unclear

Chapter 1403 Each with their own thoughts 2
Even if one were to commit suicide, it shouldn't be for the sake of European gentlemen. In their eyes, Russians are no different from livestock, and even if they all died, they wouldn't receive a single word of praise.

Furthermore, without the Ming Dynasty's help in selling guns and building ships over the years, the Russians would still be being bullied by the Swedes and Poles today. Even if it was a business transaction, the guns weren't given away for free, but to turn on each other so easily and risk their lives for unrelated people seems a bit too foolish.

Marshal Buturlin wasn't the only one with this idea; from the Tsar to the soldiers, the vast majority of Russians were unwilling to go to war with the Ming Empire. But if all of Europe were to be at war, wouldn't Russia becoming the only one to oppose it make it a public enemy? After all, the Ming Empire was far away, and offending all of Europe over this would be even more unwise.

Therefore, the Tsar and his ministers privately instructed Marshal Buturlin that the Eastern Expedition was a must, and it should not just be a show, but a grand and elaborate one.

But don't go all out at the beginning; just go through the motions. Make a lot of noise but little action; appear to be fierce on the surface but actually be timid and hesitant underneath. Preserving strength and observing the situation is the core idea of ​​this battle.

It's easier said than done. To put on a show of hypocrisy and half-heartedness in front of the Poles requires considerable effort. Marshal Buturlin devised this meticulously planned, step-by-step strategy to lure the enemy out.

He wanted to use delaying tactics to postpone the fighting in the Northern Theater as long as possible. How long? Until at least one of the Enni Port Theater and the Jerusalem Theater had a decisive outcome.

Then we'll be able to see the approximate strength of both sides, and then judge the course of the war accordingly. If the European coalition gains the upper hand, the Russian army will launch a full-scale eastward offensive to try and get a bigger share of the spoils after the war.

If the Ming Empire has the upper hand, the issue of war can be put aside for now; the priority should be to quickly send envoys to negotiate a private peace with the Ming Empire. Completely aligning with the Ming Empire is better than becoming collateral damage for European nations.

The current Tsar and Russian nobles didn't have such grand ambitions or boldness; they never thought of making a name for themselves in Europe, only hoping to keep the Swedes, Poles, and Crimeans at bay. If they could even get a port on the Baltic coast, they'd consider it a stroke of good fortune.

To realize these dreams, relying on the help of European countries seems unreliable. On the contrary, cooperating with the Ming Empire is easier, and the two sides have no historical conflicts, making it easier to get along.

Marshal Buturlin's plan was excellent, but its execution was difficult because there were two commanders-in-chief in the Northern Theater. Besides him, there was also Marshal Stanisław Koniecpolski, a Polish general. Would he willingly cooperate with the Russians in carrying out the plan?

Forget about it. Cooperation is absolutely out of the question. The fact that the two sides don't immediately draw their swords and start hacking at each other upon meeting is already a huge concession to the European nations. The Russian general's idea of ​​ordering the Polish general around is just wishful thinking. Compared to the Ming Dynasty, both sides would much rather treat each other as enemies, locked in a life-or-death struggle!
In terms of fame, Konetspolsky was far greater than Buturin. The former was a renowned general in Europe who had led the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth army to successfully repel Ottoman attacks on several occasions. The latter, while famous in Russia, had only dealt with the Crimean Khanate in the south.

Marshal Buturlin had a battle plan, right? Why couldn't Marshal Koniespolsky have one too? You want to proceed cautiously and steadily, but he insists on a swift and decisive attack!

According to Marshal Koniecpolski's plan, the Cossack cavalry would be the vanguard to probe the strengths and weaknesses of the Ming army, and then the Polish cavalry would swarm in to fight them, hoping to win the battle in one fell swoop and return home before Christmas.

As for what the Russian army and the Crimean Khanate cavalry should do, that wasn't even considered. As long as they didn't cause trouble, they could do whatever they wanted; the proud Winged Hussars and the fierce Cossacks were enough to wipe out any enemy on the plains! Now the Northern Theater was in a state of two forces that were not subordinate to each other and did not interfere with each other. The Russian army, relying on its proximity, set off a few days earlier, while the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth army was even more cunning, only setting off after hearing that the Russian army had set off, for fear of a conflict if they met.

No, that's a miscalculation. In addition to these two large armies and the Cossack cavalry, there were also more than 4000 light cavalrymen from the Crimean Khanate in the war zone.

They were neither under the jurisdiction of the Russian Marshal nor under the command of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth Marshal; they were a separate military force. Why this arrangement? It wasn't that Bernhard intentionally caused trouble, but rather that no one could gain the trust of these three parties.

The Crimean Khanate was a vassal state of the Ottoman Empire. It was keen on waging holy war against infidels and would often harass the north, capturing Poles and Russians to sell as slaves.

Poland, Russia, and the Cossacks all harbored deep hatred for the Crimean Khanate. The fact that they could all participate in the Eastern Expedition was already the greatest test of the European countries' diplomatic skills, both soft and hard. Since they couldn't come to an agreement anyway, they might as well stop commanding each other.

Therefore, the Northern Theater consisted of three forces: the largest in number were the Russians and the Don Cossacks; the strongest in combat power were the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Zaporizhzhia Cossacks; and the most elusive, whose whereabouts remain unknown to this day, was the Crimean Khanate.

Katoshkin was the commander of the Don Cossacks, leading 5000 cavalrymen as the vanguard of the Russian regular army, while also protecting the left and right flanks. He suffered a lot of hardships along the way, enduring wind and rain.

However, upon arriving in Turkestan, and learning from the captured Kazakh herdsmen along the way that the main force of the Ming army was stationed there, they dared not venture further east.

First, Marshal Buturin had made it clear that the Don Cossacks were only responsible for scouting, guarding the flanks, and gathering supplies, and were not allowed to rashly attack the Ming army. Any problems would be discussed after the Russian regular army arrived!

Secondly, Cossack cavalry were not omnipotent. They excelled at mounted charges and were particularly adept at raiding and harassment, with killing, burning, and looting being their natural skills. However, they were not very effective at siege warfare. In cities like Turkestan, with their high walls, light cavalry really didn't have many good options.

"Clap clap... Bala biu bala biu..." However, to Katoskin's complete surprise, the Ming army, which was not very skilled in cavalry, launched a surprise attack on the Cossack camp in the dead of night with small cavalry units.

On the dark, cloud-covered grasslands, where you could see nothing but sporadic gunshots and the sound of horses' hooves, even the Cossacks dared not venture out to fight. They all stayed in their camps, ears perked and eyes wide open, passively defending themselves.

“让大家收拾营地向后撤2里格。”（17世纪初，俄罗斯大量使用法国度量衡单位，1里格=3.25法里=4.4公里）

(End of this chapter)