Rise of Rurik

The messenger finally delivered the news to Ludwig's military camp in Worms.

The bad news from the north shocked the prince at a loss. Faced with the new situation, he had to hold a military meeting and discuss the unexpected situation in depth with several generals.

If it were just a courier who came quickly to report, he would also consider the authenticity of the matter.

Now, even the messenger of the Bishop of Cologne has sent special information, the so-called death of the northern saint Eskil, which proves that a war has broken out in the Danish world.

Even Eskil is dead, so the death of Count Liudov of Westphalia is inevitable.

Could it be that all this is a conspiracy by the Danish leader Horik?

When the civil war entered an anxious state, Ludwig had not yet assembled enough troops to defeat his eldest brother Lothair. Now that the weather is getting colder, the army is bound to spend the winter in the southernmost part of its territory.

Ludwig's main forces were placed in the southern regions such as Worms and Mainz. He intended to capture Strasbourg and require all local Franks to be loyal to him, thereby strategically completing the attack on his elder brother. suppress.

In the northwest, the Earl of Westphalia was forcibly sent to the Danish world in the north by himself, which was actually a treatment similar to exile.

The head of the count family is Liudov, a descendant of the rebel Vidukind. Time has passed, and it seems that this family has no reason to rebel anymore.

The key point is that even if the Count of Westphalia swears allegiance to him, Ludwig really cannot trust Liudov due to the political situation.

Aachen, the capital of the Frankish Kingdom, is not far to the north of the Westphalian region. Aachen and Cologne were actually the core areas of the Frankish monarchy, and they were also firmly controlled by Lothair, the de jure real king.

At this point, could it be that his strategic plan has been completely shattered by the sudden outbreak of war in Denmark?

A late summer rain caused the temperature to drop sharply, and the hazy weather made the East Frankish army soldiers stationed in Worms in a bad mood.

They suffered a loss in the battle at Lao Teng. The current front line was deadlocked, and the soldiers thought that this year's battle was over.

A large number of Frankish farmers were ordered to serve, and they were eager to return to their hometowns to reunite with their families for the winter.

Those Saxon farmers who were forced to join the army knew that they had no way to return to their hometown. They were not willing to risk their lives for the civil war between the Frankish nobles. Now that the war situation had reached a stalemate, their attitude immediately became extremely negative.

In terms of negatives, those Sorbians (a part of West Slavia) who were forcibly packed into the army were forced to work as slave labor. When necessary, they were given an axe, and they only wore single clothes to prepare for the attack of Lothair's Frank army. , the embarrassment of a narrow escape made their loyalty a joke.

Things have always been bad for Ludwig, and the current situation looks like a disaster.

It was a cold night after the rain. The winter palace of Charlemagne in the city of Worms has now become Ludwig's residence and command center. This city and the granary in the nearby city of Mainz are the foundation for maintaining the stability of the army's morale. In order to boost the sluggish morale, it is this year's harvest season, and he ensures that the army can remain stationed based on sufficient rations for his men.

The two noble generals were secretly summoned by him in the stone castle in the city.

They are Robert, Count of Rheingau, and Harald Clark, the former leader of Denmark.

To be summoned by the prince alone must be a major event. However, a piece of news has spread like wildfire in recent days. It is said that an uncontrolled war broke out in Denmark and spread to Saxony, which made the two people attending the meeting nervous.

Ludwig gave the two people roast meat, bread and ale, entertained them, and finally mentioned something that everyone was concerned about.

The prince's face was gloomy, and the beard on his face could not hide his sorrow.

"Perhaps you have learned some news." He sat at the wooden table and held his chin in his hands. "The news circulating in the military recently is half true and half false, but some things are true."

"Is the war breaking out in Denmark?" the elderly Harald Clark asked cautiously.

"Indeed, it's your hometown of Denmark. Your disloyal nephew Horik is very likely to rebel again. It's really disgusting. Does that man still want to be beaten by me again?"

There was threat in Ludwig's words, but also helplessness.

Harald Clark would not make excuses for his nephew, after all, the two of them had been strangers for so many years. He hurriedly expressed his loyalty: "Although my men and I are Danes, our loyalty to the king is true. I swear to God."

"Indeed, you mercenaries are indeed loyal. Therefore, I have recruited you to give you a major task." Then, Ludwig looked more at Count Robert of the Rheingau: "My dear friend ! Gather your cavalry, go to Westerland immediately, and bring Liudov’s family here. You have to continue heading north to Hamburg to help Robert stabilize the situation. "

"This... Your Majesty, are all the news true?" Robert nervously asked.

"It's probably true. Horik is very likely to rebel again. He is such a shameful person. I can't bear to stab him in the back while I am weak in the northward crusade! I have sufficient information to prove that Liudo, Count of Westland The husband was killed by him, and the northern saint Eskil was also killed by him. Those Danish troops will attack Hamburg, and maybe they will cause the Saxon nobles to rebel. I will let you lead a cavalry to the north to control the situation! Listen, I cannot tolerate chaos in the North at this time.”

Obviously this is a risky job. Robert certainly doesn't want to leave his fief and venture north, but he has no choice.

"It's just my own cavalry...I lack confidence." Robert told the truth: "I heard that Liudov went to Denmark with five hundred cavalry. Could it be that so many cavalry can't suppress the Danish rebellion? I am now We can also gather five hundred cavalry, but..."

"I'll give you another thousand rides!" Ludwig said with a wooden face.

"Your Majesty. Traveling north is very risky."

"Then I'll give you two thousand riders! This is my final bottom line." Ludwig stood up angrily and couldn't help but stand by the window of the stone room. He told his two subordinates with his back on his back: "There is still a lot of information that is unclear and cannot be tolerated." The argument is that there is a war going on in our north. Now the Holy See is very concerned about the life and death of the saints in the north and the safety of the believers in the north. Lothair's army will not attack us in winter, Robert!"

"exist!"

"I entrust you with the privilege of entrusting you with the command of the two thousand cavalry I brought from Regensburg. You must assemble the two thousand five hundred cavalry, and then gather some infantry from your own fiefdom to go north."

"As commanded."

"And you." Ludwig added: "Harald Clark, that Horik is your nephew, but unfortunately he is a vicious traitor. Take your mercenaries and go north together, prove yourself with your actual actions of loyalty.”

Time has passed and Harald Clark has grown a gray beard. As Ludwig's loyal dog, he must prove his loyalty anytime and anywhere in order to survive. Now he not only needs to find a way to survive for himself, but also for his brothers.

In the late summer world, Ludwig's army began to divide.

His troops stationed in Worms and Mainz maintained a large size of 30,000 men, including many elites from Regensburg.

After all, Lothair had a legitimate past, and he had a strong appeal, so he deployed 20,000 troops in Strasbourg. Heavy troops were stationed in important national towns such as Reims and Aachen, and even a small number of troops were stationed in Cologne.

Unlike Ludwig who concentrated his main force in one place, Lothair's territory extended from Flanders on the Sea (Netherlands) to southern Italy. Deploy troops in the eastern region and divide them in the west. For example, the army was placed on Frank Island to control the entire Paris, and strategically completed the suppression of his younger brother Charles. He did take advantage on a macro level, but the too-narrow territory was leaky. Even if he had the largest number of troops in the country, he had to divide his forces.

The two brothers were betting that Ludwig would not attack in winter. Lothair bet that his second brother would not attack in winter.

Ludwig completely concealed the crisis in his northern Saxony territory. He began to block the news in the army, and hanged several crow-mouthed soldiers and civilians in public for the crime of deceiving the public. He used thunderous means to suppress bad public opinion.

As a result, no one dared to discuss why Robert, Count of Rheingau, had the right to lead the king's elite cavalry away.

Three thousand people were separated from the 30,000 combat troops, most of whom were elites. Ludwig's move instantly caused the strength of his army to plummet. After all, he only had 6,000 cavalry capable of fighting on hand.

…

Count Robert of the Rheingau was ordered to do so at the critical moment, and he led the cavalry northward at the highest possible speed. As for the infantry, he took none at all.

Similarly, all the Danish mercenaries who had been Frankized learned to ride horses under the leadership of Harald Clark. There were three thousand of them, riding inferior horses, following Robert's footsteps as mounted infantry.

These are the three thousand cavalry, and what awaits them is a journey equivalent to more than 250 kilometers.

They tried their best to reach Dormont, where the Earl of Westchester's mansion was located, at high speed.

The huge Frankish army suddenly arrived, but as soon as Robert arrived, he found the empty village. He didn't take it seriously at first, until he arrived at the count's mansion.

He originally wanted to inform the Westphalian Count's family that Count Liudolf's life or death was uncertain. Although this is cruel, he is doing things according to orders.

The town of Dormont and even the local monastery were as empty as a dead city.

What is going on here? Could it be that he was certainly afraid of an attack from Lothair's army? impossible! How could Lothair desecrate a monastery?

After a brief inspection, he discovered something even more bizarre.

In the monastery cemetery a great man rests.

Robert and Harald Clark led the army to the goal, facing an empty tomb and damaged inscriptions. The stone inscription points out that this is the tomb of Vidukind, and the stele was carved at Charlemagne's command. Now the stone carvings have been destroyed, the tombs have been dug, and the coffins have disappeared.

Things are too strange!

"I have been ordered to move Liudov's family to Mainz. If Liudov really dies in Denmark, his wife will be taken care of, and King Ludwig will be his son's godfather. How can I deliver this now?! "

Hearing this, Harald Clark said uneasily: "Maybe it was Lothair. The Earl of Westphalia was a Saxon. He refused to be loyal to Lothair, and his territory was close to Aachen. Isn't this right? Seeking death."

"Maybe. If Lothair really attacked the monastery, then he really doesn't deserve to be king. Maybe he really should do this, so that our king has a chance to be the new king of the Franks. Let's go, there is no reason to stay here anymore .”

Robert felt that something was very strange. What was visible to the naked eye was that the vast and sparsely populated Westphalia region was even more desolate.

The cavalry rested here and the two of them continued their journey north. In order to ensure that their whereabouts were sufficiently secretive, they did not pass through neutral towns such as Cologne and Dusseldorf, which were completely managed by priests. Instead, they followed the road trodden by travelers towards Brei There was a sudden advance in the direction of May, and the journey to Hamburg was coming to an end.

As a result, on the way north, they suddenly met a group of fleeing villagers.

That is how the matter? These villagers drove ox carts, dragged handcarts, and went all the way north with Xinruan? Don't they know that Bremen, which experienced the ravages of the Normans, was already desolate? Could it be that they are going to Bremen to pioneer?

Things are so abnormal! When Robert's Frankish cavalry, flying the cross flag, advanced rapidly, it immediately caused panic among the villagers.

It is natural for the villagers to be afraid of the army, but now they still have to control them and find out what happened.

The huge cavalry easily forced the villagers to settle down, and Robert was surprised to see a priest among them. A bald, middle-aged priest waved a cross made of wooden branches and called on the cavalry not to kill anyone.

kill? No. Robert just wanted to make sense of the situation.

Just by briefly hearing the news from some villagers, the information completely subverted his understanding.

He was so shocked that he was trembling all over!

"What's going on? The one who rebelled was not Horik, but Liudolf? That Liudolf actually led all the Saxons to rebel against King Ludwig?"

"Are these fleeing villagers all residents of Saxon villages in Westphalia? They recently received the news and began to move their families?"

"Has Liudov's family all evacuated? The person who dug up Vidukind's grave was his descendant Liudov himself?!"

In an instant, these evacuated villagers became enemies. They did not give up their faith in God, and this move northward was a betrayal of Ludwig.

Robert, who knew a lot of inside information, sighed sadly while riding on his horse, and said to himself: "My lord, you are worried that the earls of Westphalia will defect to Lothair. Now they have not defected to Lothair, and they are not loyal to you. The Saxons are actually here. During this period, the entire clan rebelled. Am I...going to Hamburg to stabilize the situation, or to quell the rebellion?"

Robert was in a dilemma. Only one thing was true between the news he had learned now and the news that had been conveyed to Worms and Mainz - there was a war in the north and the surrendered people rebelled.

The difference is that the rebel is not Horik from Denmark, but Liudov and all the Saxons.

The information was seriously distorted and wrong during the transmission process. Going north was like banging my head against a stone wall. But, what can be done.

Robert of the Rheingau had a devout faith. These Saxon villagers had converted to God. Anyone who raised a butcher knife against them would go to hell. Times have changed. Charlemagne could still take bloody revenge on the Saxons who maintained their barbaric beliefs. He had no reason to do any violence to the converted Saxons. He even restrained his troops from contacting these villagers, and instead accelerated their horses' hooves to march north.

After all, these are three thousand cavalry. It seems that Liudov is likely to rebel. So will he immediately give in when faced with a strong cavalry?

Robert's Rheingau County and Liudov's Westphalia County were geographically adjacent to each other. Both sides are rulers of large regions. Even Robert remembers Liudov's eldest son Poluno particularly well, and he also has the idea of ​​​​marrying his youngest daughter, or trying to arrange for his youngest son to go to Liudov's little boy in the camp. daughter.

This is a marriage between nobles. Robert has never had any ill will towards Liudov. He is willing to have a good talk with him and hear why he rebelled, and even persuade him to step back from the brink. But he can't go against the road during the civil war in the kingdom. Derwig's back was stabbed with knives.

Listening to what the villagers said, Liudolf gathered the Saxon army in Hamburg and called himself the Duke of Saxony. He used more and more armed forces to prove to Ludwig his determination to restore the country.

How many real words can an ordinary villager have in his mouth?

He should have sent a messenger back to Worms to meet his king, considering that errors in the transmission of information would lead to an untimely and irreversible war.

Robert decided to go straight to Hamburg to confront Liudov in public, but subjectively he would not take the initiative.

Then, Bremen, which was theoretically turned into a wasteland, encountered strange troops stationed here, some ships anchored on the Weser River, and even people who seemed to be waiting to board the ship.

Apparently, those weirdos were also aware of his presence. For a moment, the horn sounded loudly, which was like a signal to prepare for battle.

Taking a good look at the strange ships, Harald Clark was startled: "That's our longship!"

"Longship?!"

"That's what you call a Norman ship! That's our Danish longship! Ah! There's also the flag flying on the big ship."

Robert squinted and saw clearly: "It looks like an X emblem."

"Oh God, they're Rus!"

"Russian?"

"They are not Liudov's people!" Harald Clark was determined. "They are the murderers who burned down Bremen! I have informed Denmark, and I know it very well."

"How? Fight?" Robert asked.

"Fight! Bremen Hunter's family was killed by them, and these barbarians must pay the price. We will catch them off guard before their ships can leave in time."

"Then do it!"

So, this huge Frankish cavalry all blew their horns, and each centurion took the order. Suddenly, there was a forest of lances, and the cavalry array began to advance in formation...

At the same time, Rurik, who had completed the settlement in the north and led the main force of the fleet to the Elbe River, had made an appointment with Liudov. The Russian army sent a squadron around the Weser River to pick up the loyalists at the ruins of Bremen. Yulyudov was a Saxon from the south.

It was Arik and Ragnar who teamed up to burn Bremen back then. This time Arik indeed led the sea team to act as a benefactor at the old site of Bremen.

Is he really a good person? On the contrary, standing on the ruins of Bremen, the remnants of the First Flag and the young boys of the Second Flag collectively praised Arik as "the famous ruthless man of Ross". Find Shuyuan www.zhaoshuyuan． com For Arik, he felt that the devastation covered by weeds was proof of his heroic fighting. Here he was helping his defeated Saxony Duke Liudolf, commanding the Saxon army, and quickly transporting the Saxon refugees who were tired from walking by sea. This was also a righteous act of selling Liudolf.

Of course, none of this is free.

Under the arrangement of King Rurik, Arik played the role of "snakehead". In exchange, Liudov had to pay the Russian army labor service fees. The cost is nothing but this year’s new harvest of wheat and the existing cattle and sheep.

Liudolf's family took the sea route in Bremen. Instead of the previous delay, they arrived in Hamburg by boat in just one day.

Such actions by the Rus' army proved the friendship between Rus and Saxony, and Rurik had gained Liudov's trust.

So looking at the son and youngest daughter of the Duke of Saxony, considering that he also brought the de facto eldest son and the real crown prince of Mercia, Reglaf.

Rurik had some thoughts...

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