Chapter 812: Who Is the Mongol?

January of the year 7161 from the Creation of the World — this calendar, which looks exceedingly ancient and even a little fantastical, is the calendar used by Russia. Historically it would remain in use until the era of Peter the Great's reforms, when it was changed to the Julian calendar common in the Western world.

The present ruler of Russia is the second Tsar of the Romanov dynasty, named Alexei Mikhailovich Romanov. He is twenty-four years old this year, very tall, with a thick, full beard and bright, piercing eyes that convey a firm will. Because his son Peter the Great was so outstanding, he has become an obscure figure in the history books.

But in fact, he was the first renowned sovereign in the history of the Romanov dynasty. His father, Mikhail Romanov, the first Tsar of the Romanov dynasty, was a weak-willed monarch with no opinions of his own. At the age of sixteen, because he had a highly prestigious father, Patriarch Philaret, he was elected as the new Tsar by the Assembly of the Land of all Russia at the end of the Time of Troubles — because the Rurik dynasty of Russia had died out, and the country had also suffered a Polish invasion, and several fellows who had climbed onto the Tsar's throne in succession had all come to bad ends, Mikhail Romanov was actually so frightened by the sudden arrival of the Tsar's throne that he burst into tears (his father had been captured by the Poles at the time), and absolutely refused to ascend the throne. In the end, the great nobles of Russia insisted that he become Tsar, and without waiting for his consent, sent proclamations in all directions, ordering every city of Russia to swear allegiance to him. They created a deadlock in which he had to become Tsar whether he wanted to or not. They forced Mikhail Romanov to become the Tsar of Russia.

After ascending the throne, this Mikhail Romanov was powerless in the face of a country in complete chaos, so he first had his mother act as regent, and after his father was released by the Poles, he had his father act as regent, and after his father died, he let the great nobles hold power.

In short, he was a puppet who never held power in his entire life.

But Mikhail Romanov's son, Alexei I, was a highly capable and resolute sovereign. Apart from a period at the very beginning of his reign when, being young, he relied on his tutor Morozov to govern (this Morozov was soon exiled for provoking a riot by levying a salt tax), he gradually began to consolidate power step by step.

Last year, in April of the year 7160 from the Creation of the World, he also placed his trusted confidant, Father Nikon (a pair with Shunzhi's Sonin), in the immensely powerful position of Patriarch, essentially gaining control of the great power of Russia.

And now, a historic opportunity has appeared before the young Alexei I. To the south of Russia, in the region of Ukraine ruled by Poland, a great Cossack uprising led by Khmelnytsky broke out about five years ago. The war between the Ukrainian Cossacks and the chaotic Polish First Republic dragged on endlessly for several years. Facing an unfavorable situation, Khmelnytsky had no choice but to seek help from Russia, offering the condition of incorporating eastern Ukraine, centered on Zaporozhye, into Russia!

Although accepting the allegiance of the Ukrainian Cossacks meant all-out war with Poland, the black earth of eastern Ukraine was simply too attractive, so Alexei I had already made up his mind and was preparing to throw himself into this war that would determine Russia's national destiny for the next three hundred years.

And just as Alexei I and his government were making preparations for war, two opponents who also looked rather troublesome suddenly appeared in the east of Russia.

One was the Great Mongol Nation, which sounded terrifying!

This nomadic empire, which had once brought profound disaster to the Russian people, had now revived! Moreover, it had sent an envoy mission to Europe, and had become a friendly nation of the Kingdom of Spain, and perhaps had even concluded a secret alliance.

A few months ago, an envoy of King Philip IV of Spain arrived in Moscow to urge Russia to make peace with the Great Mongol Nation, and to give up some lands in the Heilongjiang and Jingqili River basins.

The other troublesome opponent was the Great Ming Empire!

That was the native dynasty of Cathay that had driven the Great Mongol Nation out of "Cathay" (Russia called China Cathay).

News that arrived a few years ago said that this dynasty seemed to have been badly beaten by the Tartars, and had even lost its capital!

No one expected that it had now revived, and had even extended its reach into Central Asia!

Now it had also sent an envoy mission to Moscow.

The envoy missions of Great Mongolia and Great Ming had arrived in Moscow almost one after the other, so Alexei I planned to receive the envoy missions of both countries in a single day — Great Mongolia and Great Ming were surely enemies, so let them meet inside the Kremlin, and in this way Russia would be able to seize the initiative in negotiations!

As Alexei I on the throne was pondering how to exercise his superb diplomatic skills between the envoy missions of Great Ming and Great Mongolia, a Mongol wearing a Mongolian leather robe and holding a goose-feather fan of strange design in his hand swaggered in.

There was no need to say it — this must be Guang Shiheng, the envoy of the Great Mongol Nation.

Before the visitor had even had time to perform the rites of greeting, the Tsar of Russia had already let out a cold snort, his bearded face dark and terrifying.

"Envoy of the Great Khan of the Mongols," the Tsar said in Russian, "the Russian Empire and the Russian people have risen. The land of Russia is no longer a place where you barbarians can do as you please. If you dare to make outrageous demands of Russia, then my people and I will answer with sword and fire!"

"And we will also form an alliance with your enemy, the Great Ming Empire. The warriors of our two countries will together launch an offensive against the Mongolian steppe, until it is razed to the ground."

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty the Tsar, you are mistaken."

Just as Alexei I was speaking with great enthusiasm, the voice of his most trusted Patriarch Nikon suddenly sounded in his ear.

Mistaken?

The Tsar thought about it — it did seem he was mistaken.

"Not razed to the ground — the Mongolian steppe is already flat ground!" the Tsar said. "The armies of Russia and Great Ming will make it so that not a blade of grass grows there!"

"Your Majesty!" Patriarch Nikon had already cried out. "Your Majesty, you seem to have made a mistake — this is Chuhuer Wubashi, the envoy of the Great Ming Empire!"

"What did you say?" The Tsar hastily turned his gaze to the Mongol standing dumbfounded a few steps before him — still a Mongol!

The Tsar knew what Mongols looked like and what they wore!

Because some Mongol tribes still lived in Siberia and the Volga River basin, and some of them had submitted to the Tsar and often sent people to Moscow to pay homage.

"He is a Mongol!" the Tsar said, pointing at the Mongol before him. "Is he not wearing Mongol clothing? Is he not a Mongol?"

"Your Majesty, you are right!" The Mongol actually spoke Russian. "I am a Mongol! But I am not the envoy of the Great Mongol Nation — I am the envoy of Great Ming. My name is Choros Chuhuer Wubashi, currently the Vice Protector of the Great Ming Northern Court Protectorate. By order of the Grand Protector Choros Sengge, I have traveled ten thousand li to come to Moscow!"

"Your Majesty the Tsar, did you just say you wished to form an alliance with my country against the false Great Mongol Nation?"

The Tsar was dumbfounded. Wasn't Choros the surname of the Mongol tribal chieftains who ruled Moghulistan? How had it suddenly become some kind of Protector of Great Ming?

And moreover, now that you are a Protector of Great Ming, couldn't you change into a set of Great Ming official robes?

The Tsar had no choice but to change the subject. "Ah, ah, let us discuss this matter later. For now, let the envoy of the true Great Mongol Nation be received!"

The envoy of the true Great Mongolia was Guang Shiheng — the very Guang Shiheng who had impersonated the Chongzhen Emperor atop the Zhengyang Gate tower, still holding his certificate of loyalty.

He had idled away his days in Beijing for many years, and it was only after Shunzhi took personal rule that he was assigned a task — to go as envoy to Russia and discuss the return of the city of Nerchinsk.

This matter actually had little to do with Shunzhi; it was Dodo who had arranged it. But Shunzhi was still the Emperor, and sometimes he had to make an appearance in diplomatic matters. So the assignment fell to Guang Shiheng, who became an imperial envoy ambassador and wandered his way to Russia.

But he too was not wearing the official robes of the Great Qing. Instead, he was dressed entirely in the manner of a Ming dynasty scholar, with a refined and cultivated appearance — he did not look like a Mongol at all, no matter how one looked at him!

(End of Chapter)