Michael, then thirty years old, went to visit Dmitri, who was only eighteen, but he found in Moscow what he had not expected. Having brought his most notable boyars, he thought to see the principal Moscow boyars, and present his own in Dmitri’s capital. They received him, however, not as a relative, but with haughtiness. He had thought to astonish Moscow by readiness to yield a part of his own to the other two princes, but this was considered in Moscow as decided long before, and they let him feel that that was not the main question. They wanted him to show subjection to Moscow. Michael flushed up with rage, and did not hesitate to tell Dmitri before all his boyars that the rights of hospitality had been violated. After that was said, Moscow violated those rights in reality.
The men who had gone to Moscow with Michael were taken from him, and treated as if in detention. Michael himself was lodged in a separate house, or palace, as if in imprisonment. Such a turn of affairs was almost more grievous for Dmitri than for Michael, and it grieved most of all the metropolitan, for the Tver prince put the blame of the act on him. That passionate prince was indignant at the metropolitan: “I believed his words, and came hither to Moscow,” said Michael; “now see what they have done to me.” Michael considered it all planned previously through policy and cunning. Both sides were equally vehement, each side declared itself right, and each felt offended. There seemed no way to reconcile them. To hasten Michael’s release [[354]]would be to declare that Dmitri had been the offender; his boyars would not agree to this; they had brought about the detention and they insisted that it should continue.
Dmitri now asked the metropolitan’s aid with all seriousness. Unexpectedly, at this juncture, Mongol envoys came to deliver a reprimand to Dmitri. He had not paid the tribute and had not shown himself to his master.
The Tver question must be settled immediately. Michael was freed with fair promptness, and if there was some delay, it was to avoid the appearance of over haste, and preserve proprieties. The land which Michael had offered, namely Gorodok, was accepted for Yeremi, and an oath paper was taken from Michael that he was satisfied, and had no claim against any one. This done, he departed. After that Dmitri gave troops to instate Yeremi in Gorodok.
During this year, 1368, Prince Vassili died in Kashin, and Michael, by the death of his uncle, became Prince of Tver in the fullest sense possible. He was now the eldest of the house, and besides, the Tver people were satisfied with him. The angry enemy of Moscow was strengthened. The position was still more entangled by the fact that the heir of the late Prince Vassili, also Michael, now Prince of Kashin, and married to Vassilissa, a daughter of Simeon the Proud, hastened in his turn to Moscow with petitions. In Moscow, opposition from Michael was expected, and even an attack upon Moscow regions was looked for. But the storm struck unexpectedly from elsewhere.
Late in the autumn of 1368, Olgerd suddenly, as was his wont in such cases, attacked Moscow regions without declaring hostilities. With him came Keistut, his brother, and Vitold, his nephew, the latter still young and “not famous,” as the chronicler tells us. They led in large forces. Moscow learned of this war only when the enemy was capturing towns on the border. Moscow allies were summoned quickly, but only inconsiderable regiments had time to muster. The invading force crushed all before it. Now there was reason to be thankful for the stone walls recently built in Moscow; Dmitri had all places cleared round the Kremlin, and every house burned which was near that firm stronghold.
The Lithuanian army stood three days outside those new walls. Olgerd had not power to meet or crush them, but he did great [[355]]harm to Moscow in many parts. He burned nearly everything in the city and in the country round, and took a multitude of captives. Then, driving along every beast which he could find, he hastened homeward, for news had come to him that the Germans had attacked his lands. He could say, however, that he had satisfied the tearful prayers of the Tver prince, his brother-in-law, Michael. Surely Moscow would remember him, for he had done as much harm as possible, and Michael was avenged.
Dmitri ceased to defend Yeremi, from whom Gorodok was now taken, and Yeremi went to Tver to seek favor from Michael. It seems that besides aid from Olgerd, the Tver prince had sought to gain strength from the Mongols by rich gifts to the Khan, and to others. At the Horde, anger was increasing against Dmitri. Mamai, now all-powerful, had eliminated every opponent, and had effected that for which he had been struggling, the reunion of the Horde. He had instated Mamant, a new Khan, and was now ready for action.
A storm was rising against Moscow. Peace between Tver and Moscow was short-lived. In 1370 war broke out again. Michael, the new Prince of Kashin, turned to Dmitri a second time for protection. Dmitri informed Michael of Tver that he set aside his oath papers; and the Tver prince immediately sought aid of Olgerd. This war with Tver, or more correctly with Olgerd, lasted five years, counting intervals. If at times Olgerd sought peace, even permanent peace, no one had faith in him, suspecting it to be a plot to deceive Moscow. In view of this, only short truces were given, and with caution. Through Lithuanian activity at the Horde, and through presents to the Khan, the Mongols aided the Tver prince.
The war ended only when Dmitri and all the princes who acknowledged him rose against Olgerd and the Mongols, and brought Tver to conditions. Early in September, 1370, Moscow troops, led by Dmitri, marched against Michael. They moved from Voloko-Lamsk directly on Zubtsoff, a city which with Rjeff, its neighbor, had passed more than once into Olgerd’s possession, thanks to Tver men. This time the Moscow troops did not treat it with tenderness; they stormed, sacked, and destroyed the place. Then, taking everyone captive, they marched to Mikulin, which stood on the road between Moscow and Novgorod. This was [[356]]Michael’s own personal inheritance, hence no mercy was shown it. The native nest of Alexander’s descendants was given to destruction. The troops took it by storm, and then razed it to the ground.