principality of Ross. People naturally have doubts about the strength of female warriors, but no one will deny that their participation in the war will bring very positive effects.
It’s just that before they grow up, the cost of supporting them is almost paid by the Duke of Ross!
And this is just the beginning!
Because those Slavic women who were married in the past few years, as well as women obtained through other channels, their childbirth is equivalent to completely becoming Russians recognized by their tribe. This group, together with the local women of the Russian people, has changed as their living conditions have improved. In order to improve, they are desperately trying to have children.
There are almost no automatic machines in this era. The operation of the country relies entirely on manpower. The size of the population greatly determines the upper limit of a powerful power.
Rurik, who returned to his hometown, seemed to Otto to be very busy indeed. He must have an estimate of the population directly controlled by the Principality of Rus. He hasn't done a detailed census yet, but he has basically figured out the population structure of the principality.
Currently, there is a group of children in the four strongholds of Roseburg, Ellenburg, New Roseburg and Tombstone Island under the rule of the Principality of Rose. The population has reached 2,000. Looking forward to the long term, this group will still be there in the next ten years. will expand rapidly.
After all, during the conquest of Gotland, most of the mature men in Russia were given at least two young women. Based on his understanding of men, Rurik was completely convinced that these women would all be pregnant next spring.
After giving birth to a boy or a girl, Rurik planned to give a small reward to express the Duke's attention emotionally.
When these children grow up, they can no longer be left alone as they were in the past. The elites of the principality must take care of them, both men and women, to discipline them in their daily lives and then educate them.
The distant stronghold Rurik cannot be well controlled for the time being, such as Konuson, who is responsible for the construction of the city of New Roseburg. This person's behavior is simply the "Governor of New Roseburg".
Rurik gave his children a very simple order, that is, to go to a remote place to cut trees on a large scale, and to organize a group of self-proclaimed boys to dig iron ore in the stone mountains.
How much food does a child need for a day? Rurik estimated that half a pound of oats and one pound of fish a day would be enough for a long boy, while girls would need even less. He is so stipulated, but what about reality? Just such an extreme level of food is much better than before!
In the past, none of the children of the Ross tribe were hungry and full. Rurik asked himself, and he was even forced to eat very unpalatable shark meat to survive. There is no way. In the past, the Russian people ate everything. It is only now that their living conditions have improved that they have the right to say no to some weird foods.
Even if there were three thousand children, Rurik could raise them until they reached adulthood at the age of twelve with his own financial resources.
In this era, there is no concept of "children", only "non-adults". No matter how young children are, they are a kind of labor force, and Rurik needs them to work as hard as they can.
Just exercise in logging and mining! Practice your skills in woodland hunting!
It was late October, the clear skies were gone, and dark clouds were covering the world like a blanket.
In fact, at this time, the fjord where Fort Ross is located has been covered with a thin layer of ice, and those who went out to fish have completely finished their operations.
In particular, most of the people who went to the Aylon River (Kemi River) and the Oulu River to fish for salmon have returned with boatloads of salmon and bass that were as frozen as sticks.
Everyone knows that it is going to snow, and the world will completely change after this snowfall.
Before the snowfall, the whole world had already fallen below freezing point, and people no longer worried that the stored food would spoil. Outside the fisherman's house, a large number of frozen fish with their guts disemboweled were piled up like bricks into a wall. Indoors, a large amount of cured meats and smoked meats, as well as vegetables and wheat purchased in limited quantities from the Duke, hang in the thick wood-carved storage room.
They didn't have to worry about the lack of firewood for their fireplaces, because the children under Rurik's command, under his command, used axes and double saws to completely destroy a pine forest not far from Roseburg! Even children can become the craziest woodcutter after mastering new tools. They produced a large amount of firewood, which was used as heating fuel in their dormitories and sold to various Ross families to earn a small amount of money to support their lives.
Even if a large number of people suddenly entered Roseburg, the various buildings can indeed accommodate so many people, even if everyone has to squeeze in for daily rest.
The snow finally fell!
First it was snow, then endless snowflakes. Large clumps of snowflakes quickly cling to everything in the north wind. Although no one likes it, a bad snowstorm hits the entire Nordic world!
A cold current from the Arctic penetrated through the geographical gap between the central mountains of Scandinavia and the Murmansk Highlands. It directly swept across the Russians' Elon-Olava Fort, and then swept across the Ross Fort. It is the entire Gulf of Bothnia, Lake Mälaren, the entire Svealand Plain, and finally rushes directly to the Rhine River, and its remaining power is blocked by the towering Alps.
Trapped in the blizzard, Liurik was naturally worried about the safety of other residents of Roseburg. Unfortunately, the wind outside was like a tomahawk, and the air was so cold that it seemed to freeze everything.
"Maybe the temperature at night is already minus 20 degrees. It's cold in the Nordic world, but fortunately it's really warm in Mukoleng." Rurik can only place his hope in the large-scale construction projects that have sprung up throughout Rossburg in the past few years. A large number of wood-carved ridges can replace the traditional mud-wood longhouse and bring ultimate warmth.
Those craftsmen who were rewarded for their military exploits and made money followed the trend and built new houses. Thick logs are stacked with mortise and tenon, covered with a layer of moss soil on the outside, and then stacked with a layer of logs. The matching stone fireplace and stone chimney make heating comfortable.
It took a lot of effort to build this kind of house. Fortunately, the Russians simply helped each other, and the strongest men had their houses completely renovated.
As for the people who still live in the old houses, they...
As cruel as it is, a group of poor and infirm people may well have died in their sleep on a cold night. They are all aging people. In warm times, Rurik required these old people to work hard and get some life-extending rewards. But now in the snowstorm, he really can't help.
No one will complain or even feel sorry for this.
Thunder is Thor's divine power, then the blizzard is the test sent by Odin! Those who cannot withstand the test will naturally freeze to death.
The cold wind whistled outside, and snow had covered the thick doors. There were a large number of people wrapped in animal skins packed into each wooden cellar. They had no choice but to get out before the snowstorm ended.
This snow can't last for a month, right?
Rurik believed that it would already be November in the Julian calendar when the snow stopped, and it was very likely that there would be a double snowstorm.
In a warm and calm room, Rurik gathered with his family and closest women.
Rumia, Carlotta, Ella, and Saipolava surrounded Rurik. They, Otto, and Niya sat around the square table placed in front of the fireplace.
As if hiding in a safe cave, they have lost track of time. Life became extremely boring, and Rurik had no choice but to do something related to mathematics to let his women develop their IQs.
Of course, this year, just like every other year, some very critical things still need to be discussed.
In the warm home, Rurik and Otto had already discussed the formal resettlement method for the captured people.
It was necessary to increase immigration to New Roseburg. Some of the native men's prime men had to move their families to the warmer New Roseburg to open up new farmland and settle there.
Especially for those debt slaves, the Duke of Ross controls the creditor's rights and has the right to arrange their future. Those debt slaves, almost all women and their children, had to immigrate to New Roseburg. As for marrying a new husband, Rurik remembered a group of 400 Slavic men who betrayed his farm and immigrated to New Roseburg. They had already made meritorious service in the war, and perhaps just a few silver coins and iron tools were too little. , then wouldn’t it be nice to reward them with a group of Varyag women as wives?
But the price is that generations must pay agricultural taxes and accept military conscription.
Otto did not object to these plans of Rurik, but he did not explicitly support them either. This was because Otto was quite agitated now. The spirits were still being distilled, but due to the extreme outdoor climate, the wine could not be transported.
Otto was still worried about one thing: "Rurik, we have to go to Ironburg when the snow stops."
"Winter hunting, I understand! We'll make another fortune doing it, and there's all that wood."
"Not just these. There are also merchants from Balmok, maybe they are already in the warm houses of Ironburg."
Balmok people? ! Rurik slapped his forehead and suddenly remembered the business trip of the Balmok tribe of Norwegian visitors from Narvik Port.
"Their salt is very good, and we should fully trade with them. There is also a new batch of mast wood. The quality of the northern fir is excellent. I was originally worried that the mast of the Avrola was fragile, but now it seems that I have more Think about it. There are still two large ships that have completed the hull construction, and only one mast is missing!"
Otto smiled: "I am indeed very concerned about this matter. Haha, next year we will have three Auroras."
"No! One of them has been named the Gouldot, and she was built at Gould's expense. The name of the other is yet to be determined."
"Oh, you have to think of a good name then." Otto subconsciously looked at the closed air door again and patted his old face that was heated by the bonfire: "The Kovin people from Ellenburg, and the Kovin people from the Oulu River. Men of letters, they have all completed their tribute. I, now just want to go hunting bears again. Listen, the warriors in bearskin actually scared Karl, it seems we need to organize a berserker in bearskin."
"It's not difficult." Rurik shrugged. He was reminded by his father, and he had a strong idea of hunting bears in his heart.
The snowstorm also ended on November 3rd of the Julian calendar, and it has been raging in Roseburg for more than a week!
The world has changed as a result, because the water in the Gulf of Bodnia has completely frozen, and ice packs bulging out due to sea surface tension have suddenly appeared.
In 831, a new winter arrived.
