The Last Frontier of Fire and Sword

In 1658, winter passed and spring came, and the Great Plains of Ukraine were about to fall into blood and fire.

With the southward advance of the 60,000 Russian troops originally stationed in Pskov last year, the war between Tsarist Russia and the Cossack emirates can be described as looming.

In March of this year, Ivan Shirko, the Cossack team leader who has always advocated respect for Cossack traditions and opposed Yuri Khmelnitsky’s rise to power, hijacked Yuri Khmelnitsky. Take refuge in Tsarist Russia.

In the name of respecting Bogdan Khmelnitsky's last words and supporting Yuri, he prayed to the tsar in Moscow for reinforcements.

And the long-awaited army led by Prince Alexei, who had been waiting for a long time, finally waited for the excuse to go to war.

In Kiev, the capital of the Cossack Emirate, Warchief Vigowski also accumulated his final strength for the decisive battle with Tsarist Russia.

However, unlike Tsarist Russia, where the country is unified and the government is unimpeded, the people in the Cossack emirate are panicked due to the rebellion of Ivan Shirko. Some Cossack team leaders and company commanders who were not so determined to fight against Tsarist Russia also thought differently. Wigowski must thoroughly integrate the internals and gather people's hearts.

And this takes time.

Wigowski estimates that he will not be able to gather an army that rivals Prince Alexei until June at the earliest. Before that, he had to stop the invasion of Ukraine by Tsarist Russia with a small army.

To stop the army of Tsarist Russia, the Cossacks had to defend Konotop.

Konotop is located in the northeastern part of Ukraine. It is on the right bank of the Dnieper River. It is the only way for Tsarist Russia to attack Chernigov and Kiev.

As for the candidate to defend Konotop, Cheechen was the first thing that Wigowski thought of.

Helped him become Bratzlaff's team leader, and now it's time for him to repay himself.

An urgent letter was sent from Kiev to the hands of Chechen, the leader of the Bratzlav team-to quickly recruit Chechen to discuss matters in Kiev.

Cheer Chen, who received the letter, quickly rushed to Kiev accompanied by Xie Miao.

He knew that the time had come to "repay" Wigowski.

As for the work of gathering soldiers and horses and preparing food and grass, Cheerchen handed it over to Blair, Natalie and others who had come to Bratzlaff from Vidava.

On the day Chechen arrived, Vygowski greeted him at the gate of Kiev. But the Cossack warchief did not immediately order Cheorchen to go on the expedition, but wanted Cheorchen to accompany him in a play.

Vigowski said to Chechen: "Because of the rebellion of Ivan Shirko, the Cossacks are now panicked. They fear Ivan Shirko and Prince Alexei. Now the two are together. Together, everyone was shocked and exclaimed that they were invincible."

"I'm not afraid of them." Chechen said.

Vigowski laughed.

"Of course I know you are not afraid. But to make everyone not afraid, I still need to set an example."

After speaking, Wigowski said something to Chechen, asking him to do what he wanted.

Back at the City Lord's Mansion, Wigowski and Chechen immediately went up to the second floor. There is now the headquarters of the Cossack Emirate to resist Russia. Dozens of Cossack team leaders, detachment leaders and company commanders gathered here.

Wigowski walked in first, and Cheerchen slipped into the crowd quietly.

When Peter Doroshenko saw that Vygowski was back, he shouted: "The warchief is here."

The originally noisy hall instantly became quiet.

Wigowski stepped onto the platform.

He was wearing a red Cossack noble chief attire, a wolf fur hat decorated with eagle feathers, and a black staff in his hand. He was majestic and majestic.

"Brothers Cossacks." Vigowski said: "Everyone knows that Ivan Hilko betrayed us and betrayed the Cossacks. He wants to fight us and kill the flesh and blood brothers with the Russians. I didn't want to fight. , I just want to stay here quietly, but since someone is going to impose war on us. Then I can’t bear to swallow. I wanted to personally lead the army to fight the Russians for three hundred rounds, but it’s because of well-known reasons. , I can’t get away for the time being. I have to stay in Kiev and coordinate the overall situation here. But if you don’t want the Russians to wreak havoc on Ukrainian soil during this period, someone has to stop him and buy time for me. You, Who is willing to shoulder this important task?"

There was a deathly silence in the audience, and some Cossacks even lowered their heads or hid behind others.

Seeing that no one was speaking, Vigowski went on to say: "Whoever in the ranks is willing to take on the important task of this battle, I will give him the command of the most elite Cossack troops in my department. I will guard the chief. Send it to him too."

Some people took a breath.

The Cossack chief guards, that is the most elite force in the Cossack chief. Although the number is small, all of them use sophisticated Mikari muskets and their marksmanship is amazing.

But even so, none of those team leaders dared to take a step forward.

Although all the people present were fearless soldiers, their fighting and shouting hit the golden tents of the Crimean Khan and the walls of the castles of Polish nobles more than once. But in the face of Ivan Shirko, who was assisted by the 60,000 Tsarist Russian army, no one of them was sure of winning.

Wigowski's gaze scanned the team leaders one by one, but under his gaze, they all bowed their heads and looked down at the ground.

Peter Doroshenko wanted to stand up, but Vigowski stopped him with a sign.

Vigowski needs Peter Doroshenko to stay by his side.

"I know there is a Cossack," Wigowski sighed deliberately, and he said with regret: "If he is alive at this moment, he will definitely come forward and will never escape such an important task, but he is already dead. "

"Bao Hong!" someone shouted.

"Yes, it is him. Team leader Bao Hong never fears death. He regards death as his mother, hugs her and kisses her. But since he is not there, I don't think anyone can count on it. Alas, where is the honor of Cossacks? Go? Where are our Pafluks, Nalevajkos, Vobodas, and Ostranica?"

Speaking of Wygowski's words~www.readwn.com~ According to the script, it is time for Cheerchen to appear.

"I'm going!" he shouted.

Cheerchen squeezed through the crowd and came to the stage. He said again: "I'll go!"

Everyone recognized Chechen, the man who had been the leader of the Bratzláv Cossack team for less than half a year, and the life and death brother of Bao Hong.

Cheerchen took off the Cossack cap on his head, revealing the same Cossack hairstyle as everyone else.

He spread his legs, and then said in a slightly contemptuous tone: "Warchief, I was in danger at this time, not because I was scared before. It is because I think I am a newcomer to the Cossacks, and I am sure among the team leaders. There is a braver and more suitable candidate than me! But since everyone is humbly, then I will go. Because I can't discredit the wiseness of Brother Bao Hong, can't discredit the Bratzlaff Cossack, be called a coward."

Cheerchen's other Cossacks were blushing. Vasily Zolotarenko was the first to be uninspired by the law. He stood up and shouted: "I'm going!"

At this moment, the other Cossack team leaders fryed the pot one after another. One by one, they are vying for the first time, fearing that they will be called cowards by others.

Vigowski smiled to himself.

These team leaders are considered to be in their own urn.

Finally, the mission to Konotop was given to Cheerchen. However, Wigowski assured the team leaders who are actively seeking battles that they will be given more important and arduous tasks in the future.

When the meeting ended, a huge dark cloud came from the northeast, covering the sky over Kiev. The lightning blasted out of the dark clouds beyond the horizon, and lightning pierced the sky, sometimes illuminating the entire area with dazzling white light and sometimes with blood-like red light.