When Rurik arrived at the river dock, Arik had already taken people off the boat.
Kartenaka, the elderly female leader of Vips, determined the size of the great lake for the first time. She was on the south bank of the lake and entered a large river with a boat. She saw the towering walls along the river and the endless water world in the west. It was the first time she saw a walled city. If it weren't for the activities of a large number of people, it would be difficult to believe that this was actually a human habitation.
She got off the boat with anxiety and curiosity, and felt uneasy when she stepped on solid ground.
Many blond women gathered around, many people wearing headscarves, and even many children running around laughing and joking to join in the fun.
Is this the home of the Rus? Not all of them were strong warriors, but there were also a large number of women and children.
Kartenaka felt that he had lived for sixty years, but he didn't know that such a powerful group existed in the south of the Great Lake. If you look carefully, they are not that scary.
The female leader knew nothing about the life of the Ross people. She immediately tried to get some news from Taravis, and then she tightened her grip on the young man's arm.
Taravis could feel the fear of the old lady: "This is the first time I met the Russians...the city of the Russians. It's normal for you to be afraid."
"I want to see your leader, and I want to have a good chat with him."
"Be careful, our young leader is here. Don't be afraid, the leader is a good young man."
Young leader? Maybe a great young talent. If the leader of Ross is really a good person and the Vips people can be peaceful servants in the future, life will be as stable as in the past. One of the main purposes of her coming was to ask the ruler of Rus how much peace and stability was worth.
The group of them waited near the shore first, and more and more people came to watch. The Ross soldiers who came back early were already chatting and laughing with the brothers stationed there.
The net bag hung by the human-powered crane at the dock had been extended to the parked ship. Onlookers saw a large amount of bundled leather being taken out of the cabin, thrown into the net bag and quickly landed on the shore.
It was all high-quality leather, and the long and plush tail proved that it was a bundle of fox skins.
The onlookers' eyes were wide-eyed, and their minds were controlled by reason. Everyone simply envied Arik's victorious armed reconnaissance. No one dared to step forward to rob it. There was a buzz at the pier, and the onlookers were whispering to each other. Some people claimed that Arik had brought his brothers. A great victory had been achieved, and even more exaggerated claims were being circulated that the Karelians had been directly defeated by the brave Arik.
Karelia was defeated, only partially.
Arik and Jevlo met, and they bumped into each other.
Yevlo was still leaning on a piece of cloth with his forehead tied. He shook his black hair and said happily: "Haha, some brothers speculated that you have won. I saw your large captures, and the Karelia people have failed. .”
"They failed and I destroyed their sacrificial center."
"Oh? There is such a feat?" Yevluo was surprised. To be honest, he was envious of such a victory and wished he could complete this feat himself.
"That's true. We have also made major seizures and discovered new servants." Arik twisted his neck and motioned for his men to push the female leader of the Vips over.
The old lady was leaning on a cane. She glanced at a black-haired warrior cautiously, and an inexplicable sense of intimacy arose spontaneously.
"Is it her?" Jevro asked.
"That's her, the leader of the Veps. My friend, I remember you are a Suomi, maybe you know."
Jevro shrugged: "You also know that I was kidnapped by the Danes when I was a child. I am a Suomi, but... whatever..."
Although Jevro did not know the Vips, the latter knew the name of the Suomi people.
The Suomi people were dissatisfied with Karelia, and the two sides had a history of fighting. Kartenaka took the initiative to ask, and Javlo immediately responded in Old Finnish. There is no exchange between the Vips and the Suomi. Since the Karelians are the common enemies of both sides, the two sides have prerequisites for cooperation.
Jevro did not hesitate to make his status among the Suomi people clear. He was a top Suomi noble, a subordinate and close comrade-in-arms of Duke Ross.
This explanation immediately calmed the anxiety of the female leader.
But things really made Yevlo feel strange. This was not the discovery of the Vips. He approached Arik and asked with a malicious smile: "People say that you are a decisive person in killing, but you didn't wipe out the entire Vips." Si tribe. You obviously can!"
"Yes. However, their women are too enthusiastic, and their men are also loyal dogs. I am not stupid enough to attack the servants." Arik spoke with an awkward smile, and Jevro guessed that the matter was not that simple.
Telavis, who knew the whole story well, simply did not participate in the chat between the two. He raised his head and looked along the sudden commotion in the crowd, and saw Rurik himself arriving.
"It's the Duke, he's coming!"
Rurik arrived. The young Duke's rolled-up sleeves were covered with dust, his forehead was covered with sweat, and the clothes on his body were still mixed with a lot of wheatgrass and bran.
The noble Duke personally participated in the autumn harvest. The conquered Slavs who settled in New Roseburg naturally felt that this was a close relationship with the people. Many people who were originally from the bottom of the Rus tribe also felt that Rurik cared about everyone the most, but many people still thought that A noble duke should not engage in these menial jobs. A noble man must be pampered.
Indeed, the emperor of Zhou must also act in accordance with the ritual and music system. Even if some actions can be said to be close to the people and considerate of the lower nobles, the emperor has an honor that cannot be desecrated, and doing these things is a self-denial of that honor.
Rurik didn't want to isolate himself from the people. When the principality was founded, there were many obstacles waiting to be revitalized. Even if it was just a show, he had to show it off in front of the people.
Rurik was indeed putting on a show, but in fact there was a reason to kill boredom.
He held up a wooden flail and pounded the stacked oat straws. Only by pounding continuously could the oat grains wrapped in the bark of the bent wheat ears be broken out. This is the characteristic of European husked oats. If you want to eat new wheat, you have to work hard to thresh it first.
When he met the supreme leader of the Rus people for the first time, Kartenaka couldn't believe that the leader was actually the young man in front of him.
Arik chatted happily with his brother, first briefly describing his conquest of the Vips and the attack on the Karelian Bear Altar. These things were said in a big way, and the gray-haired old lady in front of him immediately attracted Rurik's attention.
The dock is indeed not a place for discussion.
Rurik was surprised that his brother was actually soft-hearted now. No matter how soft-hearted he was, Ross would have an additional tribe of servants, which would not be helpful to the beauty of the principality.
Kartenaka was allowed to enter the walls of New Roseburg. She looked around and saw a large number of wooden houses, flat roads, and a particularly spacious piece of land with certificates!
Harvest Square is not big, in fact it is not small either.
Rurik designated an area nearly the size of a standard football field, which should be paved with stone floors or even a layer of cement to make it extremely flat.
The actual conditions were that he could not complete this feat within a few years, but the entire site was pounded and the soft land was pounded hard, making it an unprecedented threshing floor.
This is Harvest Square, where thousands of people thresh grain, and in the future New Roseburg’s oats will be threshed and even dried here.
Kartenaka knew wheat, and when she was on the boat, she saw acres of farmland near the river. Unfortunately, the Vips do not have the ability to farm, so they can only live by raising deer, hunting, and fishing.
She was the literal Grandma Liu who entered the Grand View Garden. A Nordic city continued to rise, and the current scale of the city deeply shocked a female chief of a forest tribe.
She had already made her own judgment: the Russians were far superior to the Karelians.
A huge wooden house lies in front of you. It is said that this is the place where the Russians discuss important matters?
The Karelians also have similar buildings, but obviously the Russians are superior in terms of scale and structure.
The Duke's Palace in New Roseburg and the Rose Duma are too generously built, but that's fine. Standing under the massive and generous buildings, individual people will feel their own insignificance and naturally have a sense of awe.
Rurik actually wanted to build taller buildings, not only his own palace and the Rus Duma, which served as the parliamentary court. As New Roseburg continues to develop, the shipping business here will become more and more developed, which will require a particularly tall tower head, not only as an observation tower, but also as an oil pan to be lit at night to serve as a lighthouse.
Urban construction still needs to be done. The concrete floor of Harvest Square needs to be laid, and the wooden city walls must give way to solid stone. This is still work in the future.
Who are the Veps?
Rurik wiped his face and washed his hair, changed his clothes, and wore jewelry, gold ornaments, and noble furs to meet his returning cousin and the female leader of the Vips.
In Ross Dumane, all the generals of the Ross army are here.
With so many tough people present, Kartenaka was uneasy and trembling all over.
Rurik was not in a hurry to talk to the old woman, because everyone urgently needed to hear the report on the results of Arik's armed investigation.
This was a wonderful report, and Arik's words directly explained why there were so few people and ships returning. He really implemented the consistent style of the Principality of Ross, taking control of the new areas he conquered and developing them into new territories.
The name Bear Altar no longer exists; her Norse name is Bjornvistad, the Bear Festival Town. According to the Slavs, it is Medvetramskoye.
The meaning of the settlement has not changed. Since it is a place where bears are sacrificed, the Rus can still follow suit.
However, the Rus people would sacrifice bears to Odin there.
Everyone reached a consensus in an instant. Rurik couldn't hold back the joy in his heart and praised: "Brother, your victory is too insulting to them, so they will definitely attack in groups."
Arik smiled, very proudly: "Isn't this what we all want? A decisive battle with the Karelians, so that your heavy weapons can be used."
The generals are gearing up, and the decisive battle that everyone dreams of seems to be close at hand.
There are three hundred brothers staying at the Bear Sacrifice to build the Bear Sacrifice Town and explore the surrounding environment. No one thought that they would be in danger. If the enemy couldn't stand the humiliation and suddenly invaded the border with a large army, the remaining troops could only take a boat to avoid it for the time being.
Arik reported a very interesting piece of information, which is that the Karelian people's water power is indeed poor. They are just some canoes. They are not qualified as fishing boats, so how can we talk about water wars? The Russians had the advantage of ships, so they could advance, attack, retreat or defend.
However, the actual situation was more favorable to the Ross army. Regarding a waterway leading to an inland lake, the remaining troops only became aware of it after being attacked by Karelian scouts. Arik did not know about this.
The biggest result of the attack on the Bear Altar was the capture of an astonishing number of deer. A batch of deer were given to the Vips who led the way and participated in the battle. Rurik was very satisfied with his cousin's approach.
How many deer are there? Three thousand? !
The army stationed at the Bear Altar still has 3,000 deer? !
When this number was brought out, Rurik and others were shocked, and then fell into ecstasy.
"Brother, I am not greedy. The high-quality leather and most of the deer are yours." Arik said in front of everyone.
Arik himself didn't care, but unexpectedly, these words really made Rurik a little embarrassed. Although the monarch has the right to get the most spoils, but...
The cousin also had good intentions. Rurik raised his head and corrected him loudly: "This is not just mine, it belongs to the Principality of Rus. Just like the central granary in the city, it is food for all of us! It was Odin who gave me the qualification. Come Managing our wealth.”
Arik shrugged: "As you wish. Brother, this is my experience. The brothers who stayed behind are still waiting for the army to arrive. Now, about the female leader of Vips."
The topic has changed and Rurik no longer hesitates.
Although this is an old lady, since she is the female leader of Vips, she has obtained a formal relationship of surrender. As the monarch, Ryuri should maintain her inviolable dignity.
"Someone let her kneel down in front of me!" Rurik ordered.
After a moment, Kartenaka, who put down her crutches, knelt down and stated her servant's intention in her own language.
Everything was just a formality until now, and Rurik already regarded the Vips as his new servant force. But he was also surprised when he asked about the population of the other party.
Only six or seven hundred people? Just a few people? !
This kind of micro-tribe can only develop stably if it relies on strong people, but this kind of surrender will not be very loyal. They clearly follow each other, which is actually the wisdom of a small tribe to survive.
But they were really smart. Knowing that they could not defeat the Russian army, they surrendered instantly and used various means to serve the new conquerors.
Are they born slaves?
Not really. Used well, it is an excellent servant army and an excellent labor force. Since they have seen the power of the Russian army, they don't need the "big stick" and can use some "carrots" to make use of it.
Kartenaka was favored by Rurik to sit down, and the old lady immediately sat down on a deerskin cushion.
After all, she is an old lady whose days are numbered. No matter how strong she is, the chance of her life lasting another ten years is slim. The Vips should have a new leader, or rather a lord.
Who is suitable to be the lord of the Vips? The answer is already there.
Rurik motioned to Terravis to come to the stage and ask him to sit down.
"Taravis, your fate is that you will not be able to inherit the leader of the Gray Squirrel tribe, let alone be the governor of Ironburg. Saipolava's son will inherit these titles." Rurik deliberately explained these things, and this matter is very important. Lavis already knew that.
Rurik changed the topic: "I just heard that the granddaughter of the leader of the Vips is already your woman. Is she a very good woman? Very good! You will be the leader of the Vips, and your heirs will be hereditary. You , do you have any other requirements? If so, I will try my best to meet them."
Things were a bit sudden, and after a second thought, Taravis thought that this might be the best destination for him.
He is not stupid and knows that he cannot make undue demands, but there are some things that he does not say out loud because he feels really uncomfortable.
Ask yourself, he was the one who persuaded Arik not to kill first and then follow up. It was he who persuaded the Vips to surrender with just one word. Now he is the hereditary leader of the Vips. It is really a good thing. There are some things that Tyravis will never tell Rurik in his heart. He is secretly happy with this arrangement.
There was only one request. He hesitated and said: "The suffix of Orava must be added. Vips must add the suffix of Orava."
Rurik found it interesting when he heard it and said with a smile: "You still can't forget the squirrel. Vipsarava. That's fine, whatever you want."
"Your Majesty the Duke is wise!"
"Very good! Then when we wipe out Karelia, we will have to live in Vips." Rurik turned around and asked the female leader: "You can basically understand the language I speak, and I can also guess it. Many of your customs. Do you have any objections to him being your new leader?"
Kartenaka was extremely excited: "I do! Taravis is the best boy."
"Very good. From now on, Terravis will be the hereditary leader, Count Vips, and his descendants will be hereditary."
It would be great if everyone has no objection to arranging Terravis in this way. Rurik secretly rejoiced that he had solved a potential trouble. Terravis, the Kovin man, had become the noble leader of another tribe, so he would not covet the status of his sister's heirs in the future. Terravis will make a cut with the Corvin people, and will also lead the Vips people to develop quietly on the west coast of the great lake.
The Vips have surrendered, and the new nobles have completed their canonization. The Principality of Ross has the obligation to ensure the safety of the Vips. Rurik has sworn that he will not bully all the Vips, and the other party has the right to come to New Ross Fort in accordance with the rules of the Principality of Ross. Ayutthaya trade, just like the rights enjoyed by other subjects.
So, what's the cost?
The price is that when the Duke calls out his troops for war, the Vips will send troops to fight. The Vips were also required to pay tribute every year. Due to their population size, Rurik decided to ask for tribute based on the rules previously set for the Kovin people. That is, twenty fawns and a thousand squirrel skins every year are gone.
With the current production efficiency of the Vips, Rurik could not imagine what more wealth they could provide. This scale of tribute will continue for many years, and tax increases will be raised when the population expands.
Is that all? Kartenaka was quite surprised. Did the Russians not ask for slaves?
Since the young leader of the Ross people only had this request, she was afraid that her stupid question would arouse the other party's greed, so she just agreed and did not dare to ask anything else.
Rurik indeed had no intention of asking for slaves from the Vips, and even such "talking animals" almost did not exist in the Principality of Rus in the current era. Rurik tried his best to rule all the conquered tribes in a harmonious way, obtain benefits through regular taxes and tributes, and obtain more tax revenue in the future by giving and selling advanced production and living tools. The so-called development problems should be solved through development, and forcing those who surrender to be slaves is a waste of money in general rationality. Rurik did not want to force out a Khmelnytsky.
The appearance of the Vips was purely an accident, and they should be rewarded for leading the way.
The old lady Kartenaka was dressed in rags. She was also a female leader after all. Rurik gave her a beautiful Slavic-style patterned gown and a well-sewn white fox fur hat.
These rewards and the "very small" share of tribute, the former Karelia chiefs were greedy, and the young Duke of Rus was the good guy.
In the court of the Rus Duma, the old lady was so moved that she secretly shed tears. She saw the majestic city, a large number of ships, an astonishing number of brave warriors, and the declaration of the Duke of Rus. She was convinced that she was about to witness Karelia. With the destruction of A, the peaceful days of the Vips will also come. As for the tributes, they are nothing compared to what the Vips can get.
