The square outside the church with its stone pavement, this place for open-air activities, is now the gathering point for Russian raids.
On one side was the emperor's palace, and on the other side was the cathedral. The discovered property began to gather here, and some prisoners were also twisted here.
The city of Trier is neither small nor large. There are more than 2,000 residents within the city walls. In addition to the miscellaneous people outside the city, 5,000 people have lived here for a long time. These people live in the small riverside plain surrounded by mountains. Most of the people are surprised.
When he found out that he was being attacked in the city, he went crazy and ran away to the mountains and hid without a trace.
Since the total number of Russians who invaded was only about 500, the defenders fought at the gate and encountered delays, giving more people time to escape.
Only a few prisoners were twisted to the square. They were all those with inconvenient legs and feet, those who were hesitant, and even some women with children and old men on crutches. Some people had been killed in the attack, and those who could be twisted to the square
People really don’t know whether they are lucky or facing a more cruel ending.
A massacre just broke out outside the cathedral, with many priests lying dead. Some captured civilians were shocked to see those blond barbarians asking the archbishop something.
Even the noble bishop cannot stop the viciousness of these barbarians. What can some civilians do?
The captured people lowered their heads and sobbed softly. Many people felt that Archbishop Hutto would soon be beheaded by the evildoers...
But it’s not as if the blue fox took advantage of the situation and chopped off Hutto’s head.
Thanks to the intelligence from Fred and others, Blue Fox learned the name and basic identity of Archbishop Hotto, the most powerful person in the Trier diocese.
He was now holding Hutto by the collar with one hand, holding the steel sword against his neck with the other hand, and demanding in Latin: "Silver coins! I want more silver coins! Tell me where you hide all your money."
Hutto's heart bleeds when he hears that the sacred language comes from the mouth of a pure robber and liar.
"You! Apostles of Satan! God will send down divine punishment, and you will all be struck to death by lightning!"
The old guy kept chattering, his mouth was as hard as a stone, and he kept repeating verbal curses such as "divine punishment" and "thunder and lightning".
"Shut up! Tell me where the silver coins are! Tell me where all your cellars are, or I'll kill you."
The blue fox was still pressing, but Hutto's attitude became even tougher, or in other words, he showed an attitude of wanting to kill or cut himself into pieces, resolutely showing his uncooperation.
"Brother, execute this stubborn guy." The impatient Black Fox bared his teeth and suggested in Norse.
"Kill him easily? No." Blue Fox turned around and scolded his younger brother for his recklessness.
"Why bother? This man doesn't want to say anything. Besides, our brothers have already brought out many suitcases containing money, and we have already made a fortune."
"So you? Are you satisfied with this little wealth? Stupid."
Forget it, Blue Fox continued to question Hutto, but saw the old guy closing his eyes as if waiting for death.
"Damn martyr! Do you want to be a saint of your faith?! I won't give you a chance." Feeling that there would be no result if he pressed him further, Lan Hu pushed him down cruelly.
The old man in pain reluctantly sat down with his hands on the ground. He opened his eyes again with a fierce look and cursed silently with his eyes.
Blue Fox twisted his neck and said indifferently, "Bishop of Trier Hutto. Compared with Bishop Hardbold of Cologne, I am very dissatisfied with your stubborn attitude. We are only here to rob wealth, killing is never the purpose."
, is just a passive method to plunder wealth. If you escape, I will not pursue you. If you obediently hand over all your wealth, I will let you go afterwards."
Hutto heard from the contact that these gangsters were the evil men who had attacked Cologne in the legend. The horrific evil deeds spread far and wide. As the priests quickly spread the word by word of mouth, it became a terrifying legend when it reached Trier.
.
"You Normans! You are all demons." He did not listen at all and continued to rebuke and curse.
"Devils? We are indeed demons, and you have never seen real demonic behavior."
Compared to other Rus' nobles, Blue Fox is easy to reason with. Maybe it was Rurik himself who launched this robbery, and his methods may be more delicate. He prides himself on what he can do now.
Really kill Hutto? In terms of creating chaos, executing an old man, because of his extremely noble status, his death will definitely cause a "big earthquake".
Then kill him? Absolutely not. After all, this man is a servant of God and a "high priest". Blue Fox is not an atheist but believes in all kinds of gods.
If you fail to interrogate the old man, you will be cursed by him. Then let this guy sit in this city square and watch the destruction of Trier!
The purpose of Blue Fox's visit was not to kill. The primary purpose was to remove property, and the second purpose was to fulfill the secret conspiracy agreement with King Ludwig - to destroy the city of Trier.
Hutto was tied up and sat there, so that he could personally see the destruction of the entire city.
Lan Hu ordered his two subordinates: "Watch this old guy closely, and don't do anything even if he curses or abuses you. Let him see us looting, setting fire to, and moving everything away!"
It doesn't matter if the archbishop doesn't cooperate. Why don't you go to the church and see for yourself.
The blue fox aggressively dragged his brother black fox into the Trier Cathedral, which is full of Roman significance. This was not the first time he attacked the monastery. The church he saw now was indeed extraordinary.
With his head held high, he couldn't see the wooden beams on the roof. Some of them were actually a series of stone arches. Roman arches are based on solid granite and are assisted by Roman-style cement bonding in key parts. The gravity of the building is controlled by the arched structure.
Scattered, the stone arches in various directions in the church form a structure with a large span and become a very solid existence.
Fighters venting their lust for destruction have smashed rows of wooden chairs in the preaching hall, and huge wooden crosses hanging on the walls have also been dismantled and smashed.
There was indeed nothing valuable in the hall until Blue Fox himself arrived in the occupied cellar.
"Is this the only place to hide money?" he asked a brother who was busy collecting property.
"Yes, boss, all the money has been moved away, and the rest doesn't seem to be of much value."
"Impossible, follow me and continue digging. The cellar here is obviously very big, and there may be a secret door or something like that."
Blue Fox estimated that a group of priests had no intention of digging a large cellar. As for digging, many years ago he was ordered to run Ross's shop in Hedeby, so he pre-excavated the cellar and escape tunnel, which really became a life-saving passage. He knew the fall of Rome.
It is a great existence, and the city of Trier must be a relic of the old Rome. The Franks only built their city based on the original urban architecture.
There are indeed many wooden doors in the cellar, and the sensitive blue fox is aware of the flowing air inside.
Seeing the solid stone wall, the bronze lamp holder, and even some solidified grease, he felt it and judged that this cellar must be visited by people from time to time.
In the cellar, the Russians have always used burning wooden branches as torches. As the bronze lamp holders began to dance with flames, the cellar became clearly visible, and some secret doors that were once plunged into darkness could no longer be hidden.
Blue Fox suddenly ordered the dozen or so followers around him to keep quiet.
"Brother, what's going on?" Black Fox asked in surprise.
"Stop talking, let's watch the flames."
Indeed, as everyone remained still, the flames beating against the wall were still trembling. The clever blue fox suddenly pulled back his brother's hair, and illuminated by the flames, the hair was indeed floating in one place.
"What's going on?" Black Fox asked, covering his head.
"It's windy. This means there are other exits from the cellar. Boy, learn how to do it."
Lan Hu reprimanded the brothers for lax inspection: "If someone escapes along the secret passage with a lot of treasures, our losses will be great. Fortunately, we can't escape my eyes. Let's go check quickly, be careful, and hide in the local area."
The enemy will fight us to the death." As soon as he finished speaking, everyone drew their swords collectively.
The city of Trier not only has surface structures, but the underground space was also used by the Romans. Feeling the direction of the air flow, the correct secret door was discovered.
There is a gentle breeze in the long alleyway, and there seems to be strange movement if you listen carefully.
"Shield wall! In front! Others follow me."
The three of them pieced together the shield, and placed the steel sword against the side of the shield to open a path. Blue Fox followed with other brothers holding torches, and lit the bronze lamp holders they could find along the way.
The further they went, the more the brothers felt the subtlety of the hidden mystery, thinking that they would definitely find the big secret room where the money was actually hidden.
Blue Fox thought the same thing, but people all heard strange noises, which were either moans or cries.
"There may be enemies out there, and we can catch them by surprise. Keep walking."
The people who were ordered tightly grasped the hilts of their swords, but what they saw next in a large underground space really surprised them.
Enemy? No. On one side of the alleyway is a wooden cage with at least twenty men locked inside. It was these people who made the noise.
"These people are like beasts in a cage. They can't escape even if they want to. Should we execute them according to our rules?" Black Fox asked.
Blue Fox looked at the environment of the house and found that the oil lamps on the wall and the oil lamp on the table were both on. There were wooden chairs scattered on the ground, and even some leather goods that had not been taken away. It was obvious that someone had been here but they had escaped extremely well.
hurry.
"It seems like this is a prison."
"Oh? This is where they keep prisoners? But, these people are so skinny, what crime can they commit?"
When my brother had questions, Lan Hu turned his head and asked softly: "Why don't you ask yourself."
"Forget it, I just want to get rich."
The imprisoned people were all huddled together with fear in their eyes. They were disheveled, and some of them looked like they had injuries to their limbs. From what he could see, Lan Hu estimated that they had been punished by whippings and the like. Just like my brother estimated,
Looking at how cowardly these people are, what could they have done wrong? Unless...
Blue Fox asked briefly in Frankish, and some people were really frightened and told how they were imprisoned.
The reason is quite simple. When the tithes were paid during the recently concluded autumn harvest, these tenant farmers, who were already in debt to the church, still failed to pay the rent after paying the corresponding taxes, and naturally became debt slaves. The Diocese of Trier
Most of the farmland is religious property, and the mountains, forests, lakes and lakes are also religious property. If farmers want to hunt for food, they will be thrown into prison if they are caught. Although it is possible to fish on the banks of the Moselle River, it is a pity that farmers lack the means and do not expect to catch enough to survive.
Renting church acres is a way for many farmers to survive, and it is also the only means of survival for poor-minded people.
Being in debt and becoming a debt slave is quite normal and taken for granted in the northern world. As a smart businessman, Blue Fox has very sophisticated methods to deal with this situation. What is the use of catching and beating debt slaves? It is better to give them some
To make money and repay debts, Blue Fox thinks that a good way is to train them into armed thugs or errand boys. After all, they are in debt, so such employees appear to be loyal and cheap.
There are twenty people in the cage. After all, they are debt slaves of Trier Parish. Did their unfortunate experience arouse their inner anger? The seemingly submissive farmer is by no means the coward in front of him. As long as they are given a chance, they will soon be
It may be able to arouse the suppressed anger in his heart.
Blue Fox's men immediately smashed the wooden cage to pieces, and seemed to be about to kill him, which frightened the group of people and cowered together.
"Now I let you go!" Blue Fox explained in Frankish, "The city of Trier has been occupied by us, and your debt is gone. You follow us and take revenge! Go kill! Go burn! They are not God.
Servant!"
Blue Fox didn't want to explain much, nor did he expect that his words would make them submit. The best way was to force each other with swords, and as expected, these people stood up and were pushed to the front of the team.
I thought I would find the secret room where the treasure was hidden, but I found twenty farmers who were in debt, which was a good thing. The farmers who regained their freedom suddenly realized that these blond intruders with bucklers must be the legendary "Apostles of Satan"
The Normans, surprisingly, were not killed.
These farmers knew what blue foxes were most afraid of, so they promised that they would never kill them and expressed their sympathy for their plight.
"Those priests are greedy, so we came to attack them. I have no hatred against you. If it can help us get rich, we will let you leave safely."
Individual farmers who resonated with their emotions cautiously acted as guides and simply led the Normans through the underground lanes to the hidden underground granary.
The blue fox didn’t know how long it had been walking, but he was extremely relieved when he found the underground granary. The burlap bags were neatly stacked, and the cat suddenly appeared and then disappeared with caution. The steel sword was pierced into a sack, and what flowed out was indeed dry.
Wheat grains.
Can the underground in Trier be used as a granary? Are you really not afraid of moisture?
Blue Fox, who had no intention of finding out the cause, had been worried that the army would not have enough food for the winter, so he prepared extra longships for the attack.
The exit of the underground granary was discovered. The brothers walked up the stone stairs and smashed open the wooden boards with axes. The loud sound of such smashing naturally alerted the people on the ground.
Then when the first head popped out of the tunnel, he saw a group of brothers setting up a shield wall, and even a loaded crossbow facing him.
"Hey! It's one of our own."
The misunderstanding was cleared up in Norse, and in a moment the blue fox appeared with his brothers from the open-air granary.
Why can the underground be used as a granary? The obvious answer is that there is not enough space in the above-ground granary.
After chatting with the guys on the ground, Lan Hu found out that they were busy looting the so-called emperor's palace, and this granary was located in the outer building of the emperor's palace.
Constantine's palace, which is equivalent to the inner city, already has ready-made guard quarters and granaries. It is logical for the church to rule Trier by using the architectural layout of hundreds of years ago.
Soon, he met Eric "Big Tooth", exchanged information and started the next step of robbery.
No, the farmers who had regained the light had to face a tragic situation - the city was being looted. They were very worried that this group of Normans would demolish their homes in the villages outside the city and kill their innocent family members.
When Lan Hu said, "We have no intention of being attacked by poor farmers, we only rob the rich," they immediately felt at ease.
Who are the rich people? The church is the only rich person in Trier.
Hearing that the city's defenders could escape faster than hares, and that the entire Trier was undefended and did not have to worry about enemy counterattacks, the blue fox had to move the grain boldly with confidence. Twenty rescued debt slaves were ordered to become porters.
The seized carts were used to carry grain to the dock at the west gate of the city.
They worked in panic, saw the killings and corpses, and were even more shocked to see the superior bishop with his hands and feet tied, sitting in the city square like a captured beast, witnessing the large-scale plunder of the Normans, and felt in their hearts
I'm really happy, and I'm glad you have today.
Because arson has already occurred, there is nothing to plunder from ordinary residential buildings. Most of them are wooden buildings that can easily catch fire. Blue Fox asked his subordinates to set fire to the entire city as much as possible.
It's just because Blue Fox doesn't have heavy-duty destruction equipment, so it can't destroy heavy stone buildings in a short time.
The emperor's palace and the cathedral still had to be destroyed as much as possible, so due to the large amount of wood on the upper floor of the church, thick smoke began to billow. Poor Archbishop Hutto silently witnessed all this and closed his eyes unbearably.
The total amount of ironware, gold and silver seized was not large, and the leather goods and cloth seized were not welcomed by the brothers, but the leather boots and felt boots found were taken away.
The largest amount of loot was sacks of wheat, as well as some rye and oats, which were gradually loaded into unladen longships, and even captured small boats were used to load as much as possible.
As long as enough food is seized, there is no need to raid the villagers in Nassau Village. The best way to win over the farmers is to reduce taxes, but maintaining a garrison of up to 600 people will consume a lot of food on weekdays.
Try to move as much food as possible from Trier, and you only have one chance.
Because the flames in the city are getting stronger and stronger, wooden houses are being set on fire in succession. Eventually, the entire city will be burned down to only the blackened stone walls. What to do with the food that cannot be moved? In the spirit of not getting it, you can’t
The principle of letting the enemy take it away, Lan Fox still ordered it to be burned.
The ground in the city is blazing, the red flames on the roofs of the double-story houses are extremely frightening, and the underground alleys are also smoldering. The upper floors of the cathedral are clearly in flames, but the clever blue fox has packed up the parchment documents and other documents and taken them away.
, also includes announcing that the distribution rights of the sacred vessels looted from the church are in his personal hands.
The looting lasted for two days, and the city was already in flames, as if the gates of hell had been pried open in Trier.
Blue Fox and his brothers no longer wanted to stay. He cremated the ten brothers who died in the battle according to Viking funeral rites, and then forced the twenty rescued debt slaves to join the group. Even though the latter were unwilling due to religious issues, they faced
With the threat of "if you don't join the gang, you'll die", you had to join.
What is the use of taking in debt slaves? Essentially, it is to increase the agricultural population in Nassau Village, which has too few human resources. These farmers have already committed serious crimes and can no longer live in the Trier area. They can only leave their homes and live in another area. In the future
Then look for opportunities to take away your separated family members.
A group of prisoners were also held at the dock. Those who had been waiting for death were suddenly released. Then, driven by soldiers, they fled frantically...
Blue Fox carries out his plan, even including the release of Archbishop Hutto.
The ropes that tied him were untied, and all the restraints on Hutto were gone.
"You! Are the apostles of Satan! Normans, you will not die well!"
"Old man with a tough mouth, you are free." Lan Hu said calmly.
"If you let me go, I will inform everyone I know about what happened in Trier. I will tell the King of Frank, and the army will attack you."
He immediately became interested when he mentioned the blue fox: "Is it that Lothair? You can tell him that we are here! We are Russians, Swedes, and Danes. In the final analysis, we are Normans! Now we are Normans.
Revenge of the Manns! We will plunder everywhere, this year it will be Trier, next year it will be Aachen. Haha! Go and tell Lothair that we will burn Aachen and destroy your Charlemagne’s tomb.”
"You! You guys..."
"Let's go! Hutto, go and report the news!" Then, it was Blue Fox who took the lead in ridiculing, which then caused everyone to burst into laughter.
Archbishop Hutto staggered away in despair. Behind him was the city in flames. The palace belonging to King Lothair and the noble cathedral were all in flames. Everything was the evil deeds of the Normans! But this group of people
The Normans also knew sacred Latin.
Hutto fled to the forest alone. He couldn't help thinking that maybe it was because of his impiety that Satan took advantage of it...