The Wehrmacht's spying on Yakutsk was finally discovered.
Stepanov led a team of three hundred people to leave the castle and search southward.
As soon as he left the city, he was targeted by Dahu.
"There are many people on the other side, and I need your help."
Dahu decided to fight.
Facing a strong castle like Yakutsk, a surprise attack is meaningless and can only be attacked by force.
Since it was a forceful attack, it didn't matter whether it was discovered by the enemy or not.
Anyway, the army is already behind, so there shouldn't be much suspense about the victory of this battle.
Eliminating Stepanov in front of him and getting some information about the city can actually help the army fight.
Fifty kilometers south of Yakutsk, Dahu set up an ambush.
When Stepanov's expedition had just arrived, Dahu launched an attack.
Dahu has two mortars in his hands, which provides huge help in combat.
Otherwise, both sides are armed with muskets. Although the Wehrmacht and the expedition have advantages in range and accuracy, they will not win so easily.
But with the help of two mortars, the Stepanov expedition soon became overwhelmed.
Looking at the deft tactical movements of the Wehrmacht in the woods, Stepanov knew he was in trouble.
"Retreat, return to Yakutsk."
Although the number of Russians is greater, they are just an expedition team in the end. Facing the regular troops of the National Defense Forces, the gap in combat effectiveness between the two sides is too great.
Especially the flintlock rifles in their hands were no match for the Miné rifles, and they were beaten so hard that they couldn't even lift their heads.
The Russians retreated and the Wehrmacht pursued them.
The battle lasted three days.
In the end, Stepanov returned to Yakutsk with more than 50 remaining men.
The National Defense Forces and the expedition team killed more than 200 enemies and took more than a dozen prisoners.
The Russian prisoners didn't have any backbone. They fell into Dahu's hands and just used a little torture, but they immediately said something.
When he learned that there were only more than a thousand people in Yakutsk and that it was the largest stronghold nearby, Dahu couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief.
"Mr. Governor, they are Khitans. Their weapons are very powerful, and they also have a weird artillery. This is the most powerful army I have ever seen, and we are by no means an opponent. My suggestion is to retreat immediately."
Franzbekov's good mood was gone.
He slowly put down the wine glass and looked at Stepanov's bloody body, still a little unconvinced.
"Man, what happened to you to make you talk nonsense like this? I admit that our Russian army is not the strongest, but it is far from being defeated at will. Just those Tatars and Oaras people?"
Stepanov was very anxious.
"Not the Tatars, nor the Oaras, but the Khitans, the Khitans who are more terrifying than the Mongols."
Well, the Russians also couldn’t tell the difference between the peoples of the East.
In their knowledge, the most impressive people are naturally the Mongols. They know a little bit that the Mongols are divided into Tatars and Oaras.
Those who were more oriental than the Mongols were all called Khitan by them.
"Khitan?"
Franzbekov frowned.
"As far as I know, the Khitans are very weak and can only live in the warm and comfortable south. How did they get here?"
Stepanov didn't even know what to say.
The enemy arrived in an instant, but the new governor was still here slowly solving the case.
"I don't know, but the language those people speak is completely different from the Tatars. Mr. Governor, I have to remind you that their force is very powerful. I don't know if there are more troops behind them. Just rely on We ourselves may not be able to defend Yakutsk."
Franzbekov did not listen.
He spent a lot of money in Moscow in order to come here to be the governor.
If we don’t get our money back, wouldn’t we be losing money to our grandma’s family?
Those explorers who came to the East made a lot of money, and when they returned to Moscow, they boasted and showed off everywhere, which had long made him jealous.
In the mouths of those people, the East is simply paradise.
There are only some ignorant and weak nomads here who can be conquered by just applying a little force. But the wealth obtained from here is endless.
Moreover, such pioneering efforts can be rewarded by the Tsar and promoted to a noble noble with a high status.
Now that you are here, you cannot leave easily.
If Yakutsk was lost, he would have nothing.
"You said the Khitans have a strange kind of artillery? Is it very powerful?"
Stepanov was helpless and could only answer.
"The shells will explode, killing or maiming people around them, but they are not very powerful and the range is not very far."
Franzbekov only cared about what was important.
"Can such artillery be used against our city walls?"
Stepanov still has this bit of military knowledge.
"Absolutely impossible."
Well, this judgment completely harmed the Russians in Yakutsk.
"Then what else do we need to worry about? In the process of our exploration, we have faced enemy sieges many times, and we have relied on strong fortifications to defend ourselves. Don't worry, my man, we just need to report the situation. , and then defend properly. When reinforcements arrive, victory will still be ours. I promise you that after victory, you will be allowed to deal with the enemy in your own way."
Stepanov was so moved by this generous condition that he inexplicably did not persist.
Otherwise, greed is the greatest sin.
The Russians in Yakutsk did not choose to escape, but began to actively prepare for war.
Franzbekov just sent a team of troops to report the situation here to the rear.
He optimistically estimated that reinforcements would be available within one or two months at the latest.
But unlike the calm situation in Yakutsk, here in Kiliansk, Lord Andrei, as the highest official nearby, immediately realized the seriousness of the problem after receiving intelligence from all parties.
Kuznetsk was attacked by the Khitans, Barguzin was attacked by the Khitans, and enemy conditions also appeared in Yakutsk.
From west to east, thousands of miles away, problems occurred at the same time, and they were still facing the same enemy.
As an experienced politician, how could Andre not know that this was the empire's painstaking plot against Russia?
But what troubled him was that he didn't understand the empire at all, and neither did the people around him.
The scariest thing is when an enemy suddenly appears without any information.
There was no way, who told Nijinsky who was envoy to Khalkha Mongolia to be caught by the Wehrmacht?
Otherwise, Nijinsky, who had seen the Wehrmacht combat with his own eyes, would surely be able to provide sufficient reference.
Now Andre can only make random guesses. Regardless of whether it is accurate or not, he knows that the matter is serious.
The situation was beyond his capabilities.
The previous development was too smooth, which made the Russians all arrogant.
As a result, all Russian expeditions and armies were scattered over thousands of miles, unable to form a joint force at all.
If each place fights on its own, I'm afraid the empire will defeat them one by one.
"Send it to His Majesty immediately. We need Moscow's help."
Andre was very calm. Since he had nothing to do, he would report it.
