After the snow melts, the forest is full of mud, and only the flat areas around the lakeside can quickly dry out.
The snow melted faster than Rurik expected, and the continuous good weather brought the nighttime temperature back above freezing.
The spring warmth defeated the cold in a few days, Lake Ilmen had thawed, the Volkhov ice had thinned and shattered, and the once-frozen Aurora was now thawed.
This old ship had an oak bottom, and there were some traces of ice friction on her waterline. She was scarred by hard work, but she still sailed smoothly.
When everyone saw that the river was full of drifting water, according to the traditional experience of the local people, as long as there was no rainfall, a large number of fields around the lake could be cultivated in up to seven days.
There were a large number of modified curved shaft plows on a flat ground. Looking at them, Old Ligus was eager to see them and couldn't wait to use them.
This old guy was as curious as a child. There was nothing unusual about the plowshare. He just focused on the funnel-shaped structure mounted on the back.
"Put the seeds in and let them drip down slowly like an hourglass. How clever!"
His praise really surprised Rurik, and he smiled and said: "It does look like an hourglass. Since you know about hourglasses, no one has tried to modify it?"
These words immediately confused Ligus.
Just like the steam wheel toy was invented a long time ago, it took two thousand years for the steam engine to actually become a thing.
There is a columbine behind the plow, and the spout of the columbine that goes deep into the ground has a controllable partition for adjustment, and there is a baffle at the end to cover the soil.
These modified plows belong to the property of the entire White Tree Farm. Just like the surveying and statistics of the field conditions last year, Rurik fully understood their economic structure - the most critical farm tools are shared by everyone, and everyone works together to cultivate the autumn harvest.
Rigus is an old man, and his status is naturally the noblest in the farm. In fact, he has been a farmer all his life, but now he has no strength to cut wheat in his old age.
The onlookers realized its beauty and immediately discussed the spring plowing plan.
Rurik even directly smeared the paper with rosin gum and posted the so-called "Agricultural Scripture" in a public place, so that anyone who knew one of the texts could know the farming rules provided by the prince, and then spread it by word of mouth.
Spreading indiscriminately means sowing randomly, relying on probability to basically utilize the entire farmland.
Maybe they should upgrade to on-demand mode first, which would be more efficient in terms of land utilization, but also consumes a lot of energy. The use of new agricultural tools will be directly upgraded to drilling mode, achieving the ultimate cost-effectiveness of sowing under current technical conditions.
After transforming all the plows, Rurik did not ask for "technical fees" from them. Technology is the primary productive force and when used now, it must have immediate results.
The Conglong people of Baishu Manor are very sharp-eyed. The Duke improves farm tools for everyone and pays the craftsmen. He is a good man. It is reasonable to pay more taxes.
Rurik can indeed benefit in a short period of time. Now he still has as many as fifty curved shaft plows in his hands, most of which have been transformed.
Even Carlotta's Ostara team had twenty of them, so she didn't have time to modify them. It didn't matter, she already had the significant "Agricultural Scripture" manuscript in her hand, with a few pieces of paper strung together by twine and simply framed as a book. She copied the book herself, and the contents were like a stamp of thought that was deeply ingrained in her mind.
The land within the wall has returned to dryness, and the surrounding fields have entered a relatively humid state.
There is little precipitation in Lake Ilmen in April in the Julian calendar, and heavy rains may occur in May.
However, the overall rainfall in this area is low. Effective precipitation is mainly concentrated from early October to January of the following year in the Julian calendar, and most of it falls as ice and snow.
Relying on Lake Ilmen, Volkhov River, Lovaj River and Msti River, although the latitude of the area around Lake Ilmen is high, oat-type agriculture does not lack water nourishment.
The people who were ready to go were full of confidence under the continuous good weather. In order to further inspire people, Rurik specially held another meeting.
Novgorod Rus Dumane was crowded, with more than 200 people gathered there. They were local farmers, the first batch of permanent Russian immigrants and representatives of the Ostara people.
They remained quiet and listened to the prince's decision.
"According to the plan, we will start spring plowing in two days. This is a major event for all Varangians and all Slavs to jointly act! We now have the best agricultural tools and the most intelligent farming methods. Now that the fields near the lake are dry, We must complete the task in this warm and rainless period.
We will start operations in different regions and follow the previous plan. Friends, I will farm a field near the city with my wife. I will be a farmer myself. This autumn I will eat wheat grown by myself. "
The Slavs felt really comfortable when the prince described it like this. They felt that Rurik and themselves had become the same person. Maybe he knew the hardships of farmers by personally cultivating and harvesting, and could give everyone better strategies.
He changed the topic and looked at the young people in the first flag team, especially his cousin Arik.
"The river near the old Pine Needles estate is called Mstisk, and I decided to call the new settlement Mstisk, according to local parlance."
Arik said cheerfully: "Then according to what we say, his name is Msstistad. It's just a name, it doesn't matter."
"Very good. Brother, just farm according to the method I provided. I will send my wives and concubines to help you and demarcate the land according to the contract. I am also ready to grow food."
"Very good. But there must be a large piece of land there. You won't really let it be abandoned? I'm actually very worried about that..."
"The ships transporting wheat and grain from my hometown? It doesn't matter. Let the extra land be abandoned for the time being. If they delay the time, I will plant onions and hemp stalks. I won't lose money no matter what..."
After going back and forth, they reiterated their plans for farming, and finally the words came to the people of Ostara.
Although Carlotta is his wife and concubine, she is also a high-ranking leader.
Rurik was not worried about them, and had nothing to say, so he gave his final condolences: "Carlotta, I will transport you by boat to the mouth of the Lovaj River and give you 500 reindeer. To develop freely. If you need help, come to the north shore of the lake for help."
She nodded, moved to tears.
According to Slavic etiquette, a large number of people gathered towards the lake.
The flotilla headed forward was led by the restored Aurora, the largest ship in tow for all the oar-laden longships. Her cabin was filled with oats, which were grown as grain.
Rurik arrived at the agreed shore of the lake ahead of others, and took his wives and concubines along the rope net to get off the boat and complete the landing.
The world that was once covered with silver light has returned to dark green. If you look closely, you will see that the branches are struggling to sprout.
Looking at the land again, the grass has sprouted.
A large dark area appeared before his eyes.
"This is the previous altar, and the fire tower has turned into black coals on the ground!" Svetlana was quite surprised by the strange traces after the sacrifice, and asked casually: "Are we going to build a fire tower this time?"
"That's not necessary, we are doing this as a routine matter."
Some specific time nodes and the eve of major events are used to offer sacrifices to calm people's hearts. Baishu Manor will offer sacrifices to the God of Spring and Agriculture every year. The local priests did not describe a clear image of the gods, but the foreign Rus provided real gods.
Rurik wanted to worship Fredya here. Legend has it that he was the god in charge of labor and production, so the sacrifice was timely.
This is a sacrificial activity unique to almost all Varyag people, and all the Norse-speaking populations in the region come here in various forms.
The sacrifice was carried out in a lively atmosphere. Rurik's wives and concubines were dressed in plain clothes and wore crowns of fresh green buds. A handful of oatmeal was buried in the altar and became the key to the ritual.
"The gods bless us! God Frega protects us! The Russians are standing here, please give us a good harvest..."
The fierce warriors galloping on the ocean will turn into farmers carrying scythes. They have not given up on their past bravery, but have added new skills to their inherent bravery.
The first group of Varyag settlers, totaling more than a thousand people, completed their sacrifices, and various Slavic farms scattered around the lake were also doing their spring festivals.
The crowd began to disperse, running to different areas with their luggage. The men of the First Flag Team rushed to the old Pine Needle Manor under the leadership of Arik. Rurik sent a surveying team composed of wives and concubines, carrying the contract documents and surveying tools, to delineate the world of each household while sowing seeds. .
All the ships in Novgorod were gathered together, and the Ostara people of Carlotta took the boats with various people and rushed to the Lovady River in the south of the great lake. New Ostara officially began her construction. .
A huge and prosperous picture of spring plowing has been revealed.
The whole of Novgorod was busy, and the new farm tools were immediately put into use.
The city has basically become a city for the people of the White Tree Manor. This situation will soon change greatly with the immigration of a large number of Russians.
Rurik took a fancy to a private field that belonged solely to the Ligus family. It was just a field with a length and width of about 20 meters each.
This is the land he chose to cultivate personally. It is small in area but of the most important significance.
Rurik wanted to show off that he was working hard personally, to show everyone who knew what he said was true, and even turn it into a drama that would last year after year.
This is the emperor's "two acres and three thirds of land". The emperor cultivates it himself to show his subjects, who are mainly farmers, that the monarch attaches great importance to agriculture.
A hemp rope was tied to his shoulder, and Rurik stepped on the earth with his boots.
A group of his guards guarded the seemingly standing tree stumps at the ridge of the field. They were ordered to simply stand and not to help the owner do anything. They also prevented onlookers from entering the field.
The rope was connected to the plow, and Rurik actually became a bull.
Svetlana's hair was braided on her head and her head was covered with a scarf. She was dressed in a smart Varyag dress, but what she was holding on to was the handle of the plow.
The cog behind the plow was filled with wheat grains, and she held another hemp rope in her hand to control the sowing speed.
"Rurik, there are many people watching, are we like this? You are a prince, maybe you don't need to pull the plow yourself." She really couldn't bear it, feeling that her noble man was embarrassing himself in front of the farmers and women who were watching.
Rurik gritted his teeth: "It doesn't matter, I just want them to see it! I'm going to use my strength! Lana, control the equipment!"
This is Rurik’s first time farming, and it’s also Svetlana’s first time in her life. She was a well-protected girl. In the past years, her family had prohibited her from doing the hard work of spring plowing and autumn harvesting. All this had her father's intentions.
Since old Otto had revealed that his youngest daughter would be his only son and his wife when she was still an infant, Rigus deliberately trained his daughter to be the best Slavic woman. It can be said that she has become a person with tender skin and tender flesh, which is really very different from the children of local farmers.
Ligus and his wife were leaning on wooden sticks and watching from the outside of the field. They felt great and felt great.
"In the end, our daughter is still farming. The child Rurik seems to really like farming. It seems that our training of our daughter for so many years is unnecessary."
The wife's doubts were directly refuted by Ligus: "What do you know! Rurik is just acting. He does value farming, but he cannot farm all the time. He is a prince and has too many things to do."
"I mean our daughter."
"I know it all. If she hadn't been dressed up beautifully, how could she have achieved her current status? I dare say they planted the seeds in this land, and it's still ours to take care of the fields."
Ligus's description was very thorough. His ears had already heard the whispers of many onlookers, and almost all he heard were voices praising the prince.
The plowshares swept across the developed mature fields, and the cold-resistant wheat grains from Britain fell instantly into the soft ravines created.
Rurik leaned forward, his strong legs pushing hard on the ground, and the entire plow moved forward steadily under Lanna's control.
He could choose to use deer to plow the land. Domesticated reindeer can pull sleds docilely and are also good at pulling plows. He did it deliberately, but that would not be considered a good show.
Not far away, old Otto put on the clothes of a warrior. Now he was too old to fight. He held his sword and stood like a statue, watching his son's efforts.
Grooves were dug out, seeds were sown, and the ravines were filled in instantly, leaving only some traces of the surface.
No one helped the couple, and Rurik forbade any help. He and Lanna didn't rest at all, and the price was the panting at the end.
Lana was anxious: "Rurik! You are too tired, why don't you take a rest."
"It doesn't matter!" He yelled with all his strength: "Fighting is more tiring than this, I can persist."
That being said, because it was too short and intense physical labor, Rurik completed the work and relied on his strong willpower to avoid falling.
He staggered to the edge of the field with a blushing face, where John Invar and the maids from his hometown had prepared honey water.
He held the stall and drank hot honey water. Everyone could clearly see his plain white linen shirt that was soaked with sweat. People with sharp eyes could even see his shoulders and arms that were bloody from being strangled with hemp ropes.
The young prince actually has the power of a horse?
The women who were watching covered their mouths, and the men were buzzing with discussion.
His precious son-in-law, the great prince, blushed from exertion, and Ligus hurried back on crutches.
He looked at Rurik, who was hiding his fatigue with a smile. He didn't know what to say for a moment, but his old face was indeed trembling.
"Prince! You... succeeded." Ligus held back his words for a long time.
After a while, Otto cheered up and led a group of veteran soldiers into the field with the weight of the old era.
One hand covered Rurik's wet head, and the other hand covered Svetlana's wet headscarf.
Otto spoke: "Is this... your personal sacrifice to God?"
"Yes." Rurik's smile continued, "The gods are fair. They see my efforts and will definitely give us a good harvest."
This is a good expectation. Otto believes in the gods, but he is not sure about the attitude of the gods towards the large-scale farming of the Russians.
Is it really appropriate that a brave warrior is working as a farmer? If everyone is accustomed to a comfortable life and their weapons are weakened, and the warriors lose their warrior soul, they will be abandoned by the gods.
This is fate! At least Ross controls the harvest land and can always eat with an open appetite.
Otto saw the performance of his son and daughter-in-law. They were not only speaking to the gods, but also performing to the conquered Slavs.
He had a lot of words, but now they were transformed into the movement of his hands on the two people's heads. The pressing force was the belief of this old soldier and also represented a thousand words.
A new era has begun, Rurik himself has set an example, and the fields cultivated by the princes have been sown with wheat seeds waiting for an opportunity to sprout.
The entire farmland around Lake Ilmen was under cultivation, and the land acquired by the First Flag Corps was the busiest.
In order to obtain the fertile land, the sword of the young warrior of Rus suffered the blood of his enemies, and now he finally got his own land.
Unlike the Slavic community, the Rus' society has completed basic changes. They fished in small families in their hometown and now look after their fields as small farmers. This is the case in economic life, but everyone is used to living together, and now they still help each other when they live together.
They are currently the strongest Russian men. Some of their fathers are soldiers of the Second Banner. The seven hundred men not only have to demarcate their own fields and manage farm tools for sowing, but they also have to cut down trees and build new houses to accommodate the women and children who are about to arrive. them.
A city named Mstisk emerged on the ruins of the Wine Pine Needle Manor, and as captain of the banner, Arik planned to move his family here.
In just one year, all 10,000 people in the old Pine Needle Manor were buried underneath. The Principality of Ross took full possession of the place in the name of countering the rebellion and began to build its own city and cultivate its own fields.
The frozen world is completely revived, and seeds sprout when they touch the soil.
Within a few days, Rurik saw green seedlings sprouting from the field he cultivated. They were not weeds but real wheat seedlings.
Not only the fields he plows, but also all the fields that have been sown, if you look closely, you can see the sprouting of seedlings.
The first immigrants to Ross are beginning to see their results, but spring plowing is a process that can last up to half a month.
According to local experience, the latest period for spring plowing is May 15th in the Julian calendar. No sowing is allowed after this date, even if the climate has become warmer. Because you sow too late, you will be hit by frost during the harvest season.
Rurik actually gave his hometown people enough time. On the fifth day of May, two large ships without hull numbers sailed against the wind, pulled by multiple rowing boats, and successfully rushed to Novgorod. .
A young man whom Rigus knew very well jumped off the longboat happily without any fatigue. He was none other than the blacksmith Kawei!
There was also a fat man who carefully and awkwardly climbed down the rope ladder of the big ship. He was not a stranger either, but Blue Fox, the second son of the great businessman Gould! This guy was supposed to go to Hedeby, Denmark, so it was really unexpected to show up here.
Their arrival really surprised Rurik, and the large amount of wheat they brought was genuine.
A young man eager to take credit and his crew stood in Novgorod again after many years. He was the explorer Spyut. From Britain to the hinterland of Eastern Europe, he was the great hero who transported wheat in person. He reported his duties to the prince and looked forward to his generous reward.
Now, Lord Rurik is standing on the banks of the Volkhov River. Behind him is the city called Novgorod, as well as farmland everywhere.
