The twelve manor owners grabbed the barbecue and ate it tremblingly, eating and drinking together with a group of fighting madmen. They were afraid that the other party would suddenly have a whim, and their heads would be chopped off.
A calf was eaten until only its skeleton was left, and five oak barrels of wine were also consumed.
Are the Russians enjoying their happy life? The manor owners just want to go home and stay there, hoping to escape from this ghost place as soon as possible.
Rurik only drank a glass of ale. When many people were in a daze, only the beef skeleton was left on the trailer, and the banquet should end here.
Those manor owners who were always vigilant were always ready for orders, and finally they waited for new orders from the young Duke of Ross.
"You manor owners, I see that you have been too cautious. Don't worry, I won't kill you. I can promise that as long as you remain surrendered, you will be rewarded."
Reward? Can there still be a reward?
They didn't have time to think carefully, or they couldn't think in this suffocating scene.
In fact, regarding the follow-up arrangements for these manor owners, Rurik boasted that the policies he has yet to implement will effectively solve the stability of the region.
He also announced: "You will spend the night here tonight. I have the most real arrangements for you and all the Novgorod nobles tomorrow. Come! Take them down to rest."
The armed guards appeared again, dragging the owners of the manor with their weak legs away. The banquet courtyard was filled with the laughter of the Russians...
"Keep drinking! Keep eating!" Otto shook his head and asked the guys to drink and dance. A group of manor owners who were in the way were asked to leave, and everyone could continue to eat and disperse.
Rurik didn't know how long the banquet lasted. He left the banquet early due to embarrassment and fell asleep. Those who stayed at the banquet were satisfied, no matter how big their appetites were.
At the banquet hall, there was a man who was the best at drinking and the most daring to eat meat and wheat.
Medved was so excited. When he learned about the reward from his brother-in-law Rurik in advance, his mind was filled with happiness.
He will gain great power, and even though this power may not be inherited by his own heirs, the supreme power of the Principality of Rus will definitely fall into the hands of his sister's son.
My sister Svetlana, she participated in the war and fought like a Valkyrie that the Russians believe in. She no longer looks like a Slav, but a Russian?
"It doesn't matter, they are all my sisters."
Medved has realized the power and privileges of being a maternal uncle, but his situation is limited. After seeing the strength of the Russian people, he just wants to rely on their strength to make his White Tree Manor more powerful.
Rus's representative ruled the entire Novgorod, just like the self-proclaimed prince Vadim?
"No, I will take care of this place on behalf of Ross, that's all. Don't think anything wrong, only good days are waiting for the people."
Generally speaking, the Slavic people on the shores of Lake Ilmen are xenophobic. They are a purely agricultural ethnic group and are most afraid of outsiders invading their land. However, the White Tree Manor on the Volkhov River is not considered an external other to the Great Lakes.
?
The xenophobic Slavs like Pine Needle Manor have been wiped out, the hardcore rebels have been purged, and the remaining people can only obey.
To understand this, Medved's first thought was to reconcile the relationship with the people on the lakeside. After a hundred years, the excluded White Tree Manor came back with great power and the power of Ross!
White Tree Manor and his power were awarded by the Duke of Ross. He must be a good governor and take care of the place on behalf of Rurik.
Medved eventually got drunk, and he actually fought side by side with multiple Varyag tribesmen, and participated in many bloody battles with the Varyags once they arrived.
He was regarded by everyone as one of their own, and a group of men gathered together to drink and chat, naturally talking about fighting, plundering, and even happily talking about getting married and having children...
Some people have even begun to congratulate this Slav who is about to gain power.
Medved was not too complacent. The corpse of the manor owner who was beheaded was still cold. Some things really couldn't be said clearly. It was not a pity for those who were killed to participate in the rebellion, but it seemed to be killing a chicken to scare the monkeys. It was his brother-in-law who used the blood of these people to scare him.
.
Some people fell asleep at the banquet until the cool breeze and noise in the early morning woke them up.
Rurik appeared in front of everyone again, his image was shared, he had a washed face and blond hair, he was really a capable and stylish young man.
In this era, life during leisure time was always full of boredom, and it seemed that the biggest entertainment was giving birth.
The Rus' army stationed at the traditional Slavic farm had not received an order to evacuate, and they were also asked not to take the initiative to attack other manors.
The army seems to be left hanging here, but in fact every Russian and Balmok is actively discovering the agricultural value here.
If you can farm the land and reap the rewards, who would have the reason to go to sea and become a pirate every year? Even for fishing, the risk of catching fish in the sea is much higher than that of rippling on the lake.
They went into the woods to hunt, and some of them went very far, and ended up seeing some new farms that they had never known before.
There was even an encounter between a Ross hunter and a farmer deep in the jungle. The awkward meeting scared the other person and ran away for his life while carrying a wooden hoe.
When the news of the hunter's encounter with the strange farmer didn't come out, the soldiers of White Tree Manor pointed out that he was the so-called "hidden man".
The Novgorod area centered on Lake Ilmen must have a population of 100,000. Rurik firmly believed that. As for the more than 20 farms scattered around the lake, the total population was actually not that large. The vast majority of people were definitely hiding.
, I’m afraid it’s not that they meant to hide, it’s just that this area is too vast, and the Slavic immigrants have many obstacles. It’s normal to build small settlements in the dense forest and live a closed agricultural life.
Want to collect those who are hiding? This must be done! Those people must accept the rule of Rus, but this troublesome job can be left to the Governor of Novgorod.
A lot of news reached Rurik's ears, and he even saw the vast farmland.
Rurik woke up early today to visit the farmland of his war leader. In addition to appreciating the trophies, he also inspected the farming skills of the locals.
Look at the cleaned Pine Needle Manor. Their oat fields and nurseries are in a mess, not as neat as the wheat seedlings of the White Tree Manor that have been plowed and sown with plows.
This kind of land method is completely on the same level as those of the allied tribes on the shores of Lake Mälaren, except that the latitude of Lake Ilmen is further south and the accumulated temperature is high, making rough agriculture a relatively acceptable harvest.
But there is amazing room for improvement in agricultural technology, not only turning the soil with the curved shaft plow, but also using human and animal excrement and reed lake mud to fertilize the fields, and even irrigation. However, these advanced technologies cannot be implemented immediately.
After the morning's inspection, Rurik was more determined to reward the twelve farm owners.
The big stick has been hammered, and they are all afraid of Ross's defense of rights. Now they should be rewarded with carrots to appease him with kindness.
If there were no "great men descended from heaven", the farmers on the lakeside could still be busy farming for hundreds of years. It would take too long for the local aristocracy to evolve into a country.
Now, the Novgorod region is already under the direct control of the Rus Principality, and the past strategy will be completely terminated today.
There is no banquet at noon.
Twelve manor owners who were working hard, as well as three proud manor owners, Baishu, Calf, and Fisherman, were invited to the same house by Rurik.
Medved and Svetlana are also here, where Rurik personally held a meeting for a group of local Slavs.
He was sitting on a leather cushion, with old Otto holding a patterned steel sword next to him. He was sitting here like a god, staring at the group of manor owners with sharp eyes, which represented the past.
Rurik stopped being polite and treated everyone together without caring about their faces. He said bluntly: "Since ancient times, we Russians have come here to ask for tribute every year. Starting from this year, everything has changed! I! Rurik, Duke of Rus, from now on
Now the entire Veliky Novgorod will be directly classified as part of the Rus’ Principality, and Novgorod will always belong to Rus. You residents of the manor are now also new Rus’ people!”
Neo-Russians? What does that mean? What does direct rule mean?
The owners of the manor looked at each other. They wanted to say a lot but did not dare to speak.
Rurik made a gesture, and Medvet stood up. This man who followed the Russian army to eat meat and fish has now become very burly. If he didn't speak fluent Slavic, he would be a standard man standing here.
Varangian warrior.
This son is the successor of White Tree Manor. After the old guy Rigus died, Medved became the owner of the manor.
This person must be of great use if he can be named by Duke Ross.
"However, the residents of Veliky Novgorod have their own lives, and this Duke has undoubtedly forced you to change too much. Now, I appoint Medvet of White Tree Manor as the local governor, who will take charge of Veliky Novgorod on my behalf.
All matters. You must support Medved’s work, and I will restrain him from doing anything inappropriate..."
Rurik spent some time explaining, and the twelve nervous people all listened, including the leaders of Baishu, Calf, and the fishermen.
Rigus, he was very happy that his eldest son could hold this important position. It seems that Medved relied on the authority of the Ross people to make the White Tree Manor gain hegemony in this lake area? No, that is not the case.
The monarch appoints a governor to rule. This is an invention in Northern and Eastern Europe. Even in the Frankish Kingdom, the concept of a governor has not existed since the collapse of Western Rome.
The governor defined by Rurik is actually an extension of the old word "war chief". As for these manor owners, they were also awarded a new title, namely Bjorn, or boyar, who "defends the monarch"
powerful people".
The fifteen manor owners in this house have all received the title of boyar, or big landowner or squire. This word is a standard Varyag vocabulary. With this title, Rurik announced to them that all
The owners of the manor are all Duke's guards and are directly responsible to the Duke's family.
The boyar's power is recognized and protected by the duke, and the boyar must also perform various duties to the duke.
As for Medved, he was first a boyar nobleman and then an appointed governor.
If Medved does not do well, other boyars have the right to make suggestions to the Duke. Medved does not have all the power. He only has great power in collecting taxes on behalf of the Duke. The rest of the affairs should be left to the farmers.
The boyar nobles met and decided.
Should most matters need to be discussed by everyone? Isn’t this a return to the old tradition of the past?
People with keen political senses could smell the hidden interests and the implementation of Duke Ross's favor. Just when others were confused, they suddenly raised their heads.
"We at Redwood Manor fully support the Duke's decision. We support Medved as governor, and we will continue to pay tribute to Ross as agreed."
Someone started, and those who were hesitant immediately started to follow.
The owners of each manor made positive statements one after another, fearing that future generations would be persecuted by the Russians.
Is their support really genuine? Rurik felt that the owner of the Redwood Manor was sincere in his support, and most of the others were also sincere. After all, he was indeed giving favors and benefits.
They have no choice.
Old Otto was smiling, and all the Russians present were laughing. This was a confident smile. They saw a large group of local Slavic nobles scrambling to beg the Russians to rule. In the past, this group of guys only had fear and reluctance.
Sad look.
No, another smart toady fell to the ground and crawled in front of Rurik like a lizard.
"Pine Needles Manor has used vicious methods to gain hegemony. Ross is the best mediator. Ross eradicates the guilty. We once fought with each other, and now, the great Duke of Ross has finally brought us peace. We welcome Ross's rule.
."
Rurik listened carefully, why do these words sound so familiar?
Ah! Isn’t this history?
"Their history books record that Chief Rurik and a thousand warriors mediated the melee of the Novgorod people, unified the place as arbiters, and founded the Principality of Northern Rus. A thousand warriors? The first and third
A thousand soldiers of the banner? I am Rurik, I am indeed the mediator, the arbiter, and the prince." The more Rurik thought about it, the more interesting he became.
The course of history has taken the right path again in the East. Perhaps this is the inevitable destiny.
"Which manor are you the leader of?" Rurik asked.
"Azabu Manor. My name is Msti Vadysiewicz. Sir, we are good at growing hemp and making sackcloth."
This person is indeed flattering, and his flattery is also clever, and he actually recommends his own specialty products. Rurik's eyes light up, because this lake area is indeed easier to grow flax than Lake Mälaren in the north, and there is indeed a kind of linen weaving here.
master.
I'm afraid it's not just that. Each manor has its own specialties. I'm afraid that the manors around Lake Ilmen have already achieved economic complementarity. As long as they are supported and utilized, the local area will definitely explode into the powerful productivity of ancient times.
Realizing their industrial potential is something that will come later. At present, the fundamental support for the life of these manors is the land.
The Principality of Rus directly rules here in order to stably obtain the output of wheat, hemp, and leather.
They all announced that they would pay tribute, that is, taxes, in strict accordance with the Duke's regulations.
It is the tax issue that is the most fundamental issue in this meeting.
Rurik ordered them all to be quiet and solemnly announced: "I will start a tithe tax on you. I will send people to count your acres. This project will be completed this year. What is the tithe tax? The output of a piece of farmland,
One-tenth is the tax paid to Rus. How much tax you pay has nothing to do with your population, only the area of farmland! Oats, rye, wheat, and flax are all taxed at a tenth rate."
The imperial grain national tax is the current mainstay of taxation in the Principality of Rus. In other words, in the tribal era, Rus's request for grain from the Slavs was the predecessor of the grain tax. Now, under Rurik's definition, grain is a general equivalent with monetary attributes.
But the territorial economic model of Ross is essentially diversified. It is a civilization, so the civilization of the Principality of Ross is now advancing both by sea and land. For these pure Slavic farmers, not only food taxes must be collected, but they must also enter the forest to capture wild animals.
animal.
They captured a group of squirrels, sleds, sables, weasels or other large and small beasts every year. Rurik stipulated that each manor should provide a thousand squirrel skins every year, and ferrets and other precious leathers, a hundred skins a year would be enough.
.
Given the current ecological situation, rare leather animals can still be seen everywhere, so Rurik felt that his request was not a big problem.
This is just a mandatory requirement for taxation. When he explained that he would come up with a price (market price) that everyone accepted and purchase additional surplus grain, honey, dried fish, various leathers, woodware, pottery, etc., all the farm owners were happy.
Those Varangian merchants come occasionally, but the Russians come here every year. In the past, they hardly did business and only thought about extortion.
Now, Duke Rurik of Rus is indeed different from his father.
Rurik's promise went beyond that. He also announced: "I will build a trading place here and openly sell iron farm tools, salt, gems and other goods to all your estates."
Trade is what everyone welcomes. If trade is stable, Duke Rus will be a real saint. Even if the price of the transaction is higher, or the price is not an issue, what Veliky Novgorod lacks most is a stable trading place.
Rurik's benevolence continues.
"I will immediately sell a batch of iron farm tools to all your estates, and you can immediately use your surplus grain to buy them. Since this year's situation is too special, I declare that this year only, I will exempt you from taxes this year!"
They were all dumbfounded, including Otto, who understood these Slavic sentences and immediately questioned them.
The Russians were complaining that Rurik was too merciful, and the Slavs couldn't believe it was true.
Rurik declared firmly: "This year, Novgorod is tax-free! My Duke, my order is absolute. This is my gift to you. Listen, I can promise that you will live under the direct governance of Rus.
It will get better and better. Your peaceful era has arrived."
A wonderful era of peace has arrived?
Yesterday, the owners of the manors witnessed the horrific massacre of the remnants of the rebellion. Today they all received boyar noble titles when they left.
Rurik said that showing kindness is showing kindness. He let these people go and also gave them a batch of wooden and iron farm tools captured from Pine Needle Manor.
Even, these twelve manors were given a great privilege - to take out the remaining residents of the five manors who assisted in the rebellion.
These manor owners have the right to divide the women and children of those manors and divide their population into their own to enhance the strength of their manors. They can plunder their property, and only the ownership of farmland belongs to the Duke of Ross.
Will this arrangement make the three Conglong estates jealous, and will it make the Rus and Balmoks complain?
Indeed, Rurik observed this sentiment, but this complaint was quickly eliminated. Because the largest farmland belongs to the Duke of Ross, the small Ross family can own these property rights according to the old rules of opening up land in New Rossburg.
, growing grain, and farming tools are all provided by Rurik, and they should provide tax revenue! It’s just that the property rights of these lands still belong to the Duke family of the Principality of Ross.
The so-called newly opened land belongs to the developer, and taxes will be paid according to regulations in the future after statistics. The farmland spoiled after the rebellion is the private property of the duke family in the complete sense.
As long as the Russians become farmers, they must pay tithe. They are all smart people. After a little calculation, they know that being a farmer is a very profitable business.
During the busy farming season, they farm and harvest. At other times, they are not fishing in boats, or even conquering the world with the Duke. Just like the traditional Danish life, spring planting and autumn harvesting, the warm summer, farmers have transformed into fishermen and even pirates. This is just what the Russian men are about to master.
The farmland and geographical environment are much better than those of the Danes.