Kremlin, polygonal palace.
Under the auspices of the seriously ill Tsar Feodor, a royal meeting related to changes in the national policy of the Rakshasa Kingdom is being held.
Participating in this meeting were not only the Chief Minister, Grand Duke Miloslavsky, the Imperial Ministers Yazikov and Likhachev, the Foreign Minister, Grand Duke Vasily Golitsin, but also the Tsar's teacher "Grand Master" Polotsky , as well as the Tsar's "senior brother", the dean of the Slavonic-Greek-Latin Academy (the first university in the Rakshasa Kingdom) Mrs. Silivester Medve, it can be said that they are all in one place!
The above six, except for the Tsar's grandfather Miloslavsky, the other five are really capable. They are also good helpers in the series of military and political reforms promoted by Tsar Feodor III.
Although the current Rakshasa country has a vast territory and abundant resources, and can be considered to have a large population in Europe, Rakshasa's military, politics, and economy are all very backward. Not to mention compared with the Western powers such as France, England, the Netherlands, and Spain, even compared with the "friendly neighbors" next to Rakshasa, such as the Ottomans, Poland, and Sweden, it is not enough.
It is unbelievable to say that the military system of this Rakshasa Kingdom was even worse than that of the Kangxi Dynasty. The Kangxi Dynasty at least had the professional Eight Banners Army and the Green Camp soldiers who needed to do odd jobs to maintain them.
The Rakshasa Kingdom currently does not have a new European-style army. It relies on the "green camp" shooting army and the feudal aristocratic militia to fight. Among them, the shooting army's military salary is too low, so they usually have a lot of part-time jobs, and their life is not as good as that of the green camp. Of course, the aristocratic militia is even weaker. If the relatively new muskets and cannons were not introduced from Western Europe, the craftsmen of Mao Xiong would have made them. The level of these aristocratic militia would be similar to that of Kievan Rus.
However, the Cossacks of the Rakshasa Kingdom are still quite fierce, a bit like the wild Eight Banners, and they also have relatively advanced muskets from Western Europe, making them light cavalry that are more difficult to deal with.
But just one Cossack cannot change the overall backwardness of Rakshasa. If we really want to change, we have to have radical reforms by Peter the Great. But now Peter the Great is still a big boy, so Rakshasa is still a large and backward country.
If you fall behind, of course you will be beaten! So Poland had severely repaired the Rakshasa before, and now it was Osman's turn to roll up his sleeves and beat the Rakshasa bear. In the original history, the northern overlord Sweden also ended up beating the Rakshasa country.
However, although the Rakshasa Kingdom is lagging behind, it can survive. The land is vast, the resources are abundant, the weather is cold, and both the nobles and the common people can endure hardships, so every time they defeat the enemy by fighting bad battles.
Before, we fought the Polish-Russian War with Dabobo, which lasted for thirteen years! It’s the Little Ice Age now, how cold it is today! Thirteen years was the "Thirteen Winters General". The Polish knights couldn't stand it anymore, so they had to sign the "Androsovo Armistice Agreement" with Mao Xiong, which included parts of Ukraine and Belarus on the east bank of the Dnieper River, as well as Smolensk and other areas. The provincial territory has been given to Mao Xiong.
But now, facing the joint attack of the Ottoman Empire, the Crimean Khanate, the Ottoman vassals, and Ukraine on the right bank, Mao Xiong is still a "boil" tactic, while launching the "Chigilin Expedition", taking advantage of the Gate of Ukraine on the right bank Unprepared, Mandoroshenko seized his home base of Chigilin Fortress in one fell swoop, and then relied on the fortress to conduct defensive battles and wait for "General Winter".
On the other hand, the long Izyumluzhai defense line was built in the southern part of Ukraine on the left bank to resist the attacks of the Ottoman Empire and the Crimean Khanate army.
This so-called Luzhai Defense Line is not an advanced thing. It means first digging a long trench (the Izyum Defense Line plus the Tula Defense Line to defend Moscow in the north, a total of more than 2,000 kilometers), and then inserting a large number of tops on one side of the trench. Sharpened hunting stakes. Behind the trench is an Eastern European-style wooden wall, and there is a series of fortresses along the line.
Although this line of defense is not very solid, the climate in the Mao Xiong family is really impressive. There is a muddy period of snowmelt and snow in spring and autumn. As for winter, this is the 17th century! It's dozens of degrees below zero, and if you attack the Luzhai defense line, which is as cold as stone, you'll end up losing your life no matter how you look at it.
Therefore, we really can't chew on the defense line for many days in a year, which is the period from late spring to early autumn, which lasts for four or five months. If the attacking side cannot successfully cover up its intentions and concentrate its forces to achieve a breakthrough, but instead exposes its whereabouts and allows Mao Xiong's army to make targeted mobilization, then this line of defense will be difficult to crack - dig trenches, bury It is not difficult to build piles and wooden walls. While the enemy is attacking, the bear can repair them at the same time. He can survive the early autumn. When it rains and snows and the ground becomes muddy, the enemy's logistics cannot keep up. If he does not withdraw his troops, he will starve. If he withdraws, he will We had to walk on a dirt road, and it would be terrible if we were chased by a bear-bearing Cossack!
The Poles had suffered from this bad war for thirteen years, while the Ottomans had just suffered the first blow under the Chigirin Fortress in 1676. If there had been no such thing as the Mongolian attack, the Turks would have had to suffer for five years before Muhammad IV Musultan would give up in tears and turn around to attack Vienna, which had no furry bears and "Winter General".
But this bad war is actually more difficult than suffering. The Turks, the Ukrainians, the Tatars, and the Rakshasa are also suffering. Although the furry bear can endure hardship better than all of them, it is always better to suffer less.
So after learning about the "Rise of Great Mongolia" and "Mongolia's Western Expedition", Grand Duke Miloslavsky, the chief minister of the Rakshasa Kingdom, wanted to create a "Mongol threat theory" and then use this as an excuse to go to Turkey. People make peace.
"Your Majesty the Tsar, we achieved a great victory at the Chigirin Fortress last autumn, and now the defense line of Izyum Deer Village has begun to take shape. The Turks should know that it is unwise to compete with us for the left bank of Ukraine. The Turks who are accustomed to warmth and dryness simply cannot stand it. The winter of Rakshasa. Now Muhammad IV must have regretted it. If we can give him a suitable step, such as the rise of Mongolia and the Mongolian Western Expedition, I think he is still willing to make peace with us. If the Turks can admit that we have Left Bank Ukraine, that will be a major victory! With this victory, the Tsar's prestige will be significantly improved, and the subsequent reforms will be much easier."
If Rakshasa can force Türkiye back now, it will be a great victory!
Feodor III, who had just come to power last year and was full of problems but still had a good brain, wanted to advance his reforms. The easiest way was to use victory in a foreign war to increase his prestige.
The Tsar did not agree immediately, but looked at a few people in the Polygonal Palace, "What do you think? Do you think Muhammad IV will use the rise of the Mongols again as a reason to retreat? In addition, do you know? This sudden rise of Mongolia? They didn’t seem to be very powerful a few years ago. Only a tribe called Junggar had some strength. Why did they suddenly go westward now?"
Mrs. Silivester Medve bowed humbly to the Tsar: "Your Majesty, the news from Western Europe and the East shows that in the past ten years, a drastic change has occurred in the East Asian world. Although this upheaval has not ended yet, everything has changed. The Tatars, who originally ruled the center of East Asian civilization, have lost most of the central territory of East Asia. But at the same time, this Tatar dynasty has opened up They are in Mongolian territory, and the Tatar emperor has also begun to use the name of the Mongol Khan to order the Mongols on the grassland. If I guessed correctly, the newly emerged Mongolia did not appear out of thin air, but The Tatar dynasty that lost most of its central territory in East Asia.”
After all, Mr. MedwJ was the founder of the first university in the history of Rakshasa Kingdom. He was well-informed and could think deeply. After some analysis, it turned out to be almost the same.
The Tsar asked feebly: "But how can a failed Tatar dynasty have the strength to threaten our Rakshasa and the Ottoman Empire?"
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Grand Duke Vasily Golitsin, took the question and replied: "Your Majesty, I believe that the strength of the Tatar Dynasty comes from a sufficient reform! According to the information I have, the reason why the Tatar Dynasty lost its great power is Part of the core area of East Asian civilization is because an all-round revolution has taken place there! It involves many aspects such as military, politics, education, etc. What needs special attention is that the people there seem to have redefined the monarchy!"
"Redefined monarchy?" the Tsar asked with interest. "Did those Easterners adopt a monarchy similar to the French 'I am the State'?"
The reference object of the Rakshasa reform is of course the France of Louis XIV - the reform led by the Czar will definitely not regard the Netherlands and England as the reference objects. If it does, it will destroy itself and make it empty. This is too unfair. Rakshasa.
So although Tsar Feodor was very weak, he still felt that he should become a powerful tsar!
"No, no, just the opposite." Grand Duke Vasily Golitsin said, "They adopted an Eastern GH system that deprived the monarch of his actual power and placed the country in the Senate, the Citizens' Assembly, and a commander-in-chief and two Under the management of a tribune (Shang Shu Zuocheng and Shangshu Youcheng were interpreted as tribunes by some Western scholars)."
The Tsar was astonished!
This Rakshasa Kingdom is known as the Third Rome, so Tsar Feodor was very familiar with the "allusions of the previous dynasty". He was stunned for a while before muttering and asked: "Senate? Citizens' Assembly? Commander-in-Chief Tribune?" Vasily, are you talking about the Khitan in the East, or the GH period of the First Rome?"
"My Majesty," Grand Duke Vasily Golitsin said, "that country in the east is called 'Ming', which means the country of light. The political system they currently adopt is indeed similar to the Roman GH country! It is precisely because of this With his political system, he was able to form a strong army and regained most of the lost territory from the Tatars in just a few years.”
Tsar Feodor looked gloomy and said coldly: "Vasily is not allowed to use the terms of the GH period of ancient Rome in the future for that Eastern Kingdom of Light!"
The Tsar was afraid of misunderstanding - the Rakshasa was currently reforming! If the system of the GH period of ancient Rome was correct, then as the Rakshasa of the Third Rome, should GH be restored?
If we really change it like this, the Tsar will lose it again!
"Yes, Your Majesty!" Grand Duke Vasily Golitsin quickly admitted his mistake, "Your Majesty, I was wrong. I should not have used a name from the Roman GH period for the Eastern Kingdom of Light. This country is not worthy of Rome anyway. At most she is a large Netherlands with a population of tens of millions!”
A "Greater Netherlands" with a population of tens of millions. The Tsar thought: Is it so powerful? The Netherlands now has a population of only 3 million. If the Netherlands had a population of 30 million, Louis XIV would definitely be defending Paris by now.
"Then, what does the reform of this Kingdom of Light have to do with the Great Mongolia of the Tatars? What power do they have?" The tsar still changed the subject. Regarding the issue of Roman GH and Dutch GH, in the Rakshasa country, it is still It’s better to say less!
After all, French King Louis XIV’s “I am the country” is the right way!
“The reforms of the Kingdom of Light also spread to the Tatar dynasty,” Golitsin said. “According to the reports of German and Portuguese missionaries who preached among the Tatars, the Tatar Emperor Kangxi also followed the example of the Kingdom of Light and opened the reform."
"He, how did he change?" the tsar asked quickly - he did not believe that the Tatar emperor would change himself.
"Of course he is not as radical as the Kingdom of Light," Grand Duke Vasily Golitsin replied, "But he also established a Senate, which may be similar to the early Roman Empire, right? And he also followed the example of the Kingdom of Light in carrying out military reforms, and also The focus of development has shifted from the core areas of East Asia to the grasslands of the north."
Early Roman Empire?
Tsar Feodor III said in his heart: This is also very powerful!
Thinking of this, he said to his two confidants Yazikov and Likhachev: "Imperial Minister Yazikov and Imperial Minister Likhachev, I order you to each lead an envoy. Among them One is sent as an envoy to the Tartar dynasty, and the other is sent as an envoy to the Kingdom of Light."
He turned back and said to Grand Duke Vasily Golitsin: "Vasily, go to Constantinople to discuss the armistice and joint defense of Mongolia with Muhammad IV. We Rakshasa and them Ottomans, history We have all suffered greatly from the Mongols. This Mongolia now looks very powerful, we cannot take it lightly!"
In fact, there was no need for Tsar Feodor III to send an envoy south to Istanbul, and Sultan Muhammad IV had already learned about the revival of the Great Mongolia!
Because the Bukhara Khanate and the Khiva Khanate in Central Asia are theoretically vassals of the Ottoman Sultan, the coalition forces of the Bukhara Khanate and the Khiva Khanate encountered the "Chagatai" from the east this summer. Army". And they also suffered big losses on the banks of the Chu River at the northern foot of the Tianshan Mountains!
The coalition forces of the Bukhara Khanate and the Khiva Khanate encountered a very cunning Chagatai army. They adopted the Mongolian "kite flying tactics" and first used a small number of musketeers to lure the enemy. After Hill's cavalry caught up, they used their muskets to shoot accurately while running away. In this way, Bukhara and Hill's cavalry were introduced into their preset encirclement! Then they used an ambush consisting mainly of pikemen and musketeers to catch the cavalry of both countries off guard. As a result, the entire army was wiped out and 20,000 cavalry were lost in one battle!
This Chagatai Khanate seems to be quite powerful!
In addition, Sultan Muhammad IV also learned from the envoys from Bukhara and Khiva who asked for help that the Mongols launching the western expedition were divided into three groups. On the northern route was a khan from the Golden Horde, a man named Led by a Mongolian named Galdan. In the middle is the main force led by the Mongolian Emperor Kangxi Khan! However, what the coalition forces of Bukhara and Khiva encountered was only their Southern Route Army, led by a Khan of the Chagatai Khanate named "Sima Yi".
Just the Southern Route Army is already so difficult to deal with. If the three armies come together, the situation will be really serious!
The last caliph recognized by the Tianfang Sect, Mustersim, was killed by the Mongols during the Western Expedition. After Mustersim, the caliph recognized by the entire Tianfang Sect must be Muhammad IV!
Although his caliphate is not in Baghdad, but in Istanbul, which is relatively far away from Central Asia. But Baghdad is also his territory. If the Persians cannot withstand it, once the Mongolian army attacks Baghdad, as the Ottoman Sultan, he cannot ignore it. If we don't care about this, will the Guards below still be in trouble?
And if you can't defeat him if you send out troops, you'll be gone!
Muhammad IV was worrying, and his most trusted eldest vicar Kara Mustafa had already walked in and saluted the fat Sultan who was sitting on the sofa in a daze and didn't look very fierce: "Your Majesty the Sultan, the Rakshasa Kingdom's mission has arrived in Azov City and put forward a peace proposal. The Rakshasa people also feel the threat of the Great Mongolia and hope to reconcile with us and reach a common agreement to oppose Mongolia's westward expansion. alliance!"
(End of chapter)
