The kingdom suffered many defeats in the Kingdom of East Anglia, and the hegemony of Mercia also fell into twilight.
Wiglaf, who resisted the rule of Wessex and restored the royal power, became an urgent task to expand his land and gain the population of neighboring countries to revitalize the kingdom.
Work hard to rectify the internal affairs and then rest with the people to recharge your batteries? In an environment surrounded by powerful enemies and harassed by Vikings crossing the sea, doing this would only lead to a quicker death.
Wiglaf had just reached forty, and was in the prime of life. He holds an army and continues to send mercenaries to foreign countries after the previous kings. He then uses the army to suppress the dissatisfaction of the domestic people and cooperates deeply with the church to protect his hard-won royal power.
The warm summer wind swept across the plains on both sides of the Don River, and the Mercian and Northumbrian armies were still facing each other in the village of Dole (Sheffield).
It’s just that the situation has changed in recent days.
It was a bright morning. In the king's tent, the Earl of Lindsay (later Lincolnshire) reported to his king with great interest: "Your Majesty, there is excellent news."
"Good news? Is Eynred willing to cede the south of Roydis (Leeds) to me? What did your spies find out."
"This is exactly what I want That's right. Your Majesty, we were deceived by them." When he said this, Earl Lindsay had a smile on his face.
"We were deceived? Are you still happy? Their army is on the other side of the river."
"An army? No." The Earl shook his head, "Eynred led The enemy's camp was full of old and weak farmers. They were just farmers wearing the clothes of the Kingdom's warriors. "Is this so?" He was furious and felt a little strange about this matter.
The earl added: "Your Majesty, this is a good opportunity. In my opinion, Eynred will not cede the territory to us. His main force withdrew for unknown reasons, leaving the remaining people vulnerable. Let’s not waste time here. Let’s seize the village on the other side of the river. Let’s capture their people and fight for our army later.”
“Okay! Let’s do this!” Wiglaf pulled out his sword, kissed the hilt and raised it to the sky, feeling that this was an opportunity given by God.
The Mercian army camp suddenly became commotion, and they desperately cut down wood and assembled rafts in order to cross the river.
The priests accompanying the army prayed for a thousand of the most elite warriors who were eager to launch a ferocious attack. Each warrior kissed the large gilded cross, and then had the holy water of rose essential oil rubbed on his face, as if Get infinite power.
In response to the unusual movements in the Mercian military camp, the Northumbrian general Vitelli, who was ordered to garrison the camp, ordered soldiers to walk armedly along the riverside carrying flags as usual to show the presence of the army.
Maybe today is a normal day?
His heroic words in front of the king are indeed more than rhetoric. Now he leads nearly two thousand troops, which is nothing more than Chen Bingduole Village. He has self-awareness, relying onA group of armed farmers really fought a decisive battle with the Mercian army on the other side of the river. Failure was inevitable. The only way is to put up a defensive posture and perform bluffing operations. As time goes by, the crisis will be resolved.
At first, the villagers were afraid of the imminent war. However, after so many days, the enemy had no plans to invade.
The village began to live a normal life, and the Northumbrian warriors who had no tasks to do stayed in the camp and fell asleep.
Today is also a peaceful day...
A village woman acts as a mistress for Vitelli. She herself has temporarily lost her fighting spirit and just wants to hold on until winter comes. He was promoted to an official position in the royal city.
However, under the cover of thin morning fog, more than twenty rafts carrying nearly two hundred Mercian warriors completed the crossing silently.
The Earl of Lindsay personally led the team. The two hundred men were all wearing chain mail, and their shields and swords were also brand new. Their clothes were all dark green, and they almost blended in with the world around them.
The count is not in a hurry to march into the army. Even though he has information from spies, he does not dare to act rashly because it is too quiet here. It can't be a trap, right?
Until all one thousand people crossed the river, there was finally a glimmer of sunrise in the east.
The Northumbrian soldiers who lazily got up to go to the toilet saw a large group of soldiers gathered on the river bank, and there were also a large number of soldiers standing on the opposite side of the river bank.
Go to the toilet? The soldier thought it was frightening, and then shouted.
But it was too late.
The Earl of Lindsay did not bring any archers this time. He had capable personal followers, warriors from the earldom, and elite soldiers loyal to the king. These 1,000 brave men rushed towards Northumbria in the village of Dole. Yada camp.
The victory of Mercia was basically determined from the beginning! The victory in this dawn raid belongs to King Wiglaf of Mercia!
Although the battle itself was the responsibility of Earl Lindsay.
Wheatley, the Northumbrian general, was almost pulled up from his bed, and the village woman who was sleeping with him was driven away.
He was tied up with ropes and escorted outdoors. Also captured were nearly a hundred Kingdom soldiers in orange clothes and more than 200 peasant soldiers.
"It's so satisfying! One blood made me angry for months." Wiglaf proudly rode around the occupied enemy camp.
The warriors of Mercia were allowed to plunder, and the warriors who longed for victory were no more noble than the real Vikings.
They occupied the Northumbrian barn and sorted the prisoners into categories. Many of them immediately attacked the captured village women. If the priest had not stopped them in time and threatened to excommunicate, the situation would have been worse. confusion.
Earl Lindsay's capture of a large amount of food and weapons solved the army's big problem. As for what happens next, maybe the captured Northumbrian general can provide useful information.
If this person is a tough guy, the earl will not hesitate to punish him.
What happened was unexpected, the man who called himself Vitley did not bring it upon himself! But, what this person said is simply unbelievable.
"You are a liar. Come on, give me a beating first!" the earl ordered.
His warriors immediately beat Vitelli until he vomited blood, but he still insisted on shouting, "My king is reinforcing York! The Vikings are coming! My king is fighting them!"
After some venting, Earl Lindsay thought that beating him to death would not be worth the loss, so he waited on the spot for his king, Wigraf, to complete what looked like a show of force but was actually quite boring.
Wiglaf finally came back. After questioning, he was really surprised by what the captured general said.
"I know that the Vikings are a group of unpredictable islands. Don't they only plunder along the coast? Do you think your king can lead the main force to fight them? As for that?"
Whateley hesitated and hesitated, and boldly asked about his ending.
"You! Wasted my time! You deserve death!"
After hearing his sentence, Vitelli did not ask for mercy. He faced everything calmly, and was finally killed. Hanged from a tree.
But Wiglaf completely pardoned the other captured Northumbrian warriors, boasted that he was a merciful king, and ordered them to immediately loyal to Mercia and fight for him.
The soldiers who were rude to the women of Dole Village were punished by Wiglaf with ten strokes of the cane according to the custom of the old Roman army, and the villagers were ordered to watch.
Wiglaf just wanted to rule the land on the other side of the Don River immediately, and immediately recruit these three hundred new troops, and even the future taxes of the more than one hundred villagers, men, women, old and young. He also ordered the bodies of Northumbrian warriors killed in battle to be buried, each body receiving a final blessing from the Mercian priests.
Wiglaf did some pretense. He did not want to be a cruel ruler in Northumbria. This move did immediately cause the captives to defect.
As for the thousand Northumbrian warriors who escaped, they abandoned their armor and quickly fled back to Roydis.
But when we got here, the city was already full of dejected soldiers.
The terrible news is that the king's army was defeated and the king died in battle! Earl Roydis died, and his young son naturally inherited the title. But how can a ten-year-old child save the local crisis? The countess burst into tears, and the whole earldom was filled with grief.
Many people even evacuated to the western coast, walking to the Manchester Fortress on the west coast, and even fled the border into the territory of Mercia.
There are also some people who are heading to the north, because after the death of the king, Osbot in the north can inherit the throne and submit to him, at least they can get protection.
As the defeated soldiers from Dole Village fled back, the people in the city no longer dared to go to Manchester on the west coast. Who can guarantee that Mercia will not attack in an all-out way? Roydis City is no longer safe!
However, for the young new earl and his retinue who were unable to control the situation, they were ready to take action under the advice of the countess. If the Mercians come and submit to King Wiglaf, greatThe family can still enjoy prosperity and wealth!
But the chaos in Roydis lasted for less than two days. A small fleet sailed upstream along the Aire River that flows through the city.
What kind of ship is that? Why is it so special?
In the past, the soldiers and people here had extremely limited knowledge of the Vikings. Only a few travelers told them the news about the south, claiming that they were the apostles of Satan who emerged from the sea.
That is a legend after all, but the Vikings described by the warriors who fled into the city are more terrifying than the legends of the past.
The ship was getting closer and closer. The soldiers stationed on the city wall thought it was a Viking rowing ship, but what was flying on the mast was actually the king's flag?
This is Eynred, and because of his cooperative attitude, the armies of Rurik and Magnut have ceased fighting under the newly signed treaty.
Eynred regained control of the more than a hundred warriors staying outside the city. He also entered Roydis by Viking longship and re-established his power here.
Jevro arrived with a hundred brothers escorting Eynred.
Rurik would really not be at ease if someone else performed this task. Only Yevluo and others remained calm.
The Viking army that attacked York numbered as many as 3,000 people. After a melee, only dozens of people were killed and hundreds of people were injured.
York has been firmly controlled by the new Kingdom of York. All the wounded are temporarily staying here, and there is also a group of strong Balmoq warriors stationed here. The Ross-Balmok coalition gathered another 2,000 troops, following the calmly flowing Ouse River, and was already on standby at the mouth of the river.
To conquer a large area, it is inevitable to divide your troops to occupy it. This Viking army was weakened by the division of troops, but their enemies had also become exhausted from the previous war, and they no longer had anything to worry about.
Rurik was waiting, waiting for Eynred to regroup his men, especially recruiting troops in Roydis. The two sides formed a coalition and met at the mouth of the Ouse River.
This shouldn't be a long process. Rurik believes that Jevro will complete the mutual transport mission well, and Eynred will not be stupid and rebel.
But how did things go so smoothly?
Ernred led his warriors off the Viking longship. After a moment, Jevro and his group, who temporarily put on a layer of Northumbrian orange robes, disembarked and followed him. back.
To be honest, Eynred hopes that these outsiders will never take off their army clothes. As long as they are willing to be loyal and convert, he would rather consecrate a few new earls.
Even if the territory of his kingdom has been severely reduced, Northumbria is still a kingdom recognized by the Holy See. Of course, his attempt to win over was immediately rejected by Javlo, which was extremely ridiculous. Javlo, who was once a slave, valued the title "father of the Count of Finland" very seriously.
When the soldiers and civilians saw the Wang ** team, their vigilance disappeared. And when they see someone with a broken armThe king held aloft the king's jeweled sword and immediately opened the door.
"Let's go, my friends, I beg you not to use violence against the people in the city."
The grain officer Paul translated to Jevlo respectfully, and Jevlo also It is to restrain his subordinates.
In fact, Eynred wanted to hang the grain officer in Edinburgh, but without this traitor, it would be difficult for him to communicate with the Vikings.
Eynred entered the city grandly, and the Kingdom soldiers who had escaped back gathered around him when they saw His Majesty, shouting that they were actually still loyal to His Majesty.
There were even more than a dozen soldiers kneeling directly at the king's feet, pointing to the south. Someone cried sadly: "Your Majesty! The Mercian army attacked our camp! We failed."
They told the same information. Although Eynred was shocked, he thought about it again. Now His confrontation with Mercia was meaningless.
Ernred was so peaceful that he pardoned all the soldiers who wanted to desert.
The eyes of the military and civilians quickly focused on those fake Northumbrian warriors.
Jevro and other mercenaries, they come from different tribes and have complex identities. This is quite surprising with the Saxons of Northumbria. For example, most of them have hair in strange braids. beard.
Aenred came with his son Ella, and the widow of Earl Roydis also brought her son to meet the king.
The young countess knelt at the king's feet, weeping and asking about her husband's whereabouts.
Eynred said coldly: "Garfred died in the battle. I found his body and he was buried properly in York."
Hearing such a clear statement News, this woman cried even harder.
However, Aynred had no time to waste with this woman, and he even wanted to give her a new identity.
"Your husband is a brave man, but...please let me go to the Earl's mansion. Soon there will be a new palace, and Roydis will be the new royal city..."
The king returns with a small army, so victory belongs to Northumbria?
On that day, the people learned from the mouths of the real kingdom warriors who came back with His Majesty that the King had made peace with the invaders, and those soldiers with strange beards were actually Vikings.
A savage killer actually sneaked into the place where I was sleeping? There were so many opinions among the people that the soldiers and civilians of Roydis had almost no sleep that night.
Although Eynred was uncomfortable staying in Count Roydis's mansion, it was a pity that he had no choice.
The York Church was sacked by the Vikings and the priests were killed. The Bishop of York himself died, and the relics of Lindisfarne had long been taken away by them, and the treasures of Northumbria were gone.
The days had to go on, and that night, Eynred reestablished his authority in this simple new palace.
A relatively prestigious priest was temporarily elected as the Bishop of York. This person could only perform the duties on his behalf., the identity also needs to be confirmed by the Holy See.
Aenred naturally put matters of faith aside. He immediately canonized the count's widow as queen, reiterated that Ella was the crown prince, and canonized the count's widow's two sons as princes.
He even wanted to canonize a Viking barbarian like Jevro as a baron, provided that he converted. Yevlo had long said that such a thing was impossible, and his brothers totally disagreed.
Eynred did not force it, because he was pleasantly surprised to find that when he extended an olive branch, some Viking men's eyes fluttered, which was definitely a sign of attraction. As long as there is a possibility, how can it not succeed in the future? Using the power of faith to win over them and using high-ranking officials and generous salaries to induce them to rebel, Eynred felt that this was a secret weapon, and even if it was effective, it would have to be a matter for the next generation.
Jevro and other Vikings were sleeping peacefully in the barn. He was afraid of being attacked by surprise, so they slept without taking off their armor and arranged for additional people to stand guard.
Ayn Red was originally the bed of Earl Roydis. He ordered the Earl's widow Diane to sleep with him. Although the woman was reluctant, she did so.
The countess became the new queen, and they experienced a very simple wedding and were recognized by the priest.
Being a queen, Diane was not happy, especially after the king's inner words after going to bed, she knew that the kingdom had been defeated and Northumbria had to rely on the protection of the Vikings to survive. The purpose of the king's coming was to form an alliance with the Vikings to attack Mercia. How humiliating this was, and how bizarre the latter was.
"Just forget about your child, be loyal to me, be my queen, and be Ella's mother." Eynred suppressed Diane, revealing a trace of murderous intent in his words.
"Your Majesty, what does this mean..."
"Don't worry. My people are very efficient in their work, and the children's departure will not be painful."
< p>"You...you want to kill my sons? No!""Don't worry, my queen, everything will be fine..."
Earl of the Night The lady became queen, and Diane struggled with tears, but Aynred vented his frustration on the new queen.
The next day, the bad news came as expected.
The two children who were suddenly canonized as princes last night were announced to have died of a sudden illness. Because Earl Roydis had no heirs, the territory was immediately canceled and owned by the king.
The soldiers and civilians are not fools. They know that this must be the murderous plot of the king, so why should they care about it?
The old ministers of the Earl of Roydis, who were aware of current affairs, unanimously supported Eynred in designating this place as the new royal city. In fact, they already knew what would happen in the future, and there was really no need for the king to announce anything anymore.
There are still things that need to be done.
In the city square, Eynred publicly announced the alliance between Northumbria and the Vikings, and claimed that the war some time ago was a misunderstanding and that everything was to blame for the invasion of the Kingdom of Mercia.
This clumsy blame-shifting made the dazed Queen Diane feel sick., and caressed her belly unconsciously, feeling that she was already pregnant with the king's child. She was not crazy. She knew that she and her natal family needed the protection of the royal power. The death of her two sons was actually the result of the king clearing out potential enemies for the safety of the crown prince.
Diane had nothing to say. She stood beside the king numbly and looked at the roaring soldiers and civilians, feeling that the whole world was weird.
This is indeed very weird. Two waves of people who were killed with bloodshed just a few days ago actually formed a coalition to attack others?
And this is already Eynred’s only choice. He must throw all the responsibility to Mercia and call on the remaining people to seize Mercia's land and continue development. He also had to show the Vikings that he was a person who abided by the treaty.
But when he announced the taxes that the people would pay, the people became angry again, but there was nothing they could do. That is an order from the nobles and everyone must obey it.
However, everyone still has another opportunity, which is to rob the Mercians and use the loot to make up for their losses due to tax payments.
The farmers and the kingdom warriors stood together, and Eynred suddenly pulled out an army of three thousand people!
Compared to before, the morale of his army has become stronger!
It’s not that they became braver because of the fighting, but because of poverty and hatred, they became a group of hungry wolves, staring at Mercia with eager eyes...
This is really frustrating. Jevro was surprised. He didn't expect them to have such morale. Unfortunately, they are still a group of weaklings.
Eynred had no time to stay at all. He organized the army this time and organized the army to walk along the Aire River towards the mouth of the sea the next day. Finally, on the third day after departure, This army saw a large number of Viking ships spread out on the sea in the Gulf of Ouse, busy plundering local fishery resources.
The two sides have joined forces!