In an encounter, the Cossack cavalry fought the weak against the strong, but the result was a draw, leaving the four Oirat troops in disgrace.
The two sides fell into a stalemate for a while.
The brave Cossack cavalry were composed of eight men and eight riders in each line. Some wore high cylindrical curly hats, and some wore black cloaks. They carried rifles slung on their backs and sabers hanging on their waists.
Under the black cloaks, there are bright clothes, which are particularly conspicuous on the prairie.
Compared with the yellow Mongols, the Cossacks are a mixture of Slavs and Mongols, mostly composed of free people oppressed in the north, and formed nomadic tribes near the Caspian Sea and the Black Sea.
Therefore, the Cossack cavalry not only had the patience and tactics of the Mongols, but also had Eastern European horses, sharp scimitars, and advanced muskets. After absorbing the essence of the East and the West, they galloped across Central Asia and Siberia and became the most important thugs of Tsarist Russia.
If I had to use one word to describe it, it would be mercenaries.
A mercenary tribe composed of free people and slaves, first served the Crimean Khanate, and then served Tsarist Russia.
"Great Khan, there are a lot of Russians coming nearby..." The scout heard the news.
The city of Tomsk was an important castle for Tsarist Russia in Central Asia. Once it was lost, half of the Siberian Khanate's land would be lost, and no one could bear the loss.
"Go back -" Oqiltu Khan gritted his teeth, looked at Heshuoqi and Batur, who were unwilling, and said comfortingly: "After this battle, we all understand that the gap with the Russians is just a matter of musketry.
.”
"As long as we have enough muskets and gunpowder, the Russians can only surrender."
That being said, the two agreed reluctantly.
In the past ten years, another collective action by the Mongol tribes in Oirat has ended and ended in failure.
But they have learned a lesson: buy as many muskets as possible from Akito.
At this time, Moscow, Tsar Alexei, who ruled the entire Russia, also received information about the battle situation in the city of Tomsk in Central Asia.
As the tenth czar of Russia and the second czar of the Romanov dynasty, Tsar Alexei has ruled Russia for nearly eight years. The situation in Russia is not optimistic.
He was only twenty-five years old, his face was pale, he was holding a book in his hand, and his whole body looked a little thin.
At this time, standing in front of him were Morozov, who had just assumed the post of Patriarch of the Orthodox Church, Father Nikon, as well as the auxiliary minister and teacher.
"Your Majesty, the Ob River Basin is not peaceful."
Morozov shook his head, his gray beard trembling and hanging on his chest, and he looked particularly knowledgeable.
He had an extremely correct attitude towards the student who brought him back after being exiled:
"But the most important thing now is to solve the problem of Zabarozhye (Eastern Poland). The Polish-Lithuanian Federation has already captured several cities. If no decision is made, Zabarozhye will be destroyed -"
"This opportunity is rare."
Although Russia's national strength is constantly increasing by relying on the legacy of the Golden Horde, it is not prosperous.
There is a powerful enemy in the north, Sweden, which occupies a large area of land along the Baltic Sea and firmly controls the trade routes to Europe;
To the west is the feuding Kingdom of Poland and Lithuania, which occupies a series of important towns including Smolensk and threatens Moscow at all times.
…
To the southwest is Ukraine, which belongs to Poland, and the Cossack cavalry from the Ukrainian steppes is also a serious threat to Moscow.
To the south is the Crimean Khanate, a Turkish vassal state that invaded Russia countless times over the centuries.
At this time, in East Poland, Khmelnytsky led the Zabarozhye Cossacks to carry out a Khmelnytsky uprising against Poland, but they were beaten until they vomited blood and had to ask Russia for help.
voluntarily belong to Russia.
"My minister, do you know? Such a decision is actually tantamount to declaring war on Poland."
Father Nikon shook his head and said solemnly: "Although the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth is getting weaker day by day, it still has one hundred thousand cavalry. This is a huge challenge for Russia."
"Poland is like the former Golden Horde. It looks like a behemoth, but in fact it is vulnerable to a single blow and will fall if pushed." Morozov shook his head and said seriously.
Listening to the debate between the two, Tsar Alexei just opened the paper, looked at the words on it, and said seriously: "Tomsk is fine. Even if the city is broken, for Russia it is just the loss of a castle.
That’s all, we can build it again in a few years.”
"But, my two ministers, you seem to have overlooked something."
The two of them turned to look and thought carefully.
Or was Morozov sensitive? He immediately realized the key: "Tatars actually have muskets?"
"Who sold it to them? The Cossacks? Or the Crimean Khanate?"
"The Cossacks only know how to plunder, they don't know how to do business, and they don't dare to do business."
Tsar Alexei continued: "As for the Crimeans, they only know how to sell slaves. They don't have many muskets. How can they sell them?"
"Where did that come from?"
Father Nikon said in surprise.
"Ming people (Khitan people)."
Alexey sighed and said: "Who would have thought that we are so close to the East."
"Leave those Tatars alone, and you will find the East, a place full of silk, porcelain, and gold."
"In this way, as long as we have contact with those Ming people, the empire's finances will be much easier."
When Morozov heard this, he was overjoyed.
At this time, although Russia had been strengthening centralization, it was actually still a feudal serf system. The vast areas were governed by the big nobles. Only a fertile area near Moscow belonged to the tsarist territory.
Supporting the huge army and central system all depended on the royal territory.
Of course, the collection of commercial taxes, customs duties, and salt taxes were one of the few places where the tsar could make money, but now he is in financial difficulty.
In the past two years, the increase in salt tax led to a riot by salt merchants, ransacking Morozov's house, and killed Duma secretary Kist and imperial courtier Pleseev.
An increase in trade taxes was something the Tsar desperately wanted.
"Silk!" Alexey squinted his eyes and whispered: "It seems that the East not only has silk, but also fearsome muskets and gunpowder."
"I just don't know how the gunpowder in the East compares to those in Western Europe."
In fact, Moscow was shocked after learning the news about the Ming people (Khitan people), which was another land passage after the Ottomans blocked the Silk Road.
The nobles throughout Russia took action, thinking of forming a caravan to go to the East where honey, milk and gold lay.
The businessmen from various countries in Moscow were equally shocked.