The Imperial Age with the Resurgence of Han Style

Chapter 409 The dangerous move of the army
"…On New Year's Eve, the Marathas divided their troops into three groups and suddenly launched a full-scale attack on our Guangwei Governorate. The attack was fierce and the overall situation was not optimistic."

"…In the north, the Marathas used Nashik as their starting point to attack our northeastern region of Guangwei. The total number of troops was about 30,000. After taking down two outposts, they are currently attacking Danxi Fort (now Igadpuri Town, more than 60 kilometers east of Mumbai)."

"…In the middle, the Marathas used their old capital Pune as their base and launched a fierce attack from the southeast. The total number of troops was over 50,000, including their most elite new firearms troops. After capturing Nanhu Fort, they quickly rushed to Pingshan in an effort to seize the large amount of supplies waiting to be transported by train."

"…In the south, the Marathas used Hubli as their forward base and attacked Suzhou (now Goa, India) from the southeast, with a force of about 30,000. Since there were not many troops stationed there and the defense area was too large, in order to preserve their manpower, Lieutenant Zhang, commander of the 15th Mixed Brigade of the Qi-Indian Army, abandoned all the outlying strongholds and prepared to defend the two towns of Rongyang (now Panaji, the capital of Goa, India) and Daping (now Margao, Goa), waiting for our army's follow-up rescue."

"…In general, the Maratha's combat intention was very clear, that is, to attack Suzhou from the south to contain the reinforcements that the Kingdom of Cochin might send, and to concentrate more than 70,000 troops from the north and the center to attack the key defense strongholds of our Guangwei. Finally, they would meet at the foot of Xunyang (now New Mumbai District) and encircle and annihilate the main force of our Guangwei garrison."

“If the Marathas annihilate the main force of our army and successfully capture all the land towns and military strongholds, it is possible that they will collect a large number of ships and rafts, cross the narrow Shanghai waterway, attack Siping (now Tana City) and Shanghai, and complete their predetermined combat goal - occupy the entire Guangwei Governorate.”

After reporting the combat intelligence gathered in recent days, Hu Weizhen, deputy chief of staff of the Guangwei Garrison Army and lieutenant (colonel) of Zhaoxin, nodded slightly to the many officers present, then turned to look at the temporary commander Li Yanliang, waiting for him to give a speech on the current war.

None of the officers present had expected that the Marathas would actually attack!

The war instincts of this (temporary) commander-in-chief are simply divine.

More than a month ago, based on the commander's "intuition", the Guangwei Garrison and the Black Guards began to continuously send spies and secret agents into the Maratha Empire to investigate whether the other side was preparing for war against Qi.

After intensive investigation and through the various actions and military deployments of the Marathas, the garrison staff soon came to a shocking conclusion.

The Marathas were indeed preparing for a war, and all signs indicated that their target was the Qi-Shu Guangwei Governorate.

Many supplies such as grain, cotton cloth, sugar, saltpeter, medicinal materials, ironware, etc. were constantly gathered in Pune, Nashik, Hubli and other important military towns close to the border of Qi State.

Similarly, the Maratha army also continued to gather towards the above-mentioned areas in various secret ways.

In addition, the Marathas were also conducting secret negotiations with the Kingdom of Hyderabad, preparing to make greater concessions in exchange for the other side's cessation of hostilities, thus ending the years-long armed conflict between the two sides.

Although it is still uncertain when the Marathas will launch a military invasion, it can be predicted that with their absolute advantage in military strength, the scale of the attack will be very large and the area involved will be very vast.

Under this situation, the Guangwei Governor-General's District immediately declared a level one state of combat readiness and began preliminary mobilization of residents within its jurisdiction.

At the same time, the Guangwei Garrison informed the Governor-General's District of Mozhou, the Kingdom of Cochin, the Bengal Garrison and the Tianjin Garrison of the emergency situation here through telegrams, hoping to obtain the necessary military support.

However, the situation is not optimistic.

More than 30,000 garrison troops in the north of Qi State have been caught up in the armed conflict between the Rajput Kingdom and the Sikh Kingdom, while the Cochin Kingdom has entered a military standoff with the Mysore Kingdom and is unable to extricate itself for the time being.

As for Bengal, the struggle for the right to rule the area among several powerful factions has entered a stalemate, with them attacking and killing each other. The Bangladesh garrison needs to pay close attention to the evolution and development of the situation and cannot be distracted for a moment.

In other words, in the face of a possible massive attack by the Marathas, the Guangwei Governorate and local garrison troops could only rely on existing forces to barely maintain the situation and try not to let the situation deteriorate further.

Once disputes in other parts of India have gradually subsided, reinforcements from all over will be quickly dispatched to teach the overconfident Maratha Empire a severe lesson.

Therefore, under this situation, the Guangwei Governor-General's District could only expand the scope and carry out regional mobilization again, conscripting a large number of militiamen and coolies, and urgently repairing and strengthening the defense facilities of important towns and military fortresses. Various war materials were also continuously transported to various frontier strongholds by ships, railways and pack horses.

After consulting the Indian Garrison Headquarters, Li Yanliang issued an emergency conscription order, temporarily recruiting 2,000 local natives to supplement the Indian Army, which was seriously understaffed due to two transfers. He also instructed the officers of the Training Department to intensify their training day and night in order to form combat effectiveness in the shortest time possible.

He did not expect these thousands of newly recruited indigenous vassal troops to defeat the invading Maratha army head-on, but at least they could serve as guard forces and strengthen their own defenses.

After making all preparations for the battle, everyone was quietly waiting for the arrival of the Marathas.

Then, the winter solstice passed and the Marathas did not come.

Laba passed, and Maratha did not come.

We waited until New Year's Eve and finally they came.

On this day, the Marathas finally came to the Qi people in anticipation. They launched a large-scale military attack on the most important traditional festival of the Qi people.

Moreover, it was a large-scale operation. The battle lines in the north, middle and south stretched for more than 300 kilometers, with an army of more than 100,000 people, who came in an overwhelming manner.

Faced with such a large-scale attack by the Marathas, the local garrison troops were shocked but also relieved.

Damn it, we're not afraid of you attacking us, we're just afraid that you'll just stand there and hesitate, making us worry the whole time.

Now that the Marathas were attacking, naturally their hearts were put back in place.

Although our Guangwei garrison troops are not numerous, they are more than capable of guarding several important cities and military fortresses, so there is nothing to worry about.

Seeing that all the officers were looking at him, Li Yanliang calmed down a little and said calmly: "The Marathas' fierce offensive and huge military force may have made us feel a little invisible pressure. As Captain Hu said, the Marathas are very determined to fight, and their appetite is naturally very big, that is, to use their absolute superior force to drive us into the sea and then occupy Guangwei. If we are not careful in this battle, we may suffer the biggest defeat since the colonization of India by Da Qi, humiliating the dignity of the empire and losing the face of the army. Everyone, tell me, how should we respond next to protect the safety of Guangwei, defeat the attack of the Marathas, and show the power of Da Qi."

"Commander, we don't actually have much tricks to deal with the Maratha offensive. We can just fight them with our soldiers and block them with earth. Our Guangwei garrison has few troops and is not strong enough to launch a large-scale counterattack. We should use the current fortresses and dangerous passes to block them layer by layer and consume the Maratha's strength. After the reinforcements from various places arrive, we will counterattack, kill our way into the Maratha territory, seize its capital, and destroy its country." Huang Yi, commander of the 5th Mixed Regiment of the garrison army and Linghui Lieutenant (Lieutenant Colonel), said in a deep voice.

Damn, the Maratha attack was actually predicted correctly by this commander. My initial doubts about him really made me lose face.

Well, I'll just listen to his instructions this time.

"Captain Huang is right. After careful discussion and calculation, our staff also tends to adopt a strategy of conservative defense and timely counterattack." Hu Weizheng saw Li Yanliang looking at him, so he said, "According to the sand table simulation, if the Marathas attack at all costs, our fortresses and strongholds outside Guangwei may not be able to be preserved. The worst situation is that in two to three months, the Marathas will advance to Xunyang (now New Mumbai District), Guangjin (now Kalyan City), Shaping (now Bhiwandi City) and other places. At that time, we will concentrate all our limited forces in these cities and defend them. With sufficient supplies and naval support, we will be able to stop the Marathas and wait for the arrival of reinforcements."

"That's right. Under this situation, we have to defend the core area of ​​Guangwei first before we can plan for other things."

"The Marathas attacked Guangwei this time, sending out an army of more than 100,000. It can be said that they mobilized all the troops in the country. They want to achieve their goal in one battle and take down the Governorate of Guangwei. We have few troops, so we can only defend first, defend layer by layer, resist gradually, and consume their strength before we deal with them."

"…The two defense plans drawn up by the commander a few months ago are the most appropriate countermeasures. After making some minor modifications and additions to the current situation, we can just follow them and execute them."

"..."

Many officers suggested that with the existing strength of the garrison troops, they could not confront the Marathas head-on. In order to stretch the enemy's supply line, they might as well gradually abandon all the outer strongholds after a brief resistance and killing a large number of enemy troops, and defend the core key cities such as Xunyang and Guangjin and hold on until help is received.

"Everyone, I'm wondering how the Maratha Emperor Bajirao I and his generals would predict our garrison's response strategy and military deployment." After everyone had expressed their opinions, the hall gradually quieted down. Li Yanliang walked gently to the wall, looked at the hanging map, and said slowly: "If I were Bajirao I, I would be very proud at this time, leading more than 100,000 troops under my command, and finally invaded the territory of the Qi people. With such a strong military force, the very weak Qi people could only shrink in a few solid city fortresses, trembling under the powerful Maratha artillery bombardment, waiting for the final judgment of their fate."

"Under this situation, the Marathas can go all out, even mobilize the whole country, to launch round after round of fierce attacks on our Guangwei Governorate. As for the casualties of the soldiers, they may not consider it. Because as long as they defeat our Qi State, capture the entire Guangwei Governorate, and seize a large amount of supplies and weapons here, they can recruit more troops and expand a larger force. After all, the Marathas control a population of more than 20 million and have enough reserve troops. Moreover, if they defeat our Qi State, the prestige of the Marathas will rise to a whole new height, and those local princes and governors who are wavering and indecisive will once again submit to the Marathas, thereby further strengthening their strength."

"Commander, what you mean is..." Hu Weizheng heard something strange in his words.

"Yes, what I mean is that the Marathas are attacking our Guangwei Governorate with overwhelming force. They will definitely use all their strength and not give me any breathing space. Then, will their rear become very empty, or even have few troops stationed for defense?" Li Yanliang's eyes were burning, and he licked his lips subconsciously. "In this case, why don't we organize a surprise force to attack the Marathas' rear, turn it upside down, and shake the foundation of their rule. According to the intelligence data of the Black Guards, the Marathas are not united. If we attack their hinterland, will those many opposing forces change their positions and follow us to overthrow the rule of Bajirao I? Even if we don't find partners, then when the Maratha army hears that there is an imperial army in the rear that is attacking cities and occupying their homes, will it shake their confidence in continuing to fight?"

"Commander..." Everyone was startled after hearing this, and then looked at each other hesitantly. Someone said in surprise: "Commander, isn't this a bit risky?"

"It's a bit risky, but I think it's worth a try." Li Yanliang nodded and said, "In this way, we can take the initiative in the war into our own hands, instead of just passively defending and waiting."

"Commander..." Hu Weizhen lowered his head and thought for a moment, then looked at Li Yanliang steadily. "In fact, a tactical staff officer in our staff department also formulated a counterattack plan more than ten days ago. Its ideas and strategies are almost the same as the commander's. However, this radical plan was opposed by many colleagues, who thought it was too risky and insecure, so it had to be shelved."

"Oh, really?" Li Yanliang raised his eyebrows when he heard this. "Then, Captain Hu, do you think that battle plan is feasible?"

"..." Hu Weizheng hesitated for a moment and nodded gently, "This plan... is feasible, but it involves great risks."

"War is always risky." After Li Yanliang was recognized by Hu Weizhen, he became more determined to fight back.

“Sometimes, the greater the risk, the greater the reward!”

(End of this chapter)