Chapter 587 I conquered Finland as our ancestors conquered Novgorod fifty years ago
After only two days of sailing, the Rurik fleet, sailing along the coastline, saw the dotted islands on the suddenly open sea.
This was definitely the Åland Islands, so the fleet would undoubtedly land ashore nearby to rest, rushed straight in with a dull head, and immediately encountered cruising fishing boats and merchant ships.
Ross fishing boat, Mälaren fishing boat, everyone was quite surprised that the waving flag clearly indicated that the fleet belonged to Ross.
Could it be that Old Otto, who had completed the summer tribute collection, still had a fleet left in New Roseburg? Now the fleet is back too?
Next, the entire Tombstone Island was shocked!
The visit of the Mercury with a large number of dragon-headed warships was an accident. The people on the island knew that Lord Rurik led a group of brave men to defeat the invading Tavastians. It has been two full years since they set off.
In September, the fleet set out for the inland river and established the Kovinstad stronghold at the same time, right?
Did Lord Rurik use magic to suddenly appear from the sea route leading to Novorosberg and Novgorod?
Rurik took his cronies and soldiers to land one after another.
The arrival of a large number of skinny black-haired girls on the island shocked the people on the island. Everyone whispered that these women reminded them of the high priest Rumia.
Not only these women, but also about a hundred black-haired men. These men generally look thinner, and their clothes are mostly gray and tan linen and leather. Who is this? People have thought of the time they first met the Kewen people.
In the scene, people in Kewen were dressed like this at that time.
Tombstone Island was already a fortress at the crossroads of the ocean. When she looked over it intuitively, she saw that it was a wooden castle standing on an island in the archipelago. The solid wooden walls and several towering towers made the protected port appear extremely safe.
Of course, such a building gave a huge shock to all the Suomi present, including the people of the lake.
Those girls learned that their identities were not slaves at all. They would be assigned immediately after arriving at the Russian home. They would even hold a Russian wedding collectively and become new Russian women. The young Russian leader, and the seemingly believable
The people of Yevluo are claiming that all their promises will be fulfilled.
Life can't be any worse...
They were just ordinary farm girls living by the lake, and their lives were poor. The only reason was that they had not seen a more comfortable life and took the past life for granted.
A castle is in front of you! The Russians actually have excellent docks! There are also a considerable number of Russians here.
Could this be their home port?
The girls and the newly promoted servant warriors, all nervous and curious, temporarily gathered together, and soon began to camp on the spot.
After all, Rurik is the powerful Duke of Rus. The incredible visit of his fleet immediately attracted all the foreign merchants stranded on the island. They hoped to get some news, and they speculated that all the people brought back were captured.
slave.
When a powerful Russian army lands on the island, they will definitely win a great victory.
More than one businessman tried to get close to Rurik, and the news quickly reached his ears, who had planned to take a rest early to relieve the fatigue of traveling.
Rurik, who was already sitting in the "Palace", holding Carlotta in his arms and waiting quietly for dinner, almost fell into a nap.
Jevro hurriedly asked to see him with the news he had heard, and Rurik suddenly woke up and felt uncomfortable all over.
"Damn it, are you buying slaves and buying my trophies? Are you really targeting the woman I brought back? Do these businessmen have enough money?"
Jevluo was surprised: "Sir, is it possible that you sell them because they are rich?"
"This...leather is fine. Women are absolutely fine. We Ross go everywhere to get women and we always come back as wives. They are all the future mothers of Ross. They are all protected by me. Anyone who dares to enslave them is seeking death!" Because of exhaustion!
In anger, Rurik also threw a glass and smashed it into pieces.
Jevro breathed a sigh of relief and looked at the crystal fragments on the ground with a pity. Thinking that glassware was no longer a rarity here in the Principality of Ross, he added: "Those merchants... think that the people we brought back are slaves. They also want to know
, why do we come from the east sea."
"Do I still have to explain to them? Forget it." Rurik waved his hand and urged disdainfully: "Coax them away! I won't see guests tonight. You organize the brothers to keep an eye on all the Suomi people and be careful of those
The merchants secretly arrest people. You don’t want a girl from your tribe to be stolen by a slave trader.”
Jevro nodded. As a Suomi, he knew very well what happened to him when he was a child, so he said, "I understand. I also thought that the Merlaren merchants or other merchants who were hanging around Tombstone Island were not trustworthy.
, if they dare to take action, I will cut them off myself if they catch them."
"That's it, just step back."
One hundred Suomi men are now following Javlo, not because their heirs will definitely inherit the title of "Margrave of Finland", but simply because Javlo is a member of their own race, and this mutual trust is natural.
The men were armed that night, even with short spears as tall as a man. They were asked to guard the camp and protect all the women.
In fact, the buildings in the castle on Tombstone Island could not accommodate the entire army. The army stayed out in the open on alert, even the nearly 300 young boys and girls soldiers in the army did so.
Although we slept in the open, everyone slept very peacefully this night.
The entire huge bay north of Tombstone Island is the inland sea of the Principality of Ross. This is the gateway to the core area of Ross and is a real pass.
But those merchants still did not give up, and they finally got a rough idea of the experience of the Russian army in conquering the enemy.
In pursuit of profit, they immediately started thinking. Since there is a waterway in the east that goes deep into the hinterland of the "Eastern Land", they can start a fur business with the locals. However, actions such as arresting people are probably not allowed, but the locals actually do it collectively.
Will any violent behavior turn into the anger of the Rus people against the Mellaren people? By then, if Chief Bjorn, who has already taken control of the power, blames himself, he will really have no place to stand.
At noon the next day, the Rurik fleet took advantage of the mild southerly wind to leave Tombstone Island and drift toward their hometown.
They appeared and left suddenly, and Rurik did not make any interesting remarks.
The people on the island still figured out some things. Although they were surprised, they all lamented that Lord Rurik opened up territory for the Principality of Rus. He was indeed a god favored by Odin.
Rurik is eager to return home and has no intention of wasting time.
For those who are already very familiar with the hydrology and geography of this bay, sailing is as easy and comfortable as floating in the pond in your own backyard.
Each ship set sail and moved forward at a slow speed of only three knots, almost traveling day and night. They returned to Rossburg Fjord in only three days and nights.
"Rosberg is ahead, and we are finally back." said Gevro, standing next to Rurik on the stern of the Mercury.
He actually said this with a hint that he wanted to hear what Rurik had done with those Suomi girls.
"It's time to come back. I'm really tired." Rurik slouched deeply and glanced at the group of listless girls on the nearby longboat. Thinking that this was also their first voyage in their lives, it was really difficult for them.
In fact, Otto also returned to Hong Kong a few days ago with the tribute from the East. He was not surprised that Rurik and his army had not completed the crusade for so long.
Well, the longer the war lasts, the more loot will be harvested.
It wouldn't be appropriate to say he wasn't worried.
In his twilight years, Otto's hair has turned gray. Whenever he thinks of his two sons who died early due to accidents, he is afraid that something will happen to Rurik, the only son and the third child. His son has the blessing of Odin, and he also learns from Rumi.
I got a divination from Ya, saying that "Rurik's victorious expedition is still going on", so I felt relieved.
Covenstad on the other side of the bay is under rapid construction, and many fishermen from Rossburg have recently moved to the other side.
They are all forest hunters, so how can the level of the Rus people be inferior to that of the Kovin people? They are obviously higher level!
In the east, squirrels reproduce at an alarming rate in the warm season. The best fur and a large number of lake fish are in the east. They rush to the east for more wealth, which objectively stimulates the development of Covinstad.
Everything was prosperous. Otto, who returned, also noticed that a batch of new rowing longships had been launched. In the huge shipbuilding workshop in Hotla, the hulls of the four sail destroyers were basically at the stage of laying decks.
Originally there were only five blacksmith families in Rossburg, but now the number of blacksmiths has exceeded 100! Not only the contracted blacksmiths under Rurik, but also a group of new young people from Ross, who just gave up the glory of being warriors and planned to
Being a hard-working blacksmith seems to be a simple way of earning a steady income.
In the iron smelting area within the Roseburg Wall, the chimneys seem to be always spitting out black smoke.
Every day, a group of women, men, and even Rurik's "child army" carry rattan baskets, drive reindeer and ponies pulling two-wheeled carts, and go to dig in the nearby mountains.
ore, and even go to the upper reaches of the river that flows into the fjord to dig out fine river sand.
Industries that once did not exist were born in Roseburg, such as the manufacture of cement and the firing of rough clay bricks.
Whether it is the local construction of Roseburg or the construction of distant New Roseburg and Covenstad, the most important thing in all kinds of construction is "building a house".
Roseburg was truly the birthplace of prosperity due to "real estate". Metallurgy, pottery making, brick making, logging, wood processing, stone processing, cable processing, these industries were fully promoted. The working people earned their revenge, and then
, linen textile, leather, felt, fishing, animal oil making, soap and other industries that improve and improve people's livelihood are also booming.
It is obvious that compared to these rapidly booming industries, Ross's labor force is too scarce. Even though a large number of women have developed to hold one in their arms, one in their belly, and even hold one in each hand, a large number of children
Rossberg can really afford to raise it without getting sick very much. It takes six years for the children to grow up to the point where they can work. The lack of labor has limited the maximum speed of the development of Ross people, so that many of them are considered useless.
Old men and women are doing low-physical tasks such as saving hemp rope, making pottery clay, sharpening iron needles, and making fish hooks.
The wealth that Ross has looted over the years has become a highly efficient fuel for the operation of the state machine.
This time Otto also plundered a batch of surplus grain, leather and a batch of wool from local Slavs' homes in Novgorod, and immediately sold them to tribesmen who were interested in working in uniforms. He "recycled" a batch of circulating silver and copper coins.
, changing hands means saving it for his son’s expenses.
In such a prosperous age, the Principality of Rus was full of hope. Immersed in this prosperity, Otto also happily enjoyed this wonderful old age.
He never dreamed that a little girl he captured from the North would give birth to his first grandchild many years later.
Velica has brown hair and blue-grey eyes. She is not a pure Ross girl, but she is strangely beautiful. Although she is still a baby, teasing her granddaughter and watching her laugh, but Ottoni
The Ya couple’s favorite thing to do now.
Suddenly, Rurik's fleet triumphed!
The surprised Otto hurriedly left the palace, and Niya also hurried downstairs with the infant Velika in her arms.
Hundreds of people gathered at the pier, and the fishermen chatting on the shore also stood up, took off their fur hats to protect the sun, and greeted the returning fleet.
One long boat after another docked steadily on a trestle far away in the deep sea, and was tied to wooden piles with ropes.
Those Suomi girls rubbed their sluggish eyes hard. They were mentally exhausted by the long voyage. But when they saw this huge city built on the mountain that they could not describe in words, they were so shocked that they could not speak.
The whole person suddenly woke up.
They were urged to disembark, walked shoulder to shoulder across the pier and stood on the sandy shore, and then lowered their heads in confusion as more and more blond-haired Russians pointed at them.
The performance of the Mercury was undoubtedly the most amazing here. The human-powered propeller system came in handy when the ship docked. The sails had been furled, and the helmsman accurately controlled the rudder, cooperating with the people pedaling, and docked very smoothly.
Uniformly dressed soldiers landed ashore one after another, and then the busy work of unloading cargo began.
The follow-up work is very orderly, and almost all the goods will be stuffed into the Duke's warehouse.
Rurik easily saw his father who was smiling without saying a word, and his mother who was holding the baby and crying with joy.
Seeing the cheers of people in his hometown, the tired Rurik smiled and opened his hands to win with great interest...
That night, the Rus' people rejoiced and celebrated their victory against the Tavastians.
But the people in Fort Ross had no idea how great this victory was. They didn't even know the details and what victory meant.
After eating some wheat porridge and drinking a glass of sweet wine mixed with a lot of honey, Rurik's mental fatigue was mostly eliminated immediately.
Since his father followed the instinct of an old soldier and asked about the process of this crusade, Rurik simply gathered the elites currently staying in Rossburg to gather on the first floor of the palace, just in time to publicize his great achievements to everyone.
It was a lengthy lecture. Not only did Rurik stand up and pound his chest to explain to everyone, but Arik and even the Allied Commander Biyoni also explained a lot.
The sermon was long but exciting. Listening to these youngsters explain their great achievements, Otto was sweating all over while sitting with his legs crossed.
He hated! He hated that he was old! He hated that he had to go to Novgorod by boat to collect tributes and had to hide his fatigue in front of the trustworthy local Ligus. He was also glad that his gray beard hid his tiredness.
Reduce age spots on face.
In fact, everyone who stayed in Rossburg was very surprised. As the Duke's captain of the bodyguard and the person who commanded all the elite mercenaries, Jevlo had no right to make personal remarks at the Russian military meeting.
However, times have changed. Jevro, a Suomi native who was born as a slave, is actually considered a noble. At least his descendants are indeed canonized by the Duke of Rus and must be loyal to Rus' vassals.
Including other people's speeches, a huge amount of information hit Otto's aging brain. For a moment, he felt that the news was really confusing.
Otto made two hoarse coughs: "Rurik, you actually... entered the interior along the river, killed five thousand Tavastian warriors, and destroyed their homes along the way? In the end, you conquered
Suomi? The term is a bit unfamiliar." As he spoke, he pointed his right hand to the ceiling, "You must not brag in any way, and any words you say cannot be hidden from Odin. Now, Ross really rules the entire eastern land.
?”
Rurik looked sideways, his face as calm as water: "Not necessarily."
"Oh..." Otto let out a long breath, "That's right. You have achieved a brilliant victory, but conquering the entire eastern land is still a bit far-fetched."
"No!" Rurik shook his head: "I mean, there are also the Karelia people north of Novorosberg, and the Perm people further east. Dad, and others, do you still
Didn’t you know that there is a huge mountain running east-west in the extremely far east? The name of the mountain is the Ural. I dare say that if we conquer these two ethnic groups, everyone from the east to the Ural Mountain will be conquered by us."
These words should have been grand and majestic. Rurik, who was somewhat complacent, was looking at everyone, and everyone's expressions were generally puzzled.
Rurik shrugged: "Forget it. What I mean is that at least there are no people in the east who compete with us. It is natural to conquer them and collect tribute! What's more, I now define the entire eastern land as Finland, and Jevlo is also married.
Now, his son must be a pure Suomi. When he has the title of hereditary Earl of Finland, he will send troops to fight for us in any war. It is precisely because of this arrangement that the local people did not choose to resist. I am conquering Finland now, just like
Fifty years ago, our ancestors conquered Novgorod. Didn’t the local people pay tribute every year? The heroic spirits in the sky and the old priest Vilya will be happy for us."
Everyone knows these words. You look at me and I look at you, both of us are happy.
Everyone does not think that Rurik made any compromises with the Suomi people. They all think that those guys are like the Kovin people, the Lapp people, and even the Novgorod people in those days. They are a group of smart people who know that they are not strong enough to choose
Be a submissive and loyal dog.
I'm afraid they had to take the initiative to kneel down and beg for mercy, because the Tavastians who decided to fight to the end were almost completely destroyed by the Ross army.
Because the spoils of war are not just these five hundred Suomi women, there are at least two thousand Tavastia women, a large number of reindeer, and a large number of confiscated weapons, and they are moving slowly overland to Covinstad.
This group of Tavastian women almost all have their own Rus men. The soldiers who came back by sea first are still waiting for the women to arrive in Rus Fort so they can claim their new wives.
"So we did conquer the land in the east." Otto said: "I saw that you brought back many women and a group of men. They are all slaves?"
"Slave? How is that possible? I told the local Suomi chief that he would treat the five hundred absolutely pure girls they contributed well, and I must treat them well. There are also two thousand other Tavastian women, who are also our Rus.
Women, I dare say they will give birth soon. By the way, how to arrange these people is what I will announce below..."