Chapter 398： We also form a coalition

The leaders left Oregin's mansion. Before they entered the wooden wall, they were all tribal chiefs. Once again standing on the outdoor land, they all became dukes.

Whether they realize the nobility of this title or not, they at least realize that everything has become different.

The already restless Mälaren market became even more lively, especially the Grand Duke Oak, who made and sold ironware, became the subject of various "comrades" vying for inquiries, because his tribe has been smelting iron on a large scale. .

Some dukes tried to get some high-quality ironware from the Ross people, and the interrogators were all noble dukes. Since Olegin said that everyone is noble, he naturally needs a gorgeous sword or axe, preferably with a gold border, to be worthy of this nobleness.

Otto had intended to agree to these special orders personally, but Rurik wanted to reject it.

Why give up the opportunity to make big money? What's in this kid's head?

Before the expedition, the Aphrodite was docked at the pier in Mälarenburg. She has become a symbol. People who don't know the inside story must take it for granted that this is Oligin's latest treasure.

Otto, Liurik and even Carlotta returned to Gould Island in a small boat. Only the Aphrora and more than 20 Ross fighters stayed on board. It is really inappropriate to simply put the ship here and let the soldiers take care of it.

Gould's plan was thoughtful, and he directly used the dock where the Aphrora was located as a loading point for the island and land. So in the days to come, every day there will be ships of the Ross people passing by the Aphrola.

That night, Gould Island.

The atmosphere on the island can’t be said to be joyful. Olekin on the other side has become king. The preparation order issued by the king of Origen made the people on the island who have been psychologically prepared enough to feel that there is nothing. If you say that you are preparing for war, They started to obey the leader two days ago, oh, Duke Ross's order was doing it.

The Ross soldiers and mercenaries continued their daily patrols for the time being, and it was the end of the day. Gould's men were also stepping up to count the silver coins they earned today.

Only in the largest wooden house, all the idlers and others, even the mercenaries, even the most central Evlo had to evade temporarily.

A very low square table stood on the sandy ground in the house, and an oil lamp was placed on the table.

The huge room was extremely dark, and the whole scene seemed to be holding a black meeting.

It is indeed a secret meeting, related to the future war that the Rus will participate in.

This small meeting was proposed by Rurik. After leaving the Origen mansion, he really has some latest plans that need to be implemented urgently. He calculated in his mind that there was probably enough time.

Otto is still brooding about his son's refusal of the order. He suppressed his displeasure and urged: "Okay, if you have anything to say, hurry up. There will be a big sacrifice tomorrow morning. Before the morning mist evaporates, we They will all arrive at Merlarenburg and stand near the altar by the lake."

"Yes, I know. Dad, what are you angry about?"

"I...not."

"Okay." Rurik paused, just because his plans next were a bit shocking.

He said seriously: "I have a huge question. Did Olekin say that we can only send two hundred fighters, but it is only limited to this? We can bring more fighters, such as three hundred and five hundred. , We can bring a thousand names."

"Huh?" In the dim light, a huge figure like a mountain suddenly stood up: "What did you say? The agreement is two hundred people. If you increase it... But if you do, your planned hidden strength, Isn’t it exposing. My little baby, as your father, I welcome the organization of thousands of soldiers on expeditions. You know, your people always love war."

Rurik shook his head vigorously: "No. I mean, of course we can send a lot of people. The contract we signed with Olekin is to send two hundred Ross warriors. Please note, it's the warriors! But our Ross people. There has never been only one Roseburg."

In an instant, Otto, Gould, and even Carlotta, who was about to be eleven, all realized that there was a subtle game of words.

"I decided to send some children on board, who would think they are the Ross Warriors? They are just sailors on the ship, non-combatants. Although they are children, they can also control the crossbow, and the arrows they fire are no worse than adults. They are. There is no need to fight head-on, they are very good fighters during naval battles."

This statement was previously described by Rick, and Otto recognized this theory: "Well, are you planning to bring all your subordinates here? Have you changed your mind?"

"No!" Rurik shook his head vigorously, but pointed his little finger to the East: "They are still young, and only the best of them can board the boat. I am talking about the East. This time, we can organize the fighters of Shilla Fort, and even promise. The Fogorods participated in the war. Dad, can you say that they are not Russians?"

"This..." For a while, Otto felt that it was not appropriate to refuse directly, and he smiled: "You come here."

Rurik’s words are categorical: "In my opinion, they are the Ross people. We are not the hares nesting in the caves. We have ruled many people. We are no worse than the Mellaren people. Olekin organizes the coalition, then we You can also organize coalition forces. But our core is the ethnic group from Roseburg. Other ethnic groups must fight for us. If the war is bound to die, it is better for them to die, not us. I plan to start from Novgorod. De summoned two hundred, even five hundred local men, I think at least the White Tree Manor has this ability."

"No. White Tree Manor alone is not enough." Otto thought for a while, he did not object in surprise, and responded extremely cautiously. "There are also a group of Novgorod immigrants in Shilla Fort, you can bring them."

It can be said that Rurik’s initiative is a complete innovation. For a long time, Otto did not think of using the farmers of White Tree Manor as a servant army.

The matter was so serious that Otto finally pulled his head down to show his prudence.

Rurik didn't finish his words: "Maybe one day, our Rus tribe... is wrong! It is the Rus Principality, we can command an army of 10,000 people, and there must be a large number of Novgorods and Kovins to join."

"They? They are weak and stupid. Well, the Corvins are brave. Those guys in Novgorod, forget it."

It is very difficult for Otto to recognize that the Slavic peoples in the east have some fighting power, because all this man has seen in his life are guys who are beaten up and scurry around. He has never seen or imagined Slavs revolting. The situation of the Ross people. What he saw was the flattery of wise people and the obedience after being beaten.

However, in Rurik's concept, maybe they are not really brave and good at fighting, and they are indeed cruel characters willing to fight to the death in some specific situations.

A reality has always been in front of the Ross tribe. If they cannot take advantage of the Viking world in the West (it seems difficult to compete with Denmark), then they must look for opportunities in the East. In terms of difficulty, it is relatively difficult to enter the East. easy.

Rurik said boldly: "Dad, since you have selected a Novgorod woman for me to be the first wife, after the wedding, I will be the local ruler! Then I ordered them to send people to the war three years in advance, isn't it? Does it fit?"

Otto thought for a while, the fact is really like this. The contempt in his heart cannot be subdued. The only two points he admits are that the people in the east have beautiful daughters and they are also very active in paying tribute.

Rurik actually thinks very long-term: "We need to follow the example of Olekin to organize the coalition. In the future, our Rus army will be at least composed of Rus, Novgorod, Corvin and deer breeders. I want them now. Send someone to join this war!"

Otto was very pleased with the long-term thinking of his son, but now the question reappeared: "Did you put them in, wouldn't the team's combat power drop?"

"No!" Rurik said astonishingly again: "I thought about it, maybe we really need to organize an army of a thousand people."

"Huh?" Even if the oil lamp is dim, Otto's wrinkles like cracks in the earth are clearly visible. He became a little anxious all over: "You...what do you think?"

"I have an idea!" Speaking of the maneuvering office, Rurik started to shoot the case: "I don't care how Olekin feels, this is a war. Only idiots will think about only making a plan. We, the Russians, must Think of the second plan for yourself."

No, Rurik began to follow the previous remarks and explain his plan B.

According to his plan, Tombstone Island will be the first strategic assembly point for troops in the history of the Duchy of Ross. It is near a deep waterway in the Åland Islands in the northeast of the mouth of Lake Mälaren, which is very close to Gotland, thus reflecting its great strategic value.

A large number of Rus troops will be assembled on Tombstone Island. According to Rurik's idea, the dense island group in that area, after two years of exploration, the Russ are really the only colonial pioneers. Not only do the Russians do not have to worry about the leakage of secret assembly information, the local island group is also a natural gathering point for large forces. The shallows there are dangerous for cargo ships with deep drafts. The ordinary long ships are not dangerous, and the Russ can gather a large number of Personnel, materials and warships, these forces are the tactical reserve of the Ross people.

Besides, the messenger has spread the letter. The Ross soldiers on Tombstone Island are all veterans. They are eager to participate in the war, but they order to choose only the best.

As Otto said, all Ross men, as long as they are healthy and can afford weapons, are all eager to participate in the battle. As for the death in battle, the thought of dying for Rurik of the "Blesser of Odin" is not the same as "the soul of the war dead enters Valhalla directly."

Rurik plans to have at least 1,000 soldiers during the Tombstone Island season. Among them, there will be 500 Russians, and the remaining 500 will be Slavs of Novgorod. Each manor needs to send troops to prove that they are indeed very special. Surrender to the power of Ross.

The son's plan shocked the world, and Otto was really frightened when he heard it: "In this way, our military strength will almost be the same as that of the Mellaren Army."

Rurik shrugged: "In my opinion, those Novgorod people lack training, eat a lot of meat, and lack suitable weapons. We can transform them, and we can firmly control the entire area around Lake Ilmen. All the local tribes in China. In this way, we can pull up an army of 10,000 in a short time. Sister Lilia told me that the population over there is huge."

The son's resolutions are all serious, not just a whim. There is also this thorough logic, although some things he really don't understand, Otto's resolution unconditionally supports it.

In the following, Rurik’s resolution showed that his ideas were better than those of the Viking tribe in this time and space.

In other words, Rurik quickly calculated an economic account, that is, if the war lasts for a month, how much should be invested in the most basic food issue in advance.

Although the Mälaren people must also use the huge cabin of the Aphrola to equip them with some food in advance, Origen has never quantified it.

Rurik had to plan carefully, after all, if the people of Novgorod were summoned to fight, if they were not given rations, the general would appear to be very mentally retarded.

This has been the case since ancient times, when the monarch conscripted the army, the monarch must use the materials in the national treasury to meet the rations of the personnel and horses, and the loss of various equipment has to be paid, and finally there is the payment to each soldier. Especially in the Eastern world, "copper" has long been equivalent to currency. At least in the entire period of the Hanwu period, the copper arrow cluster was a normal state, and the so-called arrow cluster was currency.

The Rus government is still the tribal system. Of course, Rurik can require soldiers to provide their own food according to the old rules, but this greatly limits the combat effectiveness of the troops and is not suitable for the future of the Rus Principality with an increasingly large population.

Rurik decided to acquiesce in this expedition. There are many people in the Ross, even those sailors, and the children who were forcibly pulled in by him to experience, the total number of people will be counted as 1,500.

If it is really an army that must fight intensively all day, every soldier eats three pounds of oats a day to make up for their calorie loss. Rurik felt that the standbys had hands and feet, and even the Novgorod people would immediately try to fish, so giving them a pound of wheat was probably enough.

Considering the bleak current situation of the surplus grains in the Roseburg warehouse, Rurik really wanted to slap himself a few times as the war was approaching. "Knowing this, I should deliberately hoard a batch of food for war."

Rurik plans to ration each person a pound of grain a day, so that it will be boiled into porridge, at least doubled, and fullness will make people happy.

It seems that the provision of food to the soldiers free of charge also greatly surpassed Otto's cognition.

"One pound per person a day? At least one month?" Not only Otto was astonished, but Gould also marveled at Rurik's generosity.

"Yes, I don't do this, many people will have worries about the future."

"You! Do you have so much food now? It's not the harvest season now."

Rurik gritted his teeth, and he asked Gould how much wheat he could still collect.

"This..." Gould hesitated.

"Quick! Take out all the wheat at the bottom of your box. You and your sons are all like seals. You are so fat because you usually eat too much wheat. Now you don't eat wheat, you go eat minced meat, take your rations Give it to me!" Rurik's roaring gesture startled Gould.

Fortunately, this old fellow Gould is very self-aware, and can make Rurik this child anxious. The situation must be very serious. If he doesn't give generously, he would not be a friend.

Gould gritted his teeth hard and almost squeezed out a word from his teeth, "Forty thousand pounds, this is my last wheat. I still have the family and the guys to eat until the next harvest. I still want to eat food. When it was most precious, I earned a little in Mellaren, and now I take it all out."

"You are smart enough." Rurik laughed slowly.

Therefore, this night, Rurik made a series of preparation plans. He doesn't care about tomorrow's sacrifice, anyway, it's not much to be found through the motions, it's just a man and Mellaren's move to pursue gorgeous display.

It is a great blessing for the Ross people to have a pragmatic and combative leader like Rurik, and this leader is more generous than everyone can imagine.

He formally issued a preparation order to the Ross, and Otto acknowledged it, and engraved it on the board overnight, intending to organize the boat to rush out of the lake tomorrow and deliver the latest command at the craziest speed of the Ross oarsman.

The order is like this.

One: Assemble five hundred males of the White Tree Manor in Novgorod, as servants, and finally arrive at Tombstone Island on the ships of the residents of Shirosburg, and establish a camp to be stationed on standby. There are no restrictions on the weapons and food they carry.

Two: Arik was urgently recalled, and all the elite troops were stationed on Tombstone Island.

Three: The fishermen who rent the fishing boats directly under Rurik When transporting fish to the army in Tombstone Island season every two days. The tribute will be cancelled because of this feat.

Four: Give all soldiers stationed on Tombstone Island a pound of wheat per person per day for a maximum of 30 days. The participating troops averaged two pounds of wheat per day.

Five: Roseburg stepped up the production of weapons, especially arrows, followed by a batch of spears and axes.

In addition, there are some small clauses.

Compared to the plan initially set three days ago, this plan is more detailed and operational.

Rurik's excitement is a great start for the future. This war will become a letter in the history of the Duchy of Loros, so that later historians will know that on the second day the Duchy of Ros was established in name, it was the Duke of Ross who formulated the plan for the formation of the "Finland, Ross, and Slavic" coalition forces.

Rurik thinks very long-term. He needs a stable union in the future country, and even the formation of a new nation with an extremely large population.

He couldn't agree with the small country and the few people. The cry deep in his soul was the need for a unified empire.