The Heroic Age of the Late Qing Dynasty

After hearing this, everyone's nervousness instantly vanished, and many even laughed out loud. This was quite true. Such excellent fortifications, having cost so much manpower and resources, would be a huge shame if they were never used. It would be unpleasant no matter how you think about it. If the Russian army went east, then the soldiers in Mongolia would have to march north into Russia to fight, cutting off the Russian army's logistics. And the fortifications in Kulun couldn't be taken away. After the war was won, they would even have to be completely filled in and new buildings built, which was definitely a bit of a waste.

At this time, these comrades did not know the cruelty of fighting the Russian army. They still thought that the Russian army was similar to the Qing army, and they still had some romanticism. In war, one must be prepared for any eventuality. If building these fortifications could avoid a war, what a cost-effective thing it would be. Why would they worry about wasting manpower on building fortifications?

Seeing his comrades' increasingly outrageous remarks, Zhang Feng frowned and said, "Let's go to the war room and prepare to fight to the death."

Chapter 663: Second update!

The headquarters for Kulun was located at Ganden Monastery in the city center. Following the outbreak of the Sino-Russian War, the Jebtsundamba Khutuktu VIII left Kulun, leaving the area temporarily under the care of the remaining lamas. Later, these lamas were relocated to southern Mongolia, where the field army naturally requisitioned the area. The headquarters was built in the basement of Ganden Monastery. After expansion and renovation with reinforced concrete, including safety passages and exhaust vents, it proved more than adequate for temporary headquarters during the battle.

"From the information we've received so far, the Russians are worried that we might cut off their logistics, so they've brought a large amount of war supplies with them. They're also marching slowly and cautiously. At this rate, it'll take another seven or eight days for the Russians to reach the city."

Entering the temporary command post, Zhang Feng pointed at the locations of Kulun and Maimaicheng on the map and spoke. Everyone's expressions gradually grew serious. They all knew that whether the Russian army attacked Kulun or Uliastai, they would face a brutal and bloody battle. Furthermore, their side outnumbered the enemy by one-sixth. If they let the Russian army breach their defenses even for a moment, they would be in danger of annihilation.

"Commander-in-chief, the cavalry has already been deployed. Should we let them attack immediately?"

"No rush, let's wait until the Russians penetrate deep into Mongolia. Everyone still remembers the sixteen-character formula the Chairman taught us about facing the enemy, right?"

"When the enemy advances, I retreat; when the enemy camps, I harass; when the enemy tires, I attack; when the enemy retreats, I pursue."

"Yes, that's exactly these sixteen words. The Russian army is at its peak and their morale is high. Once the Russian army penetrates deep into Mongolia, we must harass them along the way, slowing down their advance and, ideally, exhausting them. The cavalry units must take turns harassing and attacking, not allowing the Russian army to rest peacefully. Even if our horses die from exhaustion, we must complete our mission."

Everyone nodded in agreement, but their hearts slowly grew heavy. After all, the field army had always cherished its warhorses, yet now it had reached a point where they were completely disregarding their lives. Mongolia and Northeast China were not short of horses; the Mongolian bandits and patrol battalions also had large cavalry units. However, compared to the regular cavalry of Japan and Russia, these units were inferior in equipment, tactics, and, most importantly, warhorses. Zhang Yinghao's requirement for warhorses was simply that they were serviceable. He knew that the decades of breeding warhorses, like Japan's, was unnecessary. Cars and tanks would soon replace this branch of the military, and the future would require only serviceable horses.

"When the world is ruled by virtue, horses are used to carry manure; when the world is ruled by law, war horses are born in the suburbs." This probably refers to the current situation.

At this time, the political commissar suddenly said something bookish, but it was also very consistent with the current reality. When Zhang Feng heard this, he remembered the relevant history course taught by Zhang Yinghao.

"During the Han Dynasty, in order to recuperate, the Han people showed weakness to the Xiongnu, offering marriages and sending money and food. After Emperor Wu of Han, Liu Che, came to power, he felt that he should not show weakness to the Xiongnu in this way, offering marriages and sending money and food. Thus, a great war between the Han and the Xiongnu began again.

Emperor Wu of Han mobilized the entire nation and launched several offensive campaigns against the Xiongnu. However, his northern expeditions were not blind. He always set out in spring! This was crucial for the success of his campaigns. The Central Plains was an agricultural country, and the busiest times were spring and autumn. Spring plowing and autumn harvests were the main seasons, and the grain reserves collected after autumn were sufficient to last the next year. Winter, with its harsh conditions, made it difficult to deploy troops.

But it was not like that for the Huns. They lived a nomadic life, and the most important time for them was spring and summer.

After enduring the harsh winter, spring arrived. With the arrival of spring, grass and trees began to grow. The temperature rose, and the water and grass were plentiful, perfect for horses, cattle, and sheep to reproduce. After all, sheep gestate for five months, horses for eleven, and cows for nine. Despite the differences, the animals' instincts and survival instincts meant they would most likely give birth to Hui during the arrival of spring and summer.

In autumn, they need to migrate, and in winter, there is no fertile pasture. Most of the young born during these times will die prematurely. Therefore, in spring and summer, either the ewes and mares are pregnant and about to give birth, or they have just given birth and both mother and child are weak.

At this time, if the main force of the Han army swept over, they would die if they didn't run. If they ran, the young bandits and the female livestock that had just given birth wouldn't be able to run far, or they would fall ill directly! Doing so would cause the Xiongnu to lose a huge amount of livestock! In addition to the livestock's fertility being affected, there were also people!

The Xiongnu people have lived on the grassland for hundreds and thousands of years.

The changes of seasons over time are naturally familiar to me. If you get pregnant in autumn and winter, the most pregnant women will give birth in spring and summer of the following year. After all, it is the Mobei grassland, with strong winds and

If a child is born in autumn or winter, they will have to endure the hustle and bustle of life and the severe cold. The survival rate of children born at that time is really too low. Therefore, in comparison, children born in spring and summer are the easiest to raise.

Emperor Wu of Han sent a large army to fight against the Huns in spring and summer. One of the purposes was to interrupt the production and reproduction of the Huns and their livestock! If you fight against my army, your tribe must migrate with them, right? Pregnant horses, cattle and sheep naturally cannot run around too much, and newborn horses, cattle and sheep will not have the physical strength to follow them for a long distance.

Therefore, by then, the natural losses will be too great! This is true for livestock and humans. Pregnant women cannot travel long distances. Newborn women and their children, if they travel long distances, will easily become ill from exposure to wind and fatigue. What were the medical conditions like in ancient times? Just look at the rural areas today and you will know. Then they will die.

And this is exactly the effect Emperor Wu of Han and his men wanted! In the spring and summer, they would send troops to fight, either to destroy your main force or to wear down your troops!

The strategy was profound and comprehensive, and the tactics were vicious. In the end, the Khan defeated the Xiongnu. Of course, many people will wonder why the Han army was so cruel to the Xiongnu after hearing this, but you still don’t know what the Xiongnu did to the Han people in return.

The Huns were most afraid that the Han people would cause trouble for them in spring and summer, but when autumn came, the Huns almost never missed the opportunity to invade the Central Plains and plunder! Why did the Huns choose autumn? When the northerners invaded the south, it was called "dacaogu". In fact, this was similar to the reason why the Han army attacked them in spring and summer.

Of course, the Xiongnu weren't targeting the Han Chinese's reproductive opportunities, but rather the autumn harvest. In ancient times, wheat was the primary crop in the northern Central Plains. In autumn, the crops grown in the Central Plains were ready for harvest. Even the imperial court would send many soldiers home to join the busy farming season.

So at this time, the Han army wasn't particularly large, and almost everyone was busy. This was exactly what the Xiongnu wanted: if you were too busy to spare any time, that would be my chance to attack. Furthermore, if you were enjoying a good harvest, I could go over and plunder all the food and other supplies.

At the same time, after a spring and summer of nourishment, the Xiongnu were naturally strong and their horses were plump, making them ideal for warfare. Therefore, even before Emperor Wu of Han launched his campaign against the Xiongnu, the Xiongnu, whenever they saw an opportunity, would breach the Great Wall and enter the Central Plains during the autumn harvest season, burning, killing, and looting. This caused immense suffering to countless people throughout the Yellow River basin.

So after seeing this, Emperor Wu of Han thought, why can only you come to me and I can't come to you? You come to disturb my busy farming season and burn, kill and loot me, so I will take the initiative to attack during the spring and summer and prevent you from recuperating! So Emperor Wu of Han blurted out a domineering remark.

"If the enemy goes there, I can go there too!"

This was the real background factor when Emperor Wu of Han said this. So in the end, the Han Dynasty successfully solved the problem of the Xiongnu through such a strategy.

However, Zhang Feng immediately remembered that the field army would not actually send a pregnant mare into battle; that would be completely unworthy. A single corpse and two lives were a minor matter. If one applied the theory that sons give birth to grandsons, and grandsons give birth to sons, then the loss of a mare was equivalent to the loss of several horses.

Thinking of this, Zhang Feng immediately shook his head and brought his mind back to reality. Although the Russian army had just entered the Mongolian grasslands, this was not the time for him to think about these things.

At this time, the chief of staff was heard saying: "The only thing that can be compared with the Chairman's sixteen-character strategy is the other eight words he said: You fight yours, I fight mine. In the current situation, we don't need to care about how the Russians plan to fight. We must first determine our own advantages, wait for the enemy to tire themselves out, and use our strengths to attack their weaknesses. Fighting on our territory, the enemy cannot get help from the masses, and logistics requires transporting food for thousands of miles. We can move when we want, fight when we want, and even if we have to wear them down, we can wear them down to death."

Zhang Feng couldn't help but nod slightly at the Chief of Staff's morale-boosting analysis. The Russians weren't yellow-skinned, black-eyed Chinese; they were white-skinned, blue-eyed foreigners. If the Russians wanted to obtain supplies within Chinese territory, they would have to resort to plunder. Not only was northern Mongolia sparsely populated, but looting also intensified conflicts and fueled resentment, ultimately seeking their own demise.

If the Qing Dynasty did not represent the vast majority of the Chinese people at all and was not afraid to mobilize the people, a massacre like the Boxer Rebellion would have only required vigorous propaganda, and countless Chinese righteous men would have taken the initiative to go north to resist the Russians. How could the Russians have swallowed up so much of China's land?

Zhang Feng took over and said: "According to our deployment, the key to this battle is whether we in Kulun or Uliastai can stop the Russian attack, sticking here like a nail and fighting the Russians, making them pay enough tragic casualties outside the city. Everyone knows what the fortifications built outside the city are. We can still defend against the field artillery that the Russians can bring to Kulun. However, our howitzers, mortars, field artillery and the latest flying thunder cannons in the city are inferior to the Russian army in quality and quantity, so we must make good use of these artillery.

The most common weapon the Russians brought was the 76mm field gun. Even if they brought 105mm or larger guns, they were few in number, and transporting the ammunition was even more difficult. The Russians have so many troops that they will definitely surround us and cut off our supply lines. We don't know how long we will be surrounded or how long Kulun will be captured, so we have to conserve food and ammunition..."

The comrades nodded repeatedly. The field army now understood the uses and benefits of artillery and naturally attached great importance to it. As long as the artillery was properly utilized, how could the flesh and blood of the Russians, who were exposed on this vast plateau, stand up against steel?

"Even so, we can't let our guard down. While the ammunition we have stored in Kulun might be enough to sustain us for a while, we also have no logistical supplies. The best we can get is some reloads. Therefore, it's best to kill one enemy at a time."

Hearing this, everyone laughed. Who wouldn't want to kill an enemy with a single bullet? But that's something that even theoretical models can't achieve. Of course, everyone also knows the importance of conserving ammunition. Without ammunition, you'd have to fight the Russians with bayonets, cold weapons versus hot weapons, which would be tantamount to committing suicide, and the losses would be huge.

"Of course, we also have to keep going to toilets and other places to collect saltpeter, oh, that is, dog poop hair, and we also have to increase the efforts to boil the saltpeter. These are renewable resources and must not be wasted. They may not be the key to victory or defeat at a critical moment, but making them into explosive packs and filling them with stones and iron pieces can also be a powerful weapon to kill the enemy, so they must not be wasted."

The comrades all agreed after hearing this. This method of boiling saltpeter used local materials and produced a large amount of saltpeter. Naturally, the field army could not pass up this opportunity to increase its reserves.

Chapter 664: The first update of the big chapter!

The generals of both the Field Army and the Russian Army were confident and believed they were fully prepared. This time, the Russians were on the offensive, the Field Army on the defensive. The outcome of this decisive battle hinged on the future and fate of both nations. At least until Russia resolved its domestic revolution, it would be difficult for it to send a larger force to fight the Field Army. If the Field Army was defeated, the liberated areas would be unable to send troops into Mongolia in the short term.

However, although the generals on both sides are confident that they can win the final victory, the reality is cruel. In the end, only one side can win, or both sides will suffer heavy losses and have no strength to fight again, and there will be no winner.

"Commander-in-Chief, the latest intelligence is that the main force of the Russian army has passed Maimaicheng and is advancing towards Kulun."

Zhang Feng felt relieved when he heard the words "advance towards Kulun". Although he knew that Uliastai was also prepared, he was at least confident in Kulun's preparations. Of course, since a war was inevitable, Zhang Feng naturally wanted to lead his troops to confront the Russian army personally. Otherwise, this march into Mongolia would not be perfect for him.

"Are they finally here? Let's wait until the Russians have marched for five days before sending out the cavalry. If we send out now, it'll be bad if the Russians run back. It's only 350 kilometers from Kulun to Maimaicheng, and if we send the cavalry on, they'll keep raiding and harassing them. Every extra day the Russians spend on the road will cost them at least 200,000 kilograms of food. I want to see how long their logistics can hold up."

Russia was a poor country, and the Russian army could only carry so much war supplies at a time. If they consumed more on the road, the shorter their stay in Kulun would be. In addition, the field army cavalry units were ready to cut off the Russian army's logistical supply lines at any time, which posed a huge threat to the Russian army.

Once the Russian army reached Kulun, if their supplies were running low, they would inevitably launch a frantic attack on the city. If Kulun could hold out for a while, it would be a disaster for the Russian army. Although their retreat was only 350 kilometers, it was not an easy retreat for the Russian army. Over 200,000 Russian soldiers would be trapped, and they would all be left on the grasslands to work as laborers for the field army or to fertilize the grasslands.

The entire Russian Siberian Governorate had only managed to gather a few hundred thousand troops in such a long time. Once these troops were destroyed, it would be difficult for the Russian army to gather so many people again. Even if they gathered so many people again, would they dare to invade Mongolia again? Zhang Feng felt that even if the Russians were given the courage to do so, they would not dare to do so. They would even be terrified when they heard about Mongolia, right?

"Yes, Commander-in-Chief."

The cavalry would wait five days before attacking again, but this did not mean they would rest during these five days. On the contrary, they were very busy. These five days were for the cavalry to prepare for battle. The troops had to move to designated positions and use the cavalry's mobility to be ready to attack at any time.

Five days passed in a flash. Now that the Russian army had penetrated deep into the Mongolian grasslands, the field army headquarters gave the order and the field army's offensive began.

After receiving the order from headquarters, the cavalry deployed in northern Mongolia immediately took action. They pounced on their long-awaited prey like a hurricane and a wolf. The strength of cavalry lies in its mobility. Once the mobility of cavalry is restricted, it will no longer have any advantage in the face of guns and artillery.

Zhang Yinghao, a later generation, naturally knew that the best place to annihilate a large cavalry force was in a canyon. Therefore, when Zhang Yinghao compiled the content related to cavalry training, he included several matters that cavalrymen must pay attention to, such as not being tempted by the enemy into entering a canyon for the sake of a small advantage, not using cavalry charges against well-prepared enemies or heavy enemy firepower, and when cavalrymen were resting, sentries must be placed far enough apart, with concealed sentries required to prevent the enemy from surrounding them and losing their mobility, and not being far away from their horses.

Zhang Feng had nothing to worry about when deploying these cavalry. This cavalry operation wasn't about engaging the Russians head-on, but rather about harassing them and slowing their advance. This would slow the Russians down and consume more of their supplies. At this point, the field army had no further concerns and immediately dispatched its elite squadrons northward, once again crossing the border into Russian territory to frantically sabotage the Trans-Siberian Railway and disrupt the enemy's rear.

Once the supply lines of this army of over 200,000 were completely cut off, their time in Kulun would be greatly shortened. The Russian army's morale would also be shaken, and they might even collapse without a fight. These Russian troops would eventually be trapped on the vast grasslands, where they would either be killed by the field army, starve to death, or become prisoners of the field army.

The Field Army's 5th Cavalry Brigade was deployed on the west bank of the Orkhon River, not far from where they had previously annihilated the Siberian Cossack Cavalry Corps. Upon receiving the order, Brigade Commander Lü Kaiwen immediately declared, "The entire brigade, prepare to attack in twenty minutes. Since the Russians are here again, let's give them another taste of our might."

In less than fifteen minutes, everyone had packed up and the cavalrymen left the place where they had once created glory like the wind, to create greater glory. Soon, the cavalry brigade dispersed and launched an attack on the Russian army in battalion units.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

The Cossack cavalry, specially placed on the flank by Bolivar, first encountered the cavalry of the field army on the grassland. Enemies see eye to eye, especially when they are mortal enemies. Without a word, both sides opened fire, and after the gunfire, they drew their sabers and engaged in close combat.

A brutal and bloody battle unfolded across the vast Mongolian steppes. Soon, the field army's mortars began to roar incessantly, their shells blasting through the ranks of the Russian cavalry, sending the Cossacks careening off their horses. The first and most crucial stage was to eliminate the Russian cavalry, rendering them deaf and blind. Once the cavalry was eliminated, the Russian infantry would be more easily dealt with on the vast steppes.

The mortars continued to fire, and soon, the newly assembled heavy machine guns began firing. A barrage of bullets felled the Russian cavalrymen who attempted to charge. The Russians were no fools, so they turned their horses and retreated immediately. Even so, a streak of corpses lay on the grassland.

The field army took away all the bodies they could, whether human or horse. This would prevent the Russian army from knowing exactly how many of their own men had been killed, as the Russian cavalry had already dispersed. If the field army's cavalry pressed the issue and the Russian army saw no way out and voluntarily withdrew back into Russian territory, the field army's plan would be thwarted.

After the Russian cavalry retreated, the field army continued to slowly advance, but the infantry had already stopped marching and were either standing or lying on the ground, pointing their rifles at the field cavalry. The Russian field artillery had already begun to fire non-stop at the revolutionary cavalry. Naturally, the field army would not go to their deaths, and seeing no opportunity to take advantage of, they immediately turned their horses and fled.

Cavalry relied on their speed and possessed formidable offensive power, but if they encountered prepared infantry, the best course of action was to abandon their battle plan and avoid becoming a sitting duck. Insisting on their own initiative would likely lead to overwhelming enemy firepower. Although Russia was a poor nation and its military equipment was limited, it still possessed a significant number of heavy machine guns. Cavalry soldiers were well aware that heavy machine guns were a nightmare for them.

The cavalry came and went with a roar. When the Russian Cossack cavalry returned to the scene of the battle, they saw that there were not many signs of fighting except bloodstains everywhere. The bodies and horses of the Russian soldiers who died in the battle were all dismembered and taken away by the field army cavalry.

Since the Russian army has only been in Mongolia for more than five days, it is impossible to

The Russian army beat them too hard, so they only sent two brigades to harass the Russians. Although the Russian army lost some cavalry, it was just a drop in the bucket for the Russian army with more than 200,000 troops. However, the morale of the Russian army should not be underestimated.

This kind of situation where you can only take the beating and cannot fight back is something that anyone would feel wronged about.

During the day, the field army cavalry continued to harass the enemy twice, and then gradually stopped.

At this time, the Russian army had just come into contact with the field army and was not familiar with the field army's combat style. They still camped according to their habits. Naturally, they thought that the cavalry

After a day of running around, the team was tired at night and naturally needed to rest. Of course, regardless of whether the field army came to attack the camp at night, the Russian army would not miss any scouts.

Since the advent of machine guns and artillery, the choice of campsites has become more and more important, and the scouts are placed farther and farther away. The range of the 105mm howitzer is ten kilometers, and the destructive power can be imagined. If the enemy sneaks into the camp, the losses will be enormous. For the field army, the marching regulations state that as long as the time spent in one place exceeds a certain range, the army must establish defensive positions, dig corresponding trenches, anti-artillery holes, etc. How could the Russian army have such a habit? The troops carry so many supplies, and everyone is exhausted after a day's march. The officers also thought that the field army would stop harassing them, so they rested early. If the officers have rested, what else would the soldiers do on their own initiative if they don't rest?

A dark moon is a murderous night, a high wind a fire. The cavalry comrades knew they had only one chance to launch a surprise attack; the enemy was prepared, and any further attempts would be suicidal. Darkest before dawn, the soldiers of the 9th Cavalry Brigade, using the cover of darkness, bound their horses' hooves and covered their mouths with smocks to silence them. As for the field army soldiers, there was no need for them to hold their tongues, as they were disciplined and followed orders with impeccable discipline. There was no need to worry about them revealing their targets by talking.

The cavalry soldiers of the 9th Brigade quietly approached the camp of a Russian outer infantry regiment. As for the scouts sent by the Russian army, they had been killed by the scouts.

When the brigade advanced to the distance where they thought they could hide in the Russian camp, it was already 800 meters away.

"The artillery is behind. Set up all the cannons and fire hard. The cavalry is ready to charge."

The brigade commander quietly gave the order to fire and then attack.

In about ten minutes, the mortars were assembled and erected behind the cavalry column, aimed directly at the Russian camp opposite. At the command of the brigade commander, the mortars fired shells continuously at the maximum rate of fire, without any need for aiming.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The soldiers of the field army loved mortars. These artillery pieces were maneuverable, powerful, and fast-firing, demonstrating their formidable combat effectiveness even in complex terrain. Mortars could be used for supporting firepower or even for attacking strongholds. Over a dozen mortars opened fire frantically, and the effect was palpable. These mortars weren't just 60mm light mortars; there were also 75mm medium mortars. A dense barrage of shells rained down on the Russian camp, sending fireballs soaring into the air and instantly igniting the tents and other combustible materials within. Many Russian soldiers fled without even clothes on, as scattered shrapnel pierced their flesh and sent them back to the arms of God.

"Enemy attack! Enemy attack! Run! The Chinese are coming!"

The entire camp immediately descended into chaos. The Russians were as frantic as dogs that had lost their homes, as anxious as fish that had escaped a net. Unable to discern their direction, they had no idea where their shells would land, or even where to fire. They could only scatter in all directions. The flames were everywhere, illuminating the sky for a long time. Soon, massive explosions began to erupt in the camp, the result of the army's munitions detonating.

The brigade commander looked at the sky full of fireworks and the engulfing military camp and laughed heartily. "Great! Cavalry, get ready! Follow me and charge! Chop off those Russians who escape."

After saying this, he rode his horse and charged towards the fleeing Russians. The field army naturally wouldn't attack the interior of the camp, which was like a powder keg. The situation inside was unclear, and the bullets and shrapnel flying everywhere could kill anyone at any time. Furthermore, with the flames blazing inside, the horses wouldn't dare charge into the fire.

At this time, the brigade commander's face was full of excitement. If he could use the strength of a cavalry brigade to defeat a Russian infantry regiment, and then chase the Russians on horseback and kill them, the results would undoubtedly be huge.

The cavalry launched a charge, their hooves rumbling as they charged towards the Russians. This almost completely drowned out the Russians' screams. By the light of the fire, the Russians also discovered the field army's cavalry charge, and the scene became even more chaotic. The entire camp was in complete disarray, with soldiers unable to find their commanders and commanders unable to find their soldiers. Some junior officers knew the best way to defend themselves against the field army's cavalry was to organize themselves, but they were already unable to organize an effective defense.

A soldier, leading the way, saw five unarmed Russian soldiers running towards him from a distance. Without a word, he used his saber to slash, using the momentum of his horse's gallop. With one strike, a single blow, without even a change of stance, he killed five. This was the most glorious single-sword feat of the soldier's life. Following him, the cavalrymen charged into the crowd of Russians, frantically hacking at the panicked Russians with their sabers. In a short while, they had ripped through the entire force.

Countless Russian soldiers were trampled to death by horses or hacked to death. Many Russian soldiers even fled in panic, causing stampedes, and many were trampled to death by the Russians themselves.

Because once the Russian army reacted, it would be difficult to launch another surprise attack, so at this time it was not only the field cavalry of this brigade that was attacking the Russian army, but many other teams were also attacking the Russian camp. The sound of artillery and shouts of fighting broke the silence of the sky, and the bright flames illuminated the night sky.

After the cavalrymen had once again fought their way through the enemy, they heard bursts of intense gunfire from the Russian camp in the distance. Since the enemy had already reacted and organized themselves, the cavalrymen naturally withdrew immediately to avoid unnecessary casualties.

During this harassment operation, the Russian army was attacked seven times at the brigade level. While some were successful, others were unsuccessful, the attacks slowed the Russian army's advance and caused panic among the troops. In reality, the casualties from these attacks were not very large, only a few thousand in total for such a large-scale attack. However, no one knew whether they would be the next casualty. Therefore, it was a near-destructive blow to Russian morale.

The camp where General Bolivar, the Russian commander, was stationed was naturally spared from the attack by the field army. After all, his camp was surrounded by Russian camps, leaving the field army with virtually no opportunity to exploit. General Bolivar, now filled with deep anger, inquired about the specific casualties.

"Commander, we have suffered seven attacks in total. Enemy cavalry, taking advantage of darkness, quietly approached our camp and launched a surprise attack with artillery. We were caught off guard and suffered over 2 casualties, along with countless amounts of food and ammunition. We are still counting the losses, but we estimate that at least two regiments' worth of supplies have been lost."

"Damn it! Just one sneak attack has cost us thousands of casualties and such heavy material losses. How can this be allowed? Tens of thousands of casualties will be incurred before we even reach Kulun!"

The other generals were speechless at this point, unable to come up with any concrete plan. Even if they wanted to lure the enemy into an attack and annihilate them, the entire army was now under the surveillance of the field army, making implementation difficult.

"General, we were careless this time. If we had been prepared, the enemy would have been unable to succeed."

The incident had already happened, and Bolivar was helpless. He could only angrily order: "Order the Ural Cossack Cavalry Corps to strictly carry out their vigilance tasks and immediately issue a signal if they discover the main force of the enemy army. Soldiers must take turns to stand guard and set up machine guns and artillery. If the enemy attacks again, they must resolutely launch the strongest counterattack."

"Yes, General. But our Cossack cavalry is currently short of manpower. We have to protect the logistics line and fight the Chinese cavalry. We really can't spare too many troops."

With only one Cossack cavalry corps, once dispersed, the manpower would naturally be stretched to the limit, and it would be difficult to complete the mission. If the main cavalry in the battle became the garrison cavalry, Zhang Feng would wake up laughing in his dreams.

Bolivar's face was not looking good. If the Siberian Cossack Cavalry Corps had not been destroyed, the Cossack cavalry of the two corps could have easily galloped across the grassland. But now there was only one Cossack Cavalry Corps, and it felt a bit difficult to support it alone.

"I'm talking about standing guard. If you spot Chinese cavalry, immediately signal us to prevent a surprise attack. From now on, military camps must be fully protected to prevent surprise attacks from happening again."

"Yes."

At this moment, Bolivar knew the enemy's intention was to slow their advance. Therefore, his only concern was to speed up his march and reach Kulun as quickly as possible. If Kulun were captured, he would have a foothold. Then, he wouldn't have to worry about harassment from the field army's cavalry. Instead, he could proactively attack and seek opportunities to encircle and annihilate these cavalry units. Bolivar had no intention of retreating. After all, if he retreated at this moment, not only would his future be ruined, but Russia would become a laughing stock internationally.

"No matter what, we must be prepared for the attacks of those yellow monkeys." Bolivar said viciously.

Bolivar had no idea that his nightmare was only just beginning. The cavalry had been ordered to harass the Russians relentlessly, even disregarding casualties when necessary. Consequently, the deeper Bolivar led his troops into Mongolia, the more numerous and frequent the field army's harassment attacks became. Now that the Russians had already advanced halfway, the field army no longer worried that Bolivar would lead his troops back home. The cavalry, too, had no desire to gain further victories. They simply patrolled the perimeter day and night, taking turns patrolling. Finding an opening, they would rush in, unleash a barrage of fire, and then quickly withdraw. Even if they failed to inflict casualties on the Russians, they were determined to annoy them.

Overall, however, the Russians gradually developed some countermeasures. For example, after nightfall, small units dug foxholes and horse pits on the perimeter, waiting for the field army to attack. The heavy machine guns inside suddenly opened fire, inflicting heavy casualties on the field army. The two sides engaged in a battle of wits and courage on this vast grassland. Although Russian casualties decreased, the marching speed could only be described as a snail's pace. Those with a calm mind could still sleep peacefully, but many Russians had already experienced a bit of nervous breakdown, slowly becoming frightened birds, and completely unable to rest.

Moreover, the Russian army's method of reducing casualties was to rely on soldiers working without sleep, which resulted in many soldiers feeling drowsy all day long due to poor rest. Soldiers with poor health would fall ill while walking. Those who knew about this would naturally understand that it was caused by excessive fatigue, but those who didn't would think that there were gods on the prairie.

When a soldier saw another soldier fall to the ground for no apparent reason, all he could do was pray to their God. Rumors gradually spread throughout the camp: this Mongolian steppe was a cursed land, and believers in God would be cursed if they entered. The whole camp was filled with a chaotic atmosphere. When the field army fired from a distance, many resting soldiers, instead of preparing to fire back, immediately knelt and prayed. This greatly weakened the Russian army's will and fighting ability.

Whether it was day or night, they could be attacked at any time by the field army. After suffering heavy casualties and with limited success, the field army began to reduce the frequency of cavalry harassment. Just a kilometer away from the Russian army, taking advantage of the terrain, the field army set up artillery and bombarded the Russian troops.

If the Russians sent cavalry to drive them off, the Field Army would block them. If the Russians sent a large force to attack the Field Army's cavalry, the Field Army, having gained an advantage, would quickly mount their horses and flee. Just as the only way to defeat an industrial nation is to develop its industry, the only way to defeat the Field Army's machine guns and artillery is to use machine guns and artillery. The Field Army's repeated successes infuriated Bolivar.

Once night fell, the Russians' situation became even more difficult. Their camps were even breached several times by the field army. Even if they weren't breached, a barrage of mortar fire would be enough to devastate the resting Russians. Whenever possible, the cavalry would charge the Russian camps, creating chaos and inflicting both morale and physical damage.