Chapter 545： The price of becoming the new king of the new Sweden

, The fastest update to the latest chapter of the Rise of Rurik!

Last year, a black army of 500 people paraded the downtown area.

This year, a blue and white army of 100 people will come again.

However, the people of Mellaren welcome the Ross people more than the dead kings Olekin and Karl.

This is not because the Ross people are kind, it is entirely in the Birka Bazaar in Mellaren, where there are all street vendors on both sides of the road.

Everyone knows that the people of Ross are rich. They come to the market and even the entire lake area to buy all kinds of things every year, and then sell a lot of rare things in the spring.

A large number of powerful vendors have made money in the trade.

People welcome wealthy adults on the parade. They saw this group of glamorous clothes, especially the beautiful young man Rurik headed by them, and praised Youjia.

It's just that they don't know. Under this glamorous and benevolent appearance, the Ross people hide their fangs and big mouths of blood.

Rurik had no intention of interacting with the vendors who came around him. He left the Birka monastery under construction. He was already fantasizing about the Frankish missionary Eskil, seeing the "Lindis" he had snatched from Britain. "The Gospel of Farn", as well as a large number of gold and silver utensils, diamond crosses, whether that guy will keep that surprise.

Rurik stood at the door of the market tavern again.

The mighty Junwei frightened the ale drinkers on the spot and ran away. Oh, some guys drank the wine quickly and slipped away without paying.

The bartender ran out in rage and screamed for payment, and collided with Rurik's army.

Is it an attack?

The two mercenaries kicked it hard, and the bartender was kicked so much.

After a while, the bartender got up, and the anger that arose was naturally lost in the face of the Ross army.

"My lord, do you want to go in and sit down?" Evlo asked.

"No need." Rurik raised his head and shook his head when he looked at the tavern again.

"Are you disappointed?" the merchant Gould asked.

"Yes. Disappointed. This tavern is too old. Want me to take over it? I will knock it down as I see it, and we will build a new one."

"That's true." Gould nodded. "Then the soldiers shouldn't be rude to the bartender. They will all be yours from now on."

Rurik pouted in an indifferent attitude.

"Of course I want to have a tavern, but these people... all drive away."

"Is it necessary? They are qualified tools."

"No. They are greedy tools. I need someone I can trust to manage the tavern." With that, Rurik turned his head, "I can trust you. Prepare some manpower and you will take over here. By the way, I want to take it. In some areas of Birka Bazaar, the house was demolished and rebuilt, and it was used as a specialty store for our Russ goods."

"Wonderful." Gould was glad to be happy, he still had some worries, "I'm afraid Bjorn won't give in easily."

"No. He will. That guy is not Karl, he is a man who knows the time. Let's go, that's enough. We went straight to Bjorn's mansion, hoping that guy was ready to drink."

This is the end of the downtown parade, and the army also left the market.

Compared to walking to Bjorn’s mansion, it was faster to take a boat.

The Aphrora and Gurdot, the two sister ships stood in the harbor like gods of war. The men, women and children of Mellaren came to watch them up close, and then they whispered about the strength of the Russians, and even discussed the large ships. How many goods can be shipped.

Rurik and his men waited for the four long ships, and they floated smoothly to the small dock owned by the Bjorn House.

The army was walking along the ridge where the oats had been cut, and Rurik saw that there were scattered people stooping to pick up something.

The person picking up the wheat? It's really a cold pastoral.

With complex waterways and lush pine forests, if life is prosperous, this northern European water village is a good place for leisure and elderly care.

However, the climate here and today's production capacity have created an extremely fragile agriculture here. If it is not too poor, how can everyone be enthusiastic about looting at sea?

The wheat roots in the fields are sparse, and at first glance they are not good at farming. Rurik didn't intend to criticize any more. This place is too cold. Compared with the benefits of intensive farming, it is not as good as the gentle French plains or the Ukrainian prairies of emigration.

At the same time, the private soldiers of the Bjorn family noticed the visiting army, the flying Ross flag and the spearhead reflecting in the sun. The private soldiers who took care of the nursing home, their first reaction was fear.

If annoyed the Ross people and they rushed to kill them, wouldn't they die quickly?

Bjorn, he went out to greet Rurik and his party with a mixed mood of joy and fear. At the same time, the free peasants and serfs who lived with his family evaded urgently.

Rurik came at an arrogant pace. He was short and childish on his face. But the soldiers around him were all cruel.

Bjorn bowed respectfully, "Welcome! Welcome to the mansion."

"Am I invited to visit? Bjorn, we met again. Now Carl is dead, and you are championed by everyone. Do you want all the dukes of the tribes to support you as King of Sweden? No one appreciates it."

Rurik told the truth abruptly, and Bjorn was surprised at first, and then smiled awkwardly. "You... all know."

"Yes. I don't mean to say more. Let's go, my army is standing outside temporarily, and I will enter your mansion with my cronies. Let's talk about your kingship."

Bjorn woke up suddenly, and Rurik's last sentence clearly pointed out the matter.

That is to say, Gould got things done, and the Roths did support Bjorn's claim to the king. What a price to pay for this, Rurik was here to negotiate.

"Then please come in" Bjorn said with a sullen face.

The two sides of the negotiation maintained a certain tacit understanding, and Rurik had expectations in his heart, but he did not know where Bjorn's bottom line was.

Rurik stepped into the mansion surrounded by wooden walls. Sure enough, this mansion was not even as good as Karl's old mansion.

The buildings are simple without floors. Those buildings are made of rammed earth and piled wood, and the roof is covered with a large number of haystacks.

How can aristocrats want to live in such a house?

Rurik and his confidants can no longer adapt to the existence of such omissions. He had to endure the discomfort, entered the largest house, and then sat cross-legged on the soft leather cushion, waiting to negotiate with Bjorn.

The so-called negotiation is nothing more than a discussion between the two parties in a warm bonfire. There was no person who recorded the incident, but the witnesses sat on the sidelines.

Bjorn did not prepare a meal, and Liu Rick had no intention of staying here for too long.

"Let's get started." Seeing his old friend was already seated, Bjorn sullenly pointed out his hope, "We killed Carl, and now all the big families support me as the leader and also support me to replace Carl as Sweden. Wang. But no other leaders support me. I! I want your support."

"I know everything completely. I! Support you to be a king! My attitude is very clear. I am worthy of your trust."

It sounded that Rurik was worried about his concerns. Bjorn cheered up immediately, his sullen face relaxed for it, and he squeezed out a smile, "So, what's the price?"

"Huh?" Rurik was also sitting up, and couldn't help muttering in his heart, didn't this guy tell the story of Togood, and promised the ownership of a hundred serfs?

The plan in his heart was suppressed for the time being, and Rurik asked back, "Then, what will you give me?"

"A hundred serfs. I heard that you opened up acres in the far east, and you lack slaves to plow the fields. I will give you one hundred slaves who are good at plowing. What do you think."

"That's it?"

"Too little?"

"Not too small. They... are all men? Are they just serfs?"

Bjorn thought for a while, and simply told the truth: "They are all slaves of Karl's family. There are not only men, but also women and children."

"How many adult men are there?" Rurik asked hard.

"There are thirty."

Thirty small families? Rurik thought about it, this amount really can't be considered small. According to the standards of this era, thirty households can form a "big village" of Nordic standards.

However, this is not enough.

"Too little, I want more. You!" Rurik patted his chest, "I have destroyed the entire island of Gotland, and now you Mälaren are beginning to colonize the island. It is equivalent to saying that you are not only now Is it the leader of Mellaren or the leader of Gotland. You said, give me thirty male slaves and let me support you as king, is it appropriate?"

"This... of course it's not appropriate." Bjorn took out his prepared words, "Give you a hundred slaves, plus the accompanying women and children, there are two hundred and thirty people in total."

This number really pleased Rurik.

However, it is still unreasonable.

Rurik continued with a sullen face and said: "It is still not enough. Give me at least two hundred male slaves, and their wives and children. And the women whose husbands died in the war last year. If they did not get married again, they would give them all. I."

"Ah! This... it's not just me paying the price, it's the whole clan..."

"Exactly!" Rurik continued to solemnly said: "You will be the king of all Sweden, and your Mälaren tribe will be the leader of the entire Sweden. I just ask you for some slaves and poor people, and you are actually hesitating. "

"I..." Bjorn was consciously despised by this kid.

Indeed, Bjorn himself is not a kingly man. He wanted to seize Karl's power, but now that he is done, he has become conservative.

This situation Rurik has keenly noticed.

Bjorn thought for a while, gritted his teeth, "There are many tenant farmers who owe rent, and more serfs. I... I can give you five hundred people, including at least two hundred adult men. This is our Mei. Laren’s bottom line cannot be more."

Five hundred people? This number did exceed Rurik's expectations. He organized a group of up to five hundred absolutely obedient slaves and ordered them to take wasteland to cultivate land and pay taxes directly to the Duke of Ross himself. Such serfs are indeed still serfs, but Rurik is determined not to demand excessive amounts from such farmers. In the disaster years, they will be given relief food that can survive.

At least in the Melalen people, the life and death of serfs and local rich landlords lacked protection consciousness.

However, this is not enough.

Bjorn waited for Rurik to give an attitude, in exchange for further demands.

"Give me five hundred slaves, I am very happy. However, I am the Duke of Ross. With my current strength, I can immediately summon five thousand armies in chain mail! Believe it, I am not bragging."

Rurik was bragging, but not completely bragging. Bjorn learned from the tribal immigrants who immigrated to Gotland that the east of the hills of Visby Harbor was full of bones of war dead.

A very small number of the original Gotland people who were caught hiding in the cols to survive, they told a lot of details of the war.

The current Bjorn and the entire powerful aristocracy of Mellaren had to admit that the fragments of bones were all masterpieces of the Ross army's warfare.

Therefore, after gaining the support of the Ross people, Mellaren experienced a series of war failures and political changes, and was still able to control the power of Sweden.

Now the question is, since as a part of Sweden, why don't the Ross people come to be kings?

Bjorn’s bottom line was to buy a support with 500 slaves, and he didn’t expect the Ross people to continue to ask for it.

Is it necessary to retreat again and again?

Bjorn suppressed the anger in his heart. He knew that he could not get angry and could not irritate the Ross people.

He simply tentatively asked: "We all admit that Ross is powerful. Then, Rurik, my friend, maybe you should be the king of Sweden."

"Me? I know you would ask that. But I won't do this, the king."

"Why? Your power is obviously very powerful. Even now, we from Mellaren are inferior to you."

In many senses Bjorn’s words are true. In fact, he has gained the alliance attitude of the 20,000 people of the Balmerk tribe, plus the actual tens of thousands of servants of Novgorod. Now the Russ are in fact The little overlord of Northern Europe, second only to Denmark.

Bjorn’s words were only deceived.

"Even if my Rose is strong, I have no intention of being the King of Sweden. Indeed, we Rose once lived by the lake, but you! Drive us out seventy years ago. Now that Rose is strong, you give up power and think we appreciate it. I! Rurik! Disdain to be King of Sweden, I will be Augustus, Vladimir, Alexander, in short, I will be the conqueror of the world."

Rurik predicted that Bjorn would be shocked by this ambitious revenge, but the dull expression of this guy fully made him understand that Bjorn couldn't understand it at all.

Rurik shook his head and changed a gentle tone: "My heart is in the north in the east. I will not want the throne of Sweden. The Ross people are very sad about the land of Lake Mälaren."

However, Bjorn also knows nothing about ancient history. He is not sure whether his ancestors really expelled the ancestors of the Rus. Looking at the grief and anger shown by Rurik, it might be true.

"So, how can I satisfy you. You...what are your conditions?"

Rurik resolutely said: "I will not be the king of Sweden, and Ross is not a subordinate of Sweden. Carl is dead! Our Ross Principality will automatically leave Sweden! From now on, I and you will be two countries on an equal footing."

"Ah! You! You want to leave us! Isn't this a betrayal like the Gotlanders..."

Rurik shrugged, "It's nothing. We Russ were expelled by you seventy years ago. If it weren't for King Olekin's decision to attack Gotland and attack Denmark, how can we invite us to join? In the past, we belonged to the alliance in name only. Already dead, the legal leader is dead, and the alliance collapsed with the destruction of the Olegin family. How can I talk about betrayal? So, what do you think those dukes refused to call you king, what is the real reason?"

"Is it illegal?!"

"You are not legal, but..." Rurik raised his fists, "With force, you can make it legal. Therefore, as two countries, we, the Duchy of Ross, support you as the new king of the new Kingdom of Sweden. In response to us For military support, you need to sell some privileges."

"Speaking."

"First, we Ross people will not pay any taxes for any activities in Sweden. Second, we Ross people commit crimes in Sweden. We should hand them to Ross and deal with them according to Ross's rules. Third, I want to get Birka’s tavern. , And a land with a radius of 50 stika, as a shop exclusively for our Rus people."

It seems that taxation is just forbidden. Bjorn's attitude towards the first two requirements is completely indifferent.

Bjorn said immediately, "The first and second clauses are okay. Your Ross merchants have always paid attention to the contract, even if the old Olekin is alive, he never collected taxes from you, and even the tax collection was invented by you. "

Rurik nodded, already laughing in his heart. This Bjorn is afraid that because of the limitations of the times, I don't know that "extraterritoriality", "consular jurisdiction", "free trade rights" and "tariff autonomy" are all gone!

On the other hand, Ross, these powers are firmly controlled by Rick.

Bjorn finally got tangled up in the tavern.

Rurik shook his head, "I must get the tavern, and I want to build a shop exclusively for the Russ. This way, you Merlaren merchants do not have to go to the narrow Gould Island to trade. In the future, our business will be located in the downtown area of ​​Birka. The shops in Gould further prosper, and Gould Island will only become our Ross warehouse. As long as we agree with these, we sign a written agreement, I!"

Rurik patted his chest again, "I will announce my support for you to be king in front of all the leaders. However, the kneeling warrior salute will be avoided. I will support you to be the King of Sweden, once you intend to war with foreign countries. , We Ross will also send troops to the war."

Bjorn's heart was beating wildly, and he trembled, "Okay! I agree, I agree completely. I will call all the nobles to discuss matters and give you an answer within two days. Don't worry, our alliance is forever. "

Obviously, Bjorn didn't know that he had betrayed a very huge profit, and only in exchange for the surface "surrender" of the Ross people.

Do not! The Roths even got rid of them, and didn't lose face.

This was actually the first secret meeting, and Rurik knew that he had won a big victory.

The nobles of Bjorn and Mellaren did not dare to demand any taxes from Ross, nor did they dare to offend such a wealthy and powerful military force.

The final defeat of the war has caused the entire Sweden to vomit three liters of blood, coupled with the consumption of civil strife. Those landlords and nobles of Mellaren, unless they are all stupid people, will hurt the inherent alliance with Rose.

Oh, the two big ships at the port are actually the Ross authority standing there, either for the petty people or for the intimidation of the Mellaren nobles.

The so-called betrayal of some benefits has been recognized by the Ross people in the coup and the continued alliance between Sweden and Ross.

However, sadly, Bjorn and his friends, after urgent consultation, felt that they were paying only a small profit ~ www.novelhall.com~ especially the old guy Sven, who established the alliance with Rose. Seeing that the veteran aristocrat is so firm, the others have no objection.

It seems that everyone just took out a little slave, and then took someone to catch the widow of the tribe, and gathered five hundred people and threw it to the Ross people.

As for the ownership of the tavern, that thing was originally distributed to Bjorn himself after arguing. What are your complaints about the generosity of others? Even this weakened Bjorn's strength, and everyone was dark and cool.

Because the landlords and nobles did not want Bjorn to become the new "Olequin King" to engage in personal hegemony. Everyone does not want to be a great king and faces all kinds of pressures. Everyone just wants to share the power of the king to take advantage of the family.

But those small tribes that can't compete with Mellaren in combination with their population strength must admit that Mellaren is the eternal hegemony, and must admit that the leader of Mellaren is the King of Sweden!

And this is the so-called Swedish version of "the monarch and the nobility rule the world together."

Ross and Rurik are still walking on the road to become Augustus and become the Third Rome.