Once the busiest spring plowing is over, the life of farmers will always enter a state of leisure.

The large-scale Slavic peasants, comparing their current and past lives, their living standards have been slowly improving, are easily satisfied with the status quo.

Of course, they need to find ways to further increase their income to make life more colorful, but the means to accumulate wealth efficiently are extremely expensive, or the returns are not ideal. For example, doing handicrafts and making all kinds of daily necessities.

It's true that you can do it and I can do it too. Every farm will weave rattan baskets to make wooden utensils. The handmade products that can be transported to the Novgorod market are all the same. After the life is stable, the output of these consumer goods is also increasing. Those two look The missing hands keep the price down.

It seems that participating in war is the only way to get rich quickly, and the relative risks are also surprisingly high.

Ironically, children are important but not particularly important, either to Russian immigrant families or to native Slavic families. If one child dies unexpectedly, it is better to have more.

They are more concerned about natural disasters and personal accidents than they are about the death of family members caused by the devastation of war.

Slavic farmers pray for good weather every year, at least the temperature should not be too cold, and the rainfall should not be too much or too little. It is said that as long as there is no shortage of food, there is a high probability that family members will not die unexpectedly.

The Ross people and other immigrants from Scandinavia are not particularly keen on farming, as if their bodies are born with adventure genes, and they have to consider that their children will encounter accidents due to excessive impulsiveness and performance.

But the real warriors chose to ignore some disasters, and the Ross people focused more on the exploration of the vast world, hoping to discover wealth from the new world.

What is wealth?

Foxes, squirrels, and minks scurry about in the forest, and their hides can be sold for a good price. If you hunt the bear, you can make a lot of money.

There are always some strange things in the forest, and there are also some fantastic legends.

There are also some others who hide in the forest and are isolated from the world, and they are brought into the rule of the Rus Kingdom. This is not only done by explorers. The governor of Novgorod, Medved, personally supervises this matter every year. In 842 As in other years, this time the expedition to find the "hidden man" decided to go further east.

Because Rurik, the king of Ross, has outlined an extremely vast oriental picture in the form of an oracle.

"Continuing to the east, there is not a dark world, let alone the edge of Midgard (the human world), and there is no abyss. There is only a huge Ural snow mountain over there, and it is a wider world. Ross will become a new Ruler of the world."

The old Russians have not had the shackles of farmland since ancient times, and this year is the same. With the rise of the Valdaiskoye town in the east, the so-called Valdeskoye town in Slavic language has become a very critical base camp for exploration. The fact that there is no major war in the kingdom, the boring Mstisk and the Ross immigrant from the Youth City, this time under the leadership of Arik, rowed to explore, hunt and plunder.

"Soon, you will find the correct main channel of the Volga River. Brother, I hope you can help me complete the feat of exploration this year."

Rurik expected a lot from his cousin, and he also expected a lot from his two nephews.

The eldest nephew Askad took a group of newly promoted leaders to the east with the expeditionary force. Only God knows how much this kid can gain. Rurik was not worried about the brat dying in battle, after all his name was "Askad"! His name was never taken randomly, unless the gods ordered another "Askad" to complete a historic feat in the future.

The little nephew Jill was taken by his father Arik to explore the world in Valdai this time. Compared with his eldest brother, seeing the world by his father's side will not have much risk.

The Eastern Expedition in 841 had only 500 people, but this time it has reached 1,000 people. The reason why there are so many people is that a large number of women also joined the mighty expedition team.

However, a large number of Russian youths were forcibly detained by Rurik with the king's decree.

They were forbidden to participate in this year's eastern expedition, let alone lie down and sleep soundly.

Twelve years old!

Any Russian who has reached the age of twelve, no matter how much his blood has the proportion of the old Ross tribe, he is an "old Ross" in the legal sense, and he must fulfill the obligations of a Ross manbecome a warrior.

The school, a new institution pioneered by Rurik in Novgorod, is in its fifth year of development.

It was first used to educate the elite descendants of the Old Rus, and has now been expanded to target the children of all Old Rus heat descendants, the nephews of the Slav elite, and anyone of all stripes who can afford it.

The education for children is only two years. Although the total amount of knowledge learned is not much, the amount of knowledge taught has been slowly increasing.

The examination system, it is not new to the old Russ. When Rurik describes it as a kind of "journey for the best", one can easily think of the tournaments used to compete for tribal chiefs.

The last victor of the tournament, the old chieftain Otto, is still alive, and he is extremely old.

Otto is still recognized as the overlord, even though he no longer makes political decisions. The old man was enjoying the family happiness happily, surrounded by grandchildren, it seemed that brand new grandchildren were still born.

But what else could he do for his grandsons and granddaughters? It seems that he can only slowly tell the energetic cubs his glorious past with a hoarse voice, and teach them to be a warrior.

All the main settlements of the Ross people have a strong martial arts atmosphere, even if they are actually distant relatives with similar blood, fighting has become a pastime among children. On the whole, "fighting in the wild" is not allowed. Young people have a more open platform to vent their anger. The so-called bring wooden shields and swords, invite friends to form a team and fight with another team.

Fighting and fighting are not simply used to vent the violent emotions of young people. Even if there is no conflict on weekdays, it is necessary to form a queue to attack.

What they receive in school is never pure physical training, or the ultimate goal of all training is to become soldiers who can be recruited at any time and go to the battlefield after simple training.

Boys often receive training in "proper group fighting" at the age of nine, followed by essential subjects such as archery, javelin throwing, and swimming.

From 841 onwards, horse riding also became a necessary subject.

The number of horses in the Kingdom of Ross is growing at an astonishing rate. However, because it is a business from scratch, the starting point of the horse breeding industry is very low. Due to the small base of horses, Rurik still cannot expand a large-scale army. Huge cavalry corps.

Although the Ross-Danish-Saxon coalition defeated the Frankish cavalry at the cost of blood on the banks of the Elbe, Rurik did not think that he had really restrained the cavalry, making the cavalry no longer particularly important.

It is precisely the forest and grassland environment with Eastern European characteristics, and the land that is too flat, only the cavalry force can help Ross expand in this area.

After the spring plowing, Rurik selected the boys who graduated this year, and ordered the boyar nobles in various Slavic villages to hand over some relatives and nephews. The latter were extremely active this time because of the huge sweetness they had eaten.

All the personnel quotas add up to 600 people! The minimum age limit for young people is twelve years old, and the maximum is fifteen years old. They seem to be very young, but with their tall bodies, viewers generally do not believe that they have just grown up.

It was only June, and these boys had all been brought to the training camp outside Novgorod. The Pecheneg instructors were waiting for the cubs, and a small group of docile horses for training were also waiting...

They arrived, and the intense and rigorous training in a short period of time began immediately.

Six hundred men were to be divided into two sections, and they had been told to be part of the recently formed Third and Fourth Cavalry.

Since the First Cavalry is under the leadership of "Bald" Fisk, based on the order of Rurik himself, he has continued to do his best to help Carlota, the Duchess of Ostara who is expanding southward. The unit had already gone to Veliky Luki and would theoretically end up at the Polotsk settlement on the banks of the West Dvina.

Rurik was surrounded by only the Second Cavalry Squad, with Brody as the flag captain. Even so, the three hundred cavalry were by Rurik's side, which could fully support the dignity of the king.

Because the veterans among them have all been on the battlefield and performed meritorious service. The veterans shape the military spirit, making them a majestic killing machine.

Even though the soldiers of the Second Cavalry Squad are too young, now they are standing on the grass training field outside Novgorod, facing a group of newly promoted "quasi-cavalry", and they have a natural feeling for this group of youngsters of the same race. arrogant.

The most honorable person here is none other than Rurik himself!

It is still June, and the climate is beginning to enter a warm period. The best time of the year is now, which is very suitable for the training of new troops.

The young people didn't have enough war horses yet, so all the newly promoted six hundred children stood together, and finally formed six centurions standing side by side in a square shape.

Look!

Riding deliberately on the tall captured Frankish war horse, Rurik deliberately fluttered his golden ponytail, wore his own golden laurel crown, and grew a well-groomed beard. The horse's belly is used to direct the horse's walking with regular kicks.

He himself rode past the recruits on his mount, inspecting them with blue eyes set in deep sockets. All the young people raised their heads high and saluted the young king.

At the same time, the Novgorodians, who lacked fun in their lives, dragged their families to the edge of the training ground to watch the excitement, and even stood on the city's wooden city wall to look into the distance.

The whole city is talking about it!

"It is actually a lie that the king said that there would be no large-scale war. He has now expanded the new army, and the expansion is still the most capable cavalry. Only God knows how large the future battle will be."

"Your Majesty has also launched a huge ship this year, and now he has expanded his cavalry. Who will the future war be aimed at? Continue the western expedition to fight against the Franks? Or go south to get rid of the escaped Vadim?"

"In my opinion, the king is planning to attack the Smolensk people. Anyway, sooner or later they will be subdued."

All kinds of discussions are endless, and no one in Novgorod is tired of the war, or everyone is looking forward to a new war.

War, many things that were not easy to solve in the past, everything can be easily solved through a big war.

It is true to a certain extent that the Slavs living around Lake Ilmen did not feel that they were related to the inhabitants of Smolensk.

As the saying goes, there is no hatred for no reason. Although all farms live by the Yin Ermen Lake, their origins are different.

At first, White Tree Manor was squeezed out to the fringes, and even a group of forest dwellers had to live in the jungle. Essentially, it was because they immigrated on foot from the Pomeranian region, and their blood was similar to that of the Polotsk people. more closely related.

It is the farms in other parts of the Great Lakes that have truly left or betrayed Smolensk. It is precisely because of the betrayal of ancient times, passed on from generation to generation, that both sides have negative attitudes towards each other, but no one can explain the origin of this attitude.

It is obvious that the Smolensk community has been obstructing the trade route in the past. If the people of the Great Lakes want to buy and sell something to the southern world, they must pass through the Smolensk-controlled area. As is often the case, this has become the most realistic contradiction between the two sides.

Now the offensive and defensive momentum has shifted - the Ross colonization of the entire Inlmen Lake has been completely completed.

I'm afraid it can no longer be called colonial.

In ten years, from the once-year Sorgon rip-off as usual, it became the core area ruled by the Ross people.

A more powerful people has formed and continues to expand, and the residents around the lake can now call themselves Rus.

The greatness of the kingdom must be maintained by a strong army.

No, after inspecting the recruits, Rurik turned his horse's head and continued to stand proudly behind the young man.

He pulled out his sword suddenly, and the sword pointed directly at the sky under the sun and buzzed.

The soldiers could only squint and look up at the figure of the king, because the summer sun was above the sky. It seemed that Odin was giving the king new power.

"Young warriors!" Rurik Kang said passionately, "Now, this king entrusts you with a great mission! You are brand new cavalry! The third cavalry! The fourth cavalry! You will directly serve me and become the Rose's sharp sword, under my leadership, destroy the enemy, defend our homeland, and bring more naturalized people into Rose's rule. This king will lead you from victory to victory, now! All kneel down!"

In fact, starting from school, all educated children are required to be loyal to the Ross royal family. This is easy for people to accept. After all, people who are eligible to receive education now must have some blood relationship with Rurik himself. Tribal thinking did not disappear in a short period of time. They were very willing to accept Rurik's rule. It is obvious that Rus under Rurik has been winning.

As soon as the words fell, all the recruits knelt down on one knee, their right fists covered their hearts one after another, and their unruly heads were hooked down one after another, declaring their surrender to Rurik.

Rurik's sword swept across them, and continued to order: "You, like the first and second cavalry, are extra arms of the king. You must be worthy of your new identity, and you must train quickly in the future. I tell you clearly! The new war is not far away, and you will soon lead me to fight in the new world! What I want is not only your loyalty, but also you to become brave and good soldiers. You have already stood out You are the best, now practice your abilities in the training ground, and then prove yourself on the real battlefield. You will go through the most terrifying training, you will bleed, and I will not allow you to cry. Now, this king bestows on you two banner captains!"

The most important thing in the army is the military spirit, and the military spirit must also be shaped by veterans.

Just as the soul of the second cavalry comes from the first cavalry, the two newly formed cavalry are currently in reserve status, and Rurik judges that these cubs are not far away from going to the battlefield.

Rurik had a lot of lectures, and when his mouth was dry, he kept the most important words in his heart.

Of course, the Kingdom of Ross will further get involved in the Frankish civil war. If those noble princes can continue the civil war for a long time, Ross will be able to fish in troubled waters for a long time, and even directly cut off pieces of land to become the actual control area of the Kingdom of Ross, which is upgraded to a territory. .

No matter how hard Frank fights, she is still a colossus, and her civilization level is relatively mature, so the cost of invading is still too high. Besides, in the final analysis, Frank is not an enemy that must be destroyed.

The Kingdom of Rus does have a major enemy, and that is the Smolensk community.

From Rurik's point of view, he didn't have much hatred for Smolensk, even if the other party harbored the escaped Vadim, and in the end the kid became the chief of the community. He has a lot of ideas about destroying the community, not the residents of the community. In the end, Ross will annex Smolensk and make it a key part of the Kingdom of Ross. At that time, the ruler will become a descendant of his own blood, and Ross will be able to continuously obtain wealth from the local area.

In the final analysis, the core contradiction between the expanded Rus and Smolensk is simply that you are in the way.

The answer is so simple. A tribal alliance with a large population that is hostile to Ross is just on the edge of the north-south inland river trade line (Amber Road) in Eastern Europe. It must either die or be conquered. It wants to maintain independence. Now Smolensk is not qualified .

The two cavalry teams that Rurik expanded are the new standing army. He calculated an account, and the mere expansion of 600 cavalry is completely affordable. Even if it is possible to expand another 1,000 cavalry, it is theoretically possible, but the huge cavalry warriors cannot be guaranteed. Completely out of production.

The biggest problem is that there are not enough war horses in service.

There are more horses every year, and the value-added speed of foals will continue to expand in the future. It is not difficult to train a war horse, but it is difficult to train a qualified rider.

That's right, the two were actually young soldiers from the First Cavalry, who had experienced the surprise attack on Cologne and Bonn in the War of 840, and they were appointed as the new banner captains.

One is called "Mustache" Carl, and the other is called "Pig Nose" Swain.

The two have distinctive facial features, the former has a special beard, and the latter is just a mild deformity with turned nostrils on the face. Their names are very common, but when it comes to nicknames, the soldiers of the First Banner Squad instantly think of these two.

In the past, they were only the captains of the ten-man team, but now they were recommended by Fisk, and Rurik easily promoted them to be the banner captains.

Are these two really good at fighting? Brody, also from the First Banner Team, captured Ludwig, Duke of Bavaria with his own hands after all. He has doubts about these two brothers~www.mtlnovel.com~ Anyway, the promotion has been implemented, and the two newly promoted banner captains must be responsible for the king. Under the training of each soldier, each soldier becomes a cavalry soldier who can mount a horse and fight immediately, and the banner captain ensures that the two teams can participate in the battle as a large group.

The problem of soldiers has been solved, even it is an excellent solution.

What about the horses equipped for each warrior?

That's why Rurik took his second cavalry and walked to the city of New Ostara in the south of the Great Lake.

He came here to observe the horses and look for war horses. This time, he was even ordered to be stationed in Ross as a de facto diplomat and Quetzal, the younger brother of the Khan of the Pecheneg Khanate.

Rurik's thoughts are very simple. Carlotta is one of his wives, and it is not easy to get the horses from her.

Besides, his other wife, Princess Bejahir of Pecheneg, did not go south with Carlotta's Ostara cavalry army.