On a warm summer day, after a continuous multi-day rainfall, Polotsk ushered in a new era in an all-round way.

The Ross army demolished the old chief's residence, and all the collapsed wood was cleaned up, and finally turned into firewood and burned clean.

The building flats that symbolized the rule of the Polotsk natives disappeared, leaving only a huge open space next to the village square.

Immediately afterwards, a wooden longhouse with a strong northern style was built under the orders of the conqueror Carlotta Ostara.

The conquered Polotsk people had to prove their submission with practical actions. Men and women were commanded. They were ordered to cut and process wood and build new houses according to the conqueror's preferences.

The first part of the construction was to dig a large pit and bury a large number of wooden piles in the soft soil, which was unheard of by the locals.

Is it possible to refuse?

The conquerors controlled the public granary, and they controlled the distribution of food. What can be comforted is that the conquerors distributed a small number of axes, and even two pairs of magical special iron tools called "double saws", which were promised to belong to the locals when the mission was completed. How they are distributed does not matter to the conqueror.

It is certainly a good thing to get brand new tools, but it is impossible for the Polotsk people to fully accept the rule of the Rus kingdom in a short time.

In Carlotta's view, there are actually two ways to get the people to return to their hearts.

One: really treat them as our own people, and give them metal utensils, salt, and food for production and life.

The second: lead them to conquer others, unite each other with the memory of fighting side by side, and allow them to get the spoils.

Compared with conquering others, the most urgent thing is to ignore soft methods. Carlotta thought so...

She implements a rationing system for the people, especially those local villagers who work for themselves will definitely get food, even if the food belongs to the villagers themselves.

This alone surprised the Polotsk people.

"Conqueror, why did you give us food? But food is food, and it makes sense to eat it in your stomach."

If the Ross-Ostara army exists like a parasite that doesn't do any work, it will become a simple group of horse bandits and bandits.

At first, all ten Polotsk villages thought so.

Everyone has fought hard, but it is a pity that they worked hard and were defeated. The vanquished bear all the burdens of the conquerors, and they may wait for the time to move, and one day in the future they will overthrow their rule and regain their lost power.

The people under control have an extremely pessimistic view of the problem, but this is not in line with reality.

The Ross-Ostara army grazes horses in the undeveloped wasteland, and the young warriors personally carry axes and double saws to log in the nearby forest. While the local peasants were building houses for Her Lady Duchess, the Conqueror himself was setting up camp in the clearing near the largest village.

There are bare-chested loggers everywhere, their fair skin is covered with golden hairs, and the bodies of warriors are beginning to be reddened by the hot summer sun. These Nordic strong men often work together to carry the wood to the "wood processing plant".

Like the construction of Ostara, a brand new city, walled from the beginning, is being built at the confluence of the Polota and West Dvina rivers.

It is not necessary to name the new city, it is Novopolotsk, to replace the old settlement.

In the eyes of the local farmers, the fresh pine wood began to turn into a wall, and inside the wall were a group of long houses built in a patchwork manner.

All the buildings are fundamentally different from the local dwellings. Although they are all wooden buildings, they all have wooden floors to prevent water and moisture. Of course, the roof is also a herringbone structure, and the house is deliberately made very long. A huge pine tree is cut into long strips and transported to the top of the house by a simple human crane.

Nordic-style houses are thicker and wider. Currently, Carlotta is building Novopolotsk with the attitude of building a large military camp.

An easy-to-defend and difficult-to-attack military camp stood by the river, and the defenders stared at the wide West Dvina River on the one hand, and on the other hand at the villages lined up like strings of pearls on the Polota River.

The act of building a city is more of a military deterrent, not enough to win people's hearts.

The farmlands in the largest villages left vacant due to population loss were immediately vacated by the conquerors and turned into the private property of Carlotta's ruling family.

She let the horses graze the weeds, and then took the time to sow peas.

It is difficult for the locals to immediately accept the new crop of peas. After all, this year is the first time that the Principality of Ostara has been exposed to pea planting.

Compared with the Yinlmen Lake in the north, based on the knowledge Carlota has learned, the so-called lower dimension here should be warmer, and the growth of peas will be better. But she also knows that any crop should be planted in spring, is it too late for summer now?

I heard that this thing can be eaten even if it just grows pods. There is nothing wrong with pods being stewed and eaten as a cabbage-like vegetable, it just doesn't get the seeds to plant the next year.

Only God knows what the fall will bring.

At least the Polotsk people cultivated oats and rye as much as possible, and according to last year's treaty, the Rus conquerors had the right to take up to 200,000 pounds of grain tribute!

"But. Two hundred thousand pounds of oats. Is it too serious to demand from the defeated group? Anyway, the food is in my hands in the end. Rurik doesn't want the food, and I don't need to take the food from him. Li Suo wants it. If he doesn't help me, he will save a lot of money..."

Carlota must consider his future.

"The key is, what exactly do I want. A group of starving people? Or a group of farmers loyal to me in Ostara." She had to think about it.

In the Polotsk community, like other peoples living in the area, the summer solstice, the longest day of the year, is also a major ritual festival.

People worship the sun **** on this day, and young people also use this day as their wedding day.

In Polotsk, which was occupied by the conquerors, life must continue, and the sacrifice to the sun **** cannot be cut off.

Carlota saw a scene quite similar to that in the norththe locals made huge torches by building wood piles, and burned sacrifices in the fire.

A not-so-good-looking cow was led out of the shed, where it was eventually burned to ashes as a sacrifice to please the sun **** they believed in.

The Kingdom of Ross naturally has its own way of offering sacrifices, but Carlotta and Fisk did not bring priests with them on their expedition to the south, and everyone gathered together to burn the newly caught perch on the summer solstice.

The conquerors did not interfere with the priesthood of the natives, nor did the richly dressed priestesses dance around the bonfires.

But this year's mass weddings of young men and women were completely controlled by the conquerors.

Especially the young men, who had been killed on a large scale in last year's war, and the young women also lost a lot. Overall, the ratio of men to women in Polotsk is very unbalanced, with a large population of fertile women.

Carlota is only twenty-three years old as a ruler, but she has experienced so much that she has almost become an old man psychologically, hundreds of times stronger than all the ignorant village girls.

But she is still a young woman, and she knows very well how many hardships a lonely woman will experience in such an era. She even wanted to look good for the young soldiers under her command, so she personally organized a group wedding.

It takes a little time to prepare for the collective wedding, and this delay lasted until late July.

The girl's parents need time to accept, and the panicked young woman needs to get over her fear of the youth in Ostara.

How could the vast majority of girls marry conquerors so easily? They instinctively resist. After all, not everyone has no right to choose like that Solkina.

Besides, that girl seemed like a traitor. Since being adopted by the conqueror, the female devil head, as the adopted daughter and only son fiancee, she transformed herself into a Varyag woman, put on their clothes and ate their food, and completely betrayed her tribe.

From the perspective of ordinary Polotsk girls, Solkina is indeed a traitor.

But now things fall on me...

Some girls were appointed after crying bitterly, and some even escaped and were arrested by their parents afterwards.

There are even martyrs who choose to hang themselves from the beam, rather than marry the conqueror.

The woman who committed suicide was wrapped in sackcloth by her family, and her body was placed on a cart. Relatives weeping and escorted her to the village cemetery.

They made a great deal of noise, in order to be seen by the conqueror.

The news quickly reached Carlota's ears.

Naturally, there are villagers here who are willing to follow the leadership of the Ross Kingdom, for the rewards of food and salt enough for the family to live comfortably.

This kind of person is called a traitor by the villagers, but he is loyal in Carlotta's eyes.

A bald, glib man entered the city of Novopolotsk, which was still under construction, and half-kneeled in front of Duchess Carlota and Prince Karl.

Even Solkina was sitting next to Karl. The little girl had accepted her new identity. Although she still felt awkward, her adoptive mother really took good care of her in life. Her fianc and younger brother Karl were also a very good boy.

Solkina Vyacheslavina is a benchmark. After all, she is the granddaughter of the former leader, which makes a group of people who take the initiative to naturalize completely relieved of their psychological burden.

The kneeling old guy is called Smirono, which means brave. Of course Solkina knew this old uncle, and I am afraid that in the eyes of others now, it would be more appropriate to change his name to "coward".

But Solkina has completely observed all this from the standpoint of a bystander. She has no opinions and no requirements for the future.

The smooth-tongued Smirono explained the sudden funeral in the village...

"Oh? They made such a big noise that I thought someone was protesting, but they just thought a woman committed suicide?" Carlota simply stood up.

"It's true, I swear on my life. Oh, that poor woman, she doesn't know the mercy of my lord. To marry a brave Ross... oh no, it's an Ostara, it's her honor!"

"Well said." Carlotta smiled with satisfaction, and added: "Pay attention to your wording. I am the wife of King Ross, and Ostara is a part of Ross, and they cannot be separated from each other."

"It was my negligence. I was at fault." After saying that, Smirono slapped himself hastily.

"That's all! Stop your clumsy performance." Carlota scolded.

"As ordered."

"Very good. Your report should be comfortable. Maybe I should relax my guard. But... this may be an opportunity." Carlota thought for a while, what would he do if Rurik was present? She especially remembered that when the Ross tribe and the White Tree Manor were married on a large scale, Ross gave the locals a large amount of daily necessities as a bride price, and canceled all tributes from the White Tree Manor.

It was because they were given huge benefits in exchange for the "collective participation" of thousands of people in White Tree Manor, thus achieving today's Novgorod city.

"Rurik provided me with an example, and perhaps I should follow suit."

Carlotta wanted to understand, and pulled the two children, a boy and a girl, out of the courtroom in her new city.

"Prepare your horse!" she said to the guards present. "Follow me to their cemetery!"

Just as more than 200 villagers were holding a funeral for the woman who committed suicide, a group of cavalry rushed to the scene suddenly.

The flags of Ross and Ostara are flying here, and the cavalry in armored stomach are majestic. In the eyes of the people, the conqueror will ruin this poor funeral.

However, the duchess was seen riding a war horse in front of the crowd, and no one knew what she was going to do. But everyone instinctively felt that there must be nothing good.

"Don't be afraid!" she said: "I have no malicious intentions! Are you going to refuse my last gift for the dead?"

She dismounted quickly, and ordered all the soldiers to dismount and stand at attention.

Everyone saw the boy named Karl, the next generation of princes, and the little girl Solkina whom everyone in the village knew.

"You...bringing the soldiers, are you here to attend the funeral?" The old woman priestess with feathers all over her body and a characteristic floral robe approached Carlotta boldly.

"Priest. Carry on with your work. I know why she died. I will pray for the dead...in the way of the Northmen."

Here, soldiers with horns are ordered to play low and melodious tunes, emotionally sad, which is an elegy for the dead.

The deceased wrapped in coarse cloth had just been put into the tomb. The woman was so ordinary that her relatives could not give her any precious funeral objects. The only precious thing was a wooden axe.

Regardless of whether the deceased was male or female, there was often an ax as a burial object. Originally a real axe, it was later ritualized to use the wooden withered axe as a mortal weapon. After all, the Polotsk people are also deeply influenced by the ancient "stone ax culture" in this region.

Under the surprised eyes of the local peasants, Carlotta ordered a brand new linen robe to be handed over to the feathered priestess.

"My lord. What is the meaning of this?"

"Wear it for the dead. Listen, she didn't deserve to die. A soldier who marries me will have a wonderful future, but she just can't figure it out. This is my change of clothes. You put it on her."

"This..." The priestess' eyes widened, and her withered hands could feel that it was a precious fine cloth.

"Is it disrespectful to dress the dead again?" Carlota asked again.

"No. A great favor."

Carlotta nodded, and motioned to his subordinates to bring another real steel hand axe: "This ax will be used as a burial object, replacing the wooden toys you gave to the dead. Do as I say, and I will make all male warriors avoid."

So, the priestess jumped into the tomb and put on a new cloth robe for the hanged woman herself. The dead man finally held the Ross steel ax with his loose hands, and finally covered his whole body with coarse cloth.

Carlotta just wanted to put on a show, and he had to seize the opportunity to make a good show.

The natives used wooden shovels to fill the dead, but she was different.

Carlota patted Carl on the back, and handed him a heavy cast iron shovel: "You and them will bury this pit."

"Me? I want to be buried by someone I don't know?" Carl turned his head with a shovel in both hands in embarrassment.

"No. You are the next generation of dukes. You are burying your dead clansmen. Go. And you!" Carlota pushed Solkina forward again.

Even if it's just a shovel filled with effort, it's the best effort. The people will see it in their eyes, and of course they can't be moved to tears. At this moment, there is a big change in the attitude of the conqueror.

The tomb was quickly filled and the funeral was supposed to be over.

However, because the cavalry gathered in the village cemetery, this move attracted too many villagers to watch, and Fisk was so surprised that he had to bring more cavalry to control the scene.

A once-in-lifetime opportunity of proactive creation, isn't it?

Carlotta rode on the horse again, unloaded all the armor, and untied the ropes that bound her hair. At first glance, she looked like a local girl, especially since she spoke Slavic, she looked even more like that. .

"What are you all afraid of?!" She asked immediately.

Then he shouted vigorously: "Young women! My soldiers have never married wives, and you will be regular wives after you marry! Your family will cancel the tribute because of your marriage! From then on, you will be completely protected by the army. In the future, you will still get Useful ironware, plenty of salt. Under my rule, you will gradually become rich..."

Pairs of eyes stared at the lofty female nobleman.

So, Carlotta began to repeat a big principle: "Marry my warrior, exempt from tribute! I swear to the gods, I will not break my promise!"

This is something that the people did not expect. After all, the autumn harvest is not far away now, and there is really not much food for each household. People have begun to worry about whether those conquerors will go to various households to plunder food, and the duchess claims that as long as they marry a daughter, they will be exempt from tribute? Can continue to provide iron and salt in the future? Really such a good thing?

At least the noblewoman gave her clothes as a gift to the dead, and she herself made a statement.

People who were unwilling to deal with group weddings changed their attitudes one after another. What happened in the largest village quickly spread to the entire village alliance. On the appointed day, those families who wanted to marry their daughters tried to dress up their nobles as beautifully as possible. It was so beautiful and bright that it was sent to the city of Novopolotsk, which has already begun to take shape.

In the open space just outside the city, Carlota simply followed the advice of the local priest and held the mentioned wedding according to the local rules.

It is very strange to say that the Polotsk people and the Ilmen Slavs in the north have a huge commonality in the wedding arrangement-the couple, the couple, join hands to cross a pool of fire, which symbolizes the blessing of the Slavic Vulcan.

There are a large number of Slavs in the Ostara cavalry, even though they have lived a Viking life, they have not given up on the old tradition.

And this is what the local Polotsk people did not expect. They thought that the Varyags, who were all coming, were no different from those in the Gulf of Riga. In the end, they really came into contact with their young fighters and realized that this group of cubs The essence is Yin Ermen people, cousins!

The wedding was going on bustlingly, and the young warriors chose their favorite girl. In this process, based on the local tradition, the woman herself had no right to choose. Of course it's unfair to the woman, but the woman's parents only hope that their daughter will marry as soon as possible, so that they don't have to pay tribute to the conqueror even if they harvest a grain of wheat this autumn.

What they don't know is that Carlotta can get the grain in the way of renting.

And because of marriage, the locals can never see their daughters and sons-in-law hungry. As strong laborers, the young Ostara soldiers must get wheat from the parents-in-law of the Polotsk people. Feed an army of conquerors in many forms.

The unmarried soldiers all married their wives through this event, especially the one hundred boys from the Great Luki City, who miraculously found true love in Polotsk.

This is a fresh start!

For the Polotsk people, who have lost a lot of population, they need men who can do farm work and defend their homes more than revenge.

What about revenge now? The conquerors destroyed and rebuilt, and young people stood in every household. They were ordinary boys no matter how they looked, and they could understand each other.

For the young warrior who married himself under the command of the duchess, he should thank not only the duke and the king, but also his wife and family. It is human nature to do things for the parents-in-law's house. With steel swords and axes, the warrior chops firewood for his wife's family, and even repairs the house.

The tense relationship with each other is rapidly relieving.

Finally, this year's fall harvest season has arrived. The time to prove the Conqueror's last promise is now!

So under the command of Carlota~www.mtlnovel.com~except for the army stationed in Vitebsk, the army going south simply participated in the autumn harvest operation of the entire Polotsk community, not only hundreds of strong laborers brought Advanced steel weapons participated in the harvesting of wheat, as did horses as powerful animals.

The autumn harvest at Polotsk in 842 showed strong efficiency.

As promised by Carlotta during the summer solstice, she did not openly demand tribute. But the supplies for the troops stationed had to be collected, so she changed the pretextlease.

How much food is rented? It definitely can't be a huge amount of two hundred thousand pounds.

The fact that the tribute needs to be cut in half, those families who do not marry their daughters bear all.

However, because a group of married soldiers simply served as the garrison in Novopolotsk, their provisions themselves were provided by their parents-in-law. In the end, Carlotta was still able to search for a tribute close to the corresponding amount of the treaty from the local area, which is to say that it has become very beautiful...

So far this autumn, at least on the surface, the Polotsk community has completed the historic integration with the Rus Kingdom