Chapter 838： Banquet

Osborne was asleep quietly, he didn't know anything, and for the time being, he could only approach his mother with a baby's instinct.

He has personally experienced a long winter trip since he was born. Although his effective body has always been protected by a warm baby, it is said that the young prince has been able to overcome the severe cold like his father and grandfather.

He just slept quietly, without knowing that the whole of Novgorod was cheering for his birth.

The Slavs on the shore of Lake Ilmen, especially the masses of the people in the White Tree Manor, were not satisfied with a girl of their own tribe, Svetlana, who worked for the benefit of all the Slavs as a queen.

Now Osborne was born, and when his father, Rurik, got off the sled under the gaze of the people in the city, he soon announced the identity of the baby.

All the Slavs, or the spokesperson of the Slavs on Lake Ilmen, was born, and it was him, Osborne Slavs.

The joyous atmosphere of the entire Novgorod city is like a grand festival, and people talk about everything about the prince.

Some people say that the child will stand in the position of the Slavs and seek more welfare for everyone.

Some people also said that the child was born extraordinary, and even more vowed to say that his eyes were very good, and he happened to see the child's appearance clearly and made a judgment.

People are full of beautiful words, especially when spring is really not far away. Who is not happy to have such a great joy more than a month before spring ploughing.

Speaking of pleasure, the old Rigus was so happy to see his grandson Osborne, he was so happy that he passed out. After barely waking up, the old guy took the initiative to tease his grandson. Although the old man loves children, he also scared Svetlana to rush to protect her shortcomings to prevent her old father from accidentally injuring her children due to excessive intimacy.

Osborn is certainly not Rigus' first grandson, but he is the most honorable grandson.

Slavs naturally did not have the custom of confinement, but Svetlana had actually returned to her natal home with her baby, and there was no reason to leave here for a long time in the future. Naturally, her biggest task is to take care of her son, and by the way, her body can be cultivated for a long time, which is equivalent to confinement.

The maiden family took care of the mother and child with the best resources, and Rurik was completely relieved.

Because compared to herself, because of political considerations alone, the Irmenslavs around the lake have no power against such a half-blood prince. The people of Novgorod are the most supportive and will provide all kinds of resources to guarantee Oss. Ben’s healthy growth.

But Rurik would not pin his hopes entirely on an Oss itself.

Her regular wife is very young, and the extremely smooth birth process also proves her excellent physical fitness. She is such a healthy woman, it is really unreasonable that she will not have more children in the future.

The long journey of the sled team came to an end, and nearly a thousand people who were struggling in their boats and cars needed a good life and cultivation.

Those young people who were selected were immediately enrolled in the cavalry squad of Rurik, even if the group had never even petted a horse?

The cavalry replenishment and mercenary guard replenishment personnel entered the premises reserved in Novgorod on the spot. From this day on, they are the people who eat the king's money and must be loyal to Rurik and the royal family.

They washed the sauna and drenched them with hot water on a cold day, and put on new uniforms after they finished. They were organized into groups at the first time, and the cavalrymen stayed in the centralized dormitory of the cavalry squadron, guarded by the cavalry veterans. Those fifty young mercenaries who were selected were replaced by captain Grund's training on the next day.

What awaits them is a beautiful and stressful future. This is a shortcut to becoming a brave warrior, and it also means that they are likely to die in a fierce battle. Everyone's life is short, and those who have a long life are saints selected by the gods, such as the old priest of the Rus, Veria, after the long end of a long sound, the soul directly becomes the Valkyrie.

They were convinced of this, and they all wanted to understand during the long ice and snow journey. Whether it is voluntary or parental request, the brothers are now confidants of Prince Rurik, and everyone must accept this fate and use it as a lifelong creed.

At night, Prince Rus’s palace in Novgorod was brightly lit!

"Respect the lord! Respect the heroes who defeated the king of Denmark!" It was no one else who raised the glass and cheered, it was Governor Medvedt.

The brawny Slavic man named after the bear was more happy because of the birth of his nephew Osborn. He even poured himself a few glasses of spirits, stupefied to show that he drank a big red face.

He raised his head, and everyone else raised their glasses.

This is a feast for men. Since each other is relatives, in-laws, and brothers to worship, and even distinguished guests from all over the world, their current performance, who has no red tape, is now even more casual.

Rurik held the glass aloft, and the transparent glass shook the honey agar. The interior was warm enough due to the fireplace and the oil lamp matrix, so he was wearing a plain white shirt and was free to fasten a few openings, exposing some of the golden breast hair on his chest.

The performance of other people is quite similar. Everyone is a man. Now is a good time to have a big drink.

"Cheers! Glory belongs to us! Today we are not drunk all the time!" Lurik said happily.

Barrels of hop-free ale and kvass are carried into the house one after another, as well as carefully packaged spirits and mead for enjoyment.

Rurik was so happy tonight. He blushed, joked at his old father and father-in-law, and winked at his old friends. Although there is no persuasive wine culture, Rulik, who is booming, frequently raises his glasses and asks everyone to drink a drink with the prince. Who would dare not give face to the prince, even the old Otto, he couldn't think that his grown-up son could drink so much. This is one of the hallmarks of a real man, and his old bones must be accompanied.

Poor Kagan was forced to dry more than ten glasses in a row, with spirits but mainly ale.

The bitter and tasteless ale is a delicacy on the grassland. As the son of the prairie, he also brought some prairie mare kumiss this time, although most of them were sold, he specially left a barrel for the present occasion.

The drunk Kagan was already drunk, and he was obviously served with exquisite cakes and grilled meats. He just ate some raspberry dried fruit and meat slices as an appetizer, and he really couldn't eat other delicious meals.

Kagan's head was still half awake, but the people who looked at the whole supplies were really blushing, and many men took off their shirts due to the heat after drinking.

Look at these brawny men in the north. Their white skin has turned red like cooked crabs. Everyone is still drinking and chatting in Norse.

Kagan slapped the table suddenly, and his movements with Jiujin were not insignificant.

Rurik had been paying attention to Kagan for a long time, and he was very happy to see him sipping with everyone.

Why is this guy taking pictures of the table now?

I saw Kagan, who was born short in stature, slowly stood up, and explained to everyone in extremely stubbornly Norse: "I have brought the mare milk wine from my hometown. Now let my people come in and offer it."

"It's kumiss?! Hurry! Bring it up." After that, Rurik also knocked on the table, and the others followed him.

Some turbid and whitish mare kumiss exudes a rich aroma of milk in addition to the aroma. Rurik pours a little honey into the glass, and after stirring it, it is a wonderful concoction. He slowly tasted the charm, and saw that Kagan was already holding the wine glass and walking slowly towards him.

Kagan was sitting at the Lurik square table, raising the wine glass with his right arm alone as if performing a ritual.

"Ruriek! He is my good brother! My father said that he wants to marry my little sister to my brother Rurik! Brother, what do you think?! My sister, be your concubine! This year! , You can't shirk anymore!"

Kagan's movements are extremely wide, and because of his knowledge of Gnostic language, this rhetoric is barely pieced together with many words.

"Your sister? Good! It's... my honor to marry your sister."

"Oh? You don't shirk anymore?"

"Since it was Pecheneg Khan's idea, why should I shirk it? Also, about the horse..."

"I'm about to discuss with you. Come on!" After that, Kagan put down the glass and knocked three times in public at the square table in front of Rurik: "For our friendship, cheers!"

This banquet in the dusty atmosphere seems to be a simple narration of friendship.

What was very curious about the venue was that although King Bjorn of Sweden and other Swedish nobles were involved, they did not have the opportunity to talk.

Today, during the day, Bjorn saw the huge city of Novgorod and a large number of people in the city. He also really noticed a huge lake area, and subconsciously felt that this place was indeed quite similar to his hometown Lake Mälaren. But night fell quickly, and he and other Swedish nobles or messengers had no chance to explore the city in detail.

But everybody stared at Otto's face proudly at this banquet.

"The warrior of the past is now old. Your **** is now a real man. He has taken your place and done better." Sadness floated in Bjorn's heart.

But when it comes to sentimentality, isn't Unkrath's Ungriffe even more sentimental? Otto is no longer a heroic fighter in the past, but an old man covered with white hair and unable to hide his age spots. Otto is about to die, and his state is just as bad.

Also present were the eldest and second child of the Gould family from Unkras. Needless to say that the big white fat man Bai Fox, another man who is only slightly fat is the second son Blue Fox? According to the Gould family, even the female slaves who waited for the bed were bought as thin and could become fat women within a few months. It is an exaggeration to say that all of their families should be as fat as elephant seals. How can one be strong? People who are not fat.

King Bjorn of Sweden didn't dare to speak, and other people were also busy drinking with the Ross nobility. They are all watching quietly, such as watching the nobleman from the far southern grassland.

Cagan wanted to seize the opportunity, and he would negotiate with Rurik about buying horses. As a result, everyone was busy drinking and eating meat, and finally they drank pieces one after another, and the matter could only be set aside for the time being.

An extravagant and invigorating banquet really gave everyone a good vent. The next day Rurik slept for the entire day. When he really planned to do something, it was already the third day of his return.

The rulers of the north meet with the heroes of the southern grasslands.

After an invigorating banquet, Kagan will vent the pain of waiting. Both he and Rurik recovered, and the two men stopped procrastinating. They gathered today just to make the horse transaction properly.

First of all, it was Kagan as a guide, taking his brother-in-law to visit the dense horse herd temporarily kept in captivity.

Before reaching the place, Rurik heard the neigh of the horses.

"Haha, this is one of the pens where I housed the reindeer. Now all the horses are housed?!"

The accompanying deer keeper and attendants hurriedly introduced the horses sent by the Pecheneg people to the prince, and their breeding conditions during this time.

"You don't need to report in detail, you are doing a good job." He motioned to his subordinates to be quiet for the time being.

The entourage reported the key information. The steppes and Kievans sent a total of six hundred horses, with the most mares. The horses to be sold have already been placed in the treasury of the Principality of Ross, so the horses have been given daily rations of oatmeal to be raised in accordance with the regulations set by the prince himself.

There were six hundred more horses at once. They are not like reindeer that can graze in winter. As a whole, they have a huge wheat-consuming appetite. But everything will be better by the Spring Festival, because the prairie people are either out of wit or out of goodwill or even political flattery. A large number of mares driven by will be conceived in spring, and then they can graze freely.

The fence was opened, and Rurik who entered the circle petted the prairie horses one by one.

"Very good, all are good horses."

Kagan took the opportunity to say: "They are all carefully selected horses by our tribal alliance. The nobles have negotiated. The mares are ten pounds of silver and the stallions are five pounds of silver."

Rurik nodded: "I accept it completely."

"Oh? I am also worried that you will find it a bit expensive. But I have seen the prosperity of the Duchy of Ross, and anyone who doubts your financial resources is stupid."

"Naturally." Rurik shrugged, the price was within his expectations, and there was no need to bargain.

Because after removing the precious metal properties, silver coins are a natural medium of exchange. It is the pricing standard of commodities, so as long as the pricing is negotiated, the two parties in the transaction can bypass the actual silver coins and use the actual virtual silver coins as the medium to complete the transaction through the exchange of goods.

Just take out the equivalent goods to exchange for these six hundred horses.

Rurik checked the goods carefully, and every horse he touched looked docile. There are also some obviously inferior horses, which are shorter in stature. There are horses sold by Kyivians. Because of their relative disadvantages, Kyivians’ offer is a 20% discount.

The Kiev Marcus is a horse seller appointed by the local people with full authority. He follows Kagan behind him. When it comes to selling horses, the prairie nobleman is better at trading.

"They are all good horses, I want to trade right away." Rurik looked down at Kagan. Not only has it been only a year, his figure is taller and Kagan is even smaller. "I know you have brought other things besides horses. How about the recurve bow I need?"

"There are a hundred."

"Well, it's less."

"It's less. Brother, we need some time to make good bows on the grassland. Every bow is very good. Exchange your crossbow for the right amount."

Rurik nodded: "It's true." Deliberately asked: "You bought our crossbow, I'm sure, you will immediately remove your bow arms and replace them with your recurve bows when you bring them back to the grassland. Brothers We are all men, and the pursuit of excellent weapons is innate."

Kagan consciously concealed it was unnecessary, so he laughed naively. He confessed: "It is true, we Pecheneg people face too many enemies, our population is small and we need good weapons. With your assistance in the future, we will be safe."

"So you need to buy more goods, and the goods you exchange with me are naturally not limited to horses and recurve bows, as well as some horse milk wine and cheese."

"There are still some prisoners." Kagan said with obvious pride.

"Captive? What's the situation? Are you going to sell me a slave?"

"Sold. If those women are slaves..."

"Oh? What's going on?"

Just as Liurik had doubts, Maksakyi, who kept quiet, explained immediately: "When we came, we attacked several Smolensk villages and caught some women."

"They were all bought by the people here?"

"Exactly. I heard that the Ilmen have quickly come to have friction with the Smolensk. Once the men of the two sides come into contact, it is a fight. I am from Kiev and I don’t care about their struggle, and you Varangians rule the Ilmen. , I think you are also hostile towards Smolensk. Those female prisoners have been bought by the Irmen nobles."

Things have become quite complicated, and Rurik asked again: "How much do you offer."

Kagan hurriedly explained: "I inquired about your slave market, even if you don't seem to be interested in the slave trade here. The female prisoners are young, and each half a pound of silver is very cost-effective."

"It's really worthwhile. That's...you did this to provoke the Smolensk people." Thinking of this, Rurik sighed: "I am a little worried that you are finding yourself uncomfortable. They might send troops to intercept you. "

Hearing it, Kagan looked up to the sky with a fearless smile: "It's the farmers facing my cavalry, they are no opponents. Brother, I brought two hundred cavalrymen this time, all of them are We Pechenegg are elite. In my opinion, those Smolensk people are very weak, you... if you send troops, you should be able to take it lightly."

Hearing what Kagan said, he seemed to be spurring Ross to send troops to the south.

The dispatch of troops to conquer Smolensk was originally in Rurik's plan, but he just felt that the time was immature and put it aside for the time being. Because of rumors, the rebels in the Ilmen Lake area were not completely eliminated, and some people fled to Smolensk. It is the perfect excuse to conquer Smolensk to continue going south to clean up the remnants, and most of the local Ilmen are not emotionally resistant to fighting south. Because the Smolensk people covet the fertile soil on the shores of Lake Ilmen for farming, they have been deliberately going northward to annex it. Since they can go north, the Ilmen can go south.

This matter can be discussed in detail, but Rurik meant it: "Kagan, and you, Sakoy. You have to tell me what happened to you in Smolensk, and we can gather everything together. Have a small meeting. Now come with me and show you the goods I bring. Please be sure to wipe your eyes and stay calm, but don’t be too happy..."

Please remember the domain name of the first publication of this book:. Mobile version reading URL: