After the prince's funeral, life in Nuo City returned to its previous rhythm.
This city was very excited about the arrival of the Grand Duke. You must know that when Yaroslav was still one of the princes of Russia, he ruled the north here. It was from this time that the army went straight to Kiev. With the support of the people of Nozola
, he defeated the "villain" (note 1) who usurped the throne and killed his brother, and became the ruler of the Rus' land.
This is also the most talked about thing among the people of Novgorod. After all, the "wise man" was able to seize the supreme throne of Rus's country all thanks to the power of the north. If he was in decline when he was in decline, if it had not been for the great help of the city of Novgorod, he would have fled to the north long ago.
Of course, there is no such thing as the Nuocheng people murdering the prince's personal soldiers, burning the prince's warships when the prince was defeated, and forcing him to stay and face the Poles and "villains" head-on.
For Yaroslav, perhaps it was because of these unpleasant experiences that he always moved around surrounded by soldiers in this city known for its unruly nature, for fear that the overly active local citizens would suddenly become enthusiastic.
Something is coming.
On the throne of Novgorod, the "wise man" issued a series of orders.
He ordered the Russians in Rostov to become active, strengthen guard patrols in the direction of Bulgar, maintain the Russians' control over the upper reaches of the Volga River, and emphasize the suzerainty of the Russians over the local Finn tribes.
He ordered to strengthen the security of the Baltic Sea coast to prevent all piracy activities. Ever since Harald the Ruthless, the wise son-in-law of the King of Norway, destroyed the famous Danish city of Hedeby, the order of the Baltic Sea has become increasingly chaotic.
He ordered the expansion of the Novgorod port area. Although there is war in the north, peaceful Rus is still attracting merchant ships like a magnet. This is for the long-term future.
The most important thing is that he continued to negotiate with the Chude tribes on one hand, and sent troops to eliminate the Chude tribes that were causing trouble near Nuocheng.
This matter is the main reason why he came to the north. It is related to the stability of northern Russia. Whether it is through negotiation or war, this issue must be resolved.
Therefore, during this period of time, Chu De and Ross's envoys kept coming and going, and with the exchange of information, the originally tense environment gradually eased.
Under the orders of Grand Duke Ross, the people of Nuozhou became active. They repaired roads, cleared rivers, and conveyed news.
Rostislav was a little idle. After all, his grandfather did not tell him anything. He had no choice but to continue equestrian training with his followers, practicing bow and arrow, spear and sword skills on the horse, and training in formation and discipline, all of which would be used sooner or later.
There were only a small number of personal followers, only about thirty people, half of whom were children of citizens of Novo City, and the other half who came from various parts of Russia. They were selected by Rostislav when he was a child and received equestrian and warfare training with him in the prince's mansion.
This team was formed by Rostislav at the strong request of his father when he was 8 years old. But now, what was a playful team in his father's eyes has become a cavalry team that has begun to become effective.
The battle has shown its value.
After learning about it, Yaroslav nicknamed this small team Ross's companion cavalry. Therefore, Rostislav got a nickname among his peers and juniors, "Alexander".
Rostislav actually longed for war, because only war could prove his worth. War was the undoubted theme song of this era. But what he didn't know was that the opportunity he hoped for would soon come.
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"Yuryev was surrounded by Chuds? How dare Aral do this?"
In the Nuocheng Castle, the Grand Duke and his court looked at the envoy who was covered in blood. The Grand Duke was very calm. In sharp contrast to the Grand Duke's calmness was the surprise of the courtiers.
"There are no less than 4,000 Chuds surrounding Yuriev, and there are only a thousand defenders in the city, including all the young men! Grand Duke, they came out in full force this time!"
This explosive news undoubtedly caused thunder among the crowds on both sides, and Rostislav saw several people whispering there.
The previous easing of the situation led many people to think that the storm had just passed, but now it suddenly exploded again.
Rostislav knew about Yuriev. It was located next to the river on the edge of Lake Chud. It was a city built by Yaroslav in Estonia. It represented the influence of Rus' power here and therefore became a prosperous trading city.
Now that the tribes of Chude are all out to besiege it, it undoubtedly illustrates their goal, which is to completely drive the Rus' forces to the west of the Chud Lake, win independence, and no longer pay tribute to Rus.
The siege force reached 4,000 people. They went all out this time. Only the entire Estonian tribe combined could muster so many people. It seemed that they had been planning for a long time.
"It seems that it has been planned for a long time. This link is within another link. Those humility and obedience turned out to be a show."
Yaroslav's face looked a little ugly. This time he was tricked by the pagans.
"We should immediately send troops to attack those barbarians!"
Such a voice came from the crowd. The voice came from Yaroslav's senior soldiers and some Nobles of the city. Rostislav saw the fanaticism in his eyes, which was the fanaticism for war, the desire for glory, and the desire for wealth.
greedy.
"I think we should talk more. If we start a war rashly, our losses will be too great."
Someone immediately sang the opposite tune. Some nobles and businessmen, as well as the craftsmen of Nuo City and the Chude people in the city, stood up. They were the people who least wanted war. For them, war meant the decline of trade and the decline of trade.
The loss of interests means the destruction of relationships.
Yes, the economy prompted them to stand here. These people basically have trade relations or interests with Estonia, and the war will destroy their vested interests, so they will naturally oppose the war.
The two groups immediately started arguing. Yaroslav, who was sitting in the main seat, looked uncertain and silently listened to the argument below.
Finally, the Grand Duke raised his hand. When he raised his hand, the entire hall fell silent, and everyone waited for the order.
"Since they have started a war, let's take over."
Yaroslav stood up, drew his sword and pointed it to the west, in the direction of Estonia.
"Let the war begin! Gather the troops of Novgorod and we will win, for God protects us! The Chuds will fail!"
"The people of Chude will be defeated!"
Suddenly, war slogans resounded throughout the halls of Nuo City.
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Note 1: Refers to Svyatopolk, a villain who killed three brothers in a row, and his bloodline was somewhat unclear, so he got the nickname villain.