Latest URL: There was a commotion in the city of Novgorod. The leading cavalry ordered the people with stalls on both sides of the avenue to avoid immediately, so the bustling snow-covered commercial road quickly made room.

What the **** happened? Not long after, the whispering crowd saw the king himself galloping past, with the Austalian cavalry behind him.

The cavalrymen wore leather caps of similar styles, and carried abstract patterned bull head flags to prove their identities.

It was the first time that Carlotta and her entourage entered the city in this way, and it was the first time for young Karl to ride behind his parents as an only child.

A group of people reined in their horses in the open space outside the palace gate. Rurik got off his horse swiftly and wanted to pick Carlota off.

"Don't worry about me. I'm for Valkyrie, hehe." She politely rejected the king's kindness.

"Okay." Rurik gently withdrew his hand.

"How about you take Carl down, that kid is still the first to gallop on horseback. Besides, there is a girl sitting beside him."

"Girl? I've noticed. A maid you caught Karl from the south?"

"Yes, and no. Rurik...you should be able to guess it." Carlota pretended to be mysterious, she didn't need to explain everything, as Rurik guessed nine out of ten.

He turned his head abruptly, carefully paying attention to the girl who didn't have a lot of presence. But seeing that the child is still hugging little Carl's waist, obviously, if it is a simple servant, it is not qualified to do so.

The stalwart giant stood on the hard snow that had been trampled on, as did Rurik, King of Ross. Although his son, Carl did not get enough paternal love.

His father was as tall as a giant, and he seemed to be able to blow the enemy's head off with a single punch. In order to make his father look up to him, Karl always wants to show himself, and occasionally he will be arrogant.

It is because of the education of mother Carlotta, the so-called

"Your father commanded an expedition of 3,000 men when he was nine years old," Karl was deeply stimulated, even though his concept of war is still limited now.

The little boy twisted his body vigorously, angry that his little girl, Solkina, was afraid of riding a horse? Maybe it's really timid, but this little girl's arms are really strong.

After breaking free, Karl wanted to get off the horse quickly and alone, but his center of gravity was unstable, and his left foot was stuck in the iron stirrup, and he was about to fall down.

At the critical moment, a pair of big hands perfectly supported his back, and then placed him on the snow.

"Father?! I...I'm fine." Thinking that something was wrong, Karl didn't want to explain more, so he shook his head and refused to say more.

Rurik said without anger: "In the future, you should practice more and learn from people who are good at riding horses."

"yes."

"So." Rurik collected himself, first patted Karl's immature shoulders, and raised his head to face the little girl who was still riding on the horse, who was clearly agitated: "Who are you? Are you my son's servant?"

"She! She is..." Karl wanted to explain.

"Don't talk yet, let her speak for herself." Rurik interrupted his son directly, his deep blue eyes continued to stare at the girl's frightened face.

The girl was visibly frightened, and it happened that Rurik was able to take a good look at her face. In fact, at this moment, it seems that history is repeating itself.

More than ten years ago, my father Otto chose a relative for him. Now, do I want to follow Otto's old path to choose a relative for Karl?

Or his attitude is too rigid, Rurik slightly adjusted his mood and smiled.

"Where do you come from, boy? Do you have a name? If so, what is your name? Don't worry, I'm not a bad guy. I! But Karl's father. You and Karl are obviously very close." The words were in Norse Said, the girl can hardly understand.

Karl tugged at his father's arm and whispered, "She's a Polotsk girl."

"Polotsk?" Rurik came to his senses and hastily repeated what he had just said in Slavic.

The girl hesitated for a while and her eyes trembled before speaking.

"Solkina..." Although the girl understood and answered, she still remained timid.

"A wonderful name. What else?"

"Solkina Vyacheslavina. Oh no...it's Callodotte. I'm the adopted daughter of the Duke of Ostara."

"Carota's adopted daughter?!" Rurik was taken aback, and quickly turned around to look for Carlota's figure, only to see the woman standing there pinching her waist and giggling.

"Well, you are her adopted daughter, that is, this king's adopted daughter. I! Is your father! You Polotsk girl, since you have a name, it shows that you are very unusual. What is your old identity? "The chatterbox has been opened, and Suolkina doesn't think the person in front of her is a villain.

he claimed

"I am your father", it must not hurt anyone. So, in front of Rurik, Solkina bluntly explained her old identitythe granddaughter of the former Polotsk chieftain.

She is also the direct granddaughter of the leader's lineage.

"I'll just say it!" Rurik clapped his big hands, then turned his head to look at Carlota's face again: "You will definitely not find my son a random wife from a village girl."

"You understand. Although she is self-assessing, I think she is very good." Carlotta smiled and did not necessarily respond.

"It's one of the good things I learned in a crisis."

"That's right. A good thing." Carlotta pulled her face down again in an instant: "Rurik, the war broke out at this **** time. I didn't want to fight, but your enemy deliberately made trouble..."

"You don't need to say it." Rurik shook his head,

"What are you worried about and what are you yearning for? This king understands everything. Don't worry. Because this is my war." Apparently, Carlotta has already proved that she has completely ruled Polotsk with practical actions, and returned the marriage. Means to win over the local people.

It seems that Ross completely ruled the White Tree Manor back then, but the Polotsk people did gather all the strength of the tribe to fight but were defeated. Rurik was a little worried about whether it was safe for the Kingdom of Ross to authorize the Principality of Ostara to completely rule those people.

The effect of a simple marriage of nobles may be limited. The local villagers have already proved their rebelliousness with practical actions, and they have the possibility of retrial.

After all, that was Polotsk. Rurik couldn't help but think a lot, he simply hugged Solkina off the horse with his own hands, and the girl is also very obedient now.

As soon as her feet landed on the ground, she very consciously moved to Karl's side. Such a move was obviously spontaneous, Rurik noticed this from the corner of his eyes and just smiled with relief.

The royal palace of Novgorod, a small group of buildings dominated by wooden buildings. It was obtained from a large-scale expansion of the chief palace of the White Tree Manor, and it has already become the retirement home of the Otto couple.

Queen Svetlana's childhood boudoir is still here, but of course it has also been converted into Rurik's residence.

It is natural for the king and queen to live together, but for Rurik, he has completely changed from a guest to a host.

In this city, any resident will not struggle with their identity, because every one of the people in the most populous White Tree Manor will shout in Slavic

"I am from Ross". The old manor owner, Rigus, was much younger than Otto, but people were different. Rigus was as old as he was, and sometimes he would chat with Otto about family affairs, but most of the time he just stayed quietly.

Not for Rigus, Otto fought all his life, perhaps the greatest sorrow of a soldier is that his knees were worn down by the years - Otto could barely stand with a wooden stick, because his legs had shrunk due to aging Difficult to support their own huge body.

Occasionally, he would ask his guards to bring a human-powered sedan chair or a carriage. He would wear a thick bearskin coat, but he would wear a special gold-plated helmet on his head.

The "Destroyer" hugged apologetically in his arms, and toured the city of Novgorod, not only to see the prosperous life in the city, but also to express to the people: Your overlord king is still the king.

However, how long can this kind of life last? Everything is relative. When Otto advertised his existence, the public also saw the aging old Otto.

People of a certain age remember that only ten years ago, this old guy was still powerful, how could he have aged like this in the past ten years.

Otto, who had been fighting all his life, instantly realized that things were not simple because a guard urgently notified the king and the Duchess of Ostara for their urgent visit.

"Come here! Bring my golden battle armor and serve me to get dressed!" Otto commanded his servants in a hoarse voice, so he deliberately left Rurik to dry until the waiter put him on. gilded scales and gilded helmet.

Ao sat on his legs, his legs covered by a gilded skirt. He wasn't worried that his aging shoulders would get tired carrying the armor. The existence of the inner bracket allowed Otto to support the armor as long as it didn't shake violently.

Of course, the gilded armor was originally a ritualized utensil. The Damascus steel sword was still held in his arms and carried on his shoulders.

At first glance, it seemed that this thin old man who also combed his silver-white beard into braids could rise up and draw his sword to attack the enemy once he was provoked.

In fact, anyone who knows him well knows that the old man misses his once vigorous self. No, when Hao Da'er clenched the hilt of his sword and approached, he seemed to see himself when he was young.

Otto's slightly hoarse voice slowly heard the news: "Rurik, what is the big deal? Carlotta, what is the big deal that compelled you to ask me, an old man, for help?"

"Father, it's war." After speaking, Rurik sat down first, and those who were allowed to enter the temple also sat cross-legged on the wooden floor.

Rurik gave his father a lot of face, this is not Otto actually sitting on the wooden platform, the wooden wall is decorated with the hideous head of a polar bear, and the soft and comfortable cushion is also a real bear skin, showing an old Nordic warrior The sturdy.

In this way, Otto could look down on everyone in front of him, and he knew that all of this was his son's promotion of himself, the overlord.

But that's just respect. I haven't asked about political affairs for many years, and Ross now doesn't need a dying veteran to command.

Besides, the huge Ross kingdom is so big that Otto can't imagine, even if he is thirty years younger and politically young, he can't control it at all.

He knew that his ability was only enough to manage a tribe.

"You can lead the army to win any war. Regarding the expedition to Frank, I fully support you. I even prayed to the gods, and your mother also prayed. Ross can still win." Otto He said some nonsense on his own, but Rurik didn't refute, and simply repeated what his father said.

"Our army will win." Then comes a turning point.

"Father. Do you remember Pine Needles?"

"Pine Needle Manor?!" Otto's squinted eyes suddenly opened: "I will never forget it. Why are you mentioning this?"

"We all know that there is sufficient information to prove that Vadim from Pine Needle Manor managed to escape to Smolensk and is now the local leader."

"I have heard a little bit. The Smolensk slaves you captured all illustrate this strange thing. They all say that it must prove that it is true. I also know that you intend to conquer Smolensk. Since the escaped Vadim As the leader over there, you have a reason to send troops to fight. What are you... mentioning this past incident? Could it be... You changed your mind? Instead of attacking Frank, you want to attack Smolensk?!"

"Father is wise." Rurik raised his head and his face was like iron: "You would never have imagined that Vadim braved the severe cold to launch a war. I didn't go to beat him, but he took the initiative to attack Ross."

"What did you say? I'm old, and my ears are old."

"Father!" Rurik said loudly, "That reckless Vadim assembled an army of five thousand and launched an attack on our southern stronghold. That is an army of five thousand!"

"Five thousand?" Otto had to be surprised. The old man was not surprised

The number "five thousand soldiers" is the most surprising thing that the Smolensk people are willing to obey the command of an exile.

No matter how you think about it, all this is too bizarre. So, Carl Ericsson, who galloped from Vitebsk, briefly described what he saw and heard in this wooden hall.

He spoke vividly, and he couldn't help but add a lot of details, making it appear that the enemy is very powerful. Otto had the ultimate spiritual resonance, and his body trembled with excitement.

He obviously shouldn't do this, so the bracket supporting his golden scales loosened, and a heavy force suddenly fell on his shoulders, and Otto Wei's body suddenly fell down.

The people present came to see that Otto had clearly collapsed due to strong mental stimulation. Rurik rushed forward with a stride and held his father in his arms.

"Are you OK!?"

"Silly boy, I can't die yet! Help me get up, and help me press the bracket back. Boy, you should build me a better armor and bracket." The stubby farce ended, and Otto suppressed his excitement , He knows very little about the new terms such as Veliky Luki, Vitebsk, and Polotsk. Since it is a new city established by the expansion of the Kingdom of Ross in the interior, and since the settlement has been established, it must not be abandoned unless necessary.

After all, the strongholds were not built randomly. They existed on the land and inland river lines between Ross and the south, and they were trade nodes in themselves.

Why did the enemy attack? Otto could figure out what that Vadim was up to with his toes.

"Damn it! Back then, I should have kicked that **** to death. What a mistake of kindness ruined our major event."

"Father, why do you blame yourself so much?" Rurik comforted: "Carota and I came here to tell you this matter. You are qualified to know the inside story of this matter."

"Of course. I'm old. If I were young like you, I would have brought the army to kill! Don't give that Vadim another chance, I will kill him. What a pity... Rurik, you are my son , I don't know what you think. I hope you send troops immediately and kill him.

"What my father said is very true. I really think so, and taking advantage of this opportunity, I just try Ross's cavalry regiment."

"Then do it. If the action does not interfere with your expedition to Frank, then do it." Vadim's attack on Vitebsk was not only an attack on the Principality of Ostara, but also an attack on the Kingdom of Ross.

It is hard to say whether the enemy really has 5,000 men, but it must be a fact that its strength is huge. It's just that the reckless Vadim rushed to launch an attack in winter, either he was well prepared and confident, or he was a fool.

But Vitebsk is very close to the villages in Polotsk, and the military disaster is likely to affect the villages there. Although there are a small number of Ostara garrisons in the local area, it is a drop in the bucket to face the overwhelming enemy.

Fortunately, the four cavalry teams are all training in Novgorod. The Principality of Ostara has entered a state of emergency and has begun full-scale mobilization. There are Kiev horsemen and Pecheneg horsemen in the local area. These people are the military allies of Ross. Or, what's more, the military action is actually related to the trade interests of the two countries.

What Vadim did was to cut off people's money, so even if he had no old grudge with him, now it has become a deep hatred like killing his parents.

The matter of dispatching troops was settled at this point, Carlotta did not say a few words, tears welled up in her eyes. Because after a little calculation, she understood the weight of cavalry that Rose could mustermaybe two thousand cavalry.

Even more than cavalry, the environment of the land is enough for reindeer sleds to run wildly in the snow, and the Novgorod region is one of the kingdom's deer breeding bases.

The army can be assembled quickly and rush to Vitebsk in a short time. Rurik's attitude is also very clear-the reason for the Royal Conquest to send troops will be cheered by the people. Vadim, as a rebel, was originally the enemy of many local traditional farms.

And its collusion with the Smolensk people in the northern Great Lakes region has naturally aroused public anger.

The northern Slavs hated him, and UU reading www.uukanshu.com Russian immigrants hated him even more. There is even a possibility. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Rurik told his father: "Perhaps Odin gave us a once-in-lifetime opportunity. I killed him and wiped out his five thousand army. After such a loss, maybe the Smolensk people are trying to Make peace. In this way, I can solve the Smolensk issue once and for all, and put an end to our army's expedition to Frankland. Otto nodded in agreement, and what he is doing now is to put his own

The "Destroyer" sword was handed over to his son.

"Father..." Rurik took the sword while half kneeling.

"This sword will be yours sooner or later. Now you take it against Vadim. You can capture him alive, bring him to me, and I will order his execution. Or you will kill him on the battlefield. Kill it with this sword."

The "Destroyer" sword was a patterned steel sword. Rurik reckoned that it was a sword from the East Roman Asia Minor region that fell into the hands of Otto after several turns. Its quality was not comparable to the current Ross steel sword.

It was more symbolic than combat, and Rurik, who took the sword, knew exactly what he had to do.

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