During this period, Vig often called the locals together and learned that in Tyneburg, there were 19 estates and 23 villages under his jurisdiction. The population was sparse and most of the land was abandoned. Especially after this war, almost a quarter of the population decided to flee.
"Let them flee so as not to cause me trouble if they remain in the country." So Vig thought.
In the morning, he saw representatives from all over the country. All the heads of the 23 villages came, usually in rough linen clothes and looked timid. On the contrary, the noble class has horses for transportation and they dress more decently.
In the evening, an official banquet was held. Five of the 19 nobles came in person, and eight did not come under the pretext of apologies and sent their sons and nephews to fill this number. The other six nobles were too lazy to pay attention to Whig, declaring that they did not wish to be loyal to a heathen.
...
"I am Whig Haakenson, who was in Constantinople. For my services at Mancun and York, I have been made Lord of Tyneburg by the king. The wine is not good, the food is not good, and I do not entertain you very well. I hope you will give me more advice in the future."
As a rule, the nobles sat at the long table on the right, and the representatives of the village sat on the left. At this moment, they all turned their heads and looked silently at the man who claimed to be Lord of Tyneburg.
The man was tall and straight, with a sharp gaze, a high bridge of the nose, and a face as angular as a carefully carved marble sculpture. His soft black hair was tied in a ponytail, which was completely different from the rough and scruffy image that everyone expected.
Also, as a Viking, he could speak English. Although his pronunciation was not very standard, it was enough for everyday communication.
The nobles on the right whispered that the new lord was not an ordinary Viking barbarian and came with bad intentions.
The old squire spoke first: "Are you going to issue a new decree or continue the old rules?"
Vig smiled, thinking that he was being kind: "Everywhere they follow the old traditions and beliefs, I will not interfere with you, just pay your taxes on time, if you are robbed by strangers, do not hesitate to ask me for help."
A stranger? You are a stranger.
With a glance they silently accepted the new lord's rule. Now that the old royal family had collapsed, all parts of the south had surrendered to the new king. Until the new lord went too far, there was no need for these country bumpkins from the north country to hold out any longer.
The worries that had been building for more than half a year dissipated, and under the leadership of the fat squire they all began to enjoy this simple meal.
There were only three dishes: fish stew, bread, and a stew of turnips, radishes, and peas. There were only five pots of mead for drinking, and everyone reluctantly shared a cup that was not enough to wet their throats.
The barbarian Vikings were too calculating. There was no shortage of cattle in the fields to the east, but they did not know that a cow had to be slaughtered to entertain guests.
Many nobles complained in their hearts, but they did not show disrespect on the outside, saying that this river fish dinner was unique, and the lord was really creative.
"Don't say that, I know you don't like this dinner."
As soon as he finished speaking, Vig picked up his wine glass and smashed it hard on the ground, countless pieces of glass flew in all directions, shocking everyone for a while, and they were speechless. The next moment, Vig stood up and drew his sword, and a group of tall and fierce Viking soldiers ran out from both sides of the main hall, as if they had been planning this for a long time.
Looking at the sharp weapons so close, the guests breathed quickly, their chests rising and falling sharply, like a flock of frightened sheep.
"Don't worry, that's not your goal."
Vig smiled again, "I'm grateful that you're willing to attend the banquet. But some people don't think so. Not only did they reject my invitation, they also insulted His Majesty the King by calling him a filthy and base heathen barbarian. How do you think I should deal with that?"
He stared at the Dragon's Breath Sword, dumbfounded. In the dim candlelight, the sword with its intricate patterns reflected a magnificent and deadly light.
"This sword is called the Dragon's Breath. I won this Damascus steel sword in a duel before the Emperor in Constantinople. To put it bluntly, I've been studying Anglo-Saxon for over half a year now, and I haven't used it myself for a long time." Crazy
, this guy has a brain problem!
The old squire swallowed and asked in a hoarse voice, "Are you going to attack them?"
"Yes, it is my duty as a lord to guard the place and suppress the rebellion. I will set out early tomorrow morning. Please be a witness."
...
To make the first battle famous, Whig intended to do everything possible, and even the English-speaking farmers around Tyneburg were not spared.
When the sun rose, sixty-one local farmers with pitchforks in their hands gathered at Tyneburg, looking sad, as if they were ready never to return.
To raise their morale, Whig had to motivate them with exemptions.
"According to the estimated time, the winter wheat in various places is almost ripe. I swear by all known gods that whenever you capture an estate, you will be allowed to collect the local wheat. How much you can take depends on your ability."
Hearing these words, the dull eyes of the villagers gradually lit up, and each went home to pick out a few whole sacks, and the previous fear dissipated.
Thus began the first expedition after Vige took office. The team included 20 shield-bearers armed with iron armor, 230 Vikings (50 farmers remained to watch the house), 61 local farmers, and 36 representatives from various places who were responsible for watching the battle.
As for baggage, the team had 20 wagons (temporarily requisitioned horses of guests). They did not carry too much food, but they did carry a lot of wooden parts, which were assembled into battering rams and long ladders upon arrival at the designated place.
To ensure surprise, Whig urged the team to speed up and arrive at the first target by midday the following day.
"Here we are at last."
He urged his grey horse up a low hill with a wide view. At first glance, the estate was surrounded by a low fence on the outside, enclosing an area of about 1,000 acres, similar to a square two kilometers on a side.
The area of the manor, woodland, pond and garden amounted to about 150 acres, dozens of acres were planted with other crops, the remaining 400 acres were planted with wheat, which seemed about to ripen, and the last 400 acres of land were fallow.
A two-field system.
This was the usual method of agricultural production in Britain in the early Middle Ages. Half of the land was planted with winter wheat, while the other half was left fallow, allowing the soil to slowly accumulate fertility.
After watching for a few minutes, Vig decided that there were no ambushes around and ordered the team to move towards the center of the estate.
Upon discovering the arrival of this unidentified army, the working farmers immediately ran to the main house for shelter.
Unlike the expected wooden building, the main house of the estate turned out to be a four-story brick and stone watchtower, covering an area of 200 square meters. Behind the watchtower was also a circle of wooden walls. As time went on, more and more armed farmers appeared above the walls, as if they were ready for war.