The entire Carl-Brand team took the goods from their expeditions and rode along the river in an ox cart.

They camped overnight on the way, continuing to explain their experiences to curious guides.

Then in the afternoon of the second day, the journey came to an end.

The Calf Manor is here, and since most of the cattle have been driven to Balotawo to graze, there are only a few cows and goats left on the farm. Some roaming chickens are clearly visible. They are unparalleled with their flying feathers plucked. Even if they flap their wings, they are still walking chickens.

The people who stayed behind came out of their residences one after another to watch these Rus people who arrived from strange directions, and then some elderly people came up to greet them.

"You? From the west? Or north."

"West." Carl said bluntly, and asked anxiously, "Where's your boyar? I want to talk to him."

"It's Usky? He's in Novgorod in the north. Are you... the Great King?"

The old man didn't dare to ask any more questions, after all, Carl's group had been holding the Ross flag all the time, and he himself was wearing a Ross shirt.

Calben had no intention of lingering in the village, even though it was afternoon. He stared at the small pier by the lake, silently commenting on the local boats.

"Not bad, it is said that the third child of the Hotra family is building inland ships in Novgorod, and they are really doing something." Carl grumbled in his heart.

He thought about it for a while, then faced the old man again, and said loudly to the entire crowd: "Let your powerful people stand up, and I want to discuss something with you."

What's up? The villagers looked at each other.

The old man continued: "Just talk to me, you guys..."

"Indeed. This matter is indeed related to the king." Karl shrugged, then pointed to the small pier: "I want to lease your boat and bring us all to Novgorod. Don't worry, I will give you the money."

Hearing that there is money to be taken, all the onlookers are heartbroken.

But this old man couldn't help scratching his old face, and then squinted to look at the setting sun: "It's a bit late. You... how much labor fee do you give us."

Carl could hear that the old man wanted more money, and since he paid for the boat, he also hired the man.

"I want two long boats, and you will send twenty men, men and women, to row for us. When we reach Novgorod, I will give you twenty silver coins."

That's an exciting price!

"In this way, we can't refuse, even if we will spend the night there." The old man laughed, and so did the onlookers.

The people at Calf Manor are too lazy to think about it. In fact, with just a little imagination, they can realize that these Rus families coming from strange directions must be hiding something big, otherwise they will not pay a lot of money to demand that the ship must be in time for the night. Arrive in Novgorod.

A considerable amount of property in this manor is shared by the whole people. They raised funds to buy longboats built by Varyag craftsmen, so changing clothes can be a real Varyag.

The newly built long boats for inland rivers are generally slender and shorter in width. Considering the practical needs of fishing on the lake, anchoring facilities are also placed on both sides of the hull, so that the two long boats can be connected to each other by long logs to become a catamaran. , or the two floating boxes on the left and right are all to ensure that the boat becomes a stable floating fishing platform.

So the outcome of the matter is very different from what Carl and the others thought.

Ten men who were not too old came out of the manor. They carried the wooden beams and planks with a smile, and quickly connected the two long boats in parallel at the pier, and then spliced the planks together. Their actions are quite skillful, such a move that Carl has never seen before, such that the long ship directly becomes a barge.

Barges are large floating platforms. Those who are unable to perform trawling techniques have developed collective fishing tactics.

If there is demand, there will be a market. The Hortra family has the third son Stein in charge of the shipyard in Novgorod. Although he knows that the second brother has taken over a big man from the king, he is really jealous, but he can't help himself. There is no need to build ocean-going ships. He focused on building inland watercraft, and he did a lot of rushing to that end. It is technically feasible to combine two ships into a pontoon, or even assemble multiple ships to form a large pontoon, or even to form a pontoon.

The wooden beams are covered with planks, and Carl and his party are sitting on this platform.

The jibs were raised on both sides, and ten hired civilians steered the oars on both sides, shouting the horns and rowing the boat, and they kept adjusting the course.

The wind in the evening was much weaker, and the boat was drifting towards its final destination at a relatively fast speed, taking advantage of the warm southerly wind.

Carl sat cross-legged, holding the flagpole with the Ross flag flying. The scene of floating on the lake was an eye-opener for him. They were simply staying on a stable platform that was constantly floating, and they could not feel any fluctuations at all.

There are always ships going to and from Novgorod, and there are many old Rus people living here, and the sudden arrival of Karl and his group can't cause any waves at all.

What's more, every evening is a night market in the city. The market in the city is very lively, and the fish stalls outside the city, especially the wharf, are even more lively.

Freshly caught perch, smelt and whitefish are traded here, and you can occasionally see huge sturgeon for sale.

The city was bustling inside and outside. Karl and his group lived in Chengri, Novrosburg. When they arrived in Novgorod, the second largest city, what they saw was similar.

Carl said what he said, and just landed, he handed over twenty silver coins to their civilian husband, and then carried all the luggage directly into the city.

He was very clever, wearing a Ross shirt and carrying a flag, and with friends deliberately swaggering through the city, just to attract the attention of the city's policing patrol.

For the time being, there was no patrol team, so the group went directly to the city gate and chatted up the guards on duty, which quickly attracted the captain on duty.

"You...what's the matter?" The captain on duty spoke in general, but his attitude was very friendly. After all, all the people who came were old blond Russ.

"We are from the capital, I want to see the king!"

This is the only requirement to make the captain on duty all at once. "Sir, under our identities, how can we lead you to see the king by ourselves. It's getting dark, and you have something very anxious about?"

"It's very urgent." Karl lowered his face: "We must meet the king. If you delay time, you are guilty."

The captain on duty does this job in peacetime, and if there is a war, he is the centurion in the flag team. Although I don't know what's going on, I'm afraid it's better not to know.

A captain who guards the city gate is not qualified to report things directly to Rurik, but although Novgorod is a big city in this era, its population is still too small. A city with a population of less than 10,000 does not need too complicated a management structure, so Governor Medvet has a lot of power and commensurate with the same amount of responsibility.

Medved was in the city, and when he heard the surprise report from the Chengmen guards, he immediately realized that the situation was serious, so he hurriedly changed his clothes and rushed to the city gate after dinner.

He soon saw the waiting group of self-proclaimed travelers, and saw the gray-bearded flag-bearer in classic Rusian warrior attire.

He held the hilt of the sword and walked with great momentum.

"Where did you... come from?"

"I know you. Medved! I'm a veteran of the Second Banner, and the men in front of you are also veterans. We're from Fort New Rose." Carl knew it all by himself.

They have no reason to lie, as evidenced by the blond hair and familiar attitude.

"It's not surprising that a lot of people came from the capital." Medved's attitude softened, "I see that you have carried a lot of things on your back. Do you have any good things to sell to the king yourself? Might as well... get them first. Come out and see."

"It's nothing special, it's all dry food along the way. Listen, as an old Rusian, I am qualified to report some major discoveries to the king in person. I must see the king immediately."

"Major discovery? Interesting new news? What new discoveries can you make by drifting along the river. Ships pass by on the Volkhov every day."

"It's not the Volkhov River! We..." Karl coughed hard to clear his throat: "We started from the bay and didn't go to the Neva River at all. Medvet, you should be able to understand what I mean. ."

"You? You...you?!"

Medved couldn't help covering his mouth: "It's impossible! There can't be a second river leading to here."

"Really?" Carl laughed, his beard trembling, and his wild laughter also attracted many passers-by.

His eyes glanced left and right, considering that this matter was temporarily silent, he put his mouth close to Medved: "That's how we came here. There is really no direct waterway, but it's enough to walk through a swamp. We once I've fought side by side, and I'm still an old Rusian, how can I talk nonsense to entertain the king? This matter is very important, and we need to see the king immediately."

"Okay. It's really a big deal, come with me."

Carl and his party of course know the rules. Now the king is the king after all. When old Otto was the leader in the past, the brothers could still talk to him with weapons, but not now.

The group temporarily unloaded all their weapons and waited outside the low wooden wall of the palace.

At this moment, Rurik was enjoying an ordinary dinner with his wives and concubines, and his ears were full of the chattering of women and the laughter and crying of children. The royal family has a huge family, and most of the little princes can't walk yet, but each of them crawls very well, and it seems that they can grow into brave warriors in the future.

Having to deal with too many big affairs before seemed that the queen was left out in the cold, and Rurik, who had a little free time, would not stay in Novgorod for long. He formed the second cavalry team, hoping that Captain Brody's "devil training" would train a group of cubs to ride better in a short period of time. He was also organizing a fleet down the river, so the waterway and into the Volkhov-Neva channel, deliberately made a mighty arrival at the loyal capital.

So before departure, Rurik arranged to have dinner with his wives and concubines, which was the king's love for them.

Undoubtedly the most beloved are Queen Svetlana and three-year-old Prince Osborn.

It's been a long time since she was newly married. Lanna has been looking forward to her king. She plans to have another child, and Rurik is very willing to meet her demands. The other wives and concubines also had the same demands. After weighing their own body and bones, Rurik resolutely went up, which made him a little tired.

Multiple direct line princes may fight each other for power and profit, but the state of the direct line only seedling is also a disaster. To put it another way, if the number of newly born nobles is very large, then there will be too few people who can threaten the status of the heir apparent.

At least what Rurik sees now is that Osborn and his half-brother, Oleg, are good playmates of the same age as each other, and they seem to play comfortably.

Rurik was quite surprised by Medved's appearance. He was not angry. He subconsciously realized that there was something important, and suddenly pulled down a serious face. Suddenly, the venison in Kuaizijia was not fragrant. .

"What's the matter? Are you so anxious to meet?!"

Medved hurriedly knelt down and saluted: "Your Majesty, forgive me for being reckless. There is really a big thing."

"Major event? Don't worry. My cousin came back ahead of time with good news." What Rurik thought in his mind was that the western expedition had discovered the channel leading to the Volga River.

"It was some explorers. They started from... the Gulf of Finland, found a small river on the south bank and got into it. As a result, they miraculously appeared with us."

"What?!" Rurik stood up erect, and even the glass bowl that contained the noodles was on the table, so shocked that the wives and concubines present changed their faces.

"Is this true? They just... floated all the way to Yin'ermen Lake?"

"It's mostly true. Unless they lie. Oh, they're old Rus, and they wouldn't lie to the King at all!"

"Where are they?!"

"Just outside the palace."

Forget it, Rurik looked at the broken noodles again, and the surprised face of the queen. "I can't eat this meal. Go and inform them of the audience. I'll wait for them in the council room."

"As ordered!"

In the end, only five families of men were allowed to enter the palace, and none of them were old Russ. They could all claim to be watching the king grow from a baby to the handsome and strong man he is today. Of course, they also participated in all the early expansion wars of Ross, and their retirement was also a matter of early 840.

Therefore, for the old Rus people who were born in the Rus tribe, Rurik had a good attitude towards these people, and the other party respected the king and at the same time was a little less reverent. Everyone still happily gathered together as in the past, and discussed various matters in a friendly manner.

That's true of Rurik, even if it's easy for his father to pull it along.

Otto came on crutches, sitting cross-legged on a leather pad, wearing a gilded leather helmet and thicker clothes, all of which concealed his aging.

Since Otto began arriving at Yinermen Lake every year forty years ago, he was shocked to hear that there was a second waterway leading to the Great Lake. Discovering the new waterway can be described as a glorious feat. Perhaps this honor should have been won by myself, but unfortunately...

At least it was the old Rus who discovered the new waterway, and the honor was still obtained by his own family. Otto was still very pleased.

Two generations of kings of the kingdom of Rus sat in this room, their golden laurels and gilded helmets gleaming brightly from the oil lamps around them.

After a while, Carl, Brand, and three others happily came to face the king.

But they were surprised when they saw the two kings. Old Otto is really old, even though he's been trying his best to pretend. The Great King Rurik was different. Now he looked at his face from zero distance, just like the image of Otto's forty years. It was very similar.

There are not many members of the old Ross tribe. Because many elderly people died naturally or died in battle, there are even fewer old guys from the old Ross who are still alive.

In the past, people like Carl and Brand have never been able to mix with the high-level groups of the tribe, so even if it is a tribal war, they are still ordinary warriors.

These five people represent Rose's past. All of them are golden hairs that start to turn white. Although their status in the past was not high, they are all treasures now. Besides, they seem to have discovered a second channel.

Neither Rurik nor Otto had any intention of showing off the family, just like the old rules, Otto asked in a low voice and an old voice: "Someone has already reported to me. You... oh no. Tell me your names. And where you used to live in Roseburg."

Since the initiators of the operation were Karl Brand, they answered Otto's question and said a lot of past events, just to prove their identities.

Listening, Rurik also nodded: "I don't doubt your identity. Karl, you are the leader of the entire expedition! Because of your urgent report, I don't even eat. Tell me, what exactly happened to you. Detail your experience and take responsibility for your own narrative.

"As ordered. This is how it goes..."

Carl kept saying, Brand kept calling everything comfortable on the side, adding something along the way.

The unnamed estuary of the Gulf of Finland, the meandering reed-filled channels, the large flight feathers and plant leg bones of the peculiar bird, the mysterious Finnish-speaking Savok village, and a chance encounter with a cowherd boy and the help of a calf manor.

They carried gifts, the so-called big bird's huge flight feathers that were longer than an adult's forearm, and a bird's leg bone that was nearly the length of an adult man's entire arm. Rurik can estimate and should be a kind of crane, in his understanding only cranes have such amazing long legs.

Karl and Brand's words were irresistible, and Rurik completely believed them, and even more intentionally made a field trip to the so-called Reed River, which was named, especially that the Finnish-speaking village must be included in the rule of Rus.

An idea of personal inspection had already sprouted in Rurik's mind. Once he had the idea, he would immediately set off to see it. After all, the Calf Manor was not far away. arrive.

"A swampy field that's not very long?" Rurik clenched his chin and pulled his beard. "I believe in your exploration. I really didn't expect you to discover the second pathway by accident."

"This is Odin's gift! God protects Ross." Karl said solemnly.

"Indeed, the gods protect us. So, what really separates the waterway is just a swampy field?"

"That's right. There are many ponds and mud pits in the marsh. Without this bad mud, our boats would not have been parked on the banks of the reeds, but would have drifted directly to the lake. My lord, I have an idea."

"Ideas? Well, actually, I also suddenly had an idea." Rurik's face filled with a smile. "Oh, let me guess. You've been emphasizing those swampy mud, the smelly stuff that's blocking our boats? That's a good question, just dig some to make the river, or not."

Karl was heartbroken: "That's what I mean~www.mtlnovel.com~ Your Majesty wants to open up a second route to Novgorod, which is well known in Novgorod. We didn't intend to take the initiative to discover the first route to Novgorod. Two waterways, and now the miracle has happened."

"Building the canal! Ah! I thought I was going to cut a land passage through the forest! It seems unnecessary. It's a big deal, and I'll see it myself."

Rurik's attitude was firm. In fact, he didn't want to play with his wives, concubines and children in the palace every day. It was fine for a few days, but for a long time, it would be a kind of torture for a big man. Rurik wanted to hunt on horseback, to fish, to gallop outdoors, to inspect the kingdom.

Now, a perfect reason to leave lies ahead. And just the idea of "building a canal" made him excited. As a rigorous person, this time must be personally inspected.

After all, once it is determined that the canal will be built to allow the second waterway to pass through, it will be the first national-level project of the Rus Kingdom. Digging the water diversion channel along the main road of the river, so that the river water flushes the urban drainage channel and all the garbage is washed away, or the water diversion channel drives the wooden wheel to make the water wheel flour mill work perfectly. The Slavs have had experience.

"Maybe it's not difficult to dig a canal in the swamp? All I need is a waterway that can pass through a traditional longboat." He thought.