After leaving Kiev, Rostislav, with a much larger retinue than when he arrived, quickly reached Smolensk.
Smolensk was as prosperous as ever; after all, it was the central hub of North Rus', and countless gold and silver flowed through it daily.
Rostislav's entourage received a warm welcome here, as the city's inhabitants were well aware that the Prince standing before them was their supreme ruler.
Here, Rostislav had a good chat with his Uncle Vishata, mainly asking Vishata to strengthen Smolensk's defenses.
His second uncle's marriage alliance with Poland made Rostislav very uneasy. One could say that with the completion of the marriage, his second uncle would gain a strong ally, which would greatly impact the situation in the South Rus'.
It was far too convenient for Poland to interfere in Rus' affairs. In an instant, five thousand Polish troops could arrive in Rus', just as they had invaded Rus' before.
Speaking of that war, Rostislav had heard many elders and veterans talk about it. At that time, his grandfather and the fratricidal "Villain" fought for the rule of Rus'.
The "Villain" was no match for his grandfather's army, so this fellow directly invited the Polish army. Bolesław I's army utterly routed his grandfather, leaving him in a sorry state, and directly entered Kiev.
The Poles occupied Kiev for a period, but they soon left due to resistance from various parts of Rus', and the "Villain," having lost foreign support, was quickly defeated by his grandfather.
It was also because of this example that Rostislav never dared to underestimate the threat from the direction of Poland.
Poland was a country established entirely through the conquests of the Piast family; otherwise, the only fate for this land would be to be swallowed by Rus' and the Empire. The martial virtues of successive Piast monarchs were never low; in fact, they could be said to be extremely high.
And Rostislav had already seen the demeanor of the current generation's Piast monarch. Without a doubt, this was another warmonger, and his martial skills were by no means inferior.
However, his eldest uncle and third uncle were not very concerned about this matter. After all, in their view, Sviatoslav's marriage alliance with Poland was for the greater prosperity of the entire family, and they simply did not believe that this brother would harbor any ulterior motives.
Rostislav could only understand this, after all, his second uncle was very good at pretending.
Rostislav was different. The series of conspiracies he encountered when he was still the Prince of Novgorod had always warned him about the true nature of his second uncle.
And there was also the revenge for his father's death. Rostislav had never forgotten this hatred, and he knew very well that his second uncle had never forgotten it either. Both sides understood each other perfectly, and this meant that there would be no end between them…
After his second uncle's power increased, Rostislav decided he also needed to make some corresponding responses. First, strengthening Smolensk's defenses was paramount.
He was powerless to influence the situation in South Rus', so all he could do was guard the gateway to South Rus' and prevent any possible unforeseen events.
As the hub connecting North Rus' and South Rus', Smolensk was arguably the most important strategic point in All Rus'. And for Rostislav, as the ruler of Northeast Rus', it was even more critical.
For the armies of South Rus', if they wanted to go to Northeast Rus', they could only pass through Smolensk first, arrive in North Rus', and then proceed eastward.
Going directly from Kiev to Northeast Rus' was not impossible, but if they took that path, they would understand why Northeast Rus' was called the Behind-the-Forest Land.
Next, they would face an endless forest, filled with countless bandits and criminals.
This road had no room for large armies to pass, and even for a single person, it required a one-in-a-hundred warrior and a traveler skilled in navigation.
Otherwise, they would either become the spoils of bandits or get lost there forever.
When Rostislav first arrived in Northeast Rus', he had considered whether he should build a road directly to Kiev, which would make it more convenient for immigrants and merchant caravans.
However, he then realized that this would be actively wasting an advantage. It was precisely because of this forest, difficult for large armies to pass, that Northeast Rus' had such an advantage.
Most importantly, the forest was simply too vast. If construction were to begin, it would take at least ten years to complete, as it would require extensive logging along the entire route.
Therefore, Smolensk became even more important. It was entirely a great lock between North Rus' and South Rus'. As long as this place was locked, armies from both the North and South could not pass.
Moreover, for Rostislav, guarding this great lock was also beneficial to him: by locking this gate, North Rus' and South Rus' would be directly cut off.
Then, controlling Novgorod would be effortless. With this city under control, the entire North Rus' would be brought under his rule, Rostislav's, and then he could easily handle whatever happened in South Rus'.
Vishata naturally understood these things that Rostislav had thought of, and he also told the Moscow Prince that he had already been preparing for them.
As an old man who had been active in Rus' politics for decades and endured countless trials, Vishata's political sensitivity was something that a young man like Rostislav could not compare to.
In fact, shortly after becoming the Mayor of Smolensk, Vishata had already begun preparing for the future. The stockpiling of supplies had started then; he was well aware of the importance of this land.
Vishata also told Rostislav that he was currently working on raising Smolensk's city walls and planned to erect another earthen wall in front of the city walls, digging more moats.
And upon hearing his Uncle Vishata systematically explain various countermeasures and arrangements for strengthening defenses, Rostislav couldn't help but blush.
He thought these matters still needed reminding, but he didn't expect that Vishata had already begun arranging them, and doing it even better and more comprehensively than he had imagined. One could only say that elders are elders; he was still too young in comparison.
After finishing these discussions with Vishata, Rostislav's heart also settled, as Vishata had already made thorough preparations.
And he did not stay long in Smolensk afterward, quickly continuing on his journey.
Rostislav had to return to Moscow as quickly as possible for a simple reason: by his calculations, his wife Zoe was due to give birth soon.
Although Rostislav no longer felt the same tension as during Zoe's first delivery, he ultimately hoped to be by his wife's side when the child was born.
Moreover, the Moscow Prince was still somewhat worried about Northeast Rus'. After all, he had been away for so long, and during this time, almost all of Moscow's political affairs were handled by Zoe and his subordinates. He was genuinely afraid that these people might cause some problems.
However, as he stepped onto the land of Northeast Rus' and saw the scenery there, he felt much more at ease. It was as stable and peaceful as when he had left, merchants traveled between the cities, and the main roads were always bustling with people.
Furthermore, his vassals, whom he had enfeoffed in various regions, came to greet Rostislav upon learning of his arrival, which immediately swelled the Moscow Prince's entourage.
And in the eyes of the new immigrants who had come with Rostislav, the power and authority of the Moscow Prince's entourage were evident, which undoubtedly reassured the immigrants who were uneasy about coming to such a distant place, as they certainly hadn't come so far for chaos.
Rostislav's heart was also calmed by this, and with his mind slightly at ease, he began to dispatch the immigrants to various regions.
The Moscow Prince had long ago surveyed a series of suitable areas for immigrants, which could be activated at any time. They only lacked pioneering populations; as long as people went to develop these lands, they would belong to them.
To this, the reactions of the immigrants accompanying Rostislav varied. Many nobles were willing to go and develop their new estates, but commoners still wanted to go to Moscow. Most of them were originally city dwellers and naturally wanted to live in the city, behind the city walls.
However, after some effort, quite a few people were still diverted, as the nobles had brought their dependent populations with them.