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Late June and early July are the best times of the year in Siberia, and the eight-month winter has ended for nearly two months, and the toiling farmers are watching the winter wheat grow, and the busy adventurers are boldly leaving the city and going deep into the primeval jungle to find the natives for furs and gold sand to be transported back to the west in the coming year.

As a result of the defeat of the Russian army in Selengetsk last year, the magnates of the Irkutsk province, who had been worried all winter, began to regain their vitality after surviving the first two of the most difficult -- the news that the spies who had sneaked to the area east of Lake Baikal successfully returned to the Xia army and withdrew part of their troops, and the following counts of Plenin-Andropoev-Orsk were all relieved, and they unanimously thought that the Xia army had given up the offensive and moved to the defensive stage, even if the western reinforcements would arrive later. The vicinity of Irkutsk was also not under attack.

With this realization, the relaxed eastern Russian top brass began to have fun again. Of course, for the Russian magnate, who were only half-civilized in the eyes of Western Europe, eating and drinking in the suburbs and taking a steam bath was already the top entertainment, and those opulent banquets, fragrant social balls, and high-class salons where all religions and sects gathered, were rarely seen even in Moscow and Petersburg, two Russian capitals, so there was no need to mention them in the rural cities of the east.

Fortunately, the wilderness naturally has the characteristics of the wilderness, and the logging competition has become a few popular activities that are appreciated by both the elegant and the vulgar.

It may seem unthinkable for aristocrats and officials to pick up axes and work hard like serfs and freemen, but for the bitter cold of Siberia, the wood cut down for fuel is particularly important for wintering, and a steaming bath after a stinky sweat is a great pleasure.

"Today's logging competition was attended by the big Liosa from the mill, Tsykov from the blacksmith, Khimschi from the sugar beet estate, Morich from the winery, and the tax officer, Mr. Mishaevich." It was a competition between small workshop owners, small estate owners, and lower-ranking officials. "The prize is a pig." The pig barked with the laughter of onlookers. "Alright, let's get started!"

Of course, the logging competition did not really get these small planters and officials to go to the forest to cut down one or several trees and come back, in fact, the trees had already been cut down by the serfs, and these participants only had to cut them into pieces of wood that could be easily burned. In other words, this is actually a firewood chopping competition, but the name is more ugly, so it was changed to the word logging.

Looking at the sound of chopping wood one after another, looking at the sweaty contestants, the bystanders on the side also began to get nervous, and in this atmosphere, the acquaintances of the small gardeners also began to cheer for their friends: "Da Liaosha, speed up, you are now one less tree than Morich, you can't get a pig, go back and your wife kicks your ass??????"

The strange cheering sound of Guli made the onlookers lean forward and backward with joy, and even the supplier of the prize, the local owner of the large manor, Mr. Almov, was also happy to say to the infantry captain Voev next to him: "Captain, this kind of fun is rare." ”

Voyev took a sip of potato vodka and said reservedly: "It's really interesting, everyone was quite nervous a few days ago, it's time to have fun and laugh and relax for two days." ”

"Yes, that self-righteous general has done us a misfortune." Almov also sighed. "Fortunately, the Chinese have given up further actions, so that as long as domestic reinforcements arrive, we will be completely stable."

"Safe?" Voev looked left and right, and now everyone's attention was still on the logging competition, and then he said in his heart. "We're old friends, and I'll hide it from you, it's not a good thing for a big landlord like you that domestic reinforcements have arrived." Armov looked puzzled and listened to Voyev's explanation. "If reinforcements are stationed near Irkutsk, how will the food be paid? It's not going to come out of your heads yet. ”

Almov's expression suddenly became solemn, and after thinking for a long time, he asked in an uncertain tone: "What if the local landlords unanimously demand that the army cross the lake and recover the Nizhny Baikal Military District?" ”

"That's even worse." Voyev replied. "The offensive requires more supplies than the defense, and these materials cannot be transported from the west, which is too expensive, and it cannot be expected to be obtained from the Chinese after entering Nizhny Baikal, so in the end it can only be collected locally, you know, the imperial court is definitely prepared to spend the least amount of money to get the most supplies."

"What then?" Armov tensed. "Wouldn't we be going to lose a lot of money?"

"If you can get help from Your Excellency the Governor, not only will you not lose money, but you may also make a lot of money, on the contrary, if you have no connections in the province." Voev sneered. "I advise you to hide your things now, and then take your servants and hide in Novosibirsk or Omsk."

"How can I get the help of His Excellency the Governor?" Almov asked bluntly. "How much will it cost?"

"I'm afraid it will take at least a thousand rubles." Voev reported a number. "I'm afraid this is not a small amount for you, but you can try to contact other people to make up the money together."

"Your Excellency the Governor has a big deficit?" Almov asked, frowning. "For a thousand rubles, you can buy a baron's title in Petersburg." Even fur merchants, who worked hard to travel between their homeland and Siberia, could hardly come up with a thousand roubles at once, let alone the self-sufficient manor owners who had not yet entered commoditization. "Isn't it too big to persuade at least 20 landlords to jointly contribute this money?"

"There is indeed a big hole in the finances of the province." To Almov's speculation, Voev gave a clear answer. "But this is also the trouble caused by General Kiriyenko, which would not have affected His Excellency the Governor, but the Tsar is now also short of money, and it is impossible to give Irkutsk any compensation, so it can only be solved by the Governor himself. As for Your Excellency the Governor, you also know that the Count has always collected money from his pocket, and never took it out. So, if you don't want to lose, either buy off the Earl or avoid it. ”

"Avoid, it's impossible." Almov said distressedly. "The war with the Chinese does not know when it will be resolved. Yes, the Chinese are withdrawing some of their troops at the moment, but if they re-recruit them because of defeat, then the war may last very much. ”

"That's right, the war between Russia and Sweden has been going on for ten years, and the war with Ottoman Turkey has lasted even longer, and we should take into account that the Chinese are stronger opponents than the Tatars, so a prolonged war is inevitable." Voev said this, looking at Almov. "Old friend, it seems that you have only one way to buy off the governor, in fact, you don't have to worry about not getting a return after paying, if the war continues as we expect, maybe you will become a nobleman because of it."

"If you can really lead the procurement of munitions, it's really worth the money." Almov raised his glass. "Please tell that honorable gentleman, and I will do my best to convince the local landlords."

Almov directly pointed out the person behind Voev, Voyev was not surprised by this, in fact, it was precisely because he knew that Almov was smart enough to gamble, so he asked Ying to convince the other party: "Very good, my old friend, then I wish you a smooth future, don't forget jì after becoming a nobleman??????"

Before Voyev could finish his words, suddenly one of Almov's servants hurried over with two richly dressed but hasty Mongol nobles, and Voyev's words turned into ridicule: "My dear friend, is it that you have too much tax this year, and the faces of those filthy natives are white. ”

Almov, who contracted the tax revenue of the four nearby Mongolian tribes, looked strange: "I haven't informed these Mongolians to raise this year's tax figures, but they have come to the door themselves." ”

While speaking, two Mongolian nobles came over and stumbled in Russian in a very nervous tone: "Russian master, and this general, the big thing is not good, the Chinese and Chinese have called." ”

"The Chinese called?" Armov turned to Voyev and asked. "Did the Baikalsk fortress send an alarm?"

Baikalsk is located at the apex of Lake Baikal, the name of the fortress is actually a small outpost mainly responsible for blocking smugglers, because it guards a key lakeside cliff path, although it is not conducive to the march of the brigade, but it is also the most convenient way to contact the upper and lower Baikal region in addition to lake transportation, and now it has become an outpost for Russian spies to infiltrate the Nizhny Baikal region, if the Xia army wants to attack the upper Baikal region, then it is Baikalsk that will be the brunt.

"I didn't get any similar news when I left the castle." Voyev looked at the two nervous Mongols with suspicion. "The Baikal detachment also did not report signs of the Chinese crossing the lake." The so-called Baikal detachment is nothing more than a few small two-masted inland river transport ships, but in the absence of tigers and monkeys in the mountains, it is enough to dominate the whole of Lake Baikal. "So, these people are either lying or they are trying to do something else."

"No, Russian lord, we are not lying." The two Mongols immediately cried out. "We have always been loyal to the Russian emperor, and Chinese really came, there were thousands of cavalry??????

"A few thousand Chinese cavalry?" Voyev asked with a sneer. "Did they fly from the sky?"

"The Chinese turned over from the south of the Sayan Ridge." The two Mongols were busy telling the way. "The guides made for them by the Wulianghai people are now being dragged by us in the tribe to rest, and they may attack tomorrow at the latest."

Almov suddenly became nervous: "Is this true? ”

"We dare to swear to the Buddha." The two Mongols assured in their eloquent words. "Russian lord, it's too late if you don't think about it??????"