Chapter 1273: He Who Wins the Hearts of the People Wins the World

Kurgan.

It took the Chukchi only a short month to fight their way from the small village of Dukuba to Kurgan.

Just as Zhai Shiqing said, they had already become a prairie fire, impossible to resist.

The Cossack Cavalry, who had ruled the Siberia region for over a hundred years, were becoming fewer with every battle, while the Chukchi were becoming more numerous. This phenomenon was despair-inducing; it was despair-inducing for the Gesake.

For this past month, Narisong had been so excited that he had been unable to sleep.

When had they, the Chukchi, ever been this arrogant, ever been this satisfied, and ever been this imposing?

True, they had been imposing before, often pinning the Cossack Cavalry to the ground and rubbing their faces in the dirt, but after all these years, they had still remained in a position of being passively beaten.

This time, it was different; they could finally hold their heads high!

The Siberia region was gradually coming under the control of the Chukchi.

Kurgan.

This was the largest administrative center in Siberia. One can specifically introduce the situation in Siberia during this period here. Before Tsarist Russia conquered Siberia, the layout of Siberia was a castle layout. This era is known as the Siberian Castle Age. What does the Castle Age mean? It means that starting from the ninth century AD, those local and regional strongmen and powerful figures began to occupy various regions of Europe in the form of castles. These early castles were designed and constructed with a bias toward one word: large. Large and simple, and the building materials also gradually evolved from the previous wood to stone construction.

These lords nominally obeyed some emperor or some kingdom, but in reality, they governed themselves. This powerful castle signified their ambition; the castle turned a place into a small, exclusive kingdom. On one hand, it was to resist barbarians; on the other, it was actually to strengthen their own control over the locality and to guard against royal power.

This was a common phenomenon in Europe, especially in regions like Siberia with its plains and ice fields. They lacked natural, strategic defensive terrain, and at the time, they also lacked a powerful central government similar to the Huaxia civilization.

Those in power used castles to strengthen their control over the locality and to defend against external enemies.

But clearly, the original intention of building castles was for peace, but in the end, it evolved into a tool of war, making war increasingly frequent.

The Siberia region during the Castle Age was just like this: wars were frequent, and the common people suffered.

But when Tsarist Russia began to expand and step by step took control of Siberia, the Siberian Castle Age officially ended. Therefore, the castles and their military facilities decayed and were damaged due to long-term disuse; the real reason for this was that the taxpayers had already been conquered. Due to economic development, those castles that previously existed for political and military purposes began to change in nature, gradually becoming the political and economic centers of feudal society.

Siberia during that period had experienced a time of glory.

After Tsarist Russia invaded and occupied Siberia, because of the scarcity of various daily necessities and production tools, a large number of Tsarist Russian merchants began to pour into the Siberia region to seek exorbitant profits. To alleviate the tension in commodity supply, before the sixteenth century, Tsarist Russia allowed Tsarist Russians, Europeans, and people from Central Asia to conduct tax-free trade in Siberia.

But with the development of the social economy, local Siberian merchants also began to develop and unite to squeeze out foreign merchants. This continued to develop, and by the end of the seventeenth century, the trade of local goods in the Siberia region was basically concentrated in the hands of local Siberian merchants.

With the increase in the Tsarist Russian population in Siberia, the demand for handicraft products increased geometrically. At the same time, the development of the fishing, hunting, and agricultural industries stimulated the takeoff of Siberian handicrafts. Therefore, Siberia during this period was not as backward as we imagine.

Therefore, being able to take Kurgan in such a short time, let alone Narisong, even Zhai Shiqing felt it was incredible.

As expected.

Although the Cossack Cavalry were powerful, once they were defeated once, they would be defeated an infinite number of times.

Kurgan was not only the military

stronghold of Siberia at this time, but also its administrative and economic center.

But precisely because of this, those merchants guarding Kurgan did not put up any resistance at all and opened the city gates to welcome the almost invincible Chukchi army. Because these merchants were inherently profit-driven, their primary wish was that this city would not be affected by the flames of war, so it made no difference to them who became the master of this city. As long as social order remained stable and intact, they did not mind bowing and scraping before these Chukchi. Besides, no matter how bad it was, could it be worse than that bunch of Cossack robbers?

So they had raised the flag of surrender early on.

Narisong had not expected that things would be so simple and so easy.

After taking Kurba, he did not intend to move forward; in a short time, he already had over a dozen villages, three towns, and one castle in his hands.

A year ago, he absolutely would not have imagined that he would have today's glory.

No, it should be said this way: the entire Chukchi tribe had not expected that their race would have such glory today.

That night, Kurba celebrated all night long, one celebration after another. That day, the entire city was filled with the fragrance of fine Vodka and malt ale. The whole city reveled throughout the night.

Zhai Shiqing, however, stood alone on the city wall.

Who could have imagined...

A month ago, they were still in the deep mountains and old forests, enduring the bone-chilling cold of this ice and snow. They were not fed, and they were not clothed warmly.

But today, they were already in control of the largest administrative center in Siberia.

Life is just that wonderful.

I do not know when, but Narisong also appeared by her side.

"Female General, all of our Chukchi people will be grateful to you!"

Narisong was a straightforward man, holding the wine in his hand and laughing heartily.

Zhai Shiqing smiled faintly.

"Is the Khan prepared to govern such a city?"

She suddenly asked with a smile.

"Ah?"

Narisong was stunned. Clearly, he was not mentally prepared for this question.

Zhai Shiqing smiled and shook her head; this matter was within her expectations. The Chukchi had previously been just a tribe and had no decent administrative method or system at all. Suddenly coming to control a super-large city like Kurba, theoretical knowledge was completely insufficient.

But, anyone can learn.

Zhai Shiqing could teach them how to fight, but it was very difficult to teach Narisong how to govern a city.

Because the characteristics of every place are different. The differences are very large.

What kind of place Siberia was, Zhai Shiqing did not know.

Whether the governance methods of the Long Yan agricultural civilization were suitable for this place, she also did not know.

These things must be explored; Narisong must explore them himself.

Zhai Shiqing smiled faintly: "Regardless, Khan, remember one sentence, and everything else will no longer be a problem."

Narisong listened with a solemn face.

Zhai Shiqing said: "Those who win the hearts of the people win the world."