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The Xia army, with the Buryats of Verkhniya Baikal and more Kyrgyz from the Ulianghai, was clearly larger than before. However, this was not good news for the Russians, after all, as the prince of Hasut had judged, the Russians had grazed most of the looted cattle and sheep in the plains along the Irkutsk River, where they were left to chew on all kinds of unharvestable wheat, barley and oats in the fields that had not yet been completely burned, and as a result, the Chamon coalition army that had attacked from many directions was calmly recaptured under the noses of the Russian settlers. Although the Russians, who had long been prepared for the resurgence of the Xia army, drove some of their cattle into the city as much as possible before the arrival of the Chamon coalition army in their own city, most of the cattle and sheep were still returned to their original owners.

What the? If they were able to bring cattle into the city, why didn't the Russians gather all the cattle and sheep before?

The reason is also very simple, it can be explained in one word, this word is "small", specifically the city is small. During this period, Russian cities in Siberia were almost like large villages, with an average of only 7 or 800 people, and provincial capitals like Irkutsk were only 2 or 3,000 people. The small city also means that there is little space, coupled with the fact that the Xia army burned down a large number of suburban villages before, and the surrounding population poured into the city, as a result, only 800 people could live in the city, and now 1,300 or 400 people are stationed, how can there be extra places to raise livestock.

What the? Why not slaughter all cattle and sheep and turn them into meat storage?

It is only the middle of July, the weather has not yet begun to cool down, and the Russian settlers in the Vikhniya Baikal region, who lack sufficient quantities of sea salt and cannot procure spices for pickling, can preserve a large amount of meat products from rotting in vain? So it's not that the Russians didn't think of it, it's that they couldn't do it.

It was only the loss of a large amount of winter reserves that dealt an extremely heavy blow to the Russians who were struggling with hunger, and what made the Russians feel even more frightened was that the Xia army after the local Mongols joined the Xia army made a long-term siege posture, and there were great signs of starving all the Russian settlers in the Upper Baikal region to death.

"Now it's either a war with the Chinese or peace talks with the Chinese." Death in battle is not terrible, but it is terrible to starve to death, hence the argument among the Russian elite in Irkutsk. "It doesn't matter if you win or lose a war, half of them die, and the rest may survive until spring."

"But can you guarantee that when spring comes, the reinforcements sent by His Majesty will arrive in the Verkhnibaikal region with enough supplies?" The Commissioner of Finance, Baron Sergeevsky, did not approve of the hysterical construction of the military governor. "I think it's better to hold peace talks in order to persuade the Chinese to agree to our evacuation of some residents from places like Bratsk."

"I don't think the Chinese will accept our terms." Colonel Slopnin pouted. "Moreover, the dispersal of the population around the Irkutsk River to Bratsk, Kansk, Zhigalovo, Teschet, Krasnoyarsk, Uskikut, Ust-Ilimsk will increase the food burden in these regions, which in turn will affect the financing of military rations for future reinforcements."

In the eyes of the Russian aristocracy, the settlers who ventured to the East were native hooligans, beggars, fugitives, criminals, and the like, so it was not really a big deal to die, and the need to secure the Tsarist army was much more important than the lives of these inferior people, because the army was the guarantor of the Russian territory.

"The problem is that dying half of them doesn't guarantee that the rest will hold out until reinforcements arrive." Baron Sergeyevsky insisted. "And losing too many people may lead us to not be able to hold the city."

Colonel Slopnin sneered: "Then withdrawing a part of the personnel can guarantee that it will hold out until the reinforcements arrive?" ”

"Colonel, Baron, I don't think you two need to argue." Provincial Judicial Commissioner Baron Slakiev-Kirbeevsky-Begchev pulled apart the two sides with red eyes like cockfighting. "Whether it's a war or a negotiation, it doesn't matter what you two say, it's up to His Excellency the Governor to make the final decision."

When it was time to make a decision, Count Orsk hesitated: "Fighting is an easy choice, but we must take into account the result of defeat, in the East, Russia cannot afford a new defeat; As for negotiating with Chinese, no, we don't have the authority of His Majesty??????"

The matter was delayed, but the Russians did not expect that a catastrophe was quietly approaching.

"How many rockets are there?"

"It's too late for the rockets allocated by the Ministry of War to the Beihai Metropolitan Protectorate, and this batch of 3,500 rockets is all seconded from the Khalkha Metropolitan Protectorate." So did the quartermaster of the 2nd Division of the Hussars. "Lord Deng also said that the old man has lent him to you, and I will have to invite him to have a good drink in the future."

"This Deng fat man, I know, I owe him a favor." Wang Ying said to the quartermaster. "You go back to Selengafort at once, and return your things to the people before the snow falls." The quartermaster left in response, and Wang Ying ordered to his subordinates. "Three thousand five hundred rockets, a lot, can burn several cities, then find a good day, let these Mongolians and Kyrgyz people take a closer look, don't let them always think that we are doing things because of people."

The next day, Wang Ying feasted in the camp outside the Siberian city of Usoliye, the leaders of Wulianghai who had gone north to fight and the local Buryat Mongols. After three rounds of drinking, several princes of Tojin Banner (Metropolitan Governor's Territory) and Hasut Banner (Metropolitan Governor's Territory), who had received large quantities of cattle and sheep from the local Buryats, expressed their desire to return home before the onset of winter. In this regard, Wang Ying only responded by intoxicating them.

In the dead of night, the drunken Mongolian princes and Kyrgyz princes were awakened from their dreams, looking at the heavily armed Xia Jun, they thought that the Xia Jun was ready to do something to themselves, and they were at a loss, but they were told that they should go to the camp to watch a grand fireworks show, and they were dumbfounded.

At this time, it was already midnight, although it was not really winter, but the wind and cold were still biting, and the soldiers on guard at the head of the Siberian city of Usoliye did not know where to hide to make up for sleep, perhaps in their opinion, it was impossible for the Xia army to quietly capture the city without bringing siege artillery.

However, the meteor-like rockets fired by the Xia army made these Russian turtles suffer a big loss, because the cities in Siberia are built of local logs according to local conditions, and are not as fire-resistant as the stone buildings of major European cities, so when the Xia army's rockets set off the raging fire, the Russians in the city woke up from the nightmare. The frustrated Russians also tried to extinguish the fire on the building, but the shrapnel scattered when the Xia army's rocket exploded ruthlessly destroyed the Russians' efforts to save the city, and the Russian settlers could only watch the city turn to ashes.

When the Russians, driven to nowhere to go by the fires that set the city ablaze, fled in Siberia to Usoliye, they were awaited by heavily armed Xia knights. The Russians, who had struggled in the fire for half the night, did not even have the courage to resist, so they were captured, and the few Russians who were lucky enough to escape by the pre-dawn night did not have time to run far, and fell into the hands of the pursuing Chamon coalition after dawn.

"Ladies and gentlemen, do you think this scene is still exciting?" Against the backdrop of the firelight, Wang Ying's expression was like a demon in hell, frightening the souls of the Buryat Mongols and the Kyrgyz people of Wulianghai, and they no longer dared to think that Xia Jun had a request for others, and he could handle it with confidence. "This is just the beginning." Wang Ying, who was very satisfied with the reaction of the local aborigines and Wulianghai people, declared. "Next, we will burn down the cities of these Rakshasas one by one."

Wang Ying didn't say much, after burning Siberian Usoliye with 500 rockets, in the next five days, he burned Serekhov with 400 rockets, Sversk with 550 rockets, and Angarsk with 800 rockets.

"According to the adventures of the [Orgarburg], we already know that Sherekhov, Angarske, Siberian Usoliye, Sversk have been destroyed." During this period, the Bratsk reservoir had not yet been built, there was no connection between the Irkutsk River and the Bratsk River, and the Hue River around Usoliye and Sversk in Siberia was shallow and narrow, making it difficult for even small river boats to navigate. "The whereabouts of all the inhabitants are unknown, and the only thing that can be confirmed now is that all the destroyed cities have traces of fire, and it is clear that this was not an accident, but a deliberate attack."

"These heretics must have called out to the devils of hell to cause such a fire." The bishop prayed like God while making a cross. "Lord Almighty, please bless us from such a tragedy??????"

After following the prayer of the bishop God, the financial commissioner, Baron Sergeevsky, repeated the old words: "Lord Count, it has now reached the most critical moment, we do not know whether the Chinese will use this weapon of destruction in Irkutsk, so we must reach an agreement with the Chinese before using it." ”

The governor looked at the military commander who had been resolutely fighting the war: "Colonel Slopnin, can we still fight a decisive battle with the Chinese?" ”

Slopnin smiled bitterly: "I'm afraid it can't, those civilians have been frightened by the magic of the Chinese, let them fight the Chinese, can only add to our defeat." ”

In fact, not only the morale of the Russian army is low, but the main thing is that the troops are also insufficient, and his so-called decisive battle with the Xia army was based on the premise of gathering all the Russian male residents of the four cities of Sherekhov, Angarske, Siberian Usoliye and Irkutsk, and now the three cities have been turned into rubble, and the city residents have become slaves of the local Buryats, so naturally they cannot join the Russian army's battle sequence.

"If you can't fight, you can only negotiate." The Governor of Orsk sighed weakly. "Your Excellency Baron Sergeyevsky, since you insist on negotiating with Chinese, the next thing will trouble you, I hope that Russia will not suffer even greater humiliation??????"