The pier was bustling with activity, and the visitors from their hometown finally completed their mission within the agreed time.
I haven’t seen Rurik for more than half a year. Blacksmith Kawei has a thousand words to say here.
He got off the boat and walked over with a smile, and patted the brother's shoulder very casually: "You are a stronger man now. I heard that you are going to launch a large-scale immigration, and the people in your hometown are really looking forward to it."
"Is that so?" Rurik felt quite comfortable: "I didn't expect you to come in person. Is Lilia here too?"
"Here she comes, she's still on board. I have a lot to say to you, about our iron production, etc. Also, look at these two big ships, old Hotlato, let me bring you a message , I want you to give these two new ships a good name."
"Everything will be solved." Rurik gently pushed away Kawei's hand, and looked at the little fat blue fox with a surprised look: "You should go to Denmark, why are you here. Is it your Gould's request?"
The blue fox covered his heart with his chubby hands and bowed lightly: "That's right. Sir, we know a lot about the incredible appearance of the sled team a few days ago. Since you have a lot of leather to sell, I guess this must be my task. .”
Blue Fox's description coincided with Rurik's thoughts. He patted his thigh and praised: "Gould really understands me. Yes! I should load a large number of squirrel skins on the ship now, and you can transport them directly to Sell Denmark to me. Haha, I am no longer interested in the market of Mälaren. You will do better than your big brother."
A big opportunity was in front of him. Blue Fox's eyes suddenly opened wide, full of expectations for the future, and he praised repeatedly: "The Danes need all kinds of leather, and we will make a fortune. This all depends on the prince's help." Wisdom. Oh, and the abilities of our Ross brothers, no one is better at hunting than Ross."
The flattery came one after another, which made people feel comfortable. Rurik shrugged and looked at the big ship: "These are the last two ships of our Eighth Eighth Fleet plan. The expedition was completed the first time it was seaworthy? Is it time to choose a formal and meaningful one? name."
Although the name must have some special meaning, Rurik was also a slap in the thigh, and the name seemed a bit hasty.
Eight imitation Caravel-style sailing ships of the same class only look like big ships to people in this time and space. Ross's current material resources can fully build a thousand-ton sailing ship like the Gothenburg that can sail around the world, but the shipbuilders do not yet have enough technology accumulation.
These eight ships are not qualified to bear such a huge name, and their narrow decks cannot afford it.
One of the two ships is named Vips, and the other is named Bear Altar. Because when their hull was completed, the Ross army completed its conquest of the north shore of Lake Ladoga. Although it failed to destroy the Karelian forces in one fell swoop, the entire Lake Ladoga was already within Ross's sphere of influence. The two ships were named this way to commemorate last year's actions and also to represent the two settlements.
The two ships not only transported wheat, but also carried more than a hundred women and children as well as a batch of soft goods.
Kavey brought his family with him this time, and Lilia returned to her hometown. She also had to climb the rope net by herself like others, and her young son Kuzneslav was already climbing the net by himself. This made Old Ligus smile from ear to ear after seeing all this, but within a few years his eldest grandson had become full of strength.
The mercenaries who operated the sleds returned by boat. They achieved great success and received huge rewards.
The more than one hundred women and children who disembarked were actually the family members of the First Flag Team. It could be said that if the main force of the fleet was not in the east, the old Russian people from their hometown would have boarded the ship one after another and immigrated with their children. However, a large number of wheat seeds were piled in the cabin. , two ships cannot carry too many people.
Rurik entertained these distant guests at his house in the Rosduma in Novgorod.
He and Otto were grinning from ear to ear with joy, and the faces of the others were also full of joy.
Kawei noticed that Arik, who was rowing back from the southeast, always exuded a faint smell of earth. Could this guy really be farming? That's right, the prince's immigration plan is to organize everyone to farm, otherwise he wouldn't have forced Spyot to transport all the wheat he got from Britain here.
No, although Sipuyut was originally an ordinary person in the tribe, he had been ordered to explore the world over the years and had become a young explorer instead of a tired explorer. His face was already full of the vicissitudes of experience. He was invited to sit here, listen to the big shots talking about the mountains, and then wait for the opportunity to report what he had seen.
Seeing the young people in his hometown, old Otto became lively again. He slapped his thighs and said with emotion in his old voice: "I wish I could have fallen in love with this warm place when I first came here. Unexpectedly, thirty years later, this place has become our destination. I heard, Eighty years ago, we Russians had to hide in the fjords because we were expelled by those guys on the shores of Lake Mälaren. The heroic spirits of our predecessors are all in the sky, and they have witnessed our greatness. It’s so good that you are here..."
The old leader was reminiscing about the past, with Kawei, Lanhu and others accompanying him with a smiling face.
Most of the young people cannot truly understand the grievances that the Russian people have suffered. They focus on the future. In the past few years, what they have seen is the Russian army cutting through all obstacles and attacking the enemy in a chopping style.
Otto was in high spirits, thinking about the turbulent years that had passed since the meeting, so Rurik could only listen to his emotion for the time being.
The topic finally returned to the topic.
When Otto got tired of saying that, Rurik continued to talk about that. He asked directly: "I asked Harozov from my hometown to do something, and the matter has obviously been done. The fleet sent wheat, who is going to do this voyage?" Commander? Kawei, is it you? Or you? Blue Fox?"
While the two looked at each other, Spyot raised his head: "Sir, I am the commander. It was I who got the wheat and transported it back to the fjord last year, and now it is I who transport the wheat to Novgoro." Virtue."
Taking a closer look at this young man who was no longer young, Rurik was deeply satisfied.
"How much wheat did you bring?"
"Yes! I am planning to report this matter to you truthfully."
Speyot said in detail that due to the so-called agricultural damage caused by the destruction of the war, Northumbria barely provided wheat, which was equivalent to nearly 30 tons. Although the "order" was to ask Harold Johnson, the remaining governor, not to sell wheat on behalf of the Duke, once people tasted the taste of wheat, people would stay away from oats. A batch of wheat is sold before the "order" arrives. Even if it is more expensive, the people in the hometown give priority to buying it.
Rurik's "treasury" actually made a fortune, but now he prefers that the money still appears in the form of wheat grains.
More than fifteen tons, nearly 40,000 Nordic-Roman pounds of wheat were still delivered to Novgorod. They were kept intact in burlap bags and neatly stacked in the cabin for the time being.
Sipuyut promised with honor that ice, snow and moisture had never affected these seeds, and if they were sown with them, they would all sprout.
Rurik was all ears. The 40,000 pounds of wheat did not meet his expectations, and the Northumbrians essentially breached their contract.
At least the situation is not very bad. Now he has no time to launch an expedition against the Northumbrian people who have been seriously injured. All he can think about is farming immediately.
"Spuyot, many people say that you are the bravest explorer. I think this statement is worthy of your name!"
"No! You are the greatest." Siputu quickly complimented.
"Of course I am the greatest, and I also recognize your bravery. I want to plant wheat on a large scale in Novgorod, and you successfully transported a large amount of seeds for me. With the experience I have gained now, these wheat grains are enough for sowing Close to two hundred hectares of land.”
The size of the field was too unfamiliar to Siputu, so the prince said it should be a very large area.
He took the opportunity to claim credit and said bluntly: "Sir, I have paid so much, so I should be able to get some generous rewards."
"Reward? Of course!" Rurik raised his head and asked with a smile: "What do you want? Land? Women? Or money?"
"Give me some money. I have a woman and children, but I am not good at farming and I don't want to. Over the years, I have personally seen the vast world. Maybe I can go to the world. I am willing to explore, for Ross for myself too.”
This was said so loudly that for a moment Rurik didn't know how to answer the question.
"Since you want money, how much do you need?"
"Just give me ten pounds of silver. I want my wife and children to live a good life. I want to buy some new clothes and new weapons. Moreover, I also want to have a big ship of my own. I know my idea is too much. , so I will serve you wholeheartedly and explore the vast territory for Ross."
This guy's words penetrated deeply into Rurick's mind, and he couldn't help but wonder, does this guy want to be Drake? Not right either!
It is normal for an expanding kingdom to hire some unofficial personnel to expand its territory. Rurik remembered that the Rus in history hired Cossacks to explore distant places for the empire, and the explorers did the dirty work. The empire officials recognized and took over one after another in a timely manner.
And that Dredd, who took the King's privateering license to make money for himself, was also making money for the king, and was upgraded from a rogue to a noble.
Does Spuyot want to be the royal pirate of the Principality of Ross?
No! There is no need for the Principality of Rus to do this at the moment.
A very real problem faced Rurik.
The principality has expanded rapidly in recent years, and now it has completed its rule over Lake Ilmen in both legal and practical terms.
At present, the principality directly controls a total of twelve large and small Slavic farms, and the Slavic population exceeds 20,000. The actual population of Veliky Novgorod is more than five times that. It is reasonable to even boldly estimate that the population reaches 200,000. It’s just that those people are hiding. Their farms are isolated islands in the dense forest. According to the existing information, those people Communication with the mainstream large farms around the lake is limited.
Indeed, the Slavic farm economy is fully self-sufficient. A natural village tied by blood exists in the vast forest, forming an extremely stable isolated system.
But when Rose comes, they must accept a new era and end their cramped lives.
It is actually very easy to order them to surrender. After the spring plowing, the original plan was to order Governor Medved to conquer them and bring them back to the rule of Rus, but it was a bit troublesome to find them accurately.
Rus also de jurely ruled the entire Finland, and the entire thirty or forty thousand people in Suomi were essentially in a state of autonomy. The upper-level rulers are appointed by Ross, and they are all servants of Ross.
At present, the population of the Principality of Rus that can be directly ruled by the prince has reached 40,000.
This number seems very large, among which the blond old Rus people who are purely from the Rus tribe account for only one tenth of them. The North Germanic ancestry of the Russians has been irreversibly integrated into the Slavic and Finnish ancestry, and an astonishing number of children have been born continuously.
With a rapidly expanding land area and a small population, years of wars and the consumption of the old Russians, the principality has reached a time when it must sit down and digest the results honestly. Becoming conservative is a strategy, unless the enemy invades in person.
Rurik did not give a clear reply to Spuot's request, but just mentioned that the financial reward must be generous.
The vast territory diluted the population of Rus. Thanks to the fact that all settlements are located on interconnected waters and sea areas, Rus also has the first Baltic Navy. The fleet can connect various regions to each other to avoid fragmentation. However, the transportation of wheat this time was highly delayed due to information transmission, and the negative consequences were still reflected in this year's wheat planting.
The most critical issue in this meeting is the discussion of wheat seeds. When the reminiscence of old times ends as the sun sets, from the next day onwards, everything becomes less important than farming.
Of course, Rurik still had some things to discuss with Gould's second son, Blue Fox, and even arranged for this person to complete some important tasks.
Nothing is as important as seizing the tail end of spring plowing to plant wheat.
He set sail early the next morning and took a boat directly to the still busy planting and construction site of the First Flag Team at the old Pine Needle Manor at noon.
The young labor force of the old Russians was ordered to arrive here, and the more than 100 women and children who came with the ship also had to disembark to reunite with their families in the First Flag Team.
Although there are some children inside, they are actually half grown up. They are indeed young. They have eaten wheat and fish meat provided by Rurik for many years and received military training. They are like newborn calves. They should prioritize their growing strength. Used for sowing on cultivated land.
Kawei left his wife and children with his father-in-law Ligus. He was ambitious to control the plow that he directly commanded to cast. He stood on the bow of the ship, shoulder to shoulder with Prince Rurik. When he was young, he deliberately grew a beard, even though he could sharpen a sharp knife and shave his entire body quickly. But the great thing about growing a beard is that it is an affirmation of a promising man, and this guy Bururik is also growing a beard. Kawei could not have imagined that this little saint who he had watched grow up, how could he be as tall as himself when he was only fourteen years old? What did this kid grow up eating? Sure enough, Odin has been continuously giving power to promote growth? It would be a bit bad if he grew into a giant.
The genes of men in Northern Europe are like this. The age of fourteen is a period of rapid physical development. As long as you eat well during this period, you will be able to grow taller.
This is reflected in Rurik, and even more so in the group of brats in his hometown. A large group of seemingly weak boys and girls have become tall and strong in a few years. This scene is really unexpected and incomprehensible to the old guys in their hometown. In fact, the reason is very simple. The children of the old Russian people of the Rus tribe have all left it to the prince Rurik because the prince paid for the food. In recent years, the children have eaten wheat and meat every day, and done voluntary labor and labor every day. Training, it's ridiculous to still be thin and short.
Kawei's eyes looked into the distance: "Pine Needles Manor no longer exists. I see fields everywhere here. Are they all ours?"
Rurik arrived in an instant: "Most of it is ours, and part of it was given to the allies as spoils of war. By the way, I only allocated 500 hectares of land to the First Flag Team. Kawei, you have established countless A man of meritorious service, if you want land, I can give you some.”
"Me? Are you kidding or serious?!" Kawei looked embarrassed.
"Of course I'm serious."
"This... let's forget it. I am a blacksmith and I believe in Thor. I would rather further my blacksmithing career than become lazy because of farming."
"Oh? Farming makes men lazy. What a wonderful description."
There were some things that Kawei did not dare to say, which was the so-called "becoming a farmer will cause a warrior to lose his warrior soul", so he tactically changed the subject. He saw a settlement forming in the distance, stretched out his hand and asked, "Is that a new city there? Is it the second Pine Needle Manor?"
"Of course not!" The wind became louder, and Rurik also raised his voice, "There is a river in the northeast, and the locals call it the Msti River. The First Banner Corps will build a new settlement near the river, and it will be called Msti. Kistad, according to the Slavs, is Mstisk!”
"A very catchy name. Ah! I still like the fields here, which are much more beautiful than those on the shores of Lake Mälaren. Rurik, feel the warm lake breeze. I really hope to see the wheat waves here this autumn. "
"Don't worry, your dream will come true."
