Colonial Era: From Remnants to European Dominator

Morning light spills across the meadow, dew bends the leaf tips. The sound of shepherds' hooves grows louder as they approach, startling larks from the grass. The sheep begin to move, licking the dewdrops from the tips of the grass. The moist air is filled with the scent of earth and livestock; the mornings on the southern slopes of the Altai Mountains are always so peaceful.

However, this tranquility was soon shattered by a group of professional thugs from Siberia.

First, they shot and killed the shepherd in charge of the sheep with arrows. Then, several warhorses galloped around the flock and, with their shepherding skills that were more proficient than those of ordinary shepherds, drove all the sheep to their location with just a beheading.

As for the tribal warriors who had arrived, they did not hinder Andrei's drinking at all. In his eyes, these tribesmen who rode horses and bent over to shoot arrows were still the same as their ancestors from hundreds of years ago, without any progress.

"Bang bang!!"

A small number of Cossack musketeers, mixed with over a hundred musketeers, suppressed the incoming arrows with a dense barrage from the front. The longest arrows were no more than ten paces away from them.

"Waaaaah!!"

Perhaps it was because he was used to being around Russians, or perhaps it was the mentality of being a lackey, but what was originally a normal shout gradually turned into a roar like "Hurrah".

The steppe cavalry on the other side are changing their tactics, gradually moving out of the range of their muskets. In fact, some of the ridiculous head-on battle scenarios are almost impossible to come true in reality, since the greatest role of cavalry is mobility, not head-on collisions.

"Hmph, a bunch of good-for-nothing idiots!!"

Andrei took a small sip of the vodka he had been saving in his tin flask, then casually drew his pistol from his waist and fired a shot into the sky. The Cossack cavalrymen who had been hiding on the side were like a pack of hungry wolves, instantly cutting off the steppe cavalrymen who hadn't had time to react and were still maneuvering with the muskets.

Cossack cavalry were undoubtedly brutal monsters combining Eastern and Western cavalry, possessing both the agility of steppe cavalry and the discipline of European cavalry. Of course, this means they were proficient in both, not experts in both. After all, even though modern European cavalry had moved beyond the special system that only knights could join in the Middle Ages, they were still part of the elite class in various European countries, at the very least being petty bourgeoisie who owned land or city assets.

These people's understanding and loyalty to their nation far surpassed that of the Cossacks, who were like beasts who would do anything for money and plunder if they weren't paid.

If they encountered the cavalry of powerful European nations, the Cossacks would undoubtedly be an unorganized and undisciplined motley crew. However, when they encountered the scattered steppe cavalry fighting individually, they would have a much greater advantage in the melee.

In the time it takes to smoke a pipe, the dozens of riders who came to reinforce were killed by the combined attack of the Cossack cavalry and the Kazakhs, and their heads and horses became tools for the enemy to show off.

While Orlov was still adjusting the cannon, he calmly wiped the cannon's levers again with his greased gloves, and then returned to the fine steppe horse that Andrei had recently compensated him with.

As for his own horse, it had died of illness long before he set off. He was too poor to buy a new horse, so he could only ride on the back of the Kazakh cavalrymen along the way. As for why he wasn't a Cossack, it was just too disgusting, as the air was filled with the smell of blood.

"We're getting closer to that city called Gold Mountain, Olof. I hope you'll handle those cannons carefully, since you'll get a share of the spoils after we take the city."

Andrei's empty promises didn't please Orlov. He just mechanically nodded in agreement and went back to smoking. Andrei, who witnessed this, wasn't annoyed. That's just how he is. He would have shown his displeasure on ordinary days, but when it comes to serious matters, especially wealth, he can smile and discuss making money with even his father's killer, and then discard them after he has everything.

Perhaps because they were less than a day away from the city, Andrei's anxiety grew heavier. He subconsciously glanced at the group behind him, and only when he saw his Cossack compatriots on horseback did he feel relieved.

As for the Kazakh mercenaries, a bunch of eye-catching cannon fodder, they were never within his consideration.

Tightening the reins, Andrei's bull-like face was filled with greed and restlessness, while the troops behind him showed no unease from the killings they had just committed. Instead, they were all eager to try, and most of the words they uttered were about wealth, plunder, and massacre.

Only Orlov sat quietly smoking his pipe, his gaze fixed on the boundless grasslands and the endless mountain ranges. He even felt a sense of anticipation, his mind filled with fantasies about what the Jinshan people, who ruled over this vast mountain range, were like. Was the Jinshan city, which the natives described as a paradise, truly as Marco Polo had described, a more beautiful and prosperous land, a corner of Eastern civilization?

Or, as Matteo Ricci described in his "Matteo Ricci's China Journal," it was a civilized empire with judicial fairness, a peaceful ideal, and a superior system.

Everything is unknown and mysterious, but that's what makes it so beautiful.

On horseback, lost in his fantasies, Orlov looked down with disdain at the group of savage Cossacks, or even Kazakh mercenaries. It was a kind of civilization's contempt for barbarism, and even more so, a sense of alienation.

-----------

The sound of horses' hooves came to an abrupt halt. Standing in the mountain hollow, Li Yuanheng looked down at the still-burning fires, his furrowed brows relaxing. He then took out paper and pen from the side pocket of his horse and carefully noted down the camping habits of these uninvited guests.

This has always been his habit: details determine success or failure. Just like the story of a horseshoe destroying an empire, sometimes you never know what mistake you made in the previous second that will lead to failure.

"Let's go, the charcoal is still warm, the bandits can't get far."

"They don't know this place as well as we do."

He mounted his horse, glanced at the Eagle Division 3 squad carrying muskets and riding on horseback, and at the young faces he remembered. A sense of reliance, as solid as a boulder, rose in his heart.

"Maintain formation, and don't damage the artillery pieces."

The six cannons temporarily requisitioned from the prefectural city were already the limit of this team. After all this time, the trained artillerymen were only able to operate six cannons. But even with these six cannons, Li Yuanheng was not really sure about their range and accuracy.

The group's pace was not actually slow. Relying on their familiarity with the terrain and the information relayed by the affiliated tribes along the way, they intercepted the group of vicious bandits who had been killing and plundering all the way on a hillside to the side in less than half an hour.

The monocular telescope, made by a Persian merchant, had lenses made entirely of polished glass. Although it was just a child's toy compared to later military telescopes, in this era, even the telescopes used by the British Royal Navy to look out for signal towers were not much more accurate.

Through the telescope lens, a slightly blurry but roughly discernible image appeared: a group of animals wearing light armor with parts of gray iron underneath. The helmets they wore were simpler than those of Eastern warriors of this period, though only their shapes were described. Although the image was a bit blurry, Li Yuanheng still managed to make out the patterns on the helmets.

Although they had a general idea of ​​where the troops came from, they didn't see any flags, or rather, these iron beasts didn't have the habit of carrying military flags.

It wasn't until a conspicuous flag, shining brightly in the sunlight, was raised that Li Yuanheng realized who his opponent was. It was a golden flag with the Virgin Mary and a cross printed on it; to be precise, the edges were gold, while the rest, except for the Virgin Mary and the cross, was white.

"Eastern Orthodox Church, haha!!"

A low chuckle lingered around Li Yuanheng's nose and mouth, and his eyes sharpened. Although he didn't quite understand why Russia was expanding so rapidly at this time, and couldn't guarantee that there might be a large army from Eastern Europe behind this force, due to his vague understanding of geography and his own sense of responsibility, he only hesitated for a few moments before issuing the order:

"Keep the cannons concealed. The first and second squads should maneuver and fire from horseback. Remember not to get too close. If necessary, avoid battle."

"Four teams of iron shields in front, swordsmen behind, and the third team will stay at the back, awaiting further instructions."

Concerned about insufficient training time for firearms, Li Yuanheng chose to preserve the Eagle Division Third Team, which he regarded as the cradle of Jinshan's future firearms, and put the most experienced Fourth Team infantrymen at the forefront.

The team's transition speed wasn't too fast, but it wasn't too slow either. They completed the occupation of the hillside before the opposing team could regroup, gaining a commanding position.

Because of climate change, Andrei, whose hands were slightly cracked at the base of his thumb, solemnly removed the telescope that the Tsar had awarded him, and said in a heavy tone to Hook beside him:

"The sheep in the city are stronger than we imagined. They have already occupied the most advantageous slopes in this area. If we want to bypass them, we not only have to guard against their attacks, but we also have to travel dozens of miles more. In this land not yet conquered by the Cossacks, even the bravest pack of wolves will be plunged into unknown dangers."

"Looks like we only have one option: smash that damn hillside head-on!!"

Hook took the binoculars and looked at the opposite hillside. Although he was poorly educated, he quickly came to the same conclusion as Andrei based on his years of experience in fighting and looting.

Andrei turned around and looked at the increasingly agitated troops. His calculations were like those of a Russian landlord scheming against his serfs—all for the sake of gaining more advantages.

"Tell that Batel that I will have the artillery under Orlov's command provide cover for his warriors, and my Cossack cavalry will hold off the native cavalry that appear, and I promise him half of the spoils on the other side—"

"And all I want is one thing: the head of the opposing officer, which I'll personally send into the cesspool to become food for the flies!!"

After the order was given, Andrei glanced at the Kazakh mercenaries who were already preparing for a full-scale attack, then turned to Hook and said:

"The lives of mercenaries are utterly insignificant compared to those of noble Cossacks!!"