While the princes were at the Horde there was great activity in Russia. Boris, Yuri’s brother, sent by him to seize Kostroma, had been captured and taken to Tver. Novgorod men had expelled Michael’s boyars, who strengthened Nova-Torg, and then planned to attack Pereyaslavl and take it from Moscow. Akinfi, a Moscow boyar, having quarreled with Rodion Nestorvitch, a boyar who had come from Kief to Moscow with seven hundred followers and had received the first place in service, left Moscow in anger to seek a better place, which he found with the Tver prince, who made him the first among boyars. Akinfi assisted in planning the campaign, and led the troops against Pereyaslavl. But in Tver there were many well-wishers of Moscow, and they gave warning of Akinfi’s adventure. The army which Ivan hurriedly led from Moscow was successful. Akinfi’s troops were defeated and he lost his life in the struggle; with him fell his son-in-law and many warriors. His sons, Ivan and Feodor, fled to Tver with few attendants. As Rodion Nestorvitch, who had sustained a leading part in this unsparing and decisive conflict, was leaving the battle-field, he raised his rival’s head on a lance-point and held it up before Ivan of Moscow. Ivan’s name, mentioned this once, was not mentioned earlier in Russian chronicles, and was left unmentioned thereafter for a long time. In the quarrels with Tver and Vladimir not Ivan, but Yuri, his brother, is prominent. The Grand Prince Michael, on returning from the Horde, settled down in Tver and ruled both the Grand Principality and Novgorod through his lieutenants. He would not leave unavenged Akinfi, his chief boyar. A campaign against Moscow was undertaken with every force which the Grand Prince could summon. But he had not the strength to bend Moscow. Neither opponent had sufficient power to crush the other; one had to retreat and the other had to let him go unpunished. It seemed that all that remained for Michael was to rule and live peaceably as Grand Prince. He had no foe except Yuri, who, though he had made peace with Michael, would not acknowledge his headship; nay, more, he challenged Michael’s position directly. Causes and excuses for this were plentiful on every side. Yuri not only did not yield the disputed Tver boundaries to Michael, but he seized other lands in addition. At last Michael complained without ceasing that Yuri was taking Tver lands from him, while he, Michael, sought nothing save lands belonging to Tver in the time of his father. Yuri would not give peace to his rival in Novgorod or Vladimir; he roused both secret and open intrigues against him unceasingly through his adherents in the two cities, and tried to undermine Michael at all times. Novgorod as usual was divided against itself. Factions were at war in the city. Some were in favor of the prince, while others demanded his expulsion and wanted a new man.