Nikephoros Bryennios hesitated, tryng to avoid rather than begin a rebellion; but he was repeatedly urged to act by his brother Ioannes from Adrianople. Later he set off for Adrianople, and was met by Ioannes at Traianoupolis with a great force of Franks and Macedonian troops. Ioannes, to save time, brought imperial insignia with him - a red, horse-drawn coach, a purple robe and red shoes. But Nikephoros still held back, asking for time to think before making a decision. Some of his men threatened Traianoupolis, so he set guards outside the walls to keep the peace. But this precaution was nullified by three young friends enjoying themselves, Bryennios the patrikios, Koutzoumites and Basileios Kourtikios. Their game reached the guards outside the walls, whom they congratulated for being awake. They then scaled the walls with ladders and found the guards there asleep, so they woke them and made them acclaim Nikephoros as emperor. Their provocation then stopped, but was enough for all Traianoupolis to acclaim Nikephoros as emperor and, with his army commanders, force him to a decision. He adopted the insignia and took oaths from all present to follow him to the end. He punished Konstantinos Theodorokanos, who had attacked some of his supporters, but was defeated and arrested. He was not treated in the violent way Konstantinos expected because of their previous enmity. Nikephoros finally set off in the red coach to Adrianople, where he had to buy off Pechenegs besieging the city. He received a warm welcome. He could easily have been stopped at any stage by Michael VII's Athanatoi, three days' journey away in the capital, but the emperor did nothing. When he finally acted he made things worse