The Heroic Age of the Late Qing Dynasty

Therefore, the loss of ordinary troops could be easily replaced by recruiting from the vast number of serfs. However, replenishing officers was not so easy. It took several years to train an officer, and training a qualified officer was even more difficult.

"Your Majesty, General Bolivar and his men betrayed the Empire and deserve severe punishment. However, their families are innocent. Please spare them." Prime Minister Kokovtsev also stood up. Protecting the families of the surrendered generals first would make it much easier to find a way to protect the surrendered generals later.

"Your Majesty, please calm down."

Foreign Minister Izvolsky, Finance Minister Sergei Witte, Interior Minister Vyacheslav Plevniy, Director of the Main Administration of Orthodox Affairs Pobedonostshaiv, and others all came forward to plead for the surrendered generals.

Under such circumstances, although Nicholas II was very angry, he finally suppressed his anger and discussed the negotiation conditions and related matters with the ministers again.

Chapter 689: Second update!

At the same time, Shen Ruo, director of the Liberated Areas' Foreign Affairs Office, was also talking with German diplomat Rex and American Minister Rockefeller. On the one hand, he wanted to express his gratitude to the two countries for their support during the negotiations, and on the other hand, he wanted to obtain more financial assistance from Germany and the United States.

Although the PLA had dealt the Russians a severe lesson on the battlefield, leaving them utterly defeated, all of this was predicated on the supplies they had previously stockpiled. Whether it was the fierce offensive against the Japanese and Russian armies in the Northeast or the decisive battle at Kulun, the PLA had consumed vast quantities of weapons and ammunition. It's true that the sound of a cannon is worth a thousand taels of gold, but before you can get ten thousand taels of gold, you have to spend ten thousand taels of gold first. Without sufficient reserves, such expenditures simply wouldn't be sustainable. Now, with supplies depleted, they naturally needed to be replenished.

"We are grateful for the support from the German and American governments. Otherwise, we would not be able to withstand the pressure from Britain, France and Russia."

Regardless of whether this is true or not, the words of gratitude must be expressed. After all, words of gratitude are a gift without cost. Of course, the Germans and Americans are helping the Forward Party government solely for their own benefit. The US intervened in China too late, forcing it to offer an open door policy to gain a share. Now that trade with the Liberated Areas is so large, they are naturally delighted. Of course, the US lending money to the Liberated Areas isn't out of kindness; it's a prelude to financial control. The Germans, on the other hand, have ulterior motives, hoping to use the Liberated Areas as pawns to contain Russia. Of course, their use as pawns is due to their value. Regardless, since other countries have indeed provided assistance, words of gratitude—such a gift without cost—must be constantly expressed, and bows and humility should be practiced more often.

"Mr. Director, the German government admires your fight against the Russians and your victory in this just war. We are naturally willing to fully support the Forward Party government." Rex said.

"The Progressive Party government is a close friend of the United States, and America will not watch you being bullied." Minister Rockefeller also said.

Although Shen Ruo didn't know how much interest the United States had in Russia, it was definitely not as much as the current Liberated Areas. At this time, trade between the Liberated Areas and the United States and Germany accounted for more than 70% of their foreign trade.

"Thank you very much. Thank you again for your support. We hope to increase the trade volume between the two sides again. However, although we have won this war, we are still facing many difficulties. We hope that the German and American governments can provide us with assistance again."

"Of course, if there's anything we can help you with, Mr. Director, please let us know." Rex said immediately. Minister Rocky hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

For Zhang Yinghao, not being able to borrow money before was fine, but now that he could, and at low interest rates, he genuinely didn't mind borrowing more to buy supplies, even scrap steel. Being able to borrow money was a skill; every penny borrowed for construction now would yield tenfold, even a hundredfold, benefits in the near future. Zhang Yinghao wasn't worried about not being able to repay the money. Not only did he have a way to borrow and repay, but simply maintaining a trade balance with these countries would provide him with the funds to slowly repay these loans and bonds.

"We need financial assistance. This war has consumed too much military expenditure, and the previous loans and bonds have almost been used up."

Of course, the reality is that those loans haven't been fully spent yet. However, the liberated areas intended to use the funds to purchase factories and machinery. Comrades of the Forward Party have already begun to reap the benefits of industry. In this era, still a seller's market, how can agriculture be compared to industry?

"Mr. Director, don't you have the money to buy the Russian railway? How can you be short of money?"

"Haha, do the two ministers think we can come up with that much money right now? That's why we're asking for it to be paid in installments over twenty years. We're proposing this solution with a peaceful attitude. Although it's a little inappropriate, we believe this is the best option, right? Even if the Russians get the money, if it's paid over twenty years, it's just a drop in the bucket for Russia and won't significantly boost Tsarist Russia's national strength."

Although the German envoy was somewhat dissatisfied with Shen Ruo's explanation, there was nothing he could do. However, the feud between Russia and the Forward Party had already been forged. Based on Germany's understanding of Nicholas II, they would definitely not think that Russia would give up so easily. Therefore, even if a peace treaty was signed now, there would still be plenty of opportunities for manipulation in the future.

"Okay, I have been instructed that the German government can provide you with 5 million marks in free aid. In addition, we can also provide you with a mortgage loan of 100 million marks and underwrite 50 million marks in bonds. The interest and repayment methods can refer to the previous conditions." Rex said.

In order to allow the PLA to continue the war, the Germans spared no expense. The more severely the Chinese inflicted on the Russians, the more advantageous it would be for Germany. They hoped that the Chinese could completely consume all of the Russians' strength or contain them in the Far East and Siberia, or even better, that both China and Russia would perish.

"Thank you, Lord Rex, and thank you, His Majesty William. We can promise that we will use all this money in Germany to purchase German-made machinery and equipment." Shen Ru hurriedly expressed his gratitude and stated his position.

Rex was very satisfied. As long as the money remained in Germany, it was simply a matter of transferring money from one hand to the other. The government received tax revenue, businesses received funding and orders, and banks received interest. It was a perfect storm. Furthermore, while 5 million marks in grants and 150 million marks in loans and bonds were undoubtedly a large sum for the Forward government, for Germany, it was not much at all.

Then, Shen Ruo looked eagerly at Minister Rockefeller. Since our German friends have already expressed their stance, it seems reasonable for our American friends to provide some assistance to the Forward Party government. After all, the Liberated Areas' largest trading partner is the United States, and Germany is still too far away. China and the United States are natural trading partners and destined rivals, and the two countries will eventually compete across the Pacific.

Minister Rockefeller hesitated for a moment before saying, "The United States can provide the Progressive Party government with $5 million in grants and $50 million in mortgage loans. The United States can also underwrite $50 million in bonds!"

Because of the PLA's performance on the battlefield, the US government had no doubts about the PLA's victory. However, the US government clearly did not want to see the Forward Party government become too powerful. If so, it might slip out of its control. In particular, the Forward Party government's close relationship with the Germans attracted American attention. Furthermore, China had already opened up the Whale Sea (Sea of ​​Japan), the North Sea, and the Tatar Strait, and the US began to worry about the security of Alaska. Therefore, the US government was deliberately weakening its support for the Forward Party government.

"Thank you, Your Excellency! We will continue to use all of this money in the United States to purchase American-made machinery and equipment to promote the American economy. Not a single cent will be brought back home."

Previously, the Forward Party had obtained a large amount of money by issuing bonds in Germany. Later, when the war broke out with Russia, many countries also provided a lot of loans to the Forward Party government. Although the Forward Party government is now in debt,

But too many lice don't itch, too many debts don't worry. The comrades of the Progressive Party were not without opposition, but Zhang Yinghao's lofty prestige and influence were deeply rooted in the hearts of the people.

People can resist opposition, and comrades can only be forced to accept it. Of course, Zhang Yinghao can borrow money, use this money to buy a large amount of machinery and equipment, and lead comrades to get things done, so the comrades of the Forward Party and the people will naturally all revolve around Zhang Yinghao.

Some comrades felt that borrowing money was a bad idea, that borrowing too much and then having to pay back interest wasn't cost-effective. Of course, this was the traditional peasant concept of self-sufficiency; industrial development was essential without borrowing. While the current debt was substantial, Zhang Yinghao wasn't worried, having the First World War as a foundation. Even without the First World War, Zhang Yinghao wasn't worried that China, with its 450 million hardworking citizens, would be unable to repay such a small amount.

Not to mention the future world war, even now, relying solely on the cheap labor force in the country, Zhang Yinghao can also fully repay the debt. When the world war comes, it will be time to make a fortune. At that time, not only can all the foreign debts be paid off,

The debt can be easily repaid, and the domestic industry can be developed rapidly. Why were the United States and Japan so powerful after World War I? Wasn’t it because they took advantage of the war and sold a large amount of war materials to both sides of the war? Even the little Japanese

They all turned from debtor countries into creditor countries because of World War I, which shows how much material consumption was during World War I.

Of course, the liberated areas do not want general industrial products from the Americans, that is, they do not want direct consumer goods for the time being. They only want loans with an unlimited list and complete sets of production line equipment, machinery and machine tools, etc.

After the Sino-Russian negotiations concluded, the Russian ambassador to China, Tekkodi, immediately submitted a report to Russian Foreign Minister Izvolsky. Izvolsky took the report to the imperial conference convened by Tsar Nicholas II.

"Your Majesty, this is the negotiation report submitted by the ambassador to China. Please take a look!" Izvolsky handed the report to Nicholas II. Nicholas II took it and read it, and then his face turned ashen.

"Damn it! Those yellow-skinned monkeys actually dared to put forward such conditions. This is a disguised way of asking us to sell those lands. They are so arrogant. Do the Chinese really think we can't do anything to them?"

The furious Nicholas II tore the report in his hand into two halves and roared in frustration.

However, the other ministers did not say much. Although Russia was not yet a defeated country, it seemed only one step away from defeat. After all, Russia did not have much ability to take the initiative to attack.

"Your Majesty, the troops attacking Kulun have surrendered. I just received a report from Anuchin that the Chinese have appeared near Irkutsk. The destruction of the Trans-Siberian Railway was also caused by these Chinese. Now they will definitely destroy the entire railway. As a result, it is impossible for us to mobilize hundreds of thousands of troops to attack China in such a short time."

"Your Majesty, the plague has broken out in Vladivostok, causing panic among the people. Vladivostok's supply reserves have been depleted, and few ships can now enter Vladivostok for trade. In a short period of time, Vladivostok may face a major crisis."

"Asshole, send a telegram to the Governor of Vladivostok and tell them to hold on. The great Russian army will definitely defeat those yellow monkeys."

Upon hearing this, the ministers present felt a pang of pain in their asses. Russia's ability to turn the tide in the war quickly was no longer feasible, and these ministers were well aware of this. Vladivostok was far too far from Europe and had become an enclave. Furthermore, the Trans-Siberian Railway was being ravaged by the field army, making it difficult for Russia's formidable military power in Europe to be deployed in Siberia and the Far East Governorate.

Unless Russia patiently prepares for a long time, gradually moves its troops there, and then launches an attack, perhaps there will be a chance of a comeback. However, the current domestic and international situation does not allow Russia to do so.

"Your Majesty, our army's defeat on the battlefield has caused strong dissatisfaction among many people. The activities of those rebel parties are also becoming more and more active. If we cannot end the suppression of domestic riots as soon as possible, the problem will be troublesome." said Interior Minister Vyacheslav Prievi.

"Damn it! Now is the time when we are fighting the enemy, and those rebels are still making trouble. They are traitors and selling out their country. They must all be wiped out." The Tsar said angrily.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Vyacheslav Priev nodded quickly. He knew that the rebels were truly headed for a fight this time. Furthermore, Russia's suppression of the rebels was no mere rhetoric; it was comparable to the brutality of China's "April 12th" incident. The imperialists had the audacity to slaughter workers who dared to resist, so they showed no mercy to these revolutionaries who had taken up arms to fight to the death.

"Your Majesty, the Chinese are marching towards Central Siberia. According to the intelligence we have received, the field army has sent a large number of cavalry to march towards Irkutsk." said Army Minister Sukhomlinov.

"I understand. The current situation is extremely unfavorable to us. However, we absolutely cannot give up this war so easily. The Chinese cannot reach Europe, so we must continue to fight until we win the war." Nicholas II's old stubborn habit was undoubtedly recurring. However, Nicholas II was still emulating Peter the Great. You have to know that Peter I fought for decades to gain access to the Baltic Sea.

Nicholas II expressed his determination to continue the war, but this left Russian officials feeling frustrated. Continuing the war wasn't easy; it wasn't something that could be achieved simply by talking. The most important factor was money; without it, all the big talk was useless.

"Your Majesty, Britain and France have rejected our request for a loan. During the negotiations, they only agreed to put pressure on the Chinese for us," said Foreign Minister Izvolsky.

"Damn the French, they clearly don't regard us as allies. And those damn British, they are really against us everywhere." Nicholas II said angrily again.

Suddenly, Tsar Nicholas II seemed to have found another target for his discontent, and he began to rail against the British and French. This was obvious: France and Russia had formed an alliance to counter their arch-enemy, Germany. But now that Russia was being miserably bullied in the Far East, France offered no assistance.

The British were even more despicable. Not only did they encourage France to withhold aid from Russia, they also went on a quest to contain Russia's expansion. To prevent Russia from gaining access to an ice-free port, the British intervened in Finland, attempting to seize access to the Baltic Sea. In the Middle East, they supported the Ottoman Empire, even sending troops directly. In the Far East, they supported Japan in its war against Russia, seizing Port Arthur. Now, the British, focused on Russia's actions against Germany, are even pressuring Russia to admit defeat. This is truly outrageous.

It now seemed that Britain and France were clearly using Russia as a pawn to contain Germany. This made Nicholas II very dissatisfied, especially now that Russia's interests were being damaged, Britain and France not only did not help, but instead put pressure on Russia.

"Your Majesty, although the demands made by the Forward Party government are extremely excessive, using fifty tons of gold to purchase the land in the Far East Governorate is a solution..."

Finance Minister Sergei Witte spoke cautiously. Russia's treasury was practically empty. If he could secure this large sum of money, he, as Finance Minister, would at least be much better off, if not a fortune. Russia's most serious problem was its impending financial collapse. If the war was to continue, it would require a vast sum of money. Unfortunately, Russia had long since run out of money. Now, neither Britain nor France was willing to lend them money, which undoubtedly exacerbated the problem. Without money, there was no way to mobilize the army, no way to purchase weapons and ammunition, and no way to continue the war.

Sergei Witte was interrupted by Nicholas II before he could finish his words: "No, we absolutely cannot agree to this condition. Moreover, those yellow monkeys are too cunning. They've proposed to pay us the gold in installments over twenty years, which is really a drop in the bucket. Moreover, the Great Russian Empire will never sell land for money. What the Empire wants is access to the sea and land, not a small amount of gold compensation. We will never admit defeat."

Nicholas II, who aspired to be Peter the Great, wanted a warm seaport in the Far East, not to sell off millions of square kilometers of land. Although he was somewhat jealous of the 50 tons of gold, Nicholas II, who had no shortage of money, naturally would not agree to sell the land.

But he hadn't considered that these territories were already under the control of the Field Army. Even if Nicholas II didn't intend to sell them, would the Field Army really withdraw from these territories without reason? Of course, Nicholas II didn't have Zhang Yinghao's vision of time travel; otherwise, he would have taken the benefits he deserved first and left the rest to chance. However, Nicholas II's idol was Peter the Great, and he believed that time was on Russia's side. Russia would ultimately triumph over the Yellow Monkey, achieve victory, and gain territory and access to the sea.

Upon hearing the Tsar's veto, Finance Minister Sergei Witte said, "Your Majesty, we certainly won't give up our empire's territory. But if we pretend to agree to those yellow-skinned monkeys that we can tear up the treaty and go to war with the Chinese after we get the gold, there won't be any problem. After all, we signed the Treaty of Nerchinsk (Nerchinsk) back then, and then the Treaty of Aihui, the Treaty of Beijing, and a series of other treaties, didn't we?"

"No, if I agree, the Russian Empire's century-long efforts will be in vain, and I will be nailed to the pillar of shame."

Sergei Witte opened his mouth, but ultimately said nothing. He had been about to propose a tax increase, but Interior Minister Vyacheslav Priev had just said that the domestic situation was already tense. Proposing a tax increase now would likely spark further unrest. With internal and external troubles looming, winning the war would be impossible for Russia, and even the Tsarist government would be overthrown.

After Nicholas II rejected the proposal of Finance Minister Sergei Witte, he frowned. The money issue was indeed a big problem. Without money, nothing could be done.

"How much more military expenditure will it cost if we want to defeat the field army?" asked Nicholas II.

Since the British and French were unreliable, he could only rely on himself. In order to win the war and defend the honor of the Russian Empire, Nicholas II was also prepared to risk everything.

"Your Majesty, given our current defeat on the battlefield. If we want to defeat China

If we were to send at least one million men to the Siberian Governorate, we would need to prepare for a counterattack over a long period of time and would also require a large amount of military expenditure.

"It's estimated that preparations for launching an offensive won't be complete until next summer at the earliest. As for military spending, it will cost over five billion rubles," said Army Minister Sukhomlinov.

Given Russia's vast population, mobilizing another million troops would be easy. Despite Russia's weak industrial strength, arming a million-man army wouldn't be a problem. At best, they would need to equip these troops with fewer artillery pieces and ensure that rifles were universally available.

"Five billion rubles?"

Nicholas II couldn't help but twitch his lips after hearing this. Of course, although this amount of money was a large sum, it was still within Nicholas II's reach. However, he felt a pang of pain. The Russian tsars of all generations had always increased the royal family's wealth, while he had been constantly spending it. This made Nicholas II feel like a spendthrift.

“How much does it cost to suppress a domestic uprising?” “About a billion rubles!”

"Okay, let's ignore those yellow monkeys for now and put down the domestic riots first. The military funds to suppress the riots will be loaned by the royal family this time and will be repaid in the future. I only have one request, and that is to suppress the riots in the shortest time possible." said Nicholas II.

If the riots are still not suppressed after spending so much money, then it will be really over. Even if the Russian government does not want to be overthrown, it may not be willing to admit Russia's defeat.

"Yes, Your Majesty," Sukhomlinov replied hastily.

Tsar Nicholas II was completely unaware of the existence of a budget shortfall and the need for additional funding. Furthermore, just as the legend goes that there are only zero and countless instances of domestic violence, if the Tsar took money from his own treasury once, there would be countless instances, and Nicholas II's money would flow out like a river.

"First, send some troops to the Siberian Governor-General's District and let Anuchin guard Irkutsk and other places. After we suppress the domestic riots and complete the preparations for the march, we will launch a counterattack against those yellow monkeys. In the future, we must completely defeat the yellow monkeys and avenge our previous shame." said Nicholas II.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Sukhomlinov couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. Nicholas II had given him ample time this time. He would carefully arrange matters, suppress the rebellion as quickly as possible, and then strive for victory over the Chinese. As the Russian Minister of War, being defeated by the Chinese was also a humiliation for him.

"As for the pressure exerted on us by the British and French, we must resist it. Even if they are unwilling to help us, we can still continue the war. The imperial territory must not be lost from our hands, and the empire must have an outlet to the Pacific Ocean." A hint of determination flashed in Nicholas II's eyes.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Foreign Minister Izvolsky nodded.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the Russian Empire has now reached its most critical moment. No matter what, we need to win this war, no matter how great the price. We must let the whole world know that the Russian Empire is still a powerful empire that will not tolerate any slights." said Nicholas II.

As the Emperor of the Russian Empire, Nicholas II knew that Russia was now rotten. During the war with Japan, the world powers generally began to look down on Russia and not take it seriously, which was unacceptable to Nicholas II. If Russia lost to the Chinese in this war, it would be a complete disgrace to Russia. Therefore, no matter how great the cost, Nicholas II hoped to win. The weak and decadent Russian Empire needed a victory to make the world realize its strength and boost national morale. It was like a dying tiger, but other beasts still dared not provoke it.

"Yes, Your Majesty! Long live the Russian Empire, long live the Tsar!"

The Russian ministers were inspired with confidence and courage by Nicholas II's call. As Russia's highest-ranking officials, their fate was naturally tied to that of Tsar Nicholas II, and they were unwilling to taste the bitter fruit of failure. Especially if they were defeated again and again. If they did, as decision-makers, they would lose face!

After Nicholas II made up his mind to continue the war, he immediately started using propaganda tools to publicize this sacred defensive war. He also fabricated stories, calling it a racial war between white people and yellow people. The Yellow Peril theory once again became popular, creating a frenzy of war throughout Russia, uniting the people who were unaware of the truth, and successfully diverting the people's conflicts and attention.

The Tsar even called on the people to "shed blood, sacrifice, love the country," "defend the motherland, defend Russia," and other slogans, creating a war atmosphere. He also shamelessly called on the revolutionaries to stop fighting among themselves and declare war on the yellow race. At the same time, he called on the striking workers to immediately end the strike and return to work for the sake of the motherland, the people, and victory in the war.

This propaganda by the Tsar and his ruling class was not without effect, accelerating the split within the Russian Revolutionary Party. Some revolutionaries advocated assisting the Tsar in dealing with the Chinese, while others, naturally, advocated taking advantage of the weakened Russian and Chinese armies to overthrow Tsarist Russia. The Russian ruling class seized upon this split and gradually dismantled the revolutionaries, which was undoubtedly bad news for the Forward Party.

To crush the uprising as quickly and thoroughly as possible, the Tsarist government quickly mobilized the army to brutally suppress the rallies. Using artillery and machine guns, the uprising was brutally crushed. Execution squads and military tribunals were dispatched across Russia to arrest and massacre revolutionary patriots, killing many innocent people. When warnings failed, the Imperial Guards opened fire on the demonstrators, leaving thousands dead in a pool of blood...

Tsar Nicholas II declared martial law, authorizing the military to enter cities affected by the unrest and arbitrarily arrest and punish troublemakers. National independence movements broke out in Poland, the Caucasus, Estonia, and Finland, and the Tsarist government sent troops to suppress them. Revolutionaries were brutally persecuted, with leading figures sentenced to death by hanging and core members exiled to Siberia for hard labor or permanent residency.

The Tsarist government promoted patriotism and the fight against the enemy while violently suppressing the revolution at home. This was highly effective, especially in an era of growing nationalism, when Russia's current ruling class had already promoted the war against China as a racial war. This indeed deceived many workers into returning to their jobs.

Given Russia's vast population, mobilizing another million troops would be easy. While Russia's industrial strength was weak, arming a million-man army wasn't a major problem. At best, they could equip these troops with fewer machine guns and artillery, ensuring that rifles were universally available.

However, Russia's war preparations were actually quite slow. The Trans-Siberian Railway was frequently damaged, and each time the railway was damaged, it would be closed for a period of time before it could be opened to traffic. Moreover, the administrative efficiency of the Russian bureaucracy was now that of a last dynasty, with problems such as low administrative efficiency and mutual buck-passing.

Although it was not difficult for Russia to recruit a million troops, it would take more than a month or two to train, equip, and equip officers. In fact, these newly formed troops were not used to attack the field army, but were first used to suppress the revolution.

Therefore, Russia actually gave the Forward Party and the Field Army enough time to carry out internal construction. When Russia wanted to go to war with the Field Army again, Russia had even less chance of winning.

While Zhang Feng was trying to persuade the besieged Russian army to surrender, Kyakhta had already been captured by the field cavalry troops that had been sent earlier. After Bolivar's defeat, Siberian Governor-General Anuchin had no time to send troops to defend these places before they were captured by the field cavalry.

After the field army defeated the enemy in Kulun, a large number of troops were immediately freed up. These troops could be immediately deployed to attack the already undermanned Siberia region. Anuchin, aware of the impending danger, implored Tsar Nicholas II to send more troops to Siberia, threatening the fall of all of Central Siberia. Anuchin also prepared to flee, ready to flee west or north if the situation became unsettled.

St. Petersburg had to cautiously withdraw Russian troops stationed in the west to Siberia, while ordering Governor-General Anuchin to hold on to the Irkutsk region. If Central Siberia fell, it would be hard to say when Russia would be able to strike back at China.

However, the purpose of the field army's expedition was not to occupy Russian territory, but to destroy Russia's infrastructure in Siberia. Therefore, a cavalry unit was sent across the Mongolian steppes, into Russian territory, and headed straight for Irkutsk, a major city in Central Siberia.

After Governor Anuchin fled, the field army quickly captured Irkutsk. They also destroyed as much of the railway embankment to the west and south of Irkutsk as possible, dismantling the rails and transporting them back to China to provide materials for the subsequent construction of the railway into Mongolia.

Without the ability to transport troops to the Irkutsk and Lake Baikal regions by rail, the pressure on the Russian field army was instantly reduced. The Trans-Siberian Railway, the world's highest-latitude railway, weaves through towering mountains and crosses numerous rivers. The Lake Baikal region, in particular, required numerous bridges to be built across the rivers. The field army simply destroyed these bridges, leaving Russia with no time to rebuild the railway without a year or two.

Even if the railway was completed, the field army could still dispatch troops to re-sever the railway if there were any signs of war. Therefore, as long as Mongolian territory remained part of China, the field army would always have a geographical advantage if a war broke out between the field army and Russia in Siberia. And using this period of time, the field army could effectively digest the territory in the Far East and east of the Lena River...

Chapter 690: The first major update!

After receiving Zhang Feng's victory telegram, Zhang Yinghao immediately sent a telegram to Zhang Feng, instructing him to contact the Fifth Field Army Military Commission immediately. He instructed Zhang Feng to immediately organize civilian workers and troops once the two armies joined forces, using the Chinese Eastern Railway and the East Siberian Railway to transport supplies and build the Northern Great Wall. He also instructed Zhang Feng to build the railway while simultaneously building the Northern Great Wall, extending the East Siberian Railway to Kulun.

Zhang Yinghao originally planned to build a railway from Shenyang or Changchun to Kulun, then extend it to Uliastai, with a branch line from Uliastai to Tannu Uriankhai Banner. The main line would then pass through Kobdo and continue to Urumqi or Yili. This would effectively solve the logistical problems of the army and the flow of people along the border, and stabilize China's northern and western Xinjiang regions.

However, now that there is a section of the Trans-Siberian Railway available, the time and distance for building the railway will undoubtedly be shortened a lot. Although in the future it will definitely be necessary to build another railway directly to Kulun in the Northeast or the capital, it is not necessary now. Connecting the Trans-Siberian Railway can fully guarantee the supply of materials to the troops in the northern border, and it has countless practical benefits.

For Zhang Yinghao, the victory achieved by Zhang Feng and his men was merely a temporary victory. The next priority was to quickly build a railway to Xinjiang, a prerequisite for advancing into Central Asia. Zhang Yinghao believed that as long as the PLA advanced into Central Asia and maintained territorial claims, a resurgence of confrontation with Russia in Central Asia was inevitable. Without a railway, the logistical pressure on the field army would be immense, a crushing burden weighing heavily on the PLA and potentially the key to its success or failure.

In fact, when Zhang Yinghao proposed using money to buy the railway, he was actually trying to make the land east of the Lena River Chinese property. Paying the money was a gesture of respect to the Russians. However, since the Russians disagreed with this proposal, Zhang Yinghao had no choice but to accept the offer. Since Russia insisted on fighting, the war must continue. This is a zero-sum game, which is why starting a war is easy but ending it is extremely difficult.

After receiving Zhang Yinghao's order, Zhang Feng immediately contacted Comrade Liu Wenxiu. After a brief exchange of telegrams, the two sides finalized a series of military operations. The best route for the two armies to converge was not through Mongolia into the Northeast, but rather via the Trans-Siberian Railway. If the People's Liberation Army captured this railway, the two major field armies would be connected by rail, their combined strength more than doubling.

After the two sides concluded their discussion, Zhang Feng immediately ordered the cavalry unit liberating Kyakhta to continue its offensive without waiting for the infantry to join them. The cavalry immediately split into two groups: one captured the undefended port of Baikal, while the other attacked and captured Udi-Bohin and Chukhu-Bohin in a surprise attack. The cavalry then advanced eastward along the railway, while the Fifth Field Army attacked westward. The two armies converged at Verkhny-Udinsk and, together, captured this crucial Russian Far Eastern city. Once this strategic objective was achieved, Russia would have virtually no significant cities east of Lake Baikal, effectively eliminating any organized Russian resistance east of the lake.

After receiving the telegram from Liu Wenxiu and Zhang Feng regarding their discussion, Zhang Yinghao was stunned. Then, suddenly, he came to his senses. War truly isn't a game; it won't unfold as planned. War has its own laws. While his previous assumptions about the war in the north weren't wrong, the more events unfolded, the more his assumptions and arrangements deviated from them, becoming less realistic and less in line with objective laws. Zhang Yinghao knew that if he didn't change his mind, he would be making a mistake.

Zhang Yinghao thought for a moment, then immediately replied to Liu Wenxiu's message, addressing the recorder: "Telegram to Comrades Zhang Feng and Liu Wenxiu. The cavalry units should not worry about their retreat when advancing eastward. There's no need to leave cavalry garrisons along the way, and there's no need to attack the castles, fortresses, and towns along the railway. After the combined forces capture Verkhovna Udinsk, the entire army will move westward to eliminate any remaining enemies. All armed resistance must be dealt with forcefully, aiming for complete annihilation. However, there's no need to pursue those who escape. However, attention must be paid to uniting the local population, distinguishing between Russians and locals, and treating them differently. We shouldn't strike them all the same. For the newly liberated areas, we must follow the successful experiences and policies of Mongolia and the southwestern ethnic minorities, integrating conscription, autonomy, and tax exemptions. We must win over the local population and stabilize the situation..."

Zhang Yinghao used multiple "musts" in the telegram, which showed the importance of the telegram and also showed Zhang Yinghao's nervousness and immense pressure. After stating the contents of the telegram and having the recorder read it once, he waved his hand to let the recorder send the telegram immediately.

Zhang Yinghao looked at the recorder's back and suddenly felt his legs weaken. But Zhang Yinghao didn't sit down to rest. Instead, he asked others not to disturb him. He then sat down in front of a large map and slowly closed his eyes, lost in thought, only occasionally opening them to glance at the map. No one knew what Zhang Yinghao was thinking about during this time, but it was only two hours later that he finally came out.