Rise of Rurik

Compared with my hometown in the north, the situation in Nassau Village in the Lane River Valley is much better.

Although it is covered by the university, the Lanhe River will not be completely frozen. The riverside area is so full of ice floes that they can barely walk on it, making it superfluous to push the existing longboats ashore.

The wild vines on the hillside were completely covered in snow, and they looked dead, but they were not.

Now the grape planting industry in the Lan River Valley is defined by the black fox as the development strategy of the barony. Although he himself does not know how to plant grapes, the villagers of Nassau do.

In the past, planting grapes to make wine was only to meet the needs of the lords and lords, and the people lacked labor enthusiasm, because it was almost difficult for them to get benefits from it.

Otherwise, the wines of the valley will be sent to the north at full force, and everyone who does this work will get a dividend.

In the late autumn of 841, the shrubs on the hillsides on both sides of the valley began to wither naturally on a large scale.

There are many types of trees in this area. On the surface, although it is a forest sea of ​​red pine and European cedar, it is also mixed with maple, oak, maple, and even ash.

There must be a baby on the mountain! For the black fox who occupies this place, since he has left his hometown in the north forever to be a hereditary noble here, he should find out the products in the territory as soon as possible.

Farmers were organized to clean up the withered vines deliberately with knives and axes for the first time, leaving only the roots that were still alive, and then planted a "cross" so that the hillside was like a cemetery. In fact, the withered vines can be used to bundle the sticks available for pitchers, and make wooden frames in autumn, which can be used as climbing supports for newborn glucose in the following year, so that grapes can be harvested in late summer.

The people had to go to the mountains to cut firewood and store it for heating in winter. Due to the garrison factor, Nassau's human resources seemed to be quite abundant.

Pine and fir trees were felled and chopped into pieces to build walls.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, those ash trees that were found were plundered by fishing. It would be a waste of money to simply burn them. Their elasticity is extremely important. They can be used to make bows, and can also be used as the key elastic lever for manual wood lathes.

Because Black Fox's subordinates are not just pirates or warriors, they are fishermen, hunters, and craftsmen.

Due to the harsh living environment in the north, those who are versatile are more able to live.

They have converted to God, hold a fortune in their hands, and have various skills. Most of them are young, tall and strong, at least with a completely different temperament than ordinary farmers.

The overall female population in Nassau and Koblenz is relatively large, or because of factors such as war, disease, malnutrition, and overwork, the life expectancy of local male farmers is not long. The most important thing is the overall poverty. Every winter Someone freezes to death. Widowed women often went to monasteries, and many more women had no right to choose their spouses.

The brothers never came here from the north because of their belief in certain beliefs. The north is a bitterly cold place, and although Nassau has winter, it feels like the late autumn in the north.

Then when the blue fox issued a request in the name of the baron, the Koblenz side with a larger population had to come up with a group of young women. Even a few knights in the mountainous area south of Koblenz handed over some of their unmarried serf women, completed the requirements of the king, and got a little real cash.

In late autumn, a limited group wedding was held in Nassau Village.

The ceremony ended in one day, and there was no aftermath of eating and drinking. In the eyes of Father Conrad, this move was a good move. After the incident, those onlookers were eager to move.

In the first spring after the first group wedding, those women were already pregnant.

The Normans did not bully these women! The daughter who married in the past actually got fat!

Especially the people of Koblenz, in the early spring when it was warm and cold, some villagers took their young daughters to row boats across the Rhine River and finally into the depths of the Lahn River, in order to marry their daughters well. husband. In other words, the greater willingness is that the villagers are staring at the cash in the hands of the Normans in order to "sell" their daughters for a good price. They don't have any psychological burden, just because the facts have proved that if they marry their daughters, they can still get a backer.

It appears that Nassau and Koblenz are entering an age-old

Yue Jing is in an idyllic state.

Provided there were no civil wars, provided all trade lines were perfectly safe. Black Fox and his Norman army controlled the growing population, so they could naturally enjoy themselves in this area.

But Koblenz was actually the front line of the Civil War! The Nassau side will not sit still, and the black fox will still take the initiative to attack.

The internal affairs are taken care of by two priests, and the blue fox temporarily lacks the ability to directly command the vassal knights in the Koblenz Mountains on the other side of the river. What he has to do is to manage the Lahn River Valley that he firmly controls, control the Randstad fishing village at the confluence of the Lahn River and the Rhine River, and gradually fortify the Emsbach quarry and hot spring.

The Emsbach quarry is geographically unique, and the open-air granite quarry stone can be cut at will. To build a stone Nassau castle on such a site, to replace the old baronial mansion, Black Fox had the dream.

In other words, he will soon be upgraded to an earl, and needs more domineering buildings to show his extraordinaryness.

He knew that no one had enshrined his family as earls. According to the agreement at the end of 841, he replaced Laingao himself, so he bought the fiefdom from the Robert family, and he also got the title of earl. This matter will definitely not get the support of Ludwig, the king of the East! How about that? Does that guy think he has many soldiers?

The black fox waited, he had to wait for his second brother, the blue fox, and even the Robert family.

It was spring, and the Robert family came here stubbornly in a carriage.

They are not even the only ones here!

A peaceful and stable life has always been the appeal of the northerners. Those soldiers who have been silent for a winter are ordered to put on their chain mail again, and put on a washed Rose robe with a white background and blue pattern. Saber, following behind the overly dressed black fox, launched a mighty battle to welcome Robert who moved his family.

The cavalry guarded the carriage, and there were quite a few of them.

The wheels made deep ruts, and Robert's boots stepped on the mud without accident, but after walking for a while towards the riverside wooden fort where the Ross flag was flying, the mud on the soles of his feet was cleaned.

"The ground has been stoned again. You guys are thinking too much..."

Looking up, Robert guessed that this group of Normans was determined to settle permanently. No village has the leisure to build roads for itself. Otherwise, the group of Normans would spread gravel in settlements on a large scale.

Patting in neat steps, the fighters kicked in neat steps. Their formation is not rigorous, but the rhythm of chopping the ground is accompanied by the characteristic Viking battle cry, and the sound is very regular. It seems that their appearance is not to welcome, but to go to the battlefield.

The two young knights, Gilbert von Eitkenstein and Ballard von Bredenstadt, did not come to Nassau, their father, who died fighting in the north, came too much Second-rate.

Young people are very ashamed of their limited knowledge, and the huge Hesse Mountains limit the space for everyone to move. The two lacked knowledge of the outside world, and this self-confident reality also made them unwilling to leave the fief at all.

Who is the real Baron of Nassau? I heard it was a young girl.

Who are the Normans who represent the Baron's real power? I'm afraid it's not that well-dressed little fat man?

It is true that Heihu has gained a lot of weight from his second brother Heihu who has successfully lost weight. In the past year, because of a lot of work to do, this young man who can barely claim to be eighteen years old has shouldered multiple pressures. He was still a little thinner, but he was wearing polar bear fur, a fox fur hat with dyed feathers on his head, and deliberately opened his chest to show that he was a Ross shirt, which was very different from the Frankish nobles.

A notable feature is the boots of the Norman aristocrats, which are high-top leather boots. It cannot be said that there are no shoes of this style, but only the group of Norman troops in front of them are wearing them.

From any point of view, the two young knights put on their most gorgeous and domineering attire, and at this moment they were completely timid in front of the uniform Norman army.

Robert was in a good mood. He got off his horse and gave the two last bells a wink.

In a moment, even now, the down-and-out earl has eaten up his remaining food, and is holding her arrogance tightly.

The armed squire was replaced by two years

To put it lightly, this scene also made Lanhu squint her eyes like a fox, and had to think: "Those two guys don't look like ordinary guards."

"Finally, you are finally here." Heihu said boldly, this moment can be described as rude.

The black fox has a superior attitude, Robert is not angry, this kid just looks a little naive when he looks fat and fat, and once he fights, he is as fierce as a **** three-headed dog.

"Yes. It's finally here. Maybe... I came a little early. I looked at the docks, and your brother's boat hasn't arrived yet."

"I'm waiting too." The black fox shrugged and turned his head slightly to signal his army: "Brothers are impatient! Everyone hopes that the war will continue, and we can continue to make a fortune this year."

"Okay. No one can stop you. I know something about the situation in the south, but it has nothing to do with me."

"Oh? Why don't you say something?"

The squinting black fox was actually waiting for this guy to comment on the attack on Trier last year. Robert realized that he just refused to comment.

No, Robert solemnly introduced his last two loyal ministers.

"This is Gilbert, this is Ballard..."

Even if it is just a knight, because it is a pure mountain native, although it is a small nobleman, its name is extremely long. Robert explained their respective names on behalf of the two. This is to show that he cannot forget the past friendship, and he is also helping the two young people.

Doesn't the title look domineering?

Heihu opened his eyes wide, no matter how he looked at it, he felt that the other party was exactly the same age as him.

"These two, I will leave them to you." Robert sighed softly, "The two are the real knights of Lyingon. When I was down and down, they would never leave. They can be loyal to me, and they will also be loyal to Nagar. Baron Sao."

"Oh? Is this to show allegiance to me?" Black Fox asked tentatively.

"Yes! No. They are the vassals of the real baron, that is... your wife. Obviously, Sophia didn't come." Robert said again.

"Her? She's still too young, maybe she won't be able to see such a battle for the time being?"

"It doesn't matter. We can do a ceremony of allegiance in the monastery. They can only show allegiance to the real baron, and they need to implement the ceremony of giving the sword. Etiquette is indispensable. It is best for the priest to be present to testify."

"It's a matter of red tape again, no matter...it can be done at any time. What about you?" The black fox stared into Robert's eyes: "Don't forget that our transaction is the most important thing."

"Will I forget? The lower vassals of Lyingau are loyal to you, and I have lost everything in the north. And you will become the Earl of Lyingal. At least my wife and I admit it."

Youdao said that it is not too late, if you want to control the black fox who came to Yingao to expand his strength, he quickly pulled up his sleeping fiancée.

In terms of law, Sophia is the fiancée of the black fox. She is the owner of the baron's mansion, and the black fox has become a lodger. In daily life, the black fox acts more like a big brother. Everyone including the priest Conrad is waiting. Only when Sophia grows up to the age stipulated by the Frankish law can the two get married. Although the people who immigrated here criticized a series of rules, because the rules are not based on principles to disrupt life, everyone tolerated it.

The bleary-eyed Sophia ate some cheese and was taken to the monastery.

She was dressed up, put on beautiful clothes and specially put on a heavy iron helmet, just to show herself like a military nobleman.

She is young, and her culture and knowledge are completely different from other noble women. The most important thing is the learning of Latin, she can be ignorant, but because of the persecution of the black fox who called her big brother, but is actually her fiancé, in the past winter she crammed up on knowledge, and now she really has an extra intellectual. beautiful.

It can be said that she is more intelligent than her two brothers who immigrated to the Netherlands.

She already realized what to do next, so she took over the broad swords of the two vassals.

The sword was a bit heavy, and she had to hold it with both hands, then placed it on the half-kneeling knight's shoulder, and finally put it on the knight's head, repeating the oath in Latin, announcing that she became a knight of Nassau.

All this was witnessed by Father Conrad, and confirmed by Black Fox, Robert, and even Adelaide, the daughter of the Earl of Tours.

With the acknowledgment of the clergy and the great nobles, this stubby canonization has a certain degree of legitimacy. As for whether Ludwig, the king of the East, recognizes it or not, it will not be considered.

But it's not over yet.

Sophia is young but not a fool. In the past two years, what she has experienced is like giving herself a rebirth. She is already a young girl. At the end of her childhood, her father participated in a war that determined the fate of the Nassau family. Now she is ordered to garrison the old place, shouldering the aristocratic status of the Baron of Nassau, and is no longer qualified to be a defender.

Koblenz-Nassau-Leingau must be born as a county!

She is only in her early teens, and she may lack the ambition to achieve a career for the time being, but she has to adapt to the responsibilities of this era in the face of reality.

Laingo will become a land of no owner because of the departure of the Robert family. Nassau is its old vassal, and now it is a good talk to replace it peacefully.

The canonization ceremony had just ended, and the two knights had just stood up sullenly. Sophia raised her head with a calm and slightly freckled face: "Soon, when the money is delivered to Sir Robert. I! I will automatically be the Earl of Lyingau .You are the last knights who came to Engel to serve you, and you will be promoted to baron immediately. At least we will recognize it! The northern countries will recognize your baron status."

All this was discussed by Heihu and his fiancée, but the reality surprised them both.

No one would have guessed that there were many knight leaders in Laingau, but a large number of those guys were loyal to Ludwig.

Only two cavaliers served Lyingol, and they were the only ones to change their ways.

It cost a lot of money to buy a large uninhabited mountainous area in Ingau, but only got the allegiance of two knights and a monastery.

However, the boat is ready. The Robert family came to Nassau before the Ross fleet arrived, and they will be stationed here to wait for the ship.

For this reason, the black fox still needs to eat and drink.

At first, the black fox felt that the two knights were a little dull and cautious. They are basically the same age, don't they know how to drink?

The barbecue is paired with ale and wine. The black fox stutters in his local dialect and at least dances and dances for the other party to understand. He specially invites two new friends to eat and drink, with the vulgar pride of the northerners, coupled with the rare tableware displayed on the table , quickly mingle with them.

Colored plates and wine glasses made of glass are not uncommon in the north, although the overall price is relatively high due to shipments.

However, in the backwaters of the Hessen Mountains, they are classified as hereditary knights. The two young people have to eat wheat from wooden bowls like ordinary farmers, at least better than ordinary people.

What's going on here in Nassau? Even the drinking quilts are light red "crystals"? !

This moment shows the arrogance of the black fox: "My wife is the ruler, and my son is hereditary. I am a housekeeper, not an earl, but another identity. I am a northern nobleman. After this meal, you all want these tableware Get it. We will be brothers from now on, eating meat and drinking wine together..."

The fat black fox with a belly is in stark contrast to the two thin knights, even though they are the same age. Obesity represents affluence in food and clothing, and what the two saw and heard in Nassau Village completely refreshed their understanding of the Normans.

Besides, the black fox holding a heavy army is indeed not a baron in law. Gilbert and Ballard really don't feel uncomfortable calling them brothers.

They also saw that the Robert family who moved their family to Nassau Village to continue eating, even though the Nassau side had fully figured out the situation, they still provided food and drink every day.

Spring has arrived and even early summer has arrived!

Everyone is waiting for the blue fox's fleet to arrive. It seems that something has happened?

It is true that situations have arisen in some places.

After all, the civil war is still going on, Lothair's summer offensive is inevitable, and Ludwig's summer counter-offensive also needs to be carried out. The two top aristocrats with heavy armies in their hands coincidentally made new moves at the same time.

Nassau in the Lane Valley, the front line of the Civil War

, and Koblenz at the confluence of the Mosel River and the Rhine River, has long been targeted by Lothair! The quiet time is just the appearance of paralyzing people before the crisis.

No, the war broke out!

A very regular infantry flag team of King Lothar, accompanied by a squadron flag team, and more than 200 armed civilians given by Earl Metz to **** logistical supplies~www.readwn.com~ put together as many as eight The army of more than a hundred people, with the goal of recovering Koblenz, started the summer offensive in this direction.

This matter was never a whim of King Lothair. He wanted to capture Koblenz and guard it with heavy troops to make up for the mistake of losing the place last year because of underestimating the enemy.

In this regard, when the army set off, the black fox and Robert had to wait for the boat foolishly.

Until the knight collar in the Koblenz Mountains was deliberately attacked and plundered as a traitor, the knight master was about to collapse, or he didn't want to fight the invaders at all. The knights rushed to the village along the Rhine River with the refugees, and reported to Eric "Missing Tooth" who was stationed in the mountain castle. The priest Bachbert took a boat to Lanstein at the mouth of the Blue River in despair. This mind-shattering news woke up the black fox immersed in the happiness of expansion.

"It's unreasonable, they actually took the initiative to attack? What qualifications do they have to take the initiative?! Brothers, kill them!" A fat man drew his sword. After experiencing war, he finally looked like a warrior.

But this time, the second brother Heihu will not help himself. Fortunately, the northern heroes under him are still very interested in killing, not to mention the new daughters-in-law who heard the news and hugged their Norman husband's thighs and cried bitterly. Now, the army has an unshirkable obligation to protect Koblenz.