Chapter 827 The National Mission of the Pecheneg Khanate
The south wind blows on the grassland, and a horse team is gathering.
The old Khan told his son: "You will be away for nearly a year. Tengri will wish you good luck. This time you must sell all the goods and bring back as much white salt and iron as possible."
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"Father, you can rest assured. This time we will try our best to unite with the people in Kiev so that we will not encounter danger along the way." Riding on the horse to Kagan, he was full of spirits and full of confidence in the future.
"No one is worried that you will encounter a strong enemy, but you must be careful about wind and snow. Blizzards will kill cattle and sheep, and your life will be in danger if you encounter them."
"Why worry? I know the path and I will walk through the forest without worrying about any risks."
Kagan tightened the reins and shook continuously in front of the leaders of the tribal alliance.
A girl with a bun full of beads nimbly got out of the crowd and ran up to her elder brother's horse. She held the reins of the horse and held her head high with a smile.
"Beyahir, I will never forget your request. You are still too young. Since you insist on doing this, I think Brother Rurik will accept you, but not now! I will convey your love."
"Great. Brother, then bring me some more Russian gems." The girl actually felt something was wrong, so she covered it up with a smile.
"Don't be too greedy. You already have too many gems. Well, if Brother Rurik is willing to give it to you, I will bring the treasure back."
She is the youngest sister of Kagan. She is indeed the daughter of the old Khan. She also dotes on this little girl and is willing to decorate her beauty with more crystal clear things. In a sense, this child is the old Khan's.
Canary.
It is true that a beautiful girl should marry a noble man. But she is indeed the daughter of the top noble of the Pecheneg people. She has no right to choose her own marriage, and the Khan and her brother will not make decisions for her.
Last year, Kagan mentioned several of his sisters in Ross, and also mentioned the possibility of marriage. Although there was no marriage, he and the prince of Ross became brothers according to the rules of the grassland.
This political dissolution of the alliance has brought great opportunities to the Pecheneg Alliance, which survives in the cracks. Official trade must continue to expand. In order to maintain smooth and stable trade routes in the far north, the Pechenegs must also cooperate with Kiev's
The Krivics disunion.
The old Khan heard Kagan's description that the Russians were good at fighting. Although the Khan of Russia was only seventeen years old, he was indeed a strong man with blond hair. Although he had a large number of wives and concubines, he treated his women very well.
The supplies brought back from Rus were an eye-opener for the tribal chiefs of the Pecheneg Alliance. Kagan dismantled the crossbow and changed all the bow arms to recurve bows. In this way, the first arrow shot by the horse became
Extremely accurate.
It would be outrageous to use a crossbow for horseback shooting. It cannot achieve the rapid fire rate that the prairie people are accustomed to. But the unskilled infantry archer suddenly became a marksman.
A large amount of good white salt, rare leather and cloth, and cheap ironware are extremely scarce in the entire alliance.
It stands to reason that the prices of these materials by the Russians are not cheap. This is actually because the Pechenegs have long lacked the means to obtain salt and iron. Roman profiteers have tricked everyone, and nearby hostile tribes are unwilling to invest in the enemy and buy the Kiev people's supplies.
Materials are important, but Kiev people themselves are not rich either.
Since the Russians in the far north are quite wealthy, why not organize a large cavalry team to sweep the goods!
The Pechenegs are really poor when they say they are poor, but in some aspects they can also be called wealthy. After they migrated and occupied the mouth of the Volga River, the grasslands on both sides of the river became good horse farms. These river beaches were also
It's a good place to grow wheat, but they can't open it up because they don't know how to farm. Fortunately, rushes are growing wildly on the tidal flats, and fodder for raising horses and cattle is easily available everywhere.
They can make large quantities of tendon recurve bows, and horses are not rare either. The alliance has far more cattle and horses than their population.
Kagan rectified his team in front of the nobles. This horse team carrying the hope of the entire alliance was the national mission of the Pecheneg Khanate.
The Russian people are far in the far north. In winter, some areas do not see the sun all day long. At that time, green silk is still floating in the sky. The Pecheneg people simply feel that it is another world.
The Russians are too far away, and no one is worried about them being a potential threat. So selling horses on a large scale is just to make a fortune.
The Russians are willing to spend large sums of money to buy horses, and they hold the recurve bow in high regard.
Both parties have great demand for each other. The transaction does not even require silver coins and copper coins as a medium. The biggest cost of the transaction is obviously the long journey.
Although the Pechenegs are poor, they still want to be respected by the Rus. This time Kagan brought as many as 200 warriors, and each warrior not only wore mail armor, but also wore a characteristic iron mask. Their
There are wild goose feathers stuck on the peak of the helmet, and a saber and bow are placed on the saddle.
These prairie people brought out their own elite cavalry, making the mission no different from an expeditionary force.
Naturally, such a move is not only to show the Ross allies the style of the prairie cavalry, but because the journey is far away, if they encounter trouble, they must have a strong army to protect their most important cargo.
One cavalryman is equipped with three horses, and another 500 horses will be directly used as commodities.
Large wild animals in the grasslands are rare. Once the hunters on horseback find them, they will attack and kill them. In a sense, the Rus are also a kind of "prey", and the Pechenegs are eager to complete it through a national trade.
"Bicycle turns into a motorcycle".
The Khan and the leaders of the tribes could not help but have sweet dreams. By selling 500 horses and 200 recurve bows in exchange for salt, iron, and leather, Pecheneg could train a strong army and continue to fight with the Khazars.
People are robbing the living space of the Don River Basin.
Many tribes simply sent their noble sons to participate in this expedition.
Young Kagan leads many young nobles. Kagan will gain new merits for this act, and he will be able to convince everyone when he becomes the Khan. The sons of nobles will also make meritorious deeds, and they will naturally inherit the status of their fathers.
The bridle reins of the horses were pulling each other, and the cavalry packed their mail armor and put it on the horse's back. They distributed the burden equally to each horse, and they also held whips and lasso poles to keep the horses in order when they traveled long distances.
In fact, for Kagan, he received this national mission not long after he returned to his hometown. The tribal leaders discussed important matters and raised supplies to be shipped to Ross. All kinds of actions wasted a lot of time. He went on the journey without much rest.
When this huge cavalry set off, it was already early August. Sensitive people felt that the autumn wind was eroding the grassland, and some grass began to turn yellow.
Since the Russians are not afraid of the cold, the Pechenegs should not show weakness either.
The cavalrymen wore fur coats to keep out the cold, and also carried a large amount of dried beef, mutton and horse meat, as well as light salty cheese with a strong aftertaste.
More than 200 men and more than 1,000 horses, carrying a batch of special goods, began the expedition to Ross in the early days of the bleak autumn wind.
They quickly passed through the cracks in the Khazar-controlled areas and crashed into the forests of Eastern Europe.
They advanced along the river in the forest, and only in this way could the horses move forward while gnawing on the grass.
This was the traditional trade route to Kiev, but such a large team suddenly emerged from the forest and entered the forest-side agricultural area in the lower reaches of the Dnieper River, scaring the local Klivi Slavs into thinking that the steppe people were invading.
The Krivich men and women of Kiev armed themselves and defended against the forest with their shields and spears.
The Kiev militia intercepted the cavalry, and no fighting took place until Kagan revealed his identity.
The people of Kiev are willing to trade with the peaceful steppe people, and this is how they obtain their horses. However, a large number of cavalry have never entered the Kiev Altar and its surrounding areas. It is normal for the locals to be nervous.
Kagan was recognized as the next khan of the Pechenegs, and the Kiev chief Krivich and other native nobles knew this well.
After all, this dark-haired guy just left Kiev a few months ago. Everyone has seen what the steppe people have harvested from Rus. But it is a pity that during last year's trip, it was Sakhi, a Kiev man, who took a group of brothers to the north and brought people with him.
There were not many goods and not many goods. Although the goods of the Russians were good, the people of Kiev did not get much benefit.
The people of Kiev are self-aware. If they cannot follow the armed caravans of the Pechenegs and rely on their own people to trade in the north, it will be over once they are intercepted by the Smolensk people. The people of Kiev must cooperate with the merchants of the steppe people.
Form a coalition to ensure that trade is safe.
When the misunderstanding was resolved, all the nobles from the Pecheneg business group became guests. Kagan stayed in a village in Kiev for three days, eating and drinking, and then immediately agreed to the request of the local leaders.
No, although Maksakeyin has made a lot of money, he wants to spend a happy winter in his hometown this year. Elders from his hometown flocked to his wooden house, begging the explorer to go to the north again.
"If so, what benefits can I get?" His ambiguous question put Kiev leaders in a difficult position.
Someone simply gritted his teeth and stomped his feet and suggested: "If you make everyone rich, I will elect you to be the leader of the alliance next time."
When someone said this, more and more people agreed, and some even clamored that they planned to marry their daughter.
The Krivich people in Kiev were a large alliance of village communities. Most of them lived near the present-day city of Kiev. They cultivated land and built houses around the "Altar of Blood" by the river.
No one is the chosen king, and each village community always selects talented men as leaders on a regular basis.
If you obtain meritorious service, it is entirely possible to become a leader.
Can a horse dealer also become a leader? You shouldn't be a horse dealer all your life, right?
Just as the team led by Kagan was the hope of the Pecheneg Khanate, the people of Kiev also organized horse teams. All the village communities selected fifty capable men to piece together as many as 200 horses, as well as items such as patterned cloth.
, honey, chaga mushrooms, barreled birch sap and other local specialties, formed a Kiev business group to go to Rus.
This is what the Kiev people planned. They sold a hundred horses. Since their own horses were obviously inferior to the Turkic horses of the Pechenegs, half the price was acceptable. Other goods could be sold at normal prices.
Even lowering the price by 20% will do.
Because compared to the steppe people, the Kiev people are more scarce in iron tools. This huge disadvantage makes the Kiev people inferior to their unlucky relatives the Smolensk people in the north, as well as the Derevlians in the east and the Radmich people in the southeast.
Competition has never been an advantage.
The village near the Kiev Altar on the riverside is home to nearly 100,000 people, and the villages further away have a total of 300,000 people!
The Krivich people in Kiev are actually a community with a huge population, but they are actually divided into large and small villages by the sea of forests. The people near the Kiev Altar naturally have leadership rights, but they are not united.
Sakhi never wanted to become a leader, nor did he want to gain arbitrary power. He had no idea about the population and wealth of the Kiev community.
The sources of the two hundred horses are various, and this is also the most valuable wealth they can provide. However, these Kiev people still do not understand that their most valuable thing is actually the women of their own clan. They can clearly use marriage to provide them with
Colleagues who export young women from the north in exchange for a lot of supplies can also gain a good reputation.
The size of the joint cavalry has increased, but the Pecheneg cavalry does not look down upon these Kiev people on horseback. The brown-haired guys in Kiev barely know how to ride a horse, so calling them cavalry is an insult to the cavalry.
!
They just took advantage of the power of the prairie cavalry to do business in the north. If the prairie cavalry left, they would definitely follow.
To be fair, Kagan only wanted to take Sakhi and a group of his old friends with him, and forget about the others.
However, Kagan's friendship with the people of Kiev has not deteriorated. After all, every business in the future will have to pass through Kiev.
The larger cavalry team went north along the left bank of the Dnieper River, and then followed the Pripet Swamp and arrived at the location of today's Gomel City. Although the place was covered with swamps, there was plenty of pasture for horses to eat.
Take a good look at this place. The Kagan Yijie grassland people also think that this place can be used as a pasture for grazing cattle. Of course, they have no idea about the super treasures contained in this swamp. They just instinctively feel that the reeds and rushes growing wildly here are different from other places.
Could it be that such a cavalry army moving along the river would be turned a blind eye by the Smolensk people?
As long as they continue to move along the upper reaches of the Dnieper River, they are destined to encounter Smolensk villages.
If you can grab a handful of grain and grass along the way, why not do it?
In this way, when dense sheep dung eggs were found on the river bank ahead, all the prairie cavalry dared to judge that there must be a village nearby.
"This is no longer your territory, it must be Smolensk?" Kagan asked Sakhi.
"That's probably true, but I don't suggest you provoke them. I... don't want to start a war."
Kagan mistook Thackeray's prudence as cowardice, and instead ordered his subordinates who were good at fighting to serve as scouts.
A village is hidden in the forest, and even the villagers are shocked by the appearance of the cavalry.
After learning this information, Kagan decided not to stop doing anything. He took a hundred brothers and rode into the forest, looting the empty village. The villagers ran fast enough, and the looting operation only managed to obtain a limited number of people.
food.
Kagan was unhappy when he returned to the riverside camp and complained to Sakhi that he had encountered cowards and paupers.
Sakhi did not dare to speak loudly, and only said: "We have to be careful next, maybe the Smolensk people will take action. Although your cavalry is strong, you may be able to escape when encountering a large number of farmers besieging you, and the treasure may be
I can’t take it with me.”
The arrogant Kagan was as arrogant as ever: "Dare you rob my treasure? If they do, I will lead troops into their village. If I don't rob, it will be to kill people to vent my anger."
In this way, it would be even less convenient for Sakye to talk too much, and he just hoped that this long trip would not cause any unnecessary complications.
However... is it possible?
The Pechenegs will not take action against allies and trading partners. Other neutral parties and enemies can plunder at will, and the cavalry warriors do not feel the slightest sense of guilt.
But this time, Kagan and his gang, having tasted the benefits of looting, decided not to listen seriously to Sakhi's warning. They deliberately went eastward for a while when they should have gone north, and thus robbed three Smolensk people in a row.
Village community.
We can't just watch the Pechenegs make a fortune! After all, Sakye had his own idea and brought people to join in the robbery.
The Pecheneg warriors put on chainmail and iron masks and attacked with fast horses, scimitars and recurve bows. They killed the men and grabbed women everywhere, and deliberately left the young women tied up and thrown on the back of the horse. As for the
They didn't bother to chase those who fled into the forest, so they took prisoners of war, took away some cattle, sheep and poultry raised by the locals, and a large amount of oats, and withdrew.
The warriors ate mutton and roasted chicken, and fed their horses luxuriously with oats.
At this time, it snowed heavily again, and they happened to stay in the plundered village until the snow stopped. Thanks to these successful plunders, the horses ate oats and gained strong energy to withstand the severe cold.
Some horses would die along the way, and Kagan was mentally prepared for a 20% loss. As a result, only a dozen horses died near the end of the journey.
They avoided great natural losses by relying on the proceeds of plunder, and none of them died in battle. When the cavalry left, they left behind ruined villages and dead bodies covered by snow, as well as the remaining bones of sheep and poultry...
…
Finally, the fleeing villagers fled to the city of Smolensk and reported that the attackers were the same group of people on horseback!
As for who the attackers were, although the Smolensk people did not know, they believed that all this had a close relationship with the Russians in the north and the Ilmenslavs who surrendered to them.
No, Vadim, who has been exiled here, has married the daughter of the great leader of Smolensk and promised to help him return to seize power. The people of Smolensk can gain huge benefits.
Smolensk is still afraid of an all-out war with the Varyag bandits who have settled down in the Rus. But now, the people are facing losses, and the bandits on horseback are clearly more ferocious than the Varyag people! If those bandits on horseback evolve into a group of bandits year after year.
Come to kill people, steal goods, and massacre villages. Who can withstand this?
They knew that they had to take some precautions along the river. Even if they could not defeat the mysterious cavalry, they at least had to take early warning measures. At the same time, the fearful people in Smolensk had the idea of living together in groups.
A large number of village communities plan to open up the forest land near Smolensk, so that everyone can gather together to take care of each other.
These situations are a thing of the past.
Because Kagan and his huge cavalry had already arrived at the mouth of the lake along the largely frozen Lovati River, a fortress lay in front of them, with a white-and-blue-striped flag flying.
Seeing this, Kagan hurriedly sent someone to raise the prepared flag. It was also a white flag with blue stripes. It was a gift from Rurik last year, and now it is the secret signal for peace.
In this way, the New Ostara Fortress, located on the southern border of the Principality of Ross, opened its closed door...