Gray Wolf Karl and his younger brothers are known for robbing merchant ships. They are pure pirates, and their den is in the city of Haizeby.
"Why? All the brothers who were dispatched were wiped out. It was you who wanted to attack those people. You must give me an explanation now!"
This old guy with a bald head and a big beard was furious, pointing at his subordinates and yelling.
All the subordinates could only hold back their tempers, knowing that the action was clearly decided by Boss Karl.
Gray Wolf Karl was still scolding his men, his attitude was too hysterical.
Finally, someone couldn't stand it anymore and started a crime. This move really scared Karl. After a brief embarrassment, the person showed a fierce look on his face: "We must take revenge."
"Yes! Of course we must take revenge." Karl bared his teeth immediately: "Those Russians are making a fortune, and as long as we succeed once, we can live a good life. There are also those brothers who are not killed, we must take revenge. So, you Any good suggestions?"
When it comes to revenge, everyone raises their hands in support, but when it comes to researching a revenge plan, everyone becomes quiet.
How to have a good plan?
Karl circled around the pieced-together square table and kept circling behind his men. As a result, he was shouting slogans so loudly that no one knew what to do.
"Are you all mediocre? Are you all afraid of the Russians?! You!" He pointed directly at the person who made the accusation: "You were the first to propose it, come up with a good solution for me."
"Ah! Boss! The Russians... they..." This person wanted to say that the Russian armed merchants were too strong to deal with, but then he thought that saying so would destroy his prestige. This person is also wise in his haste: "Boss, maybe we should contact some strong external forces."
"You?" Gray Wolf Karl came over with his head, his eyes seemed to glare to death, "Are you inciting me to beg for help?"
"How dare I. But..."
"Okay, you'd better be quiet!" Karl slapped the man on the head hard and silenced the others who were slightly noisy.
In fact, the gray wolf Carl was just venting his emotions. It was indeed when he was cruising on the sea looking for a target that he accidentally noticed the armed cargo ships that had been sailing in formation. After closer observation, he learned that they were Russian ships. The unique triangular sail was a distinctive feature. Hedeby showed up at the Ross shop. Even though they had disguised themselves, the gray wolf Karl had already seen their clear identity.
Seeing that the Ross people are making a lot of money, which gangster in Hedeby wouldn't want to take part in it?
There is a merchant guild in Haidebea, as well as a fraternity of gangs. Although it is a city without an owner, this city at least has the most basic division of power.
Under normal circumstances, gangsters will not really attack big businessmen, but seeing some businessmen frantically making money, how can you not feel itchy?
Other gangsters don't dare to take action, but Gray Wolf Carl does!
What's more, the new businessmen have obvious Russian backgrounds, or they are Russians themselves. They were outsiders who had made a fortune in Heideby. This is Denmark! The hostile Russians were actually taking advantage of the Danes, and a large group of Danish merchants were colluding with them.
Ross is a strong man, and the brothers will be very afraid if they can't find a clear reason for the attack. Of course there is a reason, it is to defend the glory of Denmark.
How dare a group of gangsters call themselves "Guardians of Danish Glory"? It’s really a big joke in the world.
But the minions, especially the newly developed group of horsemen, wanted to win the war against Sweden and Russia, but they had no chance. A great opportunity presented itself to justify an attack on a big businessman.
As luck would have it, when Karl came up with the idea and planned the attack, the Russians actually landed with a large amount of high-quality goods.
Killing is not the main purpose. Looting Ross's wealth makes the gang rich. This is the act of gaining both fame and fortune.
When the attack was launched, Karl wore a burlap robe and hid in a dark corner to observe. He saw with his own eyes that his horsemen launched the attack and were then killed cleanly by the Russians.
If he keeps getting angry with his subordinates and even shirks the responsibility for failure, he, the boss, will be too cowardly.
How to deal with Ross merchants? Karl already had the answer in his mind.
"Yes! We do need to find an external friend. Brothers, we should also think about what will happen to Hedebe in the future. If Horik's army of outsiders really comes, we also need a new way of life. Simply If you become a gangster, you will become an enemy of that man."
Boss Karl has made it very clear, but the brothers actually need a new backer, and that is the self-proclaimed king Horik Klarsson.
The failed attack was over, and Carl had not dared to do anything since.
The other gang leaders secretly mocked this blind arrogant man, but they showed their composure on the surface. In the secret meetings of the gangs, the leaders made all kinds of excuses and flattery. They were very self-aware and armed businessmen. It seems that his own interests cannot be touched, and it is unwise to mock Karl. Although Carl was defeated, this gang was still the No. 1 gang in Hedebe.
There is no shortage of gangsters in Haideby. Most of the local poor boys or runaway slaves will be absorbed by the gangs first, and even be trained into brave and ruthless warriors. Each gang has a variety of resounding names, and the names are even quite wild and domineering. Most of the gangs have a lot of men, and most of them can gather as many as fifty brothers.
In and around Hezeby City and the nearby sea areas, various gangs have negotiated their own spheres of influence, either collecting tribute from small traders, craftsmen, and farmers, or directly attacking merchant ships to kill people and steal goods. They are the purest violent group, but they are completely unable to completely build Hedeby into a free city with prosperous commerce. Now it is just a sin city with very prosperous commerce.
A secret gang meeting was held in an unknown forest house. It was outside the city port area. There was an undeveloped woodland here, which was a good place to hide. There is no clear organization that will sanction gangsters. In theory, there is no need for them to be secretive. They spend so much time just to avoid the eyes of those big businessmen. After all, Carl's blatant armed robbery in the port area instantly attracted all the businessmen. They are all strengthening their own arms.
Gray Wolf Karl was the focus of many leaders. This arrogant man slapped the square table and declared: "I have only one thing to explain to the brothers today. I hope you can all see the situation clearly! The Ross people have penetrated into Hedebe. They They actually openly raised their flag and they are frantically grabbing our wealth. Not to mention those big businessmen, the vast majority of people are being drained of their wealth by the Russians. Ordinary people have become poor, and we have no oil and water to extract. The Russians are It’s driving us all to destruction.”
The leader raised his head and asked, "Do you want everyone to kill the Russians together?"
"I! That's what I meant."
"Forget it! You are recognized by the brothers as the strongest, but you launched an action and suffered a small failure. Our brothers are too weak. If we take action, the whole army will not be wiped out? I only have this little wealth."
This person's words were already very tactful, but he had no choice but to touch Karl's counter scale, and what he got was destined to be Karl's criticism: "Cowards! Of course we can succeed if we act together. Look at you, you are all afraid of your own losses."
It's the same person just now, being criticized as a "coward" is just as infuriating. He slapped the case and stood up: "You go ahead, go ahead!"
Karl was also furious. He pulled out his dagger and slammed it on the square table with an angry look.
I saw that man also pulling out a dagger, and many leaders thought that this was the "grey wolf" acting arrogantly, so they drew their swords one after another.
"Who doesn't have a dagger? You have the ability to deal with the brothers, but you have no ability to deal with the Ross merchant?"
Realizing that something was wrong, Karl had no choice but to put away his arrogance: "I'm not here to quarrel with you. I'm telling you, give your brothers to my command, and I will definitely demolish the Russian houses and take the money." Take them all. Since you are not happy, forget it. However, we can still find external support."
Karl found a way to get off the stairs, which made the other gang leaders feel like they had eaten flies.
What is external support? Horik Klarsson, of course.
"Horik will not let Hazeby become a terra incognita. This place is the city built by his grandfather. You don't have to doubt whether Godfrey is his grandfather. He has heavy troops in his hands, and many tribal leaders respect him. As the king, the brothers should also consider their own future. Horik's messenger has already expressed his attitude. My suggestion is that the brothers join forces with Horik and use his power to drive away the Ross forces."
Horik Klarsson? This man claimed to be the real master of Hazelby. The leaders had long known about it, but the first one to take it seriously was the gray wolf Carl.
Someone then ridiculed: "Wolves move in packs, and you call yourself the wolf king. What? Now you have to admit that idiot Horik who jumped out of nowhere as the new wolf king, and you have to act like a she-wolf Go and serve him? Karl, do you lack a father? "
"Watch your attitude!"
But the man shrugged and said nothing.
I guess many people say that they "lack a father", and in fact they are not entirely wrong. Karl needed to ensure his vested interests in Hedeby. He originally wanted to unite other gangs to form a large force and then contact Horik about surrender. Unexpectedly, a group of gang leaders expressed a common attitude in various forms—— We do not lack a father.
The gang meeting broke up unhappily. Since he couldn't win over those guys, Carl took matters into his own hands.
How could the Messenger have direct access to Horik Klarsson? It seems that all you need to do is go all the way north to the northernmost part of the peninsula to find the emerging city of Godfrehagen.
It is already July. Gray Wolf Karl has recruited a group of new cavalry, reorganized internally, and purchased a batch of new weapons, so that the nominal number of cavalry under his command has expanded to 200. This strength is no longer comparable to that of many viscounts in Frank. Worse. He already knows what the other gangsters think. It's just that if there is no one here, there will be a place for him. If Haidebi can't stay any longer, the brothers will row a boat to find a small island to make a den, and then continue to be pirates. . A group of gangsters also have their own ideas. The news about the frequent successes of Norwegians and some other Danish brothers in the British Island is spreading, and everyone is eager to try it.
It's really a pillow when you're dozing off. In mid-July, the messenger of the self-reliant Danish King Horik came to Hedeby again.
A man named Staken Franckson arrived overland at Hedebe with more than a hundred armored warriors.
Although this Starken is a Dane, he has actually been living in Flanders with Boss Horik for many years and has had many contacts with the Franks.
He rode a tall Frankish horse, accompanied by more than a hundred infantrymen, and more than twenty cavalrymen suddenly appeared in Hedeby City.
A raven flag was flying, and their appearance was immediately met with a strong onlooker from the people of Hedeby.
The Starkens immediately announced in public: "Hedebe people! Your city belongs to the Danish King Horik Klarsson! This is his property, and you are all his subjects! The king ordered you to pay eleven , only then can you continue your business activities!”
Although there had been news for a long time, the two months of calm made the people feel that Horik's return to rule was far away. Could it be that Horik had already decided to take action?
For a moment, people in the city were panicked, and some vendors had already run away with their carts overnight. Almost all of the escapees were Frankish and Saxon businessmen, and all believed in Christianity. They rushed south and quickly crossed the virtually unguarded Schleswig Great Wall, entered the city of Schleswig, paid a tax to the local baron and returned to the embrace of the Frankish Kingdom. They conveniently reported that Danish Horik was ready to officially Get back Hedeby.
These merchants originally had to pay taxes to the Frankish nobles, and they were afraid of being exploited by Horik. Although the news was that a tithe was collected, no one knew what this so-called tithe actually meant. Due to the merchant's sensitive sense of smell, they felt that the arrogant messenger sent by Horik would never spit out ivory from his dog's mouth, and the crazy exploitation of the merchant must be inevitable.
These Frankish businessmen who ran away were indeed very cunning.
The Franks rode big horses, and the horses were also covered with iron-covered leather armor? A group of soldiers wearing iron helmets and leather armor appeared. They were also uniformly dressed?
The Ross mercenaries dressed up in Qiao Zhuang blended into the crowd to watch, and hurriedly reported everything they heard and saw to Lord Blue Fox.
"The man who called himself Starken claimed to be a war chief under Horik, and claimed that the king's navy would soon enter Hedebe. The city was founded by Godfrey, of whom Horik was a grandson. , has full claim to the city. All residents living in the city must pay the tithe tax that has not been paid for more than 20 years to Horik. In particular, all businessmen must come up with more money. Otherwise, Horik will Rick's army will severely punish those who resist the tax, and those who are serious will be killed and their homes will be confiscated..."
This is simply an ultimatum! After all, it is already the end of July. According to tradition, Ross's shop will be doing seasonal sampling in less than a month. Only a few people left behind will watch the scene, and the newly purchased goods and a large amount of money will be shipped away.
Blue Fox and Old Eric felt really uncomfortable hearing the report.
"Perhaps we should evacuate early. Since Horik can quickly make almost all Danish lords recognize his authority, he is not an easy guy to deal with. I think we should seize this opportunity and retreat quickly." Old Eli Ke's suggestions are of great reference value.
Lan Hu thought for a while and patted his chubby belly: "I have eaten endless delicious meals here and earned huge wealth. I am the one who cultivates this area under the orders of the prince. You can evacuate with your family, but I...if I run away with my brothers, I will betray the prince's trust and lose my status in the family. No! Maybe the prince will punish me as a slave to mine ore."
"You? Do you mean to stay here?" Old Eric was shocked and continued to admonish: "We are weak now. Before the Horik navy comes back, our fleet evacuates urgently. We will tell the prince the news. , I think the prince will not blame you. The prince is fair and does not really think that you and I can fight against the entire Danish king with just a hundred mercenaries."
"What you said makes sense, but I can't leave!" Blue Fox sighed: "Back then, my father also secretly infiltrated Hedebe. At that time, if he was discovered, he would definitely be caught by the dead Godfrey. Live and kill. Now that the ownerless Hedeby has accommodated the Ross forces. The prince actually plans to reconcile with Denmark. Maybe this is an opportunity for me to talk to Horik personally and be a mediator in peace negotiations. .”
"You are risking your life!"
"Yes! Wealth can be found in danger, and I will take the risk here. However, your suggestion does make sense, so why don't we make two preparations?"
Why prepare both hands? Blue Fox planned to take the mercenaries to stay here to see how the situation would develop, and a large amount of money for goods and other materials, and even women and children bought at the slave market were all packed into the armed cargo ship to be sent away quickly.
