The Pechenegs are very sincere about trade, and the Principality of Rus should not hide it here.
But no matter what Rurik thinks, raising goods equivalent to 6,000 pounds of silver is still quite troublesome for the country. Of course Russia can raise such a huge amount of goods, but to the east, the North Baltic Sea is completely frozen, and although land transportation exists, the transportation capacity is poor
, we cannot rely on shipping to bring high-quality ironware from Fort Ross and Ellenburg as we did during the warm period.
The principality had to rely entirely on the output of Novorosberg and Novgorod in exchange for up to 600 good horses from the Pechenegs.
The blacksmith received the order, and the royal blacksmith took over the blacksmithing day and night under the leadership of Kamnier. Objectively speaking, this continuous project greatly stimulated the city's economy. Because the raw material for iron smelting is not ore, but comes from the blast furnace town of Fort Ross.
Directly smelted pig iron ingots with astonishing carbon content were smashed into small pieces in advance and shipped to New Roseburg.
The main task of the blacksmiths in the East is essentially to share the production capacity of Fort Ross, where the steel-frying method is practiced on a large scale, and finally large and small carbon steel blocks are forged into a whole.
For this work, a furnace with a height of half a person is used, and the air is supplied by a bladder blower, so that normal processing operations can be carried out. The only thing that needs to be focused on is the stable supply of fuel.
Charcoal made from pine wood is a completely suitable fuel, but after Rurik gave the order, the demand for fuel suddenly exploded in the city.
The state-owned blacksmith shop has a large number of employees, which is a "gold-swallowing behemoth". In order to achieve greater output, Rurik must invest more costs.
Food is always hard currency! He did not hesitate to take out a large amount of wheat from the warehouse, which made the charcoal-burning craftsmen in the city boil.
The waist-deep snow after the snowstorm was no longer an obstacle, and pine trees were cut down one after another. Smart charcoal burners deliberately selected small pine trees and cut them down, saying that better charcoal blocks could be produced in this way.
Those who are good at woodcutting also participate in the feast. They do not make charcoal, but are only the movers of materials.
The existing industrial chain of logging, charcoal burning, steel frying and forging is obviously extremely prosperous.
The treasury of the Principality of Rus is quite rich in food. Of course, it is not that Rurik has a lot of food on hand, but because the population in the country is too small, it seems that the treasury is full.
The Principality is in a development window period, and the Principality must seize this opportunity for foreign trade.
For this reason, Rurik preferred quick success and quick success, and it was necessary to try some risky ideas.
Queen Svetlana can still walk quickly, and she wears a thick leather coat as if she has never been pregnant. She is now in a state of seclusion, with a group of women around her to look after her, and as many as ten people recruited from the city.
Experienced midwives are always on call.
If the child is born either at the end of January or early February, then the child is the eldest son and the heir to the throne based on tradition.
But Rurik really didn't have time to get together with his beloved wife every day for the time being. As a monarch, raising a huge sum of money to buy a horse was really worrying.
"Ah! Why can't it be crowdfunded? I don't believe those guys wouldn't invest in their eldest son!"
Maybe his sudden idea would make the people scream. He thought that the smart people in New Roseburg would definitely realize that making a major deal with the prince would be a huge benefit to his family.
After all, who doesn’t want to move up the ladder?
Especially the Viking people who are not from the Old Rus tribe, who doesn't want to obtain the same social status as the Old Rus people? Of course their generation cannot do that, their sons and grandsons must get opportunities.
Rurik estimated that the people's demands were buried in their hearts, so he sent a new announcement to be posted in Harvest Square.
This was not the end, he also ordered Grund and his men to beat drums and go through the streets to publicize the prince's "recruitment order".
The announcement was very literal, saying that the prince wanted to make deals with smart people among the Russians.
"Donate your treasure, take out ten pounds of silver coins or equivalent leather, and other treasures. In this way, you can hand over a son and become a horse warrior under the prince's command, becoming the most powerful land warrior in the principality."
The announcement immediately caused an uproar, and Grund's propaganda with gongs and drums also made the people in the city excited. Because the prince's elite mercenaries suffered too many casualties in the decisive battle with the King of Denmark himself, the prince wanted to rebuild an elite army.
, now the new members of the Janissaries are selected from the descendants of the people.
Serving as a soldier for the prince, you will receive a monthly allowance of ten silver coins, free food and accommodation, and weapons and equipment provided by the prince. After ten years of service, the prince can help solve marriage problems. If you die in battle, you will receive glory, and your family members will also receive
The quota for pension and recruitment is up to 100 people, and the age limit is between sixteen and twenty years old.
Rurik's move seemed to others to be a whim. Responders were everywhere in the city, so that the Harvest Square was quickly filled with people, with parents pulling their children and bringing their treasures as gifts.
prince,
Under the gaze of everyone, a majestic man wearing a bearskin stood on the wooden platform of the square, struggling to take off his velvet hat, revealing his golden ponytail flowing in the wind, and his deliberately golden beard.
The cute little boy disappeared, and now he has grown into a Nordic warrior who looks very reliable. He is tall and has a kingly aura, and people believe that he will bring happiness to everyone.
Who doesn't enjoy the feeling of being supported?
People spontaneously chanted "Princip Rurik". Of course, from Rurik's point of view, he wanted the people to chant "Ula".
He looked down at the crowd until most of the people present were actually immigrants from Melalen, Balmoks and Slavs. New Rossburg was the capital of the Principality of Ross. However, according to the basic principle that the old Ross people must enjoy the greatest benefits,
In principle, most of the old Russians got the fertile farmland in the temperate area in the south. The old Russians who stayed in New Roseburg are a group of conservative and simple fishermen and hunters. The proportion of old Russians in this city is too small, and the Mälaren immigrants and Slavic immigrants
That's a lot of proportion.
Even though the leader of the Mälaren tribe, King Bjorn of Sweden who had not abdicated the throne, was in the city, the Mälaren people who immigrated did not take this man seriously at all. The Mälaren people who left Lake Mälaren
Are they still considered people of Mellaren? They have been registered by the Principality of Rus as New Rus. However, they are not true Rus by blood, and their inferiority complex always exists.
And those Slavic immigrants, nominally a large group of people who betrayed Lake Ilmen, immigrated to the banks of the Neva River as almost slaves.
They all need more means to prove their loyalty to the prince in order to obtain a higher social status.
Rurik allowed them to chant for a while, and gradually calmed down the excitement of the people with open hands.
He raised his chin high and shouted at the top of his lungs: "My people! I saw your enthusiasm, and today you made the most correct choice! Although your own life has been too ordinary, I can guarantee that your son
You will gain glory and wealth. We will expand to the endless land in the south, and your sons will serve as my cavalry and conquer a large territory for Ross. And those who are the bravest will be my personal soldiers. Start now!
Bring your belongings and I will write down your names..."
Rurik had to say it many times. He kept emphasizing big words such as "glory", "courage" and "wealth", and all the smart families were excited.
It was obviously the coldest gathering, but Harvest Square was bustling with activity.
Some wealthy immigrant families spent all their money, taking out their savings, saved leather, and even borrowing money to collect ten pounds worth of goods, and donated a cavalry replacement spot for their eldest son or second son.
Rurik, who was eager for money, didn't care too much. It was clear that the child was not yet old enough to look quite thin. He took the money and asked his wife and concubine, who was in charge of the scribe, to give the child's real name, the names of his parents, and the family name.
The address in the city was written in detail on a piece of cardboard, and the amount of money the family had owed to donate the quota was noted.
The family that pays the equivalent of twenty pounds of silver coins will have two places, and so on.
Look at what kind of wealth they brought out! Ferrets and bear skins are the real key goods, and the other items are the jingling silver coins. The families who are willing to donate a quota are generally not rich, so donating a quota is enough.
Give it your all.
But once the name is written, everything will be fine.
After their sons are selected, they will arrive in Novgorod on a sleigh in February. There, these children's food, clothing and housing are fully provided by the principality. Not only do they have to learn basic cultural knowledge, but they also spend the rest of their time learning to train horses.
and horse riding. When the lessons are completed, the children settle down in Novgorod. It is generally known that most of the people of the Old Rus tribe enjoy the industry in the Novgorod region, and their children join them. In fact,
It was because he was absorbed by old Ross.
Although according to tradition, the eldest brother inherits the family business and the second and third brothers are free to roam, the real situation is that one brother becomes successful and will support the other brothers based on brotherly feelings.
If the prince's promise is completely true and he donates a quota today, his whole family will be prosperous in the future.
This was originally a risky move to raise funds. Rurik never expected that more than 200 families would come up with the equivalent of more than 2,000 pounds of silver.
There are as many as 800 pieces of white bear and brown bear hides provided by the private sector.
The hugeness of the bear skin also surprised him. Rurik only paid attention to the number of bears killed by the imperial hunters. He only knew that there were too many bears in the area in this era, and he never thought that the bears killed by private bear hunters would be even greater.
Not only bear skins, but also mink and white fox skins, because the market prices are always high, it is logical to pay for them.
Originally, after buying a good horse, Rurik needed to use his brain to choose the cavalry. Of course, priority should be given to selecting good family members from the descendants of the old Rus tribe. Not only would this not make money, but it would require constant investment in raising the army.
Now it's really great. The people of New Roseburg theoretically provided one-third of the funds for this horse trade. The alternative is that the people crowdfunded good horses, so in exchange the people will naturally get dividends. He felt that he was under pressure
sharp decrease.
There are more than 200 boys aged 12 to 16 counted here. They may be reluctant at first, but it is the task of their parents to make them willing to join the cavalry in the future. They will leave New Roseburg in February.
Start a new life in Novgorod.
Also about to start a new life are another hundred people.
To select a new candidate for the Guards, first he must be strong enough or have the potential to become strong. The child must be over twelve years old, and the family must be Swedish, Rus or Slavic. The family must also be quite poor.
, have fewer brothers and sisters, so that such children will be easier to control in the future.
Being a personal guard means being able to fight evil wars, it means having the courage to be bloodthirsty and not afraid of death, it means resolutely carrying out the orders of the prince, and it means that the prince must eventually die without being a prince.
Now that a hundred people have been selected, Rurik gave Grund an order: "Let the children take off their shirts and run in the snow, let them kill rabbits with their own hands, and let them drink deer blood directly. I
I want you to use ten days to select the fifty most powerful people as backup warriors. It will be you in the future, and you will train them into elites."
He essentially gave Grund a lot of power. As long as the corporal punishment is not to kill the cubs, then go ahead and do it!
Grund complied with the request the next day, and the public saw such a strange scene, a group of barebacked handsome boys running in the snow. Some people voluntarily quit on the same day, or the tired and paralyzed people passively quit. This was a failure that had to quit.
Or, Grund was merciless in his rigorous training. He himself was a madman crawling out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood, so he naturally didn't want his future colleagues to be a bunch of idiots and cowards.
Although the training was harsh and terrifying, Rurik simply turned a blind eye. What he and Grund needed were berserkers. Those who failed could peacefully become fishermen or lumberjacks in the future, and become elite soldiers with a monthly salary. It was really rewarding.
If you don't use the opportunity, you will have no choice but to give up for the rest of your life.
The future cavalry soldiers who had donated their quotas were waiting silently in their homes. Their father took out his axe, sword and shield and encouraged his eldest son to become a real man. He continued to encourage his eldest son to become a real man once he became prosperous in the south.
Support other brothers.
The sled team began to assemble, and the scale this time was astonishing.
The sled boards reinforced with iron sheets and rivets can carry greater weight. A sled is designed to be pulled by four reindeer, and its load capacity can be increased to one ton without any problem.
A large number of bear skins were piled up one on top of another, and each skin was extremely huge when unfolded. Rurik didn't care too much. He gathered a thousand bear skins. It depends on whether the giant envoy to the south of these skins can take them away.
Their ability was exhausted, and he only focused on transporting the bearskins to Novgorod.
A large amount of table salt has a slightly bitter taste due to incomplete removal of magnesium chloride, which is very acceptable. Those Pechenegs have limited access to salt due to the blockade by hostile forces. These slightly bitter salts are better than nothing, Rurik.
I am sure that my Kagan brothers will not be picky. A large amount of salt can load a carriage, and the slightly green salt in sacks will definitely scare those grassland people into silence.
The large amount of ironware shipped to sleds is another spectacle. The state-owned blacksmith shops are running day and night to the limit of manpower. If you want to continue to expand production capacity, you must either increase manpower or industrialize. Increasing manpower is naturally possible, but it will take some time.
training, and it will not increase much. Industrialization is too outrageous, and the Principality of Rus does not yet have this magical ability.
Even so, within a month, Kamnier and his men, who were ordered to frantically forge sword embryos, consumed most of their inventory and produced 500 simply forged sword embryos, which themselves were made of carbon steel.
As for the carbon content of the sword embryo, it all depends on the skill of the craftsman. The sword embryo has undergone basic quality inspection, that is, it is bent to a certain arc without breaking, and then it can rebound instantly with force, which is considered qualified.
This is like the Huanshou sword issued to soldiers by the Han Empire, which is a very long piece of iron with only a ring at the end. The soldiers did the cutting and polishing work themselves, and the handle of the sword was often found by the soldiers.
Long lines of linen were wrapped together. The Han Empire did this to reduce the work hours of craftsmen, so that the army could be armed efficiently.
What Rurik will do is exactly the same. He will not let his craftsmen go to the trouble of sharpening the steel sword. The sword embryo has been forged flat and straight. The Pechenegs themselves have iron smelting technology, and the remaining
All the hard work was left to them, whether it was directly cutting the edge to make a double-edged sword, or forging and bending a single-sided edge to make a saber, it was all their own business.
Five hundred sword embryos and a hundred crossbows without bow arms were neatly stacked in wooden boxes one after another.
The trip to Novgorod in February was also a major communication opportunity. Not only did Novorosberg have to transport a large amount of goods, but normal trade between the two cities also had to be carried out.
What's more, the envoys of the Swedish nobles who are visiting the country also want to visit the south.
The cargo army, escort soldiers, selected children, Swedish envoys, as well as a large number of small businessmen, hunters, and even the first flag soldiers who came to the north to hunt, gathered into a huge group, so in the ice and snow
They look after each other and run wildly on the ice road. The number of people may reach a thousand, and the total number of sleds may reach two hundred.
It can be said that everything is under Rurik's control. At the beginning of January, Rurik was worried that he would not be able to get the huge payment for buying horses. Now it is the end of January. Not only is there no problem, but the enough payment for the horse has exceeded the limit.
If he strategically increases prices for materials, the amount of money he raises will far exceed the plan.