Chapter 686: These Polish Lunatics!
After the cavalry messenger reported on Smirnov's situation, Morkov's face darkened immediately.
"That useless fool!"
He cursed harshly and then turned his gaze toward Mozyr.
According to the report, the Polish force attacking Smirnov numbered at least 15,000 men. Meanwhile, the total Polish garrison at Mozyr was barely over 50,000 troops.
Subtracting casualties, this meant fewer than 30,000 Polish soldiers remained in Mozyr.
Morkov still commanded nearly 60,000 troops. If he launched a full-scale assault on Mozyr, the city could likely be taken quickly.
Yet, he hesitated.
If that Polish force truly pressed its attack on Kyiv, Chaperoff might not be able to hold out.
Kyiv was the primary supply hub for Morkov's army. While supplies could still be sent from Smolensk if Kyiv fell, allowing the Poles to seize the empire's wealthiest western city—even for just one day—would be an unthinkable humiliation for the empire.
The Tsar might strip him of his command or even throw him into prison.
The thought made Morkov grind his teeth in frustration. He snapped his whip against the ground and barked at his staff:
"Order the Zaporozhian Corps to remain here. Everyone else is to rest for half a day. Tomorrow morning, we march to Kyiv—I'll catch that damned rat myself!"
Four Days Later
Morkov led 30,000 troops to Kyiv and sent orders for Chaperoff to support them from the south.
When they arrived, the Poles were long gone.
Scouts combed the area around Kyiv, eventually learning from local farmers that the Polish force had "fled" northeast four days earlier.
Morkov gave chase and discovered traces of the Poles at the Loyew crossing, but they had already moved on.
The Poles had easily seized the crossing—guarded by only a few hundred men—before crossing the Dnieper River and advancing deeper into Russian territory.
Morkov's veins bulged with fury. He hurled his whip to the ground, roaring:
"Those damned Polish lunatics!"
Yes, the Poles had gone mad.
With the Dnieper River at their backs, they had no chance of resupply.
In less than two weeks, those Polish soldiers would starve to death.
Even if they scavenged supplies along the way, they would run out of ammunition soon enough. The local Russian militias could simply harass them, depleting their ammunition. Within a month, this army—left with no weapons—could be captured easily.
Yet, the Poles still chose to advance into Russia.
Morkov could imagine their plan. They would first attack Chernihiv—a poorly defended town used mainly to supply reinforcements for Mozyr. The town's garrison could not possibly resist an army of over 10,000 Polish troops.
After raiding Chernihiv, the Poles would bypass the northern Sula River, move south of Smolensk, and continue east toward Kaluga.
Kaluga was Russia's second-richest province in the central region, second only to Moscow.
Yes, this damned province was right next to Moscow!
The Poles' cleverness lay in their choice of route. It avoided both the northern Smolensk fortress and the southern Kursk fortress. Russia's defensive planning had never anticipated a central assault into the heartland.
Invaders from Minsk typically faced the Smolensk-Vyazma fortress line, while those advancing from Mozyr were cut off by rivers, preventing supply chains from supporting the advance.
The Poles, however, had deliberately chosen this "dead-end" route.
Morkov knew that 15,000 Polish troops could never capture Moscow. The old capital and central economic hub of the empire was guarded by the Moscow Corps, a force of over 10,000 soldiers.
However, the mere presence of Polish troops on Moscow's outskirts—even without firing a single shot—would cause panic among the population, inflicting economic damage amounting to tens of millions of rubles.
The Polish army was determined to bite deeply into the empire before its inevitable demise.
If the Poles reached Moscow's gates, Morkov wouldn't just lose his command. Execution would be his only fate.
After much deliberation, Morkov dispatched two teams of couriers. One rode to Kaluga and Moscow to warn them to prepare defenses. The other raced to St. Petersburg with this disastrous news.
Morkov then divided his forces, sending all 3,500 cavalry across the Dnieper to pursue the Poles.
Mozyr
While Morkov spent the next two weeks chasing Kościuszko's army, the Polish forces in Mozyr finally caught their breath.
Prince Poniatowski brought in thousands of fresh recruits and, with the help of local citizens, fortified the defensive lines at Mozyr.
An intense battle awaited him, but not one without hope.
Paris
At Versailles, the morning was no different from any other. A soft voice called beside Joseph's bed:
"Your Highness, it's 7:00 AM. Today, you'll preside over the opening ceremony for the Paris Agricultural Commodities Exchange."
Joseph groaned and turned over, exhausted from staying up late the previous night to review documents from the Caribbean. Fatigue clung heavily to him, refusing to let him open his eyes.
Perna called him several more times. Recently, Camellia had been frequently ill with fevers following her near-drowning incident, leaving Perna to temporarily take over caring for the crown prince's daily needs. Seeing no response, Perna glanced back at the two maids holding Joseph's shirt. They weren't looking her way.
Quickly, she bent down and kissed Joseph on the cheek.
"You really need to wake up," she whispered.
The soft touch drove away Joseph's drowsiness. Opening his eyes, he found Perna's emerald-green eyes gazing at him.
"Ah, you're up early," he said with a smile, yawning.
Perna's face flushed bright red. She quickly glanced at the maids again—thankfully, they were still oblivious.
As a maid to the crown prince, discretion was a basic requirement.
Joseph washed and allowed Perna to conduct her usual health checks—eyes, throat, and pulse—before she joined him at the dining table.
While waiting for breakfast, Joseph habitually picked up a stack of reports. The top document read:
"Casualties at the Minsk defensive line exceed 4,000. Troops have retreated to the outskirts of the city. Colonel Kosinski leads two infantry regiments and five cavalry squadrons northward."
The report didn't state Kosinski's objective, but Joseph knew he was targeting Riga.
The next document detailed Mozyr's situation.
Things were faring far better there than in Minsk. With Kościuszko and Poniatowski—Poland's two "war gods"—at the helm, Russia's 70,000 troops had yet to even glimpse Mozyr.
Meanwhile, Kościuszko's dagger was already plunging into the soft belly of Russia.
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