Chapter 1,473 The Ruins of Bremen, Osbrünac, Münster and Duisburg

The military camps once built by the Franks have been transformed into villages by the Saxons, and several new villages have also sprung up along the "Hell Road".

The war in the northern region has ended. The two political entities, the Duchy of Saxony and the Diocese of Cologne, have demarcated their borders based on the treaty. At the same time, the demarcation was also completed between the Diocese of Cologne and the Diocese of the North.

Under the mutual treaty, the County of Westphalia was abolished privately, and Liudolf became the new generation of Duke of Saxony, and continued to enjoy the title of Westphalia in name.

The northern region, which was severely damaged by the war, was fully integrated into the full jurisdiction of the Diocese of Cologne. However, with the death and flight of the Saxons, Archbishop Hardbold received almost a blank in the northern region.

In such a harsh environment, it has become unrealistic to rebuild the city of Bremen that has been reduced to dust. It is perfectly possible to restore a number of small settlements and open up new areas.

Because the Diocese of Cologne was facing a completely new environment, since it had chosen to support Ludwig, it had to pay a large amount of military expenditures.

The Diocese of Cologne has been conducting more and more economic and trade exchanges with the "Northern Alliance" led by the Kingdom of Ross, and has received a steady stream of economic benefits. In terms of security, it has indeed not been attacked by Norman pirates, or even some Normans have entered. Cologne chose to convert. The number of uninvited converts was small, but it was a useful start, making the defenders of Cologne stronger and better able to communicate with other Normans.

Even if this spontaneous conversion might have been a form of osmosis, Archbishop Hardbold didn't care. The power of faith is infinite! He firmly believed that more and more Normans could be converted, and that raids and destruction would eventually become a thing of the past. It would be a long process, and what was before us was a steady stream of high-quality Flanders and Netherlands wool transported from the Rhine estuary on Russian or Danish ships.

The woolen textile workers in Cologne had to pay a large amount of taxes to the church, and the tithe was just one of them. In order to actually make money, the archbishop and the Council of Cardinals developed new taxes and squeezed thousands of dollars from these early industrial workers. Ultra-pure agricultural benefits.

However, clothing, shoes and hats such as sweaters, linen clothes, blankets, and leather shoes are now transported to Mainz as military supplies, and then transported by land to Ludwig's army.

Now that it's winter again, Hardbold needs those longships transporting supplies for inland river activities even more. Fortunately, these longships that were once regarded as extremely dangerous have all hoisted a cross flag, which makes him feel very relieved.

Because, in the newly emerging County of Nassau-Koblenz, this group of northern heroes who converted to Christianity, on the one hand, under the banner of Ross, on the other hand, held high the cross flag, and traveled to and from Mainz-Koblenz in a high-profile manner. Lenz-Cologne route.

As regional archbishop, Hadbold could preach to all the people: "That's the flag of St. Andrew, and the Russians are not bad people."

At least based on the current economic situation, the Russians are really good people towards Cologne.

Rurik did not know about the change in the mentality of the entire Cologne diocese.

The Russian army walked on the Roman road, which was also called the "Heather Forest".

European heather is characteristic of this area, which extends to the Weser River in the south. Fortunately, it is the cold end of September. If it is a gathering of spring and summer, this place has gorgeous scenery, but the smell is too pungent.

The army walked on an extremely smooth road and walked through the forest until the evening of the next day. The Ross army finally arrived in Bremen.

In other words, it is the ruins of Bremen that are overgrown with yellow weeds and small shrubs.

"It seems that our masterpiece has not been restored by them yet. I also saw the stone pillars of the bridge. No one has repaired the wooden bridge at all. It seems that we still need to do it ourselves." Rurik shook his head regretfully and said again about this There is a strong sense of chill and discomfort.

"It reminds me of the battle back then." Fisk said after observing the surrounding scene: "Maybe you can find charred bones here."

"The ruins of a big city are really sad. Their St. Peter's Cathedral was burned down. This was supposed to be the seat of Eskil's bishop. Because of the destruction by our army, the old guy could only work in Hamburg. "

"It's all over." Fisk asked again: "Should we camp on the spot, or should we immediately cut down the wood and lay wooden pillars on the bridge piers to piece together the bridge deck to cross the river?"

"The soldiers are all tired, and our army is camping here. I want to tell all the soldiers that it was our Russian army that destroyed this big city three years ago."

Rurik never let go of an opportunity to boost morale. Although many Russian soldiers had been fighting for a whole year, they had destroyed too many settlements and had no experience of truly destroying a large Frankish city.

The young warriors were in high spirits, and some even had a vulgar discussion: "When we get to Cologne, can we plunder that city?"

Because at that time, only 190 cavalrymen of the First Cavalry were wreaking havoc outside Cologne like rogues. Almost all the surrounding villages were destroyed and looted, so they extorted a huge amount of 5,000 pounds of silver coins from Cologne and left. , nearly two tons of silver coins (of varying quality) were carried away by the cavalry on horseback. This money made everyone rich, and it was also Rurik's largest economic income in the 840 war.

At that time, the Archbishop of Cologne suffered heavy losses during the war, and the city of Cologne fell into a huge crisis. The Russian army suddenly appeared and destroyed everything. Even the important town of Bonn was looted. This caused a complete misjudgment by the Council of Cardinals in the city and had to agree to spend the war. Money eliminates disasters.

It was precisely because of this that Rurik did not ask for any more war reparations from the captured Archbishop Hadbold after the war.

The money extorted by Ross from Cologne flowed into the people and became important capital to train more cavalry and add more warships. It also made it possible to avoid collecting taxes on the overwhelming Slavic farmers in Ross.

Rurik heard the savage talk of some soldiers. Taking advantage of the opportunity to set up camp, he held a small meeting with his officers to raise requirements on military discipline issues after entering the Cologne parish.

No looting when entering the Diocese of Cologne!

Anyone who dares to rob will be disqualified from receiving the loot. Anyone who dares to kill villagers will be fined with a whole year's salary confiscated. If two or more villagers are killed, the thumb and index finger are cut off.

All units must keep in step, and are not allowed to get lost or fall behind. No excuses are accepted. Violators will be fined one pound of silver coins for each soldier in the team.

The Rus' army will never take the initiative to attack unless the locals launch an attack first. They can counterattack with the authorization of the Rus' King.

Rurik's punishment for violating the regulations was indeed somewhat open-minded, but the army was just marching. The punishment for the most serious violators was to cut off two important fingers, which made it difficult to draw the bow and shoot arrows. For a cavalryman His career is over, and he will carry the humiliation and hatred with him for the rest of his life.

The next day, with the collapse of a group of trees, the Russian army began an intense river crossing operation.

During the dry season in late autumn, the width of the Weser River was less than a hundred meters, and its water depth was even more limited. Now, tree trunks that had not even been peeled off were laid on them, and temporary bridges were quickly built, allowing the entire army to pass calmly at once.

On the other side of the river is a divided Roman avenue. The beaten road still has traces of stone bricks.

It’s been eight hundred years! Augustus's Northern Expeditionary Army was completely annihilated in the Teutoburg Forest, and its location was where the Rus' Army now stands.

But the Roman Empire eventually pushed its northern border to the Weser River. At the end of the empire, the Franks active here were just one of the many small tribes that surrendered to Rome.

In order to better rule the north, Rome built a road as straight as possible. The roadbed is rammed, and then a layer of gravel is laid to facilitate drainage. On top of the gravel, stone slabs of similar sizes are assembled.

But this Roman avenue directly passed through the war that year. Tens of thousands of Roman soldiers were buried here. They died in humiliation, and it was said that "every night you can hear the wails of resentful souls, like a scene from hell." This road was called the "Road to Hell".

Apparently, the adventurous Northern Expedition launched by Ludwig in 840 once again cast a cursed shadow on this road.

Ludwig suffered his "Defeat of the Teutoburg Forest", and the same 30,000-strong army finally collapsed.

His humiliating defeat was a glorious victory for Rus. Walking in the ruins of the ancient battlefield, Rurik had countless words to inspire the soldiers.

Because there are many barbaric acts committed by the Russian army along the way.

After the decline of the Roman Empire, this avenue did not undergo any repairs. Under the erosion of rain and wind, the gravel of the foundation turned into sand, and the stone slabs were broken into small pieces. Only the tamped soil foundation remained strong.

On the whole, it is still very flat. The steel horses of the Ross Army can easily step on it. Their appearance will naturally aggravate the further deterioration of the road conditions on this road. The Ross Army, with its full cavalry lineup, advances as fast as the Saint of the North in Hamburg. Skir's sarcasm - you are the second Attila.

The Ross army quickly passed through the heather forest, and an abandoned city appeared in front of the army.

It is not true to say that it is an abandoned city. After the war, the settlements that were maliciously destroyed in the past gradually began to revive.

As early as when the Ross Army arrived in this small town, pioneer scouts had discovered the mushroom pickers and hunters in the forest, and this news was quickly informed to most of the rear.

During the war three years ago, Rurik had never set foot here. He had not even been to Cologne itself. All the activities of the Russian army on the Rhine were controlled by him remotely from the north. Although he had not yet arrived, his terrifying name was already known to everyone.

"A villager appeared? Where could it be?" Rurik subconsciously asked Fisk, who had been here before.

The bald general pinched his beard, and scenes from the past gradually unfolded as he recalled them.

"Back then, I led my brothers to fight here. We destroyed many large villages and even the monastery. I think... if what Esquier and the Archbishop of Cologne said is true, we will encounter many enemies along the way. To the town called Osbrunak."

"Is that it?" This name made Rurik slightly familiar. "According to you, you have burned it with fire."

"That's true. But it was an open land in a large forest. When we arrived, many villagers ran away. I robbed all the houses left behind, and finally set fire to them. A large amount of farmland can still be used. I want those who escaped Farmland will not be abandoned for development.”

"That's true." Rurik nodded.

"So, here we go again. Fighting? Or..."

Faced with Fisk's sudden news, Rurik thought for a while: "Continue to follow my orders. The entire army will cross the border safely and the locals must not be harassed."

So the Ross army with the flag flying suddenly broke away from the cover of the forest, and they continued along the "Road to Hell" and arrived at Osbrunak, which had been rebuilt.

The war may have had a catalytic effect on the development of some cities. The Osbrunik area is where the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest took place eight hundred years ago. Large open areas have existed since then. Even the rise of this settlement is related to the war eight hundred years ago. Just because of this The large clearing in the forest is perfect for a military camp.

Those flying St. Andrew's crosses are all false, this is the flag of the Ross gangsters!

The Osbrünek Monastery was burned to the ground, and many who managed to escape were killed by the Rus' cavalry.

The war finally ended, and the Archbishop of Cologne and Rus made peace to restore peace. Terrifying legends have spread in this forest.

How do residents of various settlements identify Ross gangsters? The Andre's Cross is unexpectedly stigmatized here. As long as you see a flag with that pattern, you will automatically be a gangster.

Because the Northern Diocese and the Diocese of Utrecht, these dioceses in the north of Cologne, all belong to the Benedictine order, the priests pay attention to asceticism and teach the local people to do asceticism. The symbol of the Benedictine Order is the Right Cross, which is very different from the Andre Cross.

When the Russian army arrived, they saw an empty city.

Each team was ordered not to enter the city. They stayed close to this large village without city wall protection, watching it with greedy expressions. Due to the king's order, the soldiers looked like a group of drooling wolves and did not dare to disobey. The order of the reverse wolf king.

Rurik's horse was riding on the wheat field that had been harvested. He looked sideways and said: "Oh! It's an empty city, and the people escaped completely. It doesn't seem like there are traces of excessive charcoal here, and there is a large building that is obviously being built there. monastery?"

As if to insinuate Fisk, the bald general ended quickly: "I can only say that their repair ability is amazing. I think this is no longer the territory of the Saxons. We have officially entered the territory of Cologne."

"It's an empty city. Maybe there really are a lot of belongings that they can't take away."

"Your Majesty, are you still planning to rob?"

"Forget it." Rurik shook his head: "After all, we signed a contract with the Archbishop of Cologne. I was the one who brokered the contract. There is no need to break the promise just for a small profit. Let's keep going. We won't camp here and let those who escape into the forest Rest in peace, you fools."

"You are really kind." Fisk shrugged and said no more.

The mighty Ross army quickly left and gradually immersed themselves in the embrace of the forest. The people who fled into the forest stayed in the forest shelter for one night under the leadership of the local bishop, and then sent someone brave enough to go back the next day to take a look. Only then did they find that the Russian troops that suddenly appeared had disappeared. Osbrünac seemed very peaceful.

Nearly a thousand residents came back one after another, and they found that the belongings they had not had time to take away were still placed intact. The bronze locks of the city's granaries remained the same, and the positions of the gold and silver utensils in the temporary monastery remained unchanged.

They were puzzled by the fact that the Ross gangsters, who were more greedy than wolves, did not take away anything, but left behind a series of dense strips of footprints, which appeared densely in the abandoned farmland and continued to extend to the Roman Avenue.

The Russian army seems to have gone to the south...

Next, the town of Münster also encountered the patronage of the Ross army. It is still a small town that was destroyed by Fisk three years ago.

The same thing happened again, the people fled, and the Ross army seemed to pass by with a dismissive attitude. Until they disappeared, the people who fled into the forest discovered that their small town of Münster had not suffered any damage.

This is already the final sprint and the final stage of the entire long march.

According to Rurik's plan, the army would take a final rest after arriving in Cologne, and then move along the Rhine River. It would only take two to three days of overland travel to reach Nassau and Koblenz.

After passing the small town of Münster, where should we go next?

Naturally, they are the two small riverside cities of Duisburg and Dusseldorf, as well as the two small cities in Cologne that serve as trade gateways.

During this era, the city of Cologne had three subsidiary smaller cities in the north, Duisburg (now known as Tiusburck), Dusseldorf (now known as), and Essen an der Ruhr.

This was once the territory of the Saxon nobility. With the outbreak of the Frankish War of Conquest, a large number of powerful Saxon families were either wiped out or fled north. A large number of Saxons did not leave, but merged with the Franks and Alemanni who continued to pour into Cologne, so that there was no distinction between you and me.

The former count's residence of Liudolf's County of Westphalia was located in the northeast of Cologne. He was a descendant of Widukind. Since he did control Widukind's sarcophagus, no one could question it. His bloodline.

Widukind's sarcophagus has been moved to Hamburg for reburial, and the Liudolf family has also moved north, accompanied by another group of Saxon families from the region.

Cologne lost a number of people locally, and those who left left behind a large amount of real estate - farmland that could not be taken away.

Acres of land were sold to powerful institutions such as Cologne's "Council of Bishops and Cardinals". The priests obtained these farmlands and distributed them to local landless people, and then collected a steady stream of taxes from them.

Normal tithes must be collected, land rents must be collected, and specialized financial personnel act as gloves for the priests.

As for the identity of these "financial personnel", they have also been an indispensable force in the city of Cologne since ancient times. They have an independent area in the city as their own small community. They can continue to maintain their beliefs but cannot become farmers.

These people who left their homeland and settled in Cologne in ancient times lived a relatively peaceful life relying on non-traditional production and living methods such as handmade textiles and taking care of the priests' property. However, they always went to the countryside to collect rent from the tenants. The people's anger was naturally directed at them, but this anger was far less than the fear of Norman pirate raids.

So nominally the Diocese of Cologne belongs to the Benedictine order, which also pays attention to asceticism, but reality and ideals are completely different concepts. Among the churches in the entire northern Rhine region, only the priests in Cologne live a wealthy and luxurious life.

Only in this way did the Archbishop of Cologne claim that "we have the True Cross" and pointed out that a wooden cross covered with a layer of gold-plated copper was genuine. For this kind of transgression, the Archbishop of Reims and the Holy See would never admit it, and they did not refute it due to reality.

In other words, the latter also has a tacit attitude towards the "Cologne True Cross", just because Cologne is a solid base for spreading the gospel to those northern barbarians. Only with its sanctification and blessing can it more effectively help the lost people in the north. The Lamb returns to the right path.

However, this True Cross was drilled with a hole in the gold-plated copper by Ross' armor-piercing arrow. The hole seemed to be at the position where Jesus' ankle was nailed, which seemed to be God's will.

After the war, the "True Cross" was decorated with rubies. Archbishop Hadbold used gems to hide the ugly arrow holes, and he drilled holes and inlaid gems in two other places. He specially chose rubies to represent blood stains to show that When Jesus was crucified, his hands and ankles were nailed.

Hadbold's propaganda after the war made it difficult for the civilian public to say anything, but everyone clearly discovered that the once rare Norman pirates were everywhere. These little blond giants rowing long boats with two pointed ends were completely invisible in recent years. They can freely enter and leave Cologne, and the small settlements attached to it have been transformed into trading stations.

Dusseldorf is essentially a checkpoint-style village stuck on the "Hell Road" trade route. The Diocese of Cologne will send people here to collect tolls from merchants and provide "free" ferry services across the Rhine.

A special group of Russians, or people from the county of Nassau-Koblenz, established a stronghold and dock here. On one side, they erected a black cross flag with a white background, and on the other side they erected a white background with blue stripes that resembled An. Flag of Russia with the Cross of Deloitte.

Duisburg, some north of the river, is where the Ruhr River meets the Rhine River. There is a wooden bridge with stone piers there. It is also the key to the "Road to Hell", a Roman road connecting the north. Three years ago, the Philippines Sk's cavalry also galloped past here, and was able to suddenly rush to the outer areas of Cologne to launch continuous barbaric destruction...

Times have changed, and before Rurik himself arrived, the restless Nassau-Koblenz had already sent personnel to establish a trading post here, also flying the Ross flag. This was a clear self-positioning of the owner.

The third son of the late Old Gould, Black Fox, who was given a new name due to his deep cultivation in Nassau and his marriage, he and his fiancée were already de jure vassals of Ludwig.

In fact, life, military, and economy are still highly bound to Ross. At least he still considers himself a genuine northerner.

So, when the Russian army happily saw a long and wide river, it must be the Rhine River.

Shockingly, in the settlement not far away, even the thin mist could not cover up the familiar blue on the flag.

"Incredible, our people are already here? Who is it? The navy can't be faster than us!" Rurik was shocked.

At this moment, Fisk suddenly thought of something: "Your Majesty, maybe that is the Black Fox brother who was left here intentionally by you, and is the stronghold established by his people?"

"Maybe! I must rush there immediately and pass the key bridge you claim. Now the whole army shows our flags and let them see us well. If it is really the Black Fox's people, we will station there tonight. "