Rise of Rurik

Baron Schleswig was legally loyal to Count Robert of Hamburg. Seeing the count leading his cavalry into the enemy formation and finally disappearing completely, the count probably died in battle. This undoubtedly greatly stimulated the fighting spirit of the baron's troops.

These warriors frantically attacked the enemy's line, which seemed to have been broken through by the cavalry, and began to engage in hand-to-hand combat.

The First Flag Troop had already suffered losses in previous collisions, and now the capable Ross veterans began a deadly counterattack.

The steel sword stabbed wildly, and the re-erected shield wall moved forward step by step.

At this time, Fisk's cavalry had already circled back to the rear of the Frankish infantry line, frantically throwing the remaining arrows at the back of the armor-deficient enemy.

What remains is that the Frankish army encountered a two-sided attack from the Ross-Saxon army. The battle lasted for a while and cost a lot of casualties. Baron Schleswig himself had died in the rebel army. The last five or six hundred people gathered in a circle and held on hard.

The two sides were a little tired from fighting, and Fisk also ran out of arrows.

Count Robert was indeed not dead. He and twenty cavalry were captured and tied up. He still looked in disbelief at Liudov actually directing the battle, and cursed him as a traitor to the kingdom.

Now, Liudov had no time to explain that he himself had lost a large number of soldiers. Thanks to the deep hatred of the "Saxons beyond the wall" against the Frankish kingdom, the collapsed front could be reintegrated, and the battle continued.

The battle has reached a stalemate. Considering that the enemy is in a desperate situation, Arik will inevitably end up with a tragic victory if he relies on the troops he has to annihilate them.

The brothers were all tired of killing, and the enemy was still holding on despite being killed with corpses all over the ground. This battle could no longer be completed by the First Flag Team alone.

It's better to delay until the follow-up troops arrive.

Arik and Liudov didn't wait long. While the two armies were still panting and confronting each other, the follow-up troops of the Ross Army began to arrive!

The Second and Sixth Flag Teams, as a force composed entirely of young people, had already seen the fighting there when they landed. They immediately joined the confrontation and immediately negotiated with Arik.

It turns out that the time is completely ripe and an encirclement has been achieved.

Liudov walked out of the military formation, opened his arms and faced the people in the encirclement, and appealed vigorously: "Saxons! I am the grandson of Widukind! I am the real Duke of Saxony! Saxons do not fight Saxons! Now you are asking me Surrender, pledge your allegiance to me, and your lives will be spared."

At the same time, Liudov's soldiers were calling for surrender in Saxon.

The people in the encirclement had no choice. Facing more and more enemies, there was really no way to escape. The man in front of me calls himself the grandson of Vidukind. Is this reasonable? He actually calls himself the Duke of Saxony?

Until Liudov revealed his other identity: "I am also the Count of Westphalia! I am against the Franks, and I have rebuilt the Principality of Saxony. If you surrender to me, you will immediately become my warriors. Let us expel the Franks and rebuild our country!"

So, they really put down their weapons collectively...

And Liudov kept his promise and instantly recruited all the Saxon warriors in the encirclement.

Except for the Frankish soldiers among them, they were tied up and gathered together under strict guard to await their unknown fate.

The captured Robert had been twisted aside. He was not tied up or tortured. He was just stripped of his weapons and armor. Wearing thin clothes, he and Liudov stood in embarrassment at the Schleswig pier, waiting for a distinguished guest. .

"You are a traitor. You betrayed Frank and Ludwig. Your family will be avenged by Ludwig." He was still cursing.

Liudov knew that it was a long story, so he sighed and looked back to defend: "I have no way back. My friend... I was defeated by the Russians and the Danes. It was Ludwig who asked me to die. I Now I hate him. I decided to rebuild the Duchy of Saxony and regain the power my family lost. If Ludwig takes revenge, I will take revenge."

"Ah? If you can't defeat them, then you join them? Could it be that you are the one who led this Norman army to invade the Frankish territory?" Robert asked in surprise.

"There is no invasion for the time being, because the Saxon land here, including Hamburg, is also Saxon land. However, the war will inevitably spread to the Frankish territory. Robert, the King of Ross is very interested in you, we will wait here, their king will soon arrive."

"King Rus? Isn't it..." A name suddenly appeared, "Rurik?"

"It seems you know him. In addition, you will meet a magical person."

Huge fleets arrived in the depths of Schlei Bay one after another, and the saltwater lake where Schleswig was located suddenly ushered in a large number of large ships.

Robert had never seen such a big ship, but there were many of them. All the ships were flying the same flags, and the soldiers who landed were basically dressed the same.

The soldiers' clothes and flags all have X-shaped emblems. If you have a blind eye, you can tell that they are a kind of crusaders. But they are not! This is a barbarian army.

With such uniform clothes, are they really barbarians?

A large ship rushed to the dock pier very arrogantly and moored at the cleared berth. Put on the rope ladder and put it down, and people started to climb down.

An old man in black robes got off the boat, and behind him was another tall blond warrior in well-dressed clothes. Look carefully, that warrior is wearing a golden crown!

However, the man in black, leaning on a cross inlaid with gold and silver, lifted his hood and turned out to be the northern saint Eskil!

In an instant, Robert felt that the magic of the world reached its extreme. Could it be that Eskil also betrayed Frank? !

The mental shock was so severe that Robert was too busy trembling with his legs to say anything.

I saw the blond warrior wearing a golden crown, accompanied by a group of majestic warriors dressed in extremely gorgeous clothes and wearing bear heads, actually walking towards me.

When Rurik came, he saw the corpses on the battlefield and lamented that he had underestimated the enemy.

He didn't notice Robert at all at first. He chatted with his eldest brother Arik on the shore first, and then wanted to chat with Liudov.

But the sight of Eskil holding up the cross and shouting incredulously attracted her to rush over.

I saw Eskil holding Rurik's arm tightly, pointing at Robert and saying, "Do you know who this person is?"

"Him?" Rurik immediately looked at the thinly dressed prisoner: "A prisoner of war?"

"It's the Count of Hamburg!"

"Huh?! Count Burger?!"

"It's me." Robert looked rebellious and shouted in Frankish: "Are you the leader of the Normans?"

Rurik couldn't hear the words clearly, thinking that what Eskil said was true and what Liudov said was true, he fiddled with Latin and introduced himself.

Now, it was Robert's turn to be surprised.

Although Robert did not understand Latin, the priests' chanting during mass during the weekdays were all in Latin, and he knew the tone of their speech very well. Unexpectedly, this barbarian leader speaks with the same accent as a priest?

Liudov immediately explained: "Friend, this is the young King of Rus."

"Ah! You are Rurik!" In desperation, Robert immediately asked in Saxon.

"I am Rurik, Count of Hamburg. I originally planned to go to your territory to find you in person, but I didn't expect to see you here. Very good! I just want to have a good talk with you, come here!"

The warriors wearing bear heads responded.

"Take him down, don't use violence, and treat him with wine and dried fruits. Tonight, I want to have a good talk with him." Rurik ordered.

Robert was dragged away with his arms raised. He didn't yell or be angry. Everything was peaceful and peaceful.

He still found the battle too absurd and was forced to accept his defeat calmly.

But the mess on the battlefield was shocking.

Standing on a battlefield full of corpses, Rurik saw the wails of his wounded soldiers and the veterans who refused to die in peace.

Although the Count of Hamburg's cavalry was completely annihilated, it also inflicted heavy damage on the Russian army before it was destroyed.

The veteran casualties of the First Flag Team were an incredible 200, and the number of direct combat casualties alone reached 50, and most of the remaining wounded also needed a long time to recuperate.

Standing here, Rurik watched his men clean the battlefield without saying a word. Soon he found his eldest brother Arik in person and asked about the battle scene.

The town of Schleswig has been completely occupied by the Russian-Danish-Saxon coalition forces, and allied ships arrived one after another throughout the afternoon.

The town was looted, and most of the property was taken away by the Russian army who arrived first, although there was not much gold and silver here.

Rurik basically knew the scene of the battle. He did not complain that his eldest brother's infantry severely suffered from the enemy's cavalry collision, nor did he complain that Fisk's cavalry did not block the enemy's collision.

Because it was the Earl of Hamburg's desperate fight. If he hadn't been merciful, the Earl's head would have been placed on a wooden pole as a trophy.

"If all the Frankish nobles are so vicious, I will be the loser if I continue to fight with them. I... must be cautious."

Rurik muttered, but then he thought, if the intelligence is accurate, the collapse of the Earl of Hamburg and his army means that there is a power vacuum in the northernmost region of the Frankish Kingdom. In theory, the Russian army will no longer face strong enemies.

Could it be that the hasty fighting that broke out in Schleswig had already settled the war in the north?

There are a large number of houses in the town of Schleswig, which turned into the residence of the conquerors, or in other words, the allied forces took back this lost land.

The Count of Hamburg was temporarily imprisoned and guarded by berserkers wearing bear heads.

He drank some strong liquor, ate dried fruits, and drank a lot of fresh water to recover the energy he had consumed.

It was evening, and the soft light of the setting sun shone into the house through the gaps in the wooden slats.

Suddenly, the wooden door opened.

Gu Yao

A man in a white robe with blue stripes took off his hat and walked in.

The dim light obscured the man's face.

"Who are you?" Robert raised his head and asked, "General of the Russians?"

"It's me. Joseph Blue Fox. Lord Earl, we met a few years ago."

"Joseph? Blue Fox? Let me think about it...it's...it's you?!" In an instant, Robert suddenly realized.

Seeing that he had figured it out, Lan Hu sat directly on the ground under his roof and said politely: "As you can see, you are defeated."

"Yes! I'm defeated. It's up to you to do whatever you want."

"Such blunt words? Do you still think we will kill you?"

"Are you Russians really so kind?" Robert asked disdainfully, and then shouted: "Take me to thank your Rurik for the wine and fruit. It is a good last meal."

"You? Just want to die?"

"Am I still alive? So, what do you mean by coming here now?"

"Haha, I came with a mission." Blue Fox stopped dawdling: "It was King Ross who asked me to test your attitude. Lord Earl, I told you back then that the young leader Ross really had 10,000 warriors. And a huge fleet. You were dismissive and thought I was bragging. Indeed, I was wrong."

"what for?"

"Actually, there are 20,000 soldiers. They are about to go south to attack the Franks. My lord, your attitude towards us Rus people was admirable. You didn't kill me back then, so the King of Rus won't kill you. Look! What I gave to you back then. The sword is a Rus steel sword. You are indeed regarded as a treasure by it, and you also used it to kill our Rus warriors. This matter, my king will forget it. My king has only one request for you. "

"What is it? It's nothing more than surrender."

"It's surrender." Blue Fox nodded, "The question is who you are surrendering to."

"Is there anything else to say?"

"Yes. A brand-new Principality of Saxony has been established, and the Duke is Liudolf."

"Is that the traitor?"

"Traitor?" Blue Fox narrowed his eyes and immediately denied, "He doesn't think so. Liudov is a Saxon, and he has a large number of Saxon warriors. All the local Saxon nobles will definitely support him. Because Liudov is indeed Widukind Descendants, maybe you should know this. Recognize the reality, all the Saxon warriors in the army you brought surrendered, and they became Liudov's soldiers and our friendly forces."

"I understand, the Saxons are really untrustworthy. Widukind's tomb is in Liudov's fiefdom. Damn it! For the sake of power, did this ambitious man even abandon his family members who stayed in Westphalia? Ludwig The prince will kill them to vent his anger." As he spoke, Robert lowered his head.

"It's very possible. If Ludwig did this, Liudov would have nothing to worry about. He would kill all the Franks in Saxony to vent his anger. Lord Count, do you still have soldiers? I heard, The Hamburg area is full of Saxon villages. Do you think they will support you, or will they support Liudolf, Widukind's grandson? Think about your family, and then think about your status."

Robert suddenly sobered up at the mention of his family. He didn't want to die. If he really died, his wife and children might be killed by the Saxon people in the territory.

Not only his own family, because of Charlemagne’s immigration policy a long time ago, there were some Frankish villages near Hamburg. If he maintained a tough attitude, Liudolf, who insisted on going his own way, was likely to kill him.

Because the Saxon armed forces led by Widukind faced the powerful Frankish kingdom, but they repeatedly jumped in wars and peace talks.

If Liu Dov is very ambitious, this man can do anything.

"Imagine your position again!" Blue Fox added: "Continue to be loyal to the Frankish nobles, and you will die. Be loyal to Liudov, Duke of Saxony, and you will live. I advise you to choose to be loyal to Liudov. If you do this , we will not make things difficult for you, in the future... you can still be friends with us Russians."

It was really a contradictory choice, but fortunately Robert no longer had time to think about it carefully.

Because the land road from Schleswig to Hamburg is already open, the Saxon villages along the way, as well as the lower-level nobles of the Saxon ethnic group, will definitely recognize Liudoff as a great noble and be loyal to him. Because the Saxons were killed by Charlemagne, do the emperor's successors still have the influence to suppress them?

He went through a painful struggle and thought of the intimidation of the Blue Fox guy. He was afraid that Prince Ludwig would not be able to divide his troops and go north to quell the invading Norman army and the rebellious Liudov.

No one helped him. For the safety of his family and the safety of the large number of Frankish villages in the north, Robert made a determined decision to change his allegiance.

That night, there was a banquet.

After all, Robert was the largest Frankish nobleman alive in the north. He became a guest and faced all the Norman kings and generals, as well as the rebellious Liudolf.

Rurik ordered that wheat porridge, roasted horse meat, grilled fish, dried fruits and spirits be prepared. The dinner seemed rough, but it was much more elegant than the catering of the Frankish nobles.

Plates made of crystal, bowls made of crystal, spoons that seemed to be made of silver, small forks, and even knives for cutting meat.

The tableware is filled with delicacies, and the transparent wine glasses contain wine as clear as water.

Robert looked at the carving knife. This knife seemed like a kind of irony at the moment.

Because the original meaning of Saxony is "meat-cleaver". It was not common for Frank nobles to eat meat on weekdays. They would just tear more meat with their hands, cut the meat with a knife, and then stuff the meat into their mouths with the tip of the knife.

Looking at this knife, I feel a murderous intention in my heart. Sudden suicide by jumping up suddenly? No, there is no chance at all, and it is even asking for death.

The young King Rurik of Rus is here. His second son is a young man, and even the golden beard cannot smooth away the lingering childishness on his face.

The other Norman nobles and generals present were much older, with murderous eyes in their eyes.

So after a brief moment of politeness, Rurik questioned the cautious Count of Hamburg.

"Robert, did you understand what my messenger said? We need your attitude now."

At this time, Liudolf raised his chest and immediately urged: "Robert, we are friends, but times have changed. Ludwig is not worthy of your loyalty, now be loyal to me! I am the real Duke of Saxony, Be loyal to me and you will remain the Count of Hamburg! Your personal wealth, your family, and your servants will be preserved. If you refuse, you will die!"

"Yes, if it pleases you. I pledge my allegiance to you."

Robert's reaction was so decisive that the people sitting there were speechless.

"What did you say?!" Liu Doufu asked in surprise.

"I say! I recognize you as the Duke of Saxony and I am loyal to you."

"Great! Friend, I thought you would be hesitant."

"Hesitating? Do I have the right to hesitate?" Robert said this, without any joy on his face, and his words were as jerky as reading.

Whether Robert's loyalty was sincere or forced was of no consequence to the Rus-Danish-Saxons.

In the early Middle Ages, when all was said and done by fists, any treaty or declaration of allegiance required strong military strength to maintain its magical effectiveness. When one party loses its army or its main military strength, any previously signed treaties become waste paper that can be torn up at any time.

It was in this banquet hall that a brief allegiance ceremony was completed.

Now, Liudolf's Duke of Saxony is recognized by the Kingdom of New Denmark and the Kingdom of Rus. He canonized Robert as his Earl of Hamburg. Robert's identity is naturally recognized by Rurik and Ragnar.

But what's the point? Ragnar completely disagreed. It was ridiculous for a captured man to be raised up and become a great nobleman. It was better to cut him down, and the army rushed into Hamburg and exterminated the local Franks to vent his anger.

The Danes, who had successfully counterattacked, wanted to vent their anger, and the Saxons, who had suddenly returned to their country as subjugated slaves, had to vent their anger even more.

Rurik didn't want to make things impossible.

First of all, there is no direct conflict of interest between the Kingdom of Ross and Frank. Secondly, after this expedition, the army has shown signs of fatigue, and winter is not very far away, so it is impossible for the Russian army to spend the winter in Frankland.

The third point is also a very important point. There are many Frankish immigrants in Saxony, and retaining a Frankish noble can stabilize these people. If they went against the grain and targeted their extermination, they would surely be retaliated by other Frankish nobles.

Of course Ross is not afraid of fighting with them, but Rurik is worried that the battle situation is not under his control.

Really indiscriminate killing in Frankland will arouse conflicts, even if Rurik does intend to take revenge against Prince Ludwig. Even if he really wanted to take revenge by killing, he shouldn't have done it in the autumn of 840.

It is better to arrest the Franks in Saxony as soon as possible and control them as hostages, so as to negotiate the price with Prince Ludwig. If the other party refused to negotiate, the captives were immediately taken away as slaves.

This meeting held in Schleswig directly determined the next actions of the coalition forces.

Hamburger? Of course I want to go to Hamburg! Moreover, Hamburg, as the existing major northern city (no bigger than it), will serve as the temporary capital of the Principality of Saxony. Even the captured northern saint Eskil will be released in Hamburg.

Here, the northern border of the Kingdom of Denmark and the Principality of Saxony was also demarcated. Ragnar made an agreement with Liudov, using the Great Wall of Schleswig as the boundary between the two countries, but the control of the town of Schleswig must be within into the hands of the Kingdom of Denmark so that the city could continue to exist as a southern trading place, replacing the burned Hedeby.

They started a new era while exchanging cups and cups. This was a war of revenge against the Frankish Kingdom by various Normans, and it was also a war of restoration for the Principality of Saxony.

How could he be willing to force Ludwig to lose his huge northern territory?

Everyone is convinced that this one of the three highest-ranking nobles in Frank, looking for Shuyuan www.zhaoshuyuan.com, even if he is in a civil war with his eldest brother and the legitimate king, will definitely go north when faced with the dilemma of a fire in the backyard.

It is almost inevitable that the coalition forces will fight fiercely with Ludwig's Frankish army, so let's fight! The coalition forces were just waiting for work in the Hamburg area.

But Ragnar's Danish army retreated.

The nobles from Zealand are fed up! This is something Ragna, who is determined to continue fighting, cannot stop!

Precisely because of the agreement of the alliance, the nobles could not rob in the Saxony region. If they could not rob, they could not make a fortune. The nobles expressed their willingness to evacuate. Denmark's Restoration War ended when it reached Schleswig. The brothers took back the Jutland Peninsula. Now it is the autumn harvest in the world. It is better to go back and harvest the wheat, go fishing, and prepare for the winter in advance. .

Of course, there's another wrinkle. The Danes must remove all the Götalanders who retaliated against the Robard tribe in the far north of Jutland. It is illegal for them to continue to stay on the peninsula.

Please remember the first domain name of this book: . :