Ragnar and his men lived up to their expectations. Some selected tall spruce trees were felled by the forest axes of their brothers with exquisite Nordic felling techniques.
The collapse of a giant tree nearly fifty meters high caused violent shocks, and the snow in an area also fell.
Cutting down a giant tree is very risky. If a tree that requires two people holding hands to hold it collapses, it will become minced meat if it is mixed with it.
Of course, if such a big tree burns, the torch it turns into will burn for seven days and seven nights, which is exactly what Rurik hopes for.
Since the first fire tower was built during Hanukkah many years ago, building wooden towers and burning them during the festival has become an essential part of the festival.
The open-air stone boat altar outside the city has stones moved from the hometown. The core of the altar is a slaughtering platform, which is the main place for slaughtering deer and offering deer blood to the gods. A dark open space is deliberately set up next to the open-air altar. This is the place where the fire tower is burned every year during festivals that require lighting of the fire tower.
Therefore, when the ice and snow on the ground were pushed aside to reveal the crystallized earth, it was actually because part of the soil had been burned into clay tiles, and the four vertical wooden pits left intentionally appeared to be extremely hard.
The bark and all the branches of the four spruce trees were stripped off. After being pulled out of the forest by Ragnar, they turned around and were pulled away by the reindeer. Scaffolding was set up at the altar, and the pillars at the core of the wooden tower were quickly erected, just like the masts of a large ship.
A wooden tower is being built rapidly, and its height must exceed all the buildings in New Roseburg, so the flames it ignites can also warm the entire city.
As a sign, the people in the city cut down wood and even took out their own dry firewood reserves. All kinds of combustibles were stacked around the wooden tower frame.
In particular, the flammable oil-containing pine branches were piled higher and higher and became the core "building material" of the wooden tower. However, a huge cavity was deliberately placed in the center of the wooden tower, which is the chimney of the tower.
Burning a fire tower does not mean you can expect warmth just by lighting a fire. It is a major project of the festival, and some new tricks must be added to the project every year.
The so-called chimney effect, in which the hot foehn wind soars into the sky from the central hole, can bring the flames to a height of 100 meters, like a flaming snake rushing towards Asgard. It must be an astonishing experience for the public!
Rurik thought very well, so he arranged for his subordinates to pile up fuel according to the plan.
The whole city is getting ready for the holidays, especially Hanukkah!
Even if they lived a poor life in the past, every household would eat and drink heavily during Hanukkah, enjoying the indulgence that only occurs once a year. Now that life is getting better, the level of indulgence will only become more intense.
If there is no folk custom, folk custom will be created. There is never an unchanging custom. New regulations will become custom within a few years after they are implemented.
The construction of the fire tower is a clear proof, but Rurik hopes to add some Eastern sentiment.
The Hanukkah festival of the Rus and other Viking groups is just like New Year's Day in the East. The Slavs, various Finnish tribes and the Pechenegs also regard the winter solstice represented by Hanukkah as the beginning of the new year.
Rurik had no control over what ordinary people ate, drank or celebrated their holidays, at least the princely family had to have some special meals.
The largest mill in the principality is in New Roseburg, where Asraqi is rooted. After a summer of full development, the scale of the mill was expanded, and the output of milled flour also reached a considerable scale.
The high-gluten flour made from high-gluten wheat from Britain is perfect for making dumplings!
Aslaki was the "second cousin-in-law", and Rurik gave the order as a prince. When she heard that it was to make a new delicious meal, she readily agreed and started preparing the ingredients.
The old Harald family took root in the New World in the East, and Aslaqi became one of the top nobles in the principality through a direct bloodline marriage relationship with the Prince of Ross family. She is deeply involved in the family's food processing industry and is the number one contractor for grain processing in the "Principal Granary", ranking first in the entire Principality in terms of processing level.
The wheat flour specially supplied to the Duke's family was sifted again and again, and finally the light yellow fine flour without any bran was left. After kneading the dough, use a wooden pole to roll the dough into a thin dough. The employed women use a bronze ring tool to press out a round dough on the dough. Unfortunately, none of these women have learned the skill of rolling out dumpling wrappers.
The filling of the dumplings is also very particular. The best venison is chopped into mince, mixed with minced carrots, Agaricus bisporus, matsutake crumbs, and a large amount of thyme crumbs and parsley crumbs. Salt is essential, and a batch of eggs is also beaten in to enhance the stickiness of the filling.
Employed women make a lot of dumplings, and then send them directly outdoors to become quick-frozen dumplings for storage.
The traditional Vikings would stock up on overwintering food every autumn. Back then, everyone had no choice, but now the people who immigrated to New Roseburg have the right to be picky.
The prince raised more than 20,000 deer, and the deer herd was taken care of by a team of professional deer farmers, causing the population to expand steadily. The principality needs a large amount of deer skins, as well as venison and deer bones.
Fresh venison is sold openly in the market, and its price is about the same as that of a beluga whale. However, the butchers often fail to drain the blood cleanly, and the buyer does not cook it properly and the taste is too fishy. But when buyers bought fresh meat, they always pickled it with heavy salt, thyme and onions, and then hung it on wooden beams to be smoked and grilled. The unique style of Ross bacon was born.
In this regard, Aslaqi, who had the priority of supplies, did not hesitate to organize people to mass-produce bacon. She smokes and grills not only venison, but also rabbit, chicken, cod, and the most traditional mass-produced extremely hardened herring jerky.
Processing these "hard vegetables" and then selling them is not a profitable business, or in other words, what she wants is not to make a lot of money, but to further increase her reputation and become the largest businessman in New Roseburg in a curved way.
Rurik noticed more than that. He praised his sister-in-law's actions. The so-called group of female labor force was mobilized. They participated in the food processing industry and consumed when they were paid. This stimulated the consumer market of the entire principality. They can raise children and support their families just by being paid. A Viking family that is not from Rus's homeland is no longer making money by relying on farmland harvests and the husband's hunting and fishing, or even if the wife finds a job directly in the city.
These people were the first citizens of New Roseburg and also a group of petty bourgeoisie.
This is a dreamy beginning, because it is increasingly difficult for new immigrants or children of old immigrants to obtain new arable farmland in their places of origin. They must either go to the frontier to reclaim wasteland, or stay in the city. More state-owned and private workshops were established. Based on the latter strategy, a group of pure proletarian laborers in the principality was born.
A large group of children running around in the snow will turn into full-blooded young men within ten years. They have endless strength and can be heroes of the sea, kings of land battles and even mighty cavalry. They should also work in state-owned factories. Even in intensive handicraft industries that concentrate human resources, these labor forces are necessary.
Just before the grand festival, Rurik held a state of the nation meeting in the parliament chamber of New Roseburg.
Where are the prominent figures in the new Rossburg, including the Governor and his son, sitting in the parliamentary court? Everyone first listened to Governor Cornuson Sr.'s summary of the construction of New Roseburg in the past year.
Of course, how can this old guy list a batch of detailed data and then talk based on the data?
In his words, the business situation in New Roseburg is great, the construction industry is great, logging and reclamation is great, hunting and fishing are great...
As for the not so good point, it is probably because the prince himself is deeply involved in the construction of Novgorod. Is he neglecting the real royal city of Novorosberg?
For a long time, good news was reported but no bad news was reported. If the situation was all good, then there would be ghosts. For example, Rurik clearly learned that the purchase price of animal skins this winter had plummeted due to high production capacity, and the hunters did not get the windfall they had hoped for.
Many figures praised Rurik himself in every possible way, and business representatives from Finland took the lead in reiterating that the prince was indeed a saint blessed by Odin.
Countless words of praise can melt the ice, make dead trees sprout new buds, and bring spring back.
The report made by the old Konuson was really in vain. Rurik was not angry. At least this guy calculated the tax data.
This state-of-the-nation meeting held in the Russian Duma Chamber was, in another sense, a pilgrimage by the forces of servants and officials from various places. Including the eighteen-year-old Terravis simply represented the Vips people as Earl of Vips to wish the principality prosperity.
Saipolava, the wife and concubine present at the meeting, represents this Ironburg.
It was rare for Hellafed, who personally escorted the port of Narvik to transport Atlantic salt, to arrive in person with his brothers, and immediately attended the meeting as a representative.
Kawei, the great blacksmith, attended the meeting on behalf of the hometown of Roseburg Fjord, which has become a "steel and comprehensive mineral base".
Kovinstad at the mouth of the Oulu River, a direct immigration point for residents of the Ross proper, also sent business representatives to attend the meeting.
Not only the Governor of Tombstone Island at the crossroads of the ocean sent people to New Roseburg to participate in the festival and enter the venue, but also the Swedish allies who lived thousands of miles away, including merchants from Mälaren, Hjälmalen, Uppsala, and Onkras, arrived at the scene. , and then the meeting was held to discuss friendship and look forward to the future.
Rurik could not obtain the precise economic data of New Roseburg. He at least received congratulations from various forces and an attitude of absolute obedience.
Taking advantage of this meeting, the cavalry issue attracted the attention of the participants. Everyone was surprised that this mighty force suddenly appeared. Its appearance shocked everyone with its skills and brought great glory to the principality.
As a result, Kagan, who was forced to keep a low profile at the venue, could finally take off his hat and show his true face to everyone.
Rurik will introduce two heroes at the venue, and Kagan will be the first one he introduces.
"Seeing you praising me so much, I will tell you the origin of the cavalry. Look at this brother. He comes from the distant southern grasslands. All good horses are brought by these Pecheneg brothers. He is Kagan, and I am a half-brother, and we swore an alliance to Odin. From now on, our country’s cavalry force will grow rapidly..."
This all surprised everyone. In any case, Kagan, a man, was indeed a dwarf in the eyes of many Nordic men present.
The wise man then thought that to be so highly regarded by the handsome prince, this "dwarf" must have something special about him. Just like Yevlo, this guy is also a small man, his slashing skills are ruthless, and his military exploits are enough to convince everyone.
People soon learned of Kagan's noble identity. "Prince" and "Khan" are the same noble titles. This Kagan is the next Khan of the Pechenegs. He has at least 10,000 cavalry in his hands. Strong. These words were naturally described by Rurik himself, and the so-called "command of ten thousand cavalry" was just a casual statement. He knew that all men and women in the grasslands were soldiers, so saying that there were 10,000 cavalry was really an understatement. Even so, everyone in the audience was greatly shocked and expressed their disrespect.
Even though many of them are businessmen, the reason for attending the meeting is that Rurik needs the business value they bring. But they are all Viking warriors in essence. Blue Fox Gouldson is a case in point. A seemingly fat-minded businessman turned into an unparalleled warrior. As long as he is willing, the transformation is extremely rapid.
Businessmen must use absolute power to protect themselves when necessary. Like pure warriors, they respect and fear the fighting madman.
Kagan didn't understand Norse at all. He just learned a few words, said a few greetings lamely at the venue and sat down. But he could see that the Russians respected him.
Immediately afterwards, Ragnar Sigurdsson was elected by Rurik.
When the identity of the exiled leader of the Danish region was exposed, the venue was in an uproar, and even a business representative from the Lake Malaren region subconsciously pulled out a knife! Some local representatives even asked in a low voice: "My lord, the Danes have killed too many Swedish warriors. Isn't it unwise for you to let a Danish leader enter the sacred parliamentary court?"
Rurik had no intention of scolding him. He was sure that he had the people under Ragnar's command under control. What could the exiled leader do standing here? You must not let the prince wither away.
Ragnar showed up and said that he was not so stupid that he killed the old Swedish king Olegen. Instead, he deliberately emphasized that he had no intention of becoming an enemy of his northern neighbor. He complained that he was deceived by the evil Danish king, and in the end his people were deceived. The king of Denmark slew. A brave warrior described this with a ferocious face, and everyone saw tears streaming down his face.
Ragnar's tears were not fake, he was saddened by the disaster of his tribe, and his vengeful expression in public immediately won the audience's applause.
No one cared about his identity anymore. Many people raised their fists and declared that they must take revenge on the King of Denmark.
This is the opportunity Rurik has been waiting for!
Karl Hotrasen, the second eldest son of the famous shipbuilding family, was ordered by the prince to build a shipbuilding workshop in New Roseburg. Now his business is fully on track.
Karl stood up during the roll call and announced to everyone that the principality would establish a second "Royal Pirates" force, and hired Ragnar as its leader to control a brand-new light warship to launch attacks in Danish waters, specializing in fighting The Danish King's ships focus on combating its maritime economy.
This style of play has been criticized by some warriors who adhere to traditional beliefs as being a bit despicable. Rurik put the matter in perspective and declared in public: "We must use the current peaceful situation to increase our strength, just like an eagle can fly only when it has feathers. We have to be very confident when conquering Denmark, and before that I will find a way to tire them out, and we must achieve a perfect victory."
The meeting had an unfinished ending, and some unresolved matters should be discussed at a meeting after the festival.
But Ragnar himself was qualified to take his brothers to visit the shipbuilding workshop. They received the prince's order that even if the Neva River was frozen, everyone must first learn to use standard armed cargo ships in the shipbuilding workshop.
Even a standard armed cargo ship has a tonnage advantage over traditional rowing longships, not to mention it is equipped with Ross's torque slingshot (monkey version).
It was impossible for Rurik to give up the principality's best warship. He still had to fortify Ragnar. Therefore, the pirate ship was an improved cargo ship, with high-end weapons and equipment, and a small number of performance cuts. Ragnar understood this, and even so, he was already satisfied. Just because he stood in the huge Russian shipbuilding factory and saw a large ship being built, his understanding of the shipbuilding industry had been completely subverted.
Right at the door of the factory, Ragnar gathered his men and made an impassioned mobilization. He was not afraid at all that the shipyard craftsmen would inform Prince Rurik, after all, what he said came from the bottom of his heart.
That night, after Rurik finished eating dumplings comfortably, the messenger from the shipyard entered the palace to make a secret report in person.
"That's it, you go down."
The messenger left, and Rumia couldn't help but come over with a bulging belly, sat down and said, "It seems that Ragna is trustworthy."
"Maybe." Rurik shrugged: "The real beast is not willing to be imprisoned. He will use us again. Just in time, I will use him too. He can provoke the Danish civil war, but I have to guard against it. If he gets bigger, he might come back to bite me."
"Who can defeat you?" Rumia sneered.
"Indeed, no one can defeat me unless I stop and give others a chance to transcend. How are you... how are you preparing for the sacrifice?"
Rumia answered readily: "Everything is ready, all I need is you to hold the torch and light the fire tower."
"Okay, the festival starts the day after tomorrow in the evening, so we have to stay up late..."
