Chapter 938 The Principality of Saxony, the Kingdom of Rus, and the Kingdom of Denmark
Is Hamburg now very important to Liudolf and the Frankish Kingdom?
Liudov, the prisoner of war in front of him, begged the Russian army not to attack Hamburg. Needless to say, there must be a hidden reason behind it. However, according to the intelligence provided by Blue Fox a few years ago, it was pointed out that Hamburg was just a small fortress by the river with certain commercial value.
Otherwise nothing special.
Of course, this is completely different from the burger in Rurik's concept.
What is the Imperial Free City? Hamburg is the star of the Hanseatic League.
Rurik didn't rush to ask Liudof. He described his knowledge of Hamburg as if it didn't matter: "It's just a small city, nothing special. There is no gold or silver, but at most there are some fields. But those wheat fields caused a stir.
caught my attention."
These words were incomprehensible. Liudov was really puzzled, so he still wanted to emphasize: "I implore you not to attack Hamburg. Since it is so barren, there is no point in attacking it with your army."
"Is it really barren?" Rurik rolled his eyes at him, "I said it. My army is large and needs a lot of food to satisfy their appetite. I will not grab the Danish fields, but hamburgers are what I can
The closest supply point I saw.”
"So, you have to fight?"
"Yes! But no." Rurik poked his head at this time and asked slowly: "You... do you care about the people there? You hope that I will not kill? If so, you are really a kind person."
"Am I really so kind?"
"Maybe. I noticed that you are clearly an outsider, but you have received a lot of support from the locals. It's incredible. Maybe you are born with the ability to lead."
"I don't deserve the praise of you Normans." Liudof forced his words, but felt a little happy in his heart.
"Let's tell the truth? Are there any friends of yours there?"
"He is a friend. At least he supports me. He is the Count of Hamburg, and his name is Robert."
"Him?!" Rurik slapped his thigh and stood up straight, because this name was not unfamiliar.
"What? You... know this man."
"So I know. My subordinates had a deep conversation with this person. It's a long story..."
"Then, let's talk about it." What happened surprised Liudov. He didn't believe that this was Rurik's trick, but the thing was indeed too bizarre. How could that old guy Robert have ever interacted with the Normans?
The Russian people talked and laughed about their experiences.
It was a long night. Rurik planned to use one mouth to explain his interests to Liudov, who was in the "bare veteran" state, and then instigate him to rebel. At least it would ensure that this person would not become an enemy of Ross and Denmark. Any attempt to get close would be almost impossible.
Don't let it go.
Rurik deliberately said more, but the unknown things really made Liudov couldn't believe it. If you think about it carefully, who is Robert, Count of Hamburg? A pure Frank, who was granted a job in the homeland of the barbarian Principality of Saxony.
Magistrate, if this man wasn't a well-rounded man, the local Saxons might have rebelled again and ganged up to kill his whole family.
On the contrary, the local conquered Saxon people did not oppose the foreign lord.
Earl Robert may not be smart, but he is definitely not stupid.
Robert actually had secret discussions with the Ross businessman Blue Fox on business issues?! Robert had secretly contacted the Ross people many years ago behind the backs of all the nobles?
And this is even more puzzling.
"Since you... have had contact with the Count of Hamburg and even discussed business issues. Why do you need to attack your business partner? There is no need at all. You can have a good talk with Robert from Hamburg."
"Indeed." Rurik shrugged, "But my army needs food supplies. You know!" Suddenly, Rurik showed a threatening look: "When people are hungry, they turn into beasts. I need food.
And I know that there are a lot of fields in the Elbe River Basin where Hamburg is located. It’s your wheat harvest time soon, and this year’s new wheat is mine.”
"Ah! So barbaric. You...you can't."
Liudov looked embarrassed. He was already stammering. He wanted to organize Rurik but was unable to do anything.
Rurik did not embarrass this man. After all, "looting new wheat in the Hamburg area" was not really necessary. As a very particular king, it would be too much if the army was reduced to relying on looting on the spot to solve the imminent food shortage problem.
It failed. On the contrary, the food stored by the Russian army before the war was enough to feed an army of 10,000 people for five months, and now everything is fine.
This is a tactic of extreme pressure. Rurik turned his face to the side and pretended to be arrogant: "It's not impossible not to fight hamburgers, unless you tell me where there is more food. My army cannot come to Frank in vain.
, if they couldn’t grab the gold or silver, they took away a lot of food.”
"..." Liu Duofu fell silent. He lowered his head but his eyes kept trembling.
What does this mean? He was hesitant because he had already thought of a lot in his mind.
Thinking that the condom was already at this point and real men no longer had to dawdle, Rurik felt that when the time came, he took out the prepared king bomb.
"You! Liudov. I heard that you Saxons have the legendary hero Widukind. You are his direct descendant. Maybe he is your grandfather."
In an instant, Liudov raised his head suddenly as if he had been electrocuted. His trembling eyes were as wide as copper bells, and he stared directly at Rurik's face: "He is my father's father's father. His tomb is in mine."
The fiefdom of Westphalia.”
This is a fact. Widukind was defeated and surrendered and was forced to convert to God. His family was exiled to Lake Reichenau under the Alps. After his death, the family moved to Westphalia with his coffin.
Liudolf was born in the present fiefdom. He could not let go of the past and glory of his ancestors. He was resentful that the title of Duke of Saxony was confiscated by the Frankish king.
"In this case, why did your title become an earl? It's ridiculous. You were originally a duke. Oh, but you are like this now. Even if I let you go, you have suffered a huge defeat against the so-called Normans. King of the Franks
The decree will definitely be issued to demote you to a baron, or even abolish your title and become a farmer. No, maybe the situation is worse. They may order you to be executed out of anger, and the female members of your family will become slaves."
Rurik's words were frivolous and playful, and his words were like swords, piercing the soft spot in Liudov's heart.
Originally, Liudov's main reason for making amends after his defeat was the political frame-up of his master Ludwig. Everything was a despicable conspiracy!
Unexpectedly, King Rurik of Rus had penetrated his own heart. No! Rurik was not a confidant. Rather, even all the Normans understood this matter, and it was all a conspiracy of the Frankish nobles.
A down-and-out noble suddenly stood up, slapping his thigh, with strong anger on his face, and roared: "They are all damn Franks! They took away the country! Killed my people! Caused me to lose my title! I am the one who
The real Duke of Saxony! That Ludwig doesn’t deserve it at all.”
A quarrel suddenly broke out in the camp, which frightened the guards into rushing into the camp with weapons to protect their king.
The guards rushed in, only to see Liu Doufu angry and panting, but also saw that his king was still sitting upright.
"Who let you in?!" Rurik turned his head and heard the news displeased.
"Your Majesty, brothers are worried about you..."
"Everyone, stand down!"
The guards withdrew one after another.
Liudolf was still angry. He sat down again and covered his head. After a while, he burst into tears. As he cried, he beat his chest and beat his feet: "That is my title! I am obviously very popular with the Saxons! Why am I not the Duke of Saxony?"
?I was still thinking about making great achievements in Denmark and gaining support from a large number of people. Everything is over! Ludwig will not return the title to me. What should I do?"
"What else can I do?" Rurik smiled and saw that this guy suddenly became a clown. After hearing his painful confession, he realized that this was an opportunity to exploit every opportunity: "Stupid! Can't you see it? Why do you want to ask for that Luther?
Will Vichy return the title to you? If you have an army, you can immediately declare the restoration of the title. If Ludwig disagrees and sends troops to fight you, and you defeat his army, you will be the real Duke of Saxony, and the disappeared Principality of Saxony will be reborn.
Already."
This statement is as simple and clear as describing "It only takes three steps to stuff an elephant into the refrigerator", and it is full of comedy and impossibility.
"Defeat Ludwig's army? Is it easy? I can't. As you can see, I don't even have a bodyguard. I'm just your prisoner."
"No. Actually... we can be allies."
"ally?"
"Of course." Everything has been prepared. Rurik raised his head solemnly and looked at Liudof's face with his blue eyes sincerely: "We should discuss this matter in the long run. You are worried that you can't defeat Ludwig. My
The army goes to fight him. Even if it is not to help you, I want to take revenge on this Frankish prince. And you... you immediately recruit Saxons in Jutland, as many as you can recruit. You immediately establish the title of Duke of Saxony,
Declare that you have broken with the Franks, declare that the destroyed Principality of Saxony is resurrected, and it is important to declare that you are a descendant of Widukind."
"Perhaps, this is all I can do. But... I still have a wife and children in Westphalia. I... don't want them to be in danger."
"Huh?" Rurik felt that this was indeed human nature, but those who want to do great things should not stick to the love between their children. "Then, are the lives of your wife and children more important than resurrecting the Principality of Saxony and getting rid of the Frankish occupation? What if?
If you think this is true, it only means that you are a coward. But I was wrong. I thought you were a brave and real man."
Therefore, Rurik said something like this: "A daughter-in-law can remarry, and children can have another child. If Ludwig kills your wife and children out of revenge, it only shows that Ludwig is the real evil person."
Behind you are thousands of Saxons, who will sympathize with your plight and support you without hesitation. This is your family's only chance! Otherwise, you won't even be able to keep your title of earl."
Grain worm
A question was put in front of Liudov bloody, and he had three choices.
First, he announced his independence from Frankish rule and established himself as the Duke of Saxony.
The second is to commit suicide, so that his son Bruno will automatically inherit the title of earl of Westphalia.
Thirdly, Rurik continued to declare his loyalty to Ludwig and demanded ransom from Ludwig, so that the latter would know that Liudov was defeated and would most likely vent his anger or take the opportunity to cut down the vassal, thus making Vidukind's descendants completely
common people.
The first is a political adventure, which will bring great glory if it succeeds. The second is a safe choice, but it is far from possible to restore glory. The third is the stupidest choice.
These days were like a ridiculous nightmare. The vicious Normans destroyed the Aleb fortress and killed nearly ten thousand people. It was these Normans who were terrifying enemies in the morning and became allies by that night.
Do the Normans really have any shame? No, maybe the commander of the Normans, King Rurik of Rus, all he needs is profit.
So, Liudov asked: "If I declare against Ludwig, you help me restore the Principality of Saxony. Is this really good for you? What...what do you want? You know, we Saxons
You have given up your belief in the sacred tree (World Tree), but you are still clinging to the gods of the past."
"I knew you would say that. Give to God what is God's, and give to Caesar what is Caesar's. Whatever god you believe in, but we need real security guarantees. In the far north, the lands you can think of and the lands you have never known are all my Ross
The territory of the Kingdom. To the south is the Kingdom of Denmark. We are what you call all the Normans. We actually don’t want to fight the Franks, but it was the Franks who took the lead in provoking the war. I will not submit, the only one
The way is to force peace with war, let the Franks know how powerful we are and avoid future wars."
Rurik's grand strategy was indeed this, but why not send a group of royal pirates to raid Frankish towns, rob houses, and seize the capital for the development of the Rus' Kingdom.
From an official standpoint, it was necessary to draw a clear line of defense with the Frankish forces and ask the other side to declare peace with the Viking world. Therefore, it was very reasonable for the two sides to have a buffer country between them.
After all, before the "Charlemagne's Conquest", the Principality of Saxony ruled by Widukind was indeed a natural buffer state between the Franks and the Viking world.
"Give to God what is God's, and to Caesar what is Caesar's..." Liudov lowered his head and was silent for a long time. After thinking for a while, he slowly raised his head: "Obviously, I have no reason to hesitate anymore?"
"Make a choice! Horik has been captured by me. When you cross the border, the Frankish power you represent no longer exists. There are still a large number of Saxons in Jutland! I have no intention of killing and robbing them. The same is true of King Lage of Denmark.
Neither will Na. I need you to establish yourself as the Duke of Saxony. As long as you do this, the Kingdom of Rus will be the first to recognize you, and I will also persuade Ragnar to recognize you."
"Then do it! I am the Duke of Saxony."
"Okay. I admit you."
Liudolf announced his betrayal, or in other words, he had regained the glory of his ancestors. When he entered Jutland last year, he used the banner of "The Grandson of Widukind", which immediately won over a large number of Saxons.
This banner is very easy to use, and in fact he is indeed a direct descendant of Vidukind.
His prisoner career lasted only a few hours. When he announced his opposition to Ludwig's independence as Duke of Saxony, he was no longer a prisoner but an ally.
Therefore, when Ragnar saw the Rurik brothers chatting and laughing with the restored prisoner of war the next morning, he felt incredible.
Because it was Ragna who captured this man alive, but he didn't expect that his good brother said "this man is valuable" and took special care of him, but he actually guarded him like this?
He could not have imagined that a guy who was determined to fight to the death, almost literally to the last man alive, would allow Rurik to walk around casually without any precautions against him.
Then there was a special meeting in the morning. Ragnar never imagined that the prisoner of war Liudov would participate in the military meeting of the Russian-Danish coalition as a free man.
"You are a despicable prisoner! How can you be here?! Rurik, what are you doing?!"
Ragnar pointed at Liudov's nose and humiliated him. The latter endured his anger and said nothing, but Rurik tried to smooth things over: "Brother Ragnar, the situation has changed. There are no despicable prisoners here, only our allies."
.”
"Ally? Could it be this man?"
"Yes. He is now the Duke of Saxony."
At the critical moment, Liudov, who was both fearless and flexible, spoke: "You are the King of Denmark? And I am the Duke of Saxony. We can be friends, let's go back to a few decades ago! Friend, I am no longer
Vassal of the Franks, I am Duke of all Saxons. Let us unite against the Franks."
Of course, Ragnar is also a flexible person. He is willing to sit down and listen to Liudov's self-narration, and it is this self-narration that arouses his extraordinary spiritual resonance.
Revenge, if it is just to kill the gangster and let the black hands behind it continue to run free, what kind of revenge is that?
Liudov is not the enemy, Ludwig and the Frankish nobles are the enemies.
At this point in the war, the slogan "restoring the glory of Odin" has changed its flavor, and it has been quietly replaced by another called "restoring the glory of the ancestors".
Denmark wants to restore the old order, Saxony wants to be restored, and Rus wants to create a stable Baltic trade network.
Leaving aside the Norwegians in the Bergen area who have not yet been involved in the Baltic political circle due to their geographical location, the three strong men who can determine the stable future of the Nordic pan-Germanic nation are sitting together.
Ragnar is self-aware. His own tribe survives by relying on the protection of the Rus. Now, as the king of Denmark, his power is not stable.
After all, Liudolf had a fiefdom and had strong appeal in his hometown of Saxony, which was stronger than Ragnar.
No matter what they are like, they are both younger brothers when facing a behemoth like the Kingdom of Rus.
In order to stabilize their own power, and to avoid future revenge from the Franks, the three parties made an oath of alliance here on the Lindholm Isthmus, under the ruins of the Aleb Fortress, regardless of differences in belief.
The three people faced the sun and swore not to fight each other. When one family was attacked, the others immediately sent troops to help. This was an alliance treaty without signing a written document, but in the Nordic world, written documents were still a new thing, and the lords were more concerned about oral oaths.
, the oath has mana benefits, enough to make Ragnar change his attitude towards the lonely Liudov.
From then on, the Russian army's attack on Hamburg became illegal.
There is no other reason. According to the territorial scope of the old Principality of Saxony, Hamburg has been Saxony since ancient times.
Therefore, the Ross army still has to enter Hamburg, and use this as a starting point to invade Frankish Ludwig's territory across the Elbe River. At that time, Liudov, as the Duke of Saxony who has restored his title, will not only send troops to help the Ross-Danish revenge coalition
, and also take out a batch of food to reward the allies.
Liudolf was already having a sweet dream. When he returned to his hometown of Saxony, a large number of surviving civilians would join him, and the Saxon barons who had become Frankish subjects would also declare their surrender, and 10,000 peasant soldiers could be organized in an instant.
The big problem now is that the mess on the battlefield needs to be sorted out, and the large number of dead must at least be buried.
The Russian-Danish coalition will continue to move south along the coastline, and the army will advance directly to the Schleswig Stone Wall (built on the Holstein Isthmus), the natural dividing line between Denmark and Saxony since ancient times.
In this way, even if the Kingdom of Denmark regained all its lost territory, it could then turn around and invade Frankish territory.
As long as the army goes south, it will give Liudov a huge opportunity. Because the further south you go, the more Saxon villages there are. These villagers have a deep-seated hatred of the Franks, and it will be easy to ask them to surrender. Liudov intended
Using these southern villagers to organize an army, he knew that there was no turning back. In order to lead the Saxons back to their country, he began to take action.
A special flag was displayed, which was a cross flag painted with carbon blocks, but in the upper left corner of the flag, the Roman letters "sakson" were written with carbon blocks.
And this became the official national flag of the Principality of Saxony, and soon Liudov was no longer alone.
No one could withstand the army from the north. All the Danish villages in Jutland immediately changed their beliefs and called themselves Odin's warriors again, recognizing Ragnar as the king. All the Saxon villages, without giving up their converted Catholic faith, immediately
Acknowledge that Liudov is everyone's prince.
Therefore, the northern saint Esquier, who was lying on the carriage and following the army south, had an extremely complicated mood.
Liudov betrayed Frank, announced the restoration of the Duke of Saxony and actually declared war on Frank, but he did not give up his holy Catholic faith, which means Liudov did not betray the Holy See.
But he actually formed an alliance with the Normans. Does his fall count as betrayal?
Esquier no longer dared to think about it, because there was no precedent for aristocrats who believed in God to form an alliance with barbarians to attack another Catholic country.
He couldn't help but cover his injured leg and run away. Fortunately, Rurik, a barbarian brat, had the conscience to give him good food and drink. Wait a minute! Maybe...
As a senior missionary, Eskil stubbornly made a misjudgment - maybe this kid Rurik can still be persuaded by me to accept baptism.
After all, he had learned his lesson and didn't want to talk at all for the time being. He noticed that the army marching on both land and sea was marching south. Maybe Rurik would choose an opportunity to release himself.