Henry Nassau's family, who immigrated to the Netherlands, had fallen in love with the city of Utrecht. It was not that his status had risen through becoming an earl, but that his family had received the tangible benefits they had always dreamed of.
The area centered on the city of Utrecht has a large population, dozens of times the size of his hometown in Nassau. Henry controls the most elite areas. When he first arrived, in order to force the locals to quickly accept his rule, Henry to a certain extent
It reduced the taxes of the common people and reiterated that the local nobles only had military obligations to them. In this way, both the people and the nobles welcomed such an outsider.
This outsider is unusual. Henry Nassau moved the main branch of the family to Utrecht. Based on a series of treaties, the entire Netherlands will not encounter deliberate attacks by the Normans. She has close ties with the Kingdom of Denmark and the Rus.
The kingdoms are already allies.
By 842, the tax reductions and exemptions granted by Henry had ended.
His biggest job during this autumn harvest season is to patrol the territory with his retinue, collect the tithe paid by the people, and then plan to transport the new wheat to Rotterstad and sell it to the Russians in exchange for funds.
Compared to the Count of Flanders on the other side of the river, the wool industry of Henry's Netherlands Count of Nassau is inferior. In terms of overall strength, it is inferior to Flanders, but this does not make it worse.
He is angry.
Henry has no ambitions, and it was unimaginable in the past to live a stable and gradually prosperous life in the coastal Netherlands. In principle, he is loyal to Liudolf, Duke of Saxony, who has already led troops towards Mainz.
On the battlefield, Henry should personally lead the Nassau Army to join the battle.
He did not, or it could be said that his daughter who stayed in his hometown in Nassau was already holding high the Nassau flag to work for King Ludwig. Someone was already fighting on behalf of Nassau, so he might as well continue to stay in Utrecht and live a comfortable life.
Just as the Count of Flanders suddenly received a mercenary team of Danish fishermen, Henry Nassau also had a guard of only a hundred Danes.
The Netherlands does not need to support a large army at this stage. The Danes and Rus are already allies with itself, so no one can threaten the security of the region. Raising troops is really expensive.
Henry Nassau maintained this standing army with a number of less than 500. He deliberately imitated the system of the Kingdom of Rus. After all, his fief had a large population and he was an earl, so it was suitable for him to support a standard standard regiment of Rus.
The fewer soldiers you have, the better you must be. Based on the habits of your hometown, this flag force should develop into a cavalry force in which everyone can ride a horse.
The Danish guards were good at navigation, which gave the Netherlands a small naval combat capability.
He needed horses very much, so when the victorious Ross coalition began to send well-trained, prime-age, all-male war horses to the Netherlands, even if they had to pay a large amount of food, Henry gritted his teeth and bought them all. Almost.
In an instant, everyone in his standing army had a horse to ride. So is this enough?
That's enough!
"What else should I worry about? We are all friends in the south, north, and east, and the west is the endless sea. I have rich products here, and I have many subjects. This year, the Duke of Saxony did not ask me to fight, and King Ludwig did not ask me to go.
Fighting. It is enough for me to live comfortably here, and no incident will disrupt my family's good life."
He felt that his life had reached the limit imaginable, and now that he was no longer young, the edges and corners of his youth had long been smoothed away. He had been poor for the first half of his life, and now he should enjoy happiness.
By transporting agricultural products to Rotterstad, Henry Nassau found that his fortune could steadily increase in value. This time, the largest agricultural sales operation in the Netherlands was underway, and the new wheat he transported could indeed ensure that several
Tens of thousands of Danes spent the winter in settlements at the mouth of the Rhine River.
As for Gisla, Lothair's third daughter, Henry knew nothing about this girl and had no need to know.
When Lan Hu took the opportunity to visit and mentioned this matter, he really didn't know anything about it and didn't hide it at all.
"It's strange. Baudoin and Henry both showed their attitudes. Could it be that Gisla, as a princess, is not an important person? Oh? Lothair really doesn't love this daughter? The nobles don't know about this girl. It's really pitiful.
"
Blue Fox had to think carefully, maybe Ludwig, as an uncle, was too lazy to pay attention to this niece.
After all, Blue Fox was only left out in Regensburg, not under house arrest. He got some information, and it was said that Ludwig himself had given birth to a lot of children.
So what if Gisla was not taken away by her uncle?
Who knows?
Blue Fox had no intention of changing his mind, so he ordered his army to rest at the mouth of the Rhine River to lick their bloody wounds and wait for their return in September.
Thus, Princess Gisla's life of house arrest finally came to an end.
She has no worries about food and drink in a comfortable house, but she is like a canary in a cage. Although she has no shackles, she cannot fly freely. But where can she go even if she leaves the house? This place is full of flowers.
Man, Frank's authority is gone.
"Uncle, will you take me in? If you take me in, will you marry me to a big noble in a few years? I... am alone now."
Gisla had no fun these days. She was willing to believe the promise of the Norman nobleman Joseph Blue Fox. As for actually going to her uncle's place, she might have been transported from one birdcage to another.
But what else can be done? What about royal princesses? Just like ordinary women, no one can independently decide their own destiny.
On the contrary, Gisla was a little envious of his former maid Alicia.
She didn’t know how long she had been under house arrest, but that night she was told that tomorrow was the day to leave. The strong Norman man who broke into the house rudely threw down some clothes and closed the door.
After all, they are new clothes. There are no gems or gold filigree embellishments. The style is very simple, but it is more decent and tidy.
This is a burqa. In order to give the princess some dignity, Blue Fox specially found the archbishop from Utrecht Cathedral and spent money to buy a nun's robe, then cut it down and wore it in Gisla.
On the body.
She approached the dock with a posture resembling a female monk and was escorted (or monitored) by Ross warriors, where she met the blue fox who had put on gorgeous clothes.
The breeze blew the girl's face, and she slowly took off her burqa and slowly looked up at the smiling face of the blue fox, which was not disgusting.
"Now...are we leaving?"
"Today is the day. Gisla, it seems that you look good. Are you ready?"
"Preparation...I don't care about preparation. Who knows what will happen when we go to Mainz."
"Silly boy, don't think things are bad." Blue Fox shrugged: "You have to understand that we and your uncle are allies, and I will never harm you. As long as you are obedient along the way, everything will be fine."
"Okay." She nodded.
"Come aboard with me now." After saying that, the blue fox grabbed Gisla's delicate arm fiercely, and they both stood on the longship that was the flagship.
In fact, the blue fox does not think that Gisla is really noble, or that whether she is noble or not mainly depends on her military strength. She is just an aristocratic girl who is tightly controlled by him. Gisla had better be obedient.
Those who are unruly will be tied up.
Fortunately, the girl was indeed very obedient. After getting on the boat, she sat down without saying a word. She showed no smile or sadness, just like a piece of wood. It seemed that it didn't matter how she placed it.
The fleet, which was composed entirely of rowing long boats, began to move. The oars were flying up and down, and the flags of Ross were flying on the masts of each ship. Blue Fox and his entourage were still putting on the necessary armor, and they dressed urgently.
A white linen shirt, or at most a white-on-blue-patterned robe.
When the continuous paddling made the soldiers hot, many of them spontaneously took off their shirts, and the sun shone on the golden hairs all over their bodies, which further highlighted the domineering power of their various tattoos.
Gisla felt a little surprised in her heart, but she still remained calm. Compared to the panic at the beginning, after having been in contact with the Normans, especially the Rus, for a long time these days, she gradually felt that they were not simple demons.
He is not a demon, nor a good person. Gisla does not want to have any dealings with ordinary Normans, but as a nobleman, Joseph Blue Fox is a man who has to communicate with him. Latin is the tool for communication between the two parties, and it is appropriate.
It was this kind of language that made her believe that Joseph Blue Fox was indeed a noble person.
Of course, Blue Fox can also speak Frankish, and in order to show off his extraordinary skills, he also speaks Latin.
The only way to continue the voyage was to dock at night to rest. She was surprised by the endurance of the Normans. They seemed to be rowing all day long. In this environment, it was so embarrassing for a woman to be in it.
It was okay at first, but in the evening, Gisla, who had endured the whole journey, was looking forward to an emergency toilet break when she docked.
The blue fox noticed that the princess had been subconsciously holding her stomach during this period, and her normally calm face showed a look of confusion.
"Gisla." He asked: "Do you feel sick in your stomach? Are you panicking?"
In the past, no one had dared to ask herself such a vulgar question. Until now, she remained silent and nodded silently in response.
"The fleet won't wait for anyone. It's really hard for you to board our longship as a woman. If you don't endure it, we will be docking soon."
Isn't it Blue Fox's order to dock appropriately for rest? Of course he will not favor such a girl. As long as the fleet continues sailing, Gisla must endure it. This move is Blue Fox's deliberate suppression of her possible energy.
It was about the same time, and the soft light of the setting sun turned the sweaty backs of the rowing warriors orange.
The horn was blown at the instruction of Blue Fox, and the fleet docked at a place full of reeds.
The blue fox's big hand pressed down on Gisla's shoulder, causing the staggering girl to look sideways.
"After you get off the boat, follow me. I will give you dignity, and don't try to escape. I won't harm you, and there are not many wolves in the forest. You are a smart man, let's go."
Although she wanted to maintain the dignity of a royal member, Gisla grabbed some soft paper given by the blue fox, clutched her stomach and trotted straight to the bushes.
She was able to solve her personal problems in a secluded place, and didn't she have a chance to escape right now?
Really trying to escape? God only knows where this is.
If you escape into the forest, you will be attacked by wolves, but if you escape into the forest, you can gain true freedom.
Finally, a relaxed Gisla stood up, she was hesitant. When she walked into the forest, she had to face the unknown, and her life might end in this forest. When she returned to the river, she still had to live an arranged life.
life, back in the birdcage.
She closed her eyes gently, and two lines of hot tears could not help but flow from the corner of her mouth and fell to the ground.
She wiped her face, finally walked out of the bushes and walked towards the camp.
And a man is waiting quietly.
Blue Fox ordered the soldiers to set up their own campsite, and he personally waited for Gisla to make a choice. Now the girl has reappeared.
"I gave you a chance to escape. It seems you made your own choice."
Gisla subconsciously covered her chest and looked at Lan Fox's face with mixed emotions: "Are you waiting for me? Do you know that I don't dare to run away?"
"Of course you can escape. But you are a smart woman. In fact, there is no token to prove that you are a princess. If you meet a forest hunter, you will only be regarded as a lost child. Maybe you will be taken in and become an ordinary peasant woman.
.Would you accept a noble princess becoming an ordinary woman?"
"I...I don't know. I...I'm just afraid of wolves."
"So you are still a noble now, come with me now." After saying that, the blue fox shook his neck and turned around to leave. From the corner of his eyes, he also noticed that the girl was hurriedly following his footsteps with her head raised.
Gisla actually didn't think too much. What she was afraid of was not that she would become a peasant woman, nor was she really afraid of wolves (she had never seen a wolf). She was just afraid of an uncontrollable unknown.
It's incredible to say that even his parents didn't care about his feelings, but it was the Norman Joseph Blue Fox...
An indescribable comfortable feeling came to his heart, and Gisla didn't know what it was.
On the new day, everything was as usual. With experience, Gisla deliberately drank less water. When he was on the boat, he changed his dull-faced image. Instead, he curled up and went to sleep, like a kitten, nestled in the blue fox.
around.
Everyone felt that the voyage was boring, so the Russians sang folk songs from their hometown and chatted about other things.
"This child... If I get married as early as my elder brother, if I have a daughter, she will probably be as old as Gisla. It's really ridiculous, my two younger brothers are already married. Anyway, I have to look for something when I go back this year.
." Thinking a lot, Lan Hu couldn't help but take a closer look at the girl's face.
In a sense, her treatment of such a little girl is indeed a bit like a father's treatment of his daughter.
The Gould family has been separated. Although he has an earl title and a letter, it is a fact that he has no family records. Being "alone", he sympathized with the princess, and the Lothair family all went to Strasbourg.
, with such a little daughter staying in Aachen, it is hard to imagine that she has a high status in the royal family.
Gisla's mental state was not in a good state due to the fatigue of continuous sailing. She has been living in Aachen since she can remember. It can be said that she has almost no understanding of the huge Frank. When did the long Rhine River
Is it the head? Where is the Russian fleet now?
A new day means a new nap, but today is different.
Gisla, who was taking a nap, was awakened by the blue fox: "Child, get up and take a look. We have arrived at Coblenz and Nassau."
"Huh? Where?"
"Koblenz and Nassau! We don't have to spend the night outside tonight. Haha, my brother is right here."
At least Gisla knew about Coblenz, but only by name.
Here, she was shocked by a city that had turned into scorched earth. The horrific memories not long ago were awakened. Her body trembled unconsciously, her eyes widened and she subconsciously covered her mouth.
】
"Child, are you scared?"
"What...what is going on? Who destroyed the city? Is it you? What good things did you Normans do? I...I know Coblenz. You destroyed this city."
"Oh? Do you know Coblenz?" Blue Fox was a little surprised and sighed: "She is indeed a princess. But this city was not destroyed by us. This is a trace of the war. The army that is loyal to your father is the same as the army that is loyal to your uncle.
The army fought here and the city was buried with it. If you want to blame you, you have to blame your father."
"This...I can't believe it."
"Don't forget, attacking Aachen is also part of the war. Your father wants to kill your uncle and become the only king, so your uncle can only fight back with all his strength. You live in Aachen and know nothing about the outside world! You don't know the whole situation.
The world is at war, and you really don’t need to know.”
"Is it all true?" Gisla was a little convinced.
"It's all true."
Blue Fox thought that his brother Black Fox had been taking care of him in Nassau after the Battle of Coblenz. He planned to rest the fleet in the town of Llandstein where the Lan River empties into the Rhine River, and talk to his brother about the situation.
Reminiscing about old times.
At that time, this was a small fishing village. Now, due to the influx of a large number of refugees from Koblenz, a large number of wooden buildings have been built during the warm period of summer, and the village has become a town.
The Blue Fox fleet came in a big way, and the dock accepted the fleet to dock very cooperatively.
He got off the boat, held his belt slightly, and shouted to the locals: "Let your manager come! I! Count Gothenburg! Your Lord Blue Fox is back!"
There were many Russians present, and they felt very friendly when they saw the blue fox howling, and seeing that there were still many vacant ships in its fleet, they fully understood its intentions.
Soon, Blue Fox's old subordinate Wadi came happily.
His appearance was a surprise: "You? Isn't your fiefdom located inside the creek, upstream of Nassau Village?"
"That's true." Wadi smiled naively: "But the brothers have just finished an expedition, and many soldiers are recuperating. Besides, there is also the matter of wine..."
"Wait a minute, you mean expedition? What's going on?"
Vadijian briefly explained the so-called robbery of the Saar River and the destruction of the bridge in Sarabrücken. Blue Fox did not know about this. After Vadij explained it carefully, he found out that it was Ludwig's conspiracy.
"This Ludwig, does he use us as swords? We seem to be fighting for him?" Blue Fox's complaint was just right. After all, Ludwig has passively received a lot of benefits, which is really conducive to his civil war.
Plundering the Saar River will yield wonderful benefits, such as apple cider, cherry wine, and plum wine. These wonderful fruit wines are specialties of the Saar region and unique rarities in the north.
Speaking of wine, it just so happened that Landstein had placed some barrels full of wine, including seized cider.
It was here that Blue Fox drank the extremely sweet and fragrant apple cider for the first time in his life, and he immediately realized the great opportunity in it.
There is this fine wine on both sides of the Saar River. By occupying it and owning it, you can make a lot of money by continuously transporting strange fruit wine to the north.
He thought so. Vardy and "Toothless" Eric, who came after him, wanted to explain to their former boss the recent ambitions of the little fat black fox. The so-called brothers could easily sweep across the Saar River.
, it’s okay to hold it in your hand.
His younger brother Black Fox's thoughts coincided with his own. Blue Fox also learned more news here. The amount of information forced him to adjust his mentality.
Blue Fox knew that the little girl Sophia Nassau became an earl, but why did his younger brother Black Fox become the so-called Baron of Wiesbaden?
The Blue Fox did not know about the attack on Sarabrücken. This was a new secret agreement between his younger brother Black Fox and Ludwig.
It was a key bridge. It seemed that it collapsed. The retreat of the Middle Kingdom army stranded in Kaiserslautern was blocked, and its reinforcements could not come. There was also a granary there, and a fire destroyed a city.
Will the army of the Middle Kingdom run out of food?
What on earth is Ludwig up to?
The answer is already here - the decisive battle! This year! This month! Now!
Because of Black Fox and Sofia, the young couple happily went to Mainz with their trophies.
"Boss, you are still a step late. As long as you come two days earlier, you can leave with the black fox." Wadi said pertinently.
"It's not too late! In my opinion, Ludwig is going to fight a big war this year. He is really crazy! Well, I can just tell him that I sacked Aachen."
Blue Fox had no intention of staying in Landstein, so he put down the vacant ships. The next morning, with only four long ships in the streamlined fleet, he took the princess and his own guard of a hundred people, and even the key
Put the money box in, hoist the cross flag high to avoid misunderstanding, and run to Mainz as fast as possible.