As the distance continued to get closer, Rostislav also saw clearly who was coming. It was the Anglo-Saxon nobleman from Hungary, Edward Wessex.
The prince was quite surprised by his arrival. Edward's visits to the prince's court were very regular. In the past five years, this person had never violated this rule, but now he broke this rule.
Now the nobleman is wearing a cloak, the saddle is bulging, and there are even weapons. He looks like he is going to travel far, and the horses behind him are also dressed in the same way.
The prince also recognized this group of people. They were all Hungarian nobles who had settled in Rus under Edward's command.
His expression was also quite serious, which was quite rare for this nobleman who was always laughing and joking. This also made Rostislav become serious. When his uncle became serious, it probably meant that something big had happened.
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"Edward, what's the matter with your appearance?"
Rostislav asked Edward about his origins and what was his purpose of traveling far away?
"Prince, let's find a place to chat. I have something very important to tell you."
Edward glanced around, and then he saw a tavern not far away, and made an invitation to Rostislav, and the Prince of Moscow readily accepted it. Edward obviously wanted to tell him something.
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The dining room of the tavern they chose was well ventilated and well laid out, with a row of large wooden barrels standing on one side and a stove burning with flames to drive away the cold.
On weekdays, the waiters in the tavern are running around the hall carrying food, the boss is pouring beer on the counter, and brown wine glasses are stacked neatly on the counter.
This tavern is called Anlun Tavern, and Anlun is the name of the owner. Since it is opposite St. Sophia Cathedral in Moscow, the business of this tavern has always been very good. There is never a shortage of guests for dining and lodging on weekdays, and the owner also makes a lot of money.
The bowl is full.
An Lun was just an ordinary person when he came here, but now he has become a tavern owner and installed glass in his tavern. He is very satisfied with his current life.
Whenever he sees the dining room full of people and the guest rooms full of guests, the boss is very excited, because it represents liquid gold and silver. He is now planning to upgrade the infrastructure of the tavern to attract more customers.
More and more noble customers, make a lot of money.
But this is all a scene from the past. Today, the prince's soldiers broke in and drove away all the guests, and then threw a bag filled with hryvnia to the boss. Then the trembling tavern owner and the guys found that the prince of Moscow was bringing a group of people.
The ticket noble walked in.
And through the glass, the boss saw that the prince's soldiers were already standing outside the door.
The tavern owner immediately gave these noble people the best food in their shop, fearing that they would be angry if they had any dissatisfaction.
He brought out the best Bulgar wine, the best white bread, roasted lamb with spices, and finally served pastries he customized from the pastry shop.
Originally, he planned to enjoy these for himself, but now he can only give them to the big shots, but the big shots are not in the mood for these foods now.
Rostislav and Edward sat at a table alone, and as the conversation between the two deepened, Rostislav's expression became more serious.
“Is the situation in Hungary really that serious?”
"That's it. The civil war has begun. I must go to the aid of King Andrew. This is my responsibility as a relative and benefactor."
In Edward's words, Rostislav learned the cause of all this, and Edward received a letter from King Andrew asking for help.
The situation in the country of the Magyars has been changing over the years. King Andrew has become increasingly unwell since he suffered a stroke a few years ago. The Magyars have been whispering for a long time about the ownership of the throne.
King Andrew's younger brother Bella has been uneasy for a long time, and now he is even more ready to move. This Arpad nobleman's ambition for the throne has never dissipated.
King Andrew had already crowned his son Solomon. To this end, he did not hesitate to surrender to the empire that had been encroaching on Hungary, became a vassal of the little emperor, and even obtained a marriage contract for his son from an imperial daughter.
After solving the external problem, the next step is to solve the internal problem, and the biggest obstacle to Solomon's succession is the king's younger brother Bela.
King Andrew invited Duke Bella to the banquet, intending to test whether he had the will to usurp the throne. If necessary, he would use tricks like five hundred swords and axes to catch this restless brother and put him under house arrest. However, Duke Bella was warned by his friends.
Sensing something was wrong, he decisively chose to run away.
As soon as he escaped, he fled to Poland. He once helped the Piast family suppress the Polish uprising and married the daughter of King Kazimierz.
But now the king of Poland is no longer Kazimierz, but Boleslaw, a young militant. Rostislav has heard about the reputation of this Polish king who has just succeeded to the throne, and his ambition is the best portrayal of him.
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Faced with such an opportunity to perform on the political stage, the Polish king did not miss it. He sent thousands of Polish knights to Bela's command.
Now that Bella has led this army into Hungary, the Magyar nobles have become more and more shaken, and people continue to come to seek refuge with the Arpad nobleman, abandoning the monarch on the throne.
The reason is very simple. Andrew's surrender to the empire in order to ensure his son's throne made the Magyar nobles very dissatisfied.
They have never forgotten the empire's interventions and wars, as well as the countless crimes committed on their territory.
On the one hand, Andrew mobilized the royal army, and on the other hand, he approached the border between Hungary and the empire. The imperial army had already been dispatched to support the emperor's new vassals.
Both sides were now at war with each other, summoning all the forces they could muster, and Edward was naturally summoned.
Regardless of whether it was due to kindness or blood, he had to agree, so he summoned all the forces in the territory and gathered 500 people to prepare to go to Hungary.
From those words, Rostislav understood what a big deal this was. This could be said to be the largest international conflict in the past few decades. Hungary, the Empire, and Poland were all involved, and his intuition told Rostislav that his uncle
They will not be absent either.
"I understand, Edward, you can bring the army recently trained in Moscow. His Majesty Andrew is also my uncle, and I can also contribute."
Rostislav's words were sincere. Andrew was also married to his grandfather's daughter and was also his elder. It was only natural to provide help.
"Thank you very much, Your Majesty."
Edward was surprised by the help, and then he was grateful. He didn't have to participate in this matter, but he sent his own strength.