John woke up from his short sleep. He subconsciously dug around with his hands, and suddenly woke up when he touched something soft.
That's not a dream! But it's true!
John woke up and stared at the pitiful eyes cast by the woman next to him in the morning light.
He knew there was no turning back, but this was the road to personal glory, and only fools would try to turn back.
This mansion obviously belonged to the Earl of Bamburgh, and it became the palace of the King of Northumbria. Now, a low-level knight occupies it.
John decided to proclaim himself king, and the news spread throughout the army.
Some people are full of hope, some are just waiting and watching, and many people are very angry about this overstep.
There is even another kind of person here!
These people are indeed hateful. They don't hate John for usurping the king's power or blaspheming the queen. Their greatest hatred is simply you.
John liked to refer to him as a "usurper", but he didn't bother to think about it.
Those who hated John had to suppress their anger in their hearts. Even if they greet those who bow and flatter them at the door of the mansion, they must consider the imminent severe test.
Even if this John is a bastard, there is no one in the entire Bamburgh City who can unite the people and boost morale to fight against the barbarian invasion at sea.
Even if John's evil deeds are to be liquidated, it will have to wait until everyone wins the war.
Ask yourself, what do the bad things in the king’s family have to do with mortals? What good thing would it be to be a usurper or a usurper?
At least this John also took control of the situation neatly when he rode his horse to suppress the rioters who were robbing food.
A large number of neutral observers did not care whether their king was named Eynred or John. They knew that they had to live in the city until the barbarian war ended.
Most of the people in the city are neutrals, or the hardships of life have tempered them into docile sheep.
They didn’t know that the magnificent “Great Viking Age” had arrived, and in the years to come, it would be normal for them to move their families to defensive fortresses built by their lords, as is the case today.
Compared with the walls of family residences built by ordinary rural lords to guard against bandits and wild beasts, the walls of Bamburgh City are also made of wood, but they are larger and taller.
In this way, can we withstand the barbarian attack with the wall?
Lindisfarne Abbey is a stone wall! The ending is still fall.
Although she was not officially crowned, Queen Anna, who could legally serve as regent, faced the soldiers and civilians who rushed to the door of the mansion in the early morning. She firmly endured the pain and announced that John had become the new palace prime minister.
The immediate responsibility of Palace Minister John must be to protect the people of Bamburgh City and force the enemy to retreat.
As for what powers John can still gain after everything is over, Queen Anna remains silent.
The people noticed that the once proud queen had completely lost her temperament. People were whispering and slandering this woman's indiscretion. When someone whispered that when the war was over, the woman should go to a convent and become a nun to apologize. What's more, there are soldiers who have a grudge against John for usurping power. They naturally think that John, a weakling, has the ability to usurp power, so it must be the trick of the young queen.
After all, Bamburgh's city defense work began in the early morning.
John stood at the head of the wooden wall and ordered the people to collect stones and carry them to the wall. He also carried wooden blocks to the wall.
A large number of pottery urns were also collected, filled with soil, and used as heavy throwing objects to kill possible enemies climbing the wall.
After all, Bamburgh has a similar strategic position to Edinburgh. The two cities are essentially military fortresses, and it was on this basis that they developed into the administrative center of a region. There is a reserve of arrows, swords and spears in the city, and now John does not hesitate to recruit all men between ten and sixty years old, whether they are immature or old, they must all take up arms now.
Young children and old men don't have to actually fight with the enemy. John just hopes that when the crisis comes, they can use weapons to protect themselves.
As for the women and children in the city, they were all driven into some controlled residential areas. They are essentially guarded by soldiers to prevent them from getting in the way during the battle, or even becoming hopeless battle victims.
It has to be said that John has a certain degree of city defense wisdom, which has a lot to do with the Frank-style military knowledge he learned in the cavalry.
Some people began to doubt whether the sea barbarians really wanted to attack Bamburgh, and some people noticed the people emerging from the woods.
The remnants of the cavalry and a small number of infantry who entered the city were just the fastest escapees, and there were still a large number of soldiers fleeing behind them.
The tired soldiers returned to Bamburgh. They immediately received food and water, but they did not get much chance to rest before they were forced by John to take up arms again.
People fled from the woods throughout the morning, wandering over the bare farmland after the harvest, and eventually returned to the city.
John was supported by three hundred tired men, and it would take some time for them to regain their fighting strength. One good thing about these people coming back is that they dispelled the doubts of the weak-willed people in the city about whether the enemy would attack.
The Viking fleet is coming to Bamburgh, this is absolutely true!
During lunch, some soldiers stationed in the tower were horrified to see a piece of sail appearing in the bay not far away.
"The barbarians from the sea are coming!" the soldier shouted, ringing the warning bell as hard as he could.
The call of alarm was like thunder, and the cooked wheat in the bowl suddenly lost its aroma.
The soldiers scrambled to climb the tower, and John himself climbed to the top, looking at the approaching fleet with mixed emotions.
John consciously used all his strength to gather the small number of inherent defenders, collect the armed troops, and arm the boys and old men in the city. In this way, he pieced together a "big army" with a strength of up to 2,000.
Is such an army considered a large army? Among them, only three to four hundred people can really fight.
The situation in Bamburgh City is extremely complicated. This is a small town, and the people from all the surrounding villages have taken refuge in the city with only a small number of livestock.
The barbarians from the sea are coming, and the number of people taking refuge in the city has reached 4,000.
The enemy is already landing!
The city was in chaos, soldiers and conscripted men were trembling, women were crying and children were screaming, and people were waiting for the enemy's attack in fear and anxiety.
At least the people hiding in the city felt at ease because of the protection of the solid wooden walls. Their homes in the countryside would be plundered and killed by the pirates who landed, and only this city could save their lives.
They naturally believed that the defensive capabilities of wooden walls could save everyone's lives, but they did not know that the Vikings who landed brought ladders made when they conquered the stone walls of the monastery, and even the main parts for making siege engines were dismantled, packaged and transported.
Of course, Rurik came prepared. He did not intend to attack the city immediately after landing indiscriminately.
The fleet entered a small fjord, where the sea wind swirled and the waves became more violent.
Large ships like Avora also swayed violently with the waves, and the warriors who rowed the long boats had to be washed by the sea water frequently.
The captured Eynred has already seen the towers in Bamburgh. Is it really a safe place? Will the Vikings keep their word and as long as they pay the ransom, Bamburgh can avoid destruction?
But now he is more worried about the big ship being capsized by the waves.
Rurik looked fearless, holding on to the huge mast and looking down at the Broken Arm King: "Look at this sea area, it can be used as a small port. It seems that your people really don't know how to build ships. They really don't know how to build ships." Willing to fish.”
This is indeed the case. In addition to the ability to build a small boat, the Kingdom of Northumbria had long lost the technology to build larger ships.
"We are about to land! King of Northumbria!" Rurik patted the man's bearded face, "I am the Duke of Ross, and you are the defeated king. Being captured by me is not a disgrace to your honor. I will take you to land, and I will let you go back and continue to be king, provided that you keep your promise. Will you hand over the tribute?"
"I will." Eynred said without hesitation.
"I'm not afraid of you going back on your word." As he said that, Rurik faced the bow of the ship and turned his back to the king: "Is that Bamberg? It's just a wooden city. Remember, if you anger me, I will let you Witness the city’s fire among the corpses strewn on the ground.”
Eynred had nothing to say. He felt more and more that the boy in front of him was a little devil and would become a murderous tyrant in a few years.
In the Viking torrent, Northumbria was just a small player destined to be destroyed, occupied, and colonized. The huge kingdom would become a colony of various Vikings, and the population and language structure of the place would be permanently changed. .
Rurik didn't care about Eynred's attitude towards him, he was already organizing manpower to land.
The long boat rode directly on the big waves to hit the beach. The Avora parked offshore. Rurik and others escorted Eynred to board a long boat and landed on the beach of Bamburgh.
Sometimes, nearby villagers return to some rocky areas on the seaside to pick up mussels. As for fishing, they are more willing to paddle boats in the calm river.
After the Viking army assembled its troops with great momentum, Rurik only left a handful of people, a total of one hundred people who had been injured in the previous battle or were in poor health, to stay at the camp at the landing site.
The remaining 600 soldiers used ropes to pull the packaged parts of the captured horse-drawn flat carts and assembled them on the seaside. They carried the materials for the camp, and even the dismantled four torsion slingshots and all the bull trebuchets and headed straight for Bamburgh.
In this era, six hundred fully armed soldiers were a powerful military force in Western Europe.
In Frankland, only duke-level nobles could quickly come up with such a mobile force.
The army marched forward in preparation, swaggering through the wormwood grassland on the seaside and the small harvested wheat fields, perhaps walking less than two kilometers before arriving at Bamburgh.
The enemy is approaching the city! The huge force is shocking!
The hands of the Northumbrians on the city wall holding short spears were trembling. Even if they had more troops, they seemed to have more people. In fact, once the city was broken, they would all be lambs to be slaughtered.
Someone suggested to John, who was in charge of the defense and had just been publicly named the palace prime minister by the queen: "We should send people to find out the truth. We need to find out the enemy's attitude. If we can give them some money to let them leave, the brothers will not die." "
Originally, John, who was obsessed with war, was only thinking about how to defend himself. He slapped his forehead and thought that "taking money to eliminate disasters" was a good idea.
After all, people will only remember who forced the enemy to leave, whether it was defeating or spending money to eliminate the disaster, people only look at the results. By then, John Stockwood's royal power will surely be used by the public, so that he can legally possess Queen Anna and legally possess the royal power.
Who will be this messenger?
Of course whoever proposes it will implement it!
A soldier named Jacques took on the role of envoy, and it was he who put forward the opinions. In order to express Bamburgh's desire for peace, two young priests were forced to accompany Jacques.
John was willing to implement the plan to spend money to eliminate the disaster, but he didn't know the appetite of the barbarians.
The Earl of Bamburgh's property is currently equivalent to being taken over by John. He asked Jacques to bring a pound of silver as a meeting gift.
On the other hand, Rurik stood under Bamburgh Castle with his army.
Looking at the small wall, he naturally compared it with the stone walls of Borgholm Fortress and Lindisfarne Abbey.
The King of Broken Arms was hidden. Rurik turned his head and looked at Eynred who was sitting on the ground. He pointed at the wooden wall and said proudly: "This is Bamburgh? What kind of wall is this? Our siege charge The car can be quickly created and the city gate will be opened with just one impact."
Paul translated faithfully, and then Eynred made a bold request: "Take me to the city, and I will ask them to bring out all the money and food, as well as a group of young pure women. After you get these, leave quickly."
"Oh? You're going to drive me away now."
"this……"
Rurik shrugged, with an intriguing smile and shouted arrogantly: "I like your food, your silver coins, and your women. But, I like your land even more!"
"Ah! You...don't plan to leave?"
"It's a joke." Rurik smiled and touched Eynred's head, signaling the laughing brothers to set up camp immediately.
Is this a joke? Is it really a joke? How did Geiger of Washoeby ignore his father's teachings about opening up new territories? The heads of various families became interested in the land itself, and even the Bergen immigrants in Shetland were evaluating the development potential of this area.
Biyongni and Geiger, two unruly men, came over and pointed out that a fierce attack could easily break the city.
"Are you teaching me how to do things? I am your commander, and you should still obey my command until now."
Biyongni was a little displeased and pointed at the wooden wall and shouted: "My brother! Do you have to be cautious about this kind of wooden wall that is as fragile as a sheepfold?"
"I still want to resolve this matter peacefully. I threaten them and force them to give up their resistance and hand over their property."
"What do you want to do?" Geiger asked promptly.
"Just like we did on the coast near the monastery."
"Placing bonfires everywhere again?"
"Of course. It's not just that." Rurik said and pointed to the open space: "They can see all our troops clearly now, but not at night. We have to light a bonfire here and also at the landing site. Do as you are told. I will also send some brothers into the forest to guard against the enemy's surrender camps and to capture the fleeing enemies."
"I think this is unnecessary." Biyongni shook his head boredly.
"Brothers, just follow my decision. This is a strategy. When you Balmoks carry out expeditions in the future, you can use such intimidation tactics when facing strong enemies. It is because we are allies that I tell you this Plant Russian tactics."
Biyongni had nothing to say, so he added casually: "That's fine. Brothers, get some rest. Tomorrow we will regain our perfect spirit, and we will be full of strength even if we storm the city."
People began to follow Rurik's actions, and those who were ordered to enter the northern forest area for deployment soon had unexpected gains.
To be precise, it was the defeated troops who were still fleeing to Bamburgh. They wandered all the way and finally reached the city walls, where they were captured by the waiting barbarians.
But the Vikings did not kill them. In a short period of time, more than 30 prisoners were twisted to the Viking camp.
When these frightened warriors and armed peasants saw their king here, they were first shocked with bone marrow surprise, and then had mixed emotions.
It was already afternoon, and it was supposed to be a leisurely afternoon. The Russians had already set up a camp under the city that seemed to be loosely guarded, but actually concealed murderous intent.
There were Viking warriors keeping an eye on Bamburgh's movements, and bow-making warriors were also deployed in the woods to the north and south to keep an eye on them.
Finally, a gap opened in the wooden door of Bamburgh City Wall, and someone walked out carrying the Northumbrian flag.
Lying on a leather cushion and soaking up the afternoon sun, Rurik was immediately awakened.
"Master, there is a situation! It may be their envoy." Jevro said cautiously.
"Messenger?" Rurik immediately got up and complained: "I have been through a storm all morning, and now I want to take a rest, and now I have to talk to the enemy's envoy?"
"This...if you don't want to talk to him, I will take my brothers and kill him."
"No need. The messenger came just in time to let the captured Broken Arm King talk to them. We were already short of a messenger to carry the message, and now the problem is solved."
