With her son standing next to her, maybe Ella also felt that her mother was nothing but an empty shell of a useless person.
The fact is almost the same. Biyongni possesses this noble woman. He is as strong as a bull and has completely conquered the woman's mind. He regards this as something to show off, even though many people think it is unnecessary.
With his son by his side, Eynred's nervous heart finally calmed down a little.
"As you can see, I keep my word." Rurik said solemnly: "Now, let's start our peace talks. Eynred, you should understand that the so-called peace talks opportunity was given to you by our army. You
You can only accept it and have no right to refuse it.”
"Why? This is unreasonable. If this is the case, it is not a peace negotiation. I at least have the power to propose conditions. I am still the king of Northumbria. Also, the whole of Britain and the kingdoms will not accept your self-proclaimed king.
Will admit it."
Rurik was quite surprised, maybe this guy suddenly became angry when he saw that his prince was still alive?
"Why do we need their recognition? We are all a bunch of weak sheep." Rurik paused again, stood up and stuck out half of his head: "You are all weak countries, and weak countries have no diplomacy. But strong ones don't need it.
Diplomacy. Do you speak Latin?”
"Latin?" Eynred was shocked. He couldn't believe that the word "latin" would come out of the mouth of a barbarian boy.
"vici! vidi!veni!" Rurik blurted out without a moment's hesitation.
At least this phrase was known to Eynred. He suddenly broke into a sweat and said: "You really can speak Latin. You killed my Bishop of York, and it seems that you also killed all the priests. If the Bishop
Not dead, he will communicate with you in Latin."
Rurik nodded: "It is true that my people were impulsive. As decisive as Caesar, do our army have to get permission from the kingdoms of your island to attack? We are not attacking you because Northumbria is the most powerful country in the world.
Weak, simply because you are closest to our hometown."
"Ah? Your goal is to conquer the entire island?"
"Maybe." Rurik shrugged and asked, "Do you know history?"
"..."
"A long time ago, we were a family. You left three hundred years ago, but we have always stayed in our homeland. Since you can land on the island in a small boat, now that we have a big boat, can't we come here easily? But we do
It has become different. You betrayed Odin and converted to the faith of the Romans, but we still believe in Odin."
Of course what Rurik said is true. If the Saxons, Angles and Jutes had not crossed the sea on a large scale, the remaining Jutland Peninsula would not have been filled with Danes.
Eynred didn't know this. He had never experienced any historical education and only heard about the past. Now he regarded Rurik's words as nonsense to find the legitimacy of the occupation.
Aynred simply shouted: "Tell me your purpose. No matter what our relationship is, we are still in a state of war. Tell us how you want to end this dispute and what you want to give to Northumbria."
The fate of."
"Okay! Now listen to our terms. We want all the land east of the River Ouse, the land and towns near Bamburgh and Lindisfarne, and Edinburgh. All the people in this area will
Become our slave. I want you to provide us with an annual tribute of no less than three million Roman pounds of wheat and an additional five thousand young women.”
Hearing this, Eynred became furious and stood up suddenly: "This is a great shame! You are going to cut off half of my country!"
"But, do you have any choice?" Rurik said coldly.
Yes! The truth is so cruel.
Aynred sat down again and said coldly: "My army fled and Earl Roydis died in the battle. They may think that I am also dead. Soon, many earls will support Osbot.
Those who inherit the throne will continue to fight you. Even if you own the above-mentioned lands, the fighting will not stop. They will not accept this humiliation."
"Then kill them. Wait, you just mentioned a name?!"
Eynred did not hesitate to explain the existence of a man named Osbot, and even claimed that if his family died, that man would naturally inherit the throne. "That is a man who will fight to the last soldier.
Either you kill him and even his subordinates, otherwise the war will never stop."
"Really? We still have a large army in Bamberg." Rurik looked arrogant, but he was naturally more cautious.
"That man and his army are in the north. Much of the northern territory you are asking for belongs to him. Even if I make a promise, he..."
"Then we have no choice but to fight."
As for the life and death of Osbot and his family, Eynred didn't care. Anyway, that family wanted him to have no heir so that he could inherit the throne. Besides, in peacetime, apart from controlling Edinburgh and Bamburgh, most of the rest of the northern land was still Osbot.
A special family, and even the noble lords who support their family.
In addition, there is also the hateful Strathclyde problem. In the northwest of the country is a large group of Picts who have surrendered to the kingdom. Once the kingdom's strength is weakened, the locals will surely rebel.
Aynred thought for a while and made some calculations in his mind about the gains and losses of the trade-off. If this group of Vikings had to do this, they also succeeded in destroying Osbot in the north, and then Strathclyde
Rebellion. Isn’t it true that only a quarter of the territory belonging to Northumbria is left?
The Viking army wants to take Penicia and Deira (the place where Northumbria made its fortune) as their own! Northumbria, once the overlord of Britain, actually wants to hide in Us
To the west of the river, the last territory of the kingdom turned out to be the former land of Reged and Emmet.
The previous kings destroyed the Kingdom of Reged and the Kingdom of Emmett established by the Britons, and the last Strathclyde swore surrender. Northumbria used its military power to move southward, ruling East Anglia and East Anglia along the way.
The kingdoms of Mercia and Kent also surrendered to their late king. The prosperity of the past was gone, and the great kingdom actually had to huddle in a tiny place and survive?
Aynred had no choice, but he had to make a final resistance, at least to gain some power for the last kingdom, so as not to be humiliated too badly by the Vikings.
He initially agreed with Rurik's request for territory, but he really didn't want to give it to him regarding food and women.
"If I give you three million pounds of wheat a year, it will be difficult for me to come up with five thousand women. If I give you five thousand women, my kingdom will soon be depopulated! You have taken away the last young women in my territory, and soon we will be
Farm uniforms for farming will no longer exist! Don’t you have any hands and feet? You can only lift the sword to kill, but cannot lift the draft for hoeing?”
When he asked this, Rurik also felt that his request was too much. Northumbria is not a country with a large population until now, and then it split up a large territory, plundered a large amount of wheat from the remaining people, and then took it away
A group of women, this kingdom exists in name only.
It's okay to make concessions, but you must give in decently.
"But we must get five thousand young women. I promise not to deprive them of their faith, no matter what. You must give us three million pounds of wheat a year, and an additional five thousand young women. All you have to do is
By doing this, we can ensure the safety of your final power."
"This! You are making things difficult for me, knowing that I can't finish it now."
Rurik narrowed his eyes slightly: "If you can't complete it, then don't negotiate. Kill you and your son, and we will directly occupy the entire Northumbria."
"Wait a minute!" Aynred immediately waved his hand and said: "I really can't afford so many women, and asking me to hand them over would be a betrayal of my faith and I will definitely fall into hell. But, Maizi, I
You can try harder."
Of course, what Rurik wants most is wheat. In the future, he can bring his fleet to this area every year to buy from the Balmoks in the colonial fields. Asking for three million pounds of wheat is really a very huge amount. As long as No.
Sembria's willingness to take it out means that this kingdom, which will shrink in the future, will lose its war potential.
They used all their remaining grain as tribute, so how could they accumulate strength?
Aynred also saw it. This blond Rurik looked young, but how could he be as evil as Satan? What the Vikings wanted was not a peace treaty, but probably an armistice treaty lasting several years. But.
, how can I have the strength to expel them now?
Unless this is done...
Aynred sighed and said: "I can be the king of a small country, and I can cooperate with you, but I want you to swear that you will not attack me again after I do it. Northumbria is too old
If we are weak, you will not get any more treasures from attacking us, it will only increase the number of killings, and you will not do yourself any good by killing potential servants. I want to warn you, do not think that you can live peacefully in the newly acquired territory."
"Hey? Is it a threat from the neighboring kingdoms?" Rurik asked knowingly.
"Exactly! As you know, I have been leading troops to confront the Mercian army in the south. Once they learn of the decline of my kingdom, they will invade in a large scale. They are more powerful than my Northumbria, with a mild climate.
The wheat yield is high. There is a large population there, there are a large number of young women you desire, and there are mountains of gold and silver. Why must you desperately plunder our bitter and cold land here? You have incomparable fighting power, why don't you go to war with Mercia? If
If you don't start a war, they will take the initiative to attack."
Things get complicated.
Although the grain officer Paul had been acting as a translator, translating Rurik and Eynred's negotiations into Norse and telling the audience, everyone could basically understand it. When Eynred said this, he became supportive.
Hesitating.
Rurik had to think carefully. After all, the war against Mercia was not his original intention, at least not in this year's plan.
Seeing the other party's hesitation, Eynred immediately made a serious suggestion: "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! The king of Mercia is called Wiglaf, and he and his army are just south of the Don River, facing each other across the river on the border between our two countries.
Wait a minute! It's actually a confrontation with your new kingdom across the river! This is not a war between Northumbria and Mercia, but a war between you and Mercia. You can take the opportunity to kill their king and seize a large amount of wealth.
territory."
A new war?
To be honest, Rurik's heart was moved, because Eynred's continued description explained a fact that was very beneficial to the Ross-Balmok coalition, that is, the coalition fleet could go up the Don River and directly kill
When they arrived at the Dole village, they caught the Mercians by surprise, and from then on they had a major strategic opportunity to invade and plunder southward.
Now the wheat harvest on the entire island has just been completed. This Eynred also said that the Mercians are a mixture of wheat and oats. It is mainly the problem of eating that makes Rurik's heart move.
Rurik had to urgently discuss with Magnute and others. The lengthy explanation was meaningless at all. As long as they heard that a new war would bring greater benefits, Magnute and Biyoni were both in agreement.
, that is, demanding an immediate fight to the death with Mercia, and personally beheading the passing Wiglaf who appeared at an untimely time.
Their attitude was so resolute that Rurik could not say anything. The brothers were generous and had new goals, and the army was eager to gain new profits after the new war, so they should continue fighting.
The peace talks with the King of Northumbria itself were nothing to talk about. After all, Aynred was not a king who died for the country, nor was he a righteous person.
If this person does not want to be a groveling minister, then he should not be a minister. It would be better to be a king of a small country and survive in the increasingly magnificent Viking Age for the time being.
A kingdom of York controlled by the Balmok Vikings was born. Eynred recognized that this martial kingdom established by despicable outsiders on his own land was obviously his palace. He respected the old man Mag.
Nut is the "great king", which is the original meaning of the noun "Magnut", and it also recognizes Biyongni as the crown prince of the Kingdom of York.
Putting aside the issue of faith for the moment, or the so-called issue of faith is not a problem at all. In the face of sudden destruction, the fact that your family can have such a result is nothing more than the best choice in the worst situation. At least your family still retains
With Ella as the spark, there is a possibility of revenge for the country, even if the possibility is already very slim.
Five thousand young women, Eynred could not afford the supply of three hundred pounds of wheat per year, and by squeezing the farmers in the remaining territories, the Viking army took advantage of the chaos in the war against Mercia to kidnap the local farmers.
He gritted his teeth and felt that he could do this to save the military's expenses.
The peace talks only ended on the day of the riverside battle, before the warmth of the corpses of the war dead had dissipated. Things developed so fast that Eynred thought it was a nightmare.
The next day, he woke up from the dream and woke up from the house that was originally the servant's living room with his son in his arms. Only then did he realize that all this was not a dream, but a reality that was worse than a nightmare.
Ella is ignorant. This young boy yells at his father that his mother is a fool. He is bullied by the bald man at will and there is nothing he can do about it.
Eynred first gave his son a slap, and when he saw him crying, he yelled: "Don't cry! You are a man! Remember this pain! Remember the humiliation of our kingdom. When I die, you will be the monarch of the kingdom.
.Don’t be motivated by a woman, you must find a way to support our kingdom. One day, you will expel the Vikings who invaded our territory.”
With tears on her face, Ella covered her face and nodded confusedly.
Eynred stood up, he still wanted to personally sign a formal peace treaty for yesterday's peace talks.
Rurik, that son of Rus, actually thought of turning the treaty into a text. Do these barbarians have writing? Wait a minute. That kid can speak Latin, and maybe he can write documents in Latin. If so, wouldn’t it be...
The facts turned out to be just as Eynred expected.
A piece of parchment unearthed from the kingdom's warehouse was cut into three parts, with three languages written on it, namely the runic alphabet of Norse, Saxon written in the Northumbrian dialect and written Latin in the Latin alphabet.
Written treaty text.
Rurik actually knew both written Latin and colloquial Latin, which was really beyond Eynred's expectation.
Treaty of Non-Aggression between the Kingdom of York and the Duchy of Ross and the Kingdom of Northumbria
Just like the Saxons who immigrated to Britain are no longer Saxons, the Balmoks who decided to immigrate to Britain on a large scale will inevitably become different from their hometown people. The "Kingdom of York", this is what Magnute meant by
The people who immigrated gave the land a new name, and he himself was the king of the Viking Kingdom of York.
As for the name of the treaty, it was purely Rurik's bad taste.
In other words, the name of this treaty already implies its result. This is just a short-term armistice treaty. No one can stop the expansion of the various Vikings. This is the trend of the entire era! The Kingdom of York will personally tear up this treaty
, engulfing Britain with a more powerful Viking army. And the Viking Danes across the sea could never be spectators.
As long as Magnute or his successor decides to tear up the treaty, Ross, as a side of the alliance, will naturally send troops to help.
Eynred signed his name in quill pen.
Rurik signed in Latin, and his skillful gesture of holding the pen shocked Eynred. Moreover, the writing gesture was so regular that he was better at writing than the scribe.
At least this boy is by no means a barbarian.
In contrast, Magnute grasped the quill with all his fingers, like grasping the hilt of a sword, and "engraved" his name on the three texts with simple vertical lines, his scrawling indicating
everything.
After signing this document that was humiliating and humiliating the country, Eynred was covered in sweat. He sat down and almost collapsed.
On the other hand, here at the Vikings, no one was ecstatic either.
The Ross Army and the Balmok Army were very busy. Signing this treaty was tantamount to stating that the army would temporarily withdraw from York, and then immediately form a coalition with the remaining Northumbrian troops that Aynred could still control.
Aenred's sacrilegious army will surely catch the Mercian army and its king by surprise.
This has nothing to do with faith. When he signed that treaty, Eynred felt that he would go to hell after death. It didn't matter to him anymore. At least the fire of revenge was given to his son Ella.
He needed a stable external environment to accumulate strength. He was also entangled in his past anger towards the king of Mercia and was happy to see the Viking army teach them a lesson.
He stood on the city wall, and now everything has changed.
Those big ships are still parked on the riverside, and the granaries in York City have been emptied, and they have all been captured by Rurik. Eynred is really strange, all the news about the Vikings, they are here to seize gold, silver and population.
Yes, the so-called Balmoks of the Kingdom of York did this. Why are the Rus only interested in wheat?
He saw the Vikings washing their blood-stained robes by the River Ouse, and he couldn't help but lament that the robes that had been stained with the blood of Northumbrians would eventually be stained with the blood of Mercians.
King Wiglaf of Mercia will surely pay a terrible price for his treachery at the wrong time, and may even end his country.
Subconsciously, the armless Eynred hoped to humiliate his own Viking army and attack Mercia. It was unreasonable to say that "only Northumbria would be harmed in the world"! Thinking of this, he couldn't help but laugh, like a