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"My great master, lord and dictator of all Russia, your humble servant hereby reports to you the sad news that the Russian ** team led by General Alexandro Antony Kiriyenko suffered a terrible defeat at Selengsk, only 30 soldiers fled back to Irkutsk, and the rest of the troops, including the general and the Cossack leader Alamodo Korninov, were lost in the eastern shore of Lake Baikal."

While Zheng Kezang in Wuchang was worried about the future situation in the Beihai region with his courtiers, the Russian Tsar Peter I was also reading the report of the Governor of the Irkutsk Province, Count Plenin-Andropoyev-Orsk, in the wooden house he had laid with his own hands.

According to the information sent back by General Kiriyenko in advance, the enemy he faced was not the Tatar soldiers of the Qing Empire as he had thought in advance, but the Chinese Empire, that is, the army of the Chinese in the south, who were pursuing the Qing people, which was in line with the judgment of Baron Ivan Federovich Kderient, the former overseer of the Nerchensk region, after contact with the Chinese government, that the Chinese clearly ignored Russian dominion over all of Siberia. Moreover, judging from the report of the Yakutsk Military District on the occupation of Okhotsk by the Chinese Navy, it is obvious that the Chinese Empire has launched an all-out attack on Russia, and under the form of such an all-out offensive, it will be difficult to support the areas east of Lake Baikal, such as Selengsk, Irgensk, Nerchensk, Shilok, Shilosk, Amarat, Sretensk, Karemsk, and Priergunarsk. Even more worrying is the fact that we do not know what the ultimate goal of the Chinese is, and it is difficult to guarantee that the rest of Irkutsk province will not be attacked. It is conceivable that once the Chinese with an absolute majority of troops drove a larger number of Mongols and Tatars into Eastern Siberia and even the provinces of Siberia, Russia's rule in the East for more than a hundred years would quickly collapse. In order to prevent this terrible scene from happening, your humble servant can only earnestly ask that as many troops as possible be sent in for reinforcements??????"

After reading the report and the letter of appeal for help from Count Orsk, Peter I cursed angrily, and then ordered: "Inform the Administration and the Senate that we are in big trouble. ”

A few hours later, ten senators of the Senate, as well as the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of War, the Minister of the Admiralty, the Minister of Revenue, and the Minister of Budget Execution, rushed to the Tsar's palace, and Peter I asked each of them to carefully read the letters of Count Orsk, so that everyone could understand the crisis in the East.

Looking at the people, they all knew the reason for the matter, and Peter I, who presided over the meeting, first asked the Foreign Minister, Marquis Petro Arseyevsky: "What does the Foreign Affairs Committee know about the Chinese?" ”

Marquis Arseyevsky went through it in his mind, and then replied: "China was destroyed by the Tatars of the Qing Empire eighty years ago, and only the predecessor of the present Chinese Empire retreated to the southern islands, but more than twenty years ago, the current Chinese Empire was rapidly revived, and soon recaptured southern China from the Qing Empire, and according to the Siberian report, the entire Chinese region was completely recovered about five years ago. ”

The Foreign Secretary's words, revealing the rise of a mighty empire, stunned the Russian magnates present, but the Marquis Arseyevsky was not finished, and he continued: "According to the latest information from Europe, the Chinese navy defeated the powerful Dutch United East India Company, seized the spice-rich East Indies, and expelled the Dutch power to Africa in one fell swoop. In addition, not long ago, the Chinese Empire also purchased a fast eastern colony from Spain at a price of four million gold francs, and even Britain and France vied with each other to flatter the Chinese. ”

If the foreign secretary's previous words are just magical, then the part about China defeating the Netherlands and making Britain and France bend their backs shook Peter I, you know, he traveled incognito in Western Europe back then, and knew that Britain, France, Netherlands and other countries were far from being comparable to today's Russia, and even such a powerful country was afraid of the Chinese Empire in the East, which made him doubt whether he could defend the eastern territory of Russia.

Marquis Arseyevsky, who did not know what Peter I was thinking, then dropped a bombshell: "In addition, according to the news transmitted by the Dutch minister, the French funds for Charles XII were also provided by the Chinese, and the Chinese also signed an extremely generous treaty of commerce with Sweden, and the Foreign Affairs Committee did not know what the Chinese were for purpose before, but now it seems that the Chinese have long been ready for a full-scale war with Russia, and they want to use the Swedes to attack Russia in the west." ”

The Russian magnates present were terrified for a while, yes, the Chinese Empire had already laid out a situation waiting for Russia, which was fighting on two fronts, and Russia only now understood the opponent's attempt to come, and it was a little late.

"Nevertheless, we should not sit idly by and watch the invasion of the Nizhny Baikal region just because the enemy is strong." Minister of War Nikolaev Grigory Samapsin roared. "Even if the French and Chinese support Sweden with tens of thousands of dollars, the Swedish army cannot suddenly recover its combat effectiveness, not to mention, we are still allied with the British and Prussians, and with their containment, the Russian ** team can be completely drawn out to fight in the east."

Although the Duke of Samapusin is a soldier, he also has some insight in what he said, not to mention that the British had intervened in the Great Northern War before, that is, they did not intervene, and when they saw the French intervention, they had to continue to stand on the side of Russia, but the Russians did not expect that Britain and France had a tacit understanding with China in terms of containing the rise of Russia, of course, if Russia could turn around and go all out to advance eastward, it would be able to obtain the support of Britain, which had a lot of filthy relations with China.

"Move the army to the East to fight?" The Minister of Budget Implementation, Count Yenev Proginsky, suddenly shouted. "No, never, General, do you know how much it costs?" Count Proginsky reported. "Previously, it cost 20,000 rubles for the transfer of four regiments to Eastern Siberia, and if this number were increased tenfold, the country would be completely bankrupt."

"I can't control this, I don't have money to collect from the people." The Duke of Samapusin was unmoved. "If you don't send troops because you don't have money, it means that Russia has given up on the future."

Marquis Mihajevich Negin, Minister of Revenue, shook his head and said: "The burden of taxes on the peasants is now three times greater than in 168o, and there is no possibility of expanding the source of taxes for the time being. ”

Financial problems were even more preoccupation with Peter I, for which he asked the Foreign Secretary: "Is it possible to borrow money from the Dutch?" ”

"With the contradictions between the Dutch and the Chinese, it is possible to borrow money from them," Marquis Arseyevsky said first and then again. "But the Dutch have not been in a good financial situation recently, and the restructuring of the United East India Company has had a great impact on the country." The Foreign Minister, having dismissed the idea that Peter I had borrowed money from the Netherlands, made another piece of news that shocked those present. "In addition, the attitude of the British has become ambiguous recently, and it seems that there is a possibility of separate peace with Sweden."

Peter I frowned and thought, "Is it possible for us to make peace with Sweden at once?" ”

"I'm afraid that Charles XII is not willing to make peace." Marquis Arseevsky responded sternly. "After returning to Sweden from Yar, Charles XII has been retraining the Swedish army, which is said to have recovered to 30,000 men today."

The elder Assinisyukinti said: "The future of Russia lies in the West, why not make peace with the Chinese?" ”

Duke Samapsin glared angrily at him and said, "You are crazy, this piece of land is almost equivalent to Upper and Lower Austria. ”

"But this land is too far from the Russian mainland." Assinisyukin quietly stared at Duke Samapusin. "It is not a wise choice to fight against an empire far more powerful than Russia for a piece of land tens of thousands of versts away, especially when there is still a threat to the homeland, and appropriate concessions are necessary."

"Appropriate concessions? I'm afraid that the Chinese will not agree. Duke Samapusin sneered. Perhaps in the spring, the Chinese army will surround the whole of Irkutsk, and by next summer the Chinese army will appear in Omsk, and the next year, the Chinese will cross the Ural Mountains and enter Russia proper. ”

"It's impossible." Assiny Shukin retorted. "The distance is zài for Russia, and it is also zài for the Chinese, and now it is not the era of the Golden Horde, and it is impossible for the Chinese to attack so far."

Before Duke Samapshin could say anything, Peter I spoke: "The Russian ** team must be transferred to the east as soon as possible to contain the possible actions of the Chinese in the area west of Lake Baikal." ”

Before Duke Samapusin could be satisfied, Peter I added: "But the Swedish threat cannot be left unattended, and in consideration of the financial aspects, the War Council must come up with a concrete plan to see how many troops are suitable." As for negotiations with the Chinese, they must also be carried out, and if the territorial claims of the Chinese can be limited to a reasonable range, Russia can accept them. There are also Chinese who threaten not only Russia, but also the Mongol empire in Central Asia, whether we can start from this aspect to contain the power of the Chinese. ”

"Your Majesty," the Foreign Secretary asked, a little confused. "How can this reasonable range be determined?"

"This is up to the Foreign Affairs Committee to talk to the Chinese." Peter I was not willing to give up an inch of the country, but Russia was not yet a powerful European steamroller, so he had to compromise. "Fight for every inch of land you can."

Marquis Arseevsky also did not want to bear the hat of cowardice and traitor, so he reconfirmed: "How should the Chinese respond if they claim the territory west of Lake Baikal?" ”

Peter I said sharply: "Sue the Chinese, first step over the corpse of the Russian." ”