Vikings: Lords of the Ice Sea

Chapter 373 The Current State of the Viking Empire

In November, Aulivas obtained Basil's consent to transport the Franks of Naples to Sicily by fleet, including 9,000 infantry and 1,000 cavalry.

In fact, Alfred claimed he could provide 20,000 men, but Orifas declined. He worried that there were too many Franks, and if they stayed in Sicily, it would be another problem.

During winter, the Mediterranean is swept by westerly winds, making sea conditions extremely rough and hindering the Moors of North Africa from sending large-scale reinforcements. Taking advantage of this precious time, Orifas led 15,000 men on an expedition to wipe out the Moorish settlements on the island.

During the attack, Auripas was surprised to discover that the Franks had mastered a highly efficient siege technique—digging trenches to breach the walls.

If the siege were to take place on a plain, Frankish soldiers could dig a tunnel to the base of the city wall in just twenty days, then set fire to the wooden frames supporting the tunnel, causing the wall to collapse.

"That's really creative! Who came up with this idea?"

Hearing his employer's praise, Alfred was slightly embarrassed. "I learned it from the Vikings. They used this method to conquer the Frankish lands north of the Alps in just two and a half years."

Immediately afterwards, Orifas inquired about the solution. In return, he promised to end the matter and hand over the captured Moorish ships and sailors to the Franks.

Alfred used a twig to draw on the ground, explaining the countermeasures—using tunnels to counter tunnels, which could significantly slow down the attackers' digging speed.

Orifas meticulously documented the operational procedures, advantages, and disadvantages of this tactic and reported it to the emperor in Constantinople, hoping to expedite the suppression of the rebellion within the country.

He then advanced along the coast, his target being Palermo on the western side of the island.

With the help of the formidable Frankish knights, the Eastern Roman Empire successfully captured this largest Moorish settlement, nearly annihilating the city's garrison. It was only a matter of time before the entire island was recaptured.

December, Londeneume.

As the year drew to a close, reports from various regions were being sent to the Cabinet. The expansion of the population and the territory increased the Cabinet's workload exponentially. At the Prime Minister's request, the annual meeting was postponed to January 5, 871.

In the morning, nine ministers entered the cabinet meeting room to report to the emperor on the various events of 870.

As of now, the British mainland has a population of 2.8 million, the three Nordic countries have a total population of about 900,000, and the newly occupied Frankish territories have a population of about 10 million.

In addition, there are some scattered territories, such as Livonia, Gotland, Bornholm, the Canary Islands, the Azores, and New World settlements, totaling 80,000 people.

Overall, the empire has about 13.8 million inhabitants. It appears to have a vast territory and a large population, but it has poor control over most of its territories.

The emperor had the highest degree of control over the British Dominion (eighteen counties), with 1.3 million inhabitants.

Secondly, there were the noble territories of Britain, with 1.5 million inhabitants.

Then there are the federal territories on the south coast of the Strait (20 counties), with 1.8 million residents, a complex situation.

Normandy was once the fiefdom of Gunnar, inhabited by many converted Normans (Vikings), a group historically drawn to power. Since Vig had conquered the Franks, these Normans readily accepted the missionary work of the Tyneburg Order, submitting to the emperor's rule and exhibiting relatively low levels of rebellion. Brittany, having suffered greatly from repeated Frankish attacks over the past decades, was weary of war. They tacitly accepted the emperor's rule, and rebellions were virtually nonexistent.

In the remaining regions, such as Île-de-France, Orléans, Rouen, Calais, and Flanders, the people resented the emperor's rule, and small-scale rebellions frequently broke out.

Building the administrative system, immigration, and suppressing rebellions have consumed the vast majority of the cabinet's energy. The Prime Minister estimates that it will take at least a generation to govern the newly acquired twenty counties into true core territories.

Apart from the three types of territories mentioned above, the remaining vast areas are left to their own devices.

Vig's requirement for the dukes and counts of continental Europe was to maintain stability, try to keep their finances balanced, and avoid provoking large-scale rebellions.

Vig didn't rely on the loyalty or taxes of Eric the Younger, Hafdan, and the Nordic nobles under their command; what he valued was the Nordic population.

According to the plan, the cabinet will continue to recruit Vikings from Norway and Sweden, relocating them to directly governed counties such as Paris, Rouen, and Flanders, thereby enhancing the empire's control over the region.

Vig held an overwhelming advantage in Northern Europe and had the support of shamans. The Norse nobles dared not oppose him and managed to secure some financial compensation.

Compared to the aristocracy, the lower classes of the Nordic people enthusiastically responded to this policy, migrating from the cold and barren Nordic regions to the prosperous and warm West Frankish region, a blessing they had long dreamed of.

The Prime Minister read a briefing on the matter, stating, "This year, more than 10,000 Scandinavians have migrated to the Paris region. The area has a large number of royal, noble, and monastic properties, which are sufficient to accommodate these immigrants, and the overall situation is stable."

Next year, the cabinet plans to recruit 30,000 people to relocate to Calais, Bruges, and Cambrai counties, with 10,000 immigrants to each county.

At 9:30 a.m., the meeting moved on to the next key topic – finance.

The newly conquered territories could not collect agricultural taxes, but Vig gained a vast market with a large population (approximately one million square kilometers). British handicrafts developed rapidly, and commercial taxes doubled and are still growing rapidly today.

As a result, fiscal revenue surged in 870, reaching 115,000 pounds. Simultaneously, the empire's administrative, educational, and medical systems expanded, with total expenditures exceeding 70,000 pounds.

"A surplus of 45,000 pounds, with the debt expected to be paid off within two years." Vig tapped his fingers on the table, feeling that the current financial situation was good, and began to discuss the situation in Europe.

First, there was the war on the Iberian Peninsula. Intelligence detected that Alfonso was building a navy to attack Moorish transport convoys and protect his own coastline.

According to Vigé, building a navy from scratch would be time-consuming and laborious. Alfonso would rather use the funds for the army, conquer the Moorish coastal towns, capture enemy sailors and shipbuilders, and thus acquire more advanced shipbuilding and navigation technologies, saving time.

Minister of the Navy: "What type of ships are their warships?"

Vig handed over a document: "A Kirk, and a Moorish dhow. Alfonso requested to purchase a bimasted ship, but I refused."

To maintain its maritime dominance, Vigé never sold new sailing ships to external powers and stipulated that only Britain was qualified to build them, preventing the spread of shipbuilding technology and its impact on its maritime hegemony.

(End of this chapter)