The preliminary integration of statistical data has been completed. Even if further inspection of the huge number of wooden boards carrying data can make the data more accurate, the statistical results of the four thousand hectares of farmland are already certain.
The people of White Tree Manor all knew that Pine Needle Manor, which was once the strongest, had the most and the best acres. Rigus knew this very well, but the statistics he learned from his daughter Svetlana were so detailed that he was shaking.
Rigus has always acted submissive, but in reality he is just an old fox.
He secretly made a secret appointment with his son Medvet, who was the governor, and confessed his speculation: "The land in Rurik's hands is rich enough to feed the Russians. Obviously the tribute we will pay in the future will not increase. This is our opportunity to make a fortune." . I want you to clear up more land next year, cut down big trees, and expand new fields to the big lake. You can also lead people to dig more wells so that we can easily obtain water..."
Medved was impressed.
The Viking population in Rus had enough land to support itself, and Otto learned about this gratifying result from his son.
Otto did not laugh. He was regarded as the founder of a new era, but he actually lacked a systematic understanding of farming and had no concept of food production. He defaulted to a bumper harvest for farmers every year.
Otto was actually in a bad mood. The cold season had finally arrived.
Haze filled Novgorod, and the whole world was gray. The once slightly warm wind disappeared, and the north wind began to howl. It was like a knife, forcing people who wandered outdoors to hide in their homes.
Including chickens raised by local Slavic families, they have also rushed back to their hay-reinforced pens.
The north wind was howling outside, and it seemed like a heavy snow was approaching.
Rurik and his family members all stayed in the warm wooden lattice, and the completed wall became a complete barrier for the first time, greatly weakening the coldest wind and cold sweeping across Novgorod.
Every household burns charcoal in a clay stove for heating, so they don't have to worry about carbon monoxide poisoning. In fact, their houses are riddled with holes. There are countless small holes for ventilation, and the insulation effect is not strong.
The mansion of the Rigus family was still the Duke's palace. Otto regarded it as his home, and Rurik was very informal.
What complaint could Rigus have? On the contrary, he desperately hoped that Rurik could seize the time to get close to his little daughter. It would be best if his little daughter would have a big belly when spring came, so that his last thoughts in this life would be fulfilled, and he would have no regrets in this life.
It was another sumptuous grilled fish dinner. Otto sat casually on the wooden floor, picking his teeth with the fish ribs, and occasionally glanced at the leftovers on the table.
He glanced at the leisurely Rurik again: "It looks like the snow is about to fall. I'm afraid your mother and her party won't have a chance to arrive here. The fleet can only dock at Fort New Rose. It's a pity."
Rurik sat up slightly and said, "Dad, you are actually expecting Velika."
"Of course, that's your daughter, and I'm the one taking care of her. Look at the bad weather. Once the river freezes, my hope is shattered. I can only stay here and stare at your face until the ice melts... …”
Rurik couldn't help but laugh awkwardly: "That's not the case. They must be on their way here."
"Oh? Did you get a revelation?"
"Yes...yes. Be there soon!"
"Forget it, it's just a comforting word. Just keep lying down. In this bad weather, I just want to lie down."
The hazy and windy weather made people feel depressed. At this moment, the depths of the Gulf of Bothnia, the hometown of Roseburg, were already frozen, and the river near Elonburg further north was covered with thin ice. The situation in Novgorod is better, but the freezing process of Lake Ilmen has begun.
The Volkhov River is still flowing quietly during the dry season, and a huge fleet is moving upstream.
Niya arrived in this distant east for the first time with her granddaughter in her arms. She was already an old woman. She had recently visited New Roseburg in the Principality and was shocked by the regular roads, extremely flat Harvest Square and Nevsky Prospekt.
Velica, who inherited the name of High Priest Vilia, had a planned destiny to be Vilia's successor.
She is a little girl with brown hair, and her face is slightly flatter than other Ross girls, which makes her look a little different.
She is about to turn two years old and is the apple of her mother's and grandma's eye. As a grandfather, Otto also cherishes this child very much.
This was Velika's first time on a ship, and the ship she took was the Sperosvilia. There is a wooden sculpture on the bow of the ship, and there is a small box under it, which contains a lock of white hair of the late priest Vilia.
"My child, face the cold wind. You are not afraid of the cold or the sea..." Niya is willing to hold her granddaughter and stand on the bow deck of the ship, and is willing to watch her granddaughter's young hands touching the statue on the bow of the ship.
There seems to be a spiritual connection in the dark. The old priest Vilia, who turned into a Valkyrie, secretly gave her true successor, this little girl, some kind of divine power.
Like extreme longevity.
Indeed, the old priest Vilia died at an incredible old age. Her life witnessed the decline, wandering, and even the final rise of Rus. No one knows exactly what year the old priest was born. She must have died when she was eighty years old, so this little girl should also enjoy such a long life.
How does Villa know this?
The people in his hometown knew that the Duke was going to spend the winter in a better east, and it was inevitable that he would feel disappointed. This is inevitable! Everyone knew that Rose would immigrate to New Roseburg and warmer climes. The Duke and his son were in the east, and maybe they didn't plan to come back.
"What to do with this year's sacrifice! Why do I have to stay here to preside over the sacrifice in Roseburg." Rumia secretly cried, but she still had to give her crying daughter to her mother-in-law Niya with a smile.
Before the ice was frozen, the fleet entered Rossburg with a large amount of wheat from the East. The Balmoks who disembarked even shouted loudly, shouting at Rossburg that the Duke of Ross had achieved a new victory, and promoted the everlasting friendship with Ross.
The trip to Britain's Spuyut also yielded significant results. Although his territory was severely reduced, Northumbria's armless King Aenred paid tribute to the Viking conquerors.
Spyot completed the mission, and they did not encounter any obstruction from the Danes on their way back. The small fleet stuffed a batch of spring wheat into Rurik's warehouse. He came back earlier, rested for a while, and then went north again with his brothers who were exploring together. Because the permanent camp in Murmansk is about to usher in a feast of hunting walruses and looting walrus tusks. The group of them will wait until the world is covered with snow in Ironburg, and then they will take the prepared supplies and continue northward on the reindeer sleigh.
The second son of the Gould family, "Blue Fox", obtained another important information in Hedeby, Denmark. It was rumored that the exiled Horik Haraksson would soon return to Denmark with his Frankish army.
The boss of the Gould family, "White Fox", runs the family's old business. They hold the Western agency sales rights for the principal products of the Ross Principality. "White Fox" Snoleva took over his father's place, bringing with him the payment for goods and a large amount of plums. Oats produced near Lake Laren returned triumphantly to Roseburg.
This year's wheat harvest season is so special that the "White Fox" doesn't even need to go to the Birka Market on the massive Lake Mälaren to do business.
The Principality of Ross built Ironforge Town, a satellite city of Rossburg, near her hometown, and she started producing iron at the beginning of the year.
The new blast furnaces kept production going year-round, and the idle labor force throughout Roseburg found workers. Pig iron and bronze casting products have long met their own needs. Ross began to continuously sell iron products to the Swedes in the Lake Mälaren area, and the scale has exceeded before.
On Tombstone Island in the Åland Islands, located at the crossroads of the sea, the flag of Ross always flies from the towers of the wooden fortress.
Beneath the fortress is a burgeoning bazaar. The ships transporting Ross's metal, glass, and leather products first docked at Tombstone Island, and impatient Merlaren merchants were already waiting.
The Port of Tombstone Island clearly has the potential to eclipse the Swedish Port of Birka, and things are indeed developing like this. "White Fox" found that he can complete most of the transactions on Tombstone Island, which really saves a lot of time.
But there is Ross Trading Company in the port of Birka, where the main people are still selling wine. "White Fox" needs to dedicate manpower to continue to look after the trading company, which sells spirits, ale, fruit wine, and even flavored wine. The trading company is actually a wedge embedded in the core area of Sweden. Selling alcohol and negotiating large transactions with local businessmen are important tasks, and gathering intelligence is another task.
Times have been developing in a direction that is favorable to Ross. During the past harvest season, a team of more than 200 immigrants decided to leave the Hjelmalen tribe where they had lived for generations.
When someone decided to leave, there was really nothing Duke Wenderson could do to stop it. Among the immigrants were the Hjärmalen and Glan people. The strength of these small Swedish tribes was damaged again after the conquest of Denmark. Although the leader had the title of duke, it was equivalent to making a fool of himself. He did not have the qualifications at all. The Duke should have the strength.
All this is simply a conspiracy of the Russians!
The men who took in the refugees from Ostara took the young women away out of the goodness of their hearts, and now almost all of these women have given birth to two children.
In order to get more iron tools, the Yemalen people naturally wanted to buy cheaper Russian iron tools. Since the Russian people preferred wheat to silver coins, everyone took wheat with them to barter. They squeezed out their own agriculture in exchange for Rus' industrial products, and they were running a high trade deficit. All this is probably worth it. The Yemalen people need better and cheaper Ross iron tools, especially the high-priced buckwheat plows, to increase their agricultural output.
When they began to have close contact with each other, the news that the Duchess of Ostara had opened up a peaceful and pure land in the east deeply stimulated these Hjalmalen people.
They had known about this for a long time. For various reasons, it really took a lot of courage to abandon the fields they had cultivated and go to the unknown east.
Unexpectedly, the women in the family could no longer bear it. Hjermalen was not a home, and the Duke of Rus married the Duchess of Ostara to protect the last Ostara people.
Haven’t some people already given up everything and gone to the East?
This was the last man to marry a female refugee from Ostara. They were convinced of the power of Ross, so they sold their farmland, livestock, and poultry after the harvest season, took their wives, children, and food rations with them, and even invited their companions to immigrate with them. . They claimed to be Ostara people and rowed their own boat all the way to Tombstone Island. The original plan was to wait until spring to continue their operations.
Great luck has befallen this group of immigrants. A huge fleet will arrive in the East before the ocean freezes!
Rossburg, Elon Orava Fort, Fiskburg, Kovenstad, Narvik, Helminki, Tombstone Island Port, these cities directly managed or controlled by Ross, they all have their own Economy, even if the frozen sea blocks each other, each city can live independently.
And doesn’t the frozen world also provide a path? The large number of reindeer raised by Ross will pull the sleigh, allowing the cities to communicate with each other.
Rumia and the people who stayed behind watched the fleet set sail again on the ice-covered seaside. Her tears slowly dried up and sadness was written on her face.
The stationed Harozosun silently comforted the high priest of the principality: "Don't be sad, you will also go to the east soon. Rurik will definitely build a new temple in the east, which is why he wants to take Velika to the east."
Rumia nodded as if she understood something, and silently watched the fleet disappear into the undulating gray sea...
In the winter of Roseburg and its prosperity, the Duke's family took a group of servants to the East. The mines in Roseburg were still being excavated, the large and small furnaces were always emitting black smoke, the charcoal burners were working all the time, and a large number of pine trees were cut down.
The hulls of the two new Aurora-class battleships have been built, and the attached jibs have also been built. They are waiting to be pushed and pulled outdoors after the snowfall, and the giant sequoia trees in the north are in place to install the masts.
As for the Hotla family, who are masters of shipbuilding, the "Order" sent back by Rurik happened to contain requirements for the Hotla family.
They were originally masters at building Kirk (traditional cargo ships), but now they have accumulated a lot of experience in building high-speed sailboats.
There is no need for the Ross fleet to expand warships for the time being. On the contrary, there is a substantial increase in cargo demand, and a kind of armed cargo ships should be built intensively. It is used to transport cargo in peacetime and participate in battles in wartime. It is enough to install a torsion slingshot at the bow and stern of the ship.
Rurik's letters are very long, and they are mentioned in traditional industries such as metallurgy, shipbuilding, weapons, leather, glassware, soap, linen textiles, and glassware. Others had worn out their feet in Novgorod to measure the fields themselves, and they could not ignore the money-making industry in Rosberg's hometown.
His remote control command is very efficient now. After all, the Viking population of the Principality of Ross is very valuable. In the past, their Rossburg did not have enough labor positions and opportunities. Now, men, women and even children work year-round, and the gains are very considerable. economic benefit. They will not go against their own interests.
Rurik originally planned to have most of his family members and servants arrive in Novgorod this year to meet Otto’s retirement needs. There was more going on than he realized.
A group of old guys from the Second Flag Team who were supposed to go hunting in the north knew that the young men from the First Flag Team were plundering the squirrel resources near the lake. How could they not seize the opportunity to make a fortune? When they returned to their hometown, they took their young sons and even grandsons on the boat. It turned out that these cubs were also trained by Rurik. The next generation of Rus warriors should hunt in the new world to exercise their physical fitness under the guidance of adults.
As for the more than 200 immigrants who called themselves Ostarians, they landed on Tombstone Island and there was no way back. They boarded a large ship and successfully arrived at the magnificent New Roseburg.
Although very strange, the large group of newly arrived people came under the management of Governor Knusson as soon as they disembarked. The old guys of the Second Flag Team were brothers, and the Malaren Flag Team mixed in among them immediately wanted to go hunting in the unknown forest.
The guys who call themselves Ostarians meet the real Ostarians. It is strange. Now that the women have met and chatted with each other to confirm their identities, the real and fake Ostarians are now the real Ostarans. Tara people.
But the Duchess of Ostara is still in Novgorod.
The people of Ostara couldn't help but imagine that whether it was Carlotta or Ella, they were the wives and concubines of Duke Ross. They have all reached their age. Maybe when everyone sees this noble sister again next year, they will all have their bellies stretched out. At least the flying bull-head flag of the Ostara people could already gather as many as 600 people, including children.
Although the weather is cold and the sea and rivers are about to freeze, people who first arrive in New Roseburg will be impressed by the majesty of this city. The tall wooden walls refresh the new immigrants' understanding that a beautiful new life will begin here.
At the same time, there were no traces of the Ostara people in Sweden, and those who were related by family or marriage had gone to the East.
The main force of the fleet was anchored at the New Rossburg Pier. A small fleet crashed through the ice floes and rushed directly into Lake Ladoga. They continued to collide with the gradually thickening ice, and the Volkhov River, which ran almost entirely north-south, passed through the knife-like north. The wind blows all the way to the south.
The young Velica bathed in the north wind. She was a Rus and also had the blood of a deer herder. Since she is a race that is not afraid of wind and snow, she should face the cold.
Of course Niya would not let her granddaughter force herself to be strong. Bathing in the cold wind was a temporary act.
Velika can already speak some simple sentences and can walk quickly even if she is placed on the ground.
She grew up very fast, but as a father, Rurik had a lot of time to take care of his first child in the past two years. Even though Vilia was acting on instinct, her milky breasts begged her father to give her a good hug.
Little Lumi accompanied the high priest Lumia, and Saipolava went to Ironburg to reunite with her biological father for the winter.
Also on board the fleet were two of Rurik's female relatives, Princess Mary of Northumbria, who had a big belly and looked like she was about to give birth, and Norn, who came with musical instruments.
The Danish teacher John Ingvar, who was a Latin teacher, was a servant accompanying the team, and together with the maids from Britain, they had been on the boat for twenty days. Where was the end? John is wearing Russian clothes, with a small cross hanging around his neck. Even if he reaches the edge of the earth, he is willing to maintain his faith, maybe not absolutely. With his confused thoughts, he has evolved into a new person.
A small group of guards protect these nobles. Apart from the thickening of the ice, which is a threat along the way, fortunately, the Avora-class ships have bronze rams. They all have a certain degree of ice-breaking ability, which was unimaginable before.
The bulbous bow is the collision angle. It hits the thin ice and causes the whole cabin to clearly hear the squeaking sound. People who have become accustomed to it have forgotten their fear.
The fleet's appearance was sudden but reasonable, and Rurik's prediction finally received a realistic reply.
The hazy sky seemed like heavy snow would fall, and the wind rustled the pine forests on both sides of the river, which was a bit scary.
People who were forcibly cutting down trees saw the fleet in the distance, and the joyful news quickly spread to the city of Novgorod, which was almost in hibernation.
Who dares to curl up into a hibernating bear now?
However, many Russians dress up like a bear.
The capable mercenaries put on their battle armor and finally wrapped themselves in bear skin, with the bear's head as a helmet on their skull.
The Slavic flag team began to assemble urgently. Medway had trained the team for so long, and it was now time to welcome the nobles from afar!
The Slavic Flag Team, some old guys from the Second Flag Team, and the mercenary troops walked out of the city aggressively, and they stood in formation on the riverside of the dock.
The flag of Ross fluttered in the wind, and the ranks of Ross's warriors were as straight as pine trees.
At least Otto still has the strength to stand up and walk around. He is getting old. Now he has put on armor and bearskin. At first glance, he looks majestic. His outfit perfectly hides his aging core.
Rurik is dressed in pure white, and his wives and concubines are all furry. The white polar bear skin is also the perfect warm clothing.
Winter life originally meant boredom for the people of White Tree Manor, but now there is an event that makes everyone willing to come out even if it is cold.
Thousands of people stood by the river, and Rurik stood in the most conspicuous position. He took off his hat and looked north, letting his golden ponytail flutter in the wind. cold? It was cold indeed. But when I think of my mother and daughter coming here, I don't feel cold anymore.
The messenger's report was completely true. Soon after people gathered on the riverside, the large sails of the fleet became very eye-catching. The towering mast is flying the flag of Ross. This is the Sperosvilia. The unique statue of the god on her bow has made her identity clear early.
At the same time, Niya held her granddaughter and saw the crowd in the distance, and even saw at least twenty waving Ross flags.
"Child, your father is right there." Niya coaxed little Vilia, and pointed at the crowd with her somewhat withered hands.
"dad?"
"Yes! Dad."
"I, I want daddy."
Velika started getting excited, she had become heavy and Niya felt uncomfortable holding her for a long time. She was supported by Niya and stood directly at the hollow of the side railing. Her big eyes stared at the approaching crowd and seemed to be searching for them.
The big ship was already about to dock at the port. The Spellosvilia docked first, and the following sailing destroyer anchored on the spot.
It was an insight from the soul, and Velika saw her father.
"Dad! Dad!" The clear shouts almost drowned out the noise of the onlookers.
That's the daughter! A cute little girl with a ponytail like her own.
Rurik, who was standing on the trestle, hurriedly walked over, and his subordinates followed him carrying the seesaw. When the rocker was attached to the side of the ship, Rurik ran quickly onto the ship. He felt that he owed his daughter, so he held her in his arms.
What a heartwarming scene, the onlookers cheered, and the soldiers present beat their shields in unison.
It seemed like all this was prepared for little Velika.
