Chapter 24: Unwelcoming Moscow (Part II)

Moscow played a pivotal role in the decline of Tver.

During the "Civil War," the Principality of Tver took the lead. However, Moscow directly reported their planned insurrection and its timing to the Khanate’s garrison. They further informed the authorities that the Tverians, fearing their own strength was insufficient, had summoned reinforcements. A Suzdal army was already on the march and happened to be passing through Moscow. Additionally, it was suspected that the Poles had joined this conspiracy.

At that time, the New Army of the Northern Camp was dispersed across various regions. The commander overseeing the three battalions in the Tver area was the famous general Toghto-Mahmut Nikus, who would later attain the rank of Grand Preceptor. The internal records of the Purple Tent regarding this battle are exceptionally detailed and remain a classic case study to this day.

Toghto believed the situation was critical. Recalling the entire army would take too long and would inevitably alert the enemy, leading to a chaotic melee.

The military organization of the Rus' was not yet fully developed, and their mobilization was slow. Although they had initiated their plans earlier, they were not yet fully prepared, which was why they had set the action date for two days later.

Moreover, all of this was conducted in secret. The nobles in charge were equally fearful of the Khan’s court. To avoid being discovered prematurely and wiped out by the main force of the Khanate, they dared not mobilize the soldiers openly, instead appearing frequently in public to avoid suspicion from the garrison.

The Rus' were unaware that the New Army had already received intelligence. Therefore, they had to seize the moment, "capture the king to defeat the bandits," and launch a surprise attack on the Rus' nobles.

Toghto planned to select fifty elites from the nearby troops for a decapitation strike. An accountant named Chen Feng insisted on joining, claiming he had been a vagabond in Dadu and possessed relevant experience. He argued that fifty men were too many for a raid, and a dozen would suffice. However, for the entire operation, fifty were too few, and the support of everyone in the camp would be required. Seeing his confidence, the others decided to follow his lead.

Chen Feng volunteered to scout the city, returning only at night. Everyone was anxious, asking if they should launch a night raid.

Chen Feng reported that when he entered the city, he noticed the nobles acting evasive and alert upon seeing him, and several individuals were nowhere to be seen. Though the soldiers were few, they were guarding key positions. On the watchtowers of the wooden walls, Rus' officers frequently gazed westward, and patrols were sent out, indicating the reinforcements were still on the way. It was not the right time to strike.

Under his insistence, they waited until the next day.

Early in the morning, Chen Feng went to scout the city again. By the afternoon, the men were restless and wanted to act on their own initiative. Toghto sternly ordered them to wait. Just then, Chen Feng returned, carrying a jar of wine.

He told them that many carriages were parked outside the Grand Prince’s residence, indicating the nobles were meeting. One carriage was noticeably muddier than the others, signifying an envoy from afar. At an intersection, he had encountered a nobleman whose arrogant gaze showed no attempt to hide his disdain, suggesting they felt prepared and no longer saw the need for secrecy.

West of the city, smoke from cooking fires could be seen in the distance; the Suzdal reinforcements had arrived. In the woods east of the city, birds and beasts were fleeing in panic, a sign that the local troops were gathering. The Rus' military was highly "traditional," requiring minor nobles to organize and lead them. This meant that the mid-to-low-level officers—those whose loyalty and combat effectiveness were most reliable—were actually outside the city, rallying the conscripted soldiers.

The guards in the city had become lax and were fewer in number; only well-dressed servants moved between the western gate and the residence, carrying slaughtered meat. He had even bought wine without anyone stopping him.

This was because the Rus' military structure was loose. Informing the common soldiers of the plan in advance would inevitably lead to leaks, so the rank-and-file remained ignorant. Even lower-level officers likely only knew something was afoot without knowing the details. With the reinforcements and envoys already present, the Northern Camp had yet to react, causing the informed confidant officers to relax their vigilance.

Chen Feng argued that the city was now tight on the outside but loose on the inside, and with the nobles gathered together, it was the perfect opportunity. If they waited until nightfall, the great nobles would finish their banquet and return to their respective units, ready for battle; night would actually be a disadvantageous time for an attack. The time to strike was now.

He had fifty men bring several carts filled with wine from the camp to the busy West Gate, claiming it was wine borrowed from the camp for the masters' banquet. The gate guards, knowing nothing, prepared to let them through, but an officer suddenly emerged with two guards and forbade their entry.

Chen Feng and his men caused a commotion, complaining that this would cause them trouble with their superiors. They understood the implication—the officer simply wanted a bribe. Chen Feng opened a barrel, offering everyone a drink to smooth things over.

The Rus' soldiers smelled the wine and crowded around. The officer tried to stop them, but the men, thinking the master was being difficult again, grumbled and ignored him. Those further away snuck over to get a drink.

The officer, enraged, barked at his men to drive them off and close the gate. At the end of the line, a burly man, shielded by his companions, suddenly pulled a bow from under the wine barrel and fired three arrows in rapid succession. The officer and a guard fell; another guard’s chainmail deflected an arrow, and as he stumbled and turned to flee, Chen Feng threw the wine barrel, knocking him to the ground.

The group drew their weapons. The surrounding Rus' soldiers panicked and fled. Chen Feng lit the hay on the carts as a signal, and the men charged through the gate, cutting down anyone in their path as they headed toward the residence.

They faced almost no resistance, but the residence was heavily guarded, making it difficult to enter. Chen Feng ordered the buildings set on fire.

Rus' cities were almost entirely made of wood, and the residence was no exception. The nobles inside, hearing the commotion and seeing the flames, rushed out in a panic to see what was happening. The once-orderly guards fell into chaos as they followed their masters in a frantic retreat.

At this point, Toghto, seeing the signal, abandoned the camp and charged in through the West Gate with over a hundred cavalrymen. He had soldiers fluent in the Slavic vernacular shout, "The Suzdalians have betrayed us! They have killed the Grand Prince!"

The guards around the residence, seeing cavalry clashing amidst the smoke and fire, sought to protect the nobles by breaking out toward the empty east side to link up with the army outside. The soldiers east of the city, hearing only that the Suzdal reinforcements had turned traitor and broken in through the West Gate, saw their commanders driving them westward to repel the invaders and rescue the nobles.

However, seeing the guards retreating eastward and hearing rumors that the Grand Prince was dead, the soldiers abandoned their officers and fled.

A massive crowd jammed the southeastern gate, and many were trampled to death in the stampede. The Grand Prince of Tver and several high-ranking officials died in the chaos; the Polish envoy escaped by climbing over the wall.

The army outside the city, unaware of the truth, saw the city ignite and a flood of retreating soldiers. After waiting in vain for orders, the boyars from the countryside sensed the disaster and disbanded, their freshly gathered forces scattering into the wind.

The next morning, the Suzdal reinforcements arrived, only to find that Tver had already fallen. The commander, fearing a trap, hastily retreated. The Northern Camp gained several days of rest, allowing them to recall their dispersed units and, in the following months, suppress the local rebellions with superior force.

This was the battle that made Toghto-Mahmut Nikus famous and brought great renown to Chen Feng. Basil III Yeligui, the then-Khan of Baisai and the "Butcher of Magyars," specifically transferred Chen Feng back to Dadu to train scouts and diplomats. Chen Feng's youngest son, Chen Xiao, is currently in the Guo family army; Guo Kang has spoken with him several times and is very familiar with this history.

For the various Rus' states, this battle left an equally deep impression.

The surviving Polish envoy berated the Rus', calling them stupid and cowardly, and unfit for great undertakings. Later, because Poland had intervened deeply in the "Civil War" and gained little in return, the Polish leadership blamed this disastrous beginning, claiming their defeat was entirely the fault of the Rus'. Consequently, the Poles grew to despise the Rus' states, viewing any alliance with them as a liability, and eventually stopped bothering to coordinate with them against the Khanate.

The Principality of Tver lost a large number of its nobility and suffered a severe blow to its power, never fully recovering. Because the battle was so bizarre, the surviving nobles later conducted investigations and discovered the truth—the catastrophe was so sudden because of the treachery of the Muscovites.

Tver and its allies grew to loathe Moscow, holding these informants responsible for their ruin. Later, when Moscow attempted to annex Tver, they were met with desperate resistance, and other principalities complained to the Khan’s court that Moscow was no better, ultimately causing the annexation plan to fail.

The Muscovites, however, were indifferent; after all, the business of betrayal was far too profitable.