Battlefield Priest's Diary

Chapter 67 The Imperial Guard

The exercise positions on the banks of the Dubrovnik River have been set up. The core of the exercise is to seize a bridge in this area, and the noble "Guards" are naturally the attacking side.

On a small, low hill, the soldiers on the defensive raised their flag.

Rifles made of painted wooden poles were distributed to the soldiers, while rifles loaded with blanks were given to others at a ratio of 5 to 1. Some people shouted as they set up wooden "cannons" in one place, and some even pulled on "telephone lines" made of hemp rope in a very serious manner.

The morale of the Siberian battalion, which was supposed to be "predictably defeated," was unusually high. The soldiers wielded entrenching tools to widen and deepen the trenches, and the ground within a radius of several hundred meters was covered with flying dirt.

"These country bumpkins did a really good job. They're born to play in the mud. Maybe after the exercise, we should call a few of them to help dig trenches," a lieutenant from the Guards Cavalry Division said with a contemptuous laugh as he rode a tall Don horse.

"Kolkin, this is a unit that fought the Germans on the front lines, unlike those who just run away."

An older colleague offered words of advice, then rubbed his chin in confusion, "They seem a bit off. Should we be more cautious when we attack?"

"What does it matter? We're cavalry. Heavy machine guns can't be used in exercises. What's the difference between these guys and farmers with pitchforks?" the lieutenant said dismissively.

"You should know that His Majesty and several other gentlemen are watching. If we fight these country bumpkins to a standstill, what difference is there between us and losing?" He forcefully swung his saber downwards, making a downward chopping motion.

We must crush them in one decisive attack!

"Ha~ Look, the way they're wielding their shovels right now, doesn't it look like they're digging potatoes in Siberia?"

His colleagues glanced at the spirited lieutenant, opened their mouths, but ultimately didn't try to persuade him further.

The two men came from different backgrounds. He was a free man from a watchmaker's family, and even if he went to military school, it was virtually impossible for him to become a high-ranking officer. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, the rank of captain should be his upper limit.

The other party, however, comes from a noble family and has connections within the Ministry of War.

Your destination is just someone else's starting point, so it's best not to offend them and just let it be.

It's just an exercise anyway, so we won't lose no matter how it turns out.

That should be the case.
-
The exercise was about to begin. The Tsar and Grand Duke Nikolayevich, along with several senior generals from the Army, sat in the front row, while the priest in black appeared on the periphery as an attendant.

A crow flew over, circled overhead, and then flew away. Qin Hao looked at the flag in the distance and confirmed that he hadn't made a mistake—the one opposite him was the newly formed Siberian Battalion that had fought alongside him from East Prussia.

Judging from their size, they probably still maintain a force of around three hundred men. If there were no subsequent reinforcements, it means that these soldiers did not suffer significant casualties in the previous battles.

Seeing the group of guys who had rolled through the trenches with him, jumping around and digging fortifications, Qin Hao felt a sense of relief.

But why do these guys seem a little "too excited"?

Alexei stood on the high platform and announced the start of the exercise in a slightly trembling voice. The soldiers below shouted "Hurrah!" which startled the flocks of birds around them into flight.

The 10-year-old child's face was a little pale.

Qin Hao could clearly see from behind that Empress Alexandra was gripping the armrest and trembling slightly, while Nicholas II patted the back of her hand and whispered something in her ear.

Being the crown prince isn't easy.

After the music of "God Save the Tsar" ended, soldiers pushed out four 76mm rapid-fire cannons. Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!
The explosion of the shell shattered the pine branches and startled the birds into flight. With the sound of blank rounds being fired from the barrel, the exercise officially began.

"Fix bayonets—!"

"charge--!"

"Hurrah!!" The infantrymen in the exercise, carrying wooden toy guns, shouted as they charged toward the "enemy's" position.

People in different uniforms fought with bayonets at the front line. People were constantly driven off the front lines, and flags were raised to announce that His Majesty's great army had once again achieved a "great victory".

On one side of the field, medics and auxiliary troops were also conducting exercises. Telephone operators crawled to connect wires amidst the atmosphere of black powder explosions, while soldiers playing the role of civilian laborers carried stretchers to send "wounded" soldiers to the field hospital.

The hospital nurses were bandaging people inside an open tent, but the scene was a little chaotic—many of the people inside were daughters of noble families, led by Princess Olga and Princess Tatiana, so much so that the regular medics couldn't get involved.

Nicholas II frowned and tapped his fingers lightly on the armrest—those who knew him well knew that this was a sign of His Majesty's dissatisfaction.

"Your Majesty, next up is a cavalry performance, all of them are fine young men selected from the Imperial Guard," Grand Duke Nikolayevich whispered from the side.

Nicholas II nodded and picked up his binoculars, aiming them at the direction of the cavalry.

The cavalry first took the lead, with the rangers carrying important "intelligence" as they navigated through makeshift obstacles, occasionally performing fancy maneuvers to hide their horses.

When the rider successfully completed his "mission" by performing a difficult somersault off his horse, enthusiastic applause erupted from the audience. However, some old-school soldiers secretly grumbled to themselves, "This isn't a circus."

Next up is the cavalry's display of offensive tactics.

However, upon seeing the setup inside, many nobles knowledgeable in military affairs frowned.

Six hundred meters away, about five hundred cavalrymen gathered together to attack a small mound that appeared to be guarded by only three hundred soldiers.

It's unfair! The infantry was already outnumbered, and due to the conditions of the exercise, the defenders couldn't use their weapon against cavalry—the Maxim machine gun.

In that case, is there any need to wait and see the outcome of the battle?
The warhorse kept snorting and pawing at the ground, appearing somewhat uneasy.

Lieutenant Kolkin tugged on the reins, drew his saber, and raised it high above his head.

"For His Majesty the Tsar! Charge!!"

"Ula!"

Nearly five hundred warhorses galloped, creating a powerful and overwhelming spectacle.

Lieutenant Kolkin, riding his horse, felt the wind whistling past his ears, and his whole being became spirited. He was now somewhat hoping that his opponent would not surrender so quickly, otherwise he would not have any more opportunities to show himself in front of His Majesty.

close!close!
As the distance continued to shrink, he could even see the defending soldiers peeking out from their positions like groundhogs.

Suddenly, several small black dots were thrown down from the sky!
(End of this chapter)