Rise of Rurik - Chapter 620

[Chapter 621 Those Captives of Tavastia]

Although it was a cold winter, the discussion scene in Roseburg was very lively.

It was a cold morning, and the sun was just casting its first light on the frozen bay.

The ice floes in most of the Gulf of Bothnia have been connected together, and Roseburg is located to the north. Now the ice in the fjord is enough to carry a strong man walking around.

Five thousand people gathered on the frozen seashore where a row of ships was moored. They all received the notice, and they were bringing their money and sackcloth bags, cheering and sealing the Duke’s open market to start selling.

Behold, a great many sacks of sackcloth have stood upon the ice.

Many people saw people coming with a sledge full of sacks.

Soon, the long-awaited sales finally began.

The Rus, bound into regular ranks, began to buy the grain of the month.

Many people are very surprised, because the wheat sold in October is different this month.

It should be wheat, but it looks much shorter and thicker than oats.

It is said that this is wheat, a brand-new term, and it is also an important spoil of war obtained by the army’s expedition.

But its price is not pleasing. The official guide price set by Rurik is nine pounds for one silver coin.

Helplessly, the Duke will sell this this month, and everyone has to accept it reluctantly.

Until, they bought home this month’s wheat according to the stipulated quota and cooked it in Tao Weng. Everyone understood the reason why the wheat was expensive because of its soft and glutinous taste, which was different from oatmeal.

Only when people are absolutely poor, people will be hungry. Nowadays, Ross people generally have a lot of wealth. When it comes to eating, they are increasingly pursuing taste.

There are also women who grind the purchased wheat into coarse powder with traditional stone milling sticks and small stone plates.

They all intend to make oatmeal cakes that are not sticky and very durable, just like processing oatmeal, so that they can be enjoyed slowly during the extremely cold period.

Now, after processing the new grains, women are stunned that the mince sticks to their hands, and the coarse wheat powder is lumped into a ball after adding water.

One family after another is pleasantly surprised, because the noodle finally looks like a noodle.

Firewood heats the slate, and the wheat flour cake is quickly cooked on the kang.

When the noodles are eaten in the mouth, the soft and glutinous texture is really amazing, and there is a sweet aftertaste after careful chewing!

The same thing happened in Rurik’s palace.

In fact, he regretted that he didn’t dig well in Tamworth. If he brought back the local stone mills, he wouldn’t have to order those maids to fiddle with them with stone mills.

Rurik still ate the baked bread, but the processing method was more refined than that of ordinary people. For example, the fine flour was sieved with a gauze sieve for further processing. Using such flour to make bread, the taste after baking is different from the traditional one. The naan in the concept is not too much.

At least the taste is ten times better than boiled oatmeal.

So, what about noodles?

Making noodles is impossible without tools.

The purpose of development is to make Duke Ross strong. She has already risen in the Baltic Sea world surrounded by powerful enemies, and she is still far from being able to dominate this small world. At least she is enough to make others fearful and stay away.

The strength of Ross lies in the continuous improvement of the living standards of the Ross people themselves. As a ruler, he must make a big fuss about the issue of food for the people.

Ross needed multiple mills, whether it was processing oats or wheat, and there was an urgent need to efficiently use the energy contained in these grains.

He has already planned to discuss this matter with the blacksmiths.

Perhaps the cost of obtaining materials such as rotary stone mills or large stone rollers is low, but now that he has mastered the casting of pig iron, he feels that manufacturing small steel mills is more cost-effective.

It has been some time since Rurik’s triumphant return, and the time is also at the end of October.

He wants to make Ross’s basic industries develop more rapidly. For this purpose, a large number of people must work hard.

Thinking of hiring labor, Roseburg now has a large number of able-bodied people.

As for more women, their physical strength is naturally not as strong as that of strong men, but their population is extremely large, and they can make great contributions by relying on their sheer numbers.

However, hiring this group of people comes at their own expense.

Let the people serve corvee?

This was taken for granted in the East, and it was also true in feudal Franks and Britain.

But Rose’s situation is quite special, and even today’s tax collection is mainly aimed at contract farmers, contract fishermen, and businessmen.

A large number of ordinary Russians and new immigrants want to unite them well, and Rurik is sure that he relies on the power of money.

Unless they are slaves, they can get their labor for free.

However, due to the current situation of Ross, the sense of existence of the slave group is very weak!

This is not because Rurik is benevolent. The essence is really an irony. A ruler who intends to be benevolent, what he does can be called barbaric.

Rurik, who followed the principles of Clausewitz’s war, may be too advanced in his view of war in contemporary Europe, because the wars launched by Ross are all prepared wars of annihilation.

The men of the hostile forces are always almost dead in battle, and the living women are all absorbed into the wives and concubines of the Rus and allies.

But according to the generally accepted tradition, even if a woman absorbed from a hostile force gave birth to a Ross man, she would automatically become a Ross woman, enjoy all the powers of a Ross woman, and should be protected.

As a result, the principality’s strength expanded rapidly, and there were almost no slave groups in the general sense, but there were a lot of servants.

wait!

Aren’t the five hundred Tavastian women to be given to the Balmerks still unemployed?

Rurik blamed himself for forgetting about them, and what was worse, he didn’t mention it, and no one told him about the living conditions of these women.

It was already November, and Rurik thought about this and asked his father.

Otto once laughed: “I don’t think many of those women have died. In the past few months, your Rumia has been guiding them to do something…” Otto actually didn’t want to talk about it. Ross people, why bother?

Rurik was very upset when he heard that.

How many did not die?

Don’t people still die for various reasons?

This… is a terrible waste of labor, and it is a disgrace.

Since Rumia was familiar, Rurik questioned her and successfully learned about the events of the Tavastia woman in the past few months.

Originally, the labor force of those people had already been used, but they were a group of subjugated women, and it might be a little bit reluctant to expect them to work for the conqueror with peace of mind.

Rumia instructed them to do some simple tasks such as sorting furs and beating hemp stalks. When the materials to be processed were processed, there was nothing left for them to do.

They were going to be handed over to the captives of the Balmerks, and it was inappropriate for them to do too many things. What’s more, if they got sharp tools to do some fine work, who could guarantee that they wouldn’t make trouble with the sharp tools at hand?

While Rurik was around, many Rus would not have objected to his arrangement with these women.

The most elite Russian army started a new expedition, and later, Rumia was busy with her own affairs, and those who had the right to speak simply left the group of captives on the grounds that Rurik was not there and Otto went to the East to collect tribute .

During that period, the old guy Harrozosen who was ordered to manage the Roseburg area, it would be unrealistic to expect him to treat a group of captives who were going to give to his allies well.

When Rurik came back, how to settle them was left to his discretion. This was Harrow Zosen’s idea.

So during that time, they didn’t even have to do simple work, just like birds and beasts in a cage, and those who tried to escape were driven back.

When the weather turned cold, they all huddled in the warehouse, and they didn’t know how long such meaningless days would last.

This is a waste of labor!

Gould, who came back with the goods, or Verdegen, who raised many slaves and actually opened a “garment processing factory”, hoped to use these idle people.

But they are legally not under Rose’s control. Their temporary master, Rurik, has not returned yet, so Harrow Zosen laughed.

Rumia felt sorry for those women, but after all, she was only a high priest, and she couldn’t do things on her behalf.

The various sacrificial works of the Ross people, as well as taking care of their daughters, have already arranged her time very full, and she is powerless to think about improving the lives of those prisoners.

Of course, there is still a small area of Tavastian women who have become the wives and concubines of the Ross people. They intend to help these sisters of the same race, but the sisters are locked in the heavily guarded granary area. Control, and most of them are pregnant, which further restricts walking.

Of course there is also a large group of Suomi women who have entered Ruth society through normal means. They just want to live their lives and care little about the captives of the once hostile Tavastia.

Rurik didn’t realize that he had set up a meaningless prison for them until he heard Rumia’s regretful description.

What’s worse is that although they ended up as sheep raised in captivity, I have been providing food for them all the time. There is not much food every day, but the accumulated expenses of food for the 500 idlers in more than three months are really not small.

According to this, the expenditure is not small, and their life is not good.

Rurik and his men hurried to the big barn in the granary area where the prisoners lived. As he approached the barn, a bad feeling came to his mind.

Because this area is the small mound where Rurik used to train the children, this place has become an excellent granary because of the high terrain.

But this is not a traditional residential area, many buildings have sprung up, but unfortunately it is not destined to be lively.

It’s too quiet here too.

He casually said to his entourage Evro: “Fort Rose is obviously noisy, but it’s eerily quiet here.”

“It’s understandable that the granary area is quiet. My lord, is that big barn really inhabited? I also feel that there is a lack of vitality here. The situation I saw before is not like this at all.”

“They must all be hiding in the house. Don’t blame them, I ordered them not to wander around.”

This place has always been guarded by armed veterans, and when they saw His Excellency the Duke came, they all stepped forward to compliment him.

“My lord, are you finally coming to see these women?” an old man with a white beard covered in age spots greeted him respectfully.

“How are they?”

“Should still satisfy you.”

But Rurik heard sobbing from the dwellings of the old guards.

“Go, go and have a look.” Rurik flicked his neck and walked away with Yefro and others.

The old guards looked astonished, and someone yelled: “My lord, there is nothing to see in my house.”

However, Rurik still saw the black-haired woman who was chained up. Seeing his appearance, Rurik subconsciously curled up in the soft deerskin blanket again.

“What’s going on here?” Rurik asked casually.

The old guard who lived here faltered and murmured for a long time.

“I see. As your slaves? These women are the spoils of Balmerk’s allies. You…”

“My lord. I…” The old guard said boldly, “I’m old, my wife is dead, and my son died in the battle to the east. Thank you, my lord, for giving me this job, but I still hope to leave one Heir.”

“So, then…” Rurik was really taken aback, but after thinking about it, the old guy also had a reason.

He smiled, “You really know how to pick, this woman is quite pretty. You have this purpose, why lock her up?”

The old guard smiled shamelessly again, “These women are like a pack of forest she-wolves, not easy to control.”

“It’s ridiculous! Maybe she can’t stand your old bull. Tell the truth.” Rurik said again: “I heard that some women died. What’s the situation? You can’t say that you killed them What? You are all to blame for this kind of thing.”

At this moment, Rurik’s entourage escorted the so-called “rescued” prisoners to him.

Apparently the old guys on guard had control of a “mate,” and for whatever reason they had, they were illegally appropriating someone else’s spoils.

This is a matter of principle!

Rurik raised his head and sternly said: “I will not punish you, but these women must be released. You have no right to get these women! According to our tradition, those who rob friends should be chopped off and expelled!”

“Ah! My lord, you can’t do this.” Then some old guy hurriedly knelt down on one knee.

“Get up. After all, your son has made meritorious service to Ross, and you were all elite fighters when you were young. Your meritorious deeds have offset the crime. Now give you a chance, spend money, and you will legally get a new partner. ”

There is such a good thing?

Not only is there no punishment, but there are also rewards?

The old guys saluted soldiers one after another.

As for what kind of woman to give them, Rurik has also thought about it.

Because the food officer Paul is a Northumbrian, his men are such a group of old Ross.

Paul belongs to the technocrats, and the true identity of these old guys is already a real grain official.

Taking care of a group of captives was an additional task. Rurik recruited these old guys to rely on their old age and strength to prevent possible food theft.

Let an outsider manage them, so Paul must stand firmly on the Duke’s side because of his weak power. It is undeniable that he himself is not good at coordinating this group of subordinates.

For example, they have no fear of finding a captive as a factual wife from the women locked in the granary area. This means that they don’t think Paul has any privileges at all, but he is the Duke’s dog.

If the wives of these old fellows were Northumbrian women, the situation might change.

By coincidence, a group of captured cooks came to Rose, and they must have a definite identity to continue their lives.

But there was still one price they had to pay, a pound of silver for a lawful wife.

Their work was originally rewarded by the duke. In the previous era, people like them who were about to lose their labor force would have starved to death.

They lack the ability to be self-reliant. Apart from receiving a meager salary, how can they come up with so much money?

Coincidentally, Rurik no longer planned to give them any money in silver coins or copper coins. The so-called salary was a fixed monthly share of wheat.

They had no choice but to agree.

“I’ll arrange it like this. You better not tell me that because of your negligence, those captives who hid in the barn turned into corpses.”

“It won’t. Even their situation is not good.” An honest old guard said.

The wooden door was opened, and the listless captives poked their heads one after another.

Rurik smelled a sour smell, followed by a warm one.

After all, it is complaining about heating, and the solid wood and airtight houses basically lock the warmth.

But looking at their condition up close, Liu suddenly thought of many bad things.

Many captives stretched out their skinny hands and chanted food in Old Finnish dialect, and they came to Rurik and begged for a meal.

“They’re skinny! What did I say? Give them enough food every day! You guys are dereliction of duty!”

Rurik cursed loudly, the followers were cheered up, and the guards were shocked.

He was actually scolding himself, because after the wooden door was opened, he checked a little and saw many people still wearing thin cloth clothes, under which there were one after another emaciated bodies caused by chronic hunger.

It’s no wonder that I haven’t heard any movement from them these days when I came back.

Isn’t it that a large group of people get together to sign up for a group to keep warm?

Wouldn’t it be suicide to run outside in such a weak state?

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Those who died, I am afraid that they died of cold and sickness, or indeed hanged outdoors and committed suicide by relying on the cold.

“Their situation is a bit miserable.” Yefro couldn’t bear to look directly at them.

“Someone is responsible for this!” Rurik gritted his teeth.

“It’s Harrow Zosen.” An old guy said casually, “He said that the group of captives didn’t do anything to eat, so just give them very little food so that they don’t starve to death.”

“Did he order it? I made him do it?”

This group of old guards was the same age as Harrow Zosen, and they were all old acquaintances. They saw that the guy was doing well in his later years, and the old guys had such a bleak life, how could there be praise at all.

They described Harrow Zosen as a miser, but Rurik recognized that Harrow Zosen did things for a reason.

After all, it was the Duke’s treasury that paid for the various expenses of this group of prisoners.

The Rus naturally despise those who get something for nothing, and Harrow Zosen himself and even Otto, deep in his heart, regard these captives as lowly slaves, or the very strange slaves of others who cannot work for the Rus.

They didn’t say it to their faces, but they were doing it.

After all, it is impossible for these captives to become Rose’s women, and Rurik does not want to pursue it any further.

“Damn. I still plan to use their labor force, and I have to take them to Balmerk on the icy road. Damn it! You guys! Get them all out, and I will arrange to change them all into winter clothes. In the next week, I will give them a lot of food to replenish their bodies,” he ordered.

“My lord, they are just captives given to our allies. You still have to spend more money.” Yefro also kindly reminded.

“No! They must pay the price. I want them to be strong enough to work for me, and I will let them all leave after creating enough wealth for me.”

[End of this Chapter]