The Last Frontier of Fire and Sword

Just when Magnus de la Gardia was about to pour another glass of wine for the Duke of Konitsky, and digging up some useful information, Henrik Potocki broke in.

Henrik came to the Duke on the order of his uncle Stanislaw Potocki. After the mission arrived in Kiev and settled down, the old man wanted to meet his old friend Bogdan Khmelnitsky, who was ready to be called by God at any time. If possible, Stanislaw Potocki even hopes to move Bogdan Khmelnitsky and let him set the tone for peace with the Republic in the form of his last words.

As the current deputy envoy of the mission, it is the job of the Duke of Konitsky to submit the request.

"Sir, why are you here?"

Seeing that Magnus de la Gardia hadn't left yet, and that the Duke of Konitzki was still drunk, Henrik asked with a bad face.

Magnus de la Gardia smiled and stood up with a glass of wine. He said to Henrik as usual: "Oh, it turned out to be little Potocki. I please don’t get me wrong. I just met the Duke as soon as I met, and it happened that we are all wine lovers, so we sat together and drank a few more glasses. Since you have something to ask the Duke, I won’t go first, and I’ll come again when I have time."

After speaking, Magnus smiled and raised his glass to the Duke of Konitzki.

"Okay, it's settled, sir." Duke Konnitsky replied drunkly. He also tried to stand up and give away his new friend, but the Duke drank too much wine. He was top-heavy and fell into a chair before he could stand still.

Magnus de la Gardia departed Shiran. Henrik Potocki glanced at the drunk, drunk, and stomped his feet bitterly, then left the duke and walked out of the room without looking back.

When the young Potocki told his uncle about the drunkenness of the Duke Konitzki, he was thinking about what to say after meeting Bogdan Khmelnitsky, and meeting other Cossack team leaders. What to do with Stanislaw Potocki grabbing the reading glasses on the bridge of his nose: "What are you talking about! This guy Konitzki was drinking with Magnus, and he was so drunk?"

"Yes, uncle." Henrik Potocki said.

Stanislaw Potocki felt dizzy.

"This Duke who succeeded less than failed." Stanislaw Potocki cursed in his heart.

The old man is now ten thousand affirmations. The drunken Duke of Konitzki must have said a lot about the mission to Magnus. And Stanislaw Potocki, the Duke who only expected bad things, didn't say how old he was peeing his pants.

"Henrik," Stanislaw Potocki shook his head, and he said to his nephew: "Since the Duke Konitzki is drunk, then you ask Chechen to submit that I want to talk to Bogdan He Letter from the Melnitsky meeting."

"I've called Chechen to go, uncle." Henrik Potocki said.

After coming out of the Duke's room, Henrik found Cheerchen in the first place and handed the letter to him.

Seeing that his nephew knows how to adapt, Stanislaw Potocki nodded in relief.

Henrik stepped forward and helped his uncle to sit down again. At this time, the young man suddenly said to his uncle: "Uncle, you are amazing. If it were someone else, they would definitely shut out Tubrin and Magnus or greet them with a smile, because the Czar Russia and Sweden are both enemies of the Republic. But you are kind to Tubuling, but you treat Magnus coldly."

Henrik Potocki has always wanted to be a politician like his uncle, and he also tried his best to imitate Stanislaw Potocki's behavior and speech. Henrik also figured out what Stanislaw Potocky did this time.

"Henrik, the so-called politics, although it is to unite everyone you can unite, but sometimes it is necessary to distinguish between who is worthy of unity and who is not..." Stanislaw Potocki, who was sitting down again, smiled Said. He was very pleased that his nephew could see this through.

Henrik Potocki nodded earnestly, he remembered this sentence.

"Uncle, although we are at war with Tsarist Russia and the Kingdom of Sweden, the Tsar still has goodwill towards our country. So we can talk with the Russians. As for this matter, if we let Bogdan's son Yuri has inherited the position of great chief, so there is no hope for His Majesty the King and the Vigowski whom you hope to support, but if the election of the chief chief in the tradition of the Cossacks, at least Vigowski still has a chance."

Henrik continued to show off Stanislaw Potocki's subtle tricks he thought he had understood, but he didn't notice that Stanislaw Potocki was hearing what he said that the Tsar had a passion for Poland. When he was kind, his face changed.

He didn't expect his nephew to think so.

But in fact, Henrik Potocki's statement that the czar had goodwill towards Poland was not fabricated or imaginary, but was based on facts.

In 1648, after learning of the Zaporozhye Cossack uprising, the attitude of the Russian Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich Romanov was to support the repressive strategy of the Republic of Poland. He even sent a part of the army to prepare to support it. Poland, but with the terrible defeat of Poland in the Battle of the Yellow River, he dispelled the idea of ​​military support for Poland. However, in the face of the envoys sent by Khmelnitsky to inform the Polozhe Cossacks of the victory, the tsar's attitude was still very cold. It should be said that at the beginning of the Zaporozhye Cossack uprising, Russia's attitude was to support the Bolivian Republic.

After the Battle of Korsun, the Cossack envoys came to Russia again. This time Bogdan Khmelnitsky hoped that Russia would unite the Cossacks to launch a war against Poland when the Polish king had just died, but the czar decisively refused. The Tsar even notified the Polish envoy in Moscow.

Although failed both times, Bogdan Khmelnitsky did not abandon Russia as a potential ally, and has been trying to win over Tsarist Russia. However, in May 1649, the Tsar replied to Khmelnitsky, in which the Tsar exhorted the Zaporozhye Cossacks and the Polish authorities to live in harmony and expressed their willingness to be the mediator of the two parties.

In March 1652, the Cossack’s envoys arrived in Moscow again and conveyed to the Tsar Khmelnitsky’s wish that he accept the alliance between the Zaporozhye Cossacks and the regions under his control. This time the czar still declared that he would abide by the Polish-Russian treaty. Even the Czar proposed a solution, that is, Czarist Russia can place the Cossacks in the Don River area, thereby completely resolving the dispute between the Republic of Poland and the Cossacks. Bogdan Khmelnitsky naturally rejected this whimsical suggestion.

In 1653, the tsar's attitude finally changed. But this time it was because Bogdan Khmelnitsky no longer requested. He warned and even threatened the czar that he would join the Ottoman Turkey and the Crimean Khanate if he did not accept himself. Both of these countries are enemies of Tsarist Russia, and the Tsar can no longer just sit idly by this kind of rogue means of turning to your enemies if you don’t want me. In June of that year, the Tsar convened another meeting of the gentry and finally agreed to accept the Zaporozhye Cossack.

In stark contrast to the Tsar’s goodwill, in the early days of Sweden’s invasion of Poland, when Karl X led an army to warsaw, King Jan Kazimierz once wrote to him expressing his willingness. Give up the entire Lithuania in exchange for peace. But Karl X refused without hesitation.

Comparing the two, some Polish politicians naturally think that Tsarist Russia is more lovely than Sweden. At the beginning of the Swedish invasion, even if the war between Poland and Russia continued, some people proposed to cede the territory of Smolensk in order to achieve the goal of uniting Russia to fight against Switzerland.

Stanislaw Potocki was extremely opposed to such remarks. He always believed that Tsarist Russia was the most dangerous enemy of the Republic.

"Henrik." Stanislaw Potocki snapped off his nephew's self-talk.

"Yes, uncle." Henrik Potocki hurriedly responded. He lowered his head, but saw that his uncle was looking up at him.

"Uncle?" Henrik was guilty, he didn't know what he had said wrong.

"Henrik," Stanislaw Potocki slowed his tone. He understood that Henrik would have pro-Russian ideas only because he was too young, and the problem was superficial. This is a common problem among young people, and he cannot be blamed.

But Stanislaw Potocki decided to correct the misconception that his nephews are all right now.

"Henrik, most of what you just said was right. You have such a strong political sensitivity at a young age, and my uncle is very proud of you. But there is one thing you made a big mistake." And all Like parents, Stanislaw Potocki first praised Henrik’s strengths before preaching, and then pointed out his mistakes.

"What is it?" Henrik asked.

"Henrik, you have to remember: The Kingdom of Sweden is not terrible, but Tsarist Russia is the confidant of the Republic." Stanislaw Potocki said.

Then, Stanislaw Potocki, who knew that his nephew could not understand the meaning of his words, explained in detail: "You said that the Russian tsar has goodwill towards the Republic, but in fact, he is not unwilling. But not. The Republic’s occupation of Moscow more than 50 years ago and the subsequent defeat of the Smolensk War hurt the czar. In addition, the provisions of the "Polianov Treaty" also happened in Russia. At the same time, although the Republic suffered a terrible defeat in Ukraine, the main force in the country was still there. The Romanov tsar did not dare to take this risk. Later, the Republic shed its blood in Ukraine and had a chance to go down the mountain to pick peaches. It has matured. Even without Bogdan Khmelnitsky’s repeated love for help, Tsarist Russia would no longer stand idly by. I don’t know if you are thinking about uniting Russia against Switzerland like some nobles, but if you If you have this kind of thought, forget it immediately. You must remember and tell the descendants of the Potocki family that Tsarist Russia is the most terrible enemy of the Republic. The Kingdom of Sweden is a powerful country with its military and economic power. Although Sweden’s military, economic, and political strength are strong in Europe, Sweden is always a small country with a small land area and a population of only one million. Its human, military, financial, and Material resources cannot withstand long-term wars, and Sweden’s aggression damages and threatens the interests of countries such as Denmark and the Holy Roman Empire. Therefore, the more it wins, the greater the threat to other countries, and the less they will allow it. Sweden has grown bigger. And Sweden is still a Protestant country, which is not tolerant of a broad Catholic country. Our country is a large Catholic country with a large land, abundant resources, many people, and many soldiers. It can support long-term wars. So you have also seen, Although the Swedes' rushing advance seemed invincible at first, and our country was in danger, but the sound of a cannon at the Czestochowa monastery inspired the determination of the entire Polish nation to resist the Swedish invasion, letting people know that the country is in danger. , But even if the motherland is besieged from all sides, the enemy is not invincible. Look now, who is lingering?"

"It's the Swede and those traitors, uncle. The final victory belongs to the Republic and not to Sweden." Henrik Potocki took the conversation ~www.wuxiaspot.com~ When it came to the victory over Sweden, the young man was full of enthusiasm.

"Yes, it's the Swede." Stanislaw Potocki continued to educate his nephew: "But Tsarist Russia and the Kingdom of Sweden are different. Although their czar is not as wise as Karl X, and the army is not as effective as the Swedish army. , But Russia is a big country. Its land area and population are the largest in Europe. We face the advantages of Sweden and all have become disadvantages in front of Russia. Although our military strength is still stronger than the Russian army, They are also growing up after the introduction of Western-style training. Over time, our country’s advantages in this area will be wiped out sooner or later. What’s even more frightening is that once we make peace with the Russians, sign a treaty and recognize the Dnieper River Basin and Smol Lensk belongs to Tsarist Russia, so the eastern border of Poland will open the door. Russia can use this as a forward base in a position of advancing, retreating and defensive. After losing Smolensk, our country will only rely on maintaining one A huge army came to fend off the invasion of Tsarist Russia, which will bring down the finances of the Republic."

The words of Stanislaw Potocki made Henrik Potocky sweat, and he finally realized his shallowness.

"I see, uncle." Henrik said sincerely.

The old Stanislaw Potocki felt dizzy after saying so much to his nephew, and he wanted to lie down and take a rest.

"Henrik, I'll go to bed. When Cheerchen comes back, call him to my room immediately."

At this moment, Cheerchen, who was just talking about Stanislaw Potocki, slammed the door open.

"My lord, you go with me, I heard that Bogdan Khmelnitsky's condition suddenly worsened, I am afraid I can't survive today."

"What!" Stanislaw Potocki stood up "tightly".