No one dared to stop the New King of Kiev from seeing his nephew. The servants quickly reported the news to the Prince, while Leo and Gvaran received the Grand Duke into the Red Mansion. They did this to buy some time for their master to react.
Izyaslav clearly saw through their delay, but he said nothing, just smiled gently and casually chatted with them, which made the two even more flustered.
Inside the Red Mansion, the New King, who was calculating finances with Zoe, heard that his uncle had arrived. He just sighed; this day was bound to come.
Giving a reassuring gesture to Zoe, who looked at him with worry, Rostislav left the table covered with various data to face his uncle.
Rostislav was not worried about his actions. After all, it was natural for free men to pledge allegiance to a Prince, even if these people had once belonged to the Kiev Grand Duke. What did he have to worry about?
Of course, legally speaking, that was true, but in practice, it was a completely different matter. If his uncle wanted to accuse him, he had no choice but to bear it.
But if it was an accusation, then so be it. Anyway, he was about to go to the desolate Northeast Rus', so the relationship with Kiev didn't matter.
And so, in the hall, Rostislav met his uncle, Izyaslav Yaroslavich.
As soon as they met, Rostislav felt immense pressure. Although he told himself not to be afraid, facing Kiev's new power holder, the New Grand Duke of All Rus', and a power holder whose interests he was currently harming, fear still surged into his heart.
Quickly adjusting his emotions and composing his expression, Rostislav sat beside his uncle, looking at the Kiev Grand Duke. But to Rostislav's surprise, the Grand Duke, whom he had expected to come to accuse him, was now cheerful and treated Rostislav with a very gentle attitude.
This left the Rostov Prince quite bewildered, but he couldn't show it. Helpless, Rostislav had no choice but to bow to his uncle first.
"Grand Duke."
"Don't be so formal, Rostislav. We are family, aren't we? Just call me Uncle here."
Izyaslav's reply was gentle, filled with the concern of an elder for a junior. However, Rostislav still had a guilty conscience. He felt that his uncle was setting a trap for him, so he dared not relax at all, his body still tense like a spring.
"You child, don't be so stiff. We understand what you're thinking, and we know about those things you've been doing in private. Don't take us for fools."
His uncle shook his head at this and directly uttered words that made Rostislav's internal alarm bells ring. This meant his uncles knew?
Of course, he thought this in his heart, but he couldn't show any reaction on his face. So Rostislav replied:
"What are you talking about? I don't understand."
"The purge by us bad uncles, and the news of possible Nomads invasion. Alright, stop pretending. You kid, not only can you fight, but you're also so cunning, really."
Finally, his uncle's expression also showed displeasure, directly exposing Rostislav's arrangements.
"Do you think you did it very thoroughly? You're the only one who ultimately benefited from those rumors. If we couldn't even see that, then we shouldn't be Princes; we should just retire and enjoy our old age."
Since his uncle had exposed everything so thoroughly, Rostislav no longer concealed it, nor could he. Rather than foolishly pretending, it was better to face it directly.
Actually, he hadn't planned to hide it for long anyway, and he knew that these things couldn't be hidden from his uncles. After all, the logical connection within it was obvious to anyone. But he hadn't expected that his uncle, whom he considered dull and mediocre, would be the first to come knocking.
Rostislav lowered his head, preparing to be accused and scolded. No matter how his uncle scolded him, he would just accept it.
His uncle's reaction seemed to be a bit amused. While he was busy with various succession matters and legal severance, he had also been working for this nephew for so long, and yet this was how he reacted. His uncle said, half-annoyed and half-speechless:
"Look at your reaction! Do you really think we would do something to a nephew who wants to earn some family property for himself? What are you thinking?"
At this moment, Rostislav finally felt the concern and affection in his uncle's words. The Rostov Prince looked up in confusion, his face full of bewilderment. He wasn't here to accuse him?
"I know Northeast Rus' is a difficult place, and I know you'll have a hard time there with no support. So I don't blame you for recruiting people in Kiev. But couldn't you have told me? Then I could have directly let your people set up a stage to recruit people in St. Sophia Square, instead of how it is now. Seeing the line outside your door, I feel blocked."
As his uncle spoke, Rostislav became more and more surprised. He had never expected that the New Kiev Grand Duke, known for his mediocrity and stinginess, would come to talk to him about this.
And his uncle's words hadn't stopped. He continued to say:
"Moreover, I've discussed it with your other two uncles. I'll provide 2,000 slaves and serfs, your second uncle will provide 1,500, and your third uncle will provide 1,000. All these people are for you, to help you develop industries in Northeast Rus'. And as for grain, we've prepared enough for tens of thousands of people for half a year, enough for you to take these people to Northeast Rus'."
If Rostislav had been unprepared for what came before, he was now completely astonished. He had never imagined that his uncle would not only not accuse him, but also offer to actively provide conditions for him to find people, and even actively give him people!
"Un... Uncle, why are you doing this?"
Rostislav asked the question, unable to suppress it.
"Why? Because we are blood relatives. Because before Father passed away, he told me to take good care of all my brothers and their children. And that's why."
His uncle spoke with a tone of self-evident truth. He was now the patriarch of the Rurik Dynasty, and in his view, this was only natural. There was no 'why'; it was simply what should be done.
Rostislav's appointment as the Rostov Prince was effectively to develop Northeast Rus', so he should rally his brothers to provide him with assistance, allowing this Rurik Prince to take root in that land and make it the family's true territory.
"Yes, thank you very much, Uncle."
Rostislav was silent for a moment, and finally, he only said this sentence. He had once been so wary of his uncle, yet the person he was most wary of was now providing the most crucial support. This was truly... speechless.
"Alright, don't thank me for anything. This is what I should do. When you get there, rule well. That land is incredibly wild, and you'll face many hardships. If any problems arise, remember to send someone to inform us. Don't be foolish and try to bear it alone."
"Yes."
Finally, Rostislav only said this sentence. He could only say this sentence because nothing else was appropriate.