Desert Eagle Suletan Khan

In this critical moment, nationalistic sentiment surged throughout Tsarist Russia. Cities like Moscow, Kazan, Smolensk, Voronezh, Tula, and Novgorod began wartime mobilizations, and contingents of temporarily recruited soldiers rushed to Tula. These "soldiers" varied in age, from spirited youths to elderly men with white hair. Under the Tsar's strict orders and inspired by the call to defend Russia, the people united as one, their resolve unwavering.

Tsar Alexei I soon had nearly 40,000 troops under his command. With this large army, the emperor regained confidence in defending Tula. However, the hastily assembled army was not very effective, and after the Battle of Saratov, the Russian army suffered several defeats in its subsequent engagements with the Guards. Although the Russian army held Tula and Voronezh on the main battlefield, the Guards captured Kharkiv, a key military town west of Saratov, thus threatening Voronezh, the southern gateway to Moscow.

After suffering repeated setbacks, Alexei I realized the disparity in strength between his forces and the SS, and instead of launching proactive attacks, he relied on strong fortifications such as city walls and deep trenches to maintain a stalemate with the SS. This strategy proved highly effective, and the Voronezh-Tula-Kazan front was initially stabilized. After the capture of Kharkiv, the SS failed to achieve any further gains.

Seeing that it was difficult to break through the Russian defenses in the short term, King Han, Lobsang Heshuoqi, ordered Sonom Tsering, Teguschoktu, and Pengchuk to each lead a cavalry force to harass various Russian towns. At the same time, he ordered the artillery battalion to bombard the walls of Tula day and night with heavy cannons. He also stationed elite troops behind the artillery battalion, ready to rush into the city once it fell. In July of the thirty-first year of the Qianyuan era (1674), the garrison's heavy cannons breached the city walls several times. The defenders fought desperately to plug the breaches with sandbags, and only then were they able to hold on.

"The situation is critical. Why doesn't Your Majesty send someone to the garrison to negotiate peace and buy our army a chance to regroup?" The Tsar's courtier, Rytishev, offered his advice.

“That makes sense. You may go in my stead,” Alexei I sighed slightly, then resolutely declared, “You must uphold our nation’s dignity and tell the Tatars: In the west, the border between the two sides is the old border between the Agonkhba Myriarchy and our country; in the east, the border is the Yenisei River. East of the Yenisei River belongs to the Vedad, and west of the Yenisei River belongs to Russia. This is my bottom line, and it cannot be changed! Go.”

Rytishev thought to himself, "His Majesty the Tsar's words seem like a major concession. In the east, he's relinquishing the coast of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, the entire Lena River basin, and a vast area east and south of Lake Baikal, as well as half of the Yenisei River basin; in the west, he's returning all the lands previously occupied by the Agunkhba myriarchy. But the problem is, with the defeats in the war, all these lands are now in the hands of the SS. In the east, they still occupy most of the Yenisei River basin, have even captured Yeniseisk Fortress, are attacking Turuhansk, and have entered the Ob River basin, besieging Tobolsk; in the west, they've reached the outskirts of Tula, not far from Moscow. This demarcation is tantamount to asking the SS to spit out a large chunk of what they've already gained, and I doubt the other side will agree."

"Your abilities are limited, and I am afraid you may not be able to complete the mission," he answered honestly.

Alexei I said with a wry smile, "The Tatars have a huge appetite, and I know it is difficult for me to send you to this mission! But at this moment, there are not many people who are both loyal and trustworthy. Besides you, who else can I rely on? Don't worry, I don't expect to reach a peace treaty on this trip. As long as we can confuse the guards and make them slow down their offensive, that will be a great achievement!"

Seeing that His Majesty the Tsar trusted him so much, Rytishev was deeply moved and said with red eyes, "Your Majesty, rest assured, I will do everything I can to complete my mission and share your burdens!"

Inside the garrison camp beneath the walls of Tula, King Lobsang Heshuoqi of Han was deep in thought, his mind heavy with worry. On the surface, the garrison's situation appeared favorable; they had reached the outskirts of Tula and were not far from Moscow, the Russian capital. But only he knew the true extent of his predicament.

Although the Chinese forces achieved victory in the Battle of Saratov, annihilating over 20,000 Russian troops, they also suffered over 6,000 casualties. The occupation of too much territory at once meant that the hearts and minds of the people in the newly conquered lands were not fully won over, especially as the Cossacks in the Don and Volga river basins frequently harassed the garrison. This forced them to send a large number of troops to the rear, leaving them with only slightly over 20,000 troops available to threaten the Voronezh-Tula-Kazan line.

More importantly, the longer the war dragged on, the more obvious the weaknesses of the Guards in logistical support became. Transporting military supplies across mountains and rivers, braving wind and snow, was incredibly difficult! After several major battles, various supplies became scarce. Some cannons had only three or four shells left, and some musketeers had only seven or eight bullets left, forcing the Guards to sometimes use captured Russian weapons in combat.

All of this prevented the garrison from achieving any further major victories after capturing Kharkiv. Tuyebai repeatedly urged him to postpone the siege of Tula, to negotiate peace with Tsarist Russia first, consolidate the newly acquired territory, and then launch a decisive attack on Russia once the rear was stable—a reasonable approach indeed. However, the decision between the two countries—whether to fight or make peace—could only be made by their respective emperors, not by a prince like himself. As long as his father, the Khan, had not ordered a ceasefire, he had no choice but to continue fighting, no matter how difficult the task, he had to persevere to the end!
"Your Highness, a royal decree has arrived from Dadu," he said, as he was lost in thought. General Hilgen, who was in charge of guarding the central army, excitedly delivered the decree from the Great Khan of Lotus.

The imperial edict, delivered by the fastest courier from Weidu (Beijing), was brief yet profoundly meaningful: "By the blessing of the Eternal Heaven, our army has reached the gates of Saratov, which greatly pleases me. However, the western lands are the heartland of the Russians; the closer we get to Moscow, the stronger their resistance will become, and the more difficulties our army will face. A bow drawn too taut will break, and meat must be eaten one bite at a time. This expedition has yielded vast territories; we must know when to stop, and the destruction of Russia need not be rushed. I hereby appoint Prince Han, Lobsang Heshuoqi, as the chief envoy for peace negotiations, and..." Governor-General Narison of Zil was appointed as the deputy envoy for peace negotiations with the Russians. In the east, the Ural Mountains would serve as the border, with the area west of the mountains belonging to the Russians and the area east to David. In the west, appropriate concessions could be made, with the border at Tsaritsyn and Novocherkassk. This was the outcome I desired. If the Russians remained defiant and our army failed to achieve a major breakthrough, a further concession could be made, with the border at Astrakhan and Azov. This was my minimum demand, with absolutely no room for compromise. The Khanate's territory lies solely beneath the hooves of our brave warriors; my son, strive on!

Later historians, studying this imperial edict, believed that due to information lag, the Great Khan of Lotus was unaware of the Russian army's victory at the Battle of Saratov when he issued the edict. Otherwise, given the emperor's insatiable greed for land, he would have certainly issued an edict to annihilate Russia in one fell swoop rather than negotiate peace. (End of Chapter)