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Chapter 1418 Unexpected Victory, Predicted Defeat
“My men contacted them yesterday. These guys are looking for herdsmen’s settlements in the west to rob. There are countless cavalry caravans scattered throughout the area of ​​hundreds of miles. Nobody knows how to call them back. I’m afraid we can’t count on them.”

However, the news brought by Tatarinov was not encouraging. The Crimean Khanate cavalry, as always, were unreliable during their eastward expedition. They were not there to fight at all, but rather to carry out a large-scale plundering campaign under the guise of the European coalition's eastward expedition.

They wanted everything, from people and livestock to daily necessities; they took everything they could. They even launched a nighttime attack on a Russian transport convoy—they were truly a rotten apple.

But while the Crimeans were known for their ruthlessness, they were also very discerning, only following behind the Polish and Russian armies to scavenge scraps and resolutely refusing to go looking for easy prey.

Needless to say, the Crimean Khanate's leadership must have heard something from the Ottomans and then issued a strict order forbidding their troops from making easy contact with the Ming army. They were only there to make a show of things, and it would be enough for them to supply their troops by looting.

"Marshal Konetspolsky has made it clear to me that he intends to retreat. Mishka, what do you think?"

Since the Crimean Khanate was no longer a viable option, Buturin decided to reveal the results of the meeting between the two marshals in the early morning, and then solemnly inquired of the Cossack leader.

"The Don Cossacks will all obey the Marshal!" Tatarinov firmly placed his trust in them.

"I have already sent a personal letter to the Tsar, but it will take several months to get a reply. We cannot withdraw now; returning without fighting would subject Russia to criticism from European countries."

Therefore, we must engage the Ming army and try to retreat with minimal casualties. However, I am not confident that I can control the scale of the Ming army's attack; once they make up their minds, they will go all out, making them difficult to resist.

Marshal Buturlin merely nodded and smiled at the Cossacks' loyalty, showing little emotion. These mercenaries, who would follow whoever offered them food, were essentially mercenaries; negotiating prices was far safer than appealing to sentimentality.

"...The Marshal wants the Cossacks to cover the rear?"

Sure enough, after hearing Buturin's account, Tatarinov immediately became alert. The Cossacks had already paid a heavy price to come here; there was no reason for them to leave as a suicide squad, as this would violate their agreement with the Tsar.

"It wasn't about covering the rear, but about securing a retreat route. Judging from the Polish description, the number of Kazakh Khanate cavalry that ultimately helped the Ming army encircle and annihilate the Winged Hussars was less than 3000, which is clearly a bit low."

Mishka, think carefully. Where are the remaining few thousand cavalrymen? Could they be lying in ambush somewhere, waiting to cut off our retreat after our main force crosses the border? If that happens, none of us will be able to go home.”

What truly worried Marshal Buturlin was not when the Ming army would launch their attack, but whether their retreat route would be blocked. In this impoverished desert, resources available for a large army were scarce; any slowdown in their march could lead to starvation.

Furthermore, it's already mid-October, and a mere gust of northerly wind can cause the temperature to drop by more than ten degrees Celsius, or bring heavy snowfall. For the Russian Expeditionary Forces who hadn't brought enough winter clothing, a few days' delay could have meant certain doom.

So how do we prevent our supply lines from being cut off? That's when we need to rely on the Cossack cavalry. They are light cavalry, swift as the wind, and are best at clearing paths, protecting supply lines, and pursuing the remaining enemy forces.

At this moment, clearing the way ahead and pursuing the remaining enemy forces are obviously no longer needed; their only remaining function is to protect the rear. However, before issuing the order, they must understand the importance of this action, otherwise they will instantly become bandits on the wasteland like the Crimeans. "Marshal, rest assured, with the Cossacks here, the Kazakhs pose no threat to our way home!"

The Cossacks didn't have much say in how to fight, but whether they could go home was beyond anyone's control. Tatalinov fully understood his superiors' intentions this time and made his assurances without hesitation.

"We'll set off tomorrow. You'll lead the team, and you're not to be moved by anyone except with my personal letter!" But Marshal Buturin still felt that Tatarinov wasn't taking it seriously enough, so he simply made specific arrangements.

"...Then who will protect the flanks?" Tatarinov was a little speechless. The Cossack cavalry were now responsible for protecting the flanks of the main army. If they all left, the Russian army would be at a disadvantage if the Kazakh cavalry came to harass them.

"Karajmovich will take over your work; Marshal Konetspolsky himself promised."

"He, he is a Cossack traitor and a dog of the Poles!" Upon hearing this name, Tatarinov immediately became agitated and expressed his firm disagreement with the arrangement.

"Don't worry, if the Poles don't want to be deserters or be wiped out by the Ming army, they have no choice but to cooperate with us."

Go and prepare... Oh, and before you leave, go to the quartermaster and get 1000 carbines. If you encounter Kazakh cavalry, make sure to attack with all your might and don't let them have the ability to come back!"

Buturlin wholeheartedly agreed with Tatarinov's assessment. Ilyas Karajmović was a registered Cossack Hetman appointed by the King of Poland, who was inclined to serve the Polish monarchy and was not recognized by the Zaporozhye Cossacks.

However, the main force of the Cossack cavalry in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth army this time was registered Cossacks, and the opposing marshal expressed a willingness to cooperate. Under these circumstances, they could only accept the offer in principle.

Compared to the flank protection of the Russian army, Buturin was more concerned about the safety of the rear. In fact, the Russian army was not without cavalry units; as long as the Zaporizhzhia Cossacks did not defect to the enemy, they were still very powerful and no less so than the Don Cossacks.

After a brief period of intense fighting, the battle in Turkestan suddenly entered a strange period of calm.

The heavily damaged Polish-Lithuanian federal army quickly retreated 2 kilometers to its camp, almost parallel to the Russian camp, and set up camp next to the Syr Darya River, clearly intending to stick together for mutual support.

Moreover, this tactic seemed to have worked. The victorious Ming army and Kazakh cavalry did not press their advantage and launch a counterattack, but remained firmly entrenched in the city and their two camps in the north and south.

Only at night would both sides send out small cavalry squads to probe and harass each other's camps, partly to keep the other side from being too idle, and partly to keep abreast of the battlefield dynamics and ensure that the enemy would not suddenly disappear overnight.

This is where the Cossack cavalry's capabilities truly shone. Facing the Kazakh cavalry, who were equipped with more advanced lances, they held their own and even achieved several victories, engaging in a fierce and back-and-forth battle.

(End of this chapter)