Anti-Qing: Starting from the Jintian Uprising

Chapter 448: Declare war on the Russian Empire! (6K)

How does the saying go, the enemy of my enemy is my friend.

Although there are some frictions between the Tang Dynasty and Tsarist Russia today.

But these are minor issues.

As long as the Tang Dynasty fights Britain, we will all be good friends.

However, just when Gorchakov and Nikolai were feeling happy, a copy of the latest issue of the Tang Daily was delivered to their desks.

"Your Excellency the Ambassador, Your Excellency the Minister, this is the latest issue of the Tang Daily!"

"I think you need to take a look!"

Gorchakov's secretary spoke up.

Gorchakov had a bad feeling when he heard this, but he still took the newspaper and started reading it.

In this latest issue of the Tang Daily, the title on the cover page contains some shocking large characters.

[The Khan's personal account of the rain, snow, wind and frost in the northern desert]

In this article, not only are several khans of the Mobei tribes talking about the harsh living environment in Mobei, but more importantly, it is elaborating on the encroachment and invasion of Mobei by Tsarist Russia, as well as the sacrifices and efforts made by the Mobei tribes to resist the invasion.

The rain, snow, wind and frost here speak more of the survival hardships brought to them by the invaders rather than the harshness of the natural environment.

Reading this article, Gorchakov couldn't help but frown and had a bad feeling in his heart.

Isn't the Tang Dynasty planning to attack Lake Baikal at the same time as attacking Malacca?
This is not good news...

Now Tsarist Russia does not have many troops stationed along Lake Baikal!
Thinking of this, Gorchakov's face couldn't help but darken.

Because he knew that this newspaper article was clearly laying the groundwork for war.

You know, not long ago, the Tang Dynasty had just published an article in bold and black at the top of its newspaper accusing Britain of its dirty opium trade.

Shortly after the newspaper made its accusation, the Tang Dynasty declared war on Britain.

But now they are accusing Tsarist Russia of invading Mobei in the newspapers...

How could Gorchakov not feel scared when he saw this familiar process?
Taking a deep breath, Gorchakov closed the newspaper in his hand, his face solemn.

"Your Excellency Ambassador, what should we do next?"

Nicholas on the side was also a little panicked and couldn't help but ask.

Gorchakov took a deep breath and then spoke.

"Immediately send someone to deliver a message to Lake Baikal, asking them to prepare to meet the enemy..."

Unlike Crimea, which was right under the nose of Tsarist Russia and easy to increase troops, Lake Baikal was really far away.

Even if Tsarist Russia received the news that the Tang Dynasty was going to send troops to Lake Baikal, it would not be able to send reinforcements to Lake Baikal in a short period of time.

It can even be said that Tsarist Russia, which had just conquered Crimea, had no strength to fight another battle with the Tang Dynasty at Lake Baikal.

Therefore, all Gorchakov can do now is to give a reminder to Lake Baikal.

Get them ready for battle!

There is no other way!
Thinking of this, Gorchakov couldn't help but let out a breath.

"China is a sleeping lion. Once it wakes up, it will shock the world..."

"Napoleon is worthy of being the most far-sighted politician and military strategist in Europe. His vision is really sharp."

"Isn't China today shocking the world?"

At the same time, they declared war on Britain and Tsarist Russia, even though Britain and Tsarist Russia were now in a state of great remnant after having just fought the Crimean War.

Such things still shock the world!

Minister Nicholas on the side couldn't help but speak.

"Damn the British. If they hadn't launched the Opium War 20 years ago and awakened this sleeping lion, how could we be facing such a situation now?!"

Gorchakov said with a complicated expression.

"Twenty years ago, the British defeated the Qing Dynasty, a regional power in the Far East, through the Opium War, defeated the last enemy on their way to world hegemony, and established their position as the world hegemon."

"Twenty years later, the Qing Dynasty was destroyed, but the Tang Dynasty that replaced it took the initiative to launch the Second Opium War against Britain, preparing to overthrow Britain from its position as the world hegemon, revive its own glory, and return to the position it should have been in."

"Haha, this is really retribution!"

"Let us wish our British friends good luck!"

Nicholas opened his mouth, but nothing came out.

Now they can only comfort themselves in this way.

……

Forbidden City, Zhonghua Gate!
This place was called Daqing Gate during the Qing Dynasty. After Li Yi recovered the capital, he ordered it to be renamed Zhonghua Gate.

Chechen Khan and several others walked to the outside of Zhonghua Gate under the scorching sun. They looked at each other and knelt in front of Zhonghua Gate in full view of everyone.

Then he spoke.

"The cold weather in the northern desert has caused the Russians to invade and plunder our borders, killing our people. We, the border people, have been harassed many times, with many casualties. I ask His Majesty the Emperor to uphold justice for us Mongols."

Several people shouted in unison, and then knelt together outside Zhonghua Gate, waiting for someone inside to come out and respond.

Behind them were the servants they brought from Mobei.

These servants also knelt down and kept shouting.

Request the imperial court to send troops to attack Tsarist Russia and seek justice for the Mongols!
It is obvious that the Tang Dynasty was also laying the groundwork for public opinion to go to war with Tsarist Russia.

Li Yi needed to use public opinion to stir up the anger of the Tang people towards Tsarist Russia, and then he could naturally launch military operations against the North Sea and recapture it.

Just as Chechen Khan and others were asking the court to seek justice, a eunuch walked out of the Forbidden City and came before Chechen Khan and others.

"Your Majesty has issued an order that the Mongolian people are also the people of our Great Tang. The court will never sit idly by and watch the Mongols being invaded and massacred by Tsarist Russia."

"Please go back first, all the Khans!"

"I believe the court will give you an answer!"

However, Chechen Khan and others remained unmoved by the eunuch's statement.

Chechen Khan and others spoke up one after another.

"Your Majesty, please give us justice!"

"We won't get up unless His Majesty the Emperor agrees."

"If your majesty doesn't agree, we will kneel and die here. The people of our tribe cannot die in vain..."

……

The farce outside Zhonghua Gate soon spread throughout the capital.

It caused a huge uproar inside and outside the capital!

Some students were even organized to demonstrate outside the Russian embassy.

"Invaders, get back!"

"Long live the Tang Dynasty! Punish the invaders and protect our borders!"

"Beihai is my Han territory. It is our duty to recover Beihai..."

The students were young and passionate, and at the slightest encouragement they came to the outside of the Tsarist Russian Embassy to vent their anger.

Of course, this is also because the imperial court needs them to organize parades to further agitate public opinion.

Otherwise, the students would have just gathered together when the suppression army arrived.

Gorchakov stood by the window, looking at the noisy crowd outside the embassy, ​​his face looking very grim.

He couldn't help but let out a breath.

"Oh, it seems that the Tang people are really determined to launch an attack on Lake Baikal."

"But do they really have the energy to mobilize troops against Lake Baikal?"

As far as Gorchakov knew, a rebellion had just broken out in Guangnan Province of the Tang Dynasty.

The Tang army has sent troops to quell the rebellion!

We need to suppress the rebellion in Guangnan, attack Malacca, and simultaneously send troops to Lake Baikal...

With troops deployed in three directions at the same time, Gorchakov couldn't help but wonder who the hell was the more fighting nation among them, Tsarist Russia, and the Tang Dynasty!
Well, the reason why Li Yi could use his troops in this way was actually because the Tang Dynasty was only established a short time ago.

To put it simply, under the inertia of terror, the entire country has not yet completely escaped from the state of wartime economy.

In other words, everyone has a strong tolerance for war, and the cost of launching a war is not high.

In addition, the Tang army has won almost every war over the years, bringing development dividends to the country.

And the winners are never blamed.

Therefore, Li Yi was able to launch three wars at the same time without any scruples.

Just as Gorchakov was thinking, Nikolai walked in from outside.

"Your Excellency the Ambassador, this is an official document from the Tang Kingdom's Ministry of Foreign Affairs!"

As he spoke, Nicholas handed a document to Gorchakov.

This official document begins with a line of text.

【Declare war on the Russian Empire! 】

Gorchakov took the declaration of war and couldn't help but smile bitterly.

"It seems that this war is ultimately unavoidable!"

……

With the Tang Dynasty issuing a declaration of war against Tsarist Russia!

The war has begun!

Feng Zicai and Zhang Lexing, who were on the front line in Kulun, were the first to receive the telegram from the capital.

They immediately ordered the army to prepare for war, and as soon as the next batch of supplies arrived, they sent troops north.

"Where is our next batch of supplies?"

Feng Zicai walked in the military camp to inspect. Seeing the soldiers holding their heads high and their fighting spirit surging, he could not help but nod slightly.

Zhang Lexing on the side also withdrew his gaze and spoke.

"Commander, the next batch of supplies for our army has been delivered to Kuleng Lake two days ago. The supplies should have been delivered to Zhongqian Banner today."

"It's not far from Chechen Khan Banner. I believe it will reach Kulun in three to five days at most."

After hearing this, Feng Zicai nodded.

It is worth mentioning that the Tang army now transports food and logistics to Kulun not by land from the south to the north of the desert, but by water.

Well, although Mobei looks desolate, in people’s traditional perception, Mobei is a desert.

But supplies can still be transported here by water.

The specific route is as follows: the supplies depart from Tianjin Port, bypass the Liaodong Peninsula, the Korean Peninsula, pass through the Tsushima Strait, to the Sea of ​​Japan, and then reach Miaojie at the mouth of the Heilongjiang River.

Afterwards, the supplies can be transported westward along the Heilongjiang River, through the Ergun River, Kulen Lake, and the Kerulen River, to reach the Chechen Khan Banner east of Kulun.

The Chechen Khan Banner is not far from Kulun!
It doesn’t take long to travel by land!
Alternatively, you can also take the Liaohe River system, turn to the Songhua River, the Kerulen River and then head west to reach Chechen Khan Banner.

Although it is indeed a bit roundabout, it is still cheaper than conscripting hundreds of thousands of laborers to transport supplies across thousands of miles across the entire desert.

There is no doubt that water transportation is always the lowest cost and most efficient mode of transportation.

Even railways cannot compete with water transportation in terms of cost.

Moreover, sending troops from Kulun to the North Sea can also be done by water.

Starting from Kulun, you can take the Khara River, turn to the Orkun River, and then go directly downstream through the Selenge River and directly into the North Sea.

Therefore, the cost of the Tang army's Northern Expedition was actually far less high than imagined.

Water transportation spreads out most of the transportation costs.

After deducting the transportation costs, the remaining costs are completely acceptable.

The same was true when the Tang Dynasty suppressed the rebellion in Guangnan and sent troops to Malacca. Whether transporting troops to Malacca or Guangnan, they were all transported by sea.

Shipping by sea spreads out most of the costs.

Feng Zicai spoke after hearing this.

"That's good!"

"This damn place called Mobei is only warm for a few days in a year."

"If the supplies don't arrive soon, our Northern Expedition will have to be postponed until next year after winter."

The saying "Snow falls in the eighth month in Hu" refers to the area called Mobei.

The temperature in Mobei started to drop in August and September, and it even snowed, and now it is already July.

In other words, the strategic window period left for the Tang army to launch the Northern Expedition was short. If the Tang army could not launch the Northern Expedition as soon as possible, it would be impossible to fight when the weather turned cold in autumn.

Well, most of the Tang army’s troops in this Northern Expedition came from the north.

But most of them came from North China or Guanzhong, and at most there were a few Mongolian guides in the army.

They are indeed more resistant to cold than people in the south, but they cannot withstand the cold in Siberia!

Upon hearing this, Zhang Lexing nodded immediately.

"The commander is right!"

……

At the same time, the rebellion suppression war in Guangnan also began.

Chen Yucheng stood on the top of Hanoi City and looked out.

In the wilderness outside the city, there were densely packed rebels. These rebels were dressed in rags and armed with dung forks, hoes and various other weapons.

They gathered outside Hanoi with great momentum, as if they were about to attack the city.

These rebels have simple weapons and equipment, and have no rules for fighting. They are just a mob.

If the main force of the Tang army in Guangnan had not been withdrawn, the remaining troops would have needed to be divided and stationed in various cities.

But he was unwilling to take risks with Hanoi, and he also had the idea of ​​conducting a sting operation.

Otherwise, even without the need for reinforcements from the imperial court, Chen Yucheng would be confident that he could suppress the rebellion.

Behind these rebels, a huge fleet appeared on the surface of the Red River at some point.

On the masts of this fleet, large flags with the Chinese character "Tang" fluttered in the wind.

On the side of the ship, the black muzzle of the gun was aimed at the shore.

He said expressionlessly, looking at the rebels outside the city.

"The imperial reinforcements have arrived. It's time to start suppressing the rebellion."

"Tell the brothers not to hold back on the rebels!"

"Anyone who dares to resist will be killed without mercy!"

As Chen Yucheng's order was issued, the Tang army in Henei City attacked.

boom! Boom boom!

The city defense artillery aimed at the place where the crowd gathered outside the city and opened fire.

Amid the bombardment, the rebels fell into chaos.

At the same time, the Tang army fleet floating on the Red River also began to open fire.

Boom! Boom!
The deafening sound of artillery fire rang out, and shells poured out one after another indiscriminately.

A shell fired from a naval gun fell to the ground.

Amid the explosion, the shock wave spread in all directions.

Smoke, flames, and gunpowder spread unbridled.

Amid screams and wails, an open space of several dozen meters in radius was cleared on the battlefield.

Everything was swept away cleanly!

Compared with naval guns, land artillery is indeed less lethal.

Amid the roar of artillery, the gates of Hanoi opened wide, and the Tang army, which had been trapped in the city for a long time, rushed out in a mighty force.

"Brothers, kill!"

"Suppress the rebellion and kill all the rebels!"

"Long live the Tang Dynasty!"

"..."

Amid the shouts, the sound of musket fire was heard.

Suddenly, the rebels who had gathered in large numbers outside Hanoi, ready to attack the city, were defeated.

Screams and wails suddenly rang out!

The situation on the battlefield was one-sided.

At this moment, accompanied by the rumbling sound of horse hooves, a team of Tang cavalry rushed out of Hanoi City in a mighty force.

"Brothers, kill!"

"The Tang Dynasty is victorious!"

After the Tang cavalry appeared, they immediately rushed towards the enemy in a mighty manner.

The rumbling sound of horse hooves almost crushed everything.

"Kill!"

"Long live the Tang Dynasty!"

In the blink of an eye, these Tang cavalry rushed into the chaotic rebel formation like a tiger into a pack of wolves and began to reap lives.

The sharp saber flew across and the head flew away!
In panic, the rebels fled in all directions.

Many people fled toward the lower reaches of the Red River.

Woo! Woo!

A low horn sounds.

At this moment, accompanied by a horn, a Tang army appeared on the bank of the lower reaches of the Red River and advanced steadily forward.

"kill!"

"kill!"

"kill!"

"..."

Amid the shouts, the Tang army came forward and blocked the rebels' escape route to the east.

At the same time, the Tang cavalry rushed out of Hanoi City and rushed towards the upper reaches of the Red River, blocking the rebels' escape route to the west.

The existence of Hanoi City blocked the rebels' escape route to the south.

In the blink of an eye, the rebels were surrounded on three sides by the Tang army and blocked on the banks of the Red River.

boom! Boom boom!

The sound of artillery fire continues!
The Tang army's naval guns on the Red River aimed at the direction where the rebels were gathering on the shore and launched an artillery attack.

Amid the booming artillery fire, the rebels were blown to pieces.

Broken limbs and arms are flying all over the sky!

At the same time, the sound of machine gun fire was heard.

The Tang army's machine gunners aimed at the rebel crowd and began to crank the handles, unleashing fire without restraint.

Dada! Dada!

Da da da da da!
Amid the sound of dense machine gun fire, bullets were flying, and wherever they passed, the rebels fell to the ground in unison like wheat fields swept by a strong wind, with endless screams!
Snapped! Bang bang!

At the same time, the sound of rifle fire continued to ring out.

This time, the Tang army had no intention of persuading the rebels to surrender. They just blocked their way and beat them to death.

To put it bluntly, this is a massacre!

Lin Weijia, who was appointed as the governor of Guangnan by the Tang Dynasty, came to Chen Yucheng and began to persuade him.

"Governor, the rebels have been defeated and will no longer dare to defy the court."

"I think we can persuade the rebels to surrender and give them a chance to atone for their sins through labor reform. Commander, you should refrain from killing people!"

Although Lin Weijia is from Ming Dynasty, that is, Chinese.

But his ancestors lived in Guangnan for such a long time, so they have some feelings for Guangnan.

Seeing the imperial army slaughtering the rebels like this, he felt uncomfortable and couldn't help but persuade them.

Chen Yucheng glanced sideways at Lin Weijia and said expressionlessly.

"Your Majesty has ordered that this time we must put down the rebellion and eradicate all the evil,"

"Why, does Governor Lin have any objection?"

The Tang Dynasty recruited Lin Weijia to surrender because it valued his influence in Guangnan and wanted to use his influence to help the Tang Dynasty stabilize the situation in Guangnan.

However, he seemed to have not achieved this effect.

There are still constant rebellions in Guangnan!

That's why Chen Yucheng was a bit rude to Lin Weijia.

Lin Weijia opened his mouth, but in the end said nothing, he just agreed.

"The court is wise!"

Chen Yucheng smiled and continued.

"By the way, there are orders from the court."

"After the Guangnan rebellion is suppressed, Guangnan Province will increase taxes."

"They are a tax for suppressing the rebellion and a tax for maintaining stability. They will be used to pay for the military expenses needed to suppress the rebellion and the subsequent expenses for maintaining stability."

"Well, according to the court, the tax rates of the two additional taxes will be added together to 10%, and will be collected for the first five years."

"If the situation in Guangnan is stable and there is no more rebellion in five years, then the two taxes will be stopped."

"If the situation in Guangnan is still chaotic, we will have to continue to collect these two payments!"

"Governor Lin, maybe you understand?"

Lin Weijia opened his mouth and couldn't help but speak.

"But the reason why Guangnan rebelled was because the taxes were too heavy and the people could not afford it, so a rebellion of such a scale broke out."

"If the court raises taxes again, wouldn't that just add fuel to the fire?"

You know, in order to maintain domestic stability, the Tang Dynasty had to transfer a large amount of grain from Guangnan every year and transport it to the country to fill the food gap in the Tang Dynasty.

So, where did all this food come from?

Of course it comes from taxes!
Therefore, completely different from the policy of light taxes and levies and the policy of resting the people implemented in the Han area, the Tang Dynasty's taxation in Guangnan was already very heavy. If the tax was increased again, Lin Weijia was really afraid that something would happen.

Chen Yucheng said expressionlessly.

"This is an instruction personally issued by His Majesty and cannot be changed."

"Let the people of Guangnan suffer a little longer!"

"It's only five years anyway. After five years, the increased taxes will be reduced."

Lin Weijia opened his mouth, not knowing what to say.

Only add five years, and then it will be reduced after five years...

That's easy to say!

But the problem is that Lin Weijia knows that the rebellion in Guangnan will probably not stop in the next five years.

At that time, how can this tax be reduced or exempted?

Maybe we’ll have to add more!

However, the arm was ultimately no match for the thigh, and Lin Weijia could only agree, feeling a little bitter in his heart.

However, the only thing that comforted him now was that his whole family had become citizens of the Tang Dynasty and were Tang people, not Yue people.

Otherwise, Lin Weijia would only feel more upset.

The battle outside the city was coming to an end.

With the Tang army's machine gun fire and artillery bombardment, the rebels were almost killed or wounded.

Whether it is a machine gun or artillery, the killing effect is too prominent when facing a dense crowd.

On the banks of the Red River, there were many broken bodies lying.

Broken limbs and internal organs were scattered everywhere.

The corpses were piled up on top of each other, and the blood was flowing and gathering, dyeing the water of the Red River red.

Many corpses floated on the Red River, swaying with the waves, and the scene was horrifying.

The smell of blood in the air was so strong that it almost couldn't be dispersed!

(End of this chapter)