The twelve manor owners grabbed the barbecue and ate it tremblingly, eating and drinking together with a group of fighting madmen. They were afraid that the other party would suddenly have a whim, and their heads would be chopped off.
A calf was eaten until only its skeleton was left, and five oak barrels of wine were also consumed.
Are the Russians enjoying their happy life? The manor owners just wanted to go home and stay there, hoping to escape from this ghost place as soon as possible.
Rurik only drank a glass of ale. When many people were a little dazed, the only meat on the trailer was the cow skeleton, and the banquet should end here.
Those manor owners who were always vigilant were always ready for orders, and finally they waited for new orders from the young Duke of Ross.
"You manor owners, I see that you have been too cautious. Don't worry, I won't kill you. I can promise that as long as you remain surrendered, you will be rewarded."
reward? Is there still a reward?
They didn't have time to think carefully, or they couldn't think in this suffocating scene.
In fact, regarding the follow-up arrangements for these manor owners, Rurik boasted that the policies he has yet to implement will effectively solve the stability of the region.
He then announced: "You will spend the night here tonight. I have the most realistic arrangements for you and all the Novgorod nobles tomorrow. Come! Take them down to rest."
The armed guards appeared again, and they dragged the owners of the manor with their weak legs away. The banquet courtyard was filled with the laughter of the Russians...
"Keep drinking! Keep eating!" Otto shook his head and asked the guys to drink and dance. A group of manor owners who were in the way were asked to leave, and everyone could continue to eat and disperse.
Rurik didn't know how long the banquet lasted. He left the banquet early due to embarrassment and fell asleep. Those who stayed at the banquet, no matter how big their appetites were, were satisfied.
In the banquet hall, there was a man who was the best at drinking and the most daring to eat meat and wheat.
Medved was so excited. When he learned in advance about the reward given to him by his brother-in-law Rurik, his mind was filled with happiness.
He will gain great power, and even though this power may not be inherited by his own heirs, the supreme power of the Principality of Ross will definitely fall into the hands of his sister's son.
Sister Svetlana, she participated in the war and fought like a Valkyrie believed in by the Russians. She no longer looks like a Slav, but a Russian?
"It doesn't matter, they are all my sisters."
Medved has realized the power and privileges of being a relative and uncle, but his situation is limited. After seeing the strength of the Ross people, he just wants to rely on their strength to make his White Tree Manor more powerful.
To rule the whole of Novgorod on behalf of the Rus' people, like Vadim, the self-proclaimed prince whose life or death is uncertain?
"No, I will take care of this place on behalf of Ross, that's all. Don't make any undue thoughts, only good days are waiting for the people."
On the whole, the Slavic people on Lake Ilmen are xenophobic. They are a purely agricultural ethnic group and are most afraid of outsiders invading their land. But isn’t the White Tree Manor on the Volkhov River an external other to the Great Lake?
The xenophobic Slavs like Pine Needle Manor have been wiped out, the die-hard rebels have been purged, and the remaining people can only comply.
After thinking about this, Medved's first thought was to reconcile the relationship with the people on the lakeside. After a hundred years, the marginalized White Tree Manor is back with great power and the power of Rose!
White Tree Manor and his power were awarded by the Duke of Ross. He must be a good governor and manage this place on behalf of Rurik.
Medved eventually got drunk, and he essentially fought side by side with multiple Varyag tribesmen, and participated in many bloody battles with the Varyags upon arrival.
He was regarded by everyone as one of their own, and a group of men gathered together to drink and chat, naturally talking about fighting and plundering, and even happily talking about getting married and having children...
Some people have even begun to congratulate the Slav who is about to gain power.
Medved was not too complacent, as the body of the beheaded owner of the manor was still cold. Some things really cannot be said clearly. It was not a pity for those who were killed to participate in the rebellion, but it seemed that they were also killing chickens to scare monkeys. It was the brother-in-law who used the blood of these people to scare himself.
Some people fell asleep at the banquet until the cool breeze and noise in the early morning woke them up.
Rurik appeared in front of everyone again. His image was shared. He had a clean face and blond hair. He was really a capable and stylish young man.
In this era, life during leisure time was always full of boredom, and it seemed that the biggest entertainment was giving birth.
The Russian army stationed at the traditional Slavic farm did not receive an order to evacuate, and they were also asked not to attack other manors on their own initiative.
The army seems to be left hanging here, but in fact every Russian and Balmok is actively discovering the agricultural value here.
If you could farm the land and reap the benefits, who would go to sea and become a pirate every year? Even when it comes to fishing, the risk of catching fish in the sea is much higher than that of rippling on the lake.
They went into the woods to hunt, and some of them ran far away, and ended up seeing some new farms that they had never known before.
There was even an encounter between a Ross hunter and a farmer deep in the jungle. The awkward meeting scared the other party and ran away for his life with a wooden hoe.
When the news of the hunter's encounter with the strange farmer didn't come out, the soldiers of the White Tree Manor pointed out that he was the so-called "hidden man".
The Novgorod region centered on Lake Ilmen must have a population of 100,000. Rurik firmly believed that. As for the more than 20 farms scattered around the lake, the total population was actually not that large. The vast majority of people are definitely hiding. I'm afraid it's not that they mean to hide. It's just that the area is too vast and the Slavic immigrants have many obstacles. It's normal to build small settlements in the dense forest and live a closed agricultural life.
Want to collect those who are hiding? This must be done! Those people had to accept Rus' rule, but this troublesome job could be thrown to the Novgorod governor.
A lot of news reached Rurik's ears, and he saw the vast farmland.
Rurik got up early today to visit the farmland of his war leader. In addition to appreciating the trophies, he also inspected the local people's farming skills.
Look at the cleaned Pine Needle Manor. Their oat field nursery is in a mess, not as neat as the wheat seedlings of White Tree Manor that have been plowed and sown with a curved shaft plow.
This kind of land method is completely on the same level as those of the allied tribes on the shores of Lake Mälaren, except that the latitude of Lake Ilmen is further south and the accumulated temperature is high, making rough agriculture a relatively acceptable harvest.
But there is amazing room for improvement in agricultural technology, not only turning the soil with curved shaft plows, but also methods of manure and reed lake mud to fertilize the fields, and even irrigation. It’s just that these advanced technologies cannot be implemented immediately.
After the morning's inspection, Rurik was more determined to reward the twelve farm owners.
The big stick has been beaten, and they are all afraid of Rose's rights protection. Now you should reward it with carrots to make it virtuous and appease it.
If there were no "great men sent from heaven", the farmers on the lakeside could still be busy farming for hundreds of years. It would take too long for the local aristocracy to evolve into a country.
Now, the Novgorod region is already under the direct control of the Rus Principality, and the past strategy will be completely terminated today.
At noon, there was no banquet.
Twelve manor owners who were working hard, as well as three arrogant manor owners, Baishu, Calf, and Fisherman, were invited to the same house by Rurik.
Medvet and Svetlana were also here, where Rurik personally held a meeting with a group of local Slavs.
He was sitting on a leather cushion, with old Otto holding a patterned steel sword next to him. He was sitting here like a god, staring at the group of manor owners with sharp eyes, which represented the past.
Rurik stopped being polite. When everyone was here, he didn’t care about their faces. He said bluntly: "Since ancient times, we Russians have come here to ask for tribute every year. From this year onwards, everything has changed! I! Rurik, Duke of Rus, from now on Now the entire Veliky Novgorod will be directly classified as part of the Rus’ Principality, and Novgorod will always belong to Rus. You residents of the manor are now also new Rus’ people!”
New Rus? What does it mean? What does direct rule mean?
The owners of the manor looked at each other. They wanted to say a lot but didn't dare to speak.
Rurik made a sign, and Medved stood up. This man who followed the Russian army to eat meat and fish has now become very burly. If he were not fluent in Slavic, he would be a standard Varyag warrior standing here.
This son is the successor of White Tree Manor. After the old guy Rigus died, Medved became the owner of the manor.
If this person can be named by the Duke of Ross, he will definitely be useful.
"However, the residents of Veliky Novgorod have their own lives, and this Duke has undoubtedly forced you to change too much. Now, I appoint Medvet of White Tree Manor as the local governor, who will take charge of Veliky Novgorod on my behalf. All matters. You must support Medved’s work, and I will restrain him from doing anything inappropriate..."
Rurik spent some time explaining, and the twelve nervous people were all listening. Even the leaders of Baishu, Calf, and Fishermen were listening.
Rigus, he is very happy that his eldest son can hold this important position. It seems that Medved used the authority of the Ross people to make the White Tree Manor gain hegemony in this lake area? No, this is not the case.
The monarch appoints a governor to rule. This is an invention in Northern and Eastern Europe. Even in the Frankish Kingdom, the concept of a governor has not existed since the collapse of Western Rome.
The governor defined by Rurik is actually an extension of the old word "war chief". As for these manor owners, they were also awarded a new title, namely Bjorn, or boyar, who "defends the monarch" Powerful people”.
The fifteen manor owners in this house have all received the title of boyar, or big landowner or squire. This word is a standard Varyag vocabulary. With this title, it was Rurik who announced to them that all The owners of the manor are all the Duke's guards and are directly responsible to the Duke's family.
The boyar's power is recognized and protected by the duke, and the boyar must also perform various duties to the duke.
As for Medved, he was first a boyar nobleman and then an appointed governor.
If Medved does not do well, the other boyars have the right to make suggestions to the Duke. Medved does not have all the power. He only has great power in collecting taxes on behalf of the Duke. The rest of the affairs should be decided by the boyar nobles of each farm at a meeting.
Do most matters need to be discussed by everyone? Isn’t this a return to the old tradition of the past?
People with keen political senses smelled the hidden interests and the implementation of Duke Ross's favor. Just when others were confused, they suddenly raised their heads.
"We at Redwood Manor fully support the Duke's resolution. We support Medved as governor, and we will continue to pay tribute to Ross as agreed."
Someone started, and those who were hesitant immediately started to follow.
The owners of each manor made positive statements one after another, fearing that future generations would be persecuted by the Russians.
Are they really supportive? Rurik felt that the support of the owner of the Redwood Manor was sincere, and most of the others were also sincere. After all, he was indeed giving favors and benefits.
They have no choice.
Old Otto was laughing, and all the Russians present were laughing. This was a confident smile. They saw that a large group of local Slavic nobles were scrambling to beg the Rus to rule. In the past, this group of guys only had fear and reluctant expressions on their faces.
No, another smart flatterer just dropped to the ground and crawled in front of Rurik like a lizard.
"Pine Needles Manor has used vicious methods to gain hegemony. Ross is the best mediator. Ross eradicates the guilty. We once fought with each other, and now, the great Duke of Ross has finally brought us peace. We welcome Ross's rule. .”
Rurik listened carefully, why did these words sound so familiar?
ah! Isn't this history?
"Their history books record that Chief Rurik and a thousand warriors mediated the melee of the Novgorod people, unified the place as arbiters, and founded the Principality of Northern Rus. A thousand warriors? The first and third A thousand warriors of the banner? I am Rurik, I am indeed the mediator, the arbiter, and the prince." The more Rurik thought about it, the more interesting he became.
The process of history has taken the right path again in the East. Perhaps this is the inevitable destiny.
"Which manor are you the leader of?" Rurik asked.
"Azabu Manor. My name is Msti Vadysiewicz. Sir, we are good at growing hemp and making burlap."
This person is indeed flattering, and his flattery methods are also clever, and he actually recommends his own specialty. Rurik's eyes lit up, because this lake area is indeed easier to grow flax than Lake Mälaren in the north, and there are indeed masters of flax weaving here.
I'm afraid it's not just that. Each manor has its own specialties. I'm afraid that the manors around Lake Ilmen have already achieved economic complementarity. As long as they are supported and utilized, the local area will definitely explode into the powerful productivity of ancient times.
The realization of their industrial potential is something that will come later. At present, the fundamental support for the life of these manors is the land.
The Principality of Rus directly rules here in order to stably obtain the output of wheat, hemp, and leather.
They were all announcing that they would pay tribute, that is, taxes, in strict accordance with the Duke's regulations.
It is the tax issue that is the most fundamental issue in this meeting.
Rurik ordered them all to be quiet and solemnly announced: "I will start a tithe tax on you. I will send people to count your acres. This project will be completed this year. What is a tithe tax? The output of a piece of farmland, One-tenth is the tax paid to Rus. How much tax you pay has nothing to do with your population, only the area of farmland! Oats, rye, wheat, and flax are all taxed at a tenth rate."
The imperial grain national tax is the mainstay of the current tax revenue of the Principality of Rus. In other words, in the tribal era of Rus, asking for food from the Slavs was the predecessor of collecting food taxes. Now, under Rurik's definition, grain is a general equivalent with monetary attributes.
But the territorial economic model of Ross is essentially diversified. It is a civilization, so the civilization of the Principality of Ross is now advancing both by sea and land. For these pure Slavic farmers, not only should they collect food taxes, they should also enter the forest to capture wild animals.
They captured a number of squirrels, sleds, sables, weasels or other large and small beasts year after year. Rurik stipulated that each manor should produce one thousand squirrel skins every year, and one hundred skins per year for rare ferret skins.
Given the current ecological situation, rare leather animals can still be seen everywhere, so Rurik felt that his request was not a big problem.
This is just a mandatory requirement for taxation. When he explained that he would come up with a price that everyone accepted (market price) and purchase additional surplus grain, honey, dried fish, various leathers, woodware, pottery, etc., all the manor owners were happy.
Those Varangian merchants come occasionally, but the Russians come here every year. In the past, they hardly did business and only thought about taking money.
Now, Duke Rurik of Rus is indeed different from his father.
Rurik's promise went beyond that. He announced again: "I will build a trading place here and openly sell iron farm tools, salt, gems and other goods to all your estates."
Trade is the most popular thing, and if trade is stable, the Duke of Ross will be a true saint. Even if the price of the transaction is higher, or the price is not an issue, what Veliky Novgorod lacks most is a stable trading place.
Rurik's favors continued.
"I will immediately sell a batch of iron farm tools to all of your estates, and you can immediately use your surplus grain to buy them. Since this year's situation is too special, I declare that this year only, I will exempt you from taxes this year!"
They were all dumbfounded, including Otto, who understood these Slavic sentences and immediately questioned them.
The Russians were complaining that Rurik was too merciful, and the Slavs couldn't believe it.
Rurik declared firmly: "This year, Novgorod is tax-free! My Duke, my order is absolute. This is my gift to you. Listen, I can promise that you will live under the direct rule of Rus It will get better and better. Your era of peace has arrived."
A wonderful era of peace has arrived?
Yesterday, the estate owners witnessed the gruesome killing of the remnants of the rebellion. Today they leave with the title of Boyar Nobility.
Rurik said that showing kindness is showing kindness. He let these people go and also gave them a batch of wooden and iron farm tools captured from Pine Needle Manor.
Even, these twelve manors were given a great privilege - to take out the remnants of the five manors who assisted in the rebellion.
These manor owners have the right to carve up the women and children of those manors and divide their population into their own to enhance the strength of their manor. Their property could be plundered, and only the ownership of farmland was vested in the Duke of Ross.
Will this arrangement make the three Conglong estates jealous, and will it make the Ross and Balmok people complain?
Indeed, Rurik observed this sentiment, but the complaint was quickly put to rest. Because the largest farmland belongs to the Duke of Ross, the small family of Ross can own these property rights, and still follow the old rules of opening up wasteland in New Rossburg. The grain and farm tools are provided by Rurik, and they should provide taxes! It's just that the property rights of these lands still belong to the Duke family of the Principality of Ross.
The so-called newly opened land belongs to the developer, and will be taxed according to regulations in the future. The farmland that was looted after the rebellion was completely private property of the Duke family.
As long as the Russians become farmers, they must pay tithe. They are all smart people. After a little calculation, they know that being a farmer is a very profitable business.
During the busy farming season, he was cultivating and harvesting goods. At other times, he was not fishing by boat, or even conquering the world with the Duke. Just like the traditional Danish life, spring planting and autumn harvest, farmers turn into fishermen and even pirates in the warm summer. It's just that the farmland and geographical environment that the Russian men are about to master are much better than the Danes.
