Chapter 808: Escape as Fast as the Wind
Neither Kulakov nor Platonovich knew that behind them, Zhongyu Zvari Khan and the Mongolian Alxa leader Wangqin Banbar had long made up their minds to capture the Cossacks even if they couldn't catch them. Seizing the opportunity to harm the Russian civilians, they want to take a hard bite on the fat piece of "Guriyev Fortress".
So they not only chased across the Barn River, but also kept looking at Guliyev.
It's just that the overall quality of the cavalry team they led was far behind their firm determination.
After the team crossed the Barn River, the noise in the team was still barely audible. Many leaders, big and small, were blinded by the grand ambition of "catching old people in exchange for money", but in the Kulakov and Guryev Fortresses In the past few days of contact, and in the following days, as the team got closer and closer to Guliyev Fortress, the dissension within the team became louder again.
This is due to the intimidation that the Russians have accumulated in their hearts for a long time.
When people have the opportunity to retaliate against the oppressors above them, they become ruthless in their hearts. If they seize the opportunity, they will immediately dare to use white knives in and out with red knives. However, if they fail to seize the opportunity and just have this thought in their hearts, over time, many people will become jealous. The hostility and courage will dissipate. Just like in the current coalition army.
The Cossacks always avoided fighting and did not give them any chance to win a trivial victory. This was very demoralizing. Although it seemed that they were chasing the enemy to the north, they were very proud and their arrogance was in full swing. But this is all false!
Once the intention is exhausted, the morale will quickly dissipate like the white mist after seeing the sun.
For example, now, the team has chased across the Barn River and still failed to engage the Kazakhs. However, the Kazakh cavalry is always in front, and the traces are clearly visible. This made many people in the team start to feel confused.
Wari Khan and Wangqin Banbar also felt wary in their hearts. They were not young and fledgling people. Of course they felt strange when the Cossacks did this. It feels like being ‘fished’!
So they simply slowed down and took the opportunity to recover. At this time, they were less than a hundred miles away from Guliyev.
When a man on horseback is tired, he can still run by tying himself to the horse. It is not impossible to stay without getting off the saddle for two or three days. But even though people are made of iron, the horses under their crotches are not made of steel.
What's more, they were marching in the snow, and their horse power had to be maintained well. Necessary rest could not be skipped. If the horses really died, they would be doomed.
Kulakov and Platonovich are also veterans. As soon as the pursuers behind them slowed down, they felt something. If they choose to strike back at this time, they might be able to release a giant satellite, because this is the time when the Mongolian and Kazakh coalition forces are most confused. But they didn't dare to take risks easily, because the support troops behind them were almost there.
But when Russia was ready, their enemies also unified their thinking.
Wali Khan and Wangqin Banbar repeatedly talked about the 'good' future, and finally suppressed the messy thoughts in the team. They only eat meat and don't chew bones. If they encounter hard problems, they will run away. How much loss can they have? ? They are all cavalry.
Many people were convinced in this way.
Yes, to be fair, neither the Mongolian cavalry nor the Kazakh cavalry are any match for the Cossacks. But the civilians used to rob Russia are not opponents? It’s not that they must fight to the death with the Russians.
In early December of the 14th year of Chen Han Chengtian, on the shore of the Caspian Sea, as night fell, war clouds rolled over the snowy fields in the northeast of the Caspian Sea. Under the cover of night, tens of thousands of Kazakh and Mongolian cavalry, each with their own titles and their horses picking bells, appeared like Like a ghost, it quietly moved towards the Russian army's camp.
They didn't know the exact distance. They only knew that it was only thirty or forty miles away from Guliyev. There were still traces of Russians living here, but now they have all escaped.
That team of Cossacks should be at this place. After jogging for more than ten miles on horseback, tens of thousands of coalition elites all dismounted. The scouts in the front advanced quietly, and the large troops behind them also quietly followed.
At the same time, Russia was also ready to fight, but the date they chose to start the war was tomorrow, and the two sides made a mistake by one night.
The Russian soldiers who had received the order were enjoying a sweet sleep. This was probably the last good sleep in their lives. Others were sipping vodka silently. Tonight might be their last night.
However, these silent Russian soldiers also have different expressions. Some of them don't care, some are happy, some are worried about gains and losses, and some are worried. But no matter who they are, in this great era, they are just little ants involved in the torrent and cannot escape at all.
Kulakov was also drinking, and his expression was cheerful. Eight or nine thousand people came to Guliyev Fortress, including two regiments of regular troops. Together with the Cossack cavalry, he felt that tomorrow's war would be foolproof.
Platonovich looked indifferent. For a Cossack general, fighting was as simple and ordinary as drinking cold water. Since he first entered the army, he had lived a happy life for a few days in the past few years. of?
A history of Cossacks is a history of war. From the initial gangs and looting to the later conquests in the east and west, the wars in the south and north, in the four or five hundred years of development history of the Cossacks, there has been almost no interruption in the war. For example, the Astrakhan Cossacks where Platonovich is from, from his birth to now, have experienced the second half of the Fourth Russo-Turkish War, to the War of the Austrian Succession consisting of two Silesian Wars, the huge Seven Years War, the Fifth Russo-Turkish War, and then Russia's invasion of Poland also mobilized some Astrakhan Cossacks, and then now.
Platonovich didn't know what peace was. War was like life to him, and he was accustomed to it.
However, just when Platonovich turned around and left Kulakov's tent, a crisp gunshot came from the northeast of the Russian camp, followed by several more gunshots. This was the Cossack cavalry on guard duty exchanging fire with the enemy.
"Quick, take Sergei with you! Let's go." A Cossack fifty-man captain on horseback shouted loudly, threw away a pistol in his hand, pulled out a short gun from the saddle, aimed at the figure in front and immediately pulled the trigger.
Another gunshot, sparks came out of the muzzle, which exposed the position of the fifty-man captain. A Mongolian archer holding a rifle sat on horseback and aimed and shot. Then he quickly threw away the rifle, drew out his saber, and rushed up on horseback.
In this dark night, muskets are disposable items.
The teams on both sides collided in the night, and God was too unfriendly to them.
The gunshots one after another caused many people to fall down on both sides at the beginning, and then it was a matter of who had more people.
The Cossack fifty-man captain fell off his horse in response. But the Cossacks beside him looked back at him and knew that he was doomed. Holding a wounded man with a knife in the chest, the Cossacks who had not been entangled by the Mongols were galloping and fleeing desperately.
A team of Kazakh cavalrymen who heard the gunshots chased for a while, shouting and cursing, and seeing that they could not catch up, they could only return in disappointment. At this time, the Mongols had already dealt with all the Cossacks they surrounded.
But the leaders of the two teams looked unhappy because they were discovered.
Looking at the Cossack cavalry disappearing in the night, the two sighed softly. Even if the people held their mouths and the horses took off their bells, they could not escape the eyes of the Cossack scouts, and the plan of the surprise attack had been ruined.
When the news reached Wali Khan and Wangqin Bamba, the two did not feel disappointed. This sneak attack was originally a fluke. The Cossacks were veterans of hundreds of battles, and there would be no big loopholes in their defense, but tonight's march was just a surprise. The final victory still depends on the strength of numbers. Now that they have been discovered, they still have to attack by force.
"Light the torches. All troops, move forward quickly."
At the command, countless torches suddenly lit up in the night, forming a long queue on the snowy plain, and rushed towards the Russian camp in a mighty manner.
However, at this time, the Russians were already prepared. In the early stage, a regiment of regular Russian troops, in companies, hid on the spot in the snow inside and outside the camp with white cloth. The rockets brought by the Guliev Fortress were also fully prepared. Before the large group of Mongolian cavalry and Kazakh cavalry rushed into the camp, or before they were mixed with the Cossack cavalry, the main force of the infantry stayed behind.
Now the Russians hope that the Mongolian cavalry and the Kazakh cavalry do not have too many rockets in their hands. Both sides fired a few rounds, which is considered a gesture, and then they start fighting with real forces.
Because rockets are too sharp, if the main force of someone is hit by hundreds of rockets, they will really cry.
Wali Khan was also very determined. He personally led his troops to the front line. Looking at the Russian camp where there were still sporadic bonfires burning, there was no sound and it was quiet. He swallowed his saliva nervously.
The Kazakh cavalry behind him was his old man, directly under the Khan's court. And now, who would believe that the Russians were still sleeping soundly in the camp? Was his head broken by the door panel?
"The Russians must have been prepared. But this camp was originally a simple little village, and it was impossible for them to set up a solid position in a hurry. We still have a chance now."
"Use rockets first, and then send the signal to the Mongols. We will attack from both sides and rush in together."
"Listen to me, all of you. Don't be afraid of death. Otherwise, even if you survive the battlefield, the knife in my hand is waiting for you. Pass the order to me. The first person to rush into the Russian camp will be rewarded with 10,000 yuan, and if you behead one level, you will be rewarded with 1,000 yuan!"
After the battle deployment, Wali Khan also made a harsh statement. Although he is the Khan of Zhongjuz, he is not the Khan of Kazakh Khanate. When his father was alive and the Chinese did not appear in Xinjiang, the Khan of Zhongjuz might be called the Khan of Kazakh Khanate, but now his father Abben has died of illness, and he does not have his father's ability, skills and prestige. Now he dare not say that he is the Khan of Kazakh Khanate.
Now the Chinese want to subdue them as vassal forces, and the treatment they give is much better than following Russia. The Chinese promised to support him in establishing his own small Khanate. Maybe by then, he can't use the three words Kazakh, but if he can become a Khan of a country, what's the big deal about changing his name?
So, Wali Khan also needs to make achievements now. Even if he has a strong capital now, the Chinese will never force him to the Russians in order to stabilize their western front. But Wali Khan still hopes to have a larger territory and more fertile pastures.
From the Kazakh steppe to the Ural River, from Western Siberia to Afghanistan, this is a very vast land, but the more participants there are in a vast land, the more competition there will be.
"Boom boom boom..."
Almost at the same time as the coalition forces launched rockets, a row of rockets was also launched from the Russian position.
The moment the rockets exploded, the light emitted made the entire snowfield seem to return to daytime.
Both sides seemed to want to launch all the rockets in their hands. The rumbling sound and the afterglow of the explosion revealed all the infantry ambushed inside and outside the Russian camp.
After using up all the rockets in their hands, Wali Khan and Wangqin Bambar issued an order to charge. They didn't care how many rockets the Russians had left, they just wanted to give it a try.
If they really couldn't take it down, they would just run away.
Of course, the Russian army had more rockets than the coalition forces. They were only 20 to 30 miles away from the Guryev Fortress. In addition to transporting food and fodder here, they also transported a lot of rockets.
Compared with the war between China and Russia, the total number was a piece of cake. But compared with the coalition forces in front of them, there were many more.
However, the disadvantage of the Russian army was also very obvious. They were restricted by the previous camp.
Even though the number of rockets in the coalition forces was much less than that in the hands of the Russian army, the rockets of both sides bombarded each other, and the losses of the Russian army were much greater than those of the coalition forces.
"Charge! Charge up and trample them to death with horse hooves, charge, charge..."
Wali Khan and Wangqin Bambar each drove their cavalry forward. The Russian rockets continued to fire, and the charging cavalry was immediately affected. Even if they were far apart from each other, each rocket explosion could injure many people and horses. More importantly, the previous explosions frightened the coalition's horses.
Of course, the Kazakh horses were not much better. The sound of guns and the explosion of heavy rockets were too incomparable.
"Boom boom boom..."
Rockets exploded on the snowy plains, huge fireballs rose up, and shrapnel shot everywhere, sweeping across the charging cavalry like a rainstorm. Suddenly, there was a shrill scream of people and horses, and at least hundreds of cavalry fell to the ground.
Such casualties made the cavalry behind them see this scene, and immediately lost the courage to charge forward, and turned their horses' heads and retreated.
"Charge again." Wali Khan and Wangqin Bamba shouted loudly. The casualties of about 100 people are a heavy loss for a battalion-level team, and it is also a bit painful for a regiment, but for the coalition forces with a total strength of more than 30,000, it is a piece of cake.
"Khan, retreat. The Russians still have rockets in their hands, and we can't rush through."
The people around Wali Khan persuaded him. Why not leave the fat meat around Guliyev and come here to gnaw on the hard bones of the Cossacks. It was not said before.
"Just once, charge again. No matter whether it succeeds or not, charge again! Try to capture as many prisoners as possible!"
Wali Khan insisted on his opinion, but also made a bottom line. It was a one-shot deal!
"Descendants of Genghis Khan, let the Russians have a taste of our sabers!" Like Wali Khan, Wangqin Bambar drew out his sharp saber and shouted loudly, "For Mongolia, for yourselves, charge!..."
Wali Khan and Wangqin Bambar could not accept the defeat after the first charge, so they launched a second attack.
"Charge..."
The coalition charge hit the Russian rockets again, "Boom boom boom..."
The expected screams sounded, accompanied by the explosion and flying shrapnel like a death sickle harvesting life, instantly knocking hundreds or even more coalition cavalry off their horses. However, the torrent of the charge was not blocked this time, but faster and faster.
The Russian rockets flew again.
Kulakov now admires this exploding flame very much. This is the real flower of death. Even if it exists for a short time, it will leave a deep impression on people.
Why didn't he find it in the past?
I still think this weapon is so hateful, tying a heavy iron lump to the Cossacks' charging horseshoes.
But now when this weapon is in their own hands, when they use this weapon to harvest the lives of the enemy, it is really perfect.
"Retreat! Retreat!"
Shouts rang out in the coalition team, and Wali Khan and Wangqin Bambar did not stop them at this time.
The coalition forces withstood the rocket bombing once; the coalition forces almost exploded in the second rocket bombing.
The retreat of the nomadic cavalry was very fast and without any delay. On the battlefield, the neighing of war horses, shouting, cursing, gunfire, and screams did not have any effect on the coalition forces who were determined to retreat. Even the Cossacks did not have time to chase them. The national riding skills of these people on horseback are really extraordinary. In between, there was only a slight confusion in their team, and they turned around and quickly left the Russian position...
"They,... ran away?"
On the other side of the battlefield, watching the coalition forces charge with a vengeance and then flee at the speed of the wind, Kulakov suddenly felt very distressed. He should have been prepared to pursue them quickly, but why was he frightened by their strength?