Five years had passed, and Rostislav Vladimirovich, once a somewhat callow youth, had now fully matured.
His previously slightly slender build was now strong, his shoulder-length hair flowed behind him, and he had a hint of a beard on his face, making him a tall, mighty Slavic warrior.
The Prince was clad in an expensive fur coat, a type of fur that was incredibly costly even in Rus', and on his head was a fur-lined cap inlaid with a few gems.
On his chest hung a small icon painting, depicting the Mother of God with Child, and that icon was inlaid with numerous gems—it was precisely the treasure Yaroslav had gifted to Rostislav.
The Moscow Prince now exuded the aura of a nobleman in every gesture, a quality possessed only by those who had held high positions for many years.
At the same time, his warrior's aura remained undiminished; the temperament of a battle-hardened Prince was still very strong.
To Rostislav's left were the officials of Moscow, dressed in uniform gray robes, each wearing a badge indicating their official status—a knight on horseback charging with a spear, which was also the standard for equipment produced in Moscow.
To his right were the Prince's vassals; their attire varied in style but all emphasized luxury, with expensive fur coats being a common sight, and many wore gem-studded rings on their hands.
As for those at the very back, they were representatives of various city Veche and local chieftains, who would also summarize the problems and development status they faced.
After so many years, everyone had changed somewhat, and generally speaking, they were more suited to this land, more like native-born rulers of this land.
These people were dressed very simply, only slightly better than peasants and citizens, as they had only just touched the edge of the wealthy class.
This meeting was the largest Rostislav had convened since arriving in Northeast Rus', as the Prince wanted to know how well this territory was developing.
The record-keeper, Nestor, sat on a chair beside the Prince, diligently taking notes, recording everyone's statements on expensive parchment.
The Moscow Prince greatly valued these records, partly for future generations to reference and partly to leave more records for posterity.
The vassals' reports had concluded; these great nobles had little to say, as their territories were now firmly under their control, and in their view, the peasants' resistance was not worth mentioning, easily suppressed by them.
Next, it was the officials' turn; Leo began with a concise and swift report on Moscow's situation, followed by Anwar, who was responsible for the areas outside the city.
"...Currently, the new districts are in good condition. We have successfully controlled those lands, and occasional acts of resistance have been swiftly suppressed. Furthermore, we have been able to promote the establishment of churches in some larger and more prosperous communes..."
The person making the report was Anwar; this Persian was now also dressed as a Slavic nobleman, wearing a fur coat and a fur cap.
He bore many marks of hardship; as the one responsible for wilderness affairs, he had spent a great deal of time traveling and investigating in the Rus' wilderness, often even facing danger.
As the Prince's steward, he was responsible for all construction matters outside Moscow, a significant and arduous task, but the Persian persevered, living up to Rostislav's trust.
It was also at his suggestion that Rostislav formed a standing army, though its total number was only five hundred, and their equipment consisted only of padded armor and spears. Still, it was a standing force recruited from farmers and citizens, a first for Rus'.
The Prince's agreement to raise this standing army was not to satisfy his desire as a transmigrator; rather, his main aim was to strengthen the rural areas' identification with the Moscow regime through this peasant-majority force. Moreover, these individuals could become grassroots supporters of the Prince's regime after their discharge.
"Very good, Anwar, but what I am concerned about now is how the construction of the mills is progressing?"
After hearing Anwar's report, Rostislav brought up something he was very concerned about, and also an idea he had recently conceived: building mills.
Mills were something everyone could use; their efficiency was immeasurably higher than manual grinding stones, which would inevitably attract many farmers to use them.
By taking this opportunity, the Moscow Prince could, on the one hand, receive some grain as payment from the farmers, and on the other hand, strengthen his presence among the peasants.
"We have currently built three water mills in villages near Moscow. The villagers' reactions have been very enthusiastic; everyone is happy to bring their grain to the mills for processing, and we have also received a good amount of grain."
The Persian flipped through his birch bark draft, quickly finding those records.
Now, Moscow's officials would bring such a birch bark booklet when reporting, as sometimes they might forget some data, and then they would need a reminder, and these booklets could be useful.
"Hmm, very good, Anwar, you may conclude. You are dismissed."
Hearing that everything was proceeding according to plan, Rostislav nodded with great satisfaction, and the Persian respectfully returned his bow.
Next came the clamorous reports from the Veche representatives and chieftains below. As always, these individuals mainly reported various problems they faced and requested resources from Moscow.
The Prince listened patiently to all of them, noting down their requests. After the meeting, he would provide various forms of assistance based on the situation.
And when the last person finished speaking, the meeting concluded. The Captain of the Guard announced the dispersal of the meeting, and upon hearing this, everyone promptly withdrew.
As everyone departed, the Prince compiled the information in his mind.
Currently, development throughout Northeast Rus' was proceeding very smoothly, just as his records indicated. Although the areas where the Prince's influence had not yet reached were still vast, it was a significant improvement compared to the past.
However, the pagan cult active in the countryside, as mentioned by the people, greatly concerned the Prince. These individuals were traveling through the villages, healing the sick and organizing various villages to unite, gaining such widespread influence that many had noticed it.
Originally, the Prince intended to investigate this matter himself, but his old friend and close vassal, Yan Vishatich, directly took on the task. For some reason, his good friend was very concerned about this matter, and seeing Yan volunteer, the Prince entrusted the matter to him.
Rostislav pondered for a moment, but with the loud thud of the closing door, the Prince realized the meeting had fully concluded, and he cast these matters aside.
Work was done; why worry so much? Now it was time to see his family.
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