Desert Eagle Suletan Khan

"It was my fault for misjudging people; I actually used a fool like Golovin!" Inside the Moscow Kremlin, Tsar Alexei I faced a mountain of urgent reports, filled with regret and self-reproach.

What started as a minor border conflict between the two countries has escalated into a major war! On November 1st of last year, the Wei army launched a simultaneous offensive on all fronts, capturing numerous important cities including Nerchinsk, Barguzin, Yakutsk, Selengessk, Irkutsk, Bratsk, Okhotsk, and Orenburg. Latest news: The two easternmost garrisons have captured Nerchinsk, Yakutsk, and all towns along the Sea of ​​Okhotsk. After meeting at Usterburg, they are advancing towards Mangazeya. A garrison in the center has captured Selengessk, Irkutsk, and Bratsk, and then besieged Yeniseysk. Another detachment has gone to Tobolsk to join another garrison that set out from Omsk to capture Ishm, completely surrounding Tobolsk. The two western garrisons set out from Turgay and Nilbrusz respectively, and after meeting at Astrakhan, they have besieged this important town in the northern part of the Kaspi Sea (Caspian Sea).

All signs indicate that Russia’s rule over the vast and rich Siberia is crumbling. Key cities such as Tobolsk, Mangazeya, Astrakhan, and Yeniseysk are in dire need of reinforcements. However, the emperor of the Great Patriots is too cunning and has deceived Russia with the pretense of peace talks. The war broke out without warning, and there was no time to mobilize so many troops.
His Majesty the Great Tsar could not possibly admit that his current predicament was due to his carelessness and underestimation of the Lotus Khan's determination to conquer all of Siberia; nor was he willing to acknowledge that years of war and uprisings by the commoners had emptied the national treasury, and that even with prior preparations, it was uncertain whether sufficient troops could be mustered to resist the Russian army. He firmly believed that his two envoys to Dadu (Beijing), Fyodor Alekseevich Golovin and Semyon Kornitsky, had fallen for the Russian court's trickery, providing him with the false information that the Lotus Khan was unwilling to escalate the war with Russia, thus causing the Russian army to be unprepared and utterly defeated when the war broke out!
These two fools betrayed his trust; they deserve to die! Deep hatred compelled the emperor to issue a decree recalling Golovin and Kornitsky, stripping them of all titles and official positions, and exiling them to Mangazeya. Mangazeya was now the front line; since those two fools couldn't secure Russia's interests in diplomatic circles, let them die for Russia on the battlefield. Of course, recalling the mission also served to salvage the face lost on the battlefield and demonstrate to the nation his determination to resist to the end.

"Father!" A slightly crisp call dispelled Alexei Mikhailovich's hatred as eight-year-old Ivan Alexievich skipped and hopped in.

"Father~"

"Father~"

Seventeen-year-old Sofia Alexievna and thirteen-year-old Fyodor Alexievich entered the hall together.

Alexius I rarely smiled. Although he had eleven children, most of them had died young, and of his six sons, only his third son Fyodor, fifth son Ivan, and two-year-old Peter remained. "What are you doing?" the Supreme One asked gently.

“Father, we were playing hide-and-seek. Ivan was so naughty, he ran all the way here to you!” Sophia gave a graceful bow. The seventeen-year-old girl was as beautiful as a flower, and every move she made exuded royal grace, warming Alexei I’s heart. Of all his children, he loved this fourth daughter the most; she was not only beautiful and lovely but also intelligent and wise. He was proud of his daughter, but he didn’t know that this daughter would one day lose her power struggle with his youngest son, Peter, be forced to become a nun, and die under strict surveillance.

“Alright, Sophia, you’re the older sister, take your brothers out to play. I have important matters to attend to,” Alexei I said with a smile, dismissing his children as he pondered how to deal with the crisis.

"Your Majesty, urgent military news has arrived from Tobolsk!" Just as he was getting annoyed, a guard brought him the latest battle report.

Alexei I's heart sank. He had received too much bad news these days, and hoped this wouldn't be another disaster. He hurriedly opened the battle report and read it carefully. His hopes were dashed once again. The report, sent by Paul Sulkin, the governor of Tobolsk, reported that the Guards had breached the Yenisei River, creating a flood that inundated Yeniseisk. The city had fallen, and Prince Shcherbatov's entire army had been wiped out, along with his own drowning. Alexei I gasped. The Guards were truly vicious; they had actually used a flood to submerge the entire city's inhabitants. Yeniseisk was Russia's most important economic and political center in Siberia. Its fall meant a complete collapse of the situation, and immediate measures were needed to break the deadlock.

"Summon Rydishev, Bashmakov, and Shakloviti to an audience," he commanded slowly, trying to calm his turbulent emotions.

The courtier Rytishev, the secretary Bashmakov, and the commander of the shooting corps Shakloviti were ordered to the Kremlin. These three, like Grand Prince Miloslavsky who was ordered to fight in Astrakhan and the courtier Khitrovo who led the Armory, were all staunch confidants of the Tsar.

There was no need to hide anything from his confidants, and Alexei I spoke frankly: "I just received news that Yeniseysk has fallen. Tobolsk, Mangazeya, and Astrakhan are also in danger. Tell me, what should I do?"

The three men looked at each other in bewilderment. After a long pause, Rytishev spoke up, “Your Majesty, the most important thing right now is to conscript all available troops to relieve Tobolsk, Mangazeya, and Astrakhan.”

“You are unaware of this, but a few days ago His Majesty sold off the gold and silver artifacts in the palace. Even with all the money and grain left in the national treasury, it is only enough to arm an army of 30,000. If these 30,000 men are then dispersed to aid the three cities, I fear they will be outnumbered and ineffective. It would be better to concentrate our forces to rescue one city first,” Bashmakov said.

Alexei I nodded slightly. "Bashmakov's words make a lot of sense. Tell me, which city should I save first?"

"We should save Astrakhan first!" everyone answered in unison.

Alexei I understood their meaning. Tobolsk and Mangazea were not only far from Moscow, but also separated by the Ural Mountains, while Astrakhan was closer to Moscow and mostly consisted of endless steppes and deserts, posing a greater threat to Moscow. He smiled and said, "In that case, you all prepare carefully; I will personally lead the expedition to Astrakhan!"

"The Emperor himself will lead the army?" Everyone was shocked and was about to dissuade him, but they were stopped by the Tsar's majestic gaze. "I know the situation is unfavorable for Russia, and I know the Tatar army is ferocious. Precisely because of this, I should lead the army myself and fight the enemy to the bitter end!" (End of this chapter)