"Breakthrough!"
Mikhail breathed a heavy sigh of relief.
After the second wave of elite Cossacks rushed up, they finally broke through the Ming army's firepower net.
However, when another battalion of infantry from the Ming army also came from the left and right sides, forming a crossfire and blocking the subsequent troops.
Mikhail sighed after seeing this.
The order to retreat was immediately given.
"Retreat! Retreat!!"
Mikhail no longer wanted to waste the lives of his men in vain on the pasture of Chatuk Ranch.
Because even if the first defense of the Ming army was broken up.
Then the Ming army quickly formed the second and third formations.
Moreover, when the momentum of the Russian cavalry's attack was blocked, they did not have much advantage in hand-to-hand combat. Some of the Chinese were equipped with pistols that could fire continuously, which also caused huge casualties to the Cossack cavalry.
The Russians' retreat was as seamless as their attack.
On the battlefield, war horses neighed and the sound of killing shook the sky.
The sound of gunfire, wails, and screams were endless.
The Russian army suffered heavy casualties, both in attack and retreat.
But they finally broke away from contact with the Ming army and disappeared into the vast night.
"The Rakshasa ghost has escaped!"
Chen Liansheng shook his head regretfully.
Although there was a battle tonight, at least more than 3,000 Russian soldiers were left behind.
In addition, those who ran away in the chaos and died of injuries.
The Russians suffered at least more than 5,000 casualties in this battle.
If he had a capable cavalry on hand, the casualties of these Russians would be even greater!
However, this battle was obviously a complete victory for the Ming army!
Use less to defeat more, use steps to defeat cavalry.
His own casualties were only a few hundred, but he himself killed 5,000 enemy troops. There were only over 10,000 Russian soldiers left who could maintain combat effectiveness!
This created very favorable conditions for subsequent large force siege.
This battle.
Naturally, the Ming army won.
Of course, the idea of annihilating the opponent is there.
But with only five thousand troops, it is obviously difficult to do this. It would be good to win - not to mention that these five thousand troops are still the vassal army conquering Xidusi.
Mikhail took the remaining defeated soldiers to meet with Repnin, and then contacted the reserve team led by Crown Prince Paul.
The casualties of the Russian army in this battle were actually greater than Chen Liansheng expected.
There are quite a few Russian troops who got lost on the prairie - in this vast Gobi wilderness, once they get lost, the possibility of dying of starvation or thirst in this wilderness is extremely high.
In the end, there were only just over 10,000 Russian soldiers left, and more than 11,000 people were left.
The lives of more than 8,000 Russian soldiers were lost in Chatuk.
The faces of the three senior Russian military officers were not very good.
On the contrary, Mikhail was the first to say: "Although this war failed, we did not gain anything. First of all, we tested the Chinese people's combat effectiveness. They are not the Tatars of the Siberian steppes. They have very outstanding capabilities." With their military organization and logistical organization capabilities, they can create more powerful weapons and equipment than the Europeans.”
"Secondly, we also discovered the powerful combat power of rifled guns, grenades, and howitzers. This shows us the value of this kind of firearms. Rifled guns and bombardment cannons, the Russian Empire must equip them even if they are trying to sell iron."
"Secondly, it is the degree of threat posed by the Ming Empire. This war proves the strength of our opponent. This country will be the biggest threat to the entire Russian Empire. In the past, the idea of losing to the West and making up for the East must be reversed. We are probably losing to the East and making up for it in the West - the enemies in the East are far more powerful than those in the West, and we know why they are powerful. This is our greatest advantage. We can use the advanced tactics and tactics learned from the Ming Empire. Advanced weapons, seizing enough land from the Turks and Poles - compared with Siberia, the fertile soil on the Black Sea and the Great Plains of Eastern Europe are the things that are truly worth the Russian Empire's efforts to fight for, and this .”
Mikhail looked at Crown Prince Paul
"The Queen may have overlooked this!"
Repnin said in a deep voice.
Crown Prince Paul frowned: "Then what do we need to do?"
Repnin and Mikhail looked at each other.
Mikhail said: "Negotiate!"
"With whom to negotiate?" Crown Prince Paul asked.
"Negotiate with the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty." Mikhail took a deep breath. "The first is the issue of prisoners. In this battle, at least two to three thousand of our injured soldiers will be captured by the opponent. We must bring them back, because this It’s your capital.”
"My capital?" Crown Prince Paul was stunned, not knowing what Mikhail meant.
"The Russian Empire needs change, Your Highness."
"I agree!" Paul nodded.
"So, we can temporarily negotiate with the Chinese, and we can pay a sufficient price in exchange for He Ping." Repnin also said.
"Impossible, it is impossible for me to sign any treaty with the Chinese emperor that is detrimental to the interests of the Russian Empire!" The prince of the Russian Empire waved his hands repeatedly.
The two generals looked at each other.
"Your Highness, the contract will be secret, and I think it is not appropriate to publicize the news of the defeat now. We must return to Moscow in a victorious manner!"
"The Chinese will not agree."
"No, they will agree!"
"Why?" Paul shook his head, feeling that this general was too naive. Why did the Chinese agree? They have gained an advantage on the battlefield.
"Because you can sell the land east of Irkutsk to the Chinese!"
"!!" Paul suddenly stared. Is this general crazy?
"Yes, we don't need the East! The Russian Empire is a European country!" Mikhail said, "We can exchange the land of the East for Chinese weapons."
"Then what?" Paul's eyes flashed and he asked in a low voice.
"Then... launch a war against the Turks!" Repnin said, "Who in Europe now knows how powerful the Chinese weapons are? If we lose Eastern Siberia, we can gain the entire Balkan Peninsula and the Caucasus!"
Paul's face looked uncertain.
"Will the Queen agree?"
"This army is loyal to you, Your Highness."
Paul Petrovich's face changed slightly.
He could imagine that by redeeming the prisoners from the Chinese and adding the remaining troops in Irkutsk, he would still have 15,000 soldiers.
If you return to Moscow in a victorious manner, and take the weapons given by the Chinese.
Paul pictured this.
The hands holding the reins were shaking slightly.
He knew that his emperor mother didn't like him.
If he returns from defeat this time, his position as crown prince will definitely be deprived of him - and the palace politics of the Russian Empire are so cruel, can the crown prince who was deprived of his position of crown prince still survive?
"Your Highness, the Russian Empire does not need an old and dizzy old woman. We need a new emperor who is energetic, young and powerful!"
"We cannot fight the Chinese in Siberia for dozens or hundreds of years and bleed the blood of the Russians. Only Western Europeans, Poles, and Turks are happy about this."
Paul's face changed slightly.
"So, this is an opportunity to use the frozen soil of Eastern Siberia in exchange for the Russian Empire to completely control the Balkan Peninsula and the Caucasus - as long as we have the same weapons as the Chinese, we will definitely be able to defeat the Turks!" Mikhail said.
"Then can we"
Paul looked east.
Repnin shook his head: "Your Highness, the Chinese have joined the struggle for hegemony in this world, and we can only choose one direction."
"Either East or West."
"Either fight with the Chinese or fight with the Turks!"
Do you still need to choose?
On the one hand, the Chinese can fight much more than the Turks.
on the other hand.
Land values in the Balkans and Caucasus far exceed those in Eastern Siberia.
"Now is the time to make up for what is lost in the East and make up for the loss in the West and the South," Mikhail said.
(End of chapter)
