99 Talks and Preparations

We sat in one of the chambers of the Royal Castle ... I, Hetman Potocki, Tomasz Zamoyski and some other most important ministers in the country ... and we wasted our time on the obvious.

"War is coming, we will either elect the King before it breaks out or after the war is over." (MC)

"We have yet to accept candidates ..." (Marshal Mikołaj Wolski)

"Which candidates? Władysław has the greatest support. Several years ago there were voices that after King death, the King of Sweden, Gustaw Adolf, would propose his candidacy. Gábor Bethlen also wanted the Polish throne, but he died three years ago. So Władysław has no real opponent." (MC)

It was terribly annoying, I was not a supporter of Władysław, but it was certain that he would win this election, so why pretend it is otherwise ... I would be less bored if I had to watch the paint dry on the wall...

"Wilkomir?!" (Tomasz Zamoyski)

"What?" (MC)

"We ask you how to prepare for war? Is there anything else you can do?" (Tomasz Zamoyski)

"As you know, I am going with the troops to Moscow, Gosiewski strengthens Smolenski ... he will withstand a long siege. The only thing we can do is to send all our free troops and registered Cossacks to Hetman Radziwiłł. I also need some officers under my orders... and if I can get Moscow, I need an unlimited right to negotiate peace terms. To be sure, also send diplomats to the Emperor, Spain and the Pope." (MC)

"What are you going to do?" (Marshal Mikołaj Wolski)

"I will not wait another 20 years until they rebuild their strength and attack us again, the Moscow issue must be resolved once and for all." (MC)

The talks lasted several hours, but it was nothing important. I explained the outline of my plan to the ministers and that we would need international support. Future border changes in the East may cause dissatisfaction with many countries, especially those Protestant who support Moscow. The next day, I was also supposed to deliver the names of the officers I wanted under my command... Stefan Czarniecki, Samuel Łaszcz, Mikołaj Moczarski it was not a long list.

I did not even need Stefan Czarniecki in this war, but I wanted to use the opportunity and his talents to create the first hussar company for me.

Samuel Łaszcz, although I did not have a good opinion about him and he was the one who spread rumors about me after defeating Khan Temir, he had a talent that it would be a pity not to use, I was going to make him one of the commanders of Lisowczyków... and our private disputes may wait for other times.

Mikołaj Moczarski had similar talents to Samuel Łaszcz and he was to be the second commander of the Lisowczyków.

During the following days, not much happened, the date of the Convocation Sejm was set, it was to be held on June 22 and last for three weeks.

Unfortunately, this date was not good for me, I wanted to be present when creating Pacta Conventa for the new King. However, the deliberations of the Seym will end in mid-July, and I must be at Sich in September at the latest... Everything stretched unnecessarily in time. There was not much I could do, so I decided to use my uncle, Tomasz Zamoyski. We met the next day at the Royal Castle.

"I know that you have already set the date, but unfortunately I will not be able to be here at this time ... that's why we have a request for you ..." (MC)

I gave my uncle a list of what I would like Pacta Conventa to contain.

"Modernizing the Army, increasing the fleet, building the University of Warsaw, building the Military Academy ... do you think the King will agree to it? (Tomasz Zamoyski)

"I hope... I know that Władysław has many supporters, but I hope that common sense has not left everyone ... We do not need a fleet that will colonize the new world or sail to the Far East, we need a fleet that will take care of our interests in the Baltic Sea." (MC)

"I understand and I will do what I can, but I do not promise anything ... tomorrow, the officers you asked for are to arrive in Warsaw, and Hetman Radziwiłł. I was supposed to ask you, you do not like Radziwiłł, why do you want to give the troops under his command?" (Tomasz Zamoyski)

"My sympathy or lack of it for someone are matters of little importance now. Hetman Sapieha is a friend, but he is too old to command the army, Aleksander Gosiewski has talent and in fact replaces Sapieha in his duties, but he will have to defend Smolensk. Only Hetman Radziwiłł remains, and only he poses a threat to the Moscow troops outside the Smolensk walls." (MC)

"Changing the subject ... Your aunt asks when you find a wife. She talked to her friends about you." (Tomasz Zamoyski)

Fuck... the same thing every time, there are downsides to having a family, of course my aunt or anyone else could make me marry, but these questions were annoying.

"Tell her that when I come back from Rome, she can find a wife for me." (MC)

"And when are you going to Rome?" (Tomasz Zamoyski)

"I'm not going there." (MC)

You can see in my uncle's face that my joke amused him, but he did not want to show it ... Not everyone is made to have a family ... as they say, "If I want to drink vodka, I buy a bottle, not the whole distillery."

The next day, I met with the officers I chose. I gave each of them appropriate orders. Samuel Łaszcz and Mikołaj Moczarski were to start recruiting all the people with the moral backbone of jellyfish, who would do whatever they were told.

Stefan Czarniecki received several letters from me, including to secretary Kowalski, that he would prepare appropriate funds for the creation of a hussar company. The recipients of my second letter were the managers of my horse breeding farm in Lesser Poland. They were to provide Czarniecki with 300 best hussar horses, just enough to create a company of 100 hussars.