Rise of Rurik

Remember [new] in one second! How to understand the power of the Russians?

Just too many people?

Deep in the Palanga camp, Uvbet could not believe that this was an army, or that the Russian army itself had surpassed his understanding of armies and soldiers.

The dense fires in the camp echoed the starry sky, and the small settlement of Palanga was squeezed in the middle, surrounded by the Ross Camp. The Russians obviously try not to interfere with the lives of the locals. Perhaps this has something to do with the fact that the locals have a count.

Dapkus, this man is obviously just a local ordinary person. Only God knows how an ordinary Courlander gained the favor of King Rus.

It can also be proved from the side that peace can be obtained by sincerely surrendering to King Rus.

King Rus is like this to the brown-haired locals, and he will be even more like this to the Danes.

Ulfbet had a sumptuous meal at the Ross camp. Since he was allowed to drink as much wine as he wanted, he naturally wanted to drink the sweet delicacies full of wine. Because he didn't understand the strong stamina of red wine, he got extremely drunk. In the deep intoxication, his mind went blank and he had to usher in a new day.

It was the soldier's rough kicking that woke up the man who was unconscious by the campfire.

"Hey. Wake up! Memel people!"

"It's already... daytime? What happened?" The old guy rubbed his eyes vigorously and shook his groggy head. He tried to stand up but fell down.

He subconsciously touched everywhere, but suddenly he touched something familiar.

"Ah? My sword?! Lost and found."

Although I don’t know why, my confiscated sword is now around me. He was so skillful that he hung it on his belt, thinking that it was probably Luo

King Si’s intention.

Thinking hard about what happened last night, although the Russians gave a rather harsh peace plan, considering the local population and financial resources of Memel, it is still feasible to bite the bullet and come up with this tribute.

He also thought that he had to introduce the local customs and customs. Although this would betray information to the Russian conquerors, he could only do this in order to save everyone's lives.

He knew that everyone in Russia was trying to portray themselves as "reasonable and principled". Is this true or an act?

At this point, Ulfbet can only think that this is true.

After trying his best to regain his consciousness, he noticed that the Ross people were moving, and they were actually organizing their camp. "Yes, they plan to leave today."

The setting sun obscured the true appearance of the cavalry. The weather was sunny today, and the morning sun was too bright. Through the clear air, one could see the dark green forest on one side, the blue sea on the other, and the white sandy beach with amber buried under the feet.

The cavalry were gathering, uniformly dressed and helmeted, as if everything could be unified.

This is unimaginable, because each tailor has his or her own unique skills. Looking at the Russian infantry and cavalry uniformly dressed, does one tailor make thousands of sets of clothes, or does a large group of tailors make exactly the same clothes?

Ulfbet couldn't understand it and simply stopped worrying about this issue, just because the arrogant King of Ross yesterday was now even more arrogant and came riding a horse.

Look carefully, King Rus is also wearing a magical golden crown - a golden crown made of pure gold.

"Are you awake? Are you still conscious?"

"When you wake up, you can... serve the king."

Ruri

Ke nodded: "It seems that you are still a little hesitant and cautious. It doesn't matter, our army will arrive at your Memel soon. It's called Koup City, right? I want to see the locals surrender, so you must Go back quickly."

"I am willing to serve, but how should I go back?" Ulfbet spread his hands to show that he was helpless.

"Of course, ride on our horse. Ulfbet, you are very lucky! I will lead the cavalry to your Memel immediately and lower it back. You can talk to your friends about anything!"

"..." Could it be that the King of Ross broke his promise and didn't give himself time but the Ross army directly killed him? Wait a minute, does King Rus really know the path? right! He knows the path!

Ulfbet glanced at the white sand on the ground and knew that this was the perfect path.

"Don't hesitate and worry. You should thank me for personally leading the team! You are just worried that my army will plunder after entering Memel. If the king is not here, the army may insist on going its own way, but as long as I am present, no soldier dares to take any Even one copper coin of yours."

Ulfbet more or less figured it out: "In this case, I can easily convince everyone to surrender to the king immediately."

"Then get on the horse quickly. I'll give you some dry food and we'll eat while walking on the horse."

Compared with the delay of the army, the cavalry soldiers can start to move immediately after mounting their horses. Their speed and execution ability are currently stronger than those of the navy.

The baggage was either deer transport or naval transport. Rurik now has sufficient information. The so-called two navy ships easily drifted to Memel, which means that the destination is really far away from the Palanga camp. *Full coastal sand

Beaches provide convenience for cavalry operations, especially the beaches where the waves are rippling, which are washed extremely flat, and the sea sand absorbs enough water, so that the horses can gallop on them.

The main city of Memel is on the right bank of the waterway, and the cavalry walking along the coastline will reach it smoothly without encountering any obstacles.

However, after arriving at their destination, the Ross army will definitely face a problem - transporting war horses, reindeer and other personnel and materials to the lagoon sand spit.

Rurik had already thought of this problem at the beginning of the operation, just like the army transporting men and horses across the wide Daugava River on a large number of barges. Considering that the water channel of the lagoon spit is also very wide, it will still take a while for the barges to be used. It took time to transport personnel and materials to the extremely long and narrow sand spit.

It is like a low sand wall dividing the lagoon from the Baltic Sea. One side is salty seawater, and the other side is pure fresh water.

There is no need to make any adjustments to the Russian army's action plan. The first thing after arriving in Memel is to consider the army's "lagoon trip". It is a shortcut to the Sambia Peninsula (ancient Prussia), and it must be all An extremely amazing travel experience that warriors can experience.

Now, those Kretinga serf cavalry who had changed their clothes were integrated into the Ross cavalry. Since their combat effectiveness and fighting methods were incompatible with the Ross army, they were all personnel in charge of logistics.

They had some spare horses, some spare arrows, and other miscellaneous items.

With the four cavalry teams of the Ross cavalry, plus the steppe cavalry of Beyathil and this serf cavalry team, Rurik pieced together 1,300 cavalry. This was not the first time for Uvbet to ride a horse.

He concealed the fact that he had learned horse riding from the Utvins (Lithuania) in Kaunas, so it seemed to Rurik that this old man could sit in the saddle and stay calm while stepping on the stirrups and holding the reins. This man really had a talent for horse riding.

It would be embarrassing if the old man was afraid of riding a horse, but fortunately, his worries were unnecessary.

Each team assembled on the beach in an organized manner. They were all dressed up today. Considering the possibility of fighting, the soldiers put on plate armor one after another, and also added plate armor breast protectors to their horses.

Bright feathers were put on their helmets, some warriors put their riding cats on their saddles, and the Russian flags were hung on their spearheads. A mighty army stood neatly on the beach.

Rurik took some time to exchange a few final words with the admiral and the captains of the infantry flags, then stepped into the stirrups, jerked the reins and joined the cavalry.

He took one last look to his left and right, noting the eager faces of the warriors and the hooves of the war horses scratching the sand impatiently.

"Now, let's go! To Memel!"

The king's flag of Rus was in front, and the trumpeter was ordered to blow the trumpet, and the whole army moved with the sound of the king's flag.

King Rus was seen leading the charge, followed by his subordinates.

The war horses rushed on the wet beach, and the horses' hooves flew away countless sea sand, and the sea water was also trampled.

The cavalry advanced at high speed on the narrow coastal beach without encountering any obstacles. Soon, the landmark Melnrag Mountain was in sight.

"Is that the mountain where the destination is? Is it where the city of Koup is?" Fisk muttered excitedly as he tightened his grip on the reins.

Rurik actually heard this, because he already had information about Koup, and he vaguely remembered that his settlement was nestled against a mountain.

Mountain! This thing is

The eastern coast of the Baltic Sea, where the terrain is too flat, does not have anything that can be called mountains, so some high mounds are simply called mountains.

Melnrag Mountain is a large mound that stretches far away. Soon the Russian army's left hand side is its main body, and the right hand side is naturally the roaring sea.

Rurik couldn't help but glance at the low mounds from time to time, and couldn't help thinking about his dream: "It's a beautiful place. The golden beach is paired with the forest-covered mounds. If a villa was built here in another era, it would definitely be a resort." .”

He then told Fisk, who was accompanying him: "In my opinion, the conquest of Memel can be completed with our cavalry alone. I don't trust the locals to easily surrender to me. Our army must be prepared for battle."

"Yes! Although, I think it's a bit redundant."

"Stop talking nonsense, it's right to be more cautious. You have to set an example. If they don't use force on us, no one can shoot the first arrow. That Uvbet said, as long as we pass the mound and enter the edge of the lagoon area, we will We can see the city. We are about to enter Memel, so get ready!”

The earth was shaking slightly, but the erosion of the waves and the sound of the waves suppressed the movement.

Uvbet moved the main supplies of his business group, the old, weak, women and children, as well as a group of boats to the outlet of the Neman River in the southern part of the lagoon. The small camp there was actually a refuge for the business group, and now remains in the Koup City community. The population is less than a hundred people.

However, the local Kurland villagers who fled into the woods saw strange and dangerous outsiders leaving one after another. It was really uncomfortable to hide in the woods, which made them determined.

They all returned after it was safe.

Several villages and business communities built Koup City. It does not have any form of wooden walls, which means it is undefended.

Many villagers are wondering why the Varyag people living in the community with whom they live day and night have left one after another. It is said that they have moved to a small camp on the Neman River to temporarily stay. The people who stayed behind lied that "there is nothing unusual, just because of business." "The group wants to have new business activities", the locals believed it to be true. After all, the Bulgren business group went to the Utvin people's territory many times to do business, so they had to go deep into the lagoon and take the line of the Nieman River.

How many people have the kindness of Ulfbet, the leader of the merchant group? His own subordinates had complex origins and varied attitudes towards the locals, but they all agreed on one thing - if they were in danger, they would not hesitate to betray the interests of the locals, and the business groups fled collectively.

No day's experience is as exciting as today! Ulfbet felt like he was flying on horseback.

In other words, the Russian cavalry was moving faster than the Utvin people. He still remembered that the cavalry had set off not long ago, and he ate some dry food on the horse. It was clear that the cavalry was about to break through the cover of the hill before long. Enter Koup City.

"Too fast. With such a powerful force, surrendering to them is really the right choice for all of us." Uvbet was grateful for his decision.

It was like a giant snake suddenly scurrying down a rabbit hole, and the fear was indescribable.

The same goes for the cavalry. A huge blue and white monster suddenly poked its head out. Soon, "a white snake" passed through the narrow sandy land on the coast. After bypassing the end of the hill, it officially rushed into the city by the lagoon behind the mountain.

.

A huge settlement covered by mounds, forests, lagoons, and sandbars suddenly appeared in front of Rurik.

"Wow! A vast city! I didn't expect that there is an open land that can grow food hidden here. Memel! I really came to the right place."

Things far exceeded Rurik's expectations. He saw a longhouse complex with obvious Nordic style, basic dock facilities, and a clearly visible seaside stone ship altar. No matter how you look at it, a Viking tribe that was lost far away settled here. Indeed, the Bulgren business group is the Varyag group lost outside the Danish world, and its existence itself is in line with the original meaning of "Varyag".

Behind the hills is a huge riverside settlement complex with the Danga River as its core, where more than 3,000 Kurland people live.

This is not a large number, and it is even the southernmost settlement of the Kurland people. Further to the south are closely related tribes that speak a language very similar to theirs.

A village often has only one or two hundred people, composed of more than ten or twenty families.

Most of the villages are settled along rivers, and only five large villages are close to business community. But these five large villages already include half of the local population, but on average there are only three to four hundred people in each village.

The population of a single village is only equivalent to the total population of the Bulgren Merchant Group, and no village can steal the spotlight from the Merchant Group.

Ulfbet has always been kind-hearted when it comes to business matters, and he also adheres to the principle that no one will offend me and I will not offend others, even though he can conquer them with armed force that surpasses the locals. He did not do this. After inheriting his father's

After gaining the status, relying on his sincerity, the business group firmly took root in the city and cooperated with the local villages.

If the merchant group chooses to treat the locals by means of conquest and invasion, it is very likely that the scattered people will become unified. In this way, Koup will naturally give birth to their military leaders. As a result, the merchants will be attacked by enemies several times their size. The group will leave in despair.

Without strong external pressure, local people still live their ancient lives. Although they also know that many Varyag people are dangerous, the visiting business groups are good people who do fair business. The leaders of the business groups and the leaders of each village can get together to talk and laugh, spend a good night together at festivals, and even Intermarry with each other.

Although Rurik arrived here for the first time, he could feel a strong sense of déjà vu just by looking at it with the naked eye. The atmosphere of the entire settlement was like a much smaller city of Riga.

"Memel still has great potential for development! There is a dock and a lagoon, and the smooth flow of boats is perfect for the development of commerce. The Neman River can also lead to the depths of Lithuania. This is my era. I can choose the opportunity to send troops from here. For a sneak attack, you can also send two armies to attack Lithuania from two directions."

Rurik thought about it and became more determined on one thing, that is, this place must not be destroyed by his own hands. On the contrary, Ross must vigorously develop it after taking control of it. Because if you look at this area from the perspective of others, Memel’s geographical environment is much better than that of Cherbourg in the north.

Those who were active in the city did not have any psychological expectations for the cavalry's visit, even if they were looking forward to going to Ross's camp to visit Ross.

The young men and women who stayed in the community honestly and brought peace to the community had no idea that the Russians would arrive in this way instead of by boat.

Just as these people were in chaos, a most familiar figure came out.

Ufbet, he had dismounted and was walking quickly towards the community. He opened his arms and kept shouting and shouting his name, just to let the brothers who stayed behind see his safe return.

As for the other Kurlanders, they were frightened and fled into the forest.

Of course, there are also extremely bold people who are surprised to find that the cavalry are actually standing still at the foot of the mountain and on the edge of the West Lake. It seems that they are about to launch an attack, but they also seem to be simply keeping quiet.

Those cavalrymen displayed a clear flag, which was exactly the same as the flag of the strange ship that appeared yesterday. Could it be that they could be a group of people?

Soon, Uvbet met up with his left-behind people, and after a simple negotiation, the tense faces of the people finally relaxed. Because surrendering to the King of Rus is equivalent to the entire business group, men, women, and children being loyal to him. They may pay a batch of tributes, but they can guarantee that they will not be harmed, especially the entire community will be intact.

What Uvbet actually wants to fight for is the tranquility of the entire huge settlement and the protection of the lives of everyone, including the locals.

The old guy's eyelids were beating involuntarily. He glanced at the Kurlans who were fleeing and cursed secretly: "Hey, you can't run far. Thank me in the future. Without my mediation, the Russians can kill you." Defeated and you all taken into slavery.”

That's all, he summoned his subordinates who stayed behind

: "Don't worry! King Ross has regarded us as brothers in his camp, and I have surrendered to Ross on your behalf. Now follow me! Salute to King Ross."

Rurik not only stood still, but the cavalry actually ran for twenty kilometers. Although they were racing on the beach road along the coast, the horses still consumed a lot of physical energy. He needed the horses to rest, and the cavalry teams took the opportunity to arrange their camps and wait for the surrender of the locals in the most gorgeous military appearance on the edge of the city.

The first thing Rurik has to wait for is the surrender of the Bulgren merchant group. Now they are dressed up like regular warriors, with hand axes hanging on their waists. Most of them are holding short spears and harpoons, and they must be carrying bucklers behind their backs. Most of them are The people don't have helmets, so you can see that there are many female warriors among them.

Such a team has the ability to ravage the Frankish countryside in today's era, but under the rule of Ross, it can only be regarded as a "fairly powerful militia". It is estimated that it is more effective than the peasants of the Slavic old peasant assault organization, but it is too much for the regular army of Ross. Inferior.

"No. His business group shouldn't have only this small number of people. There are no old women and children. Could it be that this Ulfbet has hidden all the people. Huh? Are you really afraid that I will destroy the promise in Memelgao if I deny it? "

Rurik suppressed his doubts in his heart for the time being. Anyway, those people had already arrived in a big way, and they would have enough time to ask questions later.

It was also because there were very few of them. Although these people were armed with various weapons, they were small characters that could be eliminated by the Ross cavalry in one round of shooting, so there was no need to take strict tactical precautions.

Rurik held his head high and held up his extremely well-groomed yellow coat.

With a golden beard, deep blue eyes under his eyes, and a softly combed golden ponytail, he is paired with a golden laurel crown. It is the dazzling sunshine at noon, and the image of King Rus holding the reins makes him even more great and glorious.

There was no dirt on his body, on the contrary, it seemed as if his body was glowing, like the image of a god in legend.

"He looks like God Frey!" Some young female warriors sighed secretly, silently imagining that their husbands should be so heroic.

Everything was arranged. Ulfbet approached the King of Ross with his men. After giving an order, everyone including himself knelt down on the beach, put down all the weapons they held, put their left hand on the ground, and clenched their fists with their right hand. Hitting his heart, no matter how powerful the warrior was at this moment, he lowered his noble head.

They collectively marched to the King of Rus, which in Danish culture means absolute surrender.

Now, the entire Bulgren business group has officially surrendered to Ross, which also means that the people who actually hold the power of the entire Koup City (Memel) have handed over the supreme rule to the King of Ross.