Moscow had agents at the Horde always, and from these men Dmitri knew the situation even before Michael had turned his face homeward. Agents were sent to each city to bring all to oath that they would not accept Michael, and would not permit him to be Prince of Vladimir. All people were on the side of Dmitri, and he and his cousin, at the head of a large army, at once moved against Pereyaslavl.
When Michael arrived and announced his appointment, the Vladimir men would not receive him. They sent word to him that they did not believe he had a patent, and he was forced to retreat. Sari Hodja, Michael’s Mongol friend, summoned Dmitri to Vladimir to hear the Khan’s patent read. “I will not go to the reading,” replied Dmitri. “I will not let any one enter Vladimir, and to thee, O envoy, thy way is open.” But the boyars who carried this answer were to give Sari Hodja gifts of honor, and in private invite him to make Moscow happy with his presence.
Sari Hodja, who had received rich gifts from Prince Michael, [[359]]hesitated. He expressed great reverence for the Tver prince, and conducted him to the Mologa, where he delivered the Khan’s patent. He spoke long of his unfailing devotion, then took farewell. After that Sari Hodja went straightway to Moscow, where they gave him more gifts than he had ever dreamed possible. He marveled at the beauty and excellence of the city, and praised Dmitri for his winning ways, and his kindness. He complained, however, that the Grand Prince had not visited the loving Khan, from whom he guaranteed a good reception. At parting he repeated that he would never forget Dmitri, and when at the Horde would tell of his kindness.
It was time indeed for Dmitri to beware of breaking with the Mongols. More than once sharp reminders had come from Mamai, and even war had been threatened. Michael, armed with the Khan’s patent, was taking district after district and installing his agents in every disputed place. Novgorod men had informed Michael that if he were in truth appointed instead of Dmitri, they were ready to kiss the cross to him.
Dmitri counseled with his boyars and the metropolitan: “Should he make war on the Horde; or should he take refuge in phrases?” No matter how grievous was the latter, his advisers feared to counsel resistance, hence Dmitri decided that he would go to the Khan and come to terms with him if possible. When this decision was published, there was deep discouragement in Moscow. All feared an evil issue, and Dmitri wrote his will before starting. The metropolitan went with him to the Oká, and blessed him at parting. Soon after the departure of the Grand Prince, envoys came from Olgerd to conclude peace with Moscow. Prince Vladimir and the council of boyars, with the metropolitan at the head of it, made peace with Lithuania. Then followed the betrothal of Yelena, Olgerd’s daughter, to Dmitri’s cousin, Vladimir; some months later the marriage was solemnized. Such favorable news came from the Horde that there was no evil word for Sari Hodja in Moscow. At Sarai they rejoiced at Dmitri’s arrival. His grandfather, Kalitá, had been Uzbek’s friend. Dmitri was a nephew of Simeon the Proud and a son of Ivan, Simeon’s brother. All those princes had been faithful friends of the Horde, and had always obeyed it. Dmitri received great honor. The gifts that he had brought to Mamai, to the Khan and his wives, and to magnates [[360]]were such as had not been seen for a long time. Other princes could not bring as rich gifts at that period. When Dmitri learned that Ivan, son of Michael, was in pledge at the Horde for ten thousand grievens, he offered the money immediately, and they answered that he might take the youth and keep him till all was paid back by his father. Mamai and Dmitri met face to face and took note of each other. They examined the lists of tribute, a work which, though tedious, was finished at last with satisfaction. A patent was given to the Grand Prince and he returned home; with him went notable envoys, who conducted Ivan, son of Michael, and delivered him in Moscow as pledge for his father’s debt.
Dmitri learned later that he had not left the Horde before the following Mongol message was sent to Michael of Tver: “We gave thee the Grand Principality, and offered troops to install thee. Thou didst refuse both our power and our warriors, resolving to sit in the Grand Principality with thy own force. Ask no aid of us further; but sit there with the assistance of whomever may please thee.”
So Dmitri returned to Moscow with good results and much honor, having strengthened his position, and in all questions put his enemies to shame. He began at once to restore the integrity of Moscow’s possessions, destroyed in his absence by Michael, who had occupied some Moscow towns on the border, and ravaged others. After his instalment at Novgorod, Michael had replaced Dmitri’s agents with his own men, and Novgorod had given him an oath paper. When Dmitri returned from the Horde with a new patent and honor, Novgorod broke immediately with Michael, and joined Moscow.
The next year, 1372, the war became more determined, especially since Ryazan was on Michael’s side. It was clear that Tver and Ryazan were leagued against Moscow more unsparingly than ever, and against Novgorod, which was now aiding Moscow. Olgerd, who had given his daughter in marriage to Dmitri’s cousin, Vladimir, refrained from action for a time. But even from the beginning, his restraint seemed like ridicule, for he sent a number of princes with succor to Michael: Prince Drutskoi, Andrei, the Polotsk prince, one of his own sons, his brother, Keistut, and his son, Vitold; who brought with them many Poles and Lithuanians. Moscow again had to meet, not so much Tver, as Olgerd. [[361]]
The war with Ryazan was ended in one crushing battle. The daring Oleg of Ryazan had shown himself hostile to Moscow in the days of Dmitri’s father, and had claimed, if not all places joined to Kolomna, at least those included with Lopasnya. When Olgerd invaded Moscow the second time, Ryazan troops helped Dmitri. A Pronsk prince, however, commanded them, and those princes defended themselves against the Ryazan prince through their friendship with Moscow. Oleg now demanded Lopasnya as the price of his aid against Olgerd, and this caused a break between him and Dmitri. Dmitri replied that they had not defended Moscow, they had stood only on their own boundary; that Olgerd had burned and ruined Moscow. But Dmitri, lest Oleg might complain to the Khan, said he would discuss with him the question of boundaries. Oleg wished for something more real than promises, so he took Lopasnya with a strong hand, and held it,—occupied the region that he wanted.
The hatred between the people under Dmitri and Oleg reached back to the days of Big Nest, when Moscow was nothing but the Kutchkovo village and Ryazan men broke in through Lopasnya and plundered it cruelly. But Moscow had grown enormously since that time. It had become the chief city, called its ruler Grand Prince of All Russia, and looked upon the Ryazan men as “raging, arrogant, savage, half-witted people.”