Rise of Rurik

"Semigalia? You... want to conquer those people?" Ostan was taken aback suddenly.

The drastic change in his mood immediately attracted the attention of the three of them.

Fisk pinched his beard leisurely, and asked again: "How? Don't you think the mighty Ross will face some little troubles when it comes to easily defeating those people?"

"It's hard to say. Because, they are very brave, and..."

"Is there a secret?"

"It's not a secret." Ostan relaxed a little: "They are not easy to mess with! I am a poor businessman, and I don't have a suitable boat along the coastline to Riga, so I have to use the safest inland river route. In this way, we can It must pass through their territory, and if you want to pass smoothly, you must pay a tribute."

Fisk nodded: "It's nothing strange."

"Not only that." Austen's eyes turned more towards Stekander sitting in front of him: "Don't you prepare for their attacks year after year? If your army kills them, they will definitely fight back with all their strength of."

"Counterattack." The words instantly aroused Fisk's fighting spirit: "We are not afraid of fighting. Do they dare to fight back? That's fine! Then kill them."

"Ah? Are you really planning to do it?!"

"Otherwise, why would I summon you?"

Fisk said it lightly, and Olstein stood on his own ground. He felt that it was a mistake to do business in Riga this year. More than 20 merchants brought their families with them. Their armed forces were purely for guarding against wild animals during the journey. If the Semigallians were dissatisfied with the tribute and launched an attack, everyone could resist for a while and run away.

Austen and his party are looking for a living, not

Some fighters also regard killing as the essence of life, and they reject fighting.

Fisk then stroked his big bald head, looked at Ostan with beast-like eyes with a strong killing intent, and growled: "You actually have no choice. Be our guide now and help Ross attack Semiga Leah. Rose is fair! You will be rewarded for your meritorious service in leading the way. If you lead us to a strange place, I will kill you."

Just now it was showing kindness, but now it has become coercion.

Maybe the people of Ross will give you a reward, but as long as you bring it wrong, wouldn't the whole family be killed?

That's what Olstein thought, and Fisk added: "The women and children of all your merchants will stay in Riga, and we will seize all the goods first. You! Organize all men in the caravan who can hold weapons to join the army, All serve us as guides. After the battle, you are all entitled to the spoils. But! I repeat, you must lead honestly, and if you take the wrong course, you will all die."

The curls were damp, and Olstein's wrinkled forehead was soaked with sweat.

"Do you want to do it?!" Fisk asked sharply.

"this…"

"What? Are you cowards?" Spueut, who had watched the play for a while, spoke. After all, the other party is also an explorer, and he can go to distant places to explore in order to obtain wealth. For this kind of person, the old Spuet inevitably has some empathy. "True businessmen are not afraid of risks. They all speak the Norse language. Such an opportunity to make a fortune is in front of them. What kind of cowards would refuse? Or, do you actually want to work for Ross?"

austen realizes himself

Just like walking on thin ice is like facing an abyss, as long as you choose a wrong step, you will die.

Based on what he knew about Ross, he at least knew that this group of people was really ruthless. Because there are some Gotlanders in Cherbourg (now Yelipaya) where I was born. Although those people had left the big island long ago, they also knew that ten years ago, the Ross army swept across the island without limit, and the prosperous Port of Visby degenerated into a small fishing village controlled by the Mälaren people of Sweden.

Working with this group of people, even if they make a series of promises, are they really the right partner? I always feel that this is seeking skin from a tiger.

"Hurry up!" Fisk snapped.

Finally, Olstein had to make the most thorough choice: "I will do it! I will lead you the way and help you attack Semigalia."

"Oh, that's right." Fisk took a fierce look, and his ferocious face became kind again.

Although even Strkander, who has been living in Riga, has never been to the place where the Semigallians live, based on the news obtained over the years, and even the confessions of prisoners of war captured many years ago, Riga and the entire Latvian tribe, The Danish community, it can be estimated that the enemy is a tribal alliance that controls a large area.

Fisk is well-informed, and even the mighty Frank has "broken his wrist". Isn't it normal to quickly attack new enemies? If the problem can be solved quickly by means of war, there is no need to spend time talking nonsense with those people.

Fifteen years have passed since the Ross tribe raised their troops. After a thorough study, Ross is one of the few who resolve international issues through negotiation and negotiation. The Kingdom has always used war as a shortcut to deal with affairs. History has proved that this set has excellent effects. Although Fisk is young, he has fought in the battlefield for more than ten years.

In 2000, he naturally fell into a mindset - those who do not take the initiative to pay tribute are enemies and can be killed.

"Since you are sincerely willing to cooperate, then tell us about yourself." Fisk asked.

"say what."

"Tell me how many Semigallian villages and cities you encountered along the way. In this way, I will know which ones must be conquered. In this way!" Fisk straightened his body: "I can determine the correct path and help my Arrived in your hometown smoothly in the past."

Speaking of this, Fisk had to add one more sentence: "You will get wealth because of your full contribution. Maybe the king will make you a nobleman if he is happy. If you become a nobleman, you can be like us, and you don't want your children Live the rest of your life rowing in wild creeks..."

Some people do not have a particularly strong desire for power and wealth, such as Olstein himself, who is the kind of person who gets rich when he is small. However, if my gamble can win a good future for my two sons and young grandson, I can give it a try.

The so-called Semigalia tribal alliance, these people's territory is huge and loose.

The main threat to the locals of Riga is that part of the forces that live on the left bank (south bank) of the Daugava (West Dvina).

In this era, the city of Jelgava had not yet been established. It was a military stronghold established by the Teutonic Knights during the Great Northern Crusade Movement, and developed into a fortress city from this.

Jelgava is still a low-lying land covered by forests, just like the suffix gava used in its name.

Even so, it does not mean that the current geographical location is no man's land,

There are already Semigallians living here, although it is only a small fishing village.

Facing the Lielupe River, villagers fish and cultivate land in the fertile riverside area.

There are a large number of lakes and forests in this huge area, and the trees are mostly pine trees, making the overall soil acidic. Large-scale logging is impossible for the Semigallians. They naturally gather near rivers and lakes, choose areas with stable hydrology to settle and reclaim wasteland, rely on natural river mud as fertilizer to nourish the farmland, and use all their knowledge to maximize planting High yield of oats.

Due to the limitations of the times, the Semigallians only have oats, rye and buckwheat in their hands, and they are most willing to grow the former.

It is precisely because Ross invaded Britain and plundered a large amount of wheat from the Kingdom of Mercia. The vital wheat has survived in the cold Britain for hundreds of years, and the ones that can be plundered by Ross are all cold-resistant varieties. It is really different for Ross to be able to plant wheat extensively in the area around Lake Ilmen, especially the food it attracts, which objectively brings a different advantage to the Ross army.

However, there is not much difference between soldiers eating wheat and eating oats. The biggest difference lies in the yield.

The terrain where Jelgava is located is too flat and closer to the sea, and the local forest resources are too abundant. It was an easy place to attack but hard to defend, but it was just right for the large-scale cavalry operations of the Teutonic Knights.

The most unbearable thing about the cavalry-based knights is the rugged terrain. Jelgava has always been the knights' large barracks, so backed by the abundant supplies of Riga Port, it faces the Kingdom of Lithuania in the south.

Today's Lithuania does not exist, her predecessors Yutvin tribe

It is still developing rapidly on the upper Bug River. The Uteven tribe and the Semigallian tribe have the same language and language, and their languages ​​are almost the same. It is just that the place of residence is different, and there is a certain gap between them.

The Semigallians of the Northeast live in a city called Mezotne, a large settlement that could be called a city.

Based on Olstein's description, the core of the city is a large altar built on the central mound, and a large number of people built houses around the mound to reclaim wasteland. She also has a pier, and the locals are doing fishing by the river. She also serves as a trading center for the region, liaising with other tribes belonging to Semigalia.

Because of the tribe's name, the large settlement has a name.

The Semigallians closest to Riga are the Mezotne tribe, but the people in Riga are too lazy to distinguish them, they are all guys who covet Riga's wealth anyway.

In the past, Latvians in Riga employed a large number of Danish immigrants as bodyguards. Today, Riga and Latvia under Roth have changed. That kind of conservative thinking should step aside!

The three big men finally have a clear target to attack, so that they won't be hit by headless chickens after they raise their troops.

"Then attack Mezotne and remove an obstacle for Ross's army."

Fisk boasted boldly, he reached an agreement with Spuyt, and seeing this, Sternkander, who was already the Earl of Latvia, had no choice but to agree.

These two old Russ didn't even care about negotiating to solve the problem of giving way!

Since those west coast merchants transporting amber have to pay tribute to the Semigallians every time they cross the border, it means that those people must consider themselves strong and think highly of themselves. with arrogance

or dialogue? No need to waste your tongue.

Besides, isn't Riga facing an opportunity now?

When the huge Ross garrison was not there, if those Semigallians made a sneak attack, Riga would suffer some losses if they didn't keep it in order.

Now the main force of King Ross has not yet arrived, even if they do come, the cavalry corps will still go to Cherbourg on the west coast and enter Courland smoothly. Taking the inland route is a shortcut, and the only obstacle seems to be the mezzotine.

The three big figures then set a clear strategy. They temporarily released the Ostein father and son, and then sent cavalry to various Latvian villages to announce orders.

After all, the leaders of the villages are all boyars, and they were conferred by King Ross himself, not the Earl of Saaremaa or the Earl of Latvia. They have an in-depth cooperation with Stekander and Spuet. When it comes to legal principles, these local nobles are directly loyal to Rurik himself.

Therefore, the cavalry sent by Fisk announced to the nobles that there was no room for their refusal: "In the crusade against Mezot in Semigalia, your village will send at least 50 troops, immediately begin to gather troops and quickly go to Riga to meet .You are fighting for King Ross! Soon the king will go to Riga to accept your results."

These messengers explained a lot, and their tone was threatening.

In the past, the Latvians were only willing to protect themselves and never had the courage to take the initiative to attack Semigalia. The situation is different now. In name, the Latvians also sent troops to join Romania

The Sri Lankan army withstood Smolensk's crazy attack just half a year ago. Even if they only dispatched less than a hundred Jianyongs, they basically suffered no losses after the war.

This matter is more of a huge psychological impact!

The feeling of victory is sweeter than honey, and for the first time, the Latvian nobles can proudly say that they have won a victory. So why not continue to cooperate with the Ross army to win new victories?

The messengers were simply left in the villages, and the boyars of each village decisively called a meeting of the whole village, and they selected the men of the village overnight.

The spring plowing in Latvia has just ended, and people who have come down from the slack farming are looking for something to do to improve their lives.

The few people who participated in the war half a year ago got some trophies, which deeply stimulated the villagers—if they can fight and get a lot of wealth, why do real men want to farm the land honestly?

There are more than 20 Latvian nobles who have won the Boyar title, and there are the same number of villages behind them. Some villages are actually a combination of several small villages. It is not an exaggeration to call them a small city-state if they are called a village. Such villages often have thousands of people, which is considered a large settlement in this era.

Naturally, there are also small villages. It is also possible for the local boyars to send out fifty men to join the war.

It’s just that everyone must face a big problem. Now it’s the time of spring famine. How can we solve the problem of military rations after recruiting men to join the army on a large scale?

Only the Russian army really paid high attention to logistics issues. The Latvians didn't think too much about it, so they prepared some food and brought their own weapons. The next day, they stayed in the village for a night with the messenger. Soldiers to Riga

assemble.

Sending at least fifty troops does not mean that only fifty people will go to battle. Some Omura know very well that as long as they win, they will get the spoils, and as long as there are more people, there will be more hands to grab. There is nothing wrong with robbing the Semigallians. If you can get some young women, it will solve the marriage problems of some men in this village.

The boyars encouraged their sons to fight in succession. It was a pragmatic consideration to prove to the Ross people that they were real men worthy of respect. Most of the boyars are old, and this battle is not easy to fight with old bones. The son is in the prime of his life, and he can lead the boys in the village to fight as a commander.

A small village sends 50 troops, and a large village sends 200 troops.

The villages, at the behest of the king, were profligately making arrows in their native style, and from this trend they made a great deal of other weapons, especially the most simple and easy to obtain, the spear.

Installing an iron head on a wooden stick is a spear. Considering the ease of operation, the Latvians’ spears are mostly the length of two adults. They imitate the Russians and Danes, with an iron ax pinned to their waists. Even the bone axe, carrying a bag and a rough wooden shield on their backs, carrying spears and lining up in Riga one after another.

Such a scene was unexpected by Fisk!

All the boyars gathered in Rosduma, and the warriors they brought with them camped just outside the city.

Fortunately, the problem of military rations was solved due to special reasons. In order to help the future Ross Expeditionary Force solve part of the food problem, the residents of Riga City (mostly fishermen) specially made a lot of dried salted fish and meat. Ross Army icing on the cake

, Everyone did it because they could make money.

Selling to anyone is selling, and the city residents are selling them to the assembled Latvian noble army~www.readwn.com~The fish market in Riga is almost contracted by these people, and the catch is completely sold.

The aristocratic army bought a batch of food by selling the newly made linen in the village, and their cloth was relatively abundant, so all the boyars publicly played the Ross flag. Two strips of dyed blue cloth are sewn diagonally on plain white linen. The Ross flag is simple and easy to make.

In Rossdumane, after everyone talked with each other, Fisk, Sput and Stekander realized that these Latvian villagers usually hide their secrets? When they camped outside the city, it was difficult to estimate their strength because they were relatively scattered. Now that the nobles from all walks of life showed their experiences, the assembled army actually reached 3,000 people?

Originally, Fisk thought it was the limit for these people to dispatch about 1,500 peasant soldiers. It seemed that he underestimated their determination and strength because of his arrogance.

Three thousand troops, with this strength, why did Latvia hire Danish mercenaries in the past?

"Maybe this is a group of guys who can only fight with the wind? Well, anyway, they are rowing along the Lielupe River to attack, and they will definitely not go astray. Ah! In this way, I am like imitating Rurik, rehearsing in advance Advance by water?" Fisk undoubtedly became the commander of this military offensive, he was full of confidence in the battle situation, and planned to present the so-called great gift of victory to King Ross.