When the mobilization order from Kiev was issued, the whole of Russia began to move.
The whole of Russia has not had this level of recruitment for a long time, so all parts of Russia are very excited. People gather under their respective lords and princes, and small streams continue to gather, eventually becoming a huge river.
And this time, in addition to making money through war, there is another reason, that is, to show the martial virtue and glory of one's region in front of people from all over Russia.
Nowadays, armed people can be seen everywhere on the main roads of Ross. They carry weapons and go to join the army, coming for the spoils and glory.
The blacksmith shop has become the most frequented place for people. The war is coming, and everyone wants to get some better weapons and equipment. As a result, Ross's equipment sales have directly reached a higher level.
There are even people who directly take out loans to buy equipment. Even if they end up with loan sharks, it doesn't matter. After all, you can still pay back the money you owe, but if your life is gone, it will really be gone. You must not save money on arming yourself.
Similarly, as the vanquished Polotsk, it was also preparing for war with all its strength. Vseslav used all the wealth in Polotsk's treasury to recruit all the people who were willing to join the war.
The influence of the Principality of Polotsk has also been reflected. In the Principality of Polotsk itself, the people enthusiastically joined the army to support the prince.
Outside the principality, many Baltic tribes joined the Polotsk army.
This was true even for the tribes that had been conquered by Polotsk, and many North mercenaries who were attracted by gold and silver came from the north.
The Principality of Polotsk has a long history of influence on the Baltic Sea, and now this influence has been reflected.
According to rumors, the Polotsk people have assembled an army of 30,000 people. In contrast, the size of the all-Russian coalition army is rumored to have reached 70,000 people.
As for the actual number of troops, only their respective commanders know.
The numbers circulating on the market must be severely inflated and cannot be trusted at all. After all, their army is increasing and expanding every day. With so many people coming and going, who knows how many there are.
However, both sides have a tacit understanding not to start a war immediately, and are focusing on gathering troops. Everyone hopes that the number of troops will be as large as possible.
One side intends to launch a grand formation, concentrate all the power of Russia to defeat the rebellion and demonstrate Yaroslavich's authority, while the other side intends to gather as many troops as possible to increase its chances of winning.
As for the food issue, there is no need to worry at all. The overall peace in Russia has been maintained for so long, and everyone's granaries are filled with food, which is enough to maintain the activities of the army.
It can be said that this war has become a stage, attracting the attention of all Russia and even foreign countries. Everyone is curious about what will happen on the stage.
Kiev was the gathering place for the Russian coalition forces, and now, in July 1067, Rostislav Vladimirovich Rurik led the northern army to come here.
Rostislav led four thousand soldiers, of which one thousand were the Red City Army, that is, the Janissaries and the Standing Army, one thousand Moscow militia, one thousand Novgorod militia, and the last thousand were Rostislav's soldiers from Moscow
They set out all the way to Kiev and absorbed the city lords, peasant soldiers and forest people along the way.
Originally, Rostislav could have sent out more troops if necessary. Both Moscow and Novgorod were willing to send out more militiamen, but the princes rejected their proposals.
In this expedition, he is just a supporting role, and it is better not to dominate the scene, so he only needs to bring a capable team.
Moreover, Moscow is still a little unstable after all, and Novgorod has just been included in the rule, and the rule is still being established, so too many people cannot be dispatched.
The most important thing is that if he takes tens of thousands of people to Kiev, it will be difficult for Rostislav to ensure that there will be no logistical problems. Novgorod has just been brought under the rule, and local officials have not yet adjusted with the Moscow bureaucracy.
The army passed Smolensk on the way, but the Smolensk militia did not join Rostislav because that city was responsible for facing the primary defense line of the Polotsk Principality. Veshata had already led his army to leave the city.
The West fought against the looters driven from Polotsk.
"Kyiv, here I come again."
Looking at Kiev's golden dome shining in the sun, the prince of Moscow's tone was full of emotion, and his eyes showed longing for this city.
After all, no matter what, this city is the most magnificent city in Russia. The culture of Russia originated from here and spread to all directions.
But the prince's attention was then attracted by another thing, which was the huge military camp outside Kiev.
Thousands of campfires fill the air with mist, which shows how huge the camp is. Groups of soldiers are busy with their own affairs. Countless supplies are piled on the lawns on both sides of the road. Its scale is comparable to that of its surroundings.
of Kiev.
Moreover, the vicinity was like maggots crowded with various traders and tents. Such a large-scale military gathering naturally attracted merchants and prostitutes from all over Russia, who were making crazy money in gold and silver.
The troops in Moscow couldn't help but be surprised by what they saw. Not only was there the largest city in Russia, but it also had the largest army in Russia in recent years. Such a grand scene can be said to be a once-in-a-century event.
"God, there must be at least 100,000 people here. Is this the scene where the entire power of Russia gathers?"
Mieszko spurred his horse forward slightly. The hugeness in front of him made the Polish knight's state of mental depression due to his new marriage disappear immediately. He was so surprised that he couldn't open his mouth from ear to ear. This army was really too huge.
"There are at least 20,000 people down here."
The Prince of Moscow swept his eyes across the military camp, and then subconsciously said, the envy in his words was very obvious, it would be great if he could one day lead such a large army.
Although Rostislav said subconsciously, the number he mentioned was more or less the same. In fact, the number of this army was eighteen thousand.
Of course, if we include the affiliated camps outside the city, there may be more than 30,000 people here.
Among them, Izyaslav, the Grand Duke of Kiev, provided the largest number of troops, reaching a total of 8,000 people. Prince Svyatoslav of Chernigov and Prince Vsevolod of Pereyaslav each provided 5,000 troops.
people.
Kiev militiamen and Pereyaslav frontier troops stood side by side, Chernigov spearmen and Black Hat Army riders chatted happily, various dialects and accents echoed in the sky, and the best of all Russia gathered in
Here, Yaroslavich's power is clearly visible.
Like Rostislav, they all concentrated their best forces as much as possible, but these three uncles did not have as big a supply problem as Rostislav, so the troops they could muster were naturally larger than Rostislav's.
But this is also the effect that the Prince of Moscow wants to achieve. He does not want to be hostile to his uncles because he stands out too much.
"Looks like we should be the last to arrive, so let's get into camp early."
Just when the Prince of Moscow was lamenting the hugeness of the military camp, Edward reminded him that he now occupied the position of the Prince's deputy, which was enough to show his current status in the Moscow court.
Since the incident in Novgorod, this descendant of Wessex has directly become an important minister of the Moscow court, and now the standing army is directly under his jurisdiction.
And his daughter also married Adam Doulu of Bulgar. Rostislav had been troubled by the fact that the Rurik family did not have a suitable woman to marry Adam, but as Edward returned to Rostis with his daughter Christina
, this problem was solved immediately. Strictly speaking, Edward's daughter is also a member of the Rurik family, so it can be used here.
"Well, yes, it's time to enter camp and move forward!"
Following Rostislav's order, the northern troops who stopped to watch the military camp and Kiev also moved.
The cavalry from Kiev had also arrived. After a brief communication with Rostislav, the door of the military camp was opened.
Because of the arrival of the northern army, the Kiev people blew their ancient horns to welcome the distant allies. In this magnificent scene, the army of the Prince of Moscow entered the military camp and joined the army of all Russia.