Chapter 393 The secret transaction between the two tribes
The two leaders embraced each other after more than ten years. How much friendship is there and how much hypocrisy is there?
Rurik felt that there was more hypocrisy in this.
After all, if economic and trade exchanges are put aside, the Russians do not need the Mellarens, or even the entire alliance.
Otto unceremoniously showed the caution of the Russian people he represented. The so-called secret meeting place was at the edge of the forest. The participants could always be watched by the Russian soldiers, and they would naturally intervene immediately if some situation occurred.
Even if Olegin is a little dissatisfied, he must agree.
During this trip, Olegin went in secret. Apart from his own bodyguards, there were no other important personnel, not even people who acted as scribes. The key to the so-called secret meetings and secret agreements is not to leave anything for third parties.
Evidence that can be inspected. It is best to keep the agreement at a verbal level, and both parties will perform the contract tacitly afterwards.
Olegin sat upright, and so did Otto in front of him.
After all, we haven’t seen each other for more than ten years, and the atmosphere of this meeting was really tense with a hint of embarrassment.
In the end, Olegin was the first to break the silence: "The messenger I sent told you my needs, plus the agreement I made with your Rurik last year. Have all the goods, especially the weapons, arrived?"
"Is asking about this matter the only reason why you asked me to go to the appointment?"
"It's not just that." Origen pretended to make a "subconscious move" and gently stroked the crown on his head, which was obviously a hint.
Otto narrowed his eyes at him and already understood that the rumors were true: "All the goods you asked for have arrived. So what about the things we need? I want money, a lot of money. I also want other things, such as oats and flax.
, and even slaves, these are very important to me."
After receiving an affirmative answer, Origen breathed a sigh of relief. Even the Russian people Otto mentioned also requested that the current situation is really a bit special. "That's really great. I am in urgent need of a batch of weapons now.
Since you have fulfilled your contract, I will send someone to pick it up soon."
"Wait! You didn't answer my question."
"Oh, you mean the money to buy weapons? Haha..."
Olegin laughed slightly awkwardly, and the meaning was really self-explanatory. Otto and Rurik immediately cheered up, and their expressions were extremely solemn.
Although the following words are a bit rude, it must be a major event involving huge wealth. Otto put on a stinky face and asked extremely rudely: "Don't you plan to give me money?"
"Huh?" Olegin made a skillful tactical move, "I didn't say that."
"What do you want to say?"
"Ah! Actually, I have more to tell you about this matter." Olegin started fighting just as he planned. This move was really uncomfortable.
"If you have anything to say, tell me! Here, you and I are both businessmen, and the key to doing business is to have money in one hand and goods in the other."
"But sometimes things get complicated." As he said, Olegin did not tell the other party that he wanted to become king for the time being. He didn't believe that this old guy Otto glanced at the gold crown and didn't know what it meant. "In recent years,
You must know that you Russians have attacked our enemies many times, but the enemy's revenge is also very brutal."
As he spoke, he deliberately glanced at Carlotta, who looked a little dull, and said deliberately: "The Danes and Gotlanders' armies attacked Ostara, and it is said that there were Oslo troops among them. They organized
A coalition forces launched a large-scale sneak attack when we were unprepared. If I can't stand it, how can I serve as the leader? I have decided that I want a war!"
When Olegin spoke, Carlotta's brows became more and more frowned, and when the word "war" was uttered, her whole body was trembling.
Carlotta was never afraid of war, she even longed for war and any force that could help Ostara take revenge.
The situation became extremely strange. Rurik and Otto watched helplessly as Carlotta suddenly stood up, then hurriedly knelt down in front of Olegin, and asked in a very complimentary manner: "Master leader, are you...really
Are you willing to avenge us Ostara people?"
"Of course. Child, please get up. You are taller and more beautiful than last year. You will become a good leader. Unfortunately, your tribe has suffered too many losses. You can rest assured that I will not let your tribe go because of
If there are too few remnants, I will ignore you. Ostara is still part of the alliance."
After hearing these words, the girl's eyes were already covered with tears. It was this scene that really made Rurik feel a strong hatred. This is not obvious! Olegin is poaching in reverse, and Carlotta
This child doesn't live up to expectations. Has she always been a person who lacks independent opinions? Or is she actually willing to sacrifice everything for her own revenge?
No, Olegin wanted to use some words to show that he was actually a gifted and loyal person, and he vowed to get rid of all the unfavorable remarks about his family.
"I will launch a revenge of the same scale to avenge the people of Ostara. I will also collect the bodies of the dead and hold funerals for them. I also learned some information that the Gotlanders did not leave Ostara.
They even occupied the former land of the migrating Golanders and built their Gotland settlements. It is reported that there are many Danes inside."
At this moment, Otto blamed himself. It was really wishful thinking that he had an obedient daughter. Who would have thought that this girl was essentially dependent on the strong. Putting aside her irrational behavior of not being able to see the situation clearly, Otto was completely sure now.
The authenticity of those rumors has been confirmed. In this case, other details of the rumors must also be true.
Maybe, everything was released intentionally by Olegin to test the direction of public opinion in the alliance.
Otto's face was solemn and his eyes were deep. He coughed twice suddenly and scolded: "This is a meeting place for men. Women should stay away for now."
These words shocked Carlotta and she trembled violently. She hurriedly sat back in her seat, lowered her head and glanced at Otto from time to time. Her eyes expressed an apology.
Yes, this must be a meeting between two old men. Rurik has long wanted to insert some words, so he will continue to wait and see for the time being.
Otto's face relaxed slightly, and he was very happy that the girl Carlotta's conscience had not changed. He pretended to be looking forward to the war, and deliberately said: "Based on my understanding of the Gotlanders, they are very concerned about the hidden silver coins and gems."
Preferences cannot be changed by anyone. If we defeat them, we will most likely make a fortune."
"No! You will definitely get rich."
Olegin was extremely happy to see the cooperative attitude shown by the Russians. Money! Who can not love it?
"It's not enough to just help the people of Ostara get revenge. This is a war, not a fight between two people. We must expand the results of the war and go south along the coastline. We must organize a huge army.
A fleet of ships, a large army. Haha, I saw that you brought a huge transport ship this time, which is great. It may not be suitable for combat, but it can definitely transport a large amount of goods."
Being able to dismiss the Aurora as just a large transport ship, Otto was cursing in his heart, but there was no clue on his face.
What about Rurik? Now he feels secretly happy in his heart. The Melalen people are competitors of the Russian people. The more they ignore the strength of the Russian people, the more conducive it will be for the Russian people to develop. Ruoao
Legin believes that the Russians are "strong and excellent partners", which is the best thing.
While showing off to the people of Mälaren, he also tried his best to hide his strength. Although this was contradictory, Otto still had to act cowardly according to the agreement with his son and the prepared plan.
"Oh, you mean that big ship? She is indeed a large cargo ship, and only she can transport all kinds of materials you need, leader, to Merlaren. I know you will happily buy all our goods, we
The Russians will get a vital coin, and you can also get the weapons, leather, soap, glassware, and even spirits you need."
"Of course, your cabin will be empty. Let's talk about the money. Our coalition forces will participate in fierce battles and plunder. When the battle is over, I will give you a large amount of loot. In the end, you will return home with a full load. You will definitely get more than
Imaginary money. You don't even need to land to fight, there won't be any casualties, you just need to wait quietly for me to hand over the loot to you."
Otto and Rurik never thought that Olegin's opinion would be like this. So the question is, if this is the case, will the Russians still send troops to join the coalition?
Otto felt a little insulted, and he had to ensure that the Russians had the necessary face in the alliance: "Are you letting us get something for nothing? We are warriors, not businessmen, and we want face! Since you want that, I will give up all the weapons and leather
Sell it to you, and you can hand over the money to me in a few days. We Russians can just go back home after participating in the alliance. We have no right to go to the battlefield anyway, right?"
Say it, Otto made a move to get up and leave.
This was a way to provoke the generals. Olegin immediately reached out to retain him and sternly denied: "I am the leader of the alliance, and naturally I am also the commander-in-chief of the alliance. This time the entire alliance will act jointly, and I can arrange the work of each tribe. I will arrange for you Russians to transport some
Logistics supplies, such as wheat and dried meat. You happen to have a huge ship, which can naturally transport a large amount of food and fresh water. Isn’t this ship also the best ship for storing loot?”
"I don't want to hear this now. Are you saying that you don't have enough silver coins to buy the leather and weapons we provide?"
When the matter reached this point, Olegin simply stopped hiding it and said timidly: "Unfortunately, my funds are very tight."
"Huh? Is it possible that even the richest Melalen people will be troubled by financial problems? Are you going to be the first to renege on the agreement you made with my son?"
"I'm not! I didn't! Don't talk nonsense!" Olegin glanced at Rurik a few times.
Otto was not present when the agreement was made last year, and now it is obviously Rurik's time.
"Leader, we still hope to get the money as soon as possible, even if it is goods of equal value, such as wheat. There is still a lot of wheat in your barn, even if it is old wheat, you can just give me more. Originally, I
We still have to continue to buy your wheat. From now on, we Russians will buy a lot of it every year. We don’t even need silver coins or copper coins as a medium."
This remark is very constructive. Origen really hopes that the Russians will buy grains every year, so that his tribe can continue to obtain high-quality leather and high-quality iron tools. After all, the iron tools of the Russians are magical, and currently it is just a matter of face.
, Olegin hid his dagger very tightly, for fear that the other party would see that the item that the leader of the alliance regarded as a treasure was also made by a Russian.
Olegin expressed an idea and followed Rurik's words: "This year's climate is very warm, even warmer than in previous years. The wheat harvest season has returned to August, and we will definitely have a bumper harvest this year. But I don't have much grain in stock now.
Many people in Malaren are actually starving. The food in my barn will be used as rations for the soldiers on the expedition. Before the rations are used up, we must attack the Gotlanders and Danes. We must plunder their wheat and cattle.
Sheep. This is not only for revenge, but also for us to survive."
Rurik estimated that this guy finally spoke his mind, about revenge and glory. The underlying logic in his simple words was that the Melalen tribe had no food left.
But they have no surplus food, so what do the Russians lose? The Russians actually have fishing rights in the entire internal area of the Gulf of Bothnia, and with the tribute from the Novgorod people, even if they are so poor that they eat fish every day, it is nothing more.
It's just a return to the normal days of the past. It can be said that the Russians have eliminated famine, and everyone has begun to study hard to "eat well and eat well".
If Mälaren really suffered from famine, what happened to the large number of fishing boats cruising on the lake?
Otto asked about this and received a pessimistic reply from Olegin, saying that the fish in the lake were not as abundant as in the sea.
"The best fishing ground is occupied by the Gotlanders. We were the losers in the past and lost it. This time we will take back the fishing ground."
Otto really couldn't complain, and he didn't want to reveal the fishing grounds lost by the Alliance, that is, the sea area from the Åland Islands to Gotland. Last year, it had fallen into the terrifying shadow of Ross warships and cutting-edge weapons. Of course, there were fish swimming there.
There are a lot of ships, but many of them are Ross.
Otto's attitude towards the Melalen people is really complicated. It must be an alliance. Today's alliance leader Olegin's attitude is actually very low. He actually frankly revealed the internal dilemma of the Melalen tribe. He believes
This guy will not show Mellaren's weak side to other tribes.
The alliance leader was trying to win sympathy, but as for the reason! Otto had actually guessed that this guy would certainly give money for the sake of glory and credibility, but it was impossible to give money immediately. Strictly speaking, it was the alliance leader who was the first to violate the agreement last year.
Rurik kept a careful eye on the wooden document signed last year, but he always carried it with him. Given the current situation, he had no intention of letting Yevro take it. Everyone has a reputation, and Rurik is really honest.
I don’t want to see the fact that “the alliance leader openly violated the agreement”.
Of course, the old agreement can be revised, and business people must behave flexibly. Based on this principle, Rurik deliberately pinched his fingers and said with strokes: "Fifteen hundred weapons, according to the agreement, its price is thirty thousand."
A battle ax worth 10,000 silver coins, and a spearhead worth 10,000 silver coins. There are also spirits, soap, etc. If you are interested in buying, the price will not change. Oh, the price of soap can be reduced a bit. The goods we can provide are,
The price exceeds 60,000 silver coins."
Sixty thousand silver coins is a huge sum of money for Olegin's family from any point of view! After all, the Melalen tribe is not Olegin's private property. Many wealthy families have the strength to compete for the alliance leader, but this group
The scheming businessmen are just busy making money. They continue to support and support the Olegin family. The glory belongs to Olegin. Naturally, he should be responsible for anything that happens. The Olegin family has the power to collect taxes, but it only collects taxes.
It is less than those big households, so the Melalen tribe itself is also a small "tribal alliance" in a strict sense.
The Sveyan Tribal Alliance is like a matryoshka doll.
Origen was not a supreme emperor, and could never be one. He made a golden crown for himself, and even imitated the Franks in claiming to be "King". He also had a long-cherished wish to break this matryoshka pattern.
But the title of "King" is just a title. If there is no loyal and powerful military guard, this person calls himself "Augustus", which is nothing more than the plaything of a powerful chief.
The plan for the war had been conceived since last year, and rumors had spread long ago. Olegin was interested in raising troops, so he spent huge sums of money to add armor and weapons to what he regarded as elite private soldiers. He also selected a group of qualified soldiers from the tribe.
The number of young people has increased to 800. This is the reason why he maintains his power! It is very expensive to feed this army. He actually has a strong gambling element. If he does not get enough spoils in the war,
, he cannot maintain an army of this size for long.
The number of private soldiers increased, and so did the number of warships. What troubled Olegin was that why did the Hotla family, who were good at building large ships, move to Rus? It was so embarrassing to talk about it, so he simply didn't mention it.
Rurik calculated the accounts for the alliance leader. If all the goods were bought by Olegin, there would indeed be 60,000 silver coins in the account, but it was a pity that the other party could not come up with so much money.
Therefore, there are huge operable elements here. Rurik coaxed and said: "I believe that the alliance leader has actually kept his promise. Some things happen during the performance of the contract, and sometimes it is irresistible. We can talk slowly."
"Well! I'm very happy with what you said." Origen calmed down a little.
Rurik showed that sweet smile, and the lake breeze blew, making him elegant and refreshing, and the golden silk was even more beautiful. What Olegin saw was a handsome young man, but he didn't know that behind this handsomeness, there was also
There was a special "knife" he had never seen before.
Rurik pretended to be generous: "We Russians have an obligation to fight our enemies. Over the years, our alliance has united to fight back against the enemies. We Russians should provide manpower and material resources. I can provide you with all the weapons immediately. It
The price is 40,000 silver coins, you can get it even if you don’t have money now. But..."
Olegin's eyes trembled rapidly, and things took a huge turn. As a man with strong needs, he couldn't wait: "I will try my best to satisfy your request, I want weapons."
"We Russians can serve as the logistics force of the coalition. As you said, we need to divide the spoils. This spoils should not be less than the value of 40,000 silver coins. Oh, it would be best if it is 40,000 silver coins. In addition to this
, you have to give us additional benefits, after all, we are not your transportation team."
"Hmm? I can allow you to participate in the looting after the battle. How much you loot is your own business."
"That's not the case." Rurik stretched out his right hand to object, "We Russians are not vultures that eat carrion, and it's not like we didn't fight against Gotland. They killed my uncle, and I can't wait to eat his flesh alive. We
Of course you will win, but the Russians are taking a huge risk. What if you loot less? What will you pay back?"
"It's wheat."
"Okay! Wheat." Rurik waited for Olegin to say this: "Since it is a bumper harvest this year, the price of wheat in the market will inevitably rise to no less than one silver coin for fifteen pounds. We will follow the instructions
Let’s calculate it at fifteen pounds. Forty thousand silver coins can be exchanged for six hundred thousand pounds of wheat.”
Olegin pinched his chin. He hesitated a little. He always felt that he would suffer a big loss in the future.
Before Rurik finished speaking: "I will also charge additional money, which is called interest. You have to pay for the risks we Russians take."
"Ah! This..."
Rurik had a stern face, he was no longer cute, and Olegin realized a kind of coercion: "How much is the interest?"
Of course Olegin understood the concept of "interest". This abstract concept arose naturally and was mainly reflected in the collection of land rent. Olegin actually understood it very well.
Usury! Today's era has no restrictions on interest rates. For the future of his Ross tribe, Rurik wants to be a "evil person" this time.
"I want 100% interest. You can get all the weapons quickly. When the harvest season comes, you have to return me 1.2 million pounds of grain. Or after the battle, you can give us Russians 80,000 silver coins.
.”
Olegin almost chipped his few teeth. The boy in front of him was still handsome, but what he said was really cruel. This kid could even say such a crazy interest rate! But! Weapons are really needed! Made of "hard iron"
Axes and spearheads can turn ordinary iron into waste. The leader did not want his men to be equipped with such magical weapons.
But he didn't think about it carefully. The Russians had come up with so many high-quality weapons in a short period of time. What was the real military strength of the Russians?
Olegin gritted his teeth and asked: "In that case, can your crossbow..."
"No." Rurik refused directly without any consideration.
"You can't even buy one piece of wheat for ten thousand pounds?"
To be honest, Rurik is a little excited now, but this is still a matter of principle at this stage, and it cannot be broken. "No! It just can't be done. Leader, have you thought about it? I don't believe it..."
Suddenly, Rurik came to his senses and changed his honorific to call Origen the king.
"Dear king, my respected king, great king." Rurik deliberately emphasized that the word "king" is nobler than "leader", and he said it three times, which really made Olegin extremely excited.
"You...I haven't said anything about this yet, but you have already..." The excited Olegin's old face was shaking.
"Yes. I believe those legends are true, that's why you wear the crown. If you become king, my father and I will support it, as long as you can meet the requirements of us Russians." Rurik has already made these plans.
Discuss with Otto, "We Rus and Ostara people will support you at the formal alliance meeting, even if we kneel down to you, we will set an example for other tribes. We have done this, you
You will receive glory, and you must also give us tangible benefits. For example, give us 80,000 silver coins and the equivalent amount of wheat."
Otto took advantage of the situation and also expressed his position: "I have noticed your actions since I saw your crown. As long as you meet our needs, I will take the initiative to salute you as a warrior."
It can be said that Olegin, who was in a dilemma just now and had sweat on his forehead, now faced with the promise of Otto and his son, he no longer had any reason to refuse.
What Origen needs most now is the support of the Russians. He knows that the strength of this tribe cannot be underestimated, but he does not want the Russians to really steal the show in future wars. Only? Origen of Mälaren
The family can make a big splash, and the Russians are actually the best support team. How great would it be if we could appease them with a lot of money?
Because Olegin, what he needs is power! What he needs is a clear example from some powerful tribes in the alliance, an act of kneeling down on one knee, which cannot be bought with a million pounds of wheat!
Origen stood up and solemnly expressed his position: "I completely agree. You support me in becoming king, and I will give you huge benefits. We will always be brothers and comrades-in-arms..."