The Last Frontier of Fire and Sword

Prince Alexei kept his promise. At night, the defenders of Fort Konotup enjoyed a rare peace.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Chechen, except for the necessary night watchmen, summoned all the living people in Konotop Fort to have a meeting in the playground full of rubble and craters.

There is only one topic at the meeting-that is whether to accept Prince Alexei's terms and surrender in a respectable manner.

After becoming the team leader of the Cossacks, Cheerchen has already mastered the etiquette of the Cossacks. He took off his cap and saluted the officers and soldiers skillfully, and then opened his mouth under everyone's attention.

"Brothers Cossacks, we held Konotop for more than a month, repelled countless attacks by the Russian invaders and caused huge casualties — even yesterday, we still let more than a thousand invaders bury their bones. Under the gap that they themselves blasted. You are worthy of yourself, and you are worthy of the title of hero. But all of us understand that it is our last Jedi counterattack. We have consumed almost all of the ammunition, and our strength has gone from the original four thousand. The number of people dropped sharply to less than a thousand. I thought that the Russians should be guilty and lose fighting spirit in such a difficult battle, but God did not bless us-this is of course my fault."

"Team leader, don't blame you, don't blame you, you have done well enough." Someone kept saying from the surrounding crowd.

Cheerchen motioned everyone to calm down, and he continued: "If we continue to resist, then all we can rely on are our fists and teeth. Although I believe you will fight the invaders without hesitation even if you don’t have any swords or guns. There will be no better results other than increasing casualties. Now, the enemy chief proposes to let us surrender on the condition of preserving our lives. If you accept the terms of surrender, I will accept and bear all the humiliation on my own; if you choose to continue to stick to it, then I will live and die with you."

After Cheerchen finished speaking, the playground was silent for a while.

Although Cheerchen gave everyone two choices, no matter who heard it, Cheerchen was inclined to surrender, because his tone was so pessimistic that he mentioned death many times.

For everyone in the original mercenary group, surrender is not unacceptable. After all, they do things in accordance with the contract, as long as Chechen approves them, they will execute it without hesitation.

For Bratzlaff’s Cossacks, Chechen is their team leader, and in this tragic defense of Konotop, he has fully demonstrated the bravery and talent that is not inferior to Bao Hong. They have already gained their heartfelt support. Respect, as long as Tetsuchen gives an order, they will have no reason to oppose it.

All of them shouted in unison: "We listen to you, team leader (group leader)."

In this shout, Cassian Boff, the middle-aged and oldest Cossack Cossack of the former Konotop Cossack, stood up.

This old Cossack is over 70 years old, even among ordinary people, he can be considered an advanced age. At this time, the old man said: "Cossack brothers, Cheerchen team leader has said so much, let me say a few words too. Although the old man’s words are pedantic, there may be a few useful ones. I want to say, you should surrender, because now even God can see that we have no hope. But I’m talking about you, including mercenaries from Germany. And Bratzlaff’s brothers, as well as the young people in the Konotop Cossacks. And old people like me, I want to stay, because I can’t walk the road anymore, and I have been a Cossack for a lifetime, no I know who I am a obedience to. I am standing alone, just want to die in glory."

After speaking, Cassian Bowf lifted his foot over the dense crowd in front of him and walked to Cheerchen. He took Chechen's hand with his scrawny hands, and kissed it passionately and reverently: "Your excellency, please don't take this as my disobedience to you. It's just that Captain Hevadki is dead, I know Most of the people are also dead, I really don’t want to survive."

After speaking, the old man actually started to cry.

The words of Cassian Boff moved many people. Immediately, more than a dozen Cossacks stood up and expressed their intention to die with Cassian Boff.

For a time, Cheerchen was also infected. His face flushed, his hands clenched into fists, as if he was about to live and die with others.

When Pidro saw that Cheorchen was going to be emotional again, he cried out badly. Immediately, Pidro stood up and walked to Cheerchen’s side and grabbed one of his hands. "Then it is so decided: those who are willing to surrender decently will stand with us; those who are unwilling and want to stay. Stand with Cassian Boff."

Thousands of people stood up, and the Cossacks said goodbye to their faces.

In the end, 891 people chose to surrender, and 24 people chose and died in Konotop. Among them, most of them were the original Konotop Cossacks and locals—the total number of four hundred before the war was no more than ten.

As the sky gradually cleared, Cheorchen ordered a white flag of surrender to be raised on the tower.

And he himself, accompanied by Pidro, Yelisei, and Fatima, went to the gap in the north gate.

At this moment, Cheerchen took off his helmet. He looked at the ruins, his glorious battlefield, the rubble, the corpses, the trenches, the broken wall and the survivors behind him for a while, and then he looked at him. I looked up at the sky and began to pray devoutly...

On another tower in Konotop Fort, Kasyan Boff sat with 24 comrades. They surrounded a gunpowder barrel. This was the last barrel of gunpowder in the army. Right away, he I must light this barrel of gunpowder and ascend to heaven with my comrades.

"May the Cossack always defeat his enemies, may the Ukrainian mother always prosper and prosper, and may the glory of the Orthodox Church shine on this land forever." Kasyan Boff prayed silently in his heart.

On the Triangle Fort, the Russian soldiers who saw the white flag of surrender in Konotop Fort had reported the situation to Prince Alexei, and the Prince and Prince Simon Pozharsky showed it. A triumphant smile.

Although the process was bumpy and tortuous, in the end, they had the last laugh.

At this time, Prince Alexei heard from the side, Shirko said to a Russian general beside him: "Look, what will I do when Alvar Chechen falls into my hands? Teach him! I will definitely let him die."

"Ivan Shirko!" Prince Alexei glanced sharply at the Cossack team leader like a god. "Alvar Chechen is my prisoner. How to deal with it is my business, and you don't need you. The more I will do for you."

The Russian generals on the left and right laughed at the sight of Ivan Shirko's collapse.

"Okay," the prince stopped everyone's laughter, "it's time for us to harvest the fruits of victory."

After that, Alexei Trubetskoy was the first to walk out of the big tent, and Prince Simon Pozharsky and the others followed.

Cheerchen took off the slender sword around his waist. Soon, he will hand this sword into the opponent's hand.

As if feeling the sorrow of the master, the slender sword shook in Cheerchen's hand.

Chechen originally thought this was an illusion, but it wasn't. The sword in his hand was indeed trembling. Not only the sword, but he could even feel the whole ground trembling slightly.

This kind of tremor is unusual, and there are usually only two explanations: first, it is an earthquake; second, a huge cavalry force is approaching.

The Russian army is here. It cannot be their army. The only impossible possibility is...

"Come up to the city wall with me."

Cheerchen hung the slender sword back to his waist, and then ran quickly towards the wall.

Of course, Pidro and the others also felt the tremors of the ground. Seeing Cheerchen so excited at this time, they also thought of the impossible possibility.

"Half of the people stay here, and the others return to the battle position." Pidro left an order and immediately followed in Cheerchen's footsteps.

Boarding the southern city wall, Cheer Chen saw countless cavalry appear on the distant horizon.

But what was different from what he had expected was that the visitors were not holding high the battle flag, but the horsetail banner.

Not Cossacks, but Tatars.

One-tailed, three-tailed, six-tailed...This is actually a Tatar army led by Muhammad Glyy himself!

More and more Tatars came out. Soon there appeared their dense crowds on the grassland, and they merged into a black and crushed one; then, from the dense Tatar crowds, the army of the Republic of Poland came out.

To ask how Cheerchen recognized the Polish army from a group of Tatar cavalry, it can only be said that the characteristics of this army are too obvious... the trump card of the Republic of Poland, the invincible winged cavalry team.

The winged cavalry formed a battle formation in the middle of the Tatar cavalry.

The battlefield was so far away that Chechen could only distinguish the flag emblem and the ponytail banner with his sharp eyes, and even though he could recognize some of the Mirza flags, he still couldn't see who they represented.

Chechen's heart began to beat wildly, and his pale cheeks flushed. Because behind the wing cavalry, I saw the figure of the Zaporozhye Cossack cavalry.

No more doubt, this is the reinforcements coming to rescue Konotop, an unprecedented coalition composed of Poles-Cossacks-Tatars.

The unexpected appearance of the enemy made the Russian army like a big enemy. Prince Alexei was about to accept Chechen's surrender. At this time, he walked down the triangle fort with the generals and quickly returned to the battle position, ready to face the enemy.

However, the Tatar-Polish-Cossack coalition forces did not give the Russians a chance to form a team. With the leading winged cavalry super-long lance straightened, all the winged cavalry pointed forward.

The wing cavalry was dispatched, and the cloud-like wings above their heads swayed in the wind. The forest-like spears and spears were decorated with golden tassels, and the long green and black flags on the spears fluttered in the air. Although there are only two hundred wing cavalry in this team, even though the strength of the enemy and the enemy is so different, even though the two wing cavalry teams in this area are facing the black and overwhelming Russian army, at this moment, everyone seems to believe that the winner will be Winged Cavalry.

Cheerchen’s face showed a smile, his eyes staring at the battlefield burst into flames, especially when he recognized that the figure leading the wing cavalry charge turned out to be his wife Natalie. He couldn’t wait to grow wings. Fly to each other.

"The wing cavalry charged!" Father Spasokukotsky exclaimed excitedly.

But seeing him, the cavalry who seemed to come from the kingdom of heaven leaped on their saddles, galloping forward, followed by the lightning-fast Zaporozhe Cossack cavalry, and on the flanks were the full-line Tatar soldiers and horses.

The attack of the wing cavalry was fierce, and the first charge penetrated three Russian infantry regiments. And it was to destroy them in an instant. The Russians and horses fell to the ground under the weight of the wing cavalry, like a storm sweeping the crops. It is like a giant dragon swallowing three goats in one bite.

The horses of the Russian cavalry, frightened by the screams of the winged cavalry's wings, ran out of position, swarmed apart, spreading the panic to the various regiments of the Russian army in the rear. The defeated soldiers who fled in all directions squeezed and smashed into each other, each retreating in a panic, without order at all.

At this time, the Zaporozhye Cossack cavalry rushed forward, and coordinated with the wing cavalry to wash the enemy's position like onions. Driven, chased, turned into a gang of mobs, slashed by swords and knives; some soldiers tried to resist and bought time for the soldiers behind, but the time they bought was so little that they could not win enough for their companions. The time to reorganize the team was finally beaten by birds and beasts.

Before the reinforcements led by Prince Simon Pozharsky arrived, the wing cavalry had already clashed under the castle of Konotop, and it was not their enemies but the friendly walls that prevented them from moving forward.

"Open the city gate, quickly open the city gate!" Cheer Chen exclaimed excitedly.

While shouting, he ran to the city gate.

The city gate opened wide, and Cheerchen ran out first.

The wing cavalry of the two teams, led by their team leaders, went left and the other went right, and continued to cooperate with the Cossack and Tatar cavalry to hunt down the remnants, while Natalie, riding a white horse, took off his helmet and came. Arrived in front of Cheerchen.

"At last it's not late." Natalie said to her husband with a smile.

Cheerchen hugged Natalie's slender waist, then jumped up and mounted Natalie's mount.

Deeply inhaling the fragrance of his wife's hair, Cheerchen said with an expression: "It's not too late, it's not too late."

Natalie was waiting to stop Cheer Chen from being so intimate with the public, when suddenly there was an earth-shattering thunder in the sky—something exploded.

"It's awful!" Cheerchen woke up suddenly, and he regretted: "I forgot about Cassian Boff and them! Damn it! Damn it!"

Then Cheerchen talked about the death of an old brother Sak named Kasyan Boff.

Natalie was also extremely moved. But she still comforted Chechen, that Cassian Bauf died for his beliefs, and his soul would surely be attracted by the angels.

The two had a lot to say, but at this moment, a winged cavalry with a broken wing came over on horseback and shouted: "The enemy's cavalry has arrived, and we are in a hard fight!"

Before he finished his words, a Tatar cavalry came on horseback: "Prince Simon Pozharsky led the Russian Boye cavalry to disperse our queue, and the Khan had to retreat temporarily."

Immediately, a Zaporozhye Cossack cavalry also came to report: "Our charge was blocked by the new Russian army's phalanx and had to withdraw from the occupied position."

After hearing the report of the three, Natalie said: "Okay, now the Cossacks and the wing cavalry retreat to Konotop. Also, thank Khan for my support, and ask him to station outside the city and become a horn of us. I will tell him that all the prisoners and spoils obtained in today’s battle will belong to him."

The three of them went to deliver orders.

Hearing the order from Natalie, Cheerchen asked strangely: "What? Isn't Wigowski's army yet?"

Natalie shook her head and said, "Vigowski's army is still more than ten days away from here. Because I am worried that you will not be able to support it alone, so I led the cavalry to arrive first."

As the three armies broke away from contact with the Russian army, the battlefield returned to calm, and suspicious that the Cossack army had also arrived on the battlefield, Prince Alexei shrank the line of defense, removed the siege of Konotop, and The army gathered in the north of the city.

Natalie, who entered the city of Konotop, explained why she led a three-nation coalition army to appear on the battlefield of Konotop.

It turned out that after Vygowski knew that Konotop had started to fight with the 60,000 army led by Prince Alexei, the warchief did not worry about the development of the battle for a day. Anxious, he went to Bratzlav to find Natalie, hoping that she could lead all the Cossacks in Bratzlav to Konotop for support.

Vigowski’s move was not so bad, or he wanted to use a knife to kill people to weaken the strength of the Bratzláv Cossack. It is true that the only cavalry essence of the Cossack emirate lies in this, and the mobility of the cavalry is much higher than that of the infantry. .

Natalie was also extremely worried about her husband who was in deep siege. Now that Wigowski came to ask herself, Natalie couldn't ask for it. But she also knows very well that although the Zaporozhye Cossack cavalry is already the top cavalry of the Cossack emirate, the gap with the Russian cavalry is still obvious, and the military strength is also at an extreme disadvantage. To this end, she made two requests to Vygowski. The first was for Vygowski to agree to transfer Kishka’s wing cavalry to Konotop; the second was to ask Kerry. The Miya Khanate borrowed troops.

Wigowski readily agreed to these two conditions without even thinking about it. He sent someone to send 20,000 talers to Muhammad Glyy, UU reading www.uukanshu. Com and promised to pay him 30,000, which in exchange for 10,000 cavalry from the Khanate.

Everyone now understands why the Allied Forces of the Three Kingdoms will appear on the battlefield.

"Before I came, the 40,000 troops of the Cossack Emirate had already assembled, and they would be able to reach the battlefield at the end of the month." Natalie said at last.

Hearing this news, Dimochev and Marmer immediately turned red, and Marmer even shouted impolitely: "I'll go out and tell everyone."

After speaking, he ran out.

Dimochev looked at Mammy’s back and smiled bitterly: "What a frizzy guy."

Natalie finished speaking, but everyone still didn't know enough, because they had been trapped in Konotop for more than a month, and they didn't know anything about what was happening outside, and now there are many questions to ask.

"So," Pidro asked first: "How are the negotiations between Vygowski and King Jan Kazimierz?"

This question is also what Cheerchen and everyone are most concerned about. Now that Pedro asked, everyone's ears were pricked up.

Natalie said: "Although no final agreement has been reached, a peace treaty between the Republic and the Cossacks is basically a certainty."

This is another great news, and everyone celebrates.

Then Spasokkotsky asked about the battle between the Republic and Sweden.

"The elector withdrew from the alliance with Karl X and once again stood on His Majesty's side." Natalie replied briefly.

Unlike the cheerfulness when she answered Pidro just now, Natalie's heart was full of bitterness when she said this.

Because she didn't tell everyone how much the Republic paid in order to win Frederick William.

It is more bitter than eating coptis when I think of it.