Chapter 779 The prince on horseback, you are mighty and majestic
What is a good meal?
Whenever there is a gathering on the grassland, the distinguished leaders gather together, slaughter a few sheep and roast them until they are burnt and fragrant. Everyone walks up with knives, cuts off the parts they like, and gnaws them. This is a grassland feast.
If there is kumiss to accompany the meal, the feast will be even more wonderful.
Kagan's concept of good meals was very limited. He had heard that the Romans were very good at eating and liked the taste of wine very much.
In the hometown, wine has of course flowed into Pecheneg society. There will be Caucasian wine merchants from Abkhazia, Georgia and Armenia who will sell wine in wooden barrels in exchange for Pecheneg horses.
Horses are a kind of hard currency. It is obvious that the trade with the Russians in the far north is a win-win situation. In Kagan's opinion, among all the trading partners, only the Russians are the most decisive in taking out silver coins.
Because Rurik quickly left the city and saw those horses!
Turkic horses have long manes, and even the horseshoes have slightly more manes. Most horses do not have iron horseshoes, but the cuticles of the horseshoes are trimmed.
They were not afraid of humans at all when they were gathered together. They stepped on the snow one by one and were busy breathing heavily.
Stroking the horse's mane, the horse has no intention of kicking and is as docile as an old friend.
"Can I ride one?" Rurik couldn't suppress his inner agitation and casually asked Kagan.
This proposal is really bold. Even if Prince Rus is noble, he doesn’t know how to gallop!
But Kagan doesn’t understand it at all…
"Yes, I have to warn that good horse riders need training. Moreover, I cannot guarantee that the horse you choose will be absolutely docile."
"I appreciate your kindness. Just choose a docile horse! Remember!" Rurik glared at Kagan solemnly, "I bought your Turkic horse just for galloping. I want to inspect it myself and make it for others.
An example. I think you can guess my intention."
Some things cannot be hidden. For example, as early as in the far east, Kagan learned that the Russians in the north wanted to sell horses, and he took it for granted that the Russians wanted to build a cavalry unit. The geographical distance between the two sides was extremely far, and the Russians wanted to get
The horse is willing to spend money, and if the deal is completed, it will be a big profit, and the Pecheneg Alliance will not have to worry about the Russians being a military threat.
Kagan chose a good horse for Rurik, a tall horse with a shoulder height equivalent to 150cm.
This kind of shoulder height is superior among Turkic horse breeds. Although the Turkic horse cannot compare with the Arabian horse and Dawan horse in this time and space, it certainly has its own advantages, and even this strategic advantage is obvious!
Driven and pulled by humans, a herd of horses traveled from the shores of the Black Sea through grasslands, forests, swamps, and snow in just three months, and finally arrived in the bitter cold land of the north. The endurance of the horses is truly extraordinary!
Rurik himself is a whole head taller than Kagan. A strong Nordic man still needs more muscles and fat to show his strength. Rurik's figure is still a bit thin, but of course he stands on the snow, fair and white.
With his blond hair and golden beard, his face has the look of a "Lion of the North", giving Kagan a strong sense of oppression.
It would be absurd to say that Rurik did not know how to ride a horse.
But his kind of riding can't be considered real riding.
Just like a person learns to swim, the skill is imprinted in the soul. His heart will eventually be imprinted with a soul that transcends time and space. In this memory, he knows how to ride a horse. That is just a racecourse for tourists to have fun in the Yellow River tidal area.
, the horses are all tamed and obedient. Visitors can pedal on the horse, hold on to the reins and give instructions. These horses, which have become tools for their owners to make money, are extremely docile, and they will not hesitate to run a fixed number of laps around the racecourse.
, and then stop very tactfully.
Tourists who experience the joy of galloping always dismount happily and pay happily.
This is how Rurik learned the so-called riding skills. Now in another time and space, at least he mounted the horse on the bronze pedals and grasped the reins, and the whole movement was done in one go.
He even couldn't help but yelled "drive", but this Eastern command language was invalid for Turkic horses because the system was incompatible.
Even so, there are currently more than 2,000 people watching the horses at the city gate! People watched the prince successfully at least overlooking the crowd, and the prince easily conquered the horse!
Kagan on the side was amazed and hurriedly taught some Turkic commands.
Now that the voice control system was compatible, Rurik suddenly realized that riding a horse and driving a car were essentially the same. If the horse were a vehicle, its control would be completely intelligent voice control.
He was already tall and he was riding a tall horse. Rurik's head was actually 260cm above the ground. It was no lie to look down at all living beings.
Rurik wandered around freely in front of everyone. He was fascinated by the docility of the horse. He suddenly gave an order to gallop. The horse suddenly accelerated after hearing the news. After giving another order, the horse immediately slowed down and turned into a stroll.
In joy, Rurik pulled out his sword. The shining steel sword was really dazzling in the sun.
He imitated the scene he saw in the movie, raised his right arm high, pointed the steel sword straight ahead, and made the horse gallop again, becoming a real Cossack cavalry!
His white fox hat ran away, and everyone saw the prince galloping, his brown pony tail swaying violently in the wind, and the golden pony tail behind the prince's head also fluttering in the wind.
This was the first time Kagan met the Prince of Rus. He never dreamed that the supreme leader of the Rus people was born with the ability to ride, as if his butt was growing on a horse. Look at the Prince's flowing blond hair, it is exactly the same as a real pony tail.
When Rurik felt refreshed, the panting horse finally stopped. He released the stirrup with his right foot like a bicycle, and with a brisk sweep of his leg, he jumped off quickly.
Surprise and shock were written on Kagan's face.
"My lord, I never thought you were born to be a cavalryman!"
"Yes, it feels so good to feel so free. If you hadn't sent me the horse, I wouldn't have known that I was born to be a good horse rider." Rurik subconsciously stroked the horse's mane, "It's such a good horse, and it's been trained extremely well by you.
.I no longer have any worries, I will give you an extra amount of money."
Is there such a good thing? Being praised by noble people for being good at taming horses makes Ganka happy. Now he can get an extra reward, so there is no reason not to accept it.
A wonderful state banquet was prepared intensively, and Kagan and his party also received the money to buy the horse.
Because her own Carlotta was present, she had rich experience in training all kinds of large livestock. Carlotta checked all the horses and concluded that they were all young and good horses, so they could breed ponies in the spring.
Rurik felt that he had made a lot of money, and he was very happy to get 10,000 fine Frank silver coins.
The silver coins were divided into ten sacks of ten pounds each. He guaranteed with his honor that he would not be short of money.
Does Kagan still doubt that the number of coins is insufficient? He has never seen silver coins of this scale in his life. Each silver coin is printed with the name of King Charlemagne of the Franks. He takes it for granted that this is the big head of a Roman emperor. Everything.
It didn't matter. He verified the authenticity of the silver coin in his own way. He saw teeth marks on the silver coin, so there was no doubt that it was a sufficient amount of silver. As for whether the quantity was sufficient, he simply ignored the issue.
A small bag of extra rewards was immediately distributed, and the small sack contained ten Frankish gold coins. If one hundred pounds of silver coins belong to the family property of the Pecheneg Alliance, all the chiefs of the alliance are paying attention to this trade, and the money earned is at least
Half of it was to expand the arms of the Pecheneg army. These ten gold coins were classified as Kagan's private property.
Good gold coins are also rare. Kagan jumped for joy after receiving the gold coins. Of course, gold coins can be traded, but Kagan had his own idea - to melt the gold coins and plate his helmet and iron mask with a layer of gold.
The warriors of the Turkic ethnic group all have one thing to pay attention to. If a warrior has enough assets, it is necessary to wear iron plate armor all over the body. The helmet must be reinforced with iron plates, and a defensive mask made of an iron plate or a copper plate must be
Wear it on your face, and the richer people should have their masks plated with gold.
This style was actually acquired from the confrontation between the Turks and the prosperous Tang Dynasty. It has only been a few years since the Pechenegs arrived at the Volga River, and the people's memory of the Tang Empire has not dissipated. The elites in the tribal alliance know some distant things.
history and know the reasons why many people migrated westward.
All horse riders are guests, including every one of Kagan's personal attendants, who are entitled to a feast.
Before nightfall, Kagan's retainers were confiscated of their weapons, in exchange for which they could all enter the city.
It has to be said that this group of people reeked of stench. When they were ordered to take a bath, everyone showed an indescribable resistance. Kagan also resisted at first, as taking a bath was considered to be easy for evil spirits to possess him.
Rurik didn't want to hear this argument at all. After all, these people were all armed, and there was this guy Sacchi who kept acting as a lobbyist. After reviewing the situation, Kagan had no choice but to call on his men to be honest and obedient.
It is understandable that Turkic people from all walks of life are highly vigilant about bathing and washing clothes. In general, life on the grassland requires water conservation. Bathing is a shameful waste. At most, it is just to wipe the body. The legend of evil spirits is just a legend after all.
Entering the territory of the Ross people was an eye-opener for Kagan. While the other guys gathered together to enjoy the rain treatment, she herself could soak in a comfortable wooden barrel.
This was an unimaginable wonderful experience for him, not to mention that the yellow-white cheese-like modules exuding a milky fragrance were smeared all over his body, and the dirt was peeled off. His braids were all stretched out, and the hair that had not been washed for many years was now dry.
Clean.
It is said that the Romans were very particular about bathing, and the Russians were the same. He did not know how the Romans bathed. The Russians cleaned themselves in this way. Kagan rarely scrubbed away the dirt that he had accumulated for many years, and even exuded a kind of
Wonderful aroma.
Because of the production of soap, Rurik obtained better materials and did not hesitate to order product iterations and upgrades.
The method of making lye from plant ashes became more and more sophisticated. The key source of fat was milk butter. Wild roses and chrysanthemums collected and dried were collected and boiled in water. These substances were mixed together to make milk soap. It was mainly given to the royal family and nobles.
Rurik used it to cleanse his whole body. Of course, it was also sold on a small scale. Since the cost price was higher, the price was naturally beyond what two silver coins could solve.
Kagan even bit into the soap with his teeth. The aroma made him greedy, but the bitter taste and the foam in his mouth made him give up.
He was really hungry. He didn't know how wonderful the prince's Russian banquet was, let alone what grand talks the prince would talk at the banquet.
He was very greedy for that glass of mead. This one glass of mead made this man who prided himself on having a good drinker stagger a little when he walked. Fortunately, he had a good drinker and it was completely normal now. He wanted to drink more wine and was eager to bring some back to the nobles of the tribe.
Drinking is also a way to build relationships and pave the way for one to succeed the Khan in the future.
Kagan, who felt comfortable after washing, put on brand new clothes.
What made him feel more intimate was that the Prince of Rus wore trousers, and his young wives, concubines, trusted nobles, and soldiers all wore trousers. He came into contact with many Krivi Slavs from the Kiev community, a group of people who called themselves the Blood Alliance.
Guys don't wear pants at all. If it weren't for the need to protect the crotch when riding horses, Maksakhi wouldn't wear pants either.
It was also through this contact that Kagan learned Slavic, and he was able to have a pleasant conversation with the Russian prince. At the same time, he fully understood that the Russians were not Slavs! The Russians were people who conquered the sea, and they operated ships just like the Pechenegs.
Riding on horseback. Yes! Kagan, who entered the city, really saw the giant wooden ship moored in the dock area. The towering mast was as high as a big tree. He didn't know what this meant for a while, but he just sighed at the strength of the Russians.
I put on new clothes, new leather boots, and an even more sophisticated coat, a white bear fur coat with sleeves, and a scarf made of fox fur and wool. The fur coat is quite thick, and its thermal insulation effect is amazing.
According to the words of the Russian guards, this outfit was a reward from the prince of Russia.
On the grassland, it is a gratifying thing to get clean, decent and gorgeous clothes. Looking at his own clothes, Kagan estimates that his outfit from top to bottom is worth at least a pound of silver coins.
Indeed, bear skins are extremely rare on the steppe, and the guys over in Kiev will sell them for an extreme price. Kagan has never even seen a bear, let alone a polar bear covered in white fur. At least today he
The bear that had seen death was the bear head hanging in a circle on the wooden wall of the prince's palace. The ferocious fangs came from a beast he had never seen before. The ferocious fangs instantly aroused fear deep in his soul.
Kagan understands that hunting wild beasts and taking their heads shows off a man's strength, but the prince of Rus's decoration with as many as forty bear heads was too majestic.
Kagan's eyes finally opened, he changed his outfit and walked out of the bathhouse, facing the smell of Novgorod's fireworks.
Even though it is winter, urban life is inevitable.
Rurik had no reason to issue a curfew. He even wanted the people to continue working on handicrafts on winter nights to create more wealth. After all, there was a sharp contradiction between the insufficient production of various materials and the people's growing demand for materials.
Such as pottery workshops, charcoal burning factories, brick-burning factories, state-owned garment factories, state-owned paper mills, shipyards, mills and bakeries, state-owned blacksmith shops, etc. all work overnight. Even if the doors are closed due to heavy snow, people rely on the raw materials in stock.
Lighting the oil lamp will continue to work. In the past, people from all walks of life could not find new money-making jobs. During the long winter, they mostly hibernated in their houses like brown bears. They are not lazy people. Now they have a way to make money. The bastards who do not go to school in winter
They are now busy working with their parents to earn extra money.
Novgorod was even more lively today because of the arrival of the horse passengers.
It is a habit of the Turks to eat and sleep in the open. They generally do not think it is too shabby, so Rurik gave Kagan's followers a large barn with a floor to stay, and they gave them enough bread and ale without having to pay a copper coin. Everyone
They were grateful because they knew the beauty of bread, but it was a pity that it was difficult to get such delicious food in grassland life. They feasted on the wheat bread and drank ale. It was the first time in their lives that their stomachs were filled with carbohydrates. The first spike in blood sugar caused fatigue.
, coupled with alcohol numbing the nerves, and having just taken the most enjoyable bath in their lives, the embarrassment struck, and many Turkic warriors did not care about anything.
They were wearing clothes and blankets given by Prince Rus for free today, and they were eating delicious meals rewarded by Prince Rus. It is said that during their stay this winter, they were rewarded with food from the prince every day.
Is there such a good thing?
That night, some Turkic warriors were moved, and they couldn't help but think about it. If the Prince of Rus didn't dislike him, the brothers would kneel in front of the Prince while they were still young and worship him as the "Khan of Rus" and work hard for him.
It’s not surprising that they would have this idea. Rurik was right about this group of Turks’ pursuit of a better life. He opened their eyes to them through food and clothing, and subtly swayed their hearts.
Even if there is a high probability that it is impossible to persuade Kagan to give up his future position as Pecheneg Khan, he can at least instigate a few Turkic horsemen to rebel.
Because, with the horses, it is not difficult to choose riders from the principality, but it is extremely important to hire suitable instructors. Rurik has his own plan to win over a few Turks as naturalized people and grant them the status of Rus.
, and asked him to teach horseback riding and Turkic cavalry tactics full-time. This is actually the only way to quickly plan the Ross cavalry.
However, it would be better if Kagan, a Turkic nobleman, could personally accept the appointment as a cavalry instructor!
Rurik didn't care about spending more money, he only cared about whether a winter of training could produce the first "Ross Cavalry Company".
The banquet was not only a state banquet for the Principality of Rus to entertain the noble envoys of Pecheneg, but also an opportunity to settle the matter.