Travel through the Qing Dynasty and become emperor

Chapter 290 British Mediation

If the world is becoming more and more insane under the shadow of global war, the British and French are facing the craziest kind. The successive attacks of the German army on the Marne River have almost brought Britain People are crazy.If you want to keep Europe, you must win this battle. If it weren't for the participation of the three Russian divisions stationed in Europe, I am afraid that the Battle of the Marne would have ended in the failure of the British and French coalition forces.The British began to re-examine the role of the Russian army. I am afraid that the Slavs who defeated Napoleon were the only force that could save Europe. But what is worrying is that the powerful Russian army in the eyes of Europeans was defeated by the Chinese repeatedly. It failed miserably.The Sino-Russian War has made Nicholas II determined to transfer those European troops back to his home country, but in this way, the British and French allied forces will lose a strong support, whether they can really resist the rampage of German tanks.

The British believed that in order for the Russians to continue to retain their troops on the Western Front, they had to find a way to prevent the full expansion of the Sino-Russian war, so diplomatic mediation was imperative.

On the other hand, on the third day after the end of the Northwest War, Guan Xuqing ordered Zhang Zuolin's Far Eastern Frontier Army to be changed to the Imperial Army, which swept across the entire Siberia region from east to west, and Liu Jintang's Ili garrison was changed to the Western Army, and went north to St. Petersburg. And, change Zhang Yu's Mongolian cavalry into the central army, and attack the northwestern part of Russia, straight to Yekaterinburg.The total strength of the three-way army reached 50. As soon as the news came out, the whole of Russia was trembling.Not to mention, the 50 troops mobilized from several major military regions in the Northwest, Southwest and Southeast Asia, armed with the most advanced weapons and equipment made by China, are gathering at the Sino-Russian border. The war went smoothly, and the 50 southern troops immediately dispatched from the border areas to occupy major cities in various parts of Russia.

The world's major media have made numerous reports on the Sino-Russian war. At present, the European battlefield is no longer the focus of the world's attention. The annexation of a huge empire is something that no European power can even imagine. What we are doing is an impossible task. Regardless of the outcome of the war, it will definitely change the course of human history.Can Guan Xuqing become the next Genghis Khan?The whole world is watching with bated breath!

The battle preparation of Novosibirsk, an important Russian fortress, has finally been completed.More than 17 cannons and 23 cavalry artillery were transported by the rivers in this area, led by the tsar's uncle, Grand Duke Nikolaevich, and distributed in the line from Irkutsk to Novosibirsk. On the long front for more than a kilometer.In their south, the Central Army under Zhang Yu's full command includes [-] cavalry and infantry.Among them, [-] are the Mongolian cavalry regiment mainly composed of prairie wolves, and the rest of the troops include the standing army and artillery divisions that have been transferred from the Northwest Military Region.Zhang Yu is naturally not afraid. Compared with the Kulun Battle a few days ago, his numbers and equipment are superior, but for the sake of prudence, he invited the emperor and secretly dispatched a formation of reconnaissance airships from the northwest military base. , along the upper reaches of the Tuoselenge River, a slightly north-sloping east-west line of defense was built.

Zhang Yu immediately used the radio to ask Guan Xuqing if he could be the first to provoke.Guan Xuqing's reply was to keep calm, continue to observe, and wait for the opportunity to fight, but if he was absolutely sure, he could take the initiative to attack.The important thing is to fight the first battle well. Since China and Russia have declared war on each other, it would be foolish to leave room for their opponents.

In view of this, Zhang Yu held a military meeting with the generals under his command almost all night.With a distance of more than 200 kilometers from Irkutsk to Kizin, the opponent's cavalry brigade can rush straight in almost half a day. Kuzik is an east-west attack line sloping slightly to the south, but according to the observation on the second day, the focus is still on Novosibirsk, and Irkutsk is more like a logistic center.

The defense line of Ili is much simpler than that of the central battlefield. The Tianshan Mountains are to the south, and the Talbahatai Mountain and the Irtysh River are also [-] kilometers to the left in the north, but there are only two points to focus on. Ili And the Talbaha Terrace in the north, and the Jinghe Hall in the rear will be the focus of defense. Such a triangular distance is [-] kilometers to the left, which just happens to block the enemy's entry route into Xinjiang.And the enemy must overcome these two points before they dare to enter Xinjiang in a large scale, otherwise there will be a big desert not far ahead, and a bag of dumplings in the rear will be a deadly situation.

The Russian army on the opposite side of the western front was transferred directly from the front line of Ottoman Turkey. Although they have experience in combat, they have worked hard all the way. They originally expected to go back to their hometown to recuperate. Suddenly, there was an order to travel directly from Turkey to China. , Under the command of Marshal Ivanov, a [-] army built a base camp in the lower reaches of the Ili River, connected to Issyk-Kul Lake in the south. On a vast land, more than [-] troops camped here.

The main force of China's Western Expeditionary Army includes Liu Jintang's four main divisions, 2 to 5 field troops under the command of Yili General Chang Qing, some of them from Gansu, Shaanxi, and Sichuan provinces, [-] from Shanxi, and [-] from Liaodong. [-] people.During the period when the armies of the two sides were confronting each other, Liu Jintang was busy setting up these troops, adapting to the local climate, and taking a full rest in preparation for going north at any time.Although the army in his hands is relatively complex, its combat capability and style are by no means inferior to the standing army.

At this time, British envoys were desperately mediating between Beijing and St. Petersburg.But Nicholas II made up his mind to use the sharp sword of the empire to teach the Chinese a lesson, otherwise the empire will lose face and never lift its head.Unexpectedly, China, which was on the favorable side, first accepted the British proposal for peace talks, and Guan Xuqing's calculations were very shrewd.For Guan Xuqing, whether to fight now or not to fight is beneficial to the empire.After the previous major battles, all the elite Russian troops were defeated and wiped out by the Chinese. Regarding the 200 million mercenaries in Russia, Guan Xuqing was absolutely sure that he could defeat them.If there is a truce and peace talks now, Guan Xuqing, relying on the Eastern Expeditionary Army stationed in the hinterland of East Siberia, has the capital to put forward any conditions to the Russians, even if the conditions are harsh.What's more, Guan Xuqing is also worried that if the Russians are defeated in the future, Russia may fall into a big collapse. The resulting red revolution and the consequences of the revolution are still unknown to my country.No one wants to be a lifelong enemy with such a country.In fact, Guan Xuqing is like a mirror in his heart. The mediation of the British is doomed to be in vain. China and Russia are now like two bows and arrows that are fully drawn. They will be launched at any time, and no one can stop them.But Guan Xuqing accepted the British proposal for peace talks, gave the British enough face, made a high profile to the world, sent a positive signal that China is a peace-loving country, and thus took the lead in front of world public opinion.

Of course, there is also the great uncle of the Chinese emperor, Wilhelm II, who made Nicholas II feel a little fear in addition to hatred. Who can be sure that the Germans will not launch a fatal attack on the core of the empire from Europe?At that time, facing the dilemma of the East and the West at the same time, how should this empire deal with itself?From this point of view, the peace talks are in the interests of Russia. Although the navy has lost face in East Asia, the foundation is still there, and more than half of the bargaining chips are left in their hands. If there is no peace talk, no one dares to imagine that Whether more than half of the ships whose damage is close to being scrapped can escape the murderous Far East waters.For this reason, Nicholas II really wavered for a few days.

The British envoy confidently declared that as long as the Tsar was willing to negotiate peace, the Chinese army would withdraw from East Siberia, and the British Empire would also be responsible for ensuring the safety of the Baltic Fleet.To tell the truth, the Tsar was very suspicious of the British being good on both sides.

Facing the expectant eyes of the British, the Tsar was vacillating violently between talking or not, and between war and war.This is not only a matter of face and practical considerations, but also a matter of imperial interests.For many years, Russia has been looking for a direction to release its huge energy, Europe, the Balkans, the Black Sea, Central Asia, and the Far East.The Empire has tried every direction except the frozen seas of the north and the Arctic.But every time the result is failure.If this war with the Chinese still fails to achieve a breakthrough, the various contradictions that have been highlighted in the country are likely to overthrow the foundation of the empire.Of course, war is no different from gambling.It is possible to win a big ticket, or it is possible to lose the rest of the chips.

After studying for a few days, the Tsar flatly rejected the British request, which made the British extremely displeased.

"Your Majesty, we hope that you will seriously consider the fate of the Baltic Fleet." British special envoy Matt Wimson reminded Nicholas II in a slightly threatening tone.

The tsar's angry roar made him tremble with fear: "Does the empire's fleet need the protection of your country to feel safe! You are not welcome here! You are not welcome in my empire!"

In this way, Matt Wimson was expelled from Russia. In a telegram to the country, he expressed his anger like this: "The Tsar is intoxicated by a kind of inexplicable self-indulgence. Besides, there is something else that can calm him down."

After the mediation failed, the British notified Beijing of the news by telegram at the first time. The British mediation gave the Chinese frontline troops precious time to prepare for the war. 50 southern troops arrived at the Sino-Russian border one after another. The materials were sent to the front line like an assembly line.

"The Russians are playing with fire." This is what Guan Xuqing involuntarily said from his heart.

(End of this chapter)