Tamworth has become the focus of regional strategy. Some local lords in Mercia have learned that the capital is under siege. As for sending troops to serve the king, the king must do it, but the concentration of troops is a big problem.
Where do the enemies come from? Who are the enemies?
Serious problems first troubled the Earl of Leicester, who was closest to Tamworth.
Fifty armored warriors and more than 400 armed farmers were gathered, and this was already the number of troops that the Earl could come up with in a short period of time. In fact, he had done a lot for King Qin, and nearly 500 warriors were already there.
It took a lot of effort from him.
Of course, this army did not take two or three days to assemble. When the messenger informed the count with extremely tragic news and led him to complete the preliminary assembly, four days had passed.
Only the earl and a few retinues were on horseback, and the rest of the soldiers were walking on the muddy ground after the rain. They were walking on the dirt road leading to the royal city, and this was the only road to the royal city.
Realistic troubles plagued the Earl of Leicester's army recently. Considering his own situation, the Earl planned to go to the Kingdom's standing army camp in Birmingham first.
Looking at the current situation of the count's army, many peasant soldiers still go barefoot, not without boots, but because they are worried that their precious boots will be worn out by marching. The weapons of the soldiers are terrible, and even the wooden forks used to fork thatch to feed sheep have become weapons.
The morale of these soldiers cannot be said to be high, nor can it be said to be low. The sergeants from top to bottom have no idea what kind of enemy they are facing, and the farmers have little idea whether they will die in this battle.
Because the situation was really critical for Mercia, the messenger could only inform the lords in the southeast, but the western lords were unable to convey it.
Bridges were cut, messengers were unable to carry the bad news westward, and the lords of Cambridge and Oxford knew nothing of the siege of Tamworth.
The continuous heavy rain has made people in most parts of Mercia and even neighboring Wessex too lazy to go out, and they all stay at home and suffer from the humidity.
The lords of various places had no idea that the royal army was severely defeated on the northern border, and even Earl Lindsay was killed.
They did not know that the Earl of Lindsay had changed hands, nor did they know that the Earl of Pexeter had directly pledged allegiance to Northumbria, and even the attitude of the Earl of Chester in the far northwest had become ambiguous.
Britain's scope of power is being reshaped in a short period of time!
The dilemma of marching also tormented the Northumbrian army. No wonder the Viking King Magnute of York felt that the Northumbrian people might rebel. It was really a good idea. If the Viking waterways were violent,
It seems that the opponent's land march has become a snail's crawl.
King Earnred of Northumbria, if there had been no Viking invasion, his 2,000 armored infantry and 500 mounted cavalry banners would have been enough to protect his royal power from being coveted by neighboring countries and the northern Pictish tribes.
His army withered, and now he actually has more troops under his command, but his strength has plummeted.
He successfully incorporated the earldom of Perkset and directly upgraded it to the Duke of Northumbria to show his importance.
However, this made the newly appointed Duke of Peixet have an ambiguous attitude towards the new king. In the end, Peixet gave the Northumbrian army a batch of supplies and immediately formed a team of more than 300 men.
Delivered to Eynred.
The Northumbrian army rested in Peixet for two days, and Jevro and other Viking warriors also got a good meal. Of course, the Pekset people had no idea that there were Vikings in the new king's team, and Jevro not only
The ship was camouflaged with orange Royal Army uniforms, and even the bucklers coated with pine gum and chalk mud were hidden. At first glance, they looked like the burly Praetorian Guards beside Aenred, which was indeed very grand.
Eynred really wished he had such a group of brave guards, but he knew that these people were not only guards but also supervisors and intimidators.
Once it develops into fighting alongside the Vikings, the situation is not very scary.
An envoy from Northumbria rode straight to Chester. When the envoy arrived, he saw that the Earl of Chester from Mercia had already led an army to confront the Earl of Manchester from Northumbria.
It's just that this confrontation is very subtle.
The two earls are both local lords. Regarding the power struggle between kings, the two countes will only side with their king in a necessary war.
Nowadays, the situation is abnormal. When a large number of northern refugees enter his territory, the Earl of Chester becomes increasingly aware of the danger.
"What terrible thing scares the civilians in the north and flees to my territory?"
There are favored ministers congratulating the earl. This is God's blessing. It is the earl's kindness that attracts the people of Northumbria to enter and cultivate the land.
This is all beautiful nonsense, but it is comfortable to listen to.
When the Earl of Chester actually led troops to the border to find out the situation, he was immediately trembling with fear. This move also frightened the Earl of Manchester to come to "confront".
There was no major battle between the two sides, and the two earls, who were doing their own thing, simply sat in a camp and exchanged information.
The so-called Viking army almost destroyed Northumbria, and Aynred became a servant. Now the all-out war against Mercia has begun.
The Earl of Chester couldn't believe it. If so, he had no intention of working for King Wiglaf (his family's territory was in the northwest frontier, and he was already a marginalized noble force). Since the Vikings were so terrifying, if he surrendered,
Viking Northumbria might have been able to avoid war.
Because the earldom of Chester is on the western coast of Britain. Vikings have appeared on the other side of the coast. Those barbarians and the equally barbaric Picts in Ireland have beaten their heads to pieces. They should also consider being beaten by the Vikings.
The possibility of attack. He judged his own people and made an estimate based on the treaty of the British Feudal Kingdom. If his territory was attacked by Vikings sooner or later, and if he formed an alliance with another powerful Viking group, his territory should be attacked.
Be safe.
With the arrival of the Northumbrian messenger, Earl Chester of Mercia was even more shaken.
He claimed: "If the coalition of you and the Vikings defeats the royal army of Tamworth, I will join Northumbria. I will get the title of Duke, and I will ensure that my army will not leave the garrison during this period.
, I will give you some wheat to make military rations. You must also promise that no matter what happens, you are not allowed to attack my territory."
It is understandable that the Earl of Chester is a strong-headed grass.
But the crisis in the Earl of Manchester was essentially eliminated, all because the alliance between King Aynred and the Vikings was real and effective, and the Earl of Manchester was also expected to lead troops into the war.
Eynred did not have time to wait for news from the northwest. He did not wait for the messenger to bring intelligence, and continued to march south after resting.
However, they still had to walk on the rugged dirt road to Tamworth, even though it was not a very far distance geographically.
Finally, the exhausted Northumbrian army arrived at Tamworth, the capital of Mercia, after two days of walking along the River Tamworth.
On this sunny autumn day, the dry wind quickly blew away the dampness and coldness of the rain.
Many soldiers saw the flags flying on the city walls.
Jevro was overjoyed and immediately ordered the grain officer Paul to translate to Eynred: "That is the flag of the Russians. The Viking army has conquered Mercia."
Eynred's eyesight was inferior to that of someone like Jevro. He squinted and looked carefully, a little unbelievable.
"The flags of the Rus' and the Mercians are too similar. I want to take a closer look."
Indeed, Rurik's so-called Ross oar flag style is basically a replica of the Ross Andre naval flag, and he did it intentionally.
The Banner of the King of Mercia has the same cloth strips sewn diagonally. As for the flags, the reason why they are similar is that they are easier to make.
A large army appeared, flying orange and white flags. The Russians and Balmoks recognized their identities.
"Report! My lord, the King of Northumbria and his army have finally arrived."
"I know. Damn it, a bunch of lazy guys..."
Rurik signaled the guards to leave, and asked Princess Mary to accompany him.
"What happened?" Mary asked as she changed her clothes.
"It's Eynred and his army."
"I know him. He is the King of Northumbria." Mary was a little surprised.
"Yes, you are all nobles, you should know him."
Rurik's words were not taken seriously. In fact, the princess Mary did know Eynred personally, and she was quite afraid of him.
"I do know him," she said, "not a good man."
"It's ridiculous! In your opinion, there are no good men in this world. In my opinion, that man is neither good nor bad, just a loser. Do you think I am a good person?" Rurik stretched his fair back and asked casually.
.
"I don't know, maybe you are a good person. At least you didn't force me, and..." Princess Mary smiled secretly and said nothing more.
"It doesn't matter. I really can't believe that you are so obedient, as if it was not my army that destroyed your kingdom."
"Is that so? What does it matter to me that the ridiculous country is destroyed? If I fall into your hands, either kill me or take me away. I have no nostalgia for Mercia."
Princess Mary spoke very decisively, and it was precisely these words that made Rurik even more confused. Could it be that her heart was really as cold as a pile of ice.
"Let's go." Rurik changed his clothes and stood up. He looked back with a cold face: "You are really a strange woman. Come with me now, maybe your appearance will scare Eynred. Oh, by the way. You
If you are willing to follow me, then obey my orders."
"That's fine."
In Rurik's view, this woman's brain had been damaged before she was captured, or after experiencing those things, she felt that she had sinned deeply. If she would go to hell after death, then there would be no difference between the world and the real devil.
It doesn't matter if you get a contract.
The arrival of the Vikings destroyed the secrets in Tamworth Fortress, and the conqueror was not a devil, but an angel. This was of course only a personal feeling for her.
How could a beautiful and handsome boy be a villain? This boy knew Latin, was a duke from a foreign land, had strange beliefs, and was nothing short of a noble man.
He is not like a purely strong person, except that he angered him at first, and if he didn't mention it or didn't allow it later, he wouldn't take the initiative like a bull in April.
The fact of men and women is of secondary importance. Princess Mary's heart has been captured by Rurik. She is very willing to maintain an intimate relationship with a handsome man, and this handsome Rurik truly admits that he is a
Nobles are nobles who deserve to enjoy some power.
Queen Mary does not need any restraints. Her obedience surprised the Russian soldiers, while the people of the royal city who were still under control, especially the priests, were cursing Queen Mary as a slut who would go to hell.
Rurik gathered a group of brothers and saw that Balmok's allies were also gathering troops.
The Viking army gathered a group of people to welcome the Northumbrian army arriving at Tamworth.
They didn't wait too long. Eynred, who had lost his arm, finally stood in front of the Viking army with a shocked look on his face. He subconsciously turned his face away and saw the Russian flag flying on the city wall.
Rurik, the young man with a golden ponytail was standing in front of the army.
Aynred dismounted, and before him, Jevro and his brothers took off their orange coats, restored their Russian clothes, and returned to their original position.
"Sir, I have completed the task you ordered."
Rurik nodded: "Please step aside for now and take your brothers to rest."
Then, he led a group of guards to meet the King of Northumbria, and even a group of tired and nervous so-called warriors of the kingdom.
Soldiers? Bah! They are all a group of armed farmers. With poor equipment and haggard energy, they feel a bit like beggars.
Eynred has thousands of things to say, but now he just wants to confirm one fact.
"Rurik of Rus, did you really conquer this city? This is the capital of Mercia."
"We did it." Rurik raised his head high and saw Magnut and Biyoni walking towards him menacingly from the corner of his eye. "Eynred, you can talk to King York now."
Magnute is here. Not only is he here, he is also patting his chest and boasting about the bravery of the Balmoq army. That being said, the cruel remains of the war are on the city wall. Eynred is not a fool. He can see the fighting
The two sides must have fought a desperate battle to attack the city. I am afraid that the Viking army lost a lot of troops.
Magnute spoke mostly in Norse, which Eynred could hardly understand. The grain officer Paul's translator gave him a rough understanding.
"You actually annihilated the royal family of Mercia?" Eynred cared about this the most and wanted to confirm this the most.
"It was not completely annihilated. For example, we did not find the King of Mercia, that abominable Wiglaf. However, we killed their prince." Rurik said calmly.
He spoke quite calmly, but Eynred was not calm.
"I led the army to pursue the Mercian army. I don't know where their king fled to. If you kill their prince now, I am afraid that the Mercian royal family has become extinct. If... you are willing, as long as you have the patience to find Wiglaf,
Once he is killed, Mercia will basically be destroyed."
"The royal family has not been completely wiped out." Rurik smiled and made a gesture. A girl opened her coarse cloth robe, got out from behind the Ross guard, quickly approached Rurik, and slowly
Slowly raise your head.
"Ah! It's you? You're Mary! You..." Eynred was speechless, and he held back another sentence for a long time: "Rurik, you really left a woman's life behind. Did you know? She is Mercia
The most beautiful princess?"
"Really? She is indeed beautiful." Rurik casually ordered: "Mary, kneel down next to me."
Let's look at the princess Mary. Not only did she immediately kneel down on her knees, she then sat sideways on the ground with Rurik's legs in her arms, her cheek still pressed tightly against Rurik's trousers.
"Eynred, do you see? Now she is my woman, what you call the most beautiful princess of Mercia, and now she obeys my orders completely, just like a hound obeys its master."
Eynred was quite surprised, but this incident was considered an episode.
What concerned him the most was that the Viking army actually broke through the fortified city of Tamworth during the days he was marching! Look at this overwhelming combat power, which is probably only matched by the legendary Roman legions. However, Rome
People's deeds are legends. Eynred couldn't believe it too much. At least he had to be in awe of the strength of the Vikings before his eyes.
He soon saw an astonishing number of captured people, all of whom were Mercians. What continued to surprise him was that the Vikings now did not behave like demons. He saw with his own eyes that the Vikings cooked wheat and rewarded them.
Prisoners of war!
It was noon, and the exhausted Northumbrian army consisted of more than 3,000 people. When they sat on the ground to rest, Rurik easily saw that this so-called army was a seam monster. The so-called army contained all kinds of people.
Men, including some thin and short boys. It is conceivable that when Eynred went south this time, he must have temporarily recruited strong men to fight for him on the way. But how can such an army talk about combat effectiveness? At best, it can be very good.
Show others that King Eenred is not really down and out.
Rurik generously gave some wheat to this group of "beggars", and the food was only half full for them and only one meal.
Magnut and a group of others thought this was meaningless kindness. In Eynred's view, he already liked Rurik of Rus quite a bit.
That night, the inner castle of Tamworth, the royal palace of the Kingdom of Mercia.
In the stone chamber on the upper floor of the stone tower, there are the Viking King Magnute and Prince Biyoni of the Kingdom of York, King Aynred of Northumbria, Rurik, Duke of Ross, and the newly canonized Pekset.
The Duke, made solemn deliberations on the ownership of Tamworth and the ownership of the captured Mercian people.
The so-called negotiation basically went too long.
Aynred got the entire city of Tamworth, a city that had been sacked. As for the captured people, all the young women were taken away by the Vikings, and the remaining old and weak were left to Aynred.
Even so, the generosity of the Vikings exceeded his imagination. Even if Tamworth became an empty city and they planted the flag of Northumbria to declare their sovereignty, Mercia would have to admit it. Because, this is
punishment for them.
He actually wanted to move the temporary capital of Northumbria from Roydis to Tamworth, so that he could regain the territory that was taken away by the Vikings and gain new territory from the Kingdom of Mercia.
, and when the nobles of Chester swear allegiance to themselves, the territory of Northumbria controlled by their family has hardly shrunk!
Due to practical reasons, Eynred did not dare to take political risks. Northumbria's real national power was already in jeopardy, and he had almost no capital to take risks.
Especially since Wiglaf is not dead yet, even if he is killed, the other nobles of Mercia can still elect a new king, and Mercia has suffered such a defeat, why doesn't King Wessex march north? Wessex
The last time the Si people made a large-scale march northward to force them to surrender was only five years ago.
Northumbria must now surrender to the Vikings, especially the Kingdom of York established by the Vikings on their homeland, and declare to accept its protection, so that it can continue to have a stable kingship.
Humiliation is real humiliation. Eynred has lived a long time, and now he has suffered enough from the consequences of his own ambition. Compared with the King of Mercia who died as the crown prince, he himself has great hope. Ella, Northen
The only heir to the throne of Bria, perhaps this generation will succeed and the kingdom can be revitalized.
Eynred simply respected Magnute as the "brother king". This title was actually a false one. In fact, it was based on the Viking custom of calling Magnute his eldest brother. Eynred really had no idea about this title.
Psychological grudge, because Magnute is really old.
He also immediately recognized the Kingdom of York's control over the Lindsay region, and both Magnut and Rurik also recognized Northumbria's control over the Pexeter region.
What kind of concept is this? After the re-drawing of borders between the two sides, the Viking Kingdom of York occupied the east coast of the central region of the British island, and the Kingdom of Northumbria occupied the west coast of the central region. The two sides basically had a clear boundary line.
It is the boundary between the Ouse River and the Trent River (including the upper reaches of the Tam River). The west of the river is the Kingdom of Northumbria, and the east of the river is the Viking Kingdom of York.
The current territorial scope of the Viking Kingdom of York is basically close to the early scope of the "Danish Law District" in another dimension. Of course, the reason why the Danfa District is like this is not a random demarcation. It relies on the mouth of the Ouse River.
That excellent bay spreads out in all directions. This unique harbor was simply a natural harbor for Viking immigrants from all walks of life to land.
By now, Magnute solemnly announced that the territory of his Kingdom of York, established by the Balmoks, had been determined, and what followed was a large-scale immigration wave.
What else can Eynred say, except that he wishes "Big Brother King" Magnute a good life.
Of course, this year's war will not end easily. The two sides are discussing the carving up of Mercia's territory on the land of Mercia. The orthodox King of Mercia has wandered to nowhere, and he is recruiting troops if he can't save everything!
Do the Vikings still want to help Northumbria fight the Mercians?
Magnut really despised the armless king, and Rurik only regarded Eynred as a tool that could be used.
In fact, the two sides do not seem to have a real alliance. It is just that the Viking Kingdom of York unilaterally promised not to invade Northumbria based on the "Mutual Non-Aggression Pact". As for the war between Northumbria and Mercia, the two sides did not
Have you been fighting for hundreds of years? Then continue fighting, what does it have to do with others?
Rurik remained silent, but Magnute said something carelessly: "If you are beaten to the point of subjugation, and you crawl in front of me and ask for my help, I would be willing to give you some help."