Yuri had no aid now from any power, and the city was divided. He went to Moscow and begged Prince Vassili to defend him, as he promised obedience to Moscow. Vassili did not refuse the request, but he made no immediate promise, for he had no wish to raise arms against Vitold. Meanwhile Vitold, during Yuri’s absence, appeared at Smolensk, and in the summer of 1404 boyars surrendered the city. Vitold also was terribly cruel, slaying, and driving out of Smolensk all his powerful opponents, but as an adroit politician, he attracted many people by privileges, and turned them from Yuri, who now went to Novgorod, where they welcomed him, and gave him several towns to manage.
It was clear that Vitold had recovered from the Vorskla disaster, and was aiming to seize Pskoff and Novgorod. In 1405 he attacked Pskoff, took Koloje, slew many people, and captured large numbers. Novgorod, as usual, was either late with assistance, or refused to coöperate. Pskoff men turned then to Moscow, and Vassili, understanding at last the great peril which threatened him from Vitold, broke peace with his father-in-law, and sent men to war on Lithuania. In the course of three years, 1406, 1407, and 1408, war between these two princes had an annual renewal. Three times did Vassili and Vitold march against each other with large forces, but each time they stopped before decisive battle, and withdrew after a truce was made. It is evident that this halting was [[410]]caused in part by their mutual relations, in part by the caution of each man in view of the other.
Their last meeting took place September, 1408, on the Ugra, which served as a boundary between them. After they had been encamped face to face on opposite banks of the river for several days, they made a peace by which the boundaries of their lands remained as they were at that time. Later on, Vitold made no serious move against Pskoff or even Novgorod. By this war, therefore, Moscow restrained Vitold in Eastern and Northern Russia. The war had other results also. Many noted Lithuanians and Russians, from one and another cause, were dissatisfied with Vitold, and went to join Moscow. Especially numerous were the men from near southern districts of Chernigoff. Among them appeared in 1408 the brother of the Polish king, Prince Svidrigello, son of Olgerd. Laying claim as he did to Lithuania, he had no wish to be subordinate to Vitold. Vassili was willing to welcome such an exile, and gave Svidrigello a number of towns to support him. Such liberality to a stranger displeased Russian boyars, and later on they were raging when Svidrigello, instead of defending Moscow against Edigai, fled meanly with his numerous attendants, plundering the people as he traveled.
Strange was the fate of Yuri, the last Smolensk prince. He did not remain long in Novgorod, and when the break came between Vassili and Vitold he appeared in Moscow a second time, with Prince Simeon of Vyazma. Vassili gave Yuri Torjok to support him. Now his unrestrained temper brought the man to a crime of foul aspect. He flamed up with passion for the wife of Prince Simeon. Meeting with strong resistance on her part, he strove to use violence, and when she defended herself with a keen weapon, he killed her. On that same day he killed her husband also. No matter how rude was the period, or how much liberty princes sometimes allowed themselves, such disregard of human and Christian rules roused indignation and rage in all men. Either expelled by Vassili, or rushing away from Torjok of his own will, Yuri fled to the Horde, but finding no refuge there, or in any place, he wandered some months, sick and weighed down in spirit, till he hid himself at last with an abbot named Peter, in whose monastery his life ended shortly afterward.
Disorder and murder in the Horde encouraged the Grand Prince [[411]]of Moscow to think of complete independence. He honored the Mongols with moderate gifts, and, under pretext of national poverty, almost ceased from paying tribute. He did not visit the Horde in the time of Kutlui, or during Shadibek’s reign, which continued for eight years. In his slow struggle with Vitold he had received from the Khan some small forces, that was all. When Shadibek was dethroned, and Kutlui’s son, Bulat Bey, was instated, Vassili not only did not visit this new Khan; he even showed favor to some of his enemies, two of Tohtamish’s sons, of course with the wish to keep up civil war and disorder among the Mongols.
This clear and well-defined policy was connected with a change of advisers in Moscow. Former boyars, the counselors and comrades of Dmitri, had either died, or lost influence. Vassili was surrounded by younger assistants, men formed by impressions, and filled with the fame of the battle of Kulikovo. They were ashamed to be subservient to the Mongols; they despised Mongol influence. At the head of this party was Vassili’s great favorite, Ivan, son of Feodor Koshka.
The Golden Horde Khans had no thought at this time of yielding their hold upon Russia. They were at all times domineering, and in this they were encouraged by the princes of Tver, Ryazan and Suzdal, who continued to visit Sarai to obtain patents. Edigai had helped Vassili against Vitold; he had even roused enmity between the two princes to weaken them when peace was finally made, and now he resolved to show that Moscow was really subject to the Horde. But both Russians and Mongols remembered Kulikovo, and knew that war between Moscow and the Horde would be most serious, hence at Sarai they resolved on a stealthy and treacherous policy.
Edigai knew well that Moscow, keeping in mind the perfidy of Tohtamish, had in Sarai well-paid agents, who would give information immediately should any evident move be made toward invasion. He knew also that hostility between Vassili and Vitold was still active, hence he sent an envoy to Moscow, declaring that Bulat, the Khan, was making ready to punish Vitold for the harm done to Moscow. He asked only that Vassili should send a brother to Sarai, or a boyar of distinction, with expressions of homage, to the Khan. Vassili, yielding to this demand, sent a boyar named Yuri, who met Edigai marching rapidly on Moscow. [[412]]The boyar was seized and held strict captive, and no word of the approaching army reached Vassili.
This happened late in the autumn of 1408. The Mongols were nearing Moscow, when the Grand Prince learned what was happening. As it was too late to make a stand against the invader, Vassili took his princess and children to the North, beyond the Volga, for safety. The defense of the capital he left to Vladimir, his father’s cousin, and to Andrei and Peter, his brothers. To make the siege difficult, all houses outside the walls were burned. December 1, the Mongol army was visible. Edigai, seeing the success of his stratagem, robbed, burned, and plundered on every side. Pereyaslavl, Rostoff, Dmitroff, Nizni and Gorodets were taken. Mongols raced over Russia, like wolves during winter, and seized all that they could reach, including people, whom they drove, leashed like dogs, to their camping grounds. Panic terror was again master in Russia. Thirty thousand Mongols were sent to hunt down the Grand Prince, but they could not discover him.
Meanwhile the old hero of Kulikovo, Dmitri’s cousin, Vladimir, defended Moscow. The walls were strong and well mounted with new and old weapons. There were plenty of defenders; hunger alone could reduce the capital. Edigai now sent to the Tver prince, Ivan, son of that Michael who had fought so long against Moscow, and commanded him to come with troops, cannon, and wall-breaking instruments. But this Tver prince would not serve the enemy of Russia; he set out with an army, not over numerous, and marched very slowly. He reached Klin, fell ill, as he asserted, and returned home, being unable to go farther. Edigai summoned Moscow to surrender, declaring that he was ready to stay before the walls through the winter, or till the city received him. But all at once from Bulat, the Khan, came a courier imploring Edigai’s immediate presence. Bulat had barely avoided dethronement from a rival. It was evident that few warriors had been left in Sarai, no force sufficient to defend the place. Meanwhile the Mongols learned that Vassili was marching from Kostroma with a large army.