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

"Your Majesty, due to the escalating war in the southwest caused by Wu Sangui and the other three feudatories, the price of warhorses has skyrocketed. There are all sorts of people among those merchants, and there may even be some of Wu Sangui's and Geng Jingzhong's men."

"And with Zhangjiakou serving as the largest transit point, coupled with this well-executed raid, we intercepted many fleeing caravans. In short, we struck it rich this time!"

Ouyang Jing spoke with great enthusiasm, spittle flying everywhere, which startled Galdan so much that he quickly sat down in the main seat.

As for why Ouyang Jing came...

It wasn't because Galdan wanted to go all in, but he didn't have the manpower to do whatever he wanted. After arranging for women and children to do some odd jobs, he followed the logistics team all the way here.

"Have some tea, have some tea, speak slowly, no rush!"

Having followed Galdan for over half a year, Ouyang Jing knew that Galdan was a tough on the outside but soft on the inside, so he picked up his teacup and drank it all in one gulp.

"Your Majesty, a total of 3.86 million taels of silver and more than 3,600 fine Mongolian warhorses have been seized."

"A total of 50,000 catties of gunpowder, more than 30 boxes of matchlock and lead bullets, 8,200 shi of tea bricks, 370,000 catties of various ironware, 1.8 million catties of various types of unpolished rice, 300,000 catties of refined grains, and countless silk and porcelain!"

Upon hearing this data, Galdan was overjoyed. With these items in hand, even if he ran back to the grasslands, he could quickly increase his strength.

In particular, the food supply was such that not only would the army not go hungry for a month, but the women and children on the grasslands would also not need to collect food; they could manage on their own.

Just then, Ouyang Jing hesitated and stammered.

"There were thirty Rakshasa demons guarding the warehouse, and they even killed three of our warriors with muskets. We thought it was full of good stuff, but it turned out to be just furs."

Galdan was startled when he heard the word "Rakshasa." Could it be that Tsarist Russia had already arrived in Liaodong by this time?

However, upon further reflection, he shook his head. At that time, Tsarist Russia was in complete chaos, with peasant uprisings raging within it. Where would a regular army come from?

These Rakshasa demons are probably mercenaries who travel from the northern desert to the southern desert with cheap Siberian furs, exchanging them for gold, silver, and gunpowder.

However, knowing yourself and your enemy is the key to victory in every battle, so it wouldn't hurt to learn more. So he waved.

"Bring over those among them who can speak Mongolian or Chinese; I want to ask them some questions!"

Not long after Ouyang Jing left, he brought in a Rakshasa man with his soldiers. Judging from his skin color and eyes, he was a mixed bag, with some Turkic, Mongol, and Central European features.

However, this cannot be blamed on them. They were originally a combination of East Slavs and Vikings. After being ruled by the Mongols for two hundred years, they were mixed with other bloodlines, which is why they became neither Asian nor European.

Galdan surveyed them for a moment, then adopted a languid expression. "Tell me, where have you gotten to? I don't want to hear anything else. One more word and I'll cut your tongue out!"

Upon hearing Galdan's words, the man seemed unfamiliar with Mongolian and was probably a Cossack mercenary. He immediately took out a map and began drawing on it, speaking very slowly.

"We have built fortresses all the way to the sea in the east, the great lake in the south, the Altai Mountains in the west, and the Black Sea and inland seas in the north. My map is not very detailed."

"We're just businessmen, please leave us alone!"

Having seen satellite maps, Galdan could immediately tell how far Tsarist Russia had progressed, essentially opening up the eastern border and reaching the Pacific coast.

The great lake is Lake Baikal, which indicates that Tsarist Russia had begun to penetrate the northern desert region. This was not the first time they had done this fur trade, as furs were considered high-end goods in the Central Plains.

This also indicates that Tsarist Russia already intended to take action against the area east of Lake Baikal, namely Nerchinsk. Whether it would act ahead of schedule remains to be seen.

Whew! Galdan breathed a sigh of relief. There was still plenty of time for development; everything was still possible.

"Sever their Achilles tendons and send them all to the grasslands. Let's see if the Eternal Heaven will forgive them!"

Although the Cossack mercenaries did not understand Chinese, they could see Galdan's cold eyes. Just as they were about to beg for mercy, Liu Xin covered their mouths and dragged them out.

This was not because Galdan was heartless, but because in this era, the Han Dynasty and Tsarist Russia were destined to fight to the death.

The next day, after leaving behind a centurion of his personal guards to lead 500 cavalry and 5,000 logistics personnel to garrison Zhangjiakou, Galdan led an army of 70,000 men all the way to Xuanhua City.

The remaining 15,000 logistics troops followed behind the main army, transporting all the grain, horse-drawn carts, and other supplies to Juyong Pass.

……

In the Hall of Mental Cultivation in the Forbidden City of Beijing, Emperor Kangxi happily drank his tea, for he had received a reply from the Khorchin Mongols, and 20,000 elite Mongol cavalrymen were already on their way.

With elite cavalry holding Galdan in check, Beijing would naturally be safe and secure thanks to its firearms.

"Galdan, after I have pacified the Three Feudatories and recuperated my strength, I will surely trample the Western Regions, leaving no one alive, men, women, or children!"

Just as Kangxi was making his harsh remarks, Prince Yu, Fuquan, entered the palace looking travel-worn.

"Your Majesty, Galdan's army of 100,000 has marched south and breached Zhangjiakou in just one hour. General Wang Jinbao has sent a messenger to say that Galdan possesses special firearms, and Juyong Pass is absolutely indefensible. He urges Your Majesty to make a decision as soon as possible!"

Emperor Kangxi felt a chill run down his spine.

It takes at most five days from Zhangjiakou to Juyongguan, and less than two or seven days to reach Beijing. In just seven days, the enemy will be at the gates of the city.

"Impossible, impossible!"

"An army of 100,000? Where did this army of 100,000 come from?"

"How many people does the Dzungar Khanate have? Even if the entire Chahar Khanate surrendered, there still wouldn't be this many!"

"It's definitely a case of someone passing off inferior goods as qualified ones, yes, that's it!"

Having figured out the connections, Kangxi's mood gradually calmed down. However, the Mongol cavalry was still a month away, while the Dzungar Khanate was just around the corner, and he still had no choice.

Rashly withdrawing the frontline troops would be tantamount to handing over half of the country to Wu Sangui. If the Qing Dynasty lost the tax-rich provinces of Jiangsu and Zhejiang, it still would not be able to hold on.

If we don't withdraw our troops, Beijing might fall.

Wouldn't that be like Emperor Chongzhen?

Hanged from a crooked tree?

It was already late at night, and no one was discussing important matters. Seeing that Kangxi was a bit delirious again, Fuquan quickly whispered to the eunuch.

"Quickly, go and invite the Empress Dowager!"

Upon hearing this, the eunuch immediately ran out of the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

Fortunately, Cining Palace was close to Yangxin Hall. Before long, Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang, holding Buddhist prayer beads, entered Yangxin Hall. Xiaozhuang was only sixty years old, but her demeanor was still dignified and elegant.

"Royal Grandmother!"

Emperor Kangxi was only twenty years old. Seeing Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang was like seeing a lifeline. The snot and tears he had been holding back came out involuntarily.

It's bitter, so bitter inside!

Wu Sangui, that big liar, has already conquered Guizhou and begun advancing into Sichuan and Hunan. The Green Standard Army and the Eight Banners troops stationed there either surrendered or were killed.

Have you been having trouble eating and sleeping lately?

In this moment of despair, what awaited them was not hope, but Galdan, the great liar.

Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang looked at Emperor Kangxi's face, and after a full thirty breaths, she let out a long sigh, "Xuan Ye, you've suffered so much!"

This statement completely broke through Kangxi's defenses.

The young man burst into tears.

Fuquan and the eunuch quickly made their way away.

This kind of thing can't be tolerated; something bad is bound to happen sooner or later!