1097 was a hard year for all Britons.
Not only because, as Zhang Tao had mentioned earlier, a pilgrimage made up of women and children had set out the year before. Under the pretext of protecting those women and children, the king reached an agreement with his elder brother, Duke Robert. William lent Robert ten thousand marks for his expedition, while Robert put up Normandy as collateral for the loan.
Traveling with the duke were the Count of Flanders, the Count of Boulogne, and many other important figures. This left the king not only without money, but also without enough soldiers and commanders at his disposal, while those ruling the country still had to frequently send troops into Wales.
Weapons of war were vital instruments of the state. Qimen Dunjia had military purposes, and the outcome of a war did indeed determine a nation's fate to a certain extent.
At Christmas in 1097, King William was in Normandy. He returned to Britain shortly before Easter because he intended to hold court at Winchester. But bad weather delayed him until Easter, so he landed at Arundel and then held court at Windsor. After that, he led his army into Wales and, with the help of some Welshmen who had come to join him and were willing to act as guides, crossed the entire country over a vast area.
He remained there from around the summer solstice until August, suffering losses in men, horses, and other resources. At that point, some Welshmen deserted their king and chose many new leaders from among themselves, one of whom was Cadwgan.
Seeing that his goal could not be achieved, the king withdrew from Wales and soon afterward ordered castles built along the border.
Then the comet appeared. The Archbishop of Canterbury received the king's permission