The Han culture is spreading strongly in Southeast Asia

Chapter 910 Who Dares to Compare to My Misery?
Just as Mogongze was cornered and could only hold out in Turcha, the battle of Charitzin officially came to an end.

By the end of 1812, the Da Yu army had removed the bastions on both sides of the Volga River in the Tsaritsyn section, creating extremely favorable conditions for attacking the main city of Tsaritsyn.

Tsaritsyn at this time was not the historical Stalingrad; there were not as many reinforced concrete buildings for street fighting, and the mobilization capacity of the Tsarist Russian army could not compare with that of the Soviet Union.

Most importantly, the Soviet Union's military equipment at that time was slightly inferior to that of Germany in the third century, but it was by no means at the level of being generationally different.

After a three-month siege of Tsaritsyn, in July 1812, Crown Prince Taishin arrived at the Tsaritsyn front.

The Yu army, which was on a campaign against Russia, cheered loudly. In three hours, they fired 10,000 shells into the city of Chalijin, most of which were explosive and incendiary shells.

This reignited a massive fire in the city of Charitzin, an unprecedented blaze that burned for three days before being extinguished.

Subsequently, a regiment (800 men) from the Fusang Town Army entered through the breach in the city wall in the early morning.

These short men were generally less than 1.6 meters tall, and they could freely enter and exit many small holes that the Han soldiers could not squeeze into, making them ideal for this kind of situation.

Upon entering the city, the scene before them caused even these inherently cruel and psychologically resilient Sendai soldiers to break down.

The entire city of Chalijin was burned to the ground, and as far as the eye could see, everything was black and dark, resembling a large incinerator.

Large amounts of wood and corpses, still emitting wisps of smoke, were piled haphazardly together, making it impossible to tell what was burning.

The air was filled with a pungent smell; waves of nauseating roasted meat odor relentlessly assaulted everyone's nostrils and even penetrated their pores.

"Ugh!" Several soldiers couldn't hold it in any longer and started vomiting while holding their rifles.

Then they saw several figures, and the captain leading them raised his hand and fired a shot, and the figure fell down.

But the people behind the figure didn't even blink, showing no sign of resistance whatsoever. They continued to wander unsteadily, as if they had lost their souls.
"Be on high alert, search everywhere, and if there are no problems, send the signal in fifteen minutes to let the army enter the city!"

Fifteen minutes later, the main force began to enter the city.

An hour later, the soldiers discovered the only fortress still guarded by Rakshasa soldiers.

This is the ammunition depot of Tsaritsyn. The walls are made of stone and have been well protected against fire. There are waterways all around for water to draw from, which is why it survived the fire.

However, the Russian troops at the ammunition depot did not resist, but instead sent people out to surrender.

Han Zaibai, the Left Imperial Guard Lieutenant General and Cavalry Brigadier General, reached out and accepted the commander's sword, a symbol of surrender.

This is a very ornately decorated sword, with the Roman Empire double-headed eagle emblem engraved on the handle, an emblem reserved for the highest nobility of the Rus' Empire.

"Is this General Balagjion's sword? Shouldn't he be the one to come forward and surrender?" Han Zaibai asked, somewhat displeased.

"The Third Roman Empire Army General, the esteemed Prince Balaggio, has died a heroic death."

He has upheld the honor that a nobleman should possess. As a relative and guard of the prince, I stand here on his behalf to implore your army to grant the prince the dignity he deserves.

The 1,200 warriors in the armory also hoped to receive some preferential treatment and not become slaves; otherwise, they would rather detonate the armory's stockpile.

It turns out that during the shelling three days earlier, the Russian commander of Tsaritsyn, General Balagtian, who was of Georgian royal lineage and had been granted the title of Prince by the Tsar, was unexpectedly hit by an explosive bomb.

The bomb exploded one or two meters away from Prince Balagdion, severely injuring his internal organs and severing his right leg. He died from his injuries shortly after being dragged back.

Upon hearing this, Han Zaibai dismounted and saluted in the direction of the ammunition depot.

"I have heard of the Prince's deeds. He is a respectable soldier. Please allow me to report before replying. I believe I can give the Prince the respect he deserves."

Of course, the elder statesman Sen would give Prince Balagtian the respect due to him, and not only would he give him the respect, but he would also give him a very grand one, because this prince was indeed a standard loyal and capable general.

In Tsarist Russia, Balagetian fought in over a hundred battles, large and small, since he joined the army, and he was always the one who led the rearguard in every crucial moment.

For example, Suvorov famously crossed the Alps and escaped the pursuit of the French army within Austrian territory.

For example, in the early stages of the Battle of the Three Emperors, at the Battle of Singellaben, he used 5,000 infantrymen to hold off an attack by 30,000 French infantry and cavalry, covering the retreat of the main Russian force.

He then led the rearguard after the Battle of Austerlitz to cover the retreat of Tsar Alexander I.

Historically, he also served as a rearguard on several occasions during the Russo-French War of 1812, especially in the Battle of Borodino, where he successfully halted the French army's advance across Russia. This was crucial to Kutuzov's ability to execute his scorched-earth tactics.

Of course, in this timeline, there is the merit of the lone army holding out in Chalijin.

In military operations, serving as the rearguard, especially in the rearguard position after a defeat in a major battle, is an extremely dangerous and thankless job that most people would never want to do again after just one attempt.

Prince Balaghdian not only took the position repeatedly without complaint, but also did an excellent job.

Such loyal and capable generals are needed not only by the emperor, but also by the country and the nation. When you encounter such a general, never insult him; instead, try your best to show that you recognize and respect heroes.

Upon receiving the report, Sen, the elder statesman in Tsaritsyn, immediately ordered that Prince Balagejon be buried according to the rites of the Duke of Dayu.

They even specially selected two hundred Russian prisoners of war from the armory and had them carry Prince Balagdion's coffin back to St. Petersburg.

At the same time, the death of Prince Balagdion greatly shocked the entire Rus' Empire.

Many people with weak wills began to fear fighting against the Great Yu, and some who were already opposed to confronting the Great Yu became even more opposed to the war.

Meanwhile, the fact that the big boss Sen had Russian prisoners carry the prince's coffin along the way was practically a propaganda film.

Those who resisted felt the pain deeply, those who opposed stirred up trouble, and the timid were secretly terrified.

After capturing Tsaritsyn, advancing became exceptionally easy.

In August, the Da Yu army conquered Saratov, located 8 kilometers upstream from Tsaritsyn.

In mid-September, the army arrived at Ulyanovsk, 9 kilometers from Saratov, and subsequently captured the city.

But upon reaching this point, Mogongleng stopped and began constructing defenses, fortifying the city, and expanding the port in Ulyanovsk, preparing to turn it into a logistics base.

This is not only because the rainy season in Ulyanovsk and the area to the north is in autumn and winter, when the roads are muddy and difficult to travel, nor is it only because the temperature here drops below zero for up to a month.

The main reason was that the logistics of the expeditionary force to Russia were about to explode.

Ulyanovsk is 1,150 kilometers from the city of Astrakhan, and even with steamships for resupply, three coal-filling points would need to be set up along the way.

Moreover, given the long distance and the need to travel upstream, the resupply efficiency of steamships was greatly reduced, with an average daily transport capacity of only about one hundred tons.

This is a considerable challenge for an army of over 100,000 that needs hundreds of tons of food every day; if they are not careful, some of them will go hungry.

Therefore, it is currently necessary to stay in Ulyanovsk to improve transportation capacity and strive to stockpile enough winter supplies as soon as possible.

“Continue north from here, and you will reach Kazan, the capital of the Tatars.”

Although they were called Tatars, they were not actually Mongol Tatars, but Bulgars, related to the Bulgars who served as slaves to the Ottomans on the western coast of the Black Sea.

During a break in the construction of the supply base, Song Wentian, son of the Privy Councilor and Marquis of Changle, and commander of the Left Feathered Forest Guard, was reporting the situation to Mo Gongling.

North of Ulyanovsk lies the Republic of Tatarstan of Russia. In later years, a huge reservoir, the Kuibyshev Reservoir, was built on this section of the Volga River, in preparation for the Volga Hydroelectric Power Station.

However, the Kuibyshev Reservoir was not completed until around 1950, so it was not there at that time.

But the fact that a hydroelectric power station can be built here proves that the surrounding waterways are not easy to navigate. The expeditionary force must complete the collection of hydrological data before it can continue its northward march. "Since they are called Tatars, even if they have no relation to the Mongols, they must have some connection to the grasslands of southern and northern Mongolia. Are they descendants of the Xiongnu or the Turks?" Mo Gongling asked with a smile after hearing Song Wentian's words.

According to Professor Kong of the Nanjing Imperial Academy, the upper class of these Bulgars, who were called Tatars, should have been related to the Xiongnu, or rather, they should be descendants of the White Huns and Hephthalites.

"If they're neither the Southern Xiongnu nor the Northern Xiongnu, then they're not really related to us. It would probably be very difficult to win them over, but it shouldn't be so difficult to rob them of a few scraps."

Song Wentian nodded in agreement on the surface, but inwardly he was complaining.

Mo Gongling's words sound nice, but even if it really were the remnants of the Southern and Northern Xiongnu, the army would still rob them.

All of this stems from the immense logistical pressure.

With over 100,000 troops, the current situation is that we have to allocate some of our transport capacity, which is only enough to transport food, to transport munitions. The pressure is immense.

In addition to the pressure of food supplies, developing Ulyanovsk into a second logistics base also requires a large workforce.

However, it is not good for an army to be used like cattle and horses in battle, as it will lower their fighting spirit and morale. Therefore, a large number of local laborers are needed.

However, Song Wentian had some doubts, because there weren't many cavalrymen in the central army who could handle the task of raiding everywhere. These tasks were to be accomplished by the Mongol tribes in the south, north, and west of the Gobi Desert, as well as the Kazakh light cavalry.

Everyone has their own expertise; the Han Chinese are indeed not good at precise robbery on the grasslands.

Seeing Song Wentian's puzzled look, Mo Gongling burst into laughter, "The Northern Route Army has already captured Orenburg and basically annihilated the Russian garrison. They are on their way to join us and should arrive in the next few days."

Song Wentian was delighted to hear this, as it was good news. Chen Jinchuan's Northern Route Army had a large number of these grassland cavalrymen, and they were exactly the kind of people they needed to do the plundering of supplies and the kidnapping of people.

A few days later, Chen Jinchuan, the second Duke of Dingguo and commander of the Northern Route Army, indeed arrived with 30,000 cavalry.

Orenburg and Ulyanovsk are roughly at the same latitude, only about 400 kilometers apart, and cavalry could reach them in less than ten days.

The northern army's capture of Orenburg not only allows them to join forces with the central army, but also provides a route of support for the central army.

In extreme circumstances, the army could retreat by land to Orenburg, and then sail down the Ural River back to Atyrau, which is also located on the northern shore of the Caspian Sea.

“Cousin, you are the commander-in-chief of the army, it is not appropriate for you to make such a decision. Let me carry it out. Don’t worry, I know how to handle it properly.” After hearing Mo Gongling’s words, Chen Jinchuan immediately accepted the task.

Mo Gongling glanced at Chen Jinchuan with a smile. If Chen Jinchuan spoke in a subordinate's tone, then Mo Gongling naturally couldn't let him take the blame.

He was just a commander-in-chief, not an emperor or crown prince, so he didn't need to care so much about his image.

However, from Chen Jinchuan's perspective as a cousin, they are family, and there's no need to overthink it.

"Alright, go and make the arrangements. Given the current situation, forget about Huairou. Let's seize some grain and livestock first and complete the stockpiling task."

After receiving the order, Chen Jinchuan immediately summoned the Mongol cavalry from the southern, northern, and western parts of the Gobi Desert, as well as the cavalry leaders from various northeastern tribes, to discuss the matter.

These guys were experts at this. Just by looking at Chen Jinchuan's expression, they knew that Commander Mo Gongling had finally relaxed his control over them, and they were all incredibly excited.

Chen Jinchuan sighed inwardly. The idea of ​​soldiers passing through without committing any offenses and gaining local support through appeasement sounds like a perfectly sound maxim, but in reality, it is extremely difficult to implement.

There are only so many benefits in this world. If others eat one more bite, our own people will eat one less bite. An army that can appease its own people's desires and offer benefits to appease outsiders is definitely very powerful.

. . . .

Moscow – Tsar Alexander I traveled all the way from St. Petersburg because Kutuzov had returned from the front.

The most obvious characteristic revealed by the Rus' Empire in this battle was its lack of resolve.

From the very beginning, Tsar Alexander I was taking a wait-and-see approach. He distrusted Napoleon and was also wary of the powerful Sen.

Alexander hoped to block Da Yu at Tsaritsyn, and then use this as leverage to intimidate Da Yu by threatening to join forces with France, and take back Xihai City (Astrahan) from Da Lao Sen.

He also hoped to join forces with France to teach the Great Yu a painful lesson, thereby stabilizing the eastern border and deterring the Great Yu from continuing to covet Russia.

As a result, the war has dragged on until now, and Alexander I has not achieved any of his goals, and people have begun to feel fear.

“Your Majesty, we have no choice. If we back down now, the Slavs will truly become slaves of the East once again.”

Kutuzov tried his best to persuade him, but Alexander I was sweating profusely and dared not make up his mind.

“Last night I prayed fervently for Peter, hoping that God would send angels to receive Peter’s soul into heaven.”

"It was my recklessness that killed him. Peter was the most promising general of the Empire's future; he shouldn't have died in Tsaritsyn."

The Peter mentioned by Alexander I was Prince Peter Ivanovich of Balagediana.

Seeing how frightened the Tsar was, Kutuzov could only step forward and kneel before him, trying to bring Alexander I to his senses with his loud voice.

"Your Majesty Caesar, it is precisely because our sacrifices are so great that we must persevere."

The Khitan Empire was indeed formidable, a fact no one would dispute, but the northern shore of the Caspian Sea was not their home turf. They had very limited power projection capabilities and were extremely dependent on the Volga River for supplies.

"If it weren't for this, Your Majesty, we would have been captured and imprisoned in the Khitan capital long ago."

At this time, Dayu's campaign against Russia was quite different from Napoleon's campaign against Russia during the same period in history.

The journey from Poland to Moscow sounds far, but it was actually only a little over a thousand kilometers.

But the Great Yu has already covered more than a thousand kilometers in just a short time.

This is still counting from Xihai City; if we start counting from the middle of the river, it would be even further.

Moreover, there is still a distance of 1,000 kilometers from Ulyanovsk to Moscow, which means it is at least 2,000 kilometers in total.

"Your Majesty, please see, precisely because the Khitans are overly reliant on the Volga River for supplies, we do not need to implement a scorched-earth policy in many places, namely the residents within fifty kilometers of the banks of the Volga River."

Beyond fifty kilometers, with their limited military strength, the Khitans would find it difficult to hold a stable position, and their expenditures from plundering would exceed their gains.

Kutuzov pointed out the biggest difference between the marches of Mogonling and Napoleon.

Historically, during Napoleon's invasion of Russia, the area under the scorched-earth policy was very large because Napoleon mobilized a large number of troops and had shorter supply lines.

However, Napoleon's French army was also more likely to cut off the enemy's retreat than Da Yu's army that was invading Russia.

Because the rivers along Napoleon's route from Poland to Moscow all flowed north-south, the French army not only could not use the rivers for transportation, but also had to constantly ford various crossings.

However, Dayu, with the Volga River flowing directly into the heart of Tsarist Russia, did not have these concerns.

However, due to over-reliance on the Volga River, the scope of Tsarist Russia's scorched-earth policy was greatly reduced.

At the same time, although the rear route is not easy to cut off, the supply route is too long, which greatly increases the possibility of being harassed.

"Your Majesty Caesar, this is a contest of endurance and faith. It will be a test of whether we can persevere through the pain or whether the Khitans can withstand the logistical difficulties."

Kutuzov, large and stout, resembling a polar bear, stared resolutely at Tsar Alexander I.

"Your Majesty Caesar, have faith in your people! No one can defeat us in a contest of endurance!"

(End of this chapter)