Those boyar nobles were in a great mood after winning the beauty, and now they were sitting down to discuss the important matters related to the war.
For these people who have lived in the forest for generations, the distant world outside the forest certainly has a vast space, but it is really unfamiliar to everyone.
Then, a large piece of rough paper was spread out, and a unique picture was outlined with rough charcoal lines.
Ironically, the aristocrats who admired it could not see that the picture was cold.
The paper was hung on the wall, and Rurik stood in front of it with his hands on his waist: "Do you recognize this picture?"
The boyars looked at each other.
"It seems that you really don't understand? Indeed! You need to understand the vastness of this world before you can willingly hand over your sons and your own people to fight for me." After saying that, Rurik stood aside and suddenly pulled out his hand.
The buzzing sound of his own sword made everyone tremble.
He roughly outlined the geographical structure around the Baltic Sea. The overall outline of the ocean was clearly marked, and the land, important islands, and lakes were also specially marked with lines. Some black lines were the most unique, which meant rivers.
Rurik pointed his sword directly at a circle: "This is our Lake Ilmen! Look at this black line, this is the Volkhov River!"
His sword pointed in turn to Novgorod, Novorosberg, until the target of the war, the Götaland region at the southeastern tip of Scandinavia.
"You all should take a closer look. This place is Jotaland, which is the area we must conquer this year."
The nobles reluctantly made an abstract understanding. Just looking at the map, this military operation was indeed an expedition.
Then a noble asked weakly: "My son has become a cavalryman for your Majesty. How long will it take... for him to reach the battlefield?"
"If the sea thaws, even the fastest ship will take ten days to travel day and night."
Rurik's words were understated, but they deeply shocked everyone. It would take ten days to travel by the fastest ship, which also pointed out from the side that the depth of the current Kingdom of Rus is very huge.
The Boyar nobles felt that this battle was very risky, and what they feared most was the terrible distance of the expedition.
How could Rurik not know that there is an element of risk here? Are you afraid of war because you have to take risks? Any war involves risks. At least the Russian army can predict many problems in advance and make preparations sooner or later.
Cinnabar was mixed with seal fat to form a bright red paste. Rurik pounded it with a wooden stick and placed a bright red mark on the location of the war target.
That is the fjord, the hometown of the Old Ostara tribe. This special label also explains one thing to the local nobles - the Varangians who have settled in the south, near the new Ostara, near their noses.
Where did it come from?
"Any war has a reason." Rurik explained: "Although it is a far away place for you, now whether it is the west or the east, the people living there are the king's subjects. When an area of the kingdom is attacked by the enemy,
All regions of the kingdom must send troops to participate in the war. The western region of the kingdom has been invaded by the Jotalans. This time we will fight over and completely defeat them to solve the problem."
He made the war very grand. Then again, what does this have to do with a group of Slavic tribes that have been living in the forests of Eastern Europe? It seems that this is a war between the Varyags and another Varyag.
The fact that the Slavs accepted the rule of King Rurik did not mean that all Slavic nobles were willing to send troops all the way to fight for the king.
There is always resistance in their hearts, and this emotion is expressed through their eyes.
Rurik lowered his face: "I see your doubts. However, you should also think about your future. I really only launched a war against the west. Soon, when I solved the problem in the west, the sharp sword will
Point to the south. People of Smolensk! How about the beauties that this king gave to you? They are all Smolensk beauties. Now there is sufficient information to prove that Vadim, who led the rebellion in Pine Needle Manor, is not dead, but has escaped.
An army of perhaps 10,000 troops was pulled out from Smolensk, ready to go north for revenge."
Many boyars have never thought about this kind of thing. Now the nobles are here, and their reactions are varied.
Some people think that Russia's Varyag army is invincible and there is no need to be wary of Smolensk.
Such people are a minority.
The minds of more nobles were filled with worries. The king made it clear that there were 10,000 warriors in the south watching eagerly. The enemy's strength might be weak, but no one denied Vadim's determination. Back then, the brothers chose to stand by and watch the rebellion.
, sit back and watch the Ross army and the allies massacre the traitors. It was a massacre that defined "catastrophe"!
If Vadim chooses to hate, he will hate everyone sitting here.
The nobles began to repeatedly ask about the authenticity of the intelligence. When Rurik saw that the plan was successful, he patted his chest: "I swear on my honor the authenticity of the intelligence I obtained. Back then, our army failed to kill Vadim and left a disaster. Now, you,
You don’t want your good days to be destroyed by the avengers and plunderers from the south! You don’t have to worry now. Since you are part of the kingdom, you are now sending your sons and brothers to follow me in the westward expedition. From now on, I will lead the Western Warlords.
When the Liangge army comes, we join forces and go south to attack Smolensk."
This is like a transaction. The transaction is mutual. When the two parties have frequent transactions, they will become more trusting.
After gaining their approval, Rurik ordered them to launch a general mobilization in his farm.
Each farm must at least build some walls and build basic defense facilities to protect themselves in case of an unexpected event.
When they sensed danger, their life-preserving instincts took over, and at the same time there was a huge demand for weapons and equipment. As for weapons, Rurik was willing to sell a large number of weapons, mainly cheap forged spearheads, at a fair price to earn a profit.
After receiving a sum of supplies, we also armed a large number of militiamen.
Any Slavic farm tribe came from the Vistula River Basin. They opened settlements to the west, east and south as armed immigrants. Rurik did not need to emphasize the meaning of "building a stronghold to protect yourself" at all, because there was no
Who knows the meaning of self-protection better than this group of guys. They don't lack manpower now, what they lack is a large number of iron weapons.
This meeting with the boyars eventually turned into a mobilization rally.
Twelve boyars who surrendered to the farm made a statement, so as many as thirty other village chiefs of "opening up villages" had to respond quickly after receiving the king's order and seeing the active actions of the nobles of the same clan.
Prepare for war, prepare for war, we have been preparing for war since late autumn last year. No one could have imagined that Novgorod in the rear would face a military threat from the Smolensk people.
Rurik saw that all the men in each farm had picked up weapons, even if it was just a sharpened stick.
The cast iron spearhead is not suitable for use as a weapon at all, but is suitable for mixing and casting to make iron with a spearhead and blasting it together as a security fence. Rurik's so-called cast iron spearhead is this kind of object, which can be pieced together with a wooden stick to make a short
Spears, lances or even simply throwing spears.
It is possible to make grooves in a clay-fired mold and cast twenty pieces at a time. This amount of product is distributed to men over twelve years old. According to the bottom line standard of one spear and one shield being one soldier, the object is
Molensk's explosion of 10,000 troops is not a problem at all.
But the Slavic warriors who really went on expeditions had another set of equipment.
Now, the Viking army, including the old Russians, was the first to assemble.
The veterans and replacement troops of the First Banner Corps have returned to the full strength of 500 men. The so-called four hundred men and a flag force headquarters. In principle, Arik is still the flag captain of the First Banner Corps, but now, it
The general will also assume command of the Sixth Flag Force.
The Sixth Flag Team is composed entirely of young old Russian boys. They are extremely young, and their members are generally two or three years younger than Rurik himself. The flag captain is "Bald" Fisk, who is Rurik's close comrade-in-arms.
Transformed into the current cavalry commander.
According to the plan, this is a national-level campaign. The First, Second and Sixth Flag Troops are all legions composed of descendants of the old Ross tribe and their nieces and nephews. The total strength of the troops is exactly 1,500 people. This army also supports
It formed the infantry foundation for the rule of the Rus Kingdom.
But their essential identity is citizen soldiers. In this battle, Rurik will also bring his own guard infantry and cavalry. These standing armies must achieve significant results.
Three hundred standing cavalry are commanded by the confidant Fisk, and three hundred infantry guards are commanded by the mercenary leader Grund.
In Novgorod alone there were 2,100 combat soldiers assembled, and this was still only a part of the army.
They have uniform attire and armor, whether they are wearing high-end chain mail or cheap cowhide and iron riveted armor, and they all wear a layer of plain linen gowns with huge interlaced blue stitches sewn on the chest.
Colored cloth strips.
The style of their leather helmets is very unified based on tradition. The difference is that the helmets of some elite warriors are decorated with white bear leather. The old rules are: captain of ten (class), captain of "ship" (platoon), centurion
Commanders (leveling up) and flag captains (battalion level) have the same number of feathers and the same color on their helmets.
This move was originally done by Rurik to imitate the Roman legions, and actual combat proved that these moves were easy to command.
It was a sunny morning in late February. There had been some snowflakes some time ago, but the weather had not improved in any way since February.
Rurik's army gathered in Novgorod. They stood on the wasteland outside the city where they were walking horses. The soldiers lined up according to the flags they belonged to. The sense of uniformity greatly shocked the onlookers.
The city walls were crowded with people, and there were thousands of onlookers outside the city.
The news of the army gathering attracted both Kagan and Sakhi. To be fair, they made a deal with Rurik and went to the south to rob. With their own strength, they could not say that they faced the vast sea of Smolensk people.
It was also the first time for Kagan to see the large gathering of the Russian army. He opened his eyes and gave the most wonderful admiration in the world: "If it is the Roman army, it is nothing more than this!"
Kagan refers to the Eastern Roman army. Although I have never seen a large gathering of Roman armies in my life, I have some understanding of it through various sources of intelligence, such as the bragging of Roman businessmen in Crimea, and even hearsay.
He had never seen the Roman army, but today he saw the Russian army clearly.
And this was only part of the force that Rus assembled in Novgorod. Not only was an astonishing number of local Slavic men mobilized but not assembled, but Kagan noticed that there were no "short men" among these troops.
My Rurik brothers recruited all adults, and they were all very tall.
According to the laws of the grassland, a boy should ride a horse and join the war when he reaches the age of ten. The ten-year-old Russian boys with blond hair and white skin are still running around where they can be seen, and they have not participated in the war.
Here, Rurik reviewed his army on a horse, raising his sword amidst the thundering roar.
Rurik had already made arrangements for the follow-up matters. A large number of men drove across the frozen rivers and lakes in horse-drawn carriages to Fort New Rose, the real assembly point. The army would leave soon after this small-scale assembly.
The departure of the men does not mean that the spring plowing has been abandoned. The task of spring plowing has been handed over to Governor Medvet, who will lead his own people to sow the farmland directly under the king. As for the old Russians like Mstisk and Youth City
In the settlement, the wives and children of the soldiers are still stranded here. The solution is quite simple, that is, every family pays a sum of money to hire locals to help them sow the land.
This battle was fought by Rurik personally, and he was about to leave his loyal Novgorod temporarily.
The banquet before leaving was very luxurious. Considering his mental state when he left for the expedition, Rurik did not drink too much.
Governor Medved, on the other hand, was very drunk, or was so excited that he cried in pain.
The Slavic flag force was expanded to two, and a single flag force was adjusted to 500 people. The core idea of the battle was to form a spear formation to attack the enemy. Medved was responsible for the training of soldiers and subsequent command work, and he would also leave his own
Going to my hometown to fight in the far west will happen after spring plowing.
At first glance, it seems that there was a power vacuum in the Novgorod region for a while, but this is not the case. The Slavs in the largest city, Novgorod, came from the dragon early and are now integrated with the old Rus. Twelve native farms Boya
I was pacified, which also stabilized the other Slavs.
In Novoostara, just south of Novgorod, Duchess Carlotta holds a powerful and highly mobile army. When necessary, all her people are on horseback, and she can suddenly gather more than 500 cavalry without any problem.
.
The question now is who will assume the responsibilities of the Governor.
Is there anyone more suitable than Queen Svetlana? Although Rurik hopes that the acting governor will be a reliable man, he really has no better choice now.
A woman became the acting governor of Novgorod and the commander-in-chief of the local Varangians and Slavs. Although she would be the acting governor for a period of time, there was nothing that really required Svetlana to make a decision. Ross
The parliamentary system of the Duma was adopted by both the Varangians and the Slavs. If general issues were encountered, they could be discussed at a meeting by prominent figures. Only matters such as war were decided by the governor.
Svetlana does not even have to decide on the war. Her sister, Princess Carlotta of Ostara, will be responsible for the entire Novgorod region after Medved leads troops to reinforce the Western Expedition King.
Defense. Carlotta is also a woman. She is a female general. The cavalry under her command are all men. No one can underestimate the power of these cavalry.
A large number of wives and concubines remained in Novgorod, and they had to do their own work.
This time Rurik brought two special wives and concubines.
Nolen, who is good at music, how can this country's war be without her? Of course, the flag force composed purely of men from the Norwegian Balmok tribe from the port of Narvik will join the Russian army under the leadership of Hellafed.
But in terms of division of authority, they largely belong to the Earl of Narvik's army.
Who is the Earl of Narvik? It is Nolen, one of his beloved wives. With her, the Balmoks will fight to the death to kill the enemy. But Nolen herself will not kill the enemy. She brings the entire band she has trained with her.
, serving as a guard of honor for the kingdom's army, and using drum music to increase the spiritual strength of the army. Yes, Ross has the world's first institutionalized military band.
Rurik's new wife, Pecheneg Princess Beyashil, will naturally also participate. She will directly participate in the battle as a cavalry to meet her own destiny.
Moreover, in this battle, Rurik even brought one of his sons. Reglaf, the legal heir of the Kingdom of Mercia and Rurik's actual eldest son. This boy revealed a naughty temper, which shows that he
His energy was too strong, his son was old enough, and it was time to see the world on the battlefield.
The army gathered on the frozen Volkhov River, and a large number of reindeer pulled sleds waiting for passengers.
Each warrior is valiantly and gorgeously dressed, and their weapons and equipment are sophisticated and diversified.
The soldiers carried backpacks with cloth belts, which were mostly stuffed with raw oats. Curly leather blankets were tied to both sides of the backpack, and a large buckler hung like a turtle shell on the bag, often hanging on the sides.
Short-handled shovels. Steel swords, daggers and hand axes were all hung on their waists. The heaviest armor was all removed, and they tried their best to be as light as possible.
Other soldiers were more heavily equipped. They carried wooden-arm crossbows and heavier steel-arm crossbows. Thanks to the various arrows being sealed in boxes, they did not have to carry them around, so the soldiers were spared the pain of fatigue.
Even so, the weight of the army's personal equipment is already astonishing. Fortunately, everyone will be sitting on sleds, and sufficient logistical support will give everyone confidence in the expedition.
Even according to His Majesty the King's crazy decision, the army will always run wildly on the ice, especially across the frozen Gulf of Bothnia. Reindeer and horses will replace the fleet and rush to Stockholm, Sweden.
This was a crazy plan, and Ross also sent the largest army in history.
With the sound of the horn, the Novgorod troops of the Russian Army set off with a huge crowd!