The Revolt of the Three Feudatories: All-in at the start in Beijing

Chapter 284 Internal Instability in Tsarist Russia

"The Revolt of the Three Feudatories: All-in Betting on Beijing from the Start": Explosive word-of-mouth and rave reviews!

Cavalrymen without the speed of horses are like trapped beasts with their claws and legs broken; they may have armor and weapons, but they can't even muster the strength to fight back.

Huang You had been waiting for this moment. The Han army's hundred cavalry did not stop at all, and with their maximum speed, they crashed into the chaotic Russian cavalry formation.

In an instant, the crisp sound of metal clashing, the mournful neighing of warhorses, and the tragic cries of soldiers mingled together, echoing throughout the entire battlefield.

The Han cavalrymen in the front row leaned close to their horses, using the force of their charging horses to swing their sabers horizontally, specifically targeting vulnerable spots such as the armpits and necks.

This is also the advantage of cloth armor. Since the iron plates are all inside, it is difficult for Russian cavalry to tell where the armor plates are and where they are not, whereas mirrored armor can be seen through at a glance.

In the blink of an eye, the loose formation of the three hundred Russian cavalrymen was shattered by the hundred Han cavalrymen, who could not support each other and completely collapsed into a disorganized mess.

The soldiers fought individually, trampling each other in the chaos, unable to mount any effective resistance. They could only watch helplessly as the Han cavalry charged and slaughtered them at will.

Amidst the chaos of battle, Huang You immediately spotted the Russian noble general, clad in magnificent brocade armor, frantically hacking down fleeing soldiers in an attempt to reorganize his ranks.

After several charges, his saber was already covered with numerous nicks and the blade was chipped at the edges; any further slashes would likely cause it to break off completely.

Huang You acted decisively, flicking his wrist to throw the scabbard, which pierced the throat of a charging Russian cavalryman. He then bent down and reached out to grab a bronze mace that had fallen to the ground.

The Han army produced a large quantity of these golden maces, mainly because the hammerheads were heavy and effective at breaking through armor and blunting weapons; in most cases, they could even shatter mirror-finish armor.

Huang You gripped the hammer handle tightly, slammed his legs into the horse's belly, and the black horse, in pain, leaped over the chaotic crowd like a black lightning bolt, heading straight for the noble general.

The general was in a state of chaos, dealing with the fleeing soldiers and Han cavalry. When he caught a glimpse of Huang You charging towards him, he was terrified and immediately spurred his horse to turn and flee.

However, the Western Zhou army was so crowded with men and horses that the warhorses could not move at all. He could only grit his teeth and raise the Chashik scimitar at his waist, trying to fight back desperately.

Huang You gave his opponent no chance at all. The moment he rode closer, he gathered his strength in his right arm and poured all his power into the handle of his hammer. The bronze mace hammer, accompanied by a whistling sound, slammed into his opponent's chest.

"Bang—"

With a dull thud, the golden mace slammed heavily onto the Russian general's breastplate. The iron plates instantly dented and deformed, and the crisp sound of breaking ribs could be clearly heard.

The general felt an unbearable pain in his chest, a sweet taste in his throat, and a mouthful of blood gushed out. His body fell heavily from his horse like a rag doll, and after struggling for a moment, he lost all strength to resist and fainted.

"Our commander has been captured!!"

Someone shouted, and the already rout-strewn Russian remnants completely lost their will to fight. Some threw down their weapons on the spot, put their hands on their heads and knelt down to surrender. Others abandoned their armor and fled desperately into the depths of the grasslands. Of course, there were also a few who put up a stubborn resistance, but they were all killed by the Han cavalry.

The enemy troops surrounding the city were completely wiped out in an instant, and the siege was completely lifted.

Huang You reined in his warhorse, letting the black horse paw and pant in place. He wiped the blood and dust from his face and ordered in a deep voice, "Send fifty riders to pursue the fleeing enemy. Do not let any escape or inform anyone! The rest of you, clear the battlefield, seize weapons and horses, and guard the prisoners!"

The Han cavalry immediately split up and took action. Some rode off to chase down the fleeing enemy, some crouched down to tie up the surrendered Russian soldiers, and some gathered up the scattered weapons, muskets and warhorses. The battlefield was orderly, with no trace of panic after the victory.

Before long, the gate on the city wall slowly rose, and the heavy wooden door creaked open completely.

The crowd approached Huang You's horse and bowed respectfully, their expressions filled with gratitude. Wu Ancheng's voice choked with emotion as he cupped his hands and said in a trembling voice, "Commander Huang, you led a hundred brothers to our aid, saving the lives of everyone in the city. Without you, this city would surely have been breached by the Rakshasa demons today, and we would all have perished without a burial place. My entire Wu family will forever remember your great kindness!"

Huang You sat on horseback, nodded slightly, and said in a calm and composed tone: "Defending our territory and protecting our people is the duty of our Han army. There is no need for formalities. The battlefield is not yet cleared. We should first take care of the wounded and gather supplies to prevent the remnants of the enemy from launching a counterattack."

After simply accepting everyone's thanks, Huang You immediately ordered his men to wake the unconscious Russian nobleman general by splashing water on him, tie him up tightly with thick hemp ropes, and take him into a makeshift house inside the city gate for personal interrogation.

The house was dimly lit, with only an oil lamp flickering, casting long shadows of the two people.

The Russian general was forced to kneel on the ground, his chest wracked with pain, blood still dripping from the corner of his mouth. At first, he still held his neck stiffly, his face full of arrogance, and remained silent.

Huang You didn't say much. He raised his hand to signal the soldier beside him. The soldier stepped forward, grabbed the injured arm of the general and squeezed hard. Under the intense pain, the general convulsed instantly, his face turned as white as paper. He could no longer hold on and told the whole truth in a trembling voice.

It turns out that this Russian army was not a regular frontline main force at all, but a detachment led by a minor nobleman on the border.

In the past two years, Tsarist Russia has fought against the Han army on the front lines. Countless high-ranking nobles and generals have been killed or captured, and the soldiers under the command of lower-ranking nobles have suffered more than half of their casualties.

Nowadays, everyone in the military camp is insecure, morale is low, and soldiers are extremely weary of war, having long lost their former arrogance.

Even worse, the Russian court in the rear was corrupt and incompetent. All the grain and supplies were intercepted and intercepted by the nobles and given priority to their own troops. As a low-ranking noble, he not only did not receive any reinforcements for his troops, but even the most basic grain supplies were cut off.

The army camp had been without food for many days, and the soldiers could only survive by eating grass roots and horse meat. If they did not find a way, the entire army would starve to death.

With no other options, he took a desperate gamble, leading his remaining three hundred cavalrymen and a thousand captured grassland cannon fodder south to attack this border town, hoping to seize grain, clothing, and supplies to barely keep his troops alive.

After listening, Huang You tapped his fingertips lightly on the table, his brows furrowing slightly. The Russian front was facing a shortage of supplies, low morale, and disloyalty among the lower-ranking nobles. What appeared to be a small band of bandits raiding the border was actually a harbinger of the complete collapse of the entire Russian front-line army.

This may seem like a minor victory, but it hides a greater uncertainty in the border situation, and the border defense line will certainly not be peaceful in the future.

He looked up at the trembling Russian general kneeling on the ground, his voice cold and stern: "Besides you, how many other such groups are raiding the border?"

The general trembled, daring not to conceal anything, and hurriedly replied in a trembling voice, "At least, at least there are still five western branches, all of them minor noble troops like mine, cut off from supplies, looting in the western border region..."

I'm currently reading Chapter 284, "The Instability Within Tsarist Russia," and I'm completely absorbed in it.