Rise of Rurik - Chapter 1117

[Chapter 1117 The Weird Frankish Civil War Situation in Early Winter of 841]

A longboat carried the news of Nassau up the Rhine River, and finally King Ludwig, who was stationed in Mainz, learned of the attack on Trier.

This was a secret report. The envoy sent by the blue fox brought a piece of torn paper as a letter. On the paper, a simple sentence was spelled out in Frankish: The attack on Trier was successful, we looted and burned it, and Archbishop Hutto was killed. exile.

Other than that there is no other content.

After all, this kind of matter cannot be made public. Ludwig does not want the world to think that this matter was secretly authorized by him, and the Baron of Nassau cannot be responsible for the matter.

He silently accepted the letter, accepted the ten oak barrels of wine “tributed” from Nassau, and rewarded him with some wheat, and asked the Viking longship sailing under the Nassau flag to leave.

On the surface, this is the tribute of the Normans entrenched in Nassau, which shows that King Ludwig recovered these Normans.

Behind the scenes, Ludwig had mixed feelings.

This group of Ross Normans is more mobile and combative than the old Danish mercenaries in Harald Clarke. As long as they are given tasks that can make a fortune, this group of people will really take the axe.

Here comes the problem.

Keep the pack of wolves by your side, what if you are backlashed by them?

Ludwig didn’t care too much. He lost Kaiserslautern in the last fight at the end of summer. The military operation did not make any progress and the loss of troops would be huge. At present, he can only stick to Mainz.

At least there is plenty of time. He feels that he can slowly transfer troops from Bavaria in winter and spring, and the situation will be much better next year.

As for the outcome of the Norman attack and burning of Trier, Ludwig does not know, but his eldest brother Lothar will respond soon.

Now, the Moselle valley is becoming jittery.

The city of Trier was on fire, and people fled to the mountains. When the flames gradually extinguished, people returning to the city faced the blackened stone remains.

The granary turned into black charcoal, and even the complex cellar system was overfired, leaving the underground granary in a mess.

The stone pillars of the church remain, and the upper wooden building has disappeared without a trace.

The emperor’s palace became a dark place, the interior was empty, and the smell of the scorched lake could not dissipate for a long time.

The priests in Trier suffered heavy casualties, and Archbishop Hutto himself fled into the mountains. When he was found, he suffered severe mental and physical blows.

He became crazy, and he kept muttering words such as “this is God’s punishment”, “we have suffered this because of lack of piety”, “greed is the source of disaster”, and so on.

The people hiding in the mountains and forests are facing a gradually cooling climate. The destruction of Trier means that many people have lost their homes and their properties have been wiped out.

They hoped that the miraculously escaped bishop could guide the confused and desperate people, but the bishop became a holy fool.

Do not.

He is not a fool, he is clearly just crazy.

If he continues to live in the mountains and forests, he will starve to death in a short time. The insane Archbishop Hutto has no meaning, and other low-level priests who escaped from the sky at the critical moment began to turn the tide.

Trier is a ruined city, the attackers are the Normans, the legends of the past have come true!

The residents of the cities could not take refuge in the villages, but could only continue upstream along the Moselle River.

The largest settlement in the upper reaches is Metz, and with Metz as the center, the nearby river is densely packed with villages and towns.

The people imagined that as long as they got there, they would get enough food, and with the archbishop in the team, everyone could get relief.

After a painful escape journey, thousands of people managed to reach Metz by begging all the way.

At this moment, Count Adalbert of Metz was still stationed in Kaiserslautern in the northeast with a large army. His son was stationed in his hometown, and unexpectedly encountered a large number of refugees.

The city of Metz is only the earl’s residence. The city is not big in size. At least 3,000 people suddenly arrived. The narrow alleys in the city can’t hold so many people. Compared with helping them, the earl is worried that this group of people will Because of hunger, he turned into a bandit and endangered one side.

When it was discovered that the Archbishop of Trier was among the refugees, even if the whole person became insane, any detrimental behavior of this person to the refugees would be interpreted as blasphemy.

Metz’s granary released some food, and the refugees were collectively placed in the forest where they were free to build shelters for the winter. The food given out was enough for these people to recover. As for the future, the prince could not make up his mind.

The refugee problem is secondary, and the most dangerous thing is that Trier was vandalized and burned by the Normans.

The news spread quickly to Strasbourg and Kaiserslautern. By the time King Lothair received the news, it was already early October in early winter.

It’s not that the horse-riding messengers run slowly, it’s that the refugee group wasted too much time on the way.

The terrible news shocked King Lothair to tear the parchment document into pieces, and then paced and cursed in the imperial palace, scratching his ears and cheeks under the influence of anxiety and anger.

He urgently dispatched envoys to Kaiserslautern to summon Earl Adalbert to have an audience.

The same Adalbert also received news from his son that thousands of refugees were entrenched in Metz City, and Archbishop Trier became crazy and was still present.

Dealing with this group of refugees and priests in distress was enough for him to worry about, but it was inappropriate for him to leave the current line of defense.

Adalbert arrived in Strasbourg with a small entourage on horseback, and went straight to the king’s palace without rest.

The situation was urgent and complicated, and King Lothar had no consideration for red tape. He even accepted the audience of the dusty earl in casual clothes.

The wooden windows of the tall tower are open, and the early winter wind feels a little bleak.

Lothair faced the cold wind with his hands behind his back. He had a long beard. As the eldest of the royal family, he was no longer young. He was about to turn fifty. This civil war was already the last effort to maintain the unity of the kingdom.

“You came.”

“Yes. Your Majesty, I am sorry for my rudeness in this manner.”

Lothair turned around and was very satisfied to see that his stomach was still intact.

“You came in time. Now, the nasty Normans have attacked Trier. I already know the news. The situation in Trier is said to be a mess.”

“Yes. I also got the news. There are a large number of refugees outside the city of Metz. My son opened a warehouse to provide food relief, and he also treated the fleeing Archbishop of Trier kindly.”

Lothair was a little surprised, and guessed that since the news came from Metz, they must have notified many people.

He looked solemn and thoughtful, and stated with an old face full of beards: “In the beginning, the Normans attacked Nijmegen, Duinsburg, Cologne, and Bonn. Aachen must beware of Norman raids.” , and the Earl of Flanders became a traitor and made peace with the Normans. At first, the Normans attacked my brother’s territory (referring to the Eastern Kingdom), but in the end it was my subjects who attacked. I will eventually Restoring complete rule will liquidate the traitors and the crimes of the Normans. I really didn’t expect that the Normans would dare to go all the way to Trier to burn, kill and loot. It’s unbelievable! Ai Qing, what do you think?”

Adalbert was puzzled for a while, he hesitated and said, “We should strike hard. We don’t need any kindness when dealing with the Normans.”

“That’s right. Now the problem is obviously very complicated. The Normans ignored my garrison in Koblenz and directly attacked Trier and succeeded. I don’t believe this is the skill of the Normans. I’m afraid someone provided them with Convenience.”

“This… Could it be that His Majesty suspects a traitor?”

“It’s indeed a traitor! But it’s not on our side. I’m sure it must be Ludwig’s conspiracy. He has Norman mercenaries in his hands. Some dirty actions are done by these mercenaries. He fought with the Normans last year. I heard what agreement was made.”

Earl Metz also knew some things. Since the civil war in the kingdom was a matter between brothers in the royal family, it was not appropriate for him to comment on it.

“Damn it, I launched a sneak attack during my most critical military training period. Arranging Norman mercenaries to do this, he thought he could sit back and relax if he hid deeply, so I am a fool? The problem is indeed difficult, I am really worried that Coblenz will be killed. They easily took over.”

“Ah? Your Majesty, in fact, Coblenz has already been…” Adalbert muttered in surprise, as if his son had erased some information from the king’s information.

“what?!”

“Coblenz has been taken by Nassau.”

“Taken from? Who? Nassau? The Baron? That’s impossible! This…”

“It should be true, Nassau loyal to Ludwig.”

Lothar had some illusions at first, so he asked again in detail, and through Earl Metz’s mouth, he was finally convinced that the so-called lower reaches of the Moselle where the city of Trier was located was no longer under the firm control of his forces.

He immediately realized the seriousness of the situation, so that Earl Metz’s victory in the defense of Kaiserslautern was no longer glorious. From a macro perspective, all of this seemed like Ludwig’s dirty tactics.

“Damn! You!” Lothar pointed to the north with his big hand, and cursed at his third brother Lothair from the air: “If you can’t win a fair battle, use dirty means to destroy it. The dioceses will not participate in our war , You are breaking the agreement!” Immediately responding to his matter, there was a gust of north wind, and this desolate feeling seemed to be caught in the wind with dirty words, making it uncomfortable.

Lothair, who had abused him a lot, was not relieved at all, and he had to make more major adjustments.

Originally, Earl Metz came back to arrange a new mission for him. After learning that Koblenz was occupied by the enemy, Adalbert’s son actually held back such important news.

After all, Lothair is getting older and calmer. After venting his anger and cursing a few words, he still needs to face the worsening mess rationally.

He issued such a royal order: “Those Normans must be mercenaries raised by Ludwig. It may be Ludwig’s army that caused the damage, but they were disguised as Normans. Trier is no longer a barrier. Your Metz must strengthen the defense. You return to Kaiserslautern and lead your men to withdraw, and I will personally guard…”

Hearing this, Adalbert’s eyes widened like copper bells, and he stood on the high tower of the palace like a statue. He didn’t speak or pant, and his surprised face was unmoved by the cold wind.

“What? Stupid? This is an order, and you must carry it out.”

“I……”

“Is there any other condition? No, you can retreat. Listen, I want you to take Trier back, and help me get Coblenz back. And me! My young Louis is in need of experience, just He will be stationed in Kaiserslautern, and Baron Saar will be in charge of guarding the Sarabruggia Bridge. Don’t think you are at a loss. Listen!” Lothel paused for breath, “Next year will be a full-scale counterattack! The king’s army The training will be completed! Next year, solve Ludwig, and then quickly solve the Aquitaine (referring to the Western Kingdom) issue, and the kingdom will be unified! Don’t worry, as long as you contribute, Koblenz can give it to you, and Mainz can also give it to you.”

It sounds like a blank check. Compared with the king’s promise, Adalbert still hopes that his army will directly capture Mainz in the spring of next year, so that the fief can be controlled in fact.

The king’s fate is hard to violate and his own Metz is indeed in big trouble. The local people must be in panic. It seems that only the Metz army returns to their hometown and the villagers can feel at ease when they see the army.

Lothar felt that he had made the best solution amidst the troubles. Of course, the complexity of the civil war has exceeded his imagination.

Even if the Metz army withdrew from Kaiserslautern in early October, Mainz, which had raised the exemption card, had the right to pretend that nothing happened.

Ludwig felt secretly refreshed. He knew that his elder brother was busy training troops, and his side was of course far behind. As long as the troops from the rear continued to arrive, he would take the risk of taking the initiative to attack. He felt that pure strategic defense would be fine.

In principle, according to the treaty signed with the Kingdom of Ross, he can take the opportunity to invite a powerful guest army to the King of Ross, and he can also continue to ask Nassau of Saxony, Thuringia and the Netherlands to fulfill the obligation of submission, the so-called sending troops to assist the war .

His strength is indeed not as good as before. The Marquis of Thuringia is a man invited by the uncle. The reasons for releasing the pigeons can be various, whether it is loyalty or not.

As for Nassau in Saxony and the Netherlands, he, who was the loser in last year’s large-scale conflict, couldn’t bear to beg these two.

From this point of view, the current Baron of Nassau is really worthy of something!

It was clearly a group of Normans, making them the most loyal ministers.

Are you really a loyal minister?

Ludwig was living in a dream, but he didn’t know that the Lyingau region he occupied had been sold to Nassau by the Earl of Lyingau.

As the saying goes, Ludwig is facing the rise of the princes from all walks of life in the territory. Lothar has to beware of the rise of the princes but has to use his strength to encourage him. King Charles of the Western Kingdom, he directly becomes the prince of the south. “Emperor Yi”.

The situation is treacherous, and Lanhu can perceive the complexity of the situation, so he has to stand up and return to the voyage resolutely.

Wines from Nassau, regardless of their degree of fermentation, are shipped on cargo ships in as many as one hundred standard oak barrels (near the waist height of a grown man).

In addition to wine, Nassau does not have any special products, but it is precisely wine that is the biggest specialty here.

Blue Fox can be sure that this batch of goods will be dumped instantly when they arrive in New Roseburg, and the Ross people who have suffered from imported inflation will spend a lot of money for this sweet wine.

I will earn a lot of cash, which is military expenses for future operations.

Because Blue Fox had a premonition that his younger brother Black Fox’s garrison in Nassau was too small.

The attack on Trier will definitely cause a fierce reaction from King Lothar, and more troops are needed to protect the fruits of victory of Ross’ forces.

Besides, the high-intensity intervention in the Frankish civil war was originally the will of King Rurik, and there were already sufficient reasons for the intervention.

At Nassau Village Dock, the returning fleet is ready.

Although arrangements have been made, the blue fox at the pier had to say a few more words to the people stationed.

He patted his old entourage, Vadi, on the shoulder: “You really should do a lot. From now on, you will not be my entourage, but my brother’s subordinate. My brother needs your assistance, and your title and fiefdom will be indispensable in the future.” .”

He told his brother Heihu again: “Most of the brothers are in your hands. Hurry up and train soldiers this winter. Don’t slack off. I will go back and meet the king to report the situation. I will bring more troops next year.”

“I understand.” The black fox nodded, “Say hello to my parents and the king when I go back, and tell the truth about us.”

“I understand.” No matter how weak his brother’s head was, Blue Fox stood in front of Sophia, who had already swollen cheeks, and said calmly: “I will stop by the Netherlands and tell your father about your situation. I think next year you will Father will be back.”

The little girl didn’t understand war, so he just wanted to see his parents again, and when he heard that his father might return next year, he felt a strong joy in his heart.

[To tell the truth, I have been using the source-changing app recently to read and update books, switch between sources, and read aloud with many timbres. www.huanyuanapp.com is available for both Android and Apple.

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The entourage that the blue fox wants to take away is only fifty people, and all the ships are only armed cargo ships.

He didn’t worry about his loneliness at all. After he finished talking, he boarded the big ship. With the dull and melodious sound of the Horn, Blue Fox’s return journey began.

However, he thought that he would not be alone, and believed that he would meet the return fleet of his fourth brother Red Fox with a high probability. There would definitely be a large amount of wool transported to New Roseburg by sea, and the fleet would set off during this period of time.

In the best possible way, they can meet each other in Stade on the road, and in the worse case, they can also meet on the road.

[End of this Chapter]