Like the northern city of Novo, life in Kiev is also full of strong Varangian style. The extravagant feast is dazzling. Piles of food and barrels of wine show the luxury of Kiev. People from Constantinople
The handicrafts set off the taste of the Russian elite and also express the close connection with the imperial capital.
The Grand Duke's Red House (the prince's residences are all called the Red House) is always the place where banquets are held. At the birthday party of Vsevolod's son, the Russian dignitaries gathered together, and the sound of banquets filled the place.
, everything is so brilliant and brilliant under the candlelight.
Like their distant relatives in Navia, most of the Russians have long hair. Most of them still maintain the wildness of the north, while a few are as restrained as the Greeks, which makes them somewhat incompatible with this banquet.
Yaroslav hosted the banquet alone, and the Grand Duke received the chiefs, wealthy businessmen and nobles, as well as foreign envoys calmly.
As the eldest son, Rostislav naturally received special care. After considering his opinions, Yaroslav placed him in a remote corner without losing his status.
But even sitting in the corner, Prince Nuocheng could still feel some sight. This feeling of being spied on made him very uncomfortable.
Because as the news came that the Grand Duke valued him, those who thought that Rostislav was out suddenly discovered that he could still enter the game. After all, the Grand Duke's performance was there. And the most important thing is that now the Grand Duke is still there.
No announcement of Ross' power distribution yet!
Rostislav didn't think so much. After arriving in Kiev, he was either writing in his father's red house or going out for training. These guests who visited from time to time made him upset, but he had to receive them, especially the remnants of his father's troops.
His father died too suddenly, and there were people all over Russia who were betting on his father's succession but couldn't get out of the boat. Originally, they were almost desperate, but the rise of Rostislav gave them hope again.
Rostislav is also happy to accept this political legacy, after all, who doesn't want to be stronger.
"That must be Third Uncle's wife."
Rostislav looked at the woman holding the baby. Her clothes had a strong imperial style, and her face was filled with a happy smile, which was the smile of a mother.
"In other words, that is Monomach."
Monomach, this is the nickname "Lone Fighter" of the third uncle's father-in-law, Constantine IX of Constantinople.
However, the prince was not referring to this person, but to the baby. He knew very well what achievements this baby with the name of Monomach would achieve in the future.
Vsevolod stood beside his wife excitedly. Although he hated making noise, the young prince was extremely satisfied with those blessings and compliments. He was immersed in the joy of being a father.
When he noticed that the son of his deceased eldest brother was staring at him, his third uncle returned a friendly smile, and Rostislav raised his glass in return.
During these days, Rostislav also met his uncles. Among them, the third uncle had a strong sense of bookishness and was proficient in Greek literature. Perhaps it was because he found the same aura in his eldest brother's son and they also had a common topic, so he treated Nuo
The Prince of the City is the most kind.
Suddenly, there was a noise among the crowd, and the sound became louder and louder. It seemed that there was a quarrel.
Yaroslav seemed quite calm, and his slight change in expression was quickly covered up. He first apologized to the Polish envoy who was having a pleasant conversation with him, and then moved towards the direction of the quarrel.
The center of the quarrel was Vseslav of Polotsk (note 1), a famous witchcraft prince. His reputation in Kiev was very bad. It was said that his mother taught him witchcraft and that he would turn into a werewolf at night.
rumors.
Moreover, as a Christian prince, he even allowed pagans to enter and exit his court, and he had a close relationship with a powerful pagan group called the "Wolves". This was one of the reasons for his bad reputation.
As for the person who quarreled with him, it was Yaroslav's current eldest son, Izyaslav, the prince's uncle.
The uncle is of medium height and slightly bald. He gives the impression that he is mediocre, and historically he is indeed a mediocre person.
The second uncle was standing beside his brother, showing his silent support.
As for the reason for the quarrel, Izyaslav talked about Vseslav's cowering during the battle against Poland (note 2), which obviously insulted the wizarding prince.
When Yaroslav arrived, he asked the Grand Duke to safeguard his honor and emphasized his blood status.
In response, Yaroslav said:
"Prince, honor must be maintained by the sword. As for your service, I have rewarded you, but I will not punish the Russians who tell the truth."
Vseslav's face turned red and white. It was obvious that the words of the Grand Duke of Kiev in public greatly stimulated his nerves. The wizarding prince's beard even trembled slightly.
"I'm sorry, please forgive me, Grand Duke, but this banquet is no longer suitable for my presence."
After saying that, Vseslav left the banquet directly. Yaroslav's face was a little gloomy, but he did not have an attack.
The second uncle clapped his hands knowingly, indicating that the banquet should continue. The musicians continued to play cheerful music, and people also continued the banquet. This episode passed like this.
Rostislav paid attention to his uncles. He knew that the person who was plotting in the north was among them, but who was it?
There is still too little information. I can only keep a low profile and keep a low profile. I don’t know when I will find the conspirator.
However, the conspirator seemed to have noticed that someone was looking for him, so he disappeared and stopped moving. Therefore, Rostislav was actually not so nervous in this regard.
"What the hell is going on?"
Watching the farce come to an end, Yang, who was sitting next to Prince Nuocheng, was a little confused. He didn't understand what was going on from beginning to end, why the quarrel started, and why it ended like that.
"It's nothing more than a rejection of Buryaslav's descendants. That incident was just an introduction."
Rostislav began to answer Jan's question, saying that there was nothing to do now anyway.
"The Polotsk line is not the descendants of my grandfather, but the descendants of my grandfather's brothers. Although they are blood relatives, they are not our own people after all. They are one of the few independent princes in Russia today. They have also fought with my grandfather. My grandfather has always
Neither of them like them."
The ancestor of the Prince of Witchcraft was Yaroslav's brother. After the death of this brother, his sons received Polotsk from "Saint" Vladimir, and the Principality of Polotsk was born. They have been independent ever since.
Ruled outside the Kiev court to this day.
Thinking about the history of the Polotsk family, Rostislav's thoughts couldn't help but drift to himself. After all, this family was in a similar situation to his.
Now it seems that his grandfather will give him land, but he just doesn't know which land it is, which is really distressing.
However, what Rostislav did not expect was that after the banquet, the captain of the soldiers who had settled him, Tika, found him. The reason for looking for him was also very simple - his grandfather was waiting for him.
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Note 1: The center of Polotsk is Minsk, which is now the capital of Belarus. The principality is roughly here.
Note 2: After marrying Poland in 1041, Yaroslav sent troops to help Kazimierz I return to Poland and suppress the revolting peasants and tribes.