With her son standing next to her, perhaps Ella also felt that her mother was nothing more than 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 this woman's mind. He used this as something to show off, even though many people thought it was 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 is given to you by our army. You I can only accept it and have no right to refuse."
"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 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 know how to 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, does our army need 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."
"Huh? 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 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.”
What Rurik said is of course true. If it were not for the large-scale crossing of the sea by the Saxons, Angles and Jutes, the remaining Jutland Peninsula would not be 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 seek legitimacy for 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. fate."
"Okay! Now listen to our terms. We want all the land east of the River Ouse, the lands and towns around Bamburgh and Lindisfarne, and Edinburgh. All the people in this area will Become our slaves. 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 lands mentioned above, the fighting will not stop. They will not accept this humiliation."
"Then kill them. Wait, did you just mention 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 men, 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, and much of the northern territory you are asking for belongs to him. Even if I make a promise, he..."
"Then we have 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.
Eynred thought for a while and made some calculations in his mind about the gains and losses after making the trade-off. If this group of Vikings must do this, they also succeeded in destroying Osbot in the north, and then Strathclyde rebelled. 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 wanted to shrink to the west of the Ouse 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 Emmet established by the Britons, and the last Strathclyde swore surrender. Northumbria used its military power to move southward and ruled East Anglia and Mercia. The Kingdom of Kent also surrendered to the previous king. The prosperity of the past is gone, and the great kingdom is actually going to survive in a tiny place?
Eynred 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 bullied 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.
"It's hard for me to give you three million pounds of wheat a year. If I give you five thousand women, my kingdom will soon be depopulated! You took away the last young women in my territory, and soon the whole kingdom will be depleted." Farm uniforms for farming will no longer exist! Don’t you have hands and feet? You can only lift the sword to kill, but cannot lift the draft for hoeing?"
When he asked, Rurik also felt that his request was too much. Northumbria is not yet a country with a large population. If it cuts off a large territory, plunders a large amount of wheat from the remaining people, and then takes away a group of women, wouldn't this kingdom exist 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, by any means. 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!" Eynred 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 wanted most was wheat, so that he could bring his fleet to this area every year to buy it from the Balmoks in the colonial lands. Asking for three million pounds of wheat is really a huge amount. As long as Northumbria is willing to pay it, it means that this kingdom that will shrink in the future will lose its war potential.
They used all the remaining grain as tribute, how could they accumulate strength.
Eynred also noticed that this blond Rurik looked young, but how could he be as vicious as Satan? What the Vikings want is not a peace treaty, but 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. You will not do yourself any good by killing potential servants. I want to warn you, don't think that you can live peacefully in the newly owned 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. Hemming and hawing.
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. 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 upstream along 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. 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 determined that Rurik could not say anything. The brothers are all generous, they have new goals, and the army is 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 doesn't want to be a groveling minister, then he shouldn't be a minister. It's better to be a king of a small country and survive in this 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.
Let’s put aside the issue of faith for the time being, or in other words, the so-called issue of faith is not a problem at all. In the face of sudden destruction, for his family to have such a result is nothing less than the best choice in the worst situation. At least his family still retains the fire of Ella, which means 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, by squeezing the farmers in the remaining territories, using the Viking army to take advantage of the chaos in the war against Mercia, and kidnapped 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. He 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 he can't do anything about it.
Eynred gave his son a slap first, and then shouted sharply when he saw him crying: "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 drive away 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 text. Do these barbarians have writing? Wait. That kid can speak Latin, and maybe he can write documents in Latin. If so, wouldn't it...
The truth was 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, the Northumbrian dialect of Saxon written in the Latin alphabet, and written Latin. Written treaty text.
Rurik actually knew both written Latin and colloquial Latin, which was further 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 the people in their hometown. "Kingdom of York", this was the new name given by Magnute to the land where the immigrants lived. 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 results. 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 would personally tear up this treaty and devour Britain with a more powerful Viking army. As for the Viking Danes across the sea, they 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 with a quill.
Rurik signed in Latin, and his skillful gesture of holding the pen shocked Eynred. And the writing posture is so regular, it's almost as if he is better at writing than the scribe.
At least this boy is by no means a savage.
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 scribbling 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.
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 host 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. He himself no longer mattered. 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 by the river, and the granaries in York City have been emptied, and they have all been captured by Rurik. Aynred was really curious. All the news about the Vikings, they came to seize gold, silver and population. The so-called Balmoks of the Kingdom of York did this. Why were 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 were once stained with the blood of Northumbrians would eventually be stained with the blood of Mercians.
Wiglaf, King of Mercia, will pay a terrible price for his wrong-timed provocation, and may even end his country.
Subconsciously, the broken-arm Eynred hopes to bully his Viking army and attack Mercia. "Only Northumbria is harmed in the world". This is unreasonable! Thinking of this, he couldn't help but laugh, like a crazy fool...
