A new batch of horses was put into the treasury, and a new batch of recurve bows filled the armament. Rurik had enough supplies to exchange with Kagan for these, and he was now trading more than just these.

The army was about to assemble, and the conscription began quietly.

Numerous farm boyar nobles have arrived in Novgorod City by order. They probably witnessed the wedding of the king and Princess Pecheneg, and they must have witnessed the military might of the Rus army at the same time.

The boyars who came first had plenty of time to rest, and King Rurik wanted to wait until everyone was there before holding a key meeting.

He is already arranging for his subordinates to purchase and transport supplies, and the entire city is actively preparing for the war. The war is related to the dream of making a fortune for many people, from the nobles to the commoners. He is sure that everyone will not neglect it.

Before the formal assembly meeting, a special small meeting was first held in secret.

The number of people attending the meeting was very small, and their identities were strongly divided.

Oil lamps were lit in the warm house, and they had all had supper, and it was like having a dark meeting with the cold night.

Indeed, they are plotting a "conspiracy".

King Rurik was undoubtedly the presiding officer of the meeting and the planner of the next strategy.

The others were Carlota, Duchess of Ostara, Svalgard, Duke of Gran, Kagan, Prince of Pecheneg, and Sakyi, the Kiev speaker (recognized by Rurik).

The beating flame of the oil lamp made Rurik's handsome face sway as well, as if to show the king's fluttering killing intent.

"Thanks to the information you provided, it seems that the Smolensk people in the south have a huge hostility towards us Ross." Rurik started without courtesy, pointing out the key points with a cold face.

In this way, Kagan said bluntly: "Brother, do you think I brought back not enough slaves this time? Most of the slaves were bought by your wife. I think you are very close, and it is the same to sell to anyone. You may Don't blame me."

"That's not the case."

"Oh? You're asking me to loot more? In the fall, expect me to bring more slaves?"

Since he guessed seven, seven, eight, eight, Rurik can describe it easily. He nodded: "Yes, but..."

"so what?"

"I want you, and I want you. Let's join forces for a big thing, we'll attack Smolensk!"

Attack on Smolensk? When Rurik pointed out this matter, everyone sitting was surprised, but not overly surprised.

Kagan's gloomy face was full of murderous aura, and he said in a low voice: "You have already said that you will use troops in Smolensk. It seems that you have finally made up your mind. If you go to war, as a brother, I will directly send troops to support you. It's just that , brother, I don't know something."

"Speaking."

"Even if Ross is very strong, do you really have the courage to fight on two fronts? We have a proverb in the grasslands."

"What is that?" Rurik asked.

"When you're riding a charge, be sure to have a shield on your back. That said, it's not wise to fight on two fronts if you're really aiming in one direction."

Is it really unwise to fight on two fronts? Mostly, unless the country is very strong and the enemy is weak. Rurik had no intention of refuting his brother Kagan, he did intend to fight on two fronts, but the soldiers used in the battle against Smolensk were not Ruth's soldiers!

Now that Kagan has said so, Rurik complimented: "Thank you eldest brother for reminding me that the main force of Ross is about to go west, and I will go to the west. I will also take the newly married Beja Hill to the west, she is eager to become Female warrior, I will give her the opportunity to build her merits."

But Kagan's words meant something strange. "Very good. Bejasil should go to see the vastness of the world, but she doesn't understand your big ship. I really hope she can adapt to the wandering at sea."

"She will definitely make achievements. The problem now lies with you. Brother, I want to make an appointment with you."

The Rurik brothers in front of them frequently call themselves "big brother". In terms of strength, the national strength of the Pecheneg Khanate is really inferior to that of Ross. In terms of military strength, Pecheneg is a country with all cavalry and has a unique advantage. Kagan was very comfortable, and said without much thought: "We are brothers, any agreement is beneficial to our two countries, and I am willing to sign it."

"That's good." Rurik deliberately looked at the other people sitting, and his eyes hit Sakyi, a Kiev man.

He cleared his throat and formally stated his decision: "The forces of the Smolensk lie on the trade routes of Rus, Kiev, and Pecheneg, and it is said that there is also a small Lad Mickey, and these forces are in the way. , we can carve them up. Even if we can't really carve up Smolensk, we'll greatly frustrate their strength and even drive them further east into the jungle.

Ross will officially start the war against Smolensk this year. I will divide a part of the cavalry and continue to station in the southernmost Novostara. I will also train 5,000 militiamen for the subsequent war.

My main force will go west, and it is indeed unfavorable for the garrisoned army to rush south to start the second war.

I need the support of Pecheneg and the Kiev army. Please use Rus, especially Novgorod and Novgorod, as rear bases.

Brother Kagan, and old friend Sackey. You have cavalry now, and I will help you with better weapons and equipment. You must go south in April, like a pack of wolves in the twilight suddenly attacking, looting their villages, causing destruction, and sending captives to me Here, when the time comes, there are many benefits. "

Hearing this, Kagan, who was originally excited about joint operations, could hear that he was the next khan, and suddenly he became a horse bandit.

Kagan smiled: "I really thought you were going to send troops directly, it seems that you are putting on a defensive posture. You invited me to loot in the south, this is my job. It's just that it counts. Be a part of the war, brothers, I really admire you."

"Are you mocking me?"

"How dare I. Do it then! It's a chance to make a fortune, brother, and we'll have to negotiate the price of the slaves beforehand."

"This is easy to handle." Rurik slapped his thigh: "You can arrest people as much as you want. This is a war after all, you can do things according to the rules of your grassland. I prefer you to kidnap female slaves, or the old rules, a A pound of silver for a slave girl, or a thousand pounds of wheat, or two bearskins. You know the prices here, and I will never set prices to make you unhappy."

Because Smolensk is a quasi-state group that has been expanding, it is a tribal alliance, and is actually the same family of Kiev people in blood.

How close is the blood relationship? They were expanding along the Dnieper River, not far from Kiev, where they extended their power downstream. If this trend cannot be curbed, the Kievs will have to honor them as the boss.

Different from the status quo in Kiev, Smolensk has already given birth to their real power chiefs. According to the available information, the situation over there is becoming more delicate.

Rurik found a very good reason for the war - to continue the rebel Vadim.

The Smolensk chief not only captured Vadim, but even made him his son-in-law. Regardless of whether things are reliable or not, there is a reason for war that can convince the public since similar claims are made.

King Rurik used this pretext to announce to the public his tough attitude towards Smolensk.

But it is not the real reason for the war.

In this black meeting under the night, Ross, Kiev and Pecheneg reached a consensus, because Smolensk blocked everyone's way of doing business and making a fortune, not only did he not want to join but also controlled the trade route, then it's really damn.

The war had a special beginning, the Pechenegs and the Kievs went to rob the population, and the slaves were first transported to New Ostara and directly digested. A "slave road" will be formed along the banks of the Lovady River, which runs north-south and empties into Lake Ilmen.

Rurik knew that one of his beloved wives, Carlota, was full of grief for her hometown of Ostara. Accompanying the Western Expeditions increases the sadness, and she is already a good female general, just enough to sit on her own new Ostara, responsible for Ross's national-level plundering of Smolensk in 840.

A single Carlotta may not be enough, so Svalgard, the duke of Gran, who has his own army like a joke, can also come in handy. Carlotta led a cavalry force to defend the border in Nova Ostara, and Svalgard was stationed with an infantry force.

It is said that Smolensk has a large population. Rurik estimated that from past experience, Kagan and Sakyi used cavalry troops to frantically destroy from north to south. It is not terrible to seek revenge. It is not appropriate for Ross to take the initiative to mobilize the army to the south this year. After all, the path for the Smolensk people to seek revenge in the north is extremely narrow, that is, they advance along the natural road along the Lovady River.

My own agreement has been set, although I can't personally participate in the Westward Expedition, thinking of revisiting the old place to grieve, it's better not to go this time. Carlotta was also very pleased that his man took such a fancy to him, and he was also very happy that he could fight with the Gran people as in history, and the Gran people were still under the jurisdiction of Ostara.

Based on his own commitment, the day after the end of the "black meeting", the dress-up for the Pecheneg warriors began. Not only these people, but even the limited number of armed business groups in Kiev began to change their clothes.

Kagan and Sakyi, their men had their own armour, and Rurik had funded a large number of steel cluster arrows, a large number of steel spearheads, prisoners of war, and steel swords.

Even the ordinary men of the poorly equipped Kiev caravan have completed their outfits. In principle, they have to pay for their new exquisite weapons. Now there is no need to pay, as long as the looted population is sent to the north, it will be paid off.

Weapons are so, they even have protective gear.

Most of Kagan's subordinates are guards who wear iron armor, and they are all equipped with armor, even if there are many leaks in the long-term wear and tear.

Rurik provided a special batch of iron armor, which imitated the armor of the regular army of the Frankish kingdom.

The tanned deerskin is lined, and a large number of iron sheets are pasted on the outside and fixed with rivets. This kind of armor is far inferior to the excellent Zhajia. It is true that Ross can make Zhajia, and even plate armor. Considering the double cost of materials and time, they are unnecessary.

It's good to have armor, why choose the fatter? Taking into account the previous looting battle, Kagan didn't think the Smolensk people were very powerful, and knew that everyone would make frequent sneak attacks in accordance with the traditional "stealing chicken and dog tactics" of their own nation.

Kagan is very clear about the significance of giving armor. Although he wants to exchange slaves in principle, his Rurik brothers did not sell armor in the past. He really regarded himself as a brother.

To be fair, the Frankish army wore this kind of armor to pursue cost-effectiveness, and its defense capability was not strong. Considering the expressions of the Saxons and the West Slav tribes that usually served as opponents, the tribal warriors of these two ethnic groups had almost no armored weapons and equipment. Simple, and the Frankish army wearing inferior armor can blast them.

Ross also pursued cost-effectiveness and improved it according to his actual ability.

The cowhide for the lining was changed to deerskin that Ross has a huge amount of, and the iron sheet was replaced by a mass-produced malleable cast iron. With the talent pool that Bairurik started more than ten years ago, Ross currently has more than 200 blacksmiths serving his king, and a group of blacksmiths has emerged among the people.

A mass-produced armored suit is still in production. It is a vest, a square piece of tanned deerskin with a hole in the middle to accommodate the soldier's head. A large number of square carbon steel sheets are riveted on the front and back, and there are hemp ropes on both sides of the waist rib, which can tie the armor firmly. Its quality is not as good as tie armor, and even less than chain armor, but this type of armor is very suitable for horse armor and phalanx infantry to quickly equip. Or rather, it is more suitable for Slavic peasant soldier equipment.

Because over the past decade, any Viking warrior who has acquired wealth has to add weapons and armor to himself, and they are willing to pay big bucks. When his son grows up, the father also pays to add weapons and armor to his son. The common warrior culture makes the Viking warriors in the kingdom of Ross have a very high armor rate, which is also given by the technology bonus and war bonus of By Ross.

When recruiting Viking warriors to the west, Rurik did not worry about the weapons of these warriors at all. They were guys with excellent weapons. All the king had to do was to prepare food and grass.

There will be a large number of soldiers of Slavic and Finnish ethnicity participating in the battle, and the "Riveted Iron Sheet Armor" stocked for this can be equipped with them.

The transactions with the Pecheneg and Kievs have been completed, and as for the last dozen or so beautiful and young slaves sent by Kagan, they have become a bargaining chip.

Rurik originally intended to give these groomed women to Medved, his brother-in-law and the governor of Novgorod. He didn't want it, and even pretended that his wife didn't like it.

Regardless of Medwait's plans, these women are still giving away.

They were not suitable for the maids of the Royal Palace of Ross, and Rurik could not trust them. If any woman is the most likely to be a maid, it is the mixed-race daughter of the old Russ and her Sla couple. In principle, she is her own clan, and Rurik can trust it, and so can other nobles.

These were originally Smolensk or La Mickey village girls. After they were groomed, their hair was tied into the shape of a Viking woman, with glass beads hanging from their braids, and stained glass mixed with agate around their necks. pendant. If you change your clothes again, wouldn't it be like some fairies?

They are just a group of pure and helpless young women, just dressed like this, at first glance, the king really put some thought into them.

There were exactly twelve of them, and during the counter-rebellion war, there were exactly twelve of the Boyar nobles of the farmstead who were outspoken and loyal and later turned their backs.

According to the king's order, these boyars gathered in the city of Novgorod.

At the same time, as many as 30 village chiefs from the "Pioneering Villages" who did not have aristocratic status arrived by order. These people were all "hidden people" who were caught out of the forest. They also received orders to recruit troops, even if Even the few men who are dispatched must also participate in the war!

So aside from the White Tree Manor, which was integrated with the old Ross ten years ago, other local Slavic farms have swelled to as many as forty-two! Under the command of the Governor, many nobles and leaders, whether willing or not, have actually contributed to the corresponding men of the headquarters.

They murmured to each other, guessing that the king just had to assemble everyone on a routine basis, and then continue to do things according to the plan.

In fact, this is not the case, because a special second battlefield is to be opened for the Smolensk people. In a sense, the entire Ilmen Lake area, including Novgorod, which was originally a safe place, was attacked. risks of.

The guys in those 30 villages are completely under Ross' control. Although the population is large, there are actually various miniature forest villages stitched together. They are not self-contained and can only listen to the arrangements of the king and the governor.

As for the other 12 native farms, their overall population has also exceeded 30,000. In recent years, their lives have been improved. Each farm is desperately trying to give birth to children, and the population can only be larger in the future.

For future warriors, as long as these twelve farms clearly support the king, it means that the more than 100,000 Slavic population in the entire Lake Ilmen region is already a monolithic, extremely stable rear of the country.

Twelve Boyar nobles who were very well-dressed and gorgeous gathered in a room. They greeted each other and muttered about the king's intentions. They also speculated that everyone had donated their sons to the king as cavalry, and their sons would hope in the distance. What an achievement.

They also tried to ask where the King of Guards went.

Soon Rurik will be on the scene!

Boyars cast complimenting glances one after another, and they greeted each other with compliments.

"Okay! Friends, your loyal gods can be learned from!" Rurik first said a set of words, followed by the words: "So in recognition of your loyalty, this king specially gave each of you a great gift today. !"

That's all, he clapped his hands, and a group of beautiful women lined up and filed out.

They are really beautiful~www.mtlnovel.com~ The boyars present were amazed, and some people asked: "What does this mean?"

"Oh? Can't you see that these are gifts for you?" Rurik continued with a smile: "These women are given to you. Whether it's a wife or a maid, it's up to you, maybe you I understand, they are indeed women taken from Smolensk. Now they are all yours!"

Having said that, everyone grasped the beards on their faces and completely understood, but everyone did not know that the prairie people who transported slaves really hid some treasures. Thinking about the crooked melons and jujubes that I bought before, shouldn't the beautiful slaves be used by their Varangians? myself actually...

"What are you still doing!" Rurik urged: "Go and get what you like!"

No, all the Boyars did it! They know that they will pay some price for getting Maggie's gift from the king, so what? Even if there is no gift, how dare everyone not support any decree issued by the king?

These beauties really don't want it for nothing.

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