Lev's body was quickly sent to Moscow, to Rostislav.
On the day the pagan leader's body arrived in Moscow, the city was bustling with people, all eager to see this pagan sorcerer. Lev was very famous in Northeast Rus, and various rumors about him had always circulated throughout the land.
Especially after he incited this rebellion, the spread of rumors became even more widespread and terrifying.
On the day the body was brought in, by Rostislav's order, Yan commanded that the old man's clothes be stripped off, revealing his emaciated body, withered from illness, to the public.
Rostislav knew that authority was built on splendid attire and rituals, and groups like sorcerers also needed a touch of terror and mystery.
But once these elements were removed, the public would realize that they were no different from ordinary people in essence; they had all the same things as common people, and in some aspects, they were even worse.
When such a notion arose, the breaking of authority was successfully achieved.
Yan was very resistant to this; in his view, one could kill enemies but not insult them. However, the Moscow Prince's will was very firm, and Yan was forced to comply.
After displaying the body to the citizens of Moscow, Rostislav didn't even look at it, merely ordering that Lev be torn apart by five horses, and then his body parts be sent for exhibition throughout Northeast Rus to show the fate of rebels.
Such was the bloody era. To deter people who already regarded death as part of life, only more terrifying acts would suffice, and Rostislav had become a master of manipulating fear over the years.
Using Lev's death as an opportunity, the Moscow Prince announced that the rebel army had been dealt a fatal blow, and the pacification war had achieved complete victory.
Lev was a figure whose reputation spread throughout Northeast Rus; his death was enough of a symbol to tell some people to stop, and that if they stopped now, Moscow could pretend certain things hadn't happened.
But if they didn't stop, they would truly be seeking death, as Rostislav's army was always ready to strike them even harder.
However, in a small internal meeting, Rostislav stated that, from a long-term perspective, chaos would remain the norm in Northeast Rus, so all regions must be prepared for expeditions and for battle.
After reviewing the large volume of documents compiled during this period, Rostislav came to a conclusion: the peak of the rebellion had passed, and the various regions of Northeast Rus would gradually move towards peace.
The local rioters were already satisfied with their current achievements, and their focus would now be on settling down.
And with the Moscow Prince returning victorious and soldiers returning home with pockets full of spoils, it was inevitable that the rural unrest would gradually subside.
Now, the people who participated in the riots were more concerned about potential retaliation from Moscow, so many left their original villages and moved deeper into the forests.
However, it would be difficult for the countryside to return to the peace it enjoyed before the rebellion. Although the Veles Gang and the Eye-Digging Gang no longer had a grand cause to exploit, the rebellion had caused their size to expand significantly, and this expansion also meant an increase in how difficult they were to deal with, or more accurately, their resilience.
Even if they were unable to threaten the cities, the threat these fellows posed to the wilderness of Northeast Rus was enough to cause significant disruption. Rostislav set a small goal for himself: to eliminate half of the bandit gangs in Northeast Rus within three years.
In other words, the biggest outcome of this rebellion was a significant increase in the cost of stability for Moscow.
For a period thereafter, the situation where merchants, once eliminated by Rostislav, would again need to travel with large mercenary escorts would re-emerge.
But ultimately, it would not threaten the foundation of the Moscow regime, especially within the Moscow Prince's direct control. If these bandit gangs were to enter rashly, they would immediately face encirclement and suppression by the Moscow Army.
Therefore, since the overall situation had stabilized, it was time to bestow rewards and also compensate the victims of this great turmoil.
First, the rewards: Dir, Domnal, and Vanigo, who saved Moscow, were undoubtedly first in line. Dir was granted a prosperous manor, which governed over thirty surrounding villages. This estate was originally established by a noble from Kiev, but unfortunately, during the great turmoil, this noble was killed, and his family was kidnapped and murdered by the Eye-Digging Gang.
However, the manor itself did not suffer much damage during the chaos. The Eye-Digging Gang only killed a few people during their raid and kidnapping, but these bandits were forced to retreat after seizing the noble lord's family, so the manor was not significantly damaged.
Furthermore, most of the people here were serfs brought by this noble family from Kiev, and they did not mix with the local pagans at all, so they did not participate in the rebellion and were completely clean.
Now, Dir could fully take over everything left by this noble, and he also took control of a tannery that this family owned in Kiev, which was a very lucrative business.
Since no one from this family survived, Dir thus became a major landowner in Moscow.
Next was Domnal. For this Gael, the Prince's reward was to have him replace Gvaran, becoming the new Captain of the Guard.
Upon learning of his appointment, Domnal was quite puzzled by this assignment. He uneasily glanced at Gvaran, who was now known as "Bloodhand," but Gvaran showed no reaction, simply continuing to stand beside the Prince like an iron plate.
The change of the Captain of the Guard was a major event. Although the Prince might promote his personal retinue, the Druzhina remained the center of Rus' power. Now that Domnal had become the Captain of the Guard, it meant he had truly entered the circle of Moscow's top magnates.
Not to mention the upheaval this would cause. If Gvaran had any dissatisfaction, with his connections within the Druzhina, he could easily make Domnal extremely uncomfortable and unable to carry out his daily duties.
However, what Domnal did not know at this time was that Gvaran's stepping down was his own initiative.
After executing a large number of people who violated military orders and earning the nickname "Bloodhand," Gvaran had been very uneasy.
Although he was extremely loyal to the Prince and willing to do anything for him, he also knew how much resentment he had incurred and how many people he had offended after becoming "Bloodhand."
Gvaran was not afraid of dying on the battlefield; he was afraid of dying from betrayal and hidden arrows.
So he wanted to step down and let his son-in-law take over, to appease some people through the personnel changes brought about by the change of Captain of the Guard, and this matter absolutely had to be presented as a concession made by the Prince, which would help the Prince establish his authority.
And more importantly, Domnal's achievements during the Moscow incident were enough for him to take over, so he could confidently hand over to the next generation; otherwise, he would definitely have gritted his teeth and held on.
Gvaran knew better than anyone that the Druzhina needed young people to rise, as this was the only way it could compete in the long run with the retinue, which was full of young people.
It was just that no one had been capable of taking over before, which was why he hadn't stepped down.
As for himself, Gvaran advised the Prince that given the current security situation in Northeast Rus, the existing dungeons would definitely not be enough in the future. The Prince needed a brand new, sturdy prison, and the former Captain of the Guard volunteered for this position.
Rostislav naturally agreed without hesitation. He even felt very sorry for Gvaran, but since the Captain of the Guard was so firm in his decision, he could only agree.
Because, as the Captain of the Guard said, he did all of this for the Prince's authority.