I

"You can't break out upstream!" Stepanov said.

Beketov added: "You can't go directly to the mountains and river valleys in the north!"

When it was time to escape, Zinoviev ignored the aristocratic pretensions and humbly asked the two Cossack leaders for advice: "Then which way should we go?"

"Go east!"

Stepanov and Beketov answered in unison.

And to the east is the direction from which the Datong Army came.

On the east and west sides of Yaksa, the riverside is full of reed-covered tidal flats. Since autumn has not yet arrived, it is difficult to burn out a fire, which is very conducive to the sneaking of the defenders in the city.

On its east side, the terrain is particularly complex.

Heilongjiang encountered a sharp bend here, the water flow slowed down greatly, and large areas of sandbanks and tidal flats were alluvially deposited. There is also a small river flowing into the northeast, forming large and small ponds and rivers between the tidal flats and sandbars. Some places are even swamps.

If the water recedes after rising, there will be no shortage of food at all, and a large number of fish will remain on the tidal flats, creating a scene like "beating roe deer with a stick and scooping up fish with a gourd".

The Datong army only had more than a thousand people, so it was impossible to surround the castle.

After nightfall, you must return to camp to guard against enemy sneak attacks, which will expose a huge gap for a breakout.

midnight.

The west gate of the castle opened, and a group of Daur slaves, all gagged, were expelled by the Cossacks.

The slaves were surprised and delighted, and rushed westward in the dark. After running for a full mile and getting into the reed marsh, someone tore off the rag in his mouth and shouted excitedly: "The Rakshasa ghost has escaped, the Rakshasa ghost has escaped!"

In fact, as soon as there was any movement in the castle, the sentry hidden in the reeds on the tidal flat had already rowed to Jiangxinzhou to report the news.

At this time, he heard the shouts of the Daur slaves again. Wang Fuchen laughed and said: "If you shout to the east and attack the west, you will really want to escape to the east."

The Datong Army has Khabarov as a guide and advisor, so how can they not guess what the enemy is thinking?

They are all Cossack leaders, and they even plan the breakout route.

But to the east of the castle, five or six Cossacks and Siberian hunters were carrying a small boat and heading straight into the dense reeds. When they encounter a pond or river, they put down the boat, row for a distance, then go ashore and continue carrying the boat.

"Didn't the Khitans come after them?" Zinoviev looked back from time to time to check.

Stepanov said: "When we get here, we are not afraid of pursuers. There is a lake in front of us. After crossing the lake, we can walk a short distance to the north and reach the river."

It can be said that it is a lake or a pond. Anyway, the area is not big or small. They are all formed by the sedimentation of Heilongjiang River. Walking downstream from Yakesa to where the Heilongjiang River changes direction to the south, there are dozens of similar ponds, large and small.

With such complex terrain and reeds everywhere, it was impossible for the Datong Army to send troops to pursue them. First, it is difficult to find enemies, second, it is easy to be shot coldly, and third, it is possible to stray into the swamp area.

There is no need to pursue, just block the key exits!

These Rakshasa ghosts cannot hide in the reeds forever. Either choose to continue eastward and head to the lower reaches of Heilongjiang regardless of the consequences, grabbing whatever you can, and there is almost no possibility of returning to Nerchinsk. Either leave the reed swamp and head north, where there are two river valleys. Get into the ravine and play by your side. Maybe it's possible to go upstream and go back to Nerchinsk.

After leaving the reed marsh, the Cossacks carried the boat and ran north, but they still didn't hear the pursuers.

Finally, they saw a small river flowing from the mountains to the north, then turned sharply and flowed parallel to the Heilongjiang River.

They didn't bring any larger boats, and the small boats they brought with them could only carry a dozen people each. Moreover, after removing all the unnecessary parts, it can run very fast when lifted up, and it can be rowed away quickly even when thrown into a river.

This was the core method of the Cossacks. With such convenient ships, they wreaked havoc from the Don River Basin to Heilongjiang.

Following the creek to the north, it was almost dawn when we were about to enter the valley.

Beketov looked at the dark entrance to the valley, frowned and said, "Something's wrong. Why didn't the Khitans come after them? Even if they didn't come after them, there should be some movement."

Stepanov asked: "You mean, there are enemies in the valley ahead?"

"It's very possible." Beketov nodded.

Zinoviev was a little unbelieving: "Can the Khitans know divination? How could they have set up an ambush in front of us?"

Beketov said: "I have been exploring Siberia for almost ten years, and I have an intuition about danger. There must be an ambush in the valley ahead!"

Stepanov said: "Go ashore immediately and go west along the foot of the mountain. There is a river valley over there."

"Then let's go ashore." Zinoviev actually agreed. This noble man seemed to be starting to become smarter.

There is really an ambush in the valley!

There are fully 200 Datong troops and more than 300 indigenous soldiers. Khabarov, the leader of the Cossacks, was too familiar with the Yaksa area and knew the Cossack tactics well, so he counted his former colleagues to death.

Downstream of the river, there are also some Datong troops who are rowing over.

As long as the Rakshasa ghost dares to enter the river valley, it will be attacked from both sides. If it wants to escape, it can only fly up the mountains.

A Datong army came from Heilongjiang and was on its way after entering Xiaohe. After daybreak, we finally reunited with the friendly forces in the valley.

"The enemy didn't come?"

"No."

"Leave the valley, head west, pursue immediately!"

Yaksa is a strategic location with connections in all directions, but the Anton navy blocked the estuaries, and the terrain here became a dead place. There is no need to take care of the tidal flats, swamps, ponds, and reed marshes. The only ones you can really run on are those roads.

The northern foothills are all forest.

Hundreds of Rakshasa ghosts marched in the woods at the foot of the mountain carrying boats. After working hard for most of the night, I was already exhausted, so I stopped to rest and eat.

After swallowing a few mouthfuls of dry food, Stepanov said: "I'm afraid there are enemies in the valley to the west. We can't continue moving forward."

"Where should we go?" Zinoviev asked.

Beketov pointed to the north: "Go up the mountain."

Stepanov said: "After going up the mountain, find a place to go down the mountain in the north, cross the valley in the west, then continue marching up the mountain, find a river back to the Amur River (Heilongjiang), and then you can row back to Nibu Chu."

Zinoviev had never fought such a battle and felt that the Cossack leaders had gone crazy.

However, similar situations were often encountered by the Cossacks.

Before Khabarov, there were Cossacks who rowed to Heilongjiang to plunder. At that time, the number of troops was close to 200. They were also blocked in their retreat. They fled all the way over the mountains and ridges. When the food ran out, they ate people to survive. Not only did they eat the local natives, they even ate the corpses of their companions. In the end, 50 people managed to escape, even taking precious furs with them, which immediately detonated the Cossacks' ambitions for Heilongjiang.

These are really a bunch of life-threatening lunatics!

At noon, Wang Fuchen had already occupied the castle.

A few miles north of the castle, there is a hot air balloon five miles away. As long as the Cossack dares to show his head, he will be discovered immediately.

"What? No Rakshasa ghosts were found in the northeastern and northwest river valleys?" Wang Fuchen was a little surprised.

Khabarov sighed: "Oh, they went up the mountain."

Wang Fuchen asked: "Where do you think the enemy will go?"

Khabarov drew a simple map from memory: "The valley in the northeast can only go west. In any other direction, no matter how you go over the mountains and ridges, you will die. The valley in the northwest is very long, and it will bifurcate. It is divided into two. The westernmost valley bifurcates, and it will bifurcate again as you continue to the north. There are several large flat areas in the mountains. If the Cossack bandits want to escape back, they should go to that flat area, and they can also replenish food."

That so-called flat land would, a few hundred years later, form a city, Skovorodino, Russia.

Although there are no cities yet, large tribes have developed. Two years ago, it was looted by Khabarov. There should still be some indigenous people at this time. Rakshasa ghosts can kill people and steal food when they get there.

Zhang Tingxun squatted in the ravine for a day and a night, and was covered in mosquito bites.

Unexpectedly, in the afternoon, I suddenly received an order to continue north along the river valley. Moreover, friendly forces came over for reinforcements, with a total of 500 Datong troops heading north.

In the mountains and forests, it was extremely difficult to cross the mountains and ridges, but the Cossacks had not yet abandoned their boat.

A few people climbed up the slightly gentle hillside carrying boats. When encountering steep terrain, people climb up first and use ropes to drag the boat up.

After walking for five full days, I finished all the food I brought with me.

Those Siberian hunters used bows and arrows to obtain wild animals along the way, but obviously they still didn't have enough food.

"ah!"

Someone fell down the hillside and rolled all the way down.

Beketov went over to check and said: "His leg was broken and he can't go on his way."

"I can still walk!" the Cossack, who broke his leg, shouted in horror.

The man next to him drew out a short knife and stabbed it into his chest.

The unfortunate guy's clothes were stripped off and his weapons were taken away. A few Cossacks disemboweled the body very neatly, but the others turned a blind eye to it.

When the Cossacks left, all that was left on the ground was a pile of bones, sewer, and blood.

Well, I didn’t even eat my head.

After continuing their march for one day, they discovered an indigenous village, raided and captured more than 30 people, and killed them all to eat meat.

A few days later, out of more than 800 Cossacks and Siberian hunters, only more than 700 people were left when they came out of the mountains.

Even if the Datong Army doesn't come to intercept them, by the time these guys return to Nerchinsk, only half of them will be left.

Zinoviev was already in a trance. As a nobleman, he never thought that he could eat people. But I was really hungry, so I stuffed food into my mouth. When my stomach was full, I started to be frightened again. Even in my dreams at night, I could dream of ghosts asking for my life.

Madmen, these Cossacks are all madmen!

He no longer wanted to be the general manager of Heilongjiang, he just wanted to return to Nerchinsk as soon as possible, and then go to Moscow on the pretext of recovering from illness.

In this broken place, anyone who loves it will come. Zinoviev vowed never to set foot in Siberia again.

"Master Manager, cross the valley ahead and continue to the north until the mountains are gentle. After climbing over a low mountain ridge, you can see a large piece of flat land. The villages there must have food." Stepanov said.

Zinoviev nodded quickly: "Before returning to Nerchinsk, I will leave everything to you."

What a steward, what a noble, identity has been forgotten, Zinoviev was afraid when he saw the Cossacks.

But when he reached the river valley, he could finally slow down.

Because some Cossacks actually carried fishing nets with them and were able to get some fish to satisfy their hunger, the noble Lord could not eat human flesh for the time being.

Two days later, hundreds of Rakshasa ghosts were already lurking outside the village.

Zhang Tingxun was in the village, and he was almost impatient with the wait.