Chapter 390 The heat of the north

Chapter 390 The heat of the north

Novgorod, the northernmost principality of Rus'. Due to its proximity to the Baltic Sea, it became the richest region through the timber and salt trade. Also because of frequent trade, the Hanseatic League passed on to him some political influence.

The highest organ of Novgorod is the Citizens' Assembly, and all resolutions need to be passed here to have legal effect. Although it has been occupied by Moscow, the consuls sent have to rely on the Assembly to gain support. Otherwise it would be a riot.

After Grand Duke Vasily returned to Moscow, he immediately ordered Michael to be the consul of Novgorod. He has supreme power, which is the trust given to him by Vasily, hoping that he can surrender this place.

Mihai brought more things than Vlad this time, nearly 10,000 soldiers, 100,000 lei, as well as books and other things. The Patriarch of Moscow also asked the Bishop of Novgorod to help him get familiar with the local area, but when he actually arrived here, Mihai felt that the development was not as good as Donetsk.

Moreover, the local people are very hostile to outsiders. Because they have not suffered damage from the Mongolian army, they claim to be the most orthodox successors to Russia and push back. The local lord also wanted to drive them back, so he closed the door tightly and couldn't even let him in.

"Please wait a moment, sir. We will only open the door with the approval of the town hall meeting."

The heavy door was closed, keeping Michael and his army out. Hearing this explanation, he laughed directly. There was nothing he could do about them at first, but the opportunity came like this.

"I have a certificate of appointment from the Grand Duke. In the name of the Novgorod Consul, I order you to open the door."

The guards pretended not to hear this situation. This time they heard that the Archduke had hired a consul from the south, so they were ready to give him a blow and let him know who was the master here.

How could Michael have ever suffered such injustice? As a prince of the Roman Empire, he should suffer such humiliation in a foreign country. It was unbearable.

"In that case, let's blast it away with artillery fire. They think that I will retreat. That's because they haven't met anyone like me."

On Mikhail's order, 35 artillery pieces opened fire on the walls of Novgorod. Dozens of cannonballs landed on the city wall with astonishing effect, and the destructive force caused the newly built city wall to be scrapped again. Some shells also ran into the city and caused some damage to the market buildings.

"What are these? How come he has so many?"

You must know that a few years ago, when the Grand Duke of Moscow captured this place, he only had ten artillery pieces, and the opponent also brought out many artillery pieces. If the bombing continues, the entire Novgorod will be razed to the ground.

Time was running out, so the defenders hurriedly asked the lords in the city to ask the consul to come in, otherwise they wouldn't be able to escape if the other party was too fierce.

Rich businessman Alexei Alexeevich is one of the most powerful people in Novgorod. His family has a history here for 150 years and has made a lot of money by engaging in timber trading. His great-grandfather has become an important member of the town hall since then and continues to this day.

He also agreed to give Mikhail a slap in the face. Since being annexed by Moscow, the taxes they have to pay have increased a lot. This made him feel distressed. It would be great if he could return to the state of the previous republic. It just so happened that the Grand Duke of Lithuania quietly sent someone to contact him. He promised to immediately recognize and provide protection as long as Novgorod became independent, and all prominent figures could enter the Parliament of Nobles. This convinced many people, and they secretly did not cooperate with the actions of the Moscow bureaucracy. As long as they declared independence, countless wealth and honors would come to them.

"Vasily would never have imagined that the officials he sent would be just a decoration without our help. Everything only needs our nod."

Another businessman said: "If the Grand Duke had agreed to reduce taxes, we wouldn't have taken this step. Why doesn't the Grand Duke want to listen to our opinions?"

These people tried every possible means to throw the blame to Vasily, just to let everyone know that they were the victims, so that there would be less ghosts in their hearts.

"Speaking of which, the new Moscow officials have already arrived. Is it appropriate for us to do this? I heard that they are from the south."

"It doesn't matter where he comes from. As long as he refuses to give in, the stalemate will continue like this. Anyway, if we can afford it, can he afford it?"

While everyone was laughing, a cannonball landed above their conference room, taking away two gentlemen on the spot, and the joyful atmosphere of everyone was wiped out.

"What's going on, guard?"

Alexei shouted to the door. The defenders moved quickly and immediately reported to everyone that the newly appointed officials were directly bombarding the city with artillery.

"What, how dare he do this? He was the second person to attack Novgorod."

The first was Alexander Nevsky, who went on a killing spree because of a conflict with the citizens' assembly, so the assembly added a rule to the town rules: Don't be like Alexander.

"Sir, there have been many casualties, but it seems that the other party has not stopped."

Everyone began to think about solutions. It was impossible to admit defeat directly, otherwise they would be at the mercy of others; it was also impossible to fight head-on, as their army's combat effectiveness was not worth mentioning. They are usually smart in doing business, but when it comes to other things, they are confused and don't know what to do. But soon, Mihai made a choice for them.

"My lord, they have breached the city gate and are now in the square."

After hearing the news, they couldn't think about anything else. Preserving their lives was the most important thing. Fortunately, their families were all in the manor in the suburbs, so they could just pack up their gold and silver and run away.

Mihai's army entered the city directly. Most of the people had surrendered, but a small number of people were still resisting. Mihai directly ordered the rebels to be killed on the spot. The place fell into a strange atmosphere.

Some people hid in the church, and some respectable people went directly to the merchant houses of the Hanseatic League to ask for asylum. Who knows what kind of policy the newcomers will have when they enter the city so violently? It would be better to run to Lithuania or nearby Livonia.

Mihai led the army to the consul's residence. Looking at the people who were respectful to him, he said in a disdainful tone: "It would have been better if we had done this earlier. I originally thought that the people in Novgorod were all aware of this." It's reasonable, but it seems like this now."

Michael took control of Novgorod. Although there was some violence in the process, most people were able to live normally. At the same time, he also asked people to go to the Civic Square to publish his first document, which was that the Grand Duke of Moscow officially appointed Mikhail as the consul of Novgorod, and then liquidated those members of the so-called parliament, Novgorod No need for this.