Chapter 4 Chapter Four Serge.Radko

Southern and southeastern Europe has been the region that has suffered the most from wars since ancient times, although it can be said that wars have eroded everywhere on the earth.Due to geographical location, southern Europe, southeastern Europe, and a small part of Asia, located between the Black Sea and the Indus River, just formed the stage for the life-and-death competition among various races on the ancient continent. Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Persians, Huns, Goths, Slavs, Magyars, Turks, and other races fought desperately for some or all of this The land has brought terrible disasters.However, they were not as good as those nomads who were still in a barbaric state at that time. They avoided the flames of war, traveled through these regions, settled in central and western Europe, and after long-term assimilation, they formed various modern civilizations.

Not only do these regions have a tragic history, many prophets say, but their prospects are grim.The prophets say that the invasion of the yellow race will sooner or later repeat the killings of ancient and medieval times in these areas.When that day comes, Southern Russia, Romania, Serbia, Bulgaria, Hungary, and even Turkey (perhaps absurdly letting it play such a role, since what is known today as Turkey was then still in the hands of the Ottoman royal family) , will naturally become the outpost of Europe, together with the conflict, the first damage will be their interests. The catastrophe in these prophecies is still far away, however, as time goes by, the various races intertwined between the Mediterranean Sea and the Carpathian Mountains finally crowded and settled down.Peace, the relative peace between the so-called civilized races, gradually extended its influence to the East.From then on, chaos, looting and killing seemed to be confined to the Balkan Peninsula, which was still under the rule of the Ottoman Empire, and became endemic there.

The Turks first entered Europe in 1356 and became masters of Constantinople in 1453.Their expansion greatly offended the previous invaders.The invaders came from Central Asia, converted to Christianity long ago, and since then they have begun to integrate with the local people and gradually form some regular and stable peoples.The struggle for the right to exist has never changed, and it continues again and again.These nascent peoples rose to defend the lands and wealth they had previously wrested from other peoples.In order to resist the Turkish invasion, the Slavs, Magyars, Greeks, Croats and Germans built an endless line of flesh and blood. Although this line of defense is weak in some places, none of it is strong. was completely destroyed.

The Ottoman dynasty was contained between the Carpathians and the Danube, and even this last frontier was in danger.What is now called the Eastern Question reflects the history of the Turks' retreat over the past century. Unlike previous invaders whom they thought they had replaced, these Asian Muslims were never able to assimilate the peoples they enslaved.They established the state by force, and have remained as conquerors, commanding the slaves as masters.Such a way of ruling, coupled with different religious beliefs, cannot but lead to constant resistance from the conquered. In fact, this kind of resistance comes and goes and lasts for a long time.

After centuries of struggle, Greece, Montenegro, Romania and Serbia finally achieved full or partial independence in 1875.But other peoples who believe in Christianity still live under the iron heel of the Muslim dynasty. In the first months of 1875 the dynasty ruled more brutally than ever.At that time, the reactionary forces had the upper hand in the Sultan's palace. Under their raging power, the Christian subjects of the Ottoman Empire were taxed heavily, persecuted and killed, and suffered endless torture.The people's reaction to this was swift.In the early summer, another uprising broke out in Herzegovina.

Patriotic armed forces spread all over the countryside, under its outstanding leader Peko.Under the command of Paulovic and Lubi Bratis, the regular enemy troops sent to encircle and suppress them were defeated. Fighting quickly spread across Montenegro, Bosnia and Serbia.In January 1876, the Turkish army suffered another defeat in the shelter of Douga, which further encouraged the fighting spirit of the patriots.The rebellious anger of the people began to burn rapidly in Bulgaria.As always, the struggle begins with silent plots and rallies.The country's brave youth have quietly gone to battle.

In these secret organizations, leaders quickly emerged.Some of them were eloquent, some intellectual, some noble patriotic passions, and thus established their prestige among more or less comrades. It was not long before each group had its own leader, and each group had its own leader. The city also has a central figure. Ruse, an important town in Bulgaria, is located on the Danube River, almost exactly across the river from the Romanian city Giurgiu.In Ruse, the leadership belonged undisputedly to the navigator Serge.Radko, one couldn't have asked for a better one. Serge.Radko was not thirty years old, tall and blond like the northern Slavs. He had the strength of Hercules and was agile and well-trained. These physical advantages , so that he can take on the important task of command; what is even more commendable is that he also has the indispensable ideological qualities as a leader of a patriotic movement: perseverance, resoluteness, careful thinking, and love for the motherland.

[Note] Hercules: A hero in ancient Greek mythology, known for his extraordinary strength and bravery. Serge.Radko was born in Ruse and was a navigator on the Danube, never leaving the city unless he was working on a boat.He sailed barges as far as Vienna, or further upriver, sometimes as far as the Black Sea.Therefore, he was very familiar with the Danube.In his spare time navigating rivers, lakes and seas, he enjoys fishing. Due to his natural talent, his fishing skills are surprisingly superb.With the income from fishing and the remuneration of the pilot, he lived a very comfortable life.

Four-fifths of his life are spent on water due to the needs of fishing and piloting.Water slowly became a part of his life.The surface of the Danube in the Ruse area is as wide as a bay, but crossing this section of the river is considered a trifle for him, and countless drowning people have been rescued by this swimmer. Radko was a man of integrity and high moral character, and his name had been a household name in Ruse long before the war against the Turks broke out.He had innumerable friends in this town, some of whom he could not name.It can be said this way: If Ivan.All the inhabitants of the city were his friends, if Striga was not counted.This Ivan.Striga and Serge.Like Radko, he was a lad in this town, but the two of them formed a stark contrast.

Although the appearance of the two is not similar, for example, when only a few words are used to outline the physical characteristics of a person in a passport, the same words can be used to describe them. Like Radko, Striga was tall, broad-shouldered, and heavy-set, with blond hair and beard, and blue eyes.Other than that, the two have nothing in common.One has a noble expression, showing sincerity, candor, and aboveboard; the other has a hideous face, showing selfishness, cunning, and ruthlessness. From the perspective of moral character, the difference between the two people is even more obvious.Radko lived reclusively and behaved properly, while Striga was extravagant and extravagant.No one could figure out where his money came from.Since there is no conclusive evidence, everyone has everything to say, and there is no consensus.It was said that Striga was a sinner of the state, a traitor to the nation, a lackey of the Turkish oppressors, who paid him a high salary.Others said that in addition to acting as the government's pawn, he was also engaged in smuggling. All kinds of goods were trafficked between Romania and Bulgaria on both sides of the river through his hands, and no customs duties were paid. Some people even shook their heads and said, All of this is insignificant, and Striga's money is mainly obtained by base and shameless theft, robbery, murder and robbery.Others say that there are different opinions anyway.In reality, however, no one had a solid idea of ​​what this feared man was up to; and even if all the unfriendly speculation was legitimate, Striga was never really caught because of his cunning.

People only spread these speculations to each other in private, and no one dared to speak out loudly, which offended him, because everyone was very afraid of his brazenness and outrageous behavior.In this way, Striga pretended not to know what the public said about him, and took the timidity of others as respect and praise for him.Surrounded by the most filthy gang in Ruse Town, he swaggered through the streets and alleys of this occupied city, drinking and having fun, doing whatever he wanted, and making the city restless. Radko had lived a very different life, and he had nothing in common with such a villain, so he would have no connection.In fact, for quite a long period of time, they did not know each other, but only heard about each other's character and deeds.It stands to reason that they will remain in this relationship forever.However, chance always deliberately plays tricks on our so-called truth, and they will finally face each other and become sworn enemies. Nadya.Grigovitch, famous throughout the town for her beauty, was twenty years old and had lived with her mother, but was then left to live alone.Her house adjoins Radko's.The two grew up together as childhood sweethearts.For a long time, her family lacked a man to support her.Fifteen years before the story narrated in this book began, her father had been killed by the Turks.The indomitable patriot will be filled with rage at the thought of such a horrific killing.Her widowed mother had no choice but to support herself, and she bravely took on the burden of life. Her mother was good at making lace and embroidery. The lives of the two girls. However, in these war-torn years, it is especially the poor who suffer.If it wasn't for Radko's quiet help, the mother's lace business would have been dragged down by the long-term chaos in Bulgaria.Over time, a close and harmonious friendship has been established between the young man and the mother and daughter.Their peaceful residence became a haunt for the young man in his spare time.At dusk, he knocked on their door, and the three of them made a pot of hot tea and chatted until night.Sometimes, in return for their hospitality, he invited them to go for a walk or to go fishing on the banks of the Danube. Mrs. Grigovich eventually fell ill from overwork and went with her husband.Radko took on the responsibility of caring for the orphan girl.His care is meticulous, even more meticulous and thoughtful than his mother. Thanks to his help, the girl did not indulge in pain after losing her dear mother. When the mother was alive, she really poured all her love into her! In this way, day after day, a deep love sprouted in the hearts of a pair of young people, and neither of them explained it to the other.In the end, this layer of veil was thrown away, but it was precisely because of the appearance of Striga. When Striga saw this beautiful girl called the Flower of Rousse, he fell madly in love with her, which was exactly his greedy, lustful and unscrupulous nature.He was used to everyone submitting to his violence, so he ran to the girl's house abruptly and proposed to her.However, for the first time in his life, he encountered strong and unyielding resistance.Nadya, utterly disregarding the resentment she would incur from this dreadful villain, declared aloud that no matter what happened, she would not consent to the marriage.When Striga came to the door again, she was still sternly rejected by her, and when she went to pester her for the third time, she was simply turned away. So he couldn't restrain his rage any longer, his savage nature was exposed, and he cursed outside the door, cursing and threatening.Nadya was terrified.In desperation, she ran to tell Radko, and what she said ignited Radko's anger more violently than the anger that Striga had frightened her just now.Filled with righteous indignation, he reprimanded any villain who dared to do evil to her with the harshest words. But Radko calmed down at last.Both of them poured out their thoughts to each other. Although the words were not so clear, the result couldn't be more clear.An hour passed quietly, and Serge and Nadya looked at each other affectionately, filled with infinite joy in their hearts, kissed together for the first time, and signed a lifelong oath. After Striga heard the news, he almost fainted out of breath.He barged into Grigovitch's house recklessly, swearing and threatening.An iron hand threw him out of the door, and he finally understood: From now on, this house has a man guarding it. Just bow down like this?He, Striga, has always been invincible and full of arrogance, did he just admit defeat?He couldn't bear such humiliation and vowed to take revenge.One night, when Radko returned from sailing to the river bank, Striga, with a group of outlaws like himself, had been waiting there early.The gangsters were all armed with murder weapons.This time, it's not just a matter of talking, but waiting to kill Radko. But this time the attack failed as badly as the previous one.The navigator picked up the oars, as if grabbing a thick stick, and forced the gangsters back again and again, and Striga had to escape with his tail between his legs under the escort of his accomplices. Probably because the lesson was too profound this time, that guy with ulterior motives never came to harass him again.In early 1875, Serge.Radko and Nadya.Grigovitch was married forever, and from then on, the couple moved to the navigator's comfortable home and lived a happy life loving each other. A year has passed quietly, but their love is still as strong as in the honeymoon.At this moment, in the first months of 1876, the situation in Bulgaria changed.Although Radko is deeply attached to his beloved wife, he has not forgotten his love and responsibility to the motherland.He did not hesitate to join the ranks of the Patriots fighting.They unite closely, act in unison, and do everything possible to find a way to save the motherland from the fire. The first thing to do is to get a weapon!For this purpose, countless aspiring young people went abroad, crossed the Danube River, traveled all over Romania, and even came to Russia.Radko is also a member of this team. When he thinks that he is going to be far away from home, his heart is pierced. However, in order to complete the mission, Radko still sets out with firm will and leaves his beloved wife far away.As the wife of a guerrilla leader, Nadya may encounter various accidents in this turbulent revolutionary period. At this time, Radko recalled the scene of Striga, which added to his anxiety.Wouldn't that scoundrel bully his sweetheart in the absence of his rival?It's all too possible.Radko, however, had to brush aside such legitimate concerns.In addition, Striga has been away from town for several months, and it seems that he has no intention of returning. It was rumored that Striga had gone further north.Although there is a lot of news about these villains, it is messy and contradictory.In short, everyone's rumors are accusing him of crimes, but no one can tell a definite instance. From this point of view, at least one thing is certain, that is, Striga is no longer in Ruse, which is the only concern of Radko. Thus, Radko dared to leave the house in peace.Nadya was unscathed during his absence. After finally returning home, he had to leave again.This trip was longer than the previous one.Before this, due to the unfavorable paths, they had only obtained a small number of weapons.The weapons transported from Russia had to pass through Hungary and Romania by land, that is to say, they had to pass through some areas where railways were not yet well developed at that time. In order to achieve their goals more conveniently, the Bulgarian patriots hoped that someone could come Go to Budapest, gather the weapons transported from the railway to the city, and then ship them to Bulgaria by water along the Danube. Radko was assigned to carry out this secret mission.He set off that night.A companion accompanied him across the Danube, and rowed the boat back to Bulgaria so that he could cross Romania as quickly as possible; to the Hungarian capital, when a sudden incident filled Radko's stomach with a secret mission. He and his companions were less than fifty meters away from the river bank when they heard a gunshot.A bullet whizzed towards them from the shore and flew past their ears. The bullet was indeed aimed at him. The navigator was convinced of this. The man who saw the shot was Striga.So the villain is back at Ruse? This unexpected event gave Radko a heart-wrenching anxiety, but it did not shake his determination to serve his country.He gave his life to the motherland long ago.If necessary, he will dedicate more and more to the motherland, even the happiness of his love, which is thousands of times more precious than life.As soon as the gunshot was fired, he threw himself on the bottom of the ship. This is just a military tactic to avoid another attack from the enemy.Before Lin Ye's gunshots stopped, he pressed the oars harder with his hands, and rowed the boat to the Romanian city of Giurgiu even faster.Through the gradually thickening night, the lights of thousands of houses in this city are looming. When Radko arrived in Budapest, he became active. He immediately went to connect with the emissaries of the tsarist government, some of whom were caught crossing the Russian border, and others who were lurking anonymously in Budapest and Vienna.Passed by Radko, several ships loaded with guns and ammunition sailed down the Danube. He often received letters from Nadya.The envelope was in a false name he had made in advance, and it had been smuggled into Romanian territory at night and posted.At first the home was fine, but before long it became more and more worrisome.Nadya didn't mention Striga in her letter. It seems that she didn't even know that the villain had sneaked back to Bulgaria, and Radko also began to wonder if she had identified the wrong person.What is worrisome is that Radko has been reported to the Turkish authorities, which is beyond doubt, since the police have broken into his house and searched it, but to no avail.From this point of view, he cannot rush back to Bulgaria immediately, and going back at this time is tantamount to throwing himself into a trap.Others knew his identity very well, and they were watching him day and night. As soon as he set foot on the country, he would be thrown into prison immediately.In Turkish-occupied territories, being arrested is synonymous with being shot.Therefore, Radko must now avoid showing up in his hometown, and wait until the national war of resistance officially breaks out before going back, so as not to bring death to himself and his wife.Fortunately, she is still safe and sound. This moment will come soon.In May, the Bulgarian people revolted.The navigator worried that the timing of the uprising was premature, and he did not expect the uprising to break out so quickly. Regardless of his own opinions on this, he has to rush back and join the battle to save the country and the people.He arrived by train in Sombor, the last city in Hungary reachable by train, near the Danube.He could have taken a boat here and headed down the river to his destination. But a piece of news he heard at Sombor compelled him to stop his return.His worries were so justified that the Bulgarian revolution was really killed in the cradle.In the triangular area with Ruse, Vidin, and Sofia as the apexes, Turkey gathered countless soldiers and horses, and its iron hand pressed more heavily on these disaster-ridden areas. Radeko had to return to the small Hungarian town where he had lived temporarily, and wait for a more favorable time, where he had a residence. Soon, he received a letter from Nadya, and the situation described in the letter showed that he had nowhere to go for the time being.His home has never been more closely watched, and even Nadja is trapped inside like a prisoner.The enemy watched his movements more carefully than before.For the common good of the couple, he had to be extra careful not to act rashly. The uprising was aborted, the Turks stationed heavy troops along the Danube, and since then, arms deliveries have been suspended.Radko suppressed the anger in his heart, not daring to act rashly.This blank waiting was hard enough, and what was more, by the end of June he would not hear a word from dear Nadya again, and he could bear it no longer. Radko didn't know what to do, and as time passed, his restlessness turned into a torment of anxiety.Indeed, his panic and apprehension was not without reason.On July 1, Servedan officially declared war on the Sudanese government. After that, the Turkish army spread all over the Danube River Basin. Everywhere they went, they burned, killed, looted, and did everything.Did Nadya become a victim of the enemy's butcher knife?Or was she taken hostage by the Turkish government, or imprisoned as her husband's accomplice? The silence lasted for more than a month, and he couldn't bear it any longer, so he decided to put his life and death aside and return to Bulgaria to find out the truth of the matter. However, even if it was only for Nadya's sake, he had to proceed with caution.Wouldn't it be useless to rush back rashly and be easily captured by Turkish patrols like a self-inflicted snare?Only by sneaking back to the town of Ruse quietly, avoiding the enemy's tracking and suspicion, and moving freely in the city, so that going back can be effective, and then he will decide the next step according to the specific situation.Even if he planned for the worst and had to turn back to the border in a hurry after returning, at least he could hug his long-lost wife tightly. Radko speculated for several days, looking for a way to solve this problem.He finally came up with a good plan, so without revealing it to anyone, he immediately put the plan into practice. Does his strategy work?The future will answer.In any case, he had to give it a try.And so, on the morning of July 28, 1876, the navigator's neighbors (who did not know who he was or what his real name was) found the cabin where he had lived alone for several months tightly closed. locked. What kind of strategy did Radko come up with?In the process of implementing his plan, what kind of difficulties and obstacles did he encounter?What is the connection between what happened in Bulgaria, especially in Ruse, and the fishing competition in Siegmaringen?All of these, readers will naturally understand after reading this story.This is a true story, and the protagonist in the story is still alive and well on the banks of the Danube.