Chapter 1,359 Repeating the Road of Alexander Nevsky

Latest website: The offensive was like a storm, and the Russian army swept the Pskov Plow Court. From then on, the Russian flag flew in the area.

However, Rurik knew very well that due to the situation, he could only occupy this area in name.

The benefits of occupying the Pskov region will certainly not be realized for some time, but the potential for a major war here is huge.

so similar! The environment here is too much like Lake Ilmen.

More than just the environment? Although there are not as many residents here as there are in Lake Ilmen, they are basically all Krivics who speak Slavic.

The highest ruling group was eliminated, and each village returned to its traditional, ordinary life following local conventions and folk customs. All village leaders became boyars, with King Rus as the arbiter. No one had the power to overwhelm others, and all villages had equal power.

To prevent some of them from rebelling when Ross's control area does not yet have round-the-clock coverage, one way to balance their power is to appease each other.

A small batch of grain was collected and it was counted as tribute. Ross rewarded him with worn-out iron tools as a "reward."

In addition, Rurik did not ask for slaves from these villagers. What they lost was some food and what they got was some iron tools.

And, Pskov, a large city that was deserted after the Russian army left.

Spring has not yet arrived and is certainly not far away. Rurik and his army have no intention of staying in Pskov anymore. As for how to get home, this does not seem to be a problem. As the king comes up with new ideas and plans to put them into practice In terms of implementation, the problem becomes complicated.

Gore's head has been shown to the village leaders who have surrendered. This head no longer has any practical significance.

.

He thought that he had no grudge against this person, it was just that Gore's presence was a hindrance.

Gower's head and body were put together, then placed on a pile of pine wood and finally turned into ashes. The vegetation ash and black remains were buried in a pit, and dust returned to dust.

As for the other war dead in the greater Danish community, their gray bodies were eventually collected.

They were the Klivic people from nearby villages. They came to the scene of the war with their own wooden shovels. These bold male villagers finally saw the death of the blond Varyags who had been domineering in the past.

However, as they saw corpses all over the place, there was no large-scale venting of anger out of hatred. They couldn't vent their anger on the frozen corpses. They were very frightened, but the Russian army that killed these people was still entrenched in the large city of Pskov.

Are Rus' good Varangians? Maybe. At least they didn't ask for more tribute, and each village got a little benefit.

People really hope that the Russians will leave quickly, and these worlds will return to the way they were before the Varyags came, and Pskov will still be everyone's territory. What is a good day? A good day is a day when the Varangians are not domineering!

Of course, they did not reject these people without thinking. What everyone welcomed most were the passers-by who came to trade salt and iron in boats, and they resented the one-sided demands and extortion.

The villagers were busy disposing of the corpses, while the Ross army was making final rest in the city.

Most of the soldiers are talking about the upcoming journey.

"Next, we walked along the right bank of the great lake. The king said that we could walk to the shore of the Gulf of Finland in one breath. At that time, we were only one step away from the capital.

remote. "

"I would rather go back to Novgorod than go to the capital. If I am lucky enough to go to the Franks to fight, I should go back and say goodbye to my parents."

"I heard that Pskov is to the west of our Novgorod. Is there a possibility that if the king chooses to find a way to the east, we can meet first?"

…

Around the campfire or gathered in the bedroom, the soldiers had plenty of time to hold "lying talks."

The soldiers knew that the king and the captains of each banner were gathering together for a meeting, and the content must be the marching route map of the army after departure.

It has been almost half a year since they left their hometown in Novgorod. Many soldiers feel that they have gone around the world in a big circle. Although everyone first realized that the world was extremely vast from the textbooks distributed by the king, how big was it? This is something that the boys who have basically played and grown up in a corner of Novgorod since birth are incomprehensible.

Now they finally understood, and everything fit King Rurik's description.

Those things drawn in the textbooks are actually correct!

A few years ago, when these young boys were brought to the teacher to learn cultural knowledge, one of the subjects was "geography".

This "geography" means Rurik follows the original meaning of this discipline - measuring the earth.

Children learn about the structure of the known world and even the geography of some incomprehensible distant worlds. On the map, not far from Novgorod, a circle was drawn there called a lake, and a point was marked on the southern shore of the lake, labeled Pskov in Roman letters.

Boys who grow up usually undergo the test and fully achieve

With the exception of a handful of boys with extremely high levels of knowledge in cultural classes who were selected as scribes for further training, the rest of the boys were basically incorporated into the army.

The boys have long known about the existence of the settlement "Pskov", what does she look like? have no idea.

Now, they are fully aware.

Since the King is the prophet, and her existence was accurately marked in the textbooks a few years ago, then you will definitely find the Gulf of Finland along the lake shoreline to the north. Even if this is already a completely determined path, why do we have to find the Gulf of Finland? On the way north, turn slightly east and encounter a large river called the Luga River.

What does the Luga River mean? There is already Ross's second inland line. The Luga River has been connected to Lake Ilmen by artificially digging the marshland to create a waterway.

As soon as the army reached the Luga River, the king could choose whether to go to Novorosberg or Novgorod first.

In their hearts, most soldiers still hope that after half a year of fighting, they will return to their hometown, return to Novgorod and eat the food cooked by their mother.

It was getting late, and the occupied city of Pskov was filled with a happy atmosphere.

From the supreme king Rurik to the humblest sleigh driver, everyone knew that the long battle had come to an end.

Of course, there will be an expedition to Frank next, but that will be after the spring plowing, right?

For a true warrior, life is either about fighting or on the way to fight. The young warriors who call themselves real Russians are not afraid of fighting, let alone the adventure of long-distance travel. However, too many adventures wear away one's spirit. Now everyone needs about a month of good rest so that they can fully recuperate.

Refresh your energy to face new challenges.

Gall had been cremated and buried according to northern rites, and Rurik did not care what happened to the mansion he left behind.

Today, this longhouse is still the best place to hold military meetings.

It was as if the coldness of the night was no longer threatening. The warm atmosphere from top to bottom defeated the cold, and everyone fell into an indescribable happiness and anxiety.

All this can be seen just from the passionate eyes of everyone in the room.

Even though Rurik is here, everyone is sitting cross-legged, talking and laughing. Everyone knows that everyone will leave after the last day's rest. Many people estimate that they can rush to New Roseburg in as soon as seven days. By then, everyone Then you can relax!

Especially taking a sauna, soaking your whole body in hot water, and washing away all the dirt.

It's just that some people are very concerned about why Orafin, who has theoretically completed the task of being a guide, is here. In addition to this person, Pom, a guy who has been to the capital, is also here.

Rurik deliberately let everyone in the meeting chat with each other first, and then he would announce something when the atmosphere became heated.

He plans to make an announcement and has prepared a "gift" for this purpose. It was a piece of folded paper. As long as it was spread out, you could see the scribblings on it. It was placed behind Rurik and pressed against his butt.

"Quiet now!" Rurik slapped his legs with both hands, causing the air flow to make the flame of the oil lamp tremble violently.

The noise suddenly fell silent.

"I know you are all talking about how to get home. I was informed that all the tactics are discussing this. It seems that as long as we advance along the east coast of Lake Pskov, we will soon reach the Gulf of Finland. As long as we reach the Gulf, I

We will arrive in the capital soon..."

It seems that the king is just retelling the original plan, but what is there to talk about?

Rurik cleared his throat, tilted his head with an intriguing look, and smiled slightly: "Wouldn't it be too easy if it was just like this?"

This statement immediately caused an uproar.

The king will not amuse everyone on this issue. The cavalry captain Brody asked gently: "Could it be that the king has thought of a new plan? Isn't it just to find the Luga River and then return?"

"You're smart! Brody."

"Huh? Is that really true?"

"Not entirely." Rurik shook his head. "Walking the Luga River is indeed an option. It is a path we have explored, and... the locals in Pskov also helped us with the expedition." He His eyes were particularly focused on Pom.

"But that's not my plan."

"What is that?" Brody, a close confidant, asked boldly.

"I changed my mind! The adventure will continue, and this time I want to take a gamble."

Rurik's hand immediately pointed to the east: "We are not going to Novorosberg, we are going to Novgorod!"

In an instant, he received another burst of exclamations, followed by shouts of confusion from all the generals.

It’s not that everyone subconsciously denies the king’s determination, but it’s a bit bizarre to be able to reach Novgorod directly all the way east.

"Oh? Do you think it is too far-fetched? All because of my own opinion, the whole army may be in danger? Indeed, standing in Pskov and looking to the east, there seems to be an endless forest over there. But that is not the case That's it! I guarantee that as long as you go all the way east, you will reach Novgorod, but it's just a big

The family is going to have an adventure in the forest for a while. You don't have to worry about getting lost, you don't have to worry about any attacks, you don't have to worry about anything. "

Rurik kept banging his chest to strengthen the credibility of his words, but this plan was still a bit shocking from the perspective of an ordinary soldier.

Of course, Rurik is not the king of strong talk. He can always talk about the past expedition to the Arctic Circle, because the Ross tribe has a tradition of "hunting in the north". In order to obtain better northern leather, there is no need to risk it. Taking the risk of freezing to death to pursue Aurora's fluorescence, all risks are worth it, and the brave men finally become the top group in the tribe because they continue to accumulate wealth. Many of the descendants of those people are staying in the army and are temporarily stationed in Pskov waiting for departure.

After recounting the Russian tradition of "winter hunting", braving the snow and walking into the forest is not a foolish act of rushing into the white hell. It is exactly what the Russians should be proud of.

On a spiritual level, Rurik certainly points out that walking into the forest in winter is an act of bravery. But to prove this kind of bravery, it may not be as exciting as jumping directly into an ice cave for winter swimming.

He finally took out the folded paper and spread it out. Under the illumination of the oil lamp, everyone gathered around and saw clearly that it was a map of the region drawn by the king.

This map is of course very rough in description, but it clearly marks the relationship between Pskov and Novgorod.

There are two lakes here, and they are drawn parallel to each other, but some details are added, such as an extra small lake drawn in the middle, and a zigzag black line connecting the small lake with Pskov

Tie together.

The marked position of the small lake is right in the middle of the two large lakes.

The viewers all understood what the king meant. As long as he found the small lake, the next step was to go all the way east and go home. There may even be an eastward waterway in the small lake, and eventually one of the waterways actually exists as a tributary of the Shelon River.

By coincidence, this map shows the existence of the Cheron River! It even marked the Fisherman's Manor and the Calf Manor near the Sherron River. Isn't that Ross's core territory?

Based on this picture, it seems that the connection between Pskov and Novgorod is just one step away, but it is still unknown.

"Did your Majesty already know the route between the two places?" Brody asked again in surprise, "It seems to me that this road has nothing to do with the Luga River."

"Maybe it's related?" Rurik shrugged, and finally officially pushed Olafin and Pom to the front desk.

Rurik has always believed that there is a waterway connection between Novgorod on Lake Ilmen and Pskov on Lake Pskov, and that even if it is a little tortuous, communication can be fast.

As for why no visitors from Pskov came directly from the west in the past ten years or so.

The answer is now clear.

Ten years ago, the Danish community in Pskov was not large. The intensifying war in the Baltic Sea attracted a group of Danes to immigrate to the Gulf of Riga. A small number of them immigrated to Pskov one after another in the past ten years to live an ordinary life.

In ten years, the local Danish community has developed. When it developed to a certain extent, the speaker elected by the people came up with the idea of ​​gaining hegemony. This is Gower's idea.

rise.

The Danes who immigrated here began a small-scale expedition, but they were weak. Facing the vast ocean-like forest in the east, only a few people dared to take action. Because exploring new trade routes is bound to be accompanied by a high mortality rate, you might be attacked by a bear while camping.

In the small Danish community where Olafin, Bohm and others live, this group of Danes have inherited the courage of the explorers, while the rest are already planning to become farmers and fishermen. After all, there is a huge Pskov Lake. and the long Velikaya River was sufficient to feed them.

The city was built along the Velikaya River, and two small rivers passed near the large settlement.

One of the small rivers is called the Pskova River, which has the same name as the city. Together with the Velikaya River, it forms a flat area suitable for agriculture at the mouth of the lake.

Pska is a Slavic word that describes the special terrain formed by the confluence of rivers. As the water flow continues to carry sediment, the Pskova River eventually becomes a tributary of a large river, and the initial impact plain has become very large, and it is still The expansion means that there are more and more meadow areas for local people to graze cattle and sheep.

On the Pskova River, people from a small Danish community once traveled all the way upstream and finally found a lake that seemed to be its source.

It is a muddy land in the highlands. The lake is surrounded by endless mud. If you want to walk here, you can easily get stuck in the mud up to your knees, and there is even a risk of falling into the swamp and drowning.

People paddling in small boats stayed away. Standing on the shore of the muddy lake, the young Orafin thought: "What am I doing in this muddy place?"

yes? It's all mud here, so much so that even

There is no dry place to camp, and here you have to face endless blood-sucking bugs. The adventure is completely asking for trouble.

Olafion came once, and Bohm came once with his men. Their different teams did not dare to explore in winter. After all, they were operating in the forest. They had to be wary of sneak attacks by white bears that did not hibernate, be wary of getting lost in the forest and freezing to death, and be wary of food shortages. Besides, it was difficult to dig wood to make a fire in the winter environment. If there wasn't even a campfire, he would have frozen to death that night.

They could only make exploratory expeditions in the warm season, and arrived at highland lakes in summer. They were forced to return home in the face of endless mud and mosquitoes.

After such a failed experience, the explorers of the small Danish community never tried again. Although the journey to the Gulf of Riga is also on bad mud, at least that's what everyone hopes for on the trade route.

God only knows what you will encounter all the way east along the Pskova River? Fortunately, Rurik is the "Son of God". He said that all the way east is Novgorod, and the unwillingness hidden in his heart was awakened.

Orafin and Bohm decided to take a gamble and continue to serve as Rurik's guide.

This time the two of them bet big! After all, Pskov is already in a mess, and there is no reason for the small Danish community to stay here. In the future, we will build a new community near Lake Lubans on the trade line.

Originally, there were no small communities. As more people joined, the community was born. Now some community members want to live directly in the core territory of Ross and transform their whole family into Ross people. King Rus explicitly welcomed such immigration, and a group of families in a small Danish community had an idea.

No matter thirty households

How many of them are planning to immigrate to Novgorod or Novorosberg? This time the entire community, men, women and children, will go with the Ross army. If the operation of King Ross encounters trouble, everyone will be unlucky.

But Orafin and Bohm would never allow it to happen.

They are happy to see the possibility that after arriving at the mud lake in winter, they can quickly find Lake Ilmen by continuing eastward.

Precisely because of this possibility, Rurik believed that its probability of success was extremely high.

After all, Novgorod and Pskov had close exchanges in history. Duke Alexander Nevsky of Novgorod had a big fight with the Teutonic Knights on Lake Pskov (Lake Chud). In the decisive battle, the Duke's army must have reached the Great Lake along the frozen river.

It is certainly unrealistic for the Novgorod cavalry to detour through the Gulf of Finland, and it may not be realistic to detour through the Luga River.

They must have followed a currently unknown ice-covered waterway hidden in the forest before suddenly appearing and gathering an army in Pskov.

Nevsky was a national hero of Russia, and Rurik knew such a figure. It was his efforts that forced the Teutonic Knights to stop in Estonia and Lake Chud.

This is one of the reasons Rurik firmly believes in it, and it is also the reason why there is no need to be humane. Rurik will personally measure and reproduce Alexander Nevsky's road to aid Pskov.