Twentieth Century Chronicle

Page 130

Chapter 462 Bogda Mountain

On May 17th of the Russian calendar, the snow on Bogda Mountain had finally melted almost completely, and patches of green grass began to cover the ground. Combined with the exposed rocks and snow on the mountaintop, Sergeant Surovkov felt that this place was as beautiful as the Caucasus. Unfortunately, the climate here was not as warm as that of the Caucasus, and there were no beauties to be seen.

However, there is one advantage here: they will not encounter the fierce and warlike Caucasian mountain people. The Mongols here are docile and humble. They are not even as rebellious as the Buryat people to the north, because the cruel Mongol Living Buddhas and princes have long since turned their people into numb and indifferent servants.

Even a hard-hearted Cossack like himself felt a pang of pity after witnessing the punishments inflicted on wicked herders by Mongolian lamas and princes. These Eastern feudal lords clearly possessed an astonishing imagination when it came to inventing cruel tortures. One such punishment involved locking herders who had committed theft in wooden boxes and leaving them to starve to death in the open wilderness. Faced with such barbaric and cruel punishments, even hanging seemed merciful.

It is precisely because the feudal lords here are so barbaric and cruel that the rules for ruling this land are quite simple: as long as you are stronger than everyone else, these feudal lords will timidly grovel at your feet and offer their loyalty, because they know very well that their people, who have suffered so much at their hands, will not give their lives for them.

Indeed, the feudal lords who clamored to establish a Great Mongol Empire, when they led their own armies to attack their former masters, were defeated even when they had several times their number of troops. Only under the supervision of the Russian army, even a single company of Russian soldiers could inspire their courage.

Clearly, these Tatars, who claimed to be descendants of Genghis Khan, were only related to this historical Tatar ruler by blood, but did not inherit his courage and wisdom. So much so that the consul stationed in Kulun believed that only two companies of Cossack cavalry were needed to control the city; any more would be a waste.

Kulun was originally just a border town used by the Chinese to defend their northern frontier. The actual center of Chinese influence in Outer Mongolia was Uliastai, which was closer to Karakorum, the former capital of the Mongol Empire. However, the trade links established between China and Russia changed the population distribution of Outer Mongolia. As the most important city on the trade route to Kyakhta, Kulun quickly became the economic and population center of Outer Mongolia.

Before the war, Kulun had a population of nearly 100,000, of which 40,000 were permanent residents and the rest were merchants and travelers. After the outbreak of the war, under the expulsion of the Russians, 20,000 to 30,000 Chinese were driven back to the interior, while others migrated to Kobdo or Uliastai. Kulun's population then plummeted to less than 60,000, but it still accounted for one-tenth of the total population of Outer Mongolia.

However, among the fifty to sixty thousand people in Kulun, apart from Chinese merchants and artisans, the rest were almost all servants of Living Buddhas or princes, and there were hardly any free people. Therefore, when a Living Buddha wanted to recruit his own guards, he even had to issue orders to various banners to request that they send troops, because the city under his jurisdiction could not recruit many soldiers.

Therefore, the consul believed that only a few hundred Cossacks would be needed to control the city, because they did not need to deal with the entire population of the city, but only with one or two hundred feudal lords. As long as the Living Buddha was under control, the city would be under control, and no one would rise up in rebellion.

As the war in Manchuria escalated, the Russian troops originally stationed in places like Kulun did indeed begin a large-scale retreat. The generals transferred them to Manchuria, where more troops were needed. As the consul said, controlling Outer Mongolia did not require so many Russian troops. The withdrawal of the Russian troops actually eased the conflict with the local herders, as the Russian troops' demand for supplies decreased, the exploitation of the herders lessened, and the attacks on Russian patrols decreased.

Of course, with the withdrawal of large numbers of Russian troops, the Russian military's control over the area surrounding Kulun is also decreasing. For example, in the past, Russian patrols could even reach Uliastai and the northern border of Inner Mongolia, but now their patrols do not cross the grasslands south of the Bogda Mountains. It was only this year, when the Chinese suddenly sent a caravan, that the Kulun consul requested the colonel to strengthen the defenses of the Bogda Mountains area to prevent the Chinese from disguising themselves as caravans to attack Kulun.

Sergeant Surovkov's detachment was stationed at a mountain pass east of the Bogda Mountains. About 30 versts northwest of this pass lay the trading town of Kulun. Outposts like theirs were scattered along the key routes of the Bogda Mountains, serving as an outer perimeter guard for Kulun.

Of course, Sergeant Surovkov sometimes wondered if the Chinese army could not be discovered until they reached Bogda Mountain, which meant that the Tatars to the south had already betrayed them. In that case, was it still necessary to defend Kulun? After all, they now only had eight cavalry companies and two infantry companies left in Kulun, and it was impossible for them to control Kulun while fighting the Chinese at the same time.

However, the long period of peace quickly dispelled these thoughts from his mind. The Chinese had been on the defensive since the start of the war, so how could they possibly have the courage to attack Kulun? Besides, even if the Chinese did come, they could abandon Kulun and retreat to the north. Could the Chinese really advance all the way to the north of Kyakhta?

With these random thoughts in mind, Sergeant Surovkov sat on a log in front of the yurt, basking in the sun and polishing his boots, while his men stewed mutton on the grass nearby. It was a truly leisurely morning. After lunch, they would take a trip to the south, and that would be the end of the day.

However, this tranquility was soon broken by several Cossacks who were tending to their mounts on the hillside. They turned around and shouted a warning to their companions and Sergeant Surovkov behind them. The sergeant quickly stood up and looked down the hillside. He saw a group of horsemen suddenly emerge from behind the woods on the hillside. He quickly recognized them as a group of cavalry.

He immediately shouted to his men, "Line up! Line up! Kitari, take your men and grab your weapons, we need to hold them off! The rest of you, bring out your mounts, prepare for battle..."

Although the Chinese were attacking from below, Bogda was not a towering, treacherous peak. The long period of peace had also made the Russian army less vigilant. Therefore, although Sergeant Surovkov organized his men to carry out an interception operation, he could not withstand the charge of the Chinese army, which had superior numbers.

Unlike the timid Chinese soldiers he had encountered in the past, this time the Chinese troops were exceptionally brave, and no one hesitated in the face of Russian rifle fire. Therefore, after the Russians killed the first three or four Chinese cavalrymen, the remaining Chinese cavalrymen raised their sabers and charged towards the Russian intercepting force.

The Cossacks were not skilled in infantry tactics; they were well aware of the lethality of cavalry against infantry. Therefore, some quickly fled to the flanks. After the intercepting forces were routed, the Chinese cavalry soon engaged in a melee with the Cossack cavalry in the rear, who were still not fully regrouped. Cavalry that were not running were like sitting ducks for the moving cavalry, just like the infantry. After Sergeant Surovkov was cut down from his horse by the Chinese with a saber, the remaining Cossack cavalry turned and fled towards Kulun.

When Xu Yongchang, the battalion commander of the 1st Battalion of the 1st Regiment of the 1st Cavalry Division, arrived at the mountain pass, there were rows of Russian soldiers' corpses by the roadside, roughly estimated to be more than 20. On the other side of the hillside, there were more than 10 Russian prisoners squatting on the ground, looking dejected.

Company Commander Zhao Weihan quickly approached him and reported, "This is a Cossack detachment stationed in Transbaikal, with about 55 men. We killed 27, captured 14, and 14 escaped. Our company suffered 7 dead and 11 wounded..."

Xu Yongchang took out a map and looked at it, then said with some regret, "It seems we can't approach Kulun quietly. The First Company will stay here, while the Second and Third Companies will follow me to Kuibai, north of Kulun. Once the regimental commander arrives, we'll tell him our direction..."

Around three or four o'clock in the afternoon, seven or eight Russian soldiers rushed into the wooden palisade of Kulun from the south. Soon, a terrifying message spread throughout Kulun: the imperial court had sent people to attack Kulun.

Upon hearing the report from his entourage, Consul Shshmalev quickly summoned Colonel Hitrov and inquired about the number of Chinese troops and the colonel's response plan.

Colonel Hitrov remained relatively calm. He said to the consul, "We don't yet know how many troops the Chinese have sent, but the soldiers who escaped from the Bogda Pass only saw cavalry. This at least indicates that the Chinese number should not be large. It would require a large logistics force to supply a cavalry force of tens of thousands of men through the southern desert region."

Upon hearing this, Consul Schmalford couldn't help but interject, "Didn't the Chinese send a large trading caravan before? We originally thought they were there to trade, but what if this caravan was actually providing logistical support for the war?"

The colonel was silent for a moment before replying, "In that case, we'll have no choice but to retreat. We just need to retreat to the north of the Kyakhta River and then request Commander Harchenko to send troops to support us, or we can keep the Chinese south of the Kyakhta River. Of course, we have to take Hutuktu with us, so that the Chinese can't quickly stabilize the order in Kulun, giving us time to set up defenses in Kyakhta."

Consul Shishmalfur thought for a long time and agreed with the colonel's opinion. He then said to the colonel, "I will go to meet with Hutuktu and try to persuade him to come with us. You should prepare for the retreat. If we can confirm that the Chinese have sent a large force, then we will leave Kulun tomorrow. I will first send a telegram to Commander Kharchenko to inform him that Kulun is under attack by the Chinese."

The colonel nodded in support, saying, "I will continue to send people to find out the number of Chinese arriving in Kulun, and I will also arrange two companies of Cossacks for you. If you cannot persuade Hutuktu, then we will take him away by force..."

Chapter 463 The Changes in Kulun

When Consul Shshmalfoy's telegram reached Kharkhenko, the governor of Verkhovna Udinsk had already started drinking with his friends. He saw that the telegram simply mentioned that Chinese troops had appeared near Kulun and might launch an attack on it.

He said somewhat impatiently to the telegraph director, "Didn't we already discuss countermeasures for a possible Chinese attack? If the Chinese don't come much, we'll drive them back; if they come in large numbers, we'll make them retreat to Kyakhta. I told you these damned Chinese wouldn't be so kind as to do business with us. Give the telegram to Colonel Krochaev; he'll handle it..."

Seeing that Kharchenko was about to return to the dining table after putting down the telegram, the telegraph director had to remind him, "But Colonel Krochaev has been ordered to investigate the fire at the dock, and he is not in Upper Udinsk right now."

Kharchenko waved his hand dismissively, saying, "The colonel will be back by noon tomorrow. Those Chinese are still over 600 versts away from us; a difference of a day won't make a difference. Consul Shshmalev and Colonel Hitrov aren't children; surely they know how to retreat? If they're really that stupid, then we can't save them..."

Watching his superior turn and walk into the restaurant, the telegraph chief had no choice but to leave, clutching the telegram. That night was a sleepless one for Consul Shshmalfur and Colonel Hitrov. After telegraphing Kharchenko, Consul Shshmalfur went to the monastery in Kulun and talked with Khutuktu for most of the night. However, Khutuktu and his confidants remained hesitant about whether to evacuate Kulun with the Russians.

After Consul Shshmalf returned to Kunsul, he said to Colonel Hitrov, who was still awake, "It seems that Hutuktu has lost faith in our eventual victory. Perhaps we need to use some tough measures to get him to leave Kulun with us."

Although somewhat disappointed, Colonel Hitrov calmly said, "I have armed all the Russian workers in Kunsul, so we now have seven cavalry companies and five infantry companies. We should be able to withstand the first wave of Chinese attacks. Tomorrow, I will send men to occupy the trading town east of Kulun to prevent the Chinese from contacting Hutuktu. You will take two companies of Cossacks to persuade Hutuktu to leave Kulun. If you can get Hutuktu out of there, then we can retreat as well."

Consul Shishmalf felt this was a last resort, and as for Hutuktu's dissatisfaction with their actions, they could appease him once he was taken to a safe place. However, that very evening, Benchukchelin, the leader of the Khan-Alin League, summoned the Mongol princes in Kulun and frankly told them about the imperial court's order, demanding that each prince state whether they would rejoin the court.

Most of the princes present had already been informed, except for a small number of pro-Russian figures who had not been notified in advance. These pro-Russian figures had been to Russia and felt that Russia was more powerful than the Qing Dynasty, so they wanted to break free from the control of the Manchus. This did not mean that they had any real loyalty to the White Tsar.

If Russia were still the powerful empire that could easily conquer Manchuria and unite with other countries to invade Beijing, then these pro-Russian factions would naturally insist on resisting the large army sent by the imperial court alongside the Russians. However, the Russian army has suffered repeated defeats in its war against China over the past year, and now the Japanese have destroyed most of its navy. It seems that Russia is on the verge of collapse; otherwise, the imperial court would not have sent troops to recapture Kulun at this time.

Realizing the possibility of Russian defeat, these pro-Russian factions, under pressure from other princes, could only declare that they were willing to rejoin the court if it truly forgave their past betrayals. Halfway through the meeting, Hutuktu sent someone to convey the Russian consul's demands to Bengchukchelin, seeking his advice.

Bengchukchelin immediately revealed Hutuktu's secret letter to everyone, and then said, "You all see, right? The Russians have no intention of protecting Kulun at all; they just want to take the Buddha to Russia. Are you all planning to abandon your people and families and run off to Russia to become refugees?"

These words immediately provoked a strong reaction from the princes who were already opposed to Russia. One of them stood up and said, "The Russians said they would help us break free from Chinese control and establish a Great Mongol Empire. But after they came in, they took away all our power and forcibly bought our cattle, sheep, and horses. Did they want to help us establish a nation? No, they want to turn us into part of Russia. Maybe they won't even let us use the word 'Mongol' anymore. Just like they call the western Mongol tribes Kalmyks and the people in the northern forests Buryats, do you think they'll let us call ourselves Mongols...?"

After a heated discussion, the Mongol princes present decided to accompany Bengchukchelin to see Hutuktu, pleading with him not to fall for the Russians' trap and not to leave Kulun. They also decided to mobilize their troops to protect Hutuktu and send messengers to request the imperial army to enter Kulun to help them resist the Russians.

So, when Consul Shshimalf went to the Kulun Temple again early the next morning, the monks refused to open the door for him and questioned his purpose by pointing to the Cossack soldiers following behind him. Although Consul Shshimalf tried every excuse, the monks on the wall who were talking to him became increasingly adamant and refused to open the door no matter what.

Consul Shsmarf immediately realized that things had taken a turn for the worse. He glanced at the soldiers standing guard on the wall, who were clearly prepared. At this point, a direct assault was unrealistic, as two companies of Cossacks could not take down the great temple. He had no choice but to retreat to Maimaiti and meet up with Colonel Hitrov.

Although the colonel had taken control of Maimai City, the streets were deserted, and the shops were all tightly closed. This lack of cooperation led the colonel to believe that when the Chinese army attacked Maimai City, the Chinese inside would surely attack them from behind.

When Consul Shishmalf brought back the bad news that they could not enter the temple, the colonel said to the consul with great concern: "It is clear that the Hutuktu has already planned to betray the alliance he made with us. So when the Chinese army attacks here, the Mongols and Chinese here will definitely attack us from behind."

I don't think we can hold this place. We only have two options now: either we retreat now, or we try to attack the temple and take Hutuktu before the Chinese army arrives.

After a moment's thought, Consul Shishmalfur decided to try taking the temple by force first. If that failed, they could leave later. The temple in Kulun was a brick and wood structure built by craftsmen from the interior, who were sent there to use their inland building techniques. To be honest, on the grasslands of Outer Mongolia, it was no different from a small fortress.

Of course, under the attack of modern guns and cannons, this kind of brick and wood structure was not very sturdy. Faced with the Russian army's hail of bullets, the Mongols on the wall were stunned. Although they had a batch of Russian-made weapons, due to lack of training, they could not cause any casualties to the Russian army. As the Mongol soldiers on the wall fell one after another, the Mongols in the temple began to panic.

Just as the Russian army was about to storm the temple, Chinese cavalry finally appeared near the city of Kulun Dongmai. Colonel Hitrov had to divert troops to block the Chinese army and slow down the attack, preparing to retreat if the situation turned unfavorable. This easing of tensions gave the Mongols inside the temple a chance to catch their breath. As a batch of fresh troops were transferred to the walls, the morale of the Mongols gradually recovered.

To Colonel Hitrov's surprise, there were not many Chinese people near Dongmaimai City; they seemed more like there to observe the situation than to rescue the Mongols in the temple. After this stalemate lasted for nearly an hour, Russian soldiers suddenly rode up from the west, bringing bad news to the colonel and consul: Chinese troops had appeared near Kunsule.

Consul Shishmalfur immediately realized what was happening and said to the colonel with a changed expression, "This is bad. The Chinese want to take advantage of this opportunity to capture Kunsule. Without the supplies from Kunsule, we will have no choice but to flee to Kyakhta."

The colonel immediately understood. Without supplies, these thousands of men would have to run four or five hundred versts on empty stomachs to reach Kyakhta. Neither the men nor the horses could sustain that. Could that still be called a retreat? With the Chinese chasing them from behind, everyone scattered.

The colonel immediately ordered a retreat, intending to return to Kunsule to secure their base. However, when they arrived back at Kunsule, they discovered that the Chinese had not attacked; they were still monitoring the area from a distance. This puzzled the colonel and the consul, who wondered what the Chinese were up to.

However, the two quickly realized what the Chinese were doing. The Russian officer guarding Kunsule reported to them that a large cavalry force was heading north towards them, seemingly towards Kuibai. The colonel felt a chill run down his spine and said, "Do the Chinese want to trap us all? They want to cut off our retreat first."

The consul realized what was happening and ran to the telegraph room to warn Kyakhta, but the telegraph operator told him that the northward telegraph line had been cut, probably between them and Kuibai.

Consul Schmalford immediately found Colonel Hitrov and told him, "We must act immediately and leave here, otherwise we will not be able to leave once the large Chinese force arrives."

Colonel Hitrov's face was grim. He said to the consul, "It's easy for the army to leave, but what about the thousands of merchants and workers here? Are we just going to leave them here?"

Faced with this situation, Consul Shsmaref remained silent for a long time before speaking: "If necessary, we will have to abandon them; taking them with us would mean our demise. The Chinese are blocking our retreat. If we continue to dawdle with these civilians, do you think we can break through the Chinese blockade? The most important thing now is to break through the Chinese blockade as soon as possible and warn Kyakhta to prepare for defensive operations. I fear those bureaucrats never imagined the Chinese would appear before them so quickly..."

Chapter 464 The Battle of Cavalry

Consul Shshmallov was familiar with the ways of the bureaucrats in Verkhovinsk. Although Colonel Krochaev saw the telegram from Kulen after returning to Verkhovinsk, he did not take it seriously. He had his subordinates send a telegram to Kulen, requesting Consul Shshmallov and Colonel Khitrov to provide more specific intelligence and an evacuation plan. Then he went to report the results of the investigation into the dock fire to Kharchenko.

As evening fell, he returned to his office and heard his subordinates say they couldn't contact Kulun and suspected the telegraph line had been broken by the strong winds again. Colonel Krochaev immediately told his men, "Then send someone from the garrison closest to Kulun that we can contact to go there in person and ask Consul Shshmalfur whether they need to hold out or want to evacuate. Also, demand that the telegraph office repair the communication with Kulun as soon as possible. This is wartime; if they can't guarantee the telegraph line will be open, I'll have them court-martialed."

The subordinate nodded in acceptance of the colonel's order, but instead of leaving, he asked the colonel, "Should we inform Lieutenant Colonel Avnika of Troytsk and have him move his regiment toward Kyakhta?"

Colonel Krochaev hesitated for a moment before saying, "Haven't we reported this to Chita?"

The subordinate immediately replied, "It has already been reported. The telegram from Chita requires us to find out the number and purpose of the Chinese troops before reporting back."

Colonel Krochaev nodded and said, "Then send a telegram to Lieutenant Colonel Avnika, instructing him to prepare for a move, but not to actually move. We'll proceed only after we have clear information from Kulun and receive orders from Chita..."

Colonel Krochaev and the Transbaikal Military District Command in Chita were both conservative in their assessment of the Chinese's speed of action and the objectives of this operation. They therefore chose to wait for the situation at the front to become clearer before making a decision on whether to attack or defend. After all, they did not believe that the Chinese could eliminate the Russian garrison in the Kulun region without making a sound.

However, it was clear that the Russians in Kulun did not see it that way. As the Chinese cavalry crossed Kunsule and attacked their rear, the Russian soldiers and civilians in this Russian-populated area panicked. If the Chinese attacked Kunsule directly, they might resist without thinking, since no one knew whether the Chinese would retaliate after capturing the town.

However, when the Chinese cavalry fled to their rear, the Russian civilians in the town panicked. They immediately gathered and petitioned the consul, demanding that the army escort them to safety.

Kunsule was never a fortified city; it was merely a small industrial and commercial town near Kulun, much like the trading town to the east of Kulun, and its defenses were far inferior to those of the more established trading town. This meant that if the Chinese army launched a major offensive against Kulun, they would be unable to hold this town.

As panic erupted among the civilians, Consul Shsmaref realized that his plan to separate the military and civilians for evacuation was impossible. The civilians would not accept such a plan, and if he insisted, he would inevitably bear the responsibility of abandoning them afterwards. Some of these civilians were merchants with considerable social connections; otherwise, they wouldn't have come to Kulun to mine gold and conduct wholesale business. Moreover, some civilians were military dependents; trying to abandon them would inevitably provoke resistance from the soldiers.

Colonel Hitrov eventually revised his plan, believing that they should first send troops to fight the Chinese army monitoring Kunsule and drive the Chinese away, so that everyone would not have to worry about being attacked from the rear when they retreated.

As the colonel intended, he led four cavalry companies to attack the Chinese early the next morning, while the consul led the civilians of Kunsule and the remaining troops to retreat north. After he had repelled the Chinese, the consul would catch up with him and attack the Chinese troops blocking their way from the rear.

After deliberating for a long time, Consul Schmalleford also believed that this was the only plan that could be accepted by everyone. Although the civilians and the army would retreat together, they would be out of step with the army. However, as long as they could break through the Chinese blockade, the army and civilians could march separately. He pinned his hopes on the fact that the Chinese would not have time to organize a defensive line to intercept them.

At 10:00 AM on June 3rd, the 3rd Battalion of the 2nd Regiment of the 1st Cavalry Division, stationed six miles southwest of Kunsule, discovered that Russian cavalry had suddenly formed ranks outside the town. Upon receiving the report, Battalion Commander Zhang Jinbiao immediately went to observe. He quickly understood the Russians' intentions and said to his subordinates, "It seems that the Russians intend to defeat us first and then cover the evacuation of the civilians in Kunsule."

We only need to hold off their attack this time, and they'll lose the will to fight us to the death. The steppe offers excellent visibility; no one can ambush anyone. As long as we keep up with their retreat, these Russians won't be able to escape…”

From Colonel Hitrov's perspective, the Russian army actually held the advantage because the Chinese army had split its forces, leaving only a maximum of two companies of cavalry to monitor them, while he now had four companies. Therefore, he quickly ordered Major Boris to lead two companies of Cossacks to attack the center of the Chinese army, while he himself led two companies in a second wave of attack.

The colonel's objective was to quickly defeat the Chinese cavalry in front of him, so he did not intend to encircle and annihilate them, and thus chose the tactic of a central assault. This tactic concentrated his forces, and once the Chinese army's formation was broken, he could easily strike the weaker parts, thereby laying the foundation for victory.

In the colonel's view, the Chinese were indeed somewhat rigid in their cavalry command. Although they had concentrated their troops on a gentle slope, gaining a commanding advantage, the Chinese commanders failed to capitalize on the opportune moment to attack, allowing the Russian cavalry to close in. Based on the colonel's experience, if the Chinese launched another charge at this point, they wouldn't be able to fully utilize the cavalry's speed, and for cavalry, speed is everything.

Just when the colonel thought victory was assured, the sound of Maxim machine guns suddenly erupted from both sides of the Chinese army. Hundreds of Russian cavalrymen, who were charging, collapsed as if they had hit a wall of thin air. This scene not only stunned the colonel and his men in the rear, but also terrified the Cossacks caught in the crossfire, who turned and fled to the sides.

Zhang Jinbiao signaled to the front rank of cavalry to engage the few Cossacks who had broken through the machine gun fire, while he himself led the remaining rank of cavalry to remain stationary. Some of his men asked, puzzled, "Why don't we take this opportunity to charge down? The Russian cavalry behind us are clearly in disarray. If we charge now, they'll definitely try to escape."

Zhang Jinbiao said dismissively, "In the past, when we robbed on the grasslands... well, when the wolf packs on the grasslands hunted, even if the prey was already surrounded, the wolves would not rush up to fight desperately. Instead, they would continue to drive the prey away until they were exhausted before they would go up to tear it apart."

"These Russians are now surrounded by us. We should force them to flee, not fight them to the death. Otherwise, even if we win this battle, everyone will have to withdraw from the battlefield..."

Zhang Jinbiao's assessment was correct. Although the failure of this attack severely damaged the Cossacks' morale, they had not completely lost their fighting spirit. However, as the stalemate on the battlefield continued, the Cossacks finally could not bear it any longer and asked the colonel to withdraw. They believed that the longer they stayed there, the more dangerous it would be for them, because they would not receive any reinforcements, while the Chinese might be waiting for new reinforcements to arrive.

Colonel Hitrov finally couldn't control the increasingly agitated Cossacks, and around 1 p.m., he ordered a retreat. However, at least a third of the civilians in Kunsule remained, still packing up their belongings. These Russian civilians believed Colonel Hitrov's proactive attack bought them time to retreat; after all, the Chinese army was cowardly—how could they possibly defeat the Cossacks on the front lines?

However, while these Russian civilians were still packing their belongings and loading them onto the trucks, they suddenly heard bad news: Colonel Hitrov and his men had bypassed Kunsule and begun their retreat. Just as the civilians were wondering if the colonel had defeated the Chinese, even worse news came: Chinese cavalry had begun to appear outside the town. Clearly, the Cossacks had lost the battle.

At 3 PM, Mi Zhenbiao's 3rd Regiment of the 2nd Cavalry Division arrived at Kunsule. Zhang Jinbiao's troops, who had already occupied Kunsule, reported to him on the morning's battle and stated that Zhang Jinbiao had led a company of cavalry in pursuit of the retreating Russian troops. Mi Zhenbiao left a company behind to assist in guarding Kunsule, and then led the rest of his men to join Zhang Jinbiao.

On the morning of June 4, a large convoy of 150 vehicles arrived in Kunsule under the protection of a cavalry regiment. The convoy was led by Lan Tianwei, commander of the 6th Division. He led this special detachment, composed of a reinforced infantry battalion and a company of artillery, away from the main force. Their original objective was to capture Kulun, a key point on the Zhangku Road.

However, he did not expect that the Russians would actually withdraw from Kulun on their own initiative. He could only immediately send someone to contact Chen Xiyi at the front to find out whether he had stopped the retreating Russians. At noon, Chen Xiyi and Mi Zhenbiao sent him a joint telegram, indicating that they had surrounded the retreating Russian troops in a hilly area more than ten miles west of Kuibai.

After reviewing the map, Lan Tianwei ordered the convoy to continue towards Kuibai. At 3 PM, Lan Tianwei met with Chen Xiyi near Kuibai. After inquiring about the situation of the besieged Russian troops, he pondered for a moment and said, “For us, eliminating the Russian troops in Kulun is not our primary task. Our primary task is actually to capture the main towns along the route from Erlian to Verkhovna Udinsk, preparing for the main force's attack on Verkhovna Udinsk. Since the Russian troops in Kulun have deviated from this route, the need to eliminate them has decreased. Our main objective now should be to capture Kyakhta, especially the bridge over the Kyakhta River. If the Russians realize this and strengthen their defenses in Kyakhta, it will greatly delay our attack on Verkhovna Udinsk…”

Chapter 465 The Fire at the Trading City

On the afternoon of June 4, Colonel Krochaev finally received a telegram from the Russian garrison at Hunchale, north of Kulun. According to the telegram, Chinese troops had appeared at Kuibai, north of Kulun, cutting off their connection with Kulun. Clearly, Consul Shishmalford and the Russian troops stationed in Kulun were surrounded by the Chinese.

The colonel immediately became nervous. He forwarded the telegram to Chita, requesting that troops be mobilized to rescue Kulun, while he personally went to report to Kharkhenko, the governor of Udinsk, hoping that he could conscript militia from various places and then go to Kyakhta to set up defenses.

Kharchenko was also very dissatisfied when he heard the news. He complained to the colonel, "The local manpower that can be mobilized has long been conscripted to Manchuria. The villages in various places have protested to us several times. They demand that those young men be brought home as soon as possible, otherwise there will be no one to do the farm work. Now is the time for spring plowing. If we mobilize militia to defend Kyakhta at this time, what will we eat this winter?"

Although Kharchenko was furious about the conscription of militia during this season, he also knew that the Chinese would not stop their offensive because of this. Although he did not think the Chinese had the strength to reach Verkhovna Udinsk, it would be a disaster for the Verkhovna Udinsk region if the Chinese were allowed to cross the Kyakhta River.

However, before issuing the conscription order, Kharchenko sent a telegram to General Mazyevsky in Chita, requesting that Chita send troops to support him. Regardless of how much trouble Chita had to deal with this, although the population of Chita Oblast was much larger than that of Upper Udinsk Oblast, Chita Oblast was also severely depleted of troops after the continuous withdrawals.

Of course, this problem is not insurmountable. We can intercept the soldiers being transported to Manchuria via the Trans-Siberian Railway. Currently, nearly three battalions are arriving in Manchuria by rail every day, which is enough to add a division to Manchuria in almost four to five days. If we can intercept a division, then Upper Udinsk Oblast will be as secure as a rock.

However, Kharchenko didn't dare to intercept the military train. As the commander of the Chita Military District, General Mazyevsky had the authority to report to St. Petersburg to reserve the train. Before Chita's aid arrived, the Verkhovna Udinsk region had to rely on its own strength to relieve the besieged Russian troops in Kulun.

Colonel Krochaev ordered Captain Bershanov, stationed in Kyakhta, to take two Cossack companies and then command the garrisons in the villages south of Kyakhta. He instructed the captain to assemble these troops and first relieve Consul Shshmalfur. He then gave orders to Lieutenant Colonel Avnika of Troitskosavsk, requiring him to arrive in Kyakhta within three days and, depending on the situation, to go and assist the garrison in Kulun.

The colonel immediately began mobilizing troops from Verkhovdinsk and the surrounding area to prepare for defense in the Kyakhta region. However, it would take at least a week for him to gather his troops and reach Kyakhta. Therefore, he could only pray that Consul Shshmallov and Colonel Khitrov would be able to break through to Kyakhta on their own; if they waited for his troops to rescue them, the Chinese would probably have already taken control of Kulun.

Upon receiving Colonel Krochaev's telegram, Captain Bershanov of Kyakhta immediately assembled his troops. With the Russian army's advance into Kulun, Kyakhta had effectively lost its role as a border town. The advent of railways and steamships also led to a significant decline in Kyakhta, which was once famous for its tea trade, as transportation by steamships and railways was much more convenient and faster.

Therefore, Kyakhta, an international trading city that used to have 70,000 to 80,000 people during the trading season and tens of thousands of people on ordinary days, has now fallen to a regional center with only a few thousand people. With the completion of the Trans-Siberian Railway, Verkhovna Udinsk has further absorbed the industrial and commercial population from the surrounding areas, and Kyakhta's industry and commerce will decline even further.

As a result, the number of troops stationed in Kyakhta decreased, and many troops actually went deep into Mongolia on the south bank of the Kyakhta River to maintain the security of the new immigrant villages. Although Outer Mongolia was a harsh and cold land for the Chinese, for the Russians living in Siberia, the Selen River valley from Ulaanbaatar to Lake Baikal was actually a rare piece of land in Siberia suitable for grazing and farming. This is because the valley is surrounded by the Khentii Mountains, which blocked the cold air from Siberia, and it was also the first choice for the Mongols' winter camps.

Therefore, looking at the north and south banks of the Kyakhta River, one can see that the northern valley region is dotted with vast farmlands and scattered villages, while the south is barren, resembling the uninhabited Siberian wilderness, with almost no human presence except for meadows and birch forests. As the Russian army advanced south to Kulun, Russian immigrants also crossed the Kyakhta River and established new settlements on the south bank.

The Russian migration to the south bank naturally provoked the Mongols' discontent. After all, the Selenga River valley had always been considered by the Mongols as a fertile pastureland. The Russians had already occupied the lower reaches north of the Kyakhta River, even making the Mongol tribes in this region subjects of the Tsar, which infringed upon the interests of the Outer Mongolian feudal lords. Now, the Russians had crossed the Kyakhta River into the south bank region, further shrinking their living space. The Russians' solution was to station troops on the south bank, using force to compel the local herders to accept the reality.

Now that we're entering a state of war, it's natural to recall these small troop units stationed in various villages. The process of just recalling the troops took more than a day.

At noon on June 6, Captain Bershanov set off from Kyakhta with one and a half Cossack companies, intending to go to Nuktu, south of Kyakhta, to meet up with Captain Rozalin, and then head to Kuytun, Bayan, Khara and other places to gather the various troops. In this way, he would have five or six Cossack companies under his command, and could try to relieve the garrison in Kulun.

Captain Bershanov believed that contact with the Chinese army would not occur for at least three days. However, his judgment was clearly wrong. When Captain Bershanov led his troops five or six versts past Maimaiti, they ran into Chinese cavalry who were advancing northward.

Although the captain didn't understand why the Chinese were there, he knew that his only option was to muster his courage and charge forward to defeat the seemingly small number of Chinese cavalry. Exposing his back to the cavalry on this vast grassland was suicidal. His troops would soon be scattered by the Chinese, and the unprepared Kyakhta would fall into their hands.

However, although Captain Bershanov had won the skirmish, he quickly regretted it, because the Chinese were clearly much stronger than he had imagined. His battle with this small contingent of Chinese cavalry had attracted even more. Seeing hundreds of Chinese cavalry charging towards them, Captain Bershanov immediately realized that all the villages and towns south of Nuktu must have fallen, and Captain Rozalin and his troops were probably finished. Now he no longer needed to worry about the defenders of Kulun; he should be worried about whether he and Kyakhta could hold out.

Captain Bershanov ordered a retreat. He had initially attempted to rush back to Kyakhta; if he could hold the bridge, he would at least have time to organize a defense of Kyakhta, and reinforcements should arrive the next day. However, north of Maimaiti, he and his men were intercepted by Chinese cavalry who had circled around to their front. Machine guns mounted on open wagons effectively drove them off their direct route to Kyakhta, forcing the captain to retreat with his men into Maimaiti.

The trading city was a warehouse built by the Han Chinese, housing thousands of people during the trading season. However, the war had abandoned it, and now, apart from the closed shops, there was no one left. Captain Bershanov led his men into the city, where they could at least rely on the surrounding wooden walls to defend against the Chinese attack.

After the Russians entered the city, the Chinese did indeed halt their attack and released a prisoner, sending a message to the captain demanding his surrender. Captain Bershanov, of course, refused. He rallied his men, saying, "Ignore these Chinese. Just wait until nightfall, then we'll break out and retreat back to Kyakhta. As long as we're here, they can't attack Kyakhta. Tomorrow we'll have reinforcements; the Chinese can't cross the Kyakhta River..."

The captain's encouragement restored morale somewhat, but most people were still gloomy. They discussed in private whether their colleagues in the south had all perished, how many troops the Chinese had used to attack them, or whether the Japanese were also behind them. If so, could the Trans-Siberian Railway still be saved?

Although Captain Bershanov wanted to tell these fools that the Chinese and Japanese weren't gods, that they couldn't magically fly over the southern deserts and steppes, and that they were just scaring themselves, it was clear at the moment that he couldn't expect these men to retain any sense of reason. Unless he could successfully lead them out of here and hold off the Chinese attack on Kyakhta, he couldn't convince his men with anything he said.