Desert Eagle Suletan Khan

Yakutsk Governor Vasily Pushkin was recently very troubled. The Vladimir Guard in the south had launched an attack on the great Tsarist Russia, with two armies directly invading his territory. One, led by their prince, had captured Kirensk and Orokminsk, and was now advancing towards Yakutsk. The defeated soldiers and civilians fleeing Orokminsk were causing widespread panic in Yakutsk. The other, led by a governor named Orros, had captured Udyburg and Tugurburg, and then besieged Okhotsk. The Okhotsk governor, Sherkovnikov, sent messengers to him pleading for help.

Pushkin knew that Sherkovnikov was a seasoned general, unlikely to panic unless absolutely necessary. He had originally planned to lead his army eastward to defeat the garrison besieging Okhotsk, then head south to confront the garrison's prince. Unexpectedly, the prince's army marched at an astonishing speed, capturing the fortresses of Barguzin, Kirensk, and Orekminsk in a whirlwind. At this rate, they would be at the gates of Yakutsk in twenty days. There was no other option but to concentrate forces to confront the garrison coming from the south. As for Okhotsk in the east, all hope lay with Sherkovnikov's exceptional command abilities and God's blessing. Fortunately, the coastline of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk was frozen for more than eight months each year, possessing little economic value; losing it was insignificant compared to the importance of Yakutsk. Besides, the freezing weather might not be suitable for the garrison, nor might it be able to capture it.

With this in mind, Pushkin concentrated all the elite troops from the four cities north of Yakutsk—Ust, Vilyuyskye, Verkhoyansk, and Zhigansk—at Yakutsk, along with the defeated soldiers who had fled from Orokminsk, bringing his force to 7,500. Although he was temporarily unable to reinforce Okhotsk, he still wrote a letter to Sherkovnikov: "I am gathering troops, raising supplies and money; please hold out for at least two more months."

Upon receiving Pushkin's letter, Sherkovnikov wore a wry smile. The Governor-General's words were easy enough: hold out for two months! With what means to hold out for two months? The three hundred Cossacks in the fortress? Or the thousand or so local residents? Because the Sea of ​​Okhotsk was mostly frozen, although Tsarist Russia had built a port, it wasn't very useful. Aside from fishing, it had little value and naturally didn't attract many people. Even now, there were only three hundred Cossacks and a little over a thousand civilians in Okhotsk Fortress. To expect to hold out for two months against the overwhelming force of over ten thousand guards was truly a difficult task!

Nevertheless, as a resolute soldier and a brave explorer, the commander decided to faithfully carry out the warlord's orders. He organized all the residents in the city who could handle weapons, regardless of gender, and together with the original three hundred Cossacks, formed an "army" of more than six hundred people, silently waiting for the coming storm.

Governor Orros of Nuningji arrived with his large army. Although he had assigned 3,000 cavalry to Mengkutmur and left several hundred men to garrison the newly captured Udi Fort and Tugur Fort, and suffered hundreds of casualties on the battlefield, the army still numbered close to 11,000.

"General, please allow me to lead the attack!" Looking at the small castle of the Russians, Jamubi, the commander of Ningguta, smiled disdainfully and volunteered for the battle.

“You’re not the only one who wants to make a name for yourself,” Orlos smiled and looked at the three generals, Baibo, Zhuoqiba, and Shakduer. “The three of you and Jambi will each lead a force to attack one gate. Whoever enters the city first will be credited with the greatest merit.”

"Yes!" the generals cheered.

The generals were eager to claim credit, and the soldiers' morale was soaring. Coupled with the overwhelming disparity in strength, the outcome of the battle seemed certain. However, thanks to the city's fortifications, Sherkovnikov held out for a month. Jambi, ultimately brave, led his troops into the city first and mercilessly beheaded the old commander.

"General, we received news some time ago that His Highness the King of Chu is attacking Orokminsk. Should we go and join him?" After the city fell, the generals asked Orros.

After pondering for a moment, Orros shook his head. "The military order I received was to march north along the coast of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk. Military orders are absolute, and I must continue to carry them out until I receive new orders."
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When the garrison arrived at Oryokminsk Fortress, they found that the Russian troops and residents had all fled, leaving only a few local natives. Having captured another fortified city with minimal effort, Bao Yin was overjoyed. He ordered Commander Urru to lead 500 soldiers to defend the city, while he personally led 13,000 troops to continue along the Lena River towards Yakutsk. The river was now a frozen expanse, making it extremely convenient for the garrison to transport supplies using sleds. On January 9th, 1674, when they were about 20 li south of Yakutsk, His Highness the Prince of Chu was surprised to find that the Russian army, undeterred by their advance, had formed ranks and marched out of the city to meet them in battle.

Pushkin's decision to engage the Guards in open battle was based on three reasons: First, based on past experience fighting the Tatars, the Russian army possessed an absolute advantage in firearms, often defeating enemies many times their size; second, he had already amassed over seven thousand men and believed himself capable of a decisive battle; third, Okhotsk was in dire straits, and a swift victory over the Guards would allow him to reinforce Okhotsk Fortress to the east. This battle plan received strong support from the military nobleman Dmitry Felsov. "Your Excellency," he advised the governor, "the Guards have been on a long campaign without rest and are bound to be exhausted, and they may not be accustomed to the cold climate of Yakutsk. Our army can wait in comfort and defeat them in one fell swoop." Unlike Pushkin, who came from a Boye noble family, Felsov had earned his noble status through military achievements and was a renowned and trusted general in Yakutsk. Hearing this, Pushkin was full of confidence and determined to fight the barbaric Tatars outside the city and cut off their claws reaching for Yakutsk. Therefore, he left only 500 soldiers to defend the city, while concentrating his main force of 7,000 to fight in formation.

The Russian army's formation was quite well-organized. Cossack captains Osip and Teligin each led seven hundred cavalry to harass the flanks of the guard, while Felsov led a thousand archers in front, followed by Russian pikemen, swordsmen, and archers. Seeing the enemy's well-organized square formation, Baoyin nodded slightly, not in a hurry to attack, but instead ordered generals Chivanzhal and Okchotb to each lead a thousand elite cavalry to clear the enemy cavalry from the flanks.

"Haorui~Haorui~Haorui~" "Hurrah~Hurrah~Hurrah~"

The Mongol cavalry and Cossack cavalry clashed fiercely. Unlike other cavalry, Qiwangzhal and Okchotb belonged to the Imperial Guard, possessing the best equipment in the Great Kingdom. They not only had armor forged from fine iron, lances, and scimitars, but their horsemanship was also first-rate. Almost every soldier carried a three-barreled musket, and their number of hand cannons far exceeded that of the Cossack cavalry.

"Bang~ Bang~ Bang~"

At the outset of the battle, far more Cossacks fell to handguns than the Imperial Guards. Pushkin was astonished to find that the enemy cavalry possessed so many handguns. His cavalry, equipped with three hundred handguns and some lighter rifles, had assumed an advantage in firearms, only to discover that the enemy had far more handguns than they did. Moreover, the enemy was also well-equipped with superior armor, swords, spears, bows, and horse tack. Furthermore, their horsemanship seemed to be superior; many could even perform somersaults on horseback with incredible agility.

After an hour of fierce fighting, the Cossack captain Osip on the left flank was cut down by Tsiwanzhal. The Cossack cavalry on both flanks could not withstand the attack and fled in disarray. After routing the Cossacks on both flanks, the Imperial Guard cavalry began harassing the Russian central army with arrows. The war drums sounded, and King Baoyin of Chu decisively commanded the entire army to launch an attack.

"Not good! Retreat! Back to the city!" Pushkin wasn't stupid; he knew that fighting the enemy in open field without the advantage of cavalry was extremely dangerous, so he decisively ordered the troops to retreat back to the city.

Friesov's 1,000-strong musketeer corps played a crucial role in the retreat, their gunfire striking hundreds of guards and successfully covering the main force's return to the city. However, the elite musketeer corps suffered over 600 casualties. This put the Russians at a firepower disadvantage in the subsequent siege.

In a single battle, they lost 1,500 men. Pushkin dared not fight again and led the remaining 6,000 Russian troops to defend the city. Seeing that he could not take the exceptionally fortified Yakutsk for the time being, Bao Yin was not anxious. He ordered the city to be completely surrounded, with trenches dug, earthen walls built, and wooden palisades planted everywhere, preparing to surround and trap the enemy in the city.

Time passed day by day. In his anxiety, Bao Yin received news that Orros had captured Okhotsk Fortress and was advancing towards Kolymsk. He decisively ordered Orros not to come to Yakutsk to join him, but instead to head north, then west, capturing all the cities east and north of Yakutsk, leaving Yakutsk completely isolated and without support. (End of Chapter)