The Tsar announced his upcoming tour of Russia to the Grand Dukes at court. Upon hearing this news, the Grand Dukes of Moscow collectively breathed a sigh of relief, thankful they would no longer have to face the nightmare of the Kremlin, as the scene of Ivan IV's execution of the Shuysky family was still vivid in their minds.
They tried their best not to think about those swaying corpses and the Tsar's ferocious face. However, as courtiers of the Tsar, Belsky and Grinsky had to accompany Ivan IV on the tour, which made them realize this was an opportunity for action.
So, on the surface, Grinsky strongly supported Ivan IV's actions, declaring that a qualified monarch should bestow favors and authority upon his people, but behind the scenes, he began to plot how to cause an accident to happen to the young Tsar during this tour. The Tsar gazed intently at Grinsky, finally nodding slightly, but said nothing more. Standing to the side, Tuchkov's expression was solemn. He was the only one who knew what Ivan IV was truly thinking, and he shuddered at the dark thoughts swirling in the young Ivan's mind.
Looking at the ambitious grand dukes in the court, they were unaware of their impending doom. Ivan IV's plan was to eliminate all threats during this tour.
However, it wasn't until the day before the tour that Ivan IV announced the first stop: Novgorod.
This surprised everyone.
Although Novgorod was a vassal state of the Grand Duke of Moscow, it maintained its independent status as a republic. While they had princes, their positions were merely those of garrison leaders. Novgorod was jointly governed by the archdiocese and an elected mayor.
Novgorod was only nominally subservient to Moscow, but in reality, it possessed considerable autonomy. The Tsar's eagerness to choose Novgorod as the starting point for his tour was something anyone with a modicum of political acumen sensed.
Therefore, the Tsar also brought along the Boyer cavalry and the archbishoprics, just in case. The Tatars still roamed the Oka River basin. While stabilizing the political situation in Novgorod, preventing foreign invasion was of paramount importance.
A large army departed Moscow for Novgorod. The onlookers at Moscow were surprised to find that although the Tsar was unarmed, his horse carried a weapon resembling a spiked club.
The wooden saddle, gilded and decorated with brocade, accentuated the Tsar's nobility. Escorted by the Boye cavalry, the army advanced towards Novgorod.
Grand Prince Grinsky, on horseback, was followed by Vorontsov and his brother Vasily. The three maintained a certain distance from the Tsar, watching Ivan IV wave to the crowd.
"Has the letter been sent?"
"The Grand Prince of Novgorod has received the letter and is ready,"
Vorontsov said softly. "The Novgorod Republic has always been dissatisfied with the exorbitant taxes levied on Moscow. Now that there's an opportunity for inside cooperation, they certainly won't let it pass."
Grinsky nodded. There was no turning back once the arrow was released. The grand princes unanimously believed that supporting Yuri to the throne was easier to control than the unpredictable Ivan IV.
The marching troops quickly arrived near Novgorod, while the Boye cavalry responsible for protecting Ivan IV arrived late.
At this time, the grand princes, bishops, and mayors in the city were already preparing to welcome Ivan IV's arrival. The Tsar's travels also gave hope to the people who had suffered under the oppression of nobles and lords. They hoped that Ivan IV could uphold justice for these oppressed people.
Countless footprints were left on the muddy road, and the silhouette of the Novgorod Cathedral could be seen in the distance. Suddenly, an attendant rode up on horseback and told the Tsar that a group of peasants had blocked his way, saying they wanted to file a complaint with the Tsar.
Ivan IV, who had been waiting for this moment, nodded and calmly said, "Call them here."
Several ragged peasants were brought to Ivan IV's side, looking timidly at the Tsar. Their eyes were filled with fear and awe.
"Your Majesty,"
one of the peasants knelt before Ivan IV's horse, his voice trembling with tears, "Please save us! The Grand Prince of Novgorod, under the pretext of defense, not only imposes exorbitant taxes on peasants like us, but also forces them to repair fortifications for us without pay. Many have been worked to death. Now we have no other choice, we beg Your Majesty to save us!"
Ivan IV asked, "Aren't you afraid of death?"
The peasant kneeling at the front shook his head, saying bitterly, "As long as the people of Novgorod are given an explanation, we are not afraid of death."
Several others around him wept, hoping that Ivan IV would uphold justice for them. However, Ivan IV simply nodded and said, "I understand. What's your name?"
The thin peasant whispered, "My name is Kurisov."
"You come with me. The rest of you can leave."
Kurisov paused, clearly not understanding what Ivan IV was saying.
Seeing the other's indifference, he impatiently repeated, "I said you come with me."
"Didn't you want justice? I'll give you a chance to seek it."
Ivan IV didn't say another word, signaling the cavalry to continue advancing.
Meanwhile, the Grand Prince of Novgorod had been waiting at the city gates for a long time. Everyone was anxious, wondering why the Tsar had suddenly come to Novgorod. The Grand Prince, leading his guard, awaited the Tsar's arrival, and proper etiquette had to be observed—the Boye cavalry and the ranged troops were already deployed nearby; no one wanted the entire republic to suffer.
The Grand Prince of Novgorod saw Ivan IV's figure in the distance, and, surrounded by Boye cavalry, slowly approached him. What puzzled the Grand Prince of Novgorod, however, was the peasants accompanying Ivan IV, who seemed completely out of place among the surrounding resplendent crowd.
"Grand Prince of Novgorod,"
Ivan IV rode up to him, smiling and nodding.
The Grand Prince quickly returned the greeting with equal respect, "Your Majesty, we have been waiting for you. The lord has prepared a banquet to welcome you."
Ivan IV approached him, smiling, and said, "That's not urgent, Your Majesty. I wish to visit the Yuriev Monastery now. Would you accompany me?"
Faced with Ivan IV's strange request, Novgorod was unaware of the impending disaster, simply assuming that the Orthodox Ivan IV wanted to visit the icon. He nodded, saying, "Of course, I would be happy to oblige, Your Majesty."