Rise of Rurik - Chapter 937

[Chapter 939 Attack on Schleswig]

The way for the army to go south is bound to pass through Hedeby Port.

This formerly prosperous port truly highlights the glory of Godfrey, the great leader of Denmark in the past.

It’s really different, the leader has long passed away, and the port has become an absolute free port after his death. Now, the grass covers the burnt ruins, and there are only some black building wreckage left here, telling the horror of many years ago.

Facing Hedeby, which is devastated but has been smoothed by nature, the viewer is not sad, but has some memories of the past.

The army advancing by sea and land went south all the way, and along the way, a large number of Danish villages and a small number of Saxon villages announced to change course due to their own safety.

The Danish villages have announced that they will cancel their belief in God and will return to Odin’s embrace.

They venerated Ragnar, who was armed, as their king, just as they had honored Horik, who had armed him.

But this time is really different.

Because Horik is a prisoner of war whose tendons and hamstrings have been cut off, this person is Rurik’s captive, and even Ragnar’s captive. The key is that the existence of this prisoner is very useful.

With a rope around its neck, no fig leaf on its body, and a wriggling thing like a molted wild boar, it is actually Horik who rode a steed and swaggered to force everyone to surrender a few years ago?

Is Horik really a descendant of Lord Godfrey?

No one knows.

But all the village lords knew that Horik was definitely a blood relative of Harald Clark.

The latter was voted to depose the leader of the alliance and expelled by force.

The reason for the expulsion was very simple – Harald Clark was forcing everyone to convert to God.

However, those lords and their tribesmen who did not want to convert were either killed or had to go into exile, such as fleeing to the nearest Island of Zealand.

A large number of villages chose to convert and accept baptism collectively in order to save their lives, and now they have jumped backwards.

How do you prove that you have re-believed in Odin?

They started killing young priests in the village, even if they were of the same race.

This kind of persecution against priests made Esquier heartbroken. Out of practical considerations, he suppressed his inner anger and grief, as if he was unaware of all this, and only held his cross tightly when there was no one around. The staff kept praying.

The Danish villages were well aware of the influence of Christ in their independent territory. They destroyed the small monastery, killed the priests, and then dug the stone statues representing gods such as Odin and Thor from the pit.

This scene really made Rurik dumbfounded.

He and Ragnar witnessed the re-establishment of the stone statues, the re-construction of the stone boat altar, and even the blood sacrifice ceremony of the young priest bound with ropes.

“What do you think?” Rurik asked Ragnar deliberately: “I think they have already made two-handed preparations.”

“I think so too. What a bunch of smart people…”

Of course Ragnar despises this kind of talent who adapts to changes in faith, but now he needs the support of these Danish compatriots.

At least they returned to Odin with practical actions, and all that was left was to force them to contribute a group of strong men to join the army as warriors.

The southern Danish villages on the Jutland peninsula made such decisions one after another, and the lords knew very well that Ragnar was a real ruthless person.

Besides, the flamboyant Horik has now degenerated into a pig dog, and he can be walked by Ragnar on a rope.

But he saw that this thirty-year-old King Ragnar was in the prime of his life, and he yelled at everyone: “Horik is my prisoner, I was chosen by Odin, and I avenged Odin!”

The people respect the strong, and Ragnar is the real strong.

Of course, no one can ignore the more powerful behind the king – King Rurik of Ross and the Ross army.

No one can ignore the Rus army. They are well-dressed and well-armed, with infantry and cavalry, and a huge fleet drifting offshore.

The legendary King of Ross, Rurik, also showed his real body, and all the rumors that have been spread have come true. He was the man who killed King Hafgen back then!

Everyone knows that the Ross people opened a shop in Old Hadeby Port, and they also know that the fire in Hadeby Port is largely related to Horick’s sending troops to clean Ross’s shop.

The result of that battle directly led to a commercial disaster in the Danish world, so that many merchants had to go further south to Schleswig to do business.

Schleswig was originally a town shared by the Danes and the Saxons. The aborigines in the town believed in Sirius. In other words, they believed that Sirius was not a star, but “the shining point of Asgard in the sky”.

Hedeby, in ruins, ceased to exist, and Schleswig began to take its economic place, but it was firmly controlled by the Franks and became a frontier city.

Thanks to the conversion of many villages to God, the converted Danes and Saxons can do business freely.

They could finally safely import northern goods into the Frankish hinterland at the cost of heavy taxes.

And the Saxons who still remain north of the Great Wall of Schleswig have always been guests of Denmark.

Everything changed with the arrival of Vidukind’s descendant, Lyudov.

However, they welcomed their leader, and learned of the war a year later.

Because many Saxons converted to God, they abandoned their villages and drove their cattle and sheep with their families, stuffed poultry into cages, and entered Schleswig and transformed into the people under the rule of Frank. In other words, they entered the territory of the people Thin Earl of Hamburg.

Because they converted to God, the Earl of Hamburg not only had no reason to conquer them, but had to implement the obligation of military protection.

It was precisely these people who escaped the Great Wall who talked about the war in the north, which suddenly caused tension in the north, and also made the attitude of a large number of lower-level nobles of the Saxon ethnicity in this area become hysterical.

As for those Saxon villages that hadn’t had time to leave, the villagers had long thought of countermeasures.

The so-called false conversion day regrets.

The army of the north really appeared, but they were not demons demanding their lives.

Lord Liudov is not dead!

Even if the fort fell, Lyudov was not dead.

Not only that, Liudov also raised the flag of the Principality of Saxony, he is the Duke of everyone!

What’s more, Eskil, the saint of the north, was also in the army, and no one forced the Saxons to renounce God.

But the Saxons had to make a decision-recognize Liudov as the Duke of Saxony, and follow the route of the great hero Vidukind, resist the rule of the Frankish Kingdom, and restore the Duchy of Saxony.

Do people have a choice?

They have no objection.

It’s all because the Saxons who escaped the Great Wall used their actions to prove their opposition to the military conquest of the Frankish Kingdom. As the saying goes, they fled if they couldn’t beat them, so they continued to oppose.

Deep down in everyone’s heart was an anger that could not be appeased for fifty years.

Everyone can believe in God. Restoring the Principality of Saxony and believing in God are not contradictory.

They supported Liudov a year ago because he played the banner of “Son of Vidukind”. Now this hero decided to restore the country and made an alliance with the new King of Denmark and King Ross. People fully supported Liudov’s rebellion. , a Saxon army was born.

…

In just four days, the army arrived at the ruins of Hedeby from the battlefield of Aleb Fortress.

The coalition forces camped here, and at this point Liudov suddenly had more than a thousand Vikingized Saxon warriors of very different ages, and he was no longer a polished general.

It’s just that my own army doesn’t even have any Frankish characteristics.

Ragnar’s troops suffered more than 2,000 casualties in the previous battle. After many Sealand lords arranged for some people to return to the island, the army he could theoretically control had shrunk a lot.

Thanks to the troops recruited when going south, the New Danish Kingdom Army still maintains an exaggerated size of 5,000 soldiers.

Naturally, Rurik’s Ross Kingdom Army had the most troops.

To hell with the Swedes and Gotalands!

Rurik was already too lazy to wait for the guys who looted and avenged the northernmost part of the Jutland peninsula. Those people were too small, and they were destined to not make great achievements.

At night, the bonfires near the ruins are as dense as stars.

The three kings gather at a campfire, where they nibble on freshly caught cod and talk about the battle ahead.

“The facts are already clear, a large number of Danes fled to the south.” Ragnar said.

“My Saxon statement is the clearest. A large number of people have been evacuated. Another point, as far as I know about the Earl of Hamburg, his reinforcements will definitely go north. We will definitely encounter the army of the Earl of Hamburg. Fighting is almost inevitable. “Liudov swears, but it arouses suspicion.

“Is the news reliable? How do you think the Earl of Hamburg will definitely go north?” Rurik asked.

“No reason. Hahaha!” Liudov looked up to the sky and laughed, with helplessness in his smile: “When you started attacking my fortress, I sent someone out of the city to report to the south. It was I who asked for help from the Earl of Hamburg. It’s the party!”

Such an explanation is too black and humorous. Rurik and Ragnar were silent because of embarrassment, and then laughed.

Laughing and laughing, Rurik put down the fish and meat with a disdainful attitude: “Earl of Hamburg, how many people can that Robert bring? I will easily defeat him. Believe it or not? Liudov, I can easily win as long as I send cavalry .”

It was too provocative for Rurik to say it. Liudov tried his best to hide his embarrassment and dare not, and echoed: “My cavalry is much more than Robert’s. I led the cavalry to defeat. Naturally, your cavalry still Can easily win. Damn, how can you fight like this? You shoot like crazy, cavalry shoot like crazy, and attack my fort like like crazy, I have never seen such a tactic. No Frankish nobleman has seen such a tactic. ”

“This is my army.” Rurik put on a haughty face and said nothing more.

“I only ask for one word.”

“Say it.”

“The Earl of Hamburg is not a pedantic person. They have no subjective malice towards you. Besides, when I restore the Principality of Saxony, Hamburg will be in my territory. Since we are allied now, we will soon arrive in Schleswig. If There is fighting, and I implore you to spare all Saxons. I will not pursue the past, I only hope that there will be no senseless killings in the future.”

Saying these words, Liudov looked more at Ragnar.

“You…why are you looking at me? Do you suspect that I led troops into your old Saxony area and killed people everywhere?”

Liudov put on a sullen face, half a smile, and his eyes answered in the affirmative.

“Whatever!” Ragnar shrugged, “I intended to go as far as the Great Wall. I want Schleswig to be my Danish border town again. If you want to revive the Principality of Saxony, I support it. After that, our two countries will use the Great Wall as our border town.” world, so that we both agree.”

Hearing such a promise, Liudov was very satisfied.

For him, now that he has raised the flag of rebellion and decided to risk his life to revive the Principality of Saxony, he is sure that he has seized the golden opportunity of the Frankish Civil War, and if he does not take advantage of this strategic opportunity to restore the country, he really has no chance.

Therefore, it is very important for Ragnar’s Danish army to continue to go south, but he is only using troops to help him restore his country. When necessary, he will defeat Ludwig’s crusade army. He really does not want the northern heroes to plunder in Saxony. A country with a dying population.

At this bonfire, Ross, Denmark and Saxony reached a new verbal agreement.

The so-called not to do unnecessary killings, killings are aimed at rebels, and any noble or civilian who recognizes Liudoff as the Duke of Saxony will have their right to life protected.

As for property rights?

That’s another matter.

There is a price to be paid for borrowing troops to help oneself restore the country, and Liudov has to pay the rations of foreign troops such as Ross and Denmark, as well as the benefit fee that can be delayed.

As a result, the new goal has been determined, and the army must quickly take the town of Schleswig.

The coalition forces have no time to dawdle and march!

The army has been heading south along the eastern coastline of the Jutland Peninsula. Theoretically, the path due south is the shortest. The real factor is that there are a large number of forest areas in the middle of the peninsula. This is really a disaster for an army of tens of thousands of people.

The coalition forces actually took some detours. The ruins of Hedeby where they are currently located are at the mouth of Schlei Bay.

This bay is deep and narrow, it doesn’t look like a bay, and the interior is more like a wide river.

The deep Schlei Bay is a bay formed by ice erosion, and there is an ice-eroded lake in the deepest part.

Due to the backflow of sea water, the lake is the sea water of the Baltic Sea. It is a natural shelter from the wind, but the biggest problem is that the waterway from the inside to the outside is too long and narrow. commercial value.

Now, as merchants seek safe trading points, spare towns have sprung up as new distribution centers for goods.

On the banks of the lagoon at the deepest point of the bay is the town of Schleswig, where the eastern end of the Great Wall is located.

An inappropriate metaphor, the meaning of the town of Schleswig and Shanhaiguan at the present stage is the same.

Still in Hedeby, after the three kings held a small meeting, Rurik changed hands and called his subordinates for another meeting.

“Bald” Fisk is called a star, and according to the new mission set by the king, everyone feels that the king attaches great importance to him.

Under the attention of many generals and nobles, the young Fisk simply issued a military order.

“I will lead the cavalry to take Schleswig! Anyone who resists will be killed, and anyone who surrenders will be spared. I will win! If I fail, I will… commit suicide and apologize!”

“You talk too much.” Rurik smiled and tapped the old man’s shoulder, “You can’t die. However, if you really entrust the task of capturing Schleswig to you, you will represent us Ross alone. Glory.”

The current Arik does not have any titles, and on the surface his real identity is just the captain of the First Banner Team.

Let’s use the Kingdom of Franks as a reference. Rurik is the king of Ross, so someone like Arik must be at least a duke-level figure.

He was assigned a special assault mission.

From the ruins of Hedeby to the town of Schleswig, along the coastline of the harbor to the hinterland in the southwest direction, it only takes 30 kilometers to arrive.

At such a distance, it only takes half a day for the cavalry to advance quickly, and it can even be faster for ships.

Ross cavalry selected 200 cavalry, and Fisk led his troops to advance quickly as a land force.

Ragnar led a squadron. Considering the convenience of the landing battle, except for a sail destroyer as necessary support, the rest of the ships were all traditional leading warships.

The leading warship can best demonstrate the characteristics of the Vikings. It is the most suitable landing craft in this time and space in the beach landing operation.

Without further ado, on the morning of the next day, a special unit of the rebel army was quickly formed.

The cavalry marched lightly after having breakfast. They carried a lot of arrows, but only one ration. This was a land army.

The sea troops were led by Arik, who had experienced many battles. The soldiers under his command were more than 400 veterans of the First Banner Squad, accompanied by the Saxon army of 20 leading warships.

The sea route team has a total of thirty-six oar warships, and the ships are flying the flag of Ross, and only one ship is flying the flag of the so-called Principality of Saxony.

Liudov couldn’t fully believe in the promise of Rurik and Ragnar not to kill indiscriminately. He couldn’t express his distrust in person, so he might as well go south by boat quickly, bring his own people to supervise, and force his allies to be ruthless.

Of course, he also had to arrive in Schleswig as soon as possible. Although he might not be able to meet the Count of Hamburg there, he would definitely be able to meet the local baron.

To be a man, you have to leave a way out. Although he is raising the flag of rebellion, his purpose is actually to restore the Duchy of Saxony. As for whether this duchy is an independent grand duchy, or it is a vassal of the Frankish Kingdom in the form of a duchy, as long as things don’t change Be sure, there will be many opportunities for negotiation in the future.

He hoped to directly capture the local baron, who was a Frank, and his life could be used as a bargaining chip in future negotiations.

On the contrary, many of the local garrisons in Schleswig are Saxons. As a self-reliant duke, Liudolf cannot really count on some militiamen recruited from the north to incorporate the garrisons of Schleswig into his own command. This is to expand his strength. shortcut.

More than that?

The Count of Hamburg will also hand over the army, especially all the Saxon soldiers in it.

The so-called Frankish forces in the entire Saxon region must ebb, and the Saxon soldiers who immigrated to the Frankish nobles and trained them must be subordinated to the real king.

As for Liudov, he hopes to start from Schleswig as the real starting point for his restoration of the country, or at least the starting point for regaining regular soldiers.

The coalition forces advancing by sea and land are dispatched!

Only the Danes are missing from this coalition. This is Ragnar selling his allies a favor. Because the war has reached this point, Ragnar really needs to make some long-term diplomatic plans for the future Kingdom of Denmark.

He killed too many people in the siege of the Aleb fortress, and it is really necessary to consider the feelings of another party involved in the war and his current ally Liudov.

Liudov’s words are very clear, as long as you help him restore the country, the past grievances will be forgotten.

Ragnar deliberately slowed down the marching speed, and he and Rurik himself advanced slowly as if they were playing games. At this speed, they would not be able to reach Schleswig until the next day.

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By then, the vanguard army would have captured the town long ago.

[End of this Chapter]