Chapter 1,476 Cologne Is a Big City with 10,000 People

A piece of curly cardboard was spread out, and it was full of mottled words. To the Danish mercenaries occupying the city gate, this was no different than reading from heaven.

"What is this? A letter?"

"Is it a letter? Can't you read it?" Fisk asked.

"Are you entertaining us? I really can't understand. Maybe those priests can understand?"

Hearing the leader ask this, Fisk suddenly realized, and suddenly a sense of pride arising from possessing knowledge welled up in his heart. "It just so happens that I must see Archbishop Hadbold of Cologne right now."

As soon as he finished speaking, a group of Danish mercenaries began to whisper among themselves. The leader looked embarrassed and didn't know how to reply.

"Are we going to go in? Or are you going to let your archbishop come out? Give us a quick word!"

After being harshly spoken, the leader managed to hold back a sentence: "You have not converted to Frank's god. Perhaps... you cannot go to see the bishop."

"Bah!" Fisk's eyes widened angrily: "Isn't that Hadbold afraid that I will lead my brothers to wreak havoc in the suburbs of Cologne again? Or is that fat idiot afraid of me? Could it be that he ignored the treaty and even King Ross's The envoys refused to receive him, and he even refused to read the letter written by King Rus? Well, go back and tell Hudbold that since you are not polite to me, when the Rus army arrives tomorrow, the king will attack the city."

In fact, these words are meaningless to a kind of Danish mercenaries. Their conversion is true, but in fact they move their families here to live a warm and happy life. The men in the family work for the church in Cologne to make money, but they will not really do it for a bunch of fat people. priests and went to war with the powerful Ross army - after all, for them, if the King of Ross gave them more money, they could become Ross's mercenaries.

The leader was slightly panicked and begged: "Lord Fisk, please calm down. Even a three-year-old child in Cologne knows your reputation. I will report your situation to the bishop. Whether you go into the city or meet outside the city, you Will get a reply soon.”

"Okay." Fisk shrugged, "They are all from the north. Because we are both blond, I will sell you a favor."

"Thank you very much." After saying that, the mercenary leader grasped the hilt of his sword and left the city gate, trotting towards the cathedral.

The mercenaries who are still gathered at the north gate of the city have no hostility towards the Russian army, and it is estimated that the Russians will not mess around.

Fisk had no ill intentions towards the Danes who had betrayed Odin. He ordered the warriors to dismount and rest, and then ordered the horses to eat grass on the spot.

As for the Ross cavalry's reappearance outside the city, news spread throughout the city like wildfire sweeping across the hillside. Although they signed a treaty, the deliberate harassment of Cologne at that time was still a painful memory for the people in the city. Therefore, all three city gates except the north gate were closed, and the news was almost immediately sent to the cathedral. , in fact, the mercenaries did not need to report in person, Archbishop Hardbold already knew about the arrival of the Ross army.

After a moment, the mercenary leader stood at the door of the cathedral, took off all his weapons, went inside and urgently reported the matter to his bishop.

Hardbold himself is very satisfied that the mercenaries he bought with money know the rules. In principle, no vicious weapons are allowed to desecrate the sanctuary in the cathedral. The blond Danish mercenary came cautiously, and the money was indeed well spent. .

"Paul, are you telling the truth? That bald man named Fisk, that Ross' Satan, is here again?"

"Papa is the man who harassed Cologne three years ago. This time, as the special envoy of King Ross, he brought a letter from King Ross and urgently needs to see you. You..."

"Does he want to enter the city?" Hudbold frowned.

"That's right."

On the surface, the archbishop is not allowed to speak dirty words publicly, but he has already slandered Fisk. He didn't think much about this matter and said flatly: "They don't believe in the right way. Letting them enter the city openly is like introducing Satan. For the safety of the people, I would rather sacrifice myself. I will go out of the city to talk to that man." That's all, he Then he made a sign of the cross on his chest and whispered: "Lord, may my sacrifice bring about the safety of the Lamb."

This is probably the best solution. The mercenary leader does not agree with the archbishop's bad comments about the Russian army, and also feels that the archbishop's martyr posture is boring.

Before the sun set, a group of priests surrounded Archbishop Hardbold of Cologne, who was sitting in a carriage, and arrived at the north gate of the city with the creaking shaft of the carriage. For the sake of safety, the other cardinals of the Cardinal Council now stood quietly on the city wall, vigilantly watching the archbishop who was gradually leaving the Chengmen Cave, and paying attention to the actions of the Russians. They watched everything quietly...

Upon seeing this, Fisk ordered the resting warriors to mount their horses immediately. With an arrogant attitude, he held the reins and drove the horses straight towards the Archbishop of Cologne, who was sitting cross-legged.

In Fisk's view, this fat man wearing a bishop's hat inlaid with gems and woven with gold threads was like a piece of shit no matter how much gold and silver he wore. This man was by no means a qualified military commander. Fisk would always remember his desolate appearance on the battlefield. In addition, Cologne spent money to buy peace, which made him not optimistic about the entire city of Cologne - the city of cowards.

"Hey, Hudbold, we meet again. Peaceful days are great! You can eat bread and drink wine comfortably. You have gained a lot of weight this time."

Fisk's words were malicious, and his mount was also pacing in front of the carriage. The lower-level priests were afraid of the Russian cavalry, and the Danish mercenaries were very wise and retreated a lot to give the Russians face, leaving the bishop himself to confront Fisk, which showed that the bishop was very brave.

In fact, under the bishop's hat was Hardbold's sweat. He tried his best to appear calm, and his eyes kept drifting to the hilt of General Ross's sword inserted in the saddle.

"You are here again. I heard that King Rus himself will come this time. Finally...has your fateful expedition begun?"

"The expedition has started a long time ago. This time we all support that Ludwig. Ha! I really don't know how that great Frank noble has the qualifications to seduce my king to go on a personal expedition. A man who lost to us is actually us this time. Ross sent troops to help him..." After complaining, Fisk took out the letter without hesitation and handed it over in the form of a scroll. "Take it! Hudbold, this is an autographed letter from our king, and I have asked me to deliver it to you personally."

"Rurik's letter? Is it... written on papyrus?"

"Look. I still have something to say..." Fisk urged at last.

Compared with papyrus, the paper on hand is harder and more flexible. Since the font was written in a large size, the amount of information on the entire paper was not much but very crucial. Hudbold squinted his eyes and quickly read the entire text. He rolled up the letter again and already had a plan in mind.

"Have you finished reading it all?" Fisk asked.

"I've finished reading. Welcome! Welcome King Ross! Since he is willing to come to the city to chat with me, I am willing to chat with him in the cathedral."

"What a wise choice." Fisk nodded, "What about us? Obviously you don't welcome my brothers and I to spend the night in the city."

Hardbold couldn't explain clearly, but he sensed the concession attitude of the Russians from the other party's words, and after thinking for a moment, he cleverly replied: "The streets in the city are too cramped, and your horses who are good at running must prefer a spacious environment. There are still ten thousand residents in the city, and they are very afraid of you. It will be bad if you cause trouble. If you are willing to camp outside the city... I am willing to provide you with some cloth for setting up tents, and some firewood and charcoal for you to make a fire. Enough brown bread, milk, and cheese to ensure your dinner. What do you think?"

"Okay, obviously this is good for you and me. I will set up camp immediately, and I will see the supplies you promised before it gets dark."

"I'll do it now. Let's go."

Hardbold did not stay. He hurried back to the city and immediately ordered his men to open the warehouse. Soon, Danish mercenaries escorted the cargo carriage to the Ross camp outside the city.

No one criticized the Archbishop's appeasement this time. Spending some money in exchange for absolute peace in the city was a great deal. Besides, King Rus promised in the letter that he would not enter the city after the large army arrived. Only King Rus himself and some generals were willing to enter the city as ally visitors.

Tomorrow's meeting seemed to be just a drop-in by King Ross. Ross's huge cavalry legion stayed outside the city for at most one night, and then moved closer to Nassau-Koblenz along the river.

…

That night, Cologne was quiet.

However, the sky directly north of the city was illuminated red by countless bonfires. The abnormal celestial phenomenon did not allow the priests to have any imagination. The main force of the Russian army almost came to the city. Fortunately, this time the King of Rus declared that he would not do anything to Cologne.

It was rare for Hadbold to suffer from insomnia that night. He didn't know what it would be like when King Rus entered Cologne for the first time, and he was both looking forward to it and fearing its chaos.

Because the letters of the northern saint Eskil clearly stated that although King Rus himself was very violent, he was surprisingly tolerant of his faith in God. Having met Rurik himself, Hardbold had his own understanding of him—a ruthless man who killed greedy people, and a businessman who pursued peaceful trade.

King Ross is a very contradictory young man. Peace and war are hidden deep in his heart, and are often not what he appears on the surface. This is what Hudbold is afraid of.

At the same time, the main force of the Ross cavalry operating along the river passed Dusseldorf during the day. Rurik could see the fluttering Ross flag on the other side of the river. He estimated that it must be Nassau-Koblenz. A masterpiece of the country.

He did not stop to watch, but he saw a large cavalry team appear. Curious people rowed long boats and floated over urgently. In this way, Rurik once again came into contact with Black Fox's subordinates, and he had an idea of ​​the distribution of power of the little fat Black Fox in the lower reaches of the Rhine River. Learn more.

A wonderful meeting with the friendly troops stationed in Dusseldorf immediately led to good results. A long ship began to sail upstream on the Rhine River in the dry season. A group of landless knights from the Russian mainland who converted to God suddenly recruited some locals. , working together to paddle towards the upper reaches, just hoping to inform Lord Black Fox of the good news as soon as possible.

Rurik listened to the faint sound of the river lapping against the muddy bank, and then fell asleep quietly accompanied by the low cry of the horses and the snoring of the soldiers. Early the next morning, the entire army began to march again.

Before noon, the Ross army, which was about to arrive in the city of Cologne, could already see the city's stone walls whitened by the sun from a distance, and met Fisk's cavalry again in a moment.

So the Ross cavalry set out at the end of June, and after nearly three months of expedition, they walked to the city of Cologne with iron hooves.

Rurik had already put on the golden laurel crown. He raised his head and looked at the cathedral spire that could not be covered by the city walls and stone walls.

"This...is Cologne! The Colotina of the Romans. That's their cathedral there? It's very nice."

This is a real Frankish city that can be called a city in Rurik's perception. It is definitely a big city. There are probably tens of thousands of people living in the city. However, considering the living conditions of the locals, it is estimated that there are many residents in the city and the roads are narrow. The alleyway is cramped and the sanitary conditions are probably not satisfactory.

Fisk and his men have returned to the team.

"Your Majesty, the letter has been fully delivered, and that Hardbold claimed that he would receive it personally."

"Really? At least I haven't seen the shadow of that man here yet." Rurik said casually, and then continued to admire the stone walls.

"Maybe we have to wait." Fisk sighed.

"Stop sighing, look at this wall. I admire it very much."

"What's there to appreciate about a damn stone wall?"

"I thought of New Roseburg. The wooden walls are only temporary. One day my capital will be completely replaced by thick and towering stone walls, standing like a stone mountain."

After hearing the king's ambition, Fisk had no choice but to agree with him.

The Russian army gathered in the wasteland north of the city. Horse hooves and deer hooves trampled on the wheat fields abandoned in winter. They gnawed at the scattered straw and dead grass in the field ridges. The entire army also dismounted based on Rurik's request.

The woods to the north of the city had been targeted by them, and warriors armed with axes and double saws rushed over on horseback.

Upon seeing this, the nearby villages took refuge with their families and families. As long as the Russian army wanted to, they could evacuate the remaining supplies of many villages. Based on the order, they did not engage in banditry again.

Some trees collapsed suddenly, and the soldiers cut off branches in the forest on the spot, and then dragged them back to the wasteland designed as a camp by horses.

Each team sent brothers to cut wood, and the remaining soldiers unloaded living supplies from the backs of the reindeer. Some soldiers were already digging holes on the spot, and a group of soldiers gathered by the river to collect water...

Rurik's plan was simple and crude. He would only stay in Cologne for one night. It would be best if he could talk to Archbishop Hadbold today. It didn't matter if he couldn't talk for some reason. Anyway, there would be plenty of time to talk to the old fat man in the future.

The Ross army set up camp as quickly as possible. The reindeer herd looked like a huge horse team from a distance. When such large animals gathered together, they became a giant. Each team camped at a certain distance to ensure that there would be no chaos. If the city of Cologne Like a bowl, the Russian army is like a huge lid to hold it shut.

To the west of the city is the quietly flowing Rhine River, to the north of the city is the main camp of the Ross Army, and to the east of the city are auxiliary camps of the army.

This sight hardly convinced ordinary city residents that the Russians had no intention of attacking the city.

This matter had no sense of danger to the hundreds of Danish mercenaries and their families, simply because the Russians were not secretive about it.

Anyone in the world can defect to him. He defected to Cologne just because the fat archbishop was willing to spend money. If the black fox living in Nassau City gave more, the brothers could also join the county of Nassau-Coblenz. Now that the King of Ross is here, if the king spends a large amount of money and declares, "Fight for me," the brothers can immediately abandon Cologne and join King Ross. Even if they give up their faith in God and become Odin's warriors, they will not have any psychological burden. .

In a sense, the defense of Cologne was entrusted to such a group of mercenaries. This group of Danish warriors were really brave and fierce against the troops loyal to the "Roman Emperor" Lothair on the other side of the river. The army has no plans to use force, and Cologne is already in an undefended state for Rurik.

It is also the only large city on the right bank of the Rhine (now the north bank).

The main urban areas of Frankish towns such as Mainz, Worms, and Strasbourg were all on the left bank of the Rhine. After all, for the Roman Empire and even its successor Frank, the north of the Rhine was a remote area.

Cologne was a northern military town in the Roman era and the core area of ​​rule for the province of Germania.

At that time, in the Teutoburg Forest not far north of Cologne, Rome lost the 17th, 18th, and 19th legions. After the disastrous defeat, the XI Corps crossed the Rhine and took up residence in Cologne to build an impregnable fortress.

Because the XI Legion was nicknamed "Claudia", the garrison was named after it. Its name changed several times and eventually became the current Cologne.

Cologne's military significance remained, but now it was a vast and militarily depleted region.

This kind of military dereliction is something that many parties are happy to see. The Diocese of Cologne is busy with the study of spiritual beliefs. There are no military nobles here. The archbishop retains military power in principle. They belong to the Benedictine Order and they are just ashamed of using force unless they are forced by the top nobles of the empire. We must send troops.

While Rurik was waiting, he was able to admire the large city from outside the city. He learned that there were 10,000 residents in the city. Is this number accurate? Who knows?

Perhaps "ten thousand" is just an imaginary number to describe a huge number.

Take a look at the long and narrow stone wall in the north of the city, and consider the overly dense residential areas in the city. It should be able to accommodate 10,000 residents, but the living conditions of the locals are certainly not comfortable.

The capital of Rus, Novorosberg, and the large southern city Novgorod, because there are no foreign invasions (at least in this era, there are no external invasions that can hit the core), there is no need to build large-scale city walls and force the people in the city to live in cramped quarters.

Although the population of Rus is increasing, the Eastern European world is extremely large. The extra population can just go to open new settlements in distant places. The dense forests and lakes will protect everyone like a city wall. Even if you live in a city, in addition to the need for solid city walls in the core city, the new population can just "spread the pie" and build houses in the outer areas, because Ross does have seemingly inexhaustible wasteland and the fact that there is no external trouble.