The prince's palace is brightly lit, and the main hall has been turned into a banquet hall.
Rurik didn't mean to waste time. The dinner actually needed some time to prepare.
A butchered and roasted baby reindeer was the highlight of the dinner. This dish took a long time to roast, so that when Kagan and the others were busy taking a bath, the deer meat rubbed with a lot of salt had already been cooked.
String them up with iron bars and place them in the grilling pit.
After all, the person who came was the son of Pecheneg Khan, an envoy who sent hundreds of good horses.
Rurik wanted to welcome this unexpected distinguished guest with a very high meal treatment, so the dinner must be sumptuous and reflect the characteristics of the principality.
Flour and dough are made into a dough, and high-gluten wheat from Britain is rolled into a dough, folded and cut, cooked while hot and placed in ice water for later use. The pottery urn is used to cook venison, deer fat, diced mushrooms, diced carrots, and onions.
The brine is made from chopped thyme and a large amount of salt, and is directly served with a small amount of flour to make it more viscous. If you can add some oil, chicken essence, and pepper, it will naturally make the brine more flavorful, but high-grade spices are really necessary.
No. Even so, this kind of stewed noodles is the limit of Rurik's recovery.
From this braised noodles, there will naturally be a Slavic-style soup cooked with similar ingredients.
Just after the autumn harvest, people around Lake Ilmen went into the mountains and forests one after another, taking advantage of the opportunity after a very short autumn rain to dig for mushrooms.
The most common local Pleurotus eryngii, Agaricus bisporus, and Pleurotus ostreatus have a good output every year. These are eaten by the people themselves. The rare matsutake must be sliced and dried after being dug. The prince is a big buyer of it, and mushroom pickers are very fond of it.
I am happy that I can exchange it for a batch of wheat to subsidize the family.
After all, mushrooms cannot be eaten as food. They are a good source of protein, but that's all. The living standards of the people in the area around the lake have indeed improved, but they have not yet reached the level of prosperity. They are always hungry for starch, fat and salt.
, so mushrooms are only a useful side dish and a food to satisfy hunger in times of disaster.
But here in Rurik it has become an extremely delicious food.
Butter-fried matsutake is an extremely fresh and rich delicacy, and it has become a specialty of Russia.
There are also chopped yellow carrots and stir-fried chicken, mashed seabass meatballs and stir-fried onions, stir-fried chicken gizzards with onions seasoned with ale, and simply fried eggs.
Rurik even prepared dessert, which was a crispy baked egg tart.
The princely and royal family must be particular about food in order to introduce some new ways to satisfy their appetites to all the people, so as to increase the spice of life.
Perhaps visitors would feel awkward eating braised noodles with a silver fork. Rurik also prepared sesame cakes, white bread and brown bread for guests to take as they wanted.
Rurik firmly believed that these sons of the prairie always had a huge appetite. Their lifestyle determined their boldness, and the opportunity to drink would definitely be "blowing in the bottle."
If a visitor gets drunk in a short period of time, things will not go well.
There are three types of dinner drinks, ale, mead and kvass. These three drinks indeed have both Viking and Slavic characteristics, and will definitely be an unprecedented experience for the prairie people.
Naturally flammable vodka must also be prepared. Drinking flaming spirits is already a specialty of the principality's feast, and it has become entertainment.
Kagan's stomach was growling. He was full of expectations for the prince's feast. He imagined that when he arrived at the venue, he would hold a large piece of barbecue and bite it like a wolf. Because he was traveling with the invited Maksakhi, who claimed to be an experienced person, he was in high spirits.
Bo Bo introduced the son of the prairie to what he knew as the "King's Dinner Party".
Although the barbecue is the highlight, the various side dishes are like small gifts that are constantly being served, keeping diners full of expectations.
The venue has been set up, and all the top elites from the Principality of Ross are present.
It’s just that this banquet is not a simple state banquet. It is a political attribute of continuing to discuss major national facts during the banquet. None of Rurik’s female family members came, and only the maids and cooks were allowed to enter the banquet hall to pass the dishes.
This is a feast for men, and it is also the scene of negotiations between the top nobles of the two political entities of Eastern Europe, the North and the South.
Rurik needed to use the banquet to continue to implement matters related to the cavalry. Kagan could probably guess this and even made some plans for possible situations.
Although he was mentally prepared, Kagan actually entered the prince's banquet hall and was deeply shocked by the dazzling array of delicious meals!
He took off his hat, revealing his black hair. Because he had just finished taking a shower, his braid was completely loosened and there was no time to tie it up again, so he simply tied it into a huge black ponytail with rope.
Seeing Kagan's true face, Rurik almost sprayed the whole table with a mouthful of honey water. Who would have thought that this guy would actually imitate his own hairstyle?
"You're finally here! How about it? At least I saw you changed your clothes and looked very decent!" Rurik said politely in Slavic.
Kagan's eyes were still staring at the delicious dishes on the dining table, his greed was aroused, and the saliva in his mouth seemed to be running out of the faucet.
With Turkic etiquette, he covered his heart with his right hand and bowed softly: "Thanks to the prince for your gift, I learned that my subordinates have a warm place to live and rich meals. They are all slave warriors raised by me. I didn't expect you."
He actually gave them extremely high treatment.”
Those Pecheneg soldiers were actually slaves? Although this surprised Rurik, it makes sense after thinking about it carefully.
All grassland peoples have one thing in common: the leader's family must have a group of supporters. Among them, domestic slaves are the most loyal due to survival reasons. Unlike free herders, who will drive their cattle and sheep to join a better leader when their life is not good.
Rurik did not answer for the time being, but pointed to the empty seat on his left, "Kagan, this is where you sit. The fattest deer leg is yours, don't be polite, I believe you can eat it in one meal."
"
"Oh?! Then I will obey."
Kagan strode forward looking very impressive, and he was very happy that the Russians understood the principle of "respecting the left".
He lightly lifted his robe and sat cross-legged, looking at the delicious food in front of him. If his willpower hadn't controlled his hands, he would have held the deer legs in his hands and started chewing them.
"What a delicious meal! This is a feast that cannot be enjoyed on the grassland." He did not forget to swallow his tongue while complimenting.
"How?" Rurik asked knowingly with a side face.
"A perfect feast. There are many delicious dishes that I have never seen before. Just by smelling them, I know they are delicacies."
Rurik nodded: "You are the most noble guest to visit our country, so this feast is my order. Just for you!"
Rurik emphasized the tone of his last words, which shocked Kagan. Kagan was not sure whether the young Prince of Rus really understood the etiquette of the grassland, but Prince Rurik's attitude...
Would not it be……
Kagan hurriedly tested: "Prince, I am just a visiting envoy and sold a horse, but you actually take a fancy to me so much?"
"I admire you!" As he spoke, Rurik picked up the glass filled with honey.
Seeing this, Kagan also raised a noble cup in return.
"You have traveled through forests, swamps, ice and snow to come to the north. You are the sons of the eastern grasslands, and we are the conquerors of the northern ocean. Although we are isolated by long distances, we must unite and at least let trade prosper. So I thought
Yes, we should establish mutual trust. I know some Eastern etiquette."
"Ah! Do you want to make an alliance based on blood?!"
"Exactly!"
Rurik's confirmation of the blood alliance really shocked the entire banquet hall.
Otto is old and even has a poor appetite. He just likes to drink. As for his son's alliance with other tribes, as long as the alliance is the result, it doesn't matter what the process is. Cut his finger and let the blood drip into the wine and drink together. This kind of thing for his son
We have done this before, and the result is that we are closely connected with the group of people in Narvik Port, and now we have legal control over that northern port.
While everyone was astonished, only old Otto smiled naively. He knew that his time was short, and he had probably guessed the wonderful future in the distance - one day Russia would be able to annex the grasslands in the far east.
Although Otto had never seen the boundless grassland in his life.
No one objected to Rurik's intention, not even his real cousin Arik. What surprised everyone was that it happened so suddenly. The guests arrived at noon, and the horse transaction was completed in the afternoon. How could they become brothers now that it was dark?
Rurik had his own opinion. The so-called opportunity is fleeting, and the opportunity for alliance is right in front of him, so he should strike while the iron is hot. As long as the two sides are blood-blooded allies, Rurik will not be afraid of Kagan's failure to submit to the rest.
There were fine wines and delicacies. Kagan's eyes were wide open and he lamented that he was so valued by the Prince of Ross!
He just thought for a moment, slapped his thigh and grabbed the table knife on the table. Without hesitation, he cut his left index finger with the tip of the knife, and blood dripped into the wine glass.
Seeing that he was so decisive, Rurik, as a ruthless man who actually killed his enemies, cut his finger with a knife and dripped blood into the wine glass.
The transparent cup clearly showed the dissolution of blood drops. Rurik stood up holding the wine glass: "We exchange wine glasses, go outdoors and swear to the moon that we are all brothers. What do you think?"
"good!"
The banquet has not yet begun, but there is a big drama of blood alliance.
The so-called "alliance" means performing blood sacrifices toward the sun and moon.
Rurik, pretending to be mysterious, knelt on one knee in the snow, holding up the blood-stained glass of wine, and suddenly turned his head and asked Kagan: "In your language, the god of heaven is called Tengri?"
Not only was Kagan shocked, but he also felt a stronger favorable impression. "You Russians actually worship Tengger?"
"Yes! No. You call it Tengri, but in the words of us Russians, it is Odin."
"In the greatest existence?"
"Really!"
"It seems that I should follow the Romans." After saying that, General Kagan was lifted higher and said bluntly: "Odin in the sky, you will witness our oath..."
Hearing this, Rurik chuckled to himself, thinking that this person was really good at judging the situation, which just proved that this person was not limited to believing in a certain god, and put interests above all else.
Then, they each expressed their vows, and then they drank the sacrificial wine.
Kagan felt extremely happy to be trusted by the powerful Russian Khan (Prince) without any warning and to be sworn as a brother. Although he had no merit, he was treated with such a high standard.
What makes him happy is not only this, but also his optimistic outlook on Pecheneg's prospects.
The Pecheneg Khanate is not the overlord of the grasslands. It has the Kasar Khanate and the Kingdom of Bulgaria in the south, the Magyar (Hungarian) Khanate in the east, the Bulgar Khanate in the north, and a group of Oghuz people in the east. Southern Russia The grassland and the Kazakh grassland are geographically connected. The Pecheneg Khanate is still in the expansion stage, so it would be perfect to get help from a distant powerful country.
It just so happened that Kagan's trip had the intention of alliance. What made him ecstatic now was that he, the son of the Khan, had become the blood-sucking brother of the Prince of Rus.
Once you have a close relationship, the rest is easy to talk about.
The delicious food in the Principality of Ross opened his eyes. Whether it was braised noodles, a large number of side dishes, or the most wonderful roasted venison with hard vegetables, a major feature of Ross's food was the willingness to add salt, which was impossible to enjoy on the grassland. The ultimate experience.
Indeed, the blood flowing in Kagan's veins has very low salt content. As a top noble, he must be sparing when it comes to eating salt. People do not die if they do not eat crystallized salt. People can obtain it from a variety of foods. The key is salt, but the body's salt content can only maintain a lower limit. Such people can easily become tired and paralyzed after doing heavy physical work. The overall lack of salt seriously affects the combat effectiveness of Pecheneg soldiers, so this meal The shock to Kagan was too great.
Just as Rurik estimated, Kagan actually finished eating a deer leg. This was not finished yet. He finished another small pot of braised noodles. This was not enough, so he asked for another pot.
All the side dishes in the meal sharing system were wiped out by him like a whirlwind. Unhappy, he started to eat sesame seed cakes one by one in each hand. As for the baked egg tarts served to him, he simply took one bite at a time.
Of course, wine is indispensable, and mead is a rare wine, so it is natural to drink it. Kvass has a unique taste. I have experienced this wine in Kiev, and now I can drink it in large quantities in Novgorod. I can’t miss the opportunity.
Kagan has a big appetite, but he is not a suet ball. This is because he is a man of action. He eats a lot and does a lot. He is not tall and his body is full of flesh. He is indeed very strong. Otherwise, he would not have the energy to do it. The "expedition" lasted three months.
His belly was so hard that he had to go for a kidney transplant four times. Of course, the prince even prepared a special toilet, which surprised him. Then he thought about it, there were no traces of urine or feces on the road in this big city, it was obvious that he was from Russia. useful tips.
He was slightly drunk, and even though the night was late, the banquet could still go on.
Ale mixed with hops becomes beer, and Rurik prepared a large amount of ale for this banquet. He then ordered the cook below to continue cooking, but the delicious meal mainly became charcoal kebabs.
The banquet turned into a literal midnight food stall, and Rurik no longer pretended. The sixty-year-old soul in his young body appeared as an old man. Since the room was already lit up, the fireplace was burning enough. It was hot, so he simply took off his coat, wearing only a light shirt. He could no longer sit still, and then he sat down casually with a drunken spirit, his right hand resting on the knee of his standing right leg, holding a bunch of roasted meat in his hand. Chicken gizzards, and Kagan, who is also completely relaxed and shirtless, chatting and laughing.
Only seven people continued to stay at the banquet hall. Rurik and Kagan were the protagonists, as well as Medvet, Arik, Spuyut, Yevlo, and Kiev Mark Sakhi who had already thought he was lucky enough to participate.
Everyone drank ale with open stomachs and shouted to each other about their personal achievements.
Kagan didn't understand Norse at all, but he still learned a lot of the "boasts" of the Russians. It turned out that the northern world was not peaceful, and the Russians were just a small tribe in the past, relying on the guidance of the wise and young prince to fight their way out.
A large territory, thus leading to prosperity. He was even shocked that Novgorod was indeed not a royal city, and this palace was just a temporary palace. The real royal city of Rus was in the coastal area in the northwest, and there were even a large number of people in the far north.
, until Murmansk, a city of predators facing the "sea at the end of the world".
Kagan's mind could not think of the possibility of danger. He only thought that these Russians were great heroes. They became brothers with their prince, and Pecheneg successfully gained an ally.
Rurik was half drunk and suddenly said: "Kagan, since your people are all your slaves, why don't you share some with me?"
Kagan was also in high spirits: "Very good! In principle, I should sell the slaves. They are well-trained warriors, but you are my brother, so I will give you ten of them! What do you think?"
"Okay!" Rurik appeared to be a little happy, but the right hand holding the wine glass was too honest, and the delicate goblet actually fell and shattered on the ground.
"Ah! The baby actually split?!" Kagan was confused and slightly surprised.
Rurik curled his lips and smiled: "It doesn't matter, just pick another one."
"Ah, you are indeed very rich."
"That's natural. Of course I'm very happy about you staying in Russia. Brother, I have one more request."
"Say it."
"Now I have bought you a batch of good horses, and I want to build a cavalry to defend our homeland. But we don't have a good coach, and you won't be able to go back to your hometown this winter. Just be my coach. What do you think?"
Kagan's food, food and enjoyment were all provided by his sworn brothers. He felt indebted and decisively stopped him when he had the opportunity to show off: "I completely agree. You just need to recruit people. I can train you a team in one winter."
Cavalry."
"That's great." Rurik was very happy, and everything was under control after receiving such a reply.
He snapped his fingers again and ordered the cook to bring another oak barrel of ale and uncork it, and signaled to Kagan: "Let's continue drinking! Until the sun rises tomorrow!"