In another history of time and space, the talented Wang Zhenyi was lonely and helpless. In the torrent of the world, she is like a small boat, small and fragile.
In an era when the concept of "men are superior to women" was deeply rooted, although she wrote sixty-four volumes of works to show her talent and learning. But no matter what, Wang Zhenyi is destined not to be accepted by mainstream cultural circles.
It was popular among the official ladies of this era to start a poetry club, recite poems and paint, with the purpose of marrying better and more decently. And how could Wang Zhenyi, who devoted herself to studying mathematics and astronomy and did not want to get married, be accepted?
Zhao Xin's eyes became softer and softer, and he suddenly made a bold move, stretching out his left arm and gently hugging Wang Zhenyi's waist.
Wang Zhenyi was startled, with a look of anger and annoyance between her brows, but for some reason, she didn't break free from the embrace of the man opposite her.
"I......"
"Do not talk."
After saying that, Wang Zhenyi turned around in Zhao Xin's arms and looked at the sea in the distance. The two of them stood in silence for a long time, until their bodies were covered with snowflakes and the sky was getting dark.
In fact, as long as Zhao Xin is in Beihai Town, his whereabouts will definitely be watched. So when he was found by his men and returned to the office shortly after, Shen Xuan learned about the scene on the beach.
The apparent calmness didn't mean that Shen Xuan didn't care. She tossed and turned that night, and it was almost dawn before she gradually fell asleep. When she saw Zhao Xin the next day, Shen Xuan didn't ask a question, as if nothing had happened.
The next morning, Zhao Xin received a telegram from Kyaktu. In the telegram, Lu Shoushan detailed the results of the interrogations of Tian Tonghe, Pavlov, and Ragutin, and explained that Ushiha's kidnapping was purely to bring disaster to Chiyu. In addition, he specifically mentioned in the telegram that the use of the "lie detector" was very effective.
Zhao Xin read Tian Tonghe's interrogation records back and forth several times, and he found that this person had an extremely conceited character; generally such people are either very smart, or they are over-the-top and self-righteous.
Zhao Xin also asked Shen Jingdan what kind of people the Yuci Chang family were. Shen Jingdan didn't know much about Shanxi merchants before, but since taking charge of the trade department in Beihai Town, he has gradually learned about the situation of some northern business groups.
Among the several Shanxi businesses currently engaged in trade with Russia in Kyakhta, the one with the longest operating history and the largest scale is Changjia in Chewang Town, Yuci. The head of the family of the previous generation was named Chang Wanda. This person became a wealthy businessman mainly by selling tea. He also participated in Qianlong's "Thousands of Old Banquets" a few years ago. The current head of the family is Chang Wanda's eldest son Chang Huaiju. It is said that this person is good at calculating and planning and has very good negotiation skills. Moreover, he is a man who hides himself deeply and has the wind of Duanmu.
For the Chang family to send such an arrogant guy as Tian Tonghe to be the shopkeeper in Kyaktu, it is obviously not like the latter. This Tian Tonghe seems to have some ability. Since it started by selling tea, its tentacles will definitely spread all over Mongolia, both internal and external vassals, otherwise the Sino-Russian trade alone would have been over in the past two years.
At present, Beihai Town is still confused about the intelligence of the various ministries in Outer Mongolia. Zhao Xin is simply exhausted from checking the information from another time and space. After thinking of this, Zhao Xin asked Lu Shoushan to arrange a talk with the shopkeeper Tian to learn more about the economic and people's livelihood conditions of various Mongolian ministries. At the same time, if this person is really capable, see if he can be used as his own.
A few days later, on November 26, 1788, nearly two months after the Northern Navy captured Irkutsk, the Sixth Russo-Turkish War was underway. Peter Alexander, who was in charge of commanding the Ukrainian Army Group On the orders of Empress Catherine II, Marshal Rumyantsev returned to St. Petersburg to attend a military meeting chaired by the Empress.
The so-called sixth "Russian-Turkish War" was actually a war between the Russian-Austrian Alliance and the Turkish-Swiss Alliance brokered by Prussia. Most of the combat operations this year were the offensive and defensive battles of Ochakov Fortress commanded by Potemkin, and Rumyantsev's task was mainly to cover the left wing of Potemkin's Ekaterina Army from the direction of Bingera.
Originally in July, Rumyantsev had led his troops across the Dniester River, entered Moldova, and marched to the lower reaches of the Prut River in an attempt to find the main force of the Ottoman army for a decisive battle. However, since the Tsarist Empire and its ally Austria used each other more than they cooperated, they lacked close strategic coordination and the results on land were not great.
Just when Rumyantsev had reached an agreement with Austria, promising to work together to deal with Austria after the war with Turkey in order to extend the alliance between the two parties, the news brought by the Queen's messenger shocked Rumyantsev.
Suvorov, the commander-in-chief of the Eastern Front Army who was responsible for commanding the war against the Qing Empire, was defeated and captured. It was a disastrous defeat!
Rumyantsev followed the empress's order, handed over to Repnin, and hurried back. When he saw the Queen, the marshal was deeply surprised by her old face.
Catherine II, who is nearly sixty years old, can no longer take the time to take care of everything as she once did - not only enjoying the fun of love with her new love Mamonov, but also handling every major national event.
Unlike many people's imagination of wearing a crown, the Queen wore a very ordinary home-made hair cap. The hair cap set off her round, wrinkled face, making her look like a kind old nun. , or a highly respected grandmother in a citizen's family.
Despite all her well-known weaknesses, she is good at identifying and valuing people who are capable and able to get things done. This is evidenced by her reuse of Rumyantsev, Suvorov, Hrabovich and others. But the recent love affair shows that the queen, who is over sixty years old, has fallen into illusions and delusions. With an unprecedented innocence and childishness, she actually believed that a person who was more than thirty years younger than her would have true love for her.
"Alexandrovitch, how is the journey going?"
"Nothing special, Your Majesty." Rumyantsev bent down to salute, then leaned forward and kissed the back of Catherine II's hand.
"Gentlemen, let's talk about the army that defeated Suvorov."
As soon as the Queen finished speaking, General Springel stood up and recounted to the members of the Military Council the news he had received from the "Governor of the Broken Hand" Ivan Jacobi.
When he heard that the army defeated Suvorov in two days at the end of August and captured Irkutsk a month later, Rumyantsev showed an expression of disbelief and said in amazement: "This How is that possible?! Did they have wings and fly there?"
He first turned to the page of the defense map of Yaksa City in the folder, looked at the star-shaped fortress on it, and thought that if he led the troops by himself, it would be impossible to attack such a fortress in two days without three hundred cannons.
Besides, the journey from Yaksa to Irkutsk, which is thousands of miles away, only takes a month? The enemy must have sent a force to bypass Yaksa and attack Nerchinsk, taking advantage of the lack of troops in the rear to launch a sneak attack. Only in this way can it be explained.
General Springer said: "Due to the weather, the reconnaissance personnel we sent to Eastern Siberia have not yet sent back any news. I believe that in another ten days, we will be able to obtain accurate information."
Rumyantsev asked: "How is Count Jacobi's injury?"
The queen's secretary Hrabovich said: "The count's right hand was indeed chopped off, but he has recovered well and is no longer in serious trouble."
It is said that after Ivan Jacobi had one of his hands chopped off by Zhao Xin's guard Yin Bingwei, the accompanying North Korean navy doctor treated him. In order to prevent the other party's wound from becoming inflamed and eventually causing sepsis, he was injected with allicin developed by Hong Tao before he died on the way back to St. Petersburg.
After seven or eight stitches in a row, the already desperate governor found that his wound was recovering well, but the smell of garlic on his body was too strong. Even when he yawned, he could spray out a smell of garlic.
At this time the Empress asked Rumyantsev: "Alexandrovitch, what do you think of this strange army?"
Rumyantsev suddenly received so much information that was somewhat unbelievable to him, and he couldn't say anything for a while. He needed to go back and study the information carefully to make a correct judgment.
However, he was very optimistic about Suvorov and felt that only this person could inherit his military ideas and carry them forward. So he stood up and said: "Your Majesty, I think it is best to resolve it through negotiation first. After all, the current weather in Siberia is very unfavorable for troop mobilization. It will definitely be unsustainable for our troops to cross the ice and snow, and the logistical difficulties are also very difficult. Large, all artillery, ammunition and explosives need to be transported from the west of the Ural Mountains. As for the enemy's troops..."
Rumyantsev stood up and studied the map hanging on the wall for a moment. Everyone's eyes were focused on him, and he only heard him say slowly: "If we only make speculations based on the current intelligence, this is an extremely powerful force." A force that is good at field combat and attacking fortresses. If Yaksa really fell in two days, then I judge that their strength is at least close to 100,000, equipped with hundreds of cannons. And to support such a force, the logistics strength is also It would take 300,000 people.”
General Springer nodded and said: "That's what I thought. Now it seems that we had too little information about this army that was hostile to the Qing Emperor."
Rumyantsev said: "The intelligence brought back by Count Jacobi is not enough to judge the opponent's strength now. After all, the Count is not a soldier. So I think the negotiating team should set off as soon as possible. When they see Suvorov, Everything will be revealed. On this basis, we can formulate corresponding military deployments."
By the late Catherine II, the total military strength of the Tsarist Russian Empire reached 500,000, and military expenditure accounted for half of the national expenditure. Although the battle in the Heilongjiang Basin suffered heavy losses, it was not actually a loss of strength for the entire empire. After the news of Suvorov's defeat came back, many people, whether it was the Privy Council or the Army Academy, judged that the defeat was due to insufficient numbers of artillery and cavalry.
However, if a negotiating mission is to be sent, who should be sent? Besbroko is obviously not suitable. As the head of the Foreign Affairs Committee, he is also responsible for work in Europe.
Everyone waited for a moment and saw the Queen setting her sights on Count Gold. Earl Mujin stood up quickly when he saw it and said: "Your Majesty, I am willing to lead the team to Irkutsk, but I have one request. I hope you can allow Miller from the Royal Academy of Sciences to be the attaché of the mission."
He was just a sixth-grade civil servant, and the Queen happily agreed.
Prime Minister Besbroko, who had been silent for a long time, said at this time: "Your Majesty, I think we should send someone to contact the Qing Dynasty Council now and explain to them that what happened on the Amur River was actually a misunderstanding."
Earl Mu Jin said: "Your Excellency, I think there is no need to explain. As long as we can eliminate the Qing rebels, the Amur River will still be in our possession."
Besbroko said: "Now we don't even have Kyaktu, and the annual tariff losses are at least one million rubles. If we can't defeat that army, there must be a way out, right?"
Earl Mu Jin stood up and shouted loudly: "This is impossible!"
"No! This is very possible." Catherine II spoke. The defeat in the Heilongjiang battle was beyond her expectation, and her premonition failed again. The old lady, who is deeply aware of the impermanence of the world, understands that all success and honors are uncertain.
The Queen has said so, and Earl Gold does not dare to object anymore. However, considering that the two main border cities for communication between the Qing and Russia have been lost, if you want to contact the Qing Empire in the south, you can only reach the Sanyinnoyan tribe in Outer Mongolia through the western city of Krasnoyarsk in Eastern Siberia. , and got in touch with the Qing Dynasty from there.
Besbroko suddenly said: "Your Majesty, please forgive me for the offence. It would be best if you could write a letter to the Emperor of the Qing Empire."
"What's the reason?"
Besbroko explained: "Since the army that defeated us was also the enemy of the Qing emperor, can the two sides cooperate on this matter?"
"I'm going to think about it again."
The Queen felt that the meeting was almost over, so she finally said: "God bless, who will not encounter several major turning points in his life? The greatest people also stumbled when they failed. Didn't the late King of Prussia also suffer a major turning point in his life?" Did you become a great monarch only after you failed... Gentlemen, we have conquered the north and south and won countless victories. We cannot win by just showing contempt for the enemy, but we must assess the situation and be flexible. To change, we must move forward courageously.”
The Tsarist monarchs and ministers present here did not know where the torrent of the war in Eastern Siberia was taking them.
Since Peter I, after the Tsarist Russians tasted victory in their first foreign war, they fell out of control into war fanaticism. Even Catherine II, who once advocated external peace, followed Prussia's win over and embarked on a path of violent expansion in order to annex Poland.
When a monarch no longer considers the way he rules, nor the so-called fairness and prudence, greed and recklessness become the mainstream to please the monarch.
Although the Amur River was defeated and Eastern Siberia was lost, at this time Catherine II still believed that she could overcome all obstacles and all impossibilities.
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