Chapter 1042 The coincidence of Rurik and the explorers
All the members of Carl Brand's team took the goods from their expedition and drove along the river in an ox cart.
They camped overnight and continued to explain their experiences to the curious guides.
So in the afternoon of the next day, the journey came to an end.
The Calf Manor is here. Since most of the cattle have been driven to Balotawo to graze on grass, there are only a few cattle and goats left on the farm. Some chickens running around are clearly visible, and they were plucked out of nowhere.
Even if they are flapping their wings, they are still free-range chickens.
The people who stayed behind gradually walked out of their residences to watch the Russians arriving from a strange direction, and soon some elderly people came to greet them.
"You? Are you coming from the west? Or the north."
"West." Karl said bluntly and asked urgently: "Where is your Boyar? I want to talk to him."
"Is it Usky? He is in Novgorod in the north. You...are you, the king, okay?"
The old man didn't dare to ask any more questions. After all, Karl and his group had been holding the Ross flag, and he himself was wearing Ross jerseys.
Karl had no intention of staying in this village, even though it was already afternoon. He stared at the small dock on the lakeside, silently commenting on the local boats.
"It's not bad. They say that the third son of the Hotla family is building river boats in Novgorod. They are really doing something." Karl muttered in his heart.
He thought for a while, then faced the old man and said loudly to the entire onlookers: "Let your prominent people stand up. I want to discuss something with you."
What's going on? The villagers looked at each other.
The old man continued: "Just tell me, you..."
"Indeed. This matter does have something to do with the king." Karl shrugged, then pointed to the small dock: "I want to rent your ship and take all of us to Novgorod. Don't worry, I will give you the money."
When they heard that there was money to be taken, all the onlookers were excited.
But the talkative old guy couldn't help but scratch his old face, and squinted his eyes to look at the setting sun: "It's a bit late. How much labor fee can you... give us?"
Karl could tell that this old guy wanted to ask for more money. Whatever, since he spent money to hire a boat, he also hired a farmer by the way.
"I want two long boats, and you will provide twenty men and women to row them for us. When we get to Novgorod, I will give you twenty silver coins."
This is an exciting price!
"In this case, we can't refuse, even if we spend the night there." The old man smiled, and the onlookers also laughed.
The people of Calf Manor are too lazy to think too much. In fact, with a little imagination, they can realize that these Russian families coming from strange directions must be hiding something big, otherwise they would not spend a large sum of money to demand that the ship must be rushed before night.
Arrive in Novgorod.
A considerable amount of the property in this manor is shared by all the people. They raised funds to purchase a long boat built by Varyag craftsmen, so if you change your clothes, you can cosplay as a real Varyag.
The newly built long boats for inland rivers are overall slender and shortened in width. Considering the practical needs of fishing on the lake, anchoring facilities are also installed on both sides of the hull. In this way, the two long boats can be connected to each other with long logs to become a catamaran.
, or two pontoons are attached to the left and right sides to ensure that the boat becomes a stable and floating fishing platform.
So the outcome of the matter was very different from what Carl and the others imagined.
Ten young men came out of the manor. They carried wooden beams and planks with smiles on their faces. They quickly connected the two long boats in parallel at the dock and spliced the planks together. Their actions were quite skillful. Such a move was
It was something Carl had never seen before. Such a long ship turned directly into a barge.
Barges are large floating platforms, and those who were unable to use trawling techniques came up with the idea of collective fishing.
Where there is demand, there is a market. The third son of the Hotla family, Stein, is in charge of the shipyard in Novgorod. Although he knows that his second brother has taken over a big business from the king, he is really jealous, but he himself
There was no need to build ocean-going ships. He focused on building inland river ships, and made a lot of efforts to do so. It was technically feasible to combine two ships into a barge, or even to assemble multiple ships into a large barge, or even to form a pontoon.
Planks were laid on the wooden beams, and Karl and his party sat on this platform.
The two triangular sails were hoisted, and ten hired men were manipulating the oars on both sides, shouting chants and rowing while adjusting the course.
The wind in the evening has weakened a lot, and the ship is taking advantage of the warm southerly wind to drift towards its final destination at a faster speed.
Karl sat cross-legged, holding the flagpole with the Ross flag flying. The scene of floating on the lake opened his eyes. They were basically staying on a stable platform that was constantly drifting, and they could not feel the fluctuations at all.
There is always an endless stream of ships going to and from Novgorod, and there are many old Russians living here. The sudden arrival of Karl and his party will not cause any disturbance at all.
What's more, every evening is the city's evening market. The market in the city is very lively, and the fish stalls outside the city, especially the pier, are even more lively.
Freshly caught perch, smelt and whitefish are traded here, and occasionally large sturgeon can be seen for sale.
The city was bustling inside and outside. Karl and his friends were originally living in Chengli, Novorosberg. When they arrived in Novgorod, the second largest city, they saw much the same thing.
Karl kept his word and handed twenty silver coins to their civilian husbands as soon as he landed, and then carried all the luggage directly into the city.
He was very smart, wearing a Ross jersey and carrying a flag, and deliberately ostentatiously walked through the city with his friends, just to attract the attention of the city's security patrol.
There was no patrol for the time being, so the group went directly to the city gate and chatted up the guards on duty, thus quickly attracting the captain on duty.
"What's wrong with you guys?" The captain on duty spoke normally and had a very kind attitude. After all, the visitors were all old Russians with blond hair.
"We came from the capital, I want to see the king!"
This request immediately stopped the captain on duty. "Sir, under our status, how could we lead you to see the king on our own? It's almost dark, but you have something very urgent?"
"It's very urgent." Karl lowered his face and said, "We must meet the king. If we delay the time, you are guilty."
The captain on duty would do this job in peacetime, and in wartime he would be the centurion in the flag corps. Even though he didn't know what was going on, I'm afraid it's better not to know.
A captain guarding the city gate is not qualified to report directly to Rurik, but although Novgorod is a big city in this era, its population is still too small. A city with a population of less than 10,000 does not need to be too complicated.
As a governing body, Governor Medved had great powers and corresponding responsibilities.
Medved was in the city. When he heard the surprise report from the guards at Chengmen, he immediately realized that the situation was serious. He hurriedly changed his clothes and rushed to the city gate without even finishing his meal.
He soon saw the waiting group of people who called themselves travelers, and saw clearly the gray-bearded flag-bearer in the classic Russian warrior dress.
He held the hilt of the sword and walked forward vigorously. It was a test, and he saw that the other party was not nervous at all.
"Where did you...come from?"
"I recognize you, Medved! I am a veteran of the Second Flag, and the men in front of you are also veterans. We are from Fort New Rose." Carl knew him well.
They have no reason to lie, as evidenced by their blond hair and familiar attitude.
"It's not surprising that many people came from the capital." Medved's attitude calmed down, "I saw that you carried a lot of things on your back. Do you have any good things that you want to sell to the king personally? You might as well... take them first
Come out and take a look."
"It's nothing special. It's just dry food along the way. Listen, as an old Russian, I am qualified to report some important discoveries to the king personally. I must see the king immediately."
"A major discovery? An interesting new news? What new discoveries can you make while floating along the river? Ships pass by on the Volkhov River every day."
"It's not the Volkhov River! We..." Karl coughed hard and cleared his throat: "We set out from the bay and didn't go through the Neva River at all. Medved, if you are smart, you should be able to understand what I mean.
."
"You guys? You...you?!"
Medved couldn't help but cover his mouth: "This is impossible! There can be no second river leading here."
"Really?" Karl laughed so hard that his beard trembled, and his wild laughter also attracted many passers-by to watch.
He glanced left and right, considering that the matter should not be made public for the time being, he moved his mouth to Medved: "This is how we came here. There is indeed no direct waterway, but we just walked through a swamp. We once
We have fought side by side, and I am still an old Russian, so how can I entertain the king with nonsense? This matter is very important, and we need to see the king immediately."
"Okay. It's really a big deal. Come with me."
Of course Karl and his party know the rules. The king is the king after all. In the past, when old Otto was the leader, the brothers could still talk to him with weapons, but now they can't.
The group of people took off all their weapons for the time being and waited outside the low wooden wall of the palace.
At this moment, Rurik was enjoying an ordinary dinner with his wives and concubines, and his ears were filled with the chirping of women and the laughter and crying of children. The royal family has a huge family, and most of the little princes cannot walk yet.
He is quite capable of climbing, and looks like he will grow into a brave warrior in the future.
The queen had to deal with too many big affairs before and it seemed that the queen was left out. Rurik, who had a little leisure time, would not stay in Novgorod for a long time. He formed the second cavalry, hoping that Captain Brody's "devil training" would be used
In a short period of time, he trained a group of young men to be able to ride horses well. He was also organizing a fleet of boats to go down the river, so that the waterway would enter the Volkhov-Neva waterway, and deliberately arrive at the loyal capital in a mighty way.
So before setting off, Rurik and his team arranged to have dinner with all the wives and concubines, which was actually the king's love for them.
Undoubtedly, the most favored ones are Queen Svetlana and the three-year-old Prince Osborne.
A long separation is better than a newlywed. Lanna has been looking forward to her king. She plans to have another child, and Rurik is also willing to meet her demands. Other wives and concubines also have the same appeal. After weighing their own body and bones, Rurik is determined.
I got on it and ended up feeling a little tired.
Multiple direct princes may compete with each other for power, but the status of a single direct descendant is also a disaster. To put it another way, if the population of the newly born nobles is very large, then there will be too few people who can threaten the status of the direct prince.
At least what Rurik sees now is that Osborne and his half-brother Oleg are close to each other in age and are good playmates, and they are really comfortable to watch when they play.
Medvet's appearance surprised Rurik. He was not angry. He subconsciously realized that something big was going on, so he suddenly put on a serious face. Suddenly, the venison braised noodles in his chopsticks no longer tasted good.
.
"What's the matter? Are you in such a panic to come to the meeting?!"
Medved hurriedly knelt down and saluted: "Your Majesty, please forgive me for being reckless. There is really a big matter."
"Big deal? Don't worry. My cousin came back early with good news." What Rurik thought was that the western expedition team had discovered the channel leading to the Volga River.
"They were some explorers. They started from...the Gulf of Finland, found a small river on the south coast and got into it. As a result, it miraculously appeared here."
"What?!" Rurik burst into flames, and even the glass bowl of noodles was thrown out of the table. This move shocked the wives and concubines present to change their expressions.
"Is this true? They just... drifted all the way to Lake Ilmen?"
"It's basically true. Unless they lie. Oh, they are old Russians, they will never lie to the king!"
"Where are they?!"
"Just outside the palace."
That's all. Rurik looked at the cracked noodles and the queen's surprised face. "This meal is inedible. Go and inform them to meet. I'll wait for them in the meeting room."
"As you command!"
In the end, only men from five families were able to enter the palace. They were all old Russians. They could all claim to have watched the king grow from a baby to the handsome and strong man he is today. Of course, they also participated in all the early affairs of Russia.
The expansion war and decommissioning also happened in the early 840s.
Therefore, Rurik had a good attitude towards the old Rus's who were from the Rus' tribe. They respected the king but also showed less awe. Everyone still got together happily as in the past and discussed various matters in a harmonious manner.
.
This is indeed the case for Rurik, so it is convenient to bring his father along with him.
Otto came with a cane, sat cross-legged on the leather cushion like this, wore a gold-plated leather helmet and put on thicker clothes, which instantly hid his aging.
Since Otto had been arriving at Lake Ilmen every year forty years ago, he was shocked when he first heard that there was a second waterway leading to the great lake. Discovering a new waterway was a glorious feat, and perhaps he should have received this honor long ago.
,pity……
At least it was the old Russians who discovered the new waterway, and the honor still went to his family. Otto was still very pleased.
Two generations of kings from the Kingdom of Rus were sitting in this room, and the surroundings were brightly illuminated by oil lamps, making their golden laurel crowns and gilded helmets shine.
After a while, Karl, Brand, and three others happily came to meet the king.
But when they really saw the two kings, they were also surprised. Old Otto was really old, even though he had been trying his best to pretend. King Rurik was different. Looking at his face from a close distance, he looked just like Otto forty.
The image of Nian is extremely similar.
There are not many members of the Old Ross tribe. Since many older people died naturally or died in battle, there are even fewer old guys from Old Ross who are still alive.
In the past era, people like Karl and Brand have never been able to join the high-level tribes, so even in tribal wars, they still performed the duties of ordinary warriors.
These five people represent Rose's past. All of them have golden hair that is turning white. Although their status was not high in the past, they are all treasures now. What's more, they seem to have discovered a second waterway.
Rurik and Otto had no intention of showing off to their family members. Just like the past rules, Otto whispered deeply and asked in an old voice: "Someone has already reported to me. You... Oh no. First.
Tell me your names and where you lived in Roseburg."
Since the initiators of the operation were Karl Brand and the two of them, they responded to Otto's inquiry and told a lot of past events, just to prove their identities.
After hearing this, Rurik nodded: "I have no doubt about your identity. Karl, you are the leader of the entire expedition! Because of your urgent report, I even stopped eating. Tell me, what exactly did you encounter?"
Detail your experience and take responsibility for your own narrative."
"Follow your orders. This is what happened..."
Karl kept talking, and Brand kept saying that everything he said was comfortable, and added some things along the way.
The unnamed estuary of the Gulf of Finland, the twists and turns of the reed-filled river, the large flight feathers and leg bones of a strange bird, the mysterious Finnish-speaking Sawalki village, the chance encounter with a cowherd boy and the help of a calf manor.
They brought gifts, which were the so-called huge bird's huge flight feathers that were longer than an adult's forearm, and a bird's leg bone that was nearly as long as an adult man's entire arm. Rurik could estimate that it should be a kind of crane.
In his understanding, only cranes have such amazingly long legs.
What Karl and Brand said cannot be ignored. Rurik completely believed them and was even more interested in personally conducting an on-the-spot investigation at the named Reedy River, especially since the Finnish-speaking village must be brought under the rule of Rus.
An idea of personal inspection has sprouted in Rurik's mind. Once he had the idea, he immediately set off to take a look. After all, the Calf Manor was not far away. He continued to visit the so-called cattle ranch. The cavalry rushed over and it was estimated that it would be over in two days.
arrive.
"A piece of watery land that is not very long?" Rurik clasped his chin and tugged at his beard, "I believe in your exploration. I never expected that you accidentally discovered the second passage."
"This is Odin's gift! God protects Ross." Karl said seriously.
"Indeed, the gods protect us. So, what really cuts off the waterway is just a swampy land?"
"That's right. There are many ponds and mud pits in the marsh. Without these bad mud, our ships would not stop at the Reed River, but would float directly to the big lake. Your Majesty, I have an idea."
"Idea? Okay, actually, I also suddenly had an idea." A smile suddenly appeared on Rurik's face. "Oh, let me guess. You have been emphasizing the swamp mud, these stinking
Something is blocking our ship? This problem is easy to solve. Just dig some and build a river channel. That will be enough."
Karl's heart was pounding: "That's what I mean. Your Majesty hopes to open up a second route to Novgorod. This matter is already known to everyone in Novorossberg. We had no intention of actively discovering the second waterway, and now a miracle
It has happened."
"Build a canal! Ah! I thought we had to cut a land passage through the forest! It seems unnecessary. This matter is of great importance. I want to go and see for myself."
Rurik's attitude was firm. In fact, he didn't want to play with his wife, concubines and children every day in the palace. It was fine for a few days, but over time it was a kind of torture for a grown man. Rurik wanted to ride a horse and hunt.
I want to fish, want to ride outdoors, and want to inspect the kingdom.
Now, a perfect reason to leave was in front of him. And just the idea of "building the canal" excited him. As a rigorous person, he had to investigate it personally this time.
After all, once it is determined to build a canal to connect the second waterway, it will be the first national-level project of the Kingdom of Ross. Excavating a diversion channel along the main river road will cause the river water to wash away the city's drainage channels and wash away all the garbage, or the diversion channel will be driven
The wooden wheel made the water wheel mill work perfectly. Both the old Russians and the Slavs had experience in digging water channels.
"Maybe it's not difficult to dig out a canal from the swamp, right? All I need is a waterway that can carry traditional long boats," he thought.