May 18, 865 A.D.

Viking invaders in Kent brutally killed dozens of people in a fire that destroyed wheat fields.

When they first stormed Canterbury Cathedral, they were in full swing!

They thought that since the sheep were so weak this time, they should kill a few more.

"Hestein" was even ready to include the kingdom of "Kent" in the Viking jurisprudence.

He told Björn, "We have repeated expeditions, and one day the English will be united, and it is better to take advantage of the fact that the kingdoms are now numerous, and gradually break down."

Through the myth of 'King Ragnar', the 'North Sea Empire' was expanded. ”

This idea persuaded Björn to pull back the advancing front, hold still, and send letters to Denmark and Sweden, inviting the leaders to come and "eat" Britain.

The sea distance is long, and with the time of gathering, it is difficult to reach it in a month or two.

But Hasstein and Bjorn looked down on this group of English elders from the bottom of their hearts.

How can a wolf be afraid of a sheep counterattack, even if there are many sheep?

In the past two months, you just haven't moved, and you still dare to call?

But this time, the two were beaten by a woman.

The first to issue a royal crusade was not the two great powers of the Seven Kingdoms, "Mercia" and "Wessex", but "East Anglia" from northern Kent.

The first arrow was shot by Queen "Edmund"!

As a very devout Catholic, when she heard what had happened to Canterbury, she chose an open ground in the royal castle to erect a monument to the "earl" who died in battle and the "archbishop" who went into the fire.

At this time, large numbers of Kents fled, preferring to die on the side of the road rather than accept the brutal Viking rule.

Large wheat fields were barren at a speed visible to the naked eye, and many manor owners took the initiative to set fire to destroy their fields and then defect to other countries.

The northern escape route from Kent to East Anglia can be seen along the way, starving to death or suffering from injuries and diseases, and then dying of the old and weak.

When the queen heard this, she burst into tears.

And when he heard that the "King of Essex" of the neighboring country had prepared a large amount of protection money and was going to send someone to Björn, he rebuked the king to his close ministers.

Later, at the urgently convened "Council of the Sages" of the kingdom, she was furious when she listened to the proposal of her nobles and hoped to follow the example of her neighbors and prepare the "protection money" and wait for the enemy to come and take it at any time!

The strongest "Wessex" did not dare to openly show solidarity, and the second strongest "Mercia" pretended to be deaf and dumb,

At this time, she is more kind than these male kings!

Queen Edmund wrote "Fourteen Sentences" on the spot

This became the origin of the "sonnet" that would later become popular in Britain.

The denunciation letter of the "Left Face Queen" soon spread throughout the Seven Kingdoms.

……

"If the northerners don't come, they will be ridiculed and ridiculed,"

"The northerners come ashore and retreat and tremble,"

"The northerners forcibly seized it, and the letter destroyed the city,"

"The northerners are gone, and the gifts are sent,"

"The northerners will come again, and they will abandon their land,"

"The northerners go again, secretly scolding and insulting,"

"A hundred years of forbearance, humiliation is here!"

The never-ending invasion made more and more nobles understand that the only way to confront the Vikings (northerners) is to conquer or be conquered by them.

The tragedy of Canterbury is just around the corner.

In June, the king of Essex saw the letter and canceled the idea of paying the ransom.

Mercia and Wessex also began to mobilize, and the war was imminent!

……

May 25, 865 A.D.

When the convoy of the King of Kent's female rolls was about to enter the border of Wessex, a young prince led his men and waited for two days.

The prince had excellent countenance, slender fingers, and fair skin.

If you shave your hair and put on your religious robes, you will look like an elegant monk or priest.

But a pair of black eyebrows like a sword, like the unfathomable blue eyes of the sea, extremely show the nobility and will on the body.

The person who came was none other than Crown Prince Alfred.

Behind him were a group of knights, all dressed in heavy armor and riding black horses.

This is the knightly escort that Alfred has just formed.

As the crown prince, he has as many enemies as the leaves on a tree.

There is no trace of it, but once the wind blows, the leaves fly away, and there is danger at any time.

This knightly guard is a force that is also used to protect itself.

Words can educate people's hearts, but there are always some people who can't communicate, so they have to be sent away from this world.

Scouts in front of the road to monitor the road appear back and forth, telling the convoy of its location at any time.

Behind the prince, several knights of close courtiers surrounded Alfred and exchanged ears.

When Alfred heard the car of the royal family of Kent, it was five miles away.

He led people over as soon as possible.

In less than a moment, I finally saw the guests.

When the royal car stopped, Alfred also kicked the silver spurs lightly, slowing down and stepping forward.

Then he dismounted, looked at the refugees, none of them was left behind, and approached and took their hands.

Stay on each one for no more than five seconds and pat them on the shoulder.

But such a simple demeanor also warmed them.

This is the honorable Prince Alfred!

When he came to the main horse's carriage, Alfred saw the daughter of the King of Kent and his wife.

"Your Majesty, it's been hard all the way."

With that, Alfred officially took over the safety of the car and led the group to the nearest town.

The nobles who were loyal to them had prepared clean clothes, hot scones and milk for the people of Kent.

In just one night, Alfred became a trustworthy highness in the hearts of hundreds of refugees.

After that, these people will spread the word about his fame.

Alfred understood that fame was a great asset.

This has led countless talents, looking up to his benevolent reputation, to come to themselves from all over Britain.

Wait until the people of Kent are settled.

Alfred and four of his cronies were in a wooden darkroom discussing what to do next.

And this is not how to fight the meeting of the Vikings, but ...... Coup!

The coup initiator was Alfred's intelligence assistant,

A nobleman from the Yomberia Peninsula "Sting? Cook".

Two years ago, Alfred didn't have that position around him.

One day, however, he discovered two Assassins, apparently sent by his king's brother.

At that moment, cracks began to appear in the picture of brother and brother Gong.

……

"Your Highness, we should take advantage of this opportunity not to send all the members of the Kent royal family to Your Majesty first, so as to delay the time to go back,

Also contact the surrounding lords.

The 'Council of the Wise Men' is two months away.

The last time His Majesty gave the position of 'Roman Consul' to his son,

This time, we don't know what will happen, we have to go on the offensive first, and we can't be so passive anymore. ”

Sting persuaded the crown prince to do it.

He is very low-key, although as a close knight of the crown prince's side, he rarely appears in public.

When he followed the crown prince to meet the king half a year ago, there was no one around, and he was stopped by the unfamiliar guards as suspicious, and he made a big fool.

Since then, he has been nicknamed "The Nameless Sting" by other royal knights.

But in fact, the crown prince is the most ambitious by his side.

The two were the same age, he was Alfred's five years old, and when he went to Rome to study art, he was a friend in the same monastery, and for four years, the two lived in the same room, discussing the classics and swordsmanship, as well as the way of governing the country.

Alfred later returned to England and Sting remained in Rome.

At the age of nineteen (858 A.D.), the "Nicott I" came to power in a victorious battle, the opposition was expelled from Rome, and the cardinal supported by Stine was defeated and expelled in the same month.

He then returned to the kingdom of "Asturias" on the Inberian Peninsula.

As the son of the "Duke of Galicia", he also made a marriage contract with a noble lady from the Franks.

His life was supposed to be bright and open.

But a year later, his father was accused by the king of colluding with the "Southern Moors"!

The family domain was reclaimed, and the members were killed or expelled by the king.

From the son of the duke, reduced to a beggar.

Escaping after three years of captivity, Sting struggled to embark on a foreign ship, first to Ireland and then to the south to join Alfred.

Relying on sharp reactions, excellent knightly martial arts, and old acquaintances with the crown prince, he finally got the position of a close minister.

Sting wants revenge, and the support of a crown prince is very different from the support of a king.

So he encouraged Alfred to his ambitions all the time, and told him,

"The crown prince who does not control power will one day not even have the right to die in the cemetery."

The firelight in the room reflected the desire for revenge on Sting's face, and there was nowhere to hide.

Then Alfred looked at the second cronie.

The cronie's words were similar to those of Nameless Sting.

Both refer to the "Roman consuls".

It is an honorary title in the Kingdom of Wessex.

When he was five years old, his father took Alfred to Rome and invited the then Pontifical "Leo IV" to confer the title on this brilliant young son.

But then his father died, and Alfred, as the youngest son, became the biggest weaker because of this.

The elder brothers do not have the patience and love of the father for the younger son.

The three brothers fought back and forth, and even almost caused a civil war, which split the kingdom into several parts.

He killed two of his three brothers, and at the age of twenty he led his army to defeat the Welsh and Mercians.

to become the youngest Hand of the King.

Originally, Alfred thought that in a few years, he would inherit his brother's legacy and continue to fight against the Vikings.

But my brother, who has always been troubled by health, went on a trip to Ireland two years ago (his wife also went with him) and finally brought back a princess who was three months pregnant.

Since many nobles did not see the princess pregnant in the territory, for a while, everyone was divided.

And when this princess from "Frank" gave birth to a healthy and white prince.

King "Æthelred" was overjoyed and not only performed sacrifices, but also granted amnesty to criminals.

He even sent someone to Rome to ask Nico I to bless his children.

A year earlier, Nico I had been asked by King Æthelred to issue an apostolic decree in Rome, canonizing his own son as "Consul of Rome".

That year, Alfred was under unprecedented suspicion, and the estate was stripped of a quarter.

His private soldiers were also ordered to be reduced, and even on several occasions, the king did not pass through his hand, but ordered by other governors.

All this, anyone with a discerning eye can see, is the king who is not in good health, paving the way in advance for the two-year-old prince and the beautiful princess.

Eradicate the brothers and achieve the royal industry?

The crown prince, who has studied the classics since childhood, does not dare to think in this regard, but assassination, slander, and rumors are all invisible pressures.

This time, Alfred proposed that he came to receive the Kent royal family, originally to share the confidential government affairs that are becoming more and more difficult to touch.

But I didn't expect that my brother had inquired openly and secretly many times, what did he want?

After making sure that there was no problem, he let himself out, and sent a scout team to follow him halfway, all of which Alfred knew well.

The words of the third cronie are still the same as the first two.

They gathered around the crown prince, firstly to admire the crown prince's reputation and quality, and secondly, to hope that one day, when the sick king died, the crown prince would become the real power of the kingdom after ascending the throne.

It has been several years since he stood in line, and it is difficult to get any benefits from the little prince if he changes his position, so it is better to encourage the crown prince to fight.

One person, two people, three people, countless people!

They all told themselves that the next king of Wessex was none other than themselves.

You can fight against the Vikings and other kings.

Alfred's kind and bright heart gradually became covered with an invisible layer of dust.

In the middle of the fourth cronie's speech, Alfred suddenly signaled silence, and continued, "If the king leaves the world, I will rule the country as the hand of the king, and I will teach him to stay away from rumors and be diligent and just." ”

Power is a monster that can stir people's hearts, and several cronies have spoken it before, and now the crown prince's dogmatic response can no longer suppress their impatient hearts.

"Your Highness, haven't you ever thought that the prince is not the king's blood!"

Among his cronies, one of the "barons" who had followed Alfred the longest could no longer hold back.

He ignored Alfred's gesture to shut himself up and spoke freely,

"Your Majesty is not in good health, the two princesses have not given birth to any children, and the third married a noble daughter in the Normandy region of northern Franconia, but haven't you heard rumors that she has an ulterior relationship with the knights around her,

She was married at the age of fourteen, and she was unable to have children for six years, why did she go to Ireland with Her Majesty two years ago, and on the way back, she ran out of pregnancy?

I swear by honor and my life, this is definitely a wild species!

The first king (your father), who regarded you as the future of the kingdom,

Your Highness, you must not allow this inheritance to be stolen by the Gentiles!"

"Bold assumptions, no intention of verification", the cronies continue to "know the righteousness" of Alfred.

Finally, Alfred let out a long sigh.

I didn't agree, and I didn't explicitly refuse, but that's enough, and the cronies automatically figured out the answer they wanted.

Alfred knew that the group would next contact the other lords and bishops of the kingdom, gather all the evidence against the princess and the little prince, and enlist the support of the local powers.

The sudden invasion of the Vikings also brought benefits to Alfred in disguise.

"King Kent" was in the prime of life, but he was scared to death by the Vikings, and the land was shattered.

If the mighty Wessex gives a crown to a child who can't quit milk at a few years old, how much will it attract Vikings?

How terrible would it be?

Sting sensed that the time was ripe, and said again,

"Your Highness, all this is not for selfish desires, but for the sake of the kingdom! Because God has chosen you, the 'true king' must have the courage to take on everything and lead everyone. ”

Alfred didn't want to listen anymore and motioned for the next topic.

Half an hour later, everyone talked about the news about Northumbria.

Because the church of Oran is a sword game, and it has also spread to Wessex.

At this time, the baron's cronies, who had spoken freely just now, said angrily, "This man has kidnapped my son and demanded ransom, which is not at all like a lord, and is no different from the behavior of a Viking robber." ”

The name of this confidant was "Frisedine", the Baron of the Kingdom.

The son is none other than the knight "Ban Essaydine" who had been imprisoned by Orlan a few months earlier for sleeping with the "fisherwoman" of County Durham.

After receiving the ransom, Baron Frey despised Oran, who was only a baron at the time, and replied with a threatening letter, saying that if he did not let him go, he would ask the crown prince to send the kingdom iron cavalry to level the White Eagle Territory!

When Oran received the letter, he destroyed it and dragged the knight down to work as a coolie, never to send a second letter.

And with the rapid growth of Oran's power, Baron Free clearly understood that it would be difficult to get his son back without asking the crown prince for help.

In fact, Baron Fret can pay the ransom, but since this son is not the heir, although he is worried, but he feels the wealth, so he drags it on.

When he heard the crown prince mention the White Eagle Collar, he told the public about it.

and portrays Oran as a despicable lord who kidnaps Gentiles and robs them of wealth.

"Free, wealth can solve all the trivial things, and I will pay this ransom."

"You're going to pay so much, that's too cheap for the robber!"

"The reputation accumulated in the past can come in handy at this time." Alfred laughed.

Then he got a quill and wrote a long letter.

Alfred, who had a wide range of friends, listed the names of the surrounding lords of Oran, including the Vikings, and even some nobles that Orlan had heard of but had never seen in the kingdom of Northumbria.

These names are just to tell Oran one thing,

If the White Eagle Lord can give himself face, he will become one of his friends, and he will also become a friend of these people.

Friendship is hard to estimate, and I hope Orlan will make a decision that will not disappoint.

Alfred was full of confidence, and he did not lack the pride and confidence of the king.

Originally, this letter was sent out, and according to his reputation, maybe he could exchange people back.

But Baron Fried accepted the letter, and after reading it, he thought it was too weak, and asked people to continue a few paragraphs, "as much as possible to intimidate".

As a close confidant of the crown prince, relying on this reputation to make a profit, several cronies have done this kind of thing, and they generally rarely miss, and gradually cultivated their arrogance.

When the letter, forty days later, was successfully delivered to Oran, he was in the Great Hall Council.

Listening to the letter, Oran's eyebrows and eyes changed from solemn to disdainful, and the people in the hall changed from fear to anger.

A crown prince who has not yet come to power, the "Roman consul" has been taken away by his young nephew, and perhaps one day will be ousted from his throne, across several countries, in letters, humiliating himself in every way!

Above the hall, Oran asked Nanamp to hold a quill and tell it by himself.

"Your Highness Alfred, Hand of the King of Wessex, these Kingdom friends you mentioned, one-third were subjugated by Bemble, one-third feared Bemble, and the remaining one-third is not worth mentioning, if you want someone, take thirty times the ransom to see you!"

This time Oran opened a letter of reply to a ransom for two years of tax revenue, a wealthy county.

Then another warrant was issued to double the daily chores of the young knight, who had been reduced to coolies, until he died of exhaustion.

Who makes Ben Bo unhappy, Ben Bo makes him unhappy for the rest of his life!