Rise of Rurik

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Bernard faced many problems, including the landless knights fleeing from Anjou. Compared with the threat of the Burgundians, this was a small problem.

For Bernard was not just Count of Poitiers, he was first and foremost Count of Auvergne (north of Avignon and west of Vichy).

Bernard's family seized control of Poitiers in his father's generation. At that time, the family was a powerful noble in Aquitaine and was loyal to Louis the Pious. Although the family obtained Poitier through violent means, it was still recognized by the king afterwards.

This family loyalty has now been transferred to "Bald" Charlie, although this loyalty is extremely flexible.

The family is now headed by Bernard, who also has the same position as his cousin, Count Autun, so Poitiers-Autun-Auvergne is composed of two cousins ​​who have separated, and their territories are distributed in a zigzag shape. It occupies almost 70% of Aquitaine.

Apart from Aquitaine, almost all that remains is the Earl of Sainte, which faces the Atlantic Ocean.

Landry, Count of Saintes, had control over the two major cities of Saintes and Bordeaux. He also firmly controlled the middle section of the Avenue of Aquitaine and the key route of the "Pilgrimage Route to Saint Accord".

On the so-called "Pilgrimage Route to St. Accord", devout believers in the north go south along the Avenue of Aquitaine. After arriving in Bordeaux, they continue to turn onto the Avenue of Asturias towards the Iberian Peninsula.

South of Bordeaux is already the Toulouse region. Based on the current division of imperial territory, Toulouse is no longer part of Aquitaine. Bernard, as the first nobleman of Aquitaine, cannot pursue Toulouse.

But Bernard learned of such a statement that was unsubstantiated, or simply unverifiable.

The official salt-buying caravan he dispatched once obtained a piece of folklore in the city of Santes.

If those legends were just the talk of some individuals, they could be regarded as nonsense, but the caravan got similar statements from all kinds of people, and it seemed that the legends were not groundless.

The so-called Landry, Count of Sainte, this guy accidentally fell off his horse while riding a horse while hunting. His life was safe, but his injuries were extremely embarrassing—a rock on the ground hit his crotch.

According to folklore, the poor earl may have no heirs for the rest of his life.

The people regarded this as a crude joke, but it was a disaster for the count family of Sainte.

This is very embarrassing! Landry is the only son in the family. His mother did not even give birth to any sisters for him, so she contracted a serious illness and died. Landry's family no longer had any relatives who could legally inherit the title, and it was impossible for Bernard to pull off this guy's robe to find out what happened to his own crotch injury.

However, Earl Landry was already over thirty years old, and a nobleman of his age did not have a son or a half. Either this guy was an overly devout believer and scorned matters between men and women. Either that or those claims are true.

Now Landry is not married, and he happily collects tolls from believers on the "Pilgrimage Road". He has a close relationship with Archbishop Saint, and he behaves like a pious person to the outside world. It makes sense that he still has no heirs.

Bernard was still willing to believe that this guy fell off a horse and broke his crotch, forcing him to act very pious and respectable.

Perhaps it was this kind of piety that enabled the Count of Sant to do nothing against the Norman sneak attacks in the past years. Landry now holds the power, neglects military affairs and is busy with his faith, and his attitude towards the civil war in the empire is simply OK. It's called "What does it have to do with me?"

If Landry suddenly dies suddenly, where will his Uncle Sant go?

Bernard wanted to get Sainte, so that he and his cousin, the County of Autumn, could have one family almost controlling the entire power of Aquitaine, leaving only Limoges, a special entity managed by priests.

Considering that he is much older than Landry, there is a high probability that he died before Landry. Only his son or grandson may actually annex him.

In fact, major changes have already occurred in the historical development process.

Because the Kingdom of Rus intervened in Frankish affairs in the north in 840, it forced Duke Ludwig of Bavaria to organize a large army to counterattack. As a result, the Frankish army was defeated.

Since then, the Norman forces suddenly penetrated into the middle reaches of the Rhine River in a large scale, which in turn led to the rise again of many forces that had been destroyed by the Franks.

As a result, the decisive battle of Fontanoy that was supposed to break out near the Vosges Mountains in 841 did not develop, and the civil war continued to be delayed until 844.

Bernard, Count of Poitiers, was supposed to have died at the Battle of Fontenoy in 841, and his two sons succeeded Poitiers and Auvergne.

Now, the three father and son are staying in the dining room of the Poitier Royal Palace, listening to King Charles announcing his decision to recognize Regrave as the Count of Anjou.

Charles only made a small announcement at the dinner table while drinking, and there was no relevant formal knighthood ceremony. Even if all the speeches had nobles present as witnesses, his legal effect would be weak.

Of course, Charlie was not just talking. Bernard also hoped that Reglaf would officially receive the title this month, preferably around Christmas.

Bernard ignored the mess in front of him and gave the excited Charlie advice: "Since you admit that he is the Count of Anjou, the knighthood ceremony... I think it needs to be carried out immediately!"

Charlie nodded deeply: "I think it's okay."

"I suggest, just before Christmas. Let's make this year's holiday even more joyful!"

"Okay! Let's do it!" Charlie stood up happily and suddenly pointed his right hand at Regraf: "My good friend. I have decided! Just before Christmas, I will give you peace at St. Mary's Cathedral. The title of Earl Ru!"

Reglaf was overjoyed. He stood up and covered his heart with excitement. His eyes were as bright as fire and he said solemnly: "Great King of Aquitaine! Thank you for your reward. I am willing to be your sword!"

"Oh?! Words of loyalty!" Charlie couldn't help but straighten his head.

For example, nobles of the earl level are generally reluctant to say "I am your sword". This is too flattering and is detrimental to one's own honor.

Reglaf came from the north, and he felt that this statement was not excessive. It was nothing more than a necessary statement for a guard to declare his allegiance to his leader. The rhetoric that the Frankish aristocrats considered too precious seemed cheap to the Russians.

The key is not what you say, but what you do next.

Charlie was moved again by his words.

The lively banquet came to an end, and after the commotion, Reglaf's drinking also subsided. Although he is young, he has not drank too much low-alcohol sweet wine. Although his liver metabolism is not as good as that of a real adult, he has basically returned to his thoughts and emotions, but he is still a little drunk.

Charlie has basically returned to normal. The knighthood he announced on Christmas Eve must be true to his word, and the activities on that day are not only the knighthood.

The investiture ceremony is a supplementary activity to the high mass on that day, and can also be used as the opening ceremony before the parade.

Charlie hatched a plan in his mind, that is, he would confer the title of earl to Regrave in the cathedral in the presence of many priests. Then the newly appointed earl would lead his elite warriors to participate in the siege of Bovati in full regalia. The city’s “Christmas Parade”.

However, Bernard was still thinking about his huge sum of money from selling grain and taking the opportunity to solve the problem of the landless knights in his hands.

Bernard finally asked: "My food is in the city. Two million pounds of wheat can be raised quickly. When will you deliver the three hundred pounds of silver coins to me?"

Regraf replied readily: "Tomorrow! I can take the money with me tomorrow! I hope by that time, I can see the wheat in your granary."

"Very good!" Bernard was overjoyed and promised: "Give me the money and I will declare that you have control of the granary. Of course! In the end, if you transport the grain away, that is your own business. If you If you want to rent a carriage or horse, you have to pay extra.”

Regrave shrugged: "My men are all Normans, I have my own way."

"As you wish. I also have some good news for you."

"oh?"

"Ragraf, you are a very good boy. I admire you very much, so...I decided to give you a special gift."

"Are you still willing to give gifts? Well, I will accept any gift. Because, my dear Count Poitier, from now on I will be the Count of Anjou.

, I am your neighbor to the north. We are friends. "

"Friends?" Bernard muttered silently and sighed meaningfully. Then he solemnly said: "We will be good friends, and I will bring the gift to the granary tomorrow."

A lively banquet was completely over, but it was the prelude to a new event.

Regraf and Bruno walked out of the restaurant and jumped vigorously in the sun to sober up.

Their entourage had been idle outside for a long time. When they saw their master walking out of the palace with his hands on his shoulders, they all stood up and gathered around him happily while sitting on the ground.

Regraf looked at the guys. Without hesitation, he immediately ordered: "I kept you waiting. Now let's go back to the military camp."

The presence of the Mercian troops wandering near the city walls always made the guards patrolling the walls fearful. Since those people were just lining up and wandering around carrying spears and flags without doing anything to disturb the people, the residents of Waiguo were very wary at first. Gradually, people were happy to stand in the fields and watch the show, and urchins ran boldly. In the past, the children followed the soldiers and walked like soldiers, and the children laughed constantly.

Old Eric commanded the Mercian army outside the city, and the soldiers were almost entirely composed of Shannon villagers. They were very disgusted with the naughty children, but considering that they would be slapped on the calf with a stick if they left the group without permission, they had no choice but to tolerate the naughty children.

As everyone knows, some spies are staring at these wandering soldiers.

Those were some men who had brought their own helmets, chainmails, and ancestral swords, and some even wore their own family crests.

News spread that Charles planned to gift the legally terra nullius of Anjou to a close associate.

The people regard this matter as a gossip. After all, what does the birth of a noble have to do with the common people.

However, for the lower-level nobles who had escaped from Anjou, this group of descendants of the defeated took the legend completely seriously.

Based on those accounts, it is said that there was a small exiled king in Tours. This was the King of Mercia living on the European continent. There was a group of blond Normans around him, so it is not reasonable to call this person a "Norman leader". Pass.

However, Shannon is already this person's fiefdom, and the next step... is most likely Anjou.

These poor knights also learned that although the King of Mercia had the right to inherit the kingdom, the country of Mercia on the island was in a state of chaos. The exiled king needs to recruit troops on the European continent, and then counterattack the islands when his wings are full.

The king of Mercia was an exile, and he himself was an exile. If that man became the Count of Anjou, wouldn't the brothers living in Poitier be able to return home smoothly?

Even today, there were already people wearing coarse cloth robes. Ordinary residents of Qiao Zhuangcheng Waiguo, with their heads raised, quietly observed the swaggering Mercian Army and Saxon Army passing through the city, and witnessed with their own eyes the true appearance of the young King of Mercia.

The reality was very different from their imagination. It was said that he was a king, but he looked like a blond Norman.

That's all, the brothers got together and the refugees spontaneously formed a small group, often choosing a remote wooden house in the residential area of ​​​​Waiguo to plot something.

Earl Bernard cannot monitor all the actions of this group of reckless men at any time. During the war, he needs these guys to mount their horses and participate in the battle as elite cavalry, and pay them. The rest of the time, considering that this group of people is not completely trustworthy, he simply Let them move freely, and at most arrange for their cronies to dress as serfs and serve as sentries when they gather. The downtrodden knights gathered together for a long time, and it was precisely because of this that they became more and more afraid of them.

It was already afternoon, and the Mercians and Saxons had left the city again. What Reglaf didn't know was that he glanced at some people wearing thick coarse cloth robes from the corner of his eyes. These people were not blacksmith apprentices or the like. Maybe some strong porters?

Such a strangely strong man stood out among the crowd of onlookers on the roadside, maybe just some loggers watching the fun?

Reglaf didn't pay attention. He continued to ride his horse through the city in a swagger. The Mercian flag became brighter in the gradually falling sun.

His every move was watched by the men in rough robes, until the Mercian army completely reunited with the army outside the city, and then assembled the whole team in the wheat fields abandoned in winter, and then lined up and rushed to the south valley camp.

They left, and the hustle and bustle of the city of Poitiers quickly ended. The civilians outside continued their peaceful and boring winter life, but within the stone walls, Charles, Bernard, and other nobles, each had their own happiness. .

Bernard had already taken action. He estimated that Reglaf would fulfill his promise tomorrow. To show that he would also keep his promise, he led his soldiers to his granary to check all the inventory.

Recycled linen bags are stacked in an orderly manner like bricks. There are also some large wooden boxes here, where oats and rye are stacked indiscriminately. Find Shuyuan www.zhaｏshuyuan.com These two kinds of wheat are the basic rations for the people and nobles. Bernard can eat better, so the wheat specially for the family must be carefully stored.

They have to be careful about rodent infestations, damp floors, roof leaks and other problems. So the house that served as a granary had a stone foundation, with wooden planks laid on the stone.

Manpower alone cannot solve the rat problem, so the granary area simply raised some cats. The cats ate too many rats and became very strong and fat. These small animals were often seen running around on the roofs. The nobles took this as a sign. Make it a part of life.

It's just that the residents of Outer Guo are very cautious and need to spend some experience to prevent cats from the inner city from sneaking out and taking away their chickens.

Bernard also treated the down-and-out landless knights equally, and their treatment was comparable to that of the count's cronies.

The daily meals are mostly a combination of sour brown bread and thick oatmeal porridge. As for the chicken and teeth festival, the poor knight has to spend money to buy it.

As the Mercian army prepared its troops outside the city, nearby landed knights came in force with their retinues. The knight of Anjou who lives in the city and works for the count can only be with these guys.

They are all knights, and those who have a feudal land despise the invincible and down-and-out households, and either ridicule or make fun of them. The down-and-out knights are already very unlucky, and they have been humiliated during these days, which makes them feel really uncomfortable.

Finally, the down-and-out knight felt rebellious

The chance for God to change your destiny is now.

Under the setting sun, twenty young people gathered in a hidden wooden house.

They took off their gray-brown hoods and revealed their faces. The young people looked at each other and began to plot something through the soft light of the setting sun coming through the wooden windows.

As everyone knows, their secret hiding place has long been known to Count Bernard, who only sent people to monitor it. But today, this secret hideout can be destroyed...

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