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 obtain the population of neighboring countries to revitalize the kingdom.
Do your best to rectify the internal affairs and then rest with the people to recharge your batteries? In an environment where strong enemies are around and there are Vikings crossing the sea harassing you, if you do this, you will just die faster.
Wiglaf had just turned forty and was in the prime of life. He held an army and continued to send mercenaries to foreign countries after the previous kings. He used the army to suppress the dissatisfaction of the domestic people and cooperated deeply with the church to protect his hard-won royal power.
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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? That Eynred is willing to cede the south of Roydis (Leeds) to me? What did your spies find out?"
"This is exactly what I want to say. 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, "Eenred ran away with the main force. The enemy's camp is full of old and weak farmers. Those people walking around by the river are just farmers wearing the clothes of the Kingdom's warriors."
"Is this so?" Wiglaf 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 anymore.
, first capture the villages on the other side of the river, and we will capture their people and fight for our army later."
"Okay! Just do it!" When he was excited, Wiglaf pulled out his sword, kissed the hilt and raised it to the sky, feeling that this was an opportunity given by God.
There was a sudden commotion in the Mercian army camp, 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 soldiers who were eager to launch a ferocious attack. Each soldier kissed the large gilded cross and then had the holy water of rose essential oil rubbed on his face, as if he had received infinite power.
In response to the unusual movements in the Mercian camp, the Northumbrian general Vitelli, who was ordered to garrison the camp, ordered soldiers to carry flags and walk armedly along the river as usual to show the presence of the army.
Maybe, today is a normal day?
Most of his rhetoric in front of the king was indeed rhetoric. Now he has nearly two thousand troops, but they are just soldiers in Dole Village. He is self-aware, and with a group of armed farmers, he really fought a decisive battle with the Mercian army on the other side of the river. The failure was
It is 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 that a war was coming, but after so many days, the enemy had no intention of attacking.
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...
There was a village woman who acted as a mistress for Vitelli, and she herself had temporarily lost her fighting spirit. She just wanted to hold on until the winter came and get promoted to a noble rank in the royal city.
However, under the cover of the thin morning mist, more than twenty rafts carrying nearly two hundred Mercian warriors completed the crossing silently.
The Earl of Lindsay personally led the team. These two hundred people 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 surrounding world.
The earl was in no hurry to march. Even though he had information from spies, he didn't dare to act rashly because it was too quiet here. It couldn't be a trap, right?
When all one thousand people crossed the river, there was finally a glimmer of sunrise in the east.
The Northumbrian warriors who lazily got up to go to the toilet saw a large group of soldiers gathered on the river bank, and a large number of soldiers stood on the opposite side of the river bank.
Going to the toilet? The soldier thought it was frightening, and then started shouting.
But it was too late.
The Earl of Lindsay did not bring any archers this time, but he only had capable personal followers, warriors from the earldom, and elite soldiers loyal to the king. These 1,000 brave men rushed towards the Northumbrian camp in Dole Village.
The victory of Mercia was basically determined from the beginning of the battle! The victory of this dawn raid belongs to King Wiglaf of Mercia!
Although the battle itself was the responsibility of Lord Lindsay.
Wheatley, the Northumbrian general, was almost pulled from his bed and driven away by the village woman who was sleeping with him.
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 great! One blood has 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 excommunication, the situation would have been even more chaotic.
The Earl of Lindsay also solved a major problem for the army by capturing a large amount of food and weapons. As for what will happen 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. This man who called himself Vitley did not ask for trouble! However, what this man said was simply unbelievable.
"You are a liar. Come here, give me a beating first!" the count ordered.
His warriors immediately beat Vitelli until he vomited blood, but he still kept shouting, "My king is reinforcing York! The Vikings are coming! My king is fighting them!"
Earl Lindsay vented his anger and 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 seemed to be 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 an unpredictable group of islands. Don't they only plunder along the coast? Is it necessary for your king to lead a main force to fight them? As for that?"
Wheatley hesitated, and boldly inquired about his outcome.
"You! Wasted my time! You deserve death!"
After hearing his sentence, Vitelli did not ask for mercy. He faced everything calmly and was finally hanged from a tree.
But Wiglaf fully pardoned the other captured Northumbrian warriors, boasted that he was a merciful king, and ordered them to immediately serve Mercia and fight for him.
The soldiers who were rude to the village 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 more than a hundred villagers, men, women, and children. He also ordered the burial of the bodies of the Northumbrian warriors who died in the battle.
, each corpse received final blessings from the Mercian priests.
Wiglaf did some show work, he did not want to be a cruel ruler in Northumbria, and this move indeed immediately caused the prisoners to defect.
As for the thousand Northumbrian warriors who fled, they abandoned their armor and quickly fled back to Roydis.
But when we got here, the city was already filled with 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 shed tears and the whole
The earldom was filled with mourning.
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 fully attack? 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 came and surrendered to King Wiglaf, everyone would still be able to enjoy glory and wealth!
But the chaos in Roydis lasted less than two days, and a small fleet of ships sailed upstream along the River Aire 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 about the news about the south, claiming that they were the apostles of Satan who emerged from the sea.
It was a legend after all, but the Vikings described by the warriors who fled into the city were more terrifying than the legends of the past.
The ship was getting closer and closer, and 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 in accordance with the newly signed treaty.
Aynred regained control of the more than a hundred warriors staying outside the city, and he also entered Roydis by Viking longship to re-establish his power here.
Jevro arrived with a hundred brothers escorting Eynred.
Rurik would really not be at ease if it were anyone else who performed this task. Only Yevro and others would remain 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 a group of strong Balmok warriors are stationed here. The Ross-Balmok coalition gathered another 2,000 troops and followed the calm flowing Ouse River.
, already on standby at the mouth of the river.
To conquer a large area, it is inevitable to divide the troops and occupy them. 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?
Aynred led his warriors off the Viking longship. A moment later, Jevro's group, who temporarily put on a layer of Northumbrian orange robes, disembarked and followed closely behind.
To be honest, Eynred hoped that these outsiders would never take off their military uniforms. As long as they were 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 Gevro. This matter is extremely ridiculous. Gevro, who was a former slave, was the "Earl of Finland".
The title "Father" is very important.
When the soldiers and civilians saw the kingdom's army, their vigilance disappeared. When they saw the armless king holding up the king's jewel-encrusted sword, they immediately opened the door.
"Come on, my friends, I beg you not to do anything violent to the people of the city."
The grain officer Paul translated to Jevlo respectfully, and Jevlo also restrained his subordinates.
In fact, Aynred wanted to hang the Edinburgh grain officer, but without this traitor, it would be difficult for him to communicate with the Vikings.
Eynred entered the city grandly, and the soldiers of the Kingdom who had escaped back saw His Majesty and gathered around them, 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. Some people cried sadly: "Your Majesty! The Mercian army attacked our camp! We failed."
They told the same information. Although Eynred was greatly shocked, he thought about it and realized that his confrontation with Mercia was meaningless now.
Eynred was so peaceful that he pardoned all deserters.
The eyes of the military and civilians quickly focused on those fake Northumbrian warriors.
Jevro and other mercenaries came from different tribes and had complex identities, which was quite surprising to the Saxons of Northumbria. For example, most of them had beards styled into strange braids.
Aynred 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.
Aynred said coldly: "Garfred died in the battle. I found his body and it has been properly buried in York."
Upon hearing such clear news, the 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 warriors of the kingdom who came back with His Majesty that the King had made peace with the invaders and that those soldiers with strange beards were actually Vikings.
There were actually savage killers mixed into the sleeping place? The people had different opinions, so that the soldiers and civilians of Roydis had almost no sleep that night.
Although Eynred felt 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 all the priests were killed. The Bishop of York himself also died. In addition, the holy relics of Lindisfarne had been taken away by them long ago, and the treasures of Northumbria were lost.
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 duties on behalf of the bishop, and his identity still needed to be confirmed by the Holy See.
Eynred naturally put matters of faith aside, and he immediately made the count's widow queen, reiterated that Ella was the crown prince, and made the count's widow's two sons princes.
He even wants to make a Viking barbarian like Jevro a baron, provided that he converts. Jevro has long said that this is impossible, and his brothers completely disagree.
Eynred did not force it, because he was pleasantly surprised to find that when he offered 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? Use the power of faith.
Winning them over 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 the work of the next generation.
Jevlo 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 men to stand guard.
Aynred was in the bed of Earl Roydis. He ordered Diane, the Earl's widow, 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.
Diane was not happy when she became queen, especially after the king's inner words after going to bed, she knew that the kingdom was defeated, Northumbria had to rely on the protection of the Vikings to survive, and even the purpose of the king's coming was to fight with
The Vikings formed a coalition to attack Mercia. What a humiliation this was, and how strange 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 hint of murderous intent in his words.
"Your Majesty, what does this mean..."
"Don't worry. My people are very efficient in their work. There will be no pain in leaving the children."
"You...you want to kill my sons? No!"
"Don't worry, my queen, everything will be fine..."
Overnight, the countess became the 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 ennobled as princes last night were announced to have died of a sudden illness. Because Earl Roydis had no heirs, the territory was immediately abolished 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 no need for the king to announce anything anymore.
Things that need to be done still need to be done.
In the city square, Aynred 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 unconsciously caress her belly, feeling that she was pregnant with the king's child. She was not crazy. She knew that she and her family needed the protection of the royal power. She died.
The two sons are actually the king's purge of 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. She felt that the whole world was weird.
This is indeed very weird. The two waves of people who were killing each other a few days ago actually formed a coalition to attack others?
And this is Alnred's only choice. He must pass all responsibilities to Mercia and call on the remaining people to seize the land of Mercia to continue development. He must also show the Vikings that he abides by
Treaty person.
But when he announced the taxes that the people had to pay, the people became angry again, but there was nothing they could do. That was an order from the nobles, and everyone must obey it.
However, everyone 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 3,000 people!
Compared with before, the morale of his army has become stronger!
It's not that they became braver because of fighting, but because of poverty and hatred, they became a group of hungry wolves, staring at Mercia with eager eyes...
All this really surprised Yevlo. He didn't expect them to have such morale. Unfortunately, they are still a group of weaklings.
Aynred had no time to stay at all, so he organized the army this time, and organized the army to walk along the Aire River towards the estuary the next day. Finally, on the third day after departure, the army was at the Gulf of Ouse.
I saw a large number of Viking ships spread out on the sea, busy plundering local fishery resources.