The Qing Dynasty

Chapter 454: Serious Military Situation
Later, after the generals reported on their respective troops’ preparations for battle, Teng Yuzao spoke.

"You already know our own situation. Now let the Chief of Staff tell you about the situation of the coalition forces."

Although the generals present, including Zhou Fu and Shen Jiaben, already knew that the coalition forces were massively increasing their troops, they still pricked up their ears for fear of missing any information. After all, this was the only time in more than 200 years since the founding of the Qing Dynasty that a foreign race had invaded on a large scale.

You know, the scale of this allied invasion far exceeded the strength of the Japanese army that invaded Liaodong during the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895.

Wei Jinghai walked to the wall behind Teng Yuzhao. There was a curtain hanging on the wall. When Wei Jinghai walked over, a staff officer rushed over a few steps, reached out and pulled open the curtain, revealing a huge map hanging on the wall.

This map of Luzhou and surrounding areas was completed by the staff of the General Staff Office and the students of the camp school over a period of more than two months.

Wei Jinghai took a thin wooden stick from the staff officer and said.

"Since the last battle at Juma River, the foreign devils have started to gradually increase their troops. Up to now, in the past four months, the number of troops that the foreign devils have landed in Tianjin has reached nearly 650,000. Including the foreign devils that were already in the capital area, the total number of foreign devils is now close to 700,000."

"Among them, the Russians urgently sent about 200,000 troops from the country, some to supplement the number of troops stationed outside the Great Wall, and the rest to Tianjin by sea and land. Their troops in Zhili reached about 200,000."

"On the one hand, the Japanese replenished the severely damaged 4th, 5th and 9th divisions in Zhili, and on the other hand, they began to expand their standing army in China, sending the 8th and 11th divisions and a heavy artillery regiment to Zhili. Their total strength in Zhili also increased to about 150,000."

"The British army had already won the Boer War, so they also transferred two divisions of troops from southern Africa, and an unknown number of British Indian troops. It is roughly estimated that their total force in Zhili reached about 80,000."

"Germany and France each dispatched three divisions from their own countries to land in Tianjin. The total strength of the German army has reached five divisions, with a total strength of nearly 100,000 troops. The French also dispatched six regiments and a marine corps from their colonies in Asia, with a total strength of about 120,000."

"The Americans have increased their strength by two regiments."

"Italy added one regiment, and Austria-Hungary added nearly 10,000 troops, making the size of the army around two regiments."

"At present, the foreign devils have a total of about 680,000 to 700,000 troops in Zhili."

"It is estimated that the foreign devils suffered a lot of losses from our heavy machine guns. These newly added foreign devil troops have generally increased the number of heavy machine guns in each unit. According to reconnaissance, their heavy machine guns in one regiment are estimated to be between ten and twelve, and there are hundreds of artillery pieces, including a large number of large-caliber artillery pieces."

Wei Jinghai took a deep breath and continued.

"Since the end of last year, that is, after the foreign devils had celebrated their festival, they have already started to take action. At present, in addition to occupying important towns along the route from Tianjin to Beijing and Langfang, Anping, etc."

"They went all the way south, not only reoccupying Baoding, the capital of Zhili, but also continuing southward, occupying Wangdu, Dingzhou, Huolu, Yuanshi, Gaoyi, Lincheng, Neiqiu, Shunde, Yongnian, Wu'an, and other places. The vanguard troops even entered Cizhou and Tangyin in northern Henan."

"Although the foreign devils have troops stationed in every county along the line from Tianjin to the southernmost Tangyin, their main forces are concentrated in Yongnian, Cizhou, and Tangyin, which are close to Luzhou. In Yongnian, there are 150,000 Russian troops led by Lieutenant General Lenavich, and in Cizhou, the commander of the Japanese 8th Division, Naofumi Tachimi, serves as the temporary commander, commanding all five divisions of the Japanese army."

"The largest number of foreign devils are in Tangyin, with British Lieutenant General Gasley as commander, commanding the British, French and German coalition forces, with a strength of about 250,000." "In addition, the German and French coalition forces of more than 20,000 people are stationed in Huolu."

Wei Jinghai used the stick in his hand to draw across Huolu, Yongnian, Cizhou, and Tangyin on the map. "From north to south, these four regions are all facing the main roads into Shanxi. The German-French coalition forces in Huolu are attacking the troops defending Niangzi Pass, led by the Wuwei Left Army. If Niangzi Pass is broken, these foreign devils can almost march straight into Taiyuan Prefecture."

"The foreign devils from Yongnian, Cizhou, and Tangyin, with a total force of 550,000, are obviously coming for our Luzhou Prefecture. According to the estimation of our General Staff, the purpose of these three foreign devils is the same, which is to use superior forces to besiege us from three directions, so that we will lose sight of one thing while focusing on another, and thus destroy our vanguard army."

"The General Staff estimated that the Russian troops in Yongnian would attack Luzhou Prefecture via Shexian and Licheng."

"The Japanese troops in Cizhou probably attacked along the line of Hezhang, Shicheng, and Beidanche, and entered Luzhou Prefecture via Huangniuti."

"The British, German and French coalition forces in Tangyin should be trying to reach Lingchuan via Miaokou, Linqi, Nanzhai and Liuquan, or attack the plain area of ​​Luzhou Prefecture via Dongyao, Hejian and Pingcheng. Alternatively, the three-nation coalition forces in Tangyin will split into two groups and launch attacks along the above two routes at the same time."

Although the people present had already learned the general situation of Luzhou Prefecture under siege by the coalition forces, their faces turned solemn when they heard Wei Jinghai pointing on the map and analyzing the situation.

Even Liu Shijiu, who has always been warlike, is the same.

Teng Yuzao saw the expressions of everyone in the conference room.

Teng Yuzhao did not feel the slightest bit dissatisfied or unhappy with these generals and the solemn expressions of the two civil servants, Zhou Fu and Shen Jiaben.

With the enemy troops approaching, not to mention these people, even the powerful officials of the court headed by Cixi who were hiding in the back had already been frightened. Many powerful officials in the court had begun to plot to instigate Cixi to negotiate peace with the foreigners as soon as possible. Some people had already publicly suggested that the court should ask Li Hongzhang to go north as soon as possible. Teng Yuzhao also received a telegram from Li Hongzhang and Zhang Zhidong asking whether the vanguard army could resist the coalition forces.

The telegrams from these two court ministers, who were considered the wisest, were filled with deep worries.

Zai Yi, who was still in charge of the Grand Council, and even Cixi and Ronglu personally sent people to ask Teng Yuzhao in person whether he was confident of keeping the hundreds of thousands of coalition troops outside the mountain.

The content of these people's inquiries was surprisingly consistent. No one asked Teng Yuzao whether he could win the battle. They all asked Teng Yuzao a question: whether the vanguard army could rely on the advantage of geographical location to barely stop the coalition forces, and whether the vanguard army could still hold on.

Although Cixi had telegraphed Li Hongzhang, the Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi, to rush north after being repeatedly comforted by Teng Yuzhao, she also telegraphed Zhang Zhidong, asking Li Hongzhang, who had already set out for the north, to stay in Wuchang for the time being and wait for orders.

But Cixi and the powerful ministers in the court still did not dare to stay in Shanxi. Last night, Teng Yuzhao had received Cixi's imperial edict and Zai Yi's letter. They told Teng Yuzhao that the court and Cixi would rush to Xi'an today and stay in Xi'an.

What Cixi said in her imperial edict was quite grand. She said that in order to allow Teng Yuzhao to focus on fighting the enemy, she would move to Shaanxi that day.

At the same time, Kato Yuzao was appointed as the Grand Secretary of the Tiren Pavilion, and was in charge of the military affairs of the two provinces of Zhishan. He could control all officials below the governor, and those below the third rank could execute first and report later.
(End of this chapter)