"Ha, Ivar, I think you want to lick the Yaroslavichs' boots. Did your years in Kiev make you forget who you are? Why did you say such weak words?
?”
Constantine, who was sitting opposite him, mocked him. This nobleman was very strong, and his brown linen coat completely highlighted his strength.
Coupled with his rough face, he looks more like an ancient tribal lord, and his ancestors are indeed local Slavic tribal lords.
When the Norse invaded this land, his ancestors continued to resist the Norse invasion, and finally won the superior conditions from Polotsk. The Norse used their daughters instead of swords to make the family submit.
This formidable lord not only escaped unharmed on that day of blood and fire, but also brought out a large number of living forces.
Now the Slavic nobles headed by Constantine are more reused by the Prince of Polotsk, because the Prince of Polotsk still remembers that it was the sudden collapse of the North vassals that led to the total defeat on the battlefield, and now it is clear that
The number of Slavic vassals in Sk is significantly higher.
But Constantine didn't care about it at all. Who would care about the status of the captain of a ship that was about to sink? Moreover, the princes had always ignored their Slavic vassals, which made them somewhat dissatisfied.
However, they were still very loyal to the prince, and these nobles also gained a lot of benefits from the system of the Principality of Polotsk.
And Vseslav felt that this was really ironic. After all, the North vassals whom he always relied on and gave a lot of resources were not as loyal as the Slavic vassals.
"Lord Constantine, you don't need to mock me like this."
Ivar picked up the wine glass on the table. At this time, another boulder hit nearby. The huge movement made the lord lose his grip on the wine glass. The wine glass fell on the table, and the scarlet liquid in it slowly flowed on the oak wood.
Diffusion on the table.
"Really... look at me like this. Anyway, in your opinion, I'm just a waste, and now I've become a waste that can't even hold a drink."
Ivar smiled, then picked up the fallen wine glass and drank the remaining scarlet liquid in it.
"Stain."
Constantine, who looked like a tough guy, turned his head and spat, as if he wanted to spit out something disgusting.
Seeing this scene, the lords began to discuss again, but unlike the loud argument just now, they only discussed in a low voice, but anyone could see with the naked eye that the lords' momentum was getting lower and lower.
In contrast, the sound of stone bullets hitting the city became louder and louder... Prince Polotsk, who was in charge, kept shaking his head - are we finished?
My big gamble failed in the end, and the efforts of three generations failed in the end. How should he go to see his father and ancestors?
Vseslav thought like this. In his heart, he had accepted the defeat.
Just when the atmosphere in the hall was getting lower and lower, a warrior stood upright from the crowd. He was tall and full of heroic temperament. The warrior was wearing a yellow military uniform, and his heroic appearance was unforgettable.
.
Many people were amazed by his temperament and asked which young man he belonged to. Those lords who recognized his identity secretly introduced his origins to the people next to him.
"My lords, I am Vasily, the son of Ivan of Minsk. My father died for the prince and led the Minsk militia to fight for the prince. Since I became an adult, my father has always warned me not to be afraid of the enemy.
You must not lose courage in battle, and he also practiced this on the battlefield, even taking three enemies with him when he left. But now you have either lost your courage under Yaroslavich's sword, or you have lost your courage in your mind.
It's full of intrigues. Do you ever remember why we started the war?"
Vasily said these words in one breath, then paused, and then said: "We took up arms, not for land or money, but for our freedom! For our benefit, everyone forgets that the tax collectors in Kiev are
How did they exploit us? Remember how Novgorod came over us?"
"In the past, our ancestors went through countless hardships here and defeated countless Bolots before they gained the power they have today. Lord Vseslav launched this war for the freedom and glory of Polotsk.
, the city of Minsk was built for this war. We can defend it until death under this solid city wall! And Yaroslavichs cannot stay here for that long. Everyone, as long as you persist, victory will definitely belong to you.
us."
As soon as the warrior's speech ended, all the lords cheered. The incited emotions made them forget all their resentments and dissatisfaction, the pain of the war, and the all-Russian army so close at hand. Only one person
This bloodthirsty fanaticism is constantly contagious.
The prince was very satisfied with the effect of Vasily's words. Now it seemed that no enemy was strong enough to resist the hurricane that was about to sweep out of this hall. Unfortunately, deep down in his heart, the prince knew the balance of power very well.
But doing nothing at this time is not an option. That would be damaging the already low morale.
Prince Polotsk took off his gorgeous shawl and put it on Vasily's body.
"My child, what you said is very good. I have heard of your father's reputation. He is a brave warrior. Now, are you willing to draw your sword and kill the enemy for me?"
"As you wish, Your Majesty."
Vasily knelt down in front of Vseslav, and there was another round of cheers.
But some people were different. The older Polotsk lords in the hall turned their heads and showed disapproval, including Constantine, who had previously mocked Ivar. This gentleman just drank in silence.
Ivar is even more focused on what is in the cup. He has long stopped chasing glory. Only the younger generation are still immersed in the fantasy of glory.
Even Vseslav's face became cold after doing all this. The reason is simple. Prince Polotsk knew that no matter how generous the speech here was, it could not replace the number of boots on the ground.
Then the prince dismissed the meeting, knowing that it was best to end it at this time, leaving only two people, one was Ivar, and the other was Constantine.
There are some things that the conference is just for everyone to see, but the real key decisions still have to be made at the small meeting, and now it is the small meeting. These two important nobles in Minsk are the participants of the small meeting.
"I have already decided. Ijaslav actually made a condition, but I didn't show it to you. Now you can take a look."
The wizarding prince said lowly, and then he took out a letter and handed it to the two of them. Ivar and Constantine both looked at it, and then they looked embarrassed at first, but they still nodded to the prince.
"In that case, let's surrender. Izyaslav is so generous that he actually promised not to touch our territory."
Ivar said in a tone that was about to survive a disaster. He did not expect that Ijaslav would have such generous conditions.
"Prince, could this be a trap?"
Constantine raised a question, whether this was a trap, but everyone fell silent as soon as he said this.
Finally, Vseslav spoke, "Whether it is or not, we have only this choice. Our current people can't even stand on the Minsk city wall, so it would be better to surrender early, so as to avoid what happens after the city is breached..."
The other two people also remained silent. They all understood what the prince meant. They had only this choice and no other choice. Even if the Yaroslavichs broke their promise, there was nothing they could do.
After all, resistance means absolute death, but surrendering can still lead to survival. Although there is a high probability of being captured, you can always pay back if you live.
At this small meeting, the future of Polotsk was decided, and except for the three people here, no one saw it all. Maybe only God or the pagan gods knew everything about it.
But Constantine mentioned one thing next, "What should we do with that impassioned young man?"
There was another moment of silence, because everyone had already made a decision in their hearts, and no one was willing to speak out about this decision.