Chapter 1560 Adelaide at the Gate of the City

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To a large extent, the rise of the Rus Kingdom and its military expansion throughout the Baltic Sea, as well as the establishment of a new peaceful relationship with the Danes, meant catastrophe for some European forces, but was a good thing for other forces.

Robert, the former Count of Rheingau, had no acquaintance with the Russian army.

In the end, Rurik did not embarrass a defeated nobleman, and even authorized him to allocate a huge sum of money to enable him to return to his father-in-law's hometown and make a comeback. As for the remaining Rheingau, it appeared in the new image of the County of Nassau-Koblenz under Ross's control.

It seems that Robert sold all the territories that his ancestors fought for, which was a humiliating second defeat. In fact, this will have long-term benefits for his comeback in Tours.

A de facto alliance with King Rus means many benefits.

The Russian army will not enter the Loire River to plunder, and even the King of Denmark will give the Russians a face.

In other words, the Danes have lost the reason to bypass Brittany on a large scale and attack the Loire River. The longships drifting over do some barbaric acts. The first one is the attack on the County of Nantes. They will never go deeper. The river sneaked into Tour's territory.

In addition, Reglaf and Bruno stayed in Tours as guests, they were representatives of Rus and Saxony, holding an army, and they also owned genuine dragon-headed longships.

They could have fought the invading Danish pirates in full Northern fashion, although that never happened for three years.

In the original timeline, the Danes would attack the city of Tours in a large scale, and would first attack the monasteries near the city.

For example, the monastery of Saint-Loup and the Onstier monastery across the river from Tours were reduced to ashes after the raging fire during the first wave of Vikings. The monastery's books were burned and the priests massacred.

Finally, the pirates targeted the city of Turben. Although the city was not captured, the nearby villages were destroyed to pieces.

Whether it was the sacking of Nantes or the sacking of Tours, the Danish pirates should have made these moves around 845 because of the rise of Rus.

However, if the northerners move south in a large scale, they will inevitably carry out organized military exploits in a more violent form, which is different from pirate plunder.

Reglaf's stay in Tours was like a living talisman for his country.

More and more lower-level nobles and clergy realized the importance of this boy with unlimited potential.

After all, he is still the legal king of Mercia. Having such a figure currently unconditionally supports all Tour's claims strengthens Tour's advantage in public opinion.

The imperial nobles will definitely despise all this. For their own side, the nobles of Tours, large and small, feel that they have noble supporters from outside the region, and their morale will not be sluggish.

Besides, the one hundred Norman warriors under this boy are really capable of fighting.

Although the number of longships was limited, their presence also ensured that imperial nobles north of the Loire did not contemplate fighting across the river.

Reglaf did not realize that his status in the hearts of the local nobles was getting higher and higher. He also treated the seriously ill little Hugo with a sincere attitude. Little did he know that this kind of sincerity regardless of the "devil's curse" was quietly producing a wonderful chemical reaction. .

Little Hugo lies on the bed in the imperial palace all day long. He is a person cursed by the devil. Even the waiters who have close contact with him may be contaminated by the curse.

Little Hugo suffers from a strange disease. He will have difficulty breathing and cough up a lot of blood when he coughs suddenly.

Because he was suffering from tuberculosis, and there was no way of knowing how he contracted the disease.

Green gauze surrounded his couch, and now it took great perseverance for little Hugo to even stand up. The young man was deeply aware that he really didn't have much time left, and drinking the "Holy Oil Tea" provided by the priest had no effect on his condition.

He is no longer afraid of death, and the boy's thin shoulders cannot carry the eight hundred years of Tour's history.

It’s time to entrust the burden to someone you can trust.

Who is this guy? It's self-evident.

But...Regrave...

In the afternoon, Adelaide, who had been waiting at the east gate of the city for most of the day, finally waited for her husband.

The mighty army crossed the farmland abandoned in autumn and winter, and returned to Tours smoothly on a sunny day.

Adelaide, who was dressed in black robes, wanted to keep a low profile. There were only a few guards stationed here, and none of the priests came.

The surrounding areas were cleared, and the city market that was supposed to carry out commercial activities today was also temporarily closed for a week. So as early as early in the morning, the villagers who rushed to the city with various agricultural products for trading were persuaded by the soldiers to leave. In this way, the villagers Cursing, he pushed the cart containing the goods back home.

Such villagers still crossed the bridge twice. Although they did not sell any goods, they had to pay the bridge tax twice. This was the real reason for their cursing.

What else can be done? The bridge is the private property of the Earl. He kindly allows the common people to go to the city to do business and improve their lives. How can he criticize the lord for paying more bridge tax?

As a result, the returning army could not see a few swaying figures along the way. They stopped outside the city in a mighty manner. As for whether to enter the city, it still depends on Sir Robert's wishes.

Adelaide took off the hood of her burqa, and as soon as her face was revealed, Robert saw it as he sat firmly on the horse.

"Ada!"

Surprised to meet his wife at the city gate, Robert immediately dismounted and walked forward happily. His son Robert Jr. was also wearing a burqa one size smaller. The boy was dressed like a novice priest and hurried over and grabbed his father's waist.

"You came back successfully..." Adelaide didn't know where to start the question. She thought for a while and whispered the news: "Your messenger arrived yesterday. I heard that you did not capture Orleans."

"Yes." Robert answered generously: "I didn't win, I didn't lose. Anyway, there is no chance this year. By the way, where is Hugo? The child's condition should have improved."

Robert actually asked casually, but this was really a big pain point for Adelaide as a sister, and it also made her think more.

"Something is not going well with him, and I'm worried."

"Hugo has always been weak and sick. I hope God will send blessings to make him better. Halloween is not far away, and then Christmas, I hope God can save him." Robert said casually.

"Alas...will he really get better?" Adelaide shook his head and said calmly, "I am your wife, so don't say such superficial things to me as you would to a priest."

"Okay, I intend to go to the city and explain something to him. I will congratulate him. Regarding the five hundred cavalry given to me, there is no loss. Alas, it is all routine. I will explain the matter earlier and leave earlier. "

"Better get it done quickly."

Adelaide poked his head and looked again. At first glance, the cavalry seemed huge, and even if there were losses, they would be minimal.

"The cavalry is indeed safe. The best of Tour are in your hands. They are safe and sound, and our strength will not be reduced."

Just now, when Adelaide was scanning the army, she noticed the Mercian army flying the orange flag. She noticed the young king Reglaf, and the boy was safe and sound.

From the corner of her eye, she also noticed some weird people riding bullock carts. They looked very similar to the villagers who were planning to go to the city to do business.

She asked about this too.

"Oh, these are the people I told you in the letter. They are my special allies." Robert said happily.

"People at the edge of the forest?"

"The people who were originally the Count of Orleans are now ours. I will place them in a wasteland outside the city to build a new village. They fight for me. This is a reward for them. What do you think?"

Adelaide immediately closed his eyes and thought for a while: "This matter...if you insist on doing it, no one can stop you. You can tell Hugo about it, and he will agree."

"That's fine. As for the army entering the city, forget it. I have no victory. Entering the city in a high-profile manner will only add to the jokes. I plan to disband the army on the spot. Those who have families will go home, and those who have no homes will withdraw to the military camp. What do you think?"

"Do you still need my consent for this kind of thing?"

"Otherwise?" Robert smiled and complimented: "You are now like the queen of Tours."

"No." Adelaide immediately put her fingers on her husband's mouth and emphasized again: "My brother is the real earl. As long as he lives, there is no more noble person than him in Tours."

These words naturally have hidden meanings, and Adelaide's hints stop there.

The five hundred Tour cavalry once made Robert feel in a trance. Four years ago, he had such a large number of elite troops.

Tours was able to assemble more cavalry, but he said that each of these five hundred cavalry had chain armor, and the strength of the armor alone was much better than that of his own troops four years ago.

The cavalry is essentially a large group of local knights armed. Basically, the villages of all sizes in the south of Tours are the fiefs and farms of a certain knight. One or two or three villages were managed by a knight. The knight was responsible for recruiting some followers and forming a small cavalry team. He was also responsible for training the militia.

The knights only had military obligations to the count, and the tithes they collected from the lords fell into their own pockets. Only the church tithes from their villages were finally collected at the Cathedral of St. Martin in Tours.

The knights established their own retinues. In wartime, one knight could pull out a small team, which together formed a large army in the hands of the Count of Tours. Now that the war is temporarily over, the knights naturally take their men home for the winter, and they do not intend to stay in the city of Tours anymore.

The Earl's family and the local minor nobles are closely linked by blood. Many knights themselves are branches of the family branch, as well as brave warriors who have made military exploits for the previous Earls.

Knights, barons and earls are a community of interests. Robert dares to fight. As the son-in-law of the old earl, he also has the right to inherit the title. The majority of knights and their retinues are happy to follow such a strong man.

In the wasteland to the east of the city, the five hundred cavalry were disbanded on the spot. The knights and their retinues went back to their homes. When the city of Tours issued another assembly order, everyone would bring their own horses and weapons and return to the city to assemble.

This effective mobilization system allowed Frank in the past era to quickly organize an army of tens of thousands.

Especially when the Emirate of Cordoba crossed the Pyrenees and besieged Toulouse, Charles the Hammer could quickly lead tens of thousands of elite troops south to stop the attack. At that time, Aquitaine and Tours were areas where many troops were sent, and the local nobles made great contributions to the final victory.

Nobles of all sizes in Tours have their own glory. They believe that the known world under Frank's rule is "the world". There was no benefit to be gained from working for Emperor Lothair. Tours collectively chose to rebel. With the actions of the superiors and the deeds of action, people all focused on the tangible benefits in front of them.

Robert from outside can help everyone gain benefits, so everyone is willing to trace him.

Therefore, in three years, relying entirely on military merit, Robert gradually mastered the violent machine of the Turbine Kingdom, and it was already the last step before he became the new earl.

However, he still had to report to the real Count Hugo.

The cavalrymen returned to their respective homes, and the villagers of Sologne-Fontaine who followed the army to Tours were immediately moved to a wasteland on the banks of the Cher River. With a wave of his hand, Robert allowed the villagers to develop freely. The development rights were given by him. After the tax holiday, the villagers had to pay the tithe tax on livestock and grain directly to Robert, as well as pay taxes directly to St. Martin's Cathedral.

The villagers who seemed to be outside of civilization are now fully included in the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Tours, and their religious affiliation has also been moved to Tours. Civil and religious matters were sent by Archbishop Vivian of Tours to handle this matter, and Robert no longer had to worry about it.

Robert's move was a rare virtue in the eyes of the priests. He killed many innocent villagers in the Le Mans and Orleans areas. Using the guise of "this was war" could at most convince the warriors, but it really could not convince the priests.

Seeing him return with a group of peaceful villagers, Archbishop Vivian felt a little relieved and thought to himself: "This man is not hopeless."

Robert had many considerations. He did not expect that a small group of villagers could bring him considerable taxes, but the thirty men in the village could be on call as archers at all times.

To know what to expect in the Tours region

Recruit an army and command the lower-level nobles to bring their own elite troops to the war. They will either provide money immediately or promise more benefits after the war.

Most of the villages, large and small, were the fief villages of knights and barons, and the earls could not get involved.

Robert wanted to recruit soldiers, either from the villages directly under the jurisdiction of the church, or from the Earl's private domain to recruit militia.

The former's move was often blocked by the priests, while the latter's move was the most reasonable. Unfortunately, Robert was not yet a count. His recruitment needed Hugo's approval, and he also had to consider not squeezing the people in the area.

The people's power in the area directly under the earl's jurisdiction is the financial capital of the earl family. If a large number of men are killed in the war, it will be the earl's own economic and military capabilities that are weakened.

In the Rhineland, which had been Frankia's eastern frontier, economic production gave way to military control. In the past, Robert had a large number of territories directly under its jurisdiction. One of the most important tasks of the residents in the territory was to serve as soldiers. Instead, other nobles became foils and hid in the mountains. He was once a very powerful military noble, forcing the Archbishop of Mainz to support his large-scale conscription at critical moments, and also used a tax within the diocese as military expenditure.

Robert wanted to replicate all this in Tours, but the Archbishop of Tours was a system, and the Cathedral of St. Martin was a sacred church. A temple of faith gradually evolved into a university. Many clergy had a collective will. All decisions of Bishop Vivian were the result of everyone's meetings. Vivian was unable to say anything.

St. Martin's Cathedral will not contribute money to help Robert expand his army, and it also strictly restricts residents of villages and cities directly under the jurisdiction of the government from serving as soldiers for Robert privately, but it does not hinder Robert in this regard.

So when Robert's army returned, Bishop Vivian didn't even send his subordinates to greet them at the city gate. Robert was no longer angry with this attitude of non-interference and non-objection. This attitude was also a tacit approval of his various actions.

Many warriors were recruited from the conquered Le Mans, who were to be settled in the city and given accommodation, food and clothing for the winter.

This is not a long-term solution. When he was captured by Ross, he had a glimpse of Ross's conscription system. There were no restrictions from the church or other nobles. All villages and cities, large and small, were under the control of King Ross, and all villagers were. Many of the elite soldiers were forced to serve as soldiers, and some of them simply quit their jobs completely.

For the time being, Robert can't do this in Tours. In his old fiefdom, the Rhineland, the people are half farmers and half soldiers. The horses, weapons, and armors are all prepared by the soldiers themselves. However, Ross's group of elite soldiers are all up and down. The weapons and equipment, food and clothing during wartime were all provided by King Rus.

Various constraints prevent Robert from implementing Rose's system, but he can make up for the details.

By using the newly recovered villagers as a reserve of soldiers, he can immediately mobilize thirty archers to take care of the spearmen in next year's battle, and there is almost no need to worry about laziness without cash.

As for the soldiers recruited from the areas directly under the earl's jurisdiction, those guys will only be willing to fight honestly if they see enough money or a large amount of food as reward. Otherwise, they are all lazy. Even if they promise "you will be free to loot after the war", it will be difficult to get rid of them. Morale boosted.

To a large extent, Robert attributed all this to the fact that he was not a real earl.

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