The Heroic Age of the Late Qing Dynasty

The Fifth Field Army's losses mounted steadily. Many of these casualties were caused by troops who, seeing few remaining Russians, assumed a single charge would suffice. Unexpectedly, the remaining Russians refused to retreat, and new reinforcements suddenly surged up from behind. A flurry of gunfire erupted, knocking down a few or even a dozen of the enemy, before bayonets raised and hand-to-hand combat ensued. After each bayonet engagement, the small Russian unit was completely annihilated, but the Fifth Field Army's losses continued to mount rapidly.

Zhao Yong frowned as he listened to the news. The chief of staff sighed, "The Russians are just different from the Qing army. Their fighting capacity and fighting spirit are obviously different."

Zhao Yong obviously disagreed with the chief of staff's opinion. He had heard Chairman Zhang Yinghao describe the Russians, and he had also studied the Russians carefully. It can be said that he knew the Russians very well. But he could not find a reason to refute it for the time being. Shaking his head, Zhao Yong buried his head in looking at the map.

"Report!" the communicator shouted at the entrance of the command center. "What's going on?"

The Chief of Staff thought it was better to report that, despite the offensive's progress, the Russians had fought back fiercely, leading to increased casualties. With over 100,000 troops deployed this time, the numbers were definitely sufficient. It was just that the casualty reports were piling up, a situation the Fifth Field Army had no experience with. The Chief of Staff was already utterly annoyed.

"Our troops found hundreds of bodies in a courtyard. Judging from their clothing, they must be Chinese people in the city, massacred by the Russians!"

Seeing so many corpses, the communicator's voice became out of tune.

The chief of staff's eyes widened. He had never expected to hear such news. Zhao Yong raised his head and said, "Continue the attack and wipe out these Russian beasts! Also, arrange for those annoying British, Germans, and Americans to go see these corpses, take photos immediately, and write a press release. The Russians are committing genocide."

After the messenger left, the chief of staff asked Zhao Yong, "Commander, what are the Russians trying to do?"

"This is why the Russians were so determined to fight. They killed the Chinese in the city, firstly to vent their anger, and secondly to let the Russians in the city know that fighting to the death would also mean death."

Zhao Yong's voice was vicious: "Didn't the Japanese army do similar things before? During the Russo-Japanese War, they didn't even treat the Chinese as human beings and killed them wantonly..."

As they spoke, several of the attacking forces sent back messengers. The offensive had already penetrated deep into the city, and the bodies of the Chinese people, slaughtered en masse, were discovered in several locations. A rough estimate put the number at several thousand. The Chief of Staff had never witnessed such brutality. Although he had heard that the Russians had slaughtered millions of local Asians as they advanced westward, he felt that this claim was more likely to bolster the Fifth Field Army's fighting spirit. He had never imagined that the Russians would actually do such a thing, right under the Fifth Field Army's noses.

"Inform the entire army of this situation and tell them that these are the Russians we want to eliminate. The reason we don't spare the Russians is because every Russian has the blood of the local people on his hands, and none of them is innocent." Zhao Yong gave the order directly.

The political commissar nodded repeatedly, but he was even more impressed with Zhao Yong's choice of words. "Locals" was such a good choice. The people living near Shuangchengzi weren't just Chinese; there were also Koreans and indigenous people from other places. Especially those killed by the Russians as they marched westward—could they really be called Chinese? To define them as Chinese was a bit of a misnomer, but the idea that most of them were Chinese was correct.

The Russians took refuge in the courtyard, forming a defensive position against the wall. Several field army soldiers who attempted to charge through the gate were struck down. Although they knew they would die in the coming battle, these Russians had participated in the previous massacre of locals, whom the Russians had treated as serfs. With blood on their hands, they had no escape route. The ferocious Chinese would not spare the Russians within the city. Now, they could only kill one to cover their losses, or two to profit.

However, at this time the opposing army suddenly stopped attacking. When they were puzzled, they heard a loud noise, and then a big gap was blown in the wall on the side of the house. A moment later, several grenades whizzed in from the gap. Before the Russians could understand what was happening, a series of explosions caused heavy casualties among the Russian soldiers in the yard.

As the battle entered the core area, the Fifth Field Army suffered increasing casualties, especially due to the dense Russian presence. The Russians then used fortifications built from houses to resist. The Fifth Field Army's first offensive was already exhausted, so the second round employed wall-to-wall street fighting tactics.

Once they confirmed the presence of Russians inside a house, they would penetrate the courtyard wall, then again inside the houses where the Russians were holding out. Humans have a habit of perceiving that sturdy houses are safe and reliable. The wall-penetrating tactic was designed to breach the safest part in one fell swoop, creating an illusion that the enemy was the Fifth Field Army's best ally.

The defensive system of houses was broken, and the Russian fortifications built along the streets were also based on the houses. With the houses lost, the fortifications were also broken. The encirclement was shrinking, and the Russians, desperate, launched a counterattack. This counterattack was a brutal hand-to-hand fight. The Russians in the front row still had rifles, but they could only fire one round. The Russians behind simply used swords and spears. The brutal hand-to-hand combat was enough to break down the piles of corpses, forming a "roadblock."

The Fifth Field Army mounted machine guns on small artillery carriages. Each time they captured a street or alley, they would set up machine gun positions at the intersections. Once a barricade of corpses formed, the Chinese troops began to retreat. Once they had gained some distance, the machine guns would seize the opportunity and join in the fire. In a blink of an eye, the entire street was filled with barricades, and the blood on the ground was so thick that it covered the ground up to the feet.

After a day of bloodshed, the Fifth Field Army was completely enraged, and the bloody odor that filled the city only fueled their murderous tendencies. After crushing the enemy's resistance and counterattacks, the troops opened fire on any Russians they saw alive, regardless of whether they were standing, kneeling, or lying down.

By 2:00 PM, the western part of Shuangchengzi had completely fallen under the control of the Fifth Field Army. The series of crushing defeats had severely impacted the morale of the Russian army. Only a few Russian positions remained. While carefully clearing the occupied areas, the Fifth Field Army began to prepare its troops and artillery for the final offensive.

At this time, the Russian army set up a position on the street, which was a two-ring position formed by low walls. A large number of Russian soldiers hid inside to defend, and the rifles fired bullets continuously, with a high density.

The troops temporarily halted their attack, while artillery units gathered around the enemy and the infantry hurried to eat in preparation for the final assault. While the fighting hadn't been a major issue, the overwhelming smell of blood caused many soldiers to vomit. During this brief period of quiet on the battlefield, the Russians dispatched several men, carrying white flags aloft on wooden sticks. They tried to swing them at a speed that wouldn't irritate the Fifth Field Army, ensuring they could see the flags fluttering in the air.

"At this point in the battle, could it be that the Russians are thinking of surrendering? These bastards are really good at calculating!" A company commander on the front line cursed in Sichuan dialect in anger.

The instructor, speaking broken Mandarin with a Northeastern accent, said, "You can't kill the envoy in public. It's discipline."

"I just know that I can't fight, that's why I'm so talented!" said the company commander angrily.

Regardless of the attitude of the Chinese soldiers, the Russians continued to move towards the Chinese position with white flags, and were about to approach.

"The weather is like this. What if the headquarters really talks to the Russians? Will we be unable to fight today? The front line is so close. What if the Russians break out at night?" the company commander yelled at the instructor.

The company commander was right, but the instructor had received special education, so he could only advise: "If you beat them to death, you will be held responsible."

The company commander knew the responsibility involved. If he had killed the envoy on impulse, he would have no way of explaining it to his superiors. He ordered his guards to personally escort the Russian envoy to battalion headquarters as quickly as possible while he continued to prepare for battle.

Chapter 624:

Battalion headquarters was now with regimental headquarters, and a telephone line was pulled from regimental headquarters to the main headquarters. I don't know what the Russians said on the line, but within ten minutes, the battalion headquarters sent the Russian envoy back. Soon after, the battalion's messenger ran out and said to the company commander: "Battalion headquarters orders the attack at 2:30 sharp."

The company commander took out his pocket watch and was delighted. It was already 2:22. Eight minutes was only enough for the Russian envoys to return to their position, and the battle could continue immediately.

The final assault began with the artillery being dragged into the city. A large number of Russian troops were already gathering in the eastern city. Risking the lives of the soldiers in a charge would have been either foolish or a joke. The tires of the artillery carts were clung to a thick layer of semi-solidified liquid mixed with mud, emitting a strong stench of blood. The artillerymen, who hadn't engaged in combat within the city, couldn't help but frown at the odor. Some soldiers simply worked with one hand while covering their mouths and noses with a towel.

The infantrymen had no time to care about these things at the moment. They all held their weapons tightly, hoping to use their last bit of physical strength to complete the last step of this offensive.

The rumble of artillery sounded, and the shells hit the barricades, turning the Russian soldiers inside into a mess. The Fifth Field Army launched a final attack on the last position of Shuangchengzi. Under the cover of hundreds of artillery pieces, the Fifth Field Army easily crossed the river in the center of the city and entered the East City.

At this point, the troops continued to use wall-penetrating tactics to attack, and soon the sound of explosions was heard on all sides. Artillery shells also continued to explode inside the East City, causing heavy casualties among the Russian troops inside.

When the attack reached the last fortress, white flags were raised from many of the fortress's small windows. The commanders looked at each other in astonishment. If the Russians were not trying to deceive the Fifth Field Army, then they were truly surrendering. The Russians had killed tens of thousands of local people in the city and fought a brutal siege against the Fifth Field Army. At this point, they were actually surrendering. Did they really think the Fifth Field Army would let them go?

"We can't accept surrender under the current circumstances!" a slightly hoarse voice said. The battalion commander and the company commander turned back and saw that Li Yong had arrived at the front line at some point.

Seeing no one said anything, Li Yong said again in a slightly hoarse voice: "Use the demolition team to blow up this fortress! I will take the responsibility!"

At 4:18 p.m. that day, the Fifth Field Army blew up the last Russian stronghold in Shuangchengzi City. The troops rushed out and engaged in fierce fire with the Russian army, which had no intention of surrendering, and finally wiped out the enemy.

On the second day, the Fifth Field Army wiped out all the remaining Russian troops in Shuangchengzi, and the battle to liberate Shuangchengzi finally ended in victory.

Li Yong left behind a relief force. Within two days, they executed all captured Russian soldiers in large pits they had dug themselves and buried them alongside the Russian dead. Furthermore, in addition to the tens of thousands of locals killed by the Russians, several burial pits were discovered within the city where the Russians had previously buried their own victims. The total number of locals killed was estimated to be over 30,000, and these became evidence of the brutal atrocities and aggression of the Tsarist Russia.

In this battle, the Russian army had a total of approximately 30,000 soldiers, of whom over 28,000 were annihilated. Some of these troops were sent by the Russians to cut off the Fifth Field Army's supply lines, but they managed to escape. The Fifth Field Army deployed a total of 142885 men, of whom 2988 were killed in action (including those who died from their wounds), and 9345 were injured. This was the first battle in the history of the Fifth Field Army in which casualties exceeded 10,000. Of course, these losses were primarily incurred in urban fighting. Even with such heavy losses, the recovery of the territory was worth it, except for those killed in action! This battle also allowed the Fifth Field Army to accumulate considerable experience in urban fighting, and if they were to engage in urban fighting again, they would not be as embarrassed as they were in this battle.

After the main force eliminated the Russian troops in Shuangchengzi, it immediately rushed to Vladivostok, and at the same time, it cooperated with the troops along the way to completely eliminate the two infantry divisions that were supporting Shuangchengzi. At this time, these two infantry divisions had no idea that Shuangchengzi would fall so quickly, and were directly surrounded by the Fifth Field Army.

While the main force of the Fifth Field Army's eastern front was fiercely attacking Shuangchengzi, the three infantry divisions and heavy artillery units on the northern front were also entering their final stages of attacking Khabarovsk. Although the Russians had nearly 60,000 troops near Khabarovsk, they were defeated by the Fifth Field Army's attack and ultimately had to retreat to Khabarovsk, attempting to hold the city.

However, the Fifth Field Army concentrated its heavy howitzers on Khabarovsk, bombarding the city with heavy artillery, reducing it to rubble and inflicting heavy losses on the Russian troops defending Khabarovsk. By the time the Fifth Field Army launched its attack, the Russian troops inside the city were already weakened.

Because the Russian troops in Khabarovsk did not massacre the locals, their fighting spirit was extremely weak. With no chance of victory, a large number of Russian troops surrendered to the Fifth Field Army, causing Khabarovsk to fall quickly. Upon learning of this situation, Zhao Yong immediately realized that this was the level of the Russian army that should be there. If all the Russian troops in the Far East were like the ones in Shuangchengzi, then who knows how many soldiers would have to be sacrificed to take over the Far East.

Blagoveshchensk and Shuangchengzi fell into the hands of the Fifth Field Army one after another, which made the situation of the Russian army in the Far East even more critical. The situation on the battlefield was extremely unfavorable to Russia.

Upon learning of the war situation in Northeast China, Zhang Yinghao immediately convened a meeting of the Military Commission to discuss the next steps. Chief of Staff Liu Qi, after outlining the current situation, said, "After our army captures Shuangchengzi and Khabarovsk, our troops will, on the one hand, eliminate scattered Russian troops elsewhere, ensure the safety of the railway lines, and prepare for post-war immigration. On the other hand, we will mobilize heavy forces to lay siege to Vladivostok. Only by capturing Vladivostok and removing the most crucial Russian obstacle in the Far East can we fully recapture it."

Zhang Yinghao was well aware of the situation in Outer Manchuria. The weather there was so bad that it was difficult to harvest a single crop year-round. Without a stable environment, survival was extremely difficult. Therefore, as long as they occupied the railway and controlled the food supply, the Northeast would be almost stable. Trying to wage guerrilla warfare in such a place? Without a mass base and sufficient food supply, everything would be in vain. Even the Qing Dynasty was the same. If the Qing Dynasty dared to continuously send troops north to attack Tsarist Russia, how could Russia possibly have stably occupied such a vast area?

So Zhang Yinghao simply nodded and said, "The key to the newly liberated areas is railways and food. These two things must be controlled. As for public security, guns can be distributed to local people who pass the inspection. The military and civilians will work together to maintain local stability and production and living order. However, now that the two sides are fighting so fiercely in the northeast, the western front is quiet. Something seems amiss!"

"Chairman, the Russian army on the western front is trying to mobilize troops. A large number of Tsarist Russian troops are being mobilized to the East and West Siberia regions along the Trans-Siberian Railway, but we have already sent comrades to cut off the railway in Central Siberia. It is estimated that Tsarist Russia will find it difficult to complete war preparations even by the end of this month, and now it can only passively defend. As for large-scale offensive battles, they are unlikely to break out until at least the next month. We can use this time to thoroughly establish the victory on the Eastern Front. Then we will wait for an opportunity to mobilize troops westward, cooperate with the Western Front battlefield to capture the entire East and West Siberia region in one fell swoop, and at least restore it to the border line signed in the Treaty of Nerchinsk..." Liu Qi explained.

Of course, Zhang Yinghao's description of the calm on the Western Front was relative. Before the full-scale fighting began on the Western Front, small-scale battles would undoubtedly continue. According to intelligence obtained by the Fifth Field Army, the Russian Cossack cavalry had already left Irkutsk and entered northern Mongolia. This meant that the cavalry of both sides was very likely to encounter each other on the Mongolian steppes. Despite the Cossack cavalry's reputation, Zhang Yinghao was not worried, as he had complete confidence in the PLA.

First, a single Cossack cavalry corps had a total strength of only approximately 26,000 to 27,000 men. The Fifth Field Army, by contrast, deployed cavalry in Mongolia, comprising six brigades totaling nearly 50,000 men. Second, the Cossack cavalry's tactics were still stuck in the cavalry charge era of decades past. In contrast, the Fifth Field Army's cavalry were mounted infantry, and moreover, they had liberated their thinking. They fully utilized the firepower of their weapons, especially heavy firepower, first using their powerful firepower to inflict casualties on enemy personnel, then launching a cavalry charge to encircle and annihilate the enemy with superior numbers. Therefore, in a clash between the Cossack cavalry and the PLA cavalry, they would undoubtedly not have the slightest advantage.

Moreover, in Mongolia, the PLA had secret weapons waiting for these Russian soldiers. It was because of these secret weapons that the PLA in Mongolia did not allow military observers from any country to watch!

"So, the Western Front is the main battlefield? Only by defeating the Russians on the Western Front can we force them to surrender?" Chen Qianzhi asked.

Liu Qi nodded. Defeating Russia in one fell swoop was practically impossible. After all, Russia's core was Europe. The Far East and Siberia were essentially irrelevant to the Russians. Even if they lost the entire Far East and Eastern Siberia, it wouldn't cause significant damage to Russia. As long as the European portion remained, Russia would have a chance to make a comeback. Therefore, the best way to completely capture these territories was to make the Russian nobles feel it was unworthy. Once the Russians could no longer afford such a heavy loss, these territories would naturally become undisputed.

Zhang Yinghao took over the conversation, saying, "Outer Manchuria and the entire East Siberia region are treasured territories. Taking them would be equivalent to increasing our nation's fortune by a hundred, even a thousand years. Our Forward Party must prioritize the interests of the nation first, followed by the interests of the people. While the people will suffer if we take these areas now, the benefits to our nation will be immense. Therefore, for the sake of these territories, we absolutely cannot give up! The Russians can fight however they want, for however long they want, and we will fight to the bitter end. However, once the Fifth Field Army achieves a decisive victory, even if the Russians still want to withdraw troops from Europe to continue the war, countries like Britain and France will undoubtedly demand a swift end to the war. After all, Russia's weakening will have a significant impact on the situation in Europe. Furthermore, Russia is currently weak, especially after the Russo-Japanese War. Its national strength has plummeted to its lowest point, and at its weakest, it lacks the strength to continue the war. Without French loans, Russia wouldn't even have enough military funds. Furthermore, angering Britain and France would be of no benefit to Russia..."

After advocating for war, Zhang Yinghao gave a detailed analysis, which strengthened his comrades' resolve. He then took out a map of the current situation and said, "As long as we liberate Outer Manchuria and the entire East Siberia region, we will have broken free from the siege and greatly increased our strategic room for maneuver. For our weak nation, we must strike the first blow to prevent a hundred blows. Therefore, this battle must be fought, and we must win!"

"Chairman, fellow comrades, don't worry. We have already formulated a comprehensive battle plan. The Russians are bound to lose this war. Even if there are some accidents, at most we will return to the pre-war state, which is like counting money in a sack," said Liu Qi.

Chapter 625:

Chen Qingzhi nodded. He naturally believed what Comrade Liu Qi said.

However, Zhang Yinghao poured cold water on us, saying, "It's good to be confident, but we must be cautious and not blindly overconfident. After all, a lean camel is bigger than a horse. Tsarist Russia was an industrial power, one of the great powers. We should consider defeat before we consider victory. It's always right to prepare for failure. Otherwise, we will easily lose our composure and be caught off guard if something unexpected happens.

In reality, our focus is similar to Russia's: far from the battlefield and the front lines. Therefore, this war is essentially a tug-of-war, a test of resilience, of endurance, of the people's endurance... Furthermore, the command, adaptability, and morale of both sides on the front lines all play a crucial role in determining the outcome. ...Of course, even if we fail this time, we can always retake our lost territory later..."

Before Zhang Yinghao could finish, he received a telegram forwarded by Comrade Liu Wenxiu, detailing the Russian massacre of local people in the Far East. Zhang Yinghao quickly understood what was going on. The Russians had killed so many people in the Far East that even they themselves probably didn't know. Even after World War II, the Soviets continued to brutally slaughter those who disobeyed them.

Zhang Yinghao naturally could not tolerate these Russian actions. The People's Liberation Army and the Forward Party must maintain the moral high ground. Therefore, Zhang Yinghao immediately ordered relevant newspapers to report on the Russian atrocities. He also immediately sent a telegram to the nation, announcing the Fifth Field Army's capture of Shuangchengzi and Khabarovsk. As expected, the news immediately ignited national enthusiasm, and anti-Russian enthusiasm surged. After all, for China at that time, this was an unprecedented victory.

The 450 million Chinese people really need a victory to boost their morale at this time, and they really need this inspiring good news! Since the Opium War, the Qing army has suffered heavy casualties in foreign wars, suffered repeated defeats, ceded territory and paid indemnities, lost sovereignty and humiliated the country, and has never achieved decent results. For this reason, domestic and international public opinion has become decadent. Now is the time to reverse the direction of public opinion.

When the news came out, the middle-aged and elderly people were in disbelief and burst into tears, with a puzzled look on their faces, while the young people were naturally very excited. On the morning of the next day, a large number of enthusiastic people from major cities such as Shanghai, Nanjing, Wuhan, Changsha, and Guangzhou

Young people took to the streets, and large-scale parades and celebrations broke out in many large and medium-sized cities. Citizens, students, and workers took to the streets to spread the news and hold

A massive parade unfolded. Millions of enthusiastic young people opened their eyes, and young people in the liberated areas enthusiastically signed up to join the army. The recruitment offices in various regions were almost packed! The reputation of the Progressive Party and the People's Liberation Army resounded throughout the world, and countless people were proud of it.

The propaganda didn't stop there. The Fifth Field Army's capture of Shuangchengzi, accompanied by numerous photos of Russian massacres, combined with previous Russian massacres at Blagoveshchensk and Jiangdong Sixty-Four Villages, sparked a renewed anti-Russian movement in China. Meanwhile, the Russian concession in Wuhan, naturally supported by public opinion, was quickly and forcibly reclaimed by the Wuhan People's Government. This was the second concession reclaimed after the Japanese concession, and everyone felt the other concessions were not far off.

That same day, the French ambassador accompanied the Russian ambassador to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Russian ambassador strongly protested the newspaper's propaganda and the genocide committed by China against Russians in the Far East.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Shen Ruo immediately produced a series of evidence and threw it in front of the Russians, pointing at it and explaining it to the French ambassador. Although diplomats are generally able to swallow their words, the Russian ambassador was also blushing and speechless.

The Frenchman was also extremely embarrassed. After all, telling lies with open eyes was fine, but lying in the face of evidence was not a matter of being thick-skinned. In the end, Shen Ruo said a few words and asked the Russian ambassador to get out.

The first sentence is, "China has never committed genocide against Russia! Because we did not have the ability to fight to Europe, in fact, it was Russia that committed genocide against the local people in the Far East."

The second sentence reads, "The Forward Party and the New People's Government have never recognized any unequal treaties signed by the Qing Dynasty. How did the Russians get onto Chinese territory?"

On the second day, the British and French ambassadors came together to meet with Shen Ruo, Director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and stated that Britain and France were "extremely concerned" about the situation in the Far East.

Shen Ruo pointed out that the Russians were unwilling to maintain the status quo, and, citing the Russian ultimatum as compelling evidence, he implicitly conveyed China's belief that Britain and France were simply "minding their own business." After all, no one understood better than Britain and France how Tsarist Russia exploited the situation to seize these territories.

However, by this time, the great powers were already wary of the liberated areas. If the PLA's eastward march to launch the Liberation War was a low-intensity war against the Qing Dynasty, then the Northeast Field Army's lightning-fast victory over the Japanese made Britain and France take notice. And this time, the PLA's direct confrontation with Russia, its forced entry into nominally Russian territory and its victory, must have made Britain and France tremble with fear.

Moreover, Britain and France both knew Nicholas II very well and were very aware of the national strength of Tsarist Russia. They knew that if Tsarist Russia chose to fight the Chinese to the death in the Far East, then the national strength of Tsarist Russia would inevitably be weakened, the pressure on Germany from Europe would inevitably be reduced, and it would not be able to contain the increasingly powerful Germany. This was completely against the interests of Britain and France.

Britain, France, and other countries supported Japan's war against Russia in order to interrupt Tsarist Russia's eastward expansion and focus its attention on the West to contain Germany. At this time, if Tsarist Russia looked east again and its national strength was weakened again, this would not be what Britain and France wanted to see. A ceasefire between China and Russia was the most urgent matter for Britain and France. After all, for Britain and France, Europe was their foundation. The Far East was nothing more than a shaky chair corner, a desolate and backward place. As long as Europe was preserved, what was the harm in giving up some other places?

However, no matter what, China's strength is not in the interests of the great powers. It even harms their interests. Therefore, under the promotion of some people with ulterior motives, the term "Yellow Peril" has once again become popular. A group of figures like "Fu Manchu" have emerged to stir up trouble in Europe and the United States, and indeed have caused panic among countless European and American people...

Chapter 626:

Despite the turmoil of the world, and the actions of various parties, the loss of Shuangchengzi and Khabarovsk was undoubtedly an unbearable pain for the Far Eastern Governor-General, Ruzynski. First, he had lost the Chinese Eastern Railway, and now he had lost his army and territory. With the troops and supplies he had, Ruzynski had no ability to launch an offensive other than defending Vladivostok. If he sent troops out again, he would not have enough to hold Vladivostok.

"Damn that bastard Vasily, what kind of war was he fighting? He lost so many troops in such a short time! Even a herd of pigs or sheep couldn't be killed so quickly! If Vasily were still alive, I would definitely shoot him. This bastard, he wiped out the army, how could I continue to fight?"

Ruzisky wanted to curse Vasily to death. If possible, he even wanted to shoot Vasily himself. Unfortunately, he didn't know where Vasily was at the moment, which made him have nowhere to vent his anger.

Thinking of the current situation, Ruzynski immediately ordered: "Issue orders to all departments, and all troops muster in Vladivostok. Also, ask for help from St. Petersburg. We need more reinforcements, guns and artillery, bullets and shells, food and medicine, and... ask them to provide us with as much support as possible by sea..."

Ruzynski was still confident that he could hold on to Vladivostok, the Far Eastern fortress. Of course, it was just a matter of holding on. After all, the Chinese did not have a strong navy. As long as they held on to this strongest fortress in the Far East, no matter who attacked, they would be beaten to a pulp, with corpses scattered all over the ground.

However, Ruzynski chose to forget that Vladivostok, also known as Vladivostok, was not an ice-free port. Its winter ice period lasted for 100 to 110 days. During this period, Vladivostok would not receive any assistance and would face attacks from both land and sea. With the Russian army short of guns, ammunition and food, the Fifth Field Army would have a great chance of breaking through this fortress!

Governor-General Ruzynski's telegram requesting assistance, along with battle reports, reached St. Petersburg. Faced with the Russian army's disastrous defeat in the early stages of the war, the emotions of the dignitaries throughout St. Petersburg were ignited, and an uproar ensued. Information and communications were still very backward at that time, and their impression of China still remained that Russia could easily obtain large amounts of territory from China through constant threats, coercion, and blackmail. Russia had always been victorious in its quest to devour Chinese territory, so it was unbelievable that the Chinese would dare to provoke Tsarist Russia.

Now, the Chinese actually dared to go to war with Russia, and took the initiative to attack. This was completely beyond their expectations. However, most Russian dignitaries still believed that the Tsarist army would easily defeat the Chinese and once again cut flesh and drink blood from China. They even began to imagine which piece of land to take from China, Mongolia or Xinjiang?

So, the news of the disastrous defeat terrified them, even temporarily overshadowing the domestic revolutionary movement. The Russo-Japanese War had lasted almost a year, and Tsarist Russia had only suffered 270,000 casualties. But now? The war had only just begun, and they had already lost over 100,000 people. Even the entire Far East, with the exception of Vladivostok, which was still under Russian control, was on the verge of becoming Chinese territory. For the Russians, who valued their land as their life, this was an unspeakable pain!

Upon hearing this news, Tsar Nicholas II's angry voice resounded throughout the Winter Palace: "Oh my God! Are the Imperial Army all weaklings? They couldn't beat the Japanese before, and now they can't even beat the ignorant Chinese? The face of the Russian Empire has been disgraced by these incompetent people..."

Faced with Nicholas II's furious roar, the Russian ministers, all aware of the emperor's character, simply lowered their heads and allowed Nicholas II to vent his wrath. After all, the Russian army's performance in this war was so disastrous that even pleading for mercy was unnecessary; the outcome would ultimately depend on fate. War Minister Sukhomlinov was utterly sullen. Even at such a high position, he felt he had no control over his own fate. He simply wanted to minimize his presence, so how could he dare to plead for mercy on behalf of the Far Eastern Army?

Nicholas II vented his anger, and seeing that the ministers below were as dazed as quails, he was helpless. He looked at Sukhomlinov and said, "Can Ruzysky hold Vladivostok? Will I hear news of Vladivostok's fall or his surrender soon?"

Nicholas II's words were not without purpose. After all, a few months ago, the Russian army in Port Arthur had surrendered to the Japanese army. For a superior, this was something very difficult to tolerate.

When Sukhomlinov heard what Nicholas II said, he breathed a sigh of relief. He knew that as long as Nicholas II did not blame him in a fit of rage, he would be safe.

"Your Majesty, the Chinese are not very strong. They simply took advantage of our exhaustion from fighting the Japanese and caught us off guard when we were unprepared for war. If we had been prepared, we would have been impossible to defeat. Furthermore, we have been building Vladivostok for over forty years. We have the most comprehensive fortifications in the Far East, including fortress artillery. It would be nearly impossible for the Chinese to destroy these fortifications. The Chinese will never be able to capture Vladivostok before it runs out of ammunition and food. The supplies, food, and ammunition stored in Vladivostok will allow our army to hold out for over three months. The Chinese have no navy, but we can provide the defenders with a continuous supply of munitions and supplies via sea transport. Holding Vladivostok will be a sure thing. As long as we hold Vladivostok, we have not lost. With this seaport base, we can launch a counterattack at any time."

Sukhomlinov's thoughts gradually cleared up as he spoke, and he became increasingly excited. He swallowed and continued, "Our troops are currently being continuously transported to Siberia and will soon be assembled. When the army advances eastward, the Chinese will surely relax their attack on Vladivostok, which will be more conducive to defending the port. Of course, the defenders of Vladivostok can also cooperate with our eastward army to attack from both sides and recapture lost territory..."

Nicholas II nodded as he listened, and suddenly thought of his Yellow Russia plan. He immediately said: "The Chinese monkeys actually dared to provoke the Great Russian Empire. They must pay the price. Recovering lost territory is far from enough. We must make sure that the Chinese monkeys never dare to raise their guns against the warriors of the Great Russian Empire again. Therefore, after the Siberian war preparations are completed, send hundreds of thousands of troops south to the Mongolian grasslands, fight to the Great Wall of China, and build a Yellow Russia north of the Great Wall..."

Chapter 627:

China was still nominally ruled by the Qing Dynasty, and the central government was still the Qing court. The Forward Party, even before the founding of the People's Republic of China, had already led its army to victory over the Japanese at a time of poverty and weakness. Now, it was even directly confronting Tsarist Russia and gaining a battlefield advantage. This was a completely incredible feat. Countries around the world were impressed by the PLA and began to study it and the Forward Party.

The Russo-Japanese War nearly brought down both nations, and now the Chinese rebels were actually stepping on them to rise to power. What a despicable thing! Russia and Japan both realized this, but were powerless to do anything about it. This further infuriated Tsar Nicholas II, who aspired to be Peter the Great. He angrily ordered War Minister Sukhomlinov to teach China a lesson, even attempting to carve off Chinese territory and complete his planned grand plan!

Sukhomlinov had no choice but to convey Tsar Nicholas II's order to Anuchin, the Governor-General of Eastern Siberia. As for Ruzynski, the Governor-General of the Far East, he was now forced to retreat to Vladivostok, unable to even protect himself, let alone launch a counterattack.

After receiving the order, the Governor-General of East Siberia, Anukhin, was also troubled. Limited by the Trans-Siberian Railway's capacity, domestic rebellions, and pervasive bureaucratic practices, the Russian army's war preparations were proceeding very slowly. While fighting in the Far Eastern Governor-General's District was already intense, with the Russian army having suffered a crushing defeat, the Governor-General of East Siberia was still unprepared.

Most importantly, the Omsk-Irkutsk section of the Trans-Siberian Railway is frequently bombed. These bombers appear and disappear without a trace, and it's unclear whether they're rebels from China or the Chinese. Anuachin, of course, didn't know that these were special forces lurking in areas like Tannu Uriankhai Banner. Their mission is the same: besides mapping, they desperately aim to destroy the Trans-Siberian Railway, delay the Russian advance, and deplete Tsarist Russia's national strength.

The field army's act of destroying the railway hit Tsarist Russia's weak spot. You must know that for a feudal industrial country like Tsarist Russia, the upper class does not represent the interests of the majority of the people. The longer the time drags on, the more disadvantageous it will be! At this time, Tsarist Russia was consuming huge amounts of materials every day, and its national strength was being depleted every day. Tsarist Russia had more than one enemy, China. For the sake of their own rule, they could not afford to waste time.

At this time in the Far East, various units of the People's Liberation Army were advancing triumphantly. When our army forcibly landed in places such as Birobidzhan, Comrade Liu Chengdong, who had been lurking there for a long time, received a notice. He and Huang Jinshan set up an uprising command post in a certain gold mining area and began to prepare for the uprising so that they could respond to the arrival of the field army and quickly and completely capture the gold mine.

Liu Biao, a gold mine worker, used his maneuvering skills to curry favor with the Russians and began trafficking laborers from the interior of China to work in the mines, frequently traveling back and forth. In recent years, Liu Biao, feeling the PLA was too powerful inside China and fearing the possibility of losing his head, decided to stop traveling and returned to the mines, becoming a foreman in charge of over 200 miners. He made a fortune by withholding their wages. Liu Biao's efforts to curry favor with the Russians led the miners to nickname him "Liu Gouzui," meaning "a man who does wicked things without leaving any bones behind."

Liu Gouzui had made a fortune with the Russians, and his family enjoyed a comfortable life in Khabarovsk. Naturally, he longed for the Russians to remain in the Far East, protecting the wealth and livelihood they had exploited. Naturally, he was deeply resistant to the PLA's actions. Therefore, when the Russian mine owner ordered the miners to form a mine protection team, Liu Gouzui took the initiative to approach the mine police and request the establishment of a squadron, preparing to arm his 200-plus miners to assist the Russians in protecting the mines.

Liu Gouzui also had another idea, which was that he wanted to take this opportunity to recruit troops, and even become a real squadron leader under the Russian army in the future. Maybe one day he could lead the troops back to the country and get an official position to bring honor to his family.

Liu Gouzui saw organizing a mining protection team as another opportunity in his life! He arrived at his own miners' settlement, carrying a Russian-issued pistol, leading two mine police officers carrying long rifles and three Russian soldiers. Before he could even start calling out for help, he heard a jingle from a shack: "...The north wind blows smoke and snow, there's no rice or firewood. It's cold and I'm hungry, and the devils are here to collect debts. Frozen to death by the roadside, trampled under the feet of the God of Hell, a pile of bones thrown outside the Great Wall. I regret coming to Jinzhai..."

This is a popular saying in the mining areas outside the Great Wall, describing the miserable lives of the miners. While legitimate mines may be somewhat humanitarian, countless illegal mines completely disregard the lives of the miners, and will do anything to obtain mineral resources.

Many comrades in the Fifth Field Army were miners, so they were naturally very familiar with the folk songs of these places. The comrades in charge of propaganda, in particular, would never miss such material. Since such ready-made material was available, and the workers in the gold mines all shared the same hardships, it was natural to use it for propaganda.