The pampered Grand Duke, unable to withstand the wind and sun, lagged far behind the Tsar's guards. By the time they reached the city gate, the Tsar and his guards had already gone inside.
"Where is His Majesty now?"
Grinsky hurriedly asked his attendant, only to be told that the Grand Duke of Novgorod had already entered the city with Ivan IV, but instead of going to the banquet hall, they had first visited the Yuriev Monastery.
The Tsar was a well-known devout Christian, so no one objected to this suggestion, but Grinsky felt uneasy. He hurried towards the Yuriev Monastery; Novgorod was an important card in his hand.
He hoped things wouldn't go as he expected.
At the Yuriev Monastery, the Tsar, like a devout believer, entered the frescoes covering the walls of the Georgy Church. From the walls to the ceiling, exquisite paintings covered the walls, their brilliance still shining after hundreds of years of weathering. The angels and the Virgin Mary on the relief, their expressions of compassion, were depicted with remarkable realism.
Ivan IV walked slowly to the statue of the crucified Jesus, his left hand resting on his distinctive scepter, his eyes fixed on the cross.
Tuchkov stood behind Ivan IV, his gaze not on the icon, but on the scepter in Ivan IV's left hand. The "Tsar's henchman" he held was not merely decorative; Tuchkov firmly remembered Ivan IV's words: "Smash their heads. "
The unsuspecting Grand Prince of Novgorod followed Ivan IV, and to his surprise, the peasants accompanying the Tsar were now being exceptionally allowed to enter the church.
"Kurisov,"
Ivan suddenly spoke, "you said before that the Grand Prince of Novgorod forced you to pay exorbitant taxes and even compelled you to build fortifications without paying you any compensation, driving many to their deaths from exhaustion, is that right?"
"Yes. The entire city of Novgorod hates him to the core. We eagerly await His Majesty's arrival, but…"
Ivan IV waved his hand, interrupting Kurisov, and simply replied, "Understood."
Upon hearing this, the Grand Prince of Novgorod turned pale. He looked at the Tsar before him, vaguely guessing what had happened. With the sound of a door closing behind him, the monastery gates were shut by the servants, isolating him inside.
Now only four people remained in the church.
Ivan IV said, "I ask you one question, are you afraid of death?"
"I am not afraid of death."
Kurisov firmly shook his head. When he went to the Tsar to lodge his complaint, he had already prepared for a final farewell, even if punished by the enraged Tsar, to seek justice for the peasants of Novgorod.
"Very well."
The Tsar turned to the Grand Prince of Novgorod behind him and said, "Do you have any further explanation?"
The Grand Prince of Novgorod hurriedly protested, "Nonsense, Your Majesty! You mustn't believe this cunning villain! Not a single word he says is true!"
"Do you think I don't know who's lying?"
The Grand Prince of Novgorod took two steps back, his expression filled with terror as he watched the Tsar approach him. In his panic, he knelt down.
Only the young Tsar could make him kneel before a boy when he was over forty.
He had awakened the demons dormant within him.
"Sorry, it's too late now."
Ivan IV raised the club in his hand and silently brought it down hard on the Grand Prince of Novgorod's head. Blood splattered everywhere.
The splattered blood startled the peasants Kurisov and Tuchkov standing nearby. They hadn't expected Ivan IV to strike the Grand Duke's head with the tip of his scepter,
the nail driven into his skull, blood streaming down his face. The Grand Duke of Novgorod knelt, staring at Ivan IV in disbelief. Almost without warning, the hammer had struck his head.
The Grand Duke fell to the ground, his limbs still twitching in agony, blood staining the church floor.
He felt increasingly cold, the constant loss of blood blurring his consciousness. He still muttered incoherently.
"Your Majesty..."
Tuchkov began, but Ivan IV rudely interrupted him.
"Shut up, Tuchkov."
He watched with amusement as the Grand Duke of Novgorod lay in a pool of blood, the thick, crimson blood covering his right eye, preventing him from opening it. The Grand Duke tried to rise, but the Tsar trampled him underfoot.
Ivan IV calmly said, "Do you really think I don't know about your dealings with Grand Prince Grinsky? Do you know why I chose Novgorod as my first stop? It was to expose those traitors disloyal to the Kremlin. Grand Prince Novgorod, your fate today is your own doing. Before you die, let me add one more thing: I will find every single one of those who cooperated with you and hang them from the lampposts."
"Your Majesty, don't kill me!"
Grand Prince Novgorod was still making a last-ditch effort, but Ivan IV shook his head, extinguishing the last glimmer of hope.
"I already said, it's too late."
Ivan IV raised his scepter and struck the Grand Prince Novgorod on the head with the tip, creating a dent. He raised the scepter again and continued to strike his head.
The sound of the Tsar killing echoed throughout the church, casting a bloody shadow over the white statue of the Virgin Mary. Kurisov was paralyzed with fear, collapsing to the ground. He had never seen the Tsar like this—his expression twisted like a demon, the tip of his scepter raised high before falling without hesitation.
The man on the ground was unconscious, but Ivan IV continued. Until the man lay motionless.
By then, Ivan IV's face was covered in blood. He walked to Kurisov's side and handed him the scepter. Then he patted the man on the shoulder. Kurisov was stunned; he had never seen the young Tsar so bloodthirsty. Tuchkov beside him simply turned his head away, unable to bear the sight.
The Tsar didn't speak, but turned and walked towards the door. He pushed open the tightly closed church door. Facing a group of dumbfounded servants and monastery priests, he wiped the blood from his face.
He pointed to the terrified peasants behind him and calmly said, "Kurisov assassinated the Grand Prince of Novgorod. The evidence is conclusive. Arrest him."