章 25: Chapter 20

Yuri leaves the restaurant and gets on his horse and rides out of the city to the Russian camp. He was stopped by two soldiers that ask who is. Despite seeing his uniform, they still asked since it's their job to question who comes into the camp.

"Ryadavoy Yuri Ivanov. Royal Guard of Tsar Vladimir of Russia. I have an order from the Tsar"

After hearing him then they look at his red shoulder boards, which have a yellow crown with upside-down hooks crossing, and between the hooks, at the bottom where it forms a triangle, there is a 1 which is also yellow. The soldiers step aside and let him into the camp.

A/N: Ryadavoy=Private

Yuri gallops to the center of the camp and gets off his horse. He walks over to General Lev and salutes, then says.

"Your excellency, I have an order from the Tsar." He leans in and tells Lev the orders. Lev nods.

"tell your majesty that it will be carried out immediately"

Yuri then leaves while General Lev goes and gathers some staff. He briefs General Ivan and other officers about the order, but they are thinking of ways how to carry it out.

"Send my jagers to do it,"

"why send light infantry? It's better to send my dragoons,"

"Hussars are better,"

"line infantry,"

Many officers put up their units to go and carry it since who doesn't like merits and promotions. They can fight well together when needed, but they also compete for merit. Some of them weren't even with the first expedition with the Tsar, and some were envious when they heard the 17th jager regiment and the artillery got to shoot and get some kills.

After some more talking arguing, General Lev makes a decision.

"Send some Cossacks with Moscow riflemen and if you have any problems, then you can go speak to the Cossacks about it or defy my orders."

As they were going to complain, they quickly closed their mouths.

No one wants to defy the general's order and who wants to go argue with a Cossack. They don't argue, just fight it out, and can you fight a Cossack and guarantee your win?

The orders were passed on and 300 Cossacks with 200 Moscow rifleman. They got ready and set off to the city with Cossacks on horses and the riflemen on foot.

They had trouble getting in at first and a fight almost broke out, but a captain came and diffuse the situation. Once in they make their way towards the slums and they were a sight to be seen by the slum people. With the neat and clean close, they assumed these men are higher than them and some avoided eye contact. The soldiers split into teams of 5 and 10.

The streets were scanned first, and some boys were snatched up. The people of the slums thought it may be a noble that has a special taste, so they minded their own business until later when they saw that the soldiers were buying these young boys for 5 silvers ahead. To them, 5 silvers is a lot and can last them a few months.

Young boys were soon brought to the soldiers and sold. They were inspected, of course. As long as they are not disabled or deformed and sick, then they can be sold. The soldiers didn't care where they were coming from. Just carry out the orders of the Tsar and while others thought that more the better.

If they looked into, they would have found out that some families have sold their boys while some asked if they were buying girls as wells.