With a lot of delicious food in his stomach, Otto mentioned the most critical task to be carried out in the future: "I will go to Novgorod soon to collect tributes. Rurik, we have agreed, I can
We need to take at least 10,000 pounds of wheat to the East. You know, in the future, the new Fort Ross we built will become more and more important."
"Is ten thousand pounds enough?" Rurik shrugged, "There must be a thousand people living there! They are all our tribesmen! In my opinion, it is more appropriate to bring fifty thousand pounds of wheat."
"This... is too much." Otto was a little surprised.
"I think it's okay. We people who live in Rossburg usually eat fish in winter. We have more fishing boats this year and catch more fish. Give a batch of food to our tribesmen who are pioneering in the east. They are in greatest need.
of."
"Really?" Otto felt that his son's expression had a deeper meaning, so he said with a hint of joking: "You gave your servants very good food, which is no different from what we eat now. I also
I thought you didn’t care much about ordinary people.”
"Dad, are you scolding me?"
"I didn't. I just wanted to say that you are a little too kind to your servants."
"Those people are my servants after all." Rurik emphasized, "I give them good food, and they work for me. As for our tribesmen in the east, how much support we give them depends on the leader's wishes.
We can't get anything from them now, and I'm a little sorry. If we weren't the leaders, we wouldn't have to pay attention to what they eat this year. But we are the leaders."
Otto nodded: "I am the leader, and I must pay attention to them. Rurik, your words are not correct. If there is a war, the brothers in the east must participate. We are all Russians."
"That's true. I'm afraid that our tribe now only has the obligation to participate in the war unconditionally. Because we have even canceled the tribe's collective interest dividends. I have some doubts whether those who do not benefit during the war will
Will work hard."
Whether the thing mentioned by Rurik was good or bad, Otto really couldn't say.
Judging from the current situation, the former tribal system has been permanently ended. Today, the spoils and tributes collected are shared by the participating families. Of course, the chief family also controls the financial rights of the priests and obtains
The benefits are also unprecedented. If you don't participate, you can't get it. However, non-participants still have to defend the Ross tribe in critical moments.
There is no possibility of being attacked in the current core area of the Rus' people.
Rurik thought with his toes that at last year's meeting of the powerful group of people within the Ross tribe, everyone focused more on the distribution of benefits, but they never thought that it was damaging the cohesion of the tribe.
If a real disaster strikes, those families who do not enjoy the dividends on weekdays will not be able to choose "self-exile"?
Bah! When a catastrophe strikes, people who have received bonuses may join together to fight. Others who don’t get the benefits usually have to run away. People, after all, only when their own interests are attacked will they fight back crazily!
Rurik had his own opinion on this: "Dad, I bought all the food, and the ownership belongs to our family. When we give food to the tribesmen over there, it should be in the name of the leader. They can't eat us in vain.
Food for the family.”
"Huh?" Otto frowned; "Do you have any ideas?"
"They can accept our food, but they must pay a price."
"The price? What price?"
"The grain is lent to them and they have to pay it back next year. They can cultivate some land and the grain they produce has to be returned to us. We are benevolent. How much they borrow will be at least the amount they have to pay back next autumn."
Otto suddenly realized that something was wrong with his son's words: "Wait a minute! Did it end up being that we collect tribute from our people?"
"Not bad. Is there anything wrong with that?" Rurik replied with a serious face.
"This...I always feel a little..."
"Dad, do you think it's inappropriate? Times have changed! Do you want to give them food for free? Why? Just because they had a difficult life when they first settled in New Roseburg?"
Otto's original intention was to give part of the tribute collected from Novgorod to the residents of Novorosberg who settled there. His purpose was very simple, which was to let the tribesmen there survive the first winter. He never thought that
, if you want to get any real benefits from the tribesmen over there, you just have to help them tide over the difficulties based on the responsibility of the leader.
He really didn't expect that his son Rurik, the future leader, would actually calculate the gains and losses for his tribe.
Otto didn't know whether it was good or bad to do that. If the words came out of his son's mouth, it might be a good thing in the end.
Otto expressed his idea of donating food, and Rurik immediately asked: "Dad, we collect tribute from Novgorod every year, do we have to subsidize the settlers of Novorosberg forever in the future? Since the tribute has become
Only those who become participants have the right to share, are the participants willing? Does settling in New Roseburg mean sitting back and enjoying the benefits? Why?!"
"Ah? I really didn't think so much, Rurik, what should we do?" Otto asked tentatively.
"We still collect tributes." Rurik emphasized, "Dad, you are the leader, and the power to distribute tributes is yours. If I were the leader, the people of Novgorod would still have to give us a batch of tributes, that is, a large amount of tributes.
Wheat. I will store the wheat and will not distribute it to the troops demanding tribute. Instead, I will pay them money.
In this way, the tribesmen who took our wheat this year will have to return an equal amount of wheat next year. The Novgorod people's tribute should also be controlled by us.
I already have a big money box, and I also want a big warehouse for storing grain.
Then, those grains are not tribute, but taxes (the English word for tax is mentioned).
My goal is that eventually every clan member will hand over part of their property and let me keep it for them. I am not greedy, because these properties will be used for the construction of our tribe. Just like I will control a large amount of food, if we
When the tribe encounters a disaster and ordinary people are unable to obtain food and fall into starvation, the food under my control will be distributed to everyone, so that everyone can survive the difficulty."
Rurik talked a lot, but it was too difficult for Otto to understand the purpose and significance of "taxation" immediately.
Otto did understand that since last year's tribesmen's meeting was to discuss the principle of "he who does not work shall not eat", it completely revised the tribal tradition of tribal dividends.
Since most people think this is the right thing to do, then great! There is no truly unrewarded gift, and those who receive the reward should make positive feedback.
Otto slapped his thigh: "Okay. The people in New Roseburg must clear the land and plant wheat next year. You are right, the two hundred thousand pounds of wheat belongs to us, even the ones over there belong to us.
Tribesmen, if we give them one pound of wheat this year, they will have to return two pounds next year. As long as they accept the gift, they must return it next year."
"Moreover, the food must belong to our family. Dad, you are the leader after all. According to the Franks far away, you are our king!" Rurik deliberately complimented.
Being praised by his son, Otto's mind was said to be beautiful.
Now that we are talking about the issue of land reclamation, after all, it is not that the Ross people do not know how to farm. They are just limited in their ability to cultivate by the barren and cold natural environment of Rossburg.
Otto banged on the table and said excitedly: "Since it is land reclamation, they still need some tools. But we don't even have wooden plows. It seems that we need a batch of plows from the Novgorod people."
"No need." Rurik shook his head and talked about the plow, one of the tools he had planned to make: "What kind of wooden plow do you want? We can definitely make a better one."
Otto was surprised: "Can you make a plow? Can you plant? My son."
"I don't know how to farm! Anyway, I can make a plow. Dad, didn't you say there is a loyal dog in Novgorod (referring to the White Tree Manor)? I will make a brand-new plow that will cause trouble in the local area.
Isn't it good to increase people's food yield so that they can pay tribute with more wheat? The plow I made will definitely help our people in New Roseburg and easily cultivate a large amount of land. The final benefit will be us!"
Otto's eyes widened. He knew that whatever his son mentioned, he always meant what he said.
"Is there still enough time? I will set sail with my brothers soon."
"Dad, when are you leaving?"
"This year's situation... about ten days later. This year we acted a little late."
"It's okay. I'll take action tomorrow!"
Rurik's mobility was naturally impeccable. After breakfast today, he led more than a hundred brothers as usual and simulated a battle on the hill with wooden sticks and shields.
Military training lasted from spring to autumn. Now, the children can listen to Rurik's orders and the team can move freely and even make some complicated queue changes. It is the strong obedience and discipline of these queue changes that make Liurik
Rick felt that when these children grew up, they would have a fighting power that would surpass other tribes.
Because the current infantry tactics of the children have reached the level of "Central Army", if they want to defeat such a huge group, with the current level of tribal warfare, Rurik believes that his men will be invincible.
Rurik has not yet made good use of the newly promoted mercenary captain Yevro, and is using them as lumberjacks for the time being.
Regarding this aspect, Rurik strongly agreed with his father's arrangement.
Otto, however, could not trust those mercenaries for a moment.
The loyalty of that group of people remains to be tested, not to mention who is the guy who makes jokes and who is dedicated, they can really show their true attitude when cutting wood.
Rurik felt that since Yevlo was an excellent warrior, next year, more than a hundred of his guys would have a new teacher - Yevlo.
Until then, Rurik did not want Yevro and other mercenaries to engage in the so-called "protecting the leader's safety" work.
Because the leader is safe, he is naturally protected by a large group of cronies at all times. The mercenaries recruited will be out-and-out tool men before next spring, including lumberjacks, construction workers, porters, etc. who earn money and food.
If anyone declares that he can't stand it, then get out of the territory of the Ross tribe. For those who remain, Rurik believes that these people are dedicated mercenaries who are truly willing to work for money under any circumstances.
Regarding making the plow, Rurik still needed the help of a professional blacksmith.
That afternoon, he first stayed in his new home and worked non-stop on his design.
Since there was no paper yet, Rurik found a wooden board and used the tip of his knife to carve out the shape of a plow on the wooden board. This was his professionalism, so much so that he could just carve out a picture on the wooden board.
Try your best to make it lifelike.
After lunch the next day, Rurik took his wooden board and went straight to Klavassen's blacksmith shop in high spirits.
The sun was at noon, and an old guy with hairy arms was still banging the sword embryo desperately.
Although it may be more profitable to make glassware, due to the narrow audience, Klavasen feels that it is difficult to make money from his own people with glassware. He still needs to make a large number of steel swords to complete the previous orders and stabilize
To protect his reputation. And in the foreseeable future, making carbon steel weapons will always be what his family will be engaged in.
The sudden appearance of Rurik, who came alone, was really unexpected, and the child's appearance in a white fox fur robe was really incompatible with the dirty and hot blacksmith shop.
"My little master, is there anything else important? I have already given you the previous payment."
"Is our conversation more about money?" Rurik asked casually: "Where is Lilia?"
"Are you looking for her? She is in the house, working on the loom."
"She can also weave?!"
"Of course." Klavason was a little surprised: "Most women can do this kind of skill, not to mention she is from Novgorod." Klavason smiled: "My Lilia can always get me something new.
Patterns, go and take a look, she is weaving a piece of patterned cloth."
Rurik came to discuss with Lilia the use of advanced plows to reclaim wasteland in Novgorod. He rushed into the inner hall of the blacksmith shop. Rurik's sudden appearance frightened Klavasen's wife.
, but Lilia is immersed in her work and does not suffer any interference.
She sat on a leather cushion and used her hands and feet to operate a very crude loom. It was so crude that it hardly resembled a machine, but it could indeed weave cloth.
"Brother, you're here. What's the matter?" Lilia spoke in Slavic language very calmly, and sweat covered her forehead.
"Oh, it looks like you're spinning patterned cloth. Did you use new linen?"
"Of course, I also made moss printing and dyeing on the new linen. You see." Lilia's eyes indicated, "Soon I can make a beautiful linen garment for my Kawei. By the way, you came here to see me?"
"
"Well. There is one important thing that I especially want to tell you."
"Oh, tell me then." Lilia said, still controlling the loom with her hands and feet.
Rurik could see that she had no time to spare, and after some enquiry, he found out that Kawei had led Kamne and pulled the blacksmith's cart to the nearby mountains to mine ore. Rurik was not surprised.
, while the climate has not yet changed drastically, the blacksmith shop needs to stockpile some ores and charcoal blocks so that the workshop can continue to operate during the cold nights.
The boring winter is boring for many tribesmen. As a result, since spring, many women have puffed up their bellies.
This is not the case in the blacksmith shop. Everyone knows that steel swords are really easy to use, and steel axes are also artifacts for logging. The tribesmen are eager to completely change their equipment, which forces a handful of blacksmiths in the tribe to start an unprecedented "big game".
"Dry". It was too difficult to obtain ore in winter, so the strong Kawei had to try his best to get more ore to reserve.
The blacksmiths are very willing to work hard, not only because of the financial gains. But also because after the blacksmiths discussed it, they wanted to show their loyalty, reliability and importance to the current leader Otto and the future leader Rurik through intense work.