Desert Eagle Suletan Khan

Outside the guard gate, Tsar's envoy, Rytishev, sat astride his horse, quietly awaiting an audience. The guards, bows drawn, glared angrily at the delegation. Rytishev, unperturbed, maintained a polite smile throughout.

"Woo~wu~"

A mournful bugle sounded, the gate of the camp opened, and a group of men with murderous intent came towards them. The general in the lead had a fierce look in his eyes and a long scar on his face, making him look ferocious and terrifying.

"So you are the Russian envoy?" Chief of the Torgut tribe, Namtsering, asked coldly. He was the third brother of Pengchuk, the Grand Taiji of the Torgut tribe, and also the elder brother of Yaruo, the Imperial Noble Consort of David. As a member of the royal family, he naturally exuded an air of nobility. Over the years of brutal fighting, the Torgut people and the Russians had developed a deep-seated hatred for each other, and his words were filled with a strong murderous intent.

Rydishev felt a slight chill run down his spine. He bowed slightly on his horse and asked, "That is indeed me. May I ask how the general is addressed?"

"Dismount, all of you," Namtsering said with a sneer. "His Highness has ordered that the entire Russian delegation dismount outside the camp gate, and only the chief envoy is permitted to enter. Please."

Upon hearing this, the fierce guards immediately surrounded the Russian delegation, forcing them to dismount and clearing a path for the Russian envoys with their swords and spears.

Rydishev remained calm and composed as he slowly passed through the gate amidst a hail of bullets and entered the tent of King Lobsang and Shuoqi of Han.

"Hmph!" Seeing his lack of fear, Namtsering snorted coldly, but a hint of respect appeared between his brows. The Mongols respected fearless heroes the most, even if they were enemies.

"Kneel down!" Inside the tent, the King of Han's guards ordered Rydishev to kneel down and pay his respects.

“I am His Majesty the Tsar’s subject, representing His Majesty. How dare I kneel? If your country’s envoy were to Moscow, would he also kneel?” Rytishev shouted angrily. Without a word, the guards forced him to kneel. He stubbornly stood up again, only to be forced down again, and stood up once more. This happened three times, but he ultimately refused to yield.

“This man is a tough nut to crack! Fine,” King Han, Luo Buzang, and Heshuoqi waved away the guards and asked coldly, “What brings your esteemed envoy here?”

“I come with His Majesty the Tsar’s sincere desire for peace. If you agree, our two countries will be brothers; if you refuse, we will meet on the battlefield!” Rytishev said, straightening his back, even though his legs had been beaten bloody by the hilts of the guards’ swords.

"Peaceful sincerity? Very well, let me hear what your peace sincerity is," Lobsang Heshuoqi sneered. "The two countries will form a brotherly alliance; in the west, the old border of Agonkhba will be the boundary, with the area south of the Astrakhan-Novorossiysk line belonging to the USSR and the area north belonging to Russia; in the east, the Lena River will be the boundary, with the area east belonging to the USSR and the area west belonging to Russia," Rytishev said loudly.

"All those places you mentioned are already under our army's control, and much of the territory you desire has also been occupied by our army. My father Khan decreed: The territory of the Khanate lies only under the hooves of our warriors. Does your Great Emperor want me to return the places our warriors have trampled? He must be insane! Hahaha~" Lobsang Khoshuo laughed contemptuously.

"Hahaha~ Hahaha~" The tent was filled with the laughter of the guards generals.

Ignoring the jeers and mockery, Rytishev declared loudly, "This is His Majesty the Tsar's bottom line, and there is absolutely no possibility of compromise!"

“Very well, I will also let you know the will of my Great Khan,” Lobsang and Shuoqi retorted sharply. “Russia submits to David; in the west, the line between Tsaritsyn and Novocherkassk is the boundary, north of which belongs to Russia and south to David; in the east, the Ural Mountains are the boundary, west of which belongs to Russia and east to David. This is my father Khan’s sacred decree, and there is absolutely no possibility of change. You are but a lowly subject, and you cannot make decisions for your great emperor. Go back first, and come back after consulting with your superiors.”

Having said that, he then ordered them to leave. Although he claimed there was "absolutely no possibility of change," in reality, his father's bottom line for him was the Astrakhan-Azov line in the west, not the Tsaritsyn-Novocherkassk line, meaning there was still room for compromise in the west. Furthermore, the Great Khan, who valued interests over face, did not demand that Russia submit to David. However, in negotiations, it's crucial to set tough conditions upfront to create room for future bargaining; there's no reason to reveal one's hand immediately. Rytishev did the same; the Tsar's bottom line for him was the Yenisei River in the east, but he insisted on the Lena River, again to create room for later negotiations.

The first round of talks ended in a delicate atmosphere that was both tense and left room for maneuver. Rytishev politely bowed to Lobzang and Shuoqi to take his leave, saying, "Your Excellency, I hope that when I come back next time, I will receive a plow rather than a sword."

"I hope so," Lobsang and Shuoqi smiled slightly, inwardly marveling. This Russian devil even knows the idiom "turning swords into plowshares"—he must have put in a lot of effort! It's a pity that territorial negotiations between two countries have never relied on understanding each other's cultures, but rather on the strength of their military forces. Now that Wei is strong and Russia is weak, no matter how eloquent the Russian devil is, he won't gain any advantage over me!

"Your Highness, the Great Khan has sent another imperial edict." Just as he was feeling sentimental, Governor Tuyebai of Aghanheba quietly came to his side and handed him the second imperial edict, personally written by the Great Khan of Lotus.

Lobsang Heshuoqi opened the letter his father had written to him. It read: “I suspect the Russians won’t submit so easily. We must continue military force to achieve a favorable outcome in the peace negotiations. A combination of force and persuasion is the only way. I have ordered the Prince of Chu to quickly capture Turuhansk and Mangazeya, cross the Ob River, and station his troops on the northern slopes of the Ural Mountains, threatening Obdorsk, Berezov, and Arkhangelsk. The Kazakhs Tumentu Hurchoktu and the Northern Desert Commander Saihan should quickly seize Tobolsk and Ob, stationing their troops in the central Ural Mountains, threatening Ufa, Nizhny Novgorod, Samara, and Kazan. In this way, our army will be able to cross the Ural Mountains! The Russian chieftain, fearing our military might, and with the aid of peace negotiations, will surely achieve a favorable result. My son, you are brave; even with numerous difficulties, you should still accomplish something.”

After reading the letter, Lobsang Khoshuk remained silent, handing it to Tuyebai for a look. After a long pause, he spoke, "Father Khan wants to put pressure on the Russian Emperor. He has ordered Third Brother to attack Turuhansk and Mangazeya, and for Tuhuerchoktu and Saihan to capture Tobolsk and Ob, so that we can overcome difficulties and achieve something. This is to get us to launch an offensive on the western front, but now our troops are exhausted and supplies are insufficient. How can we fight a major battle?"

Tuyebai smiled, "The Great Khan is actually aware of your difficulties, which is why he said, 'Even with numerous difficulties, one should still take action.' I believe you don't need to wage a real war; simply make a show of force and send troops to harass the Russian border, keeping the Russian army on the western front insecure." (End of Chapter)