It was a complete accident that one of his men met the islanders of Saaremaa Island, but life is always one accident after another.
Rurik kept his word and held a banquet in the palace for the heroes of the expedition.
Since those envoys from Saaremaa Island came with the purpose of surrender, they naturally also have the right to participate.
Telalang, whose name means "long log", is an allusion to the ship's keel.
The largest settlement he has seen in his more than 20 years of life is the village on the island. In addition, he and his friends rowed a small boat to sneak attack on Pomeranian and Prussian villages, and also looked at the Danish villages from a distance. village.
It seems that all villages are the same, with wooden pillars and walls covered with a lot of thatch and soil. Such wooden houses gather together to form a village.
The "largest settlement" of the Russians is actually like this? They actually used a lot of huge wood to build the wall?
Although some people on the island are from Ross, their description of Ross is not surprising. It seems to be just a big village ten times larger than the village on the island.
Is New Roseburg considered a village? The area is densely populated and there are as many as three rows of deliberately stranded rowboats parked along the riverside.
Although the messenger had recovered from the surprise of seeing and riding the big ship "Salmon Chief" at the beginning, now he saw the entire fleet of big ships moored, and his eyes were staring at it as if looking at gems.
Rurik noticed the expressions of these ragged envoys. Unsurprisingly, the prosperity of Rus gave them a great shock.
But these guys are so dirty!
No one wants to live with fleas and lice, and these nasty parasites were difficult to get rid of in the past.
And things were greatly improved. Sharper knives allowed people to shave their heads more efficiently, spirits were excellent antiseptics, and sulfur soap cleansed the body and washed clothes. Once the residents of New Roseburg settled in, they could never go back. They couldn't bear the squalor of the past.
However, a huge beard is considered a symbol of "manliness", so that some men follow the example of the Balmok people and shave their heads, leaving only their beards deliberately retained.
Telalang was cautious when he entered the city. He was a vulgar person, and he was amazed to see the prosperity of the city, especially the hard sand and gravel ground. Those Russian warriors who were armed with shields and armor and uniformly dressed in uniform were extremely fierce. If they acted disrespectfully, they would be stabbed to death.
The key to being a pirate is to pick out the weak and fight, and when encountering the strong, either run away or obey. Now, Tralang and his friends are as compliant as a flock of sheep.
The tired Siput and his guys were finally able to take a good bath. They first talked about their travel experiences with a group of old guys who also enjoyed the sauna in the public steam room in the city, and then enjoyed a special They jumped into the warm wooden tub to take a bath one by one.
How did Telalang and his people enjoy this? They are special visitors and are naturally treated differently.
Rurik wanted to invite these ten people to the appointment but could not easily believe them. Their rags were first confiscated and burned on the grounds that they were full of parasites. The weapons they carried were also temporarily confiscated by Governor Konuson.
Except for their beards, a lot of their hair was deliberately shaved off, and then they were rubbed with sulfur soap all over their bodies. They were also thrown away with burlap and ordered to shave off the dirt on their bodies.
This seems to be a very arrogant announcement. The words of the soldiers who carried out the orders of the prince and the governor were indeed very arrogant, but also very reasonable: "You are like earthworms drilled out of the mud. You are covered with dirt! If you want to surrender to our princes, just You must stay clean, if you are still covered in mud, you will be killed!"
How dare they disobey?
Telalang, who had a lot of hair cut off and had short hair, was sitting in the tub. Not to mention, he felt extremely comfortable now.
In the dark bathroom, he couldn't help but sigh: "Have the Russians been clean like this since ancient times? Those soldiers were a bit harsh in their words. I feel very good now."
Someone shouted in confusion: "My grandfather never said Ross was like this."
"Your grandfather is from Ross. This is Ross too. What's going on with them?"
"How do I know?" The descendant of Ross who spoke regretted that he knew nothing. He only had one emotion: "I feel that Chief Ross has no ill intentions. I feel that my whole body is clean now, as if I was just born."
After they claimed they felt comfortable, someone gave them soft, fine linen clothes, including a top and trousers, in addition to a set of fluffy sweaters and trousers made of thick wool. That's not all. They were wrapped in a deerskin coat, and the deerskin ones were tied with belts with bronze buckles. A pair of feet was wrapped in linen foot wraps and stepped into brand new deerskin boots. They also received a hat. The fluffy brown tail on the back of the head proved that it was squirrel skin. What was strange was that there were additional leather pads sewn on both sides of the hat. It was obviously tied to the top of the head at ordinary times and removed when it was cold. Just enough to cover your ears and cheeks.
They had never thought that they could enjoy such warm and comfortable new clothes, and their surprise and joy outweighed their tears of gratitude for the prince's reward.
After all, if you put on this outfit and go back, stand in the village of Saaremaa and show it to the people, you will definitely get all kinds of praise and become a famous person.
The foreign envoy had changed into good clothes, and the local Rus, Slavs, Melalens, Suomis, and people from various tribes couldn't help but comment on him, and even talked about it excessively.
Is the prince showing off his wealth? What a good show to a bunch of needy weaklings.
In fact, this was not the case. Rurik just learned that except for the leader Tralan Zuwang who was on Gotland, the other nine people in the envoy team were descendants of Russians who were exiled in distant times and were deliberately selected by the islanders. Without this blood bond, the rewarded clothes would certainly not be very good, at least they would still be decent.
Because he always has an oriental soul deep in his heart, he will naturally give more rewards to anyone who intends to surrender. Just like when a father recognizes a godson, he must give some gifts to declare his identity as a father.
Besides, they are from Saaremaa!
When they had washed away the mud and put on new clothes, the feast prepared by Rurik was ready to be served.
The area around Lake Ilmen is indeed the warmest agricultural area that the Russians can control. Although it is not a vast land with abundant resources and good weather, it still fully meets the current food needs of the principality. In fact, excluding the grain needs of the Suomi people who were effectively canonized as vassal earls, the oats, wheat, and rye produced by the Russians not only met their own needs, but were even qualified for export as never before.
For the first time, the Russians had the possibility of squandering food, but after living a hard life for so long in the past, no one would really waste food. All the people have to do is eat food with an open stomach, and try to eat as fat as possible so that they can be better. to cope with severe winter.
The flour milling workshop, which had received a large amount of wheat supply, was in full operation. Due to the huge processing volume, Aslaqi could only ask her servants and the reindeer to grind and grind the flour all night long according to the pattern of people stopping to grind. . She is Rurik's sister-in-law, and they are also a financial ally.
Any food made from wheat is delicious. When people discover more delicious food, they will naturally reject the past staple food. In just a few years, oats, which were originally popular among the people, have now begun to be marginalized. People are more willing to buy wheat for food. Even if they pay a little more, they still have to buy Xiankao's flatbread and cakes from public shops. bread.
Asraqi processes flour for the prince and makes it into delicacies for public sale. She can earn two labor fees, and in the current situation, she has essentially completed a monopoly.
The harsh winter is coming, and a heavy snow is bound to brew. The world after the snow is full of opportunities for real hunters. The white snow almost destroys the camouflage of squirrels. Arik will also take his brothers on a carriage to the undeveloped forest on the shores of Lake Ladoga to plunder. Leather resources. They are not short of money and are very willing to reserve dry food. Food like wheat biscuits is a perfect ration. It is extremely durable and full of exaggerated abilities. Even tearing one piece can meet the consumption of a hunter for a day.
Aslaqi is baking sesame seeds like crazy, and the biscuits are constantly stacking up in the dry and cold warehouse. It is inevitable that there will be "rats" who steal food among the hired personnel. This is a crime of theft. Strictly speaking, the stolen property is still the property of the prince. The offender will be handed over to Governor Cornuson for disposal. If the old rules of the Russians were followed, the first-time thief would have to cut off his little finger, and those who stole too many times would be expelled from the whole family.
Now that Rurik is already in New Roseburg, he has set a new rule: those who steal wheat cakes will be punished by cutting down trees. One hundred trees must be cut down in one winter as an apology for the crime through labor.
This is an accident, but similar incidents are inevitable in the Principality of Ross. As a group of residents expands, the probability of acts such as theft increases. As a result, the oral customary laws of the past tribal era are obviously no longer applicable to the needs of the new era. The principality needs a written law and make it public to establish a bottom line requirement for people's lives.
There is plenty of time to study the matter of cultivating the Dharma in winter.
Rurik welcomed the triumphant sailing heroes and the unexpected messenger.
At night, the spacious palace hall was originally a meeting place, but now it has become the best banquet place.
Rurik followed the ancient Eastern practice, because this "Winter Palace" is naturally facing north and south next to the Neva River, so he and Rumia sat in the north.
Governor Konuson Konuson and his son and the returned Spuyut and his entourage sat on the right side, while the envoys from Saaremaa Island sat on the left side.
Square pine tables were set before them all and joined together to form a long table, upon which delicate dried raspberries and delicious mead had already been visited first.
Prince Rus is a handsome and brave young man, even the high priest has a flat face.
Rows of polar bear heads are hung on the wooden walls, and the animal heads are placed with bronze lamp holders. The beating flames of nearly a hundred oil lamps not only bring light, but also make the whole room quite warm.
Not only that, the matrix ceiling that falls from the roof is the largest light source. Even at night, the house is extremely bright.
It is said that the main dishes of the dinner were two roasted deer and a large number of fried dog fish steaks. Thinking of the sizzling and greasy meat made people drool.
However, in the future, Rurik ordered that the banquet be prohibited, and even the snacks on the table were not allowed to be eaten, so everyone could only wait.
Taking advantage of the last opportunity he was waiting for, Rurik took the lead in starting the conversation: "Everyone, you have conquered the ocean and returned successfully. Spyut, you are indeed the bravest adventurer in all of Russia. Your stories will always be passed down. And you... ...people of Saaremaa. You have to surrender to the Principality of Rus. This is the most correct decision for you. I am Rurik Ottoson, the second prince of the Principality of Rus, and a person blessed by the great god Odin. Brother Conqueror of Tran, the Land of the East, the Far North and the Slavs. The future will also be your master."
Telalang was frightened by this large list of titles. Not only that, he felt that he was already in a different world, and Rose was stronger than he knew.
Tralan quickly introduced himself, stuttering out of fear, and reluctantly recounted what the village elders had told him.
What he said was simply to express an attitude: "The islanders of Saaremaa are willing to surrender to the Principality of Rus, and Rus will provide military protection to the islanders."
"Military protection?!" After hearing the other party's blunt request, Rurik immediately realized that the situation was a little strange. Moreover, this man stutters, so I'm afraid there might be something hidden inside!
Rurik didn't talk about this for now, and deliberately said: "I heard that there are descendants of my Rus among you. Is this true?"
But the other nine envoys all put on enthusiastic smiles, but their words were empty. They had to explain some general information about their hometown of Fort Ross to prove themselves.
Without exception, the nine of them described the fjord, the mines that produced copper and iron, the numerous sandbar islands that exit the fjord, and a key freshwater stream.
Even the real names of High Priest Vilia's predecessor, as well as the names of several tribal leaders before Otto.
It is impossible for outsiders to know these things! Because during that period, the Ross tribe was nesting in the fjord, like a bear hibernating in a cave, and even lost contact with the Melalen people, their traditional allies (not very good allies). Thanks to the good habit of "recording information" by the former high priest of the Rus' people, Vilia, she was the first person to start the history of the Principality of Rus'. Except for the sacrificial prayers engraved on wooden boards, the Rus' people's past experience Major events and important people are also recorded.
Rurik had read those documents carefully, and now they were copied onto paper by his wives and concubines.
"I know these things. What you describe is absolutely correct. I can believe that you are indeed descendants of the Rus. However, you are the descendants of sinners."
The happy faces turned cold again, and the nine people argued one after another that the criminals were all ancestors, and their own generation was innocent.
These words touched the back of some old guys!
Governor Cornuson coughed and scolded Hugh for his quibbles, which shocked them all into silence.
There is some truth in what the messengers said, but here in Europe there is a lot of emphasis on blood, and sinners are always inferior to others. Therefore, some Viking warriors also have the motivation to avoid their children being humiliated by their tribesmen when they fight to the death and do not surrender in times of crisis.
"You are indeed sinners, and this is something that cannot be changed," Rurik concluded, "but there are a large number of other people on Saaremaa. Especially you! Tralan, you call yourself a Gotlander. Descendants, little do you know that my uncle died in a sneak attack by you Gotlanders!"
Tralan was speechless. He danced and tried to argue, but he couldn't explain why.
Is the other party frightened, afraid of his own thunderous wrath?
Rurik certainly does not want to retaliate. Leaving aside these people, Saaremaa Island has a relatively important strategic position in the Baltic Sea. Especially as the current war between Russia and Denmark intensifies, the island's significance is even more significant.
He threatened: "Even if you don't take the initiative to send an envoy to express your surrender, my army will conquer your Saaremaa Island within two years. Your island has long been marked on the map by me. You are all weak. Conquer You have nothing to do with you in the first place. I am benevolent, and my purpose is to conquer rather than kill. You also respect Odin, and I am a hero blessed by Odin. Your active surrender is the most correct thing you have done. Your choice. Look at the clothes you are wearing now and the fine wine on the table. Surrender to me and you should enjoy this."
Duke Ross's words were very clear, and Tralan understood the prince's determination no matter how clear-headed he was.
The envoys all swore allegiance on behalf of the islanders, especially the nine descendants of Rus, who bluntly stated that they would serve the prince to wash away the sins of their ancestors.
Rurik smiled with satisfaction and asked deliberately: "How do you wash away your sins? I heard that you always do pirate things. You did sneak attack on my ship and killed five Russians! You are committing fratricide. , isn’t the sin even greater?”
"Misunderstanding! This is all a misunderstanding!" Tralang explained while sweating and dancing: "We thought it was a stranded Danish merchant ship..."
"Oh? So you are willing to attack Danish merchant ships?"
"Yes! If we knew it was the prince's ship, how could we dare to make a sneak attack? After the misunderstanding was resolved, we buried the deceased and entertained Mr. Spyut, and this visit came about."
Rurik nodded and asked Spyut: "Is that so?"
"Indeed, as far as I know, these islanders will attack Danish and Bornholm ships. There are also Pomeranians, I don't know about these people, but the first two are indeed ours enemy."
"Are you actively attacking Danish ships?!" Rurik asked again knowingly.
"Yes!" Tralan said hurriedly.
"So you are afraid of Danish retaliation, so you asked for my military asylum?"
Tralan hesitated again...
Rurik suddenly became energetic and raised his chest. He would not explain the specific situation now. Just when the meal was about to be served, he pointed out the obligations and responsibilities that the people of Saaremaa should have after surrendering to Rus: "You will be accepted as a member of the Principality of Rus, and my people will be able to freely enter your island. You must continue to actively attack the Danes. I will provide you with a batch of new weapons and ships. I order you to hunt down and kill the Danes." All Danish ships that arrived were killed and everyone on board was killed.”
"Ah? Why is this..." Tralan asked subconsciously in shock.
"There is no reason! Because the Principality of Rus and the Kingdom of Denmark are at odds with each other!"
