Chapter 1,465 Going to Ratzeburg
【The Rise of Rurik】 【】
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The war horses were fed to be fat and strong, and the soldiers also stocked up on a large amount of high-energy dry food after a hearty meal of boiled wheat.
Some smelly salty cheese, honey in clay pots, and dried herring meat are the ready-to-eat foods that the Russians have stocked since ancient times when hiking. In the past, due to limited conditions, hunters who traveled far away did not have much storage. Now, Ross cavalry generally reserves a batch of such delicious meals.
Whenever they need to bury the stove to cook wheat, the soldiers will take out the prepared flour, knead it into dough and pat it into a cake shape, then directly skewer it with wooden sticks and bake it on the campfire. When it is cooked, they will put it away and save it for cooking. The main ration in the field.
Of course, they still hope to have a stable environment. They pour the oats and wheat in the sacks into the iron pot and enjoy a warm meal in the increasingly cold climate.
The reindeer herd once again served as the packhorses of the Russian army. They carried sacks full of wheat, iron pots, miscellaneous daily necessities, and even folded linen cloth for tents.
Of course, these reindeer themselves are also food for the Russian army.
When the army needs fresh meat, some weak ones are selected and moved to a secluded place for slaughter.
To this day, the Russian army's reindeer herd still numbers 4,500. Coupled with the horses captured and purchased along the way, the total number of horses and deer owned by the land army still weighs more than 6,000.
The antlers of these stags have been chopped off, making a deer look like a horse from a distance - like a big horse that is used to hooking its head.
Those who know the difference can distinguish between horses and training, but for ordinary Lübeck farmers, it seems that the difference between them is not big.
It’s a new day, the sky is cloudy,
The north also seems to be stronger.
"Is it going to rain? If there is a bad autumn rain, it is not a good sign." Fisk said this, his expression still enthusiastic.
Especially since his daughter Verika has already set off for the navy, the huge fleet has sufficient navigation experience, and there will be no problem if it sticks to the coastline.
Rurik now has no worries and doesn't take it seriously: "Even if it snows for the first time in advance, it can't stop our advance. Besides, it's not the autumnal equinox yet."
"It's almost there. Our army is setting out today. Do you think... that guy Mistuy can really assemble an army?"
"He will arrive. He is already a qualified ally, and I am willing to believe him now." Rurik pinched his waist and spoke confidently, although it still felt a bit far-fetched. "Let's go. It looks like the brothers have all eaten. Put away the stove, mount the horse, and let's go."
The whole army quickly assembled. The Ross Cavalry Group came and went in a hurry just like they had shown in the past two months. The iron pot was rinsed directly in the river water to complete the cleaning and cool down, and then tied up with ropes. The handles of the two iron pots hang the two pots on the reindeer's back at the same time.
The cavalry still wore plate armor and plate skirts. Considering that the weather was indeed cold, the specially prepared cold sweaters came in handy now. As a result, each soldier appeared to be a little bloated, but who can say that there are not strong muscles under the clothes? They were already taller, but this time they looked even burlier, making it seem like the Turkic horses they were riding on could be ridiculed as "people riding rabbits."
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【The Rise of Rurik】 【】
Rurik, who was sitting on the horse, glanced back and saw only the members of each team.
The team flags are set high.
"Everything is ready." After muttering silently, he formally issued the order.
The troops lined up and crossed the ford of the Waknitz River, a tributary of the Travo River.
The horses and reindeer crossing the river couldn't help shaking their manes, and the smart warriors once tightened their legs and knelt on the saddle. Only some unlucky ones got their boots wet.
When the Ross army arrived at the agreed place, the wasteland where bloodshed almost broke out yesterday, the place was empty. However, Lübeck not far away was obviously very lively. Standing here, you can hear the low roar in the distance.
"Are they deceiving us? They're not here at all. Your Majesty, we must be careful." Fisk, who was very vigilant, had to advise.
"Order the entire army to be on alert." Rurik stared at the fortresses in Lübeck and ordered the assault, and said frankly: "It doesn't matter even if Mistui goes back on his word for some reason, our army has gone through hardships and every soldier is already a hero. , it doesn’t hurt to fight.”
She called the man an uncle, but she still maintained the most basic precautions in her heart.
As for Mistuy who stayed in the Ljubice Fortress, he was indeed in a hurry because of many things. The more simple and crude reason was that the old guy got up late every day because he was far less energetic than the young people. When he was still awake, the Lübeck cavalry was already gathering.
Rurik had no choice but to wait at the agreed place for a meal, and while waiting, the soldiers became negligent about the alert order.
Until...cavalry began to appear in the distance, as well as a group of cross flags with white backgrounds.
Rurik frowned and stared: "This guy has finally arrived. It really made me wait."
Fisker
The head came closer: "They are getting closer and closer, and the cavalry is very large. They seem to have no intention of fighting."
"Then... let's continue to wait. Let's see what happens later."
It was obvious that Mistui of Lübeck had made adequate preparations. Those cavalrymen were clearly one person and two horses, and the abundant horse reserve was a sight to behold.
Rurik recognized the Mistuy at a glance. The old guy still wore the headband with gold pieces on his head, which made him stand out among the cavalry dressed in Frankish style.
He gently pinched the horse's belly and drove the horse out of the military formation. Seeing this, Mistui also rode up.
"King Rus! Rurik! I heard that you arrived early in the morning. I'm sorry to keep you waiting for so long."
"It doesn't matter. As a guest, I really have to wait for you, uncle." Rurik made another deliberately intimate greeting.
"Okay. I still made some mistakes, and now we have joined forces. How about it?" Mistui made a look: "Let's go now?"
This question was a bit abrupt, so Rurik shrugged: "Let's go then? We can go to Hamburg as soon as possible."
"Hurry up, let me lead the way now. You... just follow our army."
"Okay, I'll follow you. Where to go next?"
Mistui was very satisfied with the Rus' king's willingness. The Lübeck army opened the way forward to lead the strong Rus' cavalry, which greatly satisfied the old guy's vanity. He was so happy that he pointed due south: "Go to Ratzeburg first. My envoy already went there yesterday. Baron Ratzeburg must be ready. He must follow me south."
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【The Rise of Rurik】 【】
Rurik did not know the location of Ratzeburg
He thought that this place name was unfamiliar to him and that it must lack some major historical events. "Is it Ratzeburg? It seems that it will not affect the way forward for our army. In this case, your army will be more powerful."
"Maybe." Mistuy sighed softly: "That guy is not strong enough. This expedition requires all cavalry. It would be great if Baron Ratzeburg could summon 200 cavalry. But the local bishop is there, so now For this expedition, I also need to take the bishop with me, no matter how bad it is, it must be a high-level priest."
"What does this mean?" Rurik was confused.
"I can trust you. Let's tell the truth." Mistuy looked at the gray sky: "Many nobles said that I was pretending to convert, and they were not entirely wrong. I want the entire Oberlitt to convert to God. It cannot be done with just one order from me. I am now raising the cross flag vigorously, and I also need the strong support of the priests. We will go to Hamburg, and I will see that Eskil. If this time I take Bishop Ratzeburg with me , the Saxons should look up to me. It can also... avoid misunderstandings when passing through Saxon territory."
"It seems there are many stories here. I also want to talk to you about these things during the march. Ratzeburg? Let's go. Just go there."
The two kings met, and Rurik returned to the army to meet General Fisk who was anxiously waiting.
"We have already agreed to let them go first and we will follow."
"Let them go first? Should we follow behind? Your Majesty, isn't it disrespectful to the dignity of our army?"
"It doesn't matter. Let them go so we can take a good look at their military appearance and evaluate him.
their strength. Besides, if there is any trouble on the journey, let them suffer first. And..." Rurik smiled slightly, "It's like a sheep. Instead of pointing its horns at us, its floppy tail is full of flaws. Now Mistui should be more worried about our sudden stabbing. I guess the old guy has relaxed his guard against us. "
Therefore, the Lübeck army took the lead. In addition to Mistuy's own troops and the cavalry collected from Wismar City, there are currently only thirty soldiers of Count Urkokenslaw of Kessina who lives in Rostock. Cavalry, the latter was completely coerced into participating in the expedition. Of course, thirty cavalry would not make any splash in the huge war. Urken was just showing his attitude. Poor old guy could only spend this winter away from home.
However, Urken had never been to the Rhine River in his life, nor to Mainz and Worms, which are said to have large stone buildings. As a vassal of Obert Liddit, he was not a vassal of the Frankish nobles. This time he just went to see the world and feel the vastness of the empire.
Because in Urken's limited knowledge, the Frank Empire once almost dominated the known world, and the civil war between the great nobles seemed to destroy the world.
The spare horses of the Lübeck Army also carried a large amount of heavy goods. As for the key cooking utensils, they were only pottery pots and urns, which were by no means the high-tech Russian cast iron pots.
Both armies have found the optimal solution in this regard and have reached a consensus. Taking a closer look at their cavalry, Rurik cannot make a favorable comment.
"There is armor, all of which are chain mail, and there are also Frankish-style iron helmets with large nose guards. Everyone wears simple gray-white robes, and most of the cavalry have
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【The Rise of Rurik】 【】
Cloaks are used to keep out the cold, and many people wear gloves. After all, they have been Frankized, and they have indeed become a lot more civilized than the guys they encountered.
Their main weapon was the spear, and they probably used the half-turn tactics used by the Franks after the fight. There are people with bows and arrows, but the total number is really small. To fight with such cavalry, they have to chase my cavalry with spears, and I can use the cavalry's endurance advantage to fight a war of attrition with them, keep a distance from them, and use armor-piercing arrows. Keep weakening them until they are completely exhausted. "
There is probably no chance of a real fight, and Rurik is unwilling to create an opportunity for a so-called fight.
At the same time, Mistui also took the opportunity to observe the Ross cavalry.
Although he himself led the way, the envoy he sent informed his commander-in-chief of what he saw and heard, and it was inevitable that he would add some jealousy during the process.
There were many things that did not require the messenger to confess. Mistui noticed that the Ross army marched neatly and seemed to have been specially organized.
Lübeck has as many as a thousand armored cavalry. Even though many warriors only have a thin layer of mail on the torso and arms, they appear indestructible after being supplemented by leather.
After the cavalry reached this size, Mistui divided his men into ten teams, commanded by ten centurions. All the centurions are from the city of Lübeck, and their backgrounds are well known. In other words, they are all minor nobles from the Naconid family.
Mistuy had three sons, the eldest son Anadog stayed in the fortress of Ljubice. The eldest son is a guy who cherishes his life. Although the old father has nothing to do, in this era of great strife, there is someone who pursues stability in the rear area.
Having a son in charge is a good thing for Lübeck as a whole.
He took his other two younger sons on the expedition, or because they were destined to be inferior to his eldest brother in terms of status and had no right to inherit the highest title, the two young men were even more motivated.
The Frankish Civil War gave many people opportunities, and two young Lübeck minor nobles were eager to make contributions through fighting. And their old father also hoped that his two sons could use the war to obtain some new fiefdoms in the south. This would not only solve the family crisis of the sons' struggle for power, but also open up frontiers for Oberlidit. Expanding soil, Lübeck's influence becomes even greater.
The old father and two sons commanded the Lübeck cavalry, and ten centurions worked diligently.
Although the management model of the Lübeck Army is far inferior to that of the Ross Army, it is also far better than those of the forest tribes.
Here, one of Mistuy's questions was finally solved.
It turns out that the Russians never carried horses, but reindeer, which were on the verge of extinction.
Reindeer were relatively common in the Lübeck area in the past. However, people expanded into the forest. After a large number of hunters hunted unscrupulously, the reindeer herds were wiped out. The number of ordinary European wild deer was getting smaller and smaller, and forest leopards were rarely killed.
This time Mistuy brought a leopard fur. It is a special item to keep out the cold and will not be worn unless necessary.
Little did they know that every Ross cavalryman bundled their polar bear skin coats and tied them to the saddle. It was really thick and warm, so the unstrung tendon bow was bent like a large ring and stuffed directly into the leather jacket and bundled together to prevent the horn bow from being damaged.
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【The Rise of Rurik】 【】
Because the Ross cavalry has more than one bow, the most effective horn bow is the war
If not used, it is a short wooden bow mainly used for hunting. After removing the string, it becomes a piece of wood bent into an arc. If paired with high-quality arrows, it is completely sufficient to deal with ordinary unarmored enemies.
Mistuy was surprised that there were not many mounted spearmen in the Russian army, but on the contrary, everyone was a mounted archer. Even with his dim eyesight, he could still see the quiver hanging from the saddle of every horse, and there were so many arrows there! There is also an obvious wooden stick, which looks like an unstrung bow.
He was also evaluating the combat effectiveness of the Ross Cavalry. In the past, he had only heard that this group of guys had terrifying combat effectiveness. Now that he could observe it up close, he felt that the rumors were exaggerated - the Ross Cavalry was not as tough as the legend.
In this era, the Lübeck-Rhine Canal did not exist. Directly south of Lübeck was a large flat area lacking rivers, with only a number of small creeks that could be easily crossed.
The source of the Travo River is southwest of Lübeck, and the coalition forces have been advancing due south.
On the first night, the coalition forces camped separately under the protection of the forest. Taking advantage of the opportunity to have dinner together, Rurik also learned more detailed news about Ratzeburg from Mistuy - news that did not seem to be of great significance.
"It turns out that the entire Obertlidit is labeled as the Diocese of Ratzeburg, and this bishop is called Adam. The bishop of Ratzeburg sits on an island in the middle of the lake, connected to the lake shore by an earth embankment.
It was an ordinary monastery, and judging from the current situation, its influence was not great. Only Lübeck and a few towns have a group of Catholic believers. Even if the nobles convert to Christianity, the majority of the people still adhere to the traditional Slavic faith. Archbishop Ratzeburg probably does the same.
Nothing can be done.
Do you know Adam from Ratzeburg and that old guy Eskil? How come I never heard Eskil talk about this? Maybe Ratzeburg is weak and there is no need to talk?
Now he went to the local area to take the bishop away by force. If the old man was unwilling to go, wouldn't Mistuy have to use force to kidnap him? None of the priests in the north wanted to have anything to do with the war, and it would be difficult for the bishop to do so.
During the war of 840, the Bishop of Ratzeburg was kind-hearted. Was he the one who took in a large number of Saxon refugees? Ratzeburg seems to be east of Hamburg and north of the Elbe River as a whole, so everything is right. "
Rurik silently sorted out the important information he had learned. He was still not interested in the remote village of Ratzeburg. However, it was said that after passing that town and continuing south, you could reach the Elbe River. After that, you only need to walk along the river. .
As a result, the long and narrow team of the coalition forces shuttled through the forest.
When the weather turns cloudy, people should consider the risk of autumn rain, and the unfortunate autumn rain happened when the army continued to move south.
The coalition forces had to take shelter from the rain in the forest, enduring the humidity and cold, hoping that the sun would come out soon.
The straight-line distance between Ratzeburg and Lübeck is only twenty kilometers. However, the coalition army set off late and had to pass through the established gaps in the massed forest. In addition, the Lübeck army led by Mistuy did not pursue high speed. Then consider The intrusion of autumn rain was suppressed very slowly.
However, they still arrived at Ratzeburg before dark on the second day after departure.
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【The Rise of Rurik】 【】
A large army suddenly appeared outside the city, and the cross flag was displayed to reassure the locals.
And Baron Ratzeburg has learned the news, he already has
All prepared.
The Ross Army was mixed with the Lübeck Army. Since the local residents only knew that the Count had a large number of troops, they simply regarded the Ross Army as the Count's army this time. It also caused Baron Ratzeburg to misjudge, because the messenger's report was: "The count is determined to go south to join the civil war, and I want you to organize your troops to wait for the Lord."
The Russian army stopped and every soldier was able to observe this large lakeside settlement.
"Ha! It's just a big rural area. The wooden cross built on the island in the middle of the lake is very obvious." Rurik shook his head with his mouth tightened.
"Do you still have illusions about their towns?" Fisk shook his head: "I just hope that the rain will end soon, let the wind dry the wet clothes, and then light a bonfire and eat hot meals."
"Now this is an extravagant hope. Just wait," Rurik shook his head and signaled: "We are already standing here to see what the people of Lübeck do." For the fastest update of error-free novel reading, please visit your mobile phone Please visit: