Dominate the Country

"Marshal, the Omsk Fortress will make the Chinese army hit and bleed."

"I think Barnaul will have a new nickname, it will become the 'sad place of the Chinese'."

"The Russian warriors on the battlefield will teach the Chinese a lesson and let them learn to respect the great Russia and Her Majesty the Empress."

"If Barnaul is the sad place of the Chinese, then Pavlodar will be the paradise of the god of death, a meat grinder with countless lives sacrificed!"

The shouts of the colonels rang out in the conference room.

As representatives of the armies of the three besieged cities, the colonels spoke in a loud tone and their attitudes were optimistic and firm.

Kamensky, Saktykov, Wubashi and other bigwigs all smiled, and Wubashi's smile was particularly bright.

"This is a very good opportunity, we will change everything here." Peter Alexandrovich Rumyantsev's face was full of smiles. He could hear that the officers' shouts were not bluffing, but they were really optimistic about this plan. The old general's interest naturally rose, waving his arms and speaking in a sonorous tone.

Change everything here - the demarcation of boundaries, the situation between China and Russia, the influence on the Kazakh tribes, the bilateral vassal forces, everything will change with this war.

"Although we are still in a passive situation in this plan, the first step depends on the actions of the Chinese. But we must not base our hopes entirely on the losses of the Chinese. Barnaul is the closest city to Novokuznetsk and the closest city to Tomsk. Our army takes Barnaul as its basic goal.

After this meeting, you must go back and be prepared for battle. Especially Barnaul-" Rumyantsev's eyes looked at the colonel sitting at the farthest point of the long table, "Tell Major General Nikolayevich to be prepared for battle and to be prepared for counterattack."

"Yes, Marshal." The colonel stood up straight and saluted Rumyantsev solemnly.

"Wubasi, you also need to mobilize troops. Mobilize troops as quickly as possible, small groups of troops, cooperate with the Cossack cavalry, and keep harassing the Chinese army in Barnaul, especially their cavalry. Wait for my order, and then you need to cut off the connection between the Chinese army and the rear in one fell swoop. Before that, you need to confuse the Chinese. Before the Siberian army departing from Novokuznetsk is discovered by the Chinese, you need to create an illusion to make the Chinese army think that our next focus is on Barnaul..."

When the false is true, the true is also false. Rumyantsev was also worried that this "illusion" would prevent the Chinese army outside Barnaul from launching an attack on Barnaul, but the Siberian army in Novokuznetsk must add a cover, and then when this layer of "cover" is exposed, the "illusion" will appear so realistic, otherwise it will be worthy of suspicion.

"Perhaps this can also cover up the 'real intention' of the Siberian Army. Let the Chinese mistakenly believe that the goal of the Siberian Army is to lift the siege of Barnaul..."

Rumyantsev knew very well that his choice was a big risk. But he was unwilling to play passive defense all the time. Born into a family of generals, he registered as a private soldier in the Imperial Guard at the age of 6, served as an officer at the age of 15, and participated in the Russian-Swedish War at the age of 18. He served as a colonel infantry regiment commander. Rumyantsev's military thinking was more of an inheritance and development of the offensive combat thinking of the Russian army during the time of Peter the Great. He was not bound by traditional linear tactics, attached importance to the establishment and use of reserves, and emphasized the combination of frontal assault and flank assault and close coordination of various arms.

But in any case, he was more willing to attack than defend.

In the last Russo-Turkish war, Rumyantsev, who had just been promoted to Field Marshal, led his troops south along the left bank of the Prut River, defeated the Ottoman army with fewer troops, and led the disadvantaged Russian army to defeat the Ottoman army several times, forcing the Ottomans to sign the Treaty of Little Kenarja. Rumyantsev was also awarded the title of Zadunaisky (Victor of the Transdanube).

His earliest achievements that made him famous in Europe were also achieved in continuous offensive battles.

Therefore, Rumyantsev, who had fought a defensive battle for three or four months, chose to take the initiative to attack when he saw an opportunity that did not seem to be a good opportunity.

This battle was not a very favorable opportunity, but he hoped to seize it. Before this, the battle on the West Siberian Plain had always been fought by the Russian army on defense, which was too passive. Rumyantsev, who had no idea that the Torghut tribe was an undercover spy, doomed the outcome of this battle from the moment he decided to switch to the offensive.

He didn't know that after he had conceived this battle plan, the Chinese side would definitely "cooperate" and launch a "fierce attack" on the three besieged cities.

The harassment of Barnaul by the Torghut cavalry was not successful, and Rumyantsev then sent all the Cossack cavalry he had.

God was pitiful. The number of Cossacks in Siberia was already scarce, and they had to deal with the Wehrmacht and the Mongols, so they could not be withdrawn at all. The Cossacks on the Ural River nominally had fifty centuries, but the main force had been withdrawn to the Caucasus battlefield, just like the Cossack cavalry on the Don River, so that Rumyantsev only had two thousand Cossacks left.

The addition of the Cossack cavalry did not have much impact on the Chinese siege troops surrounding Barnaul. There were more than 10,000 Wehrmacht troops outside Barnaul, and the vassal Mongolian and Kazakh cavalry also had tens of thousands of people. The cavalry troops on the side of Chen Han were even stronger. But these intelligences were soon reported to Chen Qi, the governor of the Northwest Military Region in the area of ​​Zaisan Lake. Almost at the same time, the top-secret intelligence that Wubashi had received was also delivered to Chen Qi.

Then all the actions of the Wehrmacht were carried out according to Rumyantsev's "expectations".

The latter was like a clown under Rumyantsev's baton, doing whatever he was told to do.

Barnaul is the closest battlefield to Novokuznetsk and Tomsk. The three besieged Russian cities can be roughly connected into an isosceles triangle, and Barnaul is the point at the northeast corner.

-- Pavlodar is the point of this inverted isosceles triangle. In the southernmost part, Barnaul and Omsk are one northeast and one northwest.

If the Russians want to do something, of course they have to solve the problem of Barnaul first.

As time went by, the Siberian Army that had set out from Novokuznetsk had turned south. It would take them less than a month to reach Zaysan Lake, a distance of thousands of kilometers.

Because before the military operation, the Russians had no chance to set up a military station on the route from Novokuznetsk to Zaysan Lake, and they had to carry all their supplies with them, which would delay the journey.

In Rumyantsev's estimation, the Siberian Army would not be able to reach Zaysan Lake at all, and would be discovered by the Chinese, who would then mobilize a large number of infantry and cavalry units to eat up this isolated Russian army that had penetrated deep into their territory. At that time, the Russian and Turkish cavalry outside Barnaul would need to become more powerful appropriately. It was as if they were trying to attract the attention of the Chinese as much as possible, so that they could play a role of "covering" the Siberian Army.

And during this process, the Chinese army would definitely launch an attack on the three cities.

Rumyantsev believed that the rockets in the three cities would teach the Chinese army a lesson, and then when the Chinese's attention was diverted, the First Army and the Torghut Cavalry in his hands could take advantage of the situation and harvest Chinese lives.

Even if the Chinese realized that something was wrong and mobilized troops for reinforcement, it would be too late.

Saltykov personally came to the front line of Barnaul. Before the dagger was revealed, the Russian cavalry on the front line of Barnaul needed to be as active as possible to attract the attention of the Chinese army and try their best to cover the Siberian Army.

However, more and more Torghut cavalry and Kazakh cavalry gathered here. Wabashi's face was gloomy.

In the harassment battles these days, the Torghut cavalry was killed, wounded, and captured three or four hundred people. This is a tragedy where one's own people were killed by one's own people. Is there any worse tragedy than this?

Wabashi told himself in his heart that these were the prices that had to be paid for victory, but his heart was as painful as a drop of blood.

Ivan Ivanovich Saltykov treated Wabashi very kindly, not only because of the situation, but also because he admired Wabashi's bravery. Although they did not fight side by side in the last Russo-Turkish War, the rank of general on Wabashi's shoulders was not given for nothing. Wabashi on the battlefield is very brave!

The current situation is dangerous, and the Russian infantry and cavalry are at a disadvantage. So Saltykov feels lucky to have a brave and responsible warrior as a partner in the counterattack.

Yes, the dark clouds on Wabashi's face because of his distress for the dead and wounded tribal cavalry were regarded by Saltykov as a contemplation of worrying about the war situation. This is a beautiful misunderstanding.

"We must regain the advantage, and now we need to attract more Chinese attention to Barnaul." When Wabashi said this, the ghosts who were asking for his life appeared in front of him.

Those tribal warriors died too unjustly.

Even if the 45-year-old Wabashi is a cold-blooded figure who has been on the battlefield for a long time, he can't bear this kind of inner pressure. He was now eager for the moment when the truth would be exposed, as if that would make him feel relieved.

News came from the east that the more than 2,000 Torghuts who were "eliminated" outside Irkutsk were now gathering in the south of Barnaul, waiting for the main Russian forces to plunge into the encirclement. It was easy to get the truth out.

The more than 2,000 Torghut cavalrymen who had lived in China for more than a dozen years could speak fluent Chinese. Some of them had also learned to write Chinese characters, arithmetic, veterinary medicine and planting techniques, and there were also fresh Mongolian doctors.

Even the dumbest people could be molded and qualified after being taught in an indoctrination-style manner for more than a decade. And these people would be the cornerstone of the Torghut tribe's further growth and development in the future.

…

Wabashi's performance was very successful. As a senior person, he was a real actor who had been disguised for more than a decade without being discovered. He was distressed when he should be distressed and angry when he dared to be angry. Saltykov's eyes could not see through Wabashi's heart.

He was completely deceived by Wabashi.

The latter's more than ten years of acting experience has established a brilliant brand effect for himself. When many Russians mention Wabashi Khan of Torghut on the Ural River, their first reaction is that he is a loyal subject of the empire. With such a halo around him, who can see through his appearance and see his heart?

And during the harassment, Wubashi really didn't slack off. At most, he arranged for the Torghuts to pay attention to safety, which is completely different from "slacking off".

Then we have to say that Saltykov is really talented in cavalry. After he personally arrived at the front line of Barnaul, the Russian-Turkish cavalry under his command really caused a lot of trouble for the National Defense Army outside the city of Barnaul. For example, he almost broke an outer defense position of the National Defense Army.

This made Chen Wei, the commander of the 11th Division of the Northwest Military Region under the city of Barnaul, very angry. This kind of embarrassing thing happened to his men for the first time.

"Good-for-nothings! A bunch of good-for-nothings! Just a few cavalrymen made you so embarrassed! Are you holding firewood sticks in your hands?"

Chen Wei slapped the table and roared.

When he followed the troops out of the border, he had encountered large cavalry units, but he never suffered losses. Even in the northwest battlefield, he led a regiment to resist the charge of 5,000 or 6,000 Qing Russian cavalry and killed 500 or 600 people.

Chen Wei is a general who has been trained on the battlefield. He has never been to a military school. As a child of the Chen family, he is an old soldier. He was bravely wounded many times and was promoted to battalion officer without being a team officer. When Wei Xiuzhi was defending Wuxi, Chen Wei was one of the four battalion officers under him.

Later, during the Battle of Wuchang, he followed Gao Qiao to block the retreat of the Jingzhou Bannermen and the Green Camp, and made great contributions.

However, Chen Wei, who was brave in combat but lacked command ability, was stuck at the level of battalion officer for several years. It was not until Chen Han sent troops to the Northern Expedition that he ascended to the position of regiment commander. He fought battle after battle in the northwest before being promoted to brigade commander.

When the country was founded, Chen Wei did not even have the qualifications to be awarded a noble title, but he was not ready to accept his fate. Chen Han's army has experienced two major eliminations in recent years. Many people who were in the same period as Chen Wei have left the front line of leading troops, but Chen Wei is one of the few remaining "ancient fossils".

But Chen Wei knew that this war was his last battle, and it was also his last chance. If he performed well, he might be able to take a direct train to America, but if he performed poorly, he could only "enjoy wealth and luxury" in his hometown.

Therefore, he was very dissatisfied with his troops being harassed by the Russian and Turkish cavalry, which then posed a threat. Even if the loss of the battalion that suffered was not very large, it made him furious.

In front of Chen Wei stood several officers close together. These were the battalion commanders attacked by the Russian and Turkish cavalry and the officers of the battalion commanders who rushed to support them. They all shrank their necks and dared not even breathe.

The officers of the battalion commanders who were attacked were ashamed to speak, and the officers of the battalion commanders who rushed to support them only relieved the siege of the friendly forces, but failed to take the opportunity to kill the enemy, so they did not dare to speak either.

Seeing that no one responded, Chen Wei did not turn off the fire. He raised his hand, pointed at the nose of one of the right lieutenant officers, and shouted: "Feng Wenguang, tell me. What is your battalion doing? Is it that our soldiers really can't beat the Russians, or are you stupid and incompetent!?"

Feng Wenguang was sweating coldly.

Although Chen Wei was the commander of the 11th Division, the 11th Division's troops had not all come to Barnaul. The 11th Division was one of the three main divisions under the Northwest Military Region, and the entire division had 25,000 people.

The National Defense Army under Barnaul City had at most 15,000 troops, and this was because Barnaul was too close to the Russian army, so an extra regiment was arranged.

When Chen Wei commanded the troops, he didn't even have the brigade level in his eyes. He directly commanded the regiment level, or even the battalion level.

Feng Wenguang didn't dare to say anything back, so he could only bury his head in the scolding, and then secretly swore in his heart that he must win the next battle.

This time the Cossacks attacked too quickly, and the time chosen was before dawn, launching the attack to do one thing and then leave. But no matter what, the defenders of the position were indeed lax, and it was his own carelessness that gave him the opportunity to take advantage of.

A battalion lost a team, not to mention that the division commander scolded him, if their battalion just moved from the position to the rear, he might not be able to keep his hat.

When Chen Wei's anger dissipated a little, Feng Wenguang took the opportunity to make a promise. Chen Wei waved his hand fiercely: "Don't talk nonsense to me! Just remember what you said. If you make a mistake again, you will go back to your hometown."

Chen Wei was very rude to Feng Wenguang. But no one thought that Chen Wei was suppressing Feng Wenguang. Feng Wenguang was Feng Shaohua's son. Although Feng Shaohua retired with the rank of general, Chen Wei had to sell the face of the old generation.

When Feng Wenguang came out of Chen Wei's command center, his forehead was covered with sweat, which dripped down his chin to the ground.