Chapter 179 The beginning of the centralized power of the big leader
If the high priest is just a wine bag and rice bag, how can this be done?
A high priest with such conduct is a serious blasphemy to Odin and Valhalla. Even the tribesmen will be very disgusted with such behavior of the high priest. Everyone needs the high priest to be a pious person.
What if the pious was a deer herder? Rumia?
Even if it is not her, the person who can take over the position of Vilia must be a pious woman who respects the decision of the big leader.
Otto said cruelly: "I understand, high priest. If those priests continue to be decadent, I will kill them all with my own hands."
"Alas...it's all the fault of those gold and silver."
Vilia sighed. Of course Otto did not agree with her statement.
"High Priest, what's the sin with gold and silver? We all need gold and silver, but priests should not be greedy for money."
"What you said makes sense, help me up quickly!"
Otto helped Villa's thin body up, and the old man immediately ground out a bronze key in a small clay pot.
"High Priest, you..."
"Follow me, chief! Harozolson left a lot of treasures with me, and I locked them in a room. There is also the public wealth of our priests."
Villa did not continue to speak, but walked firmly in the aisle of the long house with a cane.
Her aging eyes glared sharply at the sobering priestess sitting in the hall. She couldn't help but wonder, don't these people know that there will be no more Bona in the future?
Soon, a small storage room appeared in front of Otto and others. Villa inserted the key and opened it with all his strength, and the door opened.
"Go to a few people and light all the oil lamps on the wall." Villa ordered.
"Yes." Harold Zuosen entered first, and soon, under the illumination of the dim oil lamp, Otto saw a pile of boxes.
"Are they all silver coins?" Otto asked.
"Yes. There are also some gold coins and some gems."
"Open it for me quickly."
After hearing the order, Harold Zosen walked up personally and opened the lids of all the boxes.
Under the dim light of the oil lamp, those silver and gold coins shone brightly.
Otto did not personally participate in the revenge against the Gotlanders three months ago, so he had no way of understanding what kind of treasury the Russian army had built.
Even Otto had never seen so much money in his life.
In fact, now that Harold Zosen saw so much gold and silver lying here, his heart was beating rapidly again.
When it was Otto's turn, his whole body was trembling, and his bearded old face suddenly became happy.
At this moment, Villa raised his crutch and gently knocked down the excited Otto.
She asked in a hoarse voice: "Don't forget about it after seeing too much money. Chief, there are two boxes here that belong to the priests, and the rest are gifts given to you by the people on the expedition."
"A gift for me? Four boxes?!" Otto muttered and walked over directly.
He knelt down on one knee, inserted his hands into the box full of silver coins, and picked up the shining silver wantonly, his joy was beyond words.
He was happy for a while, then suddenly turned back: "Hello Johnson, how much gold and silver did you steal?"
"This... we finally counted and found that there were eighteen hundred pounds of silver and ten pounds of gold. Originally, we thought there were one hundred pounds of silver in one box, but it wasn't actually that much."
"Are there really that many?"
Harold Johnson shrugged: "As you can see, there may be five hundred pounds of silver here. What we would like to dedicate to you is three hundred pounds."
"Okay, that's a lot."
Otto dropped the silver and stood up. He suddenly thought of another thing and immediately darkened his face: "So, have all the soldiers who went on the expedition received their rewards? Is your distribution fair?"
"It's fair. It's the scene where the spoils are being distributed. That Bona is too arrogant."
"That woman is dead now." Otto tilted his head slightly and looked at the gold and silver. "You gave me too many silver coins. Maybe I should share some of the vinegar with the tribesmen."
What he said was true, and Otto knew that his subordinates would never follow suit. His words were just trying to gain fame.
As expected, Haro Zuosen quickly dissuaded him: "No matter what, we won the battle, and you, the great leader, also have leadership merits. This is a tribute from all the warriors to you, please keep it."
"Okay." Otto sighed, "It's a pity that I'm old, so I'll leave this money to Rurik."
Villa approached the box with a cane: "Big Chief, your decision is very correct. I brought you here not just to show you money. I want to make an agreement with you."
"Promise? What is it?"
Villa pointed to the two boxes: "That is the public wealth of our priests and belongs to all priests. Bona, who was executed by you, tried to possess it alone. This is a huge sin. Perhaps, letting the priests control too much money
, will inevitably lead to huge disasters. I have already thought about it, and the mobilization of the public wealth of the priests will be controlled by the big leader."
"What? Is it me?" Otto's eyes widened. He heard what was really refreshing. He hurriedly asked: "Is it really okay? Since ancient times, you priests have used their money for their own use."
"Times have changed, my son. In the past, the priests' expenses depended entirely on the donations of the entire clan, and the priests were always poor. But now, the priests have become rich and rotten like mud. We still have 20,000 silver coins.
, just to deal with meals and sacrifices, twenty thousand silver coins are enough for a hundred years! I am the high priest, and I have decided that the priest's money will be controlled by the chief, and this will always be the case in the future."
Otto's face became solemn. He was very excited. Now the money for the sacrifices is also under the control of the big leader. This means not only the control of money, but also the control of all the daily activities of the priests.
High Priest Vilia, when her life was about to end, she handed over the priest's financial power?
Otto slowly stood up, faced the old Viglia, and asked the most fundamental question: "High Priest, will our future be an alliance or a subordinate relationship?"
Vilia pursed her wrinkled mouth and said resolutely: "I am a subordinate. I will do my best to train Rumia to become a high priest, and Rumia, you are my son's servant. In the future, there will only be your son."
Rurik can lead us to prosperity, and as I said, I will not allow any person or group to threaten him, even if I am dead."
"I understand everything. Then, please give me the key."
Otto held a crudely made bronze key in his hand. This key was like a token of power transfer, and Otto fully understood the weight of this power.
From today on, the inherent group of priests is no longer an independently operating organization. All priests' food and drink expenses are subject to the orders of the big leader.
After getting the key, Otto looked up and took another look at the room: "Yes, this is a good warehouse. For now, let's keep all the money here."
Villa nodded: "Okay, maybe a large amount of coins is very safe in the longhouse of the priest. So, I am still worried?"
"what is that?"
"Rurik, you would never imagine how rich he is. He has at least 10,000 silver coins in his hand."
Hearing this, Otto was instantly furious: "Ah? Didn't he only have five thousand? In just three months, just..."
"That's the truth. You should ask him yourself."
"Okay, I'll ask tonight."
Villa tapped his cane: "Rurik has a lot of money, and he will become richer and richer. I am very worried that gangsters will appear in the tribe to steal or attack Rurik's money."
"What? How is this possible? Is there any clan member who dares to steal the money from the big leader's family?" Otto had never thought of this possibility, simply because he found it unbelievable.
Villa's attitude was very resolute: "You should have thought of this possibility now. As I see it, put all your money in the chief priest's house, and send your trusted followers to guard it closely, and someone will stand guard all night. Our people can
Trust me, you must now be wary of those foreign residents and watch out for the bandits who sneak in."
Otto thought about it carefully and realized that what the high priest said did make sense.
"I need to discuss this matter with Rurik. After all, it is his money. I think I need you to summon all the drunk priests now and tell them the new situation."
Wei Liya nodded: "Then come with me."
Otto always didn't want to go round and round when doing things, so he saw the still-dazed priestesses being gathered into the living room of the longhouse one by one. Seeing their still confused faces, Otto wanted to slap them all.
In front of all of them, Otto, on behalf of Vilia, accused the priest Bona.
Bona has been executed!
After hearing the news, all the priestesses' confused minds seemed to have been shocked by electricity, and they suddenly woke up one by one.
"Bona committed a heinous crime. She tried to murder the high priest Vilia, tried to monopolize all the treasures, and even tried to do harm to Rurik. Bona is dead. You did not stop Bona's actions when the high priest was seriously ill. You are also guilty!
Now, you obey the order. From now on, the priests' common treasures will be confiscated. From now on, the priests' food and drink expenses, as well as the expenses of the sacrificial rituals, will all be controlled by the big leader.
All the wine you have purchased and your crystal glasses will be confiscated.
Remember, your identity is to worship Valhalla and perform all the rituals. You have no right to pursue wealth, otherwise, you will be executed."
Otto knew that the priests all had crystal cups. He believed that this was evidence of the priests' extravagance and that they must have bought them from foreign merchants at a high price.
In fact, Haro Zuosen and others who knew the inside story did not have time to say that now the "crystal cup" belongs to the Ross tribe and is no longer a magical and rare item.
Vilia is getting old. It turns out that the priestesses squeezed out Parla who did not listen to Bona, and tried to rely on Bona's side to benefit themselves in the new era.
The sweet dream ends here. Facing the powerful leader Otto, they have no choice but to agree to this choice.
Until now, neither Otto nor Viglia clearly realized that they were actually making a great change.
The great leader is concentrating power, and the great leader of the Ross tribe, or the great chief, is spontaneously transforming into a monarch.
Otto did not want to be a real monarch, or he did not have a clear concept of this yet.
Otto was originally here to report to the high priest, but he wanted to worry about the elders in the tribe gathered in the priest's longhouse immediately so that he could personally report what the army saw and heard in Novgorod.
A detailed report.
The execution of the rebellious Bona and the gaining of control over the priesthood were purely accidental events.
The situation quickly stabilized. Since the high priest decided to delegate power, Otto instantly issued orders to all the female priests as the master.
"This time, the leader got one hundred and sixty girls in Novgorod, and they have already completed their wedding ceremony there, so that doesn't count.
Some of the women stayed at Fort New Rose, while others came back with the ship.
I have decided to hold a wedding for all the newlyweds who have returned tomorrow night, and you priests will prepare as soon as possible."
The priestesses who were very frightened looked at each other. The high priest Vilia, who was still sitting cross-legged at this moment, banged his crutches hard: "Didn't you hear the leader's order? Start preparations now, the wedding ceremony tomorrow night must be
It went off without a hitch. The word must get out tonight!"
"Yes!" The priestesses said in unison, their hearts filled with uneasiness.
Ah, they just temporarily felt a little uncomfortable with the ceremony being planned by the big leader himself.
Otto continued to order: "After you have completed the ceremony tomorrow night, all the priests will be divided. You will allocate people to live in the new settlement of our tribe!"
Every settlement must have an altar, and because of the decision of Harozolson and Aric, a "Tombstone Island" was added to the new settlement of the Rus.
Fort New Ross can definitely become the next core of the Ross people, and Tombstone Island obviously has great strategic value.
A new stone ship altar must be set up in the new settlement, and the mother city of Roseburg must send priests to station. Not to mention that Tombstone Island has 65 young people buried in the war, and the tribe must send priests to perform a condolence ceremony to stabilize the entire community.
The hearts of the tribe.
The tribesmen need a sustenance for their souls, and the tribesmen need an altar.
Priests are not women who can only recite ancient prayers. They generally know some basic medical techniques to deal with some minor diseases. They know how to collect herbs and brew medicine to treat diseases. Although their medical skills are not very good, they have
Better than nothing.
They had troubled expressions on their faces, and Otto knew their worries well.
Villa tapped his cane again: "You have no right to object and follow the arrangements of the big leader. If you are asked to settle in New Roseburg, you must go."
With Villa's endorsement, Otto no longer has any worries.
Of course Otto couldn't pronounce the priestess's name, and specifically he didn't care at all.
All the priestesses were here. With a few clicks, he selected three priestesses to be stationed on Tombstone Island, and five others to go to Fort New Rose.
After excluding Bona and Parla, who was maliciously expelled before, there are now only thirteen priestesses working.
The group was divided into three, and in the end only five people were left in Roseburg's hometown.
The number of people was a bit small, and Otto didn't want to change it. Anyway, as long as the high priest Vilia relaxed the conditions for the priest's job, he could find some poor women with no livelihood, and do the priest's job to get a living ration.
Originally, the existing priests were all poor women.
They didn't want to die for their dead husbands or remarry, so they had no choice but to find a job in the chief priest's house.
So from the beginning, they had a purpose, and their hearts were not pious.
Regardless of whether one is pious or not, someone has to do the rituals.
The great plan is buried in Willia's heart, which is to use her last life to train a competent Rumia. Rumia will train more priests, and these brand-new female priests will only obey
Rurik alone.
By that time, he, the big leader Otto, and many older people in the tribe had already passed away.